Chapter 2

The sky gradually darkens.

The time is finally approaching for the academy to close.

Generally, the first to come out are the outer-court apprentices.

Although the academy is not large, it has clear levels; newly admitted disciples practice in the outer court, and only those who can master the fist technique within two months can be accepted by Liu Qingshi as formal disciples and enter the inner court to practice.

If one cannot master the fist technique within two months, it means they have no talent at all and are basically destined to have no connection with the martial path in this life.

Therefore, these outer-court disciples walking out have more or less a trace of anxiety on their faces.

Soon, the inner-court disciples also file out, with a young man of extraordinary dress and arrogant expression walking at the very front.

This person is named Zhang Xu; like Su Yan, he is also from a wealthy family, but he is completely different from Su Yan's easygoing nature.

His pace is fast, his chin slightly raised, and his gaze only gives a faint glance at Jiang Ye at the door, as if he is not looking at a person, but at a familiar piece of furniture.

The disciples following behind him vaguely treat him as their leader, their words filled with caution and flattery.

"Zhang Zhang Shixiong is worthy of being a natural martial talent; I'm afraid it won't be long before he can knock on the door of the Hidden Force Realm."

"I heard Liu Shi say that Zhang Zhang Shixiong's talent for martial arts ranks in the top five since the academy was founded."

"Once Zhang Zhang Shixiong knocks open the great gate of the Hidden Force Realm, he will be able to be called the Twin Stars of the academy alongside Zhang Zhang Shixiong Lin Lin Shimei Liu."

"..."

Compared to those anxious outer-court apprentices, this group led by Zhang Xu exudes a completely different aura.

It is the composure of those who have initially gained recognition, possess a certain foundation, and feel superior—or perhaps one could say, aloof.

Jiang Ye silently takes all of this in.

Twenty years of gatekeeping have made him see through the subtle interpersonal relationships within the academy like a fire.

Disciples like Zhang Xu, who come from wealthy backgrounds and have decent talent, are the key focus of the academy and one of the important sources for Liu Qingshi to maintain the academy's reputation and income.

They have their own circles that ordinary disciples find hard to integrate into, and an old gatekeeper like Jiang Ye has never been truly seen by them.

Jiang Ye stands quietly under the eaves outside the gatehouse, counting the number of people in his heart after the inner-court disciples have all left.

"There are still two people who haven't come out."

Jiang Ye's brows furrow slightly.

The academy has rules: when it is time to close, unless there is special permission from the Master, disciples are not allowed to linger in the academy; this is for the sake of management and to prevent unnecessary trouble.

After waiting for a while longer, Jiang Ye turns and walks toward the academy.

"Lin Lin Shimei, the characteristic of this Mountain-Crushing Fist is this 'heavy' force and 'integrated' force."

"Since you are just starting, don't pursue speed, and don't think about how good the moves look; just practice this feeling of 'pushing the wall.' Practice until every breath can drive your body to move slightly, and the force is naturally connected without interruption; only then will the frame of this first style be considered to have some shape."

Just as he walks into the outer court, Jiang Ye sees a dark-skinned, sturdy young man instructing a young girl with double buns and baby fat still on her cheeks to practice boxing.

This young man is named Shi Lei; Jiang Ye has heard Liu Qingshi mention that although this child's foundation is average, he excels in diligent practice, and his fist technique is about to be mastered; he is considered a good seedling among this batch of outer-court disciples.

And the girl he is instructing, Jiang Ye also knows; she is Lin Xiaohe, a disciple admitted just two days ago.

Seeing Jiang Ye enter, Shi Lei quickly stops and stands straight, his face filled with apology.

"Old Jiang, I'm sorry, we forgot the time while practicing and delayed your closing of the academy; we'll leave immediately."

Lin Xiaohe, standing to the side, sees that the person coming is Jiang Ye, the old gatekeeper, and mutters dismissively, "It shouldn't matter if we practice a little longer."

"Shh... if Liu Shi sees that we haven't left after closing, we will be punished."

Shi Lei quickly gives Lin Xiaohe a look, signaling her not to speak.

"Ah..."

Hearing this, Lin Xiaohe immediately stops her boxing stance and walks quickly toward the outside of the academy like a startled rabbit, fearing that if she leaves a step late, she will be caught.

Seeing this little girl run away, leaving Shi Lei behind, Jiang Ye shakes his head slightly, a trace of subtle mockery flashing in his cloudy eyes.

He doesn't say anything more and begins to tidy up the simple equipment scattered on the ground.

"Old Jiang, let me help you tidy up."

Shi Lei gives an honest smile and steps forward to help.

"Lin Lin Shimei also comes from a bitter background; I thought I would help where I can."

While tidying up the equipment, Shi Lei chats with Jiang Ye about why he would waste his time helping Lin Xiaohe practice boxing.

Jiang Ye looks at Shi Lei deeply and says nothing more.

Good intentions may not always be rewarded; this is a truth one only understands after experiencing it personally.

Soon, the equipment on the ground is all tidied up, and Shi Lei says goodbye to Jiang Ye and leaves the courtyard.

"Phew... finally, they've all left."

Jiang Ye closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.

Inner Court.

A man in his early fifties is standing in the courtyard.

His stature is not extremely tall, but he is exceptionally straight, with broad shoulders and back, supporting a half-old dark blue long gown with sharp angles, without the slightest bit of excess movement.

That is the frame and muscle tempered by years of rigorous martial arts practice; even standing still, it exudes a heavy sense of weight.

Standing there, he is like a green pine that has weathered frost and snow but has never bent.

This person is none other than Liu Qingshi, who founded the Qingshi Martial Arts Academy.

Jiang Ye holds a broom, slowly sweeping the fallen leaves on the ground, and lingers nearby.

Liu Qingshi notices him, turns his head, and a gentle smile appears on his face, "Old Jiang, busy?"

He has always maintained respect for this life-saving benefactor and old friend.

"Master." Jiang Ye stops his movement, bows slightly, a trace of shyness and hesitation belonging to an old man appearing on his face at just the right time, and he rubs his hands, "There is something... I don't know if I should say it or not."

"If there is something, just say it; why be so polite between us?"

Liu Qingshi waves his hand.

Jiang Ye sighs and points to himself, "I'm old, and this useless body of mine aches everywhere when winter comes, and my joints are stiff."

"I was thinking if I could practice boxing with you too; I don't ask for anything else, just to feel a bit more relaxed and sleep more soundly at night."

Hearing this, Liu Qingshi is slightly stunned, then relieved, a trace of understanding and faint sadness flashing in his eyes.

He understands Jiang Ye's thoughts; for a lonely old man, at this age, what he seeks is nothing more than physical health and fewer illnesses.

"Old Jiang, it's a good thing you want to move your muscles and bones."

Liu Qingshi ponders for a moment, his gaze lingering for an instant on Jiang Ye's hunched but still straight neck, and he speaks slowly, his voice as steady as ever:

"But my Mountain-Crushing Fist is fierce and domineering, focusing on the eruption of Qi and blood and the resonance of tendons and bones."

"Even for the most basic practice, the path of force has a significant impact on the meridians and bones."

"At your age... I'm afraid your body can't withstand such tossing; practicing by force will not only be useless but might even damage your foundation."

His words are straightforward but carry undeniable concern and the truth.

Jiang Ye opens his mouth, a layer of gloom and disappointment at being seen through appearing on his face at the right time, and he is about to say something more.

"However..." Liu Qingshi changes the subject, seemingly remembering something, and says in a deep voice, "At your mention, I do recall an old matter."

He turns and walks back into the room, and before long, he comes out with a thin, yellowed thread-bound booklet in his hand.

The edges of the booklet are somewhat worn, and the cover seems to have been damp, leaving water stains of varying depths, but it is preserved quite flatly.

"This is something I obtained from an old physician living in seclusion when I was traveling abroad in my early years."

Liu Qingshi hands the booklet to Jiang Ye, his tone peaceful, "This is not some profound martial art; according to that physician, it is a set of boxing techniques he created by studying ancient books, observing the forms and spirits of birds and beasts, and combining them with health-preserving guidance techniques, called..."

Jiang Ye's gaze falls on the slightly dim cover of the booklet, on which three large characters are written in simple ink—

Five-Animal Boxing!

The booklet feels slightly heavy in his hand, the paper is rough, and the three characters "Five-Animal Boxing" on the cover are not particularly exquisite in brushwork, but they possess a natural, simple vitality, as if they truly contain the imagery of birds flying and beasts running in the mountains and forests.

"Although this is a boxing technique that focuses on health preservation and lacks the power to defeat enemies, it may have miraculous effects on prolonging life and clearing the tendons and bones."

"If you are interested, you might as well slowly ponder and practice according to the illustrations and oral formulas in this booklet."

"If there is anything you don't understand, you can ask me at any time."

Liu Qingshi pauses slightly and continues, "By the way, Old Jiang, from tomorrow on, go to the kitchen and get a bowl of Blood-Strengthening Soup; since you are starting to move your muscles and bones, combining it with this medicinal soup is the principle of practicing and nourishing simultaneously."

His words are plain, but they make Jiang Ye's heart move slightly.

This Blood-Strengthening Soup is a medicinal soup used by formal disciples to temper their tendons and bones and replenish Qi and blood; although this soup is not a rare item, it requires costs and has always been supplied only to inner-court disciples.

"Master..." Jiang Ye looks up, the light of the lantern reflected in his dim eyes, as well as the yellowed booklet in his hand; the gratitude is more genuine than at any time before, "This kindness... Old Jiang, I really don't know how to thank you."

"Why speak of thanks between us?" Liu Qingshi waves his hand, a slight smile appearing on his face, "I'm happy to see you find something to do and have a stronger body; it's getting late, so you should rest early."

Jiang Ye bows deeply and tucks the "Five-Animal Boxing" booklet away close to his body, treasuring it.

He knows that after tonight, everything will be different.

This seemingly ordinary "Five-Animal Boxing" is the first step of his Ladder to Divinity!