Chapter 6: Hiding One's Edge Is Not Showing One's Stupidity

"No wonder they say poverty suits scholars, wealth suits martial artists…"

Wrapping his hemp clothes tighter, he pushed the door open and stepped out; in the cold wind, Li Yuan sighed inwardly.

The gap between the middle court and the front court was not just about meals, but also about free time; the work that needed doing would not be reduced by half just because your body ached.

The so-called saying that poverty suits scholars and wealth suits martial artists truly held some truth. Reading could let you help out around the house in your spare time, but practicing martial arts left no spare energy at all—it was "full-time disengagement" in the truest sense.

"If I don't get out of the middle court, even if a divine art were placed before me, I simply couldn't practice it!"

That day, the pain on the faces of the middle court's apprentices never faded; a few of them, with weak hands and feet, bungled their tasks and got beaten by Fatty Sun.

Still, the meals had increased in portion—though no meat was seen, there was at least a bit of grease.

"It's different now, completely different!"

Li Yuan was immersed in joy.

He had slept poorly yesterday, but his energy was not lacking; the work that needed doing was not delayed in the slightest, and he even finished a bit faster than usual.

At the same time, he was still getting familiar with the changes after mastering the 'Training Hammer.'

"I haven't been reborn, but…"

As evening approached, the apprentices who had finished a day's labor all rested early, including Niu Gui; Li Yuan, meanwhile, squatted in a corner, sensing the changes in himself.

He had not become strong and powerful overnight, but he could mobilize the strength in his body faster and better.

"Does force rise from the ground?"

Li Yuan stamped his foot lightly; he could even feel the flow of 'force,' and understood how to make 'force' more tightly and swiftly explode from a single point.

This was the augmentation of the Cloak Hammer Art at the Mastery level—and that was only part of it.

"This is what Wu Gong is!"

Li Yuan's heart was stirred, and he grew even more expectant about learning the Cloak Hammer.

The Training Hammer brought him the Cloak Hammer Art at the Mastery level; although it also touched upon stance training, the real bulk was still in the hammer art!

At this moment, he felt as though he had already practiced the hammer art for decades, itching to demonstrate it on the spot.

Splash splash!

Fetching a basin of water, Li Yuan washed himself; the weather was getting colder and colder, and there was no hot water, so while he could still wash, he naturally had to wash more.

He paid great attention to his own hygiene and health.

But hot water, in these times, was an extremely luxurious thing.

Firewood, rice, oil, salt—firewood came first.

The Weapon Forging Shop had such conditions, but a mere kitchen apprentice was not entitled to enjoy them…

"Take it slow!"

Drying his body, Li Yuan patted his face.

The Martial Records had torn open the gloom that had hung over him since coming to this world; though exhausted from a day's labor, his mood was very good.

After washing, he began pondering the inner court.

The Weapon Forging Shop was an old establishment of over two hundred years; its business spanned many counties and had long since been confined to a simple blacksmith's shop.

Many years ago, it had already become a major force integrating mine excavation, weapon forging, transport, and sales.

The apprentices the Weapon Forging Shop took in naturally went to all sorts of places—mines, guards, blacksmiths, accountants, and so on, a great variety.

"The inner court is the core of the Weapon Forging Shop; full-time martial artists are the key to the shop's business being able to grow…"

Over the past month, Li Yuan had naturally learned a bit about the Weapon Forging Shop; he was very interested in the inner court.

Mainly because the treatment was good, the monthly pay was high, and one could even take hot baths.

A day or two ago, he would certainly have had no thoughts about the inner court, but now…

"Wherever the treatment is good, everyone wants to go; there might be some trouble… hmm, I can probe first; if there's trouble, I'll pull out quickly…"

Li Yuan set an initial plan in his heart.

Whether it was for the 'Ranked Weapon,' the gold, silver, and iron needed for the Martial Records, or seeking better treatment, joining the inner court could be called the best opportunity.

Hiding one's edge is not showing one's stupidity; a proper display is better than blind concealment. The wandering Daoist Priest who had roamed the jianghu for years in his past life also had his own survival wisdom.

If you can't 'stand out,' why should others feed you first?

As for how much to show and how much to hide, the Daoist Master who had failed in the rat race and been forced to open a small supermarket back in the county town also had some insights in his heart.

……

As the sky gradually darkened, apprentices from the various courts arrived at the martial arts ground one after another.

When Qin Xiong's tall figure appeared, the middle court's apprentices rose one after another and hurried toward the martial arts ground.

"Today, I'll teach you the Cloak Hammer!"

Qin Xiong's voice was resonant and carried far, but he clearly had no intention of personally instructing today; after casually giving a few orders, he turned and left.

Fatty Sun followed him with a smile.

"I'll teach you the Cloak Hammer!"

The dark-faced youth Lu Zhong rolled up his sleeves and came before the group, assuming the Bai Yuan stance as usual:

"Everyone, go grab a hammer; today we're doing stance training while holding a hammer!"

Holding a hammer while doing stance training?

Many apprentices' faces turned bitter, but they didn't dare talk back; gritting their teeth, they went to pick out hammers.

Li Yuan mixed in and picked one; his peripheral vision swept around—did no one seem to notice that one hammer was missing?

"Hoo!"

Casually assuming a Bai Yuan stance, Li Yuan looked down.

A wooden handle, a black iron hammer head—clearly the most ordinary of iron hammers—yet it gave him a feeling of blood connection.

This feeling was so wonderful that Li Yuan was quite restless, wanting to try swinging it and practice the hammer art.

Lu Zhong held his hammer and stood in a horse stance for half a shichen, and by the time he relaxed his posture, not a single person in the whole field could maintain their stance practice anymore.

"Heh~"

The corner of Lu Zhong's mouth twitched slightly. Clearly having no intention of giving them a break, he raised his hammer and twirled it once:

"Now, I'll teach you the Cloak Hammer technique…"

The faces of the apprentices on the field all changed. Even the little calves in the front yard couldn't take it anymore, and someone called out softly, "Lu-ge." They had already been practicing for a whole day.

"Mm, then rest for a bit!"

Lu Zhong waved his hand, and the apprentices on the field sat down in a great clattering mass, many of them groaning — they were utterly exhausted.

"Lu-ge, tell us about that Bai Yuan Cloak Hammer!"

During the break, an apprentice sidled up in front of Lu Zhong.

"You haven't even learned it yet, what's there to talk about?"

Lu Zhong was a little impatient, but glancing at Niu Gui, who had also sidled over, he still said a few words:

"Stance practice has to be trained together with the hammer technique. Movement and stillness combined — only then can you enter the door faster…"

"Lu-ge, how long does it take to enter the door, roughly?"

Niu Gui asked.

"It varies from person to person. Normally speaking, with average aptitude and a bit of diligence, you should be able to enter the door in about half a year or so?"

Lu Zhong tossed off a few casual words, then immediately fell silent, coughed several times, picked up his hammer, and also stepped forward. Only then did his expression ease a little, and he said:

"You don't need to know that much. If you can enter the door before the new year, Master Qin will naturally teach you in person. The Cloak Hammer has eighteen moves in total. Today I'll teach you the first move…

Niu Gui, come here, you're first."

……

Lu Zhong instructed Niu Gui — stomp the foot, raise the arm, swing the hammer, smash down — and the others followed along, copying his example.

"That little calf is already about to enter the door?"

Li Yuan saw the trick of it, and comparing it with the progress of the other apprentices, his heart settled slightly after a while. He reached out and picked up the iron hammer by his feet.

"Force starts from the ground, is born in the feet, issues from the legs, passes through the waist to the shoulder, and finally travels to the wrist… then it's swung out and struck. On empty air, it returns smoothly along the momentum; on a hit, it rebounds by borrowing the force,

What it stresses is the unbroken continuity of strength, like a raging wind that never ceases…"

Lu Zhong was just instructing Niu Gui when he suddenly heard a 'weng' hum and couldn't help but turn his head:

"Mm?!"

……

……

"Come, Qin-ge, drink!"

In the little courtyard outside the middle yard, Fatty Sun was pressing drinks on him. Qin Xiong refused no one who came, and only stopped after drinking until he was slightly tipsy.

"No more drinking, I have to go check on those little brats…"

Fatty Sun rose to see him off, lowering his voice:

"Brother Qin, I heard that after the new year we're opening a new shop in Zhilong Prefecture. Will the Shopkeeper be stationed at Fucheng from now on? When the time comes…"

"Who did you hear that from?"

The last trace of tipsiness vanished from Qin Xiong's eyes, which turned slightly cold. Then Yu Yu Xuanji laughed:

"Just a rumor. As long as Qiu Long isn't dead, how would Shopkeeper Cao dare leave Gao Liu for long? That's a venomous dragon from across the river, come from 'Divine Weapon Valley'…"

"Brother Qin speaks rightly, a rumor, a rumor…"

Fatty Sun laughed:

"What I mean is, if there are any changes inside the shop, Brother Qin, don't forget about little me…"

"Heh~"

Waving his hand, Qin Xiong walked out the door. The smile on Fatty Sun's face vanished in an instant, even taking on a few hints of coldness.

……

"Mm?"

Still about twenty meters from the middle yard, the corner of Qin Xiong's eye couldn't help but twitch upward.

His eyesight was naturally extremely good. Under the moonlight, the sounds of thirty or forty apprentices swinging their hammers merged into one continuous wave, yet he could distinguish the good from the bad at a single glance, and savor the high from the low.

The one swinging the best…

"That kid?"

Qin Xiong narrowed his eyes slightly, looking toward the place where the wind-breaking sound came from, somewhat surprised, somewhat amused:

"Li Lin's younger brother?"

(End of chapter)