Duty: [Martial Artist]

West of the city, Lingcang Sword Gate.

The sun was setting, and a chilling wind was blowing.

Pei Si, with a long sword at his waist, arrived in front of the courtyard of bungalows.

"Knock knock knock".

A rhythmic knocking sounded, and soon the courtyard gate was pulled open. A middle-aged man with a gloomy face and a hooked nose poked his head out, sizing Pei Si up and down: "Here to learn swordsmanship?"

"One hundred and twenty coins per month for incense offerings, including food but not accommodation. If you want lodging, add ten coins."

It was indeed expensive.

In silver terms, it's 120 taels a month.

Aside from the bigwigs in the county, who else can learn from this?

Therefore, Lingcang Sword Sect has the fewest disciples.

However, if you mention to others that you are a disciple of the Lingcang Blade Sect, they will look at you with more respect.

Being able to learn martial arts at the Lingcang Sword Sect is itself a demonstration of strength.

"I'll learn," Pei Si said with a smile.

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man with the hooked nose immediately became enthusiastic and said, "Please come in."

The change in attitude is astonishing.

"May I ask how you are addressed?"

Pei Si.

"Brother Pei, my name is Wu Qing. Please come with me."

Under Wu Qing's guidance, Pei Si paid his tuition, received his identity token, and was then taken to the backyard.

Along the way, with Wu Qing's introduction, Pei Si gained a preliminary understanding of the Lingcang Sword Sect.

The sect leader's name is Ruan Qing, and he is considered one of the top experts in Qingcheng County.

There are also three great instructors in the sect.

Lin Zhonglin, Hong Yi, and Ling Yan are the backbone of the sect.

Below that are the students of this sect.

Newcomers to the inner circle will first be taught the Black Tiger Force.

This Black Tiger Force technique has both fighting methods and training methods.

Only those who meet the standards within a month will be granted the Lingcang Sword Technique.

Today happens to be the day when Instructor Lin from the Forest is passing on his skills.

It's better to come early than to come by coincidence.

Pei Si glanced around and saw that the backyard was paved with blue bricks, with weapon racks, wooden dummies, stone locks, and other items on the ground.

After taking Pei Si to the backyard, Wu Qing left.

At this moment, there were three people in the backyard, including Pei Si.

Pei Si sized up the instructor in the forest.

He had a leopard's head and round eyes, a swallow's chin and a tiger's beard, and was about eight feet tall, over thirty years old.

Before them stood a young man, about fifteen or sixteen years old, with a unique clarity in his eyes. When he saw Pei Si looking at him, he nodded with a warm smile.

Lin Zhong was also observing Pei Si.

Young and handsome.

He must have come from a wealthy family, which led to his being sent to the martial arts school by his family.

I wonder whose young master he is? He looks so delicate and fair-skinned, I wonder if he can endure hardship.

"My name is Pei Si. Today I have joined the Lingcang Blade Sect. I humbly request your guidance, Instructor." Pei Si stated succinctly.

Is your surname Pei?

Lin Zhong examined the scene for a while, then glanced at the young man beside Pei Si.

The two were similar in stature and both had handsome faces, but compared to Pei Si, the latter had a more youthful appearance.

I've never heard of a Pei family in this county.

"No problem."

Lin Zhong nodded:

"There are three levels of entry into martial arts."

"They are the three realms of Strength Acquisition, Meridian Opening, and Blood Courage."

"By tempering the muscles and bones, all strength becomes hard, and the body becomes like a bronze pillar; this is the realm of mastering strength."

"When the meridians are opened and energy is guided, the energy flows throughout the body, and the mind follows suit, this is the state of opening the meridians."

"With roaring blood and qi, and swirling energy, one can shatter monuments with bare hands and break through armor with a fist; this is the Blood Warrior Realm."

"Become a warrior, and a path to heaven will be laid out before you."

"The world is vast; there is nowhere one cannot go."

"For example, the minimum requirement for the city guards in our Qingcheng County is that they must be at the Strength Realm."

"And my Lingcang Blade Sect also holds considerable weight in this small corner of Qingcheng."

"Many of you senior brothers and sisters are serving in the city guard, and those who are even more outstanding can even go to Yingyang Prefecture."

"This Black Tiger Force training method combines physical training with two parts: Tiger Stance and Black Tiger Fist. It was created by the sect leader."

"Now, I will pass on the Black Tiger Force to you."

Under Lin Zhong's guidance, Pei Si gradually improved.

The stance is the foundation of the fist, and the fist is the application of the stance.

Pei Si stood with his feet shoulder-width apart, toes slightly turned outward, knees bent in a half-squat, shoulders relaxed and elbows dropped, all his muscles slightly tense, and his breathing natural.

Lin Zhong stood with his arms crossed, observing quietly and occasionally offering guidance to Pei Si's movements.

"Stop! You've already spent half an hour on the first stake-setting exercise!" Lin Zhong called out to the two men.

"Pei Si, you have decent talent. If you are willing to put in the hard work, reaching the Qi Refining Realm will not be a problem."

"Lu Shouhuai, your natural talent and aptitude are far superior to Pei Si's, but you must guard against arrogance and impetuosity."

"Wait for me here at dawn tomorrow," Lin Zhong said before leaving the backyard.

Pei Si finished his work.

Despite being drenched in sweat, Pei Si felt completely refreshed.

This is what it feels like to practice martial arts.

"The judge is Pei Si, whose official position is [military officer]."

"Martial Arts Proficiency +1, Proficiency 1/100".

Two lines of small ink-wash characters appeared before Pei Si's eyes.

Upon seeing this, Pei Si was overjoyed. At the same time, the Myriad Trades Compendium in his mind displayed small characters, with the words "warrior" appearing next to "shepherd".

[Judge: Pei Si]

【Position: Warrior (None, 1/100)】

[Taoist Arts: None]

[Position Evaluation: The path of martial arts has no limits, and one can even reach the divine! If future generations cultivate this path, even when facing immortals and gods, remember that momentum may be lost, fists may be weak, but the will must never falter!]

[Warrior (White)] can obtain the Taoist skill [The Strength of a Tiger].

"【The Strength of a Tiger】: Cleanses the marrow and bones, strengthens the bones, condenses the vital energy, and can shake rocks and shatter trees!"

[Promotion Requirements: Practice the cultivation technique 100 times.]

Very simple.

To advance in any of the professions listed in the Wanye Tongjian (Comprehensive Mirror of All Professions), one must engage in activities that align with the characteristics of that profession.

The shepherd is going to collect treasures, and the warrior is going to practice martial arts.

"I'd only ever heard of the strength of nine oxen and two tigers before, but now I've got the strength of one tiger."

"This technique is quite powerful; it can cleanse the marrow and bones, and lift the bones."

Just like the books I read in my previous life, there is also a concept of innate talent here.

Its original source is unknown.

Legend has it that in the Eastern Cang Mengzhang Divine Continent, a national advisor named Yuan Tiangang proposed and set a standard to measure a person's innate talent based on bone weight.

It was widely circulated afterward and remains so to this day.

"Brother Pei, let me introduce myself. My name is Lu Shouhuai."

At this moment, the young boy who was practicing martial arts with Pei Si stepped forward and greeted Pei Si with a smile.

Upon hearing this, a hint of surprise flashed in Pei Si's eyes.

The surname Lu, with the generation name "Shou," makes it hard not to have some thoughts.

"My name is Pei Si. I greet Young Master Lu." Pei Si said, cupping his hands in greeting.

I don't know what kind of luck I'm having today, running into the Lu family everywhere I go.

Lu Shouhuai didn't care about his identity being exposed; if he wanted to cover it up, he could just give a fake identity.

"Brother Pei, there's no need for such formalities. Since we've both joined the Lingcang Saber Sect and are taught martial arts by the same instructor,..."

"It's fate that brought us here."

"As the saying goes, those destined to meet will find each other even from a thousand miles away. After you leave the martial arts school, you can look after each other," Lu Shouhuai said warmly.

One shouldn't hit a smiling face, so Pei Si outwardly agreed, but inwardly became wary.

He had worked in the corporate world in his previous life. Generally speaking, when you arrive in a new environment, you should be wary of colleagues who are overly enthusiastic towards you from the start.

Similarly, be wary of sudden acts of kindness and concern, as they often have ulterior motives behind them.

Of course, there are exceptions, such as those who are naturally warm-hearted, enjoy helping others, and have a childlike heart, but these people are usually in the minority.

"Brother Pei, it's fate that we met. Today, I'll treat you to a meal at Songhelou Restaurant. How about it?" Lu Shouhuai waved his hand, indicating that he was going to a restaurant to treat his guests.

"Brother Lu, please."

Pei Si smiled as he looked at the young man before him, wanting to see what Lu Shouhuai was really up to.