chsdbacks Chapter 6: The Speed of a Horse!
Chapter 6: The Speed of a Horse!
The Sitong Martial Arts School has a very high turnover rate of students. New people come in almost every day, and there are always those who endure a year but never even reach the Skin Tempering Realm, leaving in despair. With tuition fees of 150 taels of silver per person, Zhang Ping doesn't even dare to calculate how much the martial arts school earns in a year!
However, this was indeed a way for ordinary people to survive in chaotic times. Especially after the master of the martial arts school returned, he would personally visit the training ground every day to give his apprentices some pointers. This rekindled hope in the hearts of many.
That day, Wang Dashan brought Zhang Ping before Chongxin, his voice filled with expectation: "Master, this is Zhang Ping I mentioned! He has superhuman strength and is willing to put in tremendous effort when practicing. He's a rare talent!"
Chongxin stroked his short beard, his gaze sweeping over Zhang Ping.
He had a kind face, a muscular body, and a solid build; judging by his physique alone, he seemed to have good physical constitution.
"Come here." Chongxin beckoned.
Zhang Ping did as instructed and stepped forward, but his heart was in his throat. The master of the house was going to feel his bones.
Since recognizing Fu Huiying as the owner's wife that day, Zhang Ping has been on high alert these past few days, though not to the point of being unable to eat or sleep.
He racked his brains but couldn't understand why the lady of the establishment would go to a place like "Pleasure Pavilion." But if even a whisper of this got out, Chongxin could crush him with a single finger, given his own limited abilities!
He even considered sneaking out of the martial arts school. After all, the school wasn't strict with its students, and they were free to come and go. But when he thought of the sword hanging over his head from the An family, Zhang Ping ultimately suppressed the idea.
"what?"
Chongxin's large, fan-like hands kneaded Zhang Ping's joints and muscles a few times, his brows furrowing suddenly, and a surprised groan escaped his throat. He shook his head and said bluntly, "His aptitude is average; he's just an ordinary person."
Hearing the result, Zhang Ping wasn't too disappointed. He knew his own situation best; his so-called "innate superhuman strength" was all just a facade. Back in the Pleasure Pavilion, the madam had someone examine his bones and muscles and concluded that he had no aptitude for martial arts.
"Ordinary bone structure? This... how is that possible?!" Wang Dashan's reaction was far more intense. For the past month, he had treated Zhang Ping as his future junior brother, never expecting to have misjudged him. He said shamefully, "Master, it was my poor judgment that caused you so much disappointment..."
Chongxin waved his hand, his gaze falling on Zhang Ping's face.
Seeing that Zhang Ping's expression was calm and showed no sign of frustration due to his poor physique, she felt a little more favorably towards him.
Though lacking exceptional natural talent, his calm demeanor and genuine, unforced strength were rare indeed. A flicker of appreciation for his talent arose within him, and he said gently, "It's alright. Natural talent is not the limit to the pinnacle of martial arts. What truly determines a person's level is their will; the ascent in martial arts relies on perseverance, on self-cultivation. Would you be willing to become my disciple?"
Zhang Ping was overjoyed! It was true that he could brand beast patterns, but beast patterns and orthodox martial arts were clearly two different paths. If he could get guidance from a famous master on the right path of martial arts, he would be more than happy to do so!
However, before Zhang Ping could agree, Wang Dashan's expression changed, and he quickly leaned close to Chongxin's ear and whispered a few words.
Upon hearing this, Chongxin frowned, and when he looked at Zhang Ping again, the regret in his eyes clearly deepened.
"Alas... poor child, it seems we were destined to be apart." Chongxin sighed, his tone somewhat indifferent. "If you want to stay at the martial arts school in the future, the tuition... will be halved."
Having said that, he lost all interest in Zhang Ping and turned to instruct his other disciples. Wang Dashan, his face full of guilt, said in a low voice, "Brother Zhang, I'm truly sorry… Master's reputation is paramount; accepting you as a disciple would damage his standing…"
Every new apprentice entering the martial arts school has their background thoroughly investigated to prevent spies from other schools from infiltrating.
Zhang Ping's background as the top performer at Huanle Pavilion has long been a topic of conversation among many in the martial arts school. If he is truly as Wang Dashan claims, "born with superhuman strength and excellent physique," it might even become a celebrated story, offsetting the impact of his background.
But now that he has only average talent, if Chongxin were to take him as a disciple again, not only would he lose face, but it would also attract criticism towards the Sitong Martial Arts School. This is something Wang Dashan, as a disciple, does not want to see.
Zhang Ping had a pretty good idea of what was going on. He felt a little disappointed, but more than that, he felt a strange sense of relief. Actually, he still harbored a thorn in his side about taking Bai Chongxin as his master. In his past life, he had to admit that his relationship with Fu Huiying was that of a kept man, a "gigolo."
If he truly becomes Chongxin's disciple, then Fu Huiying will become his master's wife.
This relationship... just thinking about it... censorship warning!
Perhaps it would be more comfortable to be an unknown apprentice.
"Senior Brother, I understand my identity, it's alright," Zhang Ping said calmly.
Wang Dashan felt even more guilty. He patted Zhang Ping's shoulder heavily, as if he had made a decision: "Brother Zhang, don't worry! As long as you stay at the martial arts school and focus on your training, once you break through to the Skin Tempering Realm, I will personally recommend you to Master so you can join the escort team! Following Master on escort missions, you'll have no worries about food and drink, and if you're lucky, you can even save several hundred taels of silver a year!"
"Don't worry about the An family. They won't dare to act openly in this city!" He knew about Zhang Ping's troubles.
"Thank you very much, Senior Brother!" Zhang Ping clasped his hands in thanks, a smile spreading across his face. Suddenly remembering the matter of the horse leg and beast pattern material, he seized the opportunity to ask, "By the way, Senior Brother, does the martial arts school have someone in charge of purchasing? I'd like to buy some things, but the An family is eyeing us covetously from the outside, so I really don't dare to go out."
"Haha, you're quite cautious, kid!" Wang Dashan laughed upon hearing this. "The kitchen staff have to go out to buy ingredients every day. Just give them a little extra money for running errands and have them pick them up for you on the way."
"Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother!"
Zhang Ping thanked him again. Seeing that everything was alright, Wang Dashan patted him hard again before turning around to instruct the other apprentices.
"This senior brother seems honest and simple, but he's actually quite meticulous and thorough in his work." A thought flashed through Zhang Ping's mind. He looked up at the sky; there was still an hour until noon. He just wasn't sure if the kitchen made its own purchases daily, or if he had to make a trip for every meal.
"Let's go ask first."
The martial arts school has over a thousand people, with separate meals for disciples and apprentices, and separate purchasing teams for each group. When Zhang Ping found the apprentices' kitchen, it was already bustling with activity, the stoves were roaring, and they were busy preparing lunch.
Martial artists are different from ordinary people; they need three meals a day, and every meal must include meat. This expense is far beyond the reach of ordinary families. Of course, most people who can afford to study martial arts at a martial arts school are not short of money. Zhang Ping is an exception.
He found the person in charge of purchasing, a burly middle-aged woman who was lifting a large piece of pork weighing several hundred pounds with one hand as easily as carrying a bundle of vegetables.
"This strength... his cultivation level must be quite high." Zhang Ping thought to himself, clicking his tongue in amazement.
"Sister Wang," Zhang Ping stepped forward and got straight to the point, "My senior brother asked me to come find you and ask you to help me bring some things." He then handed over ten taels of silver.
Wang Li did not accept the money, but only asked him to write down what he wanted to buy, leave enough money, and come back tomorrow to collect it, with any overpayment refunded and any underpayment collected.
The process went so smoothly that Zhang Ping was somewhat surprised. However, he had never dealt with horse leg animal patterns before and was unsure of the number of horse legs and corresponding medicinal materials required for branding. This time, he only asked Sister Wang to purchase one horse leg as a backup.
He left behind all the hundred taels of silver he had left, and as he turned to leave, his gaze inadvertently swept over Wang Li's eyes and brows, and a thought stirred in his heart.
His eyebrows resemble those of his senior brother.
"So that's how it is...no wonder it was so refreshing." Zhang Ping suddenly realized that Wang Li and Wang Dashan were probably related.
With the procurement of beast-pattern materials secured, Zhang Ping finally felt a huge weight lifted from his shoulders. Now, he only needed to bury himself in his training at the martial arts school, constantly imprinting new beast patterns to accelerate his progress. Once his strength was enough to crush everything, what was there to fear from the mere An family!
into the night,
Thick clouds covered the sky, obscuring the moonlight.
Zhang Ping, shirtless, was practicing diligently with a stone weight in the courtyard. His daily practice had pushed his progress in the Ox-Strength Beast Pattern to 47%, and his strength had increased significantly.
boom!
The heavy stone block landed with a dull thud.
Fortunately, he was the only one living in this courtyard. Although he was not accepted as a disciple by Chongxin, his senior brother Wang Dashan still left the courtyard to him, stating that no one would be put into this courtyard until the other courtyards were full.
"Three hundred pounds... with one hand!" Zhang Ping gasped for breath, sweat rolling down his angular muscles.
Lifting a 300-pound stone block with one hand would have been unthinkable in my previous life. With that kind of strength, lifting a small car with both hands would be more than enough; he'd be like a superhero from a movie!
Compared to the steady improvement in his Bull-Strength Beast Pattern, his progress in martial arts left Zhang Ping somewhat bewildered. Others might measure the distance to the Skin Tempering Realm by increases in strength and resilience,
However, most of his strength came from the beast patterns, which interfered with his judgment, and he himself couldn't say how far he was from the tempering stage.
However, he had a vague feeling that he was one of the faster learners among his fellow apprentices.
The eldest brother had said that to reach the Skin Tempering Realm, one needs three things: innate talent, cultivation technique, and proper nutrition. He had no advantage in cultivation technique, and his nutrition couldn't compare to that of the wealthy young masters. However, the powerful physique brought by his beast markings allowed him to endure far more arduous training than ordinary people, without worrying about damaging his foundation.
"Once the horse leg and beast pattern are branded, in addition to greatly improving the strength and speed of my legs, it will also have some benefits for other aspects of my body... Then I can train for a few more hours!" Zhang Ping was full of expectations for the future.
The thought of the horse leg and animal pattern made Zhang Ping pause, his hand wiping sweat. In this chaotic world, horses were far more expensive than cattle! One horse leg had already emptied his remaining savings. The other medicinal herbs needed for the subsequent branding might require even more horse legs… Where would the money come from?
If all else fails, I'm afraid I'll have to swallow my pride and go to the owner's wife...
"Tsk!" Zhang Ping shook his head in annoyance, suppressing the dangerous thought. "Let's take it one step at a time. If all else fails, we'll borrow some money from Li Fan as an emergency..."
As the night deepened and the dew grew heavy, he prepared to put on his clothes and return to his house.
Thump...thump thump...
Suddenly, there was a light knock on the courtyard gate twice.
Zhang Ping frowned: "So late?"
He was unpopular within the martial arts school, except for his relatively good relationship with Li Fan. But right now, Li Fan was probably still indulging in a life of debauchery at the Pleasure Pavilion. Who could be outside the door?
He stepped forward and, with a puzzled look, opened the courtyard gate.
The moment the door opened, Zhang Ping paused, blinked,
"Madam...?"