"Two taels, so much?"
On the way here, Xun Xie passed shops and stalls one by one, paying attention to the prices and making comparisons in his head.
In Blue Grain Town, a family of three needed one or two silver per month just for basic expenses - and that didn't include medicine, new clothes, furniture, social obligations, or festival spending.
Matching prices to his previous world's currency wouldn't work because of inflation, but it was roughly equivalent to 1-2 months of living expenses for a family with one child.
Ancient people didn't shop like modern people did. Treats like the skewers he'd eaten earlier? Families usually only indulged once a week. Though of course, people could always spend their savings on extras if they wanted.
Two taels were the benchmark for 1-2 months of survival.
As for martial arts - starting at two taels monthly, plus other expenses, it would cost three to four taels per month. After a year, that meant at least 36 taels of silver.
And this was just "the beginning" - there would definitely be more costs later.
A saying suddenly popped into Xun Xie's mind: The poor study culture, the rich learn martial arts!
People without money couldn't learn martial arts at all!
"I have the money," Xun Xie said calmly. He wasn't afraid of spending - not as long as the lottery wheel landed on Treasure Seeker.
The thick-browed youth nodded. "Okay, you wait here." He turned and left.
Xun Xie took the chance to tie up his donkey.
After a while, the youth ran back, waving. "Old Hu wants to see you, come with me."
Xun Xie stepped through the gate, crossed the courtyard, and arrived at the main room. Under the eaves, he saw an old man with a gray beard and bushy goatee, looking to be in his sixties, sleeping with legs crossed in a spacious bamboo chair that swayed gently.
Four young maids knelt beside the chair, all attractive and well-formed. One fanned him, one massaged his thighs, another worked his shoulders, and the last peeled grapes to feed him one by one.
Seeing this scene, Xun Xie felt absurd inside - it was like watching those feudal society dramas on TV come to life right in front of him.
Envy, Jealousy, Hate!
"Old Hu, someone is here," the thick-browed youth said softly.
The old man was Hu Piao.
Old Man Hu slowly opened his eyes, glanced sideways at Xun Xie, and sat up gradually. A maid handed him tea; he took a sip but just rinsed his mouth and spat it out.
Xun Xie watched from lowered eyes, internally rolling them.
Is this person putting on an act?
Hu Piao coughed dryly and looked at Xun Xie, seeming to study him carefully. After a while, he asked, "Why are you alone? Where are the adults in your family?"
"My parents are too busy," Xun Xie said vaguely. "They let me come myself."
He wasn't telling the truth and didn't dare to. No choice - he was just a young child. If others knew he was helpless and carrying money, wouldn't they get ideas? They could rob both the fat little sheep and its silver.
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He made an appealing target for thieves and cheats - who knew if even this old fellow might not be able to resist temptation?
The dog-faced couple who died by Xun Xie's hands were proof enough of that.
Hu Piao hummed thoughtfully. "Want to learn martial arts?"
"Yes," Xun Xie nodded.
"Why do you want to learn martial arts?"
Xun Xie considered his answer carefully. "Practice martial arts, open many paths. The future has boundless possibilities. Family stays safe from envy with success."
Hu Piao's eyebrows lifted. "Have you read books?"
"I don't read much, but I know how to read."
Well, I know Chinese, English, and Spanish, Xun Xie thought wryly. Learning this world's writing is just a matter of time - right after mastering martial arts.
Old Man Hu stroked his beard repeatedly, nodding three times in succession. "Let's discuss the rules. Many come to me for martial arts, but don't misunderstand - I never accept formal apprentices. They're all like you, learning at their own expense."
Xun Xie was taken aback.
He'd worried about having poor foundations or being rejected for lacking talent. Now he realized he'd overthought everything. They didn't care about natural aptitude or qualifications - only money mattered. Fortunately things were not like the dramas in his previous life where one had to work like a cow and horse for one's prospective master before they were accepted and taught the arts.
He reached into his robes, counting out two hundred coins to make up two taels, and handed them over.
"Excellent!" Old Man Hu's face brightened considerably. "Remember, martial arts isn't mastered overnight. You'll start with basic skills, and then move to actual techniques once you've built a foundation. Your name?"
"Xun Xie," he answered promptly.
"Xun Xie... not a bad name." Old Man Hu turned to the thick-browed youth. "Yun Shan, make the arrangements."
"Yes, Master Hu." Yun Shan bowed respectfully.
He led Xun Xie to the courtyard's eastern corner, where four people stood statue-still, each balancing a white porcelain bowl of water on their head. Three young men and one woman, all in their teens.
"They all started this month. You'll train with them," Yun Shan explained, dropping into a horse stance. "There are 18 basic skills to master - horse stance, splits, seven-step boxing, kicks, carp kicks, somersaults... you must practice them all until perfect."
Yun Shan demonstrated the eighteen forms, explaining each one's crucial points.
"Horse stance is foundational. Legs apart, slight squat, toes forward, center of gravity low. Then gradually deepen the stance..."
"Splits - horizontal and side - we call them one-word horses. Girls usually find these easier than boys."
"Seven-step boxing combines footwork with striking..."
**
There were variations for every move: front flips, side flips, back flips, and continuous combinations that flowed one into another.
As Xun Xie absorbed the information, he realized these movements were indeed fundamental. Most seemed straightforward enough, though a few - the splits, carp kicks, and somersaults - promised genuine challenges.
"Senior Brother Yun, when do you pass?" Xun Xie asked, using the title he'd heard others say.
"Old Hu says you pass, you pass." Yun Shan scratched his head. "Most need to hold the stance for a full incense stick. Do the moves right too."
"How long does that take?"
"Depends," Yun Shan said. "Some learn in days. Others need three months. Some take a year and a half. There's one guy here - five years now, still can't pass. Too fat for the carp leap. If this wasn't just basics, he'd have left long ago."
The mental image of a big fat man attempting to leap like a carp made Xun Xie suppress a smile. Some things are just not meant to be.
"Practice on your own. Ask if you need help." With that, Yun Shan strode away.
Xun Xie drew in a steadying breath. He lifted a bowl, balanced it carefully atop his head, and settled into position.
And then it began.
Horse stance +2
Horse stance +2
Horse stance +2
The gleaming characters materialized before his eyes, a cascade of silvery script.
Something shifted within him. A peculiar sensation spread through his body, and his stance began adjusting itself, each minute correction bringing him closer to perfection.
Great Clarity!
So that's what it does, he realized. His mind sharpened each adjustment to his posture becoming intuitive, natural.
Three minutes passed before the burn began. His legs heated up, discomfort creeping in. With each passing moment, the pain grew exponentially, threatening to overwhelm his resolve.
He glanced at his fellow students. They too were struggling, their bodies swaying, bowls teetering precariously before finally falling.
Xun Xie clenched his jaw.
Horse stance +2 Horse stance +2
The characters flashed like shooting stars across his vision.
The pain in his legs became razor-sharp, impossible to ignore. Yet with each moment he endured, something stirred deep within his body. A potential, dormant until now, beginning to awaken...
