Observing Wanfa from the martial arts school servants

Chapter 3 Long Wind Fist

Changfeng Martial Arts School has just opened, and there are not many students. Including the owner and instructors, there are fewer than twenty people in total.

With a large yard, there are always a lot of odd jobs to do.

Lin Mu and the other two: the honest-looking man in his early thirties was called Lao Zhang; the other, a thin, dark-skinned boy, was called A Tu.

The three men worked for an old handyman surnamed Chen.

The work was varied; before dawn, we had to sweep the courtyard, wipe the weapon rack, and boil enough water.

When the apprentices practice, they must be served tea and hand them towels, and move wooden stakes and stone weights at any time.

During the midday break, I need to tidy up the yard and wash my sweat-soaked practice clothes.

They continued working in the afternoon until all the apprentices had left, and then they had to clean up again and put everything back in its place.

The trial period is three days, and meals are provided, but only one lunch is actually served.

Two coarse flour steamed buns and a bowl of vegetable soup with almost no oil.

After working for half a day, looking at the meager lunch and the tiring work, Old Zhang quietly muttered to Lin Mu:

"The work is too varied, and there's no sign of money. All they give us for food is this... I think this martial arts school is a bit stingy and might not be a good place to go."

Atu also complained, "It's even more tiring than carrying bags at the dock. At least carrying bags earns you a few coins a day."

Lin Mu didn't say anything, just kept his head down and worked.

He was exhausted, his whole body ached, but a fire was burning inside him.

Staying at the martial arts school isn't just about the fifty coins a month. It's the place where you can see martial arts up close.

As long as I can stay, I can observe every day.

Moreover, if you can become a full-time employee at the martial arts school and stay for three months, you might have the opportunity to find a cheap place to stay in town with the school's certificate.

That was the real turning point.

The owner was an elderly man who looked to be in his sixties. His surname was Hu. He had gray hair, deep wrinkles on his face, a very straight back, and heavy footsteps.

He didn't talk much, spending most of his time in the inner courtyard, occasionally venturing out for a stroll, his gaze sweeping over the apprentices practicing martial arts like a knife.

Lin Muyuan had seen him once before, and her heart tightened.

Those were people who had truly seen bloodshed and were capable.

Master Hu didn't even glance at these menial workers; in his eyes, they were probably no different from the stone locks in the courtyard.

In the martial arts school, the apprentices only cared about practicing on their own, and the instructors only kept an eye on the apprentices, not even bothering to say a word to the menial workers.

There was only one girl who looked about seventeen or eighteen years old, named Hu Xiaoying, who seemed to be the owner's granddaughter or younger relative.

She wore clean and neat clothes, had a pretty face, and would occasionally come to the front yard to take a look.

The next afternoon, Lin Mu was struggling to move a heavy stone lock when she happened to pass by and stopped for a moment.

"New here?"

Lin Mu quickly stopped and wiped her sweat: "Yes, Miss."

Hu Xiaoying glanced at him. "He doesn't look very old, but he works very hard. Keep up the good work."

After saying that, she turned and left.

Lin Mu felt relieved after hearing just those two simple sentences.

At least, someone noticed that they were working.

Old Zhang and Atu are getting more and more bored.

The work was heavy, with little reward, and the martial arts school treated them coldly.

On the morning of the third day, Lao Zhang didn't come. After lunch, A Tu also made an excuse about having a stomachache and slipped away.

Lin Mu was left all alone.

Old Chen, the handyman, glanced at him but didn't say anything. He simply pointed out the tasks to him.

Lin Mu gritted his teeth and did the work of three people by himself.

From sweeping and carrying to boiling water and washing.

Sweat soaked through his coarse cloth clothes several times, only to be dried by the wind.

His arms ached so much that it was difficult to lift them, but he didn't say a word and kept working until evening.

Just as he was carrying the last batch of dirty towels, preparing to wash them by the well in the backyard, he passed by the front yard.

The apprentices are practicing a basic set of boxing techniques, their movements are synchronized and their shouts are clear.

The instructor was correcting an apprentice's movements, pulling his arm and explaining the key points of force application.

Lin Mu subconsciously slowed his pace and focused his gaze on that direction.

He had been silently memorizing it for three days.

How to take those steps, how to clench your fists, and how to coordinate your waist and legs.

At that very moment, the booklet that had been dormant in my mind suddenly emitted a faint light.

A line of text slowly appeared:

[After observation, you may attempt to replicate the technique: Long Wind Fist (not yet mastered).]

[Will it be reissued?]

Become!

Lin Mu's heart pounded wildly, almost leaping out of his throat.

He quickly lowered his head and hurried towards the backyard, afraid that someone would see the excited expression on his face.

Stealing! This is stealing martial arts techniques!

Stealing martial arts lessons from a martial arts school is a major taboo!

If discovered, the consequences could range from having their legs broken and being kicked out to... unimaginable consequences.

Lin Mu forced himself to calm down, took a few deep breaths, and suppressed the urge to give it a try.

No, we absolutely cannot try it here.

I have to wait until I get home and lock myself in the door to talk about it.

By evening, all the work was finished.

Lin Mu was so exhausted that he was almost completely drained and leaned against the wall, panting.

Master Hu came out from the inner courtyard, and Old Chen, the servant, followed beside him and whispered a few words to him.

Master Hu walked up to Lin Mu and stopped.

This was the first time in three days that he had looked directly at the young man who did odd jobs.

His gaze remained sharp as he scanned the area from top to bottom.

"Are you the only one left?"

Lin Mu quickly stood up straight: "Yes, Master."

"Hmm," Master Hu nodded, his face expressionless.

"You can endure hardship, that's good. From now on, you'll be in charge of all the odd jobs at the martial arts school. You'll be paid fifty coins a month, settled at the end of the month, and we'll provide lunch. If you do a good job, you'll get an extra fifty coins at the end of the year."

"Yes! Thank you, Master!" Lin Mu felt a huge weight lifted off his shoulders, and his voice even rose a little.

"Do a good job," said Master Hu, then turned and left.

They stayed.

He was officially hired as a handyman at the martial arts school.

When Lin Mu walked out of the martial arts school, it was already completely dark.

There were few pedestrians in the town, and only a few restaurants had their lights on.

He felt unusually light on his feet, and his fatigue seemed to have lessened considerably.

There is hope!

A stable monthly income, and most importantly, the door to martial arts has finally been pried open a crack!

Lin Mu stopped walking slowly and quickened his pace, almost jogging.

I need to get home quickly.

Go back and try out the Long Wind Fist you just stole!

The moon climbed onto the roof.

When Lin Mu returned to the village, most of the houses had turned off their lights, and it was pitch black.

Only a few places still had the faint glow of oil lamps.

He avoided the village road where he might encounter people and circled back to his own courtyard from behind the house.

The light was still on in Aunt Zhou's house next door, and you could faintly hear a woman's incessant complaining, along with the clattering of pots and pans.

Lin Mu didn't linger. He quickly opened his own courtyard gate, slipped inside, and then gently bolted it from the inside.

He closed his eyes and pulled up the booklet.

Name: Lin Mu

[Replicable Skill: Long Wind Fist (Unmastered)]

[Will it be reissued?]

He silently repeated in his mind, "Yes."

A strange and faint warm current slowly crawled through my limbs and bones, finally settling in my muscle memory.

My mind was filled with some blurry images—instinctive postures and the feeling of exertion.

Is this what they mean by "unripe"?

Lin Mu opened his eyes, somewhat disappointed.

This feeling is similar to watching a carpenter plan wood or a cook chop vegetables; you only remember the general shape, but you're still far from truly mastering it.

But... it is ultimately the way of martial arts.

He steadied himself and, guided by the faint thought in his mind, got into position.

Step forward with your left foot, loosely clench your right fist, relax your shoulders, and twist your waist.

His movements were clumsy, like a newly installed puppet, his whole body uncoordinated.

He tried to send his fist out.

My arms felt weak and my steps were unsteady; I almost tripped over myself.

It lacked power and presence; it was more like haphazard, random gestures.

This was completely different from the powerful and vigorous boxing techniques of the apprentices in the martial arts school during the day.

Lin Mu withdrew his fist and took a breath.

It turned out to be the case.

"Unripe" is just an empty shell; you need to practice it repeatedly to truly make it your own.

He didn't feel frustrated; on the contrary, he felt at ease.