Hu Qi finished examining the bones and clicked his tongue in amazement.
"Since I started studying bone structure, this is the first time I've seen such a standard wasp waist, ape's arm, and mantis's legs. How old is Junior Brother Liang?"
"Fifteen, going on sixteen."
"Then you'll grow quite a bit taller, at least six feet in the future."
In the Great Shun dynasty, each foot is slightly over thirty centimeters.
Six feet means over 1.8 meters.
Liang Qu let out a sigh of relief upon hearing this.
His previous life wasn't very well-nourished, so he wasn’t very tall at present.
He had been worried about not growing enough.
Li Libo, listening from the side, looked contorted.
"I'm grinding my teeth here. Damn it, how does all the good fortune fall onto you? If you don't treat us to a meal today, I won't let it go!"
Liang Qu casually replied, "Next time, for sure."
Hu Qi continued, "You are also well-suited to primarily cultivate Ape Fist, and might do well in archery too. If you have the chance, Junior Brother Liang, you should learn it."
Both of them were taken aback by this statement.
"Hold on, Senior Brother Hu, why am I, being above average, suitable for Ape Fist, while he, having good bone structure, is also suited for Ape Fist?"
Hu Qi explained, "Good bone structure comes in many forms. It’s not only the wasp waist, ape's arm, mantis's legs type. This particular bone structure is best suited for the Ape Fist. Its power accumulates like drawing a bow, releases like shooting an arrow—it's swift, deep, and forceful. Tiger Form also isn't bad, but Crane Form falls short."
"Junior Brother Li, in other aspects you might lack a bit, but with your long arms, without the force of Tiger Form or the lightness of Crane Form, you're also suited for Ape Fist."
Liang Qu realized that he was suitable for Ape Fist because of his talent, while Li Libo was suitable for Ape Fist because the alternatives didn’t suit him as well.
Reflecting on it, could it be that the reason he was suited for Ape Fist was related to the Water Monkey Marsh Spirit?
After absorbing the Water Monkey Marsh Spirit, Liang Qu felt changes in his body, perhaps altering his bone structure.
Li Libo seemed disheartened, realizing that martial arts weren’t quite what he imagined.
Seeing this, Hu Qi comforted him, "Junior Brother Li, don't be discouraged. A lesser bone structure doesn't limit our future. It's not always true that those with poorer bone structures progress slower than those with better ones. Junior Brother Liang, good bone structure shouldn't make you arrogant. It doesn’t determine our future either."
"Thank you, Senior Brother Hu, for your advice."
Hu Qi nodded, pulling out two books from his sleeve.
"These are Master Yang's Three Fist Techniques. You can all learn Ape, Tiger, and Crane, but it's best to focus as I suggested. Do you know how to read? If not, there's no need to worry. They have illustrations, follow them in order. I'll guide you."
So considerate.
Liang Qu flipped through the booklet, thinking that everyone in the Yang Clan Martial Hall was talented and easy to listen to.
He felt he truly loved it here.
The booklet had six sections, covering the refinement and practice methods for Ape, Tiger, and Crane Fists.
Liang Qu focused primarily on refinement, laying the foundation first.
Refinement relied chiefly on stance training.
Each of the Three Fists had thirty-two stance techniques, some identical, some similar, and some quite different.
Paying seven taels of silver to learn three fists seemed worth it.
Liang Qu knew well to heed good advice.
He focused mainly on Ape Fist and began practicing the stance methods illustrated.
He spread his feet, relaxed his shoulders, dropped his elbows, and then tightened his abdomen, loosened his waist, gathered his hips, released his thighs, controlling his breath in the dantian.
"Your feet are wrong. The center of your foot should feel hollow, you're too tense."
"Yes, that's right."
"Junior Brother Li, don't be so stiff, you need to relax. Your movements are too rigid."
"Keep your upper body light and lower body grounded, balance between firmness and flexibility. Maintain it, try to let your body remember this posture."
Hu Qi guided them, ensuring one motion was correct before moving on to the next.
By noon, Liang Qu had learned three stance techniques, while Li Libo only mastered two.
Approaching midday, the seven taels did not cover meals, so the two had to go out to find something to eat, settling for a simple meal in a shop before returning.
When they came back, they saw someone taking a large wooden tub from the backyard filled with steaming medicinal liquid.
Some students lined up to drink a bowl each.
Li Libo craned his neck.
"So that's the medicine? They did say there's a concoction that goes along with our fist techniques, but why haven't we seen any?"
"Perhaps the formulas are more valuable? The martial hall makes money through these recipes," Liang Qu guessed.
"Ah, you only realize how little money you have when you need it most."
"There's nothing we can do, born at the bottom, we have to rely on ourselves to change our fate. Let's work hard this afternoon to learn a few more moves."
In the afternoon, Liang Qu learned five more stance techniques, performing them smoothly without guidance, while Li Libo only learned three.
By six o'clock, when they left the martial hall, it was already dark.
They chose to walk back to Righteous Prosperity City instead of taking a carriage.
About ten miles, it took them nearly half an hour.
Once they hit the street, the two parted ways.
For dinner, Liang Qu once again settled for a simple meal—not the usual trio, but two meat dishes and one vegetable, plus rice.
When practicing martial arts, one must supplement their diet more.
Days passed like this.
With a foundation, Liang Qu's learning accelerated.
He focused solely on training, without even socializing.
In the martial hall, he only knew Hu Qi and Xiang Changsong.
Thanks to his efforts, he mastered all the stances of Ape Fist in less than four days, whereas Li Libo was stuck at the twentieth stance, lagging behind, just as Hu Qi predicted.
When Liang Qu completed the final stance, Hu Qi nodded approvingly.
"Less than four days to learn all the stances, you are the fastest I've seen. Now try performing them smoothly."
"Yes."
Liang Qu followed the sequence, performing the stances from the first to the last, taking half an hour, moving smoothly and with style.
Halfway through, Liang Qu felt a faint stream of energy emerge within his body, circulating with his movements, akin to soaking in warm water, leaving him drenched in sweat yet also utterly exhausted.
This experience was wholly new; previously, he only felt tired and overheated after training.
"How is it? Did you feel a bit of energy?"
"Yes."
"To feel energy after just one run-through indicates you have abundant vitality, good talent. With energy flowing, it signifies your vitality is growing. When it fills your finger and your vitality surges like the tide, you'll be ready to refine the Skin Barrier. Breaking through it signifies true transformation!"
Liang Qu immediately inquired, "How exactly does one break through?"
"That involves medicine again. When the time comes for a breakthrough, I'll explain in detail. Junior Brother Liang, just focus on diligent practice."
Hu Qi smiled, withholding some details.
He didn’t quite expect either of his juniors to break through.
But it wasn't due to underestimating them—experience taught him so.
He was from a family of butchers in Peaceful Sun Town, where generations of pig slaughtering earned him his achievements.
Having no background, these two were mere fishermen, earning less than typical farmers.
Sharing this would only add to their worries, so better not to mention it.
Liang Qu wasn't stubborn about questioning further and instead requested to learn Tiger Fist's stance techniques.
Having a focus didn't deter him from broadening his horizons; besides, the stances had similarities, making further learning faster.
Once he knew all the stances, he could practice on his own before reaching the Skin Barrier.
This way, he wouldn’t have to spend time commuting over ten miles daily, saving over an hour, or around three rounds of stance practice.
Hu Qi was not surprised, "Alright, I'll teach you the twenty-four unique stances of Tiger Fist next."
By three in the afternoon, Liang Qu had learned one Tiger Fist stance, then bid farewell to Hu Qi, leaving the martial hall under Li Libo's puzzled gaze.
The Mental Link within the Fat Catfish informed Liang Qu of another Treasure Fish discovery!
(end of chapter)