I have been a saint in the world for three thousand years

Yan Xiu rested his hands behind his head, lying leisurely on the bamboo chair.

He did not show any surprise at Shen Zhi's answer, but simply asked, "Why do you want to learn martial arts?"

When Shen Zhiyi heard this, his eyes widened, a hint of doubt and confusion flashed in his eyes, and he answered without hesitation.

"Need I say more? I learn martial arts to avenge Ah Cheng!"

His voice was full of determination and anger, as if there was a fire burning in his chest.

This answer was naturally within Yan Xiu's expectations, but he did not utter those clichéd words of persuasion such as "when will the cycle of revenge end?"

In Shen Zhi's cognition, the law of the jungle is the law of survival in this world, and only by possessing great strength can one make others submit.

If you don't even dare to resist when being bullied, then what is the point of living?

So he continued to ask: "So how much do you know about this path of martial arts practice?"

When Shen Zhi heard this, a hint of pride flashed in his eyes.

He has a cousin who practices in the famous Ba Yue Martial Arts School in the city, so he has some knowledge of martial arts practice.

Shen Zhi cleared his throat and began to tell the story.

"Martial arts practice is initially divided into three levels: upper, middle and lower. Each level is further divided into three stages: early, middle and late. Only by continuous practice can one break through the bottleneck and reach a higher level..."

Although what he said were all basic knowledge known to all warriors, it could at least be seen that he had indeed put in a lot of effort to understand it.

Although these were nothing in Yan Xiu's eyes, Lin Jianqiu who was standing beside him was fascinated by what he heard.

She looked at Shen Zhi with eyes full of admiration and respect: "Ah Zhi, you actually know so much about martial arts practice, it's amazing!"

Being praised by Lin Jianqiu, Shen Zhi couldn't help but feel a little elated, and the pride in his heart became even greater.

"My cousin has been training in Ba Yue Martial Arts School for five years. He has now reached the Bone Tempering Stage. The head of the school also favors him and will accept him as a disciple in no time."

Although Lin Jianqiu knew very little about martial arts and didn't even know what the Bone Tempering Realm was, it didn't stop her from clapping hard and didn't let Shen Zhi feel awkward at all.

However, Yan Xiu frowned slightly, as if he was thinking about something.

"What realm is this bone forging...?"

Seeing him like this, Shen Zhi patiently explained.

“Brother Yan, you are not a martial artist, so it is normal that you don’t know. Bone forging is the second step in the initial stage of martial arts, and the next step is the transformation stage.

It is said that masters at this level can pick leaves and flowers and hurt people without being seen."

When he said this, Shen Zhi imitated the fighting moves of those warriors, and made a "whoosh" sound from his mouth, imagining that he was also a master of the realm of transformation.

It’s not that Yan Xiu didn’t know what the Bone Tempering Realm was, but his opponents back then were all strong men in the Cave Truth Realm or the Demon Saint Realm.

The words "Bone Tempering Realm" were so distant in his memory that he could hardly remember them.

That's why Yan Xiu seemed a little confused at this moment.

"After my cousin is accepted as a disciple by the master of Ba Yue Martial Arts School, I will go find him and ask him to help me get in through the back door and enter the martial arts school to practice."

Shen Zhi spoke with full confidence, as if he had planned everything long ago.

"Do you know how much the meal we are having tonight costs?"

Yan Xiu suddenly interrupted his thoughts and asked a question that had little to do with martial arts.

Although he didn't understand what Yan Xiu meant, he still made a guess.

"Fifty cents?"

Yan Xiu shook his head.

"Eighty cents?"

Yan Xiu still shook his head.

"Five cents of silver."

As soon as he finished speaking, Shen Zhi and Lin Jianqiu suddenly widened their eyes and exclaimed in unison, their voices filled with shock and disbelief.

"Five cents of silver?!"

You have to know that their parents work in the fields to make a living, and they work so hard but can't even earn three cents a month.

Although the three of them worked as helpers in Yan Xiu's clinic, their monthly salary was only a mere two cents.

In Yong'an City, such income has made many people envious. I wonder how many poor people will try their best to squeeze in.

And this table of seemingly ordinary delicacies tonight actually cost a full five cents of silver. How could they not be shocked and unbelievable?

"I spent the money my parents could only earn in two months in one night..."

Shen Zhi murmured in a daze.

Seeing this, Yan Xiu added another sentence.

"Have you ever heard of this saying, the poor are good at literature and the rich are good at martial arts?"

This martial arts training is not just simple martial arts training.

If you want to enter a martial arts school, you must first pay a fee to become an apprentice, which goes without saying.

Secondly, paying the money does not mean you can sit back and relax.

Usually, there is a time limit for training in a martial arts school, which can be as long as three years or as short as one year.

If you don't learn the skills well enough to become a master, you will have to pay more tuition.

And these are just the beginning.

The real big deal is the various precious medicinal herbs and meats needed to strengthen the muscles and bones and temper the body.

If you calculate all of this, it is simply impossible to embark on the path of martial arts practice without the support of a wealthy family.

When Shen Zhi finished listening, a look of bewilderment appeared on his face.

Although he knew that the path of martial arts required enduring pain that others could not imagine, he had never thought about it.

"My cousin is a disciple of Ba Yue Martial Arts School. He should be able to help me..."

As Shen Zhi finished this sentence, his voice became smaller and smaller, and his tone was filled with insecurity.

If things were really as Brother Yan said, then there was a great possibility that he wouldn't even be able to enter the threshold of Ba Yue Martial Arts School.

When he thought of this, Shen Zhi's originally confident mentality was shaken, and he stood there in a daze, at a loss as to what to do.

Even Lin Jianqiu noticed that the atmosphere was wrong and kept his head down and said nothing.

"But he is my cousin, he won't lie to me..."

Yan Xiu's original intention was to remind Shen Zhi and make him realize how difficult the path he had chosen would be.

However, I didn't expect that it would directly break down the child's psychological defenses and make him autistic.

Yan Xiu immediately sighed softly and said in a gentle voice to comfort him.

"Well, it's getting late. You two should take a hot bath and rest early."

After saying that, he got up from the recliner and went back to his room, leaving Shen Zhi who was still stunned and Lin Jianqiu who was also confused.

It took a long time before Shen Zhi came back to his senses.

However, his face did not show much discouragement. Instead, he was muttering something in a low voice, as if to cheer himself up.

"Brother Azhi..."

Lin Jianqiu wanted to say something, but Shen Zhi just left the courtyard without looking back.

...

That night.

Red lanterns swayed under the eaves of the brothels, emitting a warm yellow glow.

In the brothel, the sound of pianos was melodious, the singing was graceful, and the sounds of stringed instruments and women's sweet laughter were intertwined.

The gambling house was bustling with noise, dice were rolling and Pai Gow was flying on the gambling table, and the dim light was filled with the smell of sweat.

And this place is the territory of the Canglang Gang.

At this time, a figure quietly appeared on the roof, looking down at the lively scene below.