met free Chapter 68 Iron Bones
Chapter 68 Iron Bones
A biting wind swept through, carrying large snowflakes that covered pedestrians from head to toe...
Now, more than three months have passed since the sensational "Bombarded Sky" and "Lotus Bandit Rebellion" that shook Gongzhou Prefecture.
Even though the city was filled with sorrow at the time, time has gradually erased many of the traces of that time.
Because of the bad weather, there were few pedestrians on the road.
The martial arts training hall near the city wall in Gongzhou Prefecture was usually deserted, but today it was completely empty, with not a soul in sight. Even the soldiers on duty at the main camp gate had slipped away.
Amidst the swirling snowstorm.
Two figures walked down the street, wearing straw hats and raincoats.
The two walked to the outside of the martial arts hall and saw a row of wooden fences with many tattered paper money hanging on them. The snowflakes made them look dazzlingly white, but the money was broken and looked very strange.
A quarter of the year ago, the tragedy left the training grounds piled with corpses, and blood soaked the yellow earth of the training grounds, with some places forming pools of blood.
Many people naturally came here to pay homage to the deceased. Fearing an accident, the government closed the site. People could only hang paper money and burn incense on the outer fence as a memorial. These tattered pieces of paper money are the marks of that time.
"Fourth Brother... let's go..." Wang Daniu urged anxiously when he saw Yang Silang stop to examine the place. "Don't look anymore, this place has a heavy yin energy..."
"It is said that passersby can hear faint crying sounds at night."
"Only Instructor Long stays at this martial arts hall at night. He's really reckless."
"It's not like we're short of money, yet we've stayed here for three months."
"Fortunately, he's being promoted and transferred away from Gongzhou Prefecture today, so there really won't be a single living person left in the martial arts hall at night from now on."
Yang Silang laughed heartily.
"With Dragon Instructor's money, he's not even satisfied with just drinking and carousing; how does he have the funds to stay out?"
"This is a government office; he can stay here for free, so why not?"
"Poverty is far more frightening than ghosts."
Wang Daniu shook his head.
"I've been poor too, and if you ask me, ghosts are scarier..."
"If you hadn't insisted on seeing the coach off before he left, I would never have wanted to come back here."
As the two talked, they walked through the fence and entered the camp.
I don't know if it was psychological, but when I got to the playground that day, the wind and snow outside blew in, it was icy cold, and even the sound of the wind was howling and choking, which was very eerie.
The two quickened their pace and soon entered the government office building with its blue bricks.
Two servants in blue robes were huddled inside the gatehouse warming themselves by the fire. When they saw an acquaintance, they greeted him and said that Instructor Long was inside.
The two men stepped into the yamen.
In the main hall.
Long Yi sat comfortably in a grand chair, sipping tea. Several rattan trunks lay on the ground, containing all his belongings.
The old man had been weakened during the turmoil, but he recovered in three months. He was still the same pot-bellied man, wearing an eye patch.
The room was rather deserted. The martial arts academy only accepts one group of martial arts students each year for a period of six months. This year, Yang Silang's group has already completed their six-month training and graduated, so naturally there was not much activity here.
During the time that Coach Long taught them, three bronze-skinned martial artists emerged: Yang Silang, Ma Qianli, and Yan Tiansheng, which was already considered quite prolific.
After their term ended in June, Ma and Yan, along with a group of soldiers, returned to the ranks of officers and soldiers.
Because of the Lotus Bandits, the newly appointed deputy general led a group of soldiers to severely crack down on bandits and Taoist sects in the counties under the prefecture's jurisdiction, beheading countless people.
As for that Deputy General Chai, because he was resurrected after the collapse of the sky and even caused a big commotion in Gongzhou Prefecture, he has been stripped of his official hat and imprisoned in a death row cell. It is said that he will be executed soon.
The two first bowed to Instructor Long.
Yang Silang took out a silver note from his sleeve and handed it over.
"Instructor, there were too many people and too many eyes at yesterday's farewell banquet."
"This is a token of our appreciation, specially presented to the coach."
Wang Daniu's mouth twitched as he thought to himself, "Fourth Brother, you're so generous. This hundred taels of silver is clearly your own money. You're practically giving away a courtyard with just a wave of your hand."
He felt very sorry for him.
Last night at the farewell banquet, Ma Qianli, Yan Tiansheng, and a group of soldiers and servants each gave the instructor a few taels of silver as a parting gift.
Yang and Wang naturally followed the crowd, but today Yang Silang came specially to present his true feelings.
He wasn't after anything else; what truly benefited him was the presence of Long Yi, his top sparring partner. For several months, he had an Iron-Boned Martial Arts Master practicing moves with him, something that no amount of money could buy.
Moreover, the old man was genuinely paid to do his job.
After the shocking incident during the martial arts exam, Yang Silang went to visit the old man, naturally not empty-handed but carrying silver notes.
For a mere fifty taels of silver, the old instructor mustered his strength and, despite his weakened body, spent half a month teaching him the fighting techniques required for the Iron Bone Martial Master stage: the Five Combinations Fist and the intermediate-level Five Weapons.
The so-called Five-in-One Fist combines the five fist techniques of splitting, collapsing, drilling, cannoning, and horizontal punches into one. A single punch embodies the five intentions, allowing for changes in moves at any time and free conversion of power.
The intermediate-level weaponry still involves learning swords, spears, bows, hammers, and shields, using them only as supplementary means to fist techniques.
Yang Silang felt that spending one hundred taels as a parting gift was well worth it.
Long Yi didn't stand on ceremony; with a flick of his long sleeve, he expertly pocketed the silver note.
He carefully looked Yang Silang up and down.
"You little rascal, you didn't look closely yesterday."
"You walked like a slingshot today, you must have trained every bone in your body, right? Have you become an Iron-Boned Martial Artist by now?"
Wang Daniu was stunned for a moment, then turned to look at Yang Silang. When did this happen?
Yang Silang laughed heartily, assumed a bow stance, and then unleashed a barrage of punches.
He performed a complete set of the Five Harmonies Fist, with his feet like galloping horses, his body like the roots of an old tree, his arms like forked branches, and his fists like lush foliage. The five elements of splitting, collapsing, drilling, cannoning, and horizontal punches were all contained within it, and he could change his fist at any time, truly mastering the essence of the five fists to the bone.
Boom boom boom!
As he punched, his blood and qi surged throughout his body, his skin turned bronze, and inside his body, the tendons pulsated like strings, and his bones clanged and rang, as if steel was colliding and vibrating inside him.
There was a light screen in front of him that ordinary people could not see.
Yang Silang
Lifespan (basic): 17/150.
Force (Basic): 250
[Skill 1: Iron Man Stake, 200/200.]
[Skill 2: Intermediate Five Weapons, Five Training Sessions Per Day, 90/200]
[Skill 3: Five-in-One Fist, practiced five times a day, 90/200]
【Skill 4: Grass-Walking, 200/200】
[Skill 4: Mask Technique, 200/200]
After a quarter of arduous training, combined with daily medication, he finally mastered the Iron Man Stance and officially reached the Iron Bone Martial Master realm.
His lifespan has increased to 150, his basic strength has reached 500, and he has mastered both Grasshopper and Mask Technique.
I learned the Five Harmonies Fist and the Intermediate Five Weapons later, so I only have about half of them.
However, once the stance training is perfected, one has already stepped into the threshold of becoming an Iron-Bone Martial Master. These two boxing techniques are merely fighting methods; one can simply use the grinding techniques to slowly accumulate time, without needing to rush them.
Long's eyes lit up at the sight of it.
"Good lad, good potential! You have some of the talent I had back in the day!"
"Breaking through two barriers within a year!"
"It seems you're quite confident about the martial arts examination after spring!"
Wang Daniu, who was standing nearby, stared wide-eyed, his expression blank.
No, Fourth Brother, you practiced silently every day, and you actually succeeded?
He was starting to panic. He wasn't even a copper-skinned martial artist. How could he possibly call him Fourth Brother in the future?