Human Martial Saint: Starting with Bajiquan

Chapter 13 Measuring Root Bones

All three have been settled.

Liu Sheng and Ye Qi each had a temporary cave to stay in.

Liu Sheng saw that there were blurry ancient murals on the cave walls, depicting some graceful flying apsaras and ferocious evil spirits. However, with the passage of time and the erosion of wind and sand, most of the flying apsaras and evil spirits had become mottled and difficult to distinguish.

Although the cave looks simple, it is dry and clean, with doors and windows, and is spacious and bright.

On a kang (heated brick bed), there is a thick, polished wooden board, on which a thick, gray coarse cloth quilt is neatly stacked. Next to it is a wooden ladle, a vat of water, a wooden table embedded in the ground, and a ceramic oil lamp.

The overall preparations were thorough and comprehensive.

In Liu Sheng's opinion, although it was a cave, it was much better than the cramped room he had in Crescent Moon County.

Perhaps because the owner had given prior notice.

The two were free to move around the area, but there were some caves they couldn't enter. Just in case, Lu You also recited the military password from that day.

Now it's just Liu Sheng and Ye Qi.

It was sitting obediently on a flat piece of sand in front of the Mohai Cave.

Lu You has already gone in to report.

The two waited quietly for the owner to arrive.

Liu Sheng saw the massive Singing Sand Dunes stretching across the back, hundreds of caves in the Desert Sea Caves arranged in front, and before him stood the elite rebel army, who looked like divine warriors.

He thought about how he was about to begin his formal martial arts career in such a place.

And upon arriving here...

On the proficiency panel, a rather mysterious item has appeared that needs to be unlocked:

[Internal Training Method: None]

[Unknown: None (Unlocked when Inner Strength reaches the Skin Polishing Realm)]

A strange sense of destiny arose in Liu Sheng's heart.

He was looking forward to what would happen next.

Ye Qi, standing to the side, seemed a little nervous. He unconsciously gripped the hem of his clothes with both hands, his heart was beating faster than usual, and his breathing was slightly rapid.

About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn has passed.

The museum owner, Gao Huang, appeared.

He was over eight feet tall, dressed in white robes, the hem of which fluttered gently in the wind. The robes were embroidered with nine-colored deer patterns in dark gold thread, and in the afterglow of the setting sun, the deer patterns shimmered and appeared and disappeared.

On his left arm was a bronze Nuo opera mask shaped like a demon.

At first glance, his overall demeanor tells you he's no ordinary person.

Because of his beautiful appearance, Gao Huang feared that he would not appear to have much of an intimidating presence in the army.

In addition, he was unwilling to reveal his identity as a member of the Gao family of Shazhou.

Therefore, he often wore this evil spirit bronze Nuo opera mask when he was with the rebel army.

It is known as the "evil spirit".

Now, Liu and Ye saw the museum owner, Gao Huang, slowly and steadily approaching them.

That androgynous, harmless face and graceful figure made him seem like a reincarnated celestial being. Combined with the fierce-looking, fanged demon mask on his left arm, it was as if a demon had been resurrected, intimidating evil spirits.

It was as if the images of flying apsaras and evil spirits on the murals in the cave had been merged into one.

The stark contrast between their shrewdness and ferocity was amplified in their vision as Gao Huang drew closer.

They were both quite shocked just looking at it.

Of course, they knew that the museum owner, Gao Huang, was a man.

But the shock was still shocking.

Lu You, standing to the side, introduced the two to his master.

Gao Huang sat down casually on the ground in front of the two men, without any airs, and greeted them with a cupped hand.

"I am tied up with important military duties and cannot move around, so I can only trouble you to make this trip."

Ye Qi was clearly intimidated by Gao Huang's aura, and coupled with his already nervousness, his lips trembled slightly, and for a moment, he even forgot to return the greeting.

Upon seeing Ye Qi, Liu Sheng was so nervous that his lips trembled and he couldn't utter a word. He quickly exchanged a few polite words, indicating that it was no trouble at all, as a disciple, it was only right and proper.

His reply was fluent and appropriate.

This surprised Gao Huang.

If he doesn't deliberately conceal his aura, few low-ranking martial artists can remain calm in his presence. This is a natural suppression of lower-ranking martial artists by higher-ranking ones when the difference in martial arts rank is too great.

Needless to say.

At this time, Liu Sheng had not yet reached the rank of a certain grade.

"He does indeed have exceptional abilities." Gao Huang nodded slightly, his gaze lingering on Liu Sheng for a moment.

On the way here, he had also heard from his eldest disciple, Lu You, about Liu Sheng's handling of the Beggars' Sect and Lai San.

Gao Huang then asked curiously, "Why spare Lai San's worthless life?"

Liu Sheng then explained a lot.

For example, he was afraid of causing trouble due to his weak strength, the impact on his father's business, and he felt that Lai San's crime did not warrant death.

Gao Huang's features were exquisite, yet he exuded a chilling aura.

He snorted coldly, revealing an undeniable air of authority: "The court's lackeys, none of them deserve to die; they all should be killed!"

For the first time, I experienced the stark contrast between the curator's menacing words and her beautiful appearance.

This made Liu Sheng feel quite uncomfortable.

Seeing Liu Sheng's appearance, Gao Huang assumed that Liu Sheng was too young and lacked strength, hence his timidity and fear of trouble.

He then tossed out a token and instructed Lu You, who was standing nearby:

"Next time you encounter such scoundrels, just kill them. If the county government questions you, just say you were acting on orders from the righteous army!"

Lu bowed and accepted the order, his expression solemn.

Liu Sheng secretly praised him.

"That's awesome!"

He was also full of curiosity. This martial arts school owner, who had swept through the entire street of martial arts schools in Crescent Moon County half a year ago, now seemed to be serving as a general in the righteous army.

I wonder what rank of expert he is.

Within the imperial court, this would be a certain rank of official.

Gao Huang said no more and began to carefully examine the two martial arts school disciples in front of him.

When he looked at Liu Sheng, he didn't say anything more.

But when his gaze fell on Ye Qi.

Gao Huang: "Hmm?"

His tone carried a hint of doubt.

Ye Qi was already nervous, and when he heard the curator speak with a question in his voice, he became even more nervous, and his hands were trembling.

Gao Huang stood up, and the other three quickly followed suit.

They know.

This is to determine the basal body bone.

Gao Huang first walked up to Liu Sheng, reached out his hand, gently pinched Liu Sheng's wrist, carefully examined the thickness of his palm, the size and length of his fingers, and then pinched along the arm bone all the way to his shoulder joint.

Liu Sheng held his breath, his heart pounding with anticipation, when he heard Gao Huang calmly announce the result:

"Inferior physical constitution."

Although he was mentally prepared, he knew that he still had some potential and was already better off than most people.

But Liu Sheng couldn't help it, and an undisguised sense of disappointment appeared on his face.

I thought that after my previous extraordinary encounter, I would be the chosen one, but I never expected...

Gao Huang, seeing Liu Sheng's reaction, seemed to have experienced too much and was already used to it.

He gently comforted her:

"It doesn't matter. The quality of one's innate talent only affects the speed of a martial artist's cultivation; it's not a decisive factor."

His gentle expression was the complete opposite of the chill he had shown when he mentioned Lai San earlier.

"Huh?" Liu Sheng didn't even react.

Why does the owner of this museum look so indifferent?

Normally, one shouldn't look down on oneself for having inferior aptitude, sigh with regret, and offer words of encouragement like "diligence can make up for lack of talent."

Then hurry up and move on to the next one, shall we?

Gao Huang continued his narration in a gentle and calm voice:

"In martial arts training, one needs qi and blood, perseverance, physical constitution, comprehension, and good fortune, among other things. However, qi and blood and physical constitution are visible, while comprehension and good fortune are not. Perseverance can only be achieved by oneself, and everyone has their own destiny."

"Just like Yan Chenhu, the last Martial Saint of the human race, he had inferior aptitude, but that didn't stop him from rising all the way to the first rank and eventually becoming a Martial Saint, protecting our human race."

"Even an ordinary person like me has the opportunity to become Zhang Tianxing's disciple, which is how I achieved my current level of cultivation."

These words were like a gentle spring breeze and nourishing rain.

There was not a hint of disdain.

They didn't say anything like the nonsense about hard work paying off.

Gao Huang simply recounted his own experiences and insights slowly, one sentence after another.

Liu Sheng's heart was in turmoil.

I couldn't calm down for a long time.

Since awakening his innate wisdom, although he has been working hard, he has not made any long-term plans.

He had thought about dealing with the Beggars' Sect and about practicing martial arts to become a martial arts scholar, but he was just pushed along by others.

At this moment, a certain trajectory in his mind finally shifted. It was as if it was telling him that he, too, could achieve something in the future.

Liu Sheng's eyes regained their brightness and determination.

When it came time to measure Ye Qi's physical attributes.

Gao Huang's attitude softened, and he said gently, "I apologize for the offense."

Ye Qi quickly reached out his hand.

Then he examined the palms and lightly touched the arm bones and joints.

After a while.

A satisfied smile appeared on Gao Huang's face.

"Superior physical constitution!"

Upon hearing this, Ye Qi was stunned, seemingly unable to believe his ears.

After realizing what had happened...

Then he was overjoyed.

The short man jumped high on the sand with a shout of "Ah!" His face was beaming with excitement, and a blush of exhilaration rose to his cheeks.

Lu You, standing to the side, was also delighted, and unconsciously straightened his back a bit.

In fact, Bajiguan has always been run by him and Yang Hongliu.

He knew all too well that superior talent was something that could only be encountered by chance.

In the county, you might not run into a single martial arts master even in 10 years.

Therefore, Ye Qi's discovery of superior physical attributes is of immense significance to the future of the martial arts school. Not to mention, Lu You also has a mission to recruit talented young human martial artists for the righteous army.

Liu Sheng was initially delighted.

But then he realized what was happening, and his lips seemed to twitch.

Brother, you deserve average talent.

But you really don't deserve to have superior natural talent!

He was about to cry.

Especially when he thought about how he himself was only of inferior constitution.

In the end, I thought that I at least had some innate knowledge and proficiency, so I hoped the gap wouldn't be too big.

Only then did I feel a little relieved.

Lu You could understand Liu Sheng's feelings very well.

He patted the latter on the shoulder, offering a small gesture of comfort.

Gao Huang saw that the two had reacted enough and their emotions had calmed down.

"You will stay here and begin your training in the Skin Polishing Realm. As the name suggests, once you achieve mastery or even perfection in the Skin Polishing Realm, your skin will become incredibly tough, making it difficult to be harmed by ordinary swords and blades."

He rarely fulfilled his duty as a teacher, and he was afraid that he hadn't explained things in enough detail.

He continued, "..."

"The skin-refining practice requires you to take off all your clothes and apply a medicinal ointment. After the ointment solidifies, use sand and stones to polish your skin all over your body, thereby stimulating blood circulation and drawing qi into the body. You must not be impatient."

Liu Sheng was standing slightly ahead, so he didn't notice.

Ye Qi, standing behind him, blushed slightly when he heard "take off your clothes," his eyes showing a hint of panic, and he subconsciously shrank back.

Gao Huang noticed his behavior.

"Liu Sheng, you will still be taught by Lu You, while Ye Qi... will be taught by my wife. I will take you to meet my wife, Wang Yinsu, in a little while."

Upon hearing this, Ye Qi actually breathed a sigh of relief:

"Yes, thank you, Master!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Sheng thought to himself, "Sigh, even with top-tier talent, there's still a difference in treatment. But why is it the headmaster's wife who teaches and takes care of the children?"

Thinking about this, Liu Sheng was glad that he was older; he didn't want to be naked in front of women.

He also lamented that since he had a lower natural talent, he had to work even harder so as not to fall too far behind Ye Qi.

This feeling of being ahead of geniuses is pretty good. It's just that the geniuses themselves might not feel so good about it.

"Since you are not direct disciples, the skin-refining ointment is charged separately. But I heard that neither of your families is wealthy. You can pay for it later when you have the opportunity to take on a temporary job and earn money."

These words relieved Liu Sheng and Ye Qi. They knew that martial arts training was very expensive, and it was always good to be able to slow down.

Seeing that Gao Huang had no further instructions.

Lu You then took his leave with Liu Sheng.

The two stopped on the back of a sand dune, a little distance from the Desert Cave. It was a relatively secluded spot, convenient for their practice.

Lu Youxian explained to Liu Sheng the several mainstream skin-refining methods currently used by the human race, which are also the skin-refining methods currently being taught by other martial arts schools in Crescent Moon County.

For example, there are sand iron polishing methods, copper polishing methods, gold and jade polishing methods, and so on.

Each has its advantages and disadvantages.

For example, the iron sand skin-grinding method is cheap, but it is quite harmful to people and has a long training period. The gold and jade skin-grinding method, on the other hand, is the opposite; it is less harmful to people, but the ointment required is extremely expensive to prepare.

As Liu Sheng listened, he also considered which option was more suitable for him.

Although the martial arts school had already paid for the medicine, he would still have to pay it back in the future. He was thinking that his family's finances were limited at the moment, so he wondered if he should choose a compromise.

Unexpectedly, Lu You didn't play by the rules at all. After finishing his speech, he took out a porcelain jar from his waist and said:

"Junior brother, listen carefully—what you are about to learn is not the ordinary techniques, but the Yan family's skin-smoothing technique, personally passed down by the last Martial Saint Yan Chenhu. It is stronger than the ones I just mentioned. Martial Saint Yan has a memorial tablet in the Desert Sea Cave, so just bow to it from afar to show your respect."

Okay, I don't even need to choose...

The skin-smoothing technique passed down by the Martial Saint.

That would naturally be the best choice.

Upon hearing the words "Martial Saint," Liu Sheng felt a surge of joy and forgot all about how expensive the medicine was.

Liu Sheng had heard about the deeds of Martial Saint Yan Chenhu from Old Man Kang before and greatly admired his actions. So without saying a word, he respectfully knelt on the sand and bowed three times towards the direction of the Desert Sea Cave.

Seeing Liu Sheng's sincere attitude, Lu You nodded in satisfaction.

Then he borrowed a pair of heavy stone locks from the soldiers on duty nearby.

He had Liu Sheng first perform the basic Qi and Blood Hammering.

"The Yan Clan's Skin Refining Method is naturally the top skin refining method among humans, but like other skin refining methods, it also requires accumulating qi and blood while refining the skin. Once the qi and blood reach their peak, you can try to break through to a higher realm. If you're unlucky, you might have to try several times. Don't be anxious; just have a general idea in mind."

He began to explain to Liu Sheng the practice method of Yan's skin-smoothing technique.

Liu Sheng listened intently, not daring to miss a single detail.

The setting sun cast its golden-red glow upon the vast desert, reflecting the figures of the two figures lost in their own world...