"Fat Wang?!"
Hundred-Household Liu and Hundred-Household Xiong turned around at once.
No one knew when Wang Zhi had appeared, but there he was—standing beside Chen Sanshi with an easy smile, personally helping him up from the ground.
"Wang, you bastard."
Liu pointed angrily at him. "You said it yourself—you looked down on this kid's talent!"
"Exactly!" Xiong echoed. "You're the shameless one here!"
"You two brothers are mistaken," Wang Zhi said, shaking his head and pretending to be solemn. "Talent has nothing to do with this. I, Wang, am a man of loyalty and integrity. Since I've already accepted silver, how could I not teach him with full effort?"
"You—good, very good!"
Liu's jaw tightened so hard his teeth almost cracked. His hand went instinctively to the hilt of his saber. "You fat bastard, you're even fighting me for a student? Sanshi, think carefully! This glutton worships money—I can teach you for free!"
"Come with me!"
Without wasting another word, Wang Zhi grabbed Chen Sanshi by the arm and dashed off. In just a few breaths, both of them were gone.
"Fat bastard! Xiong will never walk the same road as you again!"
The two other Hundred-Households could only curse at the rising dust before storming off in frustration.
Chen Sanshi was left dumbfounded.
A moment ago, no one even looked his way. Now, they were practically fighting over him.
Clearly, whoever was trying to sabotage him behind the scenes didn't hold absolute power. Otherwise, they would never have given him a chance to turn things around.
As for choosing which Hundred-Household to follow… did he even have a choice?
Wang Zhi's grip was like iron, nearly dislocating his arm. The man didn't stop until they reached the entrance of his tent.
Wang finally let go. "Little Shitou, come inside."
The moment they stepped into the tent, Wang Zhi suddenly spun around. His thick palm came crashing down toward Chen Sanshi's shoulder.
Instinctively, Chen Sanshi tried to dodge, but that hand was like a mountain—it was impossible to avoid. The heavy slap landed square on his shoulder, sending pain deep into his bones.
Wang Zhi's hand roamed from his shoulders down to his waist, feeling his muscles and joints. Finally, he nodded in satisfaction. "Ape arms, wasp waist, and most importantly—solid bone structure. You've got an excellent foundation."
"Ape arms and wasp waist…"
Chen Sanshi nodded slightly.
"In martial cultivation," Wang Zhi said, swaggering over to sit behind his desk, "the first thing that matters is talent. The second is bone structure."
"Talent, you already know. As for bones, a martial man must be able to withstand punishment. His skeleton must be firm. Beyond that, different bone structures decide what a person excels at."
"For example, archers are usually tall with long arms—it's easier for them to draw the bow fully. That's why your Archery is naturally good."
"An ape's arms, a wasp's waist, and hard bones—you've got top-tier bones, boy."
Chen Sanshi bowed slightly. "Thank you, Hundred-Household Wang, for your guidance."
"You're holding a grudge against me, aren't you?"
Wang's small eyes glinted sharply. "You think I took your money but didn't teach you."
Chen Sanshi replied calmly, "I wouldn't dare."
"Not daring doesn't mean you don't feel it."
Wang waved his hand. "Don't feel wronged. Liu and Xiong couldn't give you this, even if they wanted to."
As he spoke, Wang Zhi reached into his chest and pulled out a booklet, slamming it heavily onto the desk.
On the cover were a few familiar words: Basic Spearsmanship for Infantry.
Seeing Chen Sanshi's puzzled look, Wang took out another identical booklet. "Compare the two. Tell me what's different."
Chen Sanshi obeyed.
Both booklets were complete copies of Basic Spearsmanship for Infantry. Each included stance work, spear technique, and breathing method.
As he flipped through the pages, he quickly realized how important breathing methods were.
Without a breathing method, one could still endure the pain and train slowly until mastering the spear forms. But without it, there was no way to condense qi and blood.
The two manuals had identical stances and spear techniques.
Only the breathing methods differed.
The first breathing method was purely auxiliary.
Since stance training and spear work damaged the body, the breathing technique acted as a kind of lubricant—reducing pain while giving a minor boost to cultivation speed.
The second, however, was something else entirely—the Haoran Breathing Method.
This method offered no protection to the body and didn't make training faster. But according to the notes, the qi and blood cultivated through it were of much higher quality than the first.
How exactly they were better, Chen Sanshi didn't yet know.
Wang Zhi cracked open a peanut and spoke while chewing leisurely. "The breathing method I gave you will make your qi and blood tougher, longer-lasting, and stronger—just like mine."
"As for the other method, it's quicker, but the qi you get from it is neither strong nor durable. It's like Hundred-Household Xiong—fast, but soft."
"You get what I mean, right? If you don't, no worries. Once you cultivate your qi and blood, you'll understand it yourself."
Chen Sanshi pondered for a moment, then asked, "May I ask, Hundred-Household Wang, why would the same martial art have two completely different breathing methods?"
"Because one's the cut-down version."
Wang Zhi snorted. "The Haoran Breathing Method is the superior one, but not just anyone can practice it. If your bone foundation isn't strong enough, you'll cripple yourself. If your talent isn't high, your progress will be painfully slow.
"And this thing eats up silver like water. Normally, only the Eight Garrisons get to learn it.
"I've told you both the pros and cons. Which one you pick—it's up to you."
'A cultivation method from the Eight Garrisons?'
Chen Sanshi looked from the fat man to the manual in his hands.
"You looking down on me?"
Wang Zhi's eyes bulged. "Don't think I'm just some random Hundred-Household now! I used to be part of the Eight Garrisons!"
"Hundred-Household Wang, you misunderstand me. I didn't mean that."
Chen Sanshi made his decision quickly. "I'll practice the Haoran Breathing Method."
"Good lad, I knew I wasn't wrong about you!"
Wang Zhi brushed off the peanut crumbs from his hands and shouted for a subordinate. Soon, a soldier brought in a plum-blossom iron spear. Wang grabbed it and began to teach Chen Sanshi personally.
"Stance, spear, and breath—all three must merge into one."
"Take a deep breath. Don't just hold it in your lungs. You need to imagine this breath as the 'force' stored inside your body. Each time you strike, use this 'force' to assist your movement."
"No, not like that! That's just ordinary breathing. Do you know why the Haoran method is different?"
"You use this 'force' to stimulate your meridian points!"
"Yes, that's it—that's the feeling!"
"Hiss—"
Following the breathing diagrams from the manual and Wang's detailed instructions, Chen Sanshi tried several times. Before long, he successfully grasped the correct rhythm of the Haoran Breathing Method.
Every stance and every strike he performed was now guided by that "breath." That air transformed into power, sending waves of stimulation through his meridians and bones.
What was once a dual-layer training of stance and spearwork now became a triple-layer grind.
The pain was intense—so much that Chen Sanshi nearly gagged.
At that moment, a translucent panel appeared before his eyes.
[Technique: Basic Spearsmanship for Infantry (Uninitiated)]
[Progress: (8/100)]
[Effect: None]
"Hu… hu…"
After just a few seconds, Chen Sanshi's breathing turned ragged. His vision blurred, and his knees almost buckled.
"Enough," Wang Zhi said, stopping him. "That's all for today. You've been learning spearwork all night. Even an iron body would reach its limit. Don't overdo it—you'll only harm yourself."
"And remember this—when it comes to food, you must eat at least 5 jin of meat every single day. Wild game is fine, but fierce beasts are better. If you can get exotic beast meat, that's best of all."
"When you reach Beginner level in Basic Spearsmanship for Infantry, you'll have officially entered the tempering blood stage and become a true martial man!"
"When that time comes, I'll personally recommend you to Thousand-Household Xiang."
Then Wang's expression shifted slightly. "By the way, about that Tianyuan Martial Hall—what's the deal between you and their young master, Liang Zhan?"
"Tianyuan Martial Hall?"
Chen Sanshi instantly understood. He replied calmly, "There's no grudge between me and the Liang family."
"Oh?"
Wang Zhi rubbed his chin, eyes flickering with thought. It was impossible to tell what was running through his mind. After a long pause, he nodded. "Alright. I understand. Go rest for now."