Chapter 2

Dao Ye was washing the pots.

The three large iron pots used for feeding a hundred and eighty people were each larger than a bathtub. Li Yuan washed them with great effort, leaning over the pot, half of his body hanging in to scrub.

Splash!

A large bucket of water was poured into the pot, and Li Yuan was doing the final rinse. None of the other apprentices were idle either.

Chopping wood, fetching water, preparing charcoal, moving various iron ingots, wiping weapons, cleaning...

"Ah, I'm so tired. I heard that Yun and Lu Zhong in the front courtyard can rest by noon every day, and they even get two days off every five days..."

"Ah, who would have thought we're so weak and weren't selected? I heard they might even learn martial arts in the front courtyard!"

"Ah, just endure it, for three years..."

"Tomorrow I need to take a day off, I'm so tired... Ah, I really want to eat some meat!"

...

Without Sun Pangzi around, the apprentices chatted with each other while working.

"The front courtyard..."

Li Yuan was doing stretching exercises in the corner, listening to the apprentices' conversations.

The apprentices in the blacksmith shop were not just the seven or eight in the kitchen. There were five or six serving the shopkeeper's family in the back courtyard, and about ten helping the masters in the front courtyard.

Among the apprentices in the front, middle, and back courtyards, the treatment was the worst for those in the middle courtyard, followed by the back courtyard, and the best for those in the front courtyard.

The apprentices in the front courtyard not only worked less hard but also received a monthly wage of a hundred or so copper coins and had the opportunity to learn martial arts.

Unfortunately, he was weak and couldn't match the robust apprentices in the front courtyard. If it weren't for his literacy, he might not have been accepted at all.

"Learning martial arts might be even harder... But I need to try if the 'ritual' works first..."

Li Yuan silently finished his work and prepared to ask Sun Pangzi for a half-day off to withdraw his monthly wage and buy the things needed for the ritual.

The apprentices in the middle courtyard had a day off every ten days. He had saved up three days of leave, which he could use at any time.

Just as he finished washing up and was about to find Sun Pangzi, he heard a commotion in the courtyard.

"Huh? Why are they coming here?"

An apprentice stood up.

A dozen or so young men, roughly the same age as them but much more robust, carrying wooden-handled hammers, came to the yellow mud ground in front of the middle courtyard.

"Apprentices from the front courtyard? They're all so strong?"

Li Yuan thought to himself.

Compared to the scrawny apprentices in the middle courtyard, the apprentices in the front courtyard were as strong as calves.

In the past month, his body had improved a lot, but compared to these calves, the difference was still obvious.

It was clear that, besides the treatment and physical differences, the family backgrounds of the apprentices in the front and middle courtyards also varied.

However, these 'calves' were still dwarfs compared to the person behind them.

'This person is so strong!'

Li Yuan's eyelids twitched.

The middle-aged man was over 1.9 meters tall, with thick arms and bulging muscles, a fierce face, and a stride that brought the wind, making people feel intimidated.

"It's Qin Huwei!"

An apprentice exclaimed, and all the apprentices, including Li Yuan, quickly stood up and followed Sun Pangzi to welcome him.

The blacksmith shop was rooted in Gaoliu County, but its business extended to neighboring counties and even to Zhelong Prefecture. Besides the masters, the shop also had many guards.

Their status and treatment were second only to the shopkeeper.

Li Yuan remembered them well; each of them had an enormous appetite, equivalent to seven or eight apprentices.

"Brother Qin Xiong!"

The ball-like Sun Pangzi shot out of the kitchen, smiling and welcoming him.

"Brother, I still have a good jar of wine. Let's have a drink tonight?"

"Maybe later!"

Qin Xiong's rough face showed no expression as he turned to look at the apprentices in the middle courtyard, who were lined up like quails.

"Are all the apprentices from the middle courtyard here? They're all so thin..."

"A few went to move charcoal..."

Sun Pangzi smiled and lowered his head. "They've improved a bit in the past few days. They were even thinner before."

"Hmm."

Qin Xiong responded coldly, his stern expression making the apprentices in the middle courtyard feel uncomfortable.

Splash!

Soon, the middle courtyard gate was filled with the sound of hurried footsteps. Two or three dozen apprentices, both male and female, rushed in from various places.

"Apprentices from the back courtyard, the utility courtyard, and the external affairs courtyard are all here?"

Li Yuan was slightly surprised.

Such a large gathering?

"Alright, we won't wait for those who haven't arrived!"

Qin Xiong's voice was loud, and his eyes were fierce. The apprentices he looked at all breathed heavily and instinctively stepped back.

"Some of you might have guessed why I'm here today."

Li Yuan lowered his head, glancing at the other apprentices and noticing a few with joyful expressions, his heart stirred.

Could it be that even those not assigned to the front courtyard have the chance to learn martial arts?

"In the various families of Gaoliu County, our blacksmith shop is one of the most arduous and tiring, yet many people still eagerly sign up to be apprentices, and some even pay to become our apprentices?"

Qin Xiong glanced at Li Yuan, who lowered his head, feeling surprised.

'Did my second brother pay? No wonder my sister-in-law looks at me unfavorably...'

Li Yuan was slightly enlightened but also felt depressed.

I had to pay to become an apprentice?

He really didn't know...

"Because, among the families in Gaoliu County, only the Four Seasons Medicine Hall, the Three Rivers Gang, the Firewood Gang, the One-Character Inn, the Fishing Gang, and our blacksmith shop teach martial arts to apprentices!

Even apprentices in the middle courtyard, after one or two years, normally have this opportunity!"

Teaching martial arts in advance?

Li Yuan's eyes lit up, feeling enlightened.

Did my second brother pay to get me in because of this?

The apprentices were very excited, and a few couldn't help but clench their fists, including Liu Qing, who had been hit by Sun Pangzi, and Niu Gui, who had come to the middle courtyard around the same time as him.

However, everyone was sensible and no one dared to make a sound.

"You apprentices are either from poor families or have fallen from wealthy ones. If not for joining the blacksmith shop, at most one or two out of ten would have the chance to learn martial arts. Today, I will teach you martial arts on behalf of the shopkeeper. Remember the shopkeeper's kindness and work hard!"

Qin Xiong's voice was loud and powerful, and the last few sentences were deafening.

'This voice is too powerful...'

Li Yuan felt his eardrums buzzing, feeling both shocked and somewhat sarcastic.

The last sentence was definitely not for them...

"Today, I will teach you the 'White Ape Cloak Hammer.' This is your only chance to join the inner courtyard. Whether you can change your fate depends on you!"

Martial arts!

White Ape Cloak Hammer!

Qin Xiong's voice echoed across the training ground, and all the apprentices breathed heavily, as if the fatigue of a day's work had instantly disappeared.

Poor children grow up fast, and who among those sent to be apprentices doesn't know the importance of a skill?

Not to mention martial arts, which can truly change one's fate!

As for joining the inner courtyard, most apprentices were calm, knowing it was something they couldn't aspire to.

"No wonder they brought so many hammers..."

Li Yuan was enlightened, glancing around and seeing all the apprentices tense up, especially Niu Gui, who had been hit by Sun Pangzi, clenching his fists and breathing heavily.

"Lu Zhong, let them get familiar with the stance first!"

After speaking, Qin Xiong casually pointed to an apprentice from the front courtyard to stay behind and left.

"Yes!"

As soon as Qin Xiong left, the other apprentices from the front courtyard also dispersed, leaving behind the hammers they were carrying.

Only a dark and robust young man walked to the center of the platform, slowly standing in a stance, half-squatting, and swinging his arms like a long-armed ape.

"No wonder it's called the White Ape Stance!"

Li Yuan focused on Lu Zhong's movements, trying to learn, but felt somewhat disappointed.

Is this martial arts?

"Learn my stance!"

Lu Zhong didn't seem patient enough to guide each one, just standing in the stance for half an hour.

During this time, he briefly guided Niu Gui and a few other apprentices before leaving.

As soon as he left, some apprentices immediately relaxed, not out of laziness, but because they were too tired after a day's work to stand in such a tiring stance.

"Remember it first, and practice it slowly later..."

Li Yuan also relaxed, already panting.

His body was even weaker than most of the others, and he couldn't really hold on.

He could endure, but overexerting himself might be counterproductive and even harmful.

"The inner courtyard! I've heard that there's an inner courtyard in the shop where the apprentices don't need to work and have a high monthly wage!"

"Forget about the inner courtyard. Being able to learn martial arts in advance is already a great fortune!"

"I wonder how long it will take to master the White Ape Stance? I heard from the old apprentices sent to the mines that it takes two or three years just to get started?"

Back in the middle courtyard, a few apprentices were very excited.

"So tiring, how can we practice martial arts? Joining the inner courtyard is probably impossible..."

Li Yuan wiped his face again, sighing.

The apprentices in the front courtyard had better food and worked half a day while practicing martial arts for the other half, and they even got two days off every five days. They, on the other hand, only got one day off every ten days and had no time to rest.

How could they compare?

This martial arts might not be unlearnable, but it could take years or even decades...

As he entered the room, he looked back and saw only Niu Gui, who had come to the middle courtyard around the same time as him, standing in the stance under the night sky, sweating profusely.

"This kid is really hardworking..."