Chapter 47

Kunming, as Wu Sangui's stronghold and the capital of Yunnan Province, is known for its bustling and lively atmosphere. Yunnan is famous for its spring-like weather all year round, and the journey to Kunming is filled with beautiful flowers and scenic views. Upon arriving in the city, one can see a bustling scene that is different from the modern world and also distinct from the Foshan and Huadu depicted in the Huang Fei Hong movies.

After finding a restaurant to fill his stomach amidst the surging crowd, Lin Sha immediately began to inquire about martial arts schools and sects in the city. For those nearby, he went to check them out directly; for those farther away, he first gathered information about the streets and routes, planning to visit them when he had free time.

Nanmen Yangwei Martial Arts School...

"What can I do for you, sir?" the welcoming disciple asked with a warm and polite smile.

"I'm looking for your schoolmaster. If he's not available, a senior instructor will do!" Lin Sha, unsure of the martial arts school's true strength, replied politely.

"What can I do for you, sir?" The schoolmaster, a man in his thirties with a muscular build, quickly arrived, bowed, and asked.

"I have recently taken charge of training soldiers and have become interested in martial arts. I want to see if there are any experts in the city who can teach me to better control my unruly troops!"

Lin Sha chuckled and explained, of course not revealing his true intentions.

"Oh, how would you like to see it, sir?"

The schoolmaster's eyes lit up, and he asked with enthusiasm.

If he could take a powerful military officer as a disciple, the Yangwei Martial Arts School would gain official backing, making everything much easier.

"What kind of skills does the schoolmaster have?"

Lin Sha chuckled, put down his teacup, and asked in return.

"I am most skilled in Iron Sand Palm, which has a bit of a reputation in Kunming!"

When talking about his martial arts, the schoolmaster, though polite in words, had a proud look on his face that even a fool could see.

"Oh, could you demonstrate it?"

As soon as Lin Sha finished speaking, the schoolmaster's face darkened. He quickly waved his hands, saying, "There's no need for the schoolmaster to demonstrate personally. A disciple who has learned it can show you!"

For the future development of the martial arts school, the schoolmaster reluctantly accepted this suggestion. He called a young, strong, but not very tall man to the small training ground to demonstrate Iron Sand Palm in front of Lin Sha. To make a strong impression, he even brought a brick to show the power of Iron Sand Palm.

The young man was indeed impressive, his Iron Sand Palm moves were powerful and fierce. With one palm, the hard brick shattered into pieces, while his calloused, rough hands remained unharmed.

"Very good, Iron Sand Palm is indeed a fine skill!"

After watching the demonstration, Lin Sha was generous with his praise. He chatted politely with the schoolmaster for a while, saying he needed to think about it. However, after leaving the martial arts school, he was quite disappointed, though he didn't show it on his face.

Clearly, the Iron Sand Palm of the Yangwei Martial Arts School was not genuine. The young man's performance didn't even reach the level of Mingjing (manifest strength), and there was no traditional hard qigong to support it, so the power displayed was only average.

Though disappointed, he wasn't discouraged. He had been mentally prepared and planned to visit each martial arts school one by one.

Weiyuan Martial Arts School...

"Our school specializes in Cha Quan, which includes both boxing techniques and weapon training. If you want to see a demonstration, I can have my senior disciple show you..."

Xiongsheng Martial Arts School...

"I am skilled in Tongbi Quan, a fierce and powerful close-combat technique. If you want to see a demonstration, I can have my disciple show you..."

Changhe Gang...

"Ah, the soldiers are here, everyone, run!"

Lin Sha: "..."

Hei Hu Gang...

"Where did you come from, little officer? Our Hei Hu Gang has strong backing. If you know what's good for you, leave now, or you'll face the consequences!"

Lin Sha, seeing the group of knife-wielding, club-wielding, and fierce-looking men, was speechless and turned to leave. Behind him, the gang members laughed wildly and without restraint.

...

For the entire morning, Lin Sha was busy visiting various places. Unfortunately, the results were not satisfactory. He visited several well-known martial arts schools, but the core disciples were not very strong. They couldn't compare to Lin Sha, a mid-level Mingjing expert, or even the senior disciples of Baozhi Lin in the Huang Fei Hong movies.

The schoolmasters, however, were quite skilled, with their external martial arts well-developed. A few had reached the mid-level Mingjing stage, but that was about it.

As for the martial arts schools and sects in Kunming, the situation was slightly better. The elite disciples were on the verge of reaching the Mingjing stage, but the strength of the senior instructors was unknown.

These gangs were full of oddities. Lin Sha visited several and encountered many strange incidents. Some fled at the sight of soldiers, others politely asked him to leave, and some were so arrogant they wouldn't let him in.

What disappointed him was that almost all of them practiced external martial arts. As for so-called internal martial arts or neili, either their vision was too narrow to see it, or he hadn't encountered any experts who practiced such skills!

After wandering around Kunming for half a day, visiting several martial arts schools and sects, he didn't find any internal martial arts experts. He didn't even encounter a single practitioner of internal martial arts!

In the afternoon, he found a restaurant to rest. Sitting by the window, Lin Sha reflected on whether he had the wrong approach.

While resting at the restaurant, he overheard guests discussing Chen Jinnan, the Heaven and Earth Society, and recent events in the martial arts world. This was indeed the world of "Deer and the Cauldron."

However, he felt that the quality of martial artists in Kunming was inferior to that in Foshan in the Huang Fei Hong world. At least in Foshan, the elite disciples and senior instructors of well-known martial arts schools were mostly Mingjing experts, and the schoolmasters generally had peak Mingjing or even hidden strength, far surpassing the so-called experts he had seen in Kunming. This truly surprised him.

If it weren't for the fact that the "Deer and the Cauldron" world truly had internal martial arts and top experts, he would have suspected he had entered a low-level martial arts world worse than the Huang Fei Hong world.

Let him think, what famous experts and martial arts are there in "Deer and the Cauldron"?

Due to the long time that has passed, having lived a colorful life for nearly six years in the Huang Fei Hong movie world, it would be strange if he could still clearly remember the TV series he occasionally watched in the modern world.

The first one is Hong Antong, the leader of the Divine Dragon Sect, who shouts slogans like the leader of the Eastern Sect. He seems to be very powerful, but it's unclear what martial arts he practices.

Another is Chen Jinnan, the leader of the Heaven and Earth Society, whose reputation is widespread across the Yangtze and Huai rivers. His martial arts style is unknown, but he would be worth learning from if the opportunity arises.

Then there is the Ninth Princess of the Chongzhen Emperor, the one-armed nun Ji Nan, who has an ambiguous relationship with the protagonist of "The Sword Stained with Royal Blood." She is a disciple of the Iron Sword Sect's Master Muxiang and is known for her top-notch martial arts in "Deer and the Cauldron."

There is also the Gui family of the Huashan Sect, who have a strong lineage and exceptional martial arts skills. It's unclear how this Huashan Sect is related to the one in "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer," but the names of their skills are similar.

As for Shaolin and Wudang, they are two giant sects in the later stages of the Jin Yong martial arts world, with many skilled practitioners and should not be underestimated.

It's just unknown whether there are any famous martial arts sects in Yunnan Province...