Chapter 8: Five-Animal Boxing

Stepping through the side gate of the martial arts hall, Jiang Ning arrived in the main courtyard.

He saw a dozen bare-chested men in the open space; some were practicing punches, while others were lifting heavy stones to train their strength.

Noticing that a newcomer had arrived at the hall, they merely glanced at Jiang Ning with a slight tilt of their heads before losing interest and returning to their own tasks.

That is!!!

Jiang Ning’s gaze sharpened, instantly drawn to a scene in the corner of the front yard.

In that corner sat a massive iron cage, and inside it, a variegated tiger was curled up, sleeping.

The tiger was a full four meters long, exuding an immense sense of oppression.

Its thick, sturdy limbs clearly hinted at the terrifying explosive power it possessed.

"Stop staring and keep following me!" the burly man said.

Jiang Ning withdrew his gaze, nodded, and continued to follow behind him.

Passing through the front yard, the two soon arrived at the back courtyard of the hall.

Under the shade of a tree, an elderly man with a beard leaned back in a rattan chair, fanning himself leisurely with a cattail fan.

The old man looked to be over fifty, but his physique was far from the frailty of a typical elder; instead, his limbs were far thicker than an average person's, and his body was covered in bulging, corded muscle.

Standing to his side was a tall, slender woman dressed in a blue training uniform.

The woman wore her hair in a high ponytail, her features filled with a heroic spirit, and her long, swan-like neck was as white as snow. One look was enough to tell she came from an extraordinary background.

After all, those who practiced martial arts were inevitably tanned; it was impossible for them to be as fair-skinned as this woman.

"You are Jiang Ning?" The old man opened his eyes, looked at Jiang Ning, and spoke.

"Yes!" Jiang Ning bowed and saluted: "This junior greets Senior Wang."

"You know your manners, not bad!" The old man nodded slightly, looking at Jiang Ning with a hint of satisfaction.

"Come here!" the old man commanded.

Hearing this, Jiang Ning approached the old man, who then stood up.

He placed his palm on Jiang Ning’s shoulder and gave a slight jolt. Jiang Ning instantly felt a sensation like being struck by lightning travel from his shoulder through his entire body.

At that moment, it felt as if every bone in his body had fallen apart.

The old man’s palm quickly swept over his limbs, arms, chest, and back.

In just a few seconds, the bone-touching assessment was over, and the old man sat back down in his rattan chair.

"Your frame is a bit weak, and your aptitude is neither good nor bad. It’s fine for practicing introductory techniques!" the old man said.

Hearing this evaluation, Jiang Ning was not surprised.

What kind of person is suited for martial arts?

Someone with broad shoulders and a thick waist, born with divine strength.

Or someone with naturally hard bones and a burly physique.

He fit none of these descriptions.

He was not disappointed, however; his reliance was not on martial talent, but on that miraculous panel.

Seeing Jiang Ning’s calm expression, the old man nodded slightly: "Your temperament is decent; you remain unswayed by favor or humiliation!"

He then asked: "Are you literate?"

Jiang Ning nodded: "I am."

"Can you understand secret manuals?" the old man asked again.

Jiang Ning nodded once more: "I can."

"Good, it’s rare to get someone who can read a manual! If you practice martial arts but can't even understand the manuals, and don't know a few big characters, then what’s the point of practicing punches!" The old man’s expression revealed some satisfaction: "Later, go read the manual a few times, try your best to memorize the essence of the fist techniques, and then come find me!"

"Thank you, Master!" Jiang Ning bowed and saluted.

The old man waved his hand: "It’s too early to call me Master. Wait until you pass the assessment! Having just joined the hall, you are at most a registered disciple. If you don't pass the assessment within half a year, you’ll have to pack your bags and leave!"

"To preach, resolve doubts, and lead me into the path of martial arts—in my heart, you are my teacher! Furthermore, a registered disciple is still a disciple, and since I am a disciple, I should address you as Master!" Jiang Ning said with extreme sincerity.

"As you wish!" The old man waved his hand, then said to the woman in the blue training uniform beside him: "Li Qing, take him to my study and let him see the [Five Animals Fist]!"

"Yes!" The woman nodded, her gaze falling on Jiang Ning: "Follow me!"

"My name is Li Qing. From now on, you can just call me Senior Sister Li!"

After walking out of the back courtyard, the woman in the blue outfit spoke to Jiang Ning.

"Greetings, Senior Sister Li!" Jiang Ning offered a smile: "Senior Sister Li, my name is Jiang Ning!"

Seeing this, the woman’s lips curled slightly, and she smiled back at Jiang Ning.

With that smile, the two seemed to become a little more familiar.

As she led the way, the woman spoke: "Junior Brother Jiang, your purpose in coming to the Canglang Martial Arts Hall is to pass Hall Master Wang’s assessment and become a true disciple of the hall, right?"

"Yes!" Jiang Ning nodded repeatedly, showing a friendly smile.

"Then do you know how to become a true disciple of the hall?" the woman asked as they walked.

Jiang Ning shook his head slightly while keeping pace: "I do not. I ask Senior Sister Li to enlighten me!"

"What you are about to learn is the Five Animals Fist. To gain the recognition of Elder Wang, you must, within six months, grasp the essence of any one of the five forms—Tiger, Bear, Ape, Crane, or Deer—and reach the Great Completion realm. Only then are you qualified to become a true disciple of the hall!" the woman explained.

"Senior Sister, is reaching Great Completion difficult?" Jiang Ning asked.

"Very difficult! Even for children of wealthy families, or even those from great clans, reaching Great Completion within six months is very hard!" the woman continued: "The Five Animals Fist is a graded low-tier martial art. Breaking through to Great Completion requires extremely high comprehension! It took me nearly five months to grasp the essence of the Deer form and reach the Great Completion of that one style, and that was with my extraordinary relationship with Elder Wang and his frequent guidance. Without his guidance, it will be several times harder for you than it was for me."

"Senior Sister is truly amazing!!" Jiang Ning praised her without hesitation.

Hearing this, the woman couldn't help but let a hint of a smile appear at the corners of her mouth, looking slightly proud.

Even in the inner city, being a disciple of the Canglang Martial Arts Hall was something worth boasting about.

Ever since she became Wang Jin’s true disciple, she could clearly feel that her status in her social circle had greatly improved.

After all, Wang Jin’s strength was among the very best in Luoshui County, not to mention the deeper identity he held behind the scenes.

However, the vast majority of people couldn't join Wang Jin’s hall even if they wanted to, simply because of factional politics; the identity Wang Jin held behind the scenes currently made him a representative of the neutral faction.

She then said: "Since you called me Senior Sister, I will do my best to guide you over the next six months. As for how much you can comprehend, that will depend on your own aptitude!"

"Many thanks, Senior Sister!" Jiang Ning replied earnestly.

He had no reason to refuse the chance to build a connection with this Senior Sister Li.

From the way she had been standing beside Hall Master Wang Jin earlier, it was clear she was a core member of the Canglang Martial Arts Hall.

Based on his understanding, anyone who passed the Hall Master’s test and became a core disciple would soon become a ranked martial artist.

In other words, this seemingly youthful and beautiful girl might soon become a ranked martial artist, or perhaps she already was one.

Moreover, one look at her appearance and temperament told him she wasn't from an ordinary family; the fact that she had such an extraordinary relationship with Hall Master Wang Jin showed her background was far from simple.

Jiang Ning had even less reason to refuse.

Seeing Jiang Ning’s expression, the woman nodded with satisfaction. She then added a word of caution: "After learning the Five Animals Fist, Junior Brother Jiang, you must carefully ponder its true meaning. If you can become a true disciple of the hall like me, only then will you be qualified to receive Elder Wang’s true inheritance and see why our hall is named the Canglang Martial Arts Hall!"

Hearing this, Jiang Ning nodded solemnly and repeatedly: "This junior understands!"

"Good!" The woman also nodded with satisfaction.

Before long, the two arrived at a study in a secluded corner of the hall.

"Wait for me outside!" the woman said.

Jiang Ning nodded.

The next moment.

The woman pushed open the study door and stepped inside.

Jiang Ning waited quietly outside, his heart filled with anticipation.

A martial arts technique was about to be in his hands!

And it was a graded low-tier technique. According to his knowledge, even his eldest brother hadn't mastered a low-tier technique, which showed just how precious a graded low-tier technique was.

He now understood why his brother had insisted he join the martial arts hall; the gap between the two was simply too vast.

A graded low-tier technique was merely the test for the Canglang Martial Arts Hall. If he could pass the test, according to this Senior Sister, he would then be able to truly touch the inheritance of the Canglang Martial Arts Hall.

The name "Canglang" undoubtedly represented the true inheritance of this hall.

At this, Jiang Ning’s heart yearned for it even more.

Only about ten breaths of time passed.

*Creak—*

As the door was pushed open again, the woman reappeared before Jiang Ning.

"This is the Five Animals Fist manual!" The woman handed him a slightly yellowed book she was holding: "Spend these next few days memorizing everything in the manual well. If there is anything you don't understand, come find me. Once you have roughly memorized it, come find Elder Wang, and he will personally demonstrate it for you once!"

As her voice fell, the woman added a warning: "Remember, this manual cannot be taken out of the hall. Every day before you leave, you must return it to my hands."

Jiang Ning took the manual and felt it; he knew immediately that it wasn't thick.

He then shook his head slightly: "Memorizing the manual won't take that long. Give me the time it takes to brew a cup of tea."

"The time to brew a cup of tea?" The woman frowned slightly, her eyes filled with disbelief as she looked at Jiang Ning.

Jiang Ning smiled and tapped his temple with his index finger: "Senior Sister Li, I was born with the ability to never forget what I see."

"Very well, then I will wait here for you! If you can truly do it, I will take you to see Elder Wang later, and you can start learning the punches today." The woman crossed her arms and stood to the side. With the rise and fall of her breathing, she instantly exuded a quiet and tranquil air, like a small deer resting in the forest.

Jiang Ning didn't waste any more time. He opened the Five Animals Fist manual and began to read it carefully from the first page.

[Literacy experience +1]

[Literacy experience +1]

Time flowed slowly. For a moment, the small courtyard was filled with tranquility, with only the "rustling" sound of the wind blowing through the treetops.

The woman stood beside Jiang Ning, looking quiet, tranquil, and naturally serene.

(End of chapter)