Chapter 16: The Second Martial Art

After completing his household registration, Lu Yan brought two jars of Ten Mile Fragrance to Zhang Jun.

Having connections makes things much easier; last time, thanks to Zhang Jun, he’d saved two hundred taels of silver on his house purchase. Naturally, Lu Yan wasn’t about to be stingy over a small token of gratitude.

“Brother Lu, come with me. I’ll help you register your information. It’s simple, really—just fill in your name, age, background, address, martial arts level, and which martial arts you’re proficient in,” Zhang Jun explained.

“Do I need to specify the exact names of the techniques I practice?” Lu Yan asked, feeling a little uneasy. After all, he had killed several of the Wu family’s Leaf Seekers, and he was worried someone might recognize him.

“No need,” Zhang Jun replied. “Just mention the general category. For example, if you’re skilled in fist techniques, just say fist techniques; if you’re better with legs or swords, just say that.

“The fact is, members of the Crimson Guards come from all walks of life, and mutual trust is far from absolute. It’s perfectly normal to keep some things to yourself,” Zhang Jun added in a low voice.

“Thank you, Brother Jun,” Lu Yan replied with gratitude.

Soon after, someone arrived to formally record his details.

“Name: Lu Yan. Age: fifteen. First breakthrough. Skilled in fist techniques. Residence...” Lu Yan reported his information.

He didn’t reveal his true cultivation. He’d claimed to Zhang Jun that he’d only recently made his first breakthrough, and if he now said he’d made a second, it would raise suspicion.

Besides, it’s wise to have an ace up one’s sleeve; it could prove invaluable in a pinch.

Once the registration was complete, Lu Yan was told to wait for further notice at home.

“Brother Lu, just wait at home. In about three days, someone will come to inform you. In the meantime, they’ll be investigating your background. As long as you’re not a spy from the Wu clan, there shouldn’t be a problem,” Zhang Jun said.

Lu Yan nodded, returned home, and helped his parents tidy up the house.

He’d converted one of the side rooms into a training chamber. After dinner, he would go there to practice his martial arts.

...

The next day, Lu Yan went early to the Martial Guest House.

Today, the Martial Food hadn’t sold out yet, but each person was limited to just one plate—about a pound.

That’s right; Martial Food was strictly rationed at the Martial Guest House. There was only so much to go around, so each customer could only purchase one serving per day.

If that wasn’t enough, one could only order ordinary dishes to supplement their meal.

Very soon, the Martial Food was brought to the table.

A pound of it, almost entirely meat, golden and glistening with oil. The medicinal herbs infused with the beast meat had been reduced to their purest essence, merging completely with the flesh.

Lu Yan picked up a piece, put it in his mouth, and was instantly awash with its fragrance. The beast meat was firm but not tough, the texture superb, and there wasn’t a hint of gaminess. Of all the delicacies he’d tasted, this was by far the best.

Even back on Earth in his previous life, where culinary arts had reached their zenith, nothing compared to this.

“No wonder Martial Food is so popular. Not only does it help cultivators, it’s also so delicious—its fame is well-deserved,” Lu Yan marveled.

Of course, it wasn’t cheap—a single plate cost ten taels of silver.

Ten taels of silver was equivalent to ten thousand yuan in his previous life—a truly extravagant price for one dish, affordable to few.

Soon, Lu Yan finished his plate, still craving more.

He paid his bill and hurried home.

Because at last, his Iron Thread Fist avatar, which had been dormant for a while, had begun to move again.

At the same time, he felt a warm current spreading from his stomach throughout his body.

Lu Yan entered his training room and began practicing the Iron Thread Fist.

Once, twice, again and again...

After a dozen rounds, he finally stopped, drenched in sweat but feeling invigorated. His vitality had clearly grown stronger.

“Martial Food is truly extraordinary. The speed at which my strength accumulates has noticeably increased—ordinary meat can’t even compare.”

If he could eat Martial Food every day, or even several times a day, it wouldn’t take long before his qi and blood overflowed, allowing him to break through the third sealed gate.

Unfortunately, his progress with Iron Thread Fist was not significant.

By the time his avatar stopped, his mastery had only increased by 0.625%, reaching 50.625% into the Mastery level.

A single pound of Martial Food yielded less than a percent’s progress.

Of course, this was because the technique was already at a very high level; had he been at the entry stage, the improvement would have been astonishing.

Overall, Lu Yan was satisfied with the effect. Ten taels of silver was money well spent.

Three days passed quickly.

One morning, Zhang Jun knocked on Lu Yan’s door.

This time, Zhang Jun was accompanied not by Chen Ji, but by a youth in his early thirties, fair-skinned and handsome, holding a set of clothes.

“Brother Lu, congratulations on officially becoming a member of the Crimson Guards!” Zhang Jun beamed. Lu Yan’s induction would earn him a generous reward as well.

“I owe much to your guidance, Brother Jun,” Lu Yan replied politely.

Zhang Jun handed him a token inscribed with “Crimson Guards” and, in smaller characters, “Seventh Squad.”

“The Crimson Guards are divided into nine squads, each with eleven members: a captain, two vice-captains, and the rest as regular members. New recruits are assigned at random—wherever there’s a vacancy. You’ve been placed in the Seventh Squad. I myself belong to the Sixth,” Zhang Jun explained.

“Let me introduce you. This is Wang Lin, of the Seventh Squad—he’ll be your partner from now on. You should learn from him; he’s not yet thirty and has already broken through three limits. He’s exceptionally talented.”

“Hello, Brother Wang,” Lu Yan greeted him.

“Haha, don’t let Zhang Jun exaggerate. I’ve trained for more than ten years and only just managed three breakthroughs—there’s no hope of becoming a Martial Marquis. I’m just an ordinary fellow,” Wang Lin replied with a hearty laugh, handing Lu Yan the uniform. “Come, put on the Crimson Guards’ attire, and I’ll take you to meet the captain.”

Soon, Lu Yan was clad in his new uniform—fiery red and commanding.

Dressed properly, he followed Wang Lin and Zhang Jun to the Crimson Guard Headquarters. At the entrance, Zhang Jun parted ways to continue his patrol.

Stepping inside, Lu Yan saw a massive martial training ground, lined with stone pillars and an array of weapons.

Beyond the practice yard lay rows of buildings—mostly training rooms, with some study halls and conference chambers.

Wang Lin brought Lu Yan into a study, where the captain of the Seventh Squad, Sun Xiang, awaited them.

Sun Xiang appeared to be in his forties, tall and burly—over two meters in height—resembling a fierce beast. His knuckles were thick and strong; Lu Yan guessed he specialized in claw techniques.

Sun Xiang didn’t say much, offering a few words of encouragement before instructing Wang Lin to help Lu Yan select a third-tier martial art.

“At last, a new martial art,” Lu Yan thought excitedly. Ordinary food had been wasted on him lately.

“Lu Yan, have you thought about what kind of martial art you want?” Wang Lin asked.

“Yes, I have,” Lu Yan replied.

“To be honest, there aren’t many to choose from. They’re all left behind by deceased Crimson Guards, barely a dozen in total. If you can’t find one that suits you, it’s best to pick something that complements your existing style. For example, if you’re skilled in fist techniques, don’t pick another fist art—it won’t add much to your overall strength. A leg technique would be ideal; combining fists and legs maximizes your power. Most people make such choices,” Wang Lin advised.

“Thank you for the suggestion, Brother Wang,” Lu Yan said, genuinely grateful.

In truth, what he wanted most was an archery technique. His basic archery was already at the Mastery level; learning an advanced archery style would surely be effortless and efficient.

If there were no archery techniques available, then a leg art was indeed the best alternative.

“Are there any second-tier martial arts available?” Lu Yan asked, hopeful.

“There are a few, but they’re not free. You’d need to pay thousands of taels of silver, or have made major contributions to the Liu family,” Wang Lin replied.

Lu Yan smiled wryly, abandoning the thought for now.

The place where martial arts were selected was elegantly named the Martial Repository.

Inside, Lu Yan found only a dozen or so third-tier techniques, all fairly common. The Liu family’s truly rare martial arts would never be stored here.

Lu Yan scanned the shelves but found no archery techniques, which was disappointing.

Fortunately, there were two leg techniques available.

“Nineteen Linked Kicks” and “Six Harmony Kicks.”

According to the descriptions, Nineteen Linked Kicks specialized in offense, delivering an unending barrage like the tide, but lacked speed in movement.

Six Harmony Kicks, while not as aggressive, offered superior running speed and balanced offense with agility.

After brief consideration, Lu Yan chose “Six Harmony Kicks.”

Back on Changfeng Mountain, he’d discovered his weakness was speed—his running depended entirely on explosive muscle power. For offense, he already had Iron Thread Fist; there was no need for Nineteen Linked Kicks.

Having made his choice, the Repository’s guard handed him a handwritten manual. “You have one month. It must be returned by then.”

“Understood,” Lu Yan replied, registering the loan and tucking the manual away as he left.

However, he couldn’t start practicing immediately; his primary duty awaited—patrolling the streets.

Wang Lin led him outside, explaining as they walked.

“Our daily work is patrol. If a case arises, we investigate and apprehend the culprit—much like the constables of old.

"The Liu family’s jurisdiction, North City, includes nine main streets and thirty-six alleys. Each squad is responsible for one street and four alleys, working in groups of two or three. There are also eight towns and fifty-six villages outside the city, but we rarely go there unless there’s a case.

“In addition to patrolling, we also interact with guilds, merchants, martial arts schools, and escort agencies. You’ll get the hang of it in time.”

Patrolling was simple—walk the assigned streets and alleys, then return to headquarters.

Once back, Lu Yan eagerly took out the manual for “Six Harmony Kicks” and began reading.

PS.

Special thanks to those who’ve supported the novel: “Writing Novels Again,” “Creation’s Abyss Assistant,” and “Starseeker’s Dream.” Your generosity is incredible, and I can only repay you by updating as much as possible after the book launches.