“Thank you, Senior,” Wu Ying said.
“Then he is welcome to train here too?” Tou He said.
“Yes. Wu Ying has passed,” Chao Kun said. “The first role of any sect member is to grow strong to protect the sect. Everything else is ancillary. Those with a gift for combat, those with the discipline to better themselves, or those with the desire to protect are all welcome here. As martial specialists, we will raise the level of all our brothers and sisters of the sect!”
Wu Ying blinked at the proclamation and glanced at Tou He, who offered a peaceful smile in return.
“Thank you,” Wu Ying said as he offered another bow. “If Senior is willing, perhaps he could offer me some pointers? I fear I am uncertain about my next steps for development.”
“Train. Train your styles further and spar with us,” Chao Kun said. “You are not ready yet to learn a third style. Even if the inner sect has a wider variety of styles, some of which might be more effective, you would need to purchase these styles with contribution points. And at the Body Cleansing stage, the improvements you would see is minimal.”
“Minimal?” Wu Ying frowned.
“In comparison to integrating the style fully into your fighting form and practicing it in a stressful environment? Definitely,” Chao Kun said, raising a finger and waving it. “Others might tell you one style is better than the other. But if you do not practice any style properly, it matters not how powerful it might be in theory. Only by integrating the style into your very bones, gaining at least an intermediate understanding of a style, will you see true results.”
“He is right,” Tou He said. “At Body Cleansing, it’s more important to gain enlightenment of your body and form than the style itself.”
“You keep saying at Body Cleansing,” Wu Ying said. “Does it change at Energy Storage?”
“Yes. Even more so at Core Formation,” Chao Kun said. “Once you are projecting chi, it becomes important to not just find a fighting form which is inherently efficient, but one which most efficiently uses your particular chi and element. As each individual has a different fate, each style is different. It is why we keep such a large library of styles.”
“Like cultivation manuals,” Wu Ying said.
“Exactly,” Chao Kun said.
Wu Ying fell silent, considering what he had been told. It made sense. The human body could only move and contort in so many ways. While many manuals had gaps in the kinds of things they focused on, the application of such skills—unless they were completely wrong—would often be similar. The true difference between each manual at the Body Cleansing stage, barring missing information, would be in the philosophy and application of its techniques. To understand, you would need enlightenment of the technique and style itself, which was possible if one practiced.
Before Wu Ying could inquire further, a commotion at the entrance of the training grounds caught his and everyone else’s attention. Tou He visibly brightened, while trainees from all around the ground ceased their fighting. Even Chao Kun smiled, clapping Wu Ying on his shoulder.
“Come. Lunch is here!” Chao Kun said.
“Lunch?” Wu Ying said, surprised. It was still early for the normal lunch hour.
“Yes. Because the sect sees the value of our work, they arrange for our lunch to be delivered first everyday,” Chao Kun said.
“In fact, lunch is served early here,” Tou He said. “If you are still hungry, it is a short walk to the main dining halls. And the training grounds have a snack sent over at three as well, before dinner is served.”
“You seem to have gauged the times quite well,” Wu Ying said suspiciously.
“Me?” Tou He looked at Wu Ying, his eyes wide with blameless innocence.
“You’re salivating,” Wu Ying said.
Tou He sniffed, turning his head away from his teasing friend before surreptitiously checking.
“I shall introduce you around,” Chao Kun said. “I am sure many will wish to speak with you.”
In short order, the trio joined the crowd. Though there was no line, the crowd was polite and took their turn taking their lunch before sitting on the ground or a stone bench. Lunch consisted of a pan-fried fluffy rice bun stuffed with chives, bean sprouts, onions, and other vegetables, as well as large pieces of pork. Each sect member received two of these buns and jealously guarded them.
Wu Ying soon learned why, as he saw a pair of sect members begin an impromptu duel over one of the combatant’s remaining bun. A flurry of blocks, locks, and grabs were conducted as the pair attempted to place the bun in their mouth. In short order, Wu Ying noted some informal rules involved in this fight—no movement of the feet allowed, no strikes to the body or face, no overuse of saliva.
“Don’t worry,” Tou He said, bumping Wu Ying with his shoulder when he noticed his friend’s fascination. “It’s your first day. They won’t pick on you yet. Also, you can only challenge for the second bun among those of your same level.”
“But lunch is an hour later up the road,” Wu Ying said, puzzled.
“This is not about the food,” Chao Kun said. “This is for the honor and training of ourselves. If a man cannot protect his food, he cannot protect his friends.”
“Don’t listen to this idiot,” a sweet voice cut in.
Chao Kun bristled even as Wu Ying turned to regard the speaker. It was his first female challenger, the one with the unfortunate phrasing.
“Chao Kun spends more time thinking with his muscles than his brain,” she said. “The food fights are for fun. If you indicate you do not wish to participate, no one will take your food.”
“Thank you, Senior,” Wu Ying said. “I am Long Wu Ying, a new inner sect member.”
“I know. Lee Li Yao,” Li Yao said.
Now that she was not attempting to brain him with her quarterstaff, Wu Ying realized Li Yao was quite pretty, in the way many of the martial specialists were. Slim, fit, and from the glimpses of the outline of her arms and legs, compactly muscular. Wu Ying stretched his senses for a moment, testing her aura, and concluded she was early stage Energy Storage. Stronger than him, but not by much.
“And I’m not much of a senior. I was in the intake before yours.”
“Of course, Senior Lee,” Wu Ying said.
Li Yao looked young, with fair skin and remnant baby fat on her cheeks. Of course, Wu Ying would not ask to ascertain her exact age, though he was comforted by the fact that the sect rarely took those below sixteen.
As his father had pointed out, it was a matter of practicality for the sect to limit intake. The sect could support a limited population, and it was only when one achieved Energy Storage that one could truly be considered to have started on the road to cultivation. Knowing that, and balancing the sect’s need to locate talent early—before others did—the threshold of sixteen allowed those without talent to fall behind in their cultivation. Rather than spend precious resources on untalented individuals, it was better to let the populace work through the Yellow Emperor’s manual themselves. In addition, because many of those who would have the opportunity and resources to progress were nobles, it was better to allow their families to pay the price rather than the Sect.
“I’ve never seen your particular style before,” Li Yao said, waving one bun-filled hand exuberantly as she mimicked Wu Ying’s jian motion. “It reminds me of the Water Snake of Three Cherry Blossoms, but it’s not it, is it?”
“No. It’s my family style,” Wu Ying said.
“Oh, that’s why it looked so snakey! Dragon[9], snake, they are all the same.” Li Yao nodded wisely and took a large bite of her food.
Seeing he had a moment’s reprieve, Wu Ying mimicked her motions.
Mouth full, Li Yao continued to speak around her bun. “But fighting my staff at a distance was a bad idea. My Iron Thicket will not allow your snake—sorry, dragon—near me. Senior Ge, you need to stop eating so fast!”