Becoming a Saint Starts with Copying Martial Arts

Chapter 6 The Importance of Cultivating Skills

into the night.

The small courtyard of the Craftsman's Office.

In the dormitory, everyone else was already fast asleep, snoring loudly, but Lin Qing was unable to fall asleep.

With the blessing of the Rebirth Record, various techniques and details about the Eight Strikes of the Spirit Serpent martial art would constantly appear in his mind.

"Alright, let's keep practicing."

Lin Qing rolled out of bed, quietly went out, found a corner in the courtyard, and continued practicing the Eight Strikes of the Serpent under the moonlight.

His movements were slow and deliberate, but every movement was executed with utmost precision.

With focused practice, he could clearly feel that his skill level was slowly improving, and more and more details were being deeply memorized. Even without the Record of Rebirth, he could remember them.

"I will practice it over and over again until I internalize the Eight-Strike Serpent Technique as part of my body's instincts."

"When I no longer need the blessing of the Rebirth Record, I will have achieved a minor or even perfect level of attainment. That would be a great success," Lin Qing thought to himself.

At this moment, through a window, Shen Lian was observing Lin Qing, who was practicing alone under the moonlight, with great interest.

"He has good talent and temperament. Let's see. Lin Qing is the most promising in this courtyard. I have to help him out."

Squeak!

Lin Qing was practicing with great enthusiasm when he suddenly heard the door of a side room not far away being pushed open. A young man stepped out; it was the same horse-faced youth who had spoken harshly and acted arrogantly that day.

He also moved into this small courtyard today, but only temporarily. He has a private room, doesn't have to do any work, and has an old servant to take care of him.

"Ah!" Han Juetong, the young man, yawned and walked straight toward the outhouse.

His gaze swept over Lin Qing, who was practicing extra hard beside him, and he sneered, "Hmph, martial arts training is all about money and resources. If you can't even afford meat, let alone medicine, what's the point of working so hard? You'll just ruin yourself sooner or later. You might as well give up!"

Lin Qing frowned, but ignored him. Some people are inherently base, so there's no need to care. He only focused on himself and would prove everything with his actions in the future.

puff!

Han Juetong smiled disdainfully, went to the toilet, and then turned back to continue sleeping.

After a short while, Lin Qing slowly finished his practice, exhaled a breath of fresh air, and felt extremely tired.

"As long as there is progress, it doesn't matter if I'm a little tired. I'm not afraid of hardship."

Lin Qing muttered to himself, turned around and went back into the house, where he fell asleep immediately.

the next day.

Early in the morning, groups of apprentices gathered in the courtyard, some squatting, some sitting, eating their breakfast from bowls.

After Lin Qing and the other thirteen were selected, they received much better treatment than the other unselected teenagers, and they had an extra piece of dried meat for breakfast.

Although it was bitter and tough to chew, and I didn't know what kind of meat it was, it was still a bit more nutritious.

However, just one piece of meat was not enough, and Lin Qing could hear the people around him complaining.

"Oh dear, this martial arts training is so tiring! It's only been a few days, and my legs are so weak I can barely walk."

"Me too. Practicing martial arts is too exhausting. There's an old saying: 'The poor study literature, the rich study martial arts.' Without meat and blood-nourishing medicine, you simply can't last long."

"Well, that's true, but we all come from poor backgrounds. We don't have the money to eat meat every day, let alone buy medicine."

"How envious! Han Juetong is drinking a health-preserving soup."

Not far away, Han Juetong, a young man with a long face, was also eating. He had five fragrant white steamed buns, a braised chicken leg, two eggs, and a bowl of bright red nourishing soup, which made people envious.

Lin Qing also noticed this scene, but remained calm.

With a thought, a simple control panel appeared on the screen. This was a built-in function of the Rebirth Record, allowing him to view the progress of each martial art in real time, as well as the overall status.

Lin Qing was checking the progress of the Eight Strikes of the Serpent separately, which showed that he had not yet entered the field and the progress was 6.8%.

"There's progress. At this rate, I should be able to get the hang of it in two months at most," Lin Qing thought to himself, stuffing the last piece of cornbread into his mouth and chewing it before swallowing it.

He got up to take the white porcelain bowl in his hand to the kitchen, but suddenly stumbled and almost fell.

Lin Qing frowned: "Although Han Juetong's words last night were harsh, they did make some sense. If we keep practicing like this, we'll ruin ourselves sooner or later. The most important thing now is to be able to eat meat, but without money, where are we going to find meat to eat?"

As he passed by Shen Lian's kitchen, he suddenly smelled a rich aroma of meat. His gaze swept across the room and he saw that Shen Lian was also eating, with a grilled fish on the table.

Lin Qing withdrew his gaze, his stomach rumbled, and he couldn't resist taking a bite as well.

After returning the bowls and chopsticks, Lin Qing sat on the stool to prepare for bone grinding.

According to the rules, these thirteen people still had to work, but only for half a day, and in the afternoon they would focus on practicing martial arts.

Lin Qing smelled his clothes; they had a sour, foul odor.

"I have to wait a few more days before I can take a shower and do laundry."

"I must become a night patrol officer, so I can eat meat, have money, and take a bath whenever I want. That's the kind of life a human being can live."

"From any perspective, I have to fight for it."

Lin Qing is a steady and cautious person, but this time, no matter what the risks are, he has to fight for it.

If we fight, there is still a glimmer of hope; if we don't fight, we will surely rot in the quagmire at the bottom.

...

in the afternoon.

Lin Qing and the others arrived at the training ground.

Jiang Baihe did not come; the person in charge of teaching was still his attendant, Gao Feng.

"quiet!"

"Let me demonstrate it for you first, so watch and listen carefully."

"The first move, 'The Serpent Emerges from its Cave,' involves pushing off with the hind foot, striking the center line with the fist, and channeling power..."

"The second move, 'The Snake Swings Its Tail,' involves twisting the waist and hips, with leg movements like whips..."

...

Before long, Gao Feng had finished explaining all the details and shouted loudly: "Everyone, practice! Anyone who dares to slack off will be whipped!"

So for the next two hours, everyone worked diligently, practicing the Eight Strikes of the Serpent.

However, the vast majority of people's postures are extremely incorrect, and they cannot even master many details of the first move.

Gao Feng, holding a whip, walked through the crowd, observing the progress of everyone's martial arts skills.

"waste!"

"He's a complete waste!"

"No!"

When he arrived behind Lin Qing, a strange light flashed in Gao Feng's eyes.

"Excellent, this is a promising talent."

Suddenly, his gaze swept across the room and he saw someone sitting on the ground next to him.

Gao Feng went up and lashed out with his whip: "Get up, keep practicing!"

"Sir, let me rest. If I keep practicing, I'll be ruined!" the man shouted.

"Sir, I can't hold on any longer either," another boy beside him said.

In an instant, more than a dozen people echoed this sentiment.

Gao Feng frowned: "Then let's rest for fifteen minutes."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and lay down on the ground.

"The key to martial arts training is practice, but even more important is nourishment. You need meat at every meal and daily supplements. As for how to find meat and medicine, figure that out yourself!" Gao Feng said loudly.

Many of the teenagers looked worried and distressed. If they had a way out, they could have done much more than just work as laborers here.

"Master Gao, how advanced do we need to be to pass the exam?" someone asked.

"According to the rules of previous years, six months is considered passing the initial stage, mastering it is considered good talent, achieving minor success is considered extraordinary talent, and I have never heard of achieving great success."

Generally, mastering the material is enough to pass the exam, but this year the competition is fierce; mastery isn't enough to guarantee success, a basic level of proficiency is required.

"This is way too difficult," the boy sighed.

...

The small courtyard of the Craftsman's Office.

There was a bluestone path in front of the courtyard gate, and Yang Feng was striding along it at that moment.

Suddenly, Shen Lian burst out of the door, a smile on her face: "Brother Yang, I have something I'd like to ask you about."

"What is it?" Yang Feng stopped.

"I heard that a few days ago, Chief Commander Cheng and the Han family head had a big argument at Zuixianglou. Is that true?" Shen Lian asked in a low voice.