Martial Arts Sainthood Begins with the Tiger-Taming Fist

The middle-aged martial artist was slightly taken aback and looked at Chen Mo again.

"What are the names of the boxing styles? As long as they're not too obscure, I know a thing or two."

The implication is that you can't fool me.

Chen Mo said seriously, "I learned the Tiger-Taming Fist."

At this moment, inside the hall, several martial arts disciples dressed in short-sleeved uniforms were crowded at the entrance.

"It's rare to see someone actually challenge their master."

A tall disciple teased, "Junior sister, how many rounds of questioning do you think this person can withstand in front of Master?"

The girl who opened the door earlier seemed uninterested. "I'm not interested. I'm going to practice my boxing with my senior brother."

The girl walked away quietly.

Another short, stocky disciple said loudly, "Master is known for being very strict. Last month, he asked me about the essentials of boxing, and I stumbled on the second question."

As he spoke, a bitter expression appeared on his face, as if his master's stern face were right in front of him.

The tall disciple nodded in agreement, "I think the same way. If he can't even handle one problem, he'll have to go back in disgrace."

Outside the door, moonlight spilled into the courtyard.

"The Tiger-Taming Fist follows the orthodox Taoist boxing style."

The martial arts master asked intently, "There are eight moves in total. How many have you learned on your own?"

"I've learned the Rock Smash, but I've only just started learning the Wave Interception Technique," Chen Mo answered truthfully.

The martial arts master nodded slightly. "The art of 'Stone Breaking Strike' emphasizes the concentration of power, using a single point to create a line, striking directly at vital points. Now, let me ask you, to achieve optimal power, how many inches away should the punch be from the shoulder blade?"

"One foot and three inches."

Chen Mo blurted out, "But it varies from person to person. For taller people, it should be about 1.6 or 1.7 feet."

The curator glanced at Chen Mo's figure and understood perfectly; his answer was spot on.

The martial arts master spoke again: "Breath control is especially important in boxing. How many punches should be thrown between two exhalations?"

Chen Mo pondered for a moment, then shook his head. "There is no fixed form. The Tiger Subduing Fist may seem to have fixed moves, but in reality, it adapts to the situation. The rhythm of breathing should not affect the speed of punching."

At this point, the museum owner's expression softened slightly, and he glanced at the thin young man in front of him again.

This question is a trap. If Chen Mo answers with the specific number of punches, he will be caught off guard.

Inside the gate, the short, stocky disciple asked suspiciously, "How many words did they exchange?"

"Just a couple of sentences," the tall disciple said casually.

In their minds, Chen Mo should be looking dejected and hanging his head at this moment, waiting for his master to say, "Come back next autumn," and then he can leave.

But the thin boy still stood there, unyielding.

"They're probably a distant relative of Master, just exchanging pleasantries," the short, stocky disciple said, scratching his head.

Just then, a loud voice rang out from not far away: "What are you still chatting about? Get back to practicing your martial arts!"

"Yes, Senior Brother." The two replied in unison, and reluctantly walked away from the doorway.

In the courtyard, the curator posed his third question:

"With your current strength, if you harbored a deep grudge against me, given our current positions, how would you take my life?"

Chen Mo was taken aback. He hadn't expected such a question. The saying "a teacher for a day is a father for life" was, at least openly, absolutely unacceptable in this world, but if it were used as a test question...

Chen Mo pondered for a moment, and finally answered:

"Please forgive me, senior. I will start with the Wave-Crossing Stance, but this is a feint. I will follow up with the Rock-Shattering Strike to attack your vital points."

The curator shook his head slightly. "Forget it, theory is just empty talk. Show me how you hit a rock with your bare hands."

Upon hearing this, Chen Mo realized that he had not answered the third question well.

On another level, although he didn't answer the third question, the curator had already passed his theoretical test, and for him, he had already succeeded more than halfway.

As for actually throwing punches, all that sweat these past few days hasn't been for nothing.

Chen Mo's expression remained unchanged. He simply raised his hand slowly, and the moonlight flowed down, separating between his fingers and breaking into fine threads.

He clenched his fist, twisted his feet on the ground, and slowly raised his body like a fully drawn bow. When his fist was thirteen inches from his shoulder blade, he threw a punch.

The force of the punch created a sound like wind breaking, which lasted for a breath before dissipating, but the sound was already extremely clear.

The first move of the Tiger Subduing Fist: Stone Shattering Strike!

This move is named for its immense power; when pushed to its limit, it can indeed cut through rocks and shatter stones.

Upon seeing this, the curator nodded casually.

He knew that as an ordinary person with average qualities, and having learned on his own, it was already quite an achievement to have done so.

"How long have you been teaching yourself Tiger-Taming Fist?"

"Eight days." Since it concerned whether he could successfully join the martial arts school, Chen Mo didn't hide anything.

For the first time, the master of the martial arts school showed a hint of surprise on his face. "Eight days... Not bad. You are qualified to enter the Tianqing Martial Arts School to learn martial arts. There are a few things I want to tell you beforehand."

Chen Mo couldn't hide his joy and bowed gratefully, saying, "Thank you for your kindness, senior!"

"I am Yin Tianqing, the master of Tianqing Martial Arts School. You may call me Master."

"Thank you, Master!"

Chen Mo was eager to know what it would be like to become an apprentice and learn martial arts in this world where martial arts are revered.

Do the martial arts techniques described in books from my past life, such as flying through the sky and transforming qi into blades, really exist...?

Yin Tianqing said slowly, "There are two things you need to remember. First, although the martial arts school does not charge tuition, if you take up a temporary position outside in the future, you will need to pay 30% of the tuition. If you have already completed your apprenticeship, you will be exempt from paying it."

"Secondly, before taking up their posts, all disciples must spend at least half a day at the academy each day."

Chen Mo nodded in agreement.

Tianqing Martial Arts School does not charge tuition fees, but it is reasonable for them to receive 30% of the income of their affiliated disciples.

Now that he has enrolled in the martial arts school, he no longer needs to go to the iron furnace room every day; there is precedent for this.

Yin Tianqing looked up at the sky above the courtyard wall. "It's getting late. You should go back now and come back tomorrow. I'll explain the specifics of entering the museum to you."

Suppressing his joy, Chen Mo suddenly bowed and said, "Master, I have a request."

Seeing his expression, Yin Tianqing frowned slightly. "What is it?"

"My family used to have to pay tribute every month, and tomorrow is the deadline. I heard that joining a martial arts school can reduce the amount, so I hope the master can write a note as proof."

Yin Tianqing naturally knew what the tribute grain was, and a barely perceptible look of apprehension flashed in his eyes. "There's no problem with this."

He then went inside to get paper and pen, and quickly wrote down the voucher and his signature.

Chen Mo thanked his master and hurried home.

In a short while, he was already facing his own house across the alley, but when he saw the scene in front of him, he suddenly clenched his hands and ran over quickly.

The door of the dilapidated house was wide open, and a yellow crocodile was rushing into the house. Chen Lan desperately used a wooden chair to hold it back.

Clearly, the crocodile had just arrived; otherwise, the scene would not be like this. He didn't exert much force before Chen Lan staggered and fell to the ground.

The yellow crocodile grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth. "Tomorrow is the day to hand over the tribute grain. I doubt you'll all be able to pay it all. That brat Chen Mo is definitely going to be ashes in the furnace. As for you, you might as well let me..."

"stop!"

Hearing a shout from behind, Huang E instinctively stopped and looked back, only to see Chen Mo already close behind him. Just as he was about to reach out to stab, Chen Mo nimbly dodged and sidestepped him.

Chen Mo immediately went into the house, helped Chen Lan up, and shielded her behind him.

Instead of getting angry, Huang E laughed, "So it's Grandpa Chen who's back. Saves me the trouble of going looking for him myself."

Without wasting words, Chen Mo took out the certificate written by Yin Tianqing and spread it out in front of Huang E, "I have joined Tianqing Martial Arts School."

Huang E was stunned for a moment. He didn't know many characters, but he recognized the powerful and vigorous three-character signature "Yin Tianqing".

Chen Mo was clearly a thin, poor man, so how did he get into the martial arts school?

The evidence doesn't seem fake, and no one would dare to fake it.

According to custom, if someone in the town joins a martial arts school or is recruited into a family as a guard or advisor, they are exempt from paying tribute.

Moreover, Yin Tianqing was a prominent figure in the town, and even a lackey like Huang E wouldn't dare to harm his disciple at will.

Huang E's smile faded as he reached out and brushed the dust off his clothes from the wooden chair. "Brother Chen Mo, you've been hiding your true abilities all along. I misjudged you. Now that you've joined the Tianqing Martial Arts School, I'll report it to the hall master."

"Report to the Hall Master" is essentially a threatening statement. If you behave yourself, all will be well; if not, the title "Hall Master of the Black Tiger Hall" will become a nightmare for the townspeople.

Chen Mo remained silent.

Yellow Crocodile slowly retreated to a distance of ten feet, then turned and left. After walking behind a wall where his view was blocked, he spat at the corner of the wall.

"This is weird, when did it become so easy to get into Tianqing Martial Arts School..."

Chen Mo carefully put away the voucher, then looked in the direction the crocodile had left, a cold glint in his eyes.