Ultimate True Lord

The journey was uneventful. It wasn't until they were nearing their destination that he took out the silver; thankfully, it didn't have any strange smell.

Not far away, the Red Sand Palm martial arts school can be seen in the distance. The school is located on the riverbank that runs through the city, built by the water, and is only slightly more impressive than the surrounding houses.

A spacious courtyard is surrounded by a gray brick wall. Above the gate, a thick wooden plaque hangs high, with the words "Red Sand Palm Print" written in bold, sharp ink.

"Squeak..."

Jiang Ming stepped forward, about to raise his hand to knock on the door, when the wooden door opened.

A burly man in a light gray mandarin jacket walked out of the door, carrying a bamboo winnowing basket filled with tattered strips of cloth and bits of straw, which he was about to dump out.

He caught a glimpse of Jiang Ming, paused for a moment, and then quickly remembered him.

"It's you, that kid surnamed Jiang. Have you thought it through?"

Jiang Ming nodded in agreement.

The burly man casually dumped the miscellaneous items into the garbage heap on the street corner, tapped the dustpan, and then led him into the courtyard.

Upon entering, one first enters the outer courtyard, a spacious area with compacted yellow earth on the ground, hardened and leveled by footsteps. Inside, several strong men, shirtless, are practicing shadowboxing routines, their palms whistling through the air, their bodies drenched in sweat.

Standing at the front of the crowd were several neatly dressed individuals, clearly formal disciples of the Red Sand Palm style. They were impatiently instructing the crowd on the moves.

On one side of the courtyard, there were several pairs of rough stone locks of different sizes, as well as wooden stakes as thick as bowls, their surfaces gleaming from being struck by palms, pitted and full of marks, it was impossible to tell how long they had been used.

In a corner of the outer courtyard, there were several wooden frames covered with soaked towels and coarse cloths, as well as blackened waistbands and leggings scattered around.

Passing through the outer courtyard leads to the quieter inner courtyard, which is noticeably more peaceful than the bustling outside.

In the courtyard, only a few people were practicing their moves, each with a steady and composed posture, clearly highly regarded disciples of the martial arts school.

Among the crowd, a short, stout old man with a large belly walked back and forth.

His large belly stretched his purplish-red silk robe too tight, making him look nothing like a martial artist, but rather like a wealthy old man with a substantial fortune.

Old Liu had several layers of flesh piled up on his chin, and his hair was gray. The wrinkles at the corners of his eyes were deep, but when he narrowed his eyes, they revealed a shrewd and sharp look.

At this moment, Old Man Liu was carrying a wooden stick and slowly pacing among his disciples. If anyone's move was slightly off or their strength was incorrect, he would immediately step forward and strike them with the wooden stick, making a muffled sound.

"Teacher, I've come to learn boxing."

The burly man leading Jiang Ming quickly stepped forward and whispered a reminder.

Old Man Liu slowly turned around, glanced at Jiang Ming, and nodded slightly.

"Go wait in the backyard."

After a pause, he casually instructed the burly man, "Oh, right, Liu Si, go to the ice cellar and get some more ice."

A moment later, under a patch of green shade, Old Man Liu sat leisurely in a reclining chair. In front of him was a wooden table with glutinous rice cakes covered in brown sugar and a wooden bucket of chilled crushed ice.

He picked up a piece of chilled rice cake, pressed it onto the ice, and put it in his mouth along with the crushed ice. He chewed it slowly, making a crunching sound.

After eating two or three pieces of cold rice cake, Old Man Liu finally nodded in satisfaction.

"Yes, this is how you make it lianggao (cold rice cake)."

At this moment, Liu Si whispered a reminder from the side.

"Master, there isn't much ice left in the ice cellar. We need to replenish it, which will require funds from the accounts."

Old Man Liu frowned upon hearing this and muttered something under his breath.

"I need to pay out money. There's no one in the office to manage the accounts and money right now, so I have to take care of everything myself."

After saying that, he glanced at Jiang Ming and spoke calmly.

"Are you here to learn martial arts?"

"I'm here to learn martial arts."

Jiang Ming bowed in response, his expression calm, but he had other plans in mind. In the past few days, he had been inquiring about information and learned that the former accountant of the Red Sand Palm Martial Arts School had suffered a stroke and was paralyzed, and the school was in need of someone who could do the accounting.

His thoughts raced in an instant. Before the other person could even mention tuition, he launched into a conversation, his tone sincere.

"Mr. Liu, I happen to know some accounting and bookkeeping skills. If you find them useful, I can help with the bookkeeping at the institution."

Jiang Ming didn't directly mention offsetting tuition fees, but Old Man Liu immediately understood the implication. He raised an eyebrow, lifted his fat face, and looked at Jiang Ming.

"Oh? You're good at accounting, kid?"

Jiang Ming remained calm and showed no fear.

"I previously helped someone manage a business on Mixiang Street for two months. I'm skilled at accounting, bookkeeping, and reconciliation. Mr. Liu, why don't you let me try it out and see if I can handle a few accounts? Then you can decide whether it works or not."

Old Man Liu held a piece of cold rice cake, pondered for a moment, and then slowly spoke.

"Young man, let me make this clear: a month's salary for the accountant is not enough to cover a month's tuition. When ordinary people come here to learn boxing, they stay for ten months at a time, and that's no small expense."

Jiang Ming immediately replied, "I understand. I can stay at the martial arts school for a while longer, not just ten months. Elder Liu, please make the arrangements."

Old Man Liu nodded upon hearing this, stuffing a piece of cold rice cake into his mouth while making plans in his mind.

This kid is basically free labor. The wages he earns by managing the accounts at the martial arts school are then returned to him in the form of tuition fees. It's like the money goes around in circles and ends up back in his own pocket. He doesn't lose out either way.

Moreover, I can make him work for another two months, and I'm sure I'll make a profit.

Old Man Liu was calculating in his mind, but he remained calm on the surface and waved his hand.

"Alright, you seem pretty quick-witted, so let's leave it at that."

After saying that, he turned to the side and gave instructions.

"Liu Si, take him to get his clothes."

Jiang Ming secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He had only intended to try speaking up, hoping it would work out naturally. The large sum of tuition he would save could then be used to buy meat and rice to strengthen his body.

Even if it didn't work out, he planned to honestly pay the tuition and continue learning boxing. This outcome is already an unexpected surprise.

After a moment's hesitation, before Liu Si could even take a step, he turned to Old Man Liu and asked if he could bring his young sister to stay in the small hut left by the treasury.

Old Man Liu was shrewd enough to see through his thoughts at a glance, but he was too lazy to argue and simply acquiesced.

The room was small and simply furnished, with only a wooden bed, an old table, and a low cabinet. It was enough for the brother and sister to squeeze in.

The hour of Wei in the afternoon, which is around 2 PM.

At the entrance of the muddy alley, Jiang Ming was wearing an old training uniform for Red Sand Palm, a short, coarse cloth top with tight sleeves and a cinched waist, and trousers tied with straps at the ankles, looking very neat.

On his left chest was an embroidered cinnabar palm print, faded from long ago, which was the mark of a martial arts school disciple.

He walked quickly back to his house in the mud alley. Just as he was about to open the door, he noticed several messy banging marks on the wooden door and a dark shoe print on the earthen wall next to it. Clearly, someone had climbed over the wall and entered the yard.

Jiang Ming's heart tightened suddenly. He quickly took out his key, unlocked the old lock on the door, pushed open the wooden door, and rushed inside.