Republic of China era: A hundred-year-old still practicing martial arts? Is that right?

The two arrived at the entrance of the martial arts hall.

Lin Ji looked up.

The four gilded characters of "Wutang Junior High School" were so bright under the sun that it was hard to open one's eyes.

The towering vermilion gate was three feet taller than the Liu family mansion, the widest building in Dog Tail Lane.

At this moment, the two white jade lions were more clearly visible, their manes standing on end, exuding a sense of "keep away, strangers."

The entrance to the martial arts hall was paved with a three-zhang-wide bluestone road, wide enough for four carriages to pass side by side, but it was now completely blocked.

The most conspicuous thing was a black Ford car, honking its horn and slowly inching forward through the crowd.

Handsome horses pulled a black-lacquered, gold-painted carriage, their hooves making a crisp sound on the bluestone pavement. Gentlemen in silk jackets, leaning on walking sticks, stepped down from the carriage, accompanied by attendants carrying gift boxes.

Families of slightly lower means also rode in rickshaws, their ladies dressed in well-fitting indigo shirts, carrying a packaged gift box in one hand and waving a sandalwood fan in the other, their words carrying an air of nobility.

Lin Ji's clothes were neat, but his long robe made of coarse cloth stood out conspicuously among the elegant crowd.

Bai Xiaonian, on the other hand, looked very proper in his navy blue school uniform, which highlighted the youthful spirit he possessed.

"What's that old beggar doing here? He's covered in stench, and he dares to show his face at the entrance of the martial arts hall!"

A plump woman held a silk handkerchief to her nose, wiggled her swaying waist, and backed away in disgust, as if afraid of being tainted by bad luck.

"Yes, yes, maybe they knew the Martial Arts Hall was holding a meeting today, so they were waiting at the door, hoping to get some money from you ladies."

The other woman, dressed rather simply, had a handkerchief waving on her fingers, each adorned with a plump green agate bead.

A woman in a royal blue brocade cheongsam squeezed through the crowd, snapped her sandalwood fan shut, and said in a low, mysterious voice, "Oh my goodness, you still have the mind to laugh at a beggar? The world is about to collapse!"

"I heard the higher-ups issued a document banning weapons." The lady in the royal blue cheongsam slapped her thigh suddenly.

"Really? Don't talk nonsense!" The woman wearing the agate ring looked anxious. "What about my Ah Ming? He's only just reached the threshold of the Skin Refining Realm!"

"What's the rush!" The lady in the royal blue cheongsam rolled her eyes at her. "It's not a complete ban. Those who are already martial artists can continue training, but those who haven't can only study academic subjects."

"Is this a document issued by our government itself?" The plump woman leaned over and asked, frowning.

She paused, a hint of resentment in her voice: "How could it be that our government wanted to do it! It was those foreign devils who forced it! They're afraid that we Chinese will practice martial arts to strengthen our bodies and then rebel against Iraq!"

In the blink of an eye, she adopted a haughty demeanor, glancing at Bai Xiaonian not far away:

"But to be honest, this arms ban has absolutely no impact on families like ours."

"Even if the martial arts school closes down, we're not afraid. We can spend a few dozen dollars to invite an instructor to our home for one-on-one instruction. Isn't that better than training with a bunch of peasants on this big playground? We can also avoid getting covered in poverty."

"These poor kids were hoping to turn their lives around by practicing martial arts, but now, all their dreams are gone!"

……

As they spoke, the wealthy women burst into laughter, laughter filled with sarcasm and mockery...

The whispers of the wealthy women pierced Bai Xiaonian's heart.

The young man clenched his fist, staring at the dazzling gilded characters above the martial arts hall's entrance, his heart resolute:

"Forget about the martial arts ban! Before the big exam! I'm definitely going to train my skin!"

Lin Ji was staring at the notice posted by the gate when he heard the wealthy women talking. He turned around abruptly, his eyes filled with undisguised shock:

What?! A ban on weapons!

Lin Jicai tilted his ear to listen carefully, but the wealthy women had already stopped talking about the matter.

Lin Ji could only turn his head away and glance at the contents of the notice again.

"Wutang Junior High School is now recruiting a gatekeeper. Room and board will be provided, and the monthly salary is three and a half dollars. The candidate must be hardworking and diligent..."

Lin Ji stroked the stubble on his chin, his mind racing.

If this ban is really issued, it will be difficult to learn martial arts.

At that time, not only will people be able to watch others practice boxing, but even those who show off their skills on the street will have to hide it.

This doorman job is perfect! As a doorman, I can watch over the training ground every day, observing the students kicking and punching, with the instructors giving pointers from the sidelines.

Maybe I can get a head start by being close to the source and learn a few tricks.

While pondering.

"Grandpa Lin, let's go, let's not stand here." Bai Xiaonian's face was pale and he had already stepped into the gate first.

Lin Ji frowned, knowing that the young man in front of him couldn't stand being pointed at and his inferiority complex was erupting.

Without saying much, he followed Bai Xiaonian into the martial arts hall. He had only taken a few steps inside when he heard Bai Xiaonian's voice:

"I'm sorry, Grandpa Lin, it's all my fault. I made you the laughingstock of them."

Lin Ji patted Bai Xiaonian on the shoulder, his tone very casual:

"Who cares what others think? If you live your life solely for others' approval, you'll eventually exhaust yourself."

"I've lived for a hundred years, what kind of nasty things haven't I heard? If I took every word to heart, I would have jumped into the river and fed the fish long ago!"

"But they even laugh at you." Bai Xiaonian looked up at Lin Ji.

"Let him laugh, it's not like it'll hurt him."

Lin Ji grinned:

"If people couldn't live without being laughed at, there would be no one left in this world."

Bai Xiaonian stared at him blankly, her lips twitching, but she didn't say anything more.

Lin Ji didn't say much and strode towards the gate. Some truths are useless to explain; you only understand them after you've stumbled and fallen yourself.

After a moment, Lin Ji looked up and patted Bai Xiaonian on the shoulder. "Let's go, it's time to go in. Don't miss the meeting."

Passing through the vermilion gate, a bright and open space suddenly appeared before me.

The training ground, which is as big as two football fields, is neatly arranged with hundreds of stone blocks, the lightest of which weighs over a hundred kilograms, as well as rows of wooden stakes that are half a person tall.

In the corner stood plum blossom stakes, and next to them, a weapon rack held knives, spears, halberds, axes, hooks, and forks.

The unfamiliar facilities in the training ground intrigued Lin Ji, who scanned them back and forth with his eyes.

Bai Xiaonian mentally reviewed Lin Ji's words, and the more he thought about them, the clearer his mind became. The discomfort he had felt from being provoked by the wealthy women transformed into a defiant fire in his eyes.

"For every time they practice, I'll practice ten times. Before the big exam, I not only need to train my skills, but I also need to leave these useless kids who rely on their families behind."

Looking up and seeing Lin Ji's curious gaze, he finally showed the bright spirit that a young man should have, and pointed to the facilities in the training ground one by one, explaining: "The stone blocks are for training arm strength, the wooden stakes are for honing leg skills, and the plum blossom stakes over there are for practicing footwork."

As he spoke, Bai Xiaonian pointed into the distance, "That's our head instructor, Wang Meng, a master of bone refinement!"

Lin Ji looked in the direction Bai Xiaonian pointed and saw a tall man in a black robe standing in the distance with his hands behind his back.

As if sensing Lin Ji's gaze, the man, several dozen meters away, suddenly turned his head, his two eagle-like eyes fixed on Lin Ji.

Lin Ji felt a chill run down his spine.

Such powerful perception! Is this what a master of the Inner Strength stage looks like?

"Let's go, Grandpa Lin, I'll take you to our class." Bai Xiaonian said to Lin Ji, and then led Lin Ji toward the west side of the martial arts hall.

They had only taken a few steps.

A deliberately mocking laugh rang out behind the two of them.

"Oh, isn't this the prostitute's brother?"

"Why did you bring an old beggar with you today? Is your sister busy with her business and doesn't have time to keep you company?"

Lin Ji stopped and turned around to look behind him.

Three boys, about the same age as Bai Xiaonian, walked over.

The leader had a slicked-back hairstyle that seemed out of place for his age, slicked back and shiny, with a mocking expression on his face.

Lin Ji glanced at Bai Xiaonian again and saw that Bai Xiaonian's brows were furrowed and his fists were clenched, as if he was suppressing the urge to fight.

"Si Tianhu, what are you trying to do now?"

Lin Ji understood immediately that the young master in front of him was the one who had bullied Bai Xiaonian in the martial arts hall.

At this time.

Lin Ji looked up and glanced at the head instructor of the martial arts hall in the distance.

If a conflict breaks out among the students in the martial arts hall, how will the instructors handle it?

The head instructor of the martial arts hall stood with his hands behind his back, looking over in this direction with an indifferent expression. He neither stepped forward to stop them nor shouted a word, but just watched coldly.

Three teenagers swaggered over, and as they brushed past Lin Ji and his companion, the one in the lead, Si Tianhu with slicked-back hair, deliberately bumped into Bai Xiaonian with his shoulder and whispered in Bai Xiaonian's ear:

"I heard your sister is pretty good-looking. How about we kids go support her business tomorrow? We can help you scrape together some tuition fees?"

"Bai Yu'er from Dog Tail Alley? I heard she's incredibly flexible."

After saying that, Si Tianhu's lips curled up, his eyes full of provocation. He reached out and patted Bai Xiaonian's cheek, then led the other two away without looking back.

Bai Xiaonian's face turned ashen. He roared and, unable to hold back any longer, turned around and threw his fist out.

however.

Just as this fist, brimming with rage, was about to strike Si Tianhu's back, a withered hand suddenly reached out and gripped Bai Xiaonian's wrist like an iron clamp.

Bai Xiaonian struggled with all his might, unleashing all his strength, but Lin Ji's hand remained motionless.

Bai Xiaonian looked up at Lin Ji, his eyebrows furrowing: "You?"