Online Game: Me, with Unparalleled Comprehension

The post station was located on the edge of town. It was a large courtyard with several carriages and mangers covered with tarpaulins. The air was filled with the smell of horse manure and hay.

There were seven or eight players in the courtyard talking to an NPC dressed as a postmaster, seemingly asking about prices.

Wu Changfeng walked over and waited for the person in front of him to finish asking before speaking, "How much does it cost to go to Wudang Town?"

The postmaster was a middle-aged man with a dark complexion. Hearing this, he glanced at him and said in a deep voice, "Wudang Town? That's a long way. One person, one horse-drawn carriage, ten taels of silver. We'll depart at dawn tomorrow and arrive by noon the day after tomorrow."

Ten taels of silver?

Wu Changfeng's eyelids twitched.

That's 10,000 copper coins, which is equivalent to 12,000 RMB in today's market!

"So expensive?" he couldn't help but ask.

The postmaster scoffed, "The journey is long and the road conditions aren't very smooth, so this price is already quite fair. Think it's too expensive? You can walk there yourself, or go to the horse market and buy a horse to ride yourself."

Wu Changfeng paused for a moment. Walking would take too much time, and the carriage was ridiculously expensive... He remembered the second half of the postmaster's words.

Where is the horse market?

"Go two miles east, there's a livestock market," the postmaster said casually, clearly used to this kind of option.

Wu Changfeng turned and left the post station. Following the instructions, he left the town and walked east for about fifteen minutes. Sure enough, he saw a large open space enclosed by a wooden fence, where many cattle, donkeys, mules, and horses were tied up, and the smell was even stronger.

He went straight to the area where horses were for sale. Several horse dealers were brushing and feeding their horses.

"Buying a horse? Sir, take a look at this one. It's light-mouthed and has good stamina. It's only eight ounces!" A horse dealer with a beaming smile pulled up a brown horse and recommended it.

Wu Changfeng glanced at the horse; it was of average size and its coat wasn't particularly shiny. He shook his head, his gaze sweeping over the other horses.

In the end, he chose a strong horse that was completely black, with thick hooves and a shoulder height of nearly five feet.

The horse had bright, intelligent eyes and a smooth neck; it exuded a natural spirit as it stood there.

"How much is this one?" he asked the horse dealer who was looking after the horse.

"Sir, you have a good eye! This is a fine horse from the north, in its prime, with great stamina and speed. Twelve ounces, no bargaining." The horse dealer was a lean man who spoke crisply.

"Ten taels," Wu Changfeng countered.

"Eleven taels, that's the lowest I can offer. Look at this skeleton, these hooves..."

"Ten taels, plus fifty coins for fodder," Wu Changfeng said directly. Although he had money now, he didn't want to be taken advantage of.

The horse trader hesitated for a moment, glancing at the weapons at Wu Changfeng's waist and back, then at his calm gaze, before finally nodding: "Alright! I'll be your friend!"

For ten taels and fifty coins, Wu Changfeng led away the black horse, along with a large bundle of hay and a small bag of bean cakes.

The moment you mount a horse, your field of vision suddenly opens up.

The jolt of the horse as it walks, the feel of the reins in your hand, and the sound of the wind blowing past your ears are all incredibly realistic.

"Having a mount is indeed much more convenient." Wu Changfeng gently flicked the reins, and the black horse trotted up, its speed more than twice as fast as his walking speed.

The only regret is that it was just an ordinary horse, not even a warhorse.

If it were a warhorse, it might be able to complement his long-handled sword and bring out the advantages of mounted combat.

"I'll have to get a good horse when I get the chance," he thought to himself as he rode back to Qingshan Town.

Upon entering the town again, he rode directly to the west end of the town—he had seen a martial arts school with a fairly large storefront there when he passed by before, with a sign that read "Qingshan Martial Arts School" hanging at the entrance.

The horses' hooves made a crisp sound on the bluestone pavement.

Wu Changfeng reined in the reins and stopped in front of the gate with the plaque of Qingshan Martial Arts School hanging there.

The martial arts school occupies a huge area, with high walls and gray tiles. Two heavy wooden doors are wide open, and you can hear the orderly shouts and the sound of weapons cutting through the air coming from inside.

He tied the black horse to the designated hitching post next to the gate, patted its neck, and whispered, "Stay put." The black horse snorted and shook its head in response.

Turning around, Wu Changfeng strode into the martial arts hall.

Inside the gate was a very spacious training ground paved with bluestone, about half the size of a football field. At this moment, dozens of people were divided into several groups, practicing punches and kicks or weapons. Shouts rose and fell, and the smell of sweat mixed with the dust hit the air.

Those practicing martial arts were all NPCs, dressed in uniform gray short-sleeved shirts, their movements were neat and synchronized, clearly indicating that they were conducting daily training.

The person leading them in martial arts training was a middle-aged man standing on a high platform at the sidelines.

The man was in his early forties, burly and broad-shouldered, wearing a faded dark blue outfit with the sleeves rolled up to reveal his muscular forearms.

He had a square face, thick eyebrows, a short beard, and sharp, eagle-like eyes as he surveyed the crowd.

Above his head floated the words in pale gold: [Zhao Tieshan, Master of Qingshan Martial Arts School].

As soon as Wu Changfeng stepped into the training ground, Zhao Tieshan's sharp gaze swept over him as if it were a physical object, lingering on him for a moment, especially on the goose feather spear on his back and the iron-slaying sword at his waist. Then he strode down from the high platform.

"Young hero, you look unfamiliar. Have you come to my martial arts school for business, or do you wish to learn some skills?" Zhao Tieshan's voice was loud and clear, full of energy, and carried the straightforwardness unique to martial artists.

Wu Changfeng met his gaze without flinching or avoiding it, and said directly, "I'm here to learn martial arts."

"To learn martial arts?" Zhao Tieshan looked him up and down, a scrutinizing glint in his eyes. "Young hero, you walk with a steady gait, your inner strength is profound, and you even carry a murderous aura. You don't seem like a novice just entering the martial world. What you'll learn here is mostly basic stuff, or some common moves that are widely circulated in the martial world. I'm afraid they won't be of any interest to you."

"Martial arts skills have no hierarchy, as long as they're useful," Wu Changfeng said calmly. "What can you teach here, Master?"

Seeing his resolute attitude, Zhao Tieshan didn't ask any more questions and nodded: "When I, Zhao Tieshan, open my school, I emphasize practicality. I teach skills that are useful in the martial world. Internal strength, external strength, lightness skill, fists, palms, legs, knives, swords, spears, staffs—basic and even third-rate techniques, I have them all. However…"

He abruptly changed the subject, holding up one finger: "Learning something requires tuition. Basic martial arts, one hundred coins per skill. Third-rate martial arts..." He then held up his other hand, fingers spread, "Ten taels of silver for one skill."

Ten taels of silver?

Wu Changfeng's lips twitched involuntarily. This price was a hundred times more expensive than what Wang Hu charged in the beginner village!

Although third-rate martial arts skills are certainly worth far more than basic ones, this price is still quite high.

Ten taels of silver is equivalent to ten thousand cash, which is 12,000 cash at market price.

He suddenly understood the significance of the martial arts school's existence.

For players who don't want to or don't have the opportunity to join a major sect, this is a "skill shop" where they can quickly acquire various types of systematic martial arts skills by spending money.

Although the teaching methods are mostly basic and lack any unique skills, their strength lies in their comprehensiveness, which can quickly fill in the gaps in strengths and improve overall combat capabilities.

It is estimated that there will be more advanced martial arts schools in the future, or that you can learn unique martial arts skills from certain special NPCs.

"Tell me first, what specific third-rate martial arts skills can we learn?" Wu Changfeng asked instead of answering immediately.

He needed to spend his money wisely and first figure out what the goods were like.