The Martial Saint of the Defiled World

Jiang Shaosheng composed himself, spread his feet apart, not too far apart, but just shoulder-width apart, bent his knees slightly, and steadily lowered his body into the most common and basic "horse-riding squatting position".

But even with such a seemingly simple action, when he performed it, Hongpu felt something was different.

Hong Pu couldn't quite put his finger on what was different, but he felt that when Jiang Shaosheng stood there, his body sank slightly, as if he had been nailed to the ground.

"See that? That's what it means to have your feet firmly planted."

Jiang Shaosheng maintained his posture.

"Regardless of the martial arts style, this is the first lesson, and also the most important one."

Hong Pu nodded, seemingly understanding but not quite.

"Come here and stand like me."

Jiang Shaosheng gestured for him to come over.

"Don't try to exert force, and don't rush to squat down as low as possible. First, find the right spot."

Hong Pu imitated Jiang Shaosheng's posture by spreading his legs wide and squatting down, glancing at him with his eyes.

He thought he looked very similar, but Jiang Shaosheng found it awkward in every way.

With knees pushed forward excessively, buttocks sticking out, back and waist too stiff, and shoulders unconsciously shrugging, the whole person's center of gravity is unstable, like a crooked wooden stake that would topple over at the slightest touch.

"wrong."

Jiang Shaosheng stepped forward and lightly tapped Hong Pu's knee with his finger.

"Knees, don't go past your toes. Yes, pull them back a little, imagine there's an invisible stool behind you, and you're going to sit down, not kneel down."

Hong Pu grimaced as he adjusted his position, feeling the muscles on the front of his thighs taut.

"Don't stick your butt out! Tuck your buttocks in, pull your hips in! Tuck your tailbone in, like you're holding a coin between your legs."

Jiang Shaosheng gently pressed Hong Pu's lower back with his palm.

"Relax your lower back, but don't slouch. Keep it straight and relaxed, don't be stiff. Imagine a thread gently lifting your Baihui acupoint on the top of your head."

Hong Pu felt uncomfortable being manipulated, and tried his best to adjust according to the instructions, sweat starting to appear on his forehead.

"Shoulders relaxed, yes, don't hold it up, relax your shoulders and let your elbows drop. Let your arms hang naturally, fingers slightly spread, as if you're pressing down on a ball."

As Jiang Shaosheng spoke, he gently patted and massaged several key areas on Hong Pu's shoulders, back, and elbows to help him find the right feeling.

Hong Pu felt completely awkward and unable to find any leverage.

"Oh my, Shaosheng, this is even more tiring than manual labor!"

Hong Pu grinned.

Jiang Shaosheng patiently explained, "It's normal to feel tired. Your original stance used stiff, rigid force. It looked effortless, but in reality, all your muscles were tense and strained, which hindered blood circulation and made you tired faster and unstable."

"What I'm asking you to find now is vitality, to get your muscles and bones back in their proper positions, and for your qi and blood to flow naturally. At first, you won't be used to it and it will feel especially tiring. But once your skeletal structure is aligned correctly and your energy channels are smooth, standing will actually help you cultivate your qi and store up strength; it's a form of rest."

"Don't just think about your sore legs. Bring your mind back to the ground and feel the soles of your feet. Are they truly touching the ground?"

"What about your ten toes? Don't tense them up, but don't let them sag either. Grip the ground slightly. I'm not telling you to dig through the soles of your shoes, but to feel the sensation of your toes gripping the ground, like a tree taking root."

As instructed, Hong Pu tried to shift his attention away from his burning thigh muscles and awkwardly attempted to feel the soles of his feet.

At first, he only felt that the coarse cloth soles were hard and the ground was uncomfortable. Gradually, with Jiang Shaosheng's patient reminders and subtle adjustments, he seemed to really feel it.

A subtle, almost imperceptible, suction sensation came from the area where his feet touched the ground. Though extremely faint and intermittent, it did make his previously unsteady body seem a little more stable, like a drunk person leaning against a wall.

"Hey, it seems like I'm starting to get the hang of it!"

Hong Pu was panting heavily when his eyes lit up.

"Remember this feeling. Standing meditation is not about standing still; it's about standing consciously. You need to constantly feel the connection between your feet and the ground, and think about whether your knees are bent, your hips are firmly planted, your back is relaxed and straight, and your shoulders are relaxed. This is called adjusting your body, which is the first step in interacting with your own body."

"If you can get a sense of grounding in this horse-riding squatting stance tonight, then your learning won't have been in vain. From now on, every night on watch, take a break and stand like this for a while, and slowly work your way up."

Hong Pu felt as if he had been granted a pardon and quickly straightened up. He felt that his legs were sore and numb and he almost collapsed. He quickly grabbed the table next to him for support.

"My goodness, just standing here is more tiring than doing a whole day's work!"

"That's because your muscles and bones aren't loosened up, and your energy isn't flowing smoothly."

Jiang Shaosheng handed him a bowl of water.

"Standing exercises are a slow and steady process, and cannot be rushed. But they are the foundation of all martial arts skills. If the foundation is not solid, no matter how fancy the building is, it will collapse in the wind."

After taking a sip of water, Hong Pu recovered. Although his legs were still sore, he couldn't stop thinking about that subtle feeling of gripping the ground.

"Shaosheng, you just mentioned adjusting your body, but what about adjusting your Qi? I've heard that internal martial arts emphasize sinking Qi to the Dantian."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Shaosheng couldn't help but smile.

"Those things are too far off for you right now. First, you need to get yourself in good shape, stand like a sapling that won't be blown down by the wind, before you talk about anything else. You can't get fat in one bite. Especially right now, with your quick mind, the worst thing you can do is aim too high."

He glanced at the sky; the moon was already setting in the west.

"That's all for tonight. For the rest of the time, as you patrol, keep practicing your stance from earlier, and try to feel the ground beneath your feet when you walk. Remember, practice makes perfect, not just about practicing for a short while."

Although Hong Pu was still somewhat unsatisfied, he knew that he couldn't bite off more than he could chew, so he nodded and picked up the white wax stick again.

……

The sky was just beginning to lighten, with a pale, fish-belly white tinge appearing on the eastern horizon.

Jiang Shaosheng and Hong Pu, wrapped in their jackets, rubbed their hands together, eagerly waiting for their shift to be changed.

The door to the side room suddenly opened from the inside, and Liu Wen stretched and walked out, followed closely by Liu Wu.

The two silently walked to the wall, picked up the water ladle in the corner, scooped half a ladle of cold water from the water vat, splashed it on their faces, and rubbed their faces vigorously. They immediately felt much more refreshed.

"Hey, you two brothers, you've been up all night, you've worked hard!"

Seeing that everything was normal, Liu Wen smiled with satisfaction.

"Good morning, Brother Wen and Brother Wu."

Jiang Shaosheng and Hong Pu quickly got up to greet him. They hadn't slept all night, and both of them had some dark circles under their eyes, but they were still in good spirits.

Liu Wen waved his hand.

"We'll go out and grab a bite to eat. You guys keep an eye on things for a bit longer. Once Uncle Zhao comes and finishes his shift, you should also go and get something hot to eat."

Liu Wu nodded to the two men, then went out with Liu Wen.

Jiang Shaosheng quickly locked the door.

About half an hour later, as the sky brightened a bit, Old Zhao the Warehouse Head arrived leisurely.

"Good morning, Uncle Zhao."

Jiang Shaosheng stepped aside.

Old Zhao, the warehouse manager, replied with a "Good morning," then walked to the three warehouses, squinted, and carefully examined them.

Seeing that nothing was wrong, Old Zhao turned around.

"Was the night peaceful?"

Jiang Shaosheng calmly replied, "Aside from Granny Feng bringing us supper on time last night, there was nothing else unusual."

Old Zhao raised his droopy eyelids slightly and nodded, saying, "Hmm."

Then, he took out a small gray cloth money bag from his pocket and pulled out two stacks of copper coins strung together with red rope, each stack containing exactly ten coins.

The copper coin has a "十" (ten) character on the obverse and a coiled dragon pattern on the reverse, which is what is commonly known as the "ten coin" in the market.

"This is yesterday's wages, one hundred each. Count it carefully."

Old Zhao handed the two strings of copper coins to Jiang Shaosheng and Hong Pu respectively.

Hongpu's eyes lit up, and he happily accepted it.

Jiang Shaosheng thanked him and put the copper coin into his inner pocket.

"When Liu Wen and Liu Wu return, you will take over the shift."

Old Zhao gave a brief instruction, then said no more and turned to slowly patrol the yard again.

Not long after, the Liu brothers, Wen and Wu, returned from outside, burping contentedly.

"We're back! Go and have a bite to eat!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Shaosheng and Hong Pu rushed out without a moment's hesitation.

The two walked out along the gradually brightening Yulin Lane. Hongpu fiddled with the string of copper coins in his pocket, already pondering whether to eat tofu pudding with fried dough sticks or two bowls of wontons with sesame seed cakes.

The alleyway gradually filled with voices, and the vitality of the marketplace began to revive.

After leaving Yulin Lane, turn into a small street leading to the morning market.

The area has become lively, with many breakfast stalls set up on both sides of the road.

Hongpu spotted a thriving stall at first glance. It had a large pot filled with milky white soy milk, and golden fried dough sticks and sesame balls on the counter next to it. The proprietress was busy working quickly and efficiently.

"This is the one, it looks good!"

Hongpu pulled Jiang Shaosheng toward the stall.

Jiang Shaosheng was following behind Hong Pu, about to order, when suddenly...

A chill crept into my heart without warning.

Just like when I was fast asleep that night.

Jiang Shaosheng glanced around without making a sound.

A busy proprietress, diners waiting for their food, passersby, a shop across the street with its door panel just removed, an old man squatting diagonally in the corner smoking a pipe...

Who's watching me?