The Martial Saint rose to power starting as a substitute bridegroom.

Riverside, river breeze, under the willow trees.

Li Yuan stopped his movements again and exhaled a breath of turbid air.

【Five Animal Frolics for Health Preservation (Beginner): 80/100 (Practice ten times daily, achieve minor success in ten days)】

Twenty points to go.

Li Yuan assumed a fighting stance and began his ninth rehearsal.

The Five Animal Health Preservation Exercise is derived from the postures of five kinds of birds and beasts.

The deer's graceful posture, the bear's composure, the ape's agility, the crane's lightness, and the tiger's might.

The movements are not complicated and are easy to learn.

The Five Animal Frolics exercise can strengthen the body and prolong life for ordinary people, while martial arts practitioners can refine their qi and blood and lay a solid foundation for their health.

In this world, it's a basic skill that's become commonplace.

Fifteen minutes later, finish the exercise on the ninth repetition.

【Five Animal Frolics for Health Preservation (Beginner): 90/100 (Practice ten times daily, achieve minor success in ten days)】

Li Yuan's gaze fell on the illusory pages floating in his mind.

[System: Wielding the Heavenly Book]

[Effect: Your sweat is the ink on this page; your perseverance is the path of evolution. Action will lead to success; doing will surely bring accomplishment.]

Current level: Unprofessional

This was the cheat code he had awakened two hours ago.

In summary, any martial art inscribed in the "Heavenly Book of Divination" will have no further bottlenecks; as long as one practices it, one will achieve mastery.

Just as Heaven rewards diligence, so too does one reap what one sows.

But to Li Yuan's surprise, this "Heaven rewards diligence" seemed a bit too strong.

Each practice session increases progress by 10 points.

It has only been two hours since the system was awakened, and the proficiency level has already risen to 90 points, just one step away from minor success.

Isn't it said that "practice ten times a day, and you'll achieve some success in ten days"?

Is the "Heavenly Book of Derivation" wrong?

Or... am I a true genius?

Li Yuan was somewhat puzzled.

He wasn't originally from this world. One night about two weeks ago, he was working overtime late at night and had a stroke of luck, which led him to this world.

But so far, the start seems pretty good.

The original owner of this body was fostered in the countryside since childhood and was only recently brought back to the Li family.

Although the Li family cannot be considered a wealthy household, they are content with a modest level of wealth.

Moreover, seemingly to make up for their guilt, Li Canghai and his wife treated him exceptionally well.

Li Taoshi would cook him delicious meals every day in different ways, and Li Canghai would also frequently inquire about his daily life.

Sometimes I just feel that their enthusiasm is a bit too much for a family...

Thinking too much is pointless, keep practicing!

One more time.

【Five Animal Frolics for Health Preservation (Beginner): 90/100】—>【Five Animal Frolics for Health Preservation (Beginner): 100/100 ()】

Li Yuan suddenly felt a change in his body. His five senses became more acute, and he felt stronger. Even his breathing became long and powerful.

【Five Animal Frolics for Health Preservation (Minor Success): 0/100】

Is this a minor achievement?

The total time spent practicing was less than a day.

Suddenly, he heard a soft "click" sound inside his body, as if some kind of energy channel had been opened.

A strand of blood and qi, as thin as a hair, appeared out of nowhere in his body.

[Realm Level: Body Refinement Level 1]

I've entered a state of enlightenment!

Body Refinement Level 1!

This is a world of martial arts, where powerful individuals can split stones and shatter monuments with their bare hands, and there are even legendary masters who, upon reaching the highest levels of cultivation, possess the strength to move mountains and fill seas, and live forever.

With such powerful external assistance, Li Yuan might be able to obtain things that others might consider elusive.

"Yuan-ge'er—"

A shout from the hillside interrupted Li Yuan's thoughts.

Turning his head, he saw a boy from town standing on a high place, waving at him.

"Your mother is calling you home for dinner!"

"understood."

Li Yuan responded, bent down to pick up his outer garment, and walked briskly.

I'll tell my parents about joining the martial arts school later; I'm sure they won't refuse.

Li Yuan knew very well that even if he practiced the Five Animal Frolics for a lifetime, he would not achieve anything significant. If he wanted to learn advanced martial arts, he would have to join a martial arts school.

In this world, it seems that ordinary people only have two paths to get ahead: studying or practicing martial arts.

However, studying for the imperial examinations was too complicated and unsuitable for children from ordinary families.

The martial arts exam is a true test of skill on the ring, and there's no room for faking it.

Although the Li family is respectable, their wealth is not enough to support his lifelong laziness and indulgence.

Moreover, while staying at the Li family's residence, Li Yuan increasingly felt a strange sense of unreality, as if he didn't know when everything before him would leave him.

Only when power is in your own hands can you truly feel at ease.

......

The Li residence is not hard to find; it's a small courtyard with two sections, featuring blue bricks and gray tiles.

As you enter the courtyard, the lights are on in the main hall.

Li Canghai and Li Taoshi were already seated at the table, but had not yet touched their chopsticks.

On the table were two meat dishes and two vegetable dishes, with a braised fish placed in the center and a bowl of steaming chicken soup.

Such meals were only served in the Li family during festivals and holidays.

"Yuan-ge'er is back. Come sit down and have some dinner."

"Where is Li Hao?" Li Yuan asked.

Li Hao is his brother, but he grew up with his parents.

"Your brother went to the martial arts gym."

"Martial arts school?" Li Yuan was taken aback, not expecting his younger brother to be the first to ask.

"I also want to learn martial arts..." he whispered.

"Learn martial arts?" Li Canghai asked, his voice low. "Learning martial arts depends on one's aptitude; not everyone can master it."

"I really want to learn..."

"Can you compare to Li Hao?" Li Canghai's face showed a hint of displeasure, but after being glared at by Li Taoshi, he immediately put on a smile. "The martial arts instructor examined your brother's bones and said he is a martial arts genius, one in ten thousand."

A genius one in a million?

Li Yuan had some recollection of this younger brother of the original owner of the body.

Li Hao is sixteen years old this year, two years younger than the original owner of this body. He does not engage in production, is lazy and loves to eat, but he is clever, sweet-talking and good at pleasing people.

Li Yuan didn't believe that someone like that could be a martial arts genius.

"You felt the bones? When did you do that?"

Li Canghai frowned almost imperceptibly. "A few days ago."

"Father, I want to join a martial arts school, not to compete with my brother. I really want to learn martial arts..." Li Yuan didn't know how to express himself.

"You can put your martial arts studies on hold for now," Li Canghai interrupted him, taking a deep breath. "I have good news for you, I've approved a marriage for you."

marriage?

Li Yuan was taken aback.

"The other party is the only daughter of Mr. Zhou from Jing'an Private School in town, named Zhou Xinlan." Li Canghai said with great enthusiasm, "She is well-educated, beautiful, and a perfect match for my son."

Zhou Xinlan.

Li Yuan had some recollection of this name.

In the original owner's memories, the Zhou family was a respectable family in Lanshan Town. Zhou Xinlan was beautiful and gentle, and indeed many wealthy young men had their eyes on her.

But Mr. Zhou later fell seriously ill.

To pay for her medical treatment, Zhou Xinlan spent all her family's wealth and reportedly incurred considerable debt. Those young men who had been hoping for her treatment gradually disappeared without a trace.

"No, that won't work," Li Yuan said.

Li Canghai frowned. "What are you dissatisfied with?"

"No," Li Yuan frowned, "Zhou Xinlan, isn't she my brother's fiancée?"

The main room fell silent.

Li Tao's smile froze.

Li Canghai's expression changed, then darkened.

"It wasn't a death sentence at the time." Li Tao quickly came to her senses and added a spoonful of soup to Li Yuan's bowl. "You grew up in the countryside and only recently came back, so there might be some things you don't know."

"But that's what everyone in town says," Li Yuan said.

In the neighborhood, on every street corner, when people talked about the marriage between the Zhou and Li families, they all said, "Li Hao is such a lucky boy."

Now that their secret thoughts had been exposed, both Li Canghai and Li Taoshi looked rather displeased.

The atmosphere suddenly became deathly silent.

"This is all my responsibility," Li Canghai sighed, suddenly looking as if he had aged ten years. "Years ago, I owed the Zhou family a great favor. To repay that favor, I swore on the spot that I would send my son to the Zhou family to marry into their family."

Marrying into another family?

Upon hearing these two words, Li Yuan frowned even more deeply.

In this world, marrying into another's family is a very shameful thing.

Li Canghai's eyes were slightly red, and he looked at Li Yuan with expectant eyes, "Yuanzi, you don't want to see your father break his promise and be talked about behind his back, do you?"

Li Yuan said, "Let the younger brother go; it should be him anyway."

"Nonsense!"

Li Canghai slammed his hand on the table, the bowls and chopsticks clattering loudly: "Hao'er is exceptionally gifted; he will surely excel in the martial arts examinations and one day be ennobled, appointed prime minister, and marry a princess! How can he be allowed to marry into a poor family like the Zhou family, ruining his future?"

By this point, Li Yuan had understood the situation.

His voice was calm, almost cold, "Then I won't go either."

Li Canghai's expression froze.

"Yuan-ge'er," Li Tao-shi cried out anxiously, "How could you...?"

"Why can't I?" Li Yuan turned to look at her, his tone still calm. "You abandoned me in the countryside for over ten years, ignoring me completely. Now that your younger brother is up to something and needs a substitute, you finally think of bringing me back?!"

He paused for a moment, then said, "You guys are really shrewd with your calculations!"

"You ungrateful wretch!"

Li Canghai's face turned ashen. He abruptly stood up. "I gave birth to you, treated you to the best of everything, and this is how you repay me?!"

"My dear husband, please don't be angry," Li Tao quickly pulled Li Canghai back. "Yuan-ge'er grew up in the countryside, so it's understandable that he doesn't know etiquette."

Li Yuan also stood up, smiled, and said, "For so many years, you've abandoned your own son in the countryside and ignored him completely. Is this what you call being polite?"

Li Taoshi trembled, sat back in her chair, and tears streamed down her face.

Li Canghai's face turned a deep purplish-red, and he pointed at Li Yuan, trembling with anger, but unable to utter a word.

The main room fell silent once again.

Life in the countryside was tough, but his adoptive father treated him well.

However, that fear of "living under someone else's roof" is ingrained in their bones.

"I can agree if you want," Li Yuan said.

"But I have one condition."

"What are the conditions?" Li Canghai asked in a deep voice.

"I want to learn martial arts too."

Zhou Xinlan was indeed a good girl, and Li Yuan didn't feel wronged marrying her.

As for the debts owed by the Zhou family, what does that little bit of money matter if I pass the martial arts exam?

Before Li Canghai could speak, Li Yuan preemptively said, "I heard that it costs twenty taels of silver to join a martial arts school. Since my family can support Li Hao, they can certainly support me as well."

In an era when rice cost ten coins and pork cost twenty coins per catty, twenty taels of silver was definitely not a small amount; it was enough to support the Li family's living expenses for more than half a year.

Li Canghai's expression changed repeatedly, clearly indicating that he found it difficult to make the decision.

"Okay," he suddenly said through gritted teeth.

"But you will no longer be a member of the Li family," Li Canghai stared at him, enunciating each word clearly, "and never set foot in the Li family again."

Learning martial arts is only the beginning; the tuition fees at the martial arts school are just the beginning. A continuous supply of resources is needed afterward, and Li Canghai has no intention of taking on this mess.

"My husband!" Li Tao exclaimed in surprise.

"I'd be more than happy to; it's a deal, and there's no going back!"

Li Yuan left with those words and turned to walk away.

He paused when he reached the door.

"Oh, by the way, the tuition fees for joining the martial arts school should be delivered to the Zhou family residence tomorrow!"

After saying that, he didn't look back.

All that could be heard were the voices of two people.

"Honey, haven't we gone a bit too far with him?"

"What are you saying? That bastard doesn't understand the importance of the bigger picture. With his dull and unassuming nature, he's not the type to amount to anything. He even dreams of practicing martial arts? He'll come begging to us after he hits a brick wall!"

......

Zhou Yanqiu had been standing at the entrance of the Zhou residence for an hour.

He stood with his hands behind his back, occasionally tiptoeing to look around, his gaze slightly anxious, his gray beard looking a little disheveled in the wind.

Beside her, her daughter Zhou Xinlan was dressed in her best clothes, a bright red dress. She would occasionally glance up at the street corner, then quickly lower her eyes again.

Without him.

Today is the day we've agreed upon for the wedding of my son-in-law.

I had long heard that the Li family's son had exceptional martial arts talent and had already been taken in as a personal disciple by the martial arts school's instructors, so his future was limitless.

With such a son-in-law living with the family, the Zhou family's restoration to its former glory is just around the corner.

Calling it a "wedding" is actually inappropriate.

A son-in-law who marries into his wife's family should be called a "receiver".

The Zhou family has no sons, and Zhou Yanqiu's agreement to the marriage arrangement may well have included the intention of caring for his parents in their old age and continuing the family line.

In the past two years, the Zhou family has fallen on hard times.

Zhou Yanqiu's serious illness emptied his family's savings.

Even a wealthy person in the deep mountains will have distant relatives; a poor person in the bustling city will be ignored.

This marriage was like a lifeline, allowing Zhou Yanqiu to sleep soundly through countless nights.

"Father, please sit down and rest for a while," Zhou Xinlan said softly.

Zhou Yanqiu waved his hand: "It's alright, it's alright."

He was anxious.

Now that the auspicious time is almost over, there isn't a single person playing music on the street.

Could it be... that the Li family has changed their minds?

Zhou Yanqiu felt bitter inside.

If I had known this would happen, I shouldn't have...

"Father, look."

Zhou Xinlan's voice interrupted his thoughts.

Zhou Yanqiu followed her daughter's gaze and saw a thin horse turning out from the street corner.

The groom, dressed in a bright red robe, sat on horseback. He was of average appearance, holding the reins in his hand, and calmly surveying the shops along the street.

"Looks like today really is an auspicious day. Whose wedding is this that clashes with ours?" Zhou Yanqiu was taken aback for a moment, then breathed a sigh of relief and stroked his beard with a smile.

Zhou Xinlan looked slightly melancholy, but did not respond.

Surprisingly, there was no musicians, sedan chair bearers, or wedding procession behind the groom.

Zhou Yanqiu frowned slightly. "Why is there no musicians or musicians in this wedding procession?"

Today is also a joyous day for my daughter. The Li family is wealthy, so the wedding procession will surely be much more lively.

The skinny horse slowly approached.

The groom on horseback glanced at the gate of the Zhou residence, reined in his horse, and dismounted.

Only then did they notice that the groom was being followed by a horse.

A middle-aged man dismounted, straightened his clothes, and bowed to Zhou Yanqiu with a fist salute:

"Brother Zhou, I've brought the person to you. Why don't you hurry up and welcome the son-in-law inside?"

Zhou Yanqiu's smile froze instantly.

"Li Canghai, what do you mean?!" Zhou Yanqiu's voice trembled slightly. "Isn't your son Li Hao? You've just sent someone to fool me?!"

Li Canghai clasped his hands in a fist salute again, his expression calm: "Brother Zhou, you are overthinking it. Li Yuan is indeed my eldest son who has not returned for many years."

hum.

Zhou Yanqiu swayed, almost falling over.

He looked Li Yuan up and down.

Average appearance.

His expression was blank.

He stood there silently, clearly a quiet type.

"Li Canghai, you old scoundrel!"

He started cursing loudly, his voice cracking.

Li Canghai laughed heartily and clasped his hands in a fist salute: "Of course, of course."

Zhou Yanqiu was so angry that he was trembling all over, and his finger pointing at Li Canghai was shaking.

Zhou Xinlan looked Li Yuan up and down.

He was of average appearance, but his demeanor was upright and not frivolous.

If you look closely, you can see a quiet composure in his eyes and brows.

He stood there, neither arrogant nor humble.

To her surprise, upon seeing this, she felt her heart flutter.

How could this happen?

My heart was pounding so hard, and I couldn't calm it down.

How could she not inquire about Li Hao's affairs?

However, relying on his good looks, he used sweet talk to have illicit affairs with several women in town.

In comparison, Zhou Xinlan couldn't help but like the man in front of her more and more, and the corners of her mouth curled up slightly.

Down-to-earth.

Although the Zhou family is currently facing difficulties, as long as the couple works hard, they may have a better future.

"Father, let's choose him."

Just as Zhou Yanqiu was about to step forward and make trouble, his daughter's voice suddenly rang out, causing him to stop in his tracks.

"Daughter, I won't make things difficult for you, as long as you..."

The man before her was too mediocre and would likely never achieve anything in his life, so Zhou Yanqiu had to consider the future happiness of her daughter.

"...No problem." Zhou Xinlan's voice was barely audible, her head lowered and her face flushed red to the roots of her ears.

My daughter... fell in love at first sight?

No one knows a daughter better than her father, so how could Zhou Yanqiu not be able to perceive his daughter's thoughts?

"Come in." Although reluctant, Zhou Yanqiu frowned and made way for him.

There's a way to live an ordinary life, and ordinary days aren't necessarily devoid of happiness.

Li Yuan looked at Zhou Xinlan.

She had long, jet-black hair, exquisitely beautiful features, skin as smooth as cream, and lips as red as rouge.

She is truly a rare beauty.

Such a daughter-in-law is rare even in my past life.

Even if you are lucky enough to meet her, you can forget about marrying her without a dowry of several million.

Li Yuan felt a surge of joy, withdrew his gaze, and stepped into the Zhou family's house.

Behind him, Li Canghai mounted his horse and rode away without even saying goodbye.

At that moment, Li Yuan knew in his heart that all ties had been severed.

Zhou Yanqiu watched Li Canghai's retreating figure and spat fiercely.

"Bah! You old fool, from now on, I, Old Zhou, will not consider you my friend!"

...

night.

Wedding night.

The red candle burned, and the candle wax dripped down, piling up into small hills on the candlestick.

The room was filled with red—red quilts, red curtains, red paper-cut window decorations—making everything feel warm and cozy.

Zhou Xinlan sat on the edge of the bed, head down, hands folded on her knees, motionless.

Li Yuan stood in front of the table, looking at the pair of red candles.

The candlelight flickered, casting his shadow on the wall, sometimes long, sometimes short.

silence.

After a long while, Li Yuan spoke:

"You can still back out now."

Zhou Xinlan raised her head and looked at him.

Are you worried about the Zhou family's debts?

Actually, those were just rumors. Thanks to her tireless efforts day and night, the Zhou family's debts had long been paid off.

Li Yuan looked at her, smiled slightly, and said, "What else is there to say?"

The light from the red candle illuminated her face, making her already beautiful features appear even more radiant.

"Sister Lan?"

Zhou Xinlan was slightly taken aback.

Only the closest people would use such a term of address.

"Yuan-ge'er..."

Li Yuan felt a bit hot.

"Sister Lan".

Zhou Xinlan lowered her head, her ears turning red again.

"Yuan-ge'er..."

The candlelight flickered.

"Sister Lan!"

"Mmm...mmm..."

Outside the window, night was deepening.

Inside, the temperature rose and became scorching hot.

After an unknown amount of time, the red candle burned out, and the last wisp of smoke drifted away.

Until midnight, all was quiet.

In the darkness, only the soft sound of breathing remained.

Zhou Xinlan nestled wearily yet contentedly in Li Yuan's arms, her long hair falling loosely, obscuring half of her face.

Her eyes were closed, and her eyelashes trembled slightly with her breathing.

It's warm and cozy in the blankets.

Li Yuan looked at the person in his arms without saying a word.

The moonlight shone through the window paper, casting a light, silvery-white layer on the ground.

......

Zhou Yanqiu couldn't sleep at all.

He turned off the light and was leaning on the windowsill, lighting his pipe again by the moonlight.

Smoke swirled around.

My daughter got married just like that; it all felt like a dream.

The other party was such an ordinary man.

Squeak.

The door to the outer room was pushed open.

In the hazy light, a shirtless figure walked into the courtyard.

It is Li Yuan.

Li Yuan held his breath and concentrated, once again assuming the posture for the "Five Animal Frolics" exercise.

Although it's our wedding night, I still need to make up for the training I didn't finish today.

He slightly bent his knees, leaned forward, and stretched his hands forward, coordinating the strength of all his muscles, straightening his back and relaxing his shoulders and neck.

The first move is the Deer Play.

The deer play consists of eight moves: deer lifting, deer butting, deer coiling, deer touching, deer looking up, deer leaping, and deer lying down.

Li Yuan began practicing each move; his movements were not fast, but they were fluid and continuous.

The moonlight shone on him, casting his shadow on the bluestone ground. The shadow moved with each movement, sometimes long, sometimes short, sometimes close, sometimes far apart.

The second move is the Bear Play.

The key to this play is "clumsy on the outside but clever on the inside." The movements may seem clumsy and slow, but in reality, there is hidden inner strength. Every step must be firm and every move must be performed with composure.

Li Yuan spread his legs apart, lowered his center of gravity, and imitated the posture of a bear walking in the mountains and forests, taking one step at a time, and making a punch as if his body had really become heavy.

Next up is the Monkey Play.

This play is completely different, emphasizing lightness, agility, and quick, nimble movements.

Li Yuan's movements suddenly became lighter and more agile; he leaped, climbed, picked fruit, and offered peaches, each movement exuding dexterity.

Then comes the tiger play.

Li Yuan took a deep breath, slightly bent his knees, clenched his hands into claws, and suddenly lunged forward. In that instant, all the muscles in his body tensed up, like a fully drawn bow.

Under the moonlight, his figure seemed to truly transform into a fierce tiger, exuding astonishing power. The tiger's claws pierced the air, creating a whistling sound, and even the bamboo pole used for drying clothes in the corner trembled slightly.

The final move is the bird dance...

......

Second time.

The third time.

......

The tenth time.

Li Yuan stood there, panting heavily, his body glistening with sweat in the moonlight.

【Five Animal Frolics for Health Preservation (Minor Success): 100/100 (Practice ten times daily, achieve major success in ten days)】

【Five Animal Frolics for Health Preservation (Mastery): 0/100 (Practice ten times daily, mastery in ten days)】

[Realm Level: Body Refinement Level 2]

He closed his eyes and felt the changes in his body.

The warm current within my body reappeared.

More obvious, more turbulent.

The energy surged from deep within his lower abdomen, rushed up his spine, and then spread along his limbs.

Wherever it went, muscles swelled and bones itched, as if something was being awakened and strengthened.

The wisp of qi and blood in his body, as thin as a hair, had become as thick as a fine hemp rope.

On the other side of the windowsill, the tobacco pipe went out, and Zhou Yanqiu crept back into bed.

......

As dawn broke.

Zhou Xinlan woke up when the first rays of morning light shone into the room.

She opened her eyes and saw that Li Yuan was still asleep, breathing evenly.

A slight smile curved her lips as she gently lifted the covers and got out of bed.

The moment her feet touched the ground, she hissed and almost lost her balance.

A touch of crimson against the snow-white sheets looked like a plum blossom blooming in the snow.

Two red clouds rose on Zhou Xinlan's face. She bit her lip, slowly got up, put on her coat, and limped towards the stove.

Li Yuan slowly opened his eyes.

The morning light slanted in through the window, falling on Zhou Xinlan and gilding her silhouette with a faint golden edge.

As the fire in the stove was lit, Zhou Xinlan stood in front of it, tying her cascading black hair behind her head, revealing her snow-white neck.

These past two years have been tough, and most of the work for the Zhou family has fallen on her shoulders.

She did laundry, cooked, sewed and mended, and also took care of her sick father.

She was visibly thin.

But the slender branches bear abundant fruit.

Where it needs to be large, it doesn't skimp on anything.

As Li Yuan watched, a thought surged in his mind:

This woman needs to be protected.

......

Zhou Yanqiu was already up when breakfast was served.

A small dish of green vegetables, a small bowl of thin porridge, and a few cornbread buns.

Three people can fill their stomachs, but it's unlikely they'll get a full meal.

You have to be careful with your money.

The Zhou family is living a hard life now, but compared to other rural people struggling with hunger, they are doing much better.

Zhou Xinlan kept putting food into Li Yuan's bowl, her pretty face slightly flushed, her eyes full of affection.

Zhou Yanqiu cleared his throat and glanced at Li Yuan.

"What are your plans for the future?"

Li Yuan put down his chopsticks and said earnestly, "Father, I want to learn martial arts."

Zhou Xinlan paused with her chopsticks, looked up at Li Yuan, and her eyes showed some surprise.

"Learn martial arts?" She frowned slightly and said, "Yuan-ge'er, are you serious?"

Li Yuan simply said, "I'd like to give it a try."

Zhou Yanqiu smiled.

"Since Yuanzi is willing to learn martial arts, it shows that he is ambitious and much better than those lazybones in the surrounding villages."

Zhou Yanqiu's words surprised Li Yuan.

I originally thought my wife would support me, but my father-in-law would oppose it.

Unexpectedly, it turned out the other way around.

Zhou Xinlan lowered her head and drank her porridge, no longer speaking.

She was actually puzzled.

She married Li Yuan precisely because she valued his reliability; she didn't seek great wealth or status, only a peaceful and safe life.

Unexpectedly, Li Yuan was also a restless person.

Is martial arts something that just anyone can learn?

Countless families have gone to great lengths, selling their possessions and spending exorbitant sums to send their children to martial arts schools, all in the hope of passing the martial arts exams and achieving success in the world.

In the end, which one didn't come back dejected, having gained nothing but water in a bamboo basket?

She had seen this situation far too many times.

But what could she say?

Although she was unwilling, her upbringing taught her that as a woman, she had to listen to men.

This is the subconscious, it's the genes etched into our bones.

A woman must unconditionally support whatever a man decides to do.

"Learning martial arts requires joining a martial arts school, which is quite expensive." Zhou Yanqiu's face showed a hint of difficulty.

The Zhou family is now destitute and has nothing of value left.

Li Yuan nodded: "I know."

Just then, someone knocked on the courtyard gate.

Li Yuan knew that this was Li Canghai's money, which had been delivered.

......

Tianlong Martial Arts School

The martial arts school was spacious, with dozens of young people practicing their punches in the courtyard, their shouts rising and falling. A plump middle-aged man sat on the veranda, holding a teacup, squinting as he watched the scene.

He didn't even lift his eyelids when Li Yuan came in.

"What do you do?"

"I want to become an apprentice and learn martial arts," Li Yuan said.

The obese instructor then raised his eyelids and looked him up and down.

"come over."

Li Yuan walked over.

The obese instructor reached out and pinched his shoulder, then his arm, and finally pressed on his back.

The whole process took less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

"Not bad." The obese instructor withdrew his hand, picked up his teacup, and said, "You'll spend a year honing your skills in the outer sect, building a solid foundation before you can formally become an apprentice."

Outer gate.

Li Yuan had inquired about it before coming.

The so-called outer disciples are those who enter the martial arts school by paying a fee. However, they are only taught basic techniques and cannot learn any of the true core skills and techniques.

A year later, if one wants to formally become an apprentice, one must undergo an examination and pay tuition again.

To put it bluntly, it's about spending money to buy a "possible" opportunity.

"Can't I just become an apprentice directly?" Li Yuan asked.

The obese instructor glanced at him and scoffed, "With your looks and build, you think you can just become my apprentice?"

He stood up, patted his clothes, leaned closer, and whispered, "I've seen plenty of peasants like you. You have mediocre talent and won't amount to anything. If you don't want to hone your skills in the outer sect, go home and farm."

The obese instructor shook his head, picked up his teacup, and left.

There's not much to gain from a poor family like that, so I'm not going to waste my breath talking to him.

Li Yuan stood there, feeling somewhat uneasy.

This was the last martial arts school Li Yuan had asked; the other schools gave similar responses.

Am I really that bad at aptitude?

I am a genius who possesses the [Heavenly Book of Derivation]!