My name is Huang Tian, ​​what the hell is this "Heaven is dead" nonsense?

Chapter 50 Stance and Strength

The Zhenwu Guard's government office was located in the east of the city, covering an area of ​​several thousand acres. It was divided into two parts: one was the official government office, and the other was the guard's school.

The group's carriage traveled through bustling streets, with the sounds of various vendors hawking their wares filling the air. After about half an hour, they stopped in front of the Zhenwuwei government office.

As everyone stepped off the carriage, they looked up and saw that the government office was spacious, with its main gate wide open and painted vermilion. Above the gate hung a plaque with the three large characters "Zhenwuwei" written in sharp strokes, piercing the eyes. A pair of stone lions bared their teeth and glared angrily, looking extremely ferocious.

The two rows of guards outside the door immediately bowed respectfully upon seeing Xia Hong. Xia Hong waved his hand and pointed to Huang Rui, Huang Jian, and Huang Tian, ​​saying, "Take these three to Wei Xue."

"Yes!"

A strongman quickly responded and then gestured for the three men to follow him.

As for Huang Qian, he naturally followed Xia Hong to take up his post at the Records and Merits Division.

Following the strongman, we walked into a main road on the side of the government office. After walking several hundred steps, we turned a corner and a cluster of undulating buildings came into view. The walls were made of bluestone, the tiles were covered with glazed tiles, and the eaves were like the wings of a raptor, making it look extremely majestic.

"This is Wei Xue."

A hint of regret and nostalgia flashed in the strongman's eyes, but it was gone in an instant. He stepped through the gate first, and the three followed.

Upon entering, one sees a large open space paved with bluestone, with many flowers and trees planted on both sides. Further in, one comes to a room with the words "Document Room" hanging on it, where a clerk dressed in black sits.

“These three are to be admitted to the Imperial Guard Academy.” The strongman pointed at Huang Tian and the other two, reminding them, “They were brought here by Commander Xia.”

The clerk, who had been somewhat indifferent, immediately forced a smile upon hearing Xia Hong's name and said repeatedly, "Of course, of course."

"Come here and leave your names, hometowns, and places of residence. I will assign you rooms."

The three of them stepped forward one by one and wrote their names in a book.

Looking at the roster, the black-clad clerk said, "Hmm, Huang Rui, ninth rank, can enter the upper dormitory, room number six of the Jia class."

Huang Jian, who practices internal strength, may enter the lower dormitory, room number 15 of the B section.

"Yellow sky, none, may enter the lower quarters, room number 32, section B."

After saying that, he took out three wooden plaques from the drawer and handed them to the three men.

Huang Tian looked down at the small wooden plaque in his hand, which read "Huang Tian, ​​number 32 (B)".

"With this wooden plaque, you can go to the treasury to collect bedding, clothing, socks, and other items," the black-clad clerk explained. "Once you have collected your items, you can go to your lodgings."

The three then went to the storehouse to collect various items, guided by the strongman. After they finished, the strongman cupped his hands in greeting and said, "The three gentlemen may proceed directly to their lodgings. I shall take my leave."

The three returned the greeting, and after they left, Huang Rui and Huang Jian snorted coldly, took their bedding to their lodgings, while Huang Tian remained calm and found his room by looking at the token.

It was a room about 20 feet long and 1.5 feet wide, with three beds. On the bed near the door sat a burly, tall young man, while on the bed near the window lay a thin, tall boy with a few pimples on his face.

Upon seeing Huang Tian enter, the tall, thin boy jumped up and said familiarly, "My name is Jiang Hou, I'm sixteen, I'm popular, and my nickname is 'Gossipmonger.' His name is He Xu, he's seventeen, and he's as strong as an ox! And you?"

Huang Tian laid out the bedding. "Huang Tian, ​​sixteen, doesn't have any particular talents."

Jiang Hou noticed that his roommate seemed to be a quiet person, but he didn't mind. He turned to He Xu and said, "Tomorrow we'll officially start learning martial arts. I wonder if I can develop the strength within two months. Once I do, even if I don't reach the rank, I can still be a strongman and earn a government salary!" He Xu was a little disgusted. "I don't want to just be a strongman, being bossed around every day. I should at least reach the rank and be a minor officer, surrounded by a dozen people whenever I go out. That's what makes me a person!"

Jiang Hou shook his head repeatedly: "I dare not even think about such a wonderful thing. The time is too short. After cultivating the strength, one has to break through to the rank within half a year. Who but a genius can do that?"

"Maybe we're geniuses..."

"..."

The two chatted enthusiastically for most of the hour until it got dark. They then took Huang Tian to the canteen in Wei Xue for a meal. After eating, they fetched water to wash up, and then it got completely dark.

Lying in bed, Jiang Hou wasn't very sleepy, and said with anticipation, "Tomorrow I'll be able to witness the martial arts..."

He Xu also couldn't sleep, his large, round eyes shining in the darkness. Huang Tian, ​​on the other hand, was curious, wondering what the cultivation methods of this world were like...

The next day.

A whistle blew from outside, signaling that the lesson was about to begin.

A group of martial arts performers emerged from their rooms. Huang Tian and his two companions, who had already washed and dressed, followed the crowd. Jiang Hou stood beside Huang Tian and whispered:

"Our Wei Academy recruited about three hundred people this time, including about twenty ninth-rank martial arts students, sixty or seventy martial arts students who practiced Qi cultivation, and about two hundred people like us who have never practiced martial arts."

These two hundred people share four small training grounds, with about fifty people in each ground. However, I heard there's only one martial arts instructor, so I don't know if they can manage to teach everyone.

As they spoke, the group arrived at the Xuan No. 3 training ground.

Stone locks, wooden stakes, weapons and other items were placed on the training ground. Dozens of teenagers were very excited. Huang Tian stood in the crowd and looked up at the burly middle-aged man standing on a small earthen platform in front of him.

“My surname is Xu. You can call me Instructor Xu. In the next few months, I will teach you how to practice strength and how to use strength to temper your skin, tendons, and bones, and nourish your qi and blood.”

Qi and blood undergo three transformations, corresponding to the ninth, eighth, and seventh ranks of martial arts respectively.

With his hands behind his back, Instructor Xu said, “Jin is not strength, nor is it the kind of qi that only a mid-level martial artist can cultivate. It is something that bursts forth from the connection of muscles, bones, skin, and flesh. It is alive, penetrating, and continuous.”

“I know you won’t understand if I say it like this. Next, I will teach you to practice the Linghu stance, using the stance to guide your strength.”

"Watch carefully!"

After saying that, he took off his shirt, revealing his strong, bulging muscles.

Immediately afterwards, he lowered his body slightly, gripped the ground with both feet, and placed his hands in tiger claws at his sides with his five fingers like iron hooks and his wrists drooping. Then he lowered his head slightly, tucked his chin in, and raised his eyes upward, like a tiger hiding in the grass, watching its prey. A murderous aura emanated from his body.

"This is the stance; next comes breathing and intention!"

Instructor Xu inhaled three times and exhaled one, releasing a stream of scalding air. His body trembled slightly with an extremely slow motion. With each breath, the gripping force of his hands increased, as if he had truly transformed himself into a fierce tiger, ready to tear apart his prey.

After several dozen breaths, he gradually bent over, and everyone could see that on his back, terrifying "wrathful pythons" were crawling and intertwining under his skin, making him look extremely frightening.

"This is power!"

(End of this chapter)