Proving God begins with the principle that no effort is wasted.

Chapter 3 Becoming an Apprentice

Jiang Lan woke up before dawn.

He dressed in the dark, tucked the bag of loose silver into his pocket, and tiptoed out the door. The wind on the river was as cold as a knife. He didn't turn around, but walked along the wooden plank path on the dock towards the shore.

Two stone lions stand guard at the entrance of the martial arts school, and the vermilion gate is wide open, revealing a spacious training ground made of blue bricks inside. The plaque above reads "Guangchang Martial Arts School," four large characters written in a powerful and vigorous style.

Jiang Lan stood at the door, took a deep breath, and went inside.

The accountant was a thin, old man wearing reading glasses, working on an abacus. He glanced up at Jiang Lan, his gaze sweeping over Jiang Lan's patched-up clothes, before looking down again.

"Apprenticeship fee: five hundred coins."

Jiang Lan placed the loose silver on the table.

The accountant counted them: "Go to the back room to have your bone structure measured."

Jiang Lan followed a middle-aged man into the back room. He was wearing a black short-sleeved shirt, with thick calluses on his hands and feet. He walked with a brisk pace, each step firmly planted on the ground as if nails were driven into it.

He is the head instructor at the martial arts school, and his surname is Liu.

Instructor Liu walked to the middle of the training ground and picked up a stone lock from the ground—the stone lock was bigger than Jiang Lan's head and weighed at least forty or fifty pounds.

"Pick it up and walk around the area once."

Jiang Lan walked over, bent down, and grabbed the handle of the stone lock.

It feels cold to the touch and is as heavy as a piece of iron.

He gritted his teeth and exerted all his strength—the stone lock was lifted off the ground, but his arm was trembling, and the veins on his wrists were bulging, as if they would break at any moment.

My legs were shaking as I took the first step.

Someone nearby shook their head: "If you can't handle it, don't force yourself. It'll be even more embarrassing if you fall."

Jiang Lan ignored him and walked forward step by step. The sharp edge of the stone lock dug into her palm, reopening the old wound, and blood flowed down her fingers, dripping onto the blue brick ground.

Halfway there, he felt like he couldn't go on. His arms felt like they were on fire, his shoulders felt like they were about to dislocate, and every step required all his strength.

But he can't stop.

For the last few steps, he practically dragged the stone lock along. Blood dripped from between his fingers the whole way, but he didn't let go.

Upon reaching the finish line, he put down the stone lock, swayed, and almost fell over.

The training ground was very quiet.

Coach Liu looked at him and nodded: "His physical constitution isn't the best, but his temperament is good."

Jiang Lan, supporting himself on his knees, took a few breaths, then knelt down and kowtowed three times: "Thank you, Master."

Then the prepared silver was presented.

Instructor Liu weighed the money in his hand, then put it into his pocket: "This money is enough for your tuition for the next three months."

"This disciple will certainly keep Master's teachings in mind and study diligently," Jiang Lan said, clasping his hands in a fist salute.

The first step in learning martial arts has finally been taken!

Instructor Liu led him to the east side of the training ground, where there were several rows of wooden stakes and white footprints drawn on the ground.

"Martial arts training consists of two steps: body tempering and acupoint opening." Instructor Liu held an iron ruler in his hand. "Body tempering is about strengthening the muscles and bones and improving blood circulation. Once the body has been tempered to a certain level, you need to open the acupoints. Opening an acupoint will raise your strength to a higher level."

He paused for a moment: "There are nine acupoints in total. Opening three acupoints counts as one level. Only after reaching three levels can one be considered to have truly entered the door."

"Is it difficult to open the acupoint?" Jiang Lan asked.

"It's difficult." Instructor Liu's voice was deep. "For ordinary people, the success rate of acupoint stimulation on the first try is less than 20%. The better one's physical constitution and the more financially secure one's family, the higher the success rate. If acupoint stimulation fails, it can cause minor injuries or even serious damage to the meridians, making it even more difficult to try again in the future."

He glanced at Jiang Lan: "Children from poor families like yours, without medicinal baths to replenish their qi and blood, and without meat to nourish their bodies, have an even lower success rate for acupoint stimulation. Out of ten, it would be good if two or three succeed."

The faces of the newly arrived disciples turned pale.

Jiang Lan lowered her head, looking at her cracked palms. The blood had dried, forming dark red scabs.

But he also knew what he had.

The golden words resurfaced in his mind: "Heaven rewards diligence; no effort is wasted." As long as he was willing to work hard, he would surely succeed.

He clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

"I'll teach you the basics first—the Mountain-Crushing Force." Instructor Liu walked to the wooden stake, assumed a horse stance, and stretched his arms forward. "This Mountain-Crushing Force trains the strength of the muscles and bones. The moves aren't complicated, but you have to use all your strength in every move. You'll only be considered proficient when your muscles and bones ache and your whole body trembles."

He demonstrated it once. The movements were slow, but each punch was accompanied by a muffled "whoosh" sound in the air.

"Come on, you guys give it a try."

Jiang Lan stood in front of the wooden stake, imitating Coach Liu's posture, assuming a horse stance, and throwing a punch.

The first punch landed softly, like hitting cotton.

"Too soft." Instructor Liu frowned. "The Mountain-Crushing Force is about crushing mountains, not just tickling. Use your full strength."

Jiang Lan gritted her teeth and threw a second punch, a sharp pain shooting through her shoulder as if she had been tugged.

"Still not good." Instructor Liu shook his head. "You should practice stance training first. The foundation of the 'Crushing Mountain Force' lies in the legs. If your legs are unstable, your punches will be unsteady."

He taught a standing posture: grip the ground with both feet, bend your knees slightly, straighten your back, and stretch your arms forward as if hugging a big tree.

"Stand for an hour first. After that, you can practice your boxing."

After Coach Liu left, only Jiang Lan and a few other new disciples remained on the training ground.

He straightened his stance, arms outstretched as if embracing an invisible tree.

First time.

His legs began to tremble, and sweat streamed down his forehead. He gritted his teeth and persevered, with only one thought in his mind—he couldn't stop.

Second time.

My legs trembled even more violently, like two ropes that might snap at any moment. Sweat soaked through my clothes, clinging to my body with a chilling sheen. Old wounds on my hands reopened, blood and sweat mingling and dripping onto the blue brick floor.

The third time.

He felt his consciousness fading little by little. It felt like a fire was burning inside his body, from his legs to his waist, and from his waist to his shoulders. Every breath felt like swallowing razor blades.

Just then, the golden words in his mind suddenly lit up—

A warm current spread from his chest, like an invisible hand supporting his body that was about to fall apart.

Heaven rewards diligence; no effort is ever wasted.

【Crushing Mountain Stance Exercise: 1/300】

The warmth is a real force, and the numbers are clear and precise measurements.

He felt he could hold on.

Fourth time, fifth time, sixth time...

Every time he was close to his limit, that warm current would appear, just enough for him to last another round. And every three rounds, the number would jump up—

【Crushing Mountain Stance Exercise: 2/300】

It's like a hand supporting him from behind, preventing him from falling, but never walking for him. Every step he takes is his own.

……

"Jiang Lan?"

Jiang Lan turned around and saw a young man walking out of the training room. He was wearing a clean blue training uniform, and his build was a size larger than Jiang Lan's, with a touch of heroic spirit between his brows.

It's Jiang Hao.

Jiang Hao walked over and looked him up and down.

What are you doing here?

"Come and learn martial arts."

Jiang Hao didn't reply, but his fellow apprentices leaned over and asked, "Jiang Hao, do you know him?"

"My cousin," Jiang Hao said calmly, "used to work as a porter at the docks."

He left after saying that, without giving Jiang Lan another glance.

Jiang Lan stood there, watching his retreating figure. Someone nearby muttered quietly, "A hired hand? What's the point of coming to the martial arts gym then? A waste of money..."

He didn't say anything and turned around to continue practicing his stance.

By noon, Jiang Lan felt completely exhausted and leaned against a pillar, panting. His stomach rumbled, and he reached into his pocket—he hadn't brought any food.

"New here?"

A burly man walked over, carrying two steaming hot steamed buns.

"My name is Sun Gengsan, your third senior brother." He stuffed the steamed buns into Jiang Lan's hand. "You probably didn't bring any food on your first day, right? The courtyard provides breakfast, but you'll have to figure out your own dinner. These two will have to do for now."

Jiang Lan took the steamed bun; it was warm to the touch, and a fragrant aroma of wheat wafted towards her.

"Thank you, senior brother."

He wolfed it down, feeling a warm sensation in his stomach.

Sun Gengsan smiled and said, "Eat slowly, don't choke. Remember to bring your own food tomorrow, the courtyard won't provide enough."

He turned to leave, then stopped: "By the way, Coach Liu was quite satisfied with your part where you lifted the stone weight. He's not one to praise people, so it's not easy to get him to nod in approval."

Jiang Lan paused for a moment: "That stone lock..."

"That stone lock weighs sixty-five pounds; even the most experienced disciples might not be able to lift it." Sun Geng patted his shoulder. "You've got guts, kid."

In the afternoon, Jiang Lan continued practicing her stance training.

Once, twice, three times...

Every time I practiced standing meditation, it felt like torture. My legs trembled violently, and my clothes were soaked with sweat, sticking to my body and feeling icy cold. The old wounds on my hands reopened, and blood mixed with sweat, dripping onto the blue brick floor.

……

【Crushing Mountain Stance Exercise: 4/300】

By evening, he had practiced it sixteen times.

His fellow disciples had already left, leaving him alone on the training ground.

Coach Liu came out from the back room, saw him still practicing, and stood by watching for a while without saying a word. Then he walked up to Jiang Lan and said, "Don't be late tomorrow."

Jiang Lan nodded, panting.

Instructor Liu turned and took a few steps, then stopped: "Your cousin Jiang Hao has been practicing for two months. He practiced the stance training a hundred times before he passed."

He didn't turn around; he left after saying that.

Jiang Lan was taken aback for a moment, then understood what Coach Liu meant.

One hundred times—that was Jiang Hao's achievement.

He practiced it more than ten times today.

He looked down at his trembling legs, cracked palms, and clothes soaked with sweat.

It's not even close.

But he wasn't afraid.

As darkness fell, Jiang Lan walked home. Pushing open the door, she saw Cheng Shi busy at the stove.

"Why are you so late?"

"It's nothing." Jiang Lan hid her hands behind her back.

Mrs. Cheng took a bowl of hot porridge out of the pot: "Aunt Zhang brought this over, saying it's to help you replenish your strength."

Jiang Lan held the bowl, and thinking of how Aunt Zhang had bumped her forehead before, she gripped the rim of the bowl tightly.