Chapter Six: The Godlike Eighth Senior Brother

Yue Wuhuo had always held the utmost respect for his eldest senior brother, believing him to possess all the virtues a martial artist should. Yet, for the first time, Yue began to doubt whether being too bound by rules was truly a good thing.

Otherwise, how could he have accepted such an oddity as a disciple?

Someone who could suffer a muscle strain just from standing in the basic child’s stance—was this even human?

The child’s stance, after all, was designed for children under ten to shape their bones and train their breath—the emphasis being on “child.” Yue had taught at the martial hall for ten years and had never seen a single child injured from standing in this pose, let alone this fellow, who was a grown man.

The apprentices below discussed animatedly. Most were locals of Guanchao, and in their minds, Master Lin’s seven disciples were all formidable figures. Now, suddenly, this eighth senior brother had appeared—not only was he utterly lacking in martial skill, but even his stance was abysmal.

This completely upended their perception, and in the most mind-shattering way.

“What are you all staring at? Think you’re good enough to challenge me?” Yue Wuhuo roared, unable to hold back his anger at the murmurs below. The veins on his body bulged, as if dozens of small green snakes had suddenly appeared, making those nearby uneasy. Two instructors close by even felt the temperature rise noticeably.

Everyone shuddered and didn’t dare let their attention wander again. For the apprentices, this “black bear” was even more terrifying than Master Lin.

Only the youngest group, still practicing the child’s stance, continued to whisper secretly.

“Tanyu, how long did you last your first time in the stance?”

“About the time it takes for two sticks of incense to burn,” replied the bald youth, Tanyu, after some thought.

“No way! That eighth senior brother barely lasted the time it takes to drink a cup of tea!”

The young apprentices exchanged glances, suddenly feeling that the prestigious reputation of Burning Body Martial Hall might well be ruined in the hands of this eighth senior brother.

...

Ke Li felt awkward. Though he was never thin-skinned, causing such a commotion under the eyes of dozens was rather embarrassing.

“Eighth senior brother, could you stop messing with me? I finally have the chance to learn the second set of fist techniques, but with antics like these, what will I do in the future?” Wutou complained, looking miserable. Whether by ill luck or coincidence, he was in charge of stance training in the hall. Generally, only those who mastered the first set of fist techniques and passed the instructor's assessment could be assigned this task.

As long as the new apprentices were taught to stand firmly in the stance, he could move on to the second set of fist techniques, thus rising from junior to intermediate apprentice—such was the rule.

Selection at Burning Body Martial Hall was strict; this was usually a sought-after position, the easiest to achieve. Now, with this magical senior brother, Wutou regretted his role—when would he ever be promoted?

“Relax, it was just a coincidence. I’m an adult; surely I can manage the most basic stance training,” Ke Li replied earnestly.

The words made sense, but not when it came to him. Wutou grumbled inwardly, but felt reassured; it must have been a fluke.

After sending Wutou and Zheng Xiaobao away, Ke Li frowned. His bones had already set, so even if he couldn’t generate force, he shouldn’t have gotten injured. The main reason was that, during the stance, he felt something strange.

The sensation was odd—a warm current flowed from the crown of his head through his body, threading through every part. It should have reached his feet and gradually dispersed, but countless rocks and reefs appeared, blocking the flow. This sudden disruption was what caused the muscle strain.

‘Strange. According to Wutou, stance training has three levels: sensing the qi, settling the qi, controlling the qi. On my first try, I could already sense the qi—and, for a brief moment, I even felt I could control the direction of the flow. Isn’t that the third level, controlling the qi?’

Ke Li pondered for a while, finding it odd. If the flow represented qi, what were those ‘rocks and reefs’? The child’s stance was meant for children, harmless even if it didn’t yield results. Yet he, a grown man, had immediately suffered a muscle strain.

He had intended to seek advice from his nominal senior brothers, but on considering certain possibilities, he abandoned the idea.

---

Since discovering his vision and hearing had dramatically improved, Ke Li suspected that perhaps the wordless diagram hadn’t been lost, but had merged with his body, granting him a kind of “golden finger.”

Yet this golden finger wasn’t quite as he had imagined, and he still didn’t know how to activate it.

Given this possibility, he couldn’t afford to reveal this secret. It seemed his reputation as “Mr. Muscle Strain” would have to be preserved a while longer. A faint melancholy settled in Ke Li's heart.

Thanks to the martial hall’s injury medicine, Ke Li recovered the next day and promptly returned to the training grounds.

“Is it him?”

“It’s him!”

“No way! That guy—how could he possibly... Ugh—”

Most here were children of fishermen from Guanchao. The saying goes that harsh lands breed tough people, and whether or not true, the children from such tough places understood the importance of strength. Their looks toward Ke Li were undisguised contempt, jealousy, hatred, and disgust.

Burning Body Martial Hall did not tolerate incompetence.

“Brother Ke, over here,” called Baor in a clear, youthful voice.

Ke Li’s heart warmed. Looking over, he saw, besides the fair, chubby Zheng Baor—who resembled a little Guanyin boy—five dark-skinned youths, all under ten. This must be the hall’s junior group.

The one leading them was Wutou, guiding the way.

Yue Wuhuo glanced at Ke Li, snorted coldly, and lost interest.

“Eighth senior brother, will it be alright this time?” Wutou pulled Ke Li aside and whispered.

“Don’t worry, I’ll stand properly this time,” Ke Li said with seriousness.

Wutou nodded, still uneasy. The other five boys, aside from glancing at Ke Li when he arrived, focused intently on their stances; entering Burning Body Martial Hall was a rare opportunity. Three boys adopted the first stance, while the two slightly older ones moved on to the second.

The child’s stance was formally called the Foundation and Vitality Stance, consisting of two methods: Foundation Stance and Vitality Stance. The former adjusted children’s bones and muscles, the latter cultivated breath.

Ke Li already knew the forms, so he didn’t need Wutou’s explanation. He adopted the stance on his own.

‘Feet flat, spread sideways to shoulder width, knees slightly bent, body upright; arms naturally hanging, palms up, hands joined over the abdomen, as if cradling an infant...’

‘Relax the whole body, eyes closed, clear the mind of all distractions, achieve thoughtlessness, desirelessness, selflessness, forgetting oneself, without intent.’

‘The essence of stance training is internal cultivation of qi. Martial artists call it the “skill within the skill.” With intention guiding qi, let the qi settle deeply, to gather within the bones. When qi moves the body, let it flow smoothly, so the mind commands freely.’

‘Mastering stance training strengthens the body, improves physical condition, and deepens understanding and mastery of martial arts.’

Ke Li’s breathing grew even, deep, and steady, as if in a state of deep sleep.

Soon, the scene appeared again—a stream flowing in his mind, washing over countless stones and sand. This time, Ke Li adjusted his mindset as the stance required: indifferent, selfless, letting the stream flow, remaining unmoved.

“That’s a fine child’s stance!” Wutou, after circling once, couldn’t resist checking on Ke Li, given his prior mishap. His eyes brightened.

---

In Wutou’s view, Ke Li’s eyes were neither fully closed nor open, his hands cradling as if truly holding an infant—or rather, as if he himself had become an infant.

Even Wutou could barely achieve this level; his own form had the shape but lacked the spirit. In this moment, Wutou rubbed his eyes in disbelief—was this the same eighth senior brother who’d strained his muscles?

Then, Wutou’s eyes widened further. Ke Li’s complexion alternated red and pale, beads of sweat formed on his skin, his whole body trembled, then half-collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath.

“Exhausted?!” Wutou was dumbstruck. How much time had passed? Not even half a stick of incense—this, this—

Many in the training ground were watching their “eighth senior brother,” and their expressions varied at the sight.

The five junior group members were astonished, finding it unbelievable.

Yue Wuhuo’s lips twitched, his face dark as a pot’s bottom, all hope gone.

The instructors’ mouths dropped open—how had Master Lin accepted such a disciple as his last?

At the gate, a brutish man with a wicked face smiled, as if seeing something amusing.

“Eighth senior brother, you promised today you’d stand properly!” Wutou said, tears streaming.

“Hm? Didn’t I stand well?” Ke Li retorted.

Thinking back to the perfect infant stance, Wutou replied awkwardly, “It’s not that you didn’t—just that it was too short.”

“Too short?”

“Uh, eighth senior brother, you’re probably the shortest-standing apprentice the hall has ever had.”

“So I’m that remarkable?” Ke Li mused aloud.

Wutou was speechless; in a sense, he truly was remarkable. Didn’t you notice your little ninth junior brother still holding the stance? He’s only six!

Ke Li, meanwhile, thought that for an adult’s stamina to be completely depleted so quickly, it must mean he had practiced the stance correctly and thoroughly—otherwise, how could the energy drain be so great?

And so, amid everyone’s complicated gazes, he left the training ground, satisfied.

Practicing morning and evening, once each, was the most reasonable method. Right now, he was utterly exhausted, near collapse, his physical limits reached.

“At this rate, I’ll become a martial master in no time. I’ve finally discovered my talent!”

“…” The entire martial hall.