Qin Sang fell silent. He touched his chest, stared intently into Bai Jianglan's eyes, and said, "Brother Bai, you still haven't told me: if I start learning martial arts now, can I make something of it?"
Bai Jianglan looked somewhat surprised and chuckled. "What counts as making something of it to you?"
Qin Sang ventured, "Cultivating internal force?"
Bai Jianglan shook his head. "Hard!"
Recalling how Bai Jianglan had insisted on keeping him aboard, Qin Sang asked, "Then what about slaying wicked bandits?"
"Bandits have skilled fighters among them as well, though..."
Bai Jianglan's expression shifted slightly. "It is rare for you to have such resolve. If you truly wish to learn, I can impart a few forms of the Tiger-Subduing Long Fist to give you some means of self-defense. This technique is by no means profound; it is among the most common unarmed combat arts in the pugilistic world. It can also be wielded with spears and staves, and ordinary escort guards can all pull off a few forms."
Overjoyed, Qin Sang bent forward to kowtow. "Qin Sang offers his deepest gratitude to Master!"
"No need for such formality!"
Smiling, Bai Jianglan pulled Qin Sang up. "We will reach Sanwu City shortly. I can only teach you three forms. Afterward, we will drift our separate ways across the jianghu, with little chance of meeting again. I dare not style myself as your teacher; let us continue to address each other as brothers. The Tiger-Subduing Long Fist consists of ten forms in all. If you truly persist, you can casually find an escort agency or martial arts hall to apprentice yourself and learn the remaining seven. However, you must not look down on this art for its crudeness. Crude as it may be, with diligent and painstaking practice and sufficient comprehension, it can achieve great things. Rumor has it that a prodigy once emerged in the pugilistic world who, relying on the simplest Arhat Fist, cultivated a body of formidable true qi. Of course, there was only ever that one."
"Watch closely!"
"First form: Angry Dragon Emerging from the Sea..."
"Second form: Sky-Piercing Fist..."
"Third form: Vajra Subduing the Tiger..."
Tiger-Subduing Long Fist was indeed crude. Bai Jianglan demonstrated the first three forms only twice before Qin Sang memorized both the movements and the mnemonics.
Yet when it was Qin Sang's turn to practice them himself, he realized there was more depth beneath the surface; it was far less simple than it looked. Though he and Bai Jianglan appeared to execute the very same movements, Qin Sang made countless mistakes in exerting force.
What followed was a process of channeling force and correcting posture. Fortunately, the first three forms of Tiger-Subduing Long Fist focused on the arms and fists, with uncomplicated footwork, so Qin Sang's injured leg was not a major hindrance.
"Focus! Watch your posture—is there any vajra that looks like you?"
"The stance is the surface; the force is the core! If you exert your force wrong, you can forget about cultivating internal force your entire life!"
...
When it came to teaching martial arts, Bai Jianglan showed no leniency whatsoever; scolding was the lightest punishment.
After finishing their own exercises, the other men gathered around to laugh and watch the commotion. After Qin Sang took several sharp strikes to the back with a wooden pole, he dared not let his attention wander again. By mealtime, he had truly mastered all three forms.
After they ate, the sun rose. The mist over the river thinned at a speed visible to the naked eye. Suddenly, someone shouted from the bow, "We've reached Sanwu City!"
Qin Sang held onto the gunwale and stood up. He watched the light mist over the center of the river scatter into the verdant mountains. The revealed river surface was lined with vessels large and small, stretching as far as the eye could see. The glow of the morning sun flowed across the water, creating an extraordinarily magnificent sight.
At the center of where the ships converged, the shoreline ought to be First Ferry. Though called a ferry, its scale rivaled that of a town, several times larger than the small city where Qin Sanwa had worked.
It was hard to imagine what an imposing city Sanwu City behind the ferry must be!
The ship glided forward inconspicuously. Water Monkey darted to the bow and signaled with flags. Once a small rowboat eased alongside, he negotiated the fare at the top of his lungs, then turned and shouted, "Brother Qin, time to disembark!"
It was time to leave the ship.
"Until we meet again!"
Though his time with Bai Jianglan and the others had been short, Qin Sang felt deeply reluctant to part. After bidding farewell to each of them, he was lowered onto the small boat in a basket tied with ropes, where he watched the large ship sail away.
Water Monkey was still waving from the bow.
...
"Is this your first time in Sanwu City, young master?"
The small boat weaved deftly through the river, gradually approaching the ferry. The oarsman was an old man, who spoke up upon seeing Qin Sang resting his head on his hand, gazing toward the ferry lost in thought.
Qin Sang withdrew his gaze, looked at the old man, and joked, "Boatman, my family name is Qin; I hardly deserve to be called a young master. As for me, I came looking for immortals. Judging by your skill, you've rowed on this river for many years. Have you ever seen an immortal?"
The old man burst into hearty laughter. "Brother Qin, don't make fun of this old man. I've followed my parents in working boats since I was eight years old. In the blink of an eye, I've spent more than fifty years on this river, but I've never seen any immortals. Brother Qin, did you come to Sanwu City to do business, visit relatives and friends, or look for a livelihood? This old man has traveled everywhere inside and outside Sanwu City—perhaps I can be of some small help."
"Look at this leg of mine," Qin Sang lifted his injured leg slightly, offering a wry smile. "Right now, I can't even stand steady. I'm not thinking about anything else until I get this leg healed. I wonder if there are any miraculous physicians at the ferry? Please guide me, elder."
"Oh?"
The old man looked down, examining Qin Sang's leg carefully, then shook his head. "Miraculous physicians all stay inside the city treating nobility; why would they remain at the ferry? It is still thirty li from here to Sanwu City... But I do know a few veteran physicians who have a decent reputation around the ferry. If you trust me, Brother Qin, I can take you straight to them..."
As they spoke, the wharf came into view. The ferry was bustling with throngs of people packed tightly together, most of them dressed in rags, clamoring in sheer chaos.
Qin Sang said in surprise, "Why are there so many people at the ferry?"
"There is something you don't know, Brother Qin..."
With a look of sorrow, the old man sighed deeply. "In the past, the ferry was never this bustling. Recently, many refugees have fled here from the north. They say the north suffered a severe drought followed by a locust plague, leaving the fields with no harvest at all. I heard people have even raised flags in rebellion, and the scourge of war is spreading everywhere. They are all poor folk who couldn't survive in their hometowns, so they had no choice but to flee south. To be honest, I'm nearing sixty, and I've seen similar sights a few times, but I've never witnessed such times. Not only First Ferry, but the ferries downstream are all packed with poor people begging for a way to live. Dozens fight over the hardest work as boat trackers, to say nothing of the scene outside Sanwu City. Everyone says the new emperor is incompetent and tyrannical..."
The old man abruptly shut his mouth, casting an embarrassed glance at Qin Sang.
Qin Sang paid it no mind, holding the gunwale as he surveyed the wharf. Just as the old man had said, ninety percent of the people were emaciated and impoverished.
Realizing his slip of the tongue, the old man hurriedly changed the subject. "Brother Qin, speaking of poor folk, I just remembered something. I've never seen a real immortal, but I've heard that on Mount Cuiming, there is a living immortal at Qingyang Temple!"
Qin Sang let out a soft exclamation. "What kind of living immortal?"
Seeing that Qin Sang's attention had indeed been caught, a look of pride appeared on the old man's face. "Speaking of this living immortal, he has quite a reputation in these parts. I'm talking about the temple master of Qingyang Temple, Daoist Priest Jixin. Mount Cuiming has many Daoist and Buddhist temples, and Qingyang Temple was never particularly well known. It was only after this temple master arrived that its fame grew. When it comes to the master of Qingyang Temple, what is most renowned is his saintly benevolence. Calling him a living immortal is not an exaggeration in the slightest."
Chapter 6