On the second floor.
Li Xiuwen sneered, "Don't those young masters and ladies from outside the Walled City have their own crossing-river meets? Why come here to snatch our spots?"
Chen Jia sighed. "They do, but the competition is even fiercer out there. There are more poor folk in the Walled City, which means fewer people learning martial arts by comparison."
"Doesn't the Academy do anything about people like that?" Li Xiuwen asked.
Chen Jia replied, "Those outsiders have deep pockets. Their apprenticeship gifts are exorbitant at every turn, bringing in half the income for the Walled City's martial arts halls."
"Fair enough." Li Xiuwen decided not to worry himself over it. The competition for the crossing-river meet was even more intense than he had imagined.
"Junior Brother, I'm heading over to my gang first." Chen Jia left for Hesheng Tu.
Li Xiuwen could tell that while the second-floor disciples seemed more prestigious, they actually worked like beasts of burden.
They had glimpsed hope of becoming strong, and for the sake of the goals in their hearts, none of them dared slack off.
They weren't like the first-floor disciples, many of whom held the attitude of just casually training enough to avoid getting pushed around by punks.
Having just arrived on the second floor, Li Xiuwen felt somewhat adrift. As he wandered around, he discovered a locked rosewood bookcase.
On the cabinet door hung a notice: [Martial Arts Miscellany: one yuan to borrow, return within one day.]
Li Xiuwen was intrigued at once. He took a one-yuan note and dropped it into the wooden box beside it.
Everyone knew Old Huang treated money like his lifeblood; no one dared sneak a look without paying.
The key was right on the desk. Li Xiuwen unlocked the cabinet.
"*Summary of Northern and Southern Sect Combat Methods*, authored by Mr. Ming—a summary of experiences gathered over decades of fighting diverse opponents."
"*Combat Examples of Three Streets and Six Alleys*, authored by Mr. Long—records on utilizing the environment in complex terrain to conquer the strong from a position of weakness and defeat the many with the few."
"*Old Dou's Notes*, Anonymous—the passing martial insights of an incognito gang leader in his later years of cultivation."
"*Dragon-Tiger Dao Foundation*, Anonymous—detailed reflections on the Three Gates cultivation left by an unknown powerhouse."
Li Xiuwen browsed through them one by one, feeling as though he had struck gold.
"These are all incredible. Once I finish reading and internalizing them, my [Elementary Martial Arts General Knowledge] should easily reach major success."
Although Old Chen's *Miscellany of the Martial Tomb* had twelve volumes, most of it consisted of miscellaneous essays and amusing anecdotes, offering little martial theory that could advance his proficiency from this point forward.
The books here leaned heavily toward practical combat theory and the personal insights of the strong. They were precisely what Li Xiuwen urgently needed, serving to propel his martial knowledge toward major success.
He first pulled out *Combat Examples of Three Streets and Six Alleys*. Opening the title page, he saw a classic quote from Mr. Long:
[In the cultivation of our Dao, do not be bound by physical objects; tables, benches, pots, and pans can all serve as swords!]
"This is the most practical book. The Walled City lacks many things, but complex terrain and stray objects certainly aren't among them. Let's see what secrets it holds."
After practicing his stance and throwing some punches, Li Xiuwen lay down on the floor, crossed his legs, and began reading.
In the corner, Ao Jiu observed the scene, feeling a wave of mixed emotion.
Reading books was important, of course.
Yet anyone able to reach the second floor ought to have already mastered the foundational theories, or at least enough to study secret manuals.
Wasting large amounts of time reading books at this stage was simply ill-advised.
*What a pity for Junior Brother Liu Chun, losing to a medicine pot like him...*
***
Come dusk,
In the Central District of the Walled City, on Ghost Street.
Along this hundred-pace stretch of road, both sides were lined with shabby, cluttered shops.
Yet the shop names painted on the signboards sounded terrifyingly grand: "Pavilion of Ten Thousand Treasures," "Heaven's Secret Pavilion," "Mystic Weapons Shop," "Palace of Wondrous Methods"...
Outsiders wandering in would surely be intimidated.
In reality, just like the antique alleys in the capital of Sheng, they were packed with fakes designed to fleece amateurs.
Occasionally, however, genuine copies of martial arts manuals did make their way out here.
Consequently, the alley was constantly crowded with people hunting for hidden gems.
Once an item was purchased here and taken out of the alley, all sales were final. Whether what one bought was a treasure or utter trash depended entirely on one's own discernment.
Nor did anyone dare make trouble; this place fell under the protection of Changle's headquarters, which was crawling with experts.
Li Xiuwen stood before a bookstall, rummaging through the stacks.
The books from the martial arts hall were not allowed off the premises.
He intended to scavenge a few old books on Ghost Street to take home and read before sleeping.
After reading for an entire afternoon on the second floor, his proficiency in [Elementary Martial Arts General Knowledge] had advanced to minor success (40%).
As for telling the genuine from the fake, he had his own methods.
Right now, he shook his head and tossed aside a book titled *Eight Secret Techniques of the Strange Gates*.
Seeing that Li Xiuwen had been browsing there for half an hour without buying anything, the shopkeeper grew restless.
"Kid, are you trying to loiter here until you finish reading the book? Drop it, I'm closing up."
Li Xiuwen smiled. "What's the rush? So many of the books here are complete fabrications. How can I not screen them carefully?"
He handed the shopkeeper five yuan, which slightly softened the man's expression. The owner said, "I'll give you another half hour. If you're not buying, get lost. Don't disrupt my business."
He did not dare speak too harshly either, for most who came here were trained fighters.
Suddenly, Li Xiuwen felt a stir in his heart and looked toward the [incense burner].
[Proficiency in Elementary Martial Arts General Knowledge increased by 1%...]
What he held in his hand was a book titled *Treatise on Gang Banner Qi and Pulses*, written in modern times by an anonymous author.
In this world, a "gang banner" represented the name and lineage legacy of a syndicate, akin to a corporate conglomerate.
In the Walled City, "Changle" was a gang banner, while the other gangs and branches of various sizes, such as Leigong Shed and Hesheng Tu, were essentially its franchise stores.
The book described three types of qi that one had to cultivate to become a gang banner boss:
"Baleful Qi," "Gall Qi," and "Dominating Qi."
These three types of qi were profoundly esoteric, functioning both as intangible auras and as very tangible forces.
An ordinary martial artist reading the book would dismiss it as mere mystification.
Yet Li Xiuwen understood that there might truly be a method to cultivate these three forms of qi; it was just that his current realm was too low to touch them.
After all, he possessed the Three Castings of the Heart Furnace, which trained the mind—just as enigmatic as these forms of qi.
Moreover, the incense burner's prompt of increased proficiency could not lie. The contents of this book were genuine substance.
"How much for this one?" Li Xiuwen asked with a smile.
"Now that's a rare find. Two hundred, fixed price!" the shopkeeper said expressionlessly.
"Is this book made of gold?" Li Xiuwen turned to leave.
"One hundred, deal?" the shopkeeper called after him.
"I only have ten yuan." Li Xiuwen pulled out a single bill.
"Fine, take it." The shopkeeper took the money impatiently, turning away with a smirk of satisfaction.
This ragged book was something he had picked up from scrap paper recycling, costing only a few cents per jin.
Li Xiuwen strolled through the other manual and antique stalls, but they were all peddling fakes.
As he reached the exit of Ghost Street, two familiar figures approached him from the opposite direction.
It was none other than his two senior martial sisters, Lu Yu and Long'er.
"Junior Brother Ah Wen? What are you doing here?" Lu Yu asked with a bright smile.
"Just browsing around." Li Xiuwen offered a slight smile and walked past them.
Once Li Xiuwen had walked into the distance, Long'er hooked her arm through Lu Yu's and giggled, "Sister Yu, why bother greeting him?"
Lu Yu smiled. "He's a second-floor disciple after all. What harm is there in exchanging a few pleasantries? You know how my father loves recruiting martial talent.
Scouting candidates like him is part of my duty for coming to train in the Walled City. If I don't do a good job, he'll hold it against me."
Chapter 53