Chapter 3: Yangyan Martial Arts Academy
Chapter 3: Yangyan Martial Arts Academy
Ji Jingqiu was awakened from his afternoon nap by a short message from the terminal.
The message was from Mei Jie, and it read:
【Yangyan Martial Arts Academy owes me a favor, and you can consider it a favor for me too.】
Recalling the words of Old Man Mu, it was clear that he was to seek admission to the academy on her behalf.
Ji Jingqiu did not decline the offer and sent a four-word reply:
"Thank you, Mei Jie!"
Through his mental cultivation, he confirmed that martial arts would indeed benefit his condition, and even if it couldn't cure him, it would at least alleviate some of his pain.
So now, he needed to embark on a systematic study of martial arts.
Ji Jingqiu located the address of Yangyan Martial Arts Academy on his terminal and followed the navigation to the location.
This martial arts academy was surprisingly located in the upper-middle-class area and had been established three years ago.
Taian City was not lacking in martial arts academies, but most of them were situated in the lower-middle-class areas.
In this urban jungle, the city's social hierarchy was also vertically structured, much like a forest with different layers.
The higher one lived, the higher their social status tended to be.
The fact that this academy was located in the upper-middle-class area indicated that it possessed considerable influence.
A moment later, Ji Jingqiu stood before the academy's entrance.
A crowd was gathered in front, seemingly queuing up, many of them parents with their children in tow.
As he approached, he could hear people whispering to each other.
After listening for a while, Ji Jingqiu learned that Yangyan Martial Arts Academy had recently made a splash at a martial arts demonstration, and these people had come to enroll after hearing about it.
"Please line up in order. No pushing or cutting in line, or you'll be disqualified from enrollment," a bald man in a training uniform said loudly, warning those behind him.
The crowd quickly regained order, forming a long line, and Ji Jingqiu found himself squeezed towards the middle-back of the line.
"Liu Xi, can I ask how many students is the academy accepting this time?" someone in the crowd asked.
"As long as you pay, anyone can join," the bald man named Liu Xi replied casually.
He seemed to be waiting for someone, standing at the entrance with his head held high.
"Can I become a Core Disciple too?" someone asked eagerly.
Liu Xi rolled his eyes, not bothering to respond.
Just then,
The person Liu Xi was waiting for arrived.
He was a boy around the same age as Ji Jingqiu, and Liu Xi greeted him warmly, placing a hand on his shoulder as they walked into the academy without lining up.
"Hey, are you here alone too?"
Ji Jingqiu turned around and behind him stood a robust boy of the same age.
"I'm Zhao Qian, 16 years old, from Longhu Secondary School. You?" the boy asked cheerfully.
"I'm Ji Jingqiu, also 16 years old, and I came alone."
"Yeah, we're all grown up now. At our age, we should be able to do things on our own. Enrolling in martial arts classes shouldn't require our parents to bring us here,"
Zhao Qian chuckled and then whispered mysteriously,
"By the way, do you know who just got welcomed into the academy?"
"Who?"
"Zhang Xingshan, the grandson of the Public Security Bureau Chief!"
Zhao Qian gave a low whistle,
"Rumor has it that the academy's Grandmaster has been hired as the Public Security Bureau's Martial Arts Chief Instructor, and Yangyan Martial Arts Academy has been 'cleared'. They're eating from the government's hand now."
Ji Jingqiu was taken aback.
To put it bluntly, running a martial arts academy in this city often involved some level of gray, even if it wasn't outright black. Yangyan Martial Arts Academy's location in the upper-middle-class area and its collaboration with the Public Security Bureau indicated that it had 'cleared' its name.
Zhao Qian was well-informed, and Ji Jingqiu gathered quite a bit of information from him.
For example, the academy's students were divided into Core Disciples and Outer Disciples.
Outer Disciples could join by paying the fee, but they were destined to never come into contact with the core teachings of the academy.
For Core Disciples, there were many more considerations.
Talent was undoubtedly the primary concern, followed by character and other factors.
Becoming a Core Disciple meant becoming a core disciple of the academy, and it also meant being closely tied to the academy, requiring one to shoulder corresponding responsibilities.
In simple terms, 'one's glory is the academy's glory, and one's shame is the academy's shame'.
However, Yangyan Martial Arts Academy was currently riding a wave of success. Rumor had it that the Grandmaster had not only been hired as the Public Security Bureau's Martial Arts Chief Instructor but had also established connections with the Security Bureau.
Becoming a disciple of the Grandmaster would undoubtedly be a significant leap for them.
By the way, Yangyan Martial Arts Academy's fees were quite expensive, with even Outer Disciples requiring 100,000 Federal Credits.
Ji Jingqiu pondered in his heart, unsure of the favor Mei Jie owed him, hoping that she could get him a big discount.
After queuing for half an hour, it was finally Ji Jingqiu's turn.
"Little brother, fill out this form, then go there to pay... wait, is that you?"
Just as Ji Jingqiu was about to go fill out the form, he was stopped by someone from the academy.
The man's tone suddenly changed, from his previous nonchalance to obvious surprise.
This person was none other than the one who had passed by Ji Jingqiu at the corner in the lower-level area earlier that morning.
He waved over another student of the martial arts academy, instructing him to take over the recruitment duties and led Ji Jingqiu to the side, cupping his hands in inquiry:
"I am Yang Yao. If I'm not mistaken, do you also know Mei Jie, little brother?"
Ji Jingqiu recognized this person.
He took out his phone and said, "My name is Ji Jingqiu. Mei Jie said that this place is for martial arts training."
(Original text ends here)
Yang Yao solemnly took the phone, scrolled through the message, and after confirming the sender, he already had an idea.
He handed back the phone and cupped his hands, saying, "I understand, little brother. Please wait here for a moment, I'll go and inform the Master right away."
Yang Yao quickly left, calling out to someone, "Ah Xi, please take care of this little brother."
Soon, Liu Xi, who had been maintaining order at the entrance earlier, approached with a smile and invited Ji Jingqiu into the academy.
(To be continued)
Zhao Qian's eyes widened in surprise.
He watched in awe as Ji Jingqiu received special treatment from Yang Yao, the senior brother, and was led into the depths of the academy.
Surname Ji...
Which deputy director or higher in Tai'an City has the surname Ji?
Wait... Could it be that this kid is actually surnamed Ji?!
(To be continued)
Ji Jingqiu entered the academy.
The training ground was vast, with sweating figures everywhere, kicking and punching. There were several sparring platforms, where pairs of students were engaged in intense combat, supervised by instructors on the sidelines, ready to call for a stop and make corrections at any moment.
There were more students than Ji Jingqiu had anticipated.
The students were divided into two groups. One group consisted of muscular men with tattoos, who were mostly gang members, while the other group was made up of teenagers around Ji Jingqiu's age.
"What's your name, little brother?"
"Ji Jingqiu."
"I'm Liu Xi, twenty-one this year. You can call me Ah Xi if you want to give me face. Our academy covers various combat and restraint techniques. What are you interested in, Ji brother?"
"Ah Xi, I want to understand the Visualization Diagram." Ji Jingqiu got straight to the point.
"Visualization Diagram?" Liu Xi stroked his chin, "How old are you this year, Ji brother? Have you had any prior exposure to martial arts?"
"I just turned sixteen."
"Then we mustn't rush. The Visualization Diagram involves spiritual cultivation, so we must be extra cautious. I suggest you start with Foundation Stance training. Martial arts is like climbing a high mountain, we must take one step at a time, firmly and steadily. Rashly..."
As Liu Xi was advising and explaining, Yang Yao quickly returned.
"Ji little brother, the Master wants to see you. Please follow me!"
He led the way, guiding Ji Jingqiu into the depths of the academy.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
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