Chapter 3: What Do You Wish to Learn?

One month later, somewhere in Henan.

Ren Yuan stood shirtless in a horse stance, arms extended horizontally, sandbags hanging from his hands as he practiced his forms.

Judging by his posture, he had been holding it for quite some time.

Zhou Tong stood aside watching, his face impassive, yet inside he was stirred.

He had thought his disciple had missed the prime age to learn martial arts, but this boy’s physique was simply extraordinary!

Not to mention anything else, just this solid stance training—now Ren Yuan was doing it quite properly. Who would believe he had only been training for half a month?

“Disciple, pause for a moment.”

“Yes, Master!”

Hearing his master’s call, Ren Yuan hurried over.

“Your martial aptitude is truly remarkable. Previously, learning sumo wrestling only held you back.”

Zhou Tong felt a twinge of regret—if only he had discovered this precious gem ten years earlier.

“No worries, no worries. If it weren’t for the physique built through sumo wrestling, I might not have progressed so fast, nor met you, Master. It’s all fate.”

Ren Yuan chuckled cheerfully. Of course, he wouldn’t reveal that his exceptional performance was due to having maxed out his comprehension after traveling through time.

“To think like that shows you have a pure heart.”

Though Ren Yuan was sometimes unpredictable and said strange things, and even tried to cut corners when apprenticing, his respect for his master was genuine.

Over the past month, Zhou Tong had tested Ren Yuan’s character and temperament on the road, confirming he was truly worthy of being taught real skills.

“Disciple, I know you want to master great martial arts. Today, I will speak to you earnestly.”

Having made up his mind, Zhou Tong resolved to stop holding back and let Ren Yuan choose what to learn properly.

“Please, Master, instruct me!”

Ren Yuan’s spirit surged—here it came, the main event!

“My nickname is Iron Arm. Do you know what that means?”

“That you have mighty arms, strong as iron?” Ren Yuan guessed after some thought.

“Not quite. The name Iron Arm comes from when I pulled back a nine-stone heavy crossbow alone in the Forbidden Army.”

“Nine stone? Master, you drew such a heavy crossbow all by yourself?”

Ren Yuan was astonished. Goodness, he hadn’t expected his master to be a human powerhouse. The large crossbows of the Song dynasty were ancient weapons of mass destruction, usually requiring multiple men to draw. Yet his master managed it solo.

“Don’t interrupt. What I mean is, the title Iron Arm refers to my skill in archery. But judging by your physique, archery may not suit you.”

Zhou Tong glanced at Ren Yuan’s build. Though aware of his natural strength, he didn’t seem like the type for archery. (One might liken it to the difference between a weightlifter’s and an archer’s physique.)

Archery! Ren Yuan suddenly recalled that Yue Fei had learned archery from Zhou Tong.

Indeed, archery was Zhou Tong’s treasured secret skill!

He simply couldn’t skip learning it!

“No, Master, I want to learn! How would you know I can’t if you don’t teach me?”

Ren Yuan insisted. With his top-tier comprehension, how could he not try? Besides, in this era of cold weapons, ranged attacks were essential!

“Alright then, I’ll show you sometime.”

Zhou Tong thought it over and decided to demonstrate in the future. He figured once Ren Yuan tried the bow himself, he’d likely give up quickly.

“I was once a first-grade master boxer in the Forbidden Army’s martial arts hall. You are tall and naturally strong, so I plan to teach you the Fanzi Fist and Guanzhong Red Fist styles. Are you willing?”

“Absolutely!”

Ren Yuan knew well that Zhou Tong’s boxing was unparalleled in the Song dynasty. To receive such renowned styles from his master was more than satisfactory.

“Wait, Master, if I have fists, what about weapons?”

Ren Yuan wasn’t content with just bare-handed skills; he needed weapons too.

He couldn’t go to battle relying solely on his fists.

“Weapons? You should know mastering weapons is not easy. It’s better to specialize in one boxing style.”

Zhou Tong suddenly felt his disciple was a bit greedy. He decided to discipline Ren Yuan properly later, lest he become a jack-of-all-trades, master of none.

“Heh heh, well, at least Master should broaden disciple’s horizons and let him see the world.”

Ren Yuan guessed his master’s thoughts but kept quiet. When the time came to learn, his maxed-out comprehension would surely surprise him.

“Do you remember I said you are my third disciple?”

“Yes, Master. Why ‘third’ disciple?”

Ren Yuan wondered.

“In the Forbidden Army, I had many friends. One was skilled with the spear. As I also knew spear techniques, we often sparred and exchanged skills. Together, we created a new spear technique prototype.”

“Later, that friend died for me in Western Xia and entrusted me to care for his young son. I passed both his family’s spear techniques and our new style to that boy.”

“So, if we speak of master-disciple bonds, that boy is your senior brother.”

“But senior brother never formally apprenticed, right? Does Master feel guilty, thinking he’s unworthy to accept him as a true disciple?”

Ren Yuan likely guessed who this senior brother was.

“You’re sharp despite your simple looks,” Zhou Tong chuckled, “That boy inherited his father’s position and joined the Forbidden Army. He’s now one of the army’s instructors. I have not failed my friend.”

“What’s my senior brother’s name?”

Ren Yuan wanted to confirm, though he had a hunch.

“His name is Lin Chong, nicknamed Leopard Head in the Forbidden Army.”

Indeed, Leopard Head Lin Chong!

So in the future, he would have to help his half-brother!

“The second disciple to learn from me was formally apprenticed, so he’s your legitimate senior brother. He learned my spear and staff techniques. In time, when his spear and staff are perfected, he’ll have a place in the Song dynasty’s martial world. Oh, his surname is Lu, full name Junyi. If you meet him, remember to call him senior brother.”

Yes, the peerless spear and staff master of Hebei, the Jade Qilin Lu Junyi, master of Yan Qing—a connection Ren Yuan had, at least to some extent.

“And then there’s you, troublemaker.”

Zhou Tong looked at Ren Yuan again and shook his head. “Spear techniques don’t suit you...”

Unexpectedly, Ren Yuan didn’t object this time and said, “Disciple also feels spear techniques aren’t suitable. Please teach me another weapon.”

Hmm? This boy suddenly changed his tune?

Zhou Tong had expected Ren Yuan to ask him to demonstrate spear techniques, but he quickly declined.

Good lad, knows when to advance and retreat.

“You really don’t fit spear techniques. With your natural strength, using a spear is a waste.”

“Then, Master, what weapon suits me?”

“With your strength, you can learn the great saber—split mountains with a single strike, invincible with me around,” Zhou Tong said.

“No, no, I don’t like the great saber.”

Ren Yuan shook his head; he truly disliked the great saber.

“Then you could learn the staff—powerful and heavy, sweeping across armies.”

“No, no, too ordinary.”

“Or the hammer—dual hammers in hand, the world is mine.”

“No, no, too ugly.”

“Heh, you little monkey,” Zhou Tong laughed and tapped Ren Yuan’s forehead.

“You don’t want this, don’t want that. What weapon do you want to learn?”

“Master, stop hitting me! Is there a weapon that’s as agile as the spear, as imposing as the saber, and also very beautiful?”

Ren Yuan covered his forehead, worried his master’s taps might leave him dazed.

“You’re quite demanding,” Zhou Tong said, surprised not by the request itself, but because such a weapon did exist—and he knew it well.

“Please, Master, teach me!”

Ren Yuan prostrated himself. Now was the time to milk his master’s knowledge!

Zhou Tong thought for a moment, tapped Ren Yuan’s head three times, then turned and left.

“Master, where are you going?”

“To eat.”

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