I achieved mastery of martial arts during the Republic of China era.

Chapter 12 Mysterious Beast Meat

Passing through the moon gate, the noise of the front yard was left behind.

In the backyard, several old locust trees were covered with icicles, which made a soft tinkling sound in the wind.

Chen Zong stopped outside the main room door and knocked lightly.

"Come in," Ni Dongting's calm voice came from inside.

Chen Zong pushed open the door and entered, followed by Zhou Tong.

The room was still simply furnished. Ni Dongting was sitting in a grand chair by the window, holding a yellowed ancient book in his hands. He looked up when he saw the two of them enter.

"Master, Zhou Tong has mastered the Dragon Tiger Stance and has come to pay his respects," Chen Zong said, bowing.

Ni Dongting's gaze fell on Zhou Tong, and after looking him up and down, he nodded: "Three months is acceptable."

Zhou Tong respectfully clasped his hands in a bow, saying nothing, but his heart stirred slightly.

My father had mentioned his friendship with Ni Dongting, but when he came to the martial arts school, Ni Dongting neither summoned him nor gave him any special treatment.

The other party seemed to care nothing about him, but at this moment, they pointed out the time it took him to break through, clearly knowing everything but not showing it.

Ni Dongting put down his book, took out a dark wooden token from the drawer of the small table beside him, and handed it over: "Now that you have mastered the stance training, you are a formal disciple of my Dragon Tiger Martial Arts School. This is your identity token, keep it safe."

Zhou Tong accepted it with both hands.

The token felt slightly heavy in my hand, with the characters "Dragon and Tiger" engraved on the front.

"Thank you, Master."

"Hmm." Ni Dongting responded, then suddenly stood up. "Wait here for a moment."

After saying that, he pushed open the door and went straight out, his figure quickly disappearing into the wind and snow outside the courtyard.

Zhou Tong was slightly taken aback and looked at his senior brother.

Chen Zong, however, seemed to have expected this, and stood calmly to the side without offering any explanation.

Since his master told him to wait, Zhou Tong waited patiently.

With nothing else to do, he began to examine the furnishings in the room, finally settling on the opposite wall—where hung a calligraphy scroll, its paper yellowed, yet the ink still vigorous and powerful:

A fledgling sparrow mourns by the roadside, while a green sword whistles from its case.

I would rather shatter the bones of a hero than let a villain run rampant.

His pen strokes are sharp as knives, each character exuding a chilling aura.

As Zhou Tong silently recited the words, he felt a surge of sorrow and determination wash over him, as if he could see the writer's state of mind when he wielded the brush.

Just as I was savoring the meaning of the poem, footsteps sounded outside the door.

The curtain was suddenly flung open, and a gust of biting wind and snow, carrying with it a pungent smell of blood, rushed out.

Ni Dongting strode in and casually tossed a heavy gray cloth bag at Zhou Tong's feet.

With a muffled thud, the bag fell to the ground, leaving a dark red wet stain at the bottom.

"Take it back, take three ounces each day, and eat it regardless of whether it's fried, roasted, stewed, or boiled."

Ni Dongting said calmly, "This meat is enough for you to eat for a month."

Zhou Tong stared blankly at the blood-soaked cloth bag in front of him.

Puzzled, he respectfully asked, "Master, I am foolish... Isn't the cultivation of the Flesh Refining Realm about stimulating the skin and flesh with external Golden Jade Ointment, and then absorbing the medicinal power through stance training? What is this flesh...?"

"This meat isn't for building muscle."

Ni Dongting interrupted him, sat back down in his armchair, his gaze deep, "It's to help you retain that sliver of hope of becoming a Grand Martial Master."

He paused, then said in a calm tone, "What are you people doing here, paying exorbitant fees to squeeze into my Dragon Tiger Martial Arts School? Isn't it because there's hope of breaking through to the Great Martial Master level here?"

"If I want to truly reach the level of a Grand Martial Master and cultivate internal energy in the future, this flesh... will be the key."

Zhou Tong was startled.

Grand Martial Master! Internal Strength!

This is a realm that my father mentioned many times, and that everyone in the martial arts school aspires to.

To withstand bullets with one's bare body, with one's blood and qi surging like a rainbow... that is a power that transcends the mortal realm.

"As for what kind of meat this is..."

Ni Dongting glanced at him, his tone turning indifferent, "You don't need to know. You only need to remember: only by eating this meat will you have the possibility of developing internal strength in the future; if you don't eat it, no matter how high your talent or how abundant your resources are, the door to becoming a Great Martial Master will never open for you."

After saying that, he waved his hand, indicating that Zhou Tong could leave.

Zhou Tong was full of doubts, but dared not ask any more questions. He could only pick up the heavy, wet cloth bag, bow, and leave the quiet room.

The bag felt cold to the touch, and the bottom was soaked with blood that had seeped out, making it sticky to the touch.

Zhou Tong glanced at the meat but couldn't tell what kind of meat it was, so he quickly crossed the small courtyard and returned to the front yard.

Ji Chang was still waiting in the same spot, and he wasn't surprised to see him come out carrying a blood-soaked cloth bag.

Zhou Tong stepped forward, shook the cloth bag, and asked, "Senior Brother Ji, do you know what kind of meat this is? Master said that if you want to break through to the Great Martial Master level in the future, you must eat this."

Ji Chang shook his head: "I don't know either. I only know that you have to eat this meat during the first month after breaking through to the flesh refinement stage, the first month after the bone forging stage, and the first month after the filth refinement stage."

Moreover, this meat is quite peculiar; even in the sweltering heat of summer, it won't spoil even after a month, and flies won't even land on it.

"Oh?" Zhou Tong also looked surprised.

Why ask so many questions?

Ji Chang patted Zhou Tong on the shoulder, looking completely unconcerned.

"Since we need to eat this meat to have any hope of breaking through to the Great Martial Master level, then let's eat it. We came to the Dragon Tiger Martial Arts School to learn martial arts, isn't it to preserve that sliver of hope for ourselves?"

Zhou Tong nodded.

Although he didn't know the truth, Ni Dongting had no reason to lie to him; this meat must be of great importance.

Just as he was pondering this, Chen Zong's voice came from behind him: "Zhou Tong."

"Senior Brother." Zhou Tong quickly turned around.

Chen Zong walked closer, glanced at him, and said:

"You should start training your muscles now. The martial arts school can provide the Golden Jade Cream you need for muscle training. Each box costs ten dollars and will last for half a month."

Large pharmacies outside also sell it, at a slightly lower price. It's up to you to decide where to buy it.

Zhou Tong said without hesitation, "I will buy it at the martial arts school."

Chen Zong's face showed a hint of satisfaction, and he nodded in approval.

He took out two palm-sized, flat, round tin boxes from his pocket and handed them to Zhou Tong: "These are two boxes, enough for you to use for a month. Come find me when you've used them up."

"Thank you, Senior Brother!"

Zhou Tong took the slightly cool tin box and said, "I didn't bring any money with me today. I'll come back tomorrow and give it to you."

Chen Zong nodded and said, "Standing exercises are the foundation, they are the 'training method'; but to fight and deal with battles, you also need the 'fighting method'. Tomorrow I will teach you the first twelve forms of our sect's 'Dragon Tiger Ruyi Blade'."

Zhou Tong's eyes lit up.

Tactics!

After this period of training, his reaction speed, strength, agility, explosive power, and endurance have all improved significantly.

However, when it comes to actually fighting an enemy, one must rely on tactics. The situation is becoming increasingly chaotic, and danger may arise at any time. Without practical combat methods, having only physical strength will leave one helpless when facing a trained fighter.

"Thank you, Senior Brother!" Zhou Tong said hurriedly.

Chen Zong nodded, said no more, and turned to leave.

Holding the Golden Jade Ointment and the heavy bag of mysterious meat, Zhou Tong stood in the courtyard where the wind and snow were gradually subsiding, and took a deep breath of the cold air.

After three months of arduous study, we finally see the light at the end of the tunnel today.

The road ahead is still long, involving training the flesh, forging the bones, and cleansing the body... all the way to the unattainable realm of the Grand Martial Master.

But at least, he has truly embarked on this path.

Seeing that it was getting late, Zhou Tong returned home. As soon as he stepped outside the hall, he heard an unfamiliar voice coming from inside.

"Mr. Zhou, please don't put me in a difficult position. How can you be compared to those from humble backgrounds?"

A cheerful voice rang out: "Although you've separated your family, you still have a solid foundation, so please give us more financial assistance."

We, Yixintang, are new here and short of funds. Once we have a firm foothold, we will definitely remember your kindness. Wouldn't it be better if we could become friends?

You know how chaotic things are outside right now. Although we take your money, we also protect your family's safety. Without us, there's no guarantee that bad guys wouldn't come knocking one day. The few guards in your yard might not be able to protect you completely.

This person used polite formalities, but the underlying threat was all too clear.