"The Three Martial Divisions!"
Upon hearing this, Yan Chuan gained a deeper understanding of the foundations of the Great Yan Court. The 'Vigorous Martial Arts Department' and the 'Military Suppression Department' aside, just the 'True Martial Bureau' alone, which compiles martial arts from all sources, is far more 'advanced' than the old school martial artists who keep their skills confined to themselves and their households.
The old school relies on personal ability, passing skills down through generations. Some innovate, some preserve, but some fail, leading to loss or even extinction of their legacy.
Can it be passed down?
Can each generation surpass the last?
Whereas the Great Yan's 'True Martial Bureau' gathers the power of the entire nation to organize, improve, and even create martial arts.
A national machine that a single household cannot compare with!
"The Great Yan Court!"
"What a grand vision!"
Though Yan Chuan belongs to the 'Stubborn Old Faction', he has always been full of yearning and admiration for the Great Yan and the New Faction.
"Why bring up the 'Three Martial Divisions' all of a sudden?"
Yan Chuan looked at Chen Ze.
"There's something Senior Brother might not know."
Chen Ze explained: "Within the 'Three Martial Divisions', the 'True Martial Bureau' doesn't only consist of grandmasters and heroes. They are continually absorbing fresh blood from academies and Jianghu, regardless of age, strength, or status. As long as there is Spiritual capability to improve or create martial arts, the 'True Martial Bureau' is willing to absorb them, offering appropriate rewards as support."
"As far as I know, several from the Guangling Academy have been absorbed into the True Martial Bureau for creating their own martial arts. The Cui Lanxin you once faced from the 'Seven Star Boxing Club', one of the 'Five Directions Quiet Masters', Chuanlin Swordsman Zhong Hui, created the 'Three Star Fist' and 'Six-point Formation' based on 'Fu Fist', both of which are Intermediate Boxing Techniques, thus joining the 'True Martial Bureau'."
"Though she was defeated by Lu Qing, in terms of potential and future, Zhong Hui surpasses completely."
Yan Chuan understood: "You want me to join the True Martial Bureau?"
Chen Ze nodded: "Master runs the martial arts hall, rejecting the Martial Arts Academy, and to put it broadly, he rejects the 'Vigorous Martial Arts Department' and the 'Military Suppression Department', which oversee Jianghu and are regarded as 'court hounds' by Jianghu people. But the 'True Martial Bureau' is pure, solely focused on martial arts, not concerning itself with or participating in the new versus old conflicts, Master should not oppose it. Senior Brother's creation of the 'Tiger Crane Double Forms', a top-level boxing technique, surpasses Zhong Hui by far. Applying to join will surely succeed."
Join the True Martial Bureau?
Yan Chuan contemplated.
As Chen Ze mentioned, compared to the bare confrontation of the 'Martial Arts Academy' breaking old school tradition, the 'True Martial Bureau', in its purity, could indeed be a path.
The only concern is the Master's side—
"I'll wait until Master returns and consult with him before speaking further."
Yan Chuan decided to delay the matter.
On one hand, joining the 'True Martial Bureau' requires offering one's self-created martial arts, and also proving that the martial arts is indeed self-created.
The 'Tiger Crane Double Forms' are indeed Yan Chuan's own creation, which is indisputable; he could even write over ten deduction papers about it.
But whether offering the 'Tiger Crane Double Forms', or proving it, or providing the deduction process, it would inevitably reveal details of the Cheng Family Boxing.
Yan Chuan actually doesn't mind.
But Cheng Fengxiao regards Cheng Family Boxing as his life and would never agree to such a thing.
Including the 'Six Harmonies Eight Techniques Fist', which is the essence and refinement of Cheng Family Boxing, these cannot be lightly taught or easily shared.
Apart from the 'Tiger Crane Double Forms' and the 'Six Harmonies Eight Techniques Fist', Yan Chuan also created nearly twenty other 'Seventy-two Skills', which could also prove his talent.
However, the 'Seventy-two Skills' are mostly one-star and two-star martial arts, rather crude, even inferior to the foundational 'Copper Bridge Iron Horse' of Cheng Family Boxing.
Based solely on these, the 'True Martial Bureau' may not accept Yan Chuan.
"To join the 'True Martial Bureau', I still need to create at least one skill of a higher standard and unrelated to Cheng Family Boxing."
He still needed to seek Cheng Fengxiao's permission.
This man, after being betrayed by a disciple, witnessed the decline of the Martial Arts Hall with no means to save it, and recently being backstabbed by his children, cannot withstand more blows.
However, from what Yan Chuan understands of Cheng Fengxiao—
"What a mighty force!"
"Master is already shaken."
"If I proposed joining Guangling Academy, he would definitely be saddened. But if it's just the 'True Martial Bureau', it might not be an issue."
In a way, Cheng Fengxiao is a shackle on Yan Chuan.
But as a human, you can't only care for yourself, can't be too selfish. For Yan Chuan, when people are good to him, he ensures not to let them down—
Cheng Fengxiao saved, raised, and taught him. When he first entered Iron Wire Martial Arts Hall, Yan Chuan was weak and almost perished; it was Master and Mistress who cared for him day and night.
At eight years old, when Yan Chuan fell seriously ill, Mistress harshly weaned the barely born Cheng Wenlong to feed Yan Chuan with milk, which helped him survive the brink of death.
At sixteen, when Mistress passed away, on her deathbed, her greatest concern was Cheng Fengxiao, advising Yan Chuan to take care of Master.
Master is like a father.
Mistress is like a mother.
Cannot let them down.
Chen Ze looked at Yan Chuan, filled with admiration. He most respected Senior Brother for his benevolence and filial piety, knowing well that the New Faction is bright and holds the future, yet he sticks to the Old Faction for the sake of Master's stubbornness, cutting off his own prospects for success.
He can resist temptation.
He remains steadfast.
Some perceive him as foolish, but Chen Ze respects him immensely.
Even he himself owes his current achievements, his focus on studying and practicing martial arts at the Guangling Academy, to Yan Chuan's patient persuasion, presenting facts and reasoning.
Yan Chuan clearly foresaw the future prospects of the New Faction and the immense potential of the 'Martial Arts Academy', yet he remained unmoved; this is truly rare.
Yan Chuan didn't feel anything about it. He brushed over the subject of the 'True Martial Bureau' and spoke to Chen Ze about another matter: "I've recently reached enlightenment, progressing rapidly in boxing, but my Qi-Blood and muscle and bone can't keep up, slowing me down. Therefore, in addition to gauging my Qi-Blood, I'm here to ask your help in procuring some 'Dragon Tiger Powder'."
Procuring 'Dragon Tiger Powder'!
It's not only Wei Wude that Yan Chuan relies on for a channel.
Chen Ze's connection is his main source of procurement.
Yan Chuan isn't the type to hang himself on a single tree.
"I currently have four doses of 'Dragon Tiger Powder', waiting for you, Senior Brother."
"Give me a few more days, and I can gather seven or eight more doses in a short time."
"Judging by your current mastery in boxing and Qi-Blood intensity, twelve or thirteen doses won't be enough. But it'll last for about a month. After a month, gathering seventeen or eighteen more doses from me won't be difficult."
"With roughly thirty doses of 'Dragon Tiger Powder', your Qi-Blood intensity should catch up, Senior Brother."
Chen Ze was more concerned than Yan Chuan himself.
"Over two hundred taels."
Yan Chuan currently has only slightly over forty taels in total; he really has no money: "Just give me the four doses first. There's no rush for the rest, take your time gathering them, and I also need to gather money."
Chen Ze pursed his lips, refraining from saying it doesn't require money.
Firstly, Senior Brother wouldn't take advantage of him.
Secondly, he himself doesn't have that kind of money.
Yan Chuan already thought of a way to earn money—