Henry Clark was speechless as well. Edward Grant and his sister couldn’t even master the basic footwork of the Red Pine Sword Technique—they were even worse than he had been before. He really had no idea how they’d been accepted as disciples; maybe their master had only taken them in as servants from the start.

Charles Cooper stroked his beard.

“There are hundreds of sects and thousands of gangs in the martial world, and that’s just the well-known ones. There are countless more without any reputation. Yvonne Harris, you’d be considered third-rate among them right now.”

“Shishu, are there really that many people in the martial world outside?” Yvonne Harris asked curiously. “I heard from Master before that there’s a Hong Ying Sect two hundred li away, and they’re supposed to be the most powerful experts around here. What level of expert would you say they are?”

Henry Clark perked up his ears to listen carefully.

This shishu had traveled for many years and was definitely much more experienced than their stingy master. It was the perfect opportunity to learn about this world.

Beside him, Edward Grant was also very curious. There wasn’t much entertainment in these times, so stories and legends from the martial world were the best pastime.

Charles Cooper smiled.

“The Hong Ying Sect isn’t much. To be honest, when it comes to knowledge and experience, there’s really no one in Red Pine City who surpasses me.”

He paused.

“Our Red Pine City is located by the great Jilin Forest, in the northwest of the Yuan Dynasty. The most prosperous city nearby is Yuchun City, one of the three major capitals of the northwest. It’s over a thousand li away from us. That’s where true prosperity lies… As for other places, just around Yuchun City, there are no less than a hundred small cities like Red Pine City, scattered with various villages and counties.”

“What about the martial sects?” Henry Clark interjected.

“As for martial sects, the number one hero in the northwest is Yulin Dao Changchun. His sect is also the largest in our northwest region. There are other big gangs and sects, but the one closest to us is the Plum Blossom Sect. The five small cities, including Red Pine City, are all under their jurisdiction. Even the government has to notify them and ask for help when dealing with notorious bandits.”

At this point, Charles Cooper showed a faint, cold smile, as if he was quite displeased with the Plum Blossom Sect.

“So how exactly is strength ranked?” Henry Clark pressed.

“Strength ranking?” Charles Cooper frowned. “There’s no such thing as a fixed ranking. Strength is proven by fighting. Whoever has the most renown is the strongest! Those who can’t make a name for themselves are just weaklings.”

“Huh?” Henry Clark had expected a more detailed classification, but this was the answer he got.

“Huh what? That’s just how it is. But when it comes to levels, we prefer to compare specific people. For example, someone might be said to be at the same level as the Plum Blossom Sect leader, or that so-and-so once fought so-and-so for dozens of rounds without a clear winner.” Charles Cooper sneered. “In the martial world, no one cares about your so-called levels. Even if you’ve reached the third level of the Small Guiyuan Technique, if you run into a tough guy who’s never practiced internal skills, you still have to fight it out!”

“Well said! Strength isn’t about boasting, it’s about fighting!”

Just then, a burst of loud laughter came from outside the dojo. A thin man with a black headscarf darted through the main gate, flicking his hand to send a small black object flying.

The black object shot toward Charles Cooper at high speed.

“Charles Cooper, time’s up.” The thin man left these words, turned, and swiftly disappeared down the stone steps at the gate.

Charles Cooper raised his hand and caught the black object. It seemed to be a black iron dart, with a roll of white cloth tied to its tail. He frowned, put the dart away without even looking at it.

“All right, that’s it for today. Go back and rest, and get ready to cook.” He tossed out these words and turned to head back to his room.

The others looked at each other. Although they were curious about the contents of the dart, no one dared to ask. Charles Cooper was notorious for his quick temper.

Henry Clark had just gotten interested, but was interrupted, leaving him itching for more.

“Senior brother, the Lantern Festival is in a few days…” Yvonne Harris quietly walked up to him and whispered, her face bashful.

“The Lantern Festival?” Henry Clark was slightly taken aback. He remembered he had promised his family that he must return home every year for the Lantern Festival.

“Senior brother… you promised me you’d take me home…” Yvonne Harris’s face was red all the way to her neck, her head lowered, voice as soft as a mosquito.

“……” Henry Clark felt a headache coming on. The Lantern Festival was also known as Lovers’ Day… At this time, many young ladies would have the chance to go out and meet their sweethearts. The festival was the only opportunity for men and women to meet, much like a modern matchmaking event, and the success rate wasn’t low.

Bringing a girl home on Lovers’ Day—anyone could guess what that meant.

He quietly sized up Yvonne Harris.

Today, she was wearing a white dress that accentuated her long legs. Her skin looked even fairer and more delicate, her long hair tied into two small buns with a white ribbon trailing down her back, reaching her waist.

She was standing a bit close, her slender waist faintly visible through the thin white gauze.

With her delicate features and high, perky chest, holding a broken wooden sword in her hand, Yvonne Harris didn’t look like an illiterate country girl at all, but more like a chivalrous heroine in white from the martial world.