“You can choose to study a more advanced martial art for cultivation, including categories such as saber techniques, sword arts, spear skills, archery, movement techniques, and so on. Most of them are quite powerful martial arts. Which one do you want to learn?”

The gray-robed elder smiled as he spoke.

Charles Bennett looked brightly at the senior brothers and sisters in the Upper Academy as they practiced, but he couldn’t make sense of it, so he turned and asked, “Chief Instructor, among the senior brothers in the Upper Academy, who is the strongest in combat, and what does he practice?”

“Everyone in the Upper Academy is an expert, but the strongest is your senior brother Henry Grant, who is at the sixth level of the Body Refinement stage and practices the ‘Tiger Leaping Saber Technique’!”

“Then I’ll learn the ‘Tiger Leaping Saber Technique’ too!”

Charles Bennett thought for a moment and said.

His thinking was simple: since senior brother Henry Grant in the Upper Academy is the strongest and practices the ‘Tiger Leaping Saber Technique’, then he should learn this saber technique as well.

Chapter 2 Earning Money for Cultivation

“You want to learn the ‘Tiger Leaping Saber Technique’?”

The gray-robed elder was slightly taken aback when he heard this.

As the Chief Instructor, he naturally knew very well that in the past, many young students at the academy had tried to cultivate the ‘Tiger Leaping Saber Technique’, but they all eventually gave up. Currently, only Henry Grant still persisted in practicing it. He originally wanted to persuade Charles Bennett to choose another martial art, but seeing Charles Bennett’s excited face, he thought for a moment and gave up on persuading him—letting this kid taste some hardship might be good.

“The ‘Tiger Leaping Saber Technique’ is an advanced saber technique, but it only has six moves. Compared to the dozens or even hundreds of complex moves in other saber or sword arts, its moves are very few. From now on, you’ll train with Henry Grant.”

The gray-robed elder shouted toward a young man practicing saber alone on the training ground, “Henry Grant, come here for a moment!”

“Chief Instructor Stone, what do you need?”

The young student sheathed his saber and walked over coldly.

“This is your junior brother Charles Bennett, who has just reached the fourth level of the Body Refinement stage. From now on, he’ll train with you, and you’ll teach him the saber technique.”

The old man pointed at Charles Bennett and introduced him with a smile.

“Why let a newcomer train with me? He’ll just drag me down and waste my time! There are over two hundred junior brothers and sisters in the Upper Academy—why not have someone else take him?”

Henry Grant frowned, clearly displeased.

“You’re the only one in the academy who practices the ‘Tiger Leaping Saber Technique’, and you’re the most proficient at it—only you can guide him. If I weren’t practicing the Shadowless Kick myself, I wouldn’t need you to instruct him. Anyway, I’m leaving him to you—handle it as you see fit.”

The gray-robed elder’s tone brooked no argument. After speaking, he left with his hands behind his back, not caring whether Henry Grant was willing or not.

Henry Grant didn’t dare lose his temper with the Chief Instructor and shot a cold glance at Charles Bennett.

“Please give me your guidance, Senior Brother Grant!”

Charles Bennett quickly cupped his hands, his attitude sincere.

“Morning training is over for today. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

Henry Grant glanced up at the blazing midday sun, kept a cold face, and left the training ground.

……

The students of North Slope Academy study both literature and martial arts.

They practice martial arts and cultivate martial skills in the morning, and study literature and learn to read in the afternoon.

However, in the Martial Kingdom, martial arts are valued over literature, and the only purpose of learning to read and write is to be able to understand martial arts manuals. Unless one aspires to become a learned civil official in the future, most people won’t spend much time or energy on literary studies. So academy students can either self-study in the library, attend classes in the lecture hall, or arrange their own reading time—it’s quite flexible.

After the morning’s training ended, the students of North Slope Academy dispersed from the martial arts training ground.

Charles Bennett left the training ground.

He didn’t have much time for literary studies, as he spent his afternoons working to earn money for his own cultivation.

After lunch, Charles Bennett hurried to the academy’s logistics and chores courtyard, waiting with his hands at his sides on the stone steps outside Manager Thompson’s room, ready to receive a chores assignment from Manager Thompson. Although Manager Thompson’s official rank wasn’t high, he was in charge of all logistics and chores assignments at North Slope Academy, making him a figure of considerable authority for poor students like Charles Bennett.

Before long, several dozen other poor youths arrived at the chores courtyard, also ready to receive chores assignments.

“Senior Brother Bennett, here to get a chores job again!”

“Congratulations to Senior Brother Bennett for breaking through to the mid-stage of Body Refinement. We hope you’ll guide and support us in the future!”

These junior students from the Lower Academy greeted Charles Bennett warmly when they saw him, then lined up behind him in turn. In front of Lower Academy students, Upper Academy students are always addressed as senior brothers and sisters.

“Work hard in your cultivation, junior brothers. You’ll reach the mid-stage of Body Refinement sooner or later!”

Charles Bennett replied with a smile and a nod.

Many of those coming here to earn money through chores were poor commoner youths in the early stages of Body Refinement, so they were fairly familiar with each other after meeting so often. But everyone was here for the chores assignments and had no mind for other conversation.

Creak.

The door opened.

Manager Thompson, having finished lunch, came out onto the steps in front of his room, patting his full belly and holding a thick ledger in his hand.

“Chief Manager!”

Charles Bennett quickly greeted him respectfully.

“Charles Bennett, you’re always the most diligent one here, hardly ever missing a day, and always at the front of the line! You’ve earned quite a bit of silver over the years—enough to take a wife, haven’t you?”

Manager Thompson saw Charles Bennett at the front of the steps again and couldn’t help but laugh.