"Brother Qin, you are truly amazing! Back in the day, it took me five days to remember this way of exerting force," Yuchi Baoqing exclaimed in amazement.
"Slap!" Yu Chi Baolin slapped his younger brother on the head and said irritably, "That's because you're stupid."
“You’re no different,” Yu Chi Baoqing said angrily, covering his head.
"I only used three days!" Yuchi Baolin said proudly.
"Heh, is three days better than five days?" Yuchi Baoqing sneered.
"Of course, it's not surprising that you're a bit older than me back then, so you learn faster," Yuchi Baolin said with a smile.
Knowing that Yuchi Baolin was right, Yuchi Baoqing was immediately unable to refute him and could only sullenly admit that he was stupid.
"Brother, you've just returned, haven't you had a proper look around Chang'an yet?" Yuchi Baolin asked.
"Yes, I haven't had a chance to look around yet."
"Come on! Come on! Come on! Brother will show you around and let you see Chang'an," Yuchi Baolin said enthusiastically.
“Alright! Why don’t you two choose a place, Brother Yuchi, and I’ll treat you to a meal to express my gratitude?” Qin Mu nodded in agreement.
"Hehe, it's settled then! Let's change and go!" Yuchi Baolin said happily. His father was usually reluctant to give them money; only his mother did. Of course, he was thrilled to be treated.
The three of them went to the front, changed their clothes, and left the blacksmith shop.
The three men, each holding a folding fan, walked down the street, immediately attracting the attention of many. Leaving aside the fact that the Yuchi brothers were already famous figures in Chang'an, their elegant demeanor, conveyed by the swaying of their fans, was astonishing. Moreover, the completely unfamiliar face of Qin Mu, walking alongside Yuchi Baolin, led people to speculate about their family affiliation.
Chang'an was naturally incomparable to other places; not only were the streets wide, but there were also many pedestrians on the road.
"If you were to ask about the most common shops in Chang'an, they wouldn't be restaurants or rice and noodle shops, but martial arts schools! Most of the larger families have their own martial arts schools," Yuchi Baolin explained.
"Yes, I can see that." Qin Mu nodded.
As I walked along the street, there was a martial arts school on almost every street, and they were all named after surnames.
"Then do you know why, brother?" Yuchi Baolin asked.
"It's probably to cultivate talent for the family."
“That’s right, brother, you’re quite clever. These martial arts schools, besides serving as a base for their own disciples in Chang’an, also recruit talent from outside every year. They’re places for selecting talent for the families; the outstanding ones are taken in as inner disciples, and the exceptionally good ones are even married off to family daughters to win people’s hearts. Therefore, ordinary people flock to them as well,” Yu Chi Baolin explained.
Since the poor make up the majority, this idea feels like a shortcut to success, a chance to change one's life overnight. No wonder there are so many martial arts schools. Many people would definitely want to learn. Qin Mu couldn't help but secretly admire the person who first came up with this idea.
"The tuition for the martial arts school shouldn't be too expensive, right?" Qin Mu guessed.
"It's really not expensive. Most families can afford it. And if you're busy, you can just study for an hour or two every day without interfering with your work. But don't expect to learn much unless you're very talented and enter the inner circle."
"The imperial court should neither support nor oppose it, right?" Qin Mu thought for a moment and then asked.
“Yes! My father told me this, and you actually thought of it yourself, brother. No martial arts school can object to its disciples joining the army. This is a regulation of the imperial court. In fact, they don’t object at all; on the contrary, they are very supportive. Those ordinary disciples can’t learn much anyway. Joining the army and getting a minor official position is good. After all, they all came from their martial arts school, so there’s some connection.” Yu Chi Baolin said to Qin Mu with admiration.
It makes sense. With training from these martial arts schools, the soldiers recruited by the imperial court would certainly be much stronger than those recruited from ordinary people. And if these people joined the army and became successful, obtaining an official position, it would certainly benefit the families that ran these martial arts schools.
"Does your family have a martial arts school?" Qin Mu asked curiously.
“No, our family doesn’t have any, neither does your family or the Cheng family,” Yuchi Baolin shook his head and said.
Qin Mu nodded slightly upon hearing this. That made sense. Opening a martial arts school certainly had its advantages, but it also had its disadvantages. It was impossible for the imperial court not to be wary, but the advantages outweighed the disadvantages, which was why it was allowed to exist. However, for a military general favored by the emperor to open a martial arts school would be utterly foolish, especially for newly promoted noble families like the Qin and Yuchi families.
Their foundation is too shallow, and they don't have enough resources to support opening a martial arts school. The expenses of opening a martial arts school are considerable, and judging from the current situation, Qin Mu estimates that most martial arts schools are operating at a loss.
The abundance of martial arts schools made martial arts very popular in Chang'an, and many passersby carried swords and knives.
"Don't be fooled by the number of people carrying swords and knives; very few dare to fight in the streets. Chang'an has a rule that anyone caught engaging in violence in the streets will be punished with thirty strokes of the cane, regardless of right or wrong," Yuchi Baolin said, pursing his lips.
Just as Yuchi Baolin finished speaking, "Bang!" A figure flew out from the shop next door and crashed in front of the three people.
Qin Mu looked at Yuchi Baolin and said, "This is what you meant by no one daring to use force."
"Ahem! Fighting in the shop is none of the city guards' business." Yu Chi Baolin hadn't expected to be proven wrong so quickly, and hurriedly explained.
"Bang! Bang!" Two more sounds, and two figures fell from the building, groaning on the ground.
The people of Chang'an seemed to have become accustomed to such things. Instead of being afraid, they gathered around and pointed at the person on the ground.
"You dare to flirt with me? You're asking for trouble!" A voice rang out from upstairs. It sounded quite nice. Looking in the direction of the voice, Qin Mu saw a girl on the second floor, in the place where she had been beaten.
"How could it be her! Let's go!" Yu Chi Baolin's expression changed, and he pulled Qin Mu and turned to leave.
Before Qin Mu could react, Yuchi Baolin pulled him a few steps away, making him wonder who this person was who had frightened him so much.
Perhaps Qin Mu's gaze caught the attention of the girl upstairs, who looked down. Upon seeing them, her eyes lit up, and she pointed at them, shouting, "Yuchi Baolin, you stop right there!"
Qin Mu clearly felt Yuchi Baolin's body stiffen, and then he stopped walking.
"Brother Qin, let's go quickly!" Yuchi Baoqing said hurriedly, pulling Qin Mu along.
"Don't go! Brother." Yu Chi Baolin grabbed Qin Mu's arm tightly as if he were a savior.
The brothers' strange behavior aroused Qin Mu's curiosity even more. Before he could decide whether to stay or leave, the girl from upstairs had already run up to the three of them.
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