The small old man, with hands resembling chicken claws, directly grabbed Bai Qi's right arm.
The motion was extremely swift, like an eagle swooping down, so fast that people couldn't react.
"Is this what a real practitioner is? So powerful! I wonder which level he's at!"
Bai Qi only felt a lightness in his body as his legs left the ground, his whole body was lifted up.
His muscles involuntarily trembled dramatically, emitting a faint sound like rushing water.
It's hard to imagine, Liang Sanshui's dad looks so unassuming.
With a hunched back, small and wiry like a monkey, he seems like a feeble old man in the twilight years.
Yet inside, he possesses a ferocious strength, easily lifting a frame of over a hundred pounds.
"Dad, what are you doing? We can't just rob openly!"
Liang Sanshui's eyes widened, clearly still not understanding the situation.
"Get lost, you outsider! You don't understand anything!
Good boy, you really have nurtured your Qi Blood, I noticed it!"
The small old man clicked his tongue in amazement, ignoring the chatter from Liang Sanshui, smiling as he steadily lowered Bai Qi a few inches to the ground.
Next, he combined two fingers and quickly jabbed the young man's shoulders, waist, hips, and spine.
Hiss!
A sound of drawing breath in cold air rang out.
It was as if an electric current surged, making one half of the body feel a numbing soreness.
Bai Qi's feet touched the ground, his expression somewhat twisted, nearly stumbling.
"Is this bone touching? Are you checking if I have the potential to become a Martial Artist?"
Liang Sanshui's dad's five fingers felt like iron clamps, pinching his own arm painfully.
Such great force, no wonder he's being handled like a small chick.
"Good, very spirited!
Both leg muscles are solid, the lower body is stable.
Waist, back, hips, spine, all are fine, not crooked, you're good material for practicing martial arts."
The small old man scrutinized him carefully, his muddled eyes shining, as if discovering a pearl buried under silt and sand.
Surprised and delighted.
In Black River County, there are not ten thousand fishermen, but eight thousand.
Among them, promising seedlings capable of maturing might not even number two hands each year.
Beyond expectations, he happened to encounter one.
Truly rare!
"You haven't entered a Martial Arts Hall to acknowledge a mentor? Just by eating meat and rice, you've nurtured your Qi Blood this well?"
The small old man's eyes showed suspicion.
It's known that practicing martial arts is not creating something from nothing.
Qi Blood must be strong, fists and feet must be powerful, starting conditions must be good.
For instance, a robust physique, strong muscles and bones, able to endure training.
Otherwise, standing stance, swinging stone locks, practicing moves, after a few injuries, the person is ruined.
How to endure the practice?
"I haven't entered a Martial Arts Hall. Because I had no money, I couldn't offer the tea fees."
Bai Qi shook his head, telling the truth:
"I just spent a few hundred coins to buy a book on 'Eight Section Skill' and practiced haphazardly every day while fishing in the river."
Really self-taught?
Eight Section Skill? What third-rate stuff?
Never heard of it!
The small old man's eyelids twitched, somewhat incredulous:
"A roadside good worth only a few hundred coins can help you achieve this?
If everyone were like that, all the Martial Arts Halls in Black River County could close for good!"
Seeing the small old man's disbelief, Bai Qi recited a few verses of the Eight Section Skill and said:
"Every word is true, dare not deceive Elder."
Liang Sanshui's dad furrowed his brow and suddenly turned to kick his own son:
"You useless brat! Others toil away yet never forget to diligently practice.
If you had half of Bai Ahqi's effort and ambition, why would you struggle to even cross the threshold?"
What does this have to do with me?
Liang Sanshui felt wronged but didn't dare talk back.
"Bare Body Kicking Water Foot Skill, Slant Shoulder Combat Water Break Wave Routine… Truly unpleasant!
It's poor water combat skills, ordinary folks might take ten years and still fail to nurture Qi Blood!"
Upon hearing the verses of the Eight Section Skill, the small old man found them lacking in any profundity.
Just a very ordinary Swimming Skill, barely passable crude techniques.
Even priced at a few hundred coins is considered expensive.
"No master's guidance, leading you into the discipline.
Yet you could nurture Qi Blood, sensing and mastering, quite remarkable.
My name is 'Liang Laoshu,' you can call me Elder Liang."
Liang Laoshu looked at the Silver Sand Carp in the net:
"Boy, you should think carefully, fifty taels of silver, enough to enter the top Martial Arts Hall in the Inner City.
Abandon the skills and solely rely on my advice, it's not worth it."
Bai Qi clasped his fists respectfully and said:
"I've asked around, for a fisherman like me, spending several dozen taels to acknowledge a mentor may not bring any true teachings.
If a Martial Arts Hall is large, it surely attracts many disciples.
How could the master give each one personal instruction and careful guidance?
At that time, it's merely following senior brothers in practice.
If there's no good food and drink, big tonics bath, it's hard to achieve anything.
Once fifty taels are spent, I'll be back fishing in Black Water River.
Rather than this, I might as well give this Silver Sand Carp to Elder Liang.
Exchanging it for a favor, a path ahead."
These heartfelt words from Bai Qi greatly moved Liang Laoshu.
At seventeen or eighteen, he's able to think things through so thoroughly, truly extraordinary.
Yet he still hesitated to accept this Silver Sand Carp, fearing provoking Yangquan's father.
Having retired due to illness for several years, and his son being incompetent.
He only sought peace in action, unnecessary trouble should be avoided.
"Have Sanshui pay for the treasure fish.
I can provide some guidance.
But recognizing a mentor and building connections are out of the question.
I am a practitioner from the fishery, all my skills were bestowed by the patron, difficult to mentor disciples."
Liang Laoshu sighed.
If it were twenty years earlier, with his temperament, upon seeing such promising material.
He would have rushed to take him on, without hesitation.
Unfortunately, now aged, legs and feet unsteady, even his spirit has waned, lazy in taking on extra burdens.
"No worries, Black Water River stretches eight hundred miles, how could treasure fish be absent… This Silver Sand Carp can be considered a gift to a senior.
Catching other good stuff later and tallying bills would not be too late."
Bai Qi casually mentioned his exceptional fishing skills.
"Ah? Ahqi, are you truly confident in catching another Silver Sand Carp?"
Liang Sanshui showed surprise, feeling the young man before him had drastically transformed, no longer the careful timid figure.
Like a blade embryo tempered at the blacksmith's forge, starting to reveal a sharp edge.
"Brother Shui, you should know, I'm not one to boast.
Each spit a pit, I say and do!"
Bai Qi stood up straight with confidence.
From observing Liang Laoshu's stiff legs initially, he considered leveraging the Silver Sand Carp for a connection.
Not just purely seeking shelter against Yangquan.
Mainly because the paths for advancement in Black River County are few.
Aside from selling oneself to the fishery, Chai Market, or fire kiln, then using connections to work up seniority for a steward role.
The only option is spending money to enter a Martial Arts Hall and acknowledge mastery of martial arts.
If one has financial capacity and talent, and gets favored by the master.
Can become a personal successor, upholding the Martial Arts Hall's reputation.
This is considered breaking out.
As to diligent and earnest work.
It seems a lifetime wouldn't enable a transformation.
Liang Laoshu is a practitioner from the fishery, were he willing to act as the guide.
He'd surely be a stronger option than Bai Qi spending several dozen taels as a foot in the door gambling on luck in a Martial Arts Hall.
"You're indeed very clever, had I not already had a foolish son, I'd surely take you as my own."
Feeling familiar with the sentiment, Liang Laoshu's thoughts of refusal receded, finally he sighed:
"Alright, Sanshui, you deal with this Silver Sand Carp, make soup.
Ah Qi, let's go to the backyard for some serious guidance."
In the shop, Liang Sanshui gazed at the lively Silver Sand Carp in the net.
Then lifted his head to watch the backs of the young and old, suddenly his expression twitched:
"Bad! Brought a wolf into the house!
Could dad decide to accept Ah Qi as a foster son seeing his skill, and send me to the Black Water River to fish!?"