Jiang Ning assumed his starting stance in the courtyard and immediately recalled the Five Animal Boxing that Master Wang had practiced just moments ago.

In that instant, the scene from before appeared vividly in front of him, as if Master Wang were once again performing the forms right in front of his eyes.

“The effect of a photographic memory is indeed an immense help to my martial arts training,” Jiang Ning felt a surge of joy in his heart.

Right after, he began to practice the Five Animal Boxing according to the memories stored in his mind.

Every single move and stance was copied exactly from the images in his mind, coordinated perfectly with the breathing techniques recorded in the manual.

Standing to the side, Master Wang watched Jiang Ning practice and nodded slightly from time to time.

Although every move and stance Jiang Ning performed at this point looked incredibly clumsy and unrefined in his eyes, like a terrible imitation of a master, it was enough to satisfy him.

Because judging by Jiang Ning’s movements and the rhythm of his breathing, it was obvious that he was walking on the correct path.

Even if his movements and postures were awkward at the moment, he was still heading in the right direction.

It took Jiang Ning the time it takes to burn a stick of incense before he officially finished practicing the complete Five Animal Boxing routine.

By then, his chest was heaving like a pair of bellows as he gasped for air, and his entire body was thoroughly soaked in sweat.

Practicing the forms continuously for half an hour had already pushed his physical body to its absolute limit. If he had not relied on sheer willpower to keep going, he would have broken his form long ago.

However, he could vaguely feel that although he was weak at this moment, his body seemed to have grown slightly stronger, and his arms felt more full of strength.

Five Animal Boxing Experience Points +1

Skills: Five Animal Boxing (Not Initiated 1/10)

When Jiang Ning saw this familiar prompt appear before his eyes, a smile finally broke across his exhausted face.

“Not bad, truly not bad,” Master Wang nodded repeatedly and praised him.

Jiang Ning said while catching his breath, “It is all because Master teaches so well.”

Master Wang nodded slightly. “You really did memorize all of it. It seems you were not lying to me just now, you truly possess the gift of a photographic memory.”

Then he sighed with emotion, “With this kind of talent, you should have participated in the imperial examinations to achieve official rank. That would have been the most suitable path for you to stand out from the crowd.”

Jiang Ning spoke up, “Master, you know very well how the world is these days. If a person doesn’t have a bit of martial arts capability to protect themselves, they won’t even have the power to survive if a sudden crisis occurs.”

Hearing this, Master Wang agreed quite strongly and nodded. “That is true. In times like these, one really does need to learn some martial arts. Your line of thinking is absolutely correct.”

He then waved his hand. “Completing the entire boxing routine on your very first try has taken quite a toll on your body’s vitality. Go take a good rest. Before you leave later, go to the kitchen to collect a bowl of medicinal soup, and have your lunch here at the academy tomorrow. Remember, too much of a good thing can be harmful. Practicing martial arts is just like indulging in nightly revelry, being overly diligent will only damage your body’s vital essence.”

“Thank you very much, Master. Thank you for your guidance, Master. I understand,” Jiang Ning clasped his hands with a look of joy on his face.

“No need to thank me. Since you paid the tuition fee, I am responsible for your lunches for the next six months to save you from running back and forth and wasting time. As for dinner, you can head home and handle it yourselves after drinking the medicinal soup,” Master Wang waved his hand. “You may excuse yourself now. Do not disturb my sleep if there is nothing important.”

“Yes,” Jiang Ning bowed and took his leave.

Only after Jiang Ning had walked out of the backyard did Master Wang speak to the woman beside him, “Li Qing, what do you think of him?”

“He is decent,” the woman nodded slightly. “There is some hope.”

“Oh? Then I shall wait and see,” Master Wang chuckled as he lay back down on his rattan chair.

On the other side.

The moment Jiang Ning’s figure appeared in the front yard, a man came forward to meet him.

He wore a luxurious green robe and had his hair tied up in a traditional topknot cap, presenting an imposing and dignified appearance that made it clear at a single glance that he came from a wealthy or influential background.

“Is this brother the disciple who joined our academy today?” The man in the green robe raised his hands and clasped them in a respectful greeting toward Jiang Ning.

“Yes,” Jiang Ning clasped his hands in return. “May I ask who you are, brother?”

“Ah,” the man in the green robe smiled slightly and spoke up, “My name is Zhou Xing. You can just call me Senior Brother Zhou.”

Jiang Ning understood instantly. “I am Jiang Ning, greetings Senior Brother Zhou.”

“So it is Junior Brother Jiang,” Zhou Xing said with a smile. “I wonder which family or clan in the city you belong to, Junior Brother Jiang?”

“I come from an ordinary household in the outer city,” Jiang Ning answered honestly.

“So you are from the outer city,” Zhou Xing said. Upon hearing this, far from showing any signs of looking down on him, he actually appeared even more warm and welcoming. “For someone from an ordinary household to gather enough money to enroll in our Canglang Martial Arts Academy, it must have been filled with hardships. I truly admire you, Junior Brother.”

As his voice trailed off, he fumbled at his waist, and a moment later, he pulled a silk box from his robe.

“Since I am your senior brother, this is our first time meeting. It just so happens that you are starting your martial arts training, so I will give you a wild ginseng root. We fellow disciples must stay close in the future.”

Zhou Xing held out a long, rectangular red silk box right in front of Jiang Ning.

Jiang Ning looked at him with an expression of sheer surprise.

“Take it, Junior Brother Jiang,” Zhou Xing said with an approachable smile.

After a brief pause.

“Since that is the case, thank you very much, Senior Brother,” Jiang Ning said.

“We are fellow disciples under the same master, which makes us just like family. There is no need to be so polite,” Zhou Xing waved his hand quite casually.

He then added, “I won’t disturb you any further, Junior Brother Jiang. I need to go pay my respects to Master Wang first. Practice your boxing forms well. Once you pass Master Wang’s test and become a true disciple of the academy, I will treat you to drinks, and we won’t go home until we are drunk.”

“Alright,” Jiang Ning responded.

“Senior Brother Zhou is truly generous, giving away a wild ginseng root just like that.”

“Indeed. Among all the senior brothers in the academy, Senior Brother Zhou is the most honorable and righteous.”

“That’s right, and he treats everyone with the utmost warmth. Even toward us disciples from the outer city, he has never shown any contempt or disdain.”

“…”

Listening to the chatter around him after Zhou Xing left, Jiang Ning began to understand the situation a little better.

“This Zhou Xing is certainly maintaining a public persona of being generous with his wealth for the sake of justice. In a world like this, he is a clever person,” he murmured silently to himself.

He then opened the red silk box and immediately saw a ginseng root about ten centimeters long lying inside.

“He is indeed generous, a wild ginseng root like this must cost ten to twenty taels of silver,” Jiang Ning praised in his heart. “I wonder what this Senior Brother Zhou’s background is?”

Shortly after, he directly tore off a few fine root hairs, which amounted to about one tenth of the ginseng root, and placed them in his mouth to chew slowly.

He had just practiced the complete Five Animal Boxing routine while coordinating his breathing, and his body was currently entirely drained of energy, his skin completely drenched in sweat.

However, as he swallowed the crushed ginseng hairs into his stomach, he immediately felt his physical strength gradually beginning to return.

“This truly is good stuff. No wonder people say literature is for the poor, but martial arts are for the rich.”

Jiang Ning then carefully tucked the silk box containing the ginseng into his belt.

Feeling his stamina constantly recovering, Jiang Ning walked over to a nearby ancient well and drank his fill of the cool well water.

Roar.

Suddenly, a massive roar erupted right next to his ears, sounding like a clap of thunder.

Jiang Ning looked up and saw that the king of all beasts, which had been sleeping in the iron cage earlier, was now wide awake, unleashing a ferocious roar at the crowd of people in the open space.

“Junior Brother Jiang, do you see that? This is the fierce tiger that Master Wang captured with his own hands. Observing this tiger long term will help you grasp the spirit and form of the Tiger Form Boxing. Once you can master its spirit, you will achieve the mastery stage of the technique. Reaching mastery within six months proves that your comprehension is sufficient, making you qualified to become a true disciple and gain access to the core legacy of the academy.”

A woman’s voice sounded by his ear, carrying a hint of ethereal clarity.

Without even turning his head, Jiang Ning knew that the speaker was the woman in the tight blue training outfit from before, his senior sister named Li Qing.

He nodded, understanding her point perfectly.

“Senior Sister, if that is the case, then does it mean the vast majority of people in the academy specialize in the Tiger Form Boxing?”

“Precisely. The Tiger Form Boxing focuses most heavily on explosive power. It is both an excellent training method and a highly practical technique for facing enemies,” Li Qing confirmed his statement, then continued, “Therefore, I also suggest that you focus your studies on the Tiger Form Boxing. You were born neither rich nor noble. Whether you can become a true disciple of this academy is an outcome that can completely change your future destiny.”

As they conversed, Jiang Ning felt his strength recovering rapidly. In just this short amount of time, he had already recovered a great deal.

“The medicinal effect of this wild ginseng is incredibly strong,” he remarked silently to himself again as he felt the changes within his body.

“You ate the wild ginseng Zhou Xing gave you?” Li Qing suddenly asked.

“Yes. How did you tell, Senior Sister?” Jiang Ning asked.

“Your face is flushed, your heartbeat has quickened, and heat is rising from the top of your head. It is obvious you have taken a highly potent tonic.”

“Senior Sister, this won’t cause any problems, will it?”

“No problem at all. Zhou Xing’s family is in the herbal medicine business, so those are genuine wild ginseng roots. A wild ginseng like this is a bit too potent for someone like you who has not yet fully trained in martial arts, so you need to practice your boxing to digest it. With the medicinal power of the wild ginseng supporting you, you can practice your boxing as much as you like without damaging your body’s vital essence,” Li Qing explained to him.

Hearing this, Jiang Ning immediately felt at ease.

“Senior Sister, then I shall go practice my boxing to digest it right away.”

Li Qing stepped back, clearing the space for him.

She gave him one last piece of advice, “Junior Brother Jiang, it is best to specialize only in the Tiger Form Boxing. Only in this way will it be possible for you to grasp the spirit and form of the fierce tiger within six months, allowing you to reach the mastery stage of the Tiger Form Boxing.”