The King of Black Fog

The next morning, Li Changzhou finished his morning training and called for Liu De.

"I noticed your skills were not bad last night, what martial arts do you practice?" he asked straightforwardly, a privilege of his status.

"Second Master, I learned martial arts at the North City Bei Zhou Martial Arts School, and my foundation is the 'Spiritual Snake Map'," Liu De replied respectfully.

"Spiritual Snake Map?"

"Yes," Liu De nodded. "Visualize the form of the spiritual snake, possess the agility of the spiritual snake."

"Can you teach me?" Li Changzhou asked.

"Second Master, I can teach you the basic stances, but the visualization requires not only the map but also the cultivation of Qi-Blood. Without sufficient Qi-Blood, even with the map, one can't visualize the spiritual snake," Liu De explained.

The matter seemed somewhat supernatural, and fearing Li Changzhou might not believe it, Liu De quickly added:

"This isn't me trying to mystify things. Nowadays, with technology and cannons ruling the day, and telephones capable of voice transmission over thousands of miles, but there are things about the human body that are just as magical. Second Master, just consider how incredible it is that humans have thoughts.

"I believe what you're saying," Li Changzhou nodded. "Alright, if the 'Spiritual Snake Map' won't work, teach me the stances to cultivate Qi-Blood. Is that possible?"

"No problem at all!" Liu De promised, patting his chest. "But, Second Master, practicing martial arts is tough, and it can't be mastered in just a year or two. Plus, considering your age, it might be even harder."

"Just teach me."

"Alright!"

The two of them immediately found a courtyard within the Commander Mansion.

In the middle of this large courtyard, more than a dozen cypress trees were planted, which divided the yard into two halves like a hedgerow: one side resembled a soccer field, and the other side was completely filled with flowers, vibrant and clustered like a basket of flowers.

"Second Master, this set of stances is called 'Snake Step'; it's not an extraordinary name," Liu De walked a few steps and slid out like a snake.

"The body moves like an unpredictable snake, the attacks are as venomous as a snake's bite, and evading is as slippery as a snake."

His body twisted eerily, like a meandering venomous snake, and in the blink of an eye, he arrived in front of a cypress tree. His body slammed against it, but it was as if he was greased, slipping past without resistance.

Liu De then coiled around the tree just like a flexible snake.

At the same time, his forearm rose like a snake, and with a flick of his palm, the palm wind hissed, striking the cypress tree rapidly like lightning.

Thump!

With a dull and earnest sound, the cypress tree was visibly marked, with splinters flying.

Liu De raised his hand, and there was not a single wound on it.

"With the 'Spiritual Snake Map,' when striking, one would visualize the mouth of a venomous snake, and the power would be tenfold stronger. With one bite, you could penetrate through two cypress trees like this one."

After the demonstration, Liu De taught Li Changzhou the key points of 'Snake Step.' There weren't any mantras, just bodily stances.

"While practicing the 'Snake Step,' Qi-Blood is naturally cultivated."

"For a person of average talent, one year of practice will enable them to perform the first step 'Emerging from the Cave'; two more years to 'Wandering'; three additional years to 'Coiling Body'; four years to 'Wild Dance'; five years to 'Lightning Flash'; six years to 'Traveling Eight Directions'; seven years to 'Snake Shadow'."

"In total, twenty-eight years to master the seven steps of the snake, then one can visualize the 'Spiritual Snake Map.'

"Twenty-eight years?" Li Changzhou asked instinctively.

"Of course, that time can be shortened if someone is exceptionally talented," Liu De answered.

"How long have you practiced?"

"Twenty years," Liu De said, somewhat proudly, which was a full eight years less than the average person.

Eight years, high school only takes three years, three times three years, plus another two years, Liu De having saved so much time, firmly a genius.

"How about the best years at Bei Zhou Martial Arts School?" Li Changzhou inquired further.

"Half a year, but that's from records long ago. Whether it's true or not is hard to verify, just like the ancestral portraits in many families where everyone looks dignified and majestic, far from reality," Liu De spoke honestly but didn't want the inexperienced Second Master Li to think him inferior.

"Mm, go and collect ten thousand silver coins for yourself," Li Changzhou said.

"Thank you, Second Master!"

"One more thing," Li Changzhou called Liu De back, "Arrange a private box for me at 8 o'clock tomorrow night, I'm going to the Pear Garden to listen to opera."

"The Pear Garden has already delivered the tickets. Whenever Second Master chooses to attend, it can be arranged."

"Good, you may go."

After Liu De left the backyard, he went straight to the accounting office to collect his reward money.

This ten thousand was not a small sum; in the 1920s, some of the top literati—a very top tier—had an annual income that barely exceeded ten thousand.

Currently, a tael of gold was only selling for thirty-one silver coins and three smaller units, a thirty-pound bag of American flour was just four silver coins, and ordering the finest table of shark's fin feast at Zhengyang Building only cost five silver coins.

With these ten thousand silver coins, one could buy more than four hundred acres of good land and become a small landowner in the countryside!

Even without a written note, the accounting office gave Liu De the money, just casually inquiring about the reason.

"Ah, Second Master saw me fighting the assassin last night and suddenly wanted to learn martial arts this morning. He asked a couple of questions and then stopped; probably he was just curious and didn't really want to learn," Liu De said.

"Who knows, maybe Second Master just took the opportunity to reward you for your performance last night," the accountant suggested.

"Hey!" Liu De slapped his thigh. "That's possible! No wonder Second Master only watched me demonstrate once before sending me to collect the reward."

"Liu De, now that you've received a reward, you should treat us tonight!" someone in the crowd started teasing.

"Everyone's invited! To Zhengyang Building, for the best shark's fin feast! After the dinner, let's go to Luohua Book House to listen to some tunes!" Liu De was also in high spirits.

"No, no, at that place the courtesans act like I'm serving them, better to find a 'Chang San' or 'Yao Er'!"

'Chang San' courtesans charged three Yuan for accompanying drinks and another three Yuan for tea, hence the name Chang San.

'Yao Er' likewise pertains to pricing, one Yuan for tea and two Yuan for accompanying drinks, thus Yao Er.

Below 'Book House,' 'Chang San,' and 'Yao Er,' there were still 'Wild Pheasants,' commonly referred to in tales as the legendary 'Wild Chickens'; these women, working at the lowest level, had more straightforward jobs: accompanying clients to smoke opium or helping clients undress and unbuckle their belts.