Zhang SAN and His Talented Apprentice

Is Zhang San a genius?

The answer is definitely yes. Zhang San is certainly a genius, at least in the eyes of his master and himself. You must not be fooled by his cautious and timid personality.

How long would it take for an average person to cultivate their martial arts to the Ground Rank?

At least 10 to 20 years!

As for the Heaven Rank?

That requires talent, luck and effort.

However, Zhang San started practicing martial arts at the age of 8. In just 20 short years, he has already attained upper Ground Rank in his martial arts and lower Heaven Rank in his lightness skill. This is simply extraordinarily genius. Moreover, during those 20 years, he also learned various peculiar "professional skills".

Skills like disguise, voice control, acting, masonry, carpentry, blacksmithing, medicine, martial arts research...

And he has attained the peak level in every single one of those skills.

This is even when considering that Zhang San wasted quite some time practicing that "fake" Immortal Art during those 20 years.

If a person like this is not a genius, then who is?

It can even be said that Zhang San is not only a genius in a certain field, he is a true all-round genius!

However, over the past few days, Zhang San has started to doubt whether he really is a genius after all.

How could this Wang Xiaoer have learned the disguise skill in just 3 days? It even took Zhang San half a month to master it.

Subsequently, Zhang San started teaching Wang Xiaoer about poisoning and medicine, but even more unimaginable is that Wang Xiaoer has the same photographic memory as him, and his learning speed is even faster than Zhang San's!

This has led to a very serious problem.

Zhang San's curriculum plan has been disrupted.

Due to Wang Xiaoer's astounding learning speed, Zhang San has basically taught him all he knows in an unsystematic way, just like feeding him bits and pieces over the next half a year.

Skills like acting, carpentry, blacksmithing, poisoning, tracking...

In short, during the teaching process, Zhang San just taught whatever he could think of. After all, Wang Xiaoer could remember everything, and he said he understood whenever Zhang San asked him.

As for how much Wang Xiaoer actually managed to comprehend, Zhang San had no idea.

In that half year period, although many things were taught, Zhang San still hasn't started teaching Wang Xiaoer any martial arts.

......

......

That morning, the master and disciple pair opened the door to their painting and calligraphy shop. The neighbors all knew that the impoverished scholar in that shop had a distant relative - an 8-year old child who was said to have fled from the north. The neighbors guessed he was a refugee child, but after interacting with the cute child for a few days, they had all grown very fond of him.

With his pinkish and chubby face that looked almost like a girl's, he was extremely adorable.

Right after Zhang San opened the shop door, he grabbed a too master chair from behind the counter and lied down.

As for the cleaning and other chores in the shop, they were all passed to Wang Xiaoer.

Why?

Zhang San said, if one can't even handle such menial physical tasks, how could they ever learn martial arts in the future? Anyway, he would never exploit his own disciple.

That day, Wang Xiaoer was mopping the floor enthusiastically. Occasionally, some neighbors would walk by and smile at the cute little child.

But Wang Xiaoer was very unhappy. He looked at Zhang San lounging leisurely on the too master chair, put down his mop, and asked softly: "Master, must we stay disguised like this?"

According to Zhang San's teachings, hiding in plain sight is the best way to conceal one's identity. The various shops along the streets and alleys are the perfect places for disguises.

However, to ensure a stable career, Zhang San insisted that he and Wang Xiaoer should never reveal their true appearances to others, even in their own shop.

Upon hearing the word "disguise", Zhang San's eyes shot wide open as he sat up warily, surveying his surroundings. After confirming no one else was around, he finally relaxed.

Zhang San swore under his breath: "Didn't I already tell you? For now, we are uncle and nephew. I'm an impoverished scholar and you are a refugee relative. I explained our persona and backstories clearly long ago, didn't I? Don't talk about such things in the shop, in case someone overhears. Don't you understand?"

Wang Xiaoer touched the disguise apparatus on his face and said: "I know, Master. I read and understood that book you gave me on actor's self-cultivation. But must the disguise make me look so much like a girl?"

Zhang San scolded: "What do you mean look like a girl? My disguise makes me look like a fair-skinned scholar, that's called graceful features, do you understand? The number one famous actor Yan Zhi in Dawu Country, isn't his popularity and fame built on his graceful features that attracted hoards of older women? Otherwise why do you think it's due to his good acting?"

Wang Xiaoer rubbed his head and said: "No wonder Little Hua and Little Qing from next door keep coming over to play with me the past two days."

Zhang San frowned. Weren't those the little daughters of the two neighboring families? How did they get acquainted with Wang Xiaoer?

Not good! I haven't explained to Xiao Er yet how women can influence a killer's stable career.

Just as Zhang San was about to properly educate Wang Xiao Er on how women could impact a killer's career, his sharp ears suddenly picked up faint movements. Zhang San's brows furrowed tightly.

Zhang San thought silently: Someone's coming, probably from the street entrance. But the streets are quiet in the early mornings, yet this person's footsteps and breathing...

A martial arts expert!

Soon after, a youth dressed in white appeared at the entrance of the painting and calligraphy shop.

As Zhang San looked up, he saw that the young man was wearing all white and had a refined appearance. Of course, as a man, Zhang San had no interest in checking out another man's looks. But something at the youth's waist caught Zhang San's attention - the sword.

The sword hilt was pure black and the sheath was pure white.

This was the sword of the number one righteous sect - Star Sea Sect!

What really attracted Zhang San's attention was not the origin of the sword though, but rather the extremely ordinary grass knot attached to the sword hilt as a sword tassel accessory.

That was what stunned Zhang San.

Sensing his master's odd reaction, Wang Xiaoer subconsciously prodded Zhang San and whispered: "A customer is here..."

Snapping out of his daze, Zhang San quickly stood up.

Seeing Zhang San staring blankly at his sword just now, the white-clothed youth thought he was afraid. So he laughed and said: "Brother, do not panic. I am a wandering swordsman from the Jianghu. Keeping a blade is only a precaution."

The moment Zhang San regained his composure, he immediately slipped into his "role" as a weak and bookish scholar.

Zhang San smiled politely with folded hands in greeting: "Turns out you are a heroic swordsman from the Jianghu. I wonder if my gesture is the proper etiquette among you Jianghu folks. Anyway, my humble shop does not sell weapons. May I ask what business..."

The white-clothed youth unconsciously glanced towards the street entrance again. Turning back, he returned the greeting: "Since brother is a scholar, there is no need to stand on ceremony with us coarse men. May I come in to take a look around the shop?"

Zhang San smiled. "A guest is a guest, of course you may."