The whole Black Water Gang affair blew over quickly. In a place like Gaolin County, the destruction of such a minor gang was a triviality, hardly worth mentioning.
It was the talk of the town for two or three days before peace returned as usual.
After all, in the vast expanse of Gaolin County, new gangs rose and old ones fell every day. People had long grown accustomed to it.
「Three days later, within the Zhou Institute.」
Sunlight filtered through the branches of the Old Locust Tree in the courtyard, casting dappled shadows on the ground.
Zhou Liang had left the institute in a hurry early that morning.
With their master away, the atmosphere in the institute was considerably more relaxed. Some disciples were refining their qi and blood, while others were sparring and exchanging pointers.
The most prominent figures were the Dark Force disciples: Zhou Yu, Qin Lie, Sun Shun, Luo Qian, and others.
Since hosting their little gathering, this group had often sparred with experts from other institutes, and their gains had been substantial.
Now, they even regularly selected promising disciples from the institute to join their gatherings. Seeing the group's daily improvement, the other disciples grew restless, all eager to join their circle.
He Yan, as usual, was off in a corner by himself, silently practicing his Fist Technique.
Beads of sweat covered his forehead, and his coarse cloth shirt was soaked through, yet he tirelessly repeated the basic stances.
A few new disciples had recently joined the institute, full of youthful energy and drive.
At the same time, several senior disciples had also departed. Knowing they had no hope for a breakthrough in the Martial Arts, they chose to leave and make a living for themselves before their vitality waned.
He Yan had seen this happen far too many times.
Familiar faces grew scarcer, replaced by a steady stream of new ones.
Day after day, year after year, he remained the most diligent disciple in the institute, but the heavens never seemed to smile upon him for it.
Chen Qing draped a towel soaked in cold water over his face and leaned back in a rattan chair at the edge of the training grounds for a short rest.
The early summer heat was already making itself known; even the stone pavers at the edge of the grounds were scorching to the touch.
He Yan walked over and sat down beside him. "Junior Brother Chen," he said in a low voice, "my qi and blood accumulation has reached Perfection. In a few days, I'm going to attempt my second breakthrough."
A second successful breakthrough would mean reaching the realm of Dark Force!
It was a qualitative leap.
If Manifest Force tempered the flesh, then Dark Force tempered one's very marrow. The difference in power was night and day.
Over the decades, hundreds of disciples had passed through the Zhou Institute, but only a dozen or so had ever reached the Dark Force realm. Without exception, they were the institute's elite, the ones Zhou Liang valued most.
Whether one was training at the institute or making a living in the outside world, the treatment of a Manifest Force practitioner versus a Dark Force Expert was worlds apart.
Chen Qing removed the towel, a sincere smile on his face. "In that case, I wish Brother He a swift and resounding success."
He Yan shook his head with a bitter smile. "Let's hope so."
He had been stuck in the Manifest Force realm for over two years. In that time, he had attempted to break through three or four times, all of which had ended in failure.
'If I fail again this time, I'll probably never reach the threshold of Dark Force in this lifetime.'
At the thought, he couldn't help but clench his fists.
The two chatted for a bit before He Yan returned to his Cultivation.
Chen Qing wiped the sweat from his brow, retrieved a blue cloth bundle from behind him, and walked over to Sun Shun with a smile. "Brother Sun, congratulations on the birth of your son! My mother hand-sewed these tiger-head shoes. The stitching is a bit rough, but it's a small token of our well wishes."
Sun Shun's wife had given birth just the other day, so the congratulatory gift was perfectly timed.
Sun Shun paused his training, a wide smile breaking across his tanned face. "Junior Brother Chen, you're too kind! You have to come to the full-month celebration. We brothers will have a few good drinks."
"You can count on it," Chen Qing replied with a smile.
Sun Shun rubbed the tiny tiger-head shoes in his palm, then suddenly lowered his voice. "Speaking of which, you're not getting any younger, Junior Brother. Is there a girl you've taken a liking to? Want your big brother here to help you look?"
Chen Qing waved his hand. "I haven't really thought about it."
"That's you all over! Spending all your time on training."
Sun Shun shook his head with a laugh. "Just look at Junior Brother Qin. The matchmakers are practically beating down his door. I hear young ladies from several wealthy families have sent messengers."
"You're joking, Brother Sun," Chen Qing said. "How could I possibly compare to Junior Brother Qin?"
Sun Shun scratched his head.
Just as Chen Qing said, the two of them were indeed worlds apart.
Qin Lie had already succeeded in his second breakthrough and was very likely to attempt a third in the future.
A young talent like him was naturally sought after by all the great families, each vying to win him over.
Suddenly remembering something, Sun Shun took a half-step closer and whispered, "Right, Junior Brother, I'm afraid things in the county are about to get messy. You should be extra careful during your training."
He knew his junior brother spent all day buried in his training and knew little of the outside world, which was why he felt compelled to give him a warning.
Chen Qing's brow furrowed slightly. "What's going on?"
"Captain Pang is returning to his post."
Sun Shun glanced around, his voice dropping even lower. "He was transferred here from another region and has never gotten along with the local Five Great Races. He went home last year for a period of mourning, and now that period is almost over..."
He didn't say more, but the implication was clear.
Chen Qing's brow furrowed into a tight knot.
The Captain commanded five hundred County Soldiers and was responsible for the city's defense, suppressing bandits, and apprehending criminals.
He was a true man of power; even the County Magistrate had to treat him with deference.
As for the Five Great Races, they were the quintessential Local Bullies. They employed numerous Guests and guards, and their power was immense.
If those two factions clashed, it would be difficult for any part of Gaolin County to know peace.
No one knew who might get caught in the crossfire when those two behemoths collided.
'I'd much rather have a stable environment to focus on my training,' Chen Qing thought to himself.
"If a man had an official rank, it would be much easier to protect himself."
Sun Shun sighed. "Business at Guo's hasn't been good lately, and they've cut our sponsorship by more than half. If I don't pass the Martial Arts Examination this year, I'm afraid I'll have to find another path..."
He broke off mid-sentence, catching himself. Awkwardly, Sun Shun rubbed his hands together. "Listen to me, just spouting pessimistic nonsense. Junior Sister Zhou is waiting for me to spar."
Sun Shun's face flushed, a little embarrassed.
Chen Qing nodded. "Alright, I won't keep you then, Brother Sun."
He then returned to his spot to continue practicing his Pile Skill.
His Pile Skill was nearing its limit; a second breakthrough to reach the Dark Force realm was just around the corner.
And only by reaching Dark Force was there any chance of passing the Martial Arts Examination.
Meanwhile, Sun Shun rejoined the others. Luo Qian raised an eyebrow and asked, "What did that kid want with you?"
"Nothing much," Sun Shun replied. "Just small talk."
Zhengzi Bridge shook his head with a smirk. "If you ask me, the kid's having second thoughts. He wants to join our little group."
Sun Shun quickly shook his head. "Junior Brother Chen didn't say that."
"I saw him give you a gift with my own eyes," Qin Lie said.
He had seen it clearly: Chen Qing handing Sun Shun a bundle.
Hearing this, Zhou Yu's slender brows knitted slightly.
Sun Shun's face flushed as he hurried to explain, "It was just a pair of tiger-head shoes..."
"Brother Sun, you don't have to make excuses for him."
Luo Qian cut Sun Shun off. "He was the one who didn't know what's good for him back then."
Her tone was laced with disdain.
"It's too late now," Zhengzi Bridge said, shaking his head.
"Brother Sun," Qin Lie chimed in, "you're completely wasting your time on him."
He never bothered with overtures from poor disciples, nor did he ever get too close to them.
Luo Qian nodded beside him in agreement.
In her eyes, a disciple like Chen Qing wasn't worth the effort to befriend.
Sun Shun's mouth fell open, but he didn't know how to explain.
Zhou Yu glanced briefly at the bundle. "Let's drop the pointless chatter and continue," she said.
As Sun Shun put the bundle away, she had clearly seen that it was, after all, just a pair of tiger-head shoes.
...