After his morning roll call, Chen Qing practiced the Gale Saber Technique for another hour before heading home.
"Mom, I'm home." Climbing into the boat, Chen Qing set his saber on the table, then grabbed a water ladle and gulped down a few mouthfuls.
The cool water soothed the burning in his chest.
He took off his short tunic, the sweat stains spreading into dark patches on the coarse cloth.
"Have you eaten? There are still some beans in the pot."
Ms. Han sat by the window, her fingers flying as she stitched a shoe sole.
Chen Qing grunted in acknowledgment and was about to pick up his chopsticks when he noticed Ms. Han's expression tighten. She glanced from side to side and lowered her voice. "The Tiger Gang came to collect Incense Money again these past two days, but they skipped our boat. The Water Bandits have been running rampant lately, so the fishing boats on the river don't dare cast their nets far out. Old Gao's family is tight on money. I heard they even had to pawn their iron wok just to scrape enough together..."
Ever since Xu Chengfeng learned that Chen Qing had reached the level of Manifest Force, the Tiger Gang had stopped coming to collect their Incense Money. Ms. Han sighed and continued, "Should we send a bag of rice bran over to them later? We're neighbors, after all. We can't just stand by and watch them go hungry."
Chen Qing nodded. "Mom, I'll leave it to you."
He had also often heard the other disciples at the institute talking about the Water Bandits. They were indeed more rampant than before, and many merchant ships had fallen victim to them.
As twilight fell, Ms. Han took a cloth bag and quietly went over to the Gao family's boat.
Old Gao took the rice bran, his rough hands trembling slightly and his eyes reddening at the rims.
In times like these, anyone willing to lend a helping hand was a true friend.
Uncle Gao's family had always been on good terms with Da Chun's, but after this happened, Da Chun had remained silent.
In the days that followed, Chen Qing squeezed every last drop of value out of each moment.
He rose before dawn to train, contemplated his techniques while on patrol, and sparred with other patrols after his shift.
Occasionally, he would also spar with the patrols at the River Department, learning many Fist and Foot Skills and rapidly improving his practical combat experience.
「Three months passed in a flash.」
The weather gradually grew cooler.
Chen Qing had grown several inches taller. His body was now a mass of sharp, defined muscle, and his Essence, Qi, and Spirit were completely different from before.
[Heaven Rewards Diligence. Success is Guaranteed.]
[Long Arm Pile Skill: Minor Achievement (705/1000)]
[Long Arm Fist: Minor Achievement (601/1000)]
Chen Qing's Long Arm Pile Skill was progressing several times faster than in the previous months.
This rapid improvement was built not only on his sweat, but also on a foundation of meat and precious Blood and Qi Powder.
As long as his supplies were sufficient and the medicinal power was strong enough, he could gain two progress points from a single cultivation session.
His martial arts were improving rapidly, but the expense was staggering.
The windfall from Song Tie had long since run out, and his salary from the River Department was barely enough to even buy Blood and Qi Powder.
Even more troubling, as his qi and blood grew ever more abundant, the nourishing effects of ordinary meat had become negligible. And while medicinal supplements were effective, he couldn't afford them.
「One day,」 at the Zhou Institute, Chen Qing was sparring with He Yan.
"Hah!"
He Yan struck first. A "Piercing Clouds and Shattering Stones" punch shot straight for Chen Qing's face, the wind from his fist whistling, faintly sounding as if it were tearing through the air.
But Chen Qing was unhurried. He shifted slightly to the side, his right hand deflecting the blow like flowing water. It was "Go with the Flow" from the Long Arm Fist. Having deftly neutralized the attack, he simultaneously whipped out his left leg in a "Fiece Tiger Descending the Mountain," aiming straight for He Yan's lower body.
Fists and feet collided in a series of muffled thuds.
After several exchanges, Chen Qing suddenly switched tactics. His hand jabbed out like a striking viper, hitting He Yan squarely on a vital point in his shoulder.
THUMP THUMP THUMP!
He Yan stumbled back several steps and cupped his hands with a wry smile. "Junior Brother Chen, I admit defeat."
At the start of the year, he could have reliably suppressed Chen Qing. Now, he could barely even defend himself. modern-sounding
Besides the ever-deepening refinement of his Manifest Force, the main reason was that Chen Qing had a much deeper understanding of the techniques.
Chen Qing wiped the sweat from his brow and cupped his fist. "You let me win."
Just then, Zhou Liang's hearty laughter suddenly rang out from the back courtyard.
'What's going on!?'
The disciples all stopped what they were doing and looked in unison toward the moon gate that led to the back courtyard.
A disciple came stumbling out, his face flushed red, and shouted, "Senior Brother Qin... he... he broke through to Dark Force!"
'What!?'
The words were like a thunderclap on a clear day, leaving every disciple present dumbfounded.
Although Manifest Force and Dark Force were just one word apart, the difference in strength was like that between heaven and earth.
Dark Force was the power that erupted forth after one had opened the Conception and Governor meridians, trained the mind and the surface of the body, and connected the fascia throughout their muscles and bones.
Moreover, the status of a Manifest Force practitioner and a Dark Force practitioner at the Zhou Institute was vastly different.
Everyone was in a bit of a daze. They never expected that Qin Lie, who had become a disciple less than a year ago, had already broken through to Dark Force.
Many disciples sighed internally, their expressions complicated.
They were all disciples of the Zhou Institute, yet the gap between them was enormous.
A wry smile touched He Yan's lips. "We've all been struggling for so many years... and Junior Brother Qin did it in less than one..."
As one of the most senior disciples in the institute, his qi and blood had not only stagnated but had even begun to decline.
Over the years, he had exhausted his family's fortune and trained day and night, yet he had never even touched the threshold of Dark Force.
At that moment, a wave of despair washed over him. He Yan couldn't help but ask, "Junior Brother Chen, could it be that 'Heaven Rewards Diligence' is just a joke after all?"
Chen Qing was silent for a moment, pondering.
Just then, Zhou Liang emerged with Qin Lie, Sun Shun, Zhou Yu, Luo Qian, Zhengzi Bridge, and other disciples.
The entire courtyard fell silent.
Zhou Liang's face was beaming, and the hand stroking his beard trembled slightly. Qin Lie, for his part, looked utterly triumphant.
After all, just a year ago he had been weaving mats and selling shoes on the street with his sister. Now, he was a Dark Energy Expert.
Sun Shun and the other Dark Force disciples had rather complicated expressions.
Zhou Yu, however, watched Qin Lie with a smile, her eyes full of gratification.
Zhou Liang glanced at the assembled disciples, stroked his beard, and said with a smile, "From this day forward, I have decided to accept Qin Lie as my Closed-door Disciple."
'Master is taking a Closed-door Disciple!?'
His words were like a boulder dropped into a still lake.
Chen Qing noticed that although Sun Shun, who was standing in the front row, had a smile on his face, his hands were trembling.
The other senior brothers at the Dark Force level had varied expressions—some of envy, some of jealousy, but most were an indescribable mix of emotions.
At the Zhou Institute, the ranks of disciples were clearly distinguished.
Disciples who had not yet reached Manifest Force were considered apprentices. They were basically registered in name only and could not claim affiliation with the institute when they were out and about.
Upon reaching Manifest Force, they were considered Named Disciples. They could announce their affiliation outside and were allowed to remain at the Zhou Institute to practice.
This was the most common type of disciple at the Zhou Institute.
Dark Force disciples like Sun Shun, Zhengzi Bridge, Luo Qian, Liu Xiaolou, and Qi Wenhao would sometimes receive private instruction from the master and were considered Inner Disciples.
The final category was the Closed-door Disciple. This person was the focus of the Veteran Martial Artist's efforts. In the future, they would not only inherit his mantle but also care for him in his old age and shield him from harm.
It was no exaggeration to say that the relationship between a master and his Closed-door Disciple was closer than that with his own son.
Qin Lie would not only receive all of Zhou Liang's lifelong knowledge but would also inherit his entire network of connections.
How could such an honor not make others green with envy?
Zhou Liang had been searching for years, and the position of Closed-door Disciple had remained unfilled.
Now, seeing Qin Lie, he had finally made his decision.
"I will humbly obey Master's command!"
Qin Lie said, cupping his fist in an excited salute.
Around noon, Qin Lie's older sister arrived.
His sister was dark-skinned and plain-looking, seeming like an honest and simple person. When she heard that Zhou Liang was going to accept Qin Lie as his Closed-door Disciple, tears welled in her eyes, and she nearly fell to her knees before him.
Everyone present sighed with emotion. From this day forward, the Qin Family's fortunes had completely turned around.
This real-life demonstration of "when one man gets promoted, his whole family benefits" made the eyes of many poor disciples burn with emotion.
'When will I ever be this successful?'
He Yan watched the scene unfold, his fists unconsciously clenching and then relaxing.
He thought of his bedridden father at home, of the ancestral farmland he had pawned, of the countless dawns spent drenched in sweat on the training grounds...
Afterwards, Zhou Liang led Qin Lie and his family to the discipleship acceptance banquet.
Although the other disciples returned to their places to continue their cultivation, their minds were elsewhere, and the sound of their whispers rose and fell.
Only Chen Qing remained as focused as ever, burying his head in his training without any distractions.
The proficiency of his Pile Skill increased steadily with his day-in, day-out persistence.