With silver in hand, Su Yu was no longer frugal. He renewed his supply of Herbal Decoctions and began to train in peace.
A few days later, it was his day off.
Today was the day the Qian Family Fishing Team was scheduled to set out again. Although Su Yu didn't plan on joining them, he didn't want to sever his ties with the Fishing Team just yet.
After all, the Bibo Fishbone Skill was incredibly useful for improving his underwater capabilities, and he still needed to obtain the accompanying Pile Skill from the Qian Family.
He left the martial arts hall and walked toward the Qian Family's grand courtyard.
The streets along the way were as bustling as ever, lined with merchants and teeming with people.
A blue cloth wine banner fluttered in the wind as a tavern owner bellowed his sales pitch. "Fine wine! Fine wine! Fiery Brew from green rice! One gulp and you'll fall in three steps!"
Su Yu took in the rich aroma of wine and gazed at the bustling street, feeling a wave of emotion.
'Who outside the city could afford to brew wine like this? They're lucky if they have enough grain to eat.'
RUMBLE!
The ground suddenly began to tremble.
Ahead on the main street, the crowd scattered in panic as a troop of cavalry in Heavy Armor charged forward like a black torrent.
"The Black Stone Army!"
Warhorses whinnied and iron hooves thundered.
Each rider was encased head-to-toe in jet-black refined iron armor, their helms adorned with dark, gilded patterns that glinted coldly, revealing only their frigid eyes. Their long spears, held like a forest, emanated a suffocating, murderous aura.
The man at their head was built like an iron tower, astride a magnificent Black-scaled Horse. His face was hidden behind a ferocious, demonic-looking visor, and his eyes, like frozen pools, swept over the crowd, making people shudder as if targeted by a predator.
"That's the Black Stone Army's elite, the Black Stone Cavalry! Look, the one leading them is Huyan Ba! I heard he charged into an enemy formation all by himself and beheaded a high-ranking general from the Black Lotus Sect's army!"
'The Black Stone Army is on the move? What's going on?'
Su Yu was puzzled. From what he'd heard, most of the Black Stone Army was stationed at the pass north of Black Stone City, fighting the increasingly rampant Black Lotus Sect rebels. Only the elite Black Stone Cavalry was left to defend the Inner City.
'For even the Black Stone Cavalry to be mobilized, something major must have happened.'
However, as a low-level commoner, he had no access to information, which only heightened his sense of danger.
'Information is so hard to come by!'
'If the Black Lotus Sect attacks, I might not even know it's happening until I'm just cannon fodder.'
'And there's still the Water Snake Gang! Cao Bin!'
At these thoughts, a strange anxiety began to stir within him.
But there was no easy solution. Other than getting stronger as fast as possible, there was very little he could do.
Once the Black Stone Army had passed, calm returned to the street, and Su Yu continued toward the Qian Family's estate.
Upon entering the grand courtyard, Su Yu found Qian Wenhao, who was bare-chested and addressing his crew.
The scale of this expedition was quite large. In addition to familiar faces like Bai Shun, Gao Xiaoshuang, and the Zhou Brothers, there were many new recruits.
Qian Wenhao's eyes lit up when he saw Su Yu. He laughed heartily and waved him over.
"Su Yu, you rascal! Not coming on the last trip was a real letdown. Come on, we're heading into the deeper parts of the Black Water River this time. We might even find some rare treasure fish! We can't do it without your Net Casting Skill!"
Su Yu cupped his fists in apology. "Captain Qian, my sincerest apologies. This time... I've come to ask for leave again."
Qian Wenhao's brow furrowed. "The Qian Family doesn't make it mandatory," he said, "but if you keep skipping expeditions, you'll have to leave the Qian Family Fishing Team. You learned the five techniques of the Qian Family's Bibo Fishbone Skill, so you'll have to pay some silver to make up for it."
The expressions on the faces of the surrounding crew members were mixed.
The Zhou Brothers were gloating, Gao Xiaoshuang was smirking, and a flash of disappointment crossed Bai Shun's eyes.
Su Yu's expression remained unchanged as he replied, neither servile nor overbearing:
"Captain Qian, I have no intention of leaving the Fishing Team. It's just that my training in the Martial Arts has reached a critical juncture. I'm preparing to break through to the Martial Artist realm and truly cannot spare the time."
"Hmm? Breaking through to the Martial Artist realm?" Qian Wenhao was stunned, his booming voice growing even louder.
The rest of the crew stared at him, their eyes wide with shock.
"Yes, Captain Qian. I have already broken through the second gate and am now focusing all my efforts on breaking through the third."
"Well, I'll be. You've actually got a talent for the Martial Arts! Come on, then, let's see what you've got!" Looking skeptical, Qian Wenhao waved for the others to back away and assumed a stance, ready to test Su Yu's skill.
Su Yu knew he had no choice but to reveal some of his strength, so he immediately adopted a stance as well.
"Captain Qian, I've broken through the second gate, but I haven't learned any combat techniques, only some Pile Skills. Please be gentle."
"Haha, don't worry, I'll go easy. Come at me with everything you've got!"
"Then forgive my offense!"
Su Yu immediately mobilized his Qi and Blood. Pushing off with his feet, his body shot forward like an arrow, closing the distance to Qian Wenhao in an instant.
The onlookers gasped. Such speed! He was without a doubt a Half-Step Martial Artist. Looks of envy spread across their faces.
"Angry Ape Hanging Rock!"
This Pile Skill stance could be used for training one's Qi and Blood through climbing and hanging, but it could also be adapted into a Splitting and Hanging strike for actual combat.
Su Yu's hands clasped together like a heavy sledgehammer, smashing down with immense force toward Qian Wenhao's shoulder.
"Good!"
Far from being afraid, Qian Wenhao's face broke into a wide grin. Without dodging or retreating, he thrust out a palm to meet the blow.
"Overlapping Waves Palm!"
BANG!
Su Yu's hammer-fist struck Qian Wenhao's palm with an explosive crack. However, the scene he imagined—of his strike splitting the palm and plowing straight through—did not occur.
His attack felt like it had struck a slab of tough leather; it had no effect whatsoever.
The next moment, before Su Yu could react, Qian Wenhao's other palm was already striking. Su Yu felt the wind whistle past his ear and knew the blow was unstoppable.
'This Qian Wenhao is at least a Martial Artist in the Skin Tempering Realm!'
Su Yu hastily retreated, dodging the attack.
Fortunately, Qian Wenhao did not press his advantage, instead pulling back his hand and stopping the exchange.
"Not bad. You really do have the strength of someone who's broken through the second gate! You've got what it takes, kid. With this kind of power, your future is limitless."
Qian Wenhao's gaze was full of admiration as he looked at Su Yu.
The onlookers were even more stunned. The sheer force of that brief exchange had left them breathless. It confirmed that Su Yu had indeed broken through the second gate.
The pride on Bai Shun's tanned face had vanished. He had joined the Qian Family Fishing Team as the top recruit and had always looked down on the others.
Not only were his swimming and fishing skills the best, but he had also studied Martial Arts and possessed the strength of someone who had broken through the first gate!
His strength had easily surpassed that of Su Yu and the others.
When Su Yu distinguished himself on their first expedition, Bai Shun had been stewing with competitive resentment.
On the last expedition, he had gone all out, wrestling a Treasure Fish Ink Whisker Catfish in the water and helping Qian Wenhao successfully capture it. He, too, had earned great merit, a moment of proud vindication!
Afterward, he earned Qian Wenhao's high regard, even being promised the future position of the Fishing Team's vice-captain. His future seemed bright.
However, his own potential was only enough to get him through the first gate; the hope of reaching the second was far too slim. He had stopped aiming for more, resolving instead to serve the Qian Family well, become the Fishing Team's vice-captain, and bring his family to live in the city.
He'd been disappointed when Su Yu didn't show up for the last expedition, as he'd been looking forward to a proper competition.
But now, seeing that Su Yu had already broken through the second gate, he was utterly crushed.
'How ridiculous. I was thinking of competing with him on this trip, but he's already broken through the second gate.'
"Captain Qian, I'll take my leave for today. Once I break through, I will certainly return to serve the Fishing Team."
"Haha, then I'll be waiting for your good news." Qian Wenhao personally walked Su Yu to the gate, leaving the rest of the crew to watch with a mixture of complex emotions.
Just a short while ago, they had all been ordinary members. In the blink of an eye, Su Yu was receiving such high regard from Captain Qian.
'Is this the bright future that awaits those who practice the Martial Arts?'
Many who lacked the natural aptitude for it felt their fighting spirit stir. 'Maybe I should risk it all and give it a try, too.'
Among them, Gao Xiaoshuang's expression was the most resolute. 'Damn it! No wonder that Su Yu looked down on me. He had a talent for the Martial Arts all along!'
'No, I have to try, too! My potential is below-average, but that means I still have a chance!'
'If it weren't for paying for my little brother's training, the silver I've saved over the years would have been more than enough to find a master of my own!'