Zhu Shuang leaned against the headboard, her long hair disheveled and her face pale. Her once-bright eyes were bloodshot, and she had a fragile, broken air about her.
Her personal maid, Zhu'er, stood by helplessly. Seeing Zhu Ju, she couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.
"Young Master!"
"Please, try to talk some sense into Miss. She hasn't had a drop of water or a bite to eat for a whole day and night. This can't go on."
Zhu Ju frowned at her words and waved his hand.
"Go make a bowl of meat congee."
"Yes."
"Sis."
Pulling over a chair, Zhu Ju sat down and spoke in a low voice.
"What's wrong?"
"How can you not eat or drink? Even if you're not thinking about yourself, you should think of the child in your belly."
Before the new year, Zhu Shuang had mentioned in a letter that she was pregnant. Now, it was beginning to show.
"Brother…"
Lifting her head, Zhu Shuang's eyes welled with tears as she choked out her words.
"I don't want to be with Luu Pu anymore."
Huh?
Zhu Ju's expression changed drastically. He shot to his feet, furious.
"What did he do? Does he think he can bully you just because the Old Master is gone? I'll go find him right now!"
"He…" Zhu Shuang cried. "He's getting remarried!"
"Marry again?" Zhu Ju frowned.
"You two have always had a good relationship. If it's just about taking a concubine… I think you even brought it up yourself, Sis."
The ideal of "one couple for a lifetime" sounded wonderful, but in this society, it was unrealistic, especially for the rich and powerful.
When Luu Pu was younger, it was one thing; his connections and family affairs were simple. But now, as his status rose, his social obligations multiplied and his wealth grew. Zhu Shuang was getting overwhelmed trying to manage it all by herself.
Taking a concubine at a time like this was quite normal.
In fact, Zhu Shuang herself had offered to find a concubine for Luu Pu, to find a woman to help her manage the household.
The status of a wife and a concubine were not equal.
If a concubine didn't bear a child, her status was barely higher than a servant's. This was standard practice in large households.
However, it was customary to wait until the main wife had given birth to a son before taking a concubine; otherwise, it could cause trouble.
"Marry again?"
Zhu Ju asked.
"Who is he marrying? Whose daughter?"
"Wan Wenxin," Zhu Shuang sniffled and cried. "Vice Hall Master Wan's daughter. I used to treat her like my own little sister… I can't believe… she's stealing my husband."
Zhu Ju's brow furrowed. "Vice Hall Master Wan agreed to this?"
San Fen Hall had one Hall Master and two Vice Hall Masters. Each one was an immensely powerful figure in Hejian Prefecture.
Marrying one of their daughters was undoubtedly a shortcut to the top.
Likewise.
How could such a man allow his daughter to be someone's concubine? Not even as a co-wife or second wife would be possible.
"Waaa…" Zhu Shuang wailed. "Elder Wan didn't agree, but that little hussy kept crying and making a scene, threatening to hang herself if he didn't consent."
?
An image of Luu Pu—short, fat, and ugly—surfaced in Zhu Ju's mind, and he was utterly baffled.
"Is this Wan Wenxin very ugly?"
"Not ugly, no." Zhu Shuang pouted. "But she's definitely not as pretty as me."
Zhu Ju understood. 'If she can't even bring herself to lie and say the girl is ugly in a situation like this, it must mean Wan Wenxin is very beautiful.'
But…
'Why?'
Luu Pu's appearance was a million miles from handsome, and he wasn't particularly charismatic either. How could he possibly win the favor of beautiful women?
First Zhu Shuang, and now Wan Wenxin.
'Vice Hall Master Wan probably can't understand it either,' he thought.
"Sigh!"
Sighing, Zhu Ju saw the congee was ready and tried to persuade her.
"Have some congee first to warm yourself up. Think about the child in your belly. You can't torture yourself because someone else did something wrong."
"As for my brother-in-law…"
"I'll go talk to him."
"Okay." Seeing Zhu Ju, she felt she had someone to rely on. Though still miserable, her appetite slowly returned.
......
Before Zhu Ju could leave, Luu Pu rushed over from Hejian Prefecture. He was covered in dust, a clear sign of a hasty journey.
"Get out!"
"I don't want to see you! Get the hell out!"
SLAM…
The door slammed shut. Rebuffed, Luu Pu stood awkwardly outside, a look of helplessness on his face.
"Brother-in-law."
Zhu Ju sighed.
"Let's have a drink."
"Alright."
Beneath the stone pavilion.
Luu Pu said nothing, simply downing cup after cup of wine, his face a mask of unspoken sorrow.
"Brother-in-law."
Zhu Ju picked up the wine pot, filled his cup, and said,
"When my sister met you, you were still just running errands for people at a small branch of San Fen Hall, weren't you?"
"Yes." Luu Pu nodded. "Back then, I was a good-for-nothing. Your sister even had to fund the medicinal herbs I needed for my martial arts practice."
"Fortunately, you didn't disappoint anyone, Brother-in-law. You reached Perfection in Entering Strength at a young age and even nurtured Inner Qi," Zhu Ju said. "The Old Master went from being staunchly opposed to finally relenting."
"..." Luu Pu's expression was complicated. "Without your sister and the Old Master's support, I would not be where I am today. I know that."
"But you should also understand that I have no way of refusing this matter."
"Why?" Zhu Ju's voice was cold. "Of course you can refuse!"
"Zhu Ju." Luu Pu stood up and gazed into the distance, his eyes complex. "Men and women are different. A man needs his own career. He needs to keep climbing."
"I don't deny the help Vice Hall Master Wan will give me after I marry Wenxin, but I can also promise Shuan'er that I will never betray her!"
"Hah…" Zhu Ju sneered. "My sister once told me you promised her a lifetime together, just the two of you."
"When the Old Master was alive, you never mentioned marrying again. Now, you're just bullying my Zhu Family because you think there's no one left to stop you."
"Absolutely not!" Luu Pu's face was grave. "I can swear to the heavens, I have never done anything to wrong Shuan'er! As for Wenxin…"
"No one dares to refuse Vice Hall Master Wan! If I dared to say I wouldn't marry her, you'd be looking at my corpse tomorrow!"
"Is that so?" Zhu Ju said. "In that case, let's get a divorce. I can take care of my sister just fine without you."
"What nonsense are you spouting!" Luu Pu flew into a rage. "That's impossible!"
"Shuan'er and I have been in love for years, and she's pregnant with my child! If I abandoned her, would I even be human?"
"Zhu Ju!"
He said solemnly, "You're a man too. You should know how hard it is for a man out there. You should be helping me convince your sister."
"I struggle every day out there. At any moment, I might not live to see the next sunrise. And on top of that, I have to manage my family's emotions and handle every little detail. Do you have any idea what I've been through all these years?"
"Luu Pu!" Zhu Ju looked at him and said slowly, "You have it hard, but besides your family, you also have your career and your friends. If you're unhappy, you can find someone to drink with. If you're upset, you can pick a fight. You know exactly what you have and what you want. Your life has many hardships, but it can also be fulfilling."
"But…"
"My sister is different!"
He took a deep breath and spoke gravely.
"My sister has nothing but you. When she's wronged, she can't just find an outlet like you can. Her family is a woman's everything. You've now broken your promise and destroyed her everything."
"Divorce!"
"Other than divorce, I can't think of any other solution."
Luu Pu's expression stiffened.
*
*
*
「Two days later.」
「Hejian Prefecture.」
Zhu Shuang held Zhu Ju's hand as they walked along a mountain path.
"My little brother has grown up."
Zhu Shuang's eyes were filled with complex emotions, and her voice was tinged with sentiment.
"'Her family is a woman's everything.' To be able to say something like that… whichever girl marries you will surely be very happy."
"By the way."
"Do you remember the childhood engagement Mom told you about?"
"Sis." Zhu Ju raised a hand, cutting her off. "Where are we going?"
"To an elder's residence." Zhu Shuang withdrew her gaze and looked toward the mountain peak with a smile. "He's an old friend of Dad's."
It was just a small mountain with sparse shrubs. Beneath a few large trees stood a simple courtyard enclosed by a wicker fence.
"Elder Ye!"
"The girl from the Zhu Family?" A hoarse voice came from inside the wooden house. "Let him come in."
"Go on." Zhu Shuang gestured. "Go talk with Elder Ye for a while. I'll wait for you at the foot of the mountain."
"Alright."
Zhu Ju agreed, walked into the courtyard, and pushed open the door. Inside the spacious, several-hundred-square-foot room sat an old man.
The old man had a fierce countenance with a broad head, round eyes, a sharp chin, and a bristling mustache. His frame was exceptionally sturdy, a size larger than even Shenn Hu.
"This old man is Ye Chongshan. You must have heard my name, right?"
'Ye Chongshan?'
A flicker of understanding crossed Zhu Ju's eyes. He cupped his fist in his hand in a salute.
"Iron Fist Elder Ye, I've long heard of your great name."
Among the older generation of San Fen Hall, there were two equally famous masters: one of the palm, one of the fist. The palm was the Zhu Family's Old Master and his Mixed Element Iron Hand; the fist was Iron Fist Ye Chongshan.
Moreover.
Ye Chongshan was the one who cultivated the Thirteen Body Refinement. The External Training Fifth Realm manual Luu Pu had given him also came from this man.
He was beginning to understand why Zhu Shuang had brought him here.
"Heh…"
Ye Chongshan chuckled, his gaze sweeping over Zhu Ju before he nodded.
"In less than a year, you've cultivated the Thirteen Body Refinement to the Tendon and Bone Realm. Even with your prior foundation, that's not bad."
"I never would have thought that fellow Old Zhu's son would be suited for cultivating Hard Skills."
He shook his head slowly, his expression shifting.
"Come here!"
"Yes."
"I hear you know Medical Skill?"
"A little."
"Then take my pulse for me!"
"Yes."
Ye Chongshan rolled up his sleeve and casually placed his arm on the table, allowing Zhu Ju to feel for his pulse point.
Hmm?
The man's pulse was powerful and vigorous, yet it made Zhu Ju's brows furrow tightly.
"How is it?"
Ye Chongshan laughed heartily.
"Startled you, did it?"
"Yes." Zhu Ju nodded slowly. "Elder, your pulse seems strong, but it's actually a sign of fading strength and exhaustion. This is… a sign that you don't have long to live."
"You've got some skill," Ye Chongshan praised, then sighed. "This is the consequence of cultivating Hard Skills. Some parts of my body are as hard as a rock, while others have been reduced to pulp."
As he spoke, he pinched his own arm.
To the naked eye, his muscles were like lumps of iron, but when he pressed on the fascia, it left a shallow pit that took a long time to slowly recover.
"Hard Skills are difficult to practice. If you don't master them, you'll only harm yourself and others. Nine times out of ten, you won't enjoy a peaceful old age."
Ye Chongshan's voice was muffled as he spoke.
"I've managed to avoid any major pitfalls, and I still ended up like this. Are you sure you want to learn Hard Skills from me?"
The human body is extremely complex. It takes a hundred days to recover from a serious injury to the tendons and bones. Hard Skills, however, require constantly tempering the Physical Body with Strength. The slightest mistake can lead to injury. On top of that, cultivating Hard Skills inevitably involves fighting, usually in head-on clashes. By old age, a body full of aches and pains is almost unavoidable.
However…
Zhu Ju took a deep breath.
"I am willing!"
"Good!"
Ye Chongshan roared with laughter.
"Since you want to learn, I will teach you! I want to see for myself just how far Old Zhu's son can take the Thirteen Body Refinement."