Chen Qing dragged his exhausted body back to Mute Bay.
He pushed open the creaking cabin door. Ms. Han was mending a fishing net.
Hearing the noise, she immediately looked up. "Ah Qing, you're back? How... how was it today?"
Chen Qing smiled. "Mother, I did it."
"Really!?"
A wave of joy washed over Ms. Han, but it was quickly followed by worry. "Then... the master's fee... was it expensive? Is the master a good person?"
"The master is very strict, but he's a man of principles."
Chen Qing walked into the cabin, picked up the water ladle, and gulped down a few mouthfuls. "The gift... I used the silver that Cousin Hui Niang gave us. It's enough for now."
Ms. Han breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good."
She brought out the warmed coarse grains and beans. "Hurry and eat."
Chen Qing put down his bowl and chopsticks. "Mother, I'll come back tomorrow evening to help you weave the nets. We can't let the family's livelihood fall behind. After all, you still need to eat even if you're practicing martial arts, right?"
"Mmm."
Ms. Han murmured in agreement, the dim yellow lamplight flickering across her face.
As if suddenly remembering something important, she looked up at Chen Qing. "I heard a new gang, the Tiger Gang, has shown up. They're fighting fiercely with the Jinhe Gang. You have to be careful these days."
Chen Qing's brow tightened. He nodded silently. "I know."
'What a world!'
Neither mother nor son spoke again, silently shoveling the warm coarse grains and beans from their bowls.
...
「The next day.」
Chen Qing arrived at the Zhou Institute before the sky had lightened.
He once again stepped onto the wooden pile and assumed the twisted, tension-filled posture of the Long Arm Pile Skill.
Soreness, numbness, aching, pain... The familiar torment instantly swept through his entire body.
Chen Qing clenched his jaw, veins popping on his forehead. Sweat soon soaked through his thin clothes, rising as a faint white mist.
[Heaven Rewards Diligence. Success is inevitable.]
[Basic Arm Extension Stance (6/500)]
The disciples arrived one after another, and they were all a little surprised when they saw Chen Qing.
"That kid sure gets here early."
"I saw him killing himself over there yesterday. I wonder how long he can last," someone muttered.
Chen Qing focused on his grueling training, drawing many stares.
Some paid him no mind, some scoffed, and others thought he was just trying to show off for the master.
Before anyone knew it, a month had passed, and the chatter gradually died down.
The disciples in the institute had grown accustomed to the silent, diligent figure. Chen Qing became known as "the new guy who can really endure hardship."
The parasol tree leaves on the pile-skill platform had grown a bit wider.
Chen Qing stepped onto the three-inch-high wooden pile, his back as straight as a spear. The lines of new muscle were faintly visible beneath his lapels. Compared to when he first entered the Zhou Institute, his shoulders had broadened by more than half an inch.
[Heaven Rewards Diligence. Success is inevitable.]
[Basic Arm Extension Stance (211/500)]
On this day, Zhou Liang ambled over and asked, "How long have you been at the institute?"
Chen Qing replied respectfully, "Master, it's been one month."
Not long ago, Zhou Liang had checked Chen Qing's Root Bone.
The final result: below-average Root Bone.
Zhou Liang's expression didn't change. He just offered a few words of encouragement as a matter of routine.
Clearly, he hadn't held out much hope in the first place.
Zhou Liang said in a deep voice, "Pile Skill is the foundation for tempering one's qi, blood, muscles, and bones, all to pave the way for Fist Techniques. Your foundation is now stable. Starting tomorrow, you can attend the morning class and formally begin practicing Fighting Methods."
"If there's anything you don't understand, just ask."
After this initial guidance, Zhou Liang naturally wouldn't personally instruct every disciple.
Only those with outstanding Root Bone, disciples who showed promise of inheriting his legacy, would receive his meticulous guidance.
This entry-level Pile Skill was, in a way, a test for all the disciples.
Evidently, in his eyes, Chen Qing was not unpolished jade, but merely dust left behind by the sieve.
The older disciples were all shrewd. Mentoring this poor junior brother offered no benefits, and he was unlikely to amount to much in the future, so most of them couldn't be bothered with him.
Only Third Senior Brother Sun Shun, a kind and honest man, would occasionally offer a pointer or two to the newly-entered disciples.
Chen Qing cupped his fist and replied, "Yes, this disciple will remember Master's teachings."
Zhou Liang nodded slightly. "Mm, continue your training."
With that, he returned to his grandmaster's chair under the tree. His gaze periodically swept across the disciples in the courtyard, a contemplative look on his face, leaving one to wonder what he was thinking.
Chen Qing wiped the sweat from his brow and focused on his training once more.
[Heaven Rewards Diligence. Success is inevitable.]
[Basic Arm Extension Stance (214/500)]
As the sun slanted west, Chen Qing had already practiced the Long Arm Pile Skill another three times.
"You lot, time to get to work."
Just then, a coarse voice boomed across the courtyard.
Besides practicing martial arts, the apprentices in the institute also served as Zhou Liang's handymen. They had to do all sorts of chores: laundry, cooking, fetching water, chopping firewood, sweeping the courtyard, cleaning the latrines, and feeding and cutting fodder for the horses.
Afterward, Chen Qing and a few of his martial brothers began to sweep the courtyard.
Sweeping the courtyard and feeding the horses weren't the hardest tasks. The most difficult was cleaning the latrines.
First, you had to use a long-handled wooden ladle to scoop clean water and rinse the pits. After rinsing, you had to sprinkle a layer of plant ash. It was a filthy, exhausting, and troublesome job.
"Chen Qing, Qin Lie, you two are cleaning the latrines today."
The senior brother in charge of assigning chores tossed out the order and turned to leave.
Chen Qing's partner for the day was another disciple who was equally poor, dark-skinned, and thin, named Qin Lie.
He had entered the Zhou Institute around the same time as Chen Qing. Both his parents were dead, and he had only an older sister at home.
The difference was, Zhou Liang seemed to think highly of him, often instructing him personally and even giving him special treatment.
Qin Lie smiled a little sheepishly. "Brother Chen, how about... I can do it myself. I can handle it."
"It's fine. It'll be faster with two people."
Chen Qing waved his hand dismissively and got straight to work.
The two of them worked with their heads down amidst the foul odor.
The other disciples in the courtyard chatted as they worked. Some complained that martial arts training was too hard, while others dreamed of passing the Martial Arts Examination and making a name for themselves.
As Qin Lie ladled water to rinse a pit, he asked in a low voice, "Brother Chen, are... are you also learning martial arts to take the Martial Arts Examination?"
"Just to put food on the table," Chen Qing answered bluntly.
Qin Lie was taken aback for a moment. He then clenched his fists, a determined fire in his eyes. "I want to pass the Military Examination! So my sister... can live a good life and not have to suffer so much anymore."
Chen Qing looked up and studied the dark, thin boy.
The chores continued until the sky began to darken.
As twilight fell, the senior brother who assigned the chores rushed back and shouted directly at Qin Lie, "Junior Brother Qin, come with me, quick! From now on, you don't have to do these chores anymore!"
Qin Lie's heart leaped with joy upon hearing this. "Yes, Senior Brother," he said hastily.
Watching Qin Lie's back disappear behind the corridor, a few disciples nearby couldn't help but mutter among themselves, their tones sour with envy:
"How long has Qin Lie been here? What gives him the right to skip chores?"
"Tch, can you compare yourself to him? He touched the threshold of Manifest Force in less than a month! He's the apple of the master's eye!"
"I heard the master not only waived his gift but also gives him special training every day!"
"..."
The sight of Qin Lie being hurriedly called away was like a thorn, making the other disciples present feel their own status in the institute more clearly. They were, after all, different from the disciples in the front courtyard who were being specially cultivated.
Chen Qing couldn't help but feel a little wistful.
After all, many people imagined themselves to be unpolished jade, stumbling forward only to open their palms years later and discover they were just a common pebble.
A while later, after all the chores were finished, the group finally dispersed.
On the street, pedestrians were sparse.
Gang members would pop out from time to time, undoubtedly adding a layer of danger.
Chen Qing quickened his pace and skirted around them.
Before long, he was home.
A dim oil lamp flickered on the table, illuminating Ms. Han's hunched figure.
Her rough fingers darted back and forth over the fishing net. Without looking up, she asked, "Ah Qing, you're back. Are you tired today?"
Chen Qing took off his cloth training shoes. "Mother, it was fine. Have you eaten?"
"I just had some porridge."
Ms. Han's hands didn't stop moving, the thread flying between her fingers. "I sold two fishing nets today. The buyer didn't haggle much. If we can scrape together a bit more, maybe we can squeeze out the money for the gift due in two months."
She bit off the thread and gave the mended clothes a gentle shake.
These days, Ms. Han had been weaving nets from dawn till dusk, nearly ruining her eyes.
Fortunately, Chen Qing's skill at weaving nets was steadily improving, and his speed was increasing.
Mother and son could get by on the income from these nets, but when it came to gathering enough for the gift, it was still a drop in the bucket.
"Mother, there are still two months. Don't you worry about the gift."
Chen Qing squatted down and helped gather the fine threads scattered on the floor.
"Tomorrow, I'll get up early and try my luck at Dew City again..." The oil lamp licked up its last drop of oil, and the flame began to dim.
Ms. Han moved to the doorway, and by the cool moonlight, her needle and thread began to dance across the fabric once more.
CRASH—!
Just then, the cabin door was kicked open.
Ms. Han's needlework jerked in her hands, and she nearly pricked her finger.
Chen Qing instinctively looked toward the sound.
He saw Master Qian swaggering in with two burly henchmen. A short blade was tucked into his belt, and the fat on his face jiggled with every step.
"Yo, still making embroidered handkerchiefs this late? Not afraid of going blind?"
Master Qian said in a snide tone, but his eyes were fixed on the nearly finished handkerchief in Ms. Han's hands.
Chen Qing calmly moved to shield Ms. Han behind him. "Master Qian, is there something you need?"
"Don't be nervous, Ah Qing." Master Qian grinned, revealing a few blackened, yellow teeth. "This time, I'm here to bring you good news."
'Good news!?'
Chen Qing sneered internally, but his face showed only confusion. "I'm not sure what you mean, Master Qian..."
"The Dragon King has shown his grace and bestowed some meat!"
Master Qian clapped his hands sharply, and the two henchmen behind him immediately heaved a slab of rotting meat onto the deck, dropping it with a heavy thud.
Instantly, a nauseating stench filled the air. It was the carcass of a pig that had been soaking for days, its skin a grotesque bluish-gray. Maggots could be faintly seen squirming in the decaying flesh.
This so-called 'meat bestowed by the Dragon King' was actually a scheme by the Jinhe Gang to forcibly sell the meat of diseased, rotten pigs to the fishermen.
Chen Qing's Adam's apple bobbed as he fought back a wave of nausea. "Master Qian, you know we just paid the Incense Money..."
"What, you won't even give the Dragon King face?"
Master Qian's thick, powerful hand slapped heavily onto Chen Qing's shoulder. "Ah Qing, you're a smart kid. Don't go making a foolish mistake."
Chen Qing took a deep breath. "Master Qian, give me some time."
Hearing this, Master Qian, surprisingly, did not get angry. Instead, he stood up and patted Chen Qing's shoulder. "Fine. I'll give you three days to scrape it together."
Master Qian got up and strode away with his two henchmen.
When the sound of their footsteps had completely faded, Ms. Han's lips trembled. "Ah Qing, what are we going to do?"
They barely had any money left for rice bran, let alone this. If they didn't buy the rotten meat, given Master Qian's vicious methods... Ms. Han didn't dare to think any further.
"Don't worry."
Chen Qing's eyes narrowed. 'That Qian Biao... He failed to threaten me into taking a high-interest loan last time, so now he's resorting to force.'
'He's in such a hurry to sell this... "water lantern meat." And he comes at night, not during the day. Is he afraid of something?'
'It's very likely the Jinhe Gang is losing ground in their turf war with the Tiger Gang, and Qian Biao wants to make one last score before he skips town.'
After thinking it through, Chen Qing seemed to understand something. "Mother," he said in a low voice, "leave this to me."
...