A warm breeze arrived silently overnight, blowing away all the lingering chill of the past few days. Morning sunlight filtered through the clouds and fell upon the Martial Academy's blue-brick ground, casting a gentle halo of light.
After breakfast, Wang Yue arrived at the training ground on time. Following yesterday's cultivation, the Blood Qi within him had recovered by nearly half. Today, he planned to continue tempering the Harmonious Flow Fist and strive to reach the perfected realm as soon as possible.
But the moment he stepped into the training ground, his footsteps halted. On the open ground to the east, Wang Qishan stood amid a group of men dressed in brocade and fine robes, speaking with them in low voices.
Wang Yue was not unfamiliar with this group. They were all Wang Clan descendants from well-to-do families. They rarely appeared at the Martial Academy's training grounds, usually cultivating in private residences within the clan or going out to socialize. Wang Yue had only seen them a handful of times since coming to the Martial Academy.
What caught his attention even more was the woman standing behind Wang Qishan.
She wore a snow-white fox-fur cloak, its fur fluffy and soft, making her complexion appear even fairer.
She paired it with an ink-black long skirt embroidered with dark golden cloud patterns. On her feet were black boots threaded with gold silk, their toes adorned with tiny pearls. Every movement she made carried a noble air entirely different from that of Martial Academy disciples.
She is Lin Fang, the beloved daughter of the county garrison commander. Wang Yue swiftly reached his conclusion.
He had once seen Lin Fang at the county market. She had been surrounded by numerous guards then, her procession grand and imposing, leaving a deep impression on him.
Wang Qishan soon noticed Wang Yue as well. He said something to those beside him, then led several people over at a brisk pace. His gaze swept Wang Yue from head to toe, carrying a trace of scrutiny and a faint hostility that was not easily detected.
"Wang Yue, I heard that you not only defeated Daoling, but also became Grandfather Wang Shuo's disciple?"
Wang Qishan spoke first, his tone carrying a hint of surprise, as though he had yet to fully accept the news. In his eyes, Wang Yue was merely a collateral disciple from the rear courtyard. Even if he possessed some talent, he should not have been able to defeat Wang Daoling and become Wang Shuo's disciple. Him? How dare he!
Wang Yue remained calm as he replied lightly, "I was merely fortunate enough to earn Master Wang's favor and receive an opportunity to study under him. It is nothing worth mentioning."
He could sense the unfriendliness in Wang Qishan's tone, but he had no intention of quarreling with him. Right now, all he wanted was to improve his strength. He had no time to fuss over such trivial matters.
Wang Qishan clearly paid no heed to Wang Yue's modesty. Instead, he changed the subject and forced a smile onto his face. "Taking a master is a major matter. When do you intend to hold the apprenticeship banquet? Once you set a date, be sure to tell me. I have a generous gift for you as well."
As soon as he finished speaking, he took an exquisite jade bottle from his robes and held it out before Wang Yue. "These are premium Blood Replenishing Pills I had someone purchase from the prefectural city of Spirit Seeking Prefecture. There are a full twenty pills in this bottle, and their medicinal potency is three times stronger than ordinary Blood Replenishing Pills. You will find them useful in your cultivation."
Wang Yue's gaze immediately fell upon the jade bottle, and a glimmer flashed through his eyes. He was all too familiar with Blood Replenishing Pills. When his Blood Qi had previously been exhausted, he had relied on them to recover quickly. Yet the bottle in Wang Qishan's hand not only contained many pills, but their potency was also exceptionally strong.
"Then I shall accept without ceremony." Wang Yue did not put on false modesty. He reached out and took the jade bottle, opened the cap, and gave it a sniff. A rich medicinal fragrance rushed toward him. After confirming that they were genuine, he laughed heartily and cupped his hands toward Wang Qishan. "Thank you for your kindness, Senior Brother Wang. I will remember this favor."
Wang Qishan was slightly stunned by his crisp, decisive response, and the smile on his face became somewhat strained. He had never truly intended to give away the Blood Replenishing Pills. He had merely wanted to use the pretext of offering a generous gift to test Wang Yue's attitude. If Wang Yue declined, he could take the opportunity to mock him a few times. Yet Wang Yue had actually accepted them outright!
What vexed him even more was that his father had kept mentioning Wang Yue in his ear these past days, saying how outstanding Wang Yue's talent was, how promising his future would be, and even telling him to learn more from Wang Yue. This left Wang Qishan, who had always thought highly of himself, deeply unconvinced.
Today, he had come to the Martial Academy intending to find an opportunity to provoke Wang Yue and blunt his edge. Yet now, it seemed that he himself had come off worse.
"It is nothing. Consider it an early congratulatory gift for your apprenticeship."
Wang Qishan suppressed his displeasure and forced out a smile.
Wang Yue could see that something was off with him, but he did not expose it. He cupped his hands once more. "If there is nothing else, I will go practice my fistwork first. Farewell."
With that, he did not linger. He turned and walked toward the center of the training ground, carefully tucking the jade bottle into his robes. With this bottle of Blood Replenishing Pills, the Blood Qi expended during his future cultivation could be restored quickly, greatly speeding up his progress.
Watching Wang Yue's retreating back, Wang Qishan's smile vanished instantly. His expression darkened, and his fists clenched tightly until his knuckles turned white.
Seeing this, one of the brocade-clad men beside him quickly consoled him. "Brother Qishan, do not lower yourself to his level. He is merely a collateral disciple with good luck."
"Exactly. Once we reach the Dragon Transformation Sect's assessment, there will be plenty of chances to let him understand what true talent means!"
Wang Qishan took a deep breath and suppressed the anger in his heart without saying a word.
At that moment, Lin Wan'er, who had been standing behind him, stepped forward. Her voice was clear, carrying a trace of impatience. "Enough. Stop wasting time here. We still have to go pay respects to the Three-Headed Buddha."
She paused, and anticipation flashed in her eyes. "In a few days, it will be the Buddha Festival. I heard that anyone who goes to worship at this time every year receives the Buddha's protection and can increase their Blood Qi limit. We cannot miss it."
"The Three-Headed Buddha?" At the mention of that name, the gloom in Wang Qishan's eyes instantly faded, replaced by solemnity. "That is right. We should go pay our respects. Perhaps our Blood Qi can truly advance another step."
The brocade-clad disciples around them all chimed in. The Three-Headed Buddha Temple had been established here by the Zhao Kingdom three hundred years ago. Although the Zhao Kingdom later withdrew from Three Buddha Prefecture, now known as Spirit Seeking Prefecture, the temple had remained.
Legend had it that the Three-Headed Buddha within the temple was exceptionally efficacious. As long as one worshipped sincerely, not only could one's wishes be fulfilled, but one's Blood Qi could also be nourished. Over the years, many powerful figures in the county had come to worship during the Buddha Festival, including quite a few experts of the Energy Refining Realm.
"Let's go now!" Wang Qishan no longer dwelled on Wang Yue's matter. He turned and headed out of the Martial Academy, with Lin Wan'er and the other brocade-clad disciples following close behind. Before long, they disappeared beyond the academy gates.
At the center of the training ground, Wang Yue had naturally heard their conversation. He stopped practicing his fistwork and raised his head toward the direction of the Three-Headed Buddha Temple, confusion flashing in his eyes. "The Three-Headed Buddha? Is it really that efficacious?"
He had never believed in such talk of gods and Buddhas, but Lin Wan'er and Wang Qishan had both treated it with utmost seriousness, leaving him somewhat hesitant. If it could truly increase one's Blood Qi limit, it might be worth taking a look.
But on second thought, Wang Qishan and the others would all be going to worship, and he might run into them. He did not wish to get entangled with those people again. In the end, he shook his head and resumed the opening stance of the Harmonious Flow Fist. "Rather than pinning my hopes on gods and Buddhas, I might as well rely on my own cultivation. That is far more dependable."
He would decide when the time came.
The wind of his fists rang out once more.
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