Quarrel

This day, at the hour of the snake.

The handyman disciples gathered together, each practicing their stance.

Suddenly, Sun Rong stopped, her face showing unconcealed joy, "I... I've sensed the Essence of Qi and Blood, a warm current as thick as a line is surging within me... It's just that the Blood Essence isn't enough to break through..."

She was somewhat incoherent due to her excitement.

Li Shan stopped his movements upon hearing this, envy in his eyes, and congratulated her, "Sister Sun, you're so fast. I estimate it will take me some more time."

Xu Yuan also offered his congratulations. Though there was a hint of envy in his eyes, it didn't throw him off balance.

After all, no matter how fast others were, it had nothing to do with him. Even if others failed, would he succeed?

The objective facts couldn't be changed.

With that thought, the System Panel appeared in his mind.

[Name: Xu Yuan]
[Skills: Tai Chi Exercise (Minor Accomplishment 86%), Stone Platform Stance Practice (Novice 23%)]
[Aptitude: 3 (Mediocre)]

"No rush, I'm close to breaking through."

Seeing the progress data, Xu Yuan calmed his mind again, neither impatient nor anxious.

Before, thanks to the money his elder brother sent, he was able to drink a bowl of Meridian Nourishing Soup.

The taste was hard to describe, the strong herbal scent was exceptionally pungent.

But the effect was undeniably good. After drinking a bowl, a warmth surged through his body, filling him with energy, more sustaining than three meals.

Moreover, a faint trace of Qi seemed to emerge, elusive and subtle, but he couldn't find it no matter how hard he tried.

In his disappointment, Xu Yuan could only focus all his attention on the Tai Chi Exercise.

After hearing their congratulations, Sun Rong's expression calmed down, though a hint of joy remained in the corners of her eyes. She shot Li Shan a playful glare, "Brother Li, if you didn't waste so much time, you probably would have found the Essence of Qi and Blood long ago."

Li Shan rubbed his nose, feeling a bit awkward. Over the past month, Sun Rong had often teased him indirectly, and he had almost gotten used to it.

"What about you, Brother Xu? How's your progress?" Sun Rong turned her gaze to Xu Yuan, a peculiar glint in her eyes.

"So-so," Xu Yuan shook his head slightly, indicating he wasn't sure.

Upon hearing this, a flicker of disappointment crossed Sun Rong's eyes, but her smile remained undiminished. "I believe in you all, you'll all reach this stage soon."

"Then I'll accept your good wishes," Xu Yuan also smiled, but inwardly sighed that his past self's aptitude was truly mediocre. Whether it was finding the Qi and Blood or his physical condition, he was far behind others.

Take Tian Yang in their dormitory, for example. He was always bragging about his progress. He had found the Qi and Blood five days ago. When discussing the details then, he had casually said, "It's very simple. You just need to practice your stance diligently enough, and the Essence of Qi and Blood will find you on its own within a few days."

His words had envied many, and they immediately showered him with compliments.

"There isn't much time left, so try to practice more,"

Xu Yuan mused inwardly. Then, as if remembering something, he cautioned the two, "Right, let's just keep our progress to ourselves. It's best not to tell others, lest someone tries to sabotage us."

"Really? Would someone be that mean?" Li Shan had many friends and felt Xu Yuan was overreacting.

"I'm not sure, but I have a feeling something like this might happen. It's always better to be safe than sorry," Xu Yuan shook his head.

"Brother Xu is absolutely right. I was just about to tell you guys..."

Sun Rong, upon hearing this, nodded in agreement, "Among the disciples in our outer courtyard, there's a maid with great talent. She found the Qi and Blood in less than half a month."

"But she's naturally timid and often bullied by others. Now that she's ahead of everyone, she couldn't resist showing off, speaking with sarcasm towards others, which was truly detestable... And guess what happened?"

She still spoke with a lingering fear, her voice chilling, "Her eyes were gouged out in the middle of the night. Later, she went insane and was thrown out by the servants. Afterwards, when they investigated, I was implicated too."

Both of them gasped deeply.

"So, something like that really happened?" Li Shan's expression turned unnatural, as if he was realizing the horror of human nature for the first time.

Xu Yuan was equally moved by this story, which was comparable to palace intrigue.

However, when he glanced at Sun Rong, who looked full of apprehension, he suddenly wondered if "others" included her.

After all, in her narration, the maid was truly ungrateful, and her tone carried a hint of disgust. It was difficult for outsiders to discern the truth.

Shaking his head, he stopped thinking about these messy matters and Xu Yuan silently resumed his stance practice.

Seeing this, Li Shan also felt the time was pressing and joined him.

Sun Rong watched them quietly for a while before starting her movements, though her gaze occasionally drifted towards the handyman disciples who were progressing the fastest.

In the blink of an eye, the night, dark as ink, began to emerge.

It was already early winter, and the temperature was growing colder.

The miscellaneous laborers stood behind the house practicing. The hot air they exhaled with effort gathered evenly into a ball, only to dissipate quickly after rising half a head above the roof.

Xu Yuan and Li Shan returned to the dormitory together.

Li Shan had moved here ten days ago.

There was no helping it; he had been like an old squad leader in his previous dorm. Every night when he returned, someone would inevitably surround him, asking about the details of his martial arts practice.

Since he couldn't bring himself to refuse them, he had no choice but to change his living environment.

Unexpectedly, as soon as the two entered the room, a sarcastic voice rang out, "Xu Yuan, you guys are so diligent every day. I wonder if you've achieved anything yet?"

The speaker was Liu Hong. He had just stumbled upon the Essence of Qi and Blood while practicing his stance, and in his elation, he felt lighter than usual.

Seeing these two favored individuals, who had once received detailed guidance from Master Feng, he couldn't help but want to assert his superiority.

At this moment, even the good-natured Li Shan could hear the mockery in his tone. He retorted, "Whether you've found the Essence of Qi and Blood or not, what business is it of yours?"

Liu Hong smiled and said, "I just want to know how far along the person who was once a step ahead of all of us has progressed now."

Xu Yuan's body paused, as if he hadn't heard the taunt. In his usual tone, he replied, "It's the same as before. I don't feel anything."

This casual reply clearly did not satisfy Liu Hong. He deliberately muttered, "What are you pretending for? You only got to compete back then because you got lucky!"

Li Shan stopped in his tracks and turned around, "Say that again if you dare."

Xu Yuan also looked over calmly.

Seeing that the other man was quite large, his shadow cast by the oil lamp almost engulfing him, Liu Hong felt a pang of panic. But immediately, he felt cowardly and became even more indignant.

"Alright."

At this moment, Tian Yang suddenly spoke up. Li Shan had guided him in the past, so he stepped in to help, "We're all in the same dorm. It's not good for anyone if there's friction."

He had become the number one person in the dorm by constantly showing off his incredibly fast progress, becoming the implicit center of attention. Tian Yang naturally had considerable influence, and Liu Hong seized the opportunity to back down.

"Brother Tian is right. If you have any questions about martial arts in the future, you can come ask us."

After making his grand pronouncement, Liu Hong fell silent. In truth, he regretted his actions somewhat.

Setting aside whether he could even defeat Li Shan, fighting was forbidden in the backyard. If things escalated, he wouldn't come out unscathed.

"Brother Li, want to practice for a bit longer?"

Xu Yuan asked, taking out a cloth. After Li Shan nodded, the two of them went out to practice together again.

Li Shan was clearly quite stimulated. He had always been the one to guide others, but this time he had been lectured and mocked. He felt rather displeased.

Xu Yuan, on the other hand, felt indifferent. It was just a child who put on a brave front but was inwardly timid, eager to show off after a rare breakthrough. What was there to care about?

His silence just now was merely him recalling the meridian theory Master Feng had taught him. For him, practicing martial arts was the only priority now; everything else was unimportant.