Breaking Through

"Shall we celebrate when we get back?" Wei Ying stepped forward to straighten his hair and suggested it.

"Tomorrow. Third Senior Brother invited me to his home later."

"Mm. All right, remember to bring a gift for paying your respects at the door."

"Got it. Sis, make sure you rest, and don't stay up too late."

"I know, I know. Go on, I'll take good care of myself." Wei Ying smiled, joy written all over her face and in her eyes.

Looking at her, Wei He suddenly felt deeply that every move he made, every little change in him, affected those around him bit by bit.

If he failed, Second Sister Wei Ying would also have no choice but to leave this safe place and return to her former circumstances.

But now, he had entered the school. Naturally, Second Sister could stay here with him, living a life that was tiring but peaceful at heart.

Everything about him was directly tied to Second Sister's fate.

With complicated feelings in his heart, Wei He returned to his corner and began practicing the basic forms of Huishan Fist bit by bit.

Taking a moment, he secretly glanced at the Boundary-Breaking Pearl pattern over his heart. All the blackness on it had faded away, returning it to its original flesh-colored pattern.

"To build it up again, who knows how long it'll take. What a pity..."

Wei He sighed inwardly. To replenish the Boundary-Breaking Pearl just once, he had spent more than half a year accumulating it bit by bit.

"If only I could find something that could replace Money Worm meat and speed up the accumulation."

That was what he thought, but Wei He also knew that even if such a thing truly existed, it was not something he could afford to use right now.

By afternoon, the courtyard began putting away its tools. Several men started ushering people out, then they all bowed to Old Man Zheng in farewell.

After completing those routine procedures, Cheng Shaojiu pulled Wei He along and boarded the carriage home.

Although Cheng Shaojiu's family carriage was not drawn by some tall, magnificent horse, it was sturdy and powerful. Its looks might not amount to much, but it was practical enough.

That was exactly what this meant.

In these times, any family that owned a carriage was no ordinary family.

When they reached the Cheng Family, Wei He came to understand that deeply.

Sitting inside the carriage compartment, he looked outside through the window.

A vermilion-lacquered Great Gate, white walls, blue-gray tiles, and two Stone Mastiffs before the entrance, looking exceedingly imposing.

Though he did not understand why they used Stone Mastiffs rather than stone lions, Wei He did not ask.

Cheng Shaojiu led him from the carriage and, amid the ingratiating greetings of the gatekeeper, strode straight into the large courtyard.

The courtyard was as large as an entire school athletic field. On the right stood a flagpole, from which hung a black-lettered white flag bearing the words "Yonghe Escort Agency."

The flag snapped and fluttered continuously in the strong wind, curling and unfurling.

Cheng Shaojiu led him all the way to a corner of the courtyard, beside a weapon rack.

He pointed at a thick wooden post planted in the ground and wrapped in Ox Hide, then smiled.

"Want to do a set?"

Wei He had just broken through and had strength with nowhere to vent it. His fists were itching.

"Then... let's give it a try?"

He stepped forward, stood before the wooden post, and assumed a stance.

His right fist suddenly slapped out, striking the side of the post—the first blow of the test.

Then both his fists shot out in an unbroken chain. He threw three punches in a single second and continued for more than ten breaths before gradually slowing, withdrawing his fists, straightening up, and assuming a guarding stance.

"You sustained a full-force offensive for fifteen breaths. Not bad, not bad." Cheng Shaojiu clapped at the side.

He walked to the wooden post bound in Ox Hide, lifted the hide, and took a look.

The post beneath was covered in fist marks of varying depths.

These posts were made from special timber, incredibly hard and far sturdier than ordinary wood. Being able to leave fist marks through the Ox Hide carried an entirely different meaning.

If an ordinary person punched it, they would probably break their bones and only leave a shallow dent.

"Although you've broken through the Ox Hide level, you still lack precise control over your strength. That's what you need to work toward next."

"I understand. Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother!" Wei He nodded solemnly.

"Want to spar a bit?" Cheng Shaojiu smiled, took off his outer robe to reveal fitted short training clothes underneath, and beckoned Wei He over.

"Please." Without another word, Wei He took a great stride forward and threw a punch.

Cheng Shaojiu blocked with one hand, knocking the fist aside before swiftly counterattacking.

He had already reached the Stone Hide level. His qi and blood were abundant, nearly several times Wei He's. His eyes and hands were quick as he repeatedly blocked Wei He's attacks move after move.

Their feet never stopped moving, and they exchanged blows with lightning speed, kicking up dust from the ground.

In the blink of an eye, fifteen breaths had passed.

Cheng Shaojiu threw a fast punch that struck Wei He squarely on the left shoulder, forcing him back several steps.

He laughed loudly and waved at several guards watching from the edge of the field.

"Someone come spar with my brother and give him some experience."

At once, a middle-aged man leaped into the field without a word and rushed straight at Wei He.

Wei He said nothing and began facing off against the middle-aged man.

Unlike Cheng Shaojiu before, this man was a complete stranger. Wei He first had to observe what he specialized in and where his opening move might come from.

People who practiced boxing generally had developed upper bodies and strong arms. Those who trained their legs had stable lower stances while remaining light, agile, solid, and powerful.

But Old Man Zheng had only explained such things verbally. Facing an actual opponent, this was Wei He's first time.

"Hey!" The man lunged forward, actually reaching both hands toward Wei He's shoulders.

Though the move was sudden, it did not seem fast in Wei He's eyes.

He suddenly realized that after his qi and blood had reached the Ox Hide level, his reactions, responses, and the sharpness of his five senses had all improved to varying degrees.

This seemed to be a passive effect brought on by strengthened qi and blood.

Wei He shifted aside, evading the lunge.

Though he had been startled, his body reacted far faster than the other man's, and he easily yielded the space.

Then his right fist lightly tapped the man's back.

Bang.

The man was effortlessly knocked to the ground with that single tap.

"Send in two more." Cheng Shaojiu laughed loudly from the side.

Two more guards immediately stepped forward.

But Wei He easily dodged them all and tapped them down one by one.

He knew his limits. Once he discovered that his strengthened qi and blood had likely made him stronger, he stopped using his fists to strike with full force. Half his strength was enough to knock them down.

"Not bad, not bad! Your practical combat is truly much better than mine was back then." Cheng Shaojiu clapped as he approached.

"Well? Have you felt the changes after breaking through?" he asked with a smile.

He helped up the guards who had been knocked to the ground and let them leave.

"I have." Wei He nodded.

"That's it." Cheng Shaojiu smiled. "Old Zheng won't teach you any real combat at the Huishan Fist school. If you want to fight, you can come train here with me. My eldest uncle's escort agency has plenty of men."

"Senior Brother, you're too kind..." Before Wei He could finish, Cheng Shaojiu smiled and said,

"Don't rush to refuse. You've formally entered the school now. Your qi and blood at the Ox Hide level are far more plentiful than an ordinary person's. If you put on leather armor, even three or five strong men with weapons would not be able to get close.

"So, your treatment will be different from before. Do you understand?" Cheng Shaojiu winked at him.

"Treatment?" Wei He was puzzled.

"That's right. Come with me." Cheng Shaojiu led Wei He toward the inner rooms.

After passing through a large hall with doors on both sides, they came upon another training ground filled with hanging sandbags.

A few people were scattered about inside, bare-chested as they trained amid the rows of sandbags.

"This is the training ground. If you come help me, you can use all of it.

"Also, I'll provide all your meals for free each month. Your base pay will be one shi of white rice, ten jin of meat, and one hundred taels of silver.

"If there's an occasional escort job, a short trip pays fifty taels. Long routes pay anywhere from one hundred to five hundred taels. What do you think?"

Cheng Shaojiu's sudden recruitment surprised Wei He, though it was also only natural.

In truth, he had already had some guesses before coming here.

Their exchange just now had also proven his skill. After his qi and blood reached the Ox Hide level, he truly was different from ordinary people.

"You can go back and think it over carefully. Compare it with the offers other people give you.

"Now that you've broken through and entered the school, you count as a genuine expert. Before long, plenty of people will come inviting you and offering you money." Cheng Shaojiu smiled.

"Really?" Wei He was a little lost.

"Of course. In these times, any martial master with some skill gets watched closely. Once a teacher produces a capable hand, they'll be invited away and hired in the blink of an eye."

Cheng Shaojiu's smile faded, and he sighed. "You know what these times are like. No one has it easy. Have you heard that Hong Family Fort outside the city has been making big moves? They no longer allow anyone to pass along that stretch of official road beside them."

"Hong Family Fort?"

"Mm. Outside Feiye City, the greatest powerful clan is the Hong family. They built an earthen fort outside the city themselves, named Hong Family Fort. It can practically be considered a small city." Cheng Shaojiu nodded in explanation.

"Don't be fooled by how prosperous the Inner City looks. The true powerful clans all build forts outside the city. Once you see more, you'll understand. All right, let's not talk about this for now. Come, I'll take you to experience the greatest benefit I have here!"

Cheng Shaojiu laughed heartily and pulled Wei He toward another courtyard.

Before long, the two sat facing each other in a small room.

A blackwood table stood between them, holding two dishes and a soup.

The two dishes were twice-cooked pork with green bamboo shoots and cold celery salad.

The soup was soybean-braised pig's trotters.

"Little brother, if you come work here with me, the biggest daily benefit is this." Cheng Shaojiu smiled faintly and pointed at the plate of twice-cooked pork with green bamboo shoots.

Jade-green bamboo shoot slices were mixed with golden-brown twice-cooked pork, dotted with little rings of dried chili and slices of garlic. Just looking at it whetted one's appetite.

"Isn't this just stir-fried meat?" Wei He looked up, puzzled.

"This isn't ordinary meat. Give it a taste." Cheng Shaojiu said mysteriously.

"..." Wei He picked up his chopsticks, carefully took a piece, put it into his mouth, chewed it a few times, and swallowed.

The taste was nothing to praise. It was far too bland, with hardly any seasoning, dry and completely unlike its appetizing appearance.

But the meat itself was indeed very chewy and fresh. It did not taste like pork.

And not long after swallowing it, Wei He immediately felt a faint warm, burning sensation welling up from his stomach.

"Well? Doesn't your stomach feel warm now?" Cheng Shaojiu said proudly. "This is one unique specialty exclusive to my Cheng Family."

He picked up a slice of meat and introduced it. "This is called Silver-Kissed Mysterious Serpent Meat. It is a great tonic. Eating one jin can keep you from going hungry for two days. Its effects are even better after being prepared with wine.

"Of course, those of us who practice martial arts consume far more than ordinary people, so there's no problem eating it every meal. It greatly benefits the strengthening of qi and blood. Most importantly, you can't buy it outside. It belongs exclusively to my Cheng Family and isn't sold elsewhere."

"Silver-Kissed Mysterious Serpent..." Wei He picked up another slice of meat and immediately noticed what made it different.

The skin of the Silver-Kissed Mysterious Serpent Meat was black, while the inside was highly elastic. Blood vessels as thin as hairs were clearly visible. Looking closely, it even had the feel of a work of art.

"So, my brother, I definitely won't let you suffer a loss here. Go back and think it over carefully. If you're willing, give me an answer early tomorrow morning. How about it?" Cheng Shaojiu asked seriously.

"All right!" Wei He nodded.