Practical Combat: Part Two

Next, Cheng Shaojiu sparred with him on the spot, and both began to explore how to increase their chances of winning in various situations.

When their own Blood Essence and speed were similar to the enemy's, the fastest method was to catch them off guard.

To attack the opponent suddenly in a way no one would expect.

This was what was called a secret move.

After studying it, they found that without relying on any external objects, the best method was to disrupt their moves, alternating between reality and illusion.

Illusory yet real, real yet illusory, the application of force could make it impossible for others to pinpoint the center of their offense.

With this, Wei He suddenly felt as if he had opened the door to true practical combat.

In his heart, practical combat was no longer just about executing moves, countering moves, and then whoever couldn't hold on any longer lost.

It was about surprise attacks, ambushes, and more surprise attacks!

Both of them unleashed their thoughts, no longer holding back, and exchanged the best countermeasures in real combat.

Cheng Shaojiu's Blood Essence was stronger, having reached the Stone Hide level, and with his elders constantly instructing him, his vision and experience were even greater than his Blood Essence realm.

In their exchanges, it greatly compensated for Wei He's deficiencies and imperfections in the details.

And Wei He's modern thinking and logical reasoning also provided Cheng Shaojiu with many novel ideas and brilliant thoughts.

The two could be said to be helping each other, achieving greatness together.

It wasn't until it was almost dark that Wei He reluctantly returned.

The next day, the two continued their exchange.

The third day, the fourth day.

As the days passed, their experience and ideas in practical combat grew stronger.

During their practice sessions, their performance when sparring with other fellow disciples became increasingly evident.

The most direct manifestation was that their rankings in practical combat were slowly rising.

Wei He was doing alright, as there were over a dozen disciples at the Ox Hide level, and with the genius Xiao Ran around, his performance wasn't particularly conspicuous.

But Cheng Shaojiu, at the Stone Hide level, was different from before, his performance becoming eye-catching. Several times when sparring with the senior disciple Zhao Hong, despite being at the same Stone Hide realm, he almost managed to win a few moves.

Although he relied on some strange and unconventional moves, he still garnered considerable attention.

As a result, Cheng Shaojiu's status in the courtyard had subtly risen another step, and he gained more attention from everyone.

And Wei He, who had been very close to Cheng Shaojiu, also benefited from this, receiving a bit of envy from many people.

Time flew by, and another month passed.

Wei He practiced and thought day and night, gradually forming his own unique style of attack.

Although he couldn't claim to have an advantage in practical combat, he would definitely not be like before, unable to display his full strength when facing someone weaker or in a worse condition.

Additionally, during his exchanges with Cheng Shaojiu, Wei He had another thought, but he didn't voice it.

It was also not easy to voice.

That was...

Hongshi Town, Li Family Blacksmith Shop.

As dawn broke, Li Shen, carrying a newly bought basket of raw iron ore, pulled open the shop door.

Not long after entering and setting down the basket on his back, he heard footsteps approaching from behind.

Someone had entered the shop.

"Everything on the shelves on the wall is ready. Take a look and pick whatever you need," he said, turning around after standing up.

The person who entered early in the morning was a tall and sturdy young man, wearing close-fitting short clothes that revealed his well-proportioned upper body muscles.

This person had developed upper body lines and sturdy legs, rooted to the ground like a tree. His muscle definition wasn't very pronounced.

At first glance, he was clearly someone who specialized in training his upper body.

Li Shen didn't mind. His blacksmith shop had been operating in Hongshi Town for many years, and he had seen at least eight hundred to a thousand such customers.

"Are you looking for something yourself?" he asked, gesturing towards the various shelves along the wall.

Row after row of shelves were filled with all sorts of household farming tools.

Hoes, kitchen knives, iron rods, awls – they had everything.

The person who came in was a young man no older than twenty, with a cold expression. He wasn't handsome, but he wasn't ugly either. It was Wei He, who had just left his home and headed straight here.

"Boss, I want to get something made. A small thing."

"Made? What kind of thing? Let me be clear first, I don't do anything illegal." Li Shen stated in advance.

"It's not illegal, just a small handle." Wei He took out the sketch he had drawn earlier and handed it to Li Shen.

Li Shen took it and unfolded it.

It depicted a T-shaped handle drawn with charcoal pencil, but the end of the handle was very sharp.

"How big do you want this thing?"

"The size of a palm." Wei He gave him a rough estimate.

"Palm-sized? Alright, will you provide the raw materials yourself? Or use what I have here?"

"I'll use the ready-made ones."

"It depends on the material; cheaper and more expensive options have different prices. I'm busy lately, so you'll have to wait a month."

"...Okay."

As Wei He walked out of the blacksmith shop, he felt his wallet had been emptied.

He hadn't expected the silver to be spent so quickly. Just for making such a small item, with better materials and more specific requirements, it cost this much.

However, this was something he had wanted for a long time. By using the money he'd earned from his previous escort missions, he could make one and have it as a trump card.

Actually, he had initially thought of gloves, but that kind of item wouldn't have the same surprise effect. And to be a trump card, it needed to be very durable, which would definitely make it very expensive.

So, he had to settle for the next best thing.

In the early morning, many shops on the streets of Hongshi Town were already opening.

Some farmers carried their goods in baskets to sell vegetables, and many others set up street stalls.

Officers in their uniforms walked swaggeringly through the streets.

Some gang members also paraded around with unified markings, extorting protection fees everywhere.

Comparing this place to where he lived, Wei He felt the level of prosperity was like night and day.

He returned to Shiqiao Town, where Huishan Fist was located. This area was closer to the inner city and was also bustling, but it wasn't as prosperous as Hongshi Town.

There were fewer shops here and more residential courtyards, all quiet and deserted. Compared to Hongshi Town, it was like the difference between a commercial district and an old residential area from a past life.

After his morning training, Wei He was about to head back to rest, but he was stopped by his Second Sister, who had suddenly arrived.

"Little He, are you free? I want to discuss something with you."

Thanks to the care of Elder Zheng of Huishan Fist, Second Sister Wei Ying now ate three meals a day with everyone in the courtyard, and her complexion had improved greatly.

Moreover, living in the adjacent room gave her a greater sense of security and peace of mind, and her skin had also become much better than before.

Standing at the entrance of the courtyard, she wore a simple gray and white plain dress, but it couldn't hide her graceful curves.

"What is it, Sister?" Wei He asked, hanging the sweat-soaked towel back on the rack and walking over.

Wei Ying glanced around, then pulled Wei He to the wall. Making sure no one was around, she whispered.

"I took on some sewing work in my spare time at night and saved up some money."

She secretly handed a small paper packet to Wei He.

"Take this and use it. I get my food and lodging from Elder Zheng, so I don't have anywhere to spend money. You need money for training and for food and drink, so don't be stingy. Only what you consume is truly yours."

Wei He took the paper packet and squeezed it. It felt light and brittle inside.

But sewing work itself was very cheap, barely earning enough for meals, and she couldn't even guarantee getting work every day.

To save this much, he wondered how much time she had spent.

"Little He, is there any news from Eldest Sister? And about Mom and Dad..." Wei Ying asked softly, a flicker of hope still in her eyes.

"..." Wei He shook his head. He had tried to find the Blackwater Gang several times, but the current Blackwater Gang had seen many new faces replace the old; there was almost no one left who even remembered his Eldest Sister Wei Chun's name.

As for Mingde Temple, he had visited once, and besides learning that his parents had gone missing midway, he hadn't found out anything else.

The hope in Wei Ying's eyes gradually faded. She let out a sigh and lowered her head.

"Whether they are alive or not, now it's just the two of us left. We both have to live well."

"Mm." Wei He nodded. He didn't return the money because he knew his Second Sister's personality; if he refused it, she wouldn't be at ease.

"Later, give me any clothes that are torn, and I'll mend them for you. I'll also make you a pair of shoes. Don't buy them from outside; my shoes are better than those from outside. Shoes from outside aren't sturdy, they don't hold up well, and they tend to peel..."

Wei Ying continued to chatter for a long time, all of it caring advice.

Wei He listened, only responding occasionally.

After they had talked for a while, the drumbeat sounded from outside, indicating it was getting late.

Wei Ying reluctantly returned to the courtyard and went into the inner room.

She still had to boil water to cook towels for everyone.

As she reached the entrance of the room, she looked back at Wei He. Seeing him still standing at the courtyard entrance watching her, she felt much more at ease.

So she smiled, waved at him, and then gestured for him to go about his business.

Turning back, Wei Ying's steps seemed lighter.

In these chaotic times, knowing that she had a family member supporting her outside while she worked made her feel less alone and more grounded.

She pondered that starting today, she would save money for her younger brother to buy cotton wadding and make him a new quilt.

The weather was getting colder, and she hoped he wouldn't get sick.

Wei He stood at the doorway, watching until his Second Sister entered the innermost room and the sounds of her busy work could be heard. Only then did he leave the courtyard and head back to his own lodging.

He still remembered his Second Sister's greatest wish in the past was to open a steamed bun shop.

Perhaps he could earn money to fulfill her wish.

For him now, the money to open a bun shop wasn't much.

After all, in most parts of the city, houses were becoming less valuable.

After sleeping for about an hour, in the afternoon, Wei He returned to Huishan Fist.

Unexpectedly, he saw many fellow disciples had already arrived. Everyone, new and old, formed a circle, with Xiao Ran and Old Zheng in the center.

Even Old Zheng, who usually arrived late, was quite early today.

Wei He was surprised. As soon as he entered, he saw his Third Senior Brother, Cheng Shaojiu, beckoning to him.

He quickly walked over, stood beside Cheng Shaojiu, and looked inside with him.

"What's going on?" he asked softly.

Cheng Shaojiu's face held an indescribable emotion, a mix of complexity, envy, and something else.

He mumbled, making an unclear sound.

"Xiao Ran broke through."

"!?" Wei He was startled.

"Didn't he just break through a few months ago?!" he couldn't help but whisper.

"Yeah. That's why even Old Zheng was alerted," a paler-skinned senior disciple said enviously.

His name was Li Jue. It was said he came from a scholarly family, but later his family was targeted by a Thief Gang. It was unknown which gang it was, but most of his family died, leaving only him.

Later, he sold his house, took the remaining belongings that hadn't been moved, and came here to learn fist techniques. He had been studying for five years.

Yet, he was still at the Ox Hide level.