Speaking Of The Past (Part 1)

"Who will lose?" Wei He asked.

"You," Cheng Shaojiu pointed at him. "Cheng Jing has been practicing martial arts since childhood, for eight years now. Her Blood Essence is on the verge of its second breakthrough, and she could shatter her limits at any moment. She's much stronger than you are now."

Wei He fell silent, but this Blood Essence hurdle could only be overcome through painstaking effort, bit by bit. Martial arts, especially in this world, were never easy.

"Anyway, you need to work harder. Accumulating Blood Essence is a slow process; as long as you're willing to put in the effort, you can build it up. The key is this bottleneck," Cheng Shaojiu retracted his Blood Essence, and the grayness on his fists slowly faded.

"This Stone Hide stage, which is the second breakthrough of Blood Essence, many people can't get past it.

Some reach the Blood Essence stage early but get stuck here and can't break through. They get stuck for years.

The more they're stuck, the more anxious they become, and the more anxious they are, the more stuck they get, creating a vicious cycle. What's worse is that as the years go by, once Blood Essence peaks in one's early twenties, it slowly declines. That's when anxiety truly sets in."

Cheng Shaojiu sighed.

"That's why Xiao Ran is getting so much attention. Because he's so young, he has immense potential for the future."

Wei He understood. After a moment of silence, he asked again.

"Then, Senior Brother, how strong is Xiao Ran now?"

"Him..." Cheng Shaojiu's expression turned complex when he mentioned Xiao Ran.

"At our last small gathering, I went all out and lost to him by two moves."

Wei He was shocked. This Xiao Ran, who went out and caroused every day and barely practiced upon returning, actually possessed such strength. It was terrifying.

"Alright, let's not talk about him. Geniuses like Xiao Ran are not comparable to us.

Geniuses have their own comparisons to make. We ordinary people should take it one step at a time, building a solid foundation.

If you and I can break through the Stone Hide limit in our lifetime and refine Huishan Fist to the level of our teacher, that would already be very impressive."

Wei He nodded in agreement.

As far as he knew, Cheng Shaojiu had been stuck between Ox Hide and Stone Hide, this second Blood Essence breakthrough, for three years.

And Cheng Jing had been stuck at this stage four years ago and was still stuck now.

The bottleneck was named "guan" (pass) and "ka" (stuck) precisely because ordinary people were often closed off and stuck here, hence the naming.

"Recently, many of our fellow disciples have chosen their own places. With the financial support for their training, everyone's Blood Essence is growing steadily. You need to hurry and work hard too," Cheng Shaojiu reminded him.

"Senior Brother's teachings are correct..." Wei He nodded.

"Alright, I won't talk to you anymore. I have to go to the Inner City later. Jiang Su's situation." Cheng Shaojiu's lips curved into a smile when he mentioned the Inner City, looking smug.

Wei He felt a slight disdain.

He had been hearing about the Inner City constantly lately. What was so great about the Inner City that it made this rich young master beam with joy every time he mentioned it?

As if sensing Wei He's thoughts.

Cheng Shaojiu waved his hand impatiently.

"You'll know its benefits when you go there someday. That place is a true money pit. Once you go, the experience is endless."

Judging by his tone, Wei He knew what kind of place it was.

"You, you don't understand the pleasures of men and women, you're just a little kid. Hahahaha!" Cheng Shaojiu pointed at Wei He and burst into laughter.

Wei He's face darkened. He understood in his past life, but in this life, he truly couldn't.

"Alright, little kid, go play somewhere else." Cheng Shaojiu teased with a smile, pretending to fan himself with a paper fan, and turned to leave.

Watching him, Wei He suddenly thought about the recent collapse of the currency and how prices were now relying on bartering.

And the most valuable commodity was dried cured meat.

He imagined Cheng Shaojiu going to see a girl, not carrying money, but a dozen strips of dried cured meat.

From afar, upon seeing his sweetheart, he would loudly toss the cured meat.

"Cuihua, your cured meat~~~"

"No, this is your cured meat~~"

The two of them, happy and harmonious, leaning on each other.

That scene...

Wei He couldn't help but chuckle.

After laughing for a while, he collected his thoughts and was about to start practicing again.

"Practicing alone? How about we spar?"

Suddenly, Cheng Jing's voice drifted over from the side.

This woman's voice was distinctive. Decisive and quick, making it unforgettable.

Wei He looked in the direction of the sound and saw Cheng Jing dressed in a black long coat with a colorful wreath around the collar, like a scarf. Her hair was neatly tied up, making her look as if she had just come from a new clothing store.

"Is that a new outfit? Go change before we spar," Wei He reminded her. Wearing a wreath around her neck, her sense of aesthetics was truly something.

"It's fine. I had it custom-made. I waited a long time for it to be finished." Cheng Jing gave a light hop and landed on the training ground.

"Alright, take this!"

She was full of spirit, rushing forward with a few quick steps.

With a side kick, she aimed for Wei He's waist.

The kick was incredibly fast, powerful, and clearly meant business, holding nothing back.

Wei He also focused, using his strongest right hand to block outwards with a fist.

Bang.

When fist met foot, Wei He noticed Cheng Jing wasn't wearing gaiters or boots, but black shoes with red flowers.

As the kick landed, the embroidered shoe flew off, revealing Cheng Jing's small, stocking-clad feet.

Both of them froze.

Cheng Jing was stunned because she had forgotten her shoes restricted her foot movement.

Wei He was stunned, not because her small feet were beautiful and delicate.

But because they were so smelly.

A thick, rotten stench, like that of decaying fish and shrimp, surged towards Wei He from her feet.

His expression changed instantly, and he fought to suppress the churning in his stomach, retreating several steps.

Standing in place, he was grateful for the strong wind on the training ground, which dispersed the potent foot odor for a moment.

But in that instant, Wei He's impression of Cheng Jing changed drastically.

"Perhaps you should change your shoes before we continue?" he said, holding his breath, his voice deep.

"..." Cheng Jing's face went from pale to red, then from red to pale.

She could smell the overwhelming odor herself.

This turned her initial enthusiasm for practice into overwhelming shame and anger.

After a moment of stunned silence, she quickly collected herself, walked over to pick up her small floral shoe, and bent down to put it back on.

"I'm so sorry. I've had sweaty hands and feet since I was a child, and it's gotten worse as I've gotten older. My toes grow things daily, I can't help it..."

"..." Isn't that just athlete's foot?

Wei He felt speechless.

You have athlete's foot, and you kick people with those feet every day? Is there something wrong with you? Mentally ill? Or do you wish everyone else would catch it?

Wei He grumbled internally.

"I suggest you soak them in strong vinegar when you get back," he said earnestly.

"...I've tried. It helps on the outside, but it grows back quickly."

"..."

Cheng Jing eventually left. Seeing the shame and anger on her face, it was unlikely he'd see her again anytime soon.

Wei He sighed and resumed practicing his moves.

Turning moves into muscle memory required extensive repetition; there were no shortcuts.

Inner City.

Flower Boat Street.

The Inner City had no districts like the Outer City, only different street areas.

There were five major street districts in total, and Flower Boat Street was a veritable money pit, the most prosperous and lively place in all of Feiye City.

Moving from the Outer City to the Inner City was like entering two different worlds.

Heavy traffic and crowds flowed continuously along Flower Boat Street.

Shops and businesses on both sides were brightly lit, using all sorts of methods to attract customers.

Floating lanterns hung in the air, tethered by silk threads bearing advertisements.

Casinos, wine houses, song and dance halls, treasure pavilions, and brothels were everywhere.

The clamor of voices made it seem anything but dusk.

On the second floor of the Yunluo Wine House.

Cheng Shaojiu sat by the window, his face faintly flushed by the light of the lanterns outside.

His eyes held a trace of excitement as he watched the flower boats parading below.

Flower boats were an event where the most beautiful Flower Girls would parade in boats, showcasing their talents.

These boats were carried by people and adorned with countless fresh flowers, hence the name "flower boat."

"In all my life, this is my first time witnessing the Inner City's flower boat parade! It was worth the trip, truly worth the trip!" Cheng Shaojiu exclaimed.

Sitting at his table were Jiang Su, Jiang Yan, and Xiao Ran.

Jiang Su smiled subtly, her expression calm. She simply watched the bustling scenery outside, a hint of warmth in her eyes.

Even she rarely saw such prosperity.

Xiao Ran had been here before and was somewhat accustomed to it. However, when he looked at the beautiful Flower Girl, a hint of desire flickered within him, his gaze lingering on her alluring, partially concealed sensitive areas.

Only Jiang Yan maintained a calm expression, holding a white paper fan. His hair was tied with a white cloth, and his fan's tail and the hem of his clothes were adorned with gold and jade. He exuded a different aura from the ordinary young masters.

Today, both he and Cheng Shaojiu were dressed as young masters, in long sleeves and robes, with plain white hair wraps. However, their attire and accessories immediately revealed a difference in their status.

"Speaking of which, Xiao Ran brother successfully broke through this time, and we haven't properly celebrated for him yet. So, I've invited the three of you to Yunluo Wine House, as a chance for us to get together," Jiang Yan said with a smile.

"You're too kind, too kind. It was just luck, a lucky breakthrough, hahaha," Xiao Ran said, a smile curving his lips. He picked up his wine cup and clinked it with Jiang Yan's.

"Thank you, Senior Brother Jiang, for the invitation!"

"Brother Xiao has limitless potential. If you ever need something in the future, you shouldn't stand on ceremony for such a small banquet," Jiang Yan replied politely.

After their polite exchange, Jiang Su withdrew her gaze and spoke.

"I heard that the important grain supply town outside the city has been hit by a worm plague, and the granaries are dwindling. The plague is spreading more and more in the outer city. It's hard to believe that the inner city can still maintain such prosperity."

"Junior Sister Jiang, you may not know," Jiang Yan said with a smile. "In the inner city, our Seven Families Alliance is united and advances and retreats together. In terms of grain supply, the Ou Family took the lead in immediately shifting to acquire grain from unaffected producing regions on the other side.

It's only because the inner city is given priority that the situation here has been stabilized."

"No wonder there are still wineries here. It's truly eye-opening," Cheng Shaojiu exclaimed. He couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness as he recalled the corpses of those who had starved to death in the outer city.

"Brother Shaojiu, you're wrong about that. Beautiful women and fine wine complement each other. If one is missing, wouldn't it be a great loss of enjoyment?" Xiao Ran said, unceremoniously patting Cheng Shaojiu's back with a laugh.

He was currently in high spirits. Towards his senior brothers and sisters, except for Jiang Yan and the eldest senior brother, he addressed everyone else by their given names without any reservation.

The others also treated him with a different regard due to his exceptional talent and his breakthrough to the second stage of Blood Essence of Stone Hide at such a young age. They indulged him and didn't hold him to strict standards.

"You men are all the same!" Jiang Su said indignantly.

"Brother Xiao is just being a man, straightforward and generous. Compared to those old guys who think one thing but pretend to refuse, he's much more direct," Jiang Yan said, defending him with a smile.