Night Watch, Part 2

On the street, once bustling and brightly lit, a squadron of horsemen clad entirely in black slowly entered the wide main thoroughfare.

There weren't many riders, perhaps thirty at most.

But these thirty riders were each clad in black leather armor.

The riders were muscular and tall, their exposed arm circumference nearly double that of an average adult man.

Each rider wore a black headscarf, with longbows and quivers mounted on the sides of their horses, and massive horse-slaying sabers strapped to their backs.

Every warhorse beneath them stood taller than a man. Like their riders, the warhorses were covered in leather armor, their snorts heavy, and they were tall and robust.

As the squadron of over thirty passed, everything fell silent in their wake. It was as if a mute button had been pressed.

Everyone was awestruck by the imposing presence of the black cavalry.

The most eye-catching figure was the man at the very front of the squadron.

He had a handsome face, a broad back, and a bear's waist. He wore a full set of black general's armor, crafted entirely from metal. His warhorse was also covered in black metal plating.

This man's black hair was tied up high, and he wore no helmet. He appeared to be no older than thirty, with a slight, knowing smile on his lips as he rode at the head of the procession.

Most striking of all was the nearly two-meter-long black war spear he carried on his back.

The spear was as thick as a child's arm, clearly indicating its immense weight.

Yet, he carried it on his back as if it were nothing. His warhorse even seemed to move with light and easy steps.

If not for the faint, heavy thud that resonated from the stone slabs with each step of his horse, a sound much heavier than that of the other warhorses, people nearby might have assumed he was carrying a fake.

"This person... is Hong Daoyuan!" Cheng Shaojiu exclaimed softly from a window on the second floor of the Hundred Flowers Tower.

"Truly an extraordinary presence!"

It wasn't just him; everyone who saw the man for the first time felt the same way.

"The Tiger of Feiye, truly lives up to his name!"

A man in green on the table in front also praised him, but unlike Cheng Shaojiu's simple admiration, his tone carried a hint of solemnity.

Wei He felt the same way.

Just looking at the massive war spear from afar, he could roughly imagine the destructive power this man could unleash when wielding it.

The squadron of over thirty black cavalry moved with synchronized steps, exuding a powerful aura. It was as if wisps of black energy surrounded them, intimidating everyone around them to keep their distance, not daring to approach.

"That war spear is called the Blood Dripper. It's Hong Daoyuan's personal weapon, forged by his own hands. It weighs three shi and twelve jin, crafted using a special alloy and a secret forging technique, making it incredibly sharp," explained a white-robed old man of unknown origin, who had also come to the window to look down at the passing procession of Hong Daoyuan and his men.

Wei He was inwardly shocked.

Having trained for so long, he knew exactly how much a shi weighed.

In this place, a shi of grain typically referred to the weight of a stone of rice. He had tested it, and it was a little over a hundred catties from his previous life.

So, over three shi meant a metal spear weighing over three hundred catties, or more than 150 kilograms.

The destructive power when swinging it, combining human strength, horse power, and its own momentum, was simply terrifying!

"Amazing!!"

"Old Yang truly has remarkable insight!"

The few people around gasped, then offered compliments to the old man.

The white-robed old man stroked his long beard, his eyes deep.

"I saw the Tiger of Feiye, Hong Daoyuan, once a few years ago. He didn't have this kind of presence back then, but now he has become even more formidable. This Tiger of Feiye truly lives up to his name!"

Cheng Shaojiu whispered to Wei He, introducing him.

"That's Old Yang Zhen. He's a famous Master Craftsman of Ingenious Mechanisms in the Inner City and has a deep understanding of the Art of Mechanisms. Be very careful not to offend him easily."

Wei He nodded.

He withdrew his gaze. When he looked down again, the black cavalry led by Hong Daoyuan had already slowly moved away, disappearing into the core district of the Seven Families Alliance within the Inner City.

Clearly, someone was guiding them to meet the City Lord.

Seeing that there was nothing more to watch, the crowd dispersed.

Old Yang Zhen, along with the mysterious man and woman from the neighboring table, also got up and left, their dishes untouched.

Wei He frowned inwardly, thinking it such a waste. Why order so much if they weren't going to eat it?

"Let's go." Cheng Shaojiu ate a little quickly and then got up with Wei He to pay and leave.

They later went to a music hall to listen to music, but Wei He had no interest. His mind was filled with the formidable presence of Hong Daoyuan and his black cavalry.

Seeing Wei He's lack of interest, Cheng Shaojiu didn't press the issue. After a brief period of amusement, he got up and they returned by carriage.

The two sat opposite each other in the Cheng family's carriage, the curtains drawn.

"Brother Cheng, do you know how strong that Hong Daoyuan really is?" Wei He asked the question that had been lingering in his mind.

"I've heard some things," Cheng Shaojiu replied, recalling for a moment. "I heard my uncle mention it before. When the Hong Family Fort clashed with the One-Ear bandits, it was this Hong Daoyuan who led the charge.

This man is the Hong Family's Kirin. He possesses innate divine strength and tough skin and flesh. He practices the Hong Family's ancestral Nineteen Forms of Horizontal Mountain Spear, transforming a technique that was originally ordinary into one of terrifying power."

Recalling the scene his uncle described, Cheng Shaojiu's heart still pounded with excitement.

A flicker of shock crossed his face as he continued.

"It's said that in that skirmish, Hong Daoyuan's spear single-handedly crippled two of One-Ear's most capable generals. Then, with two more spear thrusts, he smashed the skull of One-Ear's favorite exotic warhorse.

One-Ear was almost shaken to death on its back, and the warhorse's legs were smashed, forcing it to kneel. He was terrifyingly strong!"

"Are all military commanders this powerful?" Wei He couldn't help but ask.

"It depends on the faction in the military. Soldiers raised by large families or major sects are vastly different in strength from ordinary soldiers.

As for commanders, many come from gangs or martial arts backgrounds; they're all different. I've only heard about these things from my uncle, and I don't know the details.

Anyway, just think about it. If the military commanders weren't strong, wouldn't the Three Gangs and Two Sects in the city have caused chaos long ago?"

Wei He understood. That made sense.

If they could get opportunities to train by paying money, then those commanders wouldn't be lacking either. They would definitely have better cultivation methods, better living conditions, and better ways to cultivate Blood Essence.

It was normal for them to be so monstrously strong.

"Legend has it that Hong Family Fort has the Black Wind Cavalry, which rides like clouds and dragons, summoned by wind and tigers. It was established for Hong Daoyuan, the Tiger of Feiye, and the minimum requirement to join is to have broken through Blood Essence once. They are incredibly powerful!" Cheng Shaojiu exclaimed.

"This trip has opened my eyes," Wei He said with deep emotion.

He had thought his own cultivation was quite formidable, but after seeing this today, he finally understood why everyone was so wary of Hong Family Fort.

However, all of this was still too far from him.

This was the first time he had truly witnessed what elite soldiers were.

"But don't overthink it. If you really can't break through, with your intelligence, you can still forge a career even without martial arts. I believe that!" Cheng Shaojiu comforted him.

He knew Wei He had recently begun preparing for a breakthrough. But this hurdle was incredibly difficult. And with Wei He's potential...

"At worst, if you come to the escort agency, we brothers will work together, and in the future, we'll be no weaker than my uncle and the others!" Cheng Shaojiu said seriously.

"I understand," Wei He nodded, a warmth spreading through his heart.

However, he had also heard that Cheng Shaojiu hadn't just said this to him. The Yonghe Escort Agency had recruited many of his so-called close friends, most of whom were just freeloaders, much to the frustration of his father and uncle.

The two returned to their homes. For the next several days, neither of them slacked off, spending all their time diligently practicing Skin Grinding and cultivating Blood Essence.

However, Cheng Shaojiu, being impatient, couldn't stay put for more than a month before heading out to the Inner City again.

But Wei He was different. Stimulated by the events of that night, he buried himself in training, determined to break through to a higher level.

The gap in combat power in this world was too vast.

If Hong Daoyuan's terror was real and not an exaggeration, he was truly ferociously powerful, possessing the might to defy ten thousand men.

If Wei He were in front of him, he would be trash, easily dealt with by a single spear thrust.

Fortunately, his own Blood Essence was only a little short of completion. After enduring such hardship and tempering himself for another two months, Wei He finally brought his Blood Essence to full completion.

With both the Boundary-Breaking Pearl and his own Blood Essence complete, Wei He could finally properly attempt to break through the bottleneck.

However, he wasn't in a hurry to break through immediately. If he could try to break through on his own, he could save a Boundary-Breaking Pearl.

This way, wouldn't it be better to save it for the next stage?

Coincidentally, the sparring event that had been mentioned earlier also began at this time.

Old Zheng brought his three strongest disciples, Senior Brother Zhao Hong, Xiao Ran, and Cheng Shaojiu, to the Inner City.

Wei He was only at the ordinary Ox Hide level, far from ready. Like his other fellow disciples, he stayed in the courtyard.

However, he wasn't in the mood to participate in sparring at this moment. Instead, he was engrossed in his own breakthrough.

It wasn't just him; there were four others in the courtyard whose Blood Essence was complete. Like him, they were all relentlessly training themselves, trying to break through the bottleneck as quickly as possible.

Once they broke through, their status would instantly change completely. The Stone Hide level was considered the true elite.

"I heard that during the sparring, Xiao Ran's Blood Essence became complete! He's about to start challenging the Iron Hide level!!" Suddenly, a low voice interrupted Wei He's intense focus.

He was lowering his head, his fists performing the Skin Grinding motion rhythmically. Hearing this news, his heart skipped a beat.

Xiao Ran had only broken through to Stone Hide a few months ago, and now his Blood Essence was complete... it was truly unimaginable.

However, Wei He's mind was as calm as still water. He regained his composure and continued his rigorous training.

His Blood Essence and Boundary-Breaking Pearl were both full. He could break through at any time, but he was unwilling.

People always had a glimmer of hope, thinking they might succeed through their own efforts.

Unfortunately, after days of frantic training, there was still no progress.

It wasn't just him; the other senior and junior brothers whose Blood Essence was complete were all in the same situation.

So many people were stuck at this bottleneck.

Cheng Jing had been stuck at this level for several years, and Cheng Shaojiu had also taken years to break through. If it were that easy, so many disciples wouldn't have been filtered out.

"Senior Brother Wei, don't worry. I heard my father say that this level takes at least half a year to a year to potentially break through," Ouyang Zhuang couldn't help but advise from the side.

"It's normal even if you can't break through in your lifetime. Many people are like that. If you really can't break through, you'll have to do other things first." Ouyang Zhuang's words were quite irritating.

It was just that Wei He knew he didn't mean it maliciously, but was genuinely trying to advise him.

He slowly eased his movements.

"I've already turned eighteen. If I can't pass this hurdle within two years, my Blood Essence will decline. Time is running out," he said calmly.

As per tradition, thank you to everyone who gave ten thousand points in rewards last week~ The list is as follows:

Xiangyan's Integrity

My Brother is Called Three Discounts

Ghost Talent Bob

Yangyangii

Dust Domain

After Ascending

Where is My Bestie

Sweet and Salty Little Dumpling

Qing Ningzi

Joy Supreme