Breaking Through, Part One

If he could truly enter Stone Hide, Old Man Zheng's tuition fees would drop sharply. And only after entering Stone Hide could he truly count as a member of Huishan Fist.

As things stood, batches of disciples like them who had yet to enter the school came and went. In Old Man Zheng's eyes, they were nothing more than tools for making money, carrying no weight at all.

"Cross this hurdle, and it'll be a whole different world." Wei He watched the medicinal broth slowly heat up.

He stopped letting his mind wander and focused on carefully brewing the medicine. Once it had cooled a little, he began drinking it sip by sip.

Blood Nourishing Powder was a formula for nourishing the blood and qi, and its effects were excellent.

Early the next morning, when Wei He began Skin Grinding again, he immediately felt the difference.

When he struck the sand and gravel, the stabbing pain in his fists was a little weaker. When he rested, he recovered slightly faster as well.

Though the change was faint, the fact that he could clearly feel it was already remarkable.

Yet to his disappointment, an entire day passed without him breaking through.

One of those who had begun Skin Grinding alongside him finally succeeded. Another chose to give up, packed his luggage, and left in dejection.

"Do you know what they'll do after they leave?" Cheng Shaojiu stopped beside Wei He and asked quietly.

"I don't know," Wei He answered.

"Some will join small gangs. Some spent every last coin gambling on martial arts, so they'll probably go do hard labor. Those with better family circumstances will go home and help out. Some will even be hired as guards for other people."

Cheng Shaojiu's face remained expressionless.

"A few of the guards at my house came from backgrounds like that. We've already gone through many batches."

". Why were they replaced?"

"Because the previous guards either became crippled or died." Cheng Shaojiu patted Wei He heavily on the shoulder. Without saying anything more, he turned and left.

The two were friends. Recently, Wei He had trained bitterly without managing to break through, and everyone around him had seen it.

Originally, quite a few people had thought a little more highly of him because of his diligence and effort. But now, their attitudes had changed somewhat.

Wei He saw it all.

He stood where he was, waiting for his turn to go up and grind his skin. During the wait, he could not help glancing toward Xiao Ran.

This genius, whom Old Man Zheng valued greatly, had entered the school on the fifth day of Skin Grinding, easily completing the transformation of the outer skin on both hands.

As for Wei He, a full month and twenty-six days had passed, yet he still had not entered the school.

Though Skin Grinding itself only had a chance of success of a few in several dozen.

That was why, after all these years of people coming and going in Huishan Fist's courtyard, there were still only this many people.

Since most people could not pass and remain, there were only a dozen or so who had truly entered the school.

Wei He had actually expected this somewhat. He had guessed that his aptitude was merely mediocre—not the worst, but certainly not good either.

But guesses were guesses. People always harbored a shred of wishful thinking.

What if he managed to pass through his own efforts?

Unfortunately, only when reality lay before him did he truly see its cruelty.

During the final two days.

Wei He once again saw two people pack up and leave.

He saw Second Sister's worried gaze, as well as the gradually altered looks in the eyes of those around him.

Early in the morning, Wei He was the first to begin Skin Grinding.

He stood alone before a wooden basin, staring at the black sand within.

Not far away, Xiao Ran entered the courtyard surrounded by people, his expression cool and carrying a trace of pride. He greeted Junior Sister Jiang Su, who had come over from the Women's Academy.

Xiao Ran, Jiang Su, and another senior brother named Jiang Yan had clearly formed their own independent little circle.

Xiao Ran possessed exceptional talent. Jiang Su came from a good family, had decent talent, and was also beautiful. Jiang Yan's family possessed abundant wealth; they were the richest household in Shiqiao Town, where Huishan Fist was located.

The three kept their distance from everyone else and had no intention of interacting with anyone at all.

Wei He withdrew his gaze and saw Third Senior Brother Cheng Shaojiu watching him from the side.

From afar, Cheng Shaojiu gave him an encouraging gesture. His attitude had not changed in the slightest just because Wei He had failed to enter the school.

One junior brother beside him could not help asking in confusion, "Third Senior Brother, Wei He still hasn't entered the school. He's probably got no hope now, so why do you still—"

"You mean, since he'll leave sooner or later, why do I still treat him the same as before?" Cheng Shaojiu countered.

"That's exactly what I mean. Most people who come here don't have much money at home.

Most come here with one thought: to work themselves to the bone learning a skill, then seek a better path elsewhere.

Many spend all their money, yet still can't enter the school. And if they still can't enter after so long, they probably won't have much of a future later either." The junior brother shook his head.

"That may be true, but what do you think I, Cheng Shaojiu, make friends for?" Cheng Shaojiu smiled. "Do I only befriend people because they have bright futures? That isn't friendship. That's calculation."

The junior brother was immediately speechless.

Thinking it over, Senior Brother Cheng truly was like that. Among his friends were people from all walks of life—some of humble status, others from families with a fair amount of wealth.

Wei He did not know about their conversation. He focused wholeheartedly on his Skin Grinding practice.

His Twin Fists plunged into the sand again and again.

He wanted to use the medicine's effects to break through the barrier in one burst of momentum and step into a new level.

Time continued to pass.

Unfortunately, by the time it was someone else's turn, the redness on his fists had already faded rapidly.

Only if that redness remained without fading, then stabilized in that state, could one enter the school and step into the Ox Hide level.

Standing at the edge, Wei He gulped down breaths of air. Unlike the others who had yet to enter the school, he wore no particular expression.

There was no dejection, nor disappointment. He simply stood there.

Before long, he raised his head and saw Wei Ying peering over from beside the woodshed, her eyes filled with hope.

In the end, Wei He sighed inwardly.

He had finally decided to use the Boundary-Breaking Pearl.

No matter what, it seemed that he could no longer cross this step through his own efforts alone.

So.

When it was Wei He's turn to step up.

He looked once more at Second Sister, then rolled up his sleeves, walked forward, and stood before a wooden basin.

He clenched his fists, loosened them, then clenched them again, repeating this several times.

Wei He closed his eyes and drew a deep breath.

Bang.

He drove both hands forcefully into the wooden basin. The icy sand, rough to the touch, stabbed pain into the fronts of his fists.

At that very moment, with a thought from him, the bubble formed by the Boundary-Breaking Pearl at his chest burst with a pop.

An invisible current flowed from his chest and swiftly spread throughout his entire body.

Wei He had never experienced such a feeling.

His five senses seemed to brighten all at once, and the bustling sounds around him flooded into his ears.

His nose caught the strange smell of the sand in the wooden basin. From the medicinal basin beside him drifted the heavy scent of Chinese medicine.

His hands began to grow warm, then hot, then scorching hot.

Yet Wei He kept his eyes closed and completed his routine, one motion after another.

Time slowly passed. At last, his time was up.

"Next." He heard a senior brother call from nearby.

He opened his eyes and looked at his Twin Fists.

His fists were bright red. Though the exact results had not yet been confirmed, he could feel as if his hands were wearing a pair of thick Ox Hide gloves.

Tough and heavy.

"He made it."

Old Man Zheng narrowed his eyes, took one look, and nodded slightly. His gaze had constantly swept over the disciples practicing Skin Grinding in the courtyard, so he naturally spotted Wei He's change at a glance.

Though everyone's fists were red after training, Old Man Zheng's experience was extraordinary, far beyond that of ordinary disciples. With one look, he could tell that Wei He had succeeded.

"He made it!?"

The senior brother who had just been quietly discussing Wei He with Cheng Shaojiu froze slightly. He looked at Wei He and was astonished.

"He really managed to succeed in the last few days." He could not help sighing.

Cheng Shaojiu lightly clapped his hands, though he merely made the gesture without producing a sound.

Wei He looked toward Second Sister. Wei Ying covered her mouth, a delighted smile appearing on her face.

He let out a long, heavy breath, feeling the pressure in his chest spill away all at once.

When he looked again at Third Senior Brother Cheng Shaojiu and saw his soundless applause, Wei He could not help raising a fist toward him.

Only after passing this hurdle did he truly count as a Huishan Fist disciple. Before this, he had merely been an ordinary paying trainee who came and went like flowing water.

Those disciples did not enter Old Man Zheng's eyes at all. There were as many as one wanted, with quite a few entering and leaving every month.

But true Huishan Fist disciples were different.

Wei He stepped away from the wooden basin. His fists remained red without fading, drawing envious gazes from the men around him who had yet to succeed, as well as some who were still practicing Skin Grinding.

"How does it feel? Doesn't it seem like your blood and qi have risen to another level? Like everything is different?" Cheng Shaojiu came over and patted him on the shoulder.

"Mm. I never imagined the gap between succeeding and failing would be this great," Wei He said softly.

"That's how it is. Don't be fooled by how crude our Huishan Fist realm names sound. What determines each level isn't the hardness of the fists. That's only the outward appearance."

Cheng Shaojiu explained.

"The fists are merely a special effect that naturally comes from us tempering our bodies' blood and qi. What truly matters is the powerful blood and qi corresponding to each realm."

"I understand." Wei He nodded.

"Want to test the effects?" Cheng Shaojiu invited him. "Come to my house. My family has a dedicated martial arts training ground."

"Would that be appropriate?" Wei He hesitated.

"What's inappropriate about it? You and I are brothers, so why say such things!" Cheng Shaojiu gave him a hard slap on the back. "Don't run off when we're dismissed later. Come back with me—consider it paying a social call!"

". All right." Wei He knew that inviting him to visit was itself a form of recognition.

After all, although Cheng Shaojiu had gotten along well with him before, he had never invited Wei He to his home even once.

But this time, the moment he broke through, Cheng Shaojiu invited him over. It was plain to see just how great the difference was between breaking through and failing to do so.

After speaking with Cheng Shaojiu for a while, Wei He went over to Second Sister.

"You've worked hard, Little He." Wei Ying smiled at him, her eyes full of happiness.

With Eldest Sister absent and their parents missing, this younger brother was her only support.

Now that her brother had proven himself, she felt increasingly secure.

In these chaotic times, what could bring more peace of mind than strength?

"It wasn't hard." Wei He shook his head. He was telling the truth. He liked this feeling—the feeling of slowly growing stronger.

In truth, he knew perfectly well that his blood and qi had not reached the level needed to break through and enter the school. Without the Boundary-Breaking Pearl, he might have left in dejection like the other disciples who failed to break through, not knowing where he would scrape together a living, surviving from one day to the next.