Strength

It was still pitch black, and the sound of firecrackers echoed in the distance.

Meng Yuan and Tie Niu practiced for a while longer, and then Hu Qian arrived.

She had an outstanding appearance, a tall figure, and was dressed thinly. Her chest was likely bound with several layers of cloth, but it still showed a noticeable size.

Hu Qian's mother was the Princess Consort's wet nurse, and looking at her build, you could tell she had been well-fed since childhood.

"It's New Year's Day today, why aren't you two sleeping in?" Hu Qian walked over and asked casually.

Meng Yuan wasn't familiar with Hu Qian. Moreover, Hu Qian had a high status and usually didn't like talking to people, so it was rare for her to initiate a conversation today.

However, in Meng Yuan's opinion, if the Princess Consort truly intended to observe the character of this batch of trainees, then given Hu Qian's identity, she was likely an informant.

Regardless, he had to establish his reputation first!

"Master Nie didn't tell me to stop, so I won't stop," Meng Yuan replied in a normal tone while practicing his Horse Stance Punch.

Hu Qian had the highest status in the training ground and was quite attractive, so everyone vied to please her.

To deal with a young girl like this who hadn't experienced romance and was doted upon by everyone, one couldn't fawn over her like others did. One had to first create some distance and then make a move.

It was like castrating a piglet. If you approached with the castration knife in hand, you would definitely scare the piglet away. But if you hid the knife and acted nonchalant, the piglet would instead come and nudge your feet.

Of course, to use this method, one needed to be both talented and good-looking, like Meng Yuan. If it were someone ugly and crooked, even if they kept a distance of ten thousand miles, others still wouldn't pay attention to them.

As expected, when Hu Qian saw that Meng Yuan showed no enthusiasm and was still practicing his Horse Stance Punch in a rigid manner, she said, "You're quite honest and obedient. Then why did you fight with Liu He on the first day you came?"

"If others don't offend me, I won't offend them. I came here to learn martial arts, nothing else. I just want to be the Princess Consort's guard and repay the Princess Consort's kindness." Meng Yuan didn't explain further and continued to hold his stance.

Hu Qian nodded slightly and said with a smile, "You're working so hard to build up your strength, but Master Nie isn't teaching you real skills. At most, you'll have some brute force. If the Princess Consort is truly in danger in the future, you might not be able to protect her."

"Sister Qian, that's not right. Does that mean you can't protect the Princess Consort if you don't learn real skills?"

Meng Yuan stopped, stood up solemnly and seriously, and established his reputation, saying, "I'm from a refugee background. If the Princess Consort hadn't given me food and drink, I would have frozen or starved to death long ago. If anyone truly dares to harm the Princess Consort, even if my skills are low, they'll have to step over my corpse first!"

Meng Yuan could spout dozens of variations of this kind of nonsense, the core of which was two words: loyalty!

Hu Qian was momentarily stunned. She saw that Meng Yuan's words were powerful, his handsome face was filled with integrity and loyalty, and he looked like he was willing to die for the Princess Consort, completely unlike the ruthless person who had just recently grabbed and beaten Liu He.

"I didn't expect that despite being from a refugee background, you have such a loyal heart," Hu Qian sighed.

"If one doesn't have a heart of gratitude and repayment, what's the difference between that and a beast?" Meng Yuan was full of righteousness, his voice resonant, and he said seriously, "Sister Qian, if the Princess Consort is truly in danger, I believe you, like me, would be willing to die for the Princess Consort!"

This kind of rhetoric was used to shorten the distance between the two of them.

Indeed, Hu Qian nodded heavily and said, "I'm the same as you! The Princess Consort treats me like her own daughter, of course I'm willing!"

Own daughter? It seemed the Princess Consort really hadn't given up on this place! Seeing that he had gotten the information, Meng Yuan also nodded solemnly, and then said seriously, "Sister Qian, recently when I've been practicing my punch, I always feel that the power from my waist and arms isn't smooth. Can you take a look and see where I'm practicing wrong?"

"Oh? Practice a couple more times for me to see." Hu Qian folded her arms, looking very serious, like a big sister.

This girl had lived in the deep courtyard for a long time and didn't know the wickedness of human hearts, nor did she know that Meng Yuan was using the art of war tactics of feigning ignorance and playing dumb to catch her.

Tie Niu watched from the side, dumbfounded, thinking to himself, You were correcting my movements just two days ago, and it turns out you haven't even mastered it yourself?

Soon, others also came for morning practice one after another, and Hu Qian didn't say anything more to Meng Yuan.

Life continued as usual after that, except that no outsiders came to the training ground again. Without supervision, those who were lazy became even lazier.

People have a herd mentality, and the minds of young people are easily influenced. Seeing others being lazy and slacking off, they also followed suit.

Meng Yuan still practiced meticulously, doing Horse Stance Punch, lifting Stone Locks, standingstake, and running every day. There was no actual combat, and he didn't learn any techniques, only strengthening his muscles and bones according to the routine set by Master Nie.

Meng Yuan didn't deliberately try to befriend Hu Qian, only occasionally asking for guidance and letting her correct his movements, satisfying the young girl's desire to be a teacher.

In the blink of an eye, half of the first month had passed.

Eating, drinking, and practicing fiercely every day, the Essence Flame in his body grew rapidly, already enveloping his entire body. He was increasingly unafraid of the cold, and his body felt as if it had inexhaustible strength.

Meng Yuan estimated that in a few more days, the Essence Flame would reach the realm of perfection, but he didn't know what changes would occur then, and he couldn't help but feel anticipation.

He had already increased the training volume in the routine set by Master Nie. For example, Master Nie required lifting a twenty-jin Stone Lock three hundred times a day, divided into six sets. Meng Yuan switched to a thirty-jin Stone Lock and lifted it five hundred times.

There was also running with a sandbag on his back and carrying and pushing a Stone Roller. While others rested early, Meng Yuan had to practice again at night, tiring himself to the point of forgetting everything.

But even so, he was still full of energy the next day, his body warm, and all his strength had returned.

On the fifteenth day of the first month, before dawn, Meng Yuan got up, went out shirtless, and used well water to wash himself.

I came here to learn martial arts, why am I thinking about women all day? Meng Yuan decided to increase his training volume again today.

By the middle of the morning, there were only a dozen people on the training ground, and the rest were still in the dormitory, not yet up.

Normally, these people were worried about Master Nie's surprise inspections and didn't dare to be lazy for too long, but today was the fifteenth day of the first month, and everyone was celebrating the festival, so these people were bolder.

It wasn't until lunchtime that these people came to the training ground, and Liu He was among them, as he was the leader.

Liu He's injuries had healed. He glanced at Meng Yuan contemptuously, then pretended to lift the Stone Lock.

"Master Nie isn't managing us anymore. If you want to learn martial arts in the future, you'll have to find a new master! If you don't have connections, hurry up and find some!" Liu He said with a smile.

Nie Yannian hadn't shown up since the New Year, and the young people had already lost confidence in practicing martial arts. Hearing Liu He's words at this moment, they inevitably felt it made more sense.

For a time, some were depressed and disappointed, while others quickly tried to curry favor with Liu He.

"I say, little eunuch." Liu He saw that everyone was looking at him flatteringly and couldn't help but feel proud. He smiled and looked at Meng Yuan, saying, "You've been getting up early and staying up late every day, but it turns out to be for nothing, right? No matter how hard you work, you're still a refugee, still an eunuch! In a few days, you'll have to pack your bags and get out!"

"The bedding belongs to the Royal Residence, he can't take it with him!" Someone said with a laugh, trying to be funny.

Meng Yuan merely lifted the stone lock and paid no mind to such provocations, finding them rather boring.

Hu Qian watched with cold eyes, not speaking.

"When you're out and about, you need to look at your background and your strength! My dad is Steward Liu, what do you have?" Liu He laughed heartily. "What's the point of you practicing every day! You still have to go back and shovel cow dung, and castrate cattle and sheep!"

Meng Yuan dropped the stone lock in his hand and said, "I don't talk to Rabbit Lords."

Liu He was triggered by this sentence. His face turned red with anger, but he didn't dare to make a move. He just gritted his teeth and pointed at Meng Yuan. He was provocative, but not stupid. He knew he couldn't beat Meng Yuan, and even if they ganged up on him, he would still be targeted and beaten.

"Master Nie is here!" Hu Qian suddenly spoke.

The young men looked towards the school grounds gate and saw Nie Yannian walking over with his hands behind his back, smiling.

All the young men immediately stood properly. Liu He also quickly stood straight, thinking to himself that it was a good thing he came out early, otherwise his laziness would have been discovered.

Nie Yannian walked forward, scanned everyone, and then stepped on a stone lock.

Nie Yannian didn't say anything. His shoulders didn't move, he just flipped and lifted the thirty-jin stone lock with one foot. It flew straight up, reaching three or four zhang high.

The young men's eyes followed the stone lock, but Meng Yuan saw clearly. Nie Yannian lowered his waist and stance, spread his feet, settled into a horse stance, closed his eyes slightly, and suddenly extended his right fist, hitting the falling stone lock squarely.

With a bang, the stone lock actually exploded.

The shattered small stones scattered within a one-zhang radius, showing that Nie Yannian's punch was not only extremely powerful but also had a precise grasp of force.

Meng Yuan was stunned, filled with infinite longing for a moment.

The young men were also dumbfounded upon seeing the true skill.

"Force originates from the six harmonies, rising from the ground; power is generated at the waist, and moves from the arms. Rising like a hidden dragon ascending to the heavens, falling like a thunderbolt striking the earth!"

Nie Yannian withdrew his horse stance, smiled, and put his arm around Liu He's neck, saying, "This is what you call background, this is what you call strength. Do you think this is some kind of inner-courtyard struggle played by women?"

He pointed at Meng Yuan, making Liu He look, and continued, "He's a castrator, you're from a servant background, who is nobler than whom? I set the requirement of lifting a twenty-jin stone lock three hundred times daily, he lifts a thirty-jin one five hundred times. He also does twice as many Horse Stance Punches as you, gets up the earliest every day, practices the most, rain or shine. Your fists aren't as hard as his, your heart isn't as ruthless as his, and you're not as diligent as him. He will definitely be more successful than you in the future. When that time comes, he'll sleep with your mother in front of you, and you'll still have to clap and cheer!"

"..." Meng Yuan glanced at Liu He's appearance and thought to himself, I wouldn't be that low.

"He practices diligently, and it's fine if you don't practice, but what kind of behavior is it to make sarcastic remarks? Child, people shouldn't be like this." Nie Yannian patted Liu He's head, then took out a piece of paper and handed it to Wu Changsheng, "Call the roll!"

Wu Changsheng respectfully took it and called out the names: "Liu He! Zhang Jun! Zhang Jinhua!"

When he read this, sweat appeared on Wu Changsheng's forehead. He leaned towards Hu Qian, "How do you read these three characters? They have so many strokes!"

Hu Qian ignored him.

Seeing Master Nie's displeased expression, Wu Changsheng quickly came to ask Meng Yuan again.

"Ji Jibao," Meng Yuan instructed.

"So it's him! Ji Jibao!" Wu Changsheng read it out in a drawn-out manner, like diarrhea.

A total of sixteen people stood out, both male and female. Meng Yuan and Tie Niu were not among them.

"Those whose names were called, go back and pack your things, and get out of here!" Nie Yannian was blunt.