Medicinal Liquid

Fang Mo stepped into the Dining Hall of Tiger Might Martial Arts School, unable to help feeling a little strange.

The Dining Hall was cleverly divided by transparent glass into three distinct areas, each serving its own purpose in orderly fashion.

At the outermost ring, eight long tables seated the front courtyard students, some twenty-odd youthful faces; in the middle stood five long tables for the elite of the rear courtyard. Though fewer in number, every one of them carried an imposing air.

At the very back, there was only one long table. Martial Hall Master Guan Lie sat at its head, surrounded by five elite disciples, among whom was Miao Ping.

"Junior Brother Fang, over here!" Ding Zhiyuan's voice came from a corner. He sat beside a table and waved at him. There were five others at the table, and they did not seem particularly welcoming of Fang Mo's arrival.

Fang Mo walked over. Ding Zhiyuan pointed at the lavish spread on the table. "Help yourself. Eat as much as you can!"

"Thank you, Senior Brother Ding." Fang Mo smiled and nodded, then politely greeted the other Senior Brothers. In return, he received only barely perceptible nods.

He did not mind. His attention was drawn to the stir-fried cauliflower and braised pork with radish on the table. He filled a bowl to the brim, sat beside Ding Zhiyuan, and began wolfing it down. A whole morning of training had left him so hungry his chest was practically stuck to his back.

"Junior Brother Fang, how does the Tiger Subduing Stance feel?" Ding Zhiyuan asked as he ate.

"So-so."

Fang Mo swallowed a mouthful of rice. "There are some parts I don't understand. I'd like to ask Senior Brother for guidance."

"No problem. We can go over it after lunch." Ding Zhiyuan agreed readily.

Warmth rose in Fang Mo's heart. Ding Zhiyuan was far easier to get along with than the other fellow disciples. He sped up his eating; he still had to continue training in the afternoon and could not waste time.

In the Inner Hall, Guan Lie's eating motion suddenly paused. His gaze passed through the transparent partition and landed on Fang Mo, his brows unconsciously knitting together. He turned to Miao Ping and asked calmly, "Miao Ping, how has this Fang Mo been performing?"

Hearing this, Miao Ping hurriedly set down his chopsticks.

"Master, he's quite hardworking. He mastered the Tiger Subduing Stance in a single morning and has been holding the stance the whole time!" He glanced at Fang Mo and lowered his voice slightly. "But his constitution is too poor. I observed him all morning, and he still wasn't able to complete even two Heavenly Cycle Breathing cycles!"

Guan Lie gave a soft "Mm" and did not ask further.

Seeing this, Miao Ping understood. Master did not care much about Fang Mo; he had merely asked in passing. He picked up his chopsticks again and continued eating.

That afternoon, Fang Mo sought Ding Zhiyuan's advice on the finer points of stance training. Ding Zhiyuan held nothing back, pouring out everything he knew, then retreated into the cool Central Hall. Fang Mo, however, ignored the blazing sun and, drenched in sweat, held firm to his stance training. Every drop of sweat seemed to speak of his unyielding perseverance.

The disciples in the Central Hall watched him and occasionally let out derisive snickers. In their eyes, Fang Mo's efforts were entirely futile.

Guan Lie walked out of the Dining Hall and saw Fang Mo persevering beneath the scorching sun. His face darkened. "What right do you have to mock him?" His voice was cold. "Even someone with ordinary Bone Structure works this hard. You are so slack—are you worthy of your own talent?"

The disciples were cowed by the Martial Hall Master's rebuke. They no longer dared rest and hurried back to their training positions.

As they passed Fang Mo, their eyes were filled with resentment.

Yet Fang Mo seemed not to notice at all. He was completely immersed in his own world of training.

Every breath he took seemed to resonate with heaven and earth. Sweat poured down like rain, yet it could not extinguish the blazing fighting spirit in his heart. The instant he successfully completed his second Heavenly Cycle Breathing cycle, it felt as though thunder exploded within him, and an unprecedented, surging power suddenly awakened.

His blood began to boil, like scorching lava rushing through his veins, bringing a burning sensation from within and without. Yet it was not pain, but a sign of transformation.

Fang Mo could clearly feel that his Qi-Blood Power had risen at that moment. It might not have been enough to change the foundation of things, but to him, it was an incomparable improvement, giving him firmer and stronger confidence.

Night fell, and the students gradually departed. The Martial Hall became empty.

Ding Zhiyuan walked over and said to Fang Mo:

"Junior Brother Fang, stop training. You've trained all day; go back and rest early. You can't train too fiercely—be careful not to damage your foundation."

Fang Mo wiped the sweat from his forehead and revealed a tired smile. "Thank you, Senior Brother Ding. I'll do one more round, then head back."

Ding Zhiyuan nodded. Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly turned back and took out a bottle of medicine from his robe. "Junior Brother Fang, take this. Soak in a bath with it when you get back, and it'll relieve your fatigue. Your muscles won't be so sore tomorrow."

Fang Mo quickly tried to refuse, but Ding Zhiyuan insisted. "Take it. Consider it borrowed from me. Buy some tomorrow and pay me back then."

Fang Mo was moved. Ding Zhiyuan was truly someone worth befriending deeply. "Then I'll accept it for now. Thank you, Senior Brother Ding."

Ding Zhiyuan waved a hand and turned to leave.

Watching his departing back, Fang Mo silently resolved that he would repay this favor someday.

Late at night, all the students in the Martial Hall had long since left.

Fang Mo finished his final training session. His entire body was exhausted, but his spirit felt fuller than ever before.

He dragged his weary body home. Yue Jian had helped him rent a house near the Martial Hall, only two or three li away—a small courtyard dwelling with its own entrance.

In the dark stretches of the street, wandering thugs could be seen from time to time. But upon seeing Fang Mo's Martial Hall clothes, none came forward.

Cigarette embers flickered in the dark alleys, and miserable cries rang out from time to time.

Fang Mo turned a deaf ear and dragged his heavy legs onward.

Where martial arts flourished, other problems were bound to follow. Chivalry defied the law through martial strength—this was inevitable.

The daytime was still relatively normal, but once night came, the darkness belonged to Yunyang's gangs, great and small, and all kinds of crimes emerged one after another.

He could not even take care of himself now; where would he find the strength to concern himself with others?

Fang Mo returned to the small courtyard and opened the gate. The pitch-black courtyard gave rise to a sense of loneliness, but he immediately cast the thought from his mind.

After closing the courtyard gate and returning to his room, he barely wanted to eat. All he wanted was sleep. Still, he forced himself to fill the bath with hot water.

Following Ding Zhiyuan's advice, he poured in the green Medicinal Liquid. The bath instantly turned dark green, and the fragrance of medicine filled the air. As he soaked inside, Fang Mo felt a warm current seep through his skin, soothing every taut muscle. In the end, he could no longer resist his drowsiness and fell into a deep sleep.

In his dream, he stood amid a field of ruins, surrounded by raging flames. A fierce tiger roared in the sky, its cry shaking the four wilds.

He felt a power awakening within him—a powerful force that made his heart tremble. He threw back his head and roared, and a ring of golden light suddenly surged around his body, containing boundless power.

When Fang Mo awoke, dawn had only just broken. His entire body brimmed with vitality, as if last night's exhaustion had never existed.

He stood up and felt that his body was lighter than before, his Qi-Blood flowing more smoothly. He knew he had made a breakthrough. Though it was not enough for him to look down upon the masses, he had at least taken a solid step forward on the path of martial arts.

Fang Mo dressed, opened the courtyard gate, and let the sunlight fall across his face. He drew a deep breath, his heart filled with anticipation for the future.

He knew the road ahead was still long, but he was ready. No matter how many hardships and obstacles lay before him, he would press forward without turning back, because he was Fang Mo—the brave man destined to stride onward along the path of martial arts.