Zhou Leng

Chapter 1: Zhou Leng

The setting sun hung high in the sky, one side large and the other small, illuminating the Yangtze River.

Ru City lay sprawled across the northern bank of the Yangtze River.

The red track of Eighth Middle School's martial arts field encircled the green grounds, while the students of Senior Class Three gathered together.

"Check your timers. Press them when you start, then press them again when your true qi runs out... Ready... circulate your qi... run!"

At the Martial Arts Committee member's command, ten students shot forward like arrows, sprinting with all their might along the ten lanes.

"Come on!" some students shouted loudly.

Zhou Leng's classmates, who usually got along well with her, warmed up as they slowly approached the starting line as the second group.

"They're all running pretty fast."

"However, Qi Running tests more than speed. It tests the endurance of your true qi. The more true qi you have, the longer you can keep running your qi, and the higher your score."

"Xu Qingjin truly lives up to her position as the body-movement committee member. She's probably first among the ten."

"Xu Qingjin's record for Qi Running broke four and a half minutes a long time ago. What was the exact time again?"

"Four minutes and thirty-two seconds," Zhou Leng said.

"If you hadn't encountered a demon and injured your body, you'd probably be running at about that speed by now," Hu Yi said.

Several classmates looked at Zhou Leng, their gazes carrying a trace of sympathy.

Zhou Leng glanced at the green wristband on her left wrist and shook her head. "I can't reach that."

Three minutes later, the students running their qi gradually slowed down and raised their timers to call out their times.

"Whew... three minutes, twelve point nine seconds."

"Are you kidding? You didn't even make it past three and a half minutes?"

The student rolled her eyes at her friend, then walked over wheezing and handed the timer to Hu Yi at the edge.

After that, the students running their qi finished one after another, calling out their times as the Martial Arts Committee member recorded them all.

"Four minutes and thirty-nine seconds." Xu Qingjin's crisp voice rang out.

"666..."

"First place is secured."

The students gazed enviously at the school-uniformed girl whose face was flushed. She wore a white short-sleeved shirt and blue shorts.

Her slightly baby-fat face was covered in smiles. Her catfish-whisker bangs were parted in two, and the ponytail behind her head swayed gently.

"Zhou Leng." Xu Qingjin walked over and held out the timer with her right hand. "Don't push yourself too hard. Your health is what matters."

Zhou Leng nodded and took the timer.

"Get ready," the Martial Arts Committee member, Mo Hai, said.

Zhou Leng walked to the starting line with her classmates and lightly shook out her legs and feet.

"...Circulate your qi..."

Zhou Leng took a deep breath and circulated the Mysterious Tide Art. True qi rose from the Dantian Sea of Qi in her abdomen and surged toward both legs.

"Run!"

At the command, Zhou Leng pressed the timer and shot across the starting line.

Both feet struck the ground with dull thuds.

The wind howled past her ears.

Zhou Leng focused completely, her eyes clear. Her face grew redder and redder as sweat slowly appeared on her forehead.

Zhou Leng's chest heaved harder and harder, her face flushing from holding her breath. At last, her body suddenly slowed, and she pressed the timer.

She walked while gasping for breath and looked at the timer.

Zhou Leng raised the timer. "Three minutes and nine seconds."

Zhou Leng left the track, her legs trembling slightly.

The Martial Arts Committee member, Mo Hai, glanced at the record book in his hand. "Not bad. You improved by another two seconds!"

"Come on, Zhou Leng!" Xu Qingjin and the other students' gazes were warmer than the sunlight.

Zhou Leng nodded and walked forward slowly.

After steadying her breathing, Zhou Leng stood still and closed her eyes.

Zhou Leng's consciousness slowly descended, finally reaching the Dantian Sea of Qi in her abdomen, where she sensed that roughly thirty percent of her true qi remained.

Her true qi was still there, but her body could no longer hold out.

Zhou Leng slowly took a deep breath and quickly calmed her emotions.

The doctor had said last week that she could fully recover in at most half a year.

Zhou Leng gently shook her left wrist, making the green bracelet sway along with it.

When that time comes, I'll be able to take off this green bracelet.

With this body, I don't have enough points for the military academy's physical test, and my total score won't be enough for Martial Arts University. I hope I can get into Ru Da Affiliated Martial Arts Hall. These last few days... I have to give it one more push!

Zhou Leng gazed at the martial arts field, her eyes filled with resolve.

"Mine was three minutes and thirty-two seconds." After speaking, Hu Yi walked over to the Martial Arts Committee member, glanced at the record book, then came over with a smile.

"Your result improved by another two seconds. Your body's recovery is visible to the naked eye," Hu Yi encouraged.

Before long, Class Three finished Qi Running.

Ding ding ding...

The dismissal bell rang.

The students chatted as they walked toward the classroom.

At that moment, the school broadcast came on.

"...We wish all the Senior Three students..."

"...As in previous years... the college entrance examination rewards established by Eighth Middle School this time..."

The broadcast had been playing repeatedly for the past month. Like most students, Zhou Leng could not summon the slightest interest.

It has nothing to do with me.

"...Students admitted to Cloud Splendor or Jinjing University will be rewarded with ten Qi Nourishing Pills, three Essence Replenishing Pills, and three Blood Cleansing Pills..."

"...Students admitted to the Top Ten Martial Arts Universities will be rewarded with three Qi Nourishing Pills and one Essence Replenishing Pill..."

"...At the same time, an award for progress in the Martial Arts Examination has been established. For every ten thousand places a student rises in the citywide ranking, they will receive one Qi Nourishing Pill..."

"...The student who improves the most and rises by more than thirty thousand places will be the Progress Champion. They will receive one additional Essence Replenishing Pill, as well as a self-selected martial arts instructional video worth one thousand battle merits or contribution points..."

"...The written and physical examinations have already ended. Next comes the Martial Arts Examination..."

Hu Yi said with a smile, "The principal and the others really have their abacus clicking loudly. No matter how poorly someone does on the written and physical examinations, even if they do extremely well on the Martial Arts Examination, who could suddenly rise thirty thousand places?"

"Maybe someone will deliberately do badly in the earlier tests for the sake of this award," Feng Wenhao said.

"Anyone capable of controlling their score in the college entrance examination wouldn't be short of these pills, would they? Going to a military academy or one of the Top Ten Martial Arts Universities would be worth more than this. Besides, controlling your score is extraordinarily difficult. If it failed and they missed out on a military academy or the Top Ten, wouldn't their whole family regret it until their guts turned green?"

"True."

"No one has ever received this Progress Champion award in all the previous years. First the written examination, then the physical examination, and finally the Martial Arts Examination. Those good at the Martial Arts Examination are also extremely good physically. Basically, they're already thirty thousand places ahead after the first two tests. How could they advance another thirty thousand places?"

"But what if someone really could improve by thirty thousand places?"

"Then the principal and the others would go crazy with joy. What would improving by thirty thousand places in the Martial Arts Examination mean? Eighth Middle School's fame would explode, and they'd finally hold their heads high..."

As the two chatted, Zhou Leng walked silently ahead, calculating the prices of all the rewards in her heart.

One Qi Nourishing Pill cost ten thousand. She had never eaten one in her entire life.

One Essence Replenishing Pill cost one hundred thousand. She had eaten one before, to treat her illness.

One Blood Cleansing Pill cost one hundred and twenty thousand. She had only ever seen one in the Martial Arts Mall.

"How many Qi Nourishing Pills did your mother prepare for you?" Hu Yi asked Feng Wenhao.

"One every month since Senior Two. For the ten days before the Martial Arts Examination, one every day. Tomorrow, I'll eat an Essence Replenishing Pill."

"Tsk tsk, what a tycoon. My family only prepared three Qi Nourishing Pills for the Martial Arts Examination. We're purely relying on luck..." Hu Yi glanced at the silent Zhou Leng and hurriedly changed the subject. "Uh, how's your true qi control? When it comes to controlling true qi, neither of us could surpass Zhou Leng in our whole lives..."

The classmates entered the classroom one after another, and the Martial Arts Committee member, Mo Hai, walked to the podium.

"Next Monday is our last day of class, and the Martial Arts Examination is next Friday. I've discussed it with the teacher and the class officers. This Saturday and Sunday, as well as next Tuesday through Thursday, I'll lead everyone in cultivation every afternoon. Anyone who wants to come, sign up with me."

"I will, I will..."

Some students shouted loudly.

"One at a time..."

Zhou Leng thought for a moment, then signed up as well.

After signing up, Zhou Leng carried her schoolbag and a net bag containing three aluminum lunch boxes.

Hu Yi and Feng Wenhao each carried four aluminum lunch boxes as they left school together with Zhou Leng.

When they reached the fork in the road, the three split up.

Zhou Leng supported her schoolbag with her left hand and carried the lunch boxes in her right as she looked at the road.

A red road and a blue road lay between the vehicle lanes and the sidewalk.

The red one was the fast-running lane, while the blue one was the slow-running lane.

Zhou Leng stepped onto the slow-running lane and began to run.

Most intersections had pedestrian overpasses or underground passages specially built for martial artists, so she hardly had to wait for a traffic light along the way.

Whoosh...

A blue figure suddenly flashed past from the red running lane, stirring up a fierce wind that disrupted Zhou Leng's breathing rhythm.

Zhou Leng looked towards the person's back. In only a few seconds, that person was already more than a hundred meters away.

"Qi Nourishing, Blood Circulation, Body Tempering, Vitality. That person covered more than twenty-five meters in one second. They're at least at the Body Tempering Stage, perhaps even the Vitality Stage..."

Zhou Leng was still at the Qi Nourishing Stage. As she watched the person's back, her eyes brightened slightly.

Zhou Leng continued running and stopped at the entrance of the Imperial Dragon Bay Residential Area. She climbed to the seventh floor and walked toward 701.

The door to 702 was open, and the sound of television news came from inside.

"...Our city's Martial Guard Bureau destroyed a stronghold of the Demon Worshipping Cult... captured demon servants..."

"You're back?" A man in his fifties walked to the doorway. He had thinning hair, a sauce-red complexion, and a stiff expression.

"Uncle Li." Zhou Leng nodded.

"Stay and have dinner with me later. I made too much stewed meat yesterday."

Zhou Leng was silent for two seconds before saying, "I soaked some multigrain rice in my rice cooker. I'll have food tonight. Freeze yours in the refrigerator and finish it over several days."

"I'm cooking now." Li Linhan glared at Zhou Leng, then turned and walked toward the kitchen.

"Okay." Zhou Leng agreed helplessly.

This Uncle Li was a veteran who had withdrawn from West Sea Demon City. He had earned two individual second-class merits and was also Father's old class monitor. They had a friendship forged through life and death.

Half a year ago, Zhou Leng had encountered a demon and contracted a disease spell. The state had provided free treatment, but the subsequent medical care and recovery had emptied her family's savings.

In the end, Uncle Li had transferred fifty thousand yuan to her.

Uncle Li claimed he had made too much stewed meat, but in truth, as before, he had prepared Meat Medicinal Cuisine.

She had already smelled it the night before.

Zhou Leng pressed her thumb against the fingerprint lock, but the smart door lock did not respond.

Zhou Leng took out her key, unlocked the door, and entered.

After changing shoes, she walked into the living room. The house was empty beneath the setting sun.

It was so quiet that it made her heart tremble.

Zhou Leng rarely returned home this early.

Zhou Leng liked returning home a little later.

Her gaze flashed past the electronic photo album beside the television cabinet.

A woman sat holding a tiny child, while two men stood behind the chair.

The older man looked fifty percent like Zhou Leng. The younger man looked thirty percent like the woman. His youthful innocence had not yet faded, and he was about the same age as Zhou Leng was now.

The four of them smiled together.

Zhou Leng went into the kitchen and changed the rice cooker's scheduled cooking time to tomorrow morning.

She entered the master bedroom's bathroom and took off her clothes.

Before long, the sound of rushing water came from the master bedroom's bathroom.

The water stopped. Zhou Leng, covered in droplets, walked before the hazy mirror and slowly took a deep breath, circulating her true qi.

The skin across her body trembled lightly. Streams of water flowed down from the top of her head, drawing in the water droplets on her body as they gathered and flowed downward, finally reaching the soles of her feet.

In only a few seconds, the water droplets on her body had dried, leaving her hair as fresh and dry as before.

Her true qi had achieved minor mastery, and her qi was approaching her skin.

"Entry Level, proficient, mastery, minor mastery, major mastery, perfection. Only upon reaching the level of perfection can qi emerge from the skin, form a complete protective covering around the body, and make the entire body seem to exhale, blasting all the water from the body and scattering it throughout the room..."

Zhou Leng thought as she left the master bedroom, put on her clothes, took her phone and keys, and entered 702 across the hall.

"Uncle, I'm here."

Zhou Leng changed into slippers and surveyed the apartment.

The layout was the same as her own: a living room, one master bedroom, one second bedroom, a bathroom, and a kitchen.

An old wooden-patterned frame hung on one side of the wall.

The photo showed a group portrait of Uncle Li's family of five.

Uncle Li, Aunt Li, their eldest brother, second sister, and third brother.

The television was still broadcasting the news.

"...After years of effort, Cooperative Medical University has developed an entirely new external Body Tempering medicine..."

Zhou Leng stood outside the kitchen while Li Linhan busied himself inside.

Li Linhan did not like others helping when he cooked, even though his left hand was not very nimble.

Zhou Leng looked towards Li Linhan's stiff left arm and hand. They were covered by a glove, but the features of a mechanical arm were unmistakable.

That arm had been exchanged for a second-class merit.

As Li Linhan busied himself, he said, "The company's been a little chaotic lately. Keep your distance."

"The Youthful Faction still hasn't finished making trouble?"

"Some say it'll last at least half a year. It's hard to say. Back when the Central Faction rose to power, they divided up a huge piece of meat from the Elder Faction. There's even less meat now, so the Youthful Faction's knives are Very Likely to cut into us and the branch companies."

"I heard about that too. They say they're going to raise the amount the branches have to turn in. Is it true?"

"I talked with Old Liu and the others a few days ago. Everyone's opinion was more or less the same. The higher-ups were floating the idea just to see how the people below reacted."

"Then we're going to have to live through hard times again. Hopefully they won't cut the incomes of us wage earners."

Zhou Leng's brows furrowed, then relaxed.

Besides his regular studies and cultivation, Zhou Leng worked part-time at Pioneer Company as a student, cutting up demonic beast corpses.

On average, he could earn around a thousand yuan a month.

With the more than one thousand yuan in monthly state subsidies, Zhou Leng currently had an income of over two thousand yuan a month.

Prices had soared over the years, and inflation was especially severe. Even the cheapest pound of duck breast cost more than ten yuan. That income was more than enough for his daily food and drink, but it was far from sufficient for cultivation.

An ordinary serving of Meat Medicinal Cuisine cost over a thousand yuan.

The cheapest medicinal pill, a Qi Nourishing Pill, cost ten thousand yuan apiece.

So far, he had only eaten Meat Medicinal Cuisine at Uncle Li's home, and even that had been made from scraps obtained from Pioneer Company.

The biggest problem was that once the college entrance examination ended this month, the state would stop issuing subsidies the following month.

"Coming through." Li Linhan carried a large earthenware pot in both hands as he walked out, and Zhou Leng hurriedly stepped aside.

Li Linhan lifted the lid. A faint smile appeared on his face as he said, "Time to eat."

The rich fragrance of meat and medicine mingled with a faint fishy odor, spreading through the room along with the thick white steam.

Zhou Leng's throat bobbed. He swallowed and went to get the bowls and chopsticks.

Before long, the two of them were seated beside the dining table.

There was one earthenware pot of Meat Medicinal Cuisine, a small basin of red-braised pork, a plate of blanched broccoli, a plate of stir-fried greens, and a rice cooker full of mixed-grain rice.

"The Martial Arts Examination is almost here, so eat more. Until your examination is over, come here and have a meal of Meat Medicinal Cuisine every day."

Zhou Leng held his bowl and lowered his head slightly.

"Eat up!" Li Linhan picked up a large piece of red-braised pork and placed it on Zhou Leng's mixed-grain rice.

"Mm."

Zhou Leng slowly drew in a deep breath.

Li Linhan picked up a piece of broccoli and chewed it slowly.

Zhou Leng picked up a piece of meat from the Meat Medicinal Cuisine. The white meat was marked with black stripes, and he recognized it as Demon Wolf Meat. He moved it toward Li Linhan's bowl.

Li Linhan's expression turned cold. He raised his chopsticks to block it and pushed it back. "You're to eat it all yourself. If you don't finish it, you're not allowed out that door."

"Uncle Li..." Zhou Leng said.

Li Linhan gave a soft snort and ate his meal on his own.

Zhou Leng silently withdrew his chopsticks and put the meat into his mouth.

As soon as the Demon Wolf Meat entered his mouth, there was first a rich medicinal fragrance. Then a strange meaty aroma churned forth, combining a hint of milky fragrance with the scent of wood.

Finally came a faint, lingering stench. It was not strong, but it refused to dissipate.

Zhou Leng chewed in great gulps.

Even after being stewed overnight and softened by the medicinal ingredients, it was like undercooked beef tendon—impossible to chew through.

By the fourth piece, Zhou Leng's teeth had begun to ache and his cheeks had gone numb. He had no choice but to circulate his qi to help with the chewing.

It was simply too exhausting, so he switched to the red-braised pork and vegetables to take a breather.

After eating half the meal, Zhou Leng was sweating all over, as though he had eaten a hot pot of mutton in the height of summer.

A faint smile appeared on Li Linhan's deeply wrinkled, sauce-colored face.

"Have some soup. What a pity. We can only buy scraps from demonic beasts of the Qi and Blood Realm. We can't even buy scraps from those of the Innate Realm. As for high-end ferocious beast meat and scraps of dragon meat, don't even dream about it."

"It's already very good." Zhou Leng's mouth was stuffed with meat, making his words indistinct.

"I'll stew beef tomorrow. By the way, the city hasn't been very peaceful lately either. Try not to go out at night."

"Are there demonic beasts?" Zhou Leng asked.

"According to rumor, experts of the Innate Realm are fighting over a mysterious treasure. They've been striking hard."

"What treasure?" Zhou Leng's eyes lit up.

"No news. They've kept it very tightly under wraps."

"Are the Grandmasters getting involved?"

"Strange as it may sound, there hasn't been any news of the Grandmasters for the past month or two. I don't know what they've gone off to do."

"Third Brother is about to Promote to Xiantian, right?" Zhou Leng glanced out of the corner of his eye at the photograph of the five members of the Li family.

"Almost. That kid was utterly ordinary when he was little. Who would've thought he'd turn out to be the most promising member of the Li family? The Innate Realm, huh? Heh, I wouldn't even dare dream of it."

Li Linhan's smile was impossible to suppress.

"Don't call him utterly ordinary. In the nearby residential compounds, apart from Zhang Xinglie, no one can firmly suppress Third Brother," Zhou Leng said.

"Zhang Xinglie... that child is extraordinary. Little Third can't compare with him. Your Third Brother's ceiling in this life is the Innate Realm. Zhang Xinglie, though, has the makings of a Grandmaster. His ancestors must have smoke pouring from their graves."

Zhou Leng ate while nodding.

"You're not weak either. You were simply held back by the demon," Li Linhan said.

Zhou Leng fell silent.

"On the path of martial arts, besides the talents we can see, there are also talents we can't see. I've led so many soldiers and met so many children. Do you think I wouldn't know?"

"You're praising me too much," Zhou Leng said.

"I'm not praising you. It's just... sigh. All these years, you grew up on your own, being hammered and tempered into refined steel. You only lacked an opportunity. Just when you were about to make something of yourself, in the end..." Li Linhan placed another piece of meat in Zhou Leng's bowl.

Zhou Leng ate silently.

"By the way, Little Third mailed something to you. It should arrive within the next couple of days."

Zhou Leng guessed it was meant to help him with the Martial Arts Examination and hurriedly said, "I don't want anything expensive. At most, I'll eat some Meat Medicinal Cuisine. Otherwise, I won't come anymore."

"We'll talk about it when the time comes," Li Linhan said.

Zhou Leng was torn inside.

The Li family had helped him out countless times over the years.

Yes, Uncle Li was an expert in the Vitality Stage of the Qi and Blood Realm. He received state subsidies, martial artist bonuses, and income from Pioneer Company. He could afford that fifty-thousand-yuan loan.

But his body was covered in injuries, and he had to take medicine regularly. Third Brother also had to Promote to Xiantian. Even with military academy training, the resources required would be counted in the tens of millions. It was a bottomless pit.

"Eat up. Once you're done, cultivate properly," Li Linhan said.

Zhou Leng swept away the remaining food like a gale, and another benevolent smile appeared on Li Linhan's face.

"I'm leaving." Zhou Leng headed home.

"Don't forget to circulate your energy and digest the Meat Medicinal Cuisine," Li Linhan reminded him.

"Mm."

The television, playing to an empty room, continued broadcasting the news.

"...the Demonized Hypergravity Cultivation Inner Armor jointly researched with the Demon Spirit World has achieved a new breakthrough. The weight limit has been raised to twenty-eight tons, breaking..."

Only after watching Zhou Leng close the door did Li Linhan return to the dining table and sit down.

He silently gazed at the photo album. After a long while, he turned off the television, slowly stood up, Took Off the mechanical prosthetic on his left arm, and sat in meditation to circulate his energy and heal his injuries.

Zhou Leng entered his room, removed all his clothes, set an alarm to the sound of gradually intensifying tides, and sat on the cushion in front of the sofa.

I hope the Mysterious Tide Art can reach Minor Accomplishment Second Heaven.

Zhou Leng sat cross-legged in meditation, his eyes tightly shut as he silently recited the incantation of the Mysterious Tide Art.

One after another, corresponding words appeared before Zhou Leng's eyes, linking together into sentences and chapters.

Heart Script like a Book.

"Tide births the primordial unity and transforms to travel through the four seas. Rivers connect the nine directions, reaching through to the Dantian Sea of Qi. Water enters the Heavenly River..."

The instant he finished silently reciting the Main Text of the Mysterious Tide Art, Zhou Leng's entire body gave a slight tremor, as though he had shivered.

The suspended words before his eyes vanished. In their place was the inside of his own body.

Flesh, blood, bones, tendons, qi, and more appeared before his eyes like mist and water, rendered in the freehand style of an ink painting.

Internal Vision like a Painting.

In his stomach, a current of heat surged and spread throughout his body.

Zhou Leng breathed slowly. From the Dantian Sea of Qi in his abdomen, a stream of true qi welled up, faintly carrying the rushing sound of waves.

Mysterious Tide True Qi slowly coursed through his meridians and all around his body.

Before long, the Mysterious Tide True Qi appeared before Zhou Leng's eyes like deep-blue lines spreading throughout his entire body.

The Mysterious Tide True Qi gathered toward his stomach, drawing out streams of heat formed by the Meat Medicinal Cuisine and slowly circulating them along the paths of the Mysterious Tide Art.

After the heat from the Meat Medicinal Cuisine and the Mysterious Tide True Qi completed one cycle, they gradually merged.

Zhou Leng's skin reddened, and sweat broke out all over his body.

Before long, his abdomen slowly swelled, like a balloon, or a woman four or five months pregnant.

Beneath the swollen skin, blue-red veins twisted together in a hideous network.

The sound of waves inside his stomach grew louder.

A dozen or so seconds later, his abdomen slowly contracted and returned to normal.

Before long, his abdomen swelled again, then slowly shrank back, repeating the cycle without end.

Each time his abdomen swelled, the sound of the true qi's tide grew louder.

After forty-nine cycles, his abdomen returned to calm.

At that moment, the sound of the true qi's tide thundered in Zhou Leng's ears like a wind-battered coast.

The Mysterious Tide Art began in an ordinary manner, building layer upon layer until, at the very end, it became a tsunami surging forward—fierce, forceful, and savage.

After another dozen or so seconds, Zhou Leng slowly exhaled.

A wisp of extremely faint white vapor flew from his nostrils.

Zhou Leng opened his eyes. He looked at his reddened skin and sweat-covered body, walked into the bathroom, and gave his body a shake, sending water droplets sliding down.

There was not the slightest trace of joy on Zhou Leng's face.

His Mysterious Tide True Qi had increased a little, but he was Still Stuck At Minor Accomplishment First Heaven.

Ever since he had been injured by the demon half a year ago, he had made no further progress.