Awakening, Part Two

Another half month passed.

The case was closed.

The murderer was a wandering vagrant who had happened to be passing by. Seeing Shao Quanhu step down from a carriage looking very wealthy, he had gone up to demand money.

When Shao refused, the man had slit his throat and beheaded him.

Before long, the wandering vagrant was dragged to Caishikou and sentenced to execution.

The dust settled.

Zhang Rongfang had initially worried that he would be found out. Unfortunately, not once before the case was closed had anyone suspected him.

He had not even been questioned by the constables.

Everything had been brushed aside so perfunctorily.

Late February.

Huaxin County was hit by a flood. The water level of the nearby Du Xi River rose madly, submerging many bridges.

Some streets could even be crossed only by Small Boat.

Outside the city, in the mountain forest.

Zhang Rongfang wore tight black clothing, his face covered so that only his Eyes showed, with a black hood over his head.

Apart from his Eyes, every part of him was concealed, and his Hands wore thin gloves.

He had not brought Wish Wheel Leaving Injury. It was rather large, so he had brought a palm-length steel Dagger instead.

Great Ling's forging techniques were decent. Steel was not difficult to Deal With.

It was simply that Great Ling stipulated ordinary people could not purchase weapons. To buy one, they had to obtain weapon documents and pay to register.

Left with no choice, Zhang Rongfang had casually taken a Dagger and some Treasure Notes from the Shao Family residence.

The Dagger was the most ordinary standard-issue model. Near the hilt, the Blade Edge bore the Artisan's name.

As for the money, Zhang Rongfang had found only a little over thirty taels when he went there. The rest had vanished without a trace.

Either the Shao Family servants had divided it up first, or the Official Messengers from the Government Office had taken it.

Gathering his thoughts, Zhang Rongfang soon slowed down in the forest and stopped beside a small Stream.

This was a small patch of grass. Two dead trees had previously fallen here, and he had cleared them away.

Now, it had become a place specifically for him to practice Martial Arts.

He had too many things hidden on him. If he practiced within the city, he could easily be discovered and would be unable to cut loose.

In the mountain forest, however, he had no such concerns.

Since he had already set his goal—to obtain a rank and climb high—he needed to improve every part of himself that could be improved as quickly as possible.

Status and rank could both increase the resources and forces he could mobilize, and the circles he could come into contact with would also differ.

Many good things could only be accessed within certain circles.

Zhang Rongfang had not forgotten why he sought higher ground: resources and safety.

Resources could further increase the speed at which he accumulated Attribute Points. Power and influence could better protect him from harm.

He set his waterskin on the ground beside him.

Zhang Rongfang closed his eyes again and stared at his eyelids. Then the Attribute Panel emerged.

Only then did he open his eyes.

This was a method he had only recently discovered. Staring at his own eyelids could also open the Attribute Panel.

Compared with before, his attributes had changed somewhat again.

Zhang Rongfang—Life 25-26.

Skills: Returning Spring Purifying Time Talisman Classic—Yue Type Talisman (Breaking Limits) (Breaking Limit Skill: Heavy Mountain).

Guanxu Skill (First Layer Essence Aperture).

Dragon Snake Movement Technique (Breaking Limits) (Breaking Limit Skill: Ground Shrinking).

Vitality Talisman (Breaking Limits).

Eight Steps Catching Cicadas (Beginner).

Fused Breaking Limit Skill: Shrinking Step Heavy Mountain.

Available Attributes: 2.

"Life hasn't changed. Other than Guanxu Skill, only Eight Steps Catching Cicadas has entered the gate and can still be improved. Everything else has already reached Breaking Limits."

Zhang Rongfang sighed inwardly.

The Attribute Points he had used up earlier had accumulated back to two points.

Likewise, he had finally finished all the medicinal formulas he had bought.

Next, he would have to spend money to buy more. Otherwise, the rate at which he accumulated Attribute Points would return to its previous level.

Before, it had taken him two months to save up a single point.

Now, with medicine every day, it had become one point every ten days.

The efficiency had increased far too much. Having grown accustomed to such improvement, Zhang Rongfang was unwilling to return to how things had been before.

"Forget it. Improve first, then worry about the rest."

Casting aside his distracting thoughts, he focused his gaze carefully on Eight Steps Catching Cicadas.

Movement techniques had helped him tremendously, so he had to maintain that advantage.

He had figured it out now. In another year, he would tell Master that he had broken through to Second Grade. Then he could obtain a rank and take up an official post.

Zhang Rongfang imagined lightly tapping the Plus Sign behind Eight Steps Catching Cicadas.

The words within the brackets immediately blurred. When they reappeared, they had become Mastery.

At the same time, countless memories and insights of practicing Eight Steps Catching Cicadas flooded into his mind.

After experiencing this sensation many times, Zhang Rongfang had grown somewhat accustomed to it.

He merely shook his head, then lowered his gaze to his Legs.

This time, however, he was somewhat disappointed. Raising Eight Steps Catching Cicadas to Mastery only made his Legs slightly numb and swollen. There was no major physical change.

He suddenly recalled the saying among Warriors about the body's upper limit. Even if one kept breaking Limits, every person's body had an inevitable Limit.

It was determined by one's inborn structure.

It was also the boundary set by the very material of the human body.

Could I already be nearing my limit? Zhang Rongfang felt uneasy.

Even with Qinghe Temple's Returning Spring Purifying Time Talisman Classic, not every Disciple could pile up their cultivation through time and bitter practice.

Everyone had their own innate Limit.

Some people were born frail and could not advance beyond Second Grade no matter how they trained.

Others could reach Fourth Grade.

Still others could reach Fifth Grade.

For ordinary Warriors, if they could not reach a sufficiently high level before thirty, they could never rise further afterward.

Because after thirty, one's vitality and blood would begin to decline.

Zhang Rongfang thought back over his own circumstances.

Counting all my Martial Arts, I've broken Limits three times: once with Dragon Snake Movement Technique, once with Yue Type Talisman, and once with Vitality Talisman.

In other words, am I exactly at the boundary between Third Grade and Fourth Grade?

Zhang Rongfang suddenly recalled what Master, Senior Sister, and his senior brothers had mentioned about the Third Grade bottleneck.

Could it be that I've reached the Third Grade bottleneck?

He looked at his Attribute Panel.

Without hesitation, he put his remaining Attribute Point into Eight Steps Catching Cicadas.

The brackets behind Eight Steps Catching Cicadas immediately blurred. In an instant, they became new words: (Perfection).

An ocean of practice memories flooded madly into his mind.

Zhang Rongfang's body swayed slightly as dizziness washed over him. This time, the strength in his Legs had not changed much, but the muscles across his body became more balanced and streamlined.

It took him quite a while to recover.

Steadying himself on the grass, Zhang Rongfang took a step and shot forward more than ten meters.

Just as before, he ran without a sound, his concealment extremely effective.

But after improving Eight Steps Catching Cicadas this time, his burst speed had become even faster than before.

My speed has increased by at least twenty percent. Not bad. Zhang Rongfang stopped and made a rough assessment.

And turning and control within a small area are much more fluid now. It's no longer like before, when changing direction was sluggish.

Satisfied, Zhang Rongfang walked beneath a tree to drink some water.

With my movement technique at this level, I wonder where I stand in all of Huaxin County. Combined with my combat strength, what level of expert could I defeat?

Without comparison, there's no right to speak. Only plenty of real combat can help me accumulate all kinds of experience, so I won't be caught in a flurry when I'm ambushed and injured in the future.

Looks like I still need to fight some real battles and see.

Only by knowing his own position could he better judge the proper limits of his actions.

As for how to compare himself, and how to gain real combat experience, Zhang Rongfang already had an idea.

... That afternoon, in the northern district of Huaxin, Black Fist Gate.

Compared with businessmen like the Rice Gang, Black Fist Gate was made up of true struggling commoners.

At first, this gang had been a small organization spontaneously formed by laboring Men.

Its purpose was to band together for warmth and bargain for greater benefits with merchants.

After many changes and adjustments, Black Fist Gate had gradually changed as well.

The sect was divided into the Sect Master, hall overseers, team leaders, and ordinary members.

Compared with the Rice Gang's great wealth, Black Fist Gate's strongest figure was its Sect Master, Zhuang Dali.

Rumor had it that this man had trained Black Arm Fist to the Fifth Layer, meaning he had broken through the Limit five times. By the official definition, that was the realm of Fifth Grade.

At that moment, Zhuang Dali watched intently as several disciples on the training ground exchanged moves.

These days, the Rice Gang had suddenly suffered an upheaval, and Qinghe Temple had forcefully wrapped things up, setting Huaxin County abuzz.

Originally, the Rice Gang had actually been on the same side as Qinghe Temple. Yet after the Rice Gang incident, the most direct result had been a sharp decline in Qinghe Temple's influence in Huaxin County.

Zhuang Dali was considering whether it was time for Black Fist Gate to expand its territory. Bang! The gates of Black Fist Gate's courtyard were suddenly shoved open by tremendous force.

A sturdy man dressed entirely in black slowly entered.

Behind him, two Black Fist Gate disciples who had been guarding the entrance hurried inside and shut the courtyard gates behind them.

"Who are you?!" a Black Fist Gate expert shouted sharply.

At once, the gazes of more than ten people in the courtyard training ground fell upon the newcomer.

Zhuang Dali stared at him coldly.

"Since you've come, friend, why hide your head and show your tail? Why not dare show your face?"

The newcomer said nothing. With one hand, he tossed out a wooden board that landed before Zhuang Dali.

Written clearly upon it in black ink were the words: Challenge the school.

A silver ingot was tied behind it. This was Black Fist Gate's rule: challengers could come, but they had to bring money—ten taels per challenge.

If the challenger won, he took the money back.

If he lost, the money stayed.

Thus, this money counted as the prize stake.

Zhuang Dali's expression did not change. Since Black Fist Gate had stood here for so long, there had long been more challengers than it could count.

He looked toward Yu Wenguang, the hall overseer who lazily rose to his feet nearby.

Yu Wenguang was powerfully built and over 1.8 meters tall. Most of his hair had been shaved off, leaving only an egg-sized patch braided into a small plait that trailed down his back.

He was one of the sect's experts, specifically assigned to oversee this venue today.

Black Fist Gate had five hall overseers in total. Every one of them was an expert who had trained Black Arm Fist to at least Third Grade.

They were the martial strength the entire gang concentrated its resources to support, the pillars that held the ground.

"I'll play with you." Yu Wenguang walked onto the training ground and loosened his joints. "What era is this, and you're still playing at masked challenges? You think everyone's playing games with you? Once we start fighting, you think they won't even be able to tear off that face covering?"

Zhang Rongfang said nothing. One foot forward and one behind, he raised both Hands slightly.

Whoosh.

Without another word, both men stepped forward at the same time.

One clenched his fist; the other struck with his palm. Their attacks collided viciously.