Shang Xin Lei

"Five thousand!"

Yan Qing let out a long breath. After throwing five thousand wholehearted punches, he was covered in a thin layer of sweat, yet felt refreshed and invigorated.

The benefits brought by the Martial Arts Genius milestone far exceeded his expectations. From throwing punches with no technique at all, Yan Qing had gradually mastered how to exert force through every part of his body—his hands, arms, shoulders, and waist. By the end, some of his punches even made the air crack. More importantly, he found such a simple action as punching genuinely interesting. Even after practicing all afternoon, he was still reluctant to stop.

Anyone who had failed at losing weight knew that the most troublesome thing about exercise was that it was "boring." Running, swimming, fat-burning workout routines, and the like were tiring, but that was secondary. The real reason so many people struggled to stick with exercise was that they found no enjoyment in the process. By contrast, many people never tired of group sports like basketball and badminton. Even if they were exhausted enough on a hot day to be unable to get out of bed the next morning, they had no complaints. That was because they were not exercising for the sake of exercise—they were simply having fun.

Yan Qing was certain that he had never been interested in exercise before, yet now he could practice his punches without tiring. Clearly, that was the Martial Arts Genius milestone at work. Just as the milestone described, a true martial arts genius was not someone with exceptional comprehension, but someone who could find joy in painstaking practice.

That was enormously significant to Yan Qing—he had finally found a second form of entertainment!

Although he loved gaming, playing the same game for so many days without any other entertainment had become too much even for Yan Qing, who considered himself a hardcore gamer.

Dinner naturally came from Night Four's private kitchen again. As the leader of the group, he now had enough authority to have the chef cater to Yan Qing's tastes. Just as Yan Qing was preparing to dig in, Jiang Shi and the others in the game happened to arrive at the Wandering Star Forest.

By then, the sky had already darkened, but the area around the Wandering Star Forest was as bright as day. Burning torches scorched fiery red scars into the night. When Jiang Shi poked her head out to look around, she saw a huge camp stretching for dozens of miles. A fence of sharpened stakes extended so far that its end was almost impossible to see, as though it had encircled the entire forest.

A squad of soldiers stood at the entrance. Every one of them wore Bright Light Armor and Purple Gold Boots. Under the lamplight, their armor looked spotless. Compared with the knights of the Qi Kingdom and the soldiers of the Zhou Kingdom, the first impression given by the Liang Kingdom's soldiers was that they were "ornate." They did not resemble butcher knives meant for dirty work so much as ceremonial vessels brought out for a grand ritual.

A clerk came over to register the visitors. Qian Gongyu and the coachman, Lin Yuan, naturally presented no problems—until he saw Jiang Shi step forward.

"Thousand Family Head, are you saying... she's your guard?"

The clerk's gaze swept back and forth between Qian Gongyu and Jiang Shi, growing more and more puzzled. Just when Yan Qing thought they would not be able to bluff their way through, the clerk said, "I thought she was your sister or some other relative, Thousand Family Head."

"She's a distant relative," Qian Gongyu said with a smile. "Now that she's mastered her skills, she's begun working for the family."

"As expected of the Thousand Family. Truly, talented people emerge generation after generation." The clerk stepped aside and said, "Please, come in. The Floating Wine Cup Banquet is being held inside. If you haven't eaten, please do us the honor of joining us."

He paused, then added, "The Wandering Star Forest has drawn many outstanding figures this time. Among them are two prodigies from the Shang Family and the Jie Family."

"What? The Shang Family and the Jie Family?"

Qian Gongyu, who had been rather listless, immediately grew excited upon hearing that. "Uncle Lin, let's hurry inside!"

Yan Qing did not even need to ask. Once they were in the carriage, Qian Gongyu eagerly volunteered the information. "Although the Shang Family is only a Zhu Gate noble clan, its head, Shang Xuanwen, is the current prime minister. They're an immensely powerful and influential family. The Jie Family is even more remarkable. They were already an ancient clan with a thousand years of inheritance before the Liang Kingdom was founded, and after its founding, they became one of only three Purple Sash Scholar Clans."

"I normally don't even have a chance to meet the scions of these noble clans. I never expected to encounter them here. As long as I can establish even a slight connection with them, this trip to the Wandering Star Forest won't have been in vain!"

"Young Miss, you can go attend the banquet first. I'll take care of the carriage," the coachman, Lin Yuan, said considerately.

"Then I'll trouble you, Uncle Lin!"

Qian Gongyu eagerly pulled Jiang Shi out of the carriage. The forest was even livelier inside. Servants and maids hurried back and forth, carrying dish after dish from the kitchen. Yan Qing could even smell the food through the screen. Following the servants' directions, they soon arrived at a huge tent.

Although it was called a tent, its floor area was no different from that of a banquet hall. There was even an ensemble playing string and wind instruments. Massive chandeliers hung from the ceiling, patterned carpets covered the floor, and extravagantly dressed men and women exchanged toasts. The tables were piled with delicacies from land and sea, including the meat of demon beasts that Yan Qing had only heard about and had never seen before.

This was the wilderness, and the Wandering Star Forest only opened for less than half a month each year. Even so, these scions of noble clans could still enjoy a life of extravagance here—of course, that was merely Yan Qing's opinion as a dirt-poor man. Perhaps, in their eyes, the conditions here were already incredibly harsh.

A glimpse of the upper class of the Jiangnan Liang Kingdom could be seen here.

Qian Gongyu's goal was clear: she wanted to make the acquaintance of the important figures from the Shang Family and the Jie Family. Finding them was easy enough, too, because everyone here had the same idea as her. The guests had already formed two circles around the two nobles, and squeezing into either one would take some effort.

Yan Qing, however, had no interest in meeting any nobles. He turned around and began stocking up at the dining table. The demon beast meat looked good, and the roast meat seemed to have an especially crisp skin. What the hell—there were even giant mantis shrimp as long as his arm. And were those things piled on ice... ice cream?

Just as Yan Qing was stuffing himself with food through the screen, an intense argument suddenly broke out nearby, and Qian Gongyu's voice was among them.

"Luo Weijin, say that again if you dare!" Qian Gongyu said coldly. "Don't think I won't dare—"

"Do you think I'm afraid you'll bite someone? Oh, I would never think that." The young man arguing with Qian Gongyu laughed mockingly. "Your threat is so forceful. I'm absolutely terrified."

Yan Qing glanced over. The young man named Luo Weijin wore a bamboo-green sash, which meant that his family belonged to the second tier of the prominent clans—one rank higher than the Qian Family.

Qian Gongyu's face had reddened with anger at Luo Weijin's words, but she did not overreact. Instead, she turned and walked away. Seeing this, Luo Weijin raised his brows and loudly said to those around him, "Don't underestimate the Baiyun Qian Clan. Although they only wear blue sashes, their family can reliably produce Third Rank Heralds. Of course, they have to pay a certain price—for example, the previous head of the Qian Family—"

"Luo Weijin!" Qian Gongyu pointed outside. "You can seek revenge against the Qian Family if you want. We can go outside and fight right now, but you are not allowed to slander my father!"

"As expected of the Qian Family's last surviving heir. How barbaric. The moment you realize you can't win an argument, you want to solve everything with violence?" Luo Weijin laughed. "But I'm not seeking revenge. I'm merely introducing the Qian Family's foundations to my friends. Am I seeking revenge just because I'm stating the facts? That makes no sense."

Qian Gongyu clenched her teeth, but she did not dare leave and let Luo Weijin continue spouting nonsense. She could only stand alone amid the crowd, lowering her head to hide her expression as she endured the insults directed at her family. She even began regretting why she had come to the Wandering Star Forest. Ever since her father's death, she had deliberately reduced her social interactions, hoping to dilute the past's influence as much as possible and let time erase the Qian Family's disgraceful history.

I shouldn't have come for that small reward from the Wandering Star Forest... If only I had stayed home. If I stayed home, no one would remember the Qian Family, and no one would insult it...

I shouldn't have...

"Ah!!"

A sudden scream rang out inside the tent. Qian Gongyu jerked her head up and saw Luo Weijin, who had been holding forth moments earlier, knocked to the ground. Two of his teeth had been knocked out, and his mouth was full of blood. The crowd scattered like a school of startled fish. Only a sword-bearing girl stood expressionlessly in place. She was like a stone thrown into a lake—fearless, untroubled, and utterly unconcerned.

It was Jiang Shi!

"She hit someone! She hit someone!"

"How dare a mere guard assault a scion of a prominent clan? What a disgrace!"

"Whoa, she hit him hard. His teeth even flew out!"

"What a pity. Such a beautiful guard..."

Qian Gongyu hurriedly pulled Jiang Shi aside and said anxiously, "How could you hit him? You're only a black sash, while he's a green sash. Defying someone above your station is already a grave offense, and you crossed two ranks to do it... Even the Qian Family can't protect you!"

"Do you feel better now?"

"Huh?"

"Young Miss, do you feel better now?"

Qian Gongyu was speechless. "Why are you asking that now? What good does it do if I feel better...? Yes, I feel much better."

"Then that's enough. You don't need to protect me. Consider this punch repayment for your travel expenses."

Soldiers poured in through the tent entrance and quickly surrounded Jiang Shi. An old man rushed to Luo Weijin's side at once, seemingly using a token to heal him. He cast a fierce look at Jiang Shi, but the sash on his arm was only black. He appeared to be merely a guard of the Luo Family.

Jiang Shi pushed Qian Gongyu aside and used her left thumb to push the hilt of her blade out an inch, preparing for a fight.

They had already scavenged most of the food, and the dungeon entrance was nearby. Yan Qing had no interest in obeying the local gang's rules. They could simply fight their way out and enter the dungeon.

"Seize her! Seize this vile commoner who dares defy the natural order!" Luo Weijin cursed while clutching his mouth. His speech still leaked around the gaps in his teeth. "She dared assault a noble! She must be captured and executed as a warning to others! No wonder the Qian Family is a bunch of mongrel beasts. They have no right to be a prominent clan!"

"No!"

Qian Gongyu ran in front of Jiang Shi and said through tightly pressed lips, "Our Qian Family can pay compensation and apologize. There's no need to—"

"Pay compensation and apologize? What do you take the Yunfu Luo Clan for? Some fallen household that anyone can trample on with a little money?" Luo Weijin was determined to reclaim his dignity. "She must die!"

"Heh heh, you can try protecting that wretched commoner too. Let me see how much backbone the Qian Family has—as long as you aren't afraid of being expelled from the ranks of the prominent clans."

The soldiers drew their weapons. Jiang Shi also gripped her hilt and once again reached out to push Qian Gongyu aside. This time, however, Qian Gongyu seemed rooted to the ground. Jiang Shi pushed hard, yet failed to move her.

The situation was on the verge of exploding. Just as everyone thought a fight was about to break out, a voice as clear as silver bells called a halt to the confrontation.

"Stop."

A noble girl dressed in a red robe and skirt stepped out from the crowd. Her movements were elegant and her expression cool. Her voice was not loud, yet it rang clearly in everyone's ears.

"Consider this conflict over. Do it for my sake—Shang Xin Lei."