15. Apology

Hidden Valley.

At dawn, Fang Yuan set an iron pot over the fire, brought spring water to a boil, then poured in fine sand and medicinal ingredients, simmering them carefully.

"To practice Black Sand Palm, you need a special medicinal sand. As you pound it, the medicine seeps into your muscles and bones... Then, once you've mastered the moves and techniques, you can split stone tablets and shatter rocks, with nothing standing in your way..."

Fang Yuan had examined the three secret manuals and found no major problems. Han Shou had given them one final test, and now he was finally ready to begin practicing.

"Among the martial arts, there are the Twelve Gates of Golden Lock and Heavy Tower. At its peak, Black Sand Palm can barely reach the Fifth Gate..."

That was the limit of Black Sand Palm, and the difference between an ordinary cultivation technique and a divine manual.

"Eagle Claw Skill is even more of a rip-off. You can train it to the Third Gate at most; after that, it needs a specific heart method to go with it. But if you find one, it's a technique that can break through its shackles and reach the Eighth Gate. It's considered pretty good even among those sects..."

Fang Yuan carefully organized the information he had gleaned from the manuals.

"And then there's the last one, Hard Qi Skill. It has a hint of Internal Breath, but even its founder didn't know how far it could go. Historically, he failed while attempting to break through the Sixth Gate, the Harm Gate, and died from the backlash..."

Fang Yuan sighed.

The Twelve Gates of Golden Lock and Heavy Tower—each gate posed a challenge, and there were several major bottlenecks along the way.

"Of the Twelve Gates of Golden Lock and Heavy Tower, I only know the first eight so far: Open, Rest, Life, Obstruction, Scenery, Harm, Shock, and Death! There are subdivisions among them, too. Breaking through the first three—Open, Rest, and Life—enhances the body, and failure causes no harm. They're the foundation of martial arts. The next two, Obstruction and Scenery, are more troublesome, but failure still doesn't do much damage to the body. It's only the last three that are dangerous: if you fail to break through, you'll suffer a backlash, and may even die! Especially the Eighth Gate, the Death Gate. You have to break through in one push. Fail, and you die!"

The Path of Cultivation had never been simple.

"The first eight gates are already this formidable. The Four Gates beyond them are said to be an entirely different world, and as for the realm of Martial Ancestors above that... Who knows what it's like?"

Fang Yuan let out a distant sigh.

"There are also legends that beyond martial artists lie even more paths of cultivation, with unimaginable, incredible powerhouses..."

A sudden longing stirred in Fang Yuan's heart.

He wasn't especially ambitious, but becoming an immortal or god—ageless, deathless, free and carefree—did sound rather nice.

"Besides, I really do need some strength to protect myself!"

Once the medicinal sand was ready, the once fine, white grains had turned black and taken on a medicinal smell. Fang Yuan fetched some coarse cloth and carefully wrapped the sand in it.

"Without a heart method and energy-circulation route, Eagle Claw Skill is good for the first three gates at best. In the martial world, it's just the most common, run-of-the-mill stuff..."

"Hard Qi Skill is self-created, so not many people practice it. The founder killed himself while trying to break through... You can train it to the first five levels at most..."

According to the manuals and Fang Yuan's own deductions, martial artists who had reached the first three gates were likely the mainstream in the martial world today.

Those at the Fourth or Fifth Gate were rarer and more esteemed, with enough standing to live in comfort and privilege.

Those who had passed the Harm Gate were elite mainstays of the sects, more than formidable enough to be called masters in their own right.

"If the first eight gates are this impressive, then the Four Gates beyond them, and the realm of Martial Ancestors above..."

Fang Yuan exhaled slowly, understanding that Gui Ling Sect had good reason to dominate the region like an emperor in his own domain.

A single Martial Ancestor was enough to suppress everything!

"This world is vast. Qingling Mountain is only a remote corner. If I want to see the wider world, I have to keep improving myself..."

Fang Yuan was naturally laid-back and indifferent, but once he set himself a goal, he could summon astonishing perseverance.

"For now, Black Sand Palm is the best fit for me!"

All he needed was a martial skill that could help him break through. Mastering one was enough. If he bit off more than he could chew, when would he ever find the time?

"Phew..."

Looking at the sandbag packed with medicinal sand, Fang Yuan took a deep breath. "Palm strikes!"

Smack!

He spun and struck the sandbag with his palm. A burning pain immediately flared across the back of his hand.

"Just as I thought. Martial arts are grueling. If my old master had forced me to train, I probably would've run away..."

Ten strikes!

Fifty strikes!

A hundred strikes!

Five hundred strikes!!

Only after a full thousand strikes did Fang Yuan finally lower his hands. The skin on both his palms and the backs of his hands had split, and a burning sensation lingered as traces of the medicine's cool potency seeped in.

"Phew..."

Fang Yuan didn't dare slack off. He plunged both hands into the basin of water he had prepared beside him.

"Practicing Black Sand Palm absolutely requires a steady supply of medicinal ingredients. The final step of nourishing the hands is especially important. Without it, you'll only train yourself into a cripple."

A little over half an hour later, Fang Yuan poured out the water, now nearly black, and replaced it with a fresh basin.

"Fortunately, my Hidden Valley has plenty of these common herbs, and a good stock of them, too..."

"Chirp!"

Beside him, the Flower Fox Ferret had watched for a long time, yawning in boredom. Suddenly, its beady black eyes shifted, and it ran over to sniff the discarded medicinal liquid. It immediately backed away with a look of disgust.

Its almost human expression made Fang Yuan feel as if he were looking at a living person.

"All right, Flower Fox Ferret, don't fool around. I'll get you some roasted meat in a moment!"

Fang Yuan chided it with a smile, then looked down at his hands.

After soaking them in the medicinal water, the burning sensation had completely vanished. Both palms now felt cool, and he could even see a little dead skin wrinkling, ready to peel away.

"According to the manual, when Black Sand Palm is fully mastered, your hands become smooth and white—softer than the hands of a young woman. But the moment you activate the skill, they turn as hard as iron. You can split stone tablets and shatter rocks, and even inflict poisonous wounds..."

"Starting today, I'll set aside three hours each day to practice Black Sand Palm. I wonder how long it'll take me to break through..."

Fang Yuan glanced at his status panel, feeling somewhat helpless.

His system had impossibly high standards. In the end, only a handful of things were good enough for it to record on its own.

"But once I've mastered Black Sand Palm, and even broken through the first martial arts gate, surely it'll have to acknowledge it, no matter what?"

Fang Yuan thought with barely contained confidence.

"Second Brother, why do we have to come here again?"

Outside the mountains, the Zhou family's Eldest Daughter, Zhou Wenxin, was slowly making her way toward Hidden Valley with Second Brother Zhou. Her face was reluctant, with a hint of fear.

It's a rare thing to find someone who can keep my little sister in line...

Second Brother Zhou smiled to himself, but then put on a stern face. "You went to his home to accuse him without knowing the facts. You should apologize..."

The Zhou family was wealthy, with servants by the hundreds. How could something as important as medicinal ingredients reach Old Master Zhou without passing through several inspections?

Even Steward Lin wouldn't be so careless.

Both families had determined that nothing was wrong. Old Master Zhou had also taken other medicines during that time. To keep blaming that man was simply unreasonable.

"Then why do we have to go and beg him... He doesn't even know martial arts..."

Zhou Wenxin had been about to say more, but Fang Yuan's image suddenly surfaced in her mind. Her legs trembled, and the insult she'd been about to hurl died on her tongue.

"He may not know martial arts, but he could have other skills... This world isn't just made up of martial artists. Even martial artists who have passed the Eighth Gate show respect to legendary Spellcasters and Spirit Scholars..."

Second Brother Zhou's expression finally turned solemn. "I saw the servants' wounds that day. They were very strange. And according to your account, even the sharpest-eyed people only saw a flash of white light. That sounds rather like the methods of a Spirit Scholar..."

Remembering Fang Yuan's strange powers that day, even Zhou Wenxin fell silent.

"So today, you must remember: don't throw another one of your Eldest Daughter tantrums. Understand?"

Second Brother Zhou's expression turned fierce in an instant. "This is for our father, too!"

Old Master Zhou was nearly beyond the help of medicine. Perhaps only a Spirit Scholar from the legends could save him with spellcraft.

"I... I understand!"

Though she had been treasured and indulged beyond measure since childhood, Zhou Wenxin knew when the situation was serious. She lowered her head, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz.

In truth, ever since Fang Yuan had given her a harsh lesson, he had left a shadow in the Eldest Daughter's heart. Even without Second Brother Zhou's warning, she would never have gone looking for trouble again.

Before long, Hidden Valley came into view.

Second Brother Zhou glanced around, then took a deep breath. "The Zhou family's Zhou Wenwu and Zhou Wenxin request an audience with Layman Fang!"

His clear voice carried far, echoing all around.

"Hm?"

Inside the valley, Fang Yuan had been practicing palm strikes with his head down. He looked up abruptly. "The Zhou family's second son. From his voice... I didn't expect him to be a martial artist, and his cultivation is deeper than mine. I wonder which gate he's reached..."

Fang Yuan hadn't broken through a single gate yet, but he was full of confidence.

In a fight, he had the Flower Fox Ferret to protect him—a martial arts expert who had broken through several gates. And even if he couldn't win, he could use Hidden Valley's terrain and secret passageways to escape whenever he wanted. Naturally, he had nothing to fear.

He went to the entrance and saw Zhou Wenwu and Zhou Wenxin. With a fake smile, he greeted them. "So, you've both come. Is this still about what happened last time?"

"Layman Fang, please don't misunderstand. My younger sister was rash and offended you. I hope you'll forgive her."

Zhou Wenwu bowed deeply, his manner entirely sincere, then turned to his sister. "Little sister!"

"I... I understand."

Zhou Wenxin walked forward, looking thoroughly aggrieved. When her eyes met Fang Yuan's, her legs began trembling again.

Under Zhou Wenwu's sharp gaze, she curtsied. "Young Master Fang, I'm truly sorry about what happened before. I... I apologize. I hope you'll be magnanimous and forgive me..."