Different Paths

After throwing the three howling ruffians, stripped of their outer clothes, out the courtyard gate, Cui Hao casually latched it and looked at Su Yun, who was still somewhat shaken.

He tried to keep his tone light and casual, "Sister Yun, deal with the Hog Badger. We'll eat it tonight."

"We still have meat at home," Su Yun looked at the plump prey on the ground, her eyes showing reluctance. "If we take this Hog Badger to the city to sell, it could fetch quite a few copper coins..."

Cui Hao squatted down and opened the bulging bundle he had brought back.

He reached inside and fumbled around before carefully taking out a plant.

Its root was short and thick, its leaves a peculiar dark red, with clear veins. They were spread out, the edges slightly curled, shaped like an open blood-red hand, emitting a faint fragrance mixed with earth and some strange medicinal scent.

"Sister Yun, look what this is?" Cui Hao held it out in front of Su Yun.

Su Yun leaned closer, examining it carefully, and guessed uncertainly, "...A medicinal herb? It looks a bit scary."

"It's a medicinal herb called 'Blood Essence Grass'. A rare and good item," Cui Hao carefully re-wrapped it. "I'll head into the city to sell it now. You stay home and bolt the door. I'll be back early."

"Be careful on the road." Su Yun quickly agreed, a hint of anticipation in her eyes.

Outside the courtyard gate, the three ruffians, clad only in thin underclothes and shivering from the cold, were already supporting each other, limping away towards the end of the village road.

Ignoring them, Cui Hao tightened his cotton coat and strode towards Qingyuan City.

This was his third time entering "Xu's Pharmacy".

The pharmacy was filled with the complex mixed scent of various medicinal ingredients. The shopkeeper, Xu Wusheng, a shrewd old man with a goatee, was behind the counter, fiddling with an abacus.

"Shopkeeper Xu, take a look at this." Cui Hao walked to the counter and gently placed the Blood Essence Grass, wrapped in oil paper, on the counter, carefully opening it.

The dark red leaves seemed to emit a faint glow in the somewhat dim interior of the shop.

Xu Wusheng put down his abacus, leaned closer to examine it, then gently nudged a leaf with his finger. His nostrils twitched almost imperceptibly. A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes, but it was quickly masked by his usual merchant's expression.

He raised his eyes, looked at Cui Hao's young but calm face, and held out five withered fingers.

Cui Hao's heart leaped, "Five taels?"

Xu Wusheng's lips twitched, and he uttered five words, "Five copper coins."

Cui Hao's expression froze instantly. Without a word, he snatched the oil paper package and turned to leave! His movements were swift and decisive, without the slightest hesitation.

"Hey! Wait!"

Xu Wusheng hadn't expected the young hunter to be so stubborn, not even haggling. He quickly took two steps out from behind the counter, "Young man, it's a transaction, a transaction! There's give and take. You can haggle!"

Cui Hao's footsteps didn't falter, and he didn't look back. It was the same when he sold Snake Gallbladder last time. This old shopkeeper was good at lowballing and bullying newcomers, and he wouldn't stand for it.

"Alas! This old man... this old man was wrong!" Seeing that he was really about to leave, Xu Wusheng quickly raised his voice, a wry smile on his face. "This Blood Essence Grass of yours is five years old and in excellent condition!"

"The market price is between one and two taels of silver! This old man... this old man will give you two taels! Two taels! How about that?"

Cui Hao's steps paused slightly, but he didn't turn back. He sneered inwardly. This old shopkeeper was indeed cunning, only shedding tears when faced with the inevitable. He ignored him and walked straight towards another reputable large pharmacy in the city.

Entering Jiren Hall, it was much larger than Xu's Pharmacy. The shop assistants all wore the same dark blue uniforms, with leaf patterns embroidered on their chests.

Cui Hao went to the area for purchasing medicinal herbs and opened the oil paper package again.

The assistant responsible for appraising herbs picked up the Blood Essence Grass, examined it carefully, and sniffed it. He gave a more reasonable price, "Five-year-old Blood Essence Grass, decent condition. One and a half taels of silver."

Cui Hao thanked him and left, then went to Xuanhu Hall. The quote he received was also one and a half taels.

With a clear understanding of the market, Cui Hao then unhurriedly walked back to Xu's Pharmacy.

Xu Wusheng was standing at the entrance, looking out. Seeing him return, his expression was complex, a mixture of heartache and relief.

In the end, he bought the Blood Essence Grass for two taels of silver.

Watching Xu Wusheng carefully place the Blood Essence Grass into a small wooden box lined with soft cloth, then stroke his goatee with a smile that suggested he had gotten a good deal, Cui Hao spoke in a calm tone, "Shopkeeper Xu, your reputation here isn't very good. Next time I find anything, I'll still go to Jiren Hall and Xuanhu Hall to ask for prices first."

Xu Wusheng's smile froze, and he sighed softly in his heart.

He realized that he had underestimated this seemingly simple young hunter from the very beginning.

The other party not only had luck but also brains and temper. If he found something good next time, and I had to compete with others by comparing prices... Alas! I miscalculated.

With the newly acquired two taels of silver in his pocket, plus what he had left before, his finances were a bit more comfortable, and Cui Hao felt much more at ease.

He briskly arrived at the martial arts school, changed into his training clothes, and as usual, walked to the most inconspicuous corner of the front courtyard. He picked up the heavy stone rod and began to slowly practice, warming up his somewhat frozen muscles. This was his daily opening routine at the martial arts school.

More than once, Cui Hao had deeply felt a subtle sense of fragmentation.

At home, he was the pillar, the backbone of Su Yun's life, his every word and deed concerning the family's survival and safety.

Outside, facing people like Zhou Menglong, he was a 'spineless coward'.

Where no one saw, he was a 'executioner'.

And here at the martial arts school, in his training clothes, he transformed into a silent, diligent, mediocre, and unremarkable 'transparent person'.

But there was no other way.

The martial arts school had exceptionally talented individuals like Xiao Li and Li He, who were doted upon by everyone.

There was Tu Yan, from a privileged background, who was adept at social maneuvering.

There were strong senior disciples who had already entered the core of Clear Force.

He, Cui Hao, was merely the background character who appeared on time in the corner.

A flicker of dissatisfaction would occasionally cross his mind, but he quickly suppressed it, transforming it into a more tranquil gaze and a steadier breath.

He had long grown accustomed to, and even began to enjoy, this state of being 'invisible.' It allowed him to observe more intently and hone himself with undivided focus.

"Brother Hao..." Lin Da's voice, laced with concern, was the first to find him. He lowered his voice, "Are you... alright last night? Where did you go? I waited at the village entrance until very late."

Cui Hao paused his stone pestle and offered his childhood friend a reassuring smile, "I'm fine. I just wandered around Second Mountain for a few extra laps and got lost. Thank you for your help yesterday."

Lin Da waved his hand, a simple, honest smile on his face, "No need to be polite! We're childhood friends, and fellow disciples, we should look out for each other."

As they spoke, Fourth Senior Brother Sun Cheng approached, his expression serious as he cautioned, "Junior Brother Cui, entering the Mortal Martial is merely knocking on the door of martial arts. You absolutely cannot afford any complacency or slackening. The path ahead is harder with every step."

"Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother," Cui Hao replied respectfully, "I will keep it in mind."

"Good, today I'll start teaching you the stance footwork." Sun Cheng said, pointing to the plum blossom stakes beside them, "This is the foundation of combat, and the key to truly integrating stance techniques with fist techniques. Get on the stakes."

Cui Hao responded with a sound, took a deep breath, placed a hand on the cold wooden stake, and with a surge of power from his waist and abdomen, leaped lightly onto the top of the stake, steadying himself.

Sun Cheng followed suit, leaping onto an adjacent stake, his posture as steady as a pine tree.

"The first realm of stance technique, 'Rooted to the Ground,' you have mastered. Today we discuss the second realm, 'Shifting Form, Changing Shadow.' Remember, footwork is the mother of movement, the vessel of power. A skilled fighter's steps must be agile, stable, and precise."

"Second realm, first lecture, the basic eight steps." Sun Cheng's voice was clear as he explained and slowly, precisely demonstrated on the stake, "First step: Advance. A lunge step, like an arrow shot from a bow. The step arrives, the body arrives, power flows through, aiming to shatter the enemy's momentum."

"Second step: Retreat. A pulling step, like the tide receding, light and swift, maintaining balance, intending to strike the void where the enemy is weak."

"Third step: Look left..."

"Fourth step: Gaze right..."

Sun Cheng's explanation and demonstration weren't particularly slow, but for eight basic footwork techniques and their variations, which included a large amount of detail, directional positioning, and power-generating points, the information was substantial.

Cui Hao was fully focused. Relying on the +5 Memory from the "Reading" skill, he could barely keep up, remembering most of it, but still felt a bit strained, with details easily becoming blurred.

A slight thought crossed his mind, and he hesitated no longer. He had many controllable progress points accumulated, and now was the time to use them. He allocated eighty points, directly adding them to the "Reading" skill!

The panel flashed, refreshing instantly.

[Reading: Minor Accomplishment (1/600)]
[Effects: Reading Speed +10, Memory +10, Calligraphy +5]

Compared to the previous "Beginner" level (Reading Speed +5, Memory +5), not only had these two effects doubled, but "Calligraphy +5" was also newly added!

In an instant, Cui Hao felt as if his mind had been cleansed by a cool, gentle spring. His thoughts became clearer, more agile, and fragments of past memories seemed to be better organized and sorted.

At the same time, a strange "sense of experience" came from his fingers and wrists, as if he had held a brush and practiced calligraphy day and night countless times, gaining a deeper understanding and control over the structure of characters, the force of strokes, and the rhythm of writing.

Listening again to Sun Cheng's explanation, watching every subtle toe grip on the stake, shift in center of gravity, and twist of the waist and hips during his demonstrations, everything became incredibly clear, imprinted in his mind as if in slow motion, and he understood without any hindrance!

The details that felt blurry before now became suddenly clear.

Sun Cheng completed the demonstration twice and asked, "Have you grasped the essentials?"

Cui Hao cupped his fists on the stake, full of confidence, "Reporting to Senior Brother, Junior Brother has remembered."

Sun Cheng looked at him with some surprise. Ordinary disciples would need to practice repeatedly and correct themselves many times before barely remembering these complex footwork techniques. Cui Hao's speed of mastery... was much faster than he had anticipated.

"Practice on your own for now, carefully experiencing the coordination of footwork with power and breath. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me anytime."

Having said that, Sun Cheng patted Cui Hao's shoulder, "If conditions permit... try to use Qi and Blood Powder. That stuff is very beneficial for accumulating Qi and Blood in the Mortal Martial Realm and breaking through minor stages."

"Yes, Senior Brother," Cui Hao replied.

Qi and Blood Powder, two taels of silver for one bag, three taels of silver for two bags. If money were no object, using one bag every three days, combined with strenuous practice, would yield significant results.

But an expense of at least fifteen taels of silver per month was a burden for Cui Hao.

Hunting? Ordinary game wouldn't fetch much money.

Gathering herbs? It was a matter of luck and chance, and required venturing into dangerous areas.

The fastest way... Cui Hao's eyes turned cold. Looting bodies. Going back to loot Zhou Menglong's body would not only solve the money problem but also allow him to retrieve his bow.

On the other side of the courtyard.

Sun Cheng returned to the vicinity of the small circle of Clear Force disciples, centered around Senior Sister Xu Liqing.

This area was where the martial arts school's current core strength gathered, and the atmosphere was distinctly different from the ordinary disciple area.

"Junior Brother Sun," Xu Liqing said, seeing him return, "The Qingyuan Martial Arts Tournament, jointly organized by the three great families and the government, is about to begin. It includes a martial arts stage competition specifically for disciples of the Mortal Martial Realm."

"Our martial arts school has been allocated four spots. Do you have any suitable candidates to recommend?"

Sun Cheng's mind raced upon hearing this. This was a great opportunity for newcomers to shine and gain external attention and resources! Without much hesitation, he blurted out, "Junior Brother Cui Hao is suitable."

As soon as the words left his mouth, silence fell around them.

Third Senior Brother Gao Feng, a stern-faced, lean man, frowned slightly, clearly disagreeing.

Second Senior Brother Ha Lansheng, the largest, tower-like figure, grumbled in a deep voice, "Cui Hao's physique isn't strong enough. He just looks... well, not fierce enough."

Tu Yan, who came from a wealthy family and always judged people by their investment potential, spoke calmly, "Senior Brother Sun, this is a competition, representing the martial arts school's reputation."

Judging by their expressions and words, almost everyone was opposed.

Sun Cheng's face felt a little warm. He came from an ordinary background. Although he was well-liked as the fourth senior brother at the martial arts school, his influence was ultimately limited when facing fellow disciples with stronger backgrounds or abilities.

Liu Yan, who hadn't spoken much, saw Sun Cheng's slight embarrassment and quietly chimed in, "I... I also think Junior Brother Cui is capable..."

Liu Yan was the lowest-ranked among the Clear Force disciples, her voice even weaker. Her opinion was directly ignored.

Xu Liqing, listening to the discussions, calmly swept her gaze towards the distant plum blossom stakes where a figure was practicing basic footwork over and over, completely absorbed. She remained silent.

On the plum blossom stakes, Cui Hao was oblivious to the discussions.

Even if he had noticed, he wouldn't have cared.

At this moment, his world was small, encompassing only the stakes beneath his feet, the punches he threw, and the clear, unwavering path in his heart.

The outside clamor, judgments, opportunities, or traps were nothing more than dust and wind by the roadside.

When the wind blew, it scattered.