A Benefactor

Worried about Su Yun's safety, Cui Hao didn't leave home for the Zhanhong Martial Arts Academy to practice until after lunch.

The martial arts academy's equipment room was dim, filled with the smell of sweat and old cloth.

When Cui Hao came out in his training clothes, Lin Da immediately hurried over, his voice full of wonder and longing. "Brother Hao, have you heard? The Tu Family plans to cultivate Senior Brother Xiao as one of their future pillars."

"Now that Senior Brother Xiao has latched onto the Tu Family, a towering tree, he's firmly established himself in Qingyuan City. His prospects are limitless."

Wang Nian had appeared at some point, too. "Here in Qingyuan City, the Tu Family is a true prominent clan, with immense wealth and connections throughout both the underworld and the official world."

As he spoke, Wang Nian's face brimmed with envy.

To support his training and make ends meet, Wang Nian worked as a guard at Mister Zhang's home in the western part of the city every night. He caught up on sleep in the morning, then came to the academy to train in the afternoon. He earned two taels of silver a month, barely enough to get by.

He couldn't afford Qi and Blood Powder.

That was why he felt such envy for Xiao Li's sudden rise to success.

"Envy won't help," Cui Hao said calmly. "Everyone has their own fate. Focus on mastering your own skills. That's more practical than anything else."

As Cui Hao saw it, this might not be entirely a good thing.

The Tu Family was indeed a towering tree, but great trees caught the wind. Attaching oneself to a prominent clan also meant getting tangled in more complicated interests and risks.

The heavens over Qingyuan City seemed to be shared by the authorities and the three great families, but history had seen no shortage of bloody storms that pierced the sky and overturned the table.

"Junior Brother Cui..."

Cui Hao picked up a stone staff, ready to loosen up, when Senior Brother Gu, a slightly plump man in a silk training uniform, came over with what seemed to be a friendly smile.

His family owned several grocery shops, making him fairly well-off among the academy's disciples.

"Senior Brother Gu." Cui Hao cupped his hands in greeting.

Gu Ming made small talk. "Junior Brother Cui, you're the most diligent and hardworking one here, come rain or shine. How come you're late today?"

"Something came up at home," Cui Hao replied briefly. "Did you need something, Senior Brother Gu?"

"I do, actually." Gu Ming praised him. "I've seen how solid your fundamentals are. Your stance work and boxing are both steady. You've got real promise."

"My family happens to need a reliable head guard. Would you be interested, Junior Brother Cui? We can discuss the pay."

Hunting could help support his family and earn valuable progress points, and it also offered plenty of freedom. Cui Hao barely gave it a thought before politely declining. "Thank you for thinking of me, Senior Brother Gu. I'm still too dull-witted and need to devote myself to training at the academy. I have no plans to go out and earn a living for now."

The smile on Gu Ming's face faded, but he continued trying to persuade him. "Junior Brother Cui, hard work alone isn't enough to make progress in martial arts. You need abundant qi and blood to support you. You have to eat meat every day and supplement it with medicinal dishes."

"All of that costs real silver. If you work for my family, you can earn money and still come to the academy to train in the afternoons. It's the best of both worlds."

No matter how nicely you dressed it up, in the eyes of wealthy families, a guard was merely a servant warrior who watched the house, got ordered around, and held a lowly position. Cui Hao felt nothing at all and simply fell silent.

Seeing that Cui Hao wouldn't be swayed, Gu Ming named his price outright. "Three taels of silver a month! Plus two hearty meals a day, with meat every time! There'll be extra rewards at festivals, too! How about it?"

For an ordinary guard, that was indeed a generous offer.

Lin Da looked tempted as he listened nearby.

"Your family only has a couple of shabby grocery shops. Why would you need a head guard who's reached minor mastery in the Mortal Martial Realm? Gu Ming, what are you scheming this time?" A mocking voice rang out. Fourth Senior Brother Sun Cheng walked over with his hands behind his back, eyeing Gu Ming with suspicion.

At the sight of Sun Cheng, Gu Ming's confidence immediately faltered. The gap between the Mortal Martial Realm and Clear Force was obvious, and Sun Cheng also had considerable standing within the academy.

He forced a fawning smile. "Senior Brother Sun, I just saw how hardworking Junior Brother Cui is and wanted to lend him a hand..."

"Get lost!" Sun Cheng waved him off without a trace of politeness. "Stop cheating and swindling people here. You think I don't know what you're up to? You're just looking for a cheap, useful bodyguard so you can squeeze a fellow disciple dry. Junior Brother Cui's future isn't yours to ruin. Get lost!"

Exposed in front of everyone, Gu Ming's face turned pale, then flushed. But he didn't dare talk back. He could only keep up a sheepish smile as he slunk away.

Watching Gu Ming leave, Lin Da felt sorry for Cui Hao and said quietly, "Senior Brother Sun, that was three taels of silver a month, plus meals..."

Sun Cheng ignored Lin Da and turned to Wang Nian, whose face looked even more haggard. His expression filled with remorse. "Junior Brother Wang, I've let you down. I thought the Zhang Family was a respectable household. I never expected them to treat their guards as if they weren't human."

At that, Lin Da and Cui Hao both looked at Wang Nian with curiosity.

Wang Nian gave a bitter smile. His already stooped back seemed to bend even further, and his voice was hoarse. "Guarding a household isn't as easy as it sounds."

"For a bite to eat and a meager wage, you're ordered around all day. Make one small mistake, and they beat and kick you. You really are treated no better than a dog. And besides..."

Wang Nian paused, his voice dropping lower. "People like us, who barely managed to break through with medicine and have exhausted our potential in the Mortal Martial Realm, aren't valued by our employers. They make us do all the dirty, exhausting, and dangerous work. Injuries build up over time... Few of us live past forty. We end up riddled with ailments, and our old age is miserable."

Lin Da drew in a sharp breath and stared at Wang Nian in shock. "Senior Brother Wang, you... you're injured, too?"

"The two senior brothers who work the day shift have it even worse than I do on night patrol..." Wang Nian shook his head and said no more, but the bitterness and despair in his unfinished words were plain to hear.

Sun Cheng saw the dim light in Wang Nian's eyes and the faint air of decline clinging to him. He knew that Wang Nian's qi and blood were not only receding; his body had likely already suffered hidden damage as well.

"Junior Brother Wang, if things are really this hard... perhaps you should just give it up," Sun Cheng urged. "There's no forcing your way along the martial path. It isn't worth damaging your foundations and shortening your life."

Wang Nian bowed his head and remained silent for a long time. Sweat slid down his dark, haggard cheeks and dripped onto his worn training uniform.

In the end, he said nothing. He simply turned and walked toward the equipment room, his steps heavy.

Before long, he changed back into his patched old clothes, lowered his head, and walked out of the academy one step at a time. His figure disappeared into the slightly glaring afternoon sunlight, never once looking back.

Many disciples in the courtyard had witnessed the scene. Some sighed; some were indifferent. Most felt the sorrow of seeing a fellow suffer the same fate that might await them.

"Junior Brother Cui." Sun Cheng's voice drew Cui Hao out of his thoughts. "This is reality. Wang Nian has no chance of advancing any further. Rather than waste his time here and wear down his body, he's better off leaving early to find another way to make a living. He might live a few years longer that way."

"But you're different." Sun Cheng's tone grew serious. "You're still young, and you still have drive. But you need plenty of meat and Qi and Blood Powder."

"Yes! Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother." Cui Hao cupped his hands and answered solemnly.

Sun Cheng looked at the junior brother before him. His face still seemed young, but his eyes were steady and resolute. He had the grit and quiet composure unique to a child from a poor family.

He was diligent and hardworking, with a steady temperament. His aptitude was only average among the academy's many prodigies, but on the martial path, temperament was sometimes more important than talent.

Sun Cheng couldn't deny that he paid special attention to Cui Hao and thought highly of him because he saw in him the shadow of his younger self: someone of humble birth and average talent, who had gritted his teeth and endured, yearning to change his fate.

The same clothes, washed until they had faded white. The same shoes, patched again and again. The same silent sweating in an empty corner. The same simple yet fierce longing to change one's fate.

"I found you a sponsor," Sun Cheng said suddenly, stunning him.

"A sponsor?" Cui Hao froze, thinking he'd misheard.

"Mm, a sponsor." Sun Cheng nodded. "Three taels of silver a month. For now, you won't have to do anything in particular. The family providing the money simply thinks highly of your character and diligence and wants to form a bond."

"If you make something of yourself in martial arts someday and they happen to run into trouble, help them if you can. If you can't, or circumstances have changed by then, that's fine, too. There's no obligation."

Waves immediately rose in Cui Hao's heart. Sponsorship! It wasn't unusual at the academy.

Wealthy households and great families in the city often sponsored promising martial artists to expand their connections and nurture potential allies.

There were many different arrangements, and the amounts varied.

But for someone like Cui Hao—of average aptitude, unable to flatter or ingratiate himself, not good with people, and only at minor mastery in the Mortal Martial Realm—no one should have been willing to waste silver on him.

At that thought, Cui Hao was overcome with indescribable gratitude.

He took a step back, bent deeply at the waist, and bowed. "Senior Brother Sun! Words can't express my gratitude! I, your junior brother Cui Hao, will keep this kindness in my heart forever!"

Sun Cheng hurriedly supported him. "You're making too much of it, Junior Brother. I only made an introduction and built a bridge."

"The one actually paying is Manager Hu. I hope you don't think three taels of silver a month is too little."

"How could I think that?" Cui Hao replied, his voice filled with emotion. "There are plenty of ordinary people who sell their sons and daughters just to pay two taels in taxes. Manager Hu and Senior Brother are willing to sponsor me three taels of silver every month to help with my training. I'm already overwhelmed with gratitude!"

Seeing how sincere Cui Hao was, Sun Cheng felt gratified. "The Hu Family Flower Shop is on Zhongwazi Front Street. The manager's surname is Hu. Go there and collect the money; just give them my name. Their shop closes early in the afternoon, so now is the perfect time."

"Yes! Thank you, Senior Brother!" Cui Hao cupped his hands once more.

With business concluded, Sun Cheng turned and walked away steadily, his hands clasped behind his back.

In the sunlight, Sun Cheng's figure seemed especially tall in Cui Hao's eyes, radiating an awe-inspiring air of presence and strength.

After changing back into his regular clothes, Cui Hao wasted no time and headed straight for the bustling Zhongwazi Front Street in Qingyuan City.

It didn't take long for him to find the modest but neat Hu Family Flower Shop.

A "flower shop" was actually a store that sold various hair ornaments, silk flowers, and Fu Tou—men's headwear—with most of the products intended for women.

To attract customers, they had set up a huge wooden spinning wheel in the open space outside the shop. It was divided into sections labeled with different goods, and several bows and quivers of arrows hung beside it.

A crowd of men and women had gathered around the wheel, shouting excitedly as they played "arrow betting," a game similar to a lottery in which you shot an arrow to win a prize.

Most of the shop assistants were gathered around the wheel, keeping order and drumming up business. Only the youngest-looking one, a simple-faced lad, had stayed inside the shop, though he couldn't resist peering out the door with curiosity.

Cui Hao entered the shop and glanced over the dazzling array of goods on the shelves.

There were embroidered forehead bands inlaid with gold, delicate hairpieces, bright flowers for the hair, and fashionable crossed-wing Fu Tou... A faint scent of face powder and cloth hung in the air.

"Sir, what can I help you with? Take a look at our new hair flowers—they're all the latest styles!" The young assistant who had stayed behind hurried over to greet him, wearing a professional smile.

"Little brother, I'm looking for Manager Hu. Senior Brother Sun Cheng from the Zhanhong Martial Arts Academy sent me." Cui Hao spoke pleasantly.

The young assistant froze for a moment. He clearly didn't recognize the name "Sun Cheng" and looked confused.

Just then, a woman came out from behind the counter, lifting the curtain.

She looked to be around twenty-five or twenty-six, and wore a simple lotus-colored Ruqun. She had a slender figure, and her black hair was gathered into a simple bun at the back of her head, with a plain silver hairpin tucked at an angle. A tiny magnolia adorned its head.

She wasn't a peerless beauty, but her features were delicate, her skin fair, and her gentle temperament was tempered by a capable air.

She was wiping a gold hairpin with a soft cloth. At his words, she looked up, her gaze falling on Cui Hao.

"Cui Hao?" the woman asked, her voice clear and smooth.

Cui Hao cupped his hands in greeting. "That's right. I'm Cui Hao. It's a pleasure to meet you, Manager Hu."

Manager Hu set down the gold hairpin and soft cloth, walked around the counter, and came over.

She didn't speak right away. Instead, she looked Cui Hao up and down, studying him carefully.

Her gaze was direct, but not offensive. It was more like a calm appraisal.

Cui Hao stood there openly and let her look him over.

He wore the plainest coarse-cloth clothes, washed somewhat faded but clean and neat.

Years of martial arts training had given him a well-proportioned, upright build. He wasn't burly, but he carried a sense of strength.

His face still looked young, but his gaze was steady, without the restlessness of an ordinary youth.

After a moment, Manager Hu gave a slight nod. She returned behind the counter, opened a small drawer, took out three silver coins worth one tael each, and set them gently on the polished counter.

"Three taels a month. Come collect it at the start of each month. If something comes up, you can put it off for a few days, but don't wait past midmonth." Her voice remained even, but her words carried the crisp certainty of someone who meant what she said.

"Thank you, Manager Hu!" Cui Hao cupped his hands again and offered his earnest thanks before stepping forward to take the money.

After leaving the Hu Family Flower Shop, Cui Hao didn't dawdle. He headed straight to Jiren Hall, not far from the academy.

Three taels of silver bought him two packets of Qi and Blood Powder, carefully wrapped in oiled paper and faintly fragrant with medicine.

The two packets would be enough to sustain six days of intensive training.

With the Qi and Blood Powder and the copper coins he had left tucked away, Cui Hao returned to the academy with light steps. With this steady support, his future training would be much smoother.

The progress on his panel would also quietly speed up a little.

That evening, when he got home, Cui Hao shared the good news with Su Yun.

When Su Yun heard that someone was willing to sponsor her husband three taels of silver a month, even though he hadn't done anything for them, she opened her eyes wide in surprise. Joyful light sparkled in them.

"Brother Hao! You're amazing!" Su Yun was so happy she nearly jumped. "Sit down quickly. I'll fetch some water and wash your feet properly to help you relax!"

"Don't keep me waiting," Cui Hao said, deliberately putting on a stern face and striking a manly pose, though a smile hid in his eyes. "Your man's worn out today. I'm counting on my wife to look after me."

"Yes, sir! Sit tight, it'll be ready in a moment!" Su Yun smiled with pursed lips, her cheeks flushing as she turned and hurried into the kitchen.

Watching her cheerful figure, Cui Hao felt that all his hardships and efforts had been worth it.