The Path to Cultivating Martial Arts

"Huh, Brother Hao," Aunt Li came out of her courtyard gate. "Where are you two going so early in the morning?"

Su Yun recounted the death of Zhou Menghu.

"Good riddance!" Aunt Li slapped her thigh. "Wait for me, I'm coming to see too."

She went back into her house, carried out a child, latched the courtyard gate, and hurried to catch up with Cui Hao and the other.

Aunt Li's husband had a leg ailment, making it inconvenient for him to go out. Their two sons worked as waiters in city hotels. Their family conditions were relatively better, so they had another son.

On the way to Zhou Menghu's house, Aunt Li kept shouting, "Zhou Menghu is dead! Zhou Menghu is dead!"

A woman came over and asked, "Aunt Li, what's wrong?"

"Zhou Menghu's house caught fire last night," Aunt Li said with a smile. "They say two people burned to death."

"Really!?" The woman's previously listless eyes and weak body suddenly gained light and energy.

Aunt Li tilted her chin up slightly. "If you come with us to see, you'll know."

"I'll go too."

With Aunt Li's constant shouting, the group quickly grew from four people to over forty.

Moments later, they arrived at Zhou Menghu's courtyard and saw two charred corpses.

"Looks like they're really dead," Aunt Li said, staring at the scorched bodies on the ground and whispering to the neighbors. "Heaven has opened its eyes."

The woman whispering with Aunt Li nodded deeply in agreement.

"Brother Hao," Su Yun said, holding Cui Hao's arm. "Burned like this, we can't tell if it's Zhou Menghu."

Cui Hao nodded. "I don't think it's Zhou Menghu."

"Be careful what you say," an old scholar in the village corrected Cui Hao. "This is Zhou Menghu's house. If it's not Zhou Menghu who died, then who could it be?"

"Zhou Menghu was tall and strong," Cui Hao argued. "Both these bodies are too thin."

Everyone looked at Cui Hao like he was an idiot. Of course, they'd be thin if they were burned to charcoal.

Cries could be heard from here. Following the sound, they saw it was Jiang Huagou's wife and daughter. The woman pointed at the bodies and cursed, "Good riddance!"

Everyone started discussing. Jiang Huagou had gone to Second Mountain to hunt, and his body hadn't returned. The day the news of his death arrived, Zhou Menghu had kicked down their door, threatening to buy Lingdang for one tael of silver.

If she didn't sell, he'd ensure the widow and orphan were ruined.

If Zhou Menghu hadn't died, Lingdang would definitely have been sold to a brothel within half a month.

"Brother Hao," Su Yun was in a great mood. "Lingdang has wide hips, she looks like she'll have many children. Will you marry her?"

Before Cui Hao could agree or refuse, a commotion erupted outside the courtyard. The village chief shouted, "The officers are here! Everyone out! You bunch of rascals, daring to watch any excitement."

Everyone scattered and squeezed out of the courtyard.

A group of officers in dark red uniforms entered the courtyard. The man leading them squatted before the two bodies and examined them, stating precisely, "Homicide."

"Who was the first to discover the bodies..."

"Brother Hao, let's go," Su Yun's joy was evident on her face. "Let's go home and make breakfast."

Cui Hao left with Su Yun, gently reminding her, "Laugh when we get home. It's not good for others to see."

Su Yun immediately stopped laughing.

In both lifetimes, since she had memories, this was the first time Su Yun had cooked rice in the morning. The dish was steamed chicken with lard.

She was happier than during the New Year.

While eating and chatting, a knock came from outside the courtyard.

Cui Hao opened the door. There were four people, three of whom were ruffians who used to hang around Zhou Menghu.

The young man leading them wore a training uniform with 'Guang' embroidered on the chest. Cui Hao recognized him as Zhou Menghu's younger brother. In just over a year, he had become both burly and sturdy.

"You're Cui Hao, right?" Because Su Yun was present, Zhou Mengyue had a deep impression of Cui Hao. "I heard you have a grudge against my brother?"

"A grudge? Not really," Cui Hao slowly shook his head. "He was always worried about me not being able to pay my taxes and even offered to lend me money. I'm grateful to him."

Zhou Mengyue's gaze shifted sideways, and he sinisterly demanded, "Show me your palms."

Sensing a strong killing intent from Zhou Mengyue, Cui Hao complied and extended his hands.

Looking at Cui Hao's hands, devoid of calluses, he wasn't a master of knives. He couldn't defeat his brother, nor could he split his brother's forehead open.

He turned and knocked on the door of Aunt Li's house next door.

"I heard you were very happy that my brother died?"

"No... absolutely not!" Aunt Li was terrified and said, wiping away tears, "I even cried."

Cui Hao closed the courtyard gate and listened to Zhou Mengyue's conversation with Aunt Li from behind the door. He felt a strong unease in his heart. Zhou Mengyue gave him a more dangerous, more lethal feeling.

Worried about his own death and about Su Yun being bullied, Cui Hao made an important decision in his heart.

After breakfast, he carried a wine jar into the city and went to Xu's Pharmacy, the closest to the north gate.

The shop assistant recognized Cui Hao, "Selling snake gallbladders?"

"Selling snake gallbladders. Is the brother from last time here?"

"Don't try to get familiar. That's our young master. He only comes around occasionally."

"Last time, that golden python... the snake gallbladder is in the jar. Who here can make the decision?"

The shop assistant called the shopkeeper, a man with a goatee, to understand Cui Hao's reason for visiting. He offered a price, "Five taels of silver."

Cui Hao countered, "Fifteen taels."

"If we prepared it, it would be worth fifteen taels. Yours, prepared by yourself, isn't worth much."

Cui Hao turned to leave, intending to ask at other shops.

"Wait, young people are so impulsive," the shopkeeper stroked his goatee and said mysteriously, "Eight taels for you. No more."

"Twelve taels."

"No, there's no profit."

Cui Hao turned to leave again.

"Stop!" The shopkeeper's beard trembled with anger. He beckoned Cui Hao, "Fine, twelve taels."

The deal was struck. Adding the silver he'd snatched from Zhou Menghu last night, Cui Hao arrived at Houjiu Street with fifteen taels and stood before the cheapest martial arts academy, Zhanhong Martial Arts Academy, as Lin Da had described.

He pulled the iron ring and knocked.

"Who!?" a powerful voice penetrated the wooden door.

"It is I, Cui Hao, here to apprentice."

With a creak, the heavy wooden door opened from the inside, and a lean man poked his head out, sizing Cui Hao up. "Do you have the tuition fee?"

"I do."

The lean man stepped aside, "Master is in. Come in."

After thanking him, Cui Hao and the man crossed the threshold.

Behind the door was a two-courtyard house. The outer courtyard was swept clean, with wooden posts, stone locks, stone sabers, stone axes, and other training equipment scattered around.

Twenty-seven or twenty-eight men and women were training and sparring on the bluestone floor.

His eyesight was decent. Among the many people, he spotted two familiar faces: the strong woman who had bought seven chicks, and the young master of Xu's Pharmacy.

His gaze shifted from the shouting men and moved to the eaves in a corner of the outer courtyard. Here sat a high-backed armchair, occupied by a middle-aged man.

He wore a gray, straight-cut, cross-collared robe and a pair of clean black cloth shoes.

"Master, this person wishes to apprentice."

Xu Dian looked up at Cui Hao, "What's your name? Where are you from? How old are you?"

Cui Hao bowed with clasped fists, "This junior, Cui Hao, is from Willow Tree Village outside the city. I am eighteen this year."

"A bit old..." Xu Dian said, standing up. He extended his right hand and pinched Cui Hao's shoulder blade.

It felt like being gripped by iron pincers. Cui Hao winced in pain but gritted his teeth and endured without a sound.

"Your meridians still have some resilience. Your aptitude is mediocre. If you cannot reach Mortal Martial within two months, you will have to leave."

With his golden finger, Cui Hao completely ignored the talk of aptitude and resilience, and offered the tuition fee with both hands.