Reforged

Mist curled through the room.

Inside the bath barrel, the dark-red medicinal liquid still bubbled faintly, like the blood of some living creature.

Chen Ping stepped naked into the barrel. The moment he sat down, the scalding heat made his entire body shudder.

Then came the pain.

It was unlike the sharp pain of flesh being cut apart. It felt more like countless ants crawling in through his pores and gnawing madly at his marrow.

"His—"

Chen Ping sucked in a cold breath. Veins bulged on his forehead as both hands clenched the rim of the barrel, his knuckles turning white.

The tiger bone and secret medicine bought with eighteen taels of silver were far more potent than he had imagined, as if they meant to tear apart and reassemble this mortal body of his.

"Endure... this is money. This is life."

Gritting his teeth, he forcibly suppressed the instinctive urge to leap from the barrel. Closing his eyes, he sank his mind inward and began circulating the Longevity of Pine and Crane.

As his breathing gradually steadied, the Qi Sense within him, formerly as mild as a stream, seemed to be ignited by the blazing fire outside and suddenly became scorching hot.

That current of heat rampaged through his Meridians, yet Chen Ping guided it with sheer force of will, washing through his limbs and bones again and again.

Gradually, the piercing agony began to fade, transforming into a sour numbness and tingling itch.

Chen Ping clearly sensed the essence within the medicinal liquid seeping bit by bit through his skin, blending into his muscles and fascia before finally penetrating his bones.

Within his once-sluggish Meridians, old impurities and filth were forcibly stripped away by the tyrannical medicinal power and expelled.

It felt as though he had cast off a burden carried for years, his whole body ascending toward lightness.

Who knew how long passed before the water in the barrel turned completely cold.

Chen Ping opened his eyes, and they were clear and bright.

The dark-red medicinal liquid had become murky beyond recognition. A layer of greasy black filth floated atop the water, giving off a sour stench.

"These are the impurities in my body?"

Chen Ping frowned in disgust and rose to rinse himself with clean water.

After washing away the grime all over his body, he stood before a bronze mirror and examined himself in the dim candlelight.

The youth in the mirror was still thin, but his formerly sallow, rough skin had become as delicate as white jade, faintly carrying a resilient sheen.

He reached out and pinched the muscles on his arm. They felt firm as cowhide, with explosive power buried beneath.

Just then, the familiar blue-gold screen flickered before his eyes again.

[Skill: Longevity of Pine and Crane (Second Layer, Slight Accomplishment 1/2000)]

[Effects: Light as a swallow, immune to cold and heat, blood and Qi like mercury.]

[Skill: Shattered Stone Palm (Great Accomplishment 1/1000)]

[Effects: Split steles and shatter stones, penetrating force that injures the organs.]

[Lifespan: Sixty-eight years remaining.]

"Second Layer of the Pine and Crane art... Great Accomplishment in Shattered Stone Palm!"

Chen Ping stared at the soaring values on the panel, especially the Lifespan that had increased once more. His heart hammered uncontrollably several times.

Sixty-eight years!

In an age where the average person lived no more than forty years, as long as he did not court death, he could become a long-lived elder even if he did nothing at all.

An unprecedented sense of security welled up in his heart.

"Talking without practice makes a false master. Let's see just how powerful this Great Accomplishment Shattered Stone Palm really is."

Chen Ping put on his clothes and headed into the courtyard.

The night was deep and the cold wind bitter, yet he wore only a single thin garment and did not feel cold in the slightest.

In one corner of the courtyard lay several Blue Stone slabs used to weigh down pickle jars. Each was three inches thick and incomparably hard.

Chen Ping took a deep breath, spread his feet slightly, and assumed the stance of the Shattered Stone Palm.

The scorching Crane and Pine Inner Qi within him was instantly roused, surging through his Meridians toward his right palm.

In an instant, his originally fair palm rapidly flushed with blood, taking on a strange dark-red sheen. Like a red-hot iron block, it radiated a dangerous aura in the night.

He did not roar. His gaze was still as water as he lightly pressed a palm against the Blue Stone slab.

"Puff."

The earth-shaking explosion he had expected did not come. There was only an incomparably dull thud, like a palm striking a thick quilt.

Chen Ping withdrew his palm and stood still, his brow faintly furrowed.

The surface of the Blue Stone slab was completely unmarked, without even a trace of a crack.

"Did it fail?"

Somewhat puzzled, he extended a finger and lightly tapped the center of the slab.

"Crash—"

The seemingly intact Blue Stone slab collapsed beneath that one tap like a crisp biscuit, turning into a pile of fine, evenly sized stones. Quite a few had even become stone powder.

That palm strike had directly shattered the slab's internal structure!

Chen Ping's breath caught, followed by a surge of wild joy.

This was a true killing technique!

If that palm struck a person, there might not be a wound visible outside, but their organs would likely have already been shaken into pulp.

"The combination of Inner Qi and external martial arts is actually this terrifying."

Looking at the shattered stones on the ground, the fervor in Chen Ping's eyes gradually cooled, replaced by deep wariness and caution.

This kind of power could never be revealed casually.

If the people of Lin Manor learned that a lowly sweeper possessed such methods, what awaited him would not be promotion, but suspicion and extermination.

"From today onward, I am still that honest Chen Ping with slightly more strength than usual."

Chen Ping crouched down and carefully cleaned up the broken stones, burying them deep in the flowerbed. After restoring the ground to its original state, he dusted off his hands and turned back into the room.

The next morning, the sky had only just begun to brighten.

Another busy day began in Lin Manor's outer courtyard.

Chen Ping still wore patched gray cloth and held a broom as he "struggled" with a large flowerpot half the height of a man.

"Up... up!"

His face reddened, veins stood out on his neck, and his legs trembled. Only after exerting the strength of nine oxen and two tigers did he barely manage to shift the flowerpot half a foot, all while panting heavily.

"Well, if it isn't our Foreman Chen?"

A sarcastic voice drifted over from behind him.

Lai San swung a birdcage in one hand and had a toothpick in his mouth as he watched Chen Ping with a mocking expression.

"What's this? You're a foreman now, but you still have to do this kind of grunt work yourself? Tsk, tsk. You were born with the fate of a laborer. Give you an official position and you still can't enjoy any good fortune."

Ever since Chen Ping had used the Head Steward to suppress him last time, Lai San had been holding in his anger. Whenever he found an opportunity, he had to throw out a few barbs.

Chen Ping wiped away the "cold sweat" he had forced out with Inner Qi, straightened up, and revealed an honest, helpless smile.

"You're joking, Brother Lai San. This flowerpot was blocking the path, and I was afraid it might trip one of the masters, so I moved it aside. How could servants like us have the fate to enjoy blessings? We're just scraping together a meal."

Seeing Chen Ping's timid, sweating, pathetic appearance, much of the resentment in Lai San's heart dissipated.

"Hmph. At least you know your place."

Lai San snorted, spat out the toothpick, and swaggered away.

"Get on with your work. Don't work yourself to death with no one to pity you."

Watching Lai San's retreating back, the foolish smile on Chen Ping's face gradually faded. His eyes turned cold, then immediately returned to that dull expression as he lowered his head and continued sweeping.

Just then, a burst of noisy commotion suddenly came from the direction of the main gate.

"Quick! Open the gate!"

"Second Young Master! Second Young Master, hold on!"

This was followed by hurried, chaotic footsteps and the panicked cries of the servants.

The formerly orderly Lin Manor erupted into chaos.

Holding his broom, Chen Ping silently retreated into the shadows by the wall and peered out.

The vermilion gates of Lin Manor were violently pushed open. Several strong servants rushed inside carrying a door panel.

A person lay on the panel, covered in blood. His brocade robes had been torn to tatters, while the arrogant, overbearing face he usually wore was now as pale as paper. His eyes were tightly shut; it was impossible to tell whether he was alive or dead.

It was Lin Manor's Second Young Master, Lin Yici.

The attendants following behind were also bruised and battered, each looking as though their parents had died.

"Close the gates! Close them now! Don't let outsiders see!"

The Head Steward rushed over after receiving the news, his face livid. He directed people to carry the Second Young Master into the inner courtyard while sternly ordering the gatekeepers to shut the gates.

The heavy wooden gates slammed shut, shutting out the morning sunlight.

The atmosphere throughout Lin Manor immediately became oppressive, as though wind and rain were about to descend.

The servants and maids were silent as cicadas in winter, hurrying about without daring even to breathe loudly.

Standing in the corner, Chen Ping's gaze passed through the panicked crowd and settled on the tightly shut gates. His fingers lightly rubbed the rough handle of his broom.

Lin Yici had been beaten into this state while fighting over a courtesan in a brothel. The other party clearly had not taken the Lin Family seriously.

The skies over Qinghe County were likely about to change.

"Let it become chaotic. The more chaotic, the better."