Shortcomings and Gains

Qin Meng sprinted through the alleyways!

Though the bundle on his shoulder was heavy, his footsteps never faltered. He had long since memorized his retreat route—vault over three low backyards, turn into the narrow lane, leap across the drainage ditch, and the earthen wall at the edge of the town would be in sight.

He plunged into the forest, leaned back against an old tree, and exhaled slowly.

His right arm still throbbed with a dull, aching numbness.

Zhao Tie was, after all, a legitimate body forging realm martial artist. His strength was already formidable, and that final blood-burning burst had nearly doubled his power.

If not for his own physique having been strengthened multiple times, combined with his iron back and thick skin and fleshy talents to tank the blow, his bones and tendons would surely have been shattered.

"Body forging realm..." Qin Meng muttered to himself, a flicker of fire hidden in the depths of his eyes.

After this battle, he had a clearer understanding of his own strength:

In terms of physique and raw power alone, he was already on par with, or perhaps even slightly superior to, an average early-stage body forging martial artist. The gap, however, lay in the mobilization and application of qi and blood.

When an ordinary person exerted force, the power was scattered across their limbs.

But a martial artist, even one merely in the boiling blood realm, could use qi and blood as a guide to twist their entire body's strength into a single strand, erupting from a single point for multiplied damage. As for those who had reached the pinnacle of the body forging realm, they could even project their qi and blood outward to protect their bodies and withstand blows.

Qin Meng's situation was quite unique.

Relying on his talents and his formidable physique, wisps of qi and blood had already begun to generate within him. Yet, lacking a cultivation technique to guide them, he was unable to effectively harness that power—like a man guarding a treasure vault without the key.

"I still lack a technique..." He subconsciously clenched his fist, his knuckles popping softly.

He had managed to kill Zhao Tie by relying on his superior brute strength, his talents, and the combat experience honed between life and death.

But what if he encountered an opponent in the late stages of the body forging realm, or even higher? He would likely have no choice but to flee, and he might not even succeed in that.

His strength had to be improved as soon as possible.

A suitable cultivation technique had become his most urgent desire.

Suppressing his restless thoughts, Qin Meng untied a corner of his bundle. With his keen eyesight, he quickly tallied his spoils:

Six five-hundred-tael banknotes, and over a dozen one-hundred and fifty-tael banknotes.

Pure government silver, ten taels per ingot, eighty ingots in total.

Eight cold porcelain bottles, each containing ten dark red blood replenishing pills the size of longan fruit.

Medicinal herbs: twelve stalks of tendon strengthening grass with purple-tinged leaves, and three bone strengthening flowers, white and smooth as jade.

In total: three thousand eight hundred and fifty taels in banknotes, eight hundred taels in silver ingots, eighty blood replenishing pills, twelve stalks of tendon strengthening grass, and three bone strengthening flowers.

A windfall, and more importantly, rare resources for martial arts training.

"The next stage requires me to obtain a cultivation technique." Qin Meng's eyes were sharp. He re-wrapped the items and retrieved a spare, worn-out bundle from the tall grass.

He put on a tattered cotton-padded jacket he had kept inside. His facial muscles shifted slightly, his bone structure subtly altering, before he turned and vanished into the darkness.

Behind him, Linshan Town was already in an uproar.

From the direction of the Lin residence, a thunderous crash and shouts of battle erupted, followed by wails that pierced the sky.

The town's martial halls and self-defense squads were stirred into action, torches forming long, snaking lines as they surged toward the west end.

The urgent clanging of gongs completely shattered the silence of the night.

Within half an hour, shocking news spread like wildfire:

"The owner of the Hongyun Gambling House has been slaughtered, along with his entire estate!"

"The Leiming Martial Hall has taken a hit too; a martial master at the body forging realm is dead!"

"Word is it was bandits! The bastard called himself Timely Rain Song Jiang of Liangshan Marsh!"

Checkpoints were quickly set up at the town gates. The self-defense squads conducted private searches, going door-to-door to interrogate anyone with an unfamiliar face. The atmosphere was grim. But Qin Meng had long since fled the town, skirting along wild trails and returning to Luming Fort without making a sound.

In the inner room of the Qin family's small courtyard.

Shen Qiuyue woke up with a start, her heart pounding for no reason. She sat on the edge of the kang, gripping a short, ring-pommeled saber, and pricked her ears to listen for any strange noises outside the window.

Rustle... Extremely light footsteps stopped outside the courtyard.

The hour of the dog had long passed, and her man had yet to return. In the dead of night, who could it be?

She dared not dwell on it, feeling only the chill in her palms as her fingernails dug into her skin without her realizing it.

Just then, a rhythmic tapping came from the courtyard gate:

"Knock, knock, knock, knock!" Three short, one long. It was the agreed-upon signal.

Shen Qiuyue stood up abruptly and hurried to the door, her voice lowered and carrying a tremor that was hard to detect: "Mengzi? Is that you?"

"It's me."

The door opened a crack. Qin Meng slipped inside sideways and slid the bolt shut behind him.

Shen Qiuyue used the dim light of the oil lamp on the table to look him over anxiously. His face was smudged with a bit of dirt, but his eyes were calm, and he had no injuries.

Her tightly wound nerves suddenly relaxed, and only then did she realize her back was soaked through with cold sweat.

"There's still porridge warming on the stove. I'll go get you some..." She turned to head toward the kitchen.

Soon, the woman returned with a bowl of coarse grain porridge and soup.

Qin Meng took the bowl and chopsticks, caught her wrist, and placed the unremarkable old bundle from his shoulder onto the table. "Sister Shen Qiuyue, take a look at this first."

The bundle was unwrapped.

Banknotes, silver ingots, porcelain bottles, medicinal herbs...

Even under the dim, flickering lamplight, they radiated a breathtaking luster.

Shen Qiuyue froze.

She instinctively picked up the top sheet and held it to the light to examine it closely. It was a banknote from Huitong Bank, valid throughout the dynasty, with a clear vermilion seal.

The denomination of five hundred taels stung her eyes.

"This... this much?" Her voice tightened as she looked up at Qin Meng. "Where did it come from?"

Qin Meng sat down on the stool, took a sip of the snake soup, and said slowly, "Someone 'gifted' it. You know well enough how it came to be."

His tone was flat, yet a cold, sharp glint flashed in the depths of his eyes. "My blood and sweat, and the grievances you've suffered—it all had to be collected back with interest."

Shen Qiuyue's eyes widened slightly, and she understood in an instant.

She gripped the porcelain bottle in her hand, her knuckles turning white. Thinking of the man's decisiveness when he left, that creditor named Lin Hai had likely already met his end.

"...You didn't leave any traces, did you?" she murmured, her worry still lingering.

"None." Qin Meng watched the changes in her expression and felt satisfied. This woman had resilience; she wasn't the type to go weak at the knees at the mention of killing.

He set down his bowl and chopsticks, his voice dropping low. "I asked around clearly. My falling into the irrigation ditch after drinking was someone's doing. It was Skinny Monkey."

Shen Qiuyue snapped her head up, a cold light flashing in her eyes.

"It was all orchestrated by Qin Lai behind the scenes. Colluding with Lin Hai to issue loans and force debt collection was also part of his plan, all to drive you into a dead end so you'd sign that lethal promissory note.

Once it reached that point, the authorities wouldn't be able to intervene, and you would have been at his mercy, and then..."

Qin Meng didn't finish his sentence, but the implication was clear.

Shen Qiuyue's face turned deathly pale. Her nails dug deep into her palms, the sharp pain helping to clear her chaotic thoughts.

After a long while, she looked up. There were no tears in her eyes, only cold, burning rage.

"Good riddance," she said, enunciating each word, her voice as hard as iron.

Only then did a smile appear on Qin Meng's face, carrying his habitual ruffian air. "That's right. Anyone who dares to touch my woman, I'll send them down to report for duty."

Shen Qiuyue looked at him, her expression complex. There was worry and lingering fear, but deeper down, a surge of unprecedented reliance and warmth stirred within her.

She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. "But you must be careful. I've heard that the gambling den in town has significant backing. The Lin family will never let this go, and then there's Qin Lai... he will be on guard as well."

"I know," Qin Meng nodded, tapping the items on the table. "Keep these safe. Wrap the banknotes in oil paper and sew them into a secret spot. Bury the silver ingots under the locust tree, and these medicinal herbs..."

"I've heard of blood replenishing pills," Shen Qiuyue said, picking up a porcelain bottle with a solemn tone. "Martial arts students use them to temper their blood and solidify their foundation. The medicinal power of a single pill is equivalent to the nourishment of ten old hens."

"As for the herbs..." She gently stroked the exotic flowers and grasses with her fingertips. "Tendon strengthening grass and bone strengthening flower—these are precious medicines. They have miraculous effects on tempering tendons and bones."

"That is why you must work even harder," Qin Meng reached out and pulled the woman into his arms. "In this northern frontier, if your fists aren't hard enough, you can't protect anything."

"Try taking one blood replenishing pill tomorrow. Once your body is in peak condition, start practicing the five elements fist and attempt to stir your blood."

"Okay!" Shen Qiuyue leaned against his solid chest and nodded heavily. Her small fists were clenched tight, and a resolve like never before burned in her eyes.

The two said no more, working together in silent coordination to tidy up.

The banknotes were carefully wrapped in oil paper, then tucked deep into the cotton batting of an old quilt they had unpicked and sewn back together. The silver ingots were placed in a clay jar, the lid sealed with wax, and under the cover of night, they dug a deep hole beneath the locust tree in the yard to bury them.

By the time everything was settled, the hour of the rat had passed.

Qin Meng blew out the oil lamp, and darkness descended. He lay down with the woman in his arms; the warmth and fragrance against him strangely smoothed away his violent urge to kill.

Yet, the desire in his heart was stirred. He turned over to pull her close, expressing his devotion in the most primal way, drawing comfort from their entanglement.