In a room on the second floor of the Hua Pavilion facing the street, someone watched the scene at the entrance through a crack in the window. After Chen Mo left, the person slowly closed it.
A moment later, the burly man with a saber at his waist entered the room and bowed. "Deputy Chief, just now..."
"I saw everything." The man addressed as Deputy Chief cut him off. "Do you know who he is?"
The burly man answered, "He's a Ming Jin practitioner. He said he was from Panshi Martial Hall."
The Deputy Chief gave a derisive laugh. "I know every Ming Jin practitioner at Panshi Martial Hall. He isn't any of them. Send spies to investigate the hall and see if this man has been showing up there."
The burly man hesitated. "But if he really is from Panshi Martial Hall..."
"Slap!"
The Deputy Chief slammed a palm onto the wooden table before him. Tea splashed everywhere, and cracks spread across the tabletop. "Since when has the Hansha Gang ever feared a martial hall? Besides, we have..."
The burly man immediately understood. He nodded in acknowledgment and left the room.
A narrow alley in the south of town.
Chen Mo and Chen Lan returned home. She let out a long breath of relief. If Chen Mo hadn't arrived in time, the frightening encounter on the road today could have ended in disaster.
In these chaotic times, most ordinary women had no control over their own fates. Even the few who were free lived in fear every day. Without a man skilled in martial arts to protect them, they could easily become prey to a tiger.
"Neither Black Tiger Hall nor the Hansha Gang is any good." Chen Lan was still shaken.
Chen Mo thought it over, then said, "Sis, try to go out as little as possible from now on. I can take care of all the daily shopping."
"Will you have time for that?" Chen Lan asked with concern.
Chen Mo nodded. "No problem. Lately, I've been hearing the senior brothers at the martial hall talk about the latest news in town, so I'm better informed about what's going on. I know a bit about all the different factions, so I'll be better able to handle things outside. You can stay home and cook. I like the food you make."
Chen Lan smiled, and a long-missed happiness filled their home.
After dinner, Chen Mo went through his stances and practiced his fist routine as usual.
Black River Town now churned between the two whirlpools of Black Tiger Hall and the Hansha Gang. There could well be other forces lurking in the shadows. Chen Mo knew all too well that he had to grow stronger as quickly as possible.
At daybreak the next morning,
Chen Mo arrived at the martial hall. First, he went through his stances twenty times, then practiced his fist routine twenty times.
When Ji Chang happened to draw close to Chen Mo, he suddenly realized something. He stared in astonishment. "Junior Brother, have you broken through to Ming Jin!?"
His shout drew everyone's attention.
Junior Brother Chen Mo had only been at the martial hall for half a month. How had he already broken through to Ming Jin?
If it was true, wouldn't he have beaten the record set by the eldest senior brother?
Yin Shanshan, who had been watching Zhang Chong without blinking, turned to glance at Chen Mo. A solemn look filled her eyes; she clearly didn't want to believe it.
Luo Heng, immersed in his training, glanced toward Chen Mo and grinned with a look both righteous and wicked. "Interesting. Starting today, I've got another rival."
Beside him, Luo Wei twitched the corner of his mouth, wanting to say something but unable to get it out.
At that moment, Yin Tianqing's steady voice rang out like a bell:
"Everyone, quiet down!"
The hall fell silent at once. Everyone stopped training, knowing the master had something to say.
Then several people filed into the hall. At their head was a yellow-robed man who strode with the bearing of a dragon and a tiger, with two heavily muscled martial artists at his side.
Behind them came a man and a woman. The man looked to be around thirty, while the woman was in her early twenties.
Yin Tianqing came last. After inviting them to sit, he smiled and said, "Your visit does our humble hall great honor!"
The yellow-robed man clasped his hands. "Tianqing Martial Hall is full of talented people. Seeing it today, I can confirm that's true."
The man and woman also exchanged a few polite words.
Finally, Yin Tianqing turned to his disciples. "The Zhao Family and the Wu Family are visiting the hall today. They'd like to select some capable disciples, so do cooperate with them."
Ji Chang leaned close to Chen Mo's ear and whispered, "This is what they call an honorary appointment selection. The Zhao Family is the biggest family in Black River Town. The Wu Family has fallen off a little in recent years."
Chen Mo nodded. He was interested in these honorary appointments, too.
The position came with a salary, which could ease his current financial hardship.
Then the yellow-robed man from the Zhao Family cupped his hands toward the Wu Family man and woman. "If you'll excuse me, I'll go first."
He walked straight through the disciples and stopped in front of Zhang Chong. "I've long heard that Tianqing Martial Hall's eldest disciple made a name for himself at a young age. Now that I've seen you, I can confirm the rumors. Would you be willing to serve as an Attendant of the Zhao Family?"
An Attendant?!
At the title, everyone looked on with envy. An Attendant held a much higher position than a mere guard, especially as an Attendant to the Zhao Family.
Zhang Chong had been qualified for an outside appointment for a long time, but he'd been waiting for the right opportunity. Today, it had finally come.
The usually composed eldest senior brother could barely contain his delight. "This junior is willing. Thank you for giving me this opportunity, sir!"
After the Zhao Family took Zhang Chong, the two members of the Wu Family began searching the crowd. But only a handful of Ming Jin disciples had yet to receive an honorary appointment, so their options were limited.
The Wu Family man spoke up. "I'd be inclined to choose someone who broke through to Ming Jin earlier."
The woman, however, said, "I'd be more inclined to choose someone with greater talent."
From their expressions, Chen Mo could tell the two were at odds. It seemed even families were rife with intrigue and infighting.
The man's expression darkened slightly. Then he turned to Yin Tianqing. "We'd like Master Yin to select a disciple for us."
Yin Tianqing nodded and swept his gaze across the hall.
His eyes paused on Chen Mo. The speed of the young man's breakthrough to Ming Jin had genuinely surprised him. But after a brief hesitation, he continued his search, and finally settled on Luo Heng.
He looked away. "Luo Heng broke through to Ming Jin last year, and he has decent combat experience."
Luo Heng heard this and lifted the corner of his mouth.
The Wu Family man nodded, looking quite pleased. "In that case, then..."
"Wait!"
The woman cut him off. "Master Yin, I've heard that your hall just took in a new disciple this month, a young man named Chen Mo."
"That's true," Yin Tianqing replied. "Chen Mo must have just broken through to Ming Jin."
At this, both the yellow-robed Zhao Family man and the Wu Family man looked astonished. Breaking through to Ming Jin in less than a month was rare even among the great families.
The Wu Family man said, "Although he broke through to Ming Jin incredibly quickly, he lacks experience. I'm afraid he can't handle the responsibilities."
The Wu Family woman's brows drew together. "Isn't that far too hasty a judgment?"
The yellow-robed Zhao Family man looked on with amusement and teased, "What, are you going to make the two of them fight and see who wins?"
The Wu Family man didn't object. "Why not settle it here and now? A fight to the death would sour relations, so instead, each of them can split a wooden post with one strike. The one who breaks it cleanly wins."
He finished and looked at Yin Tianqing. After a brief moment of thought, Yin Tianqing nodded in agreement.
The Wu Family woman was still reluctant, but there was nothing else for it. She looked up at Chen Mo, whose build was rather slender, and didn't have much hope.
Yin Tianqing personally selected two wooden posts of matching size and thickness. Luo Heng confidently strode forward first, rolled up his sleeves, gathered force in his right palm, and struck down hard.
"Crack!"
A split appeared down the middle of the post, cleaving it in two. A few wood fibers still connected the halves, so the break wasn't perfect, but he was sure it would be enough to win.
He secretly glanced up to see how everyone had reacted. Those he had once defeated were all drawing sharp breaths, as if the strike had landed on their own bodies.
The Wu Family man felt reassured, while the woman's face fell.
Everyone looked at Chen Mo. He walked calmly onto the floor and stood before the wooden post, raising his hand into a fist.
"With a fist?"
Confusion spread across their faces. The Zhao Family man also murmured, "Breaking a post with a fist takes far more control than using a palm. Looks like this young man doesn't know how to use his palm."
When Chen Mo's right fist was one foot and three inches from his shoulder, it suddenly dropped.
"Crack—"
The post before him shattered with a crisp snap, splitting evenly and cleanly, with barely a wood fiber left connecting the pieces.
Before you continue