Late that night, at the Wu Family estate.
Wu Zhiai listened to the merchant caravan recount what had happened that night, her brows furrowing again and again.
When she heard that Chen Mo had killed one man and driven another off, she pressed down a faint smile.
These past two years, she had found life in the Wu Family increasingly difficult. She urgently needed an ally like Chen Mo to help her break through the deadlock.
She immediately announced, "Chen Mo, you've done well protecting the caravan. I'll reward you with five taels of silver and five bottles of Yiqi Powder. Li Tu, you were injured protecting the caravan, so I'll reward you with two bottles of Yiqi Powder."
Chen Mo and Li Tu thanked her.
Then worry clouded her face. If the Zhao Family truly allied with the Hansha Gang, both sides would be teeming with experts, and the Wu Family would surely be no match for them.
The Wu Family's eldest and second sons only showed up when there was power to fight over. Now that they needed to deal with a real problem, they naturally kept out of sight.
She looked up at Chen Mo and thought, This young man has only just entered Ming Jin. He can't deal with so many ruthless bandits either, can he?
She set her many worries aside for the moment and managed a smile. "Chen Mo, you've been up all night. Go home and get some rest. If I need you later, I'll come find you."
Chen Mo took his leave of Wu Zhiai. When he got home, he continued practicing his stances and punches...
The next day, at Tianqing Martial Hall.
Drenched in sweat, Chen Mo stopped practicing the moving stance of the Dragon-Subduing Stake Technique. His gaze sharpened slightly.
[Thousand Hammer Refinement, Mountain and Water Cultivation]
[Dragon-Subduing Stake Technique: Basic stance training; trains the legs below and fist power above]
[Comprehension: 26/100 (Beginner)]
He and Ji Chang had grown quite in sync. Once Ji Chang arrived at the martial hall, they rolled up their sleeves and began sparring.
Only actual combat could truly hone a technique and its martial skills.
The real fights over the past two days had gradually settled Chen Mo's Ming Jin. It was no longer as insubstantial as when he had first entered the realm; it had gained some solidity.
Thanks to the comprehension advantage Mountain and Water Cultivation gave him, Chen Mo's Dragon-Subduing Stake Technique had a few more traces of fluidity than other people's—or, more accurately, it was stranger and more unpredictable.
Ji Chang knew this all too well.
When he exchanged blows with Chen Mo, one palm met one fist. Their force surged together with a deep hum, and a tingling numbness quickly spread through Ji Chang's palm.
After they each took a step back, Ji Chang suddenly stamped his feet and sprang up like an ape. With his palm facing down, he struck toward Chen Mo's Tianying Acupoint. If the blow landed squarely, Chen Mo would surely suffer.
But Ji Chang hadn't expected Chen Mo to neither dodge nor evade. Instead, Chen Mo drove a fist upward from below, as if lifting a cauldron. The blow was so fierce that it instantly dispelled the force behind Ji Chang's palm.
When Ji Chang landed, he exclaimed, "Junior Brother, I didn't expect you to have mastered the third move of Fuhu Fist, Sand-Raising Style, so well!"
Chen Mo shook his head slightly. "I still have a ways to go."
In truth, Sand-Raising Style was nowhere near mastery. He had only just begun learning it. Perhaps once his comprehension of Fuhu Fist reached the minor mastery stage, he could take these moves to another level.
The two went to the dining hall for porridge.
"By the way, there's big news at the martial hall today. Guess what it is."
Ji Chang put on an air of mystery.
"What news?"
Seeing that Chen Mo had taken the bait, Ji Chang said, "Big Brother and Junior Sister Yin have pledged themselves to each other."
"Yin Shanshan?"
Chen Mo was a little surprised, but he immediately understood. Yin Shanshan had always liked Zhang Chong; everyone at the martial hall knew it. As the hall master's daughter, she had abundant resources and a pretty face. Zhang Chong had no reason not to be interested.
"They're a match made in heaven," Ji Chang said with a faint sigh. "Alas, I feel for all the fellow disciples who've lost their daydreams."
Chen Mo smiled. "Does that include you, Senior Brother?"
Ji Chang froze, a hint of embarrassment crossing his face. Then he smiled too. "She may be lovely, but people like you and me can't aspire to someone like her. Haven't you noticed how she ignores everyone except Zhang Chong? The rest of us can only dream. Why would Master agree to give his daughter to a bunch of roughnecks like us?"
Chen Mo said no more, only lowering his head to shovel porridge into his mouth.
In the afternoon, Chen Mo went to the Iron Furnace Room to stoke the fire and forge iron as usual.
His comprehension of the Dragon-Subduing Stake Technique and Fuhu Fist continued to improve steadily. He guessed that in about two months, his comprehension of the Dragon-Subduing Stake Technique would be nearing minor mastery.
Master Wu must have learned that Chen Mo had become a Wu Family guard and had contributed greatly to protecting the caravan. He had become a little more kindly toward Chen Mo, like an elder toward a junior.
He shared everything he had learned about Fuhu Fist over the years. Chen Mo was already familiar with most of it, but still nodded along repeatedly.
According to Master Wu, his poor physique had kept him from pursuing martial arts when he was young. Now, seeing Chen Mo—whose physique was no better—manage to enter Ming Jin had filled him with hope for the young man, just as he had once hoped for himself.
Though Chen Mo couldn't truly relate to Master Wu's lament, he felt more respect for him.
As the sun sank and dusk swallowed the sunset, Black River Town grew quiet.
On his way home, Chen Mo suddenly realized someone was following him. He deliberately walked into an old alley and circled around five or six times. Once he was sure he had shaken his pursuer, he hurried straight home.
Only after he stepped inside and saw that Chen Lan was safe did he breathe a sigh of relief.
"Xiao Mo, why are you in such a hurry today?" Chen Lan asked, puzzled by his haste.
Chen Mo bolted the wooden door and asked, "Sis, have you noticed anyone strange hanging around near the house lately?"
Chen Lan thought for a moment, then shook her head. "Not that I can recall. I've hardly gone out these past few days. Did you run into trouble?"
Chen Mo gave it some thought too. "Maybe I'm overthinking it."
"It never hurts to be careful. Come eat. I made braised pork with long beans and red-braised fish today."
The next day, on his way to Tianqing Martial Hall, Chen Mo again felt someone following him. That evening, on his way home from the Iron Furnace Room, someone followed him again.
He was almost certain he had been targeted. His pursuer was probably still probing his strength and background; once they figured him out, they might make their move.
In other words, if Chen Mo weren't in Ming Jin, they might have attacked already.
What worried him was that if the other side went after Chen Lan, he would be in a very difficult position.
He made up his mind. Better to strike first than wait passively for the blow!
His thoughts returned to the present.
Chen Mo quickened his pace and darted into an old alley. After circling around a few times, he soon lost his pursuer.
A short while later, the shadow following Chen Mo lost sight of him. It wandered through the alleys, which were lined with foul-smelling drainage ditches, then spat angrily into one before finally leaving.
Seconds after the man had gone, Chen Mo emerged from the shadows of the alley and followed him.
He knew the streets and alleys of Black River Town so well that he could follow from a distance without being spotted or losing his quarry.
The man turned through several alleys before entering a brightly lit building. Chen Mo looked up and saw that it was the Hua Pavilion, Black River Town's brothel.
Black River Town was an important hub in Anyang County, with merchants constantly passing through. Many stopped to rest at the Hua Pavilion. Members of local lineages and martial artists also frequented the place to drink, listen to music, or simply indulge in pleasure.
But some people cared about their reputations and didn't show their true faces.
After pondering for a moment, Chen Mo took out a mask he had prepared in advance, put it on, and entered the Hua Pavilion.
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