Jiang Tian Was a Promising Talent

The other three stared, dumbfounded.

No one had expected Jiang Tian—the soft-spoken young man who wouldn't curse even when arguing with someone—to actually hit a person!

Wang Xiaolan was the first to recover. She hurriedly crouched down, pulled a small blue handkerchief from her clothes, and fumbled to wipe the blood from Zhang Qingfeng's face.

"Brother Qingfeng, are you all right?"

"Get out of my way!"

Zhang Qingfeng snatched the handkerchief from her and shoved Wang Xiaolan aside as she crouched on the ground, then carelessly wiped his face a few times.

The shove sent Wang Xiaolan stumbling. She lost her balance and fell hard onto the ground.

Her face filled with bewilderment. Grievance burst in her heart, and her eyes instantly reddened, tears welling in them.

She didn't understand. Why was Zhang Qingfeng treating her like this?

Just a few days ago, he'd said he would marry her and treat her well.

Zhang Qingfeng staggered to his feet. His already unattractive face twisted into something even uglier.

Blood still streamed from his nose, smearing half his face. He looked both disheveled and savage.

He wanted to rush up and return the punch, but when he looked up and saw Jiang Tian's body, a full size more muscular than before, and those eyes, so cold and utterly devoid of warmth—

He lost his nerve at once.

"Jiang Tian! You dare hit me?!" He retreated two steps and shouted, trying to sound imposing despite his fear.

"Do you really think your older brother being a constable means you can do whatever you want?"

"Are you leaving or not?"

Jiang Tian's gaze was icy, his voice indifferent.

"If you don't leave, I'll cripple you right now."

He'd truly meant to kill with that punch just now.

Though this was a chaotic era, the law still had some use. Otherwise, Zhang Qingfeng wouldn't be standing there talking.

Under Jiang Tian's stare, Zhang Qingfeng instinctively shrank back, every word stuck in his throat.

"Just you wait!"

He glared viciously at Jiang Tian, then turned and left, his hurried, chaotic steps making him look like a dog being chased.

Wang Xiaolan sat on the ground, unsure what to do.

She looked at Jiang Tian with her red, tear-filled eyes.

In response, she met a pair of utterly impassive eyes, as if he were looking at a stranger.

She silently got up, bowed slightly to the three of them, then hurried after Zhang Qingfeng with her head lowered.

"Damn!"

Li Goudan let out a startled yelp, his mouth hanging open wide enough to fit an egg.

"Brother Tian, you've only been training for a few days! How'd you knock Zhang Qingfeng flat with one punch?"

"It's been a few days," Jiang Tian said casually, brushing him off.

Li Goudan clicked his tongue. "You used to get winded just carrying a box of books... This is way too big a change!"

He paused, hesitated, then lowered his voice. "But, Brother Tian, was it really okay to do that?"

"If you don't mess with me, I won't mess with you."

Jiang Tian didn't finish the sentence, but everyone present understood what he meant.

Their friendship with Jiang Tian was naturally much closer than their friendship with Zhang Qingfeng. They also knew what kind of person Zhang Qingfeng was, so none of them intended to speak up for him.

Just then, Xiao Ce, who'd been silent until now, spoke up with a grave note in his voice. "Brother Tian, Zhang Qingfeng's been getting close to a disciple from Kaishan Martial Hall lately... Be careful."

"Got it."

Jiang Tian's gaze flickered. He nodded.

A martial hall disciple, huh...

The three of them chatted a little longer, then went their separate ways.

After breakfast, Jiang Tian headed to the martial hall.

Along the way, he picked up a few more scattered trait points, but nothing like yesterday. Half the people he encountered were ones he'd already seen the day before, so he couldn't extract their trait points again.

Still, counting the points he'd extracted from Li Goudan and the others, he had over three hundred now.

By the time he arrived at the martial hall, quite a few people had already gathered in the courtyard.

If nothing unexpected happened, Zhang Ergou would have him practice Post Standing again today.

Jiang Tian could feel that after another morning's practice, he should meet the requirements for learning martial arts.

When Zhang Ergou saw Jiang Tian, he clearly froze.

He rubbed his eyes, walked over, and circled Jiang Tian, looking him up and down. Confusion written across his face, he asked, "Junior Brother Jiang Tian, why do I feel like you've gotten even more muscular since yesterday?"

"Have I?" Jiang Tian asked, his expression unchanged.

"I don't think so. You must be mistaken."

"Impossible!" Zhang Ergou furrowed his brows, his gaze sweeping over Jiang Tian again and again.

"My memory isn't that bad! You weren't this tall yesterday!"

Jiang Tian pressed his lips together.

Looks like he's not easy to fool...

If that's the case, I'll have to be cautious about putting points into Root Bone from now on. I should prioritize comprehension.

By Yuan Long's standards, his Root Bone would have to be Grade B at the very least by now.

"Could practicing martial arts for the first time have stimulated your body's latent potential and changed your Root Bone?"

Zhang Ergou murmured, deep in thought.

He'd already decided that Jiang Tian was a promising talent. Tonight, he had to report all these details to their master, exactly as they were.

"All right, let's continue with Post Standing. You've still got a few little details wrong. Watch me..."

Seeing Zhang Ergou stop asking questions, Jiang Tian breathed a sigh of relief. He focused and carefully watched each of Zhang Ergou's movements.

On the wooden post, Jiang Tian wrapped his arms around himself and turned his feet slightly inward, striking a pose that resembled embracing the moon, with roots coiled like an old tree.

Zhang Ergou paced around the post, speaking at a steady volume, each word finding its way into Jiang Tian's ears. "Remember: shoulder, elbow, wrist—three points in a straight line, like three gourds hanging from one vine. Sink without sagging; relax without collapsing."

Jiang Tian adjusted his right arm and indeed felt a subtle pull extending from his shoulder all the way to his fingertips.

"Although this state doesn't have a widely known name like Hidden Energy or Manifest Energy, we generally call it Blood Nourishing. Only after you've practiced Post Standing for three hours will your qi and blood be strong enough to support martial arts training, so you can temper your body!"

"Breathing."

Zhang Ergou's voice slowed. "When you inhale, imagine the air entering through your nostrils, passing your throat and entering your lungs, then sinking into your dantian. When you exhale, don't push the air out. Let it sink downward. Your lower abdomen should bulge slightly—not because you're forcing it, but because the qi sinks of its own accord."

Jiang Tian closed his eyes and focused on his breathing.

Inhale.

The cold air passed through his nostrils and traveled down his throat. He could almost see it circle once inside his chest before sinking heavily into his lower abdomen.

Exhale.

He didn't breathe the air out. Instead, he let the warm mass of qi slowly spread through his lower abdomen.

He suddenly realized that before this, his breath had always hovered in his chest, like a startled rabbit—quick and shallow.

Now, his breath had sunk into his lower abdomen, and he felt as firmly rooted as a tree, far steadier than before.

"Good. Keep it up."

Time ticked by.

Jiang Tian felt his legs begin to tremble uncontrollably. First his calves, then his thighs, and finally even his waist and abdomen shook faintly.

His mind began to grow hazy. Only one thought kept circling through it.

Hold steady.

Don't move.

His toes gripped the soles of his shoes. His Yongquan Points stayed relaxed but engaged, his knees bent slightly, and his hips sank.

Shoulders down, elbows heavy, wrists level.

Chest held in, back straight, crown suspended.

The qi inside him grew thicker and thicker, changing from a tiny snake as thin as a finger into a giant python as thick as an arm.

Jiang Tian's padded jacket was soaked through with sweat. Billows of white steam rose from his head, making him look like a pot of water at a rolling boil.

But his stance remained motionless, like an old tree with roots sunk deep—unshaken by wind or rain.

At that moment, every breath was agony.

He could clearly feel every muscle crying out and every bone bearing a crushing weight. The warm current eased some of the ache, but his body was inching toward its limit. His legs' trembling had become constant instead of intermittent, his core was beginning to give way, and even his breathing had grown labored.

But he didn't move.

"That's enough!"

The instant Zhang Ergou said those two words, Jiang Tian leaped down from the post. He gasped for breath, his chest heaving, his throat painfully dry.

"Drink this."

Zhang Ergou handed him a bowl of water.

It was brown and smelled of herbs mixed with blood. Just the scent made Jiang Tian's throat tighten.

He held his breath and gulped it down.

A warm sensation spread from his stomach, rapidly flowing through his limbs and bones.

It was as if an invisible hand gently stroked away his exhaustion, easing it little by little. The restless qi and blood inside him also gradually settled as the medicinal drink took effect.

"Two days."

Zhang Ergou shook his head in amazement.

"It took me seven or eight days of training before I could keep up Post Standing for three hours. You did it in less than two days."

"It's all thanks to your excellent teaching, Senior Brother." Jiang Tian smiled shyly.

"I was only doing my duty."

Zhang Ergou smiled, then turned to Jiang Tian and reminded him, "But at the Five Animals Martial Hall, training in martial arts is only one part of it. You also need to know who you mustn't provoke and who you mustn't cross."