Feng Shouzhuo

In early July, the scorching heat still lingered in Cloud Province, and the oppressive warmth in the air made it hard to breathe.

At that moment, at the Feng Clan estate.

In the training room, Feng Shouzhuo finished the final move of the Five Force Fist and stood at attention.

Heat rose from his body in waves, and beads of sweat slid down his cheeks.

He stood with his back straight, panting heavily, but his eyes shone brightly.

It was as if the usual dazed, unfocused look had fallen away, leaving him spirited and full of life.

"Brother Han, how was that?" Feng Shouzhuo turned to Han Che, who sat nearby, sipping tea.

A hint of anticipation showed in his eyes. "I did all right, didn't I? Do you think I'm cut out for this?"

Han Che set down his teacup and looked at him expressionlessly.

"Do you know how many days it took your elder brother to learn the Five Force Fist?"

Feng Shouzhuo stared at him. "How many days?"

Han Che held up one finger.

Feng Shouzhuo ventured a guess. "A month?"

Han Che shook his head. "No. One day." His tone was mild. "More precisely, after the Chief Escort demonstrated it three times, he had learned it.

"After that, he only struggled to perform the full Five Force Fist because his muscles and bones were stiff, and he needed time to build up his body."

Feng Shouzhuo's expression stiffened.

During this time training in martial arts, the feeling of gradually gaining effortless control over his own body had been utterly addictive.

Uncle Zheng and the others had told him that with his abundant qi and blood, he could master anything with ease.

Even so, when he practiced the Five Force Fist, he'd still been sluggish, barely able to endure the sharp pain as his muscles and bones were suddenly stretched, then abruptly relaxed.

His elder brother hadn't been as gifted as he was.

How had he managed to endure it all in a single day?

However, Han Che saw Feng Shouzhuo lost in thought and had no intention of letting him off. "Your ninth form."

After a brief pause, he continued, "The move Weary Tiger Returns to the Forest originally had you touch your wrists together, then strike upward with the Sky-Supporting Stance to hit your opponent's chin.

"After that, you strike the top of his head with your right palm."

Feng Shouzhuo came back to himself, puzzled. "But that's not right. Isn't the ninth form called Lock the Wrist, Strike the Heart?"

He thought it over carefully and realized that was indeed how it went. He hadn't practiced it wrong.

Han Che stood and glanced at him calmly. "There's nothing wrong with it. Your elder brother changed it."

"The entire Feng Clan is practicing the Feng Family Five Force Fist now. Tell me, in what way could you possibly measure up to your elder brother?"

Feng Shouzhuo's expression froze.

He looked a little dejected. He was inferior to his elder brother in everything—even martial arts?

"You have such a strong foundation of qi and blood to build on, but your elder brother had nothing back then." Han Che looked at him and continued, "And you think you're a genius?"

"Geniuses don't go around calling themselves that."

Feng Shouzhuo fell silent for a long while.

He realized he really had come to love the feeling of practicing martial arts.

It wasn't because he wanted to grow stronger, or prove anything. It was simply the feeling of throwing a punch, feeling his qi and blood surge, and having his whole body feel at ease.

That was all true, but he still couldn't help comparing himself to his elder brother.

"What about you, Brother Han? How long did it take you to learn the Five Force Fist?"

Han Che's mouth twitched despite himself, while Uncle Zheng, standing nearby, also let out a laugh of disbelief.

"Little Brother Han was better than either of you brothers. Back then, it took him only an hour to master it." Uncle Zheng's aged voice rang out as he walked over and handed Feng Shouzhuo a towel.

Feng Shouzhuo froze, his face full of disbelief. "Huh?"

"Is that for real?" He immediately turned to Han Che.

Han Che remained expressionless.

He never would have guessed that Han Che, who wore a dead man's face all day long, was also a genius.

Wait.

His elder brother had reached the pinnacle of Body Refining, and so had he. Han Che wasn't even as strong as he was—how could that be possible?

Feng Shouzhuo came to his senses and whipped around to stare at the old man beside him.

"Uncle Zheng, you're lying to me!"

Uncle Zheng laughed and handed him the towel. "Second Young Master, don't aim too high. It doesn't matter who learned it fastest. What matters is that you have a fine foundation. Don't let it go to waste..."

He had been about to mention Su Wantang, but then remembered that Feng Shouzhuo had long since forgotten all about her.

Uncle Zheng paused. "Your clan head's good intentions."

Hearing that, Feng Shouzhuo straightened up and nodded firmly. "I will, Uncle Zheng."

Then, without needing Han Che to prod him, he wiped off his sweat, cupped his fists in salute, and assumed the starting stance again.

Uncle Zheng took the towel back and stepped aside, exchanging a glance with Han Che.

They both saw the amusement in each other's eyes.

"That's how he ought to train. With the eldest young master as his example, given time, the second young master may yet reach the Blood Burning Realm."

Uncle Zheng lowered his voice slightly. Watching the scene, his heart brimmed with emotion, and his words carried a hint of feeling.

A blessing in disguise.

If that whole affair hadn't happened, if Feng Shouzhuo had married Su Wantang, who knew how chaotic the Feng Clan would have become?

But then again, though Su Wantang's origins were unknown, Feng Shouzhuo had loved her deeply.

She hadn't taken his life; she'd even left him with such a solid foundation.

As he thought about it, a strange feeling rose in Uncle Zheng's heart. The eldest young master had received the Chief Escort's complete instruction.

The second young master had inherited his qi-and-blood foundation. No matter how he looked at it, something felt uncanny.

"Old Zheng, you're underestimating the foundation the Chief Escort left him," Han Che said, shaking his head.

After these past few days of training, Feng Shouzhuo's qi and blood had grown more vigorous, and his punches heavier. After last night's session, Han Che had tested his qi and blood as usual.

It surged through him like a mighty river!

Seeing Uncle Zheng's puzzled expression, Han Che glanced at Feng Shouzhuo, whose every move was powerful, then slowly continued.

"His qi has now reached the Guanyuan Acupoint. He's only one step away from Blood Burning."

At those words, Uncle Zheng's face changed at once.

Still, he wasn't entirely sure. "Is that true?"

"Of course."

The implications of Han Che's words were clear.

The three thresholds of Blood Burning were: breaking through Guanyuan, gathering force at Danzhong, and turning the tide at Mingmen.

These three hurdles marked the divide among martial artists of the jianghu. Those who crossed them entered Blood Burning, with a vast open sky before them.

Those who failed suffered a collapse of their qi and blood and damaged their foundations.

Back then, he himself had gone wrong while trying to break through Guanyuan. For the rest of his life, he'd been unable to make any further progress.

"Old Zheng, if need be, make the preparations in the next couple of days. The second young master isn't far from Blood Burning."

Han Che knew exactly what state Feng Shouzhuo was in. His feelings were mixed, but when he thought that he might be able to teach someone to reach Blood Burning, he felt at peace.

"Also, Old Zheng, that manual you prepared for Brother Feng could be given to the second young master to study."

Han Che hesitated, but after thinking it over for a moment, he said it anyway.

"Old Zheng?"

Han Che called out several times before finally pulling Uncle Zheng out of his shock.

"I'm here, Little Brother Han."

The complexity, wonder, and envy in Uncle Zheng's old eyes slowly faded. He didn't know how to describe what he was feeling.

As he watched Feng Shouzhuo throw one punch after another, Uncle Zheng felt increasingly dazed.

He sighed over half a lifetime wasted. "It's good to be young..." Finally, he shook his head and let out a soft sigh.

"Little Brother Han, what did you say just now?" Once he came back to himself, he turned to Han Che again.

Han Che repeated what he had said.

Uncle Zheng considered it for a while. "That sounds good. If he only practices one kind of force and can't bring it to the utmost, he'll still fall short.

"If the second young master really can learn it, at least that technique won't go to waste."

They were all family. It didn't matter which one learned it.

When the eldest young master returned, they could even compare and see who had achieved something first.

After a few more instructions, Uncle Zheng turned and left.

The training room was filled with the unbroken cracks of fists splitting the air, along with a pair of watchful eyes.

After pushing open the door, Uncle Zheng thought of going to the Chu Family Pharmacy to buy the supplies needed for a breakthrough into Blood Burning.

But he had barely walked a few steps when a middle-aged man came hurrying down the corridor.

"Master Zheng! Master Zheng!"

Uncle Zheng looked up. It was Qian Fu, the manager of the Drunken Flower Restaurant on Dongyang Street. He'd worked for the Feng Clan for more than a decade.

Qian Fu hurried over, worry etched across his face. Forcing himself to stay composed, he wasted no time and cupped his hands. "Master Zheng, I need you to handle something."

Uncle Zheng furrowed his brows. "What is it?"

Qian Fu looked helpless. "Someone's been causing trouble at the restaurant again these past few days."

Uncle Zheng paused.

Trouble at a restaurant was nothing unusual. Martial artists got drunk and smashed tables and chairs, or harassed the waiters; such things were common.

Qian Fu had worked for the Feng Clan for years. He wouldn't report such a trivial matter to him.

"Who is it?"

Qian Fu gave a bitter smile. "Master Zheng, you'd better go see for yourself. It's hard to explain."