Knocking the Blood Gate

"Han Family?"

Qin Jiu lost all thought of practicing martial arts.

Frowning deeply, he paced over to the pavilion and sat down.

"Uncle Wang, what do you think of the marriage alliance?"

He looked at Wang Yue beside him.

The latter was the only Internal Strengthening expert in the Qin Mansion now. If something happened to the Qin family, this old steward, who had followed Qin Guihong for many years, would need to stand at the forefront to shield them from the storm. His opinion naturally carried weight.

Wang Yue sighed upon hearing this. "This old servant dares to speak bluntly."

"Whether it's the Han Family, the Qian Family, or the Zhao Family, setting aside the grudges built up over the years from the Qin Mansion suppressing them, just the Qin family's external assets—even the recipe for raising spirit beasts in the Hundred Beasts Garden—are things every household in the county covets fiercely. How could they let such an opportunity slip by?"

"Marriage alliance or not, it concerns the survival of the Qin family."

"After all, each family has no small number of Internal Strengthening experts. If they act together, this old servant alone cannot hold the line. But if the Qin family marries into the Han Family, the other parties will have to think twice. This old body can still easily take two martial artists of the same realm with it, and with the Han Family added in, the situation should barely stabilize."

"However, once the alliance is made, all of the Qin Mansion's assets and the spirit beast secret formula will inevitably be devoured by the Han Family in the end."

"The pros and cons of this still need to be weighed by the young master and the Old Madam."

Qin Jiu fell silent.

In truth.

Over the past few days, people outside had already made moves, testing the Qin family's stance.

If a decision wasn't made quickly.

The Qin family would inevitably face the dire situation of enemies on all sides.

"Forget it."

"I need to buy some time, after all."

Qin Jiu's gaze darkened.

After pondering for a moment.

He walked out of the pavilion again, then crouched down and slowly pushed through the Dragon-Tiger Health-Nurturing Stake.

In this world, strength ultimately spoke.

Perhaps because of the urgency in his heart.

The moment Qin Jiu began the stance this time, he became completely immersed in martial practice. He shut out everything around him, his ears filled only with a rhythmic breathing that rose and fell with his movements.

As time passed.

This breathing gradually grew heavier, until it finally transformed into an illusion that sounded like a tiger's roar and a dragon's chant.

A scorching heat also exploded from within his chest.

"Is this... Knocking the Blood Gate?"

Not far away.

Wang Yue's eyes widened in shock.

At this moment, Qin Jiu's entire body was drenched in sweat, his hair plastered to his face, which steamed with a crimson flush.

This was a sign of qi and blood surging upward.

It was also the omen of a martial artist Knocking the Blood Gate and stepping into the First Refining realm.

"Boom!"

Suddenly.

A sound, heavy as muffled thunder yet like a tiger's roar, exploded clearly.

"So it wasn't an illusion."

Qin Jiu stopped moving.

At this moment.

His stamina and strength surged explosively, an overwhelming sense of power rising in his heart.

"Knocking the Blood Gate means First Refining."

"Have I stepped into the First Refining, Skin Polishing realm?"

Qin Jiu clenched his fist.

His eyes were full of shock and disbelief.

From the time Wang Yue had taught him the breathing method and stance of the Dragon-Tiger Health-Nurturing Stake, less than five days had passed. And yet, he had directly Knocked the Blood Gate and broken through to the First Refining realm. Even he found it hard to believe.

True, the spirit beast medicinal meals had been uninterrupted for days.

But among the apprentices in the guard squad.

Even those with abundant qi and blood, the fastest still needed three or four months, or even half a year, to Knock the Blood Gate.

"Could it be the Snake Waist Python Tendon talent, or because the martial art I cultivate is top-tier? Or perhaps this body's innate talent for martial arts was always good? That shouldn't be right either—if the talent were good, Old Master Qin wouldn't have left it to rot back then."

Qin Jiu's thoughts churned.

Not far away, Wang Yue snapped out of his daze and hurried over.

"Congratulations, young master, on successfully breaking through the gate."

His clouded eyes brimmed with excitement as he stammered, "Young master's endowment surpasses all under heaven—in just a few days, you've broken through to become a First Refining martial artist. Heaven has eyes; the master has an heir worthy of him."

"Uncle Wang, don't get worked up. This matter must not be spread abroad."

Qin Jiu waved a hand.

Though "surpassing all under heaven" was an exaggeration, entering the realm in a matter of days was fact. If word got out, it would surely shake the county town.

The tallest tree catches the wind.

For the Qin family in its current state, this was a curse, not a blessing.

After giving his instructions.

He walked over to the stone locks the servants had carried in earlier. Reaching out, he gripped a hundred-jin stone lock and lifted it with a flick of his wrist, effortlessly raising it off the ground.

"No strain."

Qin Jiu's heart stirred. He moved to a five-hundred-jin stone lock and gave it a try.

Again, with a flick of his wrist, the stone lock left the ground.

But this time, it took considerable effort.

"Five hundred jin with one arm..."

Qin Jiu nodded in satisfaction.

First Refining was Skin Polishing. A grandmaster of Skin Polishing could barely manage a thousand jin with one arm. Yet he, having just stepped into First Refining without even beginning Skin Polishing, could already muster five hundred jin of force with a wave—truly astonishing.

If he reached grandmaster of First Refining, he would surely break past the thousand-jin threshold.

"It must be due to the Snake Waist Python Tendon talent."

He recalled the talent's description column and realized that his breakthrough, as well as his strength surpassing other martial artists, was likely tied to the Snake Waist Python Tendon talent.

As for Wang Yue beside him.

He was nearly petrified, muttering under his breath about endowment, prodigies, and the like.

The next morning.

Several carriages slowly departed from the Qin Mansion.

Qin Jiu sat inside one of the carriages, with Wang Yue driving.

He wasn't at ease with this trip out, so he had the old steward accompany him. First, to guard against any mishaps on the road; second, bringing an Internal Strengthening expert to the Han family gave him some confidence.

The Han family was also in the inner city, not far away.

Before long, the carriage's pace gradually slowed.

Sensing something, Qin Jiu raised a hand and lifted the carriage curtain. He saw a mansion no smaller than the Qin Mansion. Before its vermilion gate, a group of richly dressed figures stood waiting, but the one at their head was not the Han Family Head.

Instead, it was a collateral uncle from one of the Han family's branches.

He furrowed his brow almost imperceptibly.

Then he alighted from the carriage, walked to the carriage behind, and helped the Old Madam down.

The people waiting at the Han family gate now came forward to greet them.

After a round of pleasantries.

They were led into the Han mansion.

"Madam Li, it's been a long time. How have you grown so haggard?"

Inside the reception hall.

A gaunt middle-aged man seated in the host's position spoke.

His eyes glinted with sharp light. As he spoke, he swept his gaze over Qin Jiu, who stood beside the Old Madam, and continued, "I, Han, made a misstep in my cultivation recently and couldn't personally come out to welcome you all. If there was any neglect, I hope Madam Li will forgive me."

"How could I presume to trouble the Han Family Head to come in person?"

The Old Madam's expression was calm. "I sent someone with a visiting card a few days ago. I trust the Han Family Head already knows why I've come today?"

"Naturally. Please, both of you, take the seats of honor."

A smile spread across the Han Family Head's face. After they sat down, he continued, "Twenty years ago, Brother Guihong and I agreed to a marriage alliance between our two families. But who could have foreseen the cruel twists of fate..."

"In truth, Madam Li, even if you hadn't brought this up."

"I would have sent someone to the Qin Mansion to inform you in the next few days."

"Lately, ever since Brother Guihong fell, the undercurrents in the city have grown fiercer. If not for these old bones of mine being a bit tougher, some ruffians might have already broken into the Qin Mansion days ago to commit extermination."