"Han Family?"
Qin Jiu had lost all interest in practicing martial arts.
He furrowed his brow and paced over to the pavilion, where he sat down.
"Uncle Wang, what do you think about the marriage alliance?"
He looked at Wang Yue beside him.
Wang Yue was the only Internal Strengthening expert currently in the Qin Mansion. If something happened to the Qin Family, this old butler, who had followed Qin Guihong for many years, would have to stand at the forefront and shield them from the storm. His opinion naturally mattered.
At this, Wang Yue sighed. "This old servant will speak out of turn."
"Whether it's the Han Family, the Qian Family, or the Zhao Family, let's set aside whatever grievances they may have accumulated after being suppressed by the Qin Mansion for so many years. The Qin Family's businesses outside the city, and even the formula for breeding spirit beasts at the Hundred Beasts Garden, are things every family in the county covets. How could they let such a golden opportunity slip by?"
"Whether or not we form a marriage alliance concerns the Qin Family's very survival."
"After all, there are no shortage of Internal Strengthening experts among the various families. If they all joined forces, this old servant would be hard-pressed to hold them off alone. But if the Qin Family forms a marriage alliance with the Han Family, the others will have to think twice. With these old bones of mine, taking two experts of the same realm down with me would be easy. Add the Han Family to the mix, and we should be able to stabilize the situation, barely."
"But if we form the alliance, the Han Family will inevitably devour every last one of the Qin Mansion's businesses, along with the spirit-beast formula."
"The young master and Old Madam will have to weigh the pros and cons."
Qin Jiu fell silent.
In fact,
people outside had already begun testing the Qin Family's resolve over the past few days.
If they didn't make a decision soon,
the Qin Family would inevitably find itself surrounded by enemies on every side.
"Fine."
"We have to buy ourselves some time, at least."
Qin Jiu's gaze darkened.
After thinking it over for a moment,
he left the pavilion again, bent his knees, and slowly began moving through the Dragon-Tiger Health-Nurturing Stake.
In the end, this world still ran on strength.
Perhaps it was because the pressure weighed so heavily on him,
but as soon as Qin Jiu began the stance training this time, he sank completely into martial arts practice. He shut out everything around him, hearing only his rhythmic breathing rise and fall with his movements.
As time passed,
his breathing grew heavier, until at last it seemed to become a tiger's roar mingled with a dragon's cry.
A scorching heat burst open in his chest.
"Is this... me knocking on the Blood Gate?"
Not far away,
Wang Yue stared in astonishment.
Qin Jiu was drenched in sweat, and his face, framed by clinging strands of hair, steamed with a deep crimson hue.
It was a sign that his qi and blood were surging.
It was also the sign that a martial artist was knocking on the Blood Gate and stepping into the First Refining realm.
"Boom!"
Suddenly,
a sound, deep as muffled thunder and like a tiger's roar, rang out clearly.
"So it wasn't an illusion."
Qin Jiu stopped moving.
At that moment,
his stamina and strength surged, and an incredibly powerful feeling welled up inside him.
"Once you pass the Blood Gate, you enter the First Refining realm."
"Have I reached the Skin Polishing stage of First Refining?"
Qin Jiu clenched his fist.
His eyes were full of disbelief.
It had been less than five days since Wang Yue taught him the breathing method and stance training of the Dragon-Tiger Health-Nurturing Stake, yet he had already knocked on the Blood Gate and broken through to the First Refining realm. Even he found it hard to believe.
To be fair, he had been eating spirit-beast medicinal meals without fail for days.
But among the apprentices in the guard squad,
even with abundant qi and blood, the fastest still needed three or four months, or even half a year, to knock on the Blood Gate.
"Could it be the Snake Waist Python Tendon talent? Or because I'm practicing a superior martial art? Or was my original body simply gifted at martial arts? That doesn't make sense either. If I'd had talent, Old Master Qin wouldn't have left me to my own devices."
Qin Jiu's thoughts swirled.
Wang Yue, who had come back to his senses nearby, hurried over.
"Congratulations, young master, on successfully passing the gate."
His cloudy eyes shone with excitement. He stammered, "Young master, your talent is peerless! You became a First Refining martial artist after just a few days. Heaven has eyes—the old master has an heir to carry on his legacy!"
"Uncle Wang, don't get carried away. You mustn't let this get out."
Qin Jiu waved his hand.
"Peerless" might be an exaggeration, but entering the realm in just a few days was a fact. If word got out, it would surely send shockwaves through the county.
The tallest tree catches the wind.
For the Qin Family right now, this would be a disaster, not a blessing.
After warning him,
Qin Jiu went over to the stone locks the servants had brought in earlier. He gripped a hundred-pound stone lock, flicked his wrist, and lifted it with ease.
"There's no strain at all."
Qin Jiu's heart stirred. He went to a five-hundred-pound stone lock and gave it a try.
Again, a flick of his wrist lifted the stone lock off the ground.
This time, though, it took a great deal of effort.
"Five hundred pounds with one arm..."
Qin Jiu nodded with satisfaction.
A Skin Polishing martial artist at the peak of the First Refining realm could only swing a thousand pounds with one arm. He had only just entered the First Refining realm and hadn't even begun Skin Polishing, yet he could already wield five hundred pounds. That was nothing short of astonishing.
Once he reached the peak of the First Refining realm, he would surely surpass a thousand pounds of strength.
"It must be because of the Snake Waist Python Tendon talent."
He recalled the description of his talent and realized that his breakthrough, as well as his strength being far beyond that of other martial artists, probably had something to do with the Snake Waist Python Tendon talent.
Meanwhile, Wang Yue,
was practically petrified. He kept murmuring something about talent and prodigies.
Early the next morning,
several carriages slowly departed from the Qin Mansion.
Qin Jiu sat inside one of them, with Wang Yue at the reins.
He didn't feel at ease making this trip alone, so he had the old butler accompany him. First, he was worried something might happen on the road. Second, having an Internal Strengthening expert with him when he visited the Han Family gave him some confidence.
The Han Family was also in the Inner City, and the journey wasn't far.
Before long, the carriage began to slow down.
Sensing their arrival, Qin Jiu lifted the curtain and saw a mansion no less imposing than the Qin Mansion. A group of richly dressed figures waited in front of its vermilion gates, but the man at their head wasn't the Han Family Head.
Instead, it was an uncle from a collateral branch of the Han Family.
He furrowed his brow almost imperceptibly.
Then he got out of the carriage, went to another carriage behind them, and helped Old Madam down.
The people waiting in front of the Han Family's gates came over as well.
After exchanging pleasantries,
they led the group into the Han Family's residence.
"Madam Li, it's been a long time. How did you grow so haggard?"
Inside the reception hall,
a thin, middle-aged man seated in the place of honor spoke.
His eyes glittered. After speaking, he glanced at Qin Jiu, who stood beside Old Madam, then continued, "Han had a mishap while practicing martial arts recently and couldn't personally come out to greet you. If I've been discourteous, please forgive me, Madam Li."
"How could I trouble the Han Family Head to come out in person?"
Old Madam's expression was calm. She said, "I sent someone with a calling card a few days ago. I assume the Han Family Head already knows why I've come today?"
"Of course. Please, both of you, take a seat."
A smile appeared on the Han Family Head's face. After the two of them sat down, he continued, "Twenty years ago, Brother Guihong and I agreed that our two families would form a marriage alliance. I never imagined fate would play such a cruel trick..."
"Actually, even if Madam Li hadn't brought this up,"
"Han would have sent someone to the Qin Family in the next few days."
"Ever since Brother Guihong fell ill, undercurrents in the city have grown more turbulent. If these old bones of mine weren't still in decent shape, some villains might have already broken into the Qin Mansion a few days ago to wipe it out completely."
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