Arrangements (Please Follow Along)

Li Yuan nodded. So that was how it was.

He then asked, "Teacher, this force... how exactly is it cultivated? How is it different from qi and blood?"

Yang Chong glanced at him and explained, "Force is produced when qi and blood condense and merge with the strength of your sinews and bones.

"Simply put, once you've mastered all five forms of the Five Animals Fist and thoroughly grasped their intent, your qi and blood will grow to a certain level. Then you can try to condense your qi and blood, transform it into force, and break through to the Bone Forging Realm."

Only then did Li Yuan gain a sense of the powers and experts in Wuxi County.

"Enough standing around," Yang Chong said, rising again. "I'll spar with you now. Attack me with all your strength, and learn how to exert force and respond."

This was essentially special one-on-one instruction.

Li Yuan's spirits lifted. He immediately replied, "Yes, Teacher!"

Several more days passed.

That morning, Li Yuan went to the back courtyard to practice as usual.

More than an hour later, he finally walked out, looking somewhat dazed.

He felt as though his entire body had been taken apart.

Not far away, Zhao Qin was in the front courtyard, smiling as he guided the new disciples through their basic exercises.

"How was it, being given special attention by Teacher?" Zhao Qin asked with a grin as he came over.

Li Yuan gave a wry smile and rubbed his sore arms. "Not bad. Just a little tiring."

"Junior Brother, you're a Stone Skin Realm expert now. You're someone of consequence even in the Outer City.

"So, have you considered starting a family? Once you have a wife, you'll be able to settle down."

Li Yuan paused mid-motion, then shook his head. "Thank you for the thought, Senior Brother, but I'm not considering that for now. In this day and age, your own strength is what matters most."

Once you have a wife and children, you have more to worry about. Of course, Li Yuan could only keep that thought to himself.

Zhao Qin waved a hand. "You think too much. I got married when I was fifteen, and I'm doing just fine.

"Times are hard, but does that mean you should never marry? A man should start a family and build a career. Your background may be a little humble,

"but your potential speaks for itself. Plenty of families like a young man like you.

"Don't worry about it. I'm your senior brother, so I'll arrange everything!"

Seeing Zhao Qin so enthusiastic and determined to play matchmaker, Li Yuan knew there was no point arguing, so he stopped objecting.

He didn't take it seriously, though, and kept focusing on his cultivation.

A few days later, Zhao Qin brought him nearly ten portraits of young women and told him to see if any caught his eye.

If he liked one, they would send her a letter and let her look him over first. If she approved, they could meet.

Li Yuan learned that this was the custom here, though he didn't know whether it was the same elsewhere.

These were the most suitable young women Zhao Qin could get in touch with.

Seeing how enthusiastic Zhao Qin was, Li Yuan couldn't bring himself to refuse, so he picked three women who looked reasonably appealing to him.

A few days later, in the Inner City, inside the residence of a mid-sized family.

The Huang Family's second young miss, Huang Wei, sat at her vanity, listening to her personal maid's report.

The Huang Family ran a restaurant business, and they had some dealings with the Zhao Family from time to time.

Huang Wei wore a pomegranate-red cotton dress. She was slightly slender, with delicate features.

She held a letter in one hand, while a simple portrait lay open beside her. It was a picture of Li Yuan.

"Seventeen years old, at the Stone Skin Realm? Broke through in half a year? Yang Chong's sixth personal disciple?" Huang Wei murmured as she read the information, her brows lifting slightly.

"When exactly did he break through? What's his background? Was he really a hunter from the mountains? How strong is Yang Chong now?"

Her family employed martial arts instructors, of course, so she knew a thing or two about them.

Potential was only one factor. There were plenty of people with potential.

The maid answered each question in turn, explaining that Yang Chong's old injuries had yet to heal, his qi and blood had declined, and his strength was nowhere near what it once was.

Li Yuan really was a hunter by birth. Both his parents had died two years earlier, and his only relatives were his uncle's family. He had no connections.

"Also, Li Yuan spends every day either hunting in the mountains or training at the Martial Arts Hall. He rarely socializes with others, so perhaps he isn't very bright.

"To sum it up, he's reserved and taciturn. He's loyal, devoted, and talented, but he has neither connections nor social skills. Still, he may be a man worth entrusting your life to."

After listening, Huang Wei's interest visibly waned.

So apart from his supposed potential, he had nothing?

Without a family background, how could she use his connections to rise further within her own family?

Rely on Li Yuan's potential? How long would that take? Three years? Five?

Who knew what might happen in the meantime?

Besides, her family ran a restaurant business, so she often had to entertain and negotiate with others. Without some brains, she might not even know what killed her.

Just then, another maid announced from outside, "Miss, the Lin Family's third young master is here. He says he got some novel trinkets and brought them especially for you to admire."

Hearing this, a trace of helplessness flashed in Huang Wei's eyes. She hurriedly asked, "He's here again?"

She tossed Zhao Qin's letter and Li Yuan's portrait onto the table, then said to the maid who had reported earlier, "Tell them I understand.

"Find a time to have him come by so I can meet him.

"After all, he's a promising young talent. Even if the marriage doesn't work out, recruiting him as a guard instructor would be a good option."

Huang Wei didn't reject him outright. She was a businesswoman, after all; even if a deal fell through, they could still be friends.

Li Yuan had good potential and was just barely worthy of her, but he still wasn't at the Iron Skin Realm.

There was never a shortage of young prodigies in this world.

"Yes, Miss." The maid bowed and withdrew.

Huang Wei stood and straightened the hair at her temples in the mirror. She forced a smile, making sure it looked right.

Then she went out to meet the Lin Family's third young master.

In the North City District of the Outer City, in the rear courtyard of Hundred Herb Hall.

Hundred Herb Hall was one of the better-regarded apothecaries in the area.

Su Wan was around sixteen or seventeen. She wore a plain, light-green dress and had delicate features.

In her hands was the same letter of introduction and portrait of Li Yuan that Zhao Qin had sent through an intermediary.

Su Wan studied the information about Li Yuan in the letter, deep in thought.

She remembered how, some days earlier, her father, Su Wen, had gone into the mountains to gather herbs and encountered a black bear. He had escaped by sheer luck, but his left arm had been injured and he had sprained his leg, leaving him unable to get around easily.

Now he couldn't go up the mountain, and even managing his daily life was a struggle.

Su Wen had once helped Cao Chuan when he was still weak, so Cao Chuan had protected them ever since.

No one looking for trouble had dared bother them. But now Cao Chuan was said to be in a very bad way, and her father was injured...

The family's apothecary had some savings, but they couldn't afford the exorbitant cost of hiring expert guards long-term.

Without protection, the gangs would demand ever-increasing protection money.

Li Yuan was a hunter by birth, so he must know the mountains well. He also had the strength of the Stone Skin Realm, so his combat skills were beyond doubt.

If she could work with him, perhaps they could solve their current predicament.

He was strong enough, and he might even be able to gather herbs in the mountains and help drive off anyone who came looking for trouble.

Besides, he came from a respectable background and was a disciple of the Martial Arts Hall recommended by Zhao Qin. He was far more reliable than people of unknown origins.

With that, Su Wan made up her mind.

She called over the maid beside her, folded the letter, and handed it to her. "Xiao Cui, take this to Zhao Qin and pass on a message.

"Tell him... that Su Wan would like to meet with Li Yuan and talk, if he has the time."

The young maid took the letter, nodded obediently, and went on her way.

Su Wan walked into the courtyard and looked at the medicinal herbs, sighing softly.

In this world, it was so hard for an ordinary family to live in peace.

She could only hope that this Young Master Li was truly as trustworthy as the letter claimed.

Another young woman turned him down. It wasn't because of Li Yuan's background; she simply didn't find him appealing.

Soon, Zhao Qin passed the news on to Li Yuan: the two sides would meet in half a month and see how things went.