Who Made That Promise Doesn't Count; the Supreme Saint Immortal Mother's Wooden Statue; An Incident

The firelight flickered.

Long, narrow afterimages streaked through the deep alley.

Shi Wen left Ghost Lane with an expressionless face. Only when there was no one behind him did he quicken his pace.

"Whew... You really can't underestimate anyone in the world. Even Zhang Sheng from the obscure Robbery Gang is this fierce. The famous figures in Black Cloud County must be even more than I can handle!"

"If I hadn't mastered Baji Fist Foundation and often sparred with Senior Brother Li, I probably would've gotten myself killed here today."

"It's just a shame that my last kick didn't land on Zhang Sheng. Otherwise, I definitely would've injured him. Looks like I'll have to make time to train tomorrow and get my Iron Whip Leg to minor mastery as soon as possible!"

"If my Iron Whip Leg had reached minor mastery, Zhang Sheng would never have dodged that kick just now!"

Shi Wen quickened his pace and disappeared into the darkness.

Ignoring the tearing pain of his slashed skin, he grabbed a strip of dried meat and stuffed it into his mouth.

Once he reached an empty, shadowy corner,

he tore off the clothes hanging from his body like strips of cloth, revealing a back covered in wounds!

Zhang Sheng's Eagle Claw Skill was vicious and ruthlessly practiced. If Shi Wen's Baji Fist Foundation hadn't been beyond the ordinary, he might truly have met his end here.

It wasn't that he hadn't wanted to kill Zhang Sheng just now.

But when he used Lightning Chop, all the qi and blood in his body had surged into that kick. He couldn't muster any more qi and blood for a short while, and he was wounded besides, so he hadn't dared to act rashly.

Fortunately, Zhang Sheng hadn't seen through his bluff.

Otherwise, Shi Wen truly didn't dare imagine what might have happened next.

Shi Wen thought Zhang Sheng was formidable, but he had no idea that Shi Wen, who had only just entered the early Blood-Tempering Stage a few days ago, had broken several of Zhang Sheng's bones—even though Zhang Sheng was close to reaching the late Blood-Tempering Stage!

As he hurried away,

Shi Wen also counted his banknotes. There weren't many, and most were small denominations.

Altogether, they came to around thirty taels. That was enough to buy exotic beast meat and keep his body functioning for a while.

"Maybe I should find an opportunity to kill Zhang Sheng. Leaving him alive might bring trouble..."

Beneath the night sky, pale moonlight fell across Shi Wen's sharply defined face. His gaze was perfectly calm, as if he were talking about something utterly insignificant.

If Zhang Sheng found out, who knew what he would feel!

Along the way, Shi Wen circled through Peace Lane several times.

Only then did he return home to rest.

The next day, Shi Wen got up and suddenly remembered that Senior Sister Li Qianqian was taking him to meet a prospective match.

With a sigh, Shi Wen headed to the Fist Academy.

He resisted the urge to practice his forms, sat beneath the shade of a tree, and chewed on strips of dried meat.

He replayed some of the moves from his fight with Zhang Sheng in his mind, quietly pondering them.

Practicing martial arts wasn't something that could be done behind closed doors if one hoped to become invincible.

Moves were dead; people were alive.

Only by practicing moves often and sparring with experts could one learn how to respond to the techniques they would face in various life-and-death fights.

Unfortunately, he couldn't find anyone to practice with.

As for his wounds...

Perhaps it was because martial artists were different from ordinary people, but the wounds on his back had already scabbed over.

After a while,

Li Qianqian walked out of the Inner Courtyard. Her graceful figure instantly drew the gazes of the vigorous young men in the Outer Courtyard.

Wherever her silhouette passed, a faint scent of osmanthus seemed to linger.

The sweet fragrance filled the air, impossible to forget.

Yet when they saw Senior Sister Li from the Inner Courtyard go over to chat with Shi Wen, who was slacking beneath the tree, everyone present was stunned.

Once the two of them had left,

the chatter in the Outer Courtyard grew even louder.

The vigorous young men were all green with envy.

They were all Outer Courtyard disciples, so why was Shi Wen the one riding in the carriage with a pretty senior sister from the Inner Courtyard?

Was it just because he had a handsome face?!

So what if he was good-looking? It wouldn't stop him from failing to temper his qi and blood within two months, then slinking away in disgrace!!!

The carriage was decorated simply, but the air was filled with a young woman's delicate fragrance.

Li Qianqian sat upright and composed, looking at the book in her hands. When she was quiet, she seemed serene and elegant. Meanwhile, Shi Wen was imagining what he should have done to beat Zhang Sheng if he could fight him again tonight!

The carriage swayed. The two people inside it were lost in entirely different worlds.

Only when noisy, lively sounds poured into his ears

was Shi Wen roused from his recollections and calculations. He looked out the window and saw a towering, sturdy Inner City before him. After they passed through its walls, the sight of prosperous, resplendent streets made his pupils contract.

Sure enough, in any world, the vermilion gates reeked of wine and meat, while frozen bones lay by the roadside!

Only by becoming stronger, only by practicing martial arts, could one gain a foothold in a chaotic age!!

"Once some time has passed, I'll go check out the Red Lantern Gang. If they aren't strong, I'll wipe them out. Maybe I can get my hands on some money and lay the foundation for my future training..."

Leaning against the wooden wall of the carriage, Shi Wen carefully considered what to do next.

He also wondered how long this trip would take.

The morning's training time had gone to waste, and an inexplicable restlessness stirred within him. All he wanted was to train and grind away the unease in his heart.

When they arrived at a lavishly decorated restaurant,

Shi Wen said little as he followed Li Qianqian upstairs and into a private room.

The room had been prepared with delicate pastries and seasonal fruit.

A muscular woman sat waiting at the table.

When she saw Li Qianqian enter, she hurried to greet her warmly, ushering her to a seat, fussing over her, pulling out her chair, and pouring her tea. She acted as if Shi Wen beside her didn't exist.

Shi Wen silently took his seat.

Before long, the dishes were served. There were a full eighteen, all hearty portions of meat, without a single vegetable dish.

Everyone present was a martial artist, and none of them bothered with dainty table manners.

Qiu Tongdan held a leg of lamb in her left hand and a steak in her right, chewing in great mouthfuls.

Li Qianqian looked slender, but she ate like Taotie, her chopsticks flying from dish to dish. In no time, several plates were empty.

Shi Wen was also burying his head in his meal.

Martial artists were bottomless pits. They had to eat their fill to keep their bodies functioning.

This was the only decent meal he'd had in a long while.

Once Li Qianqian had eaten her fill, she set down her chopsticks.

The two women chatted now and then about recent secrets in Black Cloud County unknown to outsiders, though they lowered their voices whenever they reached the key points.

Shi Wen didn't say a word. He kept his head down and ate in silence.

After they chatted for a while, Li Qianqian suddenly said, "Xiao Ni, this is Shi Wen, a junior brother from the Outer Courtyard. What do you think of him?"

Li Qianqian had been so direct that the atmosphere immediately turned subdued.

Qiu Tongdan pretended not to hear.

When Li Qianqian asked again, Qiu Tongdan's expression turned rather unpleasant. "Qianqian, I'm not feeling well. How about we call it a day and get together another time?"

Li Qianqian sighed softly and nodded.

Seeing that Li Qianqian seemed down, Qiu Tongdan hurriedly said, "Qianqian, I know you want to find this poor... this young man some resources to help him train. How about this? I'll see if there's a suitable position in my family's businesses over the next couple of days. I can put him on the payroll and pay him five times the usual rate. How does that sound?"

"All right..."

Li Qianqian shook her head gently, simply feeling that it was a shame.

She felt Shi Wen was mild-tempered and honest, and seemed like a good match for the fiery Qiu Tongdan.

The Qiu Family had powerful connections at the County Office and could provide Junior Brother Shi with plenty of resources for training, as well as pave his way for the future.

It was just a shame that Qiu Tongdan hadn't taken a liking to him.

The two chatted idly for a while longer, then eventually found an excuse to call it a day.

Aside from the usual polite remarks, Shi Wen hadn't said a word on his own initiative or tried to curry favor with anyone.

As for that job offer...

He hadn't taken it to heart.

Even if she hadn't merely been making polite remarks for Senior Sister Li's sake, even if she'd promised him something on the spot, he still wouldn't have believed it.

Only what he could decide for himself counted.

He got back into the carriage.

Shi Wen continued to replay his fight with Zhang Sheng from the previous night, then went over the moves of Iron Whip Leg in his mind.

Eventually, an idea occurred to him.

If he could break down and fuse Baji Fist Foundation with Iron Whip Leg, creating a new style of his own,

perhaps he could become even stronger.

"Junior Brother Shi, I'm sorry about today."

Li Qianqian suddenly spoke, apologetically explaining, "That woman just now was Qiu Tongdan. Her family is wealthy, so I wanted to bring you two together..."

"It's all right, Senior Sister Li."

Shi Wen interrupted her. "All I want to do these days is train and temper my body. I'm not thinking about that sort of thing for now. Thank you for your kindness, Senior Sister."

Truthfully, his heart hadn't been stirred much.

He just felt that his training time had gone to waste.

By the time he returned to the Fist Academy, it was already noon.

After lunch, Shi Wen took advantage of the empty corner to practice the foundation forms.

He practiced until the afternoon.

Apart from briefly stopping to drink a bowl of medicinal soup, he stayed immersed in his own world, trying to incorporate Iron Whip Leg moves while performing the foundation forms.

Perhaps Iron Whip Leg hadn't yet reached minor mastery, or perhaps he hadn't learned it well enough.

The fusion felt awkward.

When the gong sounded, the Outer Courtyard disciples began to leave.

After completing one final set of foundation forms, Shi Wen went to put away the equipment while glancing at the Extreme Seal.

[Extreme Seal]

[Baji Fist Introductory Foundation: Minor Mastery (22/100), Trait: Penetrating Momentum]

[Iron Whip Leg: Beginner (17/30)]

"Too bad I wasted the whole morning. Otherwise, I might've gotten my foundation forms close to thirty."

"I can't wait to see what changes major mastery of the foundation forms will bring."

Shi Wen took a deep breath.

Then he turned and headed for the door.

He quickened his pace toward Vermilion Bird Street in the north of the city.

After checking on the progress of the iron post at the blacksmith's, he sat outside the shop and waited for the frenzied crowd to arrive.

Who would've thought—

He waited and waited,

but the mysterious Daoist and the parade never appeared.

Relying on his memory from the day before, Shi Wen walked through the alleys and stopped at a house with its door open. He went over and asked, "Elder, do you know what time the meat-distribution procession is coming today?"

Shi Wen took in the cramped, crude tiled house. An elderly man with graying hair lay in a rocking chair, his legs seemingly unable to move properly.

"Perhaps they've gone to Minggong Street to hand out the meat," the old man said, looking at Shi Wen. "Young man, do you also believe that the Supreme Saint Immortal Mother can bring good fortune?"

"Perhaps I do."

Shi Wen nodded. The old man continued, "Young man, could you bring me that Immortal Mother Statue? I'd like to wipe the dust off it."

"Sure."

Shi Wen picked up the wooden carving enshrined on a small table in the corner.

The carving was crude, about the size of his palm. Its rough outline could just barely be made out as an elderly woman. She sat cross-legged with her hands clasped together. Her body was pitted and uneven, with wood splinters sticking up here and there. It was unclear whether that was due to poor craftsmanship or something else.

Strangely, red cloth had been wrapped over its eyes.

Just as Shi Wen picked up the carving, an unexpected change occurred...