An Unexpected Joy While Out

"I'm not sure either. Brother Hong just sent word for all of us to gather here first!"

Chen Pi shook his head slightly, his eyes filled with a mix of confusion and curiosity. "Let's wait. Once Brother Hong and the others come out, we'll know!"

Lu Yuan nodded and stood there quietly waiting.

He turned his head to look around, noticing a few new faces, while several familiar ones were missing.

Almost every three to five days, new people would arrive and old ones would leave, so he had long since grown accustomed to it.

Although Lu Yuan had only been at Song Academy for barely half a month, he could already be considered a true veteran.

And his cultivation progress was far ahead of the rest.

Even Hong Lei and Fang Chang, who had been in the Inner Courtyard receiving Master Song's full attention, might not be able to compare to him.

Before long, three figures emerged from the Inner Courtyard one after another.

Besides Hong Lei and Fang Chang, there was also Master Song, who rarely visited the Outer Courtyard.

"Master Song!"

Everyone quickly cupped their fists and bowed to him in unison.

"Everyone who has reached the introductory level of the Five Animals Fist, come before me!"

Master Song nodded slightly and spoke directly.

Immediately, Wu Yu, Chen Pi, Lu Yuan, Gu Ming, Chen Yong, and several others—about a dozen people in total—quickly stepped out of the crowd and stood before Master Song.

Master Song's gaze swept over each person, and when his eyes landed on Lu Yuan, he couldn't help but show a hint of surprise.

However, this trace of surprise quickly faded.

The Five Animals Fist was, after all, only a common Yellow Grade technique, and the difficulty of reaching the introductory level was not very high.

He had personally checked this boy's aptitude before; it was far inferior to Fang Chang's. Reaching the introductory level within a month had likely exhausted all of his potential.

In the short term, it was impossible for him to reach the minor success stage of the Five Animals Fist, and as for undergoing his first Blood Qi Tempering to become an External Energy Realm martial artist, that would require years of diligent practice.

All his hopes remained pinned on Hong Lei and Fang Chang, his two personal disciples with exceptional aptitude.

"The rest of you may disperse. You can practice on your own at home for the next few days!"

Master Song waved his hand at the crowd behind them and spoke directly.

Though the others looked puzzled, they dared not say more and turned to leave one after another.

"I kept you here today because there is an important matter I need to inform you of!"

Master Song turned his gaze toward the dozen people in front of him.

He paused, then continued, "I have accepted a shipment to escort. You may all accompany me on this mission, and each of you will receive five taels of silver as payment upon completion!"

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone couldn't help but grow excited.

That was five taels of silver; even if they ate meat at every meal, it would be enough to cover their expenses for two or three months.

Five taels of silver, plus the two taels I already have, should be enough to buy two portions of medicinal soup!

Lu Yuan's eyes flickered. With the aid of two portions of medicinal soup, his cultivation progress should speed up significantly.

"This escort mission will take about ten days, and it carries a certain degree of danger. Those who do not wish to go may leave now."

Master Song looked at them and added.

However, everyone remained standing there quietly.

They naturally knew that escorting shipments was dangerous; they could encounter highwaymen, bandits, or even organized gangs.

But, setting aside the five-tael reward that was enough to tempt them, if they left now, they feared that not only would they lose Master Song's favor, but they might even lose the opportunity to continue training at Song Academy altogether.

Although they had reached the introductory level of the Five Animals Fist, one could not practice in isolation. If they encountered problems without guidance, it would not only be half as effective but could also lead to training mishaps.

It could be said that if Hong Lei didn't come out every few days to guide them, they would never have reached the introductory level of the Five Animals Fist so quickly.

Moreover, they had all reached the introductory level, meaning their internal Blood Qi could now unleash greater power; they were true martial artists, not without the ability to protect themselves.

In short, they had to go on this mission!

"Of course, to help you better protect yourselves, you may learn a blade technique during the journey. How much you learn in ten days will depend on yourselves!"

Master Song nodded in satisfaction, then said with a faint smile.

"We can even learn a blade technique!"

As Master Song's words fell, everyone couldn't help but become even more excited and stirred.

Just the chance to learn a blade technique unconditionally was enough to make them join this mission regardless of the risks.

Hong Lei and Fang Chang, standing behind Master Song, remained calm.

Clearly, they must have already begun practicing this blade technique.

I didn't expect such an unexpected bonus!

Lu Yuan's eyes brightened. He had been hesitating about whether to go, but now it seemed he had no choice but to join.

He was not only lacking in money and resources, but also in techniques to improve his combat capabilities.

Now, by taking on this escort mission, he could not only earn five taels of silver but also learn a blade technique, which could be described as killing two birds with one stone.

Perhaps for others, learning a blade technique in ten days would be nearly impossible.

Even with an extraordinary memory, relying on rote memorization to learn it all, most of their time and energy would still have to be spent on continuing to practice the Five Animals Fist, leaving almost nothing to spare for practicing this blade technique.

Lu Yuan was different; relying on the Practice Makes Perfect destiny, he could not only learn it in one go, but he was also unrestricted by talent and faced no bottlenecks, achieving mastery once and for all.

Moreover, he could only practice the Five Animals Fist once a day now, leaving him with plenty of time and energy to dedicate to practicing the blade technique.

Most importantly, he could practice faster and faster as he went.

Ten days was neither long nor short; it was no exaggeration to say that before he returned, he could fully cultivate this blade technique to Great Success, or even Perfection.

"You all go back and prepare first, then gather here again in one hour!"

After Master Song finished speaking, he took Hong Lei and Fang Chang back into the Inner Courtyard.

The others did not delay either, hurriedly leaving the Song Academy.

Lu Yuan first went to buy enough food for Madam Yang and Little Nannan to last ten days, then went to a blacksmith shop and spent half a tael of silver to buy the cheapest long blade available.

Since he was going to practice a blade technique, he naturally couldn't do it without a blade.

"Be careful while you're away!"

Upon learning that Lu Yuan was about to go on a long journey, Madam Yang only gave him a single instruction and said nothing more.

After silently finishing the preparations, she sat there quietly, carefully mending clothes for Lu Yuan, occasionally lifting her eyes to glance at Lu Yuan as he devoured his meal, her eyes filled with a hint of worry.

"Big Brother, Nannan will be good and wait at home for you to come back!"

Little Nannan also appeared very well-behaved, pecking Lu Yuan's face forcefully several times in succession.

About half an hour later, Lu Yuan, carrying a large bundle on his back, gradually walked further and further away under the reluctant gazes of Madam Yang and Little Nannan.