Blackwood, Martial Warrior

Su Yuan took the wood and examined it closely. It was about the size of his head and half a palm thick. He squeezed it with his fingers and found it extraordinarily hard.

He scored it several times with a carving knife, yet failed to leave even a mark.

"Where did you pick up this piece of wood?" Su Yuan asked.

Several children were sitting on the ground, playing with Building Blocks.

Lu Chen, the eldest, answered, "Brother Yuan, we picked it up after following behind one of Lord Liang's carriages."

"You shouldn't pick up things belonging to Liang People nobles," Su Yuan said.

"It fell from a coal cart. The Lords Liang may have thought it was a lump of coal, so they didn't pick it up," another boy, Hu San, said.

His younger brother Hu Si nodded as well. "We only realized it was wood after picking it up."

Su Yuan rubbed the surface of the wood. It was indeed coated in a layer of pitch-black coal dust.

He set the wood aside, intending to show it to Old Liu another day. "How much do you want to sell it for?"

The children hurriedly shook their heads.

Shen Qingqing lifted her little soot-stained face. "Big Brother, you've already helped us so much."

Of the four children, all but Lu Chen were orphans, and they lived with him. Yet only an elderly grandmother remained in Lu Chen's household.

It could be said that Su Yuan provided all the money they lived on.

"Fine. If you ever run into trouble, come find me," Su Yuan said.

"Mm."

The children continued assembling their Building Blocks, chatting and laughing.

They were only nine or ten years old, yet they had already lost their closest family.

Watching them, Su Yuan suddenly remembered that the New Year would arrive in another two months.

After the New Year, he would turn eighteen, while Tie Niu would be seventeen.

In his previous life, that age had only just meant adulthood.

But in this world, he already had to shoulder the heavy burden of an entire household.

After playing with the children for a while, Su Yuan suddenly asked, "Everyone outside is cursing me. Aren't you afraid?"

A smile bloomed on Shen Qingqing's dusty little face. "Big Brother treats us so well. What is there to fear?"

"Yeah! Big Brother isn't a bad person," the other three said as well.

Su Yuan rubbed their heads. "Actually, Big Brother isn't as good as you think..."

Though carving the statue had been done under coercion from the Liang People, if it truly had been something he did, he would admit it. But if he had not done it, he would not carry the blame.

He did not think of himself as spotless, or as a good man.

He was a selfish man.

This was a world that devoured people. He merely wanted to live.

The children would not stay too long and interfere with Su Yuan's work.

As they parted, Shen Qingqing asked, "Big Brother, when will you come back next time? We'll come play with you again."

Su Yuan thought for a moment. The first level of Golden Horse-Head Technique was about to reach completion. He intended to spend the next four days at home making his breakthrough, and would not go to the Martial Academy for now.

"I'll be home for the next four days. You can come anytime."

"Mm! Goodbye, Big Brother!" The children waved farewell to Su Yuan.

Su Yuan smiled as he watched them run away.

After leaving the Su Family home, the children turned into a narrow alley and began playing hide-and-seek amid laughter.

Just as Shen Qingqing hid herself, a scholarly-looking figure silently appeared before her.

"Qingqing, where will your Brother Su be going over the next few days?" Ji Haoyang asked with a smile.

"Brother He, Brother Su said he'll stay home for four days." Shen Qingqing hugged the Building Blocks in her arms.

"Good. I understand." Ji Haoyang took several pieces of candy from his sleeve and placed them in her palm.

With candy in her mouth, Shen Qingqing asked indistinctly, "Since Brother He wants to see Brother Su, why not go straight to his shop to find him?"

"Qingqing, you must understand that the relationship between your Brother Su and me cannot see the light of day. Remember, do not tell anyone else." Ji Haoyang patted Shen Qingqing's head, then vanished from sight.

Inner City, Shan Estate.

Han Gui reported Su Yuan's recent movements to Shan Xiongqing. "This past week, Madam Gao met Su Yuan four times, each time under the pretext of having him paint for Madam Yun..."

Shan Xiongqing crushed the walnut in his hand with a snap. "Those two are growing ever bolder in disregarding me. Han Gui, why haven't you acted yet?"

Han Gui broke into a cold sweat. He knew that by ordering him to deal with Su Yuan, the young master wanted him to take the blame.

If Shan Xiongqing personally acted to kill Su Yuan, it would be easy enough. He only needed to arrange something when Su Yuan came to Shan Estate to carve.

But doing so would undoubtedly enrage First Madam.

Even though his relationship with Gao Mian was currently strained, he still could not tear all pretenses apart. The Gao Family behind her could still provide him with support.

Besides, if Su Yuan died in Shan Estate and Chai Nian learned of it, then even if Su Yuan was a worthless piece of trash, Chai Nian would certainly seize the chance to extort a vicious sum. It was not worth it.

Han Gui swallowed, considering a plan. Then he suddenly said, "Young Master, I have been watching Su Yuan's movements these past days. I found that because of the matter of humiliating Madam Yun, he has borne much infamy. I believe people from Cloud-Striding Martial Hall are likely stirring things up in secret. We may be able to kill with a borrowed blade, and perhaps even fish out the Martial Hall's remaining forces."

Shan Xiongqing nodded and sneered. "Those cowards from Cloud-Striding Martial Hall leave their own relatives to suffer without rescue, yet go after a piece of trash instead."

These days, he had constantly humiliated those family members in public at Void Cloud Horse Ranch. Yet those rats had somehow endured it all, leaving him thoroughly frustrated.

If he could not force something out soon, the other families would begin applying pressure again.

"Then leave it to you. Make sure you handle it cleanly," Shan Xiongqing ordered.

Su Iron Woodworking Shop.

Su Yuan placed a Blood Qi Pill into his mouth.

As the blood qi in his body grew daily, he could now withstand the violent heat released by an entire pill.

"This one pill costs five taels!"

The instant the pill entered his stomach, a scorching torrent exploded within him!

"Hah!"

Su Yuan let out a low roar and shot forward, sprinting wildly through the courtyard.

Then he assumed the stance of Horse-Head Facing Heaven and hurled his entire body into a bowl-thick wooden post ahead of him!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

For the sake of training, he had set up several pieces of equipment in the courtyard.

And naturally, Golden Horse-Head Technique required him to train this "horse head."

Once the technique advanced to the next level, he would need to temper his muscles and bones and stir his blood qi by using the force of this Horse-Head Impact against other objects.

With the reinforcement of his traits, Su Yuan's physique was already no weaker than that of a Martial Warrior, allowing him to practice it ahead of time.

Less than two days later.

[Golden Horse-Head Technique: 500/500 (First Level)]

[Golden Horse-Head Technique: 1/1000 (Second Level)]

With the final impact, the wooden post shuddered violently.

Su Yuan felt a sudden burst of heat atop his head. Vast blood qi erupted from his forehead, surged down his spine, passed through both thighs to the soles of his feet, then finally twisted into a searing torrent that ran through his entire body!

He let out a long breath of turbid air, feeling every limb and bone brim with strength unlike anything he had ever known.

With a thought, he twisted his waist, dropped his shoulder, and drove out a punch—

Crack!

The hardwood post exploded on impact, splinters flying everywhere.

Golden words flowed before his eyes:

[Current traits: Slippery Escape, Engraved in the Bones, Split in Two, Skillful Ease, Ox-Subduing Stability]

"From now on, when facing an enemy, I should first observe the weak points in their frame. Then I should close in soundlessly, launch a killing attack, and finally draw upon the strength of my entire body to cleave at their vital points." Based on the effects of his traits, Su Yuan began envisioning his fighting style.

"I wonder what level I count as among Martial Warriors now?" Before becoming a Martial Warrior, he had already been able to contend with Tie Niu in strength.

Then he shook his head. He still had to act cautiously. Blood Condensing was only the beginning; beyond every man stood another man, and above every heaven another heaven.

Su Yuan straightened his clothes and touched the letter in his robes.

The contents of the letter included not only what he had brought out of the firewood shed, but much that Yun Xu and he had added afterward.

Much of the information concerning Void Cloud Horse Ranch had been obtained by probing First Madam indirectly. It counted as a meager form of compensation.

These days, Yun Xu had grown increasingly haggard. The Shan Family delivered news to her every day about the miserable conditions of the Martial Hall families.

As time dragged on, her trust score for him continued falling.

If he did not send word soon, then when she could no longer endure it, she might truly expose him.

However, he had also gone to investigate Cloud-Striding Martial Hall's hideout over the past few days.

Yun Xu had not lied to him. Su Yuan could be said to have seized one of their weaknesses.

But if it truly came to that, both sides would only suffer, while the Liang People reaped the gains. In the end, his heart still leaned toward Great Jing.

After adjusting his breathing briefly and familiarizing himself with the strength throughout his body, Su Yuan left home and went to seek Cloud-Striding Martial Hall's hidden stronghold.

The moment Su Yuan stepped out, several gazes that had been watching him for a long time immediately sprang into action.

Completely unaware of this, Su Yuan leisurely arrived at a restaurant.

Xiasheng Restaurant.

It was a grand restaurant in South City, quite famous for its wine. Rumor had it that the Rong Family supported it from behind the scenes.

Yet Cloud-Striding Martial Hall could use this place as one of its strongholds, so perhaps another force supported it as well.

For example, the Jiguang Society. Since Ji City fell, people had continuously plotted to retake the city and overthrow the Liang People.

The Jiguang Society was the largest underground anti-Liang organization Su Yuan knew of.

The restaurant had many guests, including quite a few Liang People.

If not for Engraved in the Bones, Su Yuan would have found it difficult to notice that people from Cloud-Striding Martial Hall came and went here.

Su Yuan entered the first floor. "Waiter, bring me wine. A pot of your signature brew."

"Coming right up! Sir, try our Xiashen Wine. It is made from the freshest mulberries picked last May, steamed three times and brewed three times, then aged in a cellar for a full year..." the waiter introduced as he poured the wine.

Su Yuan took a small sip. The liquor was deep purple, rich and sweet on the tongue, its fruit fragrance mingling with the aroma of wine, leaving behind a trace of the mulberry's distinctive tart sweetness.

It was worthy of being a fine wine that cost one tael per pot.

He savored the wine while observing his surroundings.

The attendants in the hall were all ordinary commoners.

At last, he caught sight of three people with similar builds gathered around a table, drinking.

If there had been only one, Su Yuan would not have dared to be certain.

But when two or three gathered together, they had to be them.

The next question was how to deliver the letter without leaving a trace.

Seeing that they sat in a secluded corner beside a window, Su Yuan had an idea.

He folded the letter into a small piece, left the restaurant, and plucked several dead leaves from an old tree nearby. His fingertips moved as though he were idly playing with them.

His gaze swept the surroundings. Seeing that no one was paying attention, he gave his wrist a gentle flick.

Several dead leaves scattered in the wind. One of them spun as if by chance, drifting toward the open window.

Inside the restaurant, Zhang Li gripped his wine bowl tightly, his eyes red as he said in a low voice, "Senior Brother Duan, how much longer are we supposed to endure? My mother... she may not last much longer."

Another young disciple lowered his head and gulped down wine, his Adam's apple bobbing, his face full of helplessness and resentment.

Duan Hongyan understood their anguish. Though none of his family had been captured, he had traveled north alone from the south to seek his fortune in Cloud Province. He had never expected to encounter the Liang People's southern invasion. Since then, he had received no news of his family back home, and the day of his return was lost beyond measure.

At that moment, a dead leaf drifted in through the window and gently landed on the wine-stained table.

Perhaps the wine had gone to his head, or perhaps the sight of the leaf made him long for home. Duan Hongyan raised his head, drained the remaining wine in his bowl, and murmured, "Mountains and rivers broken, old friends withered; wild geese fly north—when will they return south? Fallen leaves... when will they return to their roots?"

He pinched the dead leaf between his fingers and was about to toss it out the window when he suddenly discovered a folded slip of paper hidden within it.

The drunken haze in his eyes cleared in an instant.