The Muddy Legs Turn Over

Qin Hao had actually managed to catch a treasure fish!

Hong Ming was slightly startled, feeling a sense of admiration for Qin Hao's luck and strength.

It was no wonder Qin Hao was so highly regarded and relentlessly pursued by the likes of Zhang Tao and the others.

He reckoned these people all wanted to purchase the treasure fish from him to fuel their own cultivation.

Having already consumed a treasure fish himself, Hong Ming maintained a calm mindset, shaking his head slightly to cast aside distracting thoughts before continuing his stance training.

Regardless of the chaos in the outside world, he remained as steady as a mountain, completely immersed in his practice.

Time slipped away quickly and imperceptibly in this manner.

Suddenly, an irrepressibly joyful voice rang out by Hong Ming's ear: "Hong Ming, you're still practicing martial arts?"

It was Qin Hao; he had returned!

At this moment, Qin Hao was drenched from head to toe, but the vitality radiating from his very bones far surpassed what it had been before.

One look was enough to tell that he was in high spirits due to a stroke of good fortune.

Hong Ming stopped to greet him: "Brother Hao."

"How did you know I caught a treasure fish?" Qin Hao's grin was so wide he couldn't even suppress it.

Hong Ming: "..."

He pursed his lips and chuckled softly: "Then congratulations, Brother Hao."

"Eh, it was actually just good luck; I only managed to catch it by chance."

Qin Hao waved his hand, his smugness plain to see, though it quickly turned into regret.

"It's a pity you didn't come with me; otherwise, you might have had a chance to catch a treasure fish as well."

He felt sorry for Hong Ming, having witnessed the other man's diligent training during this period.

However, martial arts could not be mastered through hard work alone; it relied even more on resources and talent.

If Hong Ming could have obtained a treasure fish this time, he might have been able to use it to fight for a chance to rewrite his destiny.

Hong Ming did not know what Qin Hao was thinking, nor did he care about his words.

His own gains this time were not a whit inferior to Qin Hao's.

Skipping over the topic, Hong Ming proceeded to inform him about Zhang Tao and the others looking for him.

"Alright, I understand. You continue your training." After hearing this, Qin Hao took his leave.

Hong Ming steadied his mind, quickly adjusted his state, and resumed the training he had just interrupted.

He practiced until the Hour of the Bo, and the rain had still not ceased.

Feeling the dual exhaustion of body and spirit, Hong Ming slowly withdrew his energy.

Glancing at his panel and seeing it had reached over three hundred and fifty points, he returned to his dormitory with satisfaction.

The moment he arrived, he heard a fierce argument erupting within the courtyard.

Mixed with the pattering of the rain, the sounds drifted out, appearing particularly jarring in the dark of night.

The voices were very familiar; Hong Ming recognized them instantly as those of Zhang Tao and Qin Hao. The two seemed to be in a dispute!

Sensing that something was wrong, Hong Ming's expression turned stern. He hurried into the courtyard and looked toward the source of the noise.

His gaze pierced through the layers of rain and locked onto Qin Hao's room.

The room was lit by a faint candlelight, casting two dark silhouettes against the walls.

Whatever they had been discussing seemed to have deeply provoked Zhang Tao, for with a roar, he lunged at Qin Hao, claws bared.

The man was actually holding a sharp weapon!

The weapon emitted a bone-chilling glint that made Hong Ming's eyelids twitch violently.

Seeing that Qin Hao was about to meet with disaster, Hong Ming blurted out a command: "Stop!"

Before the words had even faded, a deafening, low boom exploded.

Following closely behind was a burly figure that crashed out of the room, shattered the door frame, and slammed into Hong Ming's field of vision.

It was none other than Zhang Tao!

Bang!

Zhang Tao was sent flying as if struck by a charging wild bull, slamming heavily onto the bluestone floor and splashing up a large spray of water.

The sharp weapon in his hand fell to the ground with a crisp clatter.

It echoed through the rainy night, as if composing a symphony of fate.

Hong Ming stood frozen in place, staring blankly at Zhang Tao, who was unable to crawl back up and was spitting out blood-tinged foam.

He had seen it clearly: the power Qin Hao had unleashed in that split-second counterattack was definitely not something an ordinary person possessed!

That was the power only a formal martial artist could command!

Force concentrated at a single point, piercing the sky and detonating the air!

This was the power of a Bright Force martial artist!

Thud, thud, thud!

"What happened here?"

Many soldiers who had rushed over upon hearing the commotion asked for the reason.

But the moment their eyes fell upon Zhang Tao, their pupils constricted violently. As if realizing something, they asked with trembling voices, "Qin Hao, you... you've broken through?"

"Indeed!" Qin Hao replied indifferently.

His face was devoid of the playful banter he once wore, replaced by a calm as still as an ancient well.

Upon hearing this, the crowd couldn't help but gasp, their gazes toward Qin Hao turning complex before they even realized it.

This complexity lasted less than a moment before it transformed entirely into awe.

The scene fell into a deathly silence, quiet as a grave, with only the pitter-patter of raindrops echoing like thunder in everyone's hearts.

Whoosh!

The fine rain in the courtyard fell like a waterfall, weaving a dense net as if fate were pulling its needle tight.

The former nobody had finally turned his life around!

"Who has cultivated internal force?"

The squad leader, having heard the news, hurried over to conduct a test.

As if to provide a final conclusion to this farce, he quickly gave a definitive answer.

Qin Hao had indeed broken through!

"Come with me, Qin Hao. I'll take you to register."

The squad leader greeted Qin Hao with a chuckle and led him away, ignoring Zhang Tao entirely throughout the process.

Qin Hao went off to register, but the news of his breakthrough swept through the entire training camp like a hurricane.

Is this what a martial artist is?

Hong Ming stared at the ruined, unrecognizable shack, his mind deeply stirred.

This was his first time witnessing a Bright Force martial artist in action; while it brought him immense shock, it also deeply stimulated him.

Deep within his mind, a thought called ambition surged up, rapidly consuming his body and soul.

Rest?

He had no desire to rest now; he only wanted to cultivate!

It was only after draining himself completely that Hong Ming reluctantly fell asleep in his clothes.

The next day.

Qin Hao had become the absolute center of conversation.

Wherever Hong Ming went, he heard soldiers whispering incessantly about Qin Hao.

The incident from last night had reached its conclusion: Qin Hao remained completely unaffected and was inducted into the Water Soldier Reserve Camp.

As for Zhang Tao, he had been punished instead; word was that he had to pay a significant sum of money just to keep his position.

This dramatic outcome further stimulated those with impoverished backgrounds like Qin Hao, igniting an unprecedented passion in them as they practiced fervently along the shore.

Qin Hao's breakthrough was like a beacon, illuminating the path of martial arts for them.

Though the odds were slim, there was hope after all!

Hong Ming, as usual, spent his morning rowing the boat for Chen Yao to earn money, but in the afternoon, he skipped the water fields to focus solely on his cultivation.

Under such diligent training, he was drawing ever closer to achieving minor success with the Coiling Dragon Stake.

"Hong Ming, the Scout Battalion is recruiting. Are you interested?"

That afternoon, someone found Hong Ming to ask about his intentions.

The Scout Battalion was one of the five battalions under the Water Army Combat Department, primarily responsible for scouting paths during marches and conducting reconnaissance on enemy movements.

Whenever soldiers neared their term limits without achieving a breakthrough, the battalion would proactively come to recruit them.

For soldiers like Hong Ming, this battalion was considered one of the few decent fallback options.

Compared to other destinations, such as the General Affairs Department and its various subordinate branches, the advantages were clear.

Once in this battalion, one at least had spare time to practice martial arts. If one achieved success in the martial path in the future, they could return to the reserve camp, making it the choice of most soldiers!

As for Zhang Tao, whether out of fear of Qin Hao's retaliation or the belief that he could still succeed in martial arts, he had already joined this battalion.

Hong Ming had no need for such a choice; although the Water Army term limit was shorter than his life-span limit, it was more than enough for him.

He declined the offer without hesitation.

The man didn't say much more; there were always those who wouldn't turn back until they hit a wall.

When the deadline arrived and reality set in, perhaps Hong Ming would be the one begging him to let him into the Scout Battalion.