Disciple Status

Several burly men in black jackets stood out conspicuously among the crowd.

Short blades hung at their waists, and they looked fierce and menacing.

The leader was particularly conspicuous.

He looked to be in his early thirties, broad and powerfully built, with his temples bulging high and the veins on his neck protruding like earthworms.

With every breath, his chest rose and fell far more dramatically than an ordinary person's.

"A Blood-Qi Realm martial artist!"

Jiang Che's heart tightened.

"Brother Blade, please accept our condolences..." someone in the crowd murmured.

"Brother Blade? So he was Brother Blade of the Thunderbolt Gang, that Skinny Monkey's brother..."

Without drawing attention to himself, he edged closer from the edge of the crowd, pretending to be a passerby watching the excitement.

Only then did he see clearly that two constables were crouching on the ground, covering their noses with handkerchiefs as they inspected three mangled corpses.

The gruesome state of those bodies was enough to make one retch.

Their heads were missing, their chests had been ripped open as though by a beast's claws, and the organs inside had vanished without a trace.

They were the three hooligans from last night.

A wave of lingering fear washed over Jiang Che.

If he had not broken through at the last moment and escaped last night, he would likely have met the same fate.

"This is the third case this month. Every time, their heads were smashed apart and their bellies cut open..." The pancake vendor beside him shook his head.

"Could a Black Beast have entered the city?" An old farmer carrying a load of vegetables spoke with a trembling voice.

"It was an evil spirit... It had to be an evil spirit!" the night watchman said shakily. "I saw its shadow while I was on watch. It had a human shape, green light spilling from its eyes, a blue face and fangs. It was as fast as a gust of wind—it shot across the rooftops in a flash!"

"Bullshit!"

The black-jacketed brute called Brother Blade suddenly bellowed, his voice exploding like thunder.

He grabbed the night watchman by the collar, the knotted muscles beneath his black jacket stretching the cloth as though it might rip apart.

"Stop playing gods and ghosts here! Where in this world are there evil spirits? This was clearly done by a person!"

He violently flung the night watchman aside. His bloodshot eyes swept across the crowd as he said viciously:

"Whoever dared touch my little brother—once the Thunderbolt Gang catches them, I'll skin them, pull out their tendons, and smash every bone in their body one by one!"

Jiang Che lowered his head and quietly slipped away from the spectators.

Brother Blade was drowning in fury and did not notice the departure of the lean young man at all.

Inside White Cloud Martial Hall.

Several apprentices were already warming up and chatting in the courtyard.

When Jiang Che entered, a round-faced youth who was usually familiar with him was just about to greet him.

Then, all of a sudden, he sensed that something was off.

The Jiang Che before him now seemed to radiate a sharp, fierce aura.

Every movement he made carried a steady sense of strength.

He actually resembled Gong Yulei and Zhang Xiong somewhat after their breakthroughs!

"Jiang Che, you broke through?!" he stammered.

The courtyard instantly fell silent.

Everyone's gaze turned toward Jiang Che.

Their eyes were full of shock and envy.

Jiang Che ignored their reactions.

He walked straight beneath the eaves to Luo Kun, who was meditating with his eyes closed.

He respectfully called out, "Master!"

Luo Kun abruptly opened his eyes, a trace of surprise flashing through them.

Like lightning, he seized Jiang Che's wrist and examined him.

"Good lad, you really broke through..."

Luo Kun released his hand, his tone carrying a measure of complicated emotion.

Although Jiang Che's Qi-Blood had initially been weak, far inferior to Gong Yu, Zhang Xiong, and the others.

He had actually managed to break through!

Luo Kun had originally believed that, with Jiang Che's aptitude, he would never cross the Blood-Qi threshold.

He had never expected that he would misjudge him so badly!

"Just luck." Jiang Che clasped his fists.

Luo Kun laughed heartily and heavily slapped Jiang Che's shoulder with his dry palm.

"What luck is there in reaching the Blood-Qi Realm? Come, follow me to pay respects to the Founder!"

The two entered the inner room.

A yellowed portrait hung upon the gray-white wall.

The old man in the painting had crane-white hair and a youthful face. With his hands behind his back, he stood atop the clouds, his robes fluttering in the wind.

It seemed as though he might step out of the painting at any moment.

"This is Azure Cloud Sage, the founding ancestor of the Azure Cloud Sect!"

Luo Kun spoke with a solemn expression.

"The Azure Cloud Sect?" Jiang Che froze.

"Isn't this called White Cloud Martial Hall? What does it have to do with the Azure Cloud Sect?"

Luo Kun nodded and explained:

"The Azure Cloud Sect is one of the three foremost sects in Cang Prefecture. Experts gather there like clouds. Your master came from that sect in his younger days."

A hint of reminiscence entered his voice.

"Unfortunately, I was unable to remain in the sect afterward, so I came to Abyss-Facing City and opened this hall to teach disciples... But no matter what, you must remember this: our lineage has always been part of the Azure Cloud Sect's inheritance!"

"This disciple will remember!" Jiang Che's heart stirred.

Abyss-Facing City was merely a small city under Cang Prefecture's jurisdiction.

Yet Cang Prefecture was the most prosperous and wealthy region in southeastern Great Chu, where merchants gathered and martial arts flourished.

Jiang Che had long yearned for it.

He had never imagined that White Cloud Martial Hall possessed such deep roots!

"Kowtow."

Luo Kun gave a low shout.

Jiang Che hurriedly knelt on the cushion and respectfully kowtowed three times.

After he rose, Luo Kun had already handed him a cup of hot tea, and Jiang Che quickly performed the tea-offering ceremony.

Luo Kun took a sip of tea and nodded in satisfaction.

"Good. From today onward, you are an official disciple of mine, Luo Kun!"

He set down his teacup and continued:

"Now that you are an official disciple, you no longer need to pay tuition, and you may eat lunch at the martial hall. However, you must accept one task from the hall each month. Most involve escorting shipments, hunting down bandits, guarding venues, and the like. The martial hall takes thirty percent of the reward."

Jiang Che nodded repeatedly, secretly delighted.

The treatment for official disciples truly was vastly different.

"However, there is something I need to remind you of."

Luo Kun narrowed his eyes, his tone grave.

"After breaking through to the Blood-Qi Realm, hard training alone is not enough. You must nourish your Qi-Blood with food supplements and secret medicines. Otherwise, if your Qi-Blood runs dry, it will be difficult to improve any further! If you force yourself to train, you will instead shorten your lifespan!"

"This disciple understands!" Jiang Che nodded solemnly, though his heart sank somewhat.

Those precious tonics and ingredients easily cost dozens or even hundreds of taels of silver. Given his family's current circumstances, the burden was truly no small matter.

"Oh, right. Since you are now a martial artist, it is time for you to formally step into the martial world."

Luo Kun's mouth had gone a little dry from talking, so he took another sip of tea.

"After some time, people from escort agencies, apothecaries, and gangs will come to the martial hall seeking men. I will inform you when the time comes. Choose one to affiliate yourself with. You can receive a monthly stipend, but you must lend your strength when trouble arises. Consider it carefully yourself."

He suddenly lowered his voice, his tone becoming grave.

"But remember, the martial world is not an arena. Some things... are best avoided whenever possible."

"Yes!" Jiang Che answered solemnly.

"That will be all for today." Luo Kun waved his hand. "Gong Yulei has gone out on business and will not return until tomorrow. I have yet to begin teaching the Blood-Qi Realm Fist Technique. Come back tomorrow morning, and I will teach it to you then!"

"Thank you, Master!"

Blood-Qi Realm Fist Technique!

Anticipation immediately surged within Jiang Che.

After withdrawing, he collected the disciple uniform that belonged to him.

Silver thread embroidered drifting cloud patterns across the snow-white fitted outfit. A dark-red belt was tied around the waist, while the two words "White Cloud" were embroidered over the chest.

After changing into it, Jiang Che stood before a bronze mirror and examined himself.

The youth in the mirror had slightly dark skin and handsome features.

His black hair was tied into a high ponytail, with a few loose strands falling around it, lending him a touch of wildness.

Though he was not especially brawny, his shoulders and back stood straight as a green pine.

His entire body exuded a keen edge. He truly cut a fine figure.

"Linger will definitely be shocked when she sees me in these clothes!"

Thinking of how his younger sister would widen her eyes then, a smile could not help appearing on Jiang Che's face.