Breakthrough

Several days passed. Lin Qing tended the pharmacy by day and worked on developing Tendon Strengthening Powder.

At night, he practiced both fists and blade without pause.

His mastery of Iron Wire Fist gave him far greater control over his force than his peers, making his practice of the Wave-Breaking Blade Technique twice as effective with half the effort.

He no longer confined himself to the boundaries between blade techniques and fist techniques. At times, he drove his blade moves with the heavy, forceful power of Iron Wire Fist.

At others, he infused his punches with the fierce intent of the Wave-Breaking Blade Technique. The two disciplines complemented each other, and his progress was swift.

Soon, the deer sinews had finished steeping. Lin Qing then spent several more days preparing Tendon Strengthening Powder.

Once it was ready, Lin Qing took the powder regularly each day, nourishing his qi and blood and tempering his sinews, bones, and skin.

Late that night, a sudden flash of blade light burst through the rear courtyard, like raging waves smashing against the shore.

The horizontal blade in Lin Qing's hand cleaved through the night, trailing a cold arc of light.

Where its edge passed, the air seemed to echo faintly with the rush of surging waves!

He lowered the blade and stood still, his breathing deep and even, his eyes gleaming.

[Wave-Breaking Blade Technique (Mastery)]

[Experience: 1/20000]

At the same time, he could clearly feel that the skin around his body—especially the skin on his arms—had grown extraordinarily tough from days of nourishment by the medicinal powder and tempering by his force. It held a subdued, bronze-like sheen.

His qi and blood surged through it, full and vigorous.

The tempering of the skin on his arms was nearly complete, and his qi and blood had been nurtured to their peak.

Without hesitation, he swallowed another dose of Tendon Strengthening Powder.

At the same time, he began practicing Iron Wire Fist over and over, striving to unleash his force to its utmost with every punch.

He felt for the subtle changes as his qi and blood coursed beneath his skin.

Lin Qing practiced until late into the night, then gritted his teeth.

He took another dose of Tendon Strengthening Powder.

The iron rings clanged in the courtyard.

Perhaps it was the provocation from that day.

With every strike, Lin Qing poured in all his strength, like a savage beast prowling its territory.

As he drove his qi and blood to its peak, it surged toward the main sinews in his arms and legs like a river bursting its banks.

"Boom!"

An unseen string seemed to twang inside his body!

The sinews that had been taut and sluggish—

At that moment, they were forced open by his abundant qi and blood.

An unprecedented sense of ease and flow—

Swept through his entire body like a rising tide.

He threw a punch without thinking, without even activating the iron rings.

His bare fist tore through the air, yet produced a crisp sonic boom.

His speed and strength, compared with when he had been in the Skin Refining Realm—

Had improved by more than a single notch!

He did it!

The Second Barrier of martial arts—the Tendon Opening Realm!

Lin Qing slowly lowered his fist. Feeling the stronger, more concentrated qi and blood coursing ceaselessly through him, his eyes blazed with brilliant light.

Breaking through Skin Refining had improved his defense and basic strength.

Breaking through Tendon Opening, however, had brought a fundamental leap in speed, agility, and explosive power!

"Reaching Tendon Opening is the limit for most ordinary martial artists in their entire lives."

"Now that I've reached this level, I can travel outside with my safety finally assured."

Several days passed, and Lin Qing did not announce his breakthrough.

That day, it was once again time for the White Horse Gang to collect protection money.

Lord Leopard led his men onto Yongning Street in a swagger, and the neighbors fell silent with fear wherever he went.

When they reached Benevolent World Hall, Lin Qing had already prepared three hundred copper coins. He handed them over calmly.

Lord Leopard took the money and weighed it in his hand. His eyes shifted to Lin Qing, and he forced a smile. "Young Master Lin, business has been pretty brisk lately, hasn't it? You must've made a tidy sum."

Lin Qing sneered inwardly, but his face showed just the right touch of helplessness.

He shook his head and sighed. "You're joking, Lord Leopard. Security Hall across the street has pushed its prices so low that a small business like ours can barely scrape by. How could you call that brisk business?"

"Oh? Is that so?"

Lord Leopard gave a snicker, amusement in his eyes.

"But Shopkeeper Pan told me that Benevolent World Hall's reputation is spreading far and wide these days, and that you've sold more than three times as much medicinal material as Security Hall."

"And you're still barely scraping by?"

Lin Qing narrowed his eyes slightly and glanced toward Security Hall across the street, his expression still composed.

It wasn't Lord Leopard he feared.

It was the White Horse Gang behind him.

They were one of the few major powers outside the city.

There were also rumors around the neighborhood that Lord Leopard was the illegitimate son of the White Horse Gang's second-in-command.

Not just his Benevolent World Hall—

Even some martial halls in the Outer City had to pay protection money to the White Horse Gang. It was easy to imagine how powerful they were.

Though Lin Qing had already reached the Second Barrier Realm, he still chose to avoid needless trouble.

"Lord Leopard, Shopkeeper Pan must've misunderstood. Most of those customers are senior and junior brothers from the martial hall. They came to support my business out of loyalty to their school."

"I charge them cost price. It's just small profits on a large volume. I really haven't made much—just enough to keep up appearances."

Lin Qing put on a pained smile as he answered.

Lord Leopard narrowed his eyes and stared at Lin Qing for a long while.

He seemed to be searching his face for a tell, but all he found was composure.

He cursed the boy's slyness under his breath.

But he couldn't very well say more. After all, the Hong Family Martial Hall's name carried some weight.

He snorted. "You'd better be telling the truth. If I find out you've made dirty money and still don't know how to show respect, you know what'll happen."

After tossing out a threat that meant little,

Lord Leopard finally led his men swaggering off to the next shop, collecting protection money from every household along the way.

Before long, they reached Old Fan's carpentry shop.

Old Fan's family had at least known enough to pay two months' protection money up front.

But with the three months' worth they had already fallen short on,

interest and penalties left them owing another twelve hundred copper coins.

The result was easy to guess.

"Three months! A full three months without paying up! You think I'm running a charity?"

Lord Leopard's face twisted with fury. His men rushed in and beat Old Fan with fists and kicks.

Old Fan's son, Fan Kui, saw his father beaten until he spat blood. His eyes bulged with rage, and he roared as he tried to charge forward, but two burly men pinned him hard to the ground. Fists and feet rained down on his back and head.

"You little bastard, you still dare to fight back?"

Enraged, Lord Leopard snatched up a wooden club as thick as an arm and personally brought it down on Old Fan's back and legs.

"Crack!"

The club snapped in two!

Old Fan cried out and collapsed to the ground. Blood spilled from his mouth, staining the tattered shirt on his chest.

He was breathing out more than he breathed in. He looked moments from death.

"Dad!"

Fan Kui let out a despairing growl, but he was pinned down and could only struggle in vain.

Lord Leopard seemed to have vented his anger. He tossed the broken club onto the ground and spat. "Damn it! Let's go!"

The White Horse Gang members swaggered away, leaving wreckage all around them.

Old Fan's wife clutched her husband, who was barely clinging to life, and wept bitterly. The other neighbors couldn't bear to watch.

Fan Kui, his face covered in blood, sat on the ground, his face still streaked with blood. He said nothing.

Lin Qing understood.

Because Fan Kui had previously offended Lord Leopard's son,

Lord Leopard truly meant to torment Old Fan's family to death.

He watched in silence.

He didn't dare openly stand up for Old Fan's family.

Without strength, without connections, a person was no more than a blade of grass, their life and death in another's hands.

He sighed inwardly.

In the end, though, he still walked over.