"Good, good! A fine example of righting a wrong and drawing your blade to help!"
Wang Ping stopped insisting, tucked away the money pouch, and gave Lin Qing's shoulder a hearty slap. His tone was much more sincere now.
"Young Master Lin is a man of great honor. I, Wang, would be glad to call you a friend. If you ever run into trouble on Yongning Street, as long as it doesn't break the law, come straight to me."
"Head Constable Wang, you flatter me."
Lin Qing smiled modestly and cupped his hands again. "Now that Madam and the young master have been safely delivered, I still have chores to attend to at my shop. I'll take my leave."
With that, he didn't wait for Wang Ping to urge him to stay again. He turned and left.
His figure soon disappeared around the street corner in front of the county yamen.
Wang Ping watched the direction Lin Qing had gone, his eyes flickering as thoughts churned in his mind.
Lin Qing's skills were unfathomable. He was measured in his actions, knew when to advance and retreat, and never took credit for himself. He was sure to achieve great things one day.
Wang Ping would remember this kindness.
"Go investigate Yongning Street. Find out who spread rumors about Young Master Lin, bring them here, and I'll have a little talk with them."
"Yes, Head Constable Wang!"
After mixing the medicinal powder needed for the Thousand Aspect Technique, Lin Qing had spent several days training bitterly without sleep.
That night, in the quiet room,
Lin Qing stood before a bronze mirror, holding his breath and concentrating. First, he smeared the medicinal liquid over his face and waited for it to absorb.
Then the qi and blood in his body began to circulate slowly along the route prescribed by the Thousand Aspect Technique.
He focused his mind, controlling the muscles of his face as they slowly shifted and rearranged...
Gradually, the handsome, resolute face in the mirror began to change.
His cheekbones seemed to rise slightly, his jawline grew squarer, and the corners of his eyes drooped a little.
The changes were subtle, but his entire bearing had already become noticeably different.
He had changed from a young lad into an ordinary-looking young man with a somewhat downcast face.
At the same time, the sharp aura that naturally came from his martial training gradually faded as the technique circulated.
He became plain and unremarkable, like an ordinary man who knew no martial arts.
[Thousand Aspect Technique (Novice)] [Experience: 1/2000]
"It worked..."
Lin Qing looked at the unfamiliar face in the mirror and let out a long breath, unable to hide his delight.
The Thousand Aspect Technique was truly miraculous. It didn't just change his appearance; it could conceal his aura, too!
He let the technique fade, and his face slowly returned to normal.
Though he had only just reached the novice stage, this meant he had gained an extremely important trump card.
He could play the role of Iron Face with even greater skill.
He pushed open the window and gazed out at the deep darkness of the night.
Beneath the surface, Qingping County was rife with undercurrents.
But as for the road ahead, how should he walk it?
Little by little, he was taking control.
Time flew by, and the sun and moon rose and set.
Several days passed in a flash.
In the rear courtyard of Benevolent World Hall,
the clanging of iron rings and the whoosh of fists filled the air without pause.
Lin Qing stood bare-chested, his muscles sharply defined and bulging. Sweat glistened across his skin in the afternoon sunlight.
A dozen or so iron rings on his arms trembled and rang in rhythm with his movements.
Each punch landed with a jarring thud, drawing the great sinews in his body taut and springy as bowstrings.
Cultivating in the Tendon Opening Realm meant tempering the complex network of great sinews throughout the body one by one, making them more resilient so they could unleash greater strength and support faster movement.
Still, it was clear that these movements lacked some more effective training techniques.
"Looks like I need to ask Master for the cultivation method. My progress in martial arts has been pretty good so far."
Lin Qing had no intention of deliberately hiding his ability, but if he broke through too quickly, his average bone structure would make it hard to explain.
The next day, he went to the martial hall to train. As he wiped away his sweat with a cloth, he heard a commotion from the inner courtyard.
Only after overhearing the other disciples' discussion did he learn the reason.
Feng Jianyun, the second senior brother of the inner courtyard, had officially begun attempting the fourth great threshold: Organ Cleansing!
The news sent shockwaves through the entire Hong Family Martial Arts Hall and the surrounding streets.
Feng Jianyun was only twenty-six, and with his Lineage's support, he had already begun attempting the Organ Cleansing Realm.
That meant his martial talent was at least upper-tier, with immense potential.
If he succeeded, his five organs would undergo their initial tempering, and the efficiency of his qi and blood circulation would far surpass that of the Bone Forging Realm. His strength would undergo a qualitative transformation.
More importantly, this would pave the way for him to probe the even higher Blood Refining Realm in the future.
Those in the Blood Refining Realm were the rare few capable of founding their own schools and ruling over a region in Qingping County. They held lofty status.
If Feng Jianyun continued to charge ahead, the Iron Thread Fist Martial Hall's standing would surely rise with him.
The martial hall's disciples chattered excitedly, their faces glowing with pride, as if they could already see the school's glorious future.
Other disciples looked downcast, as though Feng Jianyun's success had shown them just how faint their own prospects were.
Yet beneath all the excitement, Lin Qing sensed that something was amiss.
At dusk, he saw several disciples who had joined the school a few months after him.
They packed their simple belongings with downcast expressions and quietly left the martial hall's courtyard.
One of them was Senior Brother Zhao Min, who had joined two months before Lin Qing and occasionally sparred with him.
Lin Qing's thoughts stirred, and he walked over.
"Senior Brother Zhao, what's...?"
Zhao Min looked up and forced a bitter smile. "Junior Brother Lin. I'm leaving."
"Why? Isn't the martial hall thriving right now?"
Lin Qing asked, though he had already guessed part of the reason.
Zhao Min sighed, his gaze dimming. "The martial hall is thriving, and the first and second senior brothers are both peerless talents. But because of that, the standards for ordinary disciples like us seem to have risen without anyone even saying so."
"More importantly, my family really can't afford the tuition and medicinal powders anymore."
He patted his empty bundle, his voice full of helplessness and frustration. "Martial training is an expensive business, after all. For someone from an ordinary family like me, getting fit and learning a few basic moves is already no small feat."
"Going any further is hard. Too hard."
Lin Qing fell silent.
He thought of how, without the Heavenly Dao Record and the modest foundation he'd built at Benevolent World Hall,
his own circumstances might not have been much better than Zhao Min's.
In this world, access to martial resources was a chasm, cutting off the road ahead for far too many people.
"What are you planning to do now?" Lin Qing asked.
Zhao Min shook his head, looking somewhat lost. "What else can I do? Maybe I'll find work as a guard for some great Lineage. Or I could go on a few escort runs with a caravan, risking my life for a meal."
"Either way, it's better than staying at the martial hall and watching everyone else make rapid progress while I'm stuck in place."
He cupped his hands toward Lin Qing. "Junior Brother Lin, your bone structure may be average, but you're clever and willing to work hard. You'll surely make something of yourself. Take care!"
Watching Zhao Min's somewhat forlorn figure disappear through the martial hall's gates, Lin Qing sighed inwardly.
The world was a mighty torrent, mercilessly washing people away.
Some rose on the wind, while others sank to the bottom.
This only strengthened his resolve to seize every opportunity and keep improving his strength.
At the same time, a thought grew clear in his mind.
He couldn't keep hiding his abilities any longer.
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