Minor Success in Stance Training, Early Stage of Refining Strength

The morning passed in a flash.

On the training grounds of the Long Wind Escort Agency.

Even though it was lunchtime, not a single person had left.

Some were practicing their stance training in a loose, lackadaisical manner.

Others were gathered in small groups, whispering to one another.

Everyone was distracted, casting glances toward the inner courtyard every now and then.

"Hey, he's out, he's out."

Someone shouted, and immediately, everyone stopped what they were doing to watch the figure emerging from the inner courtyard.

"..."

"Lu Cheng? Are you really Lu Cheng?"

The little fatty stared with wide eyes, unable to believe his own question.

The person before him hadn't changed in the slightest.

But after the events of the morning, and hearing that Lu Cheng had single-handedly taken down two gang thugs, the little fatty still felt that Lu Cheng was different from yesterday.

Lu Cheng turned his head, extended his arm, and laughed:

"What, do you want to touch me to see if I'm warm?"

"Pah, pah, pah." The little fatty was just momentarily stunned; hearing Lu Cheng say this, he spat three times, "What are you saying? That's bad luck."

"The duel is in three months. You need to avoid jinxing yourself; don't ever say things like that again."

Lu Cheng smiled:

"Alright, I'll listen to our Fatty Brother. Pah, pah, pah."

The Hu Brothers stood to the side, looking as if they wanted to say something but held back.

Seeing this, Lu Cheng simply recounted the whole story.

From Lu Zhongyou being maliciously undercut by You Lanchuang, all the way to meeting the Fish Gang Young Gang Leader at the tavern yesterday.

Of course, he omitted the parts about luring You Lanchuang to his death on the river and the night raid on Liu Daozi and his men.

Even so, it left the six of them exclaiming in disbelief.

"What about the duel in three months? Are you confident?"

After listening to Lu Cheng's account, Thin Bamboo Pole asked the question they all considered the most critical.

"The duel?"

Lu Cheng took a deep breath, his consciousness sweeping through his sea of awareness.

A black silhouette moved up and down, its claws striking like hooks.

[Seven Strikes of the Black Hawk]

[Grade: Human-tier Mid-grade]

[Realm: Entry (3/200)]

[A martial art paired with the Long Wind Escort Agency's Mystic Eagle Technique. Seven consecutive strikes, like a hawk soaring through the sky. Each claw and movement is based on stance training; sink the shoulders, drop the elbows, ten fingers like hooks, waist and horse stance as one, every move aiming for the enemy's vitals.]

The corners of Lu Cheng's mouth curled slightly before he pulled them back:

"Until the actual fight, who knows what the final result will be?"

Four days later, at half-past five in the morning.

The Long Wind Escort Agency training plaza.

Zhuang Xing watched Lu Cheng walk over slowly, a flash of disdain and schadenfreude crossing his eyes.

On the surface, however, he put on an expression of being disappointed that his peer wouldn't live up to expectations:

"Lu Cheng, wait a moment."

Hearing the voice, Lu Cheng stopped and looked at this fellow disciple who had once fainted from exhaustion during training, asking in confusion:

"What is it? Something up?"

Zhuang Xing grew angry just looking at Lu Cheng's expression:

"I wasn't exhausted. That was... that was because my progress was too fast, and my body hadn't adapted to the changes brought by my increased strength."

Lu Cheng nodded:

"Oh."

What did that have to do with him?

For the past four days, Lu Cheng had set aside an hour every morning and evening to practice the Seven Strikes of the Black Hawk in Feng Zhan's courtyard.

This martial art was truly worthy of being a mid-grade Human-tier technique; four days of grueling practice had only managed to solidify his entry-level mastery.

His proficiency had risen from three to forty-two.

He could now barely execute the seven forms of the technique correctly.

Although Feng Zhan praised Lu Cheng's rapid progress every time, Lu Cheng was not satisfied.

Having just reached the entry level, he was still a long way from being able to use it in combat.

Moreover, at this rate, it would be difficult to reach perfection within three months.

With the experience gained from the Fish Spearing Technique, Lu Cheng knew that the effects of any skill practiced to perfection were worlds apart.

This was likely even more true for martial arts.

However, because his time was divided by martial arts practice, the time available for practicing his stance work had decreased accordingly.

The Mystic Eagle Stance, which should have reached minor completion yesterday, would now have to be delayed until today.

Just as he was about to walk toward the Plum Blossom Stance, Zhuang Xing spoke up again.

His tone was filled with an inexplicable sense of moralizing:

"Lu Cheng, I've already heard about your business. It's not that I want to lecture you, but regarding the Fish Gang, you acted far too recklessly."

Hm?

Is there something wrong with this Zhuang Xing?

By now, quite a few disciples had arrived at the plaza, and upon hearing Zhuang Xing's words, they turned to look over one after another.

Most of these disciples were from the lower or middle classes, with families that at most possessed modest assets.

They were frequently subjected to extortion and exploitation by street gangs, and there wasn't one among them who didn't harbor a deep hatred for those local thugs and bullies.

No one thought Lu Cheng had done anything wrong.

This Zhuang Xing, coming up and blaming Lu Cheng right away—could it be that his family was involved with gangs?

Thinking this, the way they looked at Zhuang Xing changed.

Yet, Zhuang Xing believed that everyone's gaze was one of admiration for a "stronger" individual.

From beginning to end, he had maintained strict diligence, rising at the hour of the tiger and sleeping at the hour of the rat without fail every single day.

Aside from eating, using the latrine, and buttering up the senior disciples, he spent all his other time practicing.

Now, he had successfully grasped the knack for entry-level mastery, and within a month, he would certainly be able to cultivate internal force.

Among this batch of new disciples, he was surely the first; he was the well-deserved senior brother!

But Lu Cheng had lost three spots for the Long Wind Escort Agency.

One had to know that one of those three spots belonged to him!

This matter had once made him so angry he couldn't eat for two days.

But since they were all fellow disciples, Zhuang Xing regained his composure after a brief moment of anger.

With his hands behind his back and his head held high, he narrowed his eyes:

"Lu Cheng, since the deed is done, let's not dwell on it."

"The Head Escort is right; our Long Wind Escort Agency must indeed be rooted in chivalry. Since that Young Gang Leader of the Fish Gang deserved to die, killing him is no big deal."

Damn, then what was that "reckless" talk about just now?

Hearing this, the others couldn't help but complain inwardly.

This guy must have practiced until he lost his mind.

Thinking this, the few people standing near him quietly took a few steps back.

Zhuang Xing didn't notice at all, chewing over those two sentences in his mind repeatedly.

The more he thought about it, the more satisfied he became.

Ha, I am so eloquent!

No, stay calm, maintain the image.

I am the senior brother.

Zhuang Xing used all his might to inhale deeply, attempting to suppress the excitement in his chest.

But unexpectedly, due to over-restraint, his lungs actually went into a spasm.

"Cough..." Zhuang Xing couldn't hold it back and let out a cough.

He immediately tried his best to suppress it, but the abnormality in his lungs caused his face to turn increasingly red.

Even so, Zhuang Xing didn't forget to lecture; even with his breathing uneven, he struggled to force out the words:

"But you shouldn't have... you really shouldn't have, you shouldn't have... cough..."

"You shouldn't have given up on yourself. Look at... look at what time it is now, and you actually... urgh~"

Before he could finish his sentence, he failed to catch his breath.

With a grunt, his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed to the ground with a thud, still maintaining his posture with his hands behind his back and his head held high.

"..."

"Oh, Zhuang Xing passed out from exhaustion again!"

"It doesn't look like exhaustion; it looks like he was angered."

"This guy, why is his temper so short?"

"What a lunatic."

Regardless, Zhuang Xing had fainted while speaking to him, so Lu Cheng had no reason to ignore him.

He and Hu Er carried Zhuang Xing back to his bunk.

Seeing that he had merely fallen asleep, he returned to the Plum Blossom Stance to begin his training.

As the sun climbed to its zenith, Lu Cheng's movements grew faster and faster.

He cycled through the first six forms of the Mystic Eagle Stance, forwards and backwards, without pause.

Then, he began to scramble the order, practicing according to the state of his body.

He even went so far as to twist his body halfway through one form, transitioning directly into another.

After a while, sweat gathered on Lu Cheng's body until he looked as if he had been fished out of water.

Suddenly, Lu Cheng quickly snapped back into the starting position of the Mystic Eagle Stance and stood still.

As his body gave a violent shudder, his joints emitted a faint "crackle."

The sound surged from his ankles to his knees.

It traveled up his spine, segment by segment.

It passed through his waist and hips, piercing through his shoulders and back.

Finally, it exploded from his fingertips.

The sensation lasted for a full four or five breaths before it ended.