In the blink of an eye, a month had passed.
The meat shop heard the two men's report.
Faced with the choice between sending more men and taking a detour, they chose the cost-free detour.
They moved every step of the process up by half an hour.
After escorting a shipment with Zhuo Yong last time, Li Yun had officially joined the job.
He spent only two hours a day on escort duty. He spent nearly all the rest of his time at the Martial Hall.
[Tiger-Subduing Stance (Beginner): 648/5000] [Tiger Subduing Fist (Beginner): 4999/5000]
Without Blood Replenishing Powder, his qi and blood had begun to accumulate at a steady pace.
Ever since he discovered that sparring could speed up his Tiger Subduing Fist experience gain,
Li Yun hadn't stopped for a moment.
From time to time, he went to find Yu Qingqing and tell her a joke.
She had never heard such a wide variety of jokes before, and laughed so hard she seemed to sway like a flower in the breeze.
Naturally, her admirers didn't mind having a "protect-their-food" sparring match with Li Yun, their junior fellow apprentice.
Sometimes, they even had to line up.
The most troublesome one was Chen Bin.
After all, he was at the Bright Force level, had mastered his fist technique, and fought without a shred of honor, occasionally using his force.
But Chen Bin was also one of Li Yun's favorite opponents.
Because sparring with him made his experience grow the fastest.
With Tiger Subduing Fist on the verge of a breakthrough, Li Yun stopped looking for people to spar with.
Instead, he went to a corner and began practicing the fist technique by himself.
After completing the entire set, a flash of golden light appeared in his mind.
[Tiger Subduing Fist: +1] [Tiger Subduing Fist (Minor Achievement): 1/10000]
The moves of Tiger Subduing Fist raced through his mind like images in a revolving lantern.
An indescribable sense of clarity welled up inside him.
"Junior Brother Li, what are you daydreaming about?
Want to spar?"
"Sure."
Li Yun didn't refuse Lu Kuan's invitation.
Even though Lu Kuan was the employer, Li Yun didn't go easy on him out of "social courtesy."
He unleashed every move of his newly mastered fist technique.
Lu Kuan stood calmly, his feet neither too close nor too far apart, shoulders lowered and elbows dropped, ready to meet Li Yun's attack.
But after only three or five moves, the smile on Lu Kuan's face gradually faded, and his heart gave a sudden lurch.
Something was wrong!
Li Yun's moves flowed seamlessly into one another, like clouds drifting and water flowing.
Even more astonishing, Li Yun repeatedly dodged his counterattacks with ease, and several times seized on openings to turn the tables on him.
"Could it be...?"
With that suspicion in mind, Lu Kuan reined in his force and focused entirely on matching Li Yun with his fist technique.
The fierce moves of Tiger Subduing Fist swept forth like a raging storm. Each punch cracked through the air as he tried to gauge Li Yun's true level.
Yet the longer they fought, the more shaken Lu Kuan became.
Disbelief surged through him.
He clearly remembered that just over a month ago, Li Yun had only just begun learning Tiger Subduing Fist!
But the Li Yun before him advanced and retreated with control, shifting effortlessly between restraint and release.
This was unmistakably the level of a minor achievement in Tiger Subduing Fist!
After their fists clashed once, the two stepped apart.
"You've reached a minor achievement in Tiger Subduing Fist?"
Though he phrased it as a question, Lu Kuan was already eighty percent certain.
Li Yun didn't hide it from him.
"I have to thank you for sparring with me, Senior Brother. I was lucky enough to reach a minor achievement."
Lu Kuan had his doubts, but Li Yun's answer still left him rather stunned.
Fist techniques depended heavily on aptitude. Otherwise, all one could do was grind away at them over time.
Otherwise, Lu Kuan himself wouldn't have taken until now to reach a minor achievement.
Seeing Lu Kuan's exaggerated expression, Li Yun was puzzled.
"Senior Brother, it's only a minor achievement in a fist technique. Why are you so surprised?"
Lu Kuan shot Li Yun an exasperated look.
Easy for him to say, standing there without a care in the world.
"Do you know how long it took me to reach a minor achievement?
Two and a half years.
A full two and a half years!"
Li Yun smiled and said nothing.
His aptitude was so good, and he had no bottlenecks.
He just had to practice, and he got it.
How could he understand how the other man felt?
Though he was a little envious, Lu Kuan quickly composed himself and congratulated Li Yun.
"Congratulations, Junior Brother Li.
Your path in martial arts is about to become smoother and smoother."
"Oh? What do you mean by that, Senior Brother?"
About to?
Li Yun didn't quite understand what that meant.
Thinking of Li Yun's background, Lu Kuan figured it was only natural that he didn't know, so he explained.
"Junior Brother Li, you know that most of us in the Outer City came from the counties under Green Wind Prefecture next door, right?"
"Mm."
Li Yun had learned this from Zhuo Yong.
"The Martial Halls in the Outer City might have some renown back in their home counties.
But who knows them here?
That's why several of the more prominent Martial Halls take the lead in organizing a tournament at the end of every year.
There are separate competitions for the Body Tempering, Bright Force, and Dark Force realms.
It's a chance to show off their skills to outsiders, and also to make a name for themselves so they can recruit more disciples."
Lu Kuan paused for breath, then continued.
"Junior Brother Li, you've reached a minor achievement in your fist technique while still in the Body Tempering Realm. If you enter the Body Tempering competition, you're sure to place well.
You'll get the tournament's rewards, Master will think more highly of you, and the wealthy patrons watching might even offer you support.
Then your path won't become smoother and smoother?"
Hearing Lu Kuan put it that way, Li Yun thought it over and decided it did sound feasible.
Sparring onstage wouldn't just make his experience grow quickly.
If he won, he could also claim the tournament's rewards—all tangible benefits.
The only problem was that he'd have to put himself in front of everyone, which wasn't quite to his liking.
It wasn't safe enough.
There were still nearly six months to go. He could decide what to do when the time came.
"Is a minor achievement in a fist technique impressive for someone in the Body Tempering Realm?"
"Of course it is.
Whether you're in the Body Tempering, Bright Force, or Dark Force realm, the focus of cultivation is on qi and blood.
Most people spend their time on stance training. They have to spend whatever energy they have left earning money so they can buy medicinal ingredients to replenish their qi and blood.
Naturally, they don't get much practice with fist techniques.
Last year, only one of the top three in the Body Tempering division had reached a minor achievement in their fist technique."
Li Yun had experienced for himself what Lu Kuan was talking about.
Wasn't he the one who'd taken a part-time escort job for two hours a day?
His daily meals were only enough to let him practice the Tiger-Subduing Stance eight times.
It took a great deal of time to build up his qi and blood until they were full, break through his bottleneck, and condense his force.
As they talked, Li Yun turned to Lu Kuan, his tone carrying a hint of probing.
"Senior Brother, will someone from your family be there to watch and scout promising talents?"
"Of course."
Lu Kuan nodded.
The Lu Family certainly wouldn't miss such a great opportunity to recruit a martial arts prodigy.
Li Yun thought of a clever way to get what he wanted.
He could obtain the support he needed for cultivation without putting himself on display at the tournament.
"Ahem, Senior Brother, what do you think of me?
I've been in the Body Tempering Realm, and in just over a month, I've trained Tiger Subduing Fist to a minor achievement.
You've seen my aptitude and progress with your own eyes.
Invest in me, and you absolutely won't lose out."
"Oh?"
Lu Kuan raised an eyebrow.
He really had forgotten about that.
This investment did seem like it could work.
Lu Kuan's expression gradually turned serious, and he regarded Li Yun more intently.
"Junior Brother, with talent like yours, you're certainly worth investing in.
But this concerns the allocation of family resources, and it's no small expense. I can't make that decision myself.
I'll have to go home and discuss it carefully with my family.
I'll give you a definite answer soon."
If they were going to invest, they'd need to work out the scale of the investment and draw up a proper plan.
The Lu Family's money didn't fall from the sky, either.
They had to consider it carefully.
"I'll await good news!"
Li Yun was just taking a couple of swings, whether or not there was a date on the tree.
What if it actually worked?
Before you continue