Ghost Market

After resting for a while, Zhuang Tao brought Chen Jing over to the wooden post and began demonstrating the basic moves of River-Breaking Fist.

His fists rose and fell like a tiger pouncing on a deer, like river waves crashing against the shore.

Chen Jing watched, his heart jolting. He immediately began practicing the moves himself.

And so, the entire afternoon passed in a cycle of stance training, punching, resting, then returning to stance training and punching.

Over and over again.

Sweat streamed from his chin, soaking his clothes. His arms ached as if they had been filled with lead, too heavy to lift, and his legs trembled as though they were being branded by fire.

By the time he looked up again, the sun was setting. The lively courtyard was empty except for Chen Jing. Only then did he reluctantly stop, lower his fists, and leave, dragging his weak legs home.

Dusk was falling, and the people of the slums were returning home from their various jobs.

The houses were little more than shacks thrown together from a few broken planks. Being able to keep out some wind and rain was already a blessing. Soundproofing was out of the question.

So before Chen Jing had even reached his door, he saw a crowd gathered outside.

Chen Sanwu stood in the yard, washing clothes in a daze, his movements mechanical.

Several neighborhood women surrounded him. Their tongues were hotter than a furnace, every word grating on the nerves.

As soon as Chen Jing came close, he heard them loud and clear. "Brother Chen, what couldn't you do with that money? You could start a little business, for one thing. Why would you want Xiao Jing to learn martial arts? Is that something poor people like us can afford to dabble in?"

"Exactly! Brother Chen, my son's a minor supervisor at the docks. Why not let him take Xiao Jing under his wing? I guarantee that'd be better than martial arts!"

"Learning martial arts is a life-and-death business. One wrong move and you'll bring trouble down on yourself!"

"By the way, Brother Chen, if Xiao Jing really can't learn martial arts, my family's a little short on cash lately... Do you think you could lend us some to tide us over?"

The chattering buzzed in Chen Jing's ears like a swarm of flies. Even from a distance, it sent his temper soaring.

Taking a deep breath, Chen Jing hurriedly called out, "Dad, I'm home!"

Hearing him, Chen Sanwu quickly looked up. "Jing'er, you're back."

The women all turned to look at Chen Jing, their eyes full of schadenfreude as they waited to see him make a fool of himself.

Feeling their eyes on him, Chen Jing said outright, "Dad, I made it! I've joined River-Breaking Martial Hall!"

The moment his words fell, the women's faces changed all at once.

Chen Sanwu's eyes lit up instantly, his whole face glowing as he hurriedly said, "You made it?! That's wonderful! Wonderful, Xiao Jing!"

Chen Sanwu was so excited that he nearly wrung the clothes in his hands apart. He paid no heed to the women beside him, whose faces had turned liver-red.

Chen Jing didn't even glance at them. "Aunt Li, Aunt Wang... We still have things to do, so please excuse us."

With that, he helped Chen Sanwu back into their shabby wooden shack.

Watching Chen Sanwu and Chen Jing walk away, the women stood there dumbfounded, exchanging baffled looks.

After a long moment, Aunt Wang turned to Aunt Li with a dark expression. "Aunt Li, didn't you say Xiao Jing had been kicked out of the martial hall? What's going on now?"

Aunt Li trembled with guilt and hurriedly stammered, "I-I heard it from my son... He saw with his own eyes that Xiao Jing couldn't even get through the door... Maybe Xiao Jing just didn't want Brother Chen to lend us money, so..."

Hearing Aunt Li say it so plainly, Aunt Wang glared at her and swept away.

Now that she couldn't borrow any money and had lost face, how could she stay there?

After Aunt Wang left, the others quietly dispersed too, and the area in front of the courtyard soon fell silent again.

"Xiao Jing... You really made it?"

Back home, Chen Sanwu had held down his excitement all the way there. Now he could no longer contain himself, and his voice trembled slightly.

"Of course I made it."

Chen Jing smiled and nodded. "Master has already taught me the stance and the fist techniques. As long as I break through to Blood Creek within three months, I'll be a formal disciple!"

Chen Jing then gave him a rough rundown of the martial hall's rules and training methods.

The more Chen Sanwu heard, the more the worry between his brows eased. He kept saying, "As long as you made it! That's what matters! Xiao Jing, from now on, focus on your martial arts. Don't worry about food and things like that."

Chen Jing hurriedly shook his head. "Dad, I can still pull a cart at night. You should get some more rest."

Chen Sanwu immediately waved him off. "No! Training all day takes a lot out of you. If you go work at night too, what if you wear yourself down? I'll find some other work to do at night."

At that, Chen Jing had no choice but to tell him that his eldest sister had given him some money too. "Dad, Big Sis gave me some money as well. After paying the tuition, I still have some left. It's enough to cover my food for three months, so don't worry."

Chen Jing had originally planned to return the money, but things were different now. He could only use some for the time being and pay Big Sis back twice as much later.

Chen Sanwu fell silent for a moment, then sighed softly. "You... Ah, your big sister really does care about you. Xiao Jing, once you make something of yourself, you have to help her out."

"Mm, I know."

Then Chen Sanwu seemed to suddenly remember something and cautioned him, "By the way, Jing'er, even though you're learning martial arts, don't get mixed up in the gangs' affairs. There are all sorts of gangs these days, and people's hearts are hard to read. If you can avoid trouble, avoid it."

"Mm."

Chen Jing nodded firmly.

Afterward, Chen Sanwu brought out some reheated mixed grains and beans. The two sat side by side and ate in silence.

The next day.

Before dawn, Chen Jing arrived at the martial hall and began stance training and practicing his punches, following the essentials Fei Feng had taught him.

Although Chen Sanwu provided meals at home and the martial hall supplied lunch, Chen Jing still needed to replenish his body after all the energy he burned and provide the Exemption Bead with the vital essence it absorbed. So he used the little money he had left to buy some meat pies, stuffing down a few bites during breaks.

As time passed, sweat poured down bucket by bucket, and his qi and blood gathered bit by bit.

A month went by just like that. Chen Jing's frame had grown noticeably sturdier, his fist stance had steadied, his horse stance had sunk lower, and his breath gradually carried a vigorous warmth.

Meanwhile, deep in his mind, the Exemption Bead was slowly filling up, its glow growing ever rounder and fuller.

Now Chen Jing no longer needed Zhuang Tao to remind him how to hold a stance or throw a punch. His movements were crisp and clean, like water flowing through a channel—natural and smooth.

Over these days, he and Zhuang Tao had also grown gradually closer.

Their relationship had gone from brief exchanges at first to having nothing they couldn't talk about, and they were drawing closer at a visible pace.

At first, Zhuang Tao had treated Chen Jing no differently from the other new junior disciples. It had been no more than a routine duty.

But after several encounters, Zhuang Tao had noticed that Chen Jing was different. Whether it was his sheer stubbornness as he forced himself to hold a stance, his steady and loyal nature in everyday matters, or even the occasional insightful remark he made, the new junior disciple had gradually begun to stand out in Zhuang Tao's eyes.

So Zhuang Tao's attitude toward Chen Jing shifted from merely looking after him to genuinely wanting to befriend him.

Chen Jing naturally welcomed Zhuang Tao's kindness.

They quickly became friends, their friendship growing through each exchange.

One afternoon, during a break from practice, Zhuang Tao walked over to Chen Jing and casually asked, "Junior Brother Chen, you've been here a month now, right? How are you feeling?"

"I feel like I'm much stronger than before, both physically and in terms of strength."

Chen Jing wiped away his sweat. "But when it comes to reaching Blood Creek... I still can't quite find the knack."

Zhuang Tao nodded and smiled. "Master said before that your aptitude was pretty average. If you can break through within three months, that'll be good enough."

"But to reach Blood Creek, your qi and blood need to be strong, of course. Still, your understanding of River-Breaking Fist matters a great deal too."

"It took me a full month to break through to Blood Creek back then, so don't rush."

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhuang Tao abruptly changed the subject and lightly nudged Chen Jing's arm. "By the way, are you free tonight? Want to come take a look at the Ghost Market with your senior brother?"