Health Preservation

"Lord Scar, what happened to you today?"

After leaving the alley, a pockmarked lackey held it in for a long while before finally being unable to restrain himself. Lowering his voice, he asked.

"It would've been one thing if you were merely polite to Chen Cheng... but why did you bow and scrape to his mother too? Back when Zhou Long cultivated One-Incense Blood Qi, you didn't treat his family like this..."

"How could they possibly be the same?"

Scar Bear turned his head and shot the lackey a vicious glare, as though looking at an idiot.

"They may both be Martial Artists who cultivated One-Incense Blood Qi, but compared to Chen Cheng, what the hell is Zhou Long?"

"He's just a small-time leader in a third-rate gang like the Clear River Gang. You can see the end of his life at a glance!"

"But Chen Cheng? He's about to become a formal disciple of Dragon Mountain Hall's Middle Academy! The path he'll take in the future is Martial Selection! Once he earns the title of Martial Guard, he'll be a man from another world!"

Scar Bear paused, and an almost imperceptible flicker of alarm flashed through his eyes.

"Besides, didn't you see that bearded man just now? Let Zhou Long try facing him—he'd probably be knocked flat with a single punch!"

His cold gaze swept across every lackey behind him, and his tone abruptly turned savage and stern.

"From now on, keep your eyes peeled. Know what matters and what doesn't! If any blind fool offends Chen Cheng or his mother, don't blame me for turning my back on him without mercy!"

"Yes! We'll remember!"

The lackeys nodded frantically. The little doubt on their faces had turned entirely into lingering fear.

Zhao Shan strode out of Bitter Locust Village. The pain in his left arm had eased somewhat, though his knuckles still bore an unnatural bluish-red discoloration.

That only made the breath lodged in his chest feel more stifling—he could neither swallow it down nor spit it out.

Before dawn tomorrow, the Tea-Horse Caravan would set out north on a cargo run. The journey would be long and arduous, with meals in the wind and sleep in the open, and they would have to pass through several troubled stretches besides...

By the habit of old guards like them, they would usually arrange to drink and visit prostitutes on the night before departure, loosening their tendons and venting their fire so the road ahead would be easier to bear.

But tonight, Zhao Shan had no such mood whatsoever.

His mind kept replaying Chen Cheng's final gaze, calm to the point of near indifference, along with that mysterious footwork and the force that seemed to seep into his very bones...

Dragon Mountain Hall's Middle Academy... that bastard had really stepped in dog shit and struck luck!

Zhao Shan spat hard. Unwilling as he was, he had no choice but to accept that the matter could only end here for now.

He simply had no ironclad proof that Chen Cheng had killed anyone.

Chen Cheng's status had now been turned upside down. He was no longer someone Zhao Shan could kill at will.

But Laitou's blood feud...

Zhao Shan clenched his back teeth, the muscles in his cheeks tightening.

A face almost identical to his own in his younger years surfaced in his mind.

This vengeance had to be taken!

"Old Zhao? What are you standing there dazed for? You look like you've lost your soul."

A rough, hoarse voice came from ahead.

Only then did Zhao Shan realize that, without noticing, he had already walked back near Yongsheng Trading Firm.

The man swaying toward him was Sun Rang, another guard from the firm and his closest friend.

"The brothers have all gone to Red Jade Pavilion to warm the place up. I'm the only one loyal enough to circle back and wait for you."

Sun Rang came right up to him, the smell of sweat and bad breath rushing straight into Zhao Shan's face.

"They say a new batch of young chicks arrived recently... tender skin and soft flesh, so juicy you can squeeze water out with one pinch..."

"I... won't be going."

Zhao Shan raised his head. The bloodshot veins in his eyes had yet to fade, and his expression was frighteningly grim.

"What's wrong? Who are you sulking with? Why the face like a cesspit?"

Sun Rang's smile faded somewhat.

"Nothing."

Zhao Shan forced out two words through clenched teeth.

"You call that nothing?"

Sun Rang grabbed his arm, his face utterly serious.

"Don't say another word. Tonight, there'll be all the wine you can drink, and you pick the best girl. My treat! My treat! Pour a few jars of yellow broth down your throat, and what great sorrow won't turn into a matter of one piss?"

Bang.

Inside the shack, Chen Cheng drew in his stance and returned to center.

The instant his feet settled, the thin layer of dust on the ground rippled outward in ring after ring. Only at the edges of the small room did it gently disperse against the wallboards.

"Whew... that felt much better."

Chen Cheng casually moved his right arm. From shoulder to wrist, his muscles and tendons had been noticeably eased.

Even the not-too-serious hidden injury had been soaked and nourished by a warm current. Though it still hurt, it no longer hindered his daily movements.

"It's fine as long as you're all right... Come, eat."

Madam Li had been quietly waiting beside him all along, and she finally let out a breath of relief.

"Mother, eat first. I'll practice a little longer."

Chen Cheng answered casually, but all his attention was focused inward on the words beneath the mark.

[Health-Preserving Taiji Fist]: Minor Mastery (0/1000), Trait (Health Preservation), Limit Break (No)

"Health Preservation: Circulate Taiji to nourish the body, heal injuries and illnesses, and warm and nourish the spiritual marrow."

A long while passed.

Chen Cheng practiced Health-Preserving Taiji several times in one breath.

When he once again drew in his stance and returned to center, a fierce surge of excitement and delight burst from the depths of his heart, nearly breaking through his outward calm.

He could clearly feel that Health-Preserving Taiji's Minor Mastery had strengthened the incense of blood within the great dragon of his spine by a full fifty percent. As its smoke circulated through his body, the warmth and abundance of his Blood Qi became more solid and substantial.

At the same time, the Health Preservation trait brought him tangible benefits.

The soreness, heaviness, and stiffness in his muscles and tendons left behind by tempering the Crouching Dragon Fist during the day recovered far more noticeably than before.

The hidden injury in his right arm seemed to have been thoroughly soaked through and dissolved by a gentle warm current. Though it had not fully healed, it had recovered significantly. Even another battle would not cause serious harm, and if he kept practicing Health-Preserving Taiji every day, he would recover completely in five or six days, saving even the need for a doctor or medicine.

His six senses—eyes, ears, mouth, nose, body, and mind—had all grown sharper. The improvement was not obvious, but over the years, it would still be enough to create a difference as vast as clouds and mud between him and ordinary people.

"Fantastic! So damn fantastic..."

If the circumstances allowed it, Chen Cheng truly wanted to throw back his head and howl.

Afterward.

Mother and son sat on small stools beside the brazier and began eating dinner.

Madam Li stared for a long while at the few slices of glossy, sauce-brown beef marbled with fat and lean meat that Chen Cheng had just placed in her bowl. Only then did she carefully pick up the smallest piece.

She put it into her mouth and slowly chewed.

The rich fragrance of braised sauce and the long-missed sensation of fat immediately melted across her tongue.

As if struck by some reflex, even the hand holding her bowl began trembling uncontrollably, and her breathing quickened.

She hurriedly stopped chewing and closed her eyes to recover for quite some time before gradually adapting to that excessively wonderful flavor.

"Xiao Cheng..."

She drank some coarse rice porridge and swallowed the bite of meat in her mouth before speaking softly.

"You... find some time to visit your Third Uncle's home. Tell him the wonderful news that you've become a Martial Artist... and while you're there, help exempt his family from the Peace Tax."

She paused, lowering her voice even further.

"Your Third Uncle's family is having a hard time now too... The two of them head into the mountains before dawn and return after dark every day. The little dry firewood and wild vegetables they gather are barely enough to keep them alive..."

"And his son, Xiao Fan... isn't one to give them peace either. I heard he's mixed up in some kind of 'cult' and rarely comes home all year... Your Third Uncle has mentioned it to me several times..."

She raised her head and looked at her son.

"You've finally made something of yourself. Once you repay the Martial Hall tuition... if you have the means, lend your Third Uncle's family a helping hand..."

"I will."

Chen Cheng nodded.

Since his father's departure, Third Uncle Chen An was the only person who had offered his mother and him even a little warmth.

Chen Cheng would not forget that kindness.

"I might as well go after dinner. If I go during the day, Third Uncle might not be home again."

"...That works too."

Madam Li thought for a moment, then added.

"Your Third Uncle used to keep saying he wanted to ask someone to find you a wife. Since you're going today, mention it to him as well, so he can start keeping an eye out..."

"Mother."

Before Madam Li could finish, Chen Cheng interrupted her, his tone somewhat helpless.

"How could I possibly have the mind for that right now... I know you're anxious, but at least wait until I've repaid the Martial Hall tuition, all right?"

"Ah..."

Madam Li could not help sighing, muttering softly to herself.

"These past few days, the threshold next door has nearly been worn down by matchmakers... Hu Niu is about to be married, and Xiao Long will probably be taking a wife soon too... You're even a year older than both of them..."

"Hu Niu's marriage... has it been settled?"

Chen Cheng's expression remained unchanged as he casually asked.

"Soon, probably..."

Madam Li said, "While I was doing laundry today, I heard Aunt Zhang and the others gossiping. They said a small shop owner from Anping Lane was willing to offer twenty taels of silver as bride price to take Hu Niu as his second wife... He's old enough to practically be Hu Niu's grandfather."

"There's also some young master from a cloth shop in Lenan Ward. He's about the right age, and the bride price is generous... but he has a hidden ailment. Aunt Zhang and her loose tongue... insisted that he isn't, isn't a man..."

"...What did Hu Niu say?" Chen Cheng asked.

Madam Li sighed softly. "Parents make the decision, matchmakers deliver the betrothal gifts. Other than nodding, what can a girl do? A girl raised in Bitter Locust Village... that is simply her fate."

Chen Cheng froze for a moment and said no more.

He knew very well that everyone had their own fate, their own shackles.

If he had not awakened, had not obtained the Vertical Eye Mark...

Wouldn't he likewise have been no more than the grass scraps and dust drifting everywhere through Bitter Locust Village? Whichever way the wind blew, he would have to roll that way. Whether gathered or scattered, dead or alive, none of it would be up to him.

Kuhe Village.

The smell in the air was impossible to identify—perhaps rotting vegetable leaves, perhaps filth dredged up from a gutter, mixed with the faint stench of livestock.

The narrow alleyways resembled fish guts freshly pulled from a belly, twisted and chaotic, wet and slimy.

The sky had already gone completely dark when Chen An and his wife, Madam Bai, returned one after the other to their crooked, dilapidated shack, dragging legs that seemed filled with lead.

Winter was fast approaching, and wild vegetables and fruits in the mountains were becoming increasingly difficult to find.

At that moment, the two carried only a sparse bundle of dry firewood. They tossed it into the corner and sat down, their bodies weak and aching.

"Dear..."

Madam Bai glanced at the empty rice jar, but the rumble of her stomach interrupted her.

After steadying herself, she spoke again. Her voice was dry, carrying obvious exhaustion and resentment.

"Another day wasted. We couldn't even gather a bit of bitter mugwort, the stuff nobody used to want..."

"...Boil some hot water first. Warm ourselves up."

Chen An rested for a moment before silently arranging the dry firewood. In the darkness, his thin, blackened fingers looked exactly like the firewood.

"What good is drinking water? If we go hungry, we won't even have the strength to climb the mountain tomorrow..."

Madam Bai's face was full of grievance, and she was already beginning to choke up.

"If I'd known... we shouldn't have... shouldn't have shared those few days' worth of food with Second Sister-in-law's family..."

"Stop."

Chen An interrupted her. His voice was not loud, but every word was clear.

"I swore an oath that no matter how hard life became, I would do my best to look after Second Sister-in-law and Xiao Cheng... My second brother traded his life for their mother and son... This is what I, Chen An, owe them..."

Madam Bai opened her mouth, but as she looked at her husband's increasingly stooped and withered figure, her eyes grew hot and tears could not help falling.

She was softhearted by nature. Back when Chen An sent food over, she had always silently allowed it.

If her own family had not reached the point where they could no longer lift the lid from the pot, why would she complain to her husband over this?

Knock, knock, knock.

The husband and wife were sitting in silence, each calculating how to scrape out a sliver of survival from the mountains tomorrow, when the broken wooden door was gently knocked upon.

"Third Uncle, are you home?"

"Xiao Cheng?"

Chen An recognized the visitor's voice and hurriedly rose to open the door.

Madam Bai, however, tensed all over as if pricked by a needle. She instinctively assumed Chen Cheng had come to borrow money or food.

A string of excuses about their poverty and suffering reflexively surfaced in her mind. She was not afraid she would be unable to shut Chen Cheng up.

"Xiao Cheng, how come you had time to come over today?"

Chen An had barely opened his mouth when Madam Bai stepped forward before Chen Cheng could answer, her words pouring out like beans from a basket.

"It's Xiao Cheng? Coming over so late... could it be you've run into some difficulty? By rights... our families are close, and we should definitely help where we can, but..."

She took a deep breath. Her voice became lower, yet more hurried.

"Third Aunt isn't afraid of you laughing at us... Those Black Wolf Gang men just scraped away the Peace Tax yesterday... Your Third Uncle and I can't even afford the bran we need to stay alive..."

"Third Aunt, you've misunderstood."

Chen Cheng interrupted her, then placed what he had been carrying into Chen An's hands.

"This is?"

The alley was extremely dark. Chen An could not see clearly, only feeling the load in his hands suddenly grow heavy.

Chen Cheng said quietly, "A bag of coarse rice, and some fresh little fish and shrimp. My mother bought them today and specifically had me bring some over."

"...This!?"

Chen An and Madam Bai instantly froze, as though they had not understood what they had just heard.

That orphaned mother and son, who had nearly starved to death not long ago, had actually brought them food!?

And it wasn't husks fit for livestock, but brown rice—and meat!

This was simply...

Chen An stood there in a daze, no longer knowing what to say. His hands holding the things were visibly trembling.

Madam Bai's lips moved for a long while before she finally forced out a smile.

"Xiaocheng... this... how could we possibly accept this... Your lives aren't easy either..."

"Third Aunt, please don't stand on ceremony with me... After my father passed away, during those hardest six months, if not for you and Third Uncle occasionally helping us out, my mother and I might not have made it through..."

"I won't forget this kindness!"

After saying this with great solemnity, Chen Cheng paused. Only then did a gentle smile appear on his face again.

"There's something else, Third Uncle, Third Aunt. I've already cultivated One-Incense Blood Qi."

"What?"

Madam Bai froze for a moment, her face full of confusion.

"What's Blood Qi?"