Breaking Off

"Come here!" Huang Jin beckoned.

Xu Yang and Lu Ren walked quickly into the pavilion and cupped their hands, saying, "Greetings, Fifth Master!"

Huang Jin nodded and said, "I didn't call you here for anything major. Since Liu Guangfa has committed an offense, I intend to split the money paid to Wei Yuan Hall between the two of you."

The money for Wei Yuan Hall was paid every three months, and given the status of the Huang Family, it was naturally impossible to ask Wei Yuan Hall for a refund of a few taels of silver.

"Many thanks, Fifth Master!"

Xu Yang cupped his hands again, not expecting such a stroke of luck after Liu Guangfa's downfall.

Lu Ren, however, was puzzled and said, "Why not give it all to me? Giving it to him is just a waste. If you give it to me, I can break through my bottleneck faster and serve the Huang Family better."

Today, he was no longer the timid, stuttering youth of the past; even when speaking to Huang Jin, he carried a certain composure.

With his talent, even if he offended the Huang Family, there were plenty of others willing to cultivate him.

Huang Jin looked at Lu Ren deeply. "Xu Yang reached the entry level of the Turtle-Snake Great Stance only one day after you did."

Changing so quickly—can such a person truly be used by the Huang Family once they grow up?

Lu Ren said nothing more, knowing his wings were not yet fully fledged.

"You only need to cultivate diligently. If your subsequent performance is good, the Huang Family will naturally increase the level of your cultivation resources based on your results."

Huang Jin offered a word of comfort to Lu Ren before turning his gaze to Xu Yang. "For your share, I have decided to provide you with Body-Strengthening Soup. If you wish to exchange it for something else, you may tell me."

Xu Yang shook his head. "I leave it to your discretion, Fifth Master."

Body-Strengthening Soup was excellent. With this one tael's worth of soup, he would have twelve bowls per month, allowing him to drink one roughly every three days, which meant he could spend more time practicing the Turtle-Snake Great Stance.

"You may return now!"

The two cupped their hands, exited the pavilion, and walked toward the outer courtyard.

"In the upcoming practice of the Mountain-Shaking Bear Fist, I will let you know that your previous success was merely luck, and show you just how vast the gap between us is."

Lu Ren said this and strode away.

People really do change fast!

Xu Yang could only sigh that Luo Dehu was truly a talent; he deserved much of the credit for Lu Ren's transformation. The old Lu Ren had never been this sharp-edged.

He soon cast Lu Ren's words to the back of his mind and threw himself back into his training.

After announcing the severance of ties with Xu Laoer, Xu Laoer did not come to cause trouble.

Time flew by, and it was already the eighth day since they entered Wei Yuan Hall. That morning, Zhang Yong reached the entry level of the Turtle-Snake Great Stance, and by the afternoon, Zhang Hong had also reached it.

On the ninth day, another person reached the entry level of the Turtle-Snake Great Stance, though it was not Luo Dehu, whose aptitude was merely low-grade, but Qian Jiaxing.

By the twelfth day, everyone had reached the entry level of the Turtle-Snake Great Stance and began practicing the Mountain-Shaking Bear Fist.

It was also on this day that Lu Ren announced he had reached the entry level of the Mountain-Shaking Bear Fist.

He had spent only seven days reaching the entry level of the Mountain-Shaking Bear Fist, which was more difficult than the Turtle-Snake Great Stance; such speed naturally drew another round of exclamations.

That same day, Huang Jin was stirred once more, rushing to Wei Yuan Hall to announce an increase in Lu Ren's cultivation resources by two taels.

With this, the Huang Family's investment in him reached thirteen taels per month.

One must know that many true martial artists serving as retainers only received a monthly salary of ten taels of silver.

With such an honor, Lu Ren was naturally smug; he even provocatively asked Xu Yang, "How much longer until you reach the entry level?"

Unexpectedly, the very next day, Xu Yang announced that he had also reached the entry level of the Mountain-Shaking Bear Fist.

"Damn it!"

Lu Ren could barely keep his composure.

It was the same with the Turtle-Snake Great Stance, and it was the same with the Mountain-Shaking Bear Fist. Every time he made a breakthrough, Xu Yang would do the same the next day; he was pursuing him far too closely.

"I admit you have some aptitude, but I must tell you: martial arts cultivation depends primarily on one's innate bone structure."

Lu Ren found Xu Yang with a gloomy face. Xu Yang was trailing him too closely, and despite having so many resources, he hadn't managed to pull away from him, making him worry that the Huang Family might divert some of his cultivation resources to Xu Yang.

"Doesn't cultivation depend on money?" Xu Yang asked, puzzled. "Oh, right—you have more money than me, and even after spending so much, you haven't managed to shake me off, so why are you here spouting nonsense about bone structure?"

From this point on, the two were openly at odds, having truly fallen out. Lu Ren gave up any intention of making Xu Yang his subordinate and practiced martial arts even more bitterly.

Huang Jin did not appear, as if the Huang Family were unaware that Xu Yang had reached the entry level of the Mountain-Shaking Bear Fist only one day after Lu Ren. Everyone knew they had been abandoned by the Huang Family, including Xu Yang, whose talent was second only to Lu Ren's.

The look in Zhang Yong's eyes toward Xu Yang held almost no hatred, and even contained a hint of sympathy.

If Xu Yang hadn't surpassed him, he would have been the one in Xu Yang's position, so he felt a sense of relief, though he still did not speak to Xu Yang.

Time passed, and it had been half a month since Xu Yang and the others entered Wei Yuan Hall. His body had become much sturdier, and beneath his loose clothing, solid, lean muscles began to show their lines.

After finishing a set of fist techniques, he summoned his panel.

[Mountain-Shaking Bear Fist · Entry Level (10/150)]

Over the past three days, he had added one point to the Mountain-Shaking Bear Fist each day, and combined with his own practice, the progress of the Mountain-Shaking Bear Fist had reached "10".

"Ever since I started, my progress in the Mountain-Shaking Bear Fist has been accelerating. The claim that one would reach the first threshold of martial arts within three months at most is proving to be true."

[Turtle-Snake Great Stance · Entry (10/100)]

The progress of the Turtle-Snake Great Stance had now caught up to the Mountain-Shaking Bear Fist.

This was mainly because he hadn't used any points to boost the Turtle-Snake Great Stance, and also because his nutrition couldn't keep up, meaning he practiced the Turtle-Snake Great Stance far less than the Mountain-Shaking Bear Fist.

"Let's test my current strength!"

Xu Yang jumped down from the plum blossom stakes and walked a few steps to where the stone locks were kept. He grabbed a hundred-pound stone lock with one hand and easily hoisted it over his head.

Setting the hundred-pound stone lock down, he turned his gaze toward the one weighing a hundred and fifty pounds.

"Up!"

Xu Yang exhaled sharply, his muscles bulging as he lifted the hundred-and-fifty-pound stone lock above his head with a single hand.

"Impressive arm strength!" Zhang Hong sighed.

They had all entered the martial arts hall at the same time, yet while he could barely lift a hundred-pound stone lock with one hand, Xu Yang was already capable of lifting a hundred and fifty.

As time passed, the gap between those of them being cultivated by the Huang Family gradually began to widen.

With this kind of strength, even without using any fist techniques or moves, he could easily contend with four or five ordinary men.

"It's just brute force gained from scratching a living in the fields every day. Oxen have great strength too, yet they still spend their days plowing the earth," Zhou Yang's sarcastic voice rang out.

Although the Liu Guangfa incident had been suppressed by Sun Tao, he still found opportunities to mock Xu Yang and the others from time to time.

"To think a dog has wandered into Wei Yuan Hall. I'll have to report this to Senior Brother Sun tomorrow; it would be best to beat this dog to death." Xu Yang didn't even look at Zhou Yang.

Zhou Yang knew this was directed at him and immediately tried to provoke him: "Xu Yang, stop running your mouth. Now that you've practiced some fist techniques, do you dare to spar with me?"

"I dare not!" Xu Yang replied.

Zhou Yang had started learning martial arts half a month earlier than them, his talent wasn't too bad, and his family had some money. If he really fought Zhou Yang now, at best it would be a mutual defeat, and he wouldn't gain any advantage at all.

"Coward!"

Zhou Yang was furious. How could this guy have the nerve to say "I dare not" so righteously?

Since Xu Yang wouldn't take the bait, he had no choice but to give up.

The day passed quickly. After eating dinner at Wei Yuan Hall, everyone dispersed to head home.

Their small group existed in name only.

Zhang Yong had been the first to part ways. After the public falling out between Xu Yang and Lu Ren, and with no one from the Huang Family stepping in, those who were close to Lu Ren rarely spoke to Xu Yang anymore.

Qian Jiaxing had taken a firm stance, no longer walking home with Xu Yang.

In recent days, he would either leave early or wait until Xu Yang had already departed. Only Zhang Hong continued to speak to him as usual.

This guy was slick, maintaining the same relationship with him as he did with Zhang Yong and Lu Ren's group.

"Xu Yang!"

Under the cover of night, just as Xu Yang stepped into White Stone Ward and before he had reached his home, he heard someone calling him from behind.

He turned around and saw Li Hu approaching slowly with two lackeys in tow.