The Liu Family

A day passed in the blink of an eye. Xu Yang had gained some understanding of the Qi Gathering realm, and it was difficult!

He had practiced for the better part of the day, yet his progress in both the Turtle-Snake Great Stance and the Mountain-Shaking Bear Fist had not budged an inch.

He estimated that it would take at least another full day of practice before he saw any change in the progress of these two arts.

In other words, based on his current aptitude and comprehension, it would take over two years to reach the next stage of the Turtle-Snake Great Stance, and over three years for the Mountain-Shaking Bear Fist.

Since his aptitude was inferior to Lu Ren's, it was no wonder so many people looked down on him.

If he was this slow with a low-grade B aptitude, then if he had still been at low-grade C, let alone marrow cleansing, even reaching Great Completion in Qi Gathering would have been a struggle.

It's a good thing my aptitude and comprehension can be improved and aren't set in stone. I have the Martial Dao Longevity Panel; I have all the time in the world.

At this thought, Xu Yang cheered up. He had achieved a different kind of longevity, and he had plenty of time to grind away slowly.

The next day, Xu Yang returned to his usual routine, arriving at Wei Yuan Hall early to practice his fists.

"Junior Brother Lu, that move was well-executed. You're already capturing a hint of the 'Explosive Bear Force'."

"Junior Brother Lu, let me feed you some moves. This 'Explosive Bear Force' is the core of the Mountain-Shaking Bear Fist; the sooner you grasp it, the better."

"With your aptitude, you should be able to master it in two or three months at most."

Not far away, several senior brothers who had entered the Inner Courtyard earlier surrounded Lu Ren, taking turns sparring with him to help him refine his technique.

The Mountain-Shaking Bear Fist was an art of slaughter and self-defense; the best way to comprehend the mysteries of force and true qi was through real combat.

Lu Ren had great aptitude and had become a retainer for the Huang Family. With a boundless future ahead of him, there were naturally plenty of people willing to befriend him and offer their help.

As for Xu Yang, whose potential had been judged as tapped out, naturally, no one wanted to waste their energy on him.

"Junior Brother Xu, how about we spar a bit?"

It wasn't just Xu Yang who was being left out in the cold; the senior brother before him, Wu Yongfeng, was in the same boat.

He was the senior brother who had successfully gathered qi in the Outer Courtyard just before Xu Yang and Lu Ren. However, it had taken him nearly three months to succeed, and having no background, he was similarly ignored in the Inner Courtyard.

Since they were both outcasts, it was only natural for them to band together.

Xu Yang cupped his hands. "I ask for your guidance, Senior Brother Wu."

"Let's just improve together."

Wu Yongfeng smiled, and the two were soon trading blows with a flurry of impacts.

A quarter of an hour later, both were panting heavily.

Xu Yang finally understood why these Inner Courtyard senior brothers rarely practiced and spent most of their time resting.

One fight was more exhausting than an hour of continuous solo practice. Although both had held back, some injuries were inevitable.

Of course, the results were also good; it was indeed much better than burying his head in solitary practice.

"You two, it would be best to ask those senior brothers for advice. Don't be too shy; the senior brothers in the Inner Courtyard are quite decent. You've both just succeeded in gathering qi and haven't grasped force yet, so you should be asking those who already have." Sun Tao walked over.

"Greetings, Senior Brother Sun!" The two stood up and cupped their hands.

They knew this, of course, but given the attitude of those veteran disciples, even if they swallowed their pride to ask, the others might not be willing to offer guidance.

Xu Yang had plenty of time to grind slowly; he had no desire to be a hot face pressed against a cold butt.

Sun Tao nodded, then looked at Xu Yang. "Junior Brother Xu, the Liu Family in the city asked me to pass on a message. They want to hire you as a Liu Family retainer."

Xu Yang wasn't surprised to hear this. Once he successfully gathered qi, he would naturally attract attention, and the channels at Wei Yuan Hall would recommend disciples to the wealthy families in the city.

He didn't know what kind of background the Liu Family had, but he was willing to hear their terms.

Sun Tao said, "If you marry into the Liu Family, they promise to provide you with resources worth no less than fifteen taels per month, and you will also be allowed to practice the Liu Family's ancestral martial arts."

Wu Yongfeng looked envious. Fifteen taels of silver a month was the same as what Lu Ren received from the Huang Family, and with the addition of ancestral martial arts, one could even say the treatment was better than Lu Ren's.

Unfortunately, Xu Yang had no intention of marrying into a family, and he refused without a second thought. "Senior Brother, I have no intention of marrying into a family."

To stabilize their relationships, families and their martial retainers often engaged in marriage alliances.

A small number required the retainer to marry into the family, while most simply married off a daughter. Regardless of the form, Xu Yang wanted no part of it.

He had deliberately delayed his breakthrough until after Lu Ren precisely because he didn't want to be too tightly bound.

Sun Tao was stunned; Xu Yang was actually refusing such a good deal.

For a bumpkin of Xu Yang's background to marry a Liu Family daughter was like his ancestral grave smoking with good fortune.

If he hadn't successfully gathered qi, he wouldn't even have had the chance to see a Liu Family daughter.

"Junior Brother Xu, you are being foolish!"

Sun Tao shook his head. "Usually, when wealthy families hire retainers, even if you don't marry in, they will still arrange a marriage. After all, once you are one of their own, they won't feel the pinch when spending money to cultivate you."

The big families were calculating; once they turned you into one of their own, the money they spent was considered an investment that would be recouped.

He continued, "Take a senior brother's advice. The Liu Family's strength in Qingyuan is immense, far beyond what the Huang Family can compare to. They may only be offering you fifteen taels a month now, but once you marry in and become one of their own, resources and the like will be much easier to negotiate."

Your aptitude is inferior to Lu Ren's; without the backing of a powerful faction, I fear you have no hope of reaching the Marrow Cleansing stage in the future.

If the Liu Family hadn't noticed that your breakthrough occurred only a few days after Lu Ren's and decided to gamble on you, you wouldn't even be in the running for a matrilocal marriage.

His meaning was clear: the Liu Family was also gambling, betting that Xu Yang's success wasn't just luck but genuine talent equal to Lu Ren's, and he wanted Xu Yang to see the reality of his situation.

"Entering a family as a son-in-law is nothing to be ashamed of. If you achieve success in the martial path in the future, whether or not you establish your own household will be entirely up to you."

Xu Yang shook his head. "Thank you for your kindness, Senior Brother, but I am unwilling to enter a matrilocal marriage, nor do I wish to marry at this time."

Seeing this, Sun Tao stopped trying to persuade him and said, "If you are unwilling to marry into the family, the Liu Family is only willing to offer five taels of silver per month to hire you as a general retainer. The same applies to you, Junior Brother Wu.

The Liu Family is the only one currently looking for people; if you are unwilling, you will have to wait."

Although martial artists are rare, it is not as if there is work for them everywhere; otherwise, people like Li Sanhe wouldn't be out scavenging from the impoverished commoners outside the city.

Wu Yongfeng had reached the Qi Gathering stage about half a month earlier than Xu Yang, yet he still hadn't found any work.

Wu Yongfeng agreed immediately; if he missed out on the Liu Family, he had no idea how long he would have to wait.

Five taels is five taels; it is better than sitting around and exhausting one's savings.

Although a general retainer usually earns ten taels, that is based on the premise of a marriage alliance.

Xu Yang was unwilling to marry into the family, while Wu Yongfeng's talent was too poor for any family to take an interest in him, leaving him without even the opportunity for such an alliance.

Xu Yang hesitated for a moment and asked, "Senior Brother Sun, the Liu Family won't hold a grudge against me because of this, will they?"

Sun Tao wore an amused expression as he replied, "Don't overthink it. To the Liu Family, this is just a business deal that didn't go through. Whenever they recruit people, they try to arrange a marriage alliance with anyone who shows decent talent. You are not an exception."

Upon hearing this, Xu Yang agreed to serve as a retainer for the Liu Family.

"I will write a letter, and the two of you can go to the Liu Family to report shortly."

Sun Tao left, returning a moment later with a letter which he handed to the two of them.

The two took the letter and departed quickly.

"What a fool. It must be smoke rising from his ancestors' graves that the Liu Family even took an interest in him, yet he still refuses."

When Jiang Ping heard that Xu Yang had actually rejected the offer to marry into the Liu Family, he couldn't help but find it laughable.

Countless people would give anything to be a son-in-law of the Liu Family but lack the qualifications.

"To each their own; there is no need to force it."

Sun Tao smiled and looked at Lu Ren. "The Huang Family must have made the same request of you, Junior Brother Lu."

Lu Ren nodded. "I am only willing to marry into a family if it benefits me; the Huang Family is still lacking in that regard."