When Chen Jianghe came out of the rear courtyard, Su Derong was leaning against a veranda post, lazily fanning himself. The moment he saw Chen Jianghe, his lips curled into their usual carefree smile.
"You're out? Did Master teach you the Five Elements Fist?"
Chen Jianghe cupped his fists. "He did. Thank you for looking after me earlier, Senior Brother. Master told me to go home and work it out on my own. If there's anything I don't understand, I can ask you."
"Don't mention it. The old man sure knows how to shirk his duties. Oh well." Su Derong waved a hand and strolled over, lightly tapping Chen Jianghe's shoulder with the ribs of his fan. "Now that you've entered the school, you're officially a disciple. By the hall's rules, beginners can collect ten jin of meat from the storeroom every month as a subsidy. If you train the Five Elements Fist to Bright Strength, you'll get another five jin each month."
He paused, then continued, "As for tonics... you'll have to wait until you break through the barrier and reach Dark Strength. Only then will the hall provide some basic Bone-Strengthening Powder and Blood-Qi Pills, as it sees fit."
Chen Jianghe's heart stirred.
Ten jin of meat wasn't much, but it could still make up for a fair amount of lost qi and blood. Given the hall's circumstances, being able to provide this much support was no small thing.
Chen Jianghe suddenly remembered something and asked, "By the way, Third Senior Brother, how are the realms of Martial Dao cultivation divided? Master only taught me the fist just now and didn't go into detail."
Su Derong froze, his fan suspended in midair. His expression turned a little strange. "Master... was all dressed up and still didn't explain this to you?"
Chen Jianghe shook his head.
"That old man..." Su Derong helplessly tapped his forehead with the fan ribs. "Fine, I'll explain it."
His smile faded, and he spoke seriously. "The most important thing in Martial Dao cultivation is laying a solid foundation. Once you successfully 'change your strength,' you switch from exerting force with your muscles to exerting it with your sinews and bones. After that, stance training will temper your qi and blood day and night. This process is called 'accumulation.'"
"Once you've accumulated enough, you can 'knock on the barrier.' The Five Elements Fist of Xingyi Fist can break through three barriers when mastered." Su Derong held up three fingers. "Those are Bright Strength, Dark Strength, and Transformation Strength, which I mentioned before."
Chen Jianghe listened closely. "Please explain them in more detail, Senior Brother."
Su Derong paced a couple of steps and explained at length. "With Bright Strength, your force is outwardly expressed. When you strike, your sinews and bones ring together, and the sound is like silk tearing. Every punch and kick has the power to shatter steles and split stone. At this realm, seven or eight ordinary strong men wouldn't dare approach you. You'd already be considered a skilled fighter in the Outer City."
"Dark Strength takes it a step further." He paused briefly. "The force is contained within, held back and not released. When you hit someone, it doesn't stop at the skin and flesh but goes straight through to the internal organs. Such skill can no longer be matched by brute strength."
"As for Transformation Strength..." Su Derong paused. "Well, I might as well tell you about that too."
"With Transformation Strength, your force flows in perfect harmony, and you can exert it from anywhere in your body. Not even a feather can be added, and not even a fly can land. Someone who reaches this realm has the bearing of a grandmaster. In Yilin County, there are no more than a handful of people who have openly reached Transformation Strength."
Chen Jianghe felt a chill in his heart.
So the path of the Martial Dao ran so deep. His anticipation only grew.
Su Derong glanced at him, his tone turning stern. "But Jianghe, don't get conceited just because you managed to 'change your strength' in two months. 'Knocking on the barrier' is the real challenge."
Su Derong looked toward the other side of the courtyard. He Shouzhuo was practicing his punches with his head down, every movement steady and solid.
"Shouzhuo's been at the hall for nearly three years." Su Derong sighed. "He trains hard every day and never slacks off, but he's only reached Bright Strength. He still hasn't broken through to Dark Strength. Martial Dao cultivation gets harder the further you go. Building up qi and blood is especially difficult; the older you get, the harder it is to keep your qi and blood vigorous. Who knows how much longer he can keep at it?"
Chen Jianghe followed his gaze.
"Senior Brother He..." Chen Jianghe hesitated.
"He's an honest man." Su Derong looked away and started fanning himself again. "It's just that in this world, honest people are often the ones who get the short end of the stick. The hall's fallen on hard times, and resources are limited. It's no small feat that he reached Bright Strength through sheer practice. Without some stroke of luck, I'm afraid..."
He didn't finish, but Chen Jianghe understood.
After a moment of silence, Chen Jianghe cupped his fists solemnly. "Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother. I'll keep it in mind."
He remembered his mother and added, "Master has agreed to let my mother do some odd jobs at the hall and stay in the woodshed in the rear courtyard for now. I'll go to Loach Bay to fetch her."
Su Derong nodded. His fan began swaying again, and that lazy smile returned to his face. "Go on. Once you've settled her in, remember to come back and make soup. If I have to go without your cooking, I really won't know what to do with myself."
Chen Jianghe acknowledged him and turned toward the hall's entrance.
Su Derong watched him hurry away. The motion of his fan gradually slowed.
He knew full well that the most precious thing about Chen Jianghe wasn't his skill at making soup. It was his ability to stay calm, endure hardship, and keep going—and his filial heart.
Besides, Su Derong had already learned that Li Gouzi died not long after Chen Jianghe left the hall that day.
"This world is a world that devours people, in the end. Only those ruthless enough can survive. But someone who's ruthless and still has a little warmth left in his heart, someone who knows how to be grateful—that's someone worth believing in."
With a swish, the fan snapped shut.
He turned around, humming a tune that was barely recognizable, and sauntered into the room.
After leaving the Xingyi Martial Arts Hall, Chen Jianghe kept moving, heading straight for Loach Bay.
He crossed two streets, and suddenly a clamor rose up ahead.
A large crowd had gathered at the street corner. Most were poor people in ragged clothes, craning their necks and staring excitedly at an earthen platform in the middle.
Several people in gray-white robes stood on the platform. Their leader was a tall, thin old man holding a horsetail whisk, speaking with spittle flying.
"Believe in the Sun Moon Cult and gain eternal life! Join our holy faith and escape suffering!"
"Give up your silver and grain to worship the Holy Lord, and your whole family will be safe!"
Chen Jianghe's heart sank. The Sun Moon Cult again.
Over the past few months, some sect had appeared out of nowhere in the Outer City, preying on the poor. Sometimes they handed out thin gruel, sometimes they gave away talisman water. Under the banner of "saving all living things," they tricked people into joining and extorted their money.
A few days ago, two households in Loach Bay had believed the nonsense that "joining the faith brings protection" and offered up their last savings. The so-called "great mage" took the money and vanished without a trace.
Even so, countless others still followed in their footsteps.
In these troubled times, people were gripped by fear. Everyone wanted to grasp a lifeline.
Chen Jianghe quickened his pace and pushed through the chaotic crowd. Several followers in gray cloth robes, with sun-and-moon emblems on their headwear, were preaching at the street corner in a rise and fall of voices:
"...The sun and moon shine together, illuminating all living things! Join our holy faith and gain protection, free from disasters and calamities! Today, the mage will open the altar and perform a ritual. Anyone who bows in sincere devotion will receive a blessing!"
Some people knelt and kowtowed. Others pushed forward to collect gruel. Most simply looked around in bewilderment, their eyes utterly numb.
Chen Jianghe glanced at them once, then lowered his head and hurried on.
This world really left people no chance to live.
He had to bring his mother back to the hall as soon as possible. Only once she was settled there could he practice martial arts without distraction.