Outer City

In the backyard of the Xingyi Martial Arts Hall, the old locust tree has shed most of its leaves.

Chen Jianghe stands beneath the tree, having held the Three-Body Stance for two hours.

The cold autumn wind sweeps through, swirling the fallen leaves across the ground; they dance within three feet of him, yet not a single one touches the hem of his clothes.

Dark Strength has been achieved, and internal energy flows of its own accord. When the stance is practiced to such a profound level, it is no longer about tempering the sinews and bones, but about nurturing that specific "force."

He slowly retracts his posture, opens his eyes, and his gaze is calm.

[Fate: Heaven Rewards Diligence, Success is Guaranteed]

[Current Skill: Three-Body Stance (Great Success)]

[Progress: 42%]

[Current Skill: Five Elements Fist (Great Success)]

[Progress: 13%]

[Effect: Force contained within, penetrates the body to shatter meridians]

"Still not enough," Chen Jianghe whispers to himself.

The threshold of Dark Strength is indeed far more difficult to cross than Bright Strength.

Bright Strength seeks "the resonance of sinews and bones, with force manifested externally," leaving traces to follow;

Dark Strength, however, requires "force to be contained within, penetrating the body to shatter meridians," demanding that one's energy and blood be polished until they are as round and smooth as pearls before they can be unleashed at will.

He walks to the courtyard gate and looks out at the street beyond the martial arts hall.

In the past, even if the outer city was dilapidated, there was always the sound of human life: the cries of peddlers, the footsteps of laborers rushing to work, the creaking wheels of the night-soil collectors... Now, it is terrifyingly empty.

The bluestone road remains pitted and filled with flowing sewage, but figures are scarce, and even the stray dogs have vanished.

The occasional passerby walks with hurried steps, head bowed, eyes scanning the surroundings with vigilance, as if something might pounce from the shadows at any moment.

The corner where several vegetable stalls once stood is now empty. A few rotten leaves lie scattered on the ground, caught by the wind and spinning in the cracks of the stones.

Further down the alley, a ragged woman sits holding a child of three or four; the child is so thin that his skin clings to his bones, his eyes staring hollowly at the vacant street.

In front of the woman lies a piece of tattered cloth, on which four characters are scrawled crookedly: "Selling child for grain."

Over the past half-month, the situation in the outer city has not improved due to the negotiations in the inner city; instead, it has plummeted.

The dealings between the Green Dragon Gang and the Five Great Families seem to have reached a stalemate.

Both sides are exerting pressure in the dark, neither willing to yield a single step.

The common folk of the outer city, caught in the middle, have become the first to suffer—gang conflicts intensify, bandits seize the opportunity to wreak havoc, and prices skyrocket, with grain becoming more expensive by the day.

Chen Jianghe stands silent for a moment, then turns and returns to the backyard. He changes into clean clothes, tucks a few pieces of silver and a small packet of cured meat into his robes, and leaves the hall.

He must make a trip to the Shen Mansion.

Some things can no longer wait.

The back street of the Shen Mansion is now deathly quiet.

Several houses have their main gates locked tight, with spiderwebs clinging to the lintels, clearly long abandoned.

Chen Jianghe circles to the side gate and knocks.

The interior remains silent for a moment before the sound of shuffling footsteps approaches.

The door opens a crack, revealing Uncle Liu's aged face.

Though it has been less than a month, the old man seems even more hunched; the wrinkles on his face are as deep as knife cuts, his eye sockets are sunken, and the white hair at his temples clings messily to his ears.

"Jianghe?" Uncle Liu pauses, then hurriedly lets him in. "Why have you come? Come in quickly!"

Chen Jianghe follows Uncle Liu through the familiar corridors to his cramped side room.

The room is sparsely furnished but kept clean. A quilt of washed-out coarse cloth lies on the kang, and bundles of split firewood are stacked in the corner.

"Sit, sit." Uncle Liu pulls over the only stool, sits on the edge of the kang, and rubs his hands together. "How is... the martial arts hall?"

"It's fine." Chen Jianghe nods, pulls a small cloth bundle from his robes, and pushes it forward. "Uncle Liu, please take this."

Inside the bundle are five taels of silver and a few pieces of cured meat.

Uncle Liu looks at it, and his eyes suddenly turn red. He turns his head away, wipes his eyes vigorously, and then turns back, his voice raspy. "You child... you need this for your own training, why worry about an old man like me?"

"You didn't say that when you helped me and my mother back then." Chen Jianghe's tone is calm, yet every word carries weight. "Uncle Liu, the outer city is not safe now. How much longer can the Shen Mansion... hold on?"

Uncle Liu falls silent.

He picks up an iron kettle and pours two bowls of hot water. Amidst the swirling steam, his weather-beaten face looks even older. He lifts the bowl, takes a sip, and speaks slowly:

"Master Shen fell ill last month and has yet to recover. The Eldest Young Master went to the inner city to discuss business a few days ago, but his carriage was robbed on the way back. Though he survived, one of his legs was crippled. He is still recovering in his room, and his temper has grown increasingly volatile..."

He pauses, his voice dropping lower: "The mansion is filled with panic now, and many servants have stolen things and fled. Those who remain are just drifting through the days, not knowing when this estate will... fall apart."

Chen Jianghe is silent for a moment, then suddenly speaks: "Uncle Liu, come move in with me."

Uncle Liu's hand trembles, and a few drops of water spill from his bowl.

"I've bought a small courtyard near the martial arts hall. It has three main rooms and two side rooms, enough for us to live in." Chen Jianghe looked at him with a serious gaze. "You're getting on in years. If you stay at the Shen Mansion, in case one day... I just can't rest easy. Come with me, keep my mother company. You can do whatever chores you like around the yard, or just rest if you don't feel like it. I'll take care of you in your old age."

Uncle Liu stared at him, his lips trembling, unable to speak for a long while.

After a long time, he set down his bowl, his rough palms rubbing unconsciously against his knees, and slowly shook his head. "Jianghe... I appreciate your kindness, truly."

He looked up, his eyes brimming with murky tears, yet he managed to pull off a smile. "But I've been in this Shen Mansion for nearly forty years. I've watched the Shen Family rise and fall. I know every brick, every tile, every blade of grass here. Even if it really is going to collapse... I want to stay and guard it, right until the end."

Chen Jianghe wanted to persuade him further, but Uncle Liu waved his hand, cutting him off. "I know you mean well. But when a man reaches my age, some things are heavier than life itself."

He paused, looking out at the withered courtyard, and murmured, "Besides, Master Shen was kind to me back then. This life of mine was given to me by the Shen Family. Now that the family is in trouble, what kind of person would I be if I just walked away?"

Chen Jianghe opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but in the end, the words didn't come out.

He knew that some people's spines were made to break rather than bend.

In these chaotic times, such stubbornness might be laughable, but it was worthy of respect.

The two of them exchanged some more idle chatter.

Uncle Liu sighed and brought up the recent situation in the outer city:

"It's getting worse and worse. Grain prices have tripled, and even then, it's often out of stock. People are dying in gang skirmishes, and their bodies are just left in the streets; the authorities don't care at all. I hear the negotiations between the Five Great Families in the inner city and the Green Dragon Gang are at a stalemate. Both sides are secretly mobilizing their men. I'm afraid... a fight is truly coming."

Chen Jianghe felt a heavy weight in his heart.

"Take care of yourself." Chen Jianghe stood up. "Uncle Liu, I'll come see you again in a few days and bring some rice. If anything happens, come find me at the martial arts hall anytime."

Uncle Liu stood up as well. His eyes were a bit red, and he patted Chen Jianghe's arm firmly. "Good lad, good lad... You be careful too. The outer city is becoming more and more unsettled; don't go out at night."

Chen Jianghe nodded.

On the way back from the Shen Mansion, Chen Jianghe's steps were heavy.

The current state of the Shen Mansion was merely a microcosm of the outer city.

The Five Great Families in the inner city and the Green Dragon Gang lurking outside the city seemed to be waiting for something—perhaps waiting for the other side to show a weakness, or waiting for some opportunity to break the balance.

Chen Jianghe did not know what that opportunity was.

But he knew he had to become stronger, and fast.

Having just achieved Dark Strength, he could be considered an expert in this city.

But if he were truly dragged into the conflict between the Green Dragon Gang and the Five Great Families, this level of cultivation would likely not be enough.

Furthermore, his master, Li Chengyue, had been away for half a month and had yet to return.

In these chaotic times, there were too many variables. Transforming Strength was certainly powerful, but if one were to fall into an ambush or be caught in a scheme...