The kitchen still smelled of meat.
Chen Jianghe crouched by the stove, gently waving a battered palm fan in his hand. Smoke and fragrance curled upward together.
Ever since making that "deal" with Su Derong that night, Su Derong had brought meat over every day for the past ten days. Sometimes it was half a rack of pork ribs, sometimes a few pounds of beef brisket, and twice he had even arrived with plump, tender chickens and ducks.
He always wore that same laid-back expression, setting the food down in front of Chen Jianghe and smiling as he fanned himself. "Let's see what your cooking can do today, junior brother."
Chen Jianghe spared no effort with his cooking.
When his Butchery skill, perfected to the Great Achievement level, came into play, he trimmed away every tendon, separated the lean from the fat, and kept the marrow intact.
Prepared this way and simmered over a low flame, every bit of the meat's essence melted into the broth, turning it as thick and white as milk.
"Damn, that smell—"
The door curtain lifted, and Su Derong strolled in, waving his fan. Today he wore a long indigo satin robe, a jade belt around his waist, and neatly combed hair. He looked every bit the wealthy young master—a sight to make anyone envious.
Chen Jianghe rose and cupped his hands. "Third Senior Brother."
Su Derong waved a hand and moved closer to the stove, taking a deep breath. He narrowed his eyes. "Smells good. Ribs today?"
"Yes. They've been simmering for two hours. The fragrance is everywhere!"
"Good, good!" Su Derong nodded in satisfaction. Without a hint of hesitation, he grabbed a bowl, filled it to the brim, then settled onto a low stool by the stove and began sipping at his leisure.
After a few gulps, he had finished half the bowl. As if suddenly remembering something, he tapped Chen Jianghe's shoulder with the ribs of his fan. "By the way, your Three Body Stance yesterday was still too stiff through the waist and hips. This stance is all about a 'dragon's waist and bear's shoulders.' The waist must stay supple, able to coil like a dragon; the shoulders must sink, steady as a bear. You remembered to sink, but forgot to stay supple. Come, I'll show you."
Su Derong set down his bowl and took up a stance in the cramped open space of the kitchen.
He did not follow the Three Body Stance exactly. He simply stood casually, yet his whole body exuded a quality that was both relaxed and settled. His waist turned slightly, as if a great dragon truly wound through him.
"See? You're not supposed to squat there like a dead weight. The force has to rise from the soles of your feet, travel up your legs, pass through your waist and back, and finally reach your hands. The waist is the pivot. If the pivot locks up, the force breaks." As he spoke, he slowly shifted his weight, demonstrating the subtle rotation of his waist and hips.
Chen Jianghe listened intently and nodded, committing it to memory.
Over the past ten days, Su Derong had remained as lazy as ever, but he was no slouch when it came to teaching stance work. A couple of offhand remarks from him would often hit upon the very point Chen Jianghe had been struggling to grasp.
"Thank you for your guidance, Third Senior Brother," Chen Jianghe said sincerely.
"What good is saying thanks? Hurry up and practice. If you get better, you can put even more care into stewing soup for me later." Su Derong waved him off, picked up his bowl again, and continued sipping leisurely.
Over the past ten days, the ample meat had nourished Chen Jianghe's body, letting him keep up with repeated, effective stance practice. His progress in stance work had actually accelerated at a visible pace.
[Destiny: Heaven Rewards Diligence; Success Is Inevitable]
[Current Skill: Three-Body Stance Practice (Not Yet Initiated)]
[Progress: 59%]
[Effect: None]
"Going by what happened with Butchery, this destiny will keep growing stronger as long as I practice effectively and repeatedly," Chen Jianghe murmured to himself.
But although the meat nourished him, without special supplements, his body still could not take high-intensity training. This was already the limit of his progress.
Thinking of the Blood Qi Powder and Bone Strengthening Ointment, both so expensive they made his jaw drop, he could only shake his head to himself.
As for his master, Li Chengyue, Chen Jianghe had seen him only twice in the past ten days.
Once, early in the morning, the old man had come staggering out of the rear courtyard with a wine gourd in hand. He caught sight of Chen Jianghe practicing his stance, grunted, "Hm," and then staggered out the door.
The other time was late at night. After an extra training session, Chen Jianghe had been returning to the shared sleeping quarters when he heard a bamboo recliner creak in the rear courtyard, mixed with the clink of a wine bowl and some tuneless humming.
The master of the Xingyi Martial Arts Hall really did seem to spend most of his time steeped in wine.
Su Derong did not seem to mind at all. If anything, he was happy to have free rein. He spent far less time practicing martial arts than visiting the pleasure quarters to listen to music, yet he was always trying to drag Chen Jianghe along.
"Jianghe, there's a new performer at Cuiying Pavilion today. They say she sings beautifully. Want to come listen?" That day, as soon as they had finished training, Su Derong strolled over again, fanning himself at an unhurried pace.
Chen Jianghe shook his head. "Thanks for asking, Third Senior Brother, but I'm still far from mastering my stance work. I'd like to practice a little longer."
Su Derong pointed at him with his fan. "You're no fun, kid. Going to places like that is a kind of cultivation too!"
The kitchen was shared, and the rich aroma of meat often drew the other senior and junior brothers over to peek inside.
The martial arts hall's food was meager, making this meal all the more tempting. Whenever that happened, if Su Derong was in a good mood, he would wave them over. "Come on, come on! There's enough for everyone. Try Jianghe's cooking—it's every bit as good as the Zuichun Brothel's!"
He was outgoing and generous with his invitations, so a few familiar senior brothers would come over with awkward grins and mooch a few bowls of soup. As they drank the savory broth, they began smiling a little more at Chen Jianghe, who kept his head down tending the fire.
Once, He Shouzhuo happened to see it. After silently watching for a while, he said quietly to Chen Jianghe, "You're lucky Third Senior Brother is willing to teach you. That man... he only looks laid-back. He doesn't let a thing escape his notice. Train hard."
Chen Jianghe nodded firmly. How could he not know how lucky he was? But in the end, he had to grab hold of that luck with both hands.
Before long, the shadow of month's end crept closer.
That evening, the setting sun was red as blood, casting a dark crimson glow over the martial arts hall's battered courtyard.
Chen Jianghe wondered whether Li Gouzi and the others had gone back to Loach Bay since then. In recent days, had his mother been keeping watch over that broken boat alone, worrying day and night?
As he thought about it, he took out the notebook from his robes and crossed out Li Gouzi and the others' names.
Chen Jianghe was just about to settle into his stance when Su Derong came strolling in, waving his fan, the same easy smile on his face.
"Ah, youth. When I was your age, I worked just as hard. It took me a while to realize that life calls for both tension and relaxation." Su Derong lightly tapped Chen Jianghe's shoulder with the ribs of his fan. "There's a new girl at Cuiying Pavilion. Her voice is crisper than an oriole's, and she's pretty, too. So? Want to go listen with your senior brother? Relax a little. Maybe you'll 'understand' faster."
Chen Jianghe drew a deep breath, forcing his troubled thoughts down, and shook his head. "Thank you, Third Senior Brother, but I'll pass."
He paused, then looked up at Su Derong, earnestness in his voice. "Senior Brother, there's something I've been meaning to ask you about."
Chen Jianghe glanced around and lowered his voice. "You have a wide circle of acquaintances, Senior Brother. I was wondering if you could... help me look into a few people?"
"Who?"
"I want to find out about a few people," Chen Jianghe said in an even lower voice. "They're with the Black Tiger Gang. One is called Li Gouzi, and he has a scar on his face. There are two other lackeys who usually hang around with him. I want to know where they've been spending their time lately and what their habits are."
Su Derong did not answer right away. He simply let his gaze settle on Chen Jianghe's face.
After a long pause, Su Derong finally asked slowly, "Jianghe, why are you asking about them?"
Chen Jianghe had already prepared his answer. "They're coming to collect the debt at the end of the month. I want to look into them and see if I can find a way to talk things over or pay off the debt early. That way, they won't go to Loach Bay and bother my mother."
The easy smile faded from Su Derong's face. He studied Chen Jianghe, a glimmer of understanding and scrutiny passing through the eyes that were usually so languid.
He slowly opened his folding fan and fanned himself.
Chen Jianghe's heart gave a jump, but his face remained respectful. "I understand, Senior Brother. I'm only worried about my mother being home alone. It weighs on my mind. If I can find out a little about them, I can at least prepare in advance."
Su Derong studied him for a moment, then suddenly smiled again. The hint of scrutiny quietly vanished, and his usual casual manner returned. "All right. I can ask around for you tonight. I'll let you know tomorrow."
"Thank you, Senior Brother."
"Don't mention it." Su Derong reached the doorway, then glanced back. "You're really not coming? The new girl's rendition of Spring River Night is enough to make you forget what day it is."
"Go ahead without me, Senior Brother. I'll stay here and practice."
Su Derong shook his head and wagged a finger. "Practice, practice. Be careful you don't turn into a block of wood!"