Running Posts by Day, Training by Night

Zhao Ya couldn't help but chuckle as he looked at Zui'er's serious expression.

"Don't worry. This thing may be worth a bit of money, but it's nothing to your Brother Zhao Ya. You've only just started training, and if your blood and nutrition can't keep up, you'll get half the results for twice the effort and waste a lot of time. So you have to take it. Be good."

After hesitating for a moment, Zui'er finally accepted the dried meat.

"All right."

"Enough, get some rest."

The night passed without incident. The next morning.

Zhao Ya got up early, but after washing up, he found that Zui'er still had not risen. Puzzled, he called through the curtain.

"Zui'er, are you still asleep?"

"I'm awake, Brother Zhao Ya," came a timid voice from the room.

"Then why aren't you up? Are you sick?"

Alarmed, Zhao Ya lifted the curtain and walked in.

Ever since Zui'er had moved into the inner room, Zhao Ya had rarely entered it. The moment he stepped inside, a faint maidenly fragrance rushed into his nose.

In the morning light filtering through the window, Zhao Ya saw Zui'er lying on the bed, her cheeks flushed red and tears glistening in her eyes.

Zhao Ya hurried to the bedside. "What's wrong? Where does it hurt?"

Zui'er's face turned even redder. "I... I can't move. My whole body hurts terribly, especially my legs. They practically don't feel like they belong to me."

Upon hearing that, Zhao Ya suddenly understood and began to laugh.

"Brother Zhao Ya, you're still laughing? What's wrong with me?" Zui'er asked pitifully.

"It's nothing. You usually don't exercise much, so after suddenly training last night, your body couldn't handle it. Rest for a day and you'll be fine," Zhao Ya reassured her.

Only then did Zui'er breathe a sigh of relief. "That's good. I thought I'd come down with some terrible illness just now!"

Then she looked at Zhao Ya somewhat embarrassedly.

"Brother Zhao Ya, I'm sorry. I can't move at all right now, so I can't make you breakfast!"

With helpless affection, Zhao Ya reached out and pinched her cheek. Smiling, he said, "All right, why are you apologizing to me? I'll go buy some breakfast. What do you want to eat?"

"Anything is fine."

"Then I'll get some buns."

With that, Zhao Ya turned and went out. As Zui'er lay in bed, a sudden sweetness filled her heart.

Brother Zhao Ya was actually so considerate!

And when he pinched her cheek just now, that look in his eyes could practically melt a person.

But she hadn't combed her hair or washed her face yet. She must look awful!

At that thought, Zui'er yanked the blanket over her head, filled with embarrassment and vexation.

Zhao Ya returned with steaming hot meat buns. He first waited on Zui'er while she ate, then swept away all the remaining buns himself.

"Stay in bed properly. I'll bring you lunch when I come back at noon," Zhao Ya instructed.

"Isn't that too much trouble? I should be able to get up in a little while."

But Zhao Ya did not give her any chance to argue. He turned, locked the door from the outside, and headed to the escort agency.

The escort agency was still peaceful and uneventful that day. After happily loafing around all morning, when it was time for lunch, Zhao Ya packed up his portion of food and filled a flask with nourishing soup before preparing to head home.

"Hey, Brother Zhao, where are you going?" Tan Dong asked when he saw him about to leave.

"Going home to eat," Zhao Ya answered succinctly.

"Going home to eat? Why go home out of the blue? Is sister-in-law sick?" Tan Dong asked in confusion.

"She's not sick. She's just a little unwell."

"Is it serious? Should we get a doctor to take a look? I know several fairly renowned physicians." Tan Dong immediately became serious.

In these times, illness was no laughing matter. Even a minor cold could cost someone their life.

"Uh... there's no need for all that. She was just tired last night and couldn't get out of bed. She'll be fine after some rest," Zhao Ya said.

"Oh... so that's how it is!"

Tan Dong wore a look of sudden realization. Then he stepped closer, patted Zhao Ya on the shoulder, and said meaningfully.

"Ahem, Brother Zhao, don't take this the wrong way, but there's plenty of time ahead. You should take it easy when you need to. With a body as sturdy as a bull, be careful not to plow the field into ruin."

Zhao Ya: "..."

Although the man's leering expression was begging for a beating, Zhao Ya could not be bothered to explain. The more one explained such things, the less clear they became.

After all, everyone knew that Zui'er had been living with him for a long time. If he claimed they had kept things innocent, no one would believe him.

When Zhao Ya returned home, Zui'er had already gotten out of bed and was tidying the room with unsteady steps.

Zhao Ya had her drink a few sips of nourishing soup and eat some of the meat provided by the escort agency.

He did not dare let her eat too much, because for Zui'er in her current state, it was more nourishing than ginseng.

Eating too much would have the opposite effect.

Once he saw that Zui'er truly seemed much better, Zhao Ya put on the Iron-Tin Stele and returned to the escort agency.

That afternoon, Zhao Ya began running posts in the escort agency's training yard.

Prosperity Escort Agency's training yard was large and fully equipped. There were several types of wooden posts alone, including plum blossom posts, horse-running posts, and Nine Palaces posts.

Zhao Ya first stepped onto the simplest horse-running posts.

In the past, these horse-running posts would have been child's play for Zhao Ya.

But once he wore the full Iron-Tin Stele set, the difficulty abruptly increased.

Zhao Ya had to control his strength with great precision to keep from falling.

After one circuit around the horse-running posts, Zhao Ya was already lightly sweating. Yet he merely rested briefly before throwing himself back into training.

From that day onward, Zhao Ya ran posts at the escort agency and practiced movement techniques during the day. At night, he returned home to teach Zui'er martial arts while practicing his own techniques. His days were simple yet fulfilling.

A month passed like this.

The weather gradually warmed, the ice and snow melted, and grass and trees sprouted buds. Spring had finally arrived.

The poor people who had barely endured the long winter could not help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Compared to winter's harshness, spring's warmth at least gave them greater hope of surviving.

One day, after getting off duty, Zhao Ya was walking home.

If one observed carefully, one would find that every step Zhao Ya took contained a hidden rhythm. Though his pace appeared somewhat slow, he was actually moving very quickly.

Over the past month, Zhao Ya had worn the Iron-Tin Stele at all times except when sleeping, never taking it off even for a moment.

Even while walking normally, Zhao Ya would secretly employ his lightness skill movement technique to temper himself.

Under such diligent effort, Zhao Ya's lightness skill movement technique had advanced by leaps and bounds.

[Swallow Three Skims the Water proficiency +3]

After the notification appeared, Zhao Ya opened his attribute panel.

Name: Zhao Ya. Age: 17. Remaining lifespan: 43 (+127 days) years

Skills: Eight-Part Vajra Art (Mastery 1989/2000) Five Tigers Fist (Peak Mastery 123/5000) Gale Saber Technique (Mastery 1890/2000) Grass-Treading Flight lightness skill (Mastery 878/2000) Swallow Three Skims the Water (Mastery 31/2000)

[Heart unlock progress: 28%]

The Eight-Part Vajra Art and Gale Saber Technique had reached the verge of a breakthrough, while Five Tigers Fist had become the first martial art Zhao Ya had brought into the Peak Mastery realm.