Tan Dong's Breakthrough, Heartfelt Gratitude

Tan Dong panted heavily, bare-chested with sandbags tied to both legs, swiftly making his way across the wooden stakes in the training ground.

Zhao Ya stood below with a thin switch in hand, watching him. Whenever Tan Dong's movements became distorted, he lashed out without hesitation.

"Don't even think about slacking off. Run properly!" Zhao Ya barked coldly.

A pained look crossed Tan Dong's face, but he no longer dared to relax in the slightest as he struggled onward.

At last, he finished one circuit of the plum blossom stakes.

Tan Dong collapsed straight onto the ground, looking as though he had just been hauled out of water. His sweat had even formed a small puddle beneath him.

Logically speaking, no matter how weak Tan Dong was, he should not have been exhausted after merely running one lap across the plum blossom stakes.

The key was the two oversized sandbags tied to his legs. They did not seem like much at first, but the longer he wore them, the more draining they became.

Especially atop the stakes, Tan Dong had to remain exceedingly careful. One moment of carelessness could send him tumbling down.

All those factors combined left Tan Dong exhausted like a dead dog.

Zhao Ya walked over.

"Don't lie there. Get up and slowly walk one lap around the training ground."

"I can't, I can't. I don't have an ounce of strength left. Let me lie down and rest for a bit, just a bit. I'm begging you, Brother Zhao. You're my real brother!" Tan Dong pleaded desperately.

Zhao Ya remained utterly unmoved. He took out a strip of dried earthworm meat and stuffed it into Tan Dong's mouth, then forcibly hauled him to his feet.

"If you lie down now, at least half the sweat you just shed will have been wasted. Hurry up and walk. Slowly digest your qi and blood."

Tan Dong did not dare disobey Zhao Ya.

Two days earlier, after his father Tan Ziwang learned that Zhao Ya had been giving him extra training, he had specially sent a letter.

In the letter, Tan Ziwang lavishly praised Zhao Ya's methods and sincerely thanked him. He also told Zhao Ya that if Tan Dong refused to listen, he could deal with him however he pleased—even beating him to death would be of no consequence.

Tan Dong did not dare raise the slightest objection to his father's words. He could only obediently follow Zhao Ya's instructions.

So these past few days, let alone visiting pleasure houses for drinks, the happiest moment of each day was when he returned home and lay down on his bed.

There was no other reason.

It was simply fucking exhausting!

Grimacing in pain, Tan Dong slowly walked around the training ground. The dried earthworm meat had long since been swallowed, gradually transforming into qi and blood that replenished his exhausted body.

As he walked, Tan Dong felt every bone in his body becoming sturdier.

Crack, crack, crack!

Soft sounds rang out from within Tan Dong's body.

Zhao Ya heard them clearly from not far away. He knew that after these days of hellish special training, Tan Dong had finally reached the moment of breakthrough.

"Practice your fist technique!"

Zhao Ya's shout snapped Tan Dong out of his absorption in the transformation of his bones.

He immediately began practicing the Five Tigers Fist as instructed.

After Zhao Ya's special training, his Five Tigers Fist had improved tremendously compared to before.

It was not particularly profound, perhaps, but his punches whistled through the air and carried a respectable degree of force.

As he practiced, the transformation of his bones extended deeper, down to the smallest details.

When he finished a complete set of Five Tigers Fist, Tan Dong felt that every bone in his body had become incredibly hard, while strength filled him from head to toe.

"I..." Tan Dong was still somewhat dazed.

Zhao Ya walked over with a smile and slapped Tan Dong on the shoulder.

"Congratulations on your successful breakthrough. From today onward, you're a true martial artist as well!"

Tan Dong emerged from his daze, only to be overwhelmed by wild joy.

He had finally broken through!

I'm now a martial artist who has reached Bone Forging Completion!

Tan Dong wanted nothing more than to shout a few times, but he forcefully restrained himself.

"Brother Zhao, thank you."

Those words came straight from his heart.

Without Zhao Ya's training during this period, Tan Dong knew he would never have reached Bone Forging Completion even in his entire lifetime.

Zhao Ya laughed heartily.

"Alright, do we need to be so polite with each other? I'll report this to the chief escort later. From now on, you'll be an escort runner too."

"Mm-hmm!" Tan Dong nodded repeatedly, his face flushed with excitement.

When Zhao Ya told Meng Lei about Tan Dong, Meng Lei was also very pleased. He even called Tan Dong over and personally offered him a few words of encouragement.

Before long, word spread that Tan Dong had reached Bone Forging Completion and been promoted to escort runner, causing a small stir within the escort bureau.

In truth, most people did not feel much about it.

Tan Dong had been in the escort bureau for years and was already an old hand. Breaking through a realm only now was painfully slow progress, hardly worth mentioning.

But those who knew the inside story thought differently.

"Damn it, even a guy like Tan Dong can reach Bone Forging Completion? Is there any justice left in this world?"

"Exactly. That guy spends at least twenty days a month fooling around in pleasure houses. Nearly every girl in Dancing Elephant City's pleasure houses knows him. And someone like that can still break through? It's absurd!"

Leaving aside those sour remarks, Tan Dong was in excellent spirits after his breakthrough. That very night, he treated many people to drinks.

Zhao Ya was naturally the unquestioned main guest, while Luo Feng and several escort runners also attended.

Most of them were really there for Zhao Ya's sake, but that was enough.

Tan Dong was greatly encouraged, and the drinking feast was thoroughly enjoyable. In the end, Zhao Ya was the one who took the dead-drunk Tan Dong home.

Then, the following evening, Tan Dong deliberately brought food and drinks to visit Zhao Ya, and they shared another round of wine at Zhao Ya's home.

After Zui'er learned of Tan Dong's breakthrough, she was also very happy. She toasted him once before leaving.

Once only Zhao Ya and Tan Dong remained, Tan Dong grinned and took out a letter.

"Brother Zhao, my father specially wrote this for you after hearing the news today."

Zhao Ya opened it and found that it was filled with words of gratitude.

Yet between the lines, he could still sense Tan Ziwang's deep love for his son and the great joy in the old man's heart.

At the end, Tan Ziwang even told Zhao Ya that the monthly supply of dried earthworm meat would be increased to thirty taels.

Although dried earthworm meat had become less and less useful to Zhao Ya, he was still deeply grateful.

Because Zhao Ya understood that this was already the limit of what Tan Ziwang could do.

He handed the letter back to Tan Dong. After reading it, Tan Dong's eyes reddened slightly. He raised his wine cup and drained it in one gulp.

They drank to their hearts' content once more, and in the end, Tan Dong staggered away.

Just as Zhao Ya was about to clear the table, Zui'er heard the noise and came out of the room. Thoughtfully, she brought him a bowl of chilled sour plum soup to sober him up, while she deftly began clearing away the dishes and chopsticks.

Summer had already arrived, and the weather grew hotter by the day.

So after Tan Dong left, Zui'er changed into light casual clothes. Every movement she made revealed tantalizing glimpses of her figure.

The sight made Zhao Ya's head grow a little hot, but he still looked away.

I still need to practice later. Better not look at such things too much, lest my blood get too stirred up.

After Zui'er finished cleaning up, Zhao Ya told her to return to her room and sleep. He himself stood in the courtyard and began practicing.

The Eight-Part Vajra Art, Five Tigers Fist, Gale Saber Technique, Grass-Treading Flight...

Zhao Ya moved through one martial art after another with effortless ease. When his practice reached its height, every strike and stance carried a chilling whistle of wind.