The Compound Guard

Lu Chen settled into the Yam Herb Shop.

The position Wang Shouyi assigned him was that of a compound guard.

This was also the duty most commonly assigned to newcomers at the Yam Herb Shop.

The Yam Herb Shop had operated in Scarlet Cloud County for years. With the Wang Firm's name backing it and numerous skilled martial artists in its employ, ordinary street thugs would never dare come looking for trouble.

Thus, the guards' daily work amounted to little more than making a few patrols between the front hall, rear courtyard, and storehouses.

Whenever pills were being refined, a few extra men would be stationed near the pill-refining chamber to keep unauthorized people away.

Whenever valuable medicinal ingredients arrived, they would guard the storehouse entrance until the accountant finished taking inventory, after which a designated person would lock and seal it.

To Lu Chen, the job could certainly be called leisurely.

Each morning, he first practiced the Coiling Dragon Stance in his little courtyard for an hour. Only after his blood qi had slowly completed a circuit through his body did he put on the fitted blue outfit the Wang Firm had provided, hang his identification token at his waist, and head to the rear courtyard for roll call.

The Wang Firm employed more than twenty compound guards.

All were martial artists at the initial stage of the Blood-Moving Realm. They came from various parts of Scarlet Cloud County, though some were household servants trained by the Wang Family itself.

The head guard was named Zhao Yiting.

He was thirty-one years old and had reached blood-moving minor achievement.

He had trained at the Rock-Solid Martial Hall in Scarlet Cloud County and had held a position at the Yam Herb Shop for five years.

When Lu Chen first met him, Zhao Yiting was practicing the Rock-Solid Art in the rear courtyard.

This was an art completely different from the Coiling Dragon Stance Art. It emphasized remaining unmoving as a mountain and steady as bedrock.

Once mastered to a sufficient degree, it sank blood qi into the muscles and bones, making the body as solid and weighty as mountain rock. It did not excel at variations, but was exceptionally good at defense and head-on clashes.

Although Lu Chen watched him practice once, he had no intention of learning it.

His Coiling Dragon Stance Art had already reached minor achievement, so there was no need to switch to another stance art. Doing so would not only waste time but also reduce the efficiency with which he cultivated his blood qi.

However, Zhao Yiting was not the strongest person at the Yam Herb Shop.

The Yam Herb Shop's true sea-calming pillar was Qiao Yuan, a martial artist at major achievement in the Blood-Moving Realm.

Lu Chen had been working there for several days but had yet to meet him.

Qiao Yuan's standing at the Yam Herb Shop was entirely different from that of employed martial artists like Lu Chen.

The Wang Firm retained him as an Attendant, supplying all the medicinal ingredients he needed for his martial training free of charge. It also gave him ten percent of its monthly profits.

Ordinarily, he did not need to concern himself with any of the Yam Herb Shop's affairs, great or small. Only trouble that genuinely threatened the Wang Firm's survival warranted asking him to intervene.

It was precisely because he presided over the shop that, despite suppressing the Wang Firm at every turn over the years, the Huang Family had never dared to tear away all pretense of civility.

"Lu Chen, you'll guard the pill-refining chamber today. Master Ge Ye is going to refine a batch of Foundation-Stabilizing Pills. Remember, you must not disturb him unless he summons you!"

After roll call, Zhao Yiting assigned Lu Chen his guard duties for the day.

"Foundation-Stabilizing Pills? Doesn't Master Ge normally refine Blood-Qi Powder?" Something stirred in Lu Chen's mind, and he asked.

Zhao Yiting said, "Master Ge is refining the Foundation-Stabilizing Pills specifically for Senior Qiao. Senior Qiao has spent years honing himself at major achievement in the Blood-Moving Realm and is preparing to attempt a breakthrough to its peak."

"Foundation-Stabilizing Pills strengthen one's foundation and nourish one's vital essence. They are tremendously helpful for martial artists attempting breakthroughs and stabilizing their blood qi."

"With them, Senior Qiao's chances of breaking through will increase greatly."

"Oh, Senior Qiao is attempting to reach the peak of the Blood-Moving Realm?" Lu Chen was surprised.

If a martial artist at blood-moving major achievement was strong enough to hold sway over an area, then one at the peak of the Blood-Moving Realm was practically the ceiling of fighting strength in Scarlet Cloud County.

If Qiao Yuan broke through to the peak of the Blood-Moving Realm, the balance between the Yam Herb Shop and the Huang Family would abruptly reverse. The shop would have a chance to gain the upper hand and reclaim the businesses and market share the Huang Family had steadily eaten away over the years.

Zhao Yiting was extremely solemn. "This matter is of great importance. Don't spread it around."

Lu Chen nodded. "I understand what's at stake."

"However..."

Then Zhao Yiting added thoughtfully, "The martial path is fraught with a thousand hardships and ten thousand difficulties. The further you progress, the harder breakthroughs become. Even with Foundation-Stabilizing Pills to help him, Senior Qiao's chances of success may not exceed fifty percent."

"No more than fifty percent?" Lu Chen frowned slightly.

In his view, Qiao Yuan had already reached blood-moving major achievement and spent years honing himself at that stage. With Foundation-Stabilizing Pills to help him now, surely his chances should have been seventy or eighty percent.

Seeing what he was thinking, Zhao Yiting explained, "You only entered the Blood-Moving Realm recently. You don't yet know the difficulties that lie ahead."

"At the initial stage of the Blood-Moving Realm, producing a wisp of blood qi counts as crossing the threshold. At blood-moving minor achievement, blood qi flows like a stream, circulating through every limb and bone. At major achievement, it becomes thick and powerful, like mighty rivers, nourishing the muscles, bones, skin, and membranes. Ordinary blades can no longer easily wound the body."

"But the peak of the Blood-Moving Realm is different."

Zhao Yiting's voice grew a little graver.

"You have to truly refine all the blood qi in your body to perfection, letting it flow throughout your entire body and release or withdraw it at will. At that point, every punch and kick can carry three or four thousand jin of force. Not only is your explosive strength greater, but your endurance far surpasses that of a major-achievement martial artist. One man could truly hold the pass against ten thousand!"

Lu Chen listened attentively.

Zhao Yiting continued, "Senior Qiao is forty-eight now. He has already passed the age when his blood qi was at its strongest."

"And the further you advance in martial cultivation, the more talent matters. A breakthrough lies just beyond a hair's breadth. But without enough talent, you can't even touch that hair-thin threshold."

At this point, a more complicated note entered his voice.

"Senior Qiao has been trapped at blood-moving major achievement for over a decade. His blood qi is no longer what it was in his prime. Even with Foundation-Stabilizing Pills to reinforce it, he may not be able to cross that final threshold."

"So that's how it is..." Lu Chen began to understand.

Qiao Yuan had failed to break through when his blood qi was at its strongest, missing his best opportunity. His hopes would only grow slimmer with time. Even pills could hardly bridge the gulf left by insufficient talent.

Zhao Yiting spoke with feeling. "That's why all the major factions value geniuses so highly."

"As the saying goes, once the path runs smooth, everything runs smooth."

"Those martial geniuses can reach their bottlenecks more easily than ordinary martial artists like us. There are plenty of examples of them storming through five passes, slaying six generals, and soaring into the sky in a single flight."

"But ordinary martial artists might spend their whole lives stuck at the initial stage or minor achievement of the Blood-Moving Realm, no matter how desperately they strive..."

He looked at Lu Chen. "Shi Hao from your Hidden Dragon Martial Hall was bound to the Huang Family through a marriage agreement as soon as he broke through."

"Why?"

"Because the Huang Family didn't value his current initial-stage cultivation. They valued his future chances of reaching blood-moving minor achievement, major achievement, or even higher."

Lu Chen nodded.

That was the value of a genius.

With that, Zhao Yiting said no more. He patted Lu Chen on the shoulder. "Go on. Nothing can go wrong at Master Ge Ye's place today."

"Rest assured, Head Guard Zhao." Lu Chen solemnly cupped his fist.

The Yam Herb Shop had three pill refiners in total. Master Ge Ye was the most skilled of them.

Accordingly, Ge Ye received different treatment from the others at the Yam Herb Shop. He had his own private courtyard, which was normally kept under tight guard.

Lu Chen arrived to relieve Zhao Tiezhu, the guard who had stood watch all night.

Zhao Tiezhu stretched, greeted Lu Chen, and headed toward the martial artists' quarters without looking back.

Lu Chen's partner was Qian Ming, a twenty-year-old initial-stage Blood-Moving Realm martial artist from Mighty Far Hall.

"So you're the one who beat that good-for-nothing Liu Xiaolou?" Qian Ming asked casually when he saw Lu Chen.

Lu Chen nodded and looked at Qian Ming.

He was somewhat surprised.

Since Qian Ming came from Mighty Far Hall, he should logically have stood together with Liu Xiaolou. Yet his tone was full of disdain, without the slightest hint of wanting to stand up for him.

Qian Ming seemed to see what he was thinking and said lazily, "Don't look at me like that. Mighty Far Hall has plenty of people. Not everyone wears the same pair of trousers as Liu Xiaolou."

Then he added, "That good-for-nothing isn't worth mentioning, but you should be careful. He has a clansman named Liu Heng."

"He also holds a position with the Wang Firm. He's been deep in the mountains these past few days, escorting medicinal ingredients. He'll definitely come looking for trouble with you when he returns."

"Oh?" Lu Chen paused slightly. "Liu Heng?"

"Is he that strong?"

Lu Chen probed further.

"He's pretty good with the Iron Thread Grappling Hand. He's already reached minor achievement in it. You'd best steer clear of him," Qian Ming warned kindly.