Conflict

Night.

After finishing his boxing practice, Lu Chen returned to his quarters.

The lamps inside had already been lit.

A large wooden barrel stood in the middle of the room. Steam rose from it, carrying a pungent scent tinged with bitterness. Just one breath of it made the skin faintly warm.

A maid of fifteen or sixteen stood beside it, dressed in a pale blue cloth skirt and holding a clean towel.

When she saw Lu Chen enter, she quickly lowered her head in greeting.

"Brother Lu, the medicinal bath is ready."

Lu Chen nodded. "Thanks for your trouble."

He had spent four taels of silver at the Yam Herb Shop, entitling him to six medicinal baths a month.

The maid hurriedly said, "It is no trouble. This is what this servant should do."

Lu Chen removed his outer clothes and slowly lowered himself into the medicinal bath.

Heat instantly enveloped his entire body.

The muscles and tendons that had just endured boxing practice were already sore and swollen. Once soaked in the scalding medicinal broth, it felt as if countless fine needles were burrowing into his skin—numb and hot at once. Lu Chen could not help drawing in a soft breath. He rested both arms on the rim of the barrel, closed his eyes, and adjusted his breathing.

The medicinal power seeped into his body through his pores.

At first, only his flesh felt hot. A moment later, the heat began to seep deep into his tendons and bones. The soreness left by his boxing practice gradually dissolved, while his qi and blood slowly stirred to life along with it.

Little Green stood nearby, carefully adding hot water for him.

Her movements were gentle, but her gaze could not help secretly drifting toward Lu Chen's face.

Lu Chen was only a youth himself, yet at such a young age, he was already a Blood-Moving martial artist. He was far more outstanding than the boys in their village.

Little Green could not help developing feelings of admiration.

At the Yam Herb Shop, servants like them earned only a few coins of silver each month. The slightest mistake brought scolding, and if they were sold off, their fates would no longer be their own.

But Lu Chen was capable, promising, and favored by Shopkeeper Wang.

If she could... Thinking of this, her cheeks reddened, and her voice softened.

"Brother Lu, is the water temperature suitable?"

Lu Chen nodded lightly without speaking.

For a time, the room fell quiet.

Little Green bit her lip, hesitant and unsure how she might draw closer to Lu Chen.

At that moment, Lu Chen suddenly opened his eyes and looked at Little Green. "You may leave."

"Just have the medicinal bath ready from now on. You do not need to wait on me beside it."

Lu Chen did not like having someone attend him while he bathed. It made him feel uncomfortable all over.

Little Green's face flushed at his words, and she felt somewhat annoyed as well. In the end, she could only take her leave.

Lu Chen closed his eyes again.

Heat seeped inward through his skin, and qi and blood slowly circulated through his chest and abdomen. The medicinal power of the bath was not as fierce as Blood-Qi Powder, but it excelled in endurance, like warm tides washing over the exhaustion in his muscles again and again.

He could clearly feel the soreness throughout his body fading away.

Another thread of qi and blood had appeared in his heart.

Half an hour later, Lu Chen slowly opened his eyes.

The color of the medicinal broth had faded considerably, and most of its rich medicinal fragrance had dispersed, leaving only a faint bitterness.

Lu Chen rose from the wooden barrel and put on clean clothes.

His skin was faintly flushed, and heat seemed to flow beneath it. The heavy exhaustion from his boxing practice had vanished, replaced by the ease of fully loosened muscles and bones.

Then, a light screen silently appeared before his eyes.

[Coiling Dragon Stance Art: Minor Accomplishment]

[Progress: 445/500]

[Azure Dragon Through-the-Arms Fist: Minor Accomplishment]

[Progress: 125/500]

[Iron Thread Grappling Hand: Not Initiated]

[Progress: 2/100]

Lu Chen looked at the numbers on the light screen, his gaze tightening slightly.

These past few days, he had spent less time practicing his stance and boxing than he had at the martial hall, yet his technique progress had grown twice as fast as before.

Sometimes, practicing a single round increased his technique progress by two points.

"This growth in technique progress does not seem to be measured entirely by the number of times I practice. It seems tied to my understanding and insights into the technique..."

Lu Chen vaguely guessed.

Then, feeling the two threads of qi and blood surging in his heart, delight appeared on his face.

"The Blood-Qi Powder Master bestowed upon me last time has already been completely refined and absorbed, nourishing a new thread of qi and blood for me."

"Only seven days have passed..."

Master Ge Ye had once said that for an ordinary martial artist at the initial Blood-Moving realm, refining one dose of Blood-Qi Powder in ten days was already considered steady. If one greedily rushed for results, the medicinal power would stagnate within the body and instead cause harm.

Yet he had taken only seven days.

"Is it because both my Coiling Dragon Stance Art and Azure Dragon Through-the-Arms Fist have reached Minor Accomplishment?"

A thought surfaced in Lu Chen's mind.

Both his stance art and fist technique had reached Minor Accomplishment. They complemented one another, and his efficiency in moving qi and blood to refine medicinal power seemed to far surpass that of ordinary martial artists.

"But being fast is useless."

Lu Chen sighed helplessly.

He had spent all ten taels of silver. He had bought medicinal baths, two doses of Blood-Qi Powder, and a month's supply of meat costing three taels.

"Money really disappears fast."

The next morning.

Lu Chen rose early as usual and practiced the Coiling Dragon Stance in the training ground outside his quarters.

His feet opened and closed, the soles firmly nailed to the ground. His waist and hips slowly coiled and turned, driving his entire spine to rise and fall like an Azure Dragon coiling its body, tempering his tendons and bones.

With every breath, his chest and abdomen rose and fell slowly. The residual heat from last night's medicinal bath was drawn bit by bit into his lower abdomen, then slowly circulated along with his qi and blood.

The morning breeze was slightly cool against his body, yet it could not disperse the current of heat within him.

At this moment, the door to another room in the row of houses opened with a creak.

Liu Heng emerged, dressed in a guard's fitted uniform.

He had only returned from the deep mountains with the escort convoy the previous night and had not slept well. Traces of weariness still lingered on his face. But when he looked up and saw the unfamiliar face practicing the Coiling Dragon Stance Art in the center of the training ground, his eyes immediately turned cold.

"You are Lu Chen?"

Lu Chen slowly withdrew his stance and turned to look at him.

Liu Heng was around twenty years old, more heavily built than Liu Xiaolou, with a trace of gloom between his brows.

"I am," Lu Chen said.

Looking at Liu Heng, he recalled Qian Ming's warning from the day before.

Liu Heng approached step by step, his voice cold. "You were the one who broke my cousin's ribs?"

Lu Chen remained calm. "Fists and feet have no eyes."

"What a fine 'fists and feet have no eyes.'" Liu Heng snorted and suddenly attacked Lu Chen.

"My fists and feet do not have eyes either!"

Before his words had even faded, he had already charged forward in a single step.

Liu Heng's Iron Thread Grappling Hand was fiercer and more seasoned than Liu Xiaolou's.

Rather than going straight for Lu Chen's throat, he first pressed in close with his steps. His right hand feinted toward Lu Chen's wrist, while his left secretly hooked toward Lu Chen's elbow joint.

Lu Chen reacted swiftly as well. The instant Liu Heng struck, his feet slid aside, evading the elbow lock. His right arm unfurled with the motion, and the Azure Dragon Claw of the Azure Dragon Through-the-Arms Fist shot straight for Liu Heng's left temple.

Liu Heng snorted coldly. His five fingers curled like hooks as he twisted them around Lu Chen's arm.

Their wrists crossed, and in an instant, they exchanged several moves.

Smack! Smack! Smack!

Crisp collision sounds rang through the training ground.

The guards who had not yet fully awakened were startled one after another.

"What is going on?"

"Who is fighting so early in the morning?"

"It seems to be Liu Heng and that newcomer, Lu Chen!"

Several guards hurried out of their rooms with clothes thrown over themselves. Seeing the two exchange blows in the training ground, they instantly perked up, all drowsiness gone.

Before long, more and more people gathered to watch.

Qian Ming also came out of his room. He yawned, then saw Liu Heng and Lu Chen locked in combat and could not help shaking his head. "I knew it. Liu Heng was bound to make a scene when he got back."

In the field, Liu Heng's attacks grew increasingly urgent.

He had assumed Lu Chen had only recently broken through. Even if he had defeated Liu Xiaolou, it was probably because Liu Xiaolou had been careless. But once they truly exchanged blows, he discovered that Lu Chen was extremely difficult to handle.

His fist technique changed fluidly, the Azure Dragon Through-the-Arms Fist stretching like a dragon. In his advances and retreats, hardness and softness balanced each other. Whenever Liu Heng was about to seize his wrist or elbow joint, Lu Chen always slipped away from an angle he never expected.

Seeing Lu Chen actually trade blows evenly with Liu Heng, the onlookers were astonished. "This newcomer is something else. He has held out for so many exchanges against Liu Heng."

"Hmph. Looks like what you practice is not Azure Dragon Through-the-Arms Fist, but Mudskipper Fist!" Liu Heng mocked, then attacked again.

His qi and blood surged, the muscles in both arms tightening. His five fingers shot forward like iron hooks.

Lu Chen did not meet him head-on. Instead, he turned steadily beneath his feet, power surging from his waist and back. His right arm coiled like a dragon's body, winding around Liu Heng's arm.

Then his left fist shot out from beneath his ribs, striking straight at Liu Heng's chest.

Piercing Clouds, Entering the Sea!

Liu Heng's expression shifted slightly. He hurriedly withdrew his hand and raised his arm to block.

Bang!

Fist and arm collided, and both men retreated a step.

Liu Heng's arm went numb, while the qi and blood in Lu Chen's chest churned slightly.

The watching guards immediately cried out in surprise.

"Good heavens, this newcomer can really fight!"

"Liu Heng, can you even do it? You cannot take down a newcomer?"

Hearing their comments, Liu Heng's face grew even uglier.

He had originally intended to teach Lu Chen a lesson in public and vent his anger for his cousin.

But after fighting for so long, not only had he failed to gain any advantage, he had instead allowed Lu Chen to establish his prestige among the guards while losing face himself.

"Damn it!"

Cursing inwardly, Liu Heng hardened his resolve and prepared to pounce on Lu Chen again.

Then a loud shout rang out.

"Enough!"

Zhao Yiting strode over in an outer robe, his face dark.

The pressure of a Minor Accomplishment Blood-Moving martial artist spread out, and the surrounding guards immediately fell silent.

Liu Heng's movements stiffened.

Lu Chen also took the opportunity to step back and withdrew his fist.

Zhao Yiting's gaze swept over Lu Chen first before falling upon Liu Heng.

"Do you not know the herb shop's rules? Private fighting is forbidden within the compound."

Liu Heng could only lower his banner and cease the fight, bowing his head. "Leader Zhao, I merely wished to test the newcomer's abilities. I had no intention of overstepping the herb shop's rules."

Zhao Yiting sneered. "Test his abilities? Come, I will test yours with you."

Liu Heng's expression changed, and he did not dare reply.

Zhao Yiting turned to the crowd and said sternly, "All of you, disperse! Roll call is in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. Anyone late will have half a day's wages deducted!"

The guards immediately scattered in a rush.