Conflict

Night.

Lu Chen finished practicing his fists and returned to his quarters.

The lamps inside had already been lit.

A large wooden tub stood in the middle of the room. Steam billowed from the hot water within, carrying a spicy scent laced with a hint of bitterness. Just one breath was enough to make his skin grow faintly warm.

A fifteen- or sixteen-year-old maid stood beside it, holding a clean cloth.

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

"Big Brother Lu, the medicinal bath is ready."

Lu Chen nodded. "Thanks for the effort."

The maid hurriedly said, "It's no trouble. It's what this servant should do."

Lu Chen took off his outer clothes and slowly sank into the medicinal bath.

Heat instantly wrapped around his entire body.

His muscles and sinews had already been sore and swollen from practicing his fists. Now, soaked by the boiling medicinal broth, it felt as though countless fine needles were burrowing into his skin—numbing and scorching at once. Lu Chen could not help drawing in a light breath. He rested both arms on the rim of the tub and closed his eyes as he adjusted his breathing.

The medicinal power seeped into his body through his pores.

At first, only his flesh and skin felt hot. A moment later, the heat began to penetrate deep into his sinews and bones. The soreness left behind by his fist practice slowly bubbled away, and his blood and qi gradually stirred to life.

The maid Little Green stood to one side, carefully adding hot water for him.

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

Lu Chen still looked no more than a youth. At such a young age, he was already a Blood-Moving Realm martial artist—far more outstanding than the youths in their village.

Little Green could not help developing feelings for him.

At the Medicine Shop, servants like them earned only a few coins of silver each month. A single mistake brought a scolding, and if they were sold off, their fate would no longer be in their own hands.

But Lu Chen had ability and prospects, and even Shopkeeper Wang had taken notice of him.

If only she could... At that thought, her cheeks flushed slightly, and her voice softened.

"Big Brother Lu, is the water temperature suitable?"

Lu Chen gave a slight nod without speaking.

The room fell quiet for a while.

Little Green bit her lip. Hesitant and uncertain, she did not know how to grow closer to Lu Chen.

Just then, Lu Chen suddenly opened his eyes and looked at the maid. "You may leave."

"Once the medicinal bath is ready, that's enough. You don't need to attend to me here."

Lu Chen did not like having someone attend to him while he bathed. It made his whole body feel uncomfortable.

At his words, Little Green's face burned. She felt somewhat vexed, but in the end, she could only take her leave.

Lu Chen closed his eyes again.

The heat seeped through his skin and into his body, while his blood and qi slowly circulated through his chest and abdomen. The medicinal power of the bath was not as fierce as Blood-Qi Powder, but it prevailed in its lasting effect, like a warm tide washing away the fatigue in his muscles and sinews again and again.

He could clearly feel the soreness in his body fading.

Another wisp of blood and qi had gathered around his heart.

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

The color of the medicinal broth in the tub had faded considerably. Most of its dense medicinal fragrance had dispersed, leaving behind only a faint bitterness.

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

His skin was faintly red, and heat seemed to flow beneath it. The heavy fatigue he had felt after practicing his fists had vanished, replaced by a lightness that came from his muscles and bones stretching open.

Then, a light screen silently appeared before his eyes.

Coiling Dragon Stance Art: Minor Achievement

Progress: 445/500

Azure Dragon Through-the-Arms Fist: Minor Achievement

Progress: 125/500

Iron Thread Grappling Hand: Not Yet Initiated

Progress: 2/100

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

Over the past few days, he had spent less time standing in stance and practicing his fists than he had at the martial arts school. Yet the progress of his techniques had grown twice as quickly as before.

Sometimes, after practicing once, his technique progress could increase by two points.

The growth of this technique progress doesn't seem to be measured entirely by the number of times I practice. It also depends on my understanding and insight into the technique...

Lu Chen made a faint guess.

Then, sensing the two wisps of blood and qi surging around his heart, joy appeared on his face.

"The Blood-Qi Powder my master bestowed last time has already been completely refined and absorbed by me, nourishing a new wisp of blood and qi."

"Only seven days have passed..."

Grandmaster Ge Ye had once said that for an ordinary martial artist in the initial Blood-Moving Realm, refining one packet of Blood-Qi Powder over ten days was already considered steady. If one greedily rushed for success and the medicinal power accumulated inside the body, it would instead damage the body.

Yet he had needed only seven days.

"Could it be because both the Coiling Dragon Stance Art and the Azure Dragon Through-the-Arms Fist have reached Minor Achievement?"

A thought surfaced in Lu Chen's mind.

His stance art and fist technique had both reached Minor Achievement. Working in tandem, they seemed to make his efficiency in circulating blood and qi and refining medicinal power far exceed that of ordinary martial artists.

"Still, being fast is useless."

Lu Chen sighed helplessly.

He had spent all ten taels of silver. He had bought medicinal baths, two packets of Blood-Qi Powder, and a month of meat supplied at three taels.

"Money really doesn't last."

The next morning.

Lu Chen still rose early and practiced the Coiling Dragon Stance in the training area outside his room.

His feet opened and closed, his soles planted firmly on the ground. His waist and hips slowly rotated, drawing his entire spine into motion as it rose and fell, like an Azure Dragon Coiling Body, tempering his sinews and bones.

With every breath, his chest and abdomen rose and fell slowly. The heat left in his body by the medicinal bath the previous night was drawn along bit by bit, sinking into his lower abdomen before circulating slowly with his blood and qi.

The cool breeze brushed against him, yet it could not scatter the stream of heat within his body.

At that moment, the door to another room in the row of houses creaked open.

Liu Heng walked out wearing a guard's martial uniform.

He had only just returned from the deep mountains with the escort team the previous night and had not slept soundly. A trace of weariness still showed on his face. But when he raised his head and saw the unfamiliar figure practicing the Coiling Dragon Stance in the center of the training ground, his eyes immediately turned cold.

"You're Lu Chen?"

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

Liu Heng was around twenty years old. He was somewhat more robust than Liu Xiaolou, and a gloomy cast lay between his brows.

Lu Chen said, "I am."

He looked at Liu Heng and thought of Qian Ming's warning from the day before.

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

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

"Good. Fists and feet have no eyes." Liu Heng let out a cold snort and suddenly attacked Lu Chen.

"My fists and feet don't have eyes either!"

Before his words had faded, he had already charged forward.

Liu Heng's Iron Thread Grappling Hand was more ruthless than Liu Xiaolou's, and several degrees more seasoned.

He did not go straight for Lu Chen's throat. Instead, he pressed forward and closed the distance, his right hand feinting toward Lu Chen's wrist while his left secretly sought to seize Lu Chen's elbow.

Lu Chen reacted quickly as well. The instant Liu Heng moved, he slid his foot aside to evade the elbow lock. His right arm unfurled in one fluid motion, and Azure Dragon Claw from the Azure Dragon Through-the-Arms Fist shot straight toward Liu Heng's left temple.

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

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

Smack! Smack! Smack!

Crisp collision sounds rang across the training ground.

The guards who had not yet fully woken up were roused one after another.

"What's going on?"

"Who's fighting so early in the morning?"

"It seems to be Liu Heng and the new arrival, Lu Chen!"

Several guards ran out of their rooms with clothes draped over them. When they saw the two fighting in the training ground, their spirits instantly rose, and all traces of sleepiness vanished.

Before long, more and more people gathered to watch.

Qian Ming also walked out of his room and yawned. Seeing Liu Heng and Lu Chen locked in combat, he could not help shaking his head. "I knew Liu Heng would make a scene like this as soon as he came back."

In the center of 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 after truly exchanging blows, he discovered that Lu Chen was extremely difficult to deal with.

His fist technique changed fluidly. The Azure Dragon Through-the-Arms Fist stretched like a dragon, combining hardness and softness as he advanced and retreated. Whenever Liu Heng was about to seize his wrist or elbow, Lu Chen always slipped away at an angle Liu Heng could never have expected.

Seeing Lu Chen actually hold his own against Liu Heng, the onlookers were astonished.

"This newcomer's pretty good. He can actually last so many rounds against Liu Heng."

"Hmph. Looks like what you practice isn't the Azure Dragon Through-the-Arms Fist, but the Mudskipper Fist!" Liu Heng mocked him before attacking again.

His blood and qi surged. The muscles in both arms tightened, and his five fingers shot forward like iron hooks.

Lu Chen did not meet him head-on. Instead, he turned steadily on his feet and drove power through his waist and back. His right arm curled like an Azure Dragon Coiling Body, wrapping around Liu Heng's arm.

His left fist then shot out from beneath his ribs and struck straight toward Liu Heng's chest.

Piercing Clouds, Entering the Sea!

Liu Heng's expression changed slightly. He hurriedly withdrew his hand to block.

Boom!

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

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

The watching guards immediately cried out in alarm.

"Good heavens, this newcomer can really fight!"

"Liu Heng, are you even any good? You can't take down a newcomer!"

Hearing the comments, Liu Heng's expression grew even uglier.

He had originally intended to beat Lu Chen in front of everyone and vent his family's anger.

But after fighting for so long, not only had he failed to gain the upper hand, he had instead allowed Lu Chen to establish his reputation among the guards and made himself lose face.

"Damn it!"

Cursing inwardly, Liu Heng gathered his fury and prepared to pounce at Lu Chen again.

Then a loud shout rang out.

"Enough!"

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

The oppressive presence of a Blood-Moving Minor Achievement martial artist spread out, and the surrounding guards instantly fell silent.

Liu Heng's movements froze.

Lu Chen also used the opportunity to retreat a step and stood with his fists lowered.

Zhao Yiting's gaze swept over Lu Chen first before landing on Liu Heng.

"Don't you know the Medicine Shop's rules? Private fights in the courtyard aren't allowed."

Liu Heng could only lower his banner and cease his attack. He lowered his head and said, "Captain Zhao, I only wanted to test the newcomer's strength. I had no intention of violating the Medicine Shop's rules."

Zhao Yiting sneered. "Test his strength? Come, then. I'll test yours."

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 will be in the time it takes an incense stick to burn. Anyone late will have half a day's wages deducted!"

The guards immediately scattered in every direction.