Li Qing

Another half month passed in the blink of an eye.

It was late autumn, and fallen leaves drifted everywhere.

The old locust tree in the Yam Herb Shop's rear courtyard had turned mostly yellow. Whenever the wind blew, withered leaves spiraled down, carpeting the ground.

The weather had already turned cold. At morning roll call, the guards' breath came out in white clouds as they spoke.

Throughout that half month, Lu Chen had scarcely let up.

He rose early every day to practice his stance, trained his fists in the evening, and, after his nightly medicinal bath, continued studying the variations of the Azure Dragon Through-the-Arms Fist and the Iron Thread Grappling Hand.

The medicinal baths washed away his fatigue, meat nourished his muscles and bones, and Blood-Qi Powder strengthened his blood qi.

Of all the silver he poured into his training, not a single tael went to waste.

The blood qi within him grew from five strands to eight.

Eight strands of blood qi circulated through his chest and abdomen. Though they had yet to truly converge into a stream, they were already far more substantial than when he first entered the Blood-Moving Realm.

Along with that, Lu Chen's strength rose to over eight hundred jin. One punch could split an ordinary wooden training post on the spot, and even cast iron would take a fist imprint three inches deep.

That afternoon, quite a crowd gathered at the training ground in front of the guards' quarters.

Everyone hurried over as soon as they finished lunch.

Lu Chen was going to spar with Li Qing.

Li Qing was an outstanding disciple of the Thousand Crane Martial Hall, and the art he practiced was its renowned Thousand Crane Cloud-Piercing Hand.

Among the Yam Herb Shop's guards, Li Qing had always been considered the best fighter beneath Zhao Yiting.

"Li Qing's really stepping into the ring?"

"Lu Chen's been riding higher and higher lately. He's beaten everyone in the Yam Herb Shop without a single loss. It's about time someone blunted his edge."

"I wouldn't be so sure. Lu Chen might win, and then we'll have to reshuffle the rankings in this courtyard."

Speculation buzzed around the edge of the training ground.

Leaning against the wall, Qian Ming watched the two men in the center and drawled, "We're in for a good show today. Azure Dragon Through-the-Arms Fist against Thousand Crane Cloud-Piercing Hand—a dragon fighting a crane. Now that's something to look forward to."

Just then, Zhou Li hurriedly squeezed into the crowd, carrying a small jar of Qujiang Red he had just bought from Little Prosperity Tower.

"Make way, make way!"

As he pushed through, he protected the wine jar against his chest, afraid someone might knock it and break it.

"Well? Have they started?"

"Good thing I made it!"

Someone laughed and cursed, "Old Zhou, you certainly know how to enjoy yourself! You even brought a damned jar of wine!"

Zhou Li glared at him. "What do you know? When experts exchange blows, how could we not have fine wine to go with it?"

He squeezed to the very front, glanced between Lu Chen and Li Qing, and lowered his voice. "Who's more likely to win?"

"I'd say Li Qing. He broke through to the Blood-Moving Realm a year ago, so he's built up substantial blood qi. Add in all the variations of his Thousand Crane Cloud-Piercing Hand, and Lu Chen certainly won't have an easy time."

Someone offered this earnest analysis.

"What nonsense. Didn't you see Lu Chen practicing in the courtyard yesterday? He nearly punched straight through the courtyard wall."

"Li Qing beating Lu Chen on raw strength? Hah, I don't believe it!"

Someone firmly backed Lu Chen.

Li Qing stood in the center of the training ground. He was tall and slender, with refined, handsome features. His fingers were slightly longer than most people's, their joints clearly defined.

He cupped his fist toward Lu Chen. "Lu Chen, I won't hold back in this spar."

Lu Chen returned the salute. "Come at me freely, Brother Li. Fists and feet have no eyes. Even if I get hurt, it'll only mean my skills weren't good enough. I won't blame you in the slightest."

Li Qing smiled, but his expression grew serious. "Then I won't stand on ceremony!"

"Here I come!"

Before his words had faded, he pushed off the ground and swept toward Lu Chen as lightly as a white crane gliding through the autumn wind.

Thousand Crane Cloud-Piercing Hand!

His right hand feinted toward Lu Chen's face, five fingers slightly spread like a crane's beak pecking at the clouds, while his left hand remained hidden beneath his sleeve, silently slicing toward the pulse point at Lu Chen's wrist.

One feint, one true strike, so fast they dazzled the eye.

Lu Chen sank his shoulders and back. His arms lashed like a dragon's whiskers, cutting off every one of Li Qing's attacks.

Bang!

Fist and palm collided.

With his left hand intercepted, a flicker of surprise crossed Li Qing's eyes. He immediately turned, unleashing both hands in an unbroken chain.

Shadows of palms fluttered through the air.

His footwork was light and nimble as he circled Lu Chen, his hands darting high and low, left and right. One moment he feinted toward the point between Lu Chen's brows, the next he sliced toward the tendons at his elbow; one moment he guarded himself with a palm, the next his fingers stabbed straight at Lu Chen's shoulder and neck.

Attack and defense formed a seamless whole, with feints and true strikes interwoven.

This was precisely what made the Thousand Crane Cloud-Piercing Hand so troublesome.

The spectators could scarcely keep up.

"Li Qing really is an outstanding disciple of the Thousand Crane Martial Hall. His hands are so fast."

In the center of the training ground, Lu Chen remained composed throughout. He did not let Li Qing draw him into his rhythm.

Instead, his fists struck like dragons, every move driving straight at Li Qing's joints and forcing him to change his attacks or even fall back to defend.

Every time their fists and palms collided, Li Qing felt as though he had struck a heavy length of ironwood. Force shuddered back along his arms, leaving his finger joints numb.

Li Qing was inwardly alarmed, only to see Lu Chen's gaze sharpen.

All eight strands of blood qi surged at once. Power rose from his feet, coursed through his waist and back, and reached his shoulders and arms.

Azure Dragon Emerges from the Abyss!

His fist suddenly surged upward, like an azure dragon raising its head from the depths of a pool.

The wind of his punch howled, tearing straight through the shifting feints and true strikes between Li Qing's hands.

Li Qing's pupils contracted. He hurriedly drew both palms back, crossing them in front of himself to block.

Bang!

A dull impact rang out.

Li Qing was driven back five full steps, crushing several withered leaves underfoot. Only after bumping into the crowd at the edge of the training ground did he barely regain his footing.

His arms trembled slightly, blood qi churned in his chest, and his face went pale.

Before he could react, Lu Chen's pursuing fist had already stopped three inches from his chest.

The training ground fell silent for a moment.

Then the watching guards erupted.

"He won!"

"Lu Chen really beat Li Qing!"

Li Qing looked down at the fist three inches from his chest, gave a bitter smile, and cupped his fist. "Lu Chen, I lost."

Lu Chen withdrew his fist and returned the salute. "Your Thousand Crane Cloud-Piercing Hand is so swift it's hard to read, Brother Li. If my fist technique hadn't improved recently, I might not have won."

Li Qing shook his head, taking it in stride.

"A loss is a loss."

He looked at Lu Chen without a trace of resentment, only a measure of admiration. "That punch of yours carried tremendous force, like a dragon breaking out of the abyss. I truly couldn't withstand it."

Zhao Yiting was also standing behind the crowd.

His arms were folded across his chest. He had only heard that Lu Chen was going to spar with Li Qing and stopped by to take a look.

But after watching the fight in full, his expression changed.

No one knew Li Qing's level better than he did.

A disciple of the Thousand Crane Martial Hall, he had already attained minor mastery of the Thousand Crane Cloud-Piercing Hand. His strikes were fast, precise, and ruthless, and he had always been one of the Yam Herb Shop's most presentable guards.

Yet today, Li Qing had lost.

Lu Chen had all but crushed him.

Zhao Yiting watched Lu Chen standing in the training ground with his fist withdrawn, a gleam of delighted surprise rising in his eyes that he could scarcely conceal.

"This lad..."

He murmured under his breath.

How long had Lu Chen been at the Yam Herb Shop?

Just over a month.

Within his first few days, he had beaten Liu Heng flat. Now he had defeated Li Qing, the foremost martial artist among the guards.

And judging by his robust blood qi, rooted stance, and superb fist technique, every punch and movement already bore the mark of a martial arts expert.

Zhao Yiting's eyes flickered as his thoughts turned. He glanced toward the pill room and muttered to himself, "In a few days, Master Ge Ye is going to Gaolin County for the medicinal fair to purchase autumn-harvest herbs and take a look at the pill formula auction."

"I could have this lad make the trip in my place and broaden his horizons along the way."