Big Brother, I Missed You So Much...

Half an hour later.

At the inner city gate, the two met up again and hurried together toward Little Path Bay.

On the road, Chen An glanced at Shen Xiuhan's basket, stuffed to the brim, and could not help asking curiously, "Brother Han, why did you buy so much stuff?"

"There's no surplus grain at home. I had to stock up."

Shen Xiuhan adjusted the fish basket on his shoulder.

This trip, he had indeed bought quite a bit of grain and food.

Two pounds of millet, two pounds of cornmeal, and half a pound of coarse salt.

He had originally wanted to buy some soy sauce, but after asking the price, he found it far too expensive—twenty copper coins for one tael—so he gave up on the idea.

Instead, he went to the butcher's and bought a pound of fatty pork belly.

He had also specially brought back three taels of Longcloud County's local snack, Grilled Fish Bones, for Shen Momo.

Rice, oil, salt, flour, and meat had cost him forty-seven copper coins altogether.

Just before leaving East Market, he spotted a small stall selling salted duck eggs at a street corner.

Thinking of Momo's sallow, skinny little face, Shen Xiuhan did not hesitate. He took out ten copper coins and bought two salted duck eggs.

Salted duck eggs were rich in salt, but more importantly, they held a pool of bright red duck oil inside.

For someone sallow, weak, and long deprived of meat, this was a great tonic.

Together with the two Black Bighead Carp, this trip had truly been bountiful.

But the expense had been high too!

Of the three hundred and thirty copper coins from selling the fish, he had spent fifty-seven, leaving a little over two hundred and seventy in his arms.

That was right—those two strings of coins Ma Xianyang had given Shen Xiuhan contained a full two hundred coins!

He had truly been generous with his money!

It also made Shen Xiuhan deeply curious about him, and he kept asking Chen An about Ma Xianyang.

"Senior Brother Ma is the third inner-court disciple of Through-the-Back Martial Hall. Among Longcloud County's younger generation, he's a famous figure!"

At the mention of Ma Xianyang, Chen An's face filled with reverence and yearning as he could not help sighing. "They say... Senior Brother Ma's cultivation has already reached the peak of Blood Tempering!"

"You were standing too far away just now, so you couldn't feel it. His blood and qi are so vigorous he's like a blazing furnace—he doesn't even need to wear a padded coat in the bitter cold of winter!"

"I also heard that Senior Brother Ma tempers his body day and night, and has already come infinitely close to the threshold of Bone Tempering!"

"Blood Tempering? Bone Tempering?"

Shen Xiuhan's heart jolted. He yearned greatly for martial arts, and quickly pressed on, "Chen An, could you explain the realms of martial arts to me in detail?"

"We're brothers. What can't I tell you?"

Chen An grinned, clasped both hands behind his head, and spoke as they walked.

"The martial path is divided into three great realms: Open Force, Hidden Force, and Transforming Force."

"Let's not talk about the higher ones. We'll just discuss the first hurdle of martial training—Open Force."

"Open Force is further divided into three lesser realms: Blood Tempering, Bone Tempering, and Sinew Tempering."

"Blood Tempering, as the name suggests, means using martial stances to drive the blood and qi within one's body into a raging surge!"

At this point, Chen An cleared his throat.

"There's a saying in Through-the-Back Martial Hall: 'Blood and qi boil like soup; through the deepest winter, one withstands the frost. Torn skin and mangled flesh do not count as wounds!'"

"The last line is somewhat exaggerated, but it is true enough. Once a martial artist enters Blood Tempering, any nonfatal external injury heals much faster than it would for an ordinary person."

"With these three characteristics, one can be considered to have mastered Blood Tempering and may attempt to break through into Bone Tempering."

"So that's how it is..."

Shen Xiuhan's eyes had been opened. He asked again curiously, "Then what about Bone Tempering? What are its characteristics?"

"Bone Tempering?"

Chen An suddenly pulled a stern face, raised his brows, and barked, "You haven't even entered Blood Tempering yet, and you're already thinking about Bone Tempering? Reaching too high! Go, I sentence you to... cough, cough... Senior Brother hasn't taught Sinew Tempering yet."

"But Senior Brother did say that only by entering the Blood Tempering realm could one be considered to have stepped through the gate of martial arts."

"Most people in this world who train martial arts cannot cross that threshold even after suffering and striving for a lifetime. In the end, they merely learn a few farmer's tricks..."

By the end, Chen An seemed to have thought of something. His voice gradually fell, and a hint of discouragement showed on his face.

Shen Xiuhan's heart stirred. He patted Chen An's shoulder. "Then I envy you too."

"Being accepted into a martial hall in the inner city already counts as making something of yourself. If you achieve even a little success, it would be a splendid matter that brings honor to your ancestors."

"Taking a step back, even if you cannot truly enter the path, the foundation you learn at the martial hall can still get you work guarding a wealthy household, serving as an escort runner for an escort agency, or finding a post with the county yamen's constable corps... You'll have a steady living for the rest of your life."

Hearing this, Chen An's mood indeed improved. He gave a foolish grin.

"That's true... My mother said that after the family scraped together eight taels of silver for my tuition, as long as I'm willing to endure hardship, I definitely won't have to worry about work in the future. Getting married, having children, and building a family should happen within the next couple of years."

Eight taels of silver for tuition!

Shen Xiuhan's eyelids twitched.

One tael of silver was worth a thousand copper coins. Eight taels meant an enormous sum of eight thousand copper coins.

With a little over two hundred copper coins in his arms, he had thought himself suddenly wealthy.

Now, it seemed he was still far from it.

If he wanted to enter a martial hall through the proper channels, there was no hope of it anytime soon.

After a moment of silence, Shen Xiuhan raised another question. "By the way, Chen An, are there higher realms beyond Transforming Force?"

"Of course there are..."

A trace of confusion appeared in Chen An's eyes.

"But as an outer-court disciple like me, I can't come into contact with what they're called."

"Anyway, Longcloud County definitely has no such heaven-reaching figures."

"Southern Township Commandery City probably does."

The two chatted as they walked, and before they knew it, they had reached Little Path Bay.

Shen Xiuhan had originally planned to make a detour to the northern woods and look for the winter food hoard of the Golden-Tailed Rats mentioned in "Intelligence ②."

But with Chen An beside him, he could only put it off for now and wait until tomorrow to find time to go.

When they reached Chen An's door, the two waved goodbye.

Shen Xiuhan stepped over the snow and headed up the slope alone.

Soon, three dilapidated thatched huts came into view.

The fence gate stood wide open.

From afar, a tiny, thin figure could be seen curled up by the entrance, as though waiting for someone.

At the sound of footsteps crunching through snow—

The little figure abruptly stood up and rose onto her tiptoes, carefully making him out for a moment.

The next second, like a fledgling swallow, she threw herself at him without hesitation.

"Big Brother, Big Brother's back!"

"Momo missed you so much!"

Hearing that bright, clear cry, Shen Xiuhan felt the exhaustion from spending half a day in the freezing ice and snow vanish in an instant.

No matter how tired he was, it was worth it.

Smiling, he crouched down and opened his arms, catching the little girl securely against his chest.

Shen Momo clung tightly to him and raised her little face. Worry shimmered in her eyes.

"Big Brother, why were you gone for so long? It's already dark. Momo waited and waited..."

"I went to catch fish for Momo, of course. Look, what did I bring you?"

Entering the thatched hut, Shen Xiuhan removed his fish basket, took out an oil-paper packet, and opened it to reveal the golden Grilled Fish Bones inside.

This was a local snack unique to Longcloud County.

Bits of fish meat and small fish bones left from filleting were coated in flour, fried in oil, and sprinkled with salt. Crispy, savory, and fragrant, they were children's favorite.

"Grilled Fish Bones!!"

The little girl's eyes widened round, and she nearly began to drool.

"Are these for Momo?"

"Of course."

Shen Xiuhan picked up one and held it to her lips.

As if she had received a priceless treasure, the little girl carefully leaned forward and took a small bite.

With a crisp crunch, rich oil and savory saltiness exploded across her tongue.

Shen Momo's large eyes immediately curved into two tiny crescent moons with happiness.

"Delicious! So delicious! Big Brother, you eat some too!"