Inside the reception hall, shadows from the windows dappled the room.
Seeing Shi Xiuyan dismiss the other two, Liu Wangzhou asked in surprise, "Could there be some secret behind this trip?"
His gaze settled on Shi Xiuyan. Seeing the gravity on his face, he knew this was no trivial matter.
The next moment, Shi Xiuyan slowly explained, "The journey to the Prefecture City was calm and uneventful, but on the way back, we ran into a group of desperate outlaws."
Liu Wangzhou did not interrupt, merely listening in silence. By all reason, a group of desperate outlaws should not have made Shi Xiuyan look like this.
"That group of outlaws was a nest of mountain bandits. They lost a conflict in the mountains and were forced to flee."
"Could it have been infighting among the mountain bandits?"
Shi Xiuyan took a sip of tea, his brows tightly furrowed. "I fear it was more than that... I interrogated the bandit leader. Deep in the mountains, a bandit force has risen and is swallowing up local bandits everywhere."
Hearing this, Liu Wangzhou said thoughtfully,
"If that is the case, then the rumors from a year ago that people from the Azure Cloud Bandits had appeared here may be connected to this matter."
"Brother Wangzhou, signs of turmoil are gradually emerging in these times. We must make preparations early," Shi Xiuyan reminded him deliberately.
Liu Wangzhou nodded. "Our two households should watch out for and aid one another."
"That is only right." Shi Xiuyan paused briefly, his words carrying deeper meaning. "Brother Wangzhou, you might consider asking that lord in the Prefecture City..."
Liu Wangzhou did not respond to those words, merely giving a slight nod.
The streets bustled with people, and Verdant Grain County remained brightly lit at dusk.
Verdant Grain County was backed by mountains and bordered by water. Its waterways connected to Water Transport, while its mountains offered passage to merchant caravans. It was the most prosperous county beneath the Prefecture City.
Liu Yunche and Shi Qingyue strolled along the street, casually chatting about elegant tales and amusing anecdotes.
Liu Yunche's eyes held a smile, yet a trace of vigilance lay deep within them.
This was his first time leaving home since being poisoned. He did not know whether the mastermind behind it would strike again.
Shi Qingyue suddenly invited him,
"Yunche, what is the point of practicing martial arts alone at home? Why not come to the martial school? We brothers can train together."
Liu Yunche shook his head and joked,
"I am laying my foundations now. I do not need you, Qing Yue, to serve as a human training post yet."
Shi Qingyue clenched his fist and symbolically tapped Liu Yunche's chest, laughing wildly.
"Good boy, you want to use me as a human training post? When the time comes, we will see who becomes the human punching bag."
Liu Yunche changed the subject. "Besides, the person who poisoned me has yet to reveal himself. I do not know whether there are others behind him."
At the mention of this, Shi Qingyue's expression turned solemn. "I did not think this through. In that case, I will come find you after I break through to Flesh Tempering."
Liu Yunche nodded with a smile. "All right. Once you break through Flesh Tempering, you can practice saber techniques with me."
His bearing was steady and composed as he continued, "Qing Yue, it is late today. Let us meet again another day."
"Fine, then I will escort you back..." Shi Qingyue was about to escort Liu Yunche home when he caught sight of a carriage approaching from the corner of his eye. "Someone from your household has come to pick you up. I will be leaving first, then."
A middle-aged man jumped down from the carriage and clasped his fists in greeting. "Young Master, Young Master Shi."
Liu Yunche nodded. After bidding Shi Qingyue farewell, he boarded the carriage.
Amid the sound of hoofbeats, the carriage gradually disappeared into the distance.
Shi Qingyue watched the carriage and muttered,
"Yunche has truly changed a great deal. Could this be the great fortune Father spoke of, born between life and death?"
That day, within Cloud Perch Courtyard, Liu Yunche let his hands fall to his sides and slowly concluded his training.
Under the sunlight, his shadow stretched long. Where he stood, there was not a trace of sweat.
The heat around his body gradually faded, his inner breath settling back into his dantian. A gentle, scorching afterglow lingered between his muscles and skin, while his limbs and bones felt full and vigorous, entirely free of the soreness and exhaustion that usually followed training.
His frame was somewhat lean, but his complexion was rosy, with none of his former pallor or frailty remaining.
It had been ten days since he returned from his outing. Over those ten days, Liu Yunche had consumed a section of precious ginseng every day to nourish himself.
The medicinal power accumulated day by day, soaking into his meridians. Not only had his body fully recovered, but his physical vitality far surpassed what it had once been. This allowed him to progress rapidly in martial arts, particularly in the Nurturing Origin Stance.
As he thoroughly integrated the Saber Grandmaster ability, his Nurturing Origin Stance had reached the Major Accomplishment Realm. Of course, this had also completely exhausted the foundation of the Saber Grandmaster.
If he wished to advance further and reach the Perfected Realm, he would need to rely on his own hard work and painstaking tempering.
With the Nurturing Origin Stance at Major Accomplishment, the force it generated grew increasingly vigorous. Streams of warm air flowed endlessly through his limbs and body, repeatedly hammering his flesh and muscles from within. Day after day, his skin and flesh were tempered by that force, becoming tight and resilient, while the strength of his body tempering far exceeded that of the past.
Liu Yunche extended a finger and gently placed it against the trunk of an ancient tree. The flesh of his fingertip tightened and hardened. With a slight exertion of force, he pressed downward, and a shallow fingerprint immediately formed in the bark.
Looking up, he saw that similar marks already covered the surrounding tree trunks.
These were all traces left by Liu Yunche's daily bitter training. From faint marks that had barely left a trace at first to the clear, deep imprints of today, they testified step by step to the steady improvement of his body and cultivation.
"At this rate, I should be able to leave marks on stone slabs in a few more days," Liu Yunche murmured.
Leaving imprints on hard bluestone was something only martial artists who had entered the Copper Skin Realm could accomplish.
With skin and flesh toughened, and the outer body hardened like copper, it also meant that Liu Yunche was only a stone's throw from stepping into the Copper Skin Realm.
Liu Yunche murmured to himself, his gaze resting on the mottled marks upon the ancient tree as he secretly pondered the threshold of the Copper Skin Realm.
Outside Cloud Perch Courtyard, a set of steady, unhurried footsteps gradually approached. Without anyone announcing him, a figure in green robes slowly stepped into the courtyard. It was his father, Liu Wangzhou.
Noticing the footsteps, Liu Yunche turned his head. Seeing that his father had arrived, he hurried over. "Father, why have you come?"
Liu Wangzhou calmly glanced at the mottled marks on the ancient tree and nodded in satisfaction.
"You have not stepped outside these past days, instead diligently training in martial arts. I happened to have some free time today, so I came to see how much progress you have made."
"Now that I see your bones and muscles are strong and your complexion rosy, I can rest assured."
Liu Yunche invited Liu Wangzhou to sit and poured him a cup of tea. "Thank you for your concern, Father. I feel better than ever now."
Liu Wangzhou took a light sip of tea, smiling at the corners of his eyes as he said warmly, "Perform the Nurturing Origin Stance once. Let me see how well you have practiced it."
"Yes, Father."
Following the form of the Nurturing Origin Stance, Liu Yunche took his stance nearby. Relaxing his waist, drawing in his buttocks, rounding his chest, straightening his back—such essentials were already ingrained in his heart.
Under his deliberate concealment, he displayed the Nurturing Origin Stance at the Minor Accomplishment Realm before Liu Wangzhou.
"Minor Accomplishment in the Nurturing Origin Stance after just over ten days?" Liu Wangzhou's gaze sharpened, and his sword-like brows lifted slightly. The thought flashed through his mind. "Not bad at all."
However, a hint of scrutiny appeared in his eyes. Next, at Liu Wangzhou's signal, Liu Yunche demonstrated the Gale Swift Saber once.
In an instant, Cloud Perch Courtyard seemed to have been swept by a gale. Liu Yunche's saber light surged with tremendous force, rolling up leaves that filled the sky. Wherever each flash of saber light passed, several leaves split apart.
After watching, Liu Wangzhou fell silent for a moment before slowly commenting, "The Gale Swift Saber places emphasis on the word swift. Your saber is now like a gale sweeping through, but you have lost the true essence of the saber art."
"When your saber can strike without a sound, leaving behind only a streak of white radiance, that is when you will have truly grasped its essence."
Liu Wangzhou paused, a smile on his lips. His eyes were full of gratification as he looked at Liu Yunche, though there was also a trace of surprise.
"As for the Nurturing Origin Stance, you are not merely at the Minor Accomplishment Realm, are you?"
Liu Yunche's fingers tightened around the saber hilt. He had deliberately concealed his strength because he did not want his father to know of his terrifying rate of progress and bring unnecessary trouble upon himself.
After all, he could not explain the matter of his golden finger, nor could he possibly reveal it.
Seeing Liu Yunche remain silent, Liu Wangzhou patted his shoulder and casually said, "Your Nurturing Origin Stance has reached Major Accomplishment, has it not?"
Liu Yunche's heart tightened slightly. He did not know whether his father had merely seen through his Nurturing Origin Stance, or whether he had also noticed something amiss with his saber foundation.
Following his father's words, he scratched his head with clear eyes, wearing an expression of puzzled surprise at being exposed. "Father sees all."
A smile filled Liu Wangzhou's eyes. He was clearly intending to offer Liu Yunche some guidance. "Do you know why I noticed?"
"Please enlighten me, Father."
"Fingerprints." Liu Wangzhou slowly spoke the two words.
Only upon hearing those two words did Liu Yunche understand where he had slipped up.
Liu Wangzhou continued, "Your fingerprints can leave such marks upon an ancient tree. You are not far from Copper Skin."
"Progress like this cannot be explained by the Nurturing Origin Stance at Minor Accomplishment."
Liu Yunche was utterly convinced. "Father truly has eyes like blazing torches. Thank you for your correction. From now on, I will certainly correct this and think everything through before acting."
"I do not oppose you hiding your capabilities, but you cannot leave behind details for others to notice."
Liu Wangzhou sighed. "These times have never been free of disorder. Verdant Grain County may look peaceful, scenic, and prosperous on the surface, but in the shadows, the strong rule."
"If you wish to rise above others, martial arts are your only path."
"Some days ago, your Uncle Shi was invited to escort a family to the Prefecture City. On the return journey, he encountered bandits."
"This shows that the unrest has gradually spread to Verdant Grain County."
Liu Wangzhou looked at Liu Yunche and solemnly instructed, "Whenever you go out in the future, I will have Old Wei accompany you. Only then will I be at ease."
Liu Yunche listened quietly at the side without interrupting. His expression was solemn. Everything Liu Wangzhou said was hard-earned wisdom from experience, and he silently committed it to heart.
The Old Wei Liu Wangzhou spoke of was named Wei Cong. He was an Attendant of the residence and an expert at the Tendon Forging level.
"Thank you, Father. I do not plan to leave home anytime soon. I only wish to focus wholeheartedly on breaking through to Copper Skin."
Liu Wangzhou nodded. After offering a few more instructions regarding the obstacles and key points of breaking through to Copper Skin, he left alone.
Liu Wangzhou followed the bluestone path to the deepest part of the estate. There was a small courtyard there, its scenery no different from that of the other courtyards.
Pushing open the main hall's door, Liu Wangzhou stepped inside. A portrait hung in the room, depicting a middle-aged man with upright features who bore a seventy percent resemblance to Liu Wangzhou.
Liu Wangzhou skillfully took out incense candles and placed them in the censer before the portrait.
Smoke rose slowly from the burning incense candles. Through the haze, Liu Wangzhou gazed at the portrait and sighed.
"Father, our Liu Household has produced a true genius. He is your grandson, and my son—Liu Yunche."
Joy filled his tone. At middle age, a man was not always master of his own fate. Over the years, Liu Wangzhou had shouldered the entire household alone. Only when worries filled his heart and bitterness weighed upon him would he come here to speak with his father.
"That boy Yunche has practiced martial arts for barely more than ten days, yet his Nurturing Origin Stance has already reached Major Accomplishment. Few can compare to such progress."
"Funny enough, the boy even hid his skills before me, pretending he had only just reached Minor Accomplishment." Liu Wangzhou smiled casually, as though chatting with an old friend.
"What surprises me even more is that Yunche has made equally gratifying progress in the Gale Swift Saber, already reaching Minor Accomplishment."
"Of course, the saber art he displayed was far too deliberate. It gave me the feeling that he was binding himself hand and foot. He has likely already reached Major Accomplishment as well."
At this point, Liu Wangzhou threw back his head and laughed. "Hahaha..."
A moment later, the laughter abruptly stopped. Liu Wangzhou suddenly recalled how, in his own youth, he had hidden his abilities before his father in just the same way.
He suddenly raised his head, his gaze falling upon the eyes in the portrait. Those eyes stared straight ahead, their sharpness concealing a trace of tenderness.
Perhaps back then, his father had also noticed the clues, just as he had, but simply chose not to expose him.
For a time, Liu Wangzhou's eyes were filled with complicated emotions. After a long while, he let out a soft sigh before slowly speaking.
"Truly a shared bloodline..."
Before you continue