Genius and Mediocrity

Early the next morning, East Market Outpost.

The moment Zhou Muyun stepped into the outpost, he heard his colleagues discussing something.

"Hey, did you hear? All those gangs in the Outer City have been wiped out."

"Who did it? Did the County Magistrate deploy the Great Xia Guard?"

"No. I heard it was an organization called the World-Saving Sect. Lots of people are saying good things about them."

"Who cares what sect it is? I've been sick of those gangs for ages. Good riddance."

"..."

It seemed the news had already spread throughout the county.

Zhou Muyun thought this was a good thing. Whether the sect was righteous or evil, this incident would certainly draw the County Magistrate's Office's attention.

An evil sect would inevitably be eradicated, while even a righteous sect would surely be kept in check. Though the Great Xia Dynasty was not overly strict in its control over forces within its borders,

it could not possibly allow some so-called sect to openly win over the hearts of the people with such fanfare.

Later, while making his usual patrol rounds, Zhou Muyun received another piece of information in a conversation with Lu Ming:

"County Magistrate Zhang Ming has announced that he is entering seclusion. The military adviser has voluntarily led people to the World-Saving Sect's headquarters for negotiations."

Could the County Magistrate's seclusion mean he had touched upon the bottleneck beyond the Blood Exchange Realm?

After serving here for so long, Zhou Muyun already knew that the strongest person in all of Yunlin County was County Magistrate Zhang Ming.

At the peak of the Blood Exchange Realm, and a disciple from a sect at that, his prestige was unmatched throughout Yunlin.

If he truly could take another step forward, Zhou Muyun believed it would be a good thing, both for him and for all of Yunlin County.

As for the military adviser going to seek out the World-Saving Sect, that was even more within Zhou Muyun's expectations.

Zhou Muyun did not dwell on it. After finishing his patrol, he returned to the martial hall.

"Brother Zhou, could you offer me some pointers?" Yu Qing approached Zhou Muyun, who was practicing in the training yard, and spoke with a sincere expression.

"Sure." Zhou Muyun nodded. Yu Qing was, after all, one of the few people he knew well.

The two faced each other in combat as Yu Qing spoke.

"Brother Zhou, be careful. I've just broken through to the Tempered Bone Realm, and I'm afraid I may not have full control over my strength."

Breaking through to the Tempered Bone Realm in less than three months was neither particularly slow nor particularly fast.

"It's fine. Just throw your punches."

It was not that Zhou Muyun was overly confident. With his Destiny Pattern, he had already pulled far ahead of ordinary disciples.

Yu Qing let out a fierce roar. His footwork suddenly became elusive, his fists swaying left and right as he launched Windblown Catkin Dance at Zhou Muyun.

Zhou Muyun remained as calm as ever and likewise used Windblown Catkin Dance.

Their fists and kicks collided, producing a series of thudding impacts.

But with the same technique, Yu Qing was far more rigid and mechanical, while Zhou Muyun was fluid and ever-changing.

He shifted slightly aside and dodged Yu Qing's incoming punch. His technique abruptly changed into Spring Wind Through the Crevice, and his fist shot straight for Yu Qing's chest. Yu Qing was startled and could only raise his arms in a hasty block.

Yet just as Zhou Muyun's right fist was about to strike Yu Qing's crossed arms, it suddenly changed into a palm, slipping through the gap between Yu Qing's arms like a nimble snake before stamping against his chest.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Yu Qing staggered back more than ten steps, clutching his chest. Only after a long while did he force out a bitter smile. "As expected of Brother Zhou. In your hands, this Flurry Fist flows as smoothly as water."

They had entered the martial hall at roughly the same time, yet the gap between them had already been pulled wide open.

All of this came from the sweat Zhou Muyun had poured out day after day.

Zhou Muyun cupped his fists in return and said calmly, "You let me win."

Just then, a commotion suddenly broke out in the rear courtyard.

Immediately afterward, Li Qingliang and Bai Yu emerged one after another, surrounded by the crowd.

Li Qingliang's face glowed with health, and he was all smiles. Clearly, something joyful had happened.

Everyone in the training yard stopped what they were doing and looked toward the rear courtyard entrance.

Liu Yan, Li Buhui, Mo Qi, and the others walked at the front. Liu Yan announced loudly, "Junior Brother Bai Yu has broken through to the Organ Refinement Realm!"

The words struck like thunder erupting from level ground, and for a moment, everyone wore expressions of utter disbelief.

He had entered the Organ Refinement Realm in less than three months?

One had to know that the bottleneck for breaking through to Organ Refinement was countless times harder than that of the Tempered Bone Realm.

The five viscera and six bowels were already fragile. Guiding that thread of qi and blood power to continuously scour them and make them adapt required great care; the slightest mistake could result in injury.

The power of the Tempered Bone Realm was called external force, meaning one simply possessed pure physical strength. But at the Organ Refinement Realm, that strength became something akin to internal force.

To silently invade an enemy's body and injure their five viscera and six bowels was no longer mere empty talk.

"I intend to take Bai Yu as my final disciple."

Li Qingliang's words left everyone staring in stunned amazement.

One had to know that in Greenwood Martial Hall, those who had only just entered were considered apprentices.

Those in the Tempered Bone Realm, like Zhou Muyun and the others, were called registered disciples.

Those in the Organ Refinement Realm, such as Liu Yan, Li Buhui, Leng Ni, and Mo Qi, were personal disciples.

Though Senior Brother Yan Qing was in the Blood Exchange Realm, he had reached it through the accumulation of time, so he too was a personal disciple.

But a final disciple was different. Everyone understood that this meant Li Qingliang would henceforth teach Bai Yu without holding anything back.

He would impart all the learning of his life to him without reservation. Calling them master and disciple hardly conveyed it; they were closer than father and son.

After all, a teacher for one day was a father for life. That was enough to show the weight carried by the title of final disciple.

Quite a few disciples who had spent longer at the martial hall were green with envy. Even Liu Yan and the others, disciples of prominent families, had a few more traces of envy on their faces.

"This disciple shall obey Master's command!"

Bai Yu clasped his fists respectfully, his face filled with excitement.

That afternoon, Li Qingliang made some simple arrangements in the rear courtyard.

Before the witnesses of the martial hall's disciples, Bai Yu presented his tea of apprenticeship. Once Li Qingliang accepted it and drank, Bai Yu's status as his final disciple was firmly established.

Everyone present could not help but sigh. Bai Yu had truly turned his life around this time. From now on, on the path of martial arts, so long as he did not die young,

he would at the very least reach Li Qingliang's current height, perhaps even surpass it.

The apprenticeship ceremony ended, and everyone returned to the front courtyard. Only Bai Yu remained behind.

Everyone knew that Li Qingliang was about to give him some intensive private instruction.

Quite a few disciples in the front courtyard resumed their tasks, but even more sighed with sour resentment.

Only Zhou Muyun remained unmoved, burying himself in bitter training.

The proficiency of his Willow Stake steadily rose through his persistence.

[Willow Stake, Minor Mastery (952/1200)]

The next day, Zhou Muyun returned home from practicing at Greenwood Martial Hall as usual.

A man dressed in black robes came jogging anxiously from the distance, his face hidden beneath a hood.

Perhaps he was too flustered, for he failed to watch where he was going and crashed headlong into Zhou Muyun.

After more than three months of training, Zhou Muyun had grown to one hundred and eighty-five centimeters tall. His muscles were solid, and even his shoulders had broadened.

The man's steps had already been frantic, and the collision felt as though he had slammed into a wall.

With an "Ow," he fell backward onto the ground.

Zhou Muyun was just about to help him up, but the man did not even look at him. He quickly scrambled to his feet and turned into a dilapidated residence nearby.

As he turned sideways, Zhou Muyun caught a glimpse of his profile beneath the hood. It looked somewhat familiar, yet he could not recall where he had seen him.

So he simply did not take it to heart and continued toward home.

When he got home, Xu Rou came forward to meet him. "Yun'er, didn't you tell me to let you know if anything unusual happened?

"People from the World-Saving Sect came by earlier."

"Were they trying to recruit you into their sect?" Zhou Muyun frowned. Were they planning to pull everyone into the sect?

Xu Rou shook her head and continued, "No. They said the Savage Ox Gang's leader escaped with serious injuries, and the World-Saving Sect is looking for him.

"They said that if we had any clues, we could provide them and claim a reward."

The Savage Ox Gang's leader? Wu Biao? Why were they hunting him down?

Zhou Muyun did not understand. Even if he had escaped, Wu Biao should not have been able to pose any threat to the World-Saving Sect.

After all, they had been able to eliminate every gang in the Outer City at once. Their strength was absolutely not something Wu Biao could compare to.

Could it be that Wu Biao possessed something they needed, or that he knew one of their secrets?

"Mother, as long as they don't force us to join the sect, that's enough. You and my sister don't need to concern yourselves with anything else."

"Alright, Yun'er. Your mother will listen to you. The meat is ready in the pot. Go eat quickly."

"Thank you, Mother."

Zhou Muyun went straight to the kitchen, brought out the meat from the pot, and began devouring it heartily.

After taking up martial arts, his appetite had grown enormously as well. Zhang Hu's money and his monthly patrol stipend were far from enough. Fortunately, the Leng Household's support allowed things to continue.

After finishing his meal, he went to the small courtyard and began practicing as usual.

As he trained, Zhou Muyun seemed to remember something and stopped moving.

That's right! Wasn't that black-clothed man who had bumped into him one of Zhang Hu's usual lackeys?

He had been so flustered that he must have been afraid of the World-Saving Sect. Moreover, Zhou Muyun had noticed at the time that there were several bulges beneath his black robe.

He must have bought quite a lot of things, and they definitely were not all for his own use.

With that thought, a bold guess arose in Zhou Muyun's mind.

Wu Biao was inside the residence he had turned into!

I wonder if I can defeat an injured Organ Refinement Realm martial artist now.

Once the thought came, he acted on it. Zhou Muyun returned to his room and changed into a set of nightwear he had bought earlier.

He then quietly climbed over the courtyard wall and headed toward the residence from before.

Having grown up in the Outer City, and with that residence being in an area he frequently passed through, Zhou Muyun believed that even traveling in the dark, he would never lose his way.