Huang Muheng

Jiang Jiang sat behind Zhou Ming, drinking herself into a sullen stupor.

Cup after cup went down her throat.

She stared at the figure before her.

The longer she looked, the more she felt that Zhou Yuxi before her was Zhou Ming.

Yet her brother-in-law, Lu Hao, had come looking for her that night.

He had clearly told her that this man was not Zhou Ming. Moreover, using the County Guard's unique Skin-Palpation Technique, he had confirmed that Zhou Yuxi was not wearing a disguise.

Reeking of alcohol, her cheeks flushed crimson, Jiang Jiang gazed hazily at the figure before her.

Two blurry figures kept overlapping in her eyes.

After a long while, she drank another cup and slowly moved toward Zhou Yuxi.

Zhou Ming had been watching the sparring on the distant martial stage without blinking when he suddenly felt a weight settle on his shoulder.

The scent of alcohol, mingled with a woman's unique fragrance, rushed into his nose.

Warm breath brushed past his ear, followed by a murmur. "Who exactly are you?"

Zhou Ming's entire body stiffened.

That warmth continued to wash over his ear.

Zhou Ming took a deep breath, swiftly turned around, and steadied Jiang Jiang.

The girl before him reeked of alcohol, her face crimson, her gaze unfocused.

Zhou Ming sighed helplessly. "You're drunk."

"Zhou Ming, is that you?"

Zhou Ming shook his head. "No."

At that answer, a mist of tears instantly clouded Jiang Jiang's hazy eyes. Her long lashes trembled faintly, and tears slipped down her cheeks in an instant.

Two tear tracks appeared on her flushed cheeks.

Jiang Jiang said mournfully, "Are you even a man? You don't even dare admit your own identity."

Zhou Ming frowned slightly.

What was this girl making a fuss about?

So many days had passed. Was she really still this stubborn?

She had been perfectly fine when she arrived, so why had she suddenly erupted?

Reeking of alcohol and weeping bitterly, Jiang Jiang braced herself against the table and barely managed to stand straight. Her body swayed, her legs gave way, and she toppled sideways, overturning the tabletop and crashing to the ground. Wine pots, cups, plates, and miscellaneous items scattered everywhere.

The commotion instantly drew everyone's attention.

Ignoring the surrounding stares, Zhou Ming hurried over, crouched down, and reached out to help her up.

Before his hands could touch Jiang Jiang, she slapped them away again and again.

Jiang Jiang's eyes were bloodshot as she roared hoarsely, "Don't touch me!"

At that moment, a graceful figure instantly swept Jiang Jiang up from the ground.

Feeling Jiang Jiang's trembling body, Li Mu glared furiously at Zhou Ming. "I'll settle accounts with you later."

With that, she carried Jiang Jiang and vaulted over the courtyard wall.

Leaving Zhou Ming standing there with a baffled look on his face.

A moment later, Zhou Ming crouched down and began gathering the overturned items from the ground.

Then, a man dressed in silks and satins slowly walked up behind Zhou Ming and said calmly, "Brother, servants will naturally handle such trifles."

Zhou Ming ignored the voice behind him and continued cleaning up.

Seeing this, the man rolled up his sleeves and stepped forward to help.

Zhou Ming glanced at him.

Meeting Zhou Ming's gaze, the man smiled.

A short while later, the two sat facing each other.

Zhou Ming picked up a newly replaced wine pot, poured himself a cup, and said lightly, "Thanks."

The man looked oddly at the wine cup before Zhou Ming.

Zhou Ming raised a brow, seeming to see through his meaning. "If you want some, pour it yourself."

The man did not take offense. He took the wine pot and poured himself a cup.

"May I ask how I should address you, brother?"

"Zhou Yuxi."

"Good name!"

Of course it was good. It was a pun—how could a name coined by a top student like me be bad?

Who didn't know how to exchange pleasantries?

Zhou Ming raised his wine cup. "Huang Muheng is a fine name too."

Huang Muheng, seated opposite him, had his eyes light up. Smiling, he said, "Oh? Would Brother Zhou care to tell me what makes my name so good?"

Ever since this man had appeared, the surrounding gazes had remained fixed in this direction, especially those of the servants.

Zhou Ming had observed earlier that servants never let their eyes linger in one place for long, much less on guests at a banquet.

Their gazes merely brushed past before withdrawing.

From that, he judged that this man's status had to be extremely high.

Looking at the other banquet guests, their eyes held either respect or burning fervor.

Presumably, he could only be third on the Earth-Rank Martial Ranking—the host of this banquet and Qing Prefecture's Sixth-Rank prodigy under twenty-five.

Zhou Ming had no habit of explaining the meanings of names, so he casually replied, "It's good in every way."

Huang Muheng burst into laughter. "May I ask what Brother Zhou seeks by attending my banquet?"

The question caught Zhou Ming off guard.

He then asked in confusion, "Do you need a reason to attend a banquet? Didn't they say that the top ten were hosting guests from all directions?"

After hearing Zhou Ming's words, Huang Muheng looked deeply at him, then explained.

Only then did Zhou Ming come to a sudden realization.

So this banquet was a method for them to recruit talent. Though there was sparring to verify one another's learning and exchange insights into the martial path,

those were merely secondary.

The true focus was recruiting talent.

Once he understood, Zhou Ming told him why he had come.

After hearing the reason, Huang Muheng was somewhat speechless.

This Brother Zhou really had too much time on his hands.

The golden age of martial cultivation was priceless.

Yet just because his friend wanted to attend this banquet, he was willing to squander such precious time.

Still, considering that he had gotten to know a Sixth-Rank prodigy, his trip out of seclusion had not been in vain.

When Fang Men had notified him, he had repeatedly confirmed it. Fang Men was an Eighth-Rank Martial Artist, and anyone who could suppress an Eighth-Rank Martial Artist with nothing but the blood qi throughout his body

had to be at least Sixth Rank.

As Zhou Ming drank, he suddenly recalled the question that had been troubling him.

This man's family had a Second-Rank Celestial. Born into such a family, his knowledge of the martial path surely surpassed Zhou Ming's by far.

Without hesitation, Zhou Ming asked, "Brother Huang, I have a few doubts regarding Sixth-Rank cultivation. Could you perhaps clear them up for me?"

Huang Muheng smiled. "I am all ears!"

Zhou Ming considered for a moment and decided to phrase it more tactfully.

Then he asked, "Why can blood qi only break through the barriers of the acupoints by following the routes of cultivation techniques? Why is direct breakthrough so extremely slow?"

That was it?

But what the hell was a direct breakthrough?

Wasn't this something that could simply be cultivated according to a cultivation technique?

Then his pupils suddenly contracted. In disbelief, he asked, "Brother Zhou, don't tell me you intend to completely open every acupoint in your body?"

Zhou Ming smiled. "I do have that intention."

After a long silence, Huang Muheng drank a cup of wine before slowly saying, "Brother Zhou, I can answer your question. And I can also give you a cultivation technique capable of completely opening every acupoint in the body. But there is one condition: you must answer one question for me. Is that acceptable?"

Zhou Ming's brows furrowed tightly. After considering it briefly, he said, "Please ask, Brother Huang. If I can answer, I will."

"At Eighth-Rank Bone Tempering, there are two hundred and six bones in the human body. Have you forged every one of them into Jade Bone?"

Zhou Ming raised a brow.

That was all?

He immediately answered, "Yes."

Huang Muheng lowered his eyes, looking despondent. "So it was indeed so."

Zhou Ming frowned and asked in confusion, "Ever since I stepped onto the martial path, I have never understood something. Why is it that the people I have encountered clearly know that Jade Bone can continue to be tempered, yet not a single one continues? Why do they only think of breaking through realms quickly?"

"There isn't enough time. Every additional piece of Jade Bone takes longer to temper.

"I began Stance Training at eight, ate superior-grade flesh and blood, and became a Martial Artist within a month. Another month later, I cultivated an Eighth-Rank Cultivation Technique, tempered my bones, and entered Eighth Rank.

"It took ten years to temper one hundred and seventy-eight pieces of Jade Bone. This final piece alone took me half a year.

"Ten years—the golden age of martial cultivation. How many decades like that do we have?

"I couldn't wait. One piece of Jade Bone cost me half a year. For the remaining twenty-eight bones, I had no time to spend!"

As he spoke, Huang Muheng raised the wine pot and tipped his head back, guzzling fiercely. Wine ran down his jaw, soaking his silks and satins.

The fiery burn in his throat eased the bitterness in his heart by a fraction.