Caught a Thief

"Did you see it clearly?"

Liu Hongquan finished his stance and looked at Cheng Yang.

[Whale Breath Stance Initiate (2/100)]

Cheng Yang glanced at the panel and nodded. "I saw it clearly, Hall Master Liu."

Did this kid really memorize it? Liu Hongquan muttered inwardly, keeping his face impassive. "Then perform it once for me to see."

"Mm."

Without another word, Cheng Yang recalled every detail of Liu Hongquan's movements. He spread his legs slightly, sank his waist, gathered his breath, and slowly assumed the Whale Breath Stance.

A moment later, he completed the entire stance sequence.

Liu Hongquan's mouth fell open and did not close for a long while. He clicked his tongue involuntarily. "Is this what a genius is? He can perfectly replicate it after seeing it once—there's no need to teach him at all..."

Chen Feiyi had expected this. Stroking his beard as he watched his old friend's expression, he found it identical to the look he himself had worn back then.

Liu Yi stared straight at Cheng Yang, her eyes brimming with undisguised admiration.

"Old Chen, it seems teaching this disciple of yours is especially easy in ordinary times?" Liu Hongquan turned and teased him.

"It's all right. Nothing special." Chen Feiyi put on airs and flaunted modestly.

Liu Hongquan's teeth itched with anger, jealousy churning in his heart.

No, he had to find a way to lure this kid over to his own martial hall.

He cleared his throat and said solemnly, "Kid Cheng, you have now proven your talent.

"If you want the subsequent techniques of the Whale Breath Stance in the future, come to Whale Breath Martial Hall and find Xiaoyi. She'll teach you hand in hand."

"Young Master Cheng, I'm curious too."

"How long will it take for your Whale Breath Stance to go from Initiate to Minor Accomplishment?" Liu Yi blinked, her tone carrying a trace of anticipation.

That old fellow really hasn't given up. Chen Feiyi stroked his beard and muttered to himself.

"All right, everyone's hungry, aren't they? Old Liu, let Xiaoyi taste the food at my Chen Clan Martial Hall."

After lunch, Liu Hongquan and his daughter lingered for a while longer before taking their leave.

That afternoon, Cheng Yang returned to Old Kui Street.

After asking around, he learned that Old Kui Street had now been occupied by a gang called the Four-Ping Gang.

After the Golden Tiger Gang fell, the Four-Ping Gang had smoothly taken over this territory.

Yet the common folk's lives had not improved in the slightest. Not only had the protection fees not decreased, they had risen another thirty percent compared with when the Golden Tiger Gang was around.

The gang had changed, but the people being squeezed dry were still the same. And the Four-Ping Gang was far beyond the Golden Tiger Gang in scale.

Though Cheng Yang wanted to intervene in this matter, with his current strength, he could not stir up any waves before the Four-Ping Gang.

Step by step, he returned to the familiar courtyard gate.

The gate was ajar.

Cheng Yang immediately sensed that something was wrong. "Hm? I clearly remember bolting the gate before I left. Who came here?"

Without hesitation, he shoved open the courtyard gate and quickly entered the main room.

Looking around, he found the furnishings completely different from when he had left. The pots, bowls, and utensils all bore signs of being used, and the grease stains on the stove had not yet dried.

After searching around, he found no one.

It seemed that little thief was not here at the moment.

Moving into someone else's home without permission was no different from theft.

With a dark expression, Cheng Yang went to his room and flipped open the bed board. Fortunately, everything inside was intact; not a single thing was missing.

There had been too much loot seized from the Golden Tiger Gang that day, and he could not bring it all back to the martial hall in one trip, so he had hidden part of it here.

He had thought his own home would be the safest place, but now it seemed it was not safe either.

Someone had moved in without his knowledge. Cheng Yang could not tolerate this.

He took the silver from beneath the bed, restored everything to its original state, and did not wait by the stump for a hare. In broad daylight, waiting would only waste time.

He decisively returned to the martial hall and exchanged all the silver in his possession for exotic beast meat.

"Senior Brother Cheng..." Guo Shulan called out to him.

"What is it, Junior Sister Guo?" Cheng Yang turned back.

Guo Shulan handed him an invitation. "Senior Brother Cheng, your cousin-aunt wishes to see you. Also, our Guo Household intends to support you."

Cousin-aunt...

The scene of being humiliated after failing to borrow money that day remained vivid in his mind. Cheng Yang truly had no favorable impression of this cousin-aunt, and by extension, he had little interest in the Guo Household as well.

He had not wanted too much involvement with the Guo Household, but the memory of that humiliation ran too deep. He had been holding in a breath, wanting to win back his dignity before the Guo family.

He accepted the invitation. "Junior Sister Guo, I will visit the Guo Household."

"Okay." Guo Shulan nodded.

Cheng Yang tucked away the invitation and left. There was still plenty of time in the afternoon, perfect for training.

Though he had cheats, he could not do without diligence and sweat.

After training for one shichen, the Whale Breath Stance broke through from Initiate all the way to Minor Accomplishment.

[Whale Breath Stance Minor Accomplishment (0/500)]

Another stance technique had reached Minor Accomplishment. His qi and blood rose another notch, and his physical condition improved by several degrees as well.

"It only took one shichen to train the Whale Breath Stance to Minor Accomplishment..." Cheng Yang pondered. "Should I go to Whale Breath Martial Hall now to ask for the subsequent technique? Forget it. This speed is a little too outrageous.

"I'll wait until the other stance techniques at hand have all reached Major Accomplishment, and there's nothing left to train."

As he stretched his limbs, a lonely figure approached him.

"Senior Brother Cheng... I'm leaving the martial hall." Zhu Ming stood before him with his head lowered, his voice muffled.

"Why?" Cheng Yang looked at him and quickly understood. "It seems you still couldn't get past it."

This Junior Brother Zhu had trained with him until the latest hour every day these past few days, so the two had formed something of a friendship.

"Yes." Zhu Ming gave a bitter laugh, his smile filled with helplessness. "Hard work truly counts for nothing before talent, doesn't it? Senior Brother Cheng, perhaps I really am not suited for martial arts."

Cheng Yang fell silent for a moment. Zhu Ming was actually right. Without cheats, Cheng Yang would have been no different from him.

Talent truly was more important than hard work.

At least on this path of martial arts, there was only so much that effort could fill in.

"Look on the bright side, Junior Brother Zhu." Cheng Yang patted his shoulder. "At least if you can't master martial arts, there's still a way back for you. In this world, many people fail to master martial arts and find even their retreat cut off."

He was speaking of his former self.

"Yeah, at least I still have a wealthy merchant father." Zhu Ming tugged at the corner of his mouth in self-mockery. "Looks like my dream of being a chivalrous wandering hero has shattered. I'll have to honestly go home and inherit the family fortune."

Most disciples who came to Chen Clan Martial Hall to study martial arts came from well-off families. Cheng Yang was the exception, relying entirely on the Golden Tiger Gang's "relief" to make it this far.

"All right, Senior Brother Cheng, I'll be leaving first." Zhu Ming raised his hands in a fist salute, his gaze turning more earnest. "I wish you smooth sailing on the path of martial arts. I hope we meet again someday."

"We definitely will. You too, Junior Brother Zhu."

The sky darkened inch by inch.

After nightfall, Cheng Yang instead became energized.

"Time to handle some real business."

He narrowed his eyes and looked toward Old Kui Street.

"I'd like to see who dares to secretly live in my house."