Advancing to Martial Master

Qu Yuzhi watched his grandnephew's retreating back.

The young man had a sturdy, powerful build. He looked honest and simple, even somewhat dull-witted, but he was actually rough yet meticulous. Though illiterate, he was ambitious. Since returning home recently, he had even been using the little booklet Qu Yuzhi had given him to learn to read and write.

He was a very clever person.

Unfortunately, he had been born in a rural village back home and had not enjoyed Qu Yuzhi's luck in those days, when he happened to witness the fall of the previous dynasty, followed by natural disasters and human-caused calamities.

More than half the people in an entire village had died.

They could barely afford food, so how could attending school have been possible?

And now, as a live-in son-in-law from the fifth branch of the Qu Household, Qu Yuzhi carried little weight. More than half his income from teaching had to be handed over to his wife. It was utterly impossible for him to support the young man's schooling.

Helping him obtain a work permit and a legal identity in the concession had already been no easy feat.

As for his desire to study martial arts at a martial school, even as an apprentice or errand boy, Qu Yuzhi had used every connection he could and tried many times. Yet the several martial schools had all turned him down. Either they claimed there were no openings, or their prices were far beyond what he could afford.

Still, this nephew from back home understood manners and knew when to advance and when to retreat.

And he was especially hardworking and resilient.

Qu Yuzhi felt dazed, as though he were seeing his former self, the one who had spared no effort in seeking education everywhere.

"Wait!"

He called Jiang Jingnian back, then pulled him into a corner of the corridor. After checking that no one was around, he lowered his voice. "Good nephew, I've used some connections again these past few days and found a small martial school. I heard they have proper Martial Masters there. Perhaps tomorrow, I'll have a chance to secure you an apprentice position."

"Such wonderful news?! Then thank you, Fifth Uncle!"

Uncontainable delight appeared on Jiang Jingnian's honest face. His sorrowful brows and eyes immediately lit up, as though he had caught sight of dawn.

He then patted down his clothes and took a small step back, preparing to offer his fifth uncle a deep bow, but the man swiftly stopped him.

Qu Yuzhi reached out and seized Jiang Jingnian's arm. "It won't be too late to thank me after the matter is settled."

"Alright!"

Jiang Jingnian froze for a moment, then nodded heavily.

After their brief exchange, Qu Yuzhi left the corridor without saying anything more.

After all.

This was Qu Household territory.

If they talked too much and those servant women overheard, Qu Yuzhi's wife would likely make a tremendous scene.

The night was deep and still.

Having changed into clean clothes, Jiang Jingnian sat cross-legged on the wooden bed in the side room. It was a cramped, narrow space converted from what had originally been a storage room.

The room was dark and damp, and it even leaked when it rained. It was far worse than the rooms where the servant women lived.

Even so, this was already the best Fifth Uncle Qu Yuzhi could manage.

Qu Yuzhi's wife had flown into a rage at her husband more than once over Jiang Jingnian. They simply had not completely fallen out yet.

But she had laid down two rules.

First, Jiang Jingnian was not allowed into the main house, nor could he eat at the same table as them.

A mud-legged country bumpkin from some remote backwater had no right to sit at the table.

Second, apart from obtaining a work permit, no further expense was to be spent on Jiang Jingnian. Whether connections or money, neither was allowed.

In the Qu family's eyes, Jiang Jingnian was worth less than a menial servant.

At least the servants had been selected by them, could attend to them, serve them tea and water, and most importantly, were cheap.

Why spend anything on some destitute country bumpkin?

As for why Qu Yuzhi's wife, Qu Qiaoyun, was so harsh, even to the point of seeming heartless.

There was naturally a deeper reason.

Qu Yuzhi was a live-in son-in-law.

Qu Yuzhi's former Jiang family relatives, especially half-grown boys like this, were all people to guard against.

Great households were not foolish. They naturally had a set of rules for restraining live-in sons-in-law.

As a live-in son-in-law, according to custom, you should not have remained in contact with relatives from your former household. Contact was one thing, but now you had even brought someone into the home for a temporary stay.

Qu Qiaoyun had already yielded greatly because she truly cared for her husband.

Moreover, Jiang Jingnian's parents had once bestowed a great kindness upon her husband Qu Yuzhi, saving his life and helping him study.

Repaying such a great debt of kindness was only natural. Otherwise, what difference would there be between people and stones?

Thus, as his wife, she had merely turned a blind eye to it. She both loved and resented her husband for knowing how to repay kindness.

But no matter what.

She could not yield any further.

In these increasingly chaotic times, everyone needed their own bottom line. Those without one would sooner or later be devoured clean, reduced to dry bones in a grave.

Every household had its own difficult scripture to recite.

Jiang Jingnian glanced at the dripping ceiling, smelled the damp, rotten odor in the air, and then drew in his focus.

His gaze flickered.

A translucent status panel appeared before him.

[Name: Jiang Jingnian]

[Trait: Taotie]

[Art: Taiji Vajra Art (Beginner)]

[Rank: Ordinary Person (99%)]

"Just a little more."

When alone, Jiang Jingnian no longer wore the honest, simple expression he showed others. Instead, after practicing martial arts, with his surging blood and improved strength, he possessed an inexplicable air of an eagle looking back and a wolf glaring ahead.

He climbed down from the wooden bed.

Barefoot on the floor, he began practicing the moves of the Taiji Vajra Art within the cramped confines of the room.

Though it was an art that could advance directly.

In his mind, it seemed as though he had practiced this art countless times. It had long since been carved into his bones.

Like an old master who had immersed himself in martial arts for many years.

The space was narrow.

It looked inconvenient to perform the movements.

Yet every motion he made, every punch and raised leg, was precisely confined within that tiny space.

Just like his current circumstances.

"Though my body is trapped within this tiny space."

"My heart is boundless."

"My path... is likewise unrestrained."

"After months of bitter cultivation, treading carefully as though on thin ice, I have finally reached the day of this breakthrough!"

As he practiced the martial art, the golden gleam in Jiang Jingnian's dark pupils grew more abundant and more distinct.

Until golden light burst completely from his eyes.

As though some old shackles.

Had suddenly broken free from his body.

Jiang Jingnian's already vigorous blood and qi directly broke through a certain acupoint in his abdomen.

Then it condensed without dispersing.

It formed a round blood core about the size of several fingers, still slowly expanding.

If his previous blood and qi had been like drifting gaseous vapor, then this condensed blood core was solid. Whether in strength or explosive power, it was no longer on the same level as before.

He felt an inexplicable confidence.

He believed that against his pre-breakthrough self, he should be able to defeat him within a few exchanges.

"This... should be the martial blood and qi of this world?"

Even though Jiang Jingnian had broken through and become a martial artist, at most he could be called a Rogue Cultivator who had stumbled onto the threshold of martial arts.

Thus, all his current conjectures were based on the contents of the Taiji Vajra Art.

Then the youth's gaze sharpened as he glanced at his panel.

[Name: Jiang Jingnian]

[Trait: Taotie]

[Art: Taiji Vajra Art (Beginner)]

[Rank: Martial Master (Blood Tempering 3%)]

A Martial Master!

And the Blood Tempering written after it should be one of a Martial Master's stages.

Jiang Jingnian carefully recalled the description of the Vajra Art.

The beginner-level Taiji Vajra Art.

Only contained the three stages of Martial Master.

Blood Tempering.

Bone Tempering.

Marrow Tempering.

As for realms beyond that, he knew nothing at all.

Perhaps he would need to collect special items and advance the beginner-level Taiji Vajra Art to proficiency before he could learn more.