A Paulownia River Martial Arts Hall Disciple Passing Through

Early in the morning at Blue Martial Arts Hall, the sky had not yet fully brightened.

The youths in the courtyard had already begun practicing their fists, and the wooden posts rang out in waves. Chen Mo stood before a post, lightly tapped the ground twice with his feet, reset his stance, and threw a punch at the post.

Bang!

His fist landed, and the wooden post swayed.

Chen Mo withdrew his hand, shook out his numb wrist, and looked down at his feet.

"Off again."

Zhao Chuan had stopped long ago and was leaning against a post, enjoying the show. Hearing that, he immediately laughed. "You know it was off too?"

Chen Mo shot him a glance. "You stopped practicing just to laugh at me?"

"I'm helping you find the problem."

"Then did you find it?"

"I did."

Zhao Chuan gestured with his hand. "When you threw that punch just now, your right foot shifted outward by half an inch. Your shoulder followed it off line, so naturally your punch went off too."

After hearing him out, Chen Mo actually crouched down to inspect the footprints on the ground. After a while, he stood and nodded. "Seems like that really was it."

"Told you so."

Zhao Chuan immediately perked up.

But Chen Mo smiled. "Then since you're so good, show me once."

"Me?"

The smile on Zhao Chuan's face vanished at once. "I already practiced earlier. I'm resting now."

"Weren't you helping me find the problem?"

"Finding problems doesn't mean I have to practice."

Chen Mo could not be bothered to argue with him. He turned and took his stance again. "Cut the nonsense. Once Instructor Li gets here, you'll find out what resting really means."

Just as Zhao Chuan was about to reply, the sound of carriage wheels suddenly came from outside the martial arts hall.

The sound traveled all the way from the street corner, especially clear on the bluestone road in the early morning.

The youths in the courtyard all stopped.

"Who's here?"

"No idea."

"Sounds like carriages."

Chen Mo turned as well and looked toward the martial arts hall's gate.

Before long, several carriages slowly came to a stop outside. The first carriage carried wooden crates, while the ones behind it were piled with sacks and several long objects wrapped in oilcloth.

The drivers all wore short, practical outfits, weapons hanging from their waists.

The people at the front wore matching gray martial uniforms.

Zhao Chuan lowered his voice. "People from Paulownia River Martial Arts Hall."

Chen Mo looked at him. "You know that too?"

"Isn't it written on their clothes?"

Chen Mo looked carefully and indeed saw the words Paulownia River embroidered on one person's chest.

"Oh."

Zhao Chuan looked rather pleased. "Well? I wasn't lying, was I?"

"You weren't."

Chen Mo nodded, then looked at the carriages again. "What are they doing here?"

"I heard they're delivering supplies."

"What supplies?"

"Defense supplies."

Chen Mo looked at the wooden crates on the carriages. "This much?"

Zhao Chuan shook his head. "That, I don't know."

At that moment, Instructor Li had already walked to the gate.

"You've had a hard journey, everyone. Come in and rest for a while first."

The leader was a man in his thirties, with a faint knife scar across his face and plenty of dust on his clothes. He got down from the carriage and cupped his fists toward Instructor Li.

"Instructor Li, sorry to trouble you."

"We're all martial arts hall disciples. No need to speak of troubling anyone."

Instructor Li stepped aside. "Drive the carriages in first. Put the goods in the rear courtyard, have some water, then be on your way."

The man nodded. "All right."

Very soon, Blue Martial Arts Hall's disciples were called over to help.

Chen Mo went over as well, carrying things alongside Zhao Chuan.

The moment he lifted a wooden crate, Chen Mo's arms sank downward.

"Whoa!"

He hurriedly shifted his grip. "What's in this? It's so heavy."

A Paulownia River disciple beside him said, "Ironware."

"No wonder."

Chen Mo bared his teeth. "I thought it was full of rocks."

Zhao Chuan passed by nearby and immediately said, "Didn't you keep saying you were pretty strong?"

Chen Mo turned his head. "You do it."

"I've got other things to do."

"What things?"

"I'm directing you all."

Zhao Chuan said it with a perfectly serious expression.

Chen Mo almost laughed. "You really know how to slack off."

The two of them still carried the crate into the rear courtyard in the end.

After several trips back and forth, Chen Mo was already sweating heavily. He stood by the wall and caught his breath, then looked at the Paulownia River Martial Arts Hall disciples and found that they were far more exhausted than he was.

Several of them sat directly on the steps, mud staining their clothes and dust covering the edges of their shoes. They did not even bother to rest before grabbing water flasks and pouring water down their throats.

Chen Mo watched for a while before he could not help asking, "You came all the way from Paulownia River. Was the road difficult?"

A young disciple raised his head. "It was all right."

"If it was all right, why are you all exhausted like this?"

The man smiled and was about to say something when the scar-faced leader had already walked over.

"Rest first. Stop talking."

The young disciple immediately closed his mouth.

Chen Mo did not press further.

He was curious, but he also knew that if others did not want to talk, there was no point in hounding them with questions.

Still, before long, he heard a few fragments.

"Has the matter in the mountains still not been resolved?"

"Not yet."

"Someone else got hurt?"

The voices were very soft, and Chen Mo only caught half of it.

He turned to look, but those people had already fallen silent.

Zhao Chuan leaned over as well. "Did they just mention the mountains?"

"Mm."

"The mountains near Paulownia River?"

"Probably."

Zhao Chuan stroked his chin. "Could it be wild beasts?"

Chen Mo shook his head. "No idea."

As the two spoke, Instructor Li had already called the scar-faced leader aside.

They stood in the corner by the wall and spoke in low voices, too quietly for the others to hear clearly.

Chen Mo had not intended to listen, but they were not that far away, and he could occasionally catch a few words.

"How are things in the mountains lately?"

"Not good."

"Still the foothills?"

"At first, yes."

Instructor Li fell silent for a moment, then asked, "How many people were injured?"

"It's still hard to say."

Hearing that, Chen Mo could not help stopping in his tracks.

Zhao Chuan fell silent as well.

The two exchanged a glance, and each saw curiosity in the other's eyes.

Chen Mo had just been about to take two steps closer when Zhao Chuan suddenly tugged him.

"What are you doing?"

"Nothing."

"Are you trying to eavesdrop?"

"I'm only listening to a couple of sentences."

"If Instructor Li sees you, you'll get scolded again."

Chen Mo thought about it and felt that was true, so he had no choice but to stop.

After a while, Instructor Li turned and walked back.

The disciples in the courtyard gradually quieted down as well.

Instructor Li looked over everyone and said, "Something has happened near Paulownia River recently. Several hunters near the foothills have met with trouble."

"Did anyone die?"

Someone asked that question.

Instructor Li nodded. "The exact situation has not been investigated clearly yet."

A low murmur immediately rose through the courtyard.

"What kind of wild beast was it?"

"No idea."

"Wolves?"

"Could have been some large thing from the mountains."

"Stop guessing."

Instructor Li cut them off directly. "The situation is still unclear. None of you are allowed to spread rumors."

Everyone immediately quieted down.

Chen Mo stood among the crowd without speaking.

He had followed his father into the mountains since childhood, so he naturally knew the habits of the things living there. Generally speaking, wild beasts rarely wished to approach when there were many people around, much less when there were torches and human voices.

But from what Instructor Li meant, even those things seemed not to be working anymore.

He thought it over for a while but could not make sense of it.

"There's one more thing."

Instructor Li looked at everyone. "For the time being, none of you are allowed to enter the mountains on your own."

Someone could not help asking, "Not even the foothills?"

"Not even the foothills."

This time, no one spoke again.

Zhao Chuan quietly bumped Chen Mo's arm. "Doesn't your family often go into the mountains?"

Chen Mo nodded. "My father will judge according to the situation."

"What if your father has to go into the mountains?"

"I'll go home and tell him."

Chen Mo thought for a moment, then added, "I definitely won't be going in anytime soon."

Zhao Chuan nodded. "Neither will I."

Chen Mo looked at him. "You haven't gone in more than a few times to begin with."

"That's because I didn't want to go."

"All right."

"Really."

"I know."

Zhao Chuan looked unconvinced. "Can't you just say once that I'm right?"

Chen Mo smiled. "You're right."

"Now that's more like it."

While the two were talking, the people from Paulownia River Martial Arts Hall had already rested enough.

The scar-faced leader thanked Instructor Li once more, then had his people prepare to board the carriages.

Chen Mo stood nearby watching, still feeling rather curious.

When that young disciple passed by him, he could not help asking again, "Are the mountains over there really that serious?"

The young disciple stopped in his tracks.

He glanced at Chen Mo but did not answer, only said, "Don't go into the mountains lately."

With that, he followed the convoy away.

Chen Mo stood where he was and rubbed his nose.

Zhao Chuan walked over from the side. "What he said was pretty scary."

"I thought so too."

"Are you scared?"

"Not really."

Chen Mo thought for a moment. "It's just a little strange."

"What's strange about it?"

"I can't put my finger on it either."

Chen Mo shook his head. "Forget it. It doesn't have much to do with us anyway."

The convoy soon left Blue Martial Arts Hall.

The sound of wheels rolled farther and farther down the street until it could no longer be heard at all.

Chen Mo stood at the entrance watching for a while before turning and walking back inside.

He had only taken two steps when Instructor Li's voice came from behind him.

"What are you two still standing there for?"

Chen Mo turned around. "Coming!"

With that, he grabbed Zhao Chuan and ran.

"Slow down!"

"Didn't you say your leg hurt?"

"When did I say that?"

"Just now."

"That was fake!"

Their voices carried far into the distance.

Instructor Li stood behind them, his face darkening.

"What are you running for?!"

Chen Mo hurriedly stopped and turned back with an apologetic grin. "We weren't running."

Zhao Chuan nodded along. "That's right, we weren't running."

"Then what were you doing?"

Chen Mo thought for a moment.

"Taking a stroll."

A burst of laughter immediately rose from the courtyard.

Instructor Li was so angry that he picked up his bamboo ruler. "Get back here!"

"Coming!"

Chen Mo quickly dragged Zhao Chuan back.

That brief matter concerning Paulownia River was soon tossed to the back of their minds.

To them as they were now, Paulownia River was far too distant.

The matters in the mountains were not yet theirs to worry about.

What mattered most right now was still practicing their own fists well.