The Silent Returner

These past few days, the Outer Courtyard of the Blue Martial Arts Hall had been livelier than usual.

The Quarterly Assessment was drawing closer, and even those who usually loved to slack off had started flocking to the Training Ground.

The sky had only just begun to brighten when bursts of punches and kicks already rang through the courtyard.

"Seventy-eight!"

Zhao Chuan stood before a wooden post, sweat streaming down his face.

"Seventy-nine!"

"Eighty!"

Zhou Ye stood nearby with his arms folded, watching him for a while.

"Eighty?"

"Yeah."

"When you counted to seventy-six just now, you stopped to drink water."

Zhao Chuan turned around.

"I was catching my breath."

"Then start over after catching your breath."

"How do you remember that so clearly?"

"Because you did the same thing yesterday."

Zhao Chuan was immediately displeased.

"Zhou Ye, are you watching me on purpose?"

"I'm not that free."

"Then why do you remember?"

"Because you train like this every day."

Several people nearby heard that and immediately burst out laughing.

Zhao Chuan wiped away his sweat.

"Fine, I won't argue with you today."

"Just wait."

After saying that, he turned back and continued punching the wooden post.

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

After throwing more than a dozen punches in a row, Zhao Chuan's arms were beginning to ache.

He gritted his teeth and held on for a while before finally stopping.

"Ninety-two!"

Zhou Ye walked over.

"Ninety."

"Here you go again!"

"The last two punches didn't have enough force behind them."

Zhao Chuan froze.

"That counts too?"

Zhou Ye nodded.

"Instructor Li said so yesterday."

Zhao Chuan immediately deflated.

"Then what does mine count as today?"

"Ninety."

"Then didn't I throw those two punches for nothing?"

"Not for nothing."

"Why?"

"Count them as a gift from you to yourself."

"..."

Chen Mo, standing nearby, was already laughing.

The moment Zhao Chuan saw him, he immediately shouted:

"Chen Mo, don't laugh!"

"I'm not laughing."

"The corners of your mouth are curled up."

"That's because I got tired from practicing punches just now."

"Give me a break."

Zhao Chuan grabbed a towel from beside him and threw it over.

Chen Mo dodged sideways.

The towel struck Wang Lie squarely.

Wang Lie lowered his head and glanced at it.

Zhao Chuan's expression changed.

"Wang Lie, I didn't mean to."

Wang Lie picked up the towel.

"Yours."

"Thanks."

Zhao Chuan hurriedly took it back.

Wang Lie said nothing and turned around to continue practicing his punches.

Zhao Chuan let out a breath.

"That scared me to death."

Chen Mo laughed.

"You get scared too?"

"I'm respecting my opponent."

"Who was it that said Wang Lie only knew how to fight?"

"That was before."

"And now?"

Zhao Chuan thought for a moment.

"Now he still only knows how to fight."

Wang Lie turned his head.

Zhao Chuan immediately lowered his head.

"I didn't say anything."

Laughter spread through the courtyard once more.

During this time, the Outer Courtyard disciples were more or less all like this.

Practicing punches, sparring, talking about the Quarterly Assessment.

Occasionally, they spoke of what official work they might take on in the future, but that was no more than the casual longing of young men.

What truly mattered to them was still the Quarterly Assessment before their eyes.

As long as they made the top ten, they could receive Advanced Body-Strengthening Medicinal Powder.

To many people, this was far more tangible than any official job.

After morning training ended, everyone went to the dining hall to eat.

Zhao Ming carried his bowl over and spoke as soon as he sat down.

"Have you heard?"

Zhao Chuan picked up some food with his chopsticks.

"Heard what now?"

"The senior brothers who went out on an assignment yesterday still haven't returned today."

Zhou Ye looked up.

"Which ones?"

"The ones who went out with Instructor Li."

Zhao Chuan thought about it.

"Don't they go out often?"

"I was just mentioning it."

Zhao Ming did not continue the topic.

Those at the table quickly returned to discussing the Quarterly Assessment.

"Do you think the top ten will change this time?"

"Definitely."

"Who might get pushed out?"

"Zhao Chuan."

"Bullshit!"

Zhao Chuan nearly slammed his chopsticks onto the table.

"I've improved so much these past few days. Why me?"

"You're ranked twelfth right now."

"I know."

"Who's tenth?"

Zhao Chuan paused.

"..."

"You don't even know his name?"

"I'm observing him."

"Observing what?"

"Observing when he'll fall."

Everyone laughed again.

Zhao Ming laughed as well.

"Enough. Eat first."

"Oh, Zhao Ming."

Someone suddenly asked:

"Didn't you say you wanted to take on official work in the future?"

Zhao Ming looked up.

"What about it?"

"Weren't you talking about it with great enthusiasm yesterday?"

Zhao Ming was not embarrassed in the slightest.

"Of course."

"Then what kind of work do you want to take on?"

Zhao Ming thought about it seriously.

"Escorting merchant caravans, or helping the county deal with troublesome matters."

"Why?"

"To make money."

His answer was straightforward.

"I can't keep relying on my family to support me forever."

Someone nodded.

"That makes sense."

Zhao Ming continued:

"Besides, haven't you noticed? The really capable senior brothers are recognized by the villagers after they go out."

"The children in that village yesterday stared at us without even blinking."

Zhao Chuan laughed.

"Did you enjoy that a lot?"

"Of course."

Zhao Ming did not hide it at all.

"Who doesn't like being respected?"

"If you really take on official work in the future, don't complain when it gets tiring."

"What's tiring about tired?"

Zhao Ming patted his arm.

"As long as you have the skill, what job can't you do?"

Wang Lie, who was sitting beside them, suddenly asked:

"Is official work dangerous?"

Zhao Ming looked at him.

"It was definitely more dangerous than the work we have now."

"Then that's good."

Zhao Ming froze.

"What do you mean, that's good?"

Wang Lie said:

"Where there's danger, there's a chance to train."

Zhao Chuan immediately cut in.

"Are you thinking of picking fights again?"

Wang Lie shook his head.

"Sparring."

"You say that every time."

"That's what it is."

Another burst of laughter rose in the dining hall.

After lunch, everyone went back to rest.

It was not until late afternoon, close to dinner, that a flurry of footsteps sounded at the entrance of the Blue Martial Arts Hall.

"The senior brothers are back!"

At that shout, quite a few disciples from the Outer Courtyard ran outside.

Chen Mo followed them over.

Several older disciples came in from outside.

They looked far more bedraggled than usual.

Their shoes were caked in mud.

Their clothes were stained with dust.

One man even had a tear in his trouser leg, exposing the lining beneath.

Another had his arm wrapped in cloth strips.

Someone else had a medicated plaster stuck to his forehead.

Zhao Chuan whispered:

"How come they're all injured?"

No one answered.

Those older disciples did not sit down and boast about what had happened on the road as they usually did after returning.

Some went straight back to their quarters.

Some went to find Instructor Li.

Two others sat beneath the corridor, heads lowered as they checked their shoes.

At last, one newcomer could not hold back any longer.

"Senior Brother!"

That older disciple looked up.

"What is it?"

"Did you go into the mountains this time?"

"Mm."

"Did you run into something big?"

The older disciple smiled.

"It was nothing."

"If it was nothing, why are you all hurt?"

"Fell while walking."

The youth clearly did not believe him.

"You can get hurt like that from falling while walking?"

The older disciple did not answer. He merely shook the mud from his shoes.

Standing amid the crowd, Zhao Chuan could not help asking as well:

"Senior Brother, how has it been in the west lately?"

The man glanced at him.

After a moment of silence, he said only one thing:

"Remember this: don't run into the deep mountains."

Zhao Chuan was stunned.

"I was just asking."

"There's nothing worth asking about."

After saying that, the older disciple rose and left.

The crowd slowly dispersed.

Some found it boring.

"I thought we'd get to hear something unusual."

"They only got a few injuries."

"It's official work. There'll always be bumps and bruises."

Zhao Ming said too:

"Exactly."

"If you're doing official work, how could you avoid getting hurt?"

"As long as your skills are good enough, the risks will naturally be lower."

Zhou Ye had already turned and started toward the Training Ground.

"Have you said enough?"

Zhao Chuan asked:

"What for?"

"To practice boxing."

"Now?"

"How long until the Quarterly Assessment?"

Zhao Chuan was immediately left speechless.

"Then let's go."

The group returned to the Training Ground.

As if nothing had happened just now.

But as Chen Mo passed beneath the corridor, he still saw those injured older disciples.

They were not chatting.

They were not laughing.

Nor did they mention anything about this trip.

Chen Mo paused for a moment.

"Chen Mo!"

Zhao Chuan called to him from afar.

"Hurry up!"

"Coming."

Chen Mo turned and ran over.

"What are we competing in today?"

Zhao Chuan gave a sly grin.

"Boxing."

"What does the loser do?"

"Buys buns."

"You again?"

"What, scared?"

Chen Mo glanced at him.

"Fine."

Zhao Chuan immediately assumed his stance.

"I'll count ninety punches!"

Zhou Ye said from the side:

"You've already said that three times today."

"This time it's for real!"

"I'll be waiting."

Before the wooden post, the thuds of punches quickly began to ring out.

The sun slowly sank.

Beneath the distant corridor, the older disciples who had only recently returned still sat in silence.

Meanwhile, the youths on the Training Ground had already begun squabbling again.

"Zhao Chuan, you skipped another count!"

"I absolutely didn't skip any this time!"

"You counted them yourself. Who would believe you?"

"Zhou Ye, quit bothering me!"

Laughter mingled with the sound of punches, carrying on until the sky darkened.