A Different Road Ahead

Early the next morning.

Chen Mo got up earlier than usual, before the sky had fully brightened.

He packed his things, said goodbye to his parents and little sister, and slung his bundle over his back again.

Before he left, Chen Shan gave him another reminder.

"Practice well at the martial hall. Don't push yourself too hard."

Chen Mo nodded.

"I know."

After thinking about it, he added:

"Even if I wanted to push myself, I'd have to be able to beat other people first."

Chen Shan froze for a moment, then laughed.

"It's good that you know your own weight."

"Dad, don't underestimate me."

Chen Mo said it, but he started laughing too.

By the time Chen Mo arrived at Clear River Martial Hall, the sun had already risen.

People had already begun practicing on the Training Ground.

Chen Mo set down his bundle, changed into his clothes, and joined everyone in the morning training.

Basic Fist was still rather exhausting.

After only a few rounds, his arms began to ache.

But compared with when he had first arrived, he was already much more proficient.

He had more or less figured out which movements were easy to get wrong and which transitions never flowed smoothly.

After the morning training ended, the people on the Training Ground gradually dispersed.

Some disciples returned to their quarters to wipe off their sweat and change clothes, while others headed straight to the dining hall.

Chen Mo went over with Zhao Chuan.

Quite a few people were already seated in the dining hall.

The youths sat in groups of two and three, eating as they chatted about their morning fist practice.

"Did you see Wang Lie's punch today?"

"I did. He nearly knocked the wooden post crooked with one punch."

"That strength of his really doesn't seem like that of a newcomer."

Wang Lie himself acted as though he had not heard them and kept his head lowered as he ate.

Zhao Chuan sat down, took two bites from his bowl, then suddenly said:

"What do you think the martial halls in the county city are like?"

The people beside him looked over.

"Why did you suddenly think of that?"

"I'm just curious."

Zhao Chuan spoke as he ate.

"I once heard people from a merchant caravan say that the county city is much bigger than Qinghe Town."

"The streets are packed with people from dawn to dusk."

As he went on, his voice grew louder too.

"I heard that a single courtyard in a martial hall there is bigger than this whole place."

"And they have loads of disciples too."

"They even sell things specifically for Martial Artists."

A youth beside him asked:

"What kind of things?"

Zhao Chuan thought for a moment.

"Medicine, all kinds of weapons, and things used for cultivation."

"I heard that some people from great lineages soak in medicinal baths from childhood. They never lack such things."

He spoke as though he knew every detail.

The more the others listened, the more serious they became.

Chen Mo listened as well.

"Soaking in medicinal baths since childhood?"

He could not help laughing.

"Wouldn't that boil you alive?"

Zhao Chuan slapped the table.

"What do you know? That's called cultivation!"

"Have you ever soaked in one?"

"..."

Zhao Chuan was immediately struck speechless.

Chen Mo burst out laughing.

But joking aside, he was somewhat curious too.

If the county city truly had that many cultivation resources, those people surely had a much easier time practicing martial arts than they did.

Someone asked:

"Then are the Martial Artists in the county city all very powerful?"

Zhao Chuan nodded.

"They're definitely stronger than us."

"It'd be great if I could go see the county city someday."

"Maybe I could even enter a better martial hall."

When he said this, his eyes were brimming with anticipation.

Chen Mo glanced at him.

"You really want to go?"

"Of course."

Zhao Chuan grinned.

"Who wouldn't want to go out and see the world?"

"You can't stay in Qinghe Town for your whole life, can you?"

Chen Mo thought about it.

"That's true."

He lowered his head and picked up a piece of meat.

"But save up enough money first."

"I know."

Zhao Chuan paused.

"That's why I've started saving now."

After saying that, he touched the few copper coins he had received yesterday.

Chen Mo looked at him.

"You haven't spent them already, have you?"

"Why would I spend them?"

Zhao Chuan looked utterly serious.

"This is my travel money."

Chen Mo was amused.

"You don't even have the first stroke of the character yet, and you're already thinking about travel money."

Zhao Chuan snorted.

"You understand dreams or not?"

Laughter broke out around the table.

Chen Mo laughed along with them.

He actually wanted to go take a look too.

But while Zhao Chuan thought of the bustle outside, Chen Mo thought of something else.

The martial halls in the county city.

More medicinal herbs.

Stronger fists and kicks.

If those things were real, perhaps he would be able to come into contact with them one day as well.

But it was still too early.

He had not even fully mastered the Basic Fist set before his eyes.

"Wang Lie."

Zhao Chuan suddenly turned his head.

"What about you?"

Wang Lie was picking up some food.

"Me?"

"You don't want to go to the county city?"

Zhao Chuan asked.

"I heard there are many powerful people there."

"You'll be able to meet stronger Martial Artists in the future. Don't you want to fight them?"

Wang Lie fell silent for a moment.

"We'll talk after I've mastered my fists."

Zhao Chuan was stunned.

"You're not curious at all?"

Wang Lie shook his head.

"There's no use thinking about that now."

"If I haven't even mastered my fists, going there would be no different."

After saying that, he lowered his head and continued eating.

Zhao Chuan stared at him without speaking for a long while.

Then he could not help laughing.

"You really have nothing else in your head besides practicing fists, do you?"

Wang Lie did not answer.

Chen Mo said from beside him:

"He does."

Zhao Chuan became interested.

"What?"

"Eating."

Zhao Chuan froze for a moment.

"Since when did you become so clever?"

"I've always been this clever."

Chen Mo laughed after saying it himself.

The dining hall grew increasingly noisy.

Some talked about the county city.

Some talked about martial techniques.

Others said they would definitely become formal Martial Artists one day and venture out into the world.

At that moment, several apprentices who had paid their fees to enter joined the conversation as well.

Zhao Ming rubbed his hands.

"Do you think practicing martial arts is always like this?"

"Like what?"

"My hands hurt every day."

He held out his hands.

"I practiced all day yesterday, and when I woke up this morning, my hands were still sore."

The people beside him laughed.

"It's only been a few days."

"You've got plenty more suffering ahead of you."

Zhao Ming pulled a long face.

"I used to think that after entering a martial hall, I'd learn a few powerful fist techniques."

"Who knew we'd have to practice these basics first?"

Chen Mo listened and glanced at his own hands as well.

The calluses on his palms and his rough skin had been left behind by years of weaving bamboo baskets and chopping firewood.

Then he looked toward Zhao Ming and the others.

After a full day of practicing punches, some people's hands were only a little red, while others were already covered in old calluses.

Chen Mo gently rolled his wrist.

He had always thought these things about himself were ordinary.

Only now did he realize they were not entirely useless.

At least when practicing Basic Fist, he could hold out a little longer than those who had never done heavy labor since childhood.

The thought made him feel a little smug.

"What are you looking at?"

Zhao Chuan asked.

"Nothing."

Chen Mo picked up a bite of vegetables.

"I was just thinking these hands of mine are pretty useful."

Zhao Chuan glanced over.

"What can those hands of yours do?"

"Weave baskets."

"..."

Zhao Chuan immediately burst out laughing.

"You really have prospects."

"That's a skill too."

The two of them traded a few more barbs.

After they finished eating, Zhao Chuan kept talking.

"I heard there's a martial arts hall competition in the county seat every year."

"Young Martial Artists from all over take part."

"The winners might even catch the eye of a martial arts hall in the county seat."

The eyes of several youths nearby lit up as they listened.

"Really?"

Zhao Chuan said:

"The caravan people said so themselves."

"Though I don't know whether it's true or not."

After hearing that, Chen Mo felt an itch in his heart as well.

Not because of the rankings.

But because, for the first time, he felt that beyond Qinghe Town, there truly seemed to be a vast expanse of world.

There were more martial arts halls there.

More Martial Artists.

More things he had never seen.

Before, those had only been stories from other people's mouths.

Now, he had entered the Blue Martial Arts Hall.

If he truly had the chance someday, he wanted to see it with his own eyes.

But the thought flashed through his mind and vanished.

He lowered his head and looked at his fist.

"First, I need to understand this."

Zhao Chuan patted him on the shoulder.

"Come on."

"We still have training this afternoon."

Chen Mo got to his feet.

"Coming."

The two left the dining hall.

When they reached the edge of the Training Ground, Chen Mo instinctively glanced outside the Blue Martial Arts Hall.

That was Qinghe Town.

He had lived there since childhood.

He used to think Qinghe Town was already big enough.

Only now did he know that beyond it lay an even bigger county seat.

And more people.

More martial arts halls.

Chen Mo stood there for a while.

Then he shook his head.

"Why think so far ahead?"

Zhao Chuan had already gone several steps ahead.

"Chen Mo, hurry up!"

"Got it!"

Chen Mo chased after him.

The afternoon sunlight spilled into the Training Ground.

Before long, the two figures blended back into the crowd of people practicing punches.