"Senior Brother Deng, what a feat!"
Wang Wei shouted, and the crowd erupted in cheers.
Fan Sheng stepped forward and slung an arm around Deng Qing's shoulders, grinning from ear to ear. "I knew you could do it, kid. I knew it!"
With that, he pulled Deng Qing before Zhang Yan and made a point of introducing him.
Zhang Yan declared, "Junior Brother Deng fought well today.
"The Tiger-Subduing Fist is nothing rare in Celebration Hall. Many have practiced it, and many consider it crude.
"But the quality of a technique is one thing; whether you're willing to put in the hard work is another. Junior Brother Deng won today because he honed his skills with the patience of water wearing down stone."
Everyone fell silent. Thinking back over Deng Qing's fight with Song Que, they realized he really had used nothing but the Tiger-Subduing Fist.
Deng Qing cupped his hands. "Senior Brother Zhang, you praise me too highly. I was just lucky."
He felt no pride, only a nagging unease at having revealed so much.
But he had weighed the gains carefully. The return was high enough to justify the risk.
Zhang Yan waved a hand. "Enough. No need to be modest. Your victory speaks for itself.
"In short, you did well. You've set an example for everyone."
Deng Qing had no wish to be anyone's example. He hurriedly changed the subject, offering the Blacksteel Soft Sword to Zhang Yan. "Senior Brother Zhang, this sword belongs to the Golden Saber Sect. Please decide what should be done with it."
Zhang Yan waved it away. "Spoils belong to the victor. That's been the rule since ancient times. Neither Song Que nor Chen Kong has the nerve to ask for it back. You needn't hand it over; keep it, but don't show it off.
"Song Que holds a high position, after all. Just because the Golden Saber Sect didn't demand it today doesn't mean they'll forget."
Deng Qing's heart tightened. "Thank you for the warning, Senior Brother Zhang."
He wrapped the Blacksteel Soft Sword around his waist.
Zhang Yan glanced at the sky. "It's getting late. We shouldn't linger in Blackwind Ravine. Pack the medicine chests and head back at once."
Everyone answered in unison, packed up the medicine chests, and hurried down the mountain.
On the way back, many people came over to greet Deng Qing, some of whom he could not even name.
The man who had first shouted "Offal Martial Saint" apologized earnestly and insisted on buying Deng Qing a feast to make amends.
Wang Wei could not even squeeze in beside Deng Qing. He could only trail behind with Fan Sheng, who was guarding the rear.
Wang Wei said quietly, "Senior Brother Fan, looking back, I don't think what happened at North Warehouse was luck. Someone is truly formidable."
With others close enough to hear, Wang Wei dared not say more. Mountain-Crossing Wind's death had earned several people credit, after all.
Fan Sheng said, "So it seems. In any case, the stronger Junior Brother Deng is, the better for both of us."
Wang Wei smiled and nodded.
By the time the group returned to the County Seat, night had fallen. The journey had passed without incident.
After escorting the medicinal herbs to Tianshun Apothecary, Zhang Yan dismissed the group.
The next day, after Deng Qing ate breakfast at Celebration Hall, Fan Sheng came to see him. He handed Deng Qing a voucher stamped with the Hall Master's Seal of Celebration Hall: it could be exchanged for one Medicinal Bath without Deng Qing having to supply the supplementary ingredients himself.
There were also ten taels of silver, the reward Zhang Yan had promised.
Fan Sheng patted Deng Qing's shoulder. "Make it quick. The Earthfire will be sealed in a few days. Don't miss your chance."
Deng Qing promptly agreed, then handed the Silver Crow Handwraps to Fan Sheng. "Senior Brother Fan, I should return these."
Fan Sheng took the handwraps and examined them carefully by lamplight. A few thin white marks crossed their palms, left where the Blacksteel Soft Sword had grazed them.
The sight of those marks made Deng Qing tense.
Renting them had not been cheap, and the deposit was a full twenty taels.
If the marks counted as damage, his reward money would be gone before it had even warmed his hands.
Fan Sheng turned them over and over, then smiled. "It's fine. Just a few scuffs, no real damage. Getting your deposit back shouldn't be a problem."
Only then did Deng Qing relax.
An hour later, Fan Sheng returned with the twenty-tael deposit.
Deng Qing went straight to Tianshun Apothecary.
The battle at Blackwind Ravine had earned Deng Qing merit.
Shopkeeper Zhang already knew Deng Qing needed to buy medicine and had left instructions. When Steward Liu heard Deng Qing had arrived, the round-bodied man came out from the back hall to welcome him personally.
Once Deng Qing explained what he needed, Steward Liu insisted on giving him the biggest discount.
Deng Qing spent five taels on all the supplementary ingredients, cupped his hands in thanks to Steward Liu, and headed back to Celebration Hall.
When Deng Qing arrived, Fan Sheng was practicing in the courtyard. One look at the bulging bundle in his hands told Fan Sheng he had bought everything.
"Let's go."
Without asking further, Fan Sheng led Deng Qing to the Medicine Hall.
The Medicine Hall stood on the eastern side of the inner courtyard. Its heavy medicinal scent reached them from far away.
Inside, Deng Qing took out the Tiger Bone Powder, Bloodvine Branch, Meridian-Clearing Sand, and the other ingredients one by one, handing them to Elder Wu for inspection.
Elder Wu was a thin, wizened old man with drooping eyelids, but his movements were meticulous.
He opened the packages and sniffed the medicines, then pinched up some Meridian-Clearing Sand to check its quality. At last, he nodded. "The ingredients are fine."
Then he told Deng Qing to wait outside.
He waited half an hour.
Half an hour later, Elder Wu beckoned to him from inside. "Follow me."
Deng Qing rose and followed him deeper into the inner courtyard.
The farther they went, the hotter and damper the air became.
At last, they descended a dozen or so stone steps into an underground chamber.
Steam billowed through the chamber. Beads of water clung to its walls, and the stone slabs underfoot were warm.
Small pools were set into the floor. In one of the smaller Medicinal Pools, dark-red liquid bubbled with heat. A pungent medicinal smell struck Deng Qing in the face, making his chest tighten slightly.
Elder Wu pointed at the pool. "Get in."
Deng Qing was about to step in when Elder Wu added, "Remember, a Medicinal Bath is a powerful tonic, but it's also an ordeal. If you can't bear it, get out. Don't force yourself to endure."
"Understood."
Deng Qing removed his clothes and stepped slowly into the Medicinal Pool.
The moment he entered, the liquid seemed to come alive, burrowing through the pores of his skin. It felt as though countless fine needles were piercing his flesh, driving waves of heat deep into his bones and muscles.
Deng Qing gritted his teeth and sat down. The instant the liquid covered his chest and abdomen, his whole body went rigid.
Within a dozen breaths, the medicine's power surged ever more fiercely.
His skin felt as though it were being peeled away layer by layer, then flooded again and again with heat.
Soreness, numbness, swelling, and pain mingled together, making the veins at his temples bulge.
Deng Qing closed his eyes, forced his breathing steady, and began circulating the Violet Palace Method.
As the technique took hold, an invisible millstone seemed to form in his chest and abdomen.
It ground down the medicinal power that had been charging wildly through him.
The heat no longer surged upward at random. It sank with his breathing into his organs, then spread from there through his limbs and bones.
The fierce, overbearing medicinal power was refined bit by bit by the Violet Palace Method and sank deep into his skin.
Sitting in the dark-red liquid, Deng Qing felt as though he had been boiled from the inside out.
After an unknown length of time, Clear Radiance suddenly appeared.
He stared at the final line:
[Violet Palace Method: 20% (Minor Mastery)]
Deng Qing rejoiced inwardly. The Violet Palace Method had finally reached Minor Mastery.
He immediately checked his realm. It was still Skin Tempering First Layer, and his joy faded a little.