Skin Tempering Breakthrough

Deng Qing said, "I don't want pork liver, kidneys, or stomach. I only want large intestines, small intestines, and pig lungs."

The moment he said that, several shop hands beside him could not help leaning back.

Wu Yun frowned. "What kind of joke is this? You're a martial artist, at least."

Deng Qing said, "Can't be helped. A poor man's ambitions fall short—I need nourishment too."

"Senior Brother Wu, I'm not asking for them for nothing. I'll work here for a day, and Senior Brother can give me however much offal you see fit."

Wu Yun pondered for a few breaths. "Fine. Since we're fellow disciples, I can afford you this favor."

So Deng Qing stayed at the butcher shop and worked until quitting time at dusk.

Wu Yun stopped him and pointed west. "Go in through that little door over there. There's a broken handcart behind it. The offal is piled in the corner. Load up as much as you want."

Deng Qing's handsome face broke into a smile. "Thank you, Senior Brother."

"Don't thank me too soon."

Wu Yun waved a hand. "I still need to warn you: large intestines are truly troublesome to deal with. The smell of the organs is far too strong."

Deng Qing offered no explanation and quickly circled around to the small western door.

The instant he pushed it open, a cold, fishy stench rushed into his face.

Before him lay a low courtyard, with a huge pile of offal in one corner.

Large intestines filled with uncleaned filth, small intestines, pig lungs, and all sorts of miscellaneous scraps were frozen together in a solid mass, hard as stone and piled half a man high.

Because they were frozen, the smell was not too overpowering, and the sight was truly spectacular.

Deng Qing loaded up a cart and pushed it home, huffing and puffing all the way.

He pushed the cart into the courtyard and immediately fetched water, set up a pot, thawed the offal, and washed it...

After more than a dozen rounds of torment, he added a little salt and boiled it into a pot of pallid slop that made his stomach turn just looking at it. Still, pinching his nose, he gritted his teeth and ate it.

Once he was full and satisfied, he began training.

This time, he did not perform the full Tiger-Subduing Fist, only its first six forms. The stances contained within were particularly suited for circulating his qi.

After training for half the night, his whole body felt pleasantly warm, and he actually slept soundly through the night.

Early the next morning, he cooked another pot of offal and ate it, then continued circulating his qi.

After finishing his training, Deng Qing went to Celebration Hall for breakfast before hurrying to the butcher shop to work.

He worked until dusk, then greeted Wu Yun and prepared to push another cart of offal away.

He had only loaded half a cart of rock-hard frozen offal when a warm current suddenly arose in his lower abdomen and coursed through his entire body.

With a whoosh, a clear radiance appeared.

[Heaven helps those who help themselves; no effort is wasted]

[Realm: Skin Tempering First Layer]

[Tiger-Subduing Fist: 41% (Minor Mastery)]

Deng Qing suppressed the urge to throw his head back and howl at the sky, then stomped his foot hard.

He looked again at that pile of frozen-solid intestines and lungs, secretly pleased. Without medicinal wine, supplements, or ginseng pills, I can't even afford meat.

Yet in the end, it was this offal that shoved me into Skin Tempering First Layer.

"Junior Brother Deng, what are you standing there in a daze for?"

Wu Yun's voice came from behind him.

Deng Qing came back to himself and cupped his fists. "Senior Brother Wu."

Wu Yun walked over and patted his shoulder. "You really do look much better. Hurry and load up—don't stand on ceremony with your senior brother.

"You work hard without sparing yourself. How about this? Haul all this offal away, and work for me for a full month."

"Really?"

"These intestines that hold shit are too troublesome to clean, and they're worth so little that they don't even cover the cost of washing them. I usually compost them for fertilizer. Would I trick you? If you want them, hurry and haul them away. Clear up some space for me."

Deng Qing did not stand on ceremony. Cart after cart, he hauled the offal home. By the time he finished, the hard frozen lumps of offal filled nearly half the courtyard.

The next morning was another fifth day of the month, which meant it was time for classes at Celebration Hall.

Deng Qing ate two bowls of large intestines stewed with small intestines, practiced a round of boxing, and hurried over.

Outside the front courtyard, dust billowed into the air as a youth swept wildly with a broom. Everyone passing by lifted their sleeves to cover their noses.

Deng Qing stood at the entrance and watched for a while. That broom was in my hands just a few days ago.

Deng Qing nodded to the youth and entered the courtyard.

Quite a few people were already gathered there, including Li Cheng, Zhou Tie, and Wang Wei.

They had now broken through, and the wooden badges at their waists differed from everyone else's. Standing at the front of the crowd, their bearing was utterly distinct.

The moment Deng Qing entered, many people turned to look at him.

News of Li Liang sending him to perform corvée labor had long spread throughout the hall.

"Deng Qing, you still came today?"

Someone could not help asking.

"Classes are held every fifth day. Naturally, I came."

Whispers immediately spread through the crowd.

Fan Sheng emerged from beneath the corridor with a short staff in hand. He had originally been about to call people up to practice boxing, but after glancing at Deng Qing, he seemed to want to say something, only to hold it back in the end.

Just then, Li Liang walked in.

He was still wearing that somewhat worn black uniform, a saber hanging at his waist, his face set like a stone carving.

Two constables followed behind him but did not enter the courtyard. They stood guard on either side of the entrance, hands resting on their saber hilts.

Without Li Liang saying a word, everyone knew what he had come for.

For a moment, every gaze fell upon Deng Qing.

Li Liang strode directly up to Deng Qing. "Junior Brother Deng, the time is up."

Deng Qing nodded. "I know."

"Have you scraped together the money?"

"Almost."

Li Liang's expression changed in an instant. "Then don't blame this senior brother for being ruthless."

He took a hemp rope from his sleeve. "You know I don't want to use this on you."

Deng Qing smiled. "Senior Brother Li, you're making too much of it. I was planning to finish class first, then bring the money to you.

"Since Senior Brother is in such a hurry, please allow me half a cup of tea's time."

Li Liang was baffled, and the others stared, dumbstruck.

Deng Qing cupped his fists toward Fan Sheng. "Senior Brother Fan, do you know anyone who lends at usurious interest?"

The moment those words came out, Fan Sheng's pair of silkworm brows bent crooked.

Li Liang said, "So after all that, you're looking to borrow usury? I know your family situation better than you do. You've got nothing but a crumbling shack on the verge of collapse. What can you offer as collateral?

"Enough, don't waste time. When the time comes, I'll put in a word and look after you. I'll assign you somewhere better for your labor service."

Deng Qing said, "I once heard Senior Brother Fan say that breaking through Skin Tempering brings many benefits. One of them is that borrowing money from lenders becomes much more convenient."

Everyone froze again at those words.

They had all thought he was merely stalling for time. None had expected to hear the words "Skin Tempering breakthrough."

Fan Sheng stared at Deng Qing. "Are you saying you broke through?"

Deng Qing cupped his fists. "Please inspect me, Senior Brother."

Li Liang quietly tucked the hemp rope back into his sleeve.

Fan Sheng walked over. "Hold out your hand."

Deng Qing extended his arm.

Fan Sheng first pressed two fingers against his forearm, then moved them to his shoulder. "Perform a round of boxing."

Deng Qing stepped half a pace back and assumed his stance.

He lowered himself, stretched out his claw, sank his shoulder...

Like a young tiger shaking the mountains and forests, before he had practiced for long, a faint white vapor actually rose in the courtyard.

Li Cheng remained silent. He himself had only broken through recently, so he naturally knew what this signified.

Zhou Tie and Wang Wei gradually furrowed their brows as well.

After completing the six forms, Deng Qing withdrew his fists and stood still.

Fan Sheng stepped forward and pressed on his shoulders and back again.

This time, he did not hesitate. He announced in a ringing voice, "Strength has arisen in the skin membrane. Skin Tempering First Layer."

In an instant, the entire courtyard was stunned.

Deng Qing's breakthrough shocked everyone far more than the breakthroughs of Li Cheng, Zhou Tie, Wang Wei, and the others.

After all, everyone knew Deng Qing's family circumstances, and they knew why Li Liang had come today.

Li Cheng nodded to Deng Qing. "Congratulations."

Zhou Tie also said, "Congratulations."

Wang Wei said nothing, merely cupping his fists.

Deng Qing returned their greetings one by one. "I was fortunate."

Fan Sheng said, "There is no such thing as fortune in breaking through. Only you know how much hardship you endured and how much suffering you bore."

Deng Qing cupped his fists toward Fan Sheng. "Please advise me, Senior Brother. Where would it be convenient to borrow money?"

Before Fan Sheng could answer, Li Liang curled his lip. "Stop making trouble for your senior brother! Since you've reached Skin Tempering First Layer, by Celebration Hall's rules, you can be registered as a named disciple.

"Do you take Celebration Hall for a place that eats for free? Even if the county yamen comes to seize able-bodied men again, they cannot seize a named disciple of Celebration Hall."