Deng Qing said, "I don't want the pig liver, kidneys, or stomach. Just the large intestines, small intestines, and lungs."
At that, several shop hands nearby couldn't help leaning back.
Wu Yun frowned. "Are you joking? You're a martial artist, for heaven's sake."
Deng Qing said, "Can't be helped. Poverty leaves a man with few choices, and I need nourishment too."
"Senior Brother Wu, I'm not asking for them free. I'll work here for a day, and you can give me whatever offal you think is fair."
Wu Yun considered it for a few breaths. "All right. We're fellow disciples. I can do you that favor."
So Deng Qing stayed at the butcher's shop and worked until evening.
Wu Yun stopped him and pointed west. "Go in through that side door. There's a battered handcart behind it. The offal's piled in the corner. Load up as much as you want."
Deng Qing smiled. "Thank you, Senior Brother."
"Don't thank me yet."
Wu Yun waved a hand. "I'd better warn you: those large intestines are a real pain to deal with. The stink is awful."
Deng Qing offered no explanation and hurried around to the west side door.
As soon as he pushed it open, a cold, bloody smell struck him in the face.
Before him lay a low-walled courtyard, with a huge heap of offal piled in one corner.
Large intestines still full of filth, small intestines, and pig lungs lay frozen together in a jumble, hard as rocks and stacked half a man high.
The frost kept the smell from being too strong. The sight was spectacular.
Deng Qing loaded a cart and pushed it home, huffing and puffing all the way.
He wheeled it into the courtyard, then immediately drew water, set up a pot, thawed the offal, and washed it...
After more than a dozen rounds of scrubbing, he added a little salt and boiled up a pot of pale, unappetizing offal. Pinching his nose, he gritted his teeth and ate it anyway.
Once he had eaten and drunk his fill, he began to practice.
This time, he did not perform the full Tiger-Subduing Fist. He practiced only the first six forms, whose stances were just right for circulating his qi.
After practicing until midnight, his whole body felt warm. He slept soundly through the night.
Early the next morning, he cooked another pot of offal, ate it, and continued his practice.
When he finished, Deng Qing went to Celebration Hall for breakfast, then hurried to the butcher's shop to work.
He worked until evening, then told Wu Yun he meant to take another cartload of offal.
He had loaded only half a cart of rock-hard frozen offal when a warm current suddenly sprang up in his lower abdomen and flowed through his whole body.
With a whoosh, 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 held back the urge to throw his head back and howl. Instead, he stamped his foot hard.
He looked again at the heap of frozen intestines and lungs, secretly pleased with himself. No medicinal wine, no supplements, no Ginseng Pills. Hell, I couldn't even afford meat.
In the end, it was this offal that pushed me into Skin Tempering First Layer.
"Junior Brother Deng, what are you standing there for?"
Wu Yun's voice came from behind him.
Deng Qing came back to himself and cupped his fists. "Senior Brother Wu."
Wu Yun came over and patted his shoulder. "You're looking well, I'll give you that. Go on, load up. Don't be shy with me."
"You work hard and never spare yourself. Tell you what—haul all this offal away and work for me for a full month. How's that?"
"Really?"
"Those shit-filled intestines are too much trouble to clean, and they sell for so little the price doesn't even cover the labor. I usually let them rot into fertilizer. Why would I fool you? If you want them, take them and clear some space for me."
Deng Qing did not stand on ceremony. He hauled cartload after cartload home. By the time he finished, frozen lumps of offal filled nearly half his courtyard.
The next morning was another day ending in five, when Celebration Hall held classes.
Deng Qing ate two bowls of large intestines stewed with small intestines, ran through a round of fist practice, and headed over.
Outside the front courtyard, a young man swept furiously with a broom, sending clouds of dust into the air. Everyone passing by raised a sleeve to cover their nose.
Deng Qing stood at the gate and watched for a while. Just a few days ago, that broom was in my hands.
He nodded to the young man and entered the courtyard.
Quite a few people had already gathered there, including Li Cheng, Zhou Tie, and Wang Wei.
Now that they had broken through, the wooden plaques at their waists differed from everyone else's. They stood at the front of the crowd, their bearing transformed.
As soon as Deng Qing entered, many people looked his way.
Word had long since spread through the hall that Li Liang meant to take him away for compulsory labor.
"Deng Qing, you still came today?"
Someone could not help asking.
"Classes are held on days ending in five. Of course I came."
Whispers rippled through the crowd.
Fan Sheng emerged from beneath the corridor eaves with a short stick in hand. He was about to call someone out to practice their fists when he glanced at Deng Qing. He seemed ready to say something, but in the end said nothing.
Just then, Li Liang walked in.
He wore the same somewhat worn black uniform, with a saber hanging at his waist. His face was as rigid as carved stone.
Two constables followed him. They did not enter the courtyard, but stood on either side of the gate with their hands on their saber hilts.
Li Liang did not need to speak. Everyone knew why he had come.
All eyes fell on Deng Qing.
Li Liang walked straight up to him. "Junior Brother Deng, your time is up."
Deng Qing nodded. "I know."
"Got the money together?"
"Almost."
Li Liang's expression changed at once. "Then don't blame your senior brother for being ruthless."
He pulled a hemp rope from his sleeve. "You know I don't want to use this on you."
Deng Qing smiled. "Senior Brother Li, there's no need for that. I was going to finish class, then bring the money to you."
"But since you're in a hurry, give me half the time it takes to drink a cup of tea."
Li Liang was baffled. The others stared in astonishment.
Deng Qing cupped his fists toward Fan Sheng. "Senior Brother Fan, do you know any moneylenders?"
At those words, Fan Sheng's thick brows bent sharply.
Li Liang said, "So that's your plan? A moneylender? I know your family's situation better than you do. All you have is one ramshackle house that's about to fall down. What would you put up as collateral?"
"Enough. Don't waste time. I'll put in a word for you later and see that you're sent somewhere decent to serve."
Deng Qing said, "I remember Senior Brother Fan saying that breaking through Skin Tempering brought many benefits. One was that borrowing from a moneylender became much easier."
The crowd froze again.
Everyone had thought he was stalling. None had expected to hear him speak of breaking through Skin Tempering.
Fan Sheng stared at Deng Qing. "You're saying you've broken through?"
Deng Qing cupped his fists. "Please examine me, Senior Brother."
Li Liang quietly tucked the hemp rope back into his sleeve.
Fan Sheng walked over. "Hold out your arm."
Deng Qing extended it.
Fan Sheng pressed two fingers to his forearm, then to his shoulder. "Run through the fist forms."
Deng Qing stepped back half a pace and took his stance.
Crouching Body, Reaching Claw, Sinking Shoulder...
He seemed like a young tiger stirring the mountain forest. Before long, a faint white mist rose around him.
Li Cheng said nothing. Having broken through only recently himself, he knew exactly what that meant.
Zhou Tie and Wang Wei gradually frowned as well.
After completing the six forms, Deng Qing drew back his fists and stood still.
Fan Sheng stepped forward and pressed his shoulder and back once more.
This time, he did not hesitate. He announced loudly, "Force has formed in the skin and flesh. Skin Tempering First Layer."
The whole courtyard erupted in shock.
Deng Qing's breakthrough shook them far more than those of Li Cheng, Zhou Tie, and Wang Wei had.
After all, everyone knew how poor Deng Qing's family was, and why Li Liang had come today.
Li Cheng nodded to Deng Qing. "Congratulations."
Zhou Tie said, "Congratulations."
Wang Wei said nothing, merely cupping his fists.
Deng Qing returned each gesture. "I was fortunate."
Fan Sheng said, "There's no such thing as luck in a breakthrough. Only you know how much hardship you endured."
Deng Qing cupped his fists to Fan Sheng. "Senior Brother, please tell me where I can borrow money easily."
Before Fan Sheng could answer, Li Liang curled his lip. "Stop giving your senior brother a hard time! You've reached Skin Tempering First Layer. By Celebration Hall's rules, you can be entered into the register as a Named Disciple."
"Do you think Celebration Hall sits around doing nothing? The next time the County Yamen rounds up laborers, it won't be able to lay a hand on a Named Disciple of Celebration Hall."