Hidden force

Mo Yun followed Mo Yiyi into town, visited each of the shops, and completed the handover with the shopkeepers and their assistants.

To smooth the way for his sister, Mo Yun deliberately showed the shopkeepers his Crouching Tiger Mountain Manor token, openly and subtly hinting that his position at the manor was far from ordinary.

"My sister is your employer from now on. Go straight to her if anything comes up. If some blind fool comes looking for trouble, just invoke the name of Crouching Tiger Manor."

The shopkeepers were all shrewd men. One look at the token told them everything, and they hurriedly nodded and bowed, promising their full cooperation.

By the time everything was settled, it was already noon.

Standing outside a shop, Mo Yun watched his sister bustle about and quietly weighed his situation.

Right now, I'm draping myself in Crouching Tiger Manor's tiger skin, but I can't keep doing this forever. If it all falls apart one day, my sister will be in trouble.

I need to improve my own strength as quickly as possible. Only when I'm strong myself can I cow all those petty villains.

At that thought, his desire to grow stronger became even more urgent.

"Little brother, what are you thinking about?" Mo Yiyi asked, walking over after finishing her work.

"Nothing." Mo Yun smiled. "Sis, it's getting late. I need to head back to the Mountain Manor."

The smile on Mo Yiyi's face froze, and her eyes filled with reluctance to part.

"You're leaving so soon?"

"Yes, my leave is over." Mo Yun nodded. "Don't worry, Sis. I'll come back to visit you often."

Mo Yiyi held his hand, her voice choked with emotion. "Take good care of yourself. Don't wear yourself out..."

"I know, Sis." Mo Yun gave her a gentle hug. "You take care too. If anything happens, have someone bring me a letter."

The siblings lingered outside the shop, reluctant to say goodbye.

After walking quite a distance, Mo Yun looked back. His sister was still standing there, watching him, her figure looking especially frail in the sunlight.

He waved to her, then turned and strode away.

Mo Feng's home, Mo Family Village.

"Father, that little brat went too far!" With a miserable look on his face, Mo Feng paced back and forth across the main room. "We've given back the shops, the fields, and the house! How are we supposed to live now?"

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He dropped into a chair, beating his chest and stamping his feet. "Fan's martial training at the Chaos Blade Sect costs a fortune, and we've spent plenty greasing palms at every level. We barely had any savings to begin with, and now we don't even have an income. How are we supposed to support him? If I'd known it would come to this, I never should have let him..."

"Shut up!" Mo Huaishan barked, glaring at him. "Don't go saying things you shouldn't!"

Startled, Mo Feng shrank back and dared not make another sound.

Mo Huaishan sat in his grand armchair and slowly took a draw from his tobacco pipe, smoke curling around him.

"What are you panicking for?" he said mildly, his tone carrying a measure of composure. "Fan has Superior Bone Root. He's already entered the Chaos Blade Sect and become a registered disciple. Give him some time, and he's sure to make a name for himself there. In the future, he certainly won't be any worse than Mo Yun."

Mo Feng frowned. "But that brat Mo Yun became so powerful in just a month. What if..."

"What if what?" Mo Huaishan cut him off. "As I see it, Mo Yun was simply lucky. He has some talent for understanding martial arts and caught the eye of an important figure at Crouching Tiger Manor. But his Bone Root is poor. Even if he's started practicing martial arts, his ceiling must be very low."

Mo Feng thought it over and found his father's words reasonable. Some of the anxiety faded from his face.

"No matter what, he's still only a menial servant at Crouching Tiger Manor," Mo Huaishan continued confidently.

"Once Fan distinguishes himself in the Chaos Blade Sect and becomes an Outer Sect Disciple, or even an inner disciple, forget Mo Yun—even the whole of Crouching Tiger Manor will probably be afraid to offend him."

He exhaled a cloud of smoke, a sharp gleam flashing through his cloudy old eyes. "When that time comes, won't those fields, that house, and those shops all return to your hands?"

Mo Feng's eyes lit up, and the gloom vanished from his face. "You're right, Father! You really do see further ahead!"

He rubbed his hands together and grinned. "Hmph, let that brat enjoy his triumph a little longer. Once Fan returns with his training complete, we'll see how long he can keep acting so arrogant!"

The three family members exchanged smiles, as though they could already see Mo Fan returning home in glory and Mo Yun kneeling to beg for mercy.

Meanwhile, Mo Yun had already boarded a carriage and set off back to Crouching Tiger Manor.

Before leaving, he had spent some money at a brokerage to hire someone to discreetly keep an eye on his sister's situation and send word to Crouching Tiger Manor if she ran into trouble, guarding against any unforeseen mishaps.

Inside the carriage, Mo Yun rested with his eyes closed, but his mind was reviewing the events of the past two days.

This trip home had yielded quite a lot. Not only had he resolved his sister's troubles, he had also recovered the fields and shops. At last, her livelihood was secure.

With that, unless it became necessary, she would not have to go to Crouching Tiger Manor and live under someone else's roof.

But Mo Yun also knew this was only temporary.

"Second Uncle's family won't let this rest." Mo Yun opened his eyes, his gaze sharpening slightly.

"They backed down today because they feared Crouching Tiger Manor. But if they ever decide I'm no longer worth fearing, or find a stronger backer in the Chaos Blade Sect, they'll definitely come sweeping back."

He thought of his second uncle's son, his cousin Mo Fan.

"Superior Bone Root, the Chaos Blade Sect..."

Mo Yun's brow furrowed slightly.

"Superior Bone Root is indeed rare, but on the martial path, Bone Root isn't everything."

He lowered his head to look at the Black-and-White Seal on his wrist, his expression growing intent.

As the carriage jolted along, Mo Yun closed his eyes to rest again while sorting out his next steps.

After returning to the Mountain Manor, his first task would be to apply to join the Guard Team.

That way, he would no longer have to do menial work and could free up a great deal of time for cultivation.

His second task would be to put his next black point into the Tiger-Crouching Stance as soon as it formed, strengthening his foundation.

His third task would be to reach the next stage of the assessment fist technique as quickly as possible, charging the White Mark so he could form his first white point sooner.

At my current pace, it'll take another seven or eight days to form the second black point.

As he silently calculated, something else suddenly came to mind.

Commander Li had said that if he could reach the beginner stage of the Tiger-Crouching Fist within a month, the Village Master would reward him with a potent medicinal preparation to completely resolve his unstable physical foundation.

I've already reached the beginner stage of the Tiger-Crouching Fist. I'll report it to Commander Li when I get back.

At that thought, Mo Yun could not help feeling expectant.

His bottle of Qi-Blood Pills was almost empty. He needed fresh supplies at just the right time.

The carriage sped along the main road, the scenery on either side racing backward.

More than two hours later, the carriage stopped at the foot of the mountain where Crouching Tiger Manor stood.

Mo Yun jumped down, paid the fare, and strode briskly up the mountain.

Upon returning to the Mountain Manor, he first went to his dormitory to put away his belongings, then headed straight to the Servants' Court to find Commander Li.

Commander Li lived in a separate little courtyard near the Servants' Court. When Mo Yun arrived, he was practicing his fist technique in the courtyard.

The wind from his punches howled, each strike carrying a tiger's imposing might and a dull boom as it tore through the air. An invisible but powerful pressure radiated from him, far greater than anything Mo Yun's punches had produced before.

Mo Yun stood at the courtyard entrance and watched intently.

He could sense Commander Li's qi and blood surging like mighty rivers, his Force Energy astonishingly deep and powerful. Every punch carried the strength to crush rotten wood and sweep away withered branches.

They say Commander Li reached the Dark Force stage long ago. His combat prowess is terrifying, and he can wound without leaving a visible trace. A single punch might leave the surface completely unscathed while shattering all the organs inside...

A Dark Force martial artist was a formidable fighter in any region, respected wherever he went.

As Mo Yun was thinking, Commander Li finished his routine and turned to look at him.

"Little Mo, you're back from leave?"

"Yes, I just got back." Mo Yun entered the courtyard and cupped his hands in greeting. "Commander Li, there's something I'd like to report."

"What is it?" Commander Li wiped away his sweat and gestured for him to sit down and speak.

"I've been practicing the Tiger-Crouching Fist diligently, and luckily, I've reached the beginner stage."

Commander Li's hand stopped midway through wiping his sweat. He snapped his head up to look at Mo Yun, his eyes full of disbelief.

"What did you say?"

"I've reached the beginner stage of the Tiger-Crouching Fist," Mo Yun repeated.

Commander Li stared at him for a long moment, then said gravely, "Perform it for me."

Mo Yun nodded, stepped back a few paces, and assumed his stance in the courtyard.

He took a deep breath and regulated his breathing.

The next instant, he moved.

Fierce tiger descends the mountain!

His fist thundered forward, and a dull boom erupted in the air!

The wind from his punch sent a weed growing on the courtyard wall swaying wildly.

Commander Li's pupils abruptly contracted. He froze on the spot as though struck by lightning.

"This... this..."

He opened his mouth, but for a moment, no words came out.

How long had it been?

Counting every last day since he began teaching the Tiger-Crouching Fist, it had only been half a month!

He'd reached the beginner stage of the Tiger-Crouching Fist in half a month?!

The Tiger-Crouching Fist was no simple assessment routine. It was Crouching Tiger Manor's signature martial art, more than a whole level harder to master!

Even Commander Li himself had taken half a year to reach the beginner stage back then!

Yet this young man before him had needed only half a month!

"A prodigy. A true martial prodigy!" Commander Li murmured, his face filled with shock.

He drew a deep breath to steady himself, then strode up to Mo Yun and seized his shoulders.

"Good! Good! Excellent!"

He voiced his approval three times in succession, his face practically overflowing with smiles.

"Little Mo, wait here. I'll report this to the Village Master right away!"

With that, he turned and left, striding so swiftly that he seemed to wish he could fly straight to the Village Master.

Watching him go, Mo Yun could not help grinning.

That medicinal reward should be in the bag.