Departure

Early morning, Liu Li Village, riverbank, under the big willow tree.

Liu Yuanzhou was practicing the Plum Blossom Fist move by move. Point, sweep, chop, cut, the fist techniques were fierce and vigorous, powerful and heavy, with the force of a tiger. The Plum Blossom Fist, originally a fist technique that leaned towards lightness and speed, was being performed by him with a completely opposite momentum.

Since Miss Qin taught him this set of Plum Blossom Fist a few months ago, he had been practicing diligently every day. Now he had completely mastered this set of fist techniques, and he had grasped the key points of the movements and the skills of force exertion. However, he always felt that something was missing.

It was as if there was a layer of diaphragm blocking him, preventing him from seeing what was behind it. He felt that if he could break through this diaphragm, his Plum Blossom Fist would definitely enter a new realm. However, according to the conventional practice method, there had been almost no progress for nearly a month. Therefore, in the past few days, he had been trying to perform this set of fist techniques in different ways. For example, if it originally emphasized agility, he would perform it with clumsiness and simplicity; if it was originally light and skillful, he would lean towards power and heaviness.

After practicing like this for a few days, he was delighted to discover that his fist techniques had improved somewhat, and he was not far from breaking through that layer of membrane.

After finishing his fist practice, Liu Yuanzhou picked up the towel on the ground and wiped the sweat from his neck and arms, sighing in his heart, "Today is already May 1st, alas, what a pity, I don't know how long these days of practicing fist with peace of mind can last."

Liu Yuanzhou's time to go to the city was advanced. Just the day before yesterday, Third Master received a letter from his eldest son, Liu Jiali, in the city, saying that Liu Yuanzhou had to go to the city in early May because some matters related to joining the sect had to be handled by Liu Yuanzhou himself.

This was a month earlier than the original plan. When Third Master received the letter, he quickly came to discuss it with Liu Yuanzhou's family. In the end, it was decided that they would set off for the city on May 5th.

There were not many days left to stay at home. Once he arrived in the city, there would definitely be many chores, and he could not practice martial arts too openly. Therefore, Liu Yuanzhou lamented that the days of wholeheartedly practicing martial arts were numbered.

As for Stance Training, the progress was becoming increasingly slow. Now he had only barely reached Eighteen Segments. It had only increased by four segments in more than two months. Compared to when he had just Entered Samadhi, when he could increase by five or six segments a month, the current progress was frustratingly slow.

However, this was also a normal phenomenon. The more one practiced any skill, the more difficult it became. The time and effort required to break through a little were several times or even dozens of times more than before.

Miss Qin had told him all of this in advance, so he was not impatient. He just stood in Stance Training twice a day, morning and evening, no more, no less.

With his strength of Stance Training Eighteen Segments, his current strength had increased by more than double compared to before he started Stance Training. Now he could easily lift a huge rock weighing four hundred pounds, whereas more than half a year ago, he could not even lift a rock weighing more than one hundred pounds.

In addition to the increase in strength, all aspects of his body had undergone essential leaps, such as running faster, jumping higher, reacting more sensitively, and even his brain had become more flexible. It could be said that his body had undergone earth-shattering changes. He really wondered what it would be like after Stance Training broke through Twenty-Five Segments and Whole Strength.

While imagining this, Liu Yuanzhou unknowingly walked into his own courtyard.

After breakfast, Zhang Shi announced that the whole family would rest for the next few days. First, the crops in the family had all been planted, so they were not busy. Second, Liu Yuanzhou was about to leave home to go to the city, and the family had to prepare some things for him to take with him. It was said that poor families should travel with ample supplies, especially since Liu Yuanzhou was going to the city to work and did not know when he would be able to come back. Therefore, there were even more things to prepare.

After cleaning up the dishes, Zhang Shi and her daughter-in-law, Li Shi, were busy taking apart, washing, mending, and sewing clothes for Liu Yuanzhou. They had to prepare clothes for all four seasons, spring, summer, autumn, and winter, and they also had to make a few new clothes.

When going to the city, one could not avoid social interactions. The Liu Family was just an ordinary farming family, so what good things did they have? The amount of money they could give Liu Yuanzhou was also not much. They could only prepare some rice, beans, and fresh vegetables that they grew themselves. These were the tasks of Liu Da and Liu Yuanbo.

Liu Yuanzhou was driven out. Zhang Shi's original words were: "Go find Hu Wa and Xi Zi to play with. If you want to drink, there are still a few jars at home. Don't be an eyesore at home." After saying that, she wiped away her tears.

For a moment, Liu Yuanzhou's heart also felt heavy.

Carrying two jars of wine, Liu Yuanzhou arranged to meet Liu Chuang and Zhang He at Third Master's house.

Third Master personally cooked two dishes to go with the wine, one meat and one vegetable, and also filled a large bowl of Pickled Vegetables. After placing them on the table, he went out for a stroll. Young people drinking was boring for an old man to watch.

He also wanted to chat with the old folks in the village. This time he went to the city, and if nothing unexpected happened, he would live there permanently.

Liu Yuanzhou, Liu Chuang, and Zhang He sat on the kang, drinking wine and chatting about these unimportant things. Before long, the three of them were seven or eight parts drunk.

"Second Child Brother, Third Master is really good to you, finding you such a good job." Zhang He said enviously.

"Hehe, of course, don't you see how capable Second Child is?" Liu Chuang took a sip of his wine and suddenly chuckled.

Liu Yuanzhou felt uncomfortable in his heart. It was not that there was anything wrong with this sentence, but rather the tone of Liu Chuang's voice seemed to be mocking.

Perhaps he was in a bad mood, or perhaps he was talking nonsense because he was drunk. Liu Yuanzhou comforted himself in this way.

However, he did not show anything on his face, only saying with some self-deprecation, "What ability do I have? It's all thanks to Third Master's care."

Liu Chuang opened his mouth to say something, but Liu Yuanzhou preempted him and said, "Xi Zi, how has Xiucai been lately?"

Zhang He said, "I went to the city a few days ago and heard that the Prefecture Exam is next month, so I'm probably going to the city early to prepare."

"Hehe, lackey, have a drink with your brother." Liu Chuang raised his glass and waved it at Zhang He, then downed it in one gulp.

Zhang He was stunned, the glass in his hand frozen.

Liu Yuanzhou quickly picked up his glass and clinked it against his, saying, "Don't mind this guy, he starts talking nonsense when he's drunk. Come on, let's have one, brothers."

Liu Chuang was really drunk and started talking nonsense, crying and laughing alternately, and muttering curses. In the end, he vomited all over Third Master's kang.

Helpless, Liu Yuanzhou asked Zhang He to stay and clean up the mess, while he carried Liu Chuang on his shoulders to take him home.

After Xiao Hua helped Liu Chuang into bed, Liu Yuanzhou left.

"Brother, have a sip of hot water to sober up." Xiao Hua brought a bowl of hot water.

"I don't want to drink, I might as well drink myself to death." Liu Chuang suddenly flung his arm, and the bowl in Xiao Hua's hand fell to the ground with a crash.

Fortunately, the water wasn't hot, but Xiao Hua was still frightened and went crying to her father to complain.

Liu Chuang, however, was completely unaware of what he had done. He stared at the dilapidated Cave Dwelling roof with bleary eyes, feeling so sad he wanted to die: "Why can you all go to the city to work, why can you go take the Xiucai exam, while I can only stay in this broken Cave Dwelling?"

Three days passed quickly, and soon it was May 4th, the day before leaving home, and a drizzle began to fall from the sky.

In the past few days, Liu Yuanzhou had specially visited the elders of the Liu Family in the village and had drunk twice with his close cousins, as a farewell.

On the fourth day, he finally had some free time, but Liu Yuanzhou still had one thing he couldn't put out of his mind.

That day, when Zhang He mentioned Wang San's arrest, Liu Yuanzhou vaguely felt that they had taken the matter of Fatty Wang's murder too lightly, and the Wang Family might be more powerful than they imagined.

Wang San was a disciple of that White-Haired Taoist, and the White-Haired Taoist was very likely a Martial Master. The Township Official didn't have the ability or the guts to arrest a Martial Master's disciple. There must be support from the Wang Family behind it.

The government might find out that the murderer of Fatty Wang was a Martial Master, and on the surface, the only two Martial Masters in Crouching Tiger Slope and the surrounding villages were the White-Haired Taoist and Martial Master Zheng. Martial Master Zheng naturally couldn't be the murderer, so suspicion would naturally fall on the White-Haired Taoist.

He also thought of something else. Wang San had a feud with Fatty Wang. If the government followed the line of the feud, they would likely find them, because their feud with Fatty Wang was obvious to all.

There didn't even need to be any evidence, just a routine questioning. Given the current situation of Liu Chuang and Zhang He, the possibility of them slipping up was very high, after all, where had they experienced such a thing?

Thinking of this, Liu Yuanzhou became anxious and quickly found Liu Chuang and Zhang He. The three of them squeezed into a remote, dilapidated Cave Dwelling in the village, their clothes soaked by the rain.

"Second Child Brother, Xi Zi, I was drunk that day and talking nonsense, don't take it to heart." Liu Chuang said with a sheepish smile.

Liu Yuanzhou didn't have the mind to waste words with him, and besides, he didn't take that matter to heart. Zhang He even laughed it off heartlessly.

The two then asked Liu Yuanzhou what the urgent matter was, and Liu Yuanzhou told them his speculation. Finally, he solemnly said, "Hu Wa, Xi Zi, if you are questioned, you must be calm and don't panic. Insist that we were drinking at Third Master's house that night, understand?"

Liu Chuang and Zhang He's faces turned pale, and their bodies trembled, not knowing if it was from fear or cold.

Seeing the two in such a state, Liu Yuanzhou felt helpless. This kind of thing depended entirely on the individual's mental fortitude, and he really couldn't help them, especially since he was leaving tomorrow.

He suddenly regretted telling them his speculation, as it had only made them panic.

In the end, Liu Yuanzhou could only comfort them: "Don't scare yourselves, this is just a guess, just in case. The government may not have the energy to investigate everyone one by one. There are plenty of people in the surrounding villages who had grudges with Fatty Wang."

Hearing this, the two looked relieved.

May 5th, early morning, a misty drizzle like silk and fog.

In the courtyard of Liu Yuanzhou's house, a group of people gathered in the rain.

A donkey cart was parked in the yard, its carriage equipped with a rain cover. The donkey cart was hired by Third Master from Crouching Tiger Slope to take them to Yan Province City.

All the luggage had been loaded onto the cart, the carriage packed to the brim, barely leaving any space for Liu Yuanzhou and Third Master to sit.

"Dad, Mom, take care." Liu Yuanzhou knelt on the muddy ground with a thud, kowtowing three times to his parents.

Liu Da and Zhang Shi quickly helped their son up. Zhang Shi wiped away tears while complaining to Liu Yuanzhou, "You've dirtied your new clothes." With that, she used her sleeve to wipe the mud stains from her son's clothes.

Liu Yuanzhou stood quietly, his eyes slowly scanning the surroundings. Eldest brother and sister-in-law, Xi Zi and Hu Wa, Second Uncle and Aunt, and all the brothers and sisters, take care, he silently said in his heart.

After exchanging farewells with everyone, Liu Yuanzhou turned and climbed into the donkey cart. Third Master was already sitting inside. He called out, "Let's go."

The driver raised his whip and cracked it on the donkey's rear with a snap, and the cart slowly started moving.

The people behind the cart waved incessantly. Zhang Shi collapsed into her husband Liu Da's arms, crying. Liu Da supported his wife with one hand and wiped the water from the corner of his eye with the other. Ah, is the rain getting heavier?

Liu Yuanzhou didn't look back once. He closed his eyes tightly, afraid that if he opened them, he wouldn't be able to stop the tears from falling.

The donkey cart, carrying Liu Yuanzhou, broke through the barrier of fine rain and drove out of Liu Li Village, heading towards the big city of Yan Province.

In the misty rain, Crouching Tiger Slope, the Wang Family mansion.

Wang Dafa sat silently on the high-backed chair in the hall, his face haggard.

"Master, the Township Official still has no leads. Wang San has also been confirmed to be unrelated to this matter. As for that White-Haired Taoist, he has disappeared since the day he fought Martial Master Zheng, and Wang San doesn't know anything either," Biao Zi reported the progress of the case while standing beside him.

"What are the official's next steps in the investigation?" a person sitting opposite Wang Dafa asked in a deep voice. The speaker was dressed in black brocade, and a glittering golden belt around his waist was particularly eye-catching.

Biao Zi quickly bowed and replied, "Replying to you, sir, the Township Official said he will report to the County Office. After all, this case involves a Martial Master, and he will ask the higher-ups to send capable constables to investigate." This person was Wang Dafa's brother-in-law, named Li Changda, a large landowner in the neighboring Sun Family Town, even more powerful than the Wang Family. He had come to handle the affairs after his nephew's death.

"Bullshit! Long Danian just doesn't want to investigate the case. What Martial Master committed the crime? I don't believe it. How could there be such a coincidence?" Li Changda cursed loudly, slamming his palm heavily on the table, causing the teacups to tremble.

Biao Zi shivered. This Master Li was not to be trifled with, with his violent temper and tendency to hit people at the slightest disagreement.

Wang Dafa seemed indifferent to all of this, only staring blankly at the misty rain outside the window.

"Biao Zi, go to the warehouse and get two hundred taels of silver. Investigate secretly for me. See who Old Second had feuded with in the month before his accident. If the government can't do it, I'll do it myself," Wang Dafa suddenly said with hatred.

"I'll put out another two hundred taels and investigate one more month back. I don't believe I can't find anything out," Li Changda snorted coldly.