Third Brother Was Terrifying When He Turned Ruthless!

After resting for barely a moment, Li Xuan stood up again, settled into his stance, and continued repeating those unfamiliar movements over and over.

Zhao Meng watched him, shook his head, and stopped trying to persuade him.

He had seen plenty of newcomers who refused to accept reality. They always thought hard work could make up for everything, but in the end, the vast majority still had to resign themselves to their fate.

The gulf in root bone was not something one could cross simply by gritting one's teeth and holding on.

He turned away to attend to his own business.

Li Xuan practiced with undivided attention from the afternoon until the sun sank toward the west.

Sweat soaked his back, and his arms and legs ached as though they had been filled with lead. Every movement sent pain tugging through them.

But he ignored it, mechanically repeating, adjusting, then repeating again.

Just as he felt he could no longer hold on, a commotion came from the courtyard gate.

Two men dressed like laborers pushed in a single-wheeled cart. A large wooden barrel sat on it, covered with a lid, with faint wisps of steam rising from it.

Zhao Meng walked over and called, "Everyone, come get your medicinal broth!"

The people resting beneath the veranda immediately perked up and gathered around, laughing and chatting as they took out their bowls.

Li Xuan stopped as well, wiped away his sweat, and watched in some confusion.

Zhao Meng lifted the barrel's lid, and a rich herbal smell spread through the air, mingled with a faint bitterness.

Using a long-handled wooden ladle, he scooped a portion of steaming, blackish medicinal broth into each person's bowl.

When Li Xuan's turn came, Zhao Meng ladled out a bowl for him too:

"Here. Outer courtyard disciples get one bowl a week. It strengthens your foundation, nourishes your vitality, and loosens your muscles and bones. It's good for tempering your body."

Li Xuan thanked him and accepted the coarse earthenware bowl.

The medicine was scalding hot and dark brown, with a somewhat pungent smell.

He blew on it and carefully took a sip. It tasted even more bitter than it smelled, but after he swallowed, warmth quickly rose in his stomach.

The warmth was not intense. Instead, it spread in fine threads, flowing into his aching limbs and throughout his body.

Miraculously, after that warm current brushed through his muscles, their burning soreness eased noticeably.

He was still tired, but the stiffness that made him feel as though he was about to fall apart had lessened considerably.

What made his heart leap even more was that, as the medicine's power spread, a faint light suddenly flickered before his eyes, where nothing had appeared all this time!

[Thunderclap Fist Stance (beginner): 0/20]

I've finally reached the beginner level!

The lettering appeared clearly!

Li Xuan forced down the startled cry that nearly escaped his lips, steadied the hand holding his bowl, and finished the remaining broth in a few gulps.

The warm current grew a little more noticeable, and the lettering on the panel seemed to solidify for an instant.

He could not help asking, "Senior Brother, this medicinal broth... can I drink more of it? Does drinking more make it work better?"

Zhao Meng was putting away the wooden ladle. At the question, he laughed:

"In your dreams! This stuff isn't cheap. A bowl like this costs at least half a tael of silver, counting the herbs and the work of brewing it. The hall only gives you a free bowl each week because outer courtyard disciples have paid their tuition. You really want to pile up progress with it?"

He shook his head.

"It's not as though martial artists with poor root bone have never tried that, but this is only the lowest-grade 'bone-strengthening broth.' Its effects are nothing special-barely a drop in the bucket. If you really want medicine to drive your progress, you'd need the more precious formulas used by inner courtyard disciples. As for the price... heh."

Li Xuan nodded silently.

He understood now. His apprenticeship fee might have been waived as a favor, but none of the expenses along the road of martial training could be avoided.

Medicine cost money, and if he needed extra guidance from a senior brother later, that would surely cost money too.

And his source of points... would still have to come back to the prey in the mountains.

The sky gradually darkened, leaving only a streak of orange-red on the distant horizon. After some thought, Li Xuan said to Zhao Meng:

"Senior Brother, there's something... I live in the mountains, quite a way from town. I might not be able to come to the hall every day to check in. Would that... be all right?"

Zhao Meng was directing the laborers to carry away the empty barrel. Hearing this, he turned around and frowned:

"It's not forbidden. Under the hall's rules, outer courtyard disciples receive group instruction from a senior brother on one fixed day each week, going over the key points and correcting their movements. The rest of the time, they practice on their own. The medicinal broth is distributed once a week too."

"Naturally, it's more convenient for those living in town or nearby. They can practice morning and evening, and find someone to ask whenever they have a question. Of course, private instruction costs extra."

He looked at Li Xuan, his tone cooling a little. "But if you only come once every few days and practice away on your own, there's no one watching you, and no one to correct mistakes in time. It's easy to send your qi astray and injure your muscles and bones. And your root bone is already... I'm afraid your progress will be slower still."

He put it fairly tactfully, but his eyes already held a trace of knowing confirmation, as though to say, "Just as I expected," and even a hint of barely perceptible disdain.

It seemed this young hunter was only chasing a novelty, or had somehow lucked into a recommendation from Master Shen and come to try the martial arts hall for a few days.

Of those who could truly endure hardship and had the perseverance to stay, who did not try to live nearby, wishing they could spend all twelve double-hours of the day in the courtyard?

"I understand. Thank you for the advice, Senior Brother." As though he had not noticed the meaning in Zhao Meng's eyes, Li Xuan answered calmly, "I'll be careful on my own. Then... may I head home for today?"

Zhao Meng waved a hand:

"Mm, go on. Remember to practice plenty on your own. If you're still like this next time, it'll be hard to explain things to Master."

"And I have to remind you, the hall conducts assessments. If your qi and blood fail to break through in three consecutive assessments, you'll be dismissed."

"...Yes."

Li Xuan bowed to Zhao Meng, turned, and walked out through the gates of the Thunderbolt Martial Arts Hall.

Back in the courtyard, Zhao Meng withdrew his gaze, shook his head, and returned to his work.

Another one with inferior root bone who could not endure hardship. He probably would not be coming back before long.

In the village.

Dusk closed in from every direction, and the distant mountains were reduced to dark blue-black silhouettes.

Beneath the old locust tree at the village entrance, Li Xiuer stood on tiptoe and craned her neck to peer toward the end of the yellow dirt road beyond the gate, her little face full of anticipation.

"Xiu'er! Stop looking and come back for dinner! Your third brother surely won't be back today. I've heard they're strict at that martial arts hall. Now that he's actually joined, he might be staying there."

Wang's voice came from inside the house, carrying her usual briskness.

As she called, her hands kept moving, putting away the things spread across the heated brick bed.

They really had brought back a great deal from town this time!

There were two large sacks of coarse rice, a small sack of white flour, a piece of pork belly layered with fat and lean meat wrapped in a dried lotus leaf, and a heap of oil, salt, sauces, and vinegar.

Most eye-catching were the bolts of brightly colored cloth and a bundle of fresh cotton in the corner of the bed.

One bolt of fine indigo cotton in particular felt silky smooth to the touch, compared with the coarse hemp cloth they usually wore.

It was completely different.

Wang's fingers stroked the fine cloth lovingly, her eyes shining:

"This winter, I can finally make proper new padded jackets for you men, and Xiu'er can have a new pair of trousers too."

In the main room, Li Shan sat on a little stool, puffing away on his pipe. Amid the curling smoke, his face held both wonder and deep emotion.

Li Zhong squatted by the doorway, chuckling foolishly as he watched his wife put things away, his face full of contentment.

"Father, you didn't see it."

Wang could not help bringing up what had happened that day again, her tone still carrying a little lingering fear.

"That Third Brother is truly terrifying when he turns ruthless! Those mountain bandits who tried to rob us looked vicious, but he went up and dropped them in just a few moves, without so much as blinking! My heart nearly leaped out of my chest!"

"Hasn't Third Brother always been like that?"

Li Zhong's abrupt remark made Wang think it over. It did seem to be true.

After all, Third Brother had long been notorious in the village as a scoundrel and a little tyrant. Doing something like that did seem rather in keeping with his character, didn't it?