Hidden dangers

"Junior Brother Lin."

"Junior Brother Lin, you're here. Want to go out for a stroll?"

After having an extra meal at the Dining Hall, Lin Hao came to the Martial Arts Ground in a loose gray training outfit. Quite a few apprentices greeted him, and the two instructors there nodded to him as well.

Lin Hao's progress over this period was plain to see. With his constant extra meals and uninterrupted supply of medicinal herbs, he had also demonstrated considerable financial resources.

Potential and money naturally earned him a measure of goodwill.

"I still need to consolidate my progress. You go ahead."

Lin Hao smiled and nodded to the apprentices whose faces he recognized.

Then he walked to a corner of the Martial Arts Ground, picked up a Gray Staff without any skills, and tested its weight. Looking at Qin Sicheng, whom he knew somewhat better, he asked,

"Fifth Senior Brother, I haven't seen Master or Eldest Senior Brother today. Have they gone out?"

Lin Hao warmed up as he chatted casually.

Using the [Great Achievement]-level Crouching Tiger Staff was a little like forcing a seedling to grow, much like Wu Deshui's guidance when he first started. The results were certainly impressive, but it placed a considerable strain on his body, requiring breaks and medicinal baths along the way.

During those breaks, Lin Hao would switch to Double Stone Locks mode and use his own actual level of Crouching Tiger Staff proficiency for some supplementary training.

Without forcing his growth, it fit his current capabilities perfectly and placed much less strain on him, rather like mixing occasional cardio into a workout to regulate the intensity.

Under the eight-jin weight penalty, Lin Hao did not use the weapon's built-in [Proficient] level. His performance was about the same as [Beginner], so it did not look out of place.

"A band of River Pirates has appeared on the canal recently. They've joined forces with some Mountain Bandits near Wei'an County Seat and committed quite a few crimes. There are suspicions that Outworld Demons are behind them, too. County Commandant Wu invited Master and Eldest Senior Brother to help. The heads of several martial arts schools have gone as well. They may be away for a while."

Qin Sicheng was also training his strength with stone locks. He had taken off his shirt, exposing muscles as taut as granite.

"Outworld Demons? They've made it this far inland?"

Lin Hao raised his eyebrows. These Outworld Demons were the Lizardmen mentioned by the University City Broadcast, apparently intelligent beings from another world. They possessed immense strength, were hard to injure with blades, and seemed to be targeting certain unique wish power items as well.

Moreover, rumors of Outworld Demons went back ten years. Their foothold in this world was far deeper than University Town's.

Fortunately, the Lizardmen's appearance was unmistakable. For now, they only had some influence among the surrounding barbarian peoples. In Great Qi, everyone wanted them beaten or killed.

Based on the encounter in University Town and the information they had gathered, the Lizardmen's civilization was roughly at some sort of tribal stage, with very little accumulated technology. Although they enjoyed an enormous physical advantage over ordinary humans, their weapons had initially been even more primitive than those of the steppe barbarians.

Only in recent years, thanks to equipment stolen and plundered from Great Qi, had they managed to equip themselves to any reasonable degree.

They were practically synonymous with brutishness, savagery, and cruelty.

Even when rebels of the Way of the Celestial Masters were fighting the regular army, both sides would deal with any Lizardmen who appeared before continuing their battle.

This immediately reminded Lin Hao of the extraction item in the direction of the county seat.

Those bastards had better not get to it first...

Although there were plenty of mission items, not just this one, and a new signal would appear after completing one mission,

the fact that he could only sense this one return item meant that it was relatively the closest and most suitable.

Fortunately, the Lizardmen had been branded Outworld Demons. Aside from mingling with the barbarians, the most they could do in Great Qi was secretly support some Mountain Bandits and River Pirates. Showing themselves openly was hardly an option.

Even if they're after the same thing as me, there's nothing I can do about it right now. I'll make the most of this golden period of rapid improvement before considering anything else.

For now, Lin Hao could only hope that his master and the others would come through and kill every last one of those things.

Then Lin Hao began practicing as well.

Without the proficiency boost from an equipment skill, Lin Hao's Crouching Tiger Staff now reflected his actual mastery.

He still benefited from the Double Stone Locks' [Training] bonus, however, along with the bonuses from his Yoga Outfit and other equipment.

The weight penalty during practice caused his movements to distort somewhat.

But given how little time Lin Hao had spent training, even those somewhat distorted movements looked commendable to Qin Sicheng.

"When you first started learning this staff technique ahead of time, I thought you were reaching too far. Now I can see you really do have a talent for it. Your Crouching Tiger Staff already captures something of its essence. That's quite rare."

Qin Sicheng's own Crouching Tiger Staff had only reached [Proficient]. He felt that Lin Hao's practice looked very similar to his, except for some distorted movements, as though he could not rein in his strength. It was rather a pity.

"But why can't you control your strength? Let me give you a hand..."

As both an instructor and a Personal Disciple, Qin Sicheng felt an urge to intervene when he saw Lin Hao struggling to control his movements in such odd places.

He immediately leaped in front of Lin Hao and reached out to catch the staff, making Lin Hao's face turn green.

Brother!

That's forty kilograms!

Fortunately, switching equipment took only a thought. In an instant, he completed the switch and reined in his strength, his Great Achievement-level staff technique handling the weight effortlessly as the staff struck Qin Sicheng's palm.

"That's right, just like that. Keep that feeling."

Entirely unaware that he had just brushed against death's door, Qin Sicheng felt that his guidance had hit the mark and continued sharing his experience.

He had not noticed the cold sweat that had broken out on Lin Hao moments earlier.

"Thank you so much!"

There was a hint of sarcasm in Lin Hao's voice, but Qin Sicheng failed to pick up on it. He laughed heartily and told him not to mention it.

"Hao, Master's wife gave us some candied fruit. It's delicious! Come try some."

Just as Lin Hao nearly sent Qin Sicheng to his death, Zhao Xiaowen came running out happily.

Unlike the male disciples' gray training outfits, Zhao Xiaowen wore a white one of the same style as Wu Xin's. Both its material and fabric looked much better. More importantly, Zhao Xiaowen had the figure for it. Even with a binding underneath, her chest still looked full and rounded.

Half a month of training with the help of her equipment had also lent a crispness to her movements. She looked less delicate and more spirited.

The moment she arrived at the Martial Arts Ground, she drew plenty of eyes again.

Lin Hao finished his current set, then took the opportunity to stop and escape Qin Sicheng's "guidance," accepting the treats Zhao Xiaowen fed him.

Although he had once been able to eat his fill of fresh fruit, with even durian becoming cheap,

the flavor of these traditionally made candied fruits was indeed quite

good.

As she fed him, his lips occasionally brushed Zhao Xiaowen's fingertips. The familiar fragrance at his nose stirred his heart again, and he could not resist giving one a little suck.

That earned Zhao Xiaowen a reproachful look and a faint blush on her pretty face, but she continued feeding him.

Half a month without any fleshly pleasures had indeed left Lin Hao feeling as though a cat were scratching at his heart. Should I find a time to swap rooms with Nie Yi?

Or perhaps it wouldn't matter if she overheard us through the wall. Maybe I should just kick Yi Feng out for a night sometime...

"Is it good?"

"It is."

"Let me apply your ointment later. I learned a few techniques from Senior Sister."

Zhao Xiaowen already knew about rehabilitative exercise. Combining that theoretical foundation with traditional techniques built up through experience truly gave her wings.

"Sure. Come to my room later."

Lin Hao leaned close to Zhao Xiaowen's ear and spoke softly, his breath making her earlobe redden slightly.

While Lin Hao enjoyed her warm, soft company, the apprentices' gazes held more than envy and jealousy. He had also attracted some attention of a different kind.

Two somewhat malnourished apprentices with sallow faces had gathered with another, burly apprentice. Their eyes flicked over from time to time.

"Damn it, how is that brat so lucky? Precious medicine, a beautiful woman-he gets everything. That woman has more appeal than any courtesan on those pleasure boats. It's bloody unfair."

Jealousy flashed in Luo Jing's eyes. His family had saved for years and borrowed a great deal of silver just to get him through the door. Even meat was scarce in his everyday diet. He could only supplement it with more coarse grains and beans. An occasional chicken or duck egg, or some offal, counted as an extra meal.

Had the Martial Arts School not recognized his decent talent and waived the next two months of tuition fees, he would not even have been able to keep training.

But even with his outstanding talent, his progress was limited without adequate food and medicinal supplements. He still could not complete Whole-Body Force, and watching this fellow catch up left him feeling helpless.

Now his time was nearly up again. An instructor had already hinted that he had learned everything available to him and could return home to train on his own. Through years of painstaking effort, he would still have a chance of reaching bright force.

That filled him with resentment.

After leaving his village, coming to Dam Market, and seeing its dazzling world, he could never go back to a life of bending over the soil in the fields.

No matter what, he had to stay!

"Last time I asked him to lend me a little silver, he was too stingy to agree. Such a miser, yet he spends lavishly on his own medicine. A destitute outsider, acting so arrogant. Pah!"

Luo Wei's circumstances were much like Luo Jing's. All three of them were distant cousins, related in one way or another, and his voice was likewise filled with indignation.

Half a month had been enough for them to discover that this seemingly extravagant group was nothing more than refugees from elsewhere!

Their families might have been poor, but the Luo Clan was still a prominent local clan. Otherwise, they could never have borrowed enough for the initial tuition fees. In a place where clan ties mattered so deeply, seeing these outsiders living so comfortably made their resentment impossible to contain.

Compared with the other two, Luo Hong looked far more respectable. His face gleamed with health, and his build was burly. Clearly, at the very least, he did not normally have to skimp on food and drink.

"Judging by how freely they spend, they probably brought quite a bit of ready wealth with them. They just rarely go out, so there's been no opportunity. It's a pity."

Luo Hong looked rather regretful.

"My cousin asked me about them before, too. They fooled him with a trick when they entered town. Otherwise, he might have gotten them then."

"Brother Hong, do you mean your cousin in the Beggar Gang?"

The other two seemed to know whom he meant.

Their original desire to learn martial arts had, in fact, been inspired by stories about the gangs!

Most of the gangs' managers had trained successfully at martial arts schools. Anyone who managed to achieve Whole-Body Force could immediately become a figure of local standing. Even those who failed were treated very differently depending on whether or not they knew how to fight.

"Yes, him. He happened to encounter them when they first entered the market town. That woman covered her face back then, so my cousin couldn't make up his mind. Otherwise, never mind their money-selling a woman of that quality to a pleasure boat alone would bring in a windfall."

Hearing this stirred the other two as well. Destitute outsiders without anyone backing them were easy targets, but now that they had joined the Martial Arts School, things were more complicated.

"Isn't there still a problem with their legal status? Aren't they still refugees?"

"I heard Senior Sister already helped them register as residents and paid their poll tax, too. They're quite shrewd. Perhaps they really did come from good families before. Their skin is so soft and delicate."

"What does the past matter? Now that they've fled here, they're still destitute outsiders without a clan's protection. Lin Hao is progressing the fastest of the lot. I'll test him first. With Master and Eldest Senior Brother away, we can put our heads together afterward. There may still be an opportunity."

They would never dare cause trouble inside the Martial Arts School. But these fat sheep had barely established themselves, and training at the same school made it easy to keep track of their movements. There really was room to make a plan!

If they succeeded, it would be a windfall from the heavens!

They were nearly out of time here anyway. The worst outcome would hardly matter. It was a venture that cost them nothing...