Xu Shi fell silent for a moment. "That happens in martial-world novels. I've never actually seen it."
Everyone guarded the doors and windows, not daring to relax for a moment. Only when dawn came did they feel at ease.
The morning sunlight shone through the gaps onto their cheeks, dispelling all their fear.
"It's light out. The water monkeys will return to the water. We can go out and look." Xu Shi cautiously surveyed their surroundings through a gap.
Then he opened a narrow gap and squeezed outside. Two veteran escorts in the waystation followed close behind, and the three began checking the surroundings.
Before long, Xu Shi and the others returned. "The water monkeys are gone. You can come out."
Only then did the remaining escorts in the waystation open the barricaded door and walk outside.
The clearing in front of the waystation was now a complete mess, crisscrossed with bloody marks.
All the horses had vanished. Broad, bloody drag marks remained on the ground, extending all the way to the lakeshore.
Chen Tie bent down to examine them, his gaze falling on the bloodstains on the ground. The dark red blood had not yet dried completely, and several deep, sharp claw marks were gouged into it. Sharp claws had torn through the soil, leaving the edges curled up. He could imagine how swift and powerful those water monkeys' claws were.
Moreover, the numerous claw marks left in the clearing indicated that the water monkeys lived in groups.
"Only the wagons are left. Are we supposed to pull them ourselves?" a new escort asked helplessly.
Beside him, Xu Shi silently took out a small notebook and recorded the names of the two escorts who had lost their lives.
Then he led several veteran escorts deep into the forest, following the hoofprints on the ground.
Before long, they brought back four horses. At least they would not have to pull the wagons themselves.
Everyone packed up and continued on their journey. The chief escort rode a horse at the front to lead the way, while the other escorts could only sit on the freight wagons.
No one felt like talking along the way. They simply pressed on, reaching Tianshan City in three days on what had originally been a four-day journey.
The cargo handover went smoothly, and the escorts rested in Tianshan City for a day. During that time, Xu Shi took out a map. Besides the routes, it bore red markings of various sizes.
At the location of the lakeside waystation, he used a red pen to write down what they had encountered, marking the danger there.
Xu Shi explained, "Every red dot is a dangerous area, mostly places where people have died. Recording all the ways to pass through them builds the escort agency's foundation."
Chen Tie nodded slightly at this. It seemed that in this world, a map of safe routes was an immense treasure.
The escorts bought six horses in Tianshan City. Traveling light, they returned to Duchang City in just five days.
At the Tiger Might Escort Agency, all the escorts who had gone on the assignment collected their pay. However, silver was losing value in these troubled times, so they could also collect an equivalent amount of cultivation supplies.
The families of the escorts who had died would receive the corresponding compensation.
Chen Tie did not collect money, exchanging it directly for daily necessities instead. They would last his household a while.
While Chen Tie had been away, his younger sister Chen Xi had been left in Mo Fang's care.
Early the next morning, Chen Tie arrived at the martial hall's inner courtyard, where Chen Xi gleefully hugged his thigh.
"Sorry for the trouble, Junior Sister Mo!" Chen Tie cupped his hands in thanks.
"You're too polite, Senior Brother Chen."
Hearing the voices, Mo Hong came out from the courtyard and nodded slightly when he saw Chen Tie.
"You brat, you're finally back."
Mo Hong was about to continue, but the instant his gaze swept over Chen Tie, his expression briefly froze.
"You've broken through to the flesh refining realm?"
How was that possible? This disciple, whose bones he had personally examined and whose aptitude was mediocre, had actually broken through to the flesh refining realm.
"Yes, Master Mo."
Mo Hong's eyes widened. He gripped Chen Tie's arms with both hands and focused on examining him. His heart immediately shook.
He sensed that the Qi and blood throughout Chen Tie's body no longer merely floated at the surface. Instead, they surged like a rushing undercurrent, dense and vast, far beyond the standard of others at his level.
Only then did Mo Hong realize that Chen Tie had already quietly broken through to the flesh refining realm.
He could not help breaking into a delighted smile.
"You brat, you broke through without a word. You didn't even tell this old man!"
"Do you think your wings have grown strong enough now?"
Chen Tie immediately explained, "Master Mo, I only broke through unexpectedly in the last few days. I've just returned from the escort job and haven't had time to tell you."
Mo Hong stroked his little beard and nodded slightly. "Escort work is good experience, but you can't neglect your martial cultivation. Hurry up and demonstrate the Fierce Tiger Fist for me. Let me see how far you've progressed!"
"Yes, Master Mo."
His expression calm, Chen Tie checked his information.
[Fierce Tiger Fist: major accomplishment (15/300)] [Fierce Tiger Stance Art: major accomplishment (36/300)] [Resounding Viscera Blood Scripture: second level (75/100)] [Supple Bone Palm: beginner (74/200)]
His Fierce Tiger Fist had suddenly reached major accomplishment before he set out, but during the fourteen days of escort work, he had had little time to cultivate. He could only gain one point each day-better than nothing.
Chen Tie assumed his stance and demonstrated the Fierce Tiger Fist.
The moment his fists moved, the abundant Qi and blood within him began churning, surging through his limbs and every part of his body. With each punch, his Qi and blood vibrated outward along with his force. A faint, warm sensation of Qi rippled across his skin, and the wind from his fists carried waves of heat from his Qi and blood, sending loose dirt flying from the ground.
His moves flowed without the slightest obstruction, his fist intent seamless and rounded, his Qi and blood expanding and contracting at will. When he exerted force, his Qi and blood thundered into his knuckles; when he withdrew a move, they swiftly flowed back into his internal organs, neither scattering nor falling into disorder.
Watching from the side, Mo Hong was utterly shocked. This was the Fierce Tiger Fist at major accomplishment!
Good heavens, in just half a year, this brat had not only broken through to the flesh refining realm, but had even brought his fist technique to major accomplishment.
In his excitement, Mo Hong accidentally plucked out several strands of his beard.
Once Chen Tie finished his demonstration, he slowly walked over and looked his disciple up and down.
Chen Tie had come from among the refugees, the very bottom of Duchang City's society. To reach this point, he must have put in effort that ordinary people could scarcely imagine.
Even his astonishingly talented disciple Zhang Long had yet to reach major accomplishment in his fist technique.
A thousand words filled Mo Hong's heart, but in the end, they became a single line of encouragement.
"You're doing very well. Keep working hard, and don't slack off!"
"This disciple obeys."
Mo Fang, standing off to the side, was already dumbfounded. She had never imagined that Senior Brother Chen had already reached such a level.
Mo Hong could not help sighing inwardly. His disciple Chen Tie was neither arrogant nor impatient, and was exceptionally steady. Unfortunately, the Fierce Tiger Martial Hall was already supporting Zhang Long with all its strength. There really were no more resources to spare for Chen Tie.
"If you have any questions, you can come to this old man at any time."
Chen Tie cupped his hands. "Understood. Thank you, Master Mo."
Chen Tie turned and was about to leave when Mo Hong could not bear it. The martial hall had a fair amount of resources, after all. Giving him a little would do no harm.
"Come with me!"
Chen Tie followed Mo Hong into a room in the inner courtyard. Mo Hong took three large paper packages out of a drawer.
"These are three portions of secret medicine. They'll help you temper your Qi and blood in the flesh refining realm. From now on, you can come to the inner courtyard and see me on this day each month to collect three portions of secret medicine."
"Yes, Master Mo."
Chen Tie cupped his hands, then accepted the secret medicine. A distinctive smell wafted into his nostrils.
Moreover, the quantity was considerably greater than that of the secret medicine he had received in the skin refining realm.
Mo Hong waved a hand. "You may go."
Chen Tie cupped his hands and took his leave.