After bidding farewell to the others, Leng Xing headed toward his family residence.

The Leng Family residence was a four-courtyard complex with eastern and western side-courtyards. Leng Xing’s quarters were located in the western one.

"Mother!"

Pushing open the door, Leng Xing called out,

"I’m home!"

There was no response. The courtyard was deathly still.

Hmm?

Leng Xing’s expression flickered. He hurried to the main room, only to find a sorrow-stricken woman collapsed on the floor beside an overturned table and shattered porcelain.

"Mother!"

"Mother, what’s wrong?"

Leng Xing frantically helped the woman up and checked her pulse. He let out a small sigh of relief, then gritted his teeth in fury.

"Did that animal come here again?"

"...Quick!" The woman was completely drained of strength, but she managed to point toward a side room.

"Xiaocui."

Xiaocui?

Leng Xing’s face fell. After helping his mother into a stable position, he rushed to the side room, but his personal maid, Xiaocui, was nowhere to be seen.

In one of the rooms.

Xiaocui screamed and cried as a shadowy figure pinned her to the bed. Her beautiful eyes were filled with terror and despair as she struggled helplessly with all her might.

"No! Please, don’t!"

"Young Master, save me!"

SMACK!

Leng Chi’s expression was vicious as he slapped her across the face. The blow was so powerful that Xiaocui coughed up blood and collapsed limply onto the bed.

"It’s your lucky day that I’ve taken an interest in you. That punk Leng Xing let the Ping Family’s maid get away, so I’ll just have to take you as compensation."

RIIIP...

He tore her clothes with both hands, then lunged and pressed himself down on her.

"The Leng Family has raised you for over a decade. It’s time you showed your gratitude."

"So good!"

CRASH!

The door was shattered by a single slash, and a red-eyed Leng Xing stormed in, roaring with fury.

"You animal! I’ll kill you!"

BAM!

Leng Chi spun around and lashed out with a palm strike. The immense Palm Force sent Leng Xing flying. With a look of utter disdain, Leng Chi went back to his assault.

"Useless trash!"

"I’m going to do it right in front of you today, just like I did in front of your father. What are you going to do about it?"

"Ah—"

SPURT!

Leng Xing was so overcome with rage that he spat out a mouthful of blood and fainted on the spot.

...

「Zhou Mansion.」

As soon as Zhou Yuantong returned home, Mrs. Zhou pulled her into a room, pushed her into a chair, and began questioning her about the day’s events.

"Well? How did it go?"

"Did you get to meet him?"

"I met him," Zhou Yuantong replied, her face expressionless. She picked up the long-cold teapot from the table and took two large gulps.

"You’re drinking it even though it’s gone cold!" Mrs. Zhou chided before ordering a servant to bring hot tea. She continued her questioning, "Since you met him, what was your impression?"

"My impression?" Zhou Yuantong stroked her smooth chin thoughtfully.

"He’s certainly different from the others."

"Oh!"

Mrs. Zhou’s eyes lit up.

For the past two years, friends and relatives had, both openly and covertly, introduced countless young men to Zhou Yuantong.

Without fail, not a single one had managed to catch her daughter’s interest.

"As expected of someone from the Prefecture City. Your father also mentioned that Zhu Ju has a noble air about him, a testament to Master Zhu’s good upbringing."

Clapping her hands together, Mrs. Zhou smiled.

"Should I have the matchmaker bring it up, then?"

"Mother!" Zhou Yuantong rolled her eyes.

"Young Master Zhu is still in his mourning period; such matters cannot be mentioned. Besides, I only said he was different from the others, not that he’s to my liking."

"What?" Mrs. Zhou was exasperated.

"This one’s not allowed, that one’s not suitable... Tell me, what kind of man are you actually looking for?"

"It’s simple," Zhou Yuantong said.

"Someone I truly connect with."

"You..." Mrs. Zhou pointed a trembling finger at her.

"You’ll be the death of me!"

"Among the countless people in this world, how many find that kind of connection? Can’t you just get married and learn to get along over time?"

"Indeed," Sixth Master Zhou said, walking into the room and nodding.

"Nothing in this world is perfect. ’Good enough’ has to suffice. Your mother and I had never even met before our wedding, and haven’t we loved each other for all these years?"

Zhou Yuantong pouted.

"Honestly, you..." Sixth Master Zhou shook his head.

"So, tell us. What’s this Zhu Ju like?"

"He’s very nice," Zhou Yuantong didn’t deny it.

"Just as you said, Father, he has a noble air and treated me very well. And he’s an excellent storyteller."

"A storyteller?" Sixth Master Zhou faltered.

"What’s all this nonsense? I’m asking about his Cultivation, his strength!"

"I didn’t see him use any Martial Arts," Zhou Yuantong said, shaking her head.

"However, his Qi is focused and his spirit is centered. I doubt he’s as incompetent as the rumors claim, but he definitely isn’t very strong, either."

"How would you know?" said Mrs. Zhou.

"Maybe he’s just hiding his true abilities."

"Mother, you don’t understand," Zhou Yuantong explained.

"The Martial Arts Path is fraught with peril. Miss one day of practice, and you lose the progress of ten. Miss ten days, and you lose a hundred. Only through diligent and bitter training can one’s Martial Arts become second nature."

"Throughout the entire gathering today, Zhu Ju remained completely relaxed. He showed no interest when the others were sparring. How could someone like that possibly have mastered their Martial Arts?"

"Unless..."

She pursed her lips.

"Unless he’s some legendary Martial Arts genius who can achieve Mastery of a Cultivation Technique with barely any practice. Someone so powerful that he doesn’t even deign to notice people like Leng Xing. But do you really think that’s possible?"

"Alas!" Sixth Master Zhou’s expression shifted, and he finally let out a long sigh.

"What a pity..."

"...that you are a woman."

His daughter possessed a remarkable talent for Martial Arts and, even more importantly, a sharp and perceptive mind. If she were a man, she would undoubtedly achieve great things.

"Father!"

Zhou Yuantong lowered her gaze.

"Who says women can’t be a match for men?"

Sixth Master Zhou shook his head. There were Innate differences between men and women, a fact that could not be changed no matter what.

A woman could not leave home to make her way in the world alone.

And a woman would have an even harder time inheriting the family’s legacy!

"He’s wealthy, has a powerful background, is good-tempered, and not bad-looking. His only weakness is his lack of Martial Arts," Mrs. Zhou mused.

"Isn’t that even better?"

"Yuann Tong, you should invite them all for a gathering in a few days. It’ll be a good chance to get closer to Zhu Ju."

"I already invited them," Zhou Yuantong said with a shrug.

"We’re meeting again in a few days at Qili Pavilion, just outside the city."

"You invited them yourself?" Sixth Master Zhou looked astonished.

"That’s a rare sight indeed."

"It was nothing," Zhou Yuantong said.

"I just want to hear the rest of the story."

?

Sixth Master Zhou and Mrs. Zhou were stunned for a moment, then exchanged a look. A peculiar expression was mirrored on both their faces.

’Could our daughter’s heart actually be moved?’

’In normal times, a man like that would be perfectly acceptable,’ Sixth Master Zhou mused. ’But the world has grown more chaotic these past few years. If possible, I’d still rather find a husband with superb Martial Arts for Yuann Tong.’

*

*

*

A pile of gathered wood was lit, creating a simple bonfire. Roasting some wild game over the flames made for a fine feast.

Zhu Ju tore off a strip of rabbit meat and slowly savored it.

Before he knew it, he had been in Leping County for more than two years and had acquired considerable strength.

It was just... Opening Essence.

He still hadn’t even touched the threshold of that Realm.

Zhu Ju wasn’t worried, however.

According to Ye Chongshan, as long as someone at External Training Fourth Layer Perfection didn’t make any major mistakes, they were guaranteed to step into the Opening Essence Realm.

The longer it took,

the stronger one’s physical foundation was, and thus the more time was naturally required for their Strength to fully permeate the body.

Taking a long time to advance to Opening Essence now meant that advancing to the Inner Qi Realm later would be much faster. With a sufficient foundation, one might even succeed at Nurturing Inner Qi overnight.

Zhu Ju hadn’t just cultivated the Thirteen Body Refinement; he had also achieved the Qi Blood Martial Arts Limit Break. His Physical Body’s foundation was far stronger than anyone else’s, so it was only natural that he would take longer.

"Brother Zhu." Hex Leshan strode over, found a rock to sit on, and wiped the sweat from his brow.

"What’s on your mind?"

"Nothing important." Zhu Ju shook his head, returning to the present.

"Leping County is truly a place of wonders. Brother Hex, you’ve already reached Great Success in Entering Strength at such a young age. Given time, your potential is boundless."

"Haha..." Hex Leshan laughed heartily.

"It was a stroke of luck. I had some unexpected gains during the operation to wipe out the Black Tiger Gang; otherwise, I wouldn’t be where I am today."

"It was the same for the others. We all benefited greatly from that mission."

Zhu Ju nodded.

It was true that their Cultivation had begun to advance by leaps and bounds after that raid.

"The essence of the Martial Arts Path lies in nurturing the body. Strength is a fine thing, but using it recklessly without proper technique will only lead to self-injury," Zhou Yuantong said, adding wood to the fire with a frown.

"It’s manageable during the Entering the Realm stage, but if you want to nurture Inner Qi, your body cannot have any hidden injuries whatsoever."

"Why were you all sparring so fiercely today? You nearly injured yourselves several times."

"You could tell, Miss Zhou?" Hex Leshan looked surprised. He then shook his head, his voice tinged with emotion.

"Time waits for no one!"

"We’re preparing for a big job soon, and it might get dangerous, so we have to seize every moment. Cultivation requires a constant supply of Great Medicine, and that’s impossible without money."

"The poor pursue scholarship; the rich pursue the Martial Arts." Zhu Ju nodded.

"There is much truth in that saying."

Practicing Martial Arts requires not only a Cultivation Technique, but also the aid of Great Medicine. Even more, one cannot do without the guidance of a master teacher. In short, it costs money at every turn.

For an Aristocratic Family, this might be manageable. But for an ordinary person to achieve any success, they must put their life on the line.

And when you put your life on the line, injuries are inevitable.

Once you’re injured...

Your journey on the Martial Arts path comes to an end.

That is why cultivating a true master often requires the accumulated wealth and resources of a family over several generations.

Or a stroke of incredible luck.

"Young Master Zhu," Zhou Yuantong said with a smile,

"It sounds a little odd coming from you. If you wanted to practice Martial Arts, would you really be lacking for money?"

"Brother Zhu simply has no interest in practicing Martial Arts; you can’t force something like that. If I had Brother Zhu’s fortune, I’d also live a life of leisure. Why bother with all that self-torture?" Hex Leshan then asked casually, "I hear the Leng Family is looking to do business with you as well, Brother Zhu?"

"That’s right," Zhu Ju nodded.

"We’ve arranged to go to the Forest to inspect the goods the day after tomorrow."

Hmm...

Hex Leshan’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

Leng Xing hadn’t come today, claiming he’d caught a cold. The other young people either sparred to practice their Martial Arts or sat around listening to stories.

"What’s the real conflict between the Yangg and Guo Families? Why won’t Guo Jing and Huang Rong just explain things clearly to Yangg Guo?"

"He fell in love with his own ’aunt’..."

"Which is stronger, the Toad Skill or the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms?"

"..."

Zhou Yuantong listened and asked questions, gradually becoming immersed in the tales of the Martial World as told by Zhu Ju.

It wasn’t until her family’s maidservant, seeing how late it was, urged her to leave several times that she finally bid a reluctant farewell, promising they would meet again.

...

「Nightfall.」

Hex Leshan and a few others gathered secretly in a deserted courtyard.

CREAK...

A door opened.

Leng Xing stepped out, his face like ice.

"Brother Leng!"

"Brother Leng!"

"..."

"It’s confirmed," Hex Leshan said.

"The day after tomorrow."

"You didn’t reveal your true Cultivation, did you?"

"...No," Leng Xing shook his head.

"As much as I want to tear that animal limb from limb, I know I’ll only get one chance."