Free Web NovelChapter 7: Chapter 7: Returned
「The next day.」
At the first light of dawn, Chen Cheng had already arrived at the Dragon Mountain Martial Arts Hall.
In the courtyard, the two most outstanding disciples had arrived even earlier.
Their coarse cloth shirts and pants were soaked with sweat, sending plumes of faint white steam into the biting autumn wind.
Over by the kitchen, a silent, middle-aged woman had already prepared the morning meal. She then swept the adjacent bathhouse and latrine before quietly closing the gate and leaving.
Chen Cheng first trained his Hidden Dragon Pile Skill for a while. The time he could hold it was several breaths longer than yesterday.
For just one day’s work, his progress was immense.
And this was undoubtedly thanks to that Health Tai Chi set.
Based on the exhausting way he had trained yesterday, his limbs should have been sore and heavy today, making every step a struggle.
But in reality, he woke up with his physical condition almost completely restored.
This result clearly contradicted the common sense of his previous life.
He didn’t know if it was because perfectly performing Health Tai Chi naturally produced such a remarkable restorative effect...
...or because the essence of this Skill was some kind of secret, ancient martial art with an extraordinary origin.
He had already cast this series of questions to the back of his mind on his way here.
It was obvious that digging for answers was meaningless to him right now.
The executioner’s blade was still hanging over his head.
Knowing that Health Tai Chi could bring him tangible benefits and give him a better chance of survival was enough.
Everyone arrived one after another, and after eating the morning meal, they began their own training.
The sky brightened completely, and sunlight filled the courtyard.
Only then did Fatty Fang stretch lazily and walk out of his room. He washed his face by the water vat and then headed for the Martial Arts Hall’s main gate.
Outside, another line of poor youths had formed.
Today’s batch was clearly of lower quality. Before long, Fatty Fang’s cursing could be heard from outside.
"Get... Get lost... Go home and eat sh*t..."
Soon, Fatty Fang returned alone, slammed the courtyard gate shut, and walked toward the disciples training inside.
As he gave corrections and pointers, he inevitably unleashed a torrent of profanity-laced rebukes.
Disciples who still showed no improvement after being yelled at several times would even be struck on their mistakes with his bamboo stick. They would tremble from the pain but not dare to make a sound.
"Heh?"
Glancing at Chen Cheng, who was practicing his Pile Skill, Fatty Fang’s eyes visibly brightened. He casually tossed his small bamboo stick aside and ambled over.
"Not bad, not bad at all... I knew I wasn’t mistaken about you!"
He carefully sized Chen Cheng up.
The stance, breathing, spirit, key points, and transitions—all were practically textbook-perfect, with no flaws to be found.
Calming his mind to feel it, he was even moved by the intent and presence that Chen Cheng exuded from his very bones as he held the stance.
In a daze, it was as if he were seeing an old grandmaster who had practiced the Hidden Dragon Pile Skill for decades.
Besides "perfect," he couldn’t find any other word to describe it.
"Keep holding the posture. I’ll demonstrate the Hidden Dragon Fist Technique for you. Watch closely."
Fatty Fang assumed a stance and began explaining as he performed the fist forms.
"The Pile Skill is the root. Your lower body must be as steady as a dragon straddling a mountain, yet move like a Wandering Dragon passing through clouds..."
"With Powerful Dragon Form, when you channel Power through your fist, palm, or fingers, it isn’t a straight-line attack. It carries a twisting, drilling force, specializing in breaking Hard Skills and Penetrating Armor."
"Grappling locks come first. The Dragon Claw specializes in attacking an opponent’s joints and tendons... Hidden Strength comes second. You hide the violent force within your body and unleash it in an instant..."
"Dragon Breath Acceleration: Use a deep, short Dragon’s Roar exhalation to shock the opponent’s Heart Spirit while simultaneously mobilizing the combined power of your organs to activate your Hidden Strength."
"HAH!"
Fatty Fang let out a low shout. The fist he threw at the empty air actually created a faint sonic boom, and the green brick beneath his feet suddenly trembled, on the verge of shattering.
Chen Cheng had already grasped the basics of its detailed True Intent yesterday.
But now, seeing Fatty Fang perform it in person gave Chen Cheng a completely different feeling.
Especially that last move—Fatty Fang was clearly holding back, yet it still had the power to shatter mountains and crush stone. The true power of a Martial Artist was clear to see!
"How much did you understand?" Fatty Fang asked.
"It’s hard to say..."
After pretending to think back, Chen Cheng deliberately held back as he performed a rough demonstration of the Hidden Dragon Fist Technique.
"Tsk, your Comprehension is beyond question, but your Root Bone is just... The few mistakes you made were all due to sluggish meridians, stiff joints, and weak muscles..."
After watching Chen Cheng’s demonstration, the look in Fatty Fang’s eyes was obvious: thirty percent admiration, seventy percent regret.
"Have your family figure something out. Buy you some meat to supplement your diet. It would be even better if you can scrape together the money for an Herbal Decoction to strengthen your body..."
Seeing Chen Cheng remain silent, Fatty Fang sighed helplessly.
"Training in a Fist Technique is the foundation for generating Blood Qi. Here at our Dragon Mountain Hall, this Hidden Dragon Fist is a Middle Grade Martial Arts. Once you reach Minor Achievement, you can start generating Blood Qi, which is much faster than other Lower Grade Martial Arts..."
"But the problem is, training the Hidden Dragon Fist puts immense strain on your stamina and physique, draining them completely! Those with average or better Root Bone can barely manage to hold on, but as for you..."
Fatty Fang sighed again.
"Without external supplements, in half a year... not only will you fail to cultivate even One Pillar of Blood Qi, you might completely ruin your body in the process..."
"Thank you for the reminder, Senior Brother. I... will be careful."
Hearing this, Chen Cheng couldn’t hide the gloom on his face.
Just now, when he had demonstrated the Hidden Dragon Fist, he had deliberately held back and not performed it perfectly, yet he could already clearly feel the strain and drain that Fatty Fang had mentioned.
If he were to train it perfectly, his body probably wouldn’t be able to take it after just one or two repetitions.
Without the nourishment of meat or Herbal Decoctions.
Even with the restorative effects of his Health Tai Chi, long-term training would inevitably lead to what Fatty Fang had described.
He would be utterly broken and ruined by the training.
...
After lunch, everyone gathered to chat and joke around.
Chen Cheng, however, sat alone, leaning against the base of a distant wall. He rested with his eyes closed, but afraid he would fall asleep, he forced his mind to stay busy with various thoughts.
"Junior Brother Chen, someone’s here to see you."
Shi Lei’s voice called out. Chen Cheng opened his eyes in surprise, his Heart Spirit jolting awake.
"Did they say why they’re looking for me?"
"No, but..."
Shi Lei scratched his shaved head and said sheepishly.
"When I was leaving the hall yesterday, someone asked me about you. I just said you were a new disciple and that the Tutor thought highly of you. I didn’t say anything else. I didn’t think he’d come looking for you today..."
"Alright, I’ll go take a look."
As Chen Cheng stood up, he had already figured it out. ’Lai Tou, that Gang lackey, would never dare to show up here. As for Scar Bear, it isn’t time to collect the peace coins yet, so he wouldn’t cause a big scene. As long as it isn’t one of those two threats, there’s nothing to worry about.’
Chen Cheng walked over and pushed open the courtyard gate.
He saw a middle-aged man peering around furtively. The man wore a half-new, half-old indigo jacket with cuffs polished shiny from wear, and his eyes were habitually narrowed, revealing a shrewd and calculating nature honed on the streets.
"Steward Zhang?"
Chen Cheng recognized the man. It was Zhang Ping, the steward in charge of the handymen at the Yongsheng Trading Company’s outer court.
"Cheng! Brother Cheng! It really is you!"
Zhang Ping’s face broke into a smile Chen Cheng had never seen before as he sidled up obsequiously.
Chen Cheng was filled with astonishment. ’Brother!? Didn’t this guy always call me Xiaochengzi before?’
"A top disciple of Dragon Mountain Hall, indeed! Look at you! It’s only been a few days, and your spirit, your presence—they’re completely different! Give it some time, and you’re bound to achieve great things!"
As Zhang Ping spoke, he pulled a small, coarse cloth pouch from his robes.
"You left in a hurry that day. The Master remembered afterward that she hadn’t settled this month’s wages with you yet."
"The Master is benevolent. She specifically instructed me to deliver this money to your home... I went to Kuhuai Village looking for you yesterday but couldn’t find you."
Zhang Ping’s smile widened, as if to cover something up.
"Coincidentally, I was passing by here yesterday and saw someone from behind who looked like you... I asked around and found out you’d actually joined Dragon Mountain Hall! So here I am, rushing to deliver this to you!"
Chen Cheng took the small cloth pouch.
He weighed it briefly and knew it was the full month’s amount: Two Hundred Wen. It hadn’t gone up or down in three whole years.
He could tell Zhang Ping’s words were padded with lies, but he didn’t respond, merely watching the man with an indifferent gaze.
"Brother Cheng, don’t worry, the amount is correct!"
Zhang Ping felt a chill run down his spine from Chen Cheng’s stare. Beads of sweat formed on his temples as he let out a dry laugh.
"The Master said you’ve been a diligent worker all these years, and she’s seen it all. The robbery of that shipment was an accident; it wasn’t your fault. This money, you’ve earned it."
Seeing that Chen Cheng still hadn’t said a word, Zhang Ping grew even more flustered. ’Which part did I get wrong? Where did I slip up?’ he wondered frantically.
That day, Chen Cheng had left without mentioning his wages. The Master had remembered afterward and told Zhang Ping to deliver the money to Chen Cheng’s home. Zhang Ping had originally planned to delay, and if Chen Cheng never asked for it, the money would naturally have ended up in his own pocket. But by sheer coincidence, he saw Chen Cheng leaving Dragon Mountain Hall last night. He asked around and learned that Chen Cheng was now a Lower Courtyard Disciple of Dragon Mountain Hall.
Dragon Mountain Hall was one of the most prominent Great Martial Arts Halls in Zhao City. Never mind whether Chen Cheng could make a name for himself; the fact that a Tutor thought highly of him was enough to scare the life out of Zhang Ping. A proper martial practitioner and a bottom-feeder ant like him who just sold his labor were in completely different worlds. He, Zhang Ping, absolutely could not afford to offend such a person. He had to snuff out even the slightest hint of a potential problem, or he wouldn’t be able to sleep at night.
"I’m sorry to have troubled you with this trip, Steward Zhang."
Chen Cheng only responded after careful consideration, his tone flat, betraying no joy or anger.
"Please thank the Master for me as well."
"Of course, of course!"
Zhang Ping nodded repeatedly. Seeing that Chen Cheng had no intention of pressing the matter, the great stone in his heart finally fell.
"That crate of goods, has it been recovered?" Chen Cheng asked, seemingly at random.
"No..."
Zhang Ping shook his head and lowered his voice.
"The Master was furious at the time and specifically sent Guard Zhao to handle it. You know Guard Zhao—he’s a proper master, a Martial Artist who has cultivated One Pillar of Blood Qi."
"By the time he found Lai Tou in Kuqiao Village, the goods had long since been sold off cheap, and the money was all spent... Normally, a small-time lackey like that could have been killed on the spot..."
At this point, Zhang Ping paused, a hint of confusion on his face as he lowered his voice even further.
"But in the end, Guard Zhao didn’t kill him, just crippled one of his legs... And the Master never mentioned the matter again."
Zhang Ping shrank his neck as if he’d brought up something taboo, and quickly added, "The waters here run deep, I’m afraid. We errand-runners can’t possibly figure it out..."
"Brother Cheng, you’re a Martial Arts Hall disciple now, with a great future ahead of you..."
"That Lai Tou got what he deserved with a broken leg... This whole business, let’s just let it go, what do you say?"
"Steward Zhang makes a good point."
Chen Cheng nodded. "My mind is completely focused on my martial arts training right now. There’s no need to stir up extra trouble."
"Well, you’re busy, so I won’t disturb you any longer. Goodbye, goodbye now!"
Zhang Ping grinned and retreated with quick steps.
Chen Cheng silently clenched the Money Bag. The hard edges of the copper plates pressed into his flesh, and their distinct, cold touch made everything crystal clear in his mind.
’Getting this bag of wages back wasn’t a reward for my hard work, and it certainly wasn’t because of a sudden attack of conscience on Zhang Ping’s part. It was only because I had stepped through the doors of the Dragon Mountain Martial Arts Hall and gained the slightest chance to claim great power for myself. This world never treats the weak at the bottom kindly. Only by constantly growing stronger, by constantly climbing and struggling upward, can I live like a human being.’
