Free Web NovelChapter 10: Chapter 10: Returning Home in Glory
The backyard was peaceful for the next three days.
Liang Cheng trained at 5:00 AM, took his medicinal bath at 5:00 PM, and put in extra practice on his Stone Armor Skill at night.
His Cultivation progressed steadily:
[Mixed Element Posture Minor Success (85/500)]
[Fierce Bull Force Minor Success (8/800)]
[Stone Armor Skill (Fragment) Beginner Level (158/200)]
After his confinement ended, Zhao Yuan had become much more composed. When he ran into Liang Cheng, he would only give a simple nod, his emotions completely hidden.
「In the afternoon.」
A tanned man carrying a fish basket on a pole arrived at the entrance to the Martial Arts Hall. It was Chen the Fourth, a neighbor from the docks. He peeked inside nervously and was stopped by the apprentice guarding the gate.
"I’m looking for Liang Cheng," Chen the Fourth said hurriedly. "His mother asked me to bring him a message."
Hearing this, the apprentice quickly sent someone to the backyard. A moment later, Liang Cheng came out. When Chen the Fourth looked up, he froze on the spot.
The young man before him was dressed in the blue uniform of a Martial Arts Hall Disciple, a black belt cinched at his waist. His aura was calm and composed. ’Where was the slightest trace of the dock laborer he used to be?’
"Uncle Four?"
Liang Cheng recognized Chen the Fourth, Big Head’s father.
"Ah... ah!" Chen the Fourth snapped out of it, stammering a little. "Your mother asked me to tell you, she didn’t see you come back to get your tuition fee this month. She was worried, so she asked me to drop by and see how you were doing."
As he spoke, he took a small, coarse cloth pouch from his robes. "Your mother asked me to bring you some dried fish cakes to snack on when you have time."
Liang Cheng took the pouch. "Thank you for making the trip, Uncle Four. I’m fine. My master has already waived my tuition and even accepted me into the backyard. Please go back and tell my mother not to worry. I’ll go back to see her in a couple of days when I have time."
"The backyard?" Chen the Fourth’s eyes widened.
Although he didn’t understand the rules of a Martial Arts Hall, he had heard of "backyard disciples." They were the true successors of the hall, people who lived in a completely different world from common folk like him.
"Good... good..." Chen the Fourth was a bit incoherent. He hoisted his fish basket and left, his mind in a daze the whole way.
That night, the news spread through the alleys of the docks.
"That Liang Family kid got into the Yangwei Martial Arts Hall’s backyard!"
"For real? His mother asked Chen the Fourth to check, and he saw it with his own eyes!"
"Dressed in a blue uniform, they say he’s an Official Disciple! His tuition is waived, and the Martial Arts Hall even covers his room and board. I heard that sometimes they even get a stipend for doing errands for the hall..."
The news spread like the wind through every street and alley. Some were envious, some were bitter, but most were simply in disbelief.
That boy from the Fisherman’s Family, the one who was beaten bloody by the Sea Snake Gang... had he really ascended to the heavens in a single step?
...
The next day, Liang Cheng took a half-day leave to go home.
As he stepped into the familiar alleys, the women who were gossiping by the well fell silent in an instant, their gazes shifting away. A few neighbors who used to boss him around squeezed out smiles and nodded. "Young Brother Liang is back?"
Liang Cheng’s expression remained neutral as he nodded to each of them in greeting.
When he reached his front door, Big Head and the other two were waiting for him. Seeing him approach, they were suddenly at a loss for what to do.
"Brother Cheng." Big Head scratched his head, his smile forced.
Liang Cheng clapped him on the shoulder. "What’s wrong? Don’t you recognize me anymore?"
His words eased the atmosphere a bit, but Big Head and his friends were still quiet, an unconscious layer of awe in their eyes.
Liang Cheng understood that this distance wouldn’t disappear overnight, but he didn’t force it, just talking as he normally would. Lady Ning, on the other hand, was simply thrilled, her behavior toward him unchanged.
’As long as my son is safe and sound, that’s all that matters.’
News of Liang Cheng’s return quickly reached the Sea Snake Gang’s headquarters.
"Liang Cheng? A backyard disciple of the Yangwei Martial Arts Hall?" A lean, wiry man frowned. "The day Small Shrimp disappeared, he happened to be back in town."
Someone next to him added, "And there’s the matter with Black Fish. Thinking back on it now, there were a lot of strange things about it, and it all seems to have some connection to this Liang Cheng."
A big, scar-faced man was seated at the head of the hall. It was the Sea Snake Gang’s leader, Zhang Kui. After listening, he let out a cold laugh. "What? You’re still thinking of picking a fight with an Official Disciple of a Martial Arts Hall?"
"Gang Leader, Black Fish was one of ours, after all..."
"And offend the Yangwei Martial Arts Hall for a dead lackey?" Zhang Kui’s eyes blazed with anger. ’What a bunch of shortsighted fools.’
"Use your heads! Liang Cheng is Yang Wei’s disciple now. Making a move on him is a slap in the face to the Yangwei Martial Arts Hall. Is it worth it, for a few peace coins?"
Everyone fell silent.
Zhang Kui pondered for a moment. "Pass on my orders. Waive Lady Ning’s peace coins. And prepare a small gift. Say that the Sea Snake Gang congratulates Young Hero Liang on his success in the Martial Dao and for becoming a disciple of the Yangwei Martial Arts Hall."
That same afternoon, men from the Sea Snake Gang arrived. The one who came was a minor Steward, who politely presented two packages of pastries and offered a "congratulations."
Then, in front of all the neighbors, he announced, "From now on, Lady Ning’s peace coins are waived. We’re all neighbors here, we should look out for each other."
Lady Ning was at a loss, but Liang Cheng accepted it calmly. "Please thank Gang Leader Zhang for me."
The Steward smiled obsequiously and said he wouldn’t dare presume. At that moment, Liang Cheng turned to the neighbors, his gaze sweeping over Big Head and his two friends. "As for these three families, I’ll have to trouble your gang to look after them as well."
The Steward immediately understood. "Of course, of course. Their three families’ peace coins will also be waived from now on."
When the news spread, it caused an uproar.
The parents of Big Head and his two friends were both shocked and overjoyed. Recalling the sarcastic remarks they’d made when Liang Cheng was beaten up, their faces burned with shame.
Around dinnertime, the three families pooled together some eggs and brought them to the Liang Family’s home, saying, "A close neighbor is better than a distant relative." With that, the old grudges were laughed away.
As for the other neighbors, Liang Cheng paid them no mind. Some muttered behind his back that "his wings have hardened and now he doesn’t recognize his own people," but he pretended not to hear.
After settling his family’s affairs, Liang Cheng was about to return to the Martial Arts Hall when Big Head suddenly stopped him.
"Brother Cheng," Big Head said, his eyes red. "I want to learn martial arts, too."
Liang Cheng stopped in his tracks. "Have you thought this through?"
"I have!" Big Head clenched his fists. "You’ve only been at the Martial Arts Hall for two months and you’ve already made a name for yourself. Even the Sea Snake Gang has to show you respect. I don’t want to spend my whole life hauling sacks at the docks and being looked down on."
Liang Cheng was silent for a moment. "Learning martial arts costs money. Two taels a month, plus room and board. It’s a huge expense. And you’ll have to endure hardship—waking up early, going to bed late, getting beaten and bleeding are common. You could even be crippled, or die."
Hearing this, Big Head’s face turned pale, but he still gritted his teeth and said, "I can take the hardship! The money... I’ll scrape it together!"
"It’s not just about scraping money together," Liang Cheng said, looking at him. "Out of a hundred apprentices at the Martial Arts Hall, less than half manage to stick with it. Out of those, maybe one or two will reach the Bright Force stage. After Bright Force, there’s Dark Force, and then Transformation Force... Every step forward is harder than the last. Are you really sure about this?"
Big Head nodded emphatically.
At this, Liang Cheng stopped trying to persuade him. "Alright. When you’ve gathered the money, come find me. I’ll put in a good word for you at the Martial Arts Hall. But once you’re in, you can only rely on yourself. I won’t be able to help you."
Big Head nodded, his expression utterly determined.
...
Liang Cheng returned to the Martial Arts Hall first, this time bringing all the silver coins he had taken from Black Fish. Now that there was no more trouble, it was safe.
After that, everything went back to normal. The so-called "returning home in glory" didn’t change anything for him. He continued to cultivate diligently, not daring to slack off in the slightest.
Three days later, Big Head really did manage to scrape together three taels of silver, combining his family’s savings with borrowed money.
Liang Cheng looked at the pile of copper plates. "No regrets?"
"No regrets."
Liang Cheng said no more and took Big Head to the Martial Arts Hall. After checking his Root Bone, Zhou Hu shook his head. "His Root Bone is average, and he’s a bit old. You might not see any results even after a month. Do you still want to learn?"
Big Head gritted his teeth. "I’ll learn!"
Liang Cheng helped him pay the fee and collect his uniform. Looking at Big Head’s excited and nervous face, he was reminded of himself two months ago.
"Remember," Liang Cheng said one last time before leaving, "no one here will look after you. You’re on your own."
Big Head nodded forcefully.
Liang Cheng turned and went back to the backyard. This was all he could do; Big Head would have to walk the rest of the path himself. And so, a new, desperate figure appeared in the front yard.
And in the backyard, Liang Cheng continued to walk his own path.
