Chapter 124: 124. The Small Town (Ally Master Bonus: Johannes van der)

124. Chapter 124: The Small Town (Ally Master Bonus: Johannes van der)

“Master, is this the culmination of Skin Training?”

On horseback, Li Yi demonstrated the results of his Skin Training to his master Zhao Ge. After a brief period of adaptation, the areas of his flesh that could vibrate grew increasingly numerous—until finally, every inch of his skin and muscle could be activated, as if a wild ox were breathing and channeling strength. The subtleties of the human body were truly astonishing.

Zhao Ge paused, his eyes brimming with unmistakable delight. He immediately said, “Meng De, try striking a punch without using your tendons or bones—rely solely on the pull of your skin and muscle. If you can do it, your Skin Training is fully complete.”

“Use only skin and muscle, not tendons or bones?” Li Yi pondered briefly, then nodded. He raised his fist and punched straight ahead.

The punch produced no sound—its power was soft and weak.

But Zhao Ge nodded. “Good. That’s it. Without tendons and bones to support it, weak muscular force is normal. But Meng De, you must learn to connect all your skin and muscle into one unified whole, stretch and gather force, then release it in an instant. This technique is the same as your punch power, except you’ve removed the contribution of tendons and bones.”

“Understood.” Li Yi adjusted again.

At the same time, he began to understand why Zhao Ge had made him punch from horseback.

With his feet off the ground, he couldn’t draw leverage. In this suspended state, his options were severely limited—he could only rely on his own body’s strength. Thus, practicing Skin Training on horseback made it easier to feel the absence of tendon and bone support.

Zhao Ge taught Li Yi Skin Training differently from ordinary disciples. Regular students focus on methods, but for someone like Li Yi—with extraordinary talent—the focus is on sensation.

Once you feel it, everything else falls into place.

As for bottlenecks or thresholds—they simply didn’t exist.

Li Yi now resumed adjusting his state, attempting to forget his most basic method of generating force, using only skin and muscle to move his body and condense punch power.

The evolved body of a cultivator was terrifyingly efficient for martial cultivation—as if it had been given a cheat code.

He only tried a few times, made minor adjustments, and received a few pointers from his master.

“Bang!”

After a moment, Li Yi threw a punch—and the punch power rang out.

The sound was quiet, but like when he first learned the fist framework, it was a beginning.

“Done.” The sound made Master Zhao Ge burst into a joyful laugh.

Skin Training generating punch power.

This was the sign of full mastery.

Beside them, Rong Niang stared at Li Yi’s fist. Her eyes were no longer shocked—only bitter and resigned.

Watching such a person train beside her, she felt her entire life had been wasted.

Her confidence in martial cultivation nearly shattered.

“Bang!”

Another punch exploded—louder than before. This meant Li Yi was growing more skilled at mobilizing his skin and muscle, and uncovering greater strength.

“Master, I’ve found the feeling. A little more practice and I’ll be done.” Li Yi said, swinging several more punches in succession.

Each punch was louder than the last.

Finally, when he mobilized all his skin and muscle, the power he unleashed was already formidable.

“Good. Very good, Meng De. Remember this sensation—this is the power Skin Training brings. Though this increase means little to you now, it’s merely your first step in re-cultivating the martial path. Once you perfect your tendons, perfect your bones, and unify tendons, bones, and skin, your strength will truly fuse into one force—and deliver your body’s ultimate punch.”

“That punch will be far more terrifying than your maximum effort under normal conditions,” Zhao Ge smiled, stroking his beard, his heart already eager. He longed to see what kind of divine power the legendary Dragon Tendons and Tiger Bones could unleash once cultivated.

Li Yi asked, “Master, is the next stage cultivating the tendons?”

“Correct. But not yet. We’re approaching Youjiang Town. We’ll rest there for a few days. During that time, I’ll help you cultivate your tendons and bones. Then I’ll spar with you, so you can gain the confidence to fight and kill those who’ve cultivated the meridians. Only then will we have the standing to seek revenge.”

Zhao Ge spoke calmly: “Though you have powerful firearms capable of killing meridian cultivators, external tools remain external. They are not your true strength. Firearms can be a last resort, but never your key weapon. One mistake, and you lose everything. I have only this much to risk—I cannot afford to lose.”

“You’re right, Master. Only when your own strength is great can you control the battlefield. External tools are merely aids—you cannot stake everyone’s lives on a single weapon.” Li Yi listened obediently, offering no argument. He also decided to spend several days grounding himself.

The growth from re-cultivating the martial path was visibly evident.

And Li Yi, a young man full of vigor, loved progress above all.

“Brother, your clothes are too flashy. I’ll buy you a coat in town to cover them. The five-claw black dragon robe is a grave offense here—it’ll attract unnecessary trouble.” Seeing they were about to enter town, Rong Niang, ever attentive, spoke up.

“Alright, then I’m in your debt, Sister.” Li Yi said.

Rong Niang blushed. “Brother, don’t call me ‘Sister.’ Call me Rong Niang.”

If anyone else had said it, she’d have kicked them into the next county. But hearing Li Yi say it made her heart race and her face flush—something she’d never felt before.

“Brother, I’m Skinny Monkey. Give me any order—I’ll follow you from now on. Whatever you say, I’ll do.” Skinny Monkey behind them quickly declared his loyalty.

“Good, Skinny Monkey. From now on, Big Brother has your back.” Li Yi smiled.

Skinny Monkey’s face lit up with joy.

Zhao Ge then said, “Once we reach town, we split up—as planned. Rong Niang, you and Skinny Monkey sell the goods. Wait—no. I’ll go with you. Your arm is injured, and as a woman, you shouldn’t be seen in public. If you get into a fight, you’ll be at a disadvantage. Though my wounds aren’t fully healed, I can still move, and I still have the foundation of a meridian cultivator—I can handle trouble.”

He’d originally planned to send his two disciples alone, but hesitated.

He feared something might happen to the remaining two.

“Xiao Qian, take some silver and find a broker. Rent a modest courtyard—somewhere secluded. I need a place to teach Meng De how to refine his tendons and bones. An inn won’t do. Remember: pay the broker a silence fee. Once paid, they’ll keep our presence secret for several days. Otherwise, enemies from Sanyang City will soon track us down. After you finish, I’ll come find you.”

Zhao Ge gave another order.

“Yes, Father. I understand,” Zhao Qian replied.

“Then we part here,” Zhao Ge said.

At that moment, they had ridden into Youjiang Town. The town was small, built beside water, its ground paved with ancient blue stone, worn deep by cart wheels. On both sides stood homes and shops, with many pedestrians passing by. Seeing Zhao Ge and his group riding tall horses, the townsfolk instinctively stepped aside.

In a small town, most people dared not provoke martial cultivators—especially a group of them.

The group split at the town’s entrance.

Zhao Ge seemed familiar with the place. He led Skinny Monkey and Rong Niang, pulling the remaining horses loaded with powerful bows, crossbows, and steel blades, to find a fence for selling stolen goods.

Zhao Qian dismounted, approached a tea vendor by the roadside, and directly asked for the broker’s location.

The vendor, afraid to offend, gave a truthful direction.

“Yi Brother, follow me,” Zhao Qian said, setting off immediately.

Li Yi was still observing the ancient, rustic town like a tourist—studying the architecture, unreadable signs on shopfronts, and the clothing of passersby. He looked like a curious child, utterly devoid of the aura of a fugitive.

“This place is nice. Quiet. Probably because it’s remote. The scenery is good—green mountains, clear water, fresh air. But ordinary people here live poorly.”

He noticed carefully.

Most people were thin and weak—clearly malnourished, as if a breeze could knock them over. Their eyes held no happiness, only the exhaustion and numbness of struggling to survive.

Of course.

No matter the world, the lower classes lived hard.

As Li Yi passed a ferry landing, he stopped. Across the water, many men pulled ropes, straining to drag a cargo boat upstream.

Coolies?

Li Yi had studied a few years—he immediately recalled the word.

The coolies were all yellow-skinned and emaciated, wearing only ragged loincloths. Most were naked. Among them weren’t just men—there were women too. Their faces looked nearly identical, hard to distinguish. Like old oxen, they sold their strength for a single meal.

For some reason, Li Yi suddenly felt he wasn’t watching coolies—he was watching a group of people already dead.

Their emaciated bodies moved, but were no different from corpses in coffins.

Though Li Yi felt pity, he could change nothing. He sighed helplessly and turned away.

He walked on.

Further along, he saw five or six ragged children playing together, laughing happily. But each child’s head bore a blade of grass. Beside them stood an elderly couple, gazing hopefully at every passerby.

Perhaps the couple weren’t truly old—just worn down by hardship.

“They’re selling their children,” Li Yi paused to watch.

He knew the meaning of “planting a sign to sell one’s head”—he was Li Meng De, after all.

Li Yi’s pause made the elderly couple immediately kneel, trembling, and bow their heads without a word—banging hard. Soon, blood stained the blue stone.

In their eyes,

Li Yi was tall, dressed in fine clothes, leading a fine horse—a nobleman. For him to pause and glance at them was a fortune they’d never dreamed of. If he bought their child, it would be divine grace.

So they bowed even harder.

The children didn’t understand why their parents bowed to Li Yi—but they stopped playing and imitated their parents, kneeling and bowing to him too.

No reason needed. It felt natural. Right.

Even passersby thought it normal.

Some even gathered courage, approaching with bowed backs and submissive tones: “My daughter is fourteen, quite pretty. If you need a foot-washing maid, buy her.”

After speaking, he remained hunched over, daring not to utter another word.

Li Yi fell silent, then slowly said, “Stop bowing. You don’t owe me your head. I won’t buy your children.”

But his words had no effect.

They remained silent, still bowing.

“Zhao Qian.” Li Yi called.

“What is it, Yi Brother?” Zhao Qian, walking ahead, turned back immediately.

She’d noticed Li Yi’s actions on the street but hadn’t asked.

“Give them some silver.” Li Yi didn’t stop. He kept walking, leading his horse.

Zhao Qian nodded, pulled out a silver taels, snapped off a small piece, and threw it.

The elderly couple saw the silver land before them, snatched it up, and cried out thanks, bowing again toward Li Yi and Zhao Qian’s departing backs. But soon, the man grabbed his wife and children and fled the town as if chased by demons.

“Don’t give them too much. They’ll be murdered. That amount is the maximum they can safely hold,” Zhao Qian explained.

“So that’s why you broke off a piece,” Li Yi said, finally understanding.

Zhao Qian added, “There are too many poor in Xingzhou. We can’t save them all. But Yi Brother, your help lets them survive another three years—no need to sell their children. Maybe by then, they’ll find a way.”

“That little silver can keep a family alive for three years?” Li Yi asked.

Zhao Qian nodded. “Poor families live on almost nothing. Just half-full bellies are a blessing.”

"Staying alive really isn't easy," Li Yi said calmly, lost in thought.

After Li Yi and Zhao Qian had walked away, the man who had been bent over, trying to sell his daughter, finally raised his head. He sighed, feeling he had missed an opportunity, then left in low spirits.