Chapter 45: Rapid Progress

A violent storm raged; the streets were utterly deserted, pitch-black, with no one able to see another.

Liang Qu wrapped the scattered small stove in a wet cotton jacket and dragged his exhausted body back to shore.

He plucked two withered yellow reed leaves from the nearby reed bed, tore them into fine threads, passed them through the gill covers of the Red-Blood Perch, and carried the precious fish straight home.

Upon arriving home, he shut the door, reassembled the small stove, added firewood, and once the water boiled, dropped in the fish pieces.

Just as it was nearly cooked through, Liang Qu rose to confirm every crack in the house was tightly sealed, then retrieved the Concentrating Incense he had brought back earlier and lit it.

A clear fragrance gradually filled the room; Liang Qu felt his attention sharpen considerably, his thoughts becoming swifter.

Physical exhaustion had made him drowsy, yet after inhaling the Concentrating Incense, he felt as refreshed as if he had slept soundly and awakened naturally.

Accompanied by the scent of the Concentrating Incense, Liang Qu scooped out the fish meat, ate it quickly despite the heat, and began practicing the Ape Fist.

【Water Marsh Essence +3.5】

The blood qi consumed during the day was refined once more; as it circulated, Liang Qu felt his sore muscles ease, an immensely satisfying sensation.

Blood qi is a manifestation of a martial artist's physical strength, but martial artists are not powerful because they possess abundant blood qi; rather, because their physical quality is sufficiently strong, they can condense enough blood qi.

Blood qi is not the cause of power; it is the result. Yet this result, in turn, promotes the cause.

The two circulate mutually, endlessly generating life.

As long as the body suffers no major depletion, once blood qi is exhausted, it will condense again very quickly, especially when energy is plentiful; one can fully replenish it more than twice in a single day.

Hu Qi estimated Liang Qu's breakthrough would take two ten-day periods; calculating roughly, this meant refining the skin about fifty times would suffice to breach the barrier and achieve a qualitative transformation.

His stomach ground the food, extracting a continuous stream of energy from the fish meat.

Strands of blood qi gathered together, growing from the thickness of a few hairs, to that of chopsticks, then to a little finger, and finally to an index finger, all within mere minutes.

Liang Qu took a deep breath of the fragrant air and, following the sensation Hu Qi had imparted to him during the day, mentally guided the blood qi to circulate and diffuse.

Aided by the Concentrating Incense, the guidance of blood qi proceeded smoothly; it soon transformed into a warm current, dissolving into his skin and fascia.

His skin rapidly flushed red, emitting intense heat once more, lasting for a full half-ke before subsiding.

Liang Qu exhaled a long breath; rolling white mist erupted from his nose and mouth, churning ceaselessly.

His taut skin relaxed; though it still felt soft to the touch, it seemed to have become somewhat more resilient when subjected to attack.

After one session of skin refining, Liang Qu did not pause but continued to condense his blood qi.

The energy the Red-Blood Perch could provide was far from exhausted.

However, he had extinguished the Concentrating Incense beforehand; the thing was precious, and according to Cao Shixiong Hu, each stick cost half a tael of silver!

The room was a sealed space, and the fragrance still lingered, so he could conserve it.

Since becoming Yang Yang Dongxiong's disciple, Liang Qu's status and living conditions had undergone a qualitative leap, but after all, a master is not a true father; he was already immensely satisfied that Master Yang was willing to teach him.

Now that Liang Qu had just entered the sect, his senior and junior brothers naturally offered much care, but he could not rely on them for everything; ultimately, resources must be earned by oneself, otherwise, how is one different from a parasite?

Let alone Yang Yang Dongxiong; Liang Qu himself would look down on such behavior. He had hands, feet, and a cheat; he was no worse than anyone else!

The fish meat continued to digest, surging energy rising from within his body, repeatedly condensed into blood qi.

Before his crimson skin could regain its normal color, it tightened once more, becoming increasingly extraordinary under countless temperings.

Cultivating until dawn, Liang Qu had condensed blood qi a full twenty-eight times using the Red-Blood Perch, continuously scouring his skin and fascia.

The energy within the Red-Blood Perch was thoroughly digested; not a shred more could be squeezed out.

What originally required two ten-day periods and fifty skin-refining sessions now needed only twenty-two more sessions, slightly less than one ten-day period, under ten days.

The cost was that Liang Qu was exhausted beyond measure; listening to distant clamor and the rumbling of cart wheels over bluestone slabs, he collapsed onto the boat deck and fell into a deep sleep.

When he awakened again, the sky was still dark.

In a Jianghuai Daze, Liang Qu felt somewhat bewildered, as if unaware of what year or day it was; only after a long silence did he recall the situation.

He had actually slept from morning until night.

At midnight, the martial hall would certainly not be open; even if he wished to find his senior brothers, it was impossible.

Hearing footsteps outside, it seemed fishermen were preparing to set out; this was perfect—he could enter the water and hone his underwater abilities.

Liang Qu clenched his fist, swinging it with vigorous force, his excitement rising to an unparalleled peak.

The fusion degree of Marsh Spirit was approaching fifty; he had a premonition that truly breaking through fifty might bring about a different kind of change.

The skin barrier on the martial path was also nearing breakthrough, allowing him to become a true martial artist.

Although a martial artist differed from a martial master and could not receive imperial stipends, just as a Licentiate differed from a Provincial Graduate, even a Licentiate stood in a vast chasm apart from ordinary people—a dream for countless others.

Two fronts advancing side by side—oh, and there were also Ah Fei and the immobile one.

The two beasts required less Water Marsh Essence for evolution than Liang Qu did; their progress was now also past the halfway mark.

It could be said that three fronts were blooming simultaneously.

By then, in the shallow waters of the Jiang-Huai marshlands, as long as no deep-water demonic beasts appeared, Liang Qu could fully claim the title of overlord of the shallow waters, the boss of Yixing Market!

Putting on his clothes, Liang Qu followed the road to the dock.

Today's temperature had dropped even further; perhaps yesterday's rain had marked the arrival of colder air.

Arriving at the shore, scattered lights made it much brighter than the previous night, yet many boats still remained moored at the dock, about half the usual number. Groups of fishermen gathered in the teahouse by the shore, discussing something unknown.

Liang Qu moved to untie a boat but was stopped by a voice.

"Ah Shui, are you setting out?"

Turning around, he saw the speaker was Li Li Libo's father, Li Li Dakang, so he stayed on shore. "Yes, Uncle Li, is something the matter?"

"Nothing major; I just wanted to ask, why hasn't my boy returned home for two days? Is he still at the martial hall, or has he gone off to loaf around somewhere?"

Another voice immediately chimed in; it was Chen Chen Jiechang's father, Chen Cheng. "Indeed, my boy hasn't returned either. I originally planned to go to Pingyang Town to find you all, but then I thought three grown men together couldn't possibly get lost, so I didn't worry. Now that I've seen you, I might as well ask."

"Oh, we returned late yesterday and forgot to tell Uncle Li and Uncle Chen. Because we performed well, a martial master took notice and specially cleared a room in the courtyard for us to stay, so we've been remaining there to focus on martial training."

Li Li Libo and Chen Chen Jiechang were injured, both with wounds on their faces; too embarrassed to return home and worry their parents, they had specifically asked Liang Qu before leaving to deliver a message and tell a lie on their behalf.

In recent days, Liang Qu had saved Chen Qingjiang's family, greatly altering his image in the eyes of Yixing Market's people. Though he was still hundreds of thousands of li away from being a local worthy, at least his words now carried credibility.

As a result, upon returning, he had immediately gone to catch precious fish, encountered two great demonic beasts, and amidst his terror, how could he possibly remember this matter? Only now, when asked, did he recall it.

As for the matter of himself becoming a true disciple...

Returning home in glory without displaying one's success is like walking in brocade at night.

Liang Qu very much wanted to say it, but looking at the scattered groups of fishermen around, it seemed not the right moment.

He could not blurt out such a huge piece of news.

After hearing this, Chen Cheng and Li Li Dakang beamed with joy, slinging their arms around the shoulders of fellow fishermen nearby and shouting loudly.

"Did you hear? Did you hear? My son has been noticed by a martial master! My son has been noticed by a martial master!"

"We heard, we heard! Congratulations, congratulations!"

"I've always seen that Ah Shui, Ah Jie, and Ah Bo were different from other children; they are the three cleverest kids in our village. See, just as expected, they are destined for great success."

"Good heavens, has Yixing Market ever produced a martial artist? And now suddenly three are emerging?"

"There have been a few, I suppose, but they all seem to have moved to Pingyang Town and never returned."

The expressions of several nearby fishermen instantly changed; regardless of how uncomfortable they felt inside, they had to speak kindly to their faces.

"Hahaha, shared joy, shared joy! If they truly become martial artists, I'll treat you all to wine!"

At this moment, Li Li Dakang and Chen Cheng wished they could tell everyone about their sons' accomplishments.

Liang Qu had witnessed such scenes often in his previous life; shaking his head, he moved toward the boat, but Li Li Dakang blocked him again.

"Ah Shui, I wanted to stop you earlier but didn't explain clearly. Did you know it rained heavily last night?"

"I knew; what of it?"

"Then you don't know that the River God manifested last night!"

Liang Qu looked utterly bewildered. "The River God?"

"Yes! The River God leaped from the river and seized a great flaming bird! The very sky was shattered. It's better to wait two more days before setting out. Let the village head gather several wealthy families to lead, with each household contributing some money to hold a River God sacrifice. Only after the ritual should we set out; otherwise, we won't feel at ease sailing."

The fishermen nearby nodded repeatedly.

"Indeed, if the River God appears, a sacrifice must surely be held. Otherwise, if we offend His Reverence, failing to catch fish is a minor matter, but the River God's wrath would be a grave disaster!"