Chapter 16: No Woman in Heart, Fist Naturally Divine!

The next day.

Morning light had not yet pierced the clouds; only a faint pale streak marked the horizon.

Jiang Ye had already risen quietly in the gatehouse.

He silently sensed the flow of his blood and qi, his brow twitching slightly, a flicker of surprise crossing his eyes.

“After one night, the medicinal power of this Blood-Replenishing Pill… still lingers, gently nourishing my sinews and bones…”

Though the initial heat from the pill had subsided, a thread of pure, gentle warmth remained deep within his marrow and between his organs.

“While the medicine still holds, I might as well move my limbs.”

Jiang Ye pushed open the narrow door and stepped into the chilly morning air.

On the mist-shrouded open ground before the gate, he slowly assumed the posture of the Five Animal Fist.

About half an hour later.

Daylight fully broke, dispersing the last wisps of morning mist.

Jiang Ye slowly ended his stance, arms hanging naturally, his entire body brimming with harmonious, full energy—not a trace of sweat from exertion, but a subtle, warm luster faintly glowing beneath his skin, the sign of abundant blood and qi, the pill’s power fully absorbed.

Mastered Skill: Five Animal Fist [Minor Mastery, 213/500]

Jiang Ye glanced at the system panel, nodded slightly; at this pace, a few more days of practice would let him break through to Hidden Force.

He looked up at the sky—it was time to return to his post as gatekeeper.

“Old Man Jiang, good morning!”

A strong, clearly enthusiastic voice shattered the morning quiet.

As Jiang Ye had expected, the first to arrive at the martial academy that morning, stepping through the dew, was Shi Lei.

The boy’s bruises were still obvious, especially on his cheekbones and lips, the purple-red marks not yet fully faded.

But his eyes had regained their luster, no longer the dead, confused void of yesterday; instead, a hardened resolve, tempered by hardship, and a relentless drive to squeeze every moment and drop of sweat from himself.

His steps were far steadier than yesterday; though injured, his spine stood straight.

Clearly, after that kneeling last night, he had carved Jiang Ye’s words into his bones and found his path again.

Jiang Ye lifted his dim eyelids, his gaze lingering for an instant on the young face reignited with determination, then gave a slight nod, emitting a flat, emotionless sound from his throat:

“Mm.”

An acknowledgment.

Shi Lei didn’t mind the old man’s coldness; he grinned, the motion tugging at his lip wound, making him hiss—but the smile didn’t fade.

He bowed again to Jiang Ye, then turned and hurried into the courtyard.

Jiang Ye lowered his gaze, returned to his worn, polished little stool, folded his hands into his sleeves, and half-closed his eyelids.

As more disciples arrived at the academy, hushed, excited, fearful whispers spread like ripples from stones dropped in a pond, diffusing through the morning light.

“Did you hear? Big news last night! Xu Tao from the Wild Wolf Gang—the boss of the Changxing Street gambling den—was killed!”

“What?! Xu Tao? That Xu Tao, who reached Ming Force completion and had a fearsome reputation? Is that true?”

“Absolutely true! My cousin works at the magistrate’s office—he saw it himself this morning. The gambling den’s back courtyard’s been sealed off! They say he died… terribly!”

“Ssshh—Who had the guts? He was a Wild Wolf Gang boss!”

“More than guts! My cousin says the room wasn’t even disturbed—Xu Tao looked like… like he was killed in a single strike! His head was…”

The speaker lowered his voice further, trembling with disbelief and horror.

“One strike?! Xu Tao was solidly Ming Force complete! To kill him with one strike… what level would that require?”

“At least a Hidden Force expert—and a ruthless one!”

“Good riddance! That Xu Tao bullied merchants, forced women into prostitution—how many vile deeds did he commit? He deserved this!”

Someone muttered approval, satisfaction in his tone.

“I bet it’s another gang—someone trying to seize territory.”

“I heard the Wild Wolf Gang’s boss has vowed to hunt down the killer at any cost—blood for blood…”

“Looks like the streets will be chaotic again these next few days. We’ll need to be careful going home.”

All these murmurs—fear, curiosity, secret delight, worry—wove a dense web through the morning air of the academy.

Jiang Ye didn’t lift his eyelids; he still looked half-asleep, but internally sneered.

Just as he’d expected, when a gang boss like Xu Tao—bloodstained, with enemies everywhere—died suddenly, nine out of ten people would immediately assume it was revenge, betrayal, or gang warfare.

Who would guess the man who killed Xu Tao in one strike was this gatekeeper old man?

The outer academy disciples streaming in, seeing Shi Lei diligently practicing, all showed flickers of shock.

“Shi Lei? He… he’s here this early? And training so hard?”

“Yesterday he was publicly humiliated by Lin Xiaohé—we thought he’d be broken…”

“We underestimated him. We always thought he had mediocre roots and just trained blindly with brute force—but his will is surprisingly strong…”

In their hushed murmurs, the old traces of condescension faded, replaced by genuine surprise and quiet admiration.

To rise swiftly after such a blow, and pour every emotion into near-self-torturous training—this kind of willpower truly deserved their respect.

“Hmph. Mediocre roots. No matter how hard he tries, it’s all futile—what can he possibly achieve?”

Lin Xiaohé, stepping into the outer academy, naturally saw Shi Lei.

Her gaze lingered for an instant on his battered yet intensely focused back; her slender brows furrowed, then she sneered, a flash of irritation and disdain crossing her eyes—as if she’d spotted some unwelcome, stubborn relic she couldn’t shake off.

Yet when her eyes shifted toward the gate, her impatience vanished like ice in spring.

There came Hu Tian, glowing with health, stepping lightly, walking closely behind Zhang Xu of the inner academy, chatting merrily.

Hu Tian wore a new fine-cloth robe today, a sachet hanging at his waist; his demeanor now carried a distinct air of newfound prestige.

Lin Xiaohé’s eyes lit up; her face instantly bloomed with a bright, charming smile, as if her earlier contempt for Shi Lei had never existed.

Like a joyful skylark finally spotting its target, she stepped lightly forward, voice sweet and clear:

“Hu Shidi! Zhang Shixiong! Good morning! You both look wonderful today!”

Zhang Xu ignored Lin Xiaohé’s greeting entirely, turning only to murmur something to Hu Tian beside him, making Hu Tian nod eagerly.

Then he moved on without pause, his usual arrogance and poise carrying him straight through the outer academy toward the inner quarters, leaving Lin Xiaohé’s warm greeting and smile utterly behind.

Lin Xiaohé’s smile stiffened slightly—but only for an instant—then returned to normal, as if she hadn’t noticed at all.

She instantly redirected all her attention to Hu Tian, who remained.

“Don’t worry, Zhang Shixiong! I’ll train twice as hard and master the Mountain-Crushing Fist soon—then I’ll train with you!”

Hu Tian first raised his voice toward Zhang Xu’s retreating back, speaking with respectful, flattering earnestness.

Only after Zhang Xu vanished from sight did he turn to Lin Xiaohé, his face now wearing a relaxed, slightly smug grin.

“Little Sister Hua, you’re here early too.”

His tone was casual, his gaze lingering on her face—a familiar, slightly superior air of one newly accepted into the upper circle, addressing an admirer from below.

Lin Xiaohé seemed utterly unaware of his subtle shift in attitude; she smiled warmly, smoothly picking up the thread:

“Of course—I just wanted to see you early and train together!”

“What fun things did Zhang Shixiong show you yesterday? Tell me everything…”

The two leaned close, whispering and laughing.

Hu Tian spoke vividly, occasionally gesturing; Lin Xiaohé responded with gasps and giggles, her eyes worshipfully fixed on Hu Tian—as if he were the brightest presence in the morning academy.

Meanwhile, Shi Lei, practicing alone in the corner, remained oblivious to it all.

His mind was entirely on his fists.

Time passed quickly—three days had gone by.

In the morning, Jiang Ye slowly ended his fist form.

Mastered Skill: Five Animal Fist [Minor Mastery, 467/500]

“Looks like I can break through to Hidden Force tonight.”

Jiang Ye’s eyes dimmed slightly, a hidden thrill flickering within.

With the Blood-Replenishing Pill’s nourishment, he had already refined his blood and qi over these three days—now, only when his fist form reached full mastery would he be ready to break through to Hidden Force.

“Rest well today. Preserve my energy.”

Jiang Ye returned to his gatekeeper post, conserving his strength.

But just as the tree wishes for stillness, the wind will not cease.

Around noon, a sharp female cry pierced the academy’s usual quiet from the outer courtyard:

“Hu Tian has mastered the fist form!”

The voice belonged to Lin Xiaohé, brimming with unmasked delight and deliberately raised volume, instantly drawing everyone’s attention.

Followed by the outer disciples’ exclamations of envy, jealousy, and awe.

“What?! Hu Tian? He’s only been here a few days? Less than seven, at most?!”

“Heaven! Seven days to master the Mountain-Crushing Fist?! Is this what upper-grade roots look like?!”

“Comparing people kills you; comparing goods ruins them. I’ve trained nearly a month and haven’t even touched the threshold…”

“Forget it—comparing yourself to a genius like this only brings pain.”

The buzz even reached near the gate.

Even Jiang Ye, who had been resting with closed eyes, twitched his brows slightly, a flicker of surprise crossing his face.

“This Hu kid’s speed in mastering the fist form is even faster than Yi Yi’s back then.”

Jiang Ye remembered Liu Yiyi, who also had upper-grade roots—she’d taken seven or eight days to master the form.

Clearly, Hu Tian had some potential.

Of course, such astonishing talent, shocking to ordinary people, was but a firefly’s glow before Jiang Ye’s own ability—mastering a fist form in one second.

The outer courtyard training ground was now in an uproar.

“Hu Tian, you truly are a genius among geniuses!”

Lin Xiaohé surrounded Hu Tian, who wore a beaming, triumphant smile, like the moon surrounded by stars.

Her excitement seemed ready to spill over.

As if she herself had just mastered the fist technique.

As she loudly praised him, her sidelong glances subtly carried a hint of provocation and scrutiny toward the silent figure immersed alone in his fist forms not far away—Shi Lei.

Yet to her disappointment, Shi Lei appeared utterly unaware, continuing to refine his Bingshan Fist stance with deliberate, powerful movements, sweat sliding down his temples, his gaze focused like iron, utterly indifferent to Hu Tian’s breakthrough and the surrounding commotion, as if he dwelled in another world.

A flicker of frustrated anger and disappointment passed through Lin Xiaohé’s eyes; she let out a cold snort, quiet but just loud enough for those nearby to hear:

“Hmph, he probably knows his gap with Brother Hu Tian is like heaven and earth, has completely given up, and just buries himself in grinding out those pitiful drops of sweat.”

Soon, the news of Hu Tian’s fist technique breakthrough reached the inner courtyard, and Liu Qingshi was stirred to come to the outer courtyard.

Seeing Hu Tian’s flushed, barely contained excitement, Liu Qingshi’s eyes flickered with approval, and he nodded slightly:

“Good. You entered the realm within seven days—your talent is even better than I imagined. Among new disciples in the past decade, your talent ranks among the best!”

He paused, his expression turning solemn:

“Hu Tian, from today, you are my formal disciple and may enter the inner courtyard to train. Should you encounter any difficulties in your cultivation, come ask me anytime.”

As he spoke, he pulled a small blue porcelain bottle from his robe and handed it over. “After mastering the fist technique, strengthening your blood and qi and breaking through to Mingjin is paramount. This bottle of Blood-Reviving Pills is a reward to help you solidify your foundation and break through sooner.”

“Thank you, Master!”

Hu Tian eagerly accepted the pills, his face flushed with excitement.

He had seen Zhang Xu take Blood-Reviving Pills—he knew each bottle cost twenty taels of silver.

This wasn’t just medicine—it was a symbol of status and favor!

Amidst gazes of envy or complex emotion, Hu Tian straightened his back and followed Liu Qingshi, striding proudly into the inner courtyard—the symbol of a higher tier.

The outer courtyard disciples watched Hu Tian’s retreating figure, each face filled with mixed emotions.

Though they had long anticipated this day, none expected it to come so soon.

Lin Xiaohé’s heart was equally torn between joy and unease.

She was glad her chosen “potential investment” had soared—she now had leverage within the inner courtyard.

But she worried: Hu Tian’s progress was so rapid, his horizons would rise with it. If she didn’t act quickly, perhaps…

Yet, before the ripples from Hu Tian’s breakthrough had fully settled and minds were still in turmoil—

About an hour later.

“Shi Lei’s fist technique has also broken through!”

A cry from an outer courtyard disciple rang out.

This news, like a second stone cast into a lake, sent ripples entirely different from the first.

There were no deafening shouts or wild excitement—only a quiet, expectant stillness tinged with complex emotion.

After all, Shi Lei had trained for nearly two months; he had been mere steps from the threshold. His daily, near-self-destructive diligence had been witnessed by all.

His breakthrough felt less like a genius’s sudden rise and more like a long-distance runner finally crossing the finish line—worthy of respect, yet lacking the shock of a meteoric ascent.

“Hmph, took nearly two months just to break through? Compared to Brother Hu Tian, a true genius, it’s like heaven and earth.”

Lin Xiaohé stared at Shi Lei’s resolute back, her brow furrowed.

Her snort carried obvious disdain—but if listened to closely, beneath that disdain lay a faint, unacknowledged twinge of bitterness and unease.

No matter how slow, Shi Lei had still crossed the threshold.

Once he broke through to Mingjin, he would truly be a martial cultivator—no longer the same as ordinary people.

The inner courtyard disciples had also heard the outcry from the outer courtyard.

“What kind of lucky day is this? Our martial academy is thriving—two outer courtyard disciples broke through in one day!”

“Heh, same day, but these two can’t be compared. Hu Tian’s a genius; Shi Lei? I heard his root quality is only middling to poor—he struggled for nearly two months.”

“I remember Shi Lei—he trains hard, but his root quality limits him. Breaking through to Mingjin might be his ceiling.”

“Still, reaching Mingjin gives you a foothold in this world. Not great, but better than nothing.”

The inner courtyard disciples chatted with interest.

“How convenient.”

Liu Qingshi, who had been guiding Hu Tian in adjusting to the inner courtyard’s training rhythm, stood up at the sound, a faint smile on his face.

He was about to head to the outer courtyard when he saw Shi Lei had already walked in himself.

Shi Lei’s face showed no wild elation from his breakthrough—only his usual resolve and calmness, even more grounded than his peers due to days of grueling training and lingering injuries.

He stepped before Liu Qingshi and bowed respectfully:

“Master Liu, disciple Shi Lei has broken through to the realm of Bingshan Fist.”

“Hmm, good. I’ve been keeping an eye on you.”

Liu Qingshi studied him, his gaze holding scrutiny—and a hint of approval barely visible.

He nodded, his voice low and steady:

“Though your root quality is only middling to poor, your will and perseverance far exceed the ordinary. In the martial path, root quality matters, but willpower can compensate for nature. If you continue to train diligently, you may yet achieve something.”

As he spoke, he pulled another blue porcelain bottle from his robe and offered it to Shi Lei. “Now that you’ve broken through, you are my formal disciple. Take this bottle of Blood-Reviving Pills—solidify your foundation, nurture your blood and qi, and break through to Mingjin!”

“Thank you, Master Liu!”

Shi Lei accepted it with both hands, his voice calm, his gratitude sincere.

He understood the value of the pills—and even more, the encouragement and expectation behind Master Liu’s gesture.

Beside him, Hu Tian, who had been so triumphant moments ago, watched as Liu Qingshi treated “middling-to-poor root quality” Shi Lei with equal favor, granting him the same precious pills. A flash of resentment darted across his eyes; he muttered inwardly:

“Shi Lei’s just middling-to-poor root quality. Even if he broke through, what’s so special? Why does he deserve such pills?”

“Brother Shi Lei, you’ll have to guide me more in the future. If you have any questions, come ask me.”

Zhao Gang, the inner courtyard’s ever-kind, well-liked senior, walked over with a warm, earnest smile.

“We’re in the same inner courtyard now—look out for each other. If anything’s unclear, just ask me.”

Compared to Hu Tian, whose brilliance carried a hint of arrogance, he preferred dealing with Shi Lei—steady, hardworking, and humble.

Shi Lei bowed again in thanks.

Afternoon.

Another shockwave rocked the martial academy.

Zhang Xu failed to break through to Anjin.