Chapter 85: Promotion, Third-Tier Commander of the Martial Register

Entry, Mastery, Minor Completion, Major Completion.

A martial art, or any skill, is mostly divided into these four levels. Normally, as long as one immerses oneself in it, is diligent and patient enough, even the dullest person can grind their way to Major Completion.

But going from Major Completion to Perfection requires more than just hard practice; it demands talent and comprehension.

With the aid of the Grand Craftsman's Hammer, Li Yuan very easily pushed his forging art to Major Completion, but four months have passed and he still has not reached Perfection.

Still, having the forging art at Major Completion gives one the foundation to forge superior blades; it's just that the finesse and success rate differ.

Zhang Ben felt he was rushing things, but also felt that every superior blade he forged succeeded, his momentum was strong, and he was willing to let him try.

Seeing his insistence, Zhang Ben simply agreed, and after finishing work for the day, went to the rear courtyard to see Cao Yan.

"Can't rely entirely on Cao Yan; we should also try with Lady Fang."

Li Yuan washed his face, saw the sky had not yet gone fully dark, closed the door of the forging room, and walked briskly toward the inner city.

The inner city has been very lively these past half month. On the streets in front of and behind the Lu residence, scattered joss paper could be seen everywhere. Outside tightly shut doors, there were also many women and children in mourning clothes, occasionally weeping softly.

A few were even trembling, whether from sorrow, fear, or the weather turning cold.

"Cao Yan does have some tricks, but Lady Fang... mm, is a good person."

Li Yuan stopped to watch, shaking his head inwardly.

Women and children blocking doors, mourning to coerce—for any faction in the inner or outer city, this sort of thing counts for nothing; a beating with clubs would scatter them.

But Fang Fang Yunxiu can't do that. If she dares to use force, tomorrow a large batch of those women and children blocking the door would have to die, and what would surely follow is a surging public outrage, the people's fury boiling over.

"Her martial art is good, but she still hasn't been tempered by experience. If striking out brings no merit, she shouldn't have struck."

Li Yuan evaluated inwardly.

Although the Divine Weapon Valley is powerful, with Qiu Long dead and the factions inside and outside Gao Liu County colluding together, without striking hard, it will surely be hard to handle.

One can only say, martial art is martial art, methods are methods—sometimes they cannot be lumped together.

"Brother Li!"

Li Yuan had not stopped long before Liu Zheng had already arrived. The two had agreed a few days earlier to come to the Lu residence.

To the outside world, naturally the story was that Fang Fang Yunxiu had invited them.

Looking at the women outside the Lu residence, Liu Zheng shook his head repeatedly: "These families in the inner and outer cities are getting more and more clueless about where to stop. Aren't they afraid the Divine Weapon Valley will settle accounts later?"

"Not necessarily unafraid; perhaps they're banking on a fluke of luck?"

Li Yuan echoed a line, but inwardly understood that after Qiu Long's death, the families in the inner and outer cities, whether willing or not, could only walk this one road all the way to the end.

They've already killed; why fear blocking doors?

"Get out of the way! Are you blind? You dare block this Young Master?"

Young Master Liu was not polite at all. He raised his foot and kicked aside several men who stepped forward to block the path, then went straight to knock on the door.

The name of the County Colonel was naturally quite big; many people recognized Liu Zheng. Though those few were kicked down, they did not dare to fight back, and rolled aside clutching their heads.

"Liu Zheng here to visit!"

After quite a while, a Retainer carefully opened the door. Seeing it was Liu Zheng, he finally breathed a sigh of relief, opened the door a crack, and let the two of them in.

……

In the rear courtyard of the Lu residence, Lu Lu Bailing was sweating profusely. Having not left the house for over half a month, she practiced her martial art every day under Fang Fang Yunxiu's supervision.

"The Hundred Flowers Misdirection Palm—the key lies not in the Hundred Flowers, but in the Misdirection! The two palms interlace like a hundred flowers fluttering, emptiness within substance, substance within emptiness, with the transformation of emptiness and substance arising at will—only then is it Perfection!"

"Emptiness does not mean not receiving force, substance does not mean not withdrawing force…"

"No pouting, no crying!"

Lu Lu Bailing was drenched in sweat, gritting her teeth and pursing her lips, her eyes reddening. When had she ever suffered like this?

But Fang Fang Yunxiu was unmoved, constantly berating her, driving her with high pressure. Even when a Retainer came to report, she did not let her rest for a moment.

"Keep practicing!"

Fang Fang Yunxiu flicked her sleeve and turned around. Li Yuan and Liu Zheng bowed in greeting.

"Lady Fang…"

"Mm, what is it?"

Fang Fang Yunxiu was in a rather bad mood, her tone cold as ice.

"No, it's Brother Li who has a matter and wishes to see you."

Liu Zheng was somewhat afraid of her, hurriedly replied, then retreated to the side. If not for Li Yuan's request, he would not have been willing to come poke at her bad temper at this time.

"I do indeed have a matter I wish to consult Lady Fang about."

Li Yuan's attitude was respectful and cautious.

Regarding Fang Fang Yunxiu, he had previously felt some wariness, but ever since she got blocked at her door, he was no longer so wary.

A good person, in most cases, is absolutely not a derogatory term.

"Related to internal force?"

Fang Fang Yunxiu turned her head and glared at Lu Lu Bailing, then asked.

"Yes."

Li Yuan's manners were very thorough; not a fraction of his respectful attitude toward seeking guidance was missing:

"A few days ago when this disciple was practicing, my qi and blood circulated violently, and faintly there was a feeling of it gushing out of the body. I wished to ask Lady Fang whether this is a sign before breaking through to internal force?"

Regarding the state before breaking through internal force, Li Yuan naturally understood it very clearly.

"Mm? So soon? Did you take some kind of pill?"

Fang Fang Yunxiu raised her brow slightly.

"Replying to Lady Fang, I took one low-grade Origin-Supplementing Pill…"

"Then it's no wonder."

Fang Fang Yunxiu understood in her heart, yet was still amazed at this kid's talent. Back in her day, she had also practiced martial arts for several years before reaching this step.

Besides, back in those years, he had to eat at least one or two pills every month…

"Internal force comes from qi and blood. Once qi and blood are tempered to the body's limit, then swallowing potent medicines is the process of nurturing internal force…"

"Normally, you'd need to comprehend the Root Diagram, but since your hammer technique is perfected, you don't need to…"

Fang Fang Yunxiu spoke openly of the keys to breaking through internal force, and the points to watch out for. Having already regarded Li Yuan as a disciple of the Divine Weapon Valley, she naturally held nothing back.

Most of what she said, Li Yuan already understood, but he didn't interrupt. After she finished, he nodded repeatedly before asking:

"I wonder if nurturing the White Ape Force will affect what comes after…"

"You are quite clever."

Fang Fang Yunxiu paced a few steps, then sat down on the stone bench beneath the tree:

"White Ape Cloak Hammer counts as a fine quality among them among the lower-grade Wu Gong. Though it's only a small circulation of qi and blood, it still covers the limbs, waist, and abdomen. The White Ape Force it nurtures isn't all that bad either…"

Glancing at Li Yuan, she naturally knew what he was worried about:

"Internal force up to Body Tempering only requires nurturing a force that covers the whole body, using it to nourish oneself so the physique breaks past its limit. Whether you use White Ape Force or Green Snake Force, it hardly matters…"

"That's good then."

Li Yuan breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Although he himself had guessed there would be no effect, having Fang Fang Yunxiu's confirmation put his heart at ease.

"If you can break through, don't hold it back. As for switching to another internal force, that's something to consider only after Body Tempering. You needn't worry about it."

Fang Fang Yunxiu picked up her teacup and took a small sip.

Though she felt a bit vexed at heart, since she had taken on the task of Talent-Seeking Envoy, she had to do her duty.

"This disciple still has questions…"

Such an opportunity was hard to come by; Li Yuan naturally wouldn't let it slip, and he tossed out one by one all the problems he'd encountered in his martial training over the past year.

Fang Fang Yunxiu was stern-faced, yet she answered each and every one, though she couldn't help feeling a bit shocked within.

This country apprentice boy—his talent was likely even more astonishing than she had imagined. Some of those questions were ones one would only encounter after internal force had been cultivated…

"So that's how it is. Many thanks to Heroine Fang for clearing my doubts. This disciple still has questions… Internal force covers the whole body until it replaces the qi and blood circulation—is that Internal Strength…"

"Body Transformation…"

Hearing the words "Body Transformation," Fang Fang Yunxiu's eyelids twitched: "You haven't even formed internal force, and you're asking about Internal Strength and Body Transformation?"

Excellent talent, but a bit too ambitious!

Li Yuan reluctantly stopped, and Fang Fang Yunxiu shook her head inwardly, forming her assessment.

"Learning martial arts doesn't happen in a day; it lies

in years upon years of bitter training. You don't need to know so much right now. You only need to practice your hammer technique to Great Perfection, break through to internal force,

and do these two things well!"

Fang Fang Yunxiu admonished him.

Li Yuan nodded repeatedly, while inwardly he kept summarizing today's gains.

The doubts he'd accumulated over half a year had all been resolved by Fang Fang Yunxiu today, and he couldn't help sighing at the caliber of disciples from a great sect.

"Internal force, Body Tempering, Internal Strength… nurture internal force, temper the body, and ultimately, thread internal force through the whole body until it reaches the viscera…"

"Auntie!!!"

At this moment, Lu Lu Bailing finally couldn't hold on any longer. Letting out a wail, she collapsed to the ground, her sweat soaking through her neat martial robe, drawing a few instinctive glances from Li Yuan.

"Where's Liu Zheng?"

Only then did Li Yuan come back to his senses; the sky was already pitch dark.

"He left over an hour ago!"

Lu Lu Bailing was panting, her limbs sore and numb, nearly drained of strength.

She felt rather wronged and pitiful—her aunt had never spoken to her so gently before.

So what if you have good talent?!

"It's getting late. You should head back."

Glancing at Lu Lu Bailing, Fang Fang Yunxiu waved her hand to see the guest off.

Li Yuan was one who knew how to climb; having figured out Heroine Fang's cold-outside, warm-inside temperament, he brought up the matter of red gold.

"Red gold?"

Fang Fang Yunxiu's brow furrowed slightly: "Red gold doesn't circulate among ordinary folk. I… I don't have any either."

Swallowing the word "poor," Fang Fang Yunxiu's expression turned a bit sour.

Her family had long since fallen into ruin, and she refused Lu Lu Yunqing's help. Though her life wasn't exactly tight, she truly didn't have much silver, let alone red gold.

That was something that circulated among high officials and the nobility…

'She really doesn't have any…

Li Yuan sighed inwardly as well.

Fang Fang Yunxiu being poor, he already knew. After all, this inner disciple of the Divine Weapon Valley carried only one second-tier treasured sword on her, far worse than even Tang Tong's…

Still, he wasn't looking to borrow money:

"This disciple has saved up some silver and wishes to ask you to help exchange it for one or two taels. I wonder if you have such a connection?"

"Mm…"

Fang Fang Yunxiu thought of Han Han Chuijun—that Ghost Elder's fortune was vast; he certainly would have some.

"Elder Han isn't here. The Yuan family… hmm?"

Fang Fang Yunxiu suddenly came to her senses, frowning as she looked at Li Yuan, who feigned a blank expression.

The inner city's Yuan family has ties to the Divine Weapon Valley?

Li Yuan's heart stirred slightly. So Fang Fang Yunxiu wasn't without people to call on either…

"Auntie, I'm cold!"

Over there, Lu Lu Bailing was nearly crying. She had been sitting on the ground for so long, yet her auntie hadn't even come to pull her up...

Fang Fang Yunxiu rose and saw the guest out:

"You should head back. If there's a chance, I'll ask on your behalf."

"Many thanks, Heroine Fang!"

Li Yuan cupped his hands in farewell.

Compared to Cao Yan, dealing with this Heroine Fang was indeed much more pleasant. Though she looked cold on the outside, she was warm within.

……

……

Weapon Forging Shop, rear courtyard garden.

Cao Yan was draped in a large gown, his face slightly pale. Beneath the white cloth wrapped around his chest and abdomen, bloodstains could be faintly seen seeping out continuously — the wounds left by the Cicada-Wing Sword Art were extremely hard to heal.

"Three taels of red gold, over ten jin of dark iron, over ten jin of jade-essence cold iron? Quite the nerve to name such a price…"

Glancing at Zhang Ben's retreating back, Cao Yan's expression darkened:

"Does he really think he's the Shopkeeper?!"

"Red gold, dark iron, jade-essence cold iron? Is this kid trying to forge a 'Jade-Cold Autumn Water Sword'?"

In the shadows, Feng Gang, who stood hugging his sword, had a faint gleam in his eyes:

"Who would have thought that in a place as small as Gao Liu County, there'd be such an outstanding forging seed? Only seventeen, and already attempting to craft a top-grade sharp blade?"

A top-grade sharp blade,

often costs a thousand taels, even several thousand taels of silver per blade — a small two-story courtyard in Fucheng wouldn't cost much more than that.

It's something that can be passed down through many generations, serving as a family's foundation.

In the Weapon Forging Shop's two hundred-plus years, the top-grade sharp blades accumulated don't exceed ten — which is why the Incense Master Values greatly.

"Just an attempt, most likely a waste of iron."

Cao Yan shot him a cold glance, a warning in his tone:

"He's my man. If you dare have any ideas…"

"If he really can forge a top-grade sharp blade, then it's hard to say whose man he'll be!"

Feng Gang tugged at the corner of his mouth, quite tempted.

That bastard Xu Feng's Wu Gong is about the same as mine — why is he more valued by the Incense Master? Isn't it simply because he has a cold-iron saber of top-grade sharp blade caliber?

"Without three years of honing, he can't forge a top-grade sharp blade!"

Pressing lightly on the wound at his waist, Cao Yan's eyes were icy: "He's already very conspicuous. If he forges a top-grade sharp blade, even Han Han Chuijun might be alarmed…"

He doesn't even have much red gold himself — how could he possibly hand it over to an apprentice to practice with?

"If the Incense Master comes in person, and Han Han Chuijun dares to show up, then that might actually be a good thing…"

Feng Gang stroked his chin, his eyes flickering.

"What are you trying to do?"

Cao Yan turned around in frustration, only to feel his waist suddenly go empty. Before he could get angry, Feng Gang had already retreated into the shadows:

"I'll borrow your three taels of red gold — consider it payment for Feng's service as your bodyguard!"

"You—!"

……

"A true transmission needs but one phrase; a false one fills ten thousand scrolls. The ancestors truly did not deceive me…"

Coming out of the Lu residence, Li Yuan pushed off with his feet, sidestepping the wailing crowd outside the gate, sighing inwardly.

Some things seem like a simple sentence, but without someone to point it out, you'd have to fumble and try on your own, not knowing how much time would be wasted.

With someone to point it out, enlightenment comes in an instant.

The importance of having a proper lineage, Li Yuan certainly understood well.

"Body tempering isn't hard — external horizontal training, internal nurturing of strength, aided by elixirs. Normally, two or three years is enough to break through. With continuous elixirs, even one year is possible, but…"

"Zeng Xue Dan, Leopard-Fetus Sinew-Changing Pills, Bone-Strengthening Pills — none of them can be cut off…"

The harvest was considerable, and Li Yuan was in a good mood, but thinking of the elixirs required, he felt a headache coming on.

A few windfalls, plus continuous blacksmithing, plus the hundred taels of silver borrowed from Sun Hao — aside from buying medicine, he still had nearly three hundred taels of silver, and ten taels of gold.

But the Weapon-Bearing Register ceremony alone requires a hundred taels of silver and ten taels of gold, and one tael of red gold normally costs a hundred taels of silver too.

When he really calculated it, the silver he could actually spend was only about a hundred taels…

"Without Fatty Sun's hundred taels, I couldn't even keep up with the medicine…"

Li Yuan sighed inwardly, turned his body, and just as he was about to enter the courtyard, he suddenly heard 'squeak squeak squeak' — a frantic squealing.

"Someone?!"

Li Yuan's heart jolted. His five fingers curled into a grip, ready to summon the Breaking-Wind Hammer at any moment.

"Not bad, very alert."

Just as Li Yuan was guessing the identity of the person in the courtyard, that person had already spoken:

"This one has heard your forging talent is exceptional. I've come this time to have you forge me a top-grade sharp blade — the Autumn Wind Sword!"

"Hm?!"

Li Yuan was startled inwardly, but his vigilance did not lessen:

"There's no sense in breaking into someone's home at night to ask for a weapon to be forged. Who might you be?"

"Ask?"

A cold laugh came from the courtyard. Feng Gang held the chubby little mouse, squeezing it:

"Twenty days. I'll come back. If you haven't forged it, or if anything's damaged…"

Whoosh!

Outside the courtyard, Li Yuan looked up and saw a dark shadow flip onto the roof; after a few rises and falls, it vanished into the night.

"Squeak squeak squeak!"

Inside the courtyard, the little mouse squealed in a panic, clearly terrified.

"Who was that person?!"

He shut the courtyard gate, caught the frightened little mouse, and Li Yuan

knit his brows tightly.

These past few months, of course more than just Liang Liang Ashui had asked him to forge weapons, but this was the first time someone had shown up at his door late at night, and their words had been nothing but threats.

"That person's accent doesn't sound like they're from Gao Liu County…"

Li Yuan frowned in thought as he walked toward his room. Suddenly, his expression froze.

In the room where no oil lamp had been lit, specks of crimson light flickered. On the table, three thumb-sized pieces of… lay in plain sight.

"Red gold?!"

Taking three steps in one, Li Yuan grabbed the red gold in his hand, his eyes wide with shock, his heart full of disbelief.

Though he had never seen red gold before, he knew its characteristics only too well!

Something he had longed for day and night for months, something he dreamed of from time to time.

"It really is red gold—how is this possible?!"

He lit the oil lamp and examined it by the light. Li Yuan's heart was full of delight; even his wariness of the mysterious stranger was swept away.

"Three taels of red gold!"

Weighing the three pieces of gold glowing with crimson light in his hand, Li Yuan's heartbeat quickened.

He tore off a few slices of cured meat and tossed them to the little mouse, then swiftly checked the surroundings, shut the doors and windows, and hauled out the dusty wrought iron from under the bed, piece by piece.

"A thousand jin of wrought iron, a hundred taels of white silver, ten taels of gold, one tael of red gold…"

He blew out the oil lamp, arranged all the materials neatly, then carefully checked the room and courtyard again, and kicked the little mouse under the bed.

Only then did he rub his hands together:

"Advance—Weapon-Forging Register!"