Chapter 29: The Return

The next morning.

After finishing a set of Tongbi Boxing, Chen Qing’s entire body radiated heat, and his bones emitted faint, rhythmic popping sounds.

"Senior Brother Chen, wipe your sweat."

At that moment, a disciple hurried over, carrying a basin of water and a towel.

"Thanks."

Chen Qing took the towel and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

The man was named Song Yufeng. He had joined the Zhou Academy half a month ago. His father was a wandering physician and his mother worked as a laborer in the Sun Family Restaurant; his family background was quite poor.

According to the tradition of the Zhou Academy, he practiced his boxing behind Chen Qing, an "old" disciple.

Song Yufeng smiled sheepishly. "Senior Brother Chen is too polite."

Chen Qing put down the towel and asked casually, "How is your Tongbi Boxing coming along?"

"To answer you, Senior Brother, I have memorized all the moves, but..." Song Yufeng answered hurriedly, then scratched his head. "I feel like something is slightly off, but I can't quite put my finger on it."

Chen Qing said, "Perform a set for me to see."

Not daring to delay, Song Yufeng immediately took a stance and began to demonstrate.

The essence of Tongbi Boxing lies in the variation of internal force. He had not yet reached the stage of Ming Jin (Obvious Strength), so his execution of the boxing appeared extremely soft and limp.

Chen Qing watched closely, then pointed out several things to Song Yufeng. "When performing 'Ape Arms Reaching the Heavens,' your shoulders must be relaxed and your elbows must drop. Your intent should flow through your fingertips rather than the face of your fist. Also, in the move 'Iron Lock Spanning the River,' the force is generated from the waist and back, not the arms."

"Your internal strength is currently small and your blood-qi is insufficient. You should focus on accumulating blood-qi first."

He explained in great detail, much like Sun Shun had done for him.

Song Yufeng nodded repeatedly, his face full of gratitude. "Thank you for the guidance, Senior Brother Chen. I will go practice my stance training immediately. I won't disturb your training any longer."

With that, he hurried back to his corner and stood in a focused stance.

After resting for a moment, Chen Qing continued his practice of Tongbi Boxing.

【Tongbi Boxing: Minor Success (963/1000)】

If his Tongbi Boxing reached Great Success, his strength would undoubtedly rise to another level.

There were currently seven or eight disciples in the academy who had reached the stage of An Jin (Hidden Strength), but not a single one had reached Great Success in Tongbi Boxing.

Great Success in Tongbi Boxing required one form to transform into many moves, and for the force to transition smoothly from soft to hard.

Transforming one form into many moves required extreme proficiency in the techniques, necessitating muscle memory. This required not only comprehension but also years of continuous cultivation.

As for transitioning force from soft to hard, it required mastery over the internal power itself—reaching a realm where the movement of the feet, the movement of the fist, and the following of the strength were all one.

After practicing Tongbi Boxing two more times, Chen Qing headed to the River Magistrate's office.

The River Magistrate's patrols varied; during busy periods, they patrolled three times a day, and during quiet times, once a day.

By the time he returned to the Zhou Academy, it was already afternoon.

As soon as Chen Qing entered the academy, he found it quite lively.

Qin Lie was surrounded by a crowd of disciples in the center, like the moon surrounded by stars.

The usually stern Zhou Liang stood opposite him, a smile playing on his lips.

*Junior Brother Qin has returned from the bandit suppression!?*

Seeing this, Chen Qing's heart stirred.

Qin Lie took a deep breath and cupped his hands. "Master, your disciple has returned."

"Good, very good."

Zhou Liang looked Qin Lie up and down, a look of gratification appearing on his face.

He could tell that Qin Lie was completely different from before; he had clearly seen blood.

Sun Shun's mood was somewhat complicated. When the two had exchanged glances just now, he had felt a distinct chill run down his spine.

He knew that after this bandit suppression, Qin Lie's strength had improved further; he feared he was no longer a match for him.

"Come inside, we will talk properly."

Zhou Liang patted Qin Lie on the shoulder with a gentle tone and turned to lead him toward the backyard.

Anyone with eyes could see that Qin Lie's return had brought a significant increase to the smile on Zhou Liang's face.

"Senior Brother Fang, tell us about the bandit suppression!"

"Did Junior Brother Qin really kill three water bandits!?"

"Did the Commandant take action!?"

Seeing Qin Lie follow Zhou Liang into the backyard, everyone turned to look at the disciples who had gone along on the mission.

"The Commandant's spear techniques are truly unpredictable! Shen Tong, the Great Chief of White Wave Bay, didn't even last three exchanges against the Commandant! That scene... tsk tsk!"

One of the senior brothers who had gone along said with a sense of pride, "With the Commandant and the experts from the five great clans overseeing the trip, we were just following behind to clear out the remaining bandits. It was an eye-opening experience, and we met many skilled practitioners from other academies..."

Hearing this, many disciples who had hesitated to join felt a pang of regret for missing the opportunity. Had they known, they would have signed up as well.

Chen Qing did not think much of it and calmly returned to his spot to continue his boxing.

Since his master was busy, he would have to find another opportunity to report to him.

As night deepened, the academy gradually grew quiet, and the discussions about the bandit suppression faded.

The disciples tidied up briefly and departed one after another.

Seeing that Chen Qing was still practicing, Zhou Yu couldn't help but ask, "Junior Brother Chen, it's so late, aren't you going back yet?"

By now, she had changed out of her training clothes and was wearing a white feminine skirt, her features carrying a hint of gentleness and charm.

Chen Qing replied, "Thank you for your concern, Senior Sister Zhou. I'll head back after a little more practice."

Zhou Yu smiled slightly. "Alright, don't stay out too late."

With that, she returned to the backyard.

The night grew deeper, and moonlight poured like water into the silent courtyard, leaving only the rustling of insects.

Suddenly, a rumble came from Zhou Liang's stomach.

His blood-qi was vigorous, and his nutritional needs were far greater than an ordinary person's; he often needed to supplement his diet late at night.

"Hungry again."

He rubbed his abdomen, stood up, and pushed open his door, intending to head to the kitchen for something to eat.

Just as he stepped out of the backyard and passed through the moon gate connecting to the front courtyard, a highly rhythmic sound of breaking air reached his ears.

"Hmm? At this hour, there is still a disciple practicing?"

Zhou Liang was slightly surprised and looked toward the sound.

Under the moonlight, a figure was seen moving and shifting within the courtyard, practicing Tongbi Boxing.

The figure's movements were as lithe as an ape. As the arms swung, they brought with them subtle yet sharp gusts of wind. The crisp "pop" of air echoed from time to time—a sign of extremely solid Ming Jin.

But what caught Zhou Liang's attention even more was that the figure's movements were fluid and rounded. While the moves appeared fierce and powerful, they contained hidden, supple variations. Especially during the transition between issuing and withdrawing force, there was an inward, penetrating quality that was definitely not something an ordinary Ming Jin disciple could possess.

He couldn't help but stop in his tracks and observe closely.

As he watched, his heart skipped a beat!

The disciple was none other than Chen Qing!

He clearly saw that as Chen Qing moved, his entire body radiated heat, and a faint white mist gathered above his head—a sign of blood-qi circulating to its absolute limit.

But more importantly, his breathing was long and profound. With every strike, the force was contained without being revealed, and issued without being dissipated!

This... this was clearly the characteristic of An Jin!

Although he had only recently achieved it and could not yet fully control the release of force at will—meaning some signs could not be perfectly hidden—this was undoubtedly An Jin!

"How is this possible?!"

Zhou Liang almost thought his eyes were playing tricks on him.

Chen Qing?

That Chen Qing with mediocre bone structure and a poor family background, who had taken nearly three months just to barely break through to Ming Jin?

How could he have mastered An Jin so quickly?

Zhou Liang held his breath and observed for a few more moments, confirming it was indeed An Jin.

He could no longer restrain himself and walked over quickly.

"Good lad!"

"Master!"

Chen Qing hurriedly finished his practice and cupped his hands.

Zhou Liang waved his hand, looking Chen Qing up and down, and asked in a heavy voice, "When... when did you break through to An Jin?"

Chen Qing answered honestly, "To answer Master, it was yesterday."

"Yesterday..."

Zhou Liang murmured, then stared at him intently. "When did you enter the academy last year?"

"November of last year," Chen Qing replied.

"November... November..."

Zhou Liang calculated rapidly in his mind; it seemed it hadn't even been a full year since he joined.

This speed, even within the entire Zhou Academy, was definitely impressive!

Looking at the disciple before him, whose clothes were soaked in sweat, Zhou Liang was momentarily at a loss for words.

He knew well of Chen Qing's family circumstances; it was impossible for him to have sufficient meat or precious medicinal supplements. To reach this stage, the hardships and efforts he had endured were likely several, if not dozens, of times those of others!

He had originally thought this was a disciple with limited talent who could only barely maintain himself through diligence, destined to wander around the Ming Jin stage at most. He never expected... he never expected that he had misjudged him!

"You are very good!"

A look of gratification appeared on Zhou Liang's face.

Chen Qing was a fine prospect.

The fact that he had sought him out privately showed he did not wish to be ostentatious.

It was very rare for a young man to be so composed.

Qin Lie's biggest problem was his inability to hold his temper and stay calm.

However, that couldn't strictly be called a flaw in Qin Lie; after all, coming from poverty, few people could maintain complete self-control once they suddenly attained wealth and status.

*A pity,* Zhou Liang thought to himself. If there were no Qin Lie in the academy, he would certainly focus his efforts on cultivating Chen Qing.

But since the academy already had Qin Lie, he could only ask Chen Qing to bear with it for now.

After a long silence, Zhou Liang said, "For the next period of time, focus on consolidating your blood-qi. Temper your An Jin throughout your entire body, starting with your torso and then moving into your internal organs. Remember, do not be discouraged."

"If there is anything you do not understand, come and ask me."

Chen Qing felt a hint of disappointment in his heart. "Your disciple understands."

He had originally thought that Zhou Liang would treat him like Qin Lie—giving him special attention and providing cultivation resources.

With resources, the speed of cultivation would be much faster.

After all, reaching An Jin in less than a year, while not as fast as Qin Lie, was still quite excellent.

But upon closer thought, Chen Qing felt relieved. Qin Lie was the Master's closed-door disciple and was destined to inherit his legacy and provide for his old age.

"Since it is not busy now, I will explain the techniques for tempering An Jin to you."

Zhou Liang gave a detailed explanation, then patted Chen Qing on the shoulder and encouraged him, "Cultivate well. You can participate in this year's Martial Examinations; even if you don't succeed, it can serve as experience."

Chen Qing nodded. "Yes!"

Zhou Liang said, "Go back and rest early."

"Your disciple takes his leave."

Chen Qing cupped his hands and prepared to depart.

"Wait a moment."

Looking at the disciple's retreating back, Zhou Liang felt a pang of sympathy and called him back.

"Has any faction provided you with support yet?"

Chen Qing replied, "The Cheng family of Guilan Ward."

"A small family, nothing more. A mere drop in the bucket; it is already not easy to have achieved a second breakthrough."

Zhou Liang thought to himself, *Come with me.*

Chen Qing followed Zhou Liang to the study, where the latter took a small celadon bottle from a cabinet.

"Inside are three 'Blood-Condensing Pills'."

Zhou Liang's voice was low and steady. "The medicinal effect is similar to the 'Blood-Qi Pills' on the market. They will be very beneficial for stabilizing your An Jin and tempering your blood-qi. From now on, come to see me on the fifth of every month, and I will give you three more."

Qin Lie received support from the Luo family, so he did not lack resources.

But Chen Qing was different; he would give his share to him.

Chen Qing bowed deeply. "Your disciple thanks Master."

A single Blood-Qi Pill cost three taels of silver on the market; three pills were worth nine taels, which was a significant amount for Chen Qing at present.

Zhou Liang waved his hand. "Go on."

Chen Qing nodded heavily and then headed toward his home.

The vast galaxy was scattered across the boundless twilight, using a touch of profound vastness to wrap around the new moon of late summer.

On the road, Chen Qing constantly recalled Zhou Liang's words.

The difference between Ming Jin and An Jin was immense. For Ming Jin, one only needed to accumulate blood-qi and hone the skin and flesh, but for An Jin, one had to connect the bones, tendons, skin, and flesh into a single whole.

(End of Chapter)