Chapter 23: Commandant

The turmoil surrounding the Black Water Gang passed quickly; the collapse of such a small gang was a trivial matter, not even worth mentioning within Gaolin County.

After only two or three days of street-side gossip, the area returned to its usual tranquility.

After all, in the vast expanse of Gaolin County, new gangs rose and old ones perished every day; people had long since grown accustomed to it.

Three days later, within the Zhou Courtyard.

Sunlight filtered through the leaves of the old locust tree in the courtyard, casting dappled shadows on the ground.

Zhou Liang had left the courtyard in a hurry early in the morning.

With the Master away, the atmosphere in the courtyard was considerably more relaxed. Some were tempering their vital energy, while others were sparring and exchanging techniques.

The most prominent figures were the Dark Force disciples: Zhou Yu, Qin Lie, Sun Shun, and Luo Qian.

Since the establishment of their small gathering, these individuals frequently sparred and exchanged insights with experts from other courtyards, reaping significant benefits.

Now, they even regularly selected outstanding disciples from within the courtyard to participate in the gatherings. Seeing their steady progress, the other fellow disciples could no longer restrain themselves, each rubbing their hands in anticipation, eager to break into their circle.

He Yan, as usual, was practicing his fist techniques silently in a corner.

His forehead was covered in beads of sweat, and his coarse cloth clothing was long since soaked through, yet he continued to repeat the basic forms tirelessly.

Recently, several new disciples had joined the courtyard, full of vigor and drive.

At the same time, several old disciples had departed. These individuals, realizing they had no hope of a breakthrough in martial arts, ultimately chose to seek a livelihood elsewhere before their vital energy was completely exhausted.

For He Yan, such scenes had become all too familiar.

Familiar faces were becoming fewer, while strange faces were becoming more numerous.

Day after day, year after year, he remained the most diligent disciple in the courtyard, yet heaven never seemed to favor him for it.

Chen Qing placed a cold, wet towel over his face, leaning against a rattan chair by the training grounds for a brief nap.

The heat of early summer was already beginning to show, and even the stone bricks by the side of the field were hot to the touch.

He Yan walked over and sat beside him, saying in a low voice, "Junior Brother Chen, my vital energy has reached full accumulation. In a few days, I will attempt my second breakthrough."

A second breakthrough would allow one to reach the Dark Force!

It was a qualitative leap.

If the Bright Force stage was the tempering of flesh and blood, then the Dark Force was the tempering of the very bone marrow, possessing power that was incomparable.

Over the decades, hundreds of disciples had passed through the Zhou Courtyard, yet only about a dozen had reached the Dark Force. These individuals were all the elite of the courtyard and were the ones most highly valued by Zhou Liang.

Whether practicing within the courtyard or making a living outside, Bright Force experts and Dark Force experts received vastly different treatment.

Chen Qing removed the towel, revealing a sincere smile. "Then I wish you great success, Senior Brother He."

He Yan shook his head with a bitter smile. "I hope so."

He had been stuck at the Bright Force stage for over two years, attempting to break through three or four times, all of which ended in failure.

If he failed this time, he feared he might never touch the threshold of the Dark Force in his lifetime.

At this thought, he couldn't help but clench his fists.

After a few words of small talk, He Yan returned to his training.

Chen Qing wiped the fine sweat from his forehead, took out a blue cloth bundle from behind his back, and walked up to Sun Shun with a smile. "Senior Brother Sun, congratulations on the birth of your son. These are tiger-head shoes hand-sewn by my mother; though the stitching is coarse, they come with my best intentions."

Sun Shun's wife had given birth to a son the day before yesterday, so this gift arrived at the perfect time.

Sun Shun paused his movements, a smile breaking across his dark face. "Junior Brother Chen, you are so thoughtful! You must come to the full-month banquet; we'll have a few good drinks together."

Chen Qing replied with a smile, "It's a promise."

Sun Shun rubbed the tiger-head shoes in his palm for a moment, then suddenly lowered his voice. "Speaking of which, Junior Brother, you aren't getting any younger. Do you have a girl in mind? Would you like your Senior Brother to help you look around?"

Chen Qing waved his hand. "I don't have such thoughts for the time being."

"You! You spend all your time on martial arts training."

Sun Shun shook his head and laughed. "Look at Junior Brother Qin; matchmakers are practically breaking down his door. I heard many young ladies from wealthy families have sent word through intermediaries."

Chen Qing said, "Senior Brother Sun, you must be joking. How could I compare to Junior Brother Qin?"

Sun Shun scratched his head.

Just as Chen Qing said, the two were indeed different.

Qin Lie had already succeeded in his second breakthrough and was highly likely to attempt the third in the future.

Such a young talent was naturally being courted by various great families.

Suddenly remembering something, Sun Shun leaned in half a step and whispered, "By the way, Junior Brother, things might not be peaceful in the county lately. Keep your wits about you while practicing."

He knew that his junior brother spent all his time buried in training and knew very little of the outside world, so he couldn't help but offer a warning.

Chen Qing frowned slightly. "What happened?"

"Commander Pang is returning to his post."

Sun Shun glanced left and right, his voice dropping even lower. "He was transferred from elsewhere and has always been at odds with the five local great families. He went home last year due to mourning rites, and now his mourning period is nearly over..."

He did not continue, but his meaning was clear.

Chen Qing's brow furrowed into a knot.

A Commander commanded five hundred county soldiers, responsible for city defense, bandit suppression, and thief catching.

He was a true power player, someone even the County Magistrate had to show respect to.

The five great families, needless to say, were the true local powers, possessing many retainers and guards, with immense strength.

If these two forces clashed, the entire Gaolin County would struggle to remain peaceful.

No one knew if they would be caught in the wake of the collision between these two giants.

Chen Qing pondered privately; he much preferred a stable environment where he could focus on his martial arts.

"If one has official merit or status, it is much easier to protect oneself."

Sun Shun sighed. "Guo's business hasn't been good lately, and the subsidies have been cut by more than half. If I don't pass the martial examinations this year, I'm afraid I'll have to find another way to make a living..."

Mid-sentence, he suddenly snapped out of it, rubbing his hands awkwardly. "I'm just speaking gloomily. Junior Sister Zhou is still waiting for me to spar."

Sun Shun's face flushed slightly with embarrassment.

Chen Qing nodded. "Alright, then I won't disturb you, Senior Brother."

He then returned to his position to continue practicing his stance training.

His stance training was nearing its limit; reaching the second breakthrough to the Dark Force was just around the corner.

And only by reaching the Dark Force would there be a possibility of passing the martial examinations.

On the other side, Sun Shun approached the others. Luo Qian raised an eyebrow and asked, "What was that kid saying to you?"

Sun Shun replied, "Nothing, just some small talk."

Zheng Ziqiao shook his head and laughed. "In my view, the kid regrets it and wants to join our little gathering."

Sun Shun quickly shook his head. "Junior Brother Chen didn't say that."

Qin Lie said, "I saw him clearly giving you a gift."

He had seen it clearly just now—Chen Qing handing a bundle to Sun Shun.

Hearing this, Zhou Yu's willow-like brows knitted slightly.

Sun Shun's face reddened, and he hurriedly explained, "It was just a pair of tiger-head shoes..."

"Senior Brother Sun, you don't need to explain for him."

Luo Qian interrupted Sun Shun. "He was the one who was ungrateful back then."

Her tone carried a hint of disdain.

Zheng Ziqiao shook his head. "It's too late now."

Qin Lie reminded him, "Senior Brother Sun, spending time on him is a complete waste."

He never paid attention to the overtures of those from impoverished backgrounds, nor did he ever associate closely with them.

Luo Qian nodded in agreement.

In her eyes, a disciple like Chen Qing was simply not worth the effort of making an acquaintance.

Sun Shun's mouth hung slightly open, unsure of how to explain.

Zhou Yu cast a brief glance at the bundle and said, "Let's not talk about such trivial matters. Let's continue."

When Sun Shun had put the bundle away, she had clearly seen that it was nothing more than a pair of tiger-head shoes.

(End of Chapter)