Chapter 8

Translated by Oedon Edited by Phantom0408

Wei He punched three times in one breath, doing that until his hands were red and he couldn’t bear it anymore, then he sighed and let other people replace him.

“How is it?” Cheng Shaojiu was eating some kind of dried meat that seemed like a rat—a thin rat leg, which looked very disgusting.

“It’s okay.” Wei He nodded.

“This practice relied on the practitioner’s perseverance. After all, it is really painful. I might worry about others not able to persist, but you shouldn’t have any problem with it,” Cheng Shaojiu said with a smile.

Then he came closer and said in a low voice with his smile visibly fading. “Chen Biao was dead, he was found a few days ago in his home.”

Both he and Wei He knew what he meant by that.

“Oh,” Wei He answered.

“And so were his two followers.” Cheng Shaojiu patted Wei He’s shoulder with a complicated expression.

He had a new understanding of his little brother Wei He’s ruthlessness.

It was just a while ago that he informed Wei He that Chen Biao was injured, and now all three of them were dead. How could there be such a coincidence?

His back felt a little cold when he thought back carefully—the speed and cruelty of Wei He’s actions.

Fortunately, there were many people in his clan doing similar things, so he could still accept him.

“This world…” he sighed.

Wei He was silent, he knew that Cheng Shaojiu had guessed, but it didn’t matter since no one could detain him without evidence.

“Let’s not talk about it, the price of pork in the city had risen again and you know that we—Martial Arts practitioners, cannot lack meat. Although we can still eat other kinds of meat, it tastes bland like this rat.” Cheng Shaojiu quickly diverted the topic.

Wei He only listened while occasionally replying, to show that he didn’t lose focus.

The two soon turned their attention somewhere else.

After just saying a few words, Zhao Hong came while blankly leading a few female disciples wearing the training uniform into the courtyard.

“Master.”

These female disciples were round-bodied and thick-waisted. Only one of them was beautiful, with a slim body, bulging breasts, and delicate skin.

The men who were practicing desquamation were attracted to her.

This girl also vaguely carries an aura of cleanliness that commoners wouldn’t be able to have.

Wei He noticed these people and involuntarily glanced at the most conspicuous female disciple.

“It is said that the women’s group were all disbanded and then merged—because there are just not enough people,” Cheng Shaojiu whispered from the side.

“You are well informed indeed, Senior Brother. Do you know that beautiful sister over there?” a man leaned over and asked with a smile.

“Naturally”—Cheng Shaojiu nodded—”but you should just forget about it. She’s Jiang Shu, the second daughter of the famous Jiang Family. Her family wealth and her talent are some of the best in the women’s department. I think the only one that is stronger is Xiao Ran.”

“The most important thing is that this girl had a terrible temper.” He shook his head, obviously not a fan of Jiang Shu.

Wei He listened silently on the side, saying nothing.

He has been secretly searching for the situation of his elder sister and parents.

From the elder sister’s side, the trouble was that the whole Blackwater Gang was slowly reducing in number, and the people there became more and more depressed as it slowly died out.

From the parents’ side, only Cheng Shaojiu got news there, that was, the confirmation of their disappearance.

Other than that, nothing.

So right now, he doesn’t have any thoughts regarding the opposite sex. His mind was full of thoughts regarding practice, and after having some capital to stand up, secretly find out the reason and where his parents had disappeared to.

After all, while he doesn’t care nor recognize the blood ties, their love, he has to pay it back.

“Look, all those who went to talk to her have returned.” Cheng Shaojiu smiled and gloated. “Sister Jiang is not in the same circle as us. You guys should sober up for your own good.”

Wei He heard the words and looked over.

Sure enough, the few Elder Senior Brothers and Junior Brothers who surrounded her were all dismissed with a cold face by her.

Jiang Shu looked around her, then walked to a corner and began the desquamation. He was not sure why a girl would choose the Mountain Fist, a Martial Art that damages the skin.

Cheng Shaojiu and the rest of the brothers murmured and gossiped for a while, when they saw that there was nothing to say, they naturally dispersed.

Wei He didn’t care too much. He rested for a while and then continued to do the desquamation for the second round after he got his turn.

He had sensed during these days that the Pojing Bead was almost fully pitch black.

So there was a lot of expectation in his heart and he was quite energetic when he practiced.

It was just that, the more he looked forward to it, the slower it felt.

……

Time flew by.

Day by day, the training slowly passed and the Pojing Bead was slowly becoming pitch black.

His stage of desquamation also slowly deepened.

According to Old Man Zheng’s rules, desquamation must be fully practiced in two months. If you took longer than that, it was deemed impossible for you to succeed.

It also meant that your talent was not good, and you would not achieve much in Martial Arts.

Six apprentices were doing the desquamation, and with Wei He, it came to seven.

Wei He practiced hard and said nothing.

Suddenly, one morning.

Cheng Shaojiu suddenly became tight-lipped. Which was something abnormal.

Wei He took off his jacket and when he was about to roll up his sleeves to train, he saw two Elder Senior Brothers who used to practice together wearing full clothes and with their luggage; they were leaving quietly using the side door.

“They are not practicing at this time…?” The person on the side was surprised.

“They don’t. They won’t be able to anymore,” Cheng Shaojiu faintly said.

Several people around understood and fell silent.

There was only one disciple who looked puzzled—a junior who just started this month.

Not far away, Old Man Zheng showed off again, explaining to the new arrivals the system of Mountain Fist.

From time to time, he whipped his wicker.

The new arrivals could only endure one by one, with some people hurrying to the inner room to bring snacks.

Old Man Zheng, as always, kept the arrivals in suspense, which was the same as when Wei He just started.

Wei He was silent as he calculated the remaining time he had for the desquamation.

There was still half a month, and if he wasn’t able to succeed, he could only leave sadly.

Thinking of this, he silently rolled up his sleeves and walked to a wooden basin to start a new day of desquamation.

Cheng Shaojiu on the side didn’t say much, which was rare. He walked to the corner and also began to practice with others.

The large courtyard was divided into three parts, one for desquamation, one for newcomers, and one for actual combat. The ground in the middle was separated by distinct white and gray lines.

Time continued to pass, day by day.

And the two-month deadline kept getting closer.

Soon, two more people couldn’t bear the psychological pressure and left early.

Some new people had just started the desquamation.

Wei He worked hard in silence, but both fists would always quickly fade from the red color, which meant he failed to reach the Ox Skin level.

Only when one had reached the Ox Skin level would you be allowed to stay and practice the rest, otherwise without this level of foundation, you would not be able to practice Mountain Fist, so staying was useless.

Soon, only five days were left before the deadline.

In Wei He’s home.

In the afternoon, Wei He returned from the courtyard and sat on the stool to rest for a while, and when he was about to get up to eat.

With a click, the wooden door was gently opened.

His Second Sister Wei Ying quietly walked in while holding a small gray bag.

Before she even approached him, there was a strong smell of medicine wafting out of the bag.

Wei Ying hurriedly closed the door and lowered the latch.

“Little He, this is for you!” She approached him and handed the small bag in her hand.

“Second Sister, what is this?” Wei He took it in confusion and opened the gray cloth bag, which also contained a layer of gray cloth.

After successively unwrapping three layers of cloth, a yellow paper bag showed up, there were 3 characters written on it: 养血散 (Blood Nourishing Powder)

The three big characters were really conspicuous.

“This is the Blood Nourishing Powder!” Wei He was taken aback, after all, he often went to the medicine shop to buy gold worm meat, so he was familiar with this thing.

This was a nourishing formula specifically used to nourish the Qi and Blood. The effect was very good, but the price was not.

“Don’t worry, it was not stolen or bought.” Wei Ying smiled as an embarrassed expression appeared on her rosy face.

“I cleaned up the medicinal herbs storehouse for Old Zheng every day. There are a lot of broken pieces and such dregs inside, so I collected it bit by bit and after a long time, I was able to collect a small bag worth. Just don’t mind if it’s too crumbly.”

Wei He carefully opened the bag and looked inside after he heard it.

Sure enough, it was full of small broken pieces.

The largest one was only the size of a fingernail and the smallest the size of a grain.

He wondered how much time and effort it took Wei Ying to collect this much.

Wei He was silent as he nodded seriously.

“I know, don’t worry, I’ll pass!”

“Well, I believe in you!” Wei Ying also nodded seriously.

The two spoke in whispers for a while longer until it was almost dark.

Wei He got up and led Wei Ying to her room on the backside of the Mountain Fist courtyard.

Back at his home, Wei He silently soaked the powder in water and boiled it.

While boiling, he pulled open his shirt to look at the Pojing Bead.

It was already pitch black from a few days ago.

An inexplicable urge made him feel like he had a balloon hanging from his chest that was about to burst.

With just one tap, he could burst the balloon and use the Pojing Bead.

But he kept holding. He intended to only rely on his own efforts to breakthrough.

But as the deadline got closer, the hope in his heart was getting smaller and smaller.

“Many times, I still have to admit that there is a gap between people.”

Wei He looked at the burning stove and put the medicine pot on it to start cooking.

He knew that if he couldn’t complete the desquamation, he would have to leave the Mountain Fist courtyard with no way of advancing further.

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