Promise!

Chapter 98, Hidden

"From the first to the third meridian realm, it's one level. From the fourth to the sixth meridian realm, it's another level. The sixth meridian realm is the pinnacle of this level. The three yang and three yin meridians of the hand complete the grand circulation. At this point, the hand meridians have reached their limit. The next step is to begin opening up the foot meridians, which is the seventh meridian's Fang Zhenshou level."

Zhuang Jin's eyes narrowed slightly. "Breaking through the Six Classics will further increase the consumption of cultivation resources. Four sets of Black Yuan Powder will be needed per day. This is already the final stage of the low-grade Black Yuan Powder. When you reach the Seven Classics, you will need to switch to the mid-grade Black Yuan Powder."

'Put these aside for now.'

He began to ponder an idea he had been thinking about for a long time: "In the current environment in the north of the city, I am not in a hurry to show off my breakthrough of the Six Classics."

The main reason is that the opponents that the Five Classics faced were also the Five Classics. If the realm of the Six Classics was revealed, then things would change.

"Another point is that I'm the first of the Shen family's externally recruited martial artists to break through the Five Classics, which is quite eye-catching. If I reveal the Six Classics so soon... Although according to Duan Tao, it's nothing, it still feels too shocking, so I need to cover it up."

Zhuang Jin pondered the feasibility of this matter: "The most intuitive way to judge a warrior's strength is to look at his reaction, speed, and strength. These must be actively demonstrated. The same is true for the 'Glass Realm Testing Puppet' test."

There is another way: taking the pulse and feeling the internal energy, but the pulse is the life gate of a warrior. After breaking through to become a formal warrior, generally no one will do this as it will offend people.

"That way you don't have to worry about being exposed."

In fact, others have bottlenecks and their breakthroughs are not as fast as Zhuang Jin. They will not and do not need to hide their strengths at all. Because hiding their strengths and lowering their levels will result in gaps in status, basic monthly allowances, and welfare benefits. The accumulated amount over time will be a considerable number, so why hide it?
"But I'm different. Deep down, I really hope that someone like Du Shiyuan will come along during the Fourth Classics period to steal my limelight and keep me out of the spotlight... People always complain about their slow breakthroughs and level-ups, but who would have thought that I would deliberately hide my rapid breakthroughs and not level up? Sigh, this is truly a worry that only a genius could understand!"

Zhuang Jin sighed and made a decision: "It's settled. I'll hide my strength as a trump card."

When he thought of this, he felt that it was not safe enough, and his trump card seemed to be a little lacking.

"Well, in the current situation in the north of the city, strength is the key. It will take more than a short time to break through from the sixth to the seventh classic. The fastest way to improve strength is through martial arts."

When it reaches the Six Meridians, the three yin meridians and three yang meridians of the hand complete a large cycle. The inner breath is so pure and condensed that it is enough to support the Black Evil Palm to enter the great success level and leave the body six inches.

Of course, this is similar to the Four Classics and the minor success of the Black Evil Palm. The minimum requirement for the major success of the Black Evil Palm is the Six Classics, but it does not mean that the Black Evil Palm will be major success with just the Six Classics... Those who do not have excellent comprehension will have to wait until the Seven Classics.

"I'm different from others. I don't have a bottleneck, so I can reach perfection as quickly as possible."

Zhuang Jin secretly estimated that if he had enough exotic beast meat, according to his own progress, he would be able to break through in ten days at the shortest and half a month at the longest.

——Eating the meat of exotic beasts can invigorate the Qi and blood, activate the internal energy, and naturally make practicing martial arts more effective.

"When the Black Evil Palm is fully developed, then there will be a second trump card."

"Then, even if a Six Classics warrior shamelessly attacks me, they will find that, hey, I am also a Six Classics warrior... Even if two Six Classics warriors shamelessly attack me, they will find that, hey, I have mastered the Black Evil Palm!"

"With the Black Evil Palm at full strength, I'm not afraid of two ordinary Six Classics. Even if I can't defeat three... I can still run away."

As for more, it is not that Zhuang Jin underestimates the Medicine King Gang. For one or even two wards of the Medicine King Gang, having two or three Six Classics is the limit, and more is basically impossible.

Besides, he is not alone. With the support of the Shen family, facing two or three Six Classics alone would be a black swan event. Facing more, the probability is almost negligible.

"If that ever happens, with these two trump cards supporting me and the Fang garrison commander holding back, this area in the north of the city will truly be my piggy bank for harvesting military merits," Zhuang Jin thought to himself.

……

Since the action on the night of August 10th, the Shen family launched a fierce counterattack, and after shrinking the streets occupied by the Medicine King Gang, they stopped temporarily to digest the results of the battle and guard against the opponent's counterattack. The Medicine King Gang was licking its wounds and reorganizing the front line. Both sides entered a very short period of calm.

In the following days, after Zhuang Jin broke through the Six Classics, he continued to practice martial arts, and remained self-disciplined and diligent.

However, because he had broken through the Six Classics, Zhuang Jin had the confidence and was no longer nervous. He felt calm and at ease.

Chen Yun sensed this extremely subtle change and put her worries aside. Recently, she seemed to be in a much happier mood.

……

On August 15th, after dinner, Chen Yun’s younger brother Chen Honggan came over and invited her to watch the lantern festival.

——In fact, after the two got married, starting from the medicinal fields outside the city last month, Chen Honggan came every five days. It was obvious that he was afraid that Chen Yun had suffered some grievances. Later, when he saw that his sister was living well, he gradually felt relieved and came every ten days.

It was difficult for Zhuang Jin to refuse his brother-in-law's invitation. Besides, he was no longer in a hurry after breaking through the Six Classics. He had been practicing martial arts hard these days, combining work and rest. Chen Yun had been accompanying him these days, and the day was quite monotonous and boring, which was hard for her... For all these reasons, he planned to take a rest tonight.

Originally, Chen Yun was supposed to go with him, but after a moment's thought, she declined: "The Lantern Festival is packed with people... Besides, it's not good for a woman to be so public."

"There are many of you, I will protect you. As for your identity as a woman..."

Zhuang Jin thought of the story of a woman disguising herself as a man: "Yunniang, why don't you change into a man? You can wear my hat and my clothes."

After hearing this, Chen Yun's cunning and lively side was aroused, and she was also somewhat tempted by this unconventional idea. So, she raised her eyebrows, put on a hat, slightly exposed her temples, changed her clothes, and because the clothes were a little long, she folded them at the waist and sewed them. She put on a jacket and wore butterfly shoes.

Thus dressed, she imitated the men, bowed her hands, and strode forward.

Zhuang Jin and Chen Honggan looked over, glanced at each other, and laughed in unison.

The two men laughed wildly. Chen Yun was a little embarrassed at first, but when she looked at herself in the bronze mirror, she couldn't help laughing.

——It’s not that there’s anything wrong with it, it’s just that it’s in stark contrast to her usual appearance, which makes her look quite funny.

Before leaving, Chen Yun hesitated again and changed her mind, saying, "I won't go. It will cause trouble for my husband if I'm recognized!" As mentioned before, this era was relatively conservative. Although women did not have the bad habit of foot binding, and it was common for women from ordinary families to go out to buy groceries, some more respectable families or ladies from wealthy families rarely showed up in public, considering it indecent.

"Yunniang knows that I'm not someone who cares about other people's gossip. I don't have any parents-in-law or elders, so there's no need to worry about these conventional etiquette. Wouldn't it be a pity to miss it?"

"Sister Shu, what my brother-in-law said is right. I used to go to the Lantern Festival and tell people about it when I came back. Sister Shu always felt sorry about it. Now it's rare to meet a man as open-minded as my brother-in-law. Why not go?"

When Chen Yun heard this, she remembered the 'good husband' talk before marriage, lowered her head and smiled slightly, and agreed without any hesitation.

When they really went out, no one recognized Chen Yun as a woman, and when they met someone who greeted them, they just bowed.

A few people watched the lantern festival on Fujing Street guarded by Zhuang Jin, in Cujun Lane not far from the street headquarters.

There are winding corridors and many garden pavilions here. Tonight, there are glass lamps hanging, vases and tables placed on them, and flower arrangements with bright colors, flowing light and shadows. There is also a faint fragrance floating in the air from the treasure tripod, and it is as dazzling as a night banquet in the Dragon Palace.

There were people performing, surrounded by many people, cheering from time to time; there were people playing the sheng and the xiao, singing and making noise; there were people brewing tea, gathering together to chat.

There were even more people like Zhuang Jin who came to watch the fun. They were so densely packed that they looked like a stream of ants. Fortunately, there was a railing under the eaves to serve as a boundary so as not to bump into the performers.

After a tour, Chen Yun also came to the lantern festival for the first time, with a gleam in her eyes. They returned not until nearly midnight when the lantern festival ended, still reluctant to leave.

At this time, everyone was about to leave. When they came out of Cujun Lane, Chen Honggan and his wife were separated by the crowded crowd.

Seeing the crowd pushing forward with no way out, Zhuang Jin jumped up with Chen Yun in his arms, leaped onto the wall, and climbed up and down the walls. At this time, a bright full moon was behind him as the background, and the wind blew, startling the hanging glass lamps and emitting sparks.

At this moment, the scene has a unique elegance and romance.

If someone sees this unconventional behavior, they will inevitably be angry.

"Two Rabbit Lords..."

"That's a warrior, do you want to live?" Someone next to him quickly reminded the man.

The man's forehead was covered with sweat, and he immediately changed his tone, holding his companion's arm: "Rabbit Lord? Me too, it's quite a refined thing..."

On the eaves, Zhuang Jin and Chen Yun both laughed when they heard it.

"Now we are also the thieves on the beam!"

"Did Mr. Chen enjoy himself tonight?" Zhuang Jin asked with a smile.

Chen Yun thought of Zhuang Jin's joke once, "A gentleman is open and honest, while a villain is always worried," and "Only women and villains are difficult to raise." Knowing that it was a joke, she glanced back at him with an angry smile, full of affection.

Arriving at the entrance of the alley, the couple waited for Chen Honggan to meet up, and then returned home happily.

……

Returning to the residence next to the street station, the moonlight was as cool as water, and the shadows of flowers and trees were reflected on the wall, rustling with the sound of the wind.

"Wait, brother-in-law, sister Shu, please stand by the wall and I will draw a small picture of flowers for you." Chen Honggan was a good painter, and soon a scroll of painting took shape.

In the scroll, Zhuang Jin and Chen Yun are holding hands, looking very lifelike. On the wall behind them, the shadows of flowers, plants and trees are thick or thin, sparse and sparse, like algae and waterweeds in water.

The couple looked at the painting and both said it was good. From then on, Chen Yun regarded the painting as a treasure and treasured it very much. She specially asked a painter to frame it. Later, she moved the painting to many places and always carried it with her.

Later, after Chen Yun entered, Zhuang Jin pulled Chen Honggan aside and quietly asked, "Honggan, I see from your expression that you came here today for something. Given the relationship between us, why not tell me directly? I won't refuse if I can do it."

Chen Honggan said that his friend had connections and had brought some goods from other prefectures, and asked him to take over the sales. "My friend helped me make money, so I can't ask for a loan of capital... I want to ask my brother-in-law to borrow fifty... No, thirty taels will be enough."

It was also his savings that he used to buy Chen Yun's dowry last month. His friends also contributed some of it. It was really inconvenient to borrow from his friends again, so he asked Zhuang Jin for help.

"I thought it was nothing, how difficult is it?" Zhuang Jin went in and soon came out with fifty taels of silver.

Ever since Chen Yun pawned her jewelry, he had been worried that she would do the same thing again. He estimated that if the family had less than 100 taels of silver, he would exchange it to make up for it.

"Just use it with confidence. Come back for more if it's not enough." Zhuang Jin knew his brother-in-law's character and knew that he knew his limits, so he said that.

"Thank you, brother-in-law." Chen Honggan was very grateful.

Chen Yun came out and heard this. She called Chen Honggan aside and said, "Things are different now. I'm married and have my own family. I have to be clear about money. This money is a loan. You must return it in full on the agreed date."

"Don't worry, Sister Shu, I will save you from this matter and will never make it difficult for you." Chen Honggan later made some money and paid it back in full with interest.

……

Two days later, it was August 17th.

The Shen family digested the results of the counterattack on the tenth day of the lunar month and used the same tactics to attack again, but this time, they encountered an accident.

……

(End of this chapter)