Breaking Limits in Martial Arts: Grinding Your Way to Becoming a Martial Saint in a Chaotic Era

As the uncle and nephew were picking up copper coins, two horse-drawn carriages arrived at the fish market.

A middle-aged man in brocade robes alighted from the first carriage. He was slightly overweight and wore a jade ring on his finger. Two servants followed behind him.

It was Mr. Qian, the owner of the "Fu Rui Lou" restaurant in the county town, who specialized in procuring rare ingredients for the city's dignitaries.

Three young men jumped off the second carriage, all dressed in silver outfits with the words "Ben Lei" embroidered on their chests.

The boy in the lead was about eighteen or nineteen years old. He walked lightly and his temples were slightly bulging, clearly indicating that he was a trained fighter.

These are disciples of the "Benlei Martial Arts School," a large martial arts school in the county town. Every day, they routinely inquire at various fish stalls whether any treasure fish have appeared.

Master Qian walked up to Steward Wang first and casually asked, "Wang Biao, are there any treasure fish today?"

Manager Wang immediately stood up, putting on a fawning smile: "Master Qian, you've come at the perfect time! We just acquired a golden carp, a foot long, with plump golden scales, and it's very fresh!"

"Oh?" Master Qian's eyes lit up. "Where is it? Bring it here so I can take a look."

When the golden carp was brought out, Master Qian nodded in satisfaction: "Good quality, fifteen taels of silver, I'll take it."

Fifteen taels!

The surrounding fishermen stirred.

Xu Qing and Xu Erniu were startled.

The precious fish weighed fifteen taels was reduced to only three taels by the time it reached them!

Master Qian waved his hand, and his servant immediately poured out two silver ingots, one large and one small, from his money bag.

Fifteen taels of silver!

The silver light was particularly dazzling in the dimly lit fish enclosure.

Xu Qing's heart was bleeding.

That golden carp was worth fifteen taels of silver!

This money is enough for him to pay the apprenticeship fee to the martial arts school and still have some left over, enough for his family to eat for two years, and enough to build two leak-proof brick houses!

Now, most of that money has ended up in the pockets of the Giant Whale Gang.

The disciples of Benlei Martial Arts School also came over at this time.

The young man in the lead glanced at the golden carp, somewhat envious, and cupped his hands to Master Qian, saying, "Manager Qian is very lucky. The brain of this golden carp is the most nourishing, and the fish meat is also very beneficial for those who practice martial arts to nourish their blood and qi."

Master Qian smiled and said, "If Young Master Li needs it, I will have someone send a portion to Benlei Martial Arts School after it is cooked another day."

"No need to trouble yourself. Master said that if there are any live treasure fish, Benlei Martial Arts School is willing to pay a price to buy them." The young man surnamed Li turned to Manager Wang, "Wang Biao, if there are any treasure fish in the future, you can ask Benlei Martial Arts School again. The price will not be lower than that of Furuilou."

"Definitely, definitely!" Manager Wang nodded repeatedly, secretly wiping away his sweat.

He couldn't afford to offend either Fu Rui Lou or Ben Lei Martial Arts School.

This treasure fish is only available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Xu Qing carefully observed the two groups of people.

Master Qian's brocade robe was made of the finest silk, and his shoes alone were probably worth half a year's income for an ordinary fisherman.

Although the martial arts students' outfits were not fancy, the fabric was thick and sturdy, allowing for unrestricted movement; they were clearly specially made for martial arts training.

Their hands were clean and long, without frostbite or cracks, and their nails were neatly trimmed.

The fishermen of Blackwater Bay were mostly dressed in tattered clothes, with rough, chapped hands and feet, and their fingernails filled with grime that could not be washed off.

What caught Xu Qing's attention most was the posture of the martial arts disciple surnamed Li—his feet were neither too far apart nor too far apart, but rather firmly rooted to the ground, and his breathing was long and even. Even though he had never practiced martial arts, he could tell that this person had real skills.

The Heavenly Profound Holy Dynasty governs the world through military force.

Martial arts are the ladder to heaven, and the martial arts examinations are the leap over the dragon gate.

In this world, only those with strong fists can avoid being bullied.

The idea of ​​practicing martial arts burned even brighter in Xu Qing's heart like wildfire.

Just as he was thinking this, a faint voice suddenly rang out.

"Master Li... does your martial arts school still... still accept apprentices?"

Everyone turned around and saw a dark-skinned, thin boy who had mustered up the courage to ask the question. He was the son of the Sun family in the east of the bay.

The young man surnamed Li sized him up, his eyes arrogant, a half-smile playing on his lips:

"Of course we'll accept it! As long as you can pay the money, the doors of Benlei Martial Arts School are always open to you. The apprenticeship fee is twenty taels, which will cover your food, clothing, and other expenses for the first three months. After that, you can stay at the school indefinitely by paying five taels each month."

A collective gasp of astonishment filled the air.

The apprenticeship fee is twenty taels!

From now on, I'll need five taels of silver every month!

Most fishing families in Blackwater Bay couldn't save up five taels of silver even after several years.

The young man from the Sun family's eyes darkened, and he lowered his head and retreated back into the crowd.

At this moment, Master Qian noticed the fishermen's expressions and chuckled softly, "You people, don't always dream of getting rich overnight."

"The art of martial arts relies on two hard currencies: one is the natural talent bestowed by God, and the other is the wealth accumulated from mountains of gold and silver."

"Leaving aside intangible things like 'innate constitution,' just the medicinal supplements needed to strengthen your bones and muscles, and the meat you eat at every meal—which of these is something you can afford?"

Master Qian shook his head, his eyes filled with disdain: "Practicing martial arts is for the wealthy. You lot, give up those unrealistic ideas. Focus on fishing, pay your taxes on time, and you'll be able to make a living."

These words, though spoken gently, pierced the hearts of every fisherman like a knife.

The young man surnamed Li glanced at Master Qian, said nothing, and turned to leave with his men.

The two carriages sped away, leaving behind a cloud of dust.

Manager Wang weighed the two silver ingots in his hand, then turned to the still-stunned fishermen and roared, "What are you looking at! Go do what you're supposed to do! Practicing martial arts? Is that something you lowly bastards could even dream of!"

"Pah! Shame on you! Don't you even take a piss and look at your pathetic state!"

His shout startled the fishermen, who shrunk back like a school of fish.

The people in line started moving again, the fishermen lowered their bodies, and the fish trough returned to its dull and obedient rhythm.

Xu Qing took one last look at the gleaming silver in Manager Wang's hand, then silently lowered her head.

My fingernails dug deep into my palm, the stinging pain unable to quell the fire in my heart.

This world is a cannibalistic place.

The government and gangs are in cahoots; who cares about the lives of their subordinates?

The Giant Whale Gang committed numerous evil deeds, including skinning and dismembering people, yet they still managed to run rampant in the countryside.

And these people could only huddle in the autumn wind, their hard-earned fish being stripped clean layer by layer; any slight disobedience would result in their legs being broken...

He must learn martial arts!

Only strength can allow one to stand firm in this cannibalistic world, protect Uncle's family, and break free from this dark and hopeless cage!

"Ah Qing." Xu Erniu carefully put the silver wallet away, stuffed it into his pocket, and gently tugged at Xu Qing's sleeve.

Seeing Xu Qing's frighteningly somber expression, and fearing he might be upset, he leaned closer and lowered his voice, saying, "Don't listen to Master Qian's nonsense. I don't understand anything about talent or potential; I just believe you can succeed."

"Don't worry about money. I'm still young and capable. I can earn money to buy you meat. When you've developed your skills, I can even benefit from your success and enjoy a comfortable life."

Xu Erniu forced a smile, both to encourage Xu Qing and to comfort himself.

He is the shadow of most people at the bottom of society, with simplicity and kindness ingrained in his bones.

But in this world today, it is precisely these simple and kind-hearted people at the bottom who are being exploited!

Xu Qing let out a long breath and smiled at Xu Erniu: "Second Uncle, I'm fine."

"It's good that you're alright..." Xu Erniu's gaze softened, and he turned to look at Chen Laosi, who was curled up in the mud, groaning and looking ashen-faced.

He sighed heavily again and whispered to Xu Qing, "You know Chen Laosi's mud house. It's drafty from all sides, and the thatch on the roof has been torn off several times. If it's not repaired soon, we probably won't make it through this winter."

"His family has five mouths to feed, so he secretly went to the county town to sell fish—it was the only way he could make ends meet... Now that his leg is broken, he's the only breadwinner left. What will become of him in the future..."

He couldn't continue, paused, and said, "Ah Qing, let's leave later. After those people from the fish market leave, we'll get some help from the neighbors and carry him home. We're all unfortunate people struggling in the same bay..."

Xu Qing nodded silently.

They're all neighbors living next door, so they're not that cold-hearted. Even if they can't help with big things, they can still lend a hand.

Half an hour later, Manager Wang and his gang walked away, cursing and swearing, leaving only the cold wind and the fishy smell in the fish stall.

Xu's uncle and nephew, along with several fishermen who also lived nearby, used a creaking, dilapidated door panel to carry the nearly unconscious Chen Laosi back to the drafty mud house.

Old Man Chen's wife cried her heart out the whole way, almost to the point of losing her breath.

When they got home, the three children saw Chen Laosi's appearance, and the whole family burst into another round of wailing as if the sky had fallen and the earth had collapsed.

The cries, mingling with the howling wind outside, were squeezed between the low earthen walls, conveying an indescribable sense of misery and despair.

After helping them settle in, Xu Qing and his second uncle dragged their tired bodies back to their own home.

In comparison, the Xu family's home at least resembled a proper home.

Xu Qing's grandfather had a remarkable skill in identifying fish by their appearance, and his two sons worked hard to save up enough money to build a small courtyard.

Now that the old man and Xu Qing's parents are gone, it's much quieter than before.

My second aunt and cousin Xu Xiu are not home; they have already gone back to their parents' home to borrow money, as agreed upon.

"Ah Qing, I made three ounces of fish today. Once your aunt borrows the money and comes back, we'll have enough for your apprenticeship fee, and then we won't have to ask your aunt's family for it." Xu Erniu hung up the fishing nets, went into the kitchen, and carefully hid the money from today's fish sale in an earthenware jar under the woodpile.

After hiding the money, he turned to look at the rice jar and stared blankly for a while.

Finally, he found an empty rice bag, gritted his teeth and scooped out two scoops of brown rice. He paused, thought of Chen Laosi's broken leg, sighed, and gritted his teeth to scoop out another scoop.

The rice jar was almost empty, and the scraping sound coming from the bottom of the jar was unsettling.

"Ah Qing." Xu Erniu came out clutching the not-so-bulging rice bag, his voice hoarse, "Uncle... go check on Lao Si's house again. This rice... let them have it for now."

Xu Qing didn't say anything and followed.

When the two returned to Chen Laosi's house, the scene was even more heartbreaking.

Old Wu, the itinerant doctor in the village, had just applied some wood ash to Chen Laosi's wound and bandaged it.

Shaking his head, he said to Chen Laosi's wife, "Laosi's leg... the bone is badly broken. I can't diagnose it with my limited skills. We need to take him to the county clinic right away to find a proper doctor to set the bone and treat it. We absolutely can't delay any longer, or this leg will be truly ruined."

Before he could finish speaking, a shrill voice interrupted: "Did you hear what Old Wu said? If you delay any longer, Fourth Brother will be crippled!"

The slave trader, Ma Liu, spat as he spoke: "Master Han is kind-hearted. Seeing how clever your second daughter is, she's willing to offer five taels of silver!"

"Five taels! How long would that be enough for your family to live on? Erniu has fallen into a paradise since entering the Han family; she'll eat and drink well, and live in luxury. By selling her, you'll get money to save her life, and you'll have one less mouth to feed. Isn't that a win-win situation?"

Before Ma Liu could finish speaking, more people entered the earthen house.

It was on behalf of another family in the county, "Master Zheng," who wanted to buy Chen Lao Si's twelve-year-old son to be a servant, and the asking price was also five taels.

People also came from the fish market, asking the Chen family in a sinister tone if they wanted to borrow "Autumn Wind Loan," saying the interest was "negotiable."

No sooner had Chen Laosi arrived home than all those ruthless, man-eating creatures came running at the first sign of trouble.

In the end, amidst the wife's heart-wrenching cries and Chen Laosi's despairing silence, eight-year-old Erniu was led away by Ma Liu.

The few pieces of silver that had been exchanged for her own flesh and blood were tightly clutched in Old Man Chen's wife's hand, icy cold.