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

During his time at the martial arts school, Xu Qing could clearly see how the people there viewed him.

Wu Mingyuan's group turned on him faster than flipping through a book. Once they knew his Ming Jin cultivation was nearing its end, they didn't even bat an eye. Zhou Wen and Xu Qing were even more sarcastic, wishing he'd be kicked out of the martial arts school the next day.

The other senior students were also waiting to see him make a fool of himself. They didn't say anything, but they couldn't hide the schadenfreude in their eyes.

Only Qin Liang has remained unchanged since day one.

Looking at Qin Liang's slightly trembling shoulders, Xu Qing recalled his first day at the martial arts school.

When it was time to serve dinner, Qin Liang smiled and said to him, "Junior Brother Xu, let's go, I'll take you to the water room. Tonight's main dish is white flour steamed buns, so make sure you eat your fill!" His smile was clean and innocent, without any scrutiny or probing.

Later, when his senior classmates mocked him for being at most at the Ming Jin level, Qin Liang smiled and comforted them, "Don't pay attention to those people. They're just sour grapes. If you can't do it, they can't either." When he said this, Qin Liang didn't hesitate for a moment and was very resolute.

On the day he broke through to the Ming Jin level, the sounds of others' teasing buzzed around the training ground, but Qin Liang's face beamed with joy. He sincerely said, "Junior Brother Xu, congratulations!" That "congratulations" was more genuine than anyone else's.

Xu Qing will remember this kindness.

"Senior Brother Qin, I'll help you with this." Xu Qing's voice wasn't loud, but it was steady. "I'll go to roll call first thing tomorrow morning, officially take up my post, and then go to Green Willow Street with you. Don't rush tonight, go back and tell your father not to be afraid."

Qin Liang's eyes immediately reddened.

His lips trembled a few times, as if he wanted to say thank you, but his throat felt like it was blocked by something. He could only nod forcefully, turn around and go back into the house.

He walked very fast, as if he were fleeing, rushing into the house without stopping. He was afraid Xu Qing would see him cry.

Sun Ping stood to the side, listening to the whole thing. He held his bowl for a long time without moving his chopsticks, and the food had long since gone cold.

He watched Qin Liang's retreating figure, then glanced at Xu Qing, opened his mouth as if to say something, but swallowed it back. The breath caught in his throat twice before finally dissipating with a silent sigh.

That evening, Qin Liang returned home.

Sun Ping followed Xu Qing to practice extra martial arts on the training ground. The two of them stood in front of and behind each other, practicing their stances and fist techniques tirelessly, until the moonlight disappeared, the surroundings were quiet, and they were exhausted.

......

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Xu Qing went to the yamen (government office).

After roll call and receiving his assignment, Constable Qi pointed to a man in his thirties leaning against a pillar, yawning with sleep still clinging to his eyes: "This is Old Xue, Xue Guang. Have him show you around the streets. You'll just follow him on patrols from now on."

Xue Guang was wearing a slightly worn black robe, with a few indelible oil stains on the lapel. A knife hung at his waist, its scabbard clanging against a pillar.

He squinted, looking like he hadn't slept well, but occasionally a glint of shrewdness would flash in those squinted eyes. That was something only a seasoned veteran possessed; it wasn't something learned through practice, but rather something etched away by eight years of street experience.

He heard from Constable Qi about Xu Qing defeating a disciple of the Benlei Martial Arts School with a single punch yesterday. Having worked in the yamen for eight years, he was a seasoned expert in Ming Jin (a type of martial arts technique) and had seen many things, from young people showing off to masters exchanging blows. He knew he could never do what Xu Qing did.

To knock someone of the same skill level to the ground and make them unable to get up with a single punch, how much force and how fast would that punch have to be?

He knew perfectly well: this young man had a bright future. Building a good relationship now was far better than climbing the social ladder later. Whether to offer help in times of need or to add to someone's success, even a fool would know which to choose.

"Brother Xu, come on, let me show you around." Xue Guang's eyes widened, and he patted Xu Qing's shoulder with a smile. The pat was natural and warm, as if he were greeting a brother he had known for ten years.

As soon as the two stepped out of the government office, they saw Qin Liang squatting next to the stone lion, his face pale from the cold, his lips purple, and his breath white.

Upon seeing Xu Qing emerge, he abruptly stood up. His legs, numb from squatting, caused him to stumble, his shoes slipping on the stone steps. He had to hold onto the stone lion to regain his balance.

"Junior Brother Xu..." His voice was a little hoarse, and his eyes were filled with expectation and unease.

Xue Guang glanced at Qin Liang, his gaze sweeping from his frozen white face to his trembling legs, then looked at Xu Qing: "Brother Xu, what's this?"

Xu Qing briefly explained the situation regarding Qin Liang's family. Upon hearing this, Xue Guang's smile faded slightly, his narrowed eyes widened, revealing a glint of shrewdness. He curled his lip slightly and gave a disdainful "humph."

"Tiger Head Gang?" He spoke casually. "One of the two local bullies in West Street. They recently seized Green Willow Street from the Green Dragon Gang. I guess they want to use this to collect more protection money. It's simple."

He glanced at Qin Liang and asked casually, "Which section of Green Willow Street is your father's business located on?"

Qin Liang quickly told him the location.

Xue Guang waved his hand, causing a gust of wind to rise from his sleeve: "Come on, Brother Xu, let's take a stroll along Green Willow Street first."

The three of them walked quickly toward West Street.

Xu Qing followed behind Xue Guang, watching him swagger down the street, the knife at his waist swaying and the bronze ornaments gleaming in the morning light.

Pedestrians on the road made way for them. Those carrying loads turned sideways, those pushing carts slowed down, and even the beggar on the roadside moved his bowl further in, as if afraid of blocking his way.

A strange feeling welled up inside him. This uniform, this waist tag, this knife—that was his confidence. Not the confidence of his fists, but the confidence of discipline. No matter how strong your fists are, you still have to wipe away the blood after you're done. With this uniform, you can just stand there and not shed a drop of blood.

When we arrived at Green Willow Street, we could see Old Man Qin's wonton stall from afar.

The stall wasn't big, with a few tables and benches. The tabletops were worn shiny, and the pot on the stove wasn't steaming today.

Two men sat next to the stall, one bald and the other with a small mustache. They sat on stools with their legs crossed and their feet on another stool.

Old Qin squatted behind the stove, not daring to lift his head.

Xue Guang walked over without saying a word, just standing there, looking down at the two men. He stood casually, his hand on the hilt of his sword, his thumb rubbing the brass band on the hilt.

The bald man looked up first, saw the man in the black robe, and then looked up at Xue Guang's condescending face. His expression changed drastically, and he quickly straightened up, bowed his head, and said in a trembling voice, "Master Xue, we didn't cause any trouble, we just wanted to sit down and rest."

The man with the small mustache also stood up in a panic. The stool fell over with a "bang," but he didn't dare to help it up. He shrank his neck, barely daring to breathe, unsure of what to do with his hands, which finally hung limply at his sides like two wilted eggplants.

Xue Guang ignored him.

He glanced back at Xu Qing, grinned, and his smile carried a "see? That's it" tone. Then he looked at Qin Liang, who was standing behind Xu Qing, his hands gripping the hem of his clothes, his knuckles white.

Xue Guang turned his gaze back and spoke. His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable tone: "Go, summon Wei Shan. Tell him that Xue Guang from the yamen wants to catch up with him."

Xue Guangjiu worked in the yamen (government office), and he knew exactly which gang controlled which street in the county town, as well as the big and small leaders of each gang, and even the people behind them.

He knew who he shouldn't mess with, what he shouldn't meddle in, who he should give face to, and what he should hold accountable. He hadn't wasted those eight years.

The bald man didn't dare say no. He lowered his head and walked away quickly, almost running until he disappeared at the alley entrance. The man with the small mustache stood there, unsure whether to leave or stay. His feet seemed glued to the ground, and he wore an awkward smile, like a monkey on a leash.

Before long, a man in his thirties rushed over.

The man who arrived was Wei Shan, a minor leader of the Tiger Head Gang. He was a powerful figure and had the final say in the West Street area. He collected protection money, lent money at exorbitant interest rates, settled disputes for people, and did all sorts of things.

Wei Shan was wearing a gray cloth short jacket, and there was a scar on his face that stretched from his eyebrow to his cheekbone, making him look somewhat fierce.

But the moment he saw Xue Guang, the fierce look on his face vanished completely. The scar on his face was still there, but the face that followed the scar had changed, transforming from a vicious dog into a lapdog.

He bowed, forcing a smile, and cupped his hands in greeting, his voice soft and gentle: "Master Xue, what brings you here? My men are ignorant, please forgive them." His gaze swept over Xu Qing and Qin Liang behind Xue Guang, then quickly returned to his own.

Xue Guang didn't respond. He pointed to Old Man Qin, then to the broken bowls and plates and the overturned stool on the ground.

"Old Wei, the owner of this stall is my friend's father," Xue Guang said indifferently. "You lost three taels of silver here, and the owner didn't even see it. What silver are you asking him for?"

Wei Shan's smile froze for a moment, and his eyes darted around. He was calculating, weighing the pros and cons.

"Master Xue, this is a mistake by my men, a misunderstanding, it's all a misunderstanding." Wei Shan bowed even more deeply.

"A misunderstanding?" Xue Guang's tone remained indifferent, but he lowered his hand from the hilt of his knife, crossed his arms, and sized him up. "You smashed someone's stall because of a misunderstanding? And tried to extort three taels of silver from them?"

Wei Shan's expression changed. His face twitched, and the scar twisted, like a centipede coming to life.

Although both he and Xue Guang were masters of the Ming Jin skill, Xue Guang was a government official. Xue Guang was an official, while he was a thief. It was only natural for an official to punish a thief. Besides, this was something he had deliberately instructed his subordinates to extort money from. If this really reached the higher-ups, he wouldn't get away with it.

"Master Xue, what do you suggest we do?" Wei Shan simply stopped explaining and bent down even lower.

Xue Guang glanced at Qin Liang, then at Xu Qing. He slowly withdrew his gaze, a slight smirk playing on his lips, revealing a cunning air of a seasoned veteran.

"What should we do? First, apologize to the boss. Second, pay for the damaged items at cost. Third—" he drawled, his gaze lingering on Wei Shan's face for a moment, "Forget about the three taels of silver you lost, let's leave it at that."

"Yes, yes, Master Xue is right, it's only right, it's only right." Wei Shan nodded repeatedly.

He turned around, cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards Old Man Qin, and said, "Boss Qin, I'm sorry, my men are ignorant and offended you. Please forgive them."

He took out a few coins from his pocket and handed them over with both hands: "This is compensation for your table, chairs, and dishes. Please keep it."

Old Qin's body trembled uncontrollably. He hurriedly waved his hand, not daring to take the money: "No...no need to pay compensation...the tables, chairs, and dishes aren't worth much."

Xu Qing saw the fear in Old Man Qin's eyes—not out of politeness, but genuine. He was used to this kind of fear in Blackwater Bay. Fishermen who had been bullied by gangs their whole lives, their fish stolen and their boats smashed, still had to put on a smiling face and say, "It's alright." It was a fear ingrained in their bones, seeped into their blood, and could not be washed away.

At this moment, Xu Qing spoke up, his voice soft yet reassuring: "Uncle, it's alright, please accept the money."

"That's right, take it. We should compensate you." Wei Shan stuffed the loose silver into Old Man Qin's hand with a light touch, but it left no room for refusal.

Wei Shan turned around, his gaze falling on Xu Qing. Xu Qing's black robes and the knife at his waist clearly indicated that he was also a constable. A hint of doubt flashed in his eyes, as if he were recognizing this unfamiliar face.

Xue Guang noticed the doubt in Wei Shan's eyes and introduced him with a smile: "This is Brother Xu Qing, a top disciple of the Zhao Family Martial Arts School. He will be accompanying me on patrols of these streets from now on. You will have some dealings with him."

"Greetings, Master Xu!" Wei Shan was very tactful and bowed deeply to Xu Qing with a smile on his face, but his eyes were secretly observing Xu Qing, and it was unclear what he was thinking.

Xu Qing returned the greeting with a respectful bow, his movements neither humble nor arrogant, his face revealing neither joy nor anger.

"Master Xue, Master Xu, if there's nothing else, I'll take my leave," Wei Shan said again.

Xue Guang didn't say anything, he just waved his hand casually, as if shooing away an annoying fly.

Wei Shan's smile remained unchanged as he bowed to the two of them once more, bending and straightening his back repeatedly.

Then he turned around and quickly left with his men.