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

The wonton stall fell silent.

Old Qin squatted down, covered his face with his hands, and his shoulders trembled.

Qin Liang stood to the side, his eyes red-rimmed. He glanced at his father, who was squatting on the ground, then at Xu Qing, and then at Xue Guang.

His lips moved a few times before he finally uttered a sound: "Junior Brother Xu...Master Xue...thank you...thank you all..."

Xue Guang patted his shoulder and smiled casually: "It's nothing, don't take it to heart. Go back and tell your father that if the Tiger Head Gang comes again, he should go directly to the yamen to find me and mention my name, Xue Guang."

Qin Liang nodded vigorously and gave Xu Qing a deep look. In that look, there was gratitude, emotion, and something else that was hard to describe.

Xu Qing stood in front of the wonton stall, watching Old Man Qin squat down and cover his face, watching Qin Liang thank him with red eyes, and watching Wei Shan walk away with his back bent. Suddenly, a bitter feeling welled up in her heart.

Twenty days ago, in Blackwater Bay, he watched as his second uncle had his silver stolen by Liu San and was pushed to the ground.

At that time, there was nothing he could do. He had no power, no status, no confidence. He could only grit his teeth, clench his fists until they turned white, then lower his head, bend over, and swallow the humiliation.

And now? He didn't even say a word. Xue Guang just moved his lips, and the Tiger Head Gang's minor leader, a Ming Jin master, bowed, apologized, paid compensation, and left, not daring to utter a single "no."

Xu Qing clenched her fist, then relaxed it.

He wants to become stronger. Not so that he can kill several people with one punch, but so that no one can ever step on his head again or force him to bend over.

Xue Guang saw Xu Qing standing there in a daze. He walked over, patted Xu Qing on the shoulder, and smiled, "Brother Xu, let's go, I'll show you around the streets."

Xu Qing snapped out of his reverie and nodded. After taking a few steps, he couldn't help but look back.

Qin Liang was helping his father to his feet. Old Man Qin's legs were still weak, so Qin Liang put one arm around his waist and pulled him up from the ground with the other. Then he straightened the overturned stools one by one and picked up the broken dishes one by one.

Old Qin wiped his eyes with his sleeve, which became soaked. He looked up at Xu Qing, his lips moving as if to say "thank you."

Xu Qing smiled, turned around, and strode forward, her pace much faster than when she arrived.

Qin Liang stood in front of the wonton stall, watching Xu Qing and Xue Guang's retreating figures until they completely disappeared from sight. He stood there, motionless, as if nailed to the ground, his heart churning with turmoil.

He remembered the first day he met Xu Qing. That day, Xu Qing was wearing faded old clothes, standing at the entrance of the martial arts school, looking around blankly, not understanding anything. It was Qin Liang who took him to the washroom and ate with him.

Twenty days. Just twenty short days.

That ignorant country bumpkin became a constable in the yamen, holding a knife and wearing a copper badge at his waist. He didn't even say a word; he just stood there, and those who fawned over him made the Tiger Head Gang's underling bow down and pay money, not daring to utter a single word.

And what about me? When trouble comes, I can only squat at the entrance of the government office, my face turning white from the cold, my legs going numb, and I don't even dare to cry out loud.

Qin Liang took a deep breath. The air was cold, and as it filled his lungs, it felt like being stabbed with a knife. He turned to Old Man Qin and said, "Dad, I'm going back to the martial arts school. From today onwards, I will practice twice as hard."

Old Qin looked up at his son. His son's face held an expression he had never seen before. It wasn't a fit of pique, nor an impulsive act, but a resolute determination. He didn't speak, only nodded emphatically.

Qin Liang walked back to the martial arts school, his pace quickening until he almost jogged in. He ran to the training ground, stood on the plum blossom poles, assumed his stance, and began practicing.

His legs were trembling, his back was aching, and beads of sweat were dripping down his back. But he gritted his teeth, his jaw grinding, and didn't utter a sound.

Sun Ping, standing to the side, was taken aback when he saw Qin Liang's appearance. Then he also stood on the plum blossom stake, got into position, and stood side by side with Qin Liang.

Neither of them spoke; they just stood there. The morning light shone from the east, casting their shadows, one short and one long.

Qin Liang had only one thought in his mind: Junior Brother Xu came from Blackwater Bay, and his background was not as good as his. Why could Junior Brother Xu do it, but he couldn't? He also wanted to train, to train until he reached the level of Ming Jin, to train until he reached the level of An Jin, to train until he could protect his parents, and to train until he no longer needed to squat next to the stone lion waiting for help.

Sun Ping had only one thought in his mind: If Senior Brother Xu can do it, so can he. His physical constitution was above average, even better than Senior Brother Xu's, so why couldn't he? He also wanted to take up a post, become a constable, and give his parents a better life so they wouldn't have to live in that leaky house anymore.

The two stood side by side, their legs trembling like bamboo poles in the wind. Neither was willing to collapse first. Sweat rolled down their foreheads, stinging their eyes, but neither of them raised a hand to wipe it away.

......

The east wing of the county government office.

Qi Mao sat in the armchair on the left, holding a teacup in his hand. He skimmed the foam off the teacup with the lid, making a soft clinking sound. He skimmed it a few times, but didn't drink it, and put it down again.

He is waiting.

The chair next to it was empty; the tea was already brewed. It was Biluochun, the kind that costs two taels of silver per tael. The tea leaves unfurled in the boiling water, and the tea soup was a bright, clear emerald green. Just looking at it made it seem expensive.

About the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, footsteps sounded outside the door. The footsteps were unhurried and leisurely.

"Boss, Master Wu has arrived." The constable announced his name at the door and stepped aside to let a middle-aged man in his forties walk in.

The man was wearing a dark blue silk robe of excellent quality, with a well-tailored fit, and a piece of fine white jade tied around his waist.

He had a regular face, a short, neatly trimmed beard, and small eyes that squinted slightly when he looked at people, as if he were examining something.

He walked at a steady pace, neither too fast nor too slow, clearly from a wealthy family. It wasn't the air of a nouveau riche, but the composure cultivated over three generations, something innate and impossible to fake.

Qi Mao immediately stood up, cupped his hands and smiled, "Brother Wu, we've been waiting for you. Come, come, take a seat of honor." His voice was half an octave higher than usual, and his smile was a few degrees deeper than usual. The flesh on his cheeks piled up, squeezing out a few wrinkles at the corners of his eyes.

Wu Boxian was the head of the second branch of the Wu family in the county town. The Wu family had been operating in Qinghe County for three generations, and their shops, farmland, and shares in the docks totaled a considerable sum. The Wu family was one of the most prominent clans in the county town.

Qi Mao had always been supported by the Wu family in his martial arts training, and he always remembered this kindness.

Wu Baek-hsien returned the greeting and sat down with a smile.

Qi Mao sat back down and waved for the servants who had served tea to leave. Once the door was closed, he leaned closer and lowered his voice, saying, "Brother Wu, yesterday I had someone pass on a message to the Wu family..."

Wu Baekhyun picked up his teacup, took a slow sip, and remained unhurried throughout. He neither commented nor spoke, and his face was expressionless.

Qi Mao was slightly taken aback by this. This was not the reaction he had expected.

He thought Wu Boxian's eyes would light up, he would ask further questions, he would make a decision, and he would say on the spot, "Okay, we'll sponsor Xu Qing." But no, the result seemed to be different from what he expected. His smile froze on his face.

Wu Boxian put down his teacup, raised his eyelids to glance at Qi Mao, and his lips twitched slightly, as if he was organizing his thoughts.

"Captain Qi," Wu Boxian's voice was soft and his pace slow, "yesterday you sent someone to say that you wanted our Wu family to sponsor Xu Qing of the Zhao family's martial arts school?"

"Yes." Qi Mao nodded, leaning forward slightly, his tone becoming urgent. "Yesterday, he severely injured Han Bao of the Benlei Martial Arts School with just one punch. One punch! Han Bao is considered one of the best prospects at the Benlei Martial Arts School, but he couldn't even withstand one punch from Xu Qing. Xu Qing has enormous potential. He comes from a poor background and has no connections. If the Wu family were to offer funding now..."

Before he could finish speaking, Wu Boxian raised a hand and waved it gently.

Qi Mao fell silent, puzzled.

"Officer Qi," Wu Boxian said, his hands folded on his knees, his back straight, his tone calm, "our Wu family has inquired about the person you're talking about."

Qi Mao paused for a moment, then smiled, a smile returning to his face with a relieved "I see" expression: "You've inquired? That's even better, you should know I wasn't lying—"

"Yes, we know he beat the people from Benlei Martial Arts School." Wu Boxian interrupted him, but his tone was not harsh. Instead, it carried a gentle and polite tone that made it difficult to get angry.

He paused, as if considering how to phrase his next words without hurting anyone: "But Officer Qi, are you aware that his physical constitution is only below average?"

Qi Mao's smile froze completely.

"Below average?" He frowned, his voice full of doubt. "How could he be below average? Yesterday, he seriously injured Han Bao with a single punch. Han Bao is a promising talent recruited by Benlei Martial Arts School, and I heard he has good potential..."

"It's below average." Wu Boxian repeated, his tone certain. He picked up his teacup and took another sip, speaking slowly and deliberately, "Officer Qi, you should know that some of our clan's juniors are practicing martial arts at the Zhao family's martial arts school. Actually, our Wu family has been paying attention to Xu Qing for some time now."

"We have found out that he was able to beat Han Bao not because of his good physique, but because of his special constitution."

"We haven't been able to determine the specifics of his constitution yet, but one thing is certain: there's no faking one's physical attributes." He placed the teacup back on the table with a soft click. "With average to low physical attributes, even with a special constitution, the chances of breaking through to the Dark Force realm in the future are... slim."

"If he truly had immense potential, Zhao Yan would have taken him on as a personal disciple long ago, but he's just a disciple in name only..." Wu Boxian shook his head and said nothing more. The Wu family's meaning was already quite clear.

Qi Mao opened his mouth, as if to say something, but then closed it again. He realized he didn't know what to say. His lips moved twice, but ultimately no sound came out.

He picked up the teacup and this time actually took a sip.

The tea had gone cold and was bitter and astringent.