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

The investigation into the Giant Whale Gang case stalled after three days.

Officer Qi led Xu Qing around Blackwater Bay a few times, questioned several fishermen, took several statements, and then went to the Zhou family compound to see the mess all over the place.

The body has been moved, but the bloodstains on the blue brick floor are still there, dark red and almost black, seeping into the cracks between the bricks, and no matter how much you wash them, you can't get them clean.

Officer Qi squatted on the ground for a while, then stood up, dusted off his knees, and said to Xu Qing, "Alright, go back now."

"Aren't you going to investigate anymore?" Xu Qing asked.

"Investigate what?" Constable Qi glanced at him, a sly smile playing on his lips. "The man is dead, the murderer left no clues, there are no witnesses, and no stolen goods. Continuing the investigation will be a waste of time."

He walked out of the Zhou family compound and said casually, "Go back and write 'No clues found, temporarily sealed,' and the case will be closed."

......

The case against the Giant Whale Gang is closed, but life in Blackwater Bay still goes on.

For the first few days, the fishermen were still celebrating joyfully.

Someone set off a string of firecrackers on the dock, crackling and popping, the smell of gunpowder mixed with the fishy smell of the river drifting far and wide. Someone set out bowls of wine in front of their house, drinking bowl after bowl, until their faces were red and their necks were thick.

Some say, "God has finally opened his eyes," some say, "Evil people will be punished by other evil people," and some laugh and then cry, and cry and then laugh again.

But on the seventh day, another group of people arrived at the dock.

The leader, a man in his thirties, had a short knife at his waist and led seven or eight burly men, going from house to house.

They are similar to the Whale Gang, yet also somewhat different.

They didn't hit or curse people, and spoke politely, only saying that the rules of Blackwater Bay remained the same, but the silver they collected was 10% less than that of the Giant Whale Gang.

That day, everyone in the bay was summoned to the dock.

A dark-skinned man stood on the dock, cupped his hands in greeting to the fishermen, and grinned, revealing two rows of white teeth: "Fellow villagers, we are called the Fish and Dragon Gang."

"From today onwards, Blackwater Bay will be under the control of our Fish and Dragon Gang. The amount due will be reduced by 10%. We don't bully people. Anyone in trouble can discuss it with us. Our gang leader said that slow and steady wins the race, and everyone will be better off."

The fishermen looked at each other, speechless. Some sighed, some shook their heads, but no one dared to refuse to pay.

The Giant Whale Gang is gone, and the Fish Dragon Gang has arrived. They've changed their name and their appearance, but their roots are still the same; their essence remains unchanged.

However, the fishermen's situation was better than before. Paying 10% less silver meant they could put an extra handful of coarse rice in the pot, and their children could eat an extra bite.

When Xu Qing heard the news, he was practicing his boxing in the inner courtyard's training ground. His fist paused for a moment, just a moment, as short as the blink of an eye, before he continued punching.

Even if he takes down one gang, new ones will just spring up. Blackwater Bay is a poor, remote, and chaotic place; gangs are like weeds—cut one crop, and another grows back. He can't control them.

He only has one fist, one pair of eyes, and one pair of hands; he can't control the entire Blackwater Bay, nor can he control the lives of everyone. He can only take care of his own family.

Lying in bed that night, Xu Qing tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.

The Giant Whale Gang matter was settled, but the Fish Dragon Gang appeared in the bay. The Fish Dragon Gang changed its name and clothes, but at its core, it was still Lin Mu's money bag.

Although Officer Qi said that Lin Mu had admitted defeat and would not pursue the matter of the Giant Whale Gang, it did not mean that he did not hold a grudge.

He wasn't afraid of Lin Mu targeting him. He had his fists, his master, and his backing; Lin Mu would have to think twice before messing with him. But what if Lin Mu secretly targeted his family?

My second uncle's injury has just fully healed, my second aunt's back aches whenever she does heavy work, and Xiu'er is still so young, she's only just learned to write her own name...

No.

He needed to bring his family from Blackwater Bay to the county town. After taking down the Giant Whale Gang, he received over two hundred taels of silver. This money was enough to settle his family down.

......

The next morning, at the county government office, the signing room was set up.

"Boss, I want to bring my family to the city," Xu Qing said bluntly.

Officer Qi glanced at him and nodded: "That's good. Now that you've established yourself in the city, you're worried about your family in the countryside."

He closed the case file he was looking at and pushed it aside: "Have you found a house?"

"I'd like to buy a shop with a backyard near my aunt's shop so my second uncle and aunt can run a small business," Xu Qing said solemnly, clasping his hands in a respectful gesture. "Boss, could you help me find a place?"

Officer Qi thought for a moment, then stood up, rummaged through a cabinet, pulled out a register, flipped through a few pages, and pointed to an address:

"This shop is just three storefronts away from your aunt's steamed bun shop, on the same street, very close, making it easy to visit each other. It has two courtyards, the back can be used for living, and the front can be used for the shop. The landlord is asking for 120 taels, but I'll help you negotiate, and we can get it for 100 taels."

Xu Qing took out a silver note from his pocket and placed it on the table. One hundred taels.

He then took out two more silver ingots. They were gleaming white, totaling twenty taels.

Officer Qi glanced at the silver note, then at the two silver ingots, and finally his gaze settled on Xu Qing's face. He didn't ask Xu Qing where he got so much silver; he just smiled and picked up the hundred-tael silver note.

He patted him on the shoulder, a firm pat: "Take the silver ingots, I'll take care of this. We'll handle the household registration at the same time. Your second uncle, second aunt, and Xiu'er are city people from today onwards."

All the procedures were completed in just one day.

Xu Qing hired a carriage to return to Blackwater Bay. But this time, he was going to pick someone up, not to deliver something.

He only said that he had rented a courtyard in the city and was going to bring his second uncle, second aunt, and Xiu'er to the city to enjoy a better life. He didn't mention the Giant Whale Gang, the Fish Dragon Gang, or those things he thought about over and over at night.

Uncle and Aunt weren't stupid; they vaguely knew that the Giant Whale Gang's affairs were related to Xu Qing. They didn't ask any further questions and simply nodded.

My second aunt stood at the gate of the courtyard, looked back at the small courtyard where she had lived for half her life, and tears fell in her eyes.

Uncle Er's eyes were red, and he didn't say anything. He just carried Xiu'er onto the carriage.

Xiuer leaned against the car window, waving to her friends at the alley entrance and shouting, "I'm going to the city! I'm going to the city!" Her voice was high-pitched and bright, and her little face was full of excitement, like it was New Year's Day.

The carriage left Blackwater Bay and entered the official road. The wheels rolled over the dirt road, raising a cloud of yellow dust.

Xu Qing glanced back at the fishing village that was getting further and further away... low houses, messy docks, crooked fishing boats, and neighbors standing at the alley entrance watching them go. Their figures grew smaller and smaller, more and more blurred, until they shrank into a dot and were swallowed up by the dirt road and withered trees.

He turned his head, looked straight ahead, and felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from his heart.

From today onwards, his family no longer needs to worry about harassment from the Giant Whale Gang, no longer needs to be mindful of the Fish Dragon Gang's attitude, and no longer needs to tremble with fear at the sound of banging on the door in the middle of the night.

......

The shops in town were quickly set up.

The front is a two-room storefront. The back is a small courtyard, not large, but very clean and tidy. There are three main rooms, a kitchen, and a jujube tree in the yard.

My second aunt walked around the kitchen. The stove was newly built, the cutting board was newly bought, and even the spatula was new. She touched this and looked at that, and tears welled up in her eyes again, streaming down her cheeks and into the corners of her mouth, tasting salty.

"Let's open a noodle shop," Xu Qing said. "Second Aunt, your cooking skills are no worse than those of people in the city."

Auntie wiped away her tears and nodded vigorously. Uncle stood beside her, smiling憨厚ly, rubbing his hands together, and said, "I'll help you. I can knead the dough and tend the fire. I'll do the heavy lifting; you just focus on cooking."

Xiuer was sent to a private school.

Xu Qing stood at the entrance of the private school, watching her skip and hop into the school with her little schoolbag on her back—a schoolbag sewn overnight by her second aunt, made of blue cloth with a small flower embroidered on it. Xu Qing felt at ease.

Previously, the family was poor, and his second uncle and aunt gritted their teeth to let him attend a private school for two years. Now that he is here, Xiuer can study as much as she wants, for as long as she wants.

That evening, the family had a reunion dinner together. Auntie cooked a whole table of dishes: braised pork, scrambled eggs, stewed tofu… Xu Qing also bought Uncle a jar of wine. The wine was cloudy and murky, but Uncle drank it with gusto, his face flushed.

Halfway through the meal, my aunt announced even more exciting news.

My aunt, Xu Yan, is pregnant.

Uncle Xu Cheng grinned from ear to ear. Second Uncle and Aunt were so happy they wiped away tears. Xu Yan had been married to Xu Cheng for eight years—eight years! Their child was old enough to run errands; they were finally going to have a child of their own.

For eight years, the neighbors at the steamed bun shop had gossiped behind her back, saying all sorts of things. Some said Xu Yan couldn't have children, some said Xu Cheng was incapable, and some said this marriage was a mistake. Now, those gossips can be shut up.

Xu Cheng teased Xiu'er, "Xiu'er, do you want a younger brother or a younger sister?"

The little girl tilted her head, thinking for a moment, her cheeks bulging as she chewed on half a piece of braised pork. She said in her childish voice, "I want both! A little brother and a little sister, to play with me!"

Everyone in the room laughed.

Laughter drifted out of the window, into the yard, and onto the jujube tree.

.......

Days passed by one by one.

Several disciples left Zhao Family Martial Arts School, and new ones arrived. The number of registered disciples in the outer courtyard remained around twenty, coming and going like a pool of flowing water.

Before we knew it, it was December.

The wind in December was like a knife, stinging my face. The blue bricks on the training ground were frozen white, and felt hard as a rock underfoot.

Xu Qing practiced standing meditation in the inner courtyard, with his feet neither too far apart, his shoulders relaxed and elbows dropped, and his breathing long and even.

A cold wind rushed into his collar, chilling him to the bone, but as soon as he circulated his blood, the chill was blocked.

【Five Elements Fist (Complete)】

【Three Talents Stance (Minor Success): 98/200】

The Five Elements Fist has long been perfected; every move and stance is etched into my bones, and I can perform it with my eyes closed. The Three Talents Stance has also made great progress, and I will master it in less than two months.

He could feel his blood and qi becoming more and more abundant. With each punch, ten layers of force were superimposed, enough to collapse a wall.

......

In the study.

Zhao Yan sat in a grand chair, with an old booklet spread out on the table in front of him and a bowl of tea beside him.

The tea had gone cold, but he didn't drink it. He just rubbed the rim of the bowl with his hand, one stroke at a time, as if he was pondering something or perhaps lost in thought.

Ning Yun stood quietly to the side, his hands hanging down, his breathing soft. He knew that his master didn't like being interrupted when he was thinking.

Suddenly a gust of wind blew in, making the window creak, as if someone was gently pushing the door open.

Zhao Yan seemed to have figured something out as well, and suddenly came back to his senses. He raised his eyelids, and the focus in his pupils returned from the distance to Ning Yun's face.

"Ah Yun, what do you think of this year's Laba Festival?" His voice was unhurried and emotionless. "Which three people should the courtyard send to participate?"

Ning Yun pondered for a moment.

He mentally reviewed all the eligible disciples in the academy and said seriously, "Junior Brother Wu Mingyuan has been at the peak of Ming Jin for half a year. He has a solid foundation and a stable fighting style. He counts as one."

"Junior Brother Chen Wang is also at the peak of Ming Jin. He has practical combat experience, he has seen blood, and he is not afraid of the stage. He can be considered one as well."

"As for the third person—" Ning Yun frowned, paused, hesitated for a moment, and then said a name: "This disciple believes it should be Junior Brother Guo Huan."