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

The side table was also served golden scale fish, smaller than the one on the main table, but still weighing seven or eight pounds.

The fish is golden yellow, and its aroma wafts straight into your nose.

The maidservant used a small knife to cut the fish into small pieces and placed a small dish in front of each person. The fish was white and tender, smooth to the taste, and had a faint medicinal aroma. After swallowing, the warmth in the lower abdomen intensified.

Next, dish after dish was served.

Braised bear paw, with a bright red color, tender and flavorful.

Steamed deer tail has tender meat that melts in your mouth.

Braised sea cucumber with scallions, rich in oil and dark sauce, with an irresistible aroma.

There were also bird's nest soup, white fungus soup, eight-treasure duck, and hibiscus chicken slices... Each of these dishes was a name Xu Qing had only heard from storytellers, but now they were actually placed in front of him.

......

At the main table, glasses clinked and laughter filled the air.

Lu Chuan sat in the main seat, but the main character tonight seemed to have changed.

Zhao Yan seemed to have been ushered from a corner to the center of the stage. Lu Chuan raised his glass in congratulations, Su Zhengyuan personally offered a toast, and the other members of the county magistrate's faction also offered their congratulations and toasts incessantly.

The county magistrate's faction, however, presented a completely different picture.

Lin Hanshan still had a smile on his face, but the smile was stiff and unnatural.

Yu Tai sat next to Lin Hanshan, his face ashen, chugging down one glass of wine after another in silence. Both of his disciples had been crippled by Xu Qing; one had a broken spine, the other a shattered arm. The Benlei Martial Arts School had failed to win anything at the Golden Scale Gathering this year, and he, as the school's master, had completely lost face.

What made him even more ashamed was that he had caused Lin Hanshan to lose two Tiger Bone Pills. Two. That wasn't something money could buy; it was face, trust, and the weight he had in Lin Hanshan's heart that was slowly diminishing.

Yu Tai stole a glance at Lin Hanshan's face, feeling like he'd swallowed a fly. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but Lin Hanshan didn't even look at him.

The other two owners of the restaurant, as well as the heads of the Li and Meng families, all wore somber expressions, silently drinking their wine. No one spoke, and the sound of their glasses clinking together was muffled.

The atmosphere at the side table was exactly the same as at the main table.

Xu Qing unsurprisingly became the center of attention, with the county magistrate's faction of young men making a lively scene, constantly offering toasts. Meanwhile, the county magistrate's faction remained silent, drinking quietly, occasionally glancing up at Xu Qing and letting out a low snort.

At the same banquet, the two factions were completely at odds.

Xu Qing, who caused all this, sat calmly in his chair, enjoying the delicacies one dish after another and sipping the Laba porridge. When someone came to toast him, he would raise his glass in response, saying neither too much nor too little. When no one came, he would simply eat his food with his head down.

He didn't want to be in the limelight today; he just wanted to compete peacefully on stage, and he didn't care about the ranking.

But circumstances pushed him forward, placing him in this position. There was no way out, and he couldn't retreat.

Showing up today is both a good thing and a bad thing.

The good thing is that Su Zhengyuan's faction will value him even more because of this.

The bad thing was that he completely offended Lin Hanshan's faction.

Although Lin Hanshan spoke words of encouragement, the coldness in his eyes was clear to him. He also hadn't forgotten Yu Tai's ashen face. This feud was now settled.

But he doesn't regret it.

When Li Chong publicly humiliated the Zhao Family Martial Arts School, he had no way out. He had no choice but to go on stage, fight, and win.

As for the two people who destroyed the Benlei Martial Arts School, it was their own fault.

Xu Qing was never a soft-hearted person; he would show no mercy to anyone who harbored ill intentions towards him.

Today, the duel is being held in the open. If it were in the shadows, he would definitely have killed Li Chong and Cheng Hong.

Xu Qing put down his chopsticks, picked up his wine glass, and downed the wine in one gulp. The liquor was spicy, burning all the way from his throat to his stomach, burning away all those chaotic thoughts.

He needs to intensify his training.

When Su Changhe toasted, he whispered about the preciousness of Tiger Bone Pill. That thing uses tiger bone, which is almost a treasure beast, as medicine, supplemented with more than a dozen rare medicinal materials. It is extremely difficult to make, and only a few dozen pills are produced in the entire Qinghe County each year.

Tiger bone pills, golden scale fish, Laba porridge, and other delicacies at the banquet that replenish qi and blood were all resources for his advancement.

He wants to make the most of these resources and break through to the next level of internal strength in the shortest possible time.

He prefers to trust his own fists rather than external forces.

External forces will dry up, reliance on others will crumble, and human relationships will fade. Only when your own strength is formidable can you truly be powerful. That is something that belongs to you, something no one can take away, something that the wind cannot blow away, and something that the rain cannot destroy.

As long as you are strong enough, you can nip any unexpected events in the bud.

......

The banquet ended, but it wasn't dark yet.

It gets dark early in the twelfth lunar month, and the gathering ended early today as well.

Xu Qing followed Zhao Yan out of the county government gate. Instead of taking a carriage, they walked towards the martial arts school.

Zhao Yan said he wanted to take a walk, so Xu Qing followed. The snow on the street had been swept, but traces were still left on the ground, and the melted snow water made the bluestone pavement wet.

Zhao Yan walked ahead, at a moderate pace. Xu Qing followed behind, half a step behind.

The two walked in silence for a while, then turned into an alley, where Zhao Yan suddenly stopped.

He didn't turn around, he just stood there.

"Ah Qing," he said, his voice a little hoarse.

"Master," Xu Qing replied.

Zhao Yan turned around and looked at Xu Qing. His cloudy eyes lit up with a light that couldn't be suppressed.

He had a thousand words he wanted to say to Xu Qing, but in the end he just reached out and gently patted Xu Qing's shoulder.

"Okay," Zhao Yan said, offering only one word.

This single word encapsulates all the frustration, resentment, and forbearance he's endured over the years, as well as all the catharsis he feels at this moment.

For years, Zhao Family Martial Arts School had been suppressed by Benlei Martial Arts School. Zhao Yan had been bullied and humiliated by others countless times. Today, Xu Qing fought back for him, punch by punch.

Xu Qing looked at his master, said nothing, and simply bowed slightly.

Zhao Yan took a deep breath and exhaled, the white vapor condensing into a ball in the cold wind before slowly dissipating. He turned around and continued walking forward, his steps much lighter than before.

"Let's go back."

......

By the time I got back to the martial arts school, it was already getting dark.

As soon as Xu Qing entered the courtyard, he was surrounded by a group of fellow disciples.

Qin Liang was the first to rush forward, his eyes practically disappearing with laughter: "Junior Brother Xu! You're really amazing!"

Sun Ping nodded vigorously beside him, his face full of excitement.

Chen Wang also came over. His injury hadn't fully healed, and he was still walking a little slowly, but he couldn't hide the smile on his face.

Everyone else had smiles on their faces as well.

Zhou Wen and Xu Qing didn't dare look Xu Qing in the eye, only managing awkward smiles. The mockery and jealousy on their faces had vanished, as if washed clean. It wasn't that they didn't want to have it, but that they dared not.

When they heard Chen Wang say that "Xu Qing punched Li Chong of the Fei Ben Lei Martial Arts School and crippled Cheng Hong, the number one Ming Jin practitioner," their legs went weak and they almost couldn't stand up.

They knew in their hearts that Xu Qing was no longer the fisherman's son who had just arrived at the martial arts school. The current Xu Qing had reached a level they could only look up to. Xu Qing was far stronger than them, so much so that they dared not even feel a pang of jealousy.

Xu Qing smiled and was about to say something when the sound of carriages and horses came from the courtyard gate.

A yamen runner pushed open the door and came in, carrying a red lacquered wooden box in his hands. Behind him were two porters carrying loads on shoulder poles, which were bent under the weight and creaked loudly.

The constable recognized Xu Qing and quickly stepped forward, bowing, and said, "Young Master Xu, the Golden Scale Society's rewards have arrived. Two Tiger Bone Pills, one hundred taels of silver, three bolts of brocade, and one hundred catties of meat. Would you like to take a look?"

Xu Qing took the wooden box, opened it, and found a silver note and a white porcelain bottle inside.

He uncorked the bottle, and a medicinal fragrance wafted out. Inside the bottle were two pills the size of longan fruits, black and shiny—the Tiger Bone Pills.

Xu Qing closed the box and nodded: "Thank you for your trouble."

The constable smiled and led his men away.

One hundred jin of meat, including white pork, mutton, and beef, was piled up on the stone table in the courtyard like a small mountain.

Xu Qing glanced at his fellow students gathered around him and smiled, "Tonight, the whole academy will have an extra meal."

The courtyard erupted in cheers, nearly lifting the roof off. Some clapped, some whistled, and some were already drooling.

Xu Qing then had the kitchen prepare twenty catties of good meat, wrapped it in oil paper, and divided it into two portions. One portion was sent to his second uncle's family, and the other to his aunt's family.