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

February, the spring chill lingers.

The wind still carried the tail end of winter, and it felt chilly on people's faces.

After finishing her training, Xu Qing changed into clean clothes, left the martial arts school, and headed towards her second uncle and aunt's noodle shop.

He had walked this road countless times, and he could walk it with his eyes closed without ever getting lost, but as soon as he entered today, he sensed that the atmosphere was different.

My second aunt was busy in the kitchen as usual, a pot of bone broth simmering on the stove, steaming gently. My second uncle was busy wiping the table and greeting guests. Xiu'er was hunched over the table writing large characters, a smudge of ink on her little face, completely unaware of it.

There was a person sitting on the bench by the kitchen door.

A woman in her forties or fifties, wearing a faded blue cotton jacket, had a bulging rice sack at her feet. She was drinking water from a bowl, taking a sip, sighing, sighing again, and then taking another sip.

Xu Qing recognized her.

The wife of Chen Laosi from Heishuiwan was an old neighbor of Second Uncle's family. Second Uncle was nostalgic and once went back to Heishuiwan to see the old house, telling Chen Laosi's family where the noodle shop was located.

"Fourth Aunt, you're here." Xu Qing greeted her with a smile.

Granny Chen looked up and saw Xu Qing. Her eyes lit up, and she quickly put down her bowl, stood up, and sized him up, clicking her tongue incessantly.

"Ah Qing, you've really changed a lot! This outfit, this complexion, wow, city people are just different. Your second uncle and aunt are really enjoying life thanks to you."

Xu Qing smiled, sat down opposite her, and casually asked, "Fourth Aunt, are you going to town to buy rice today?"

"That's right." Granny Chen sat back down, picked up her bowl, took a sip of water, and wiped her mouth. "Rice is two coins cheaper in the city than in the countryside. I can save a lot of money by making this trip. I'm also stopping by to see your second uncle and aunt. They're old neighbors. I haven't seen them in a long time, and I miss them terribly."

Second Aunt peeked out from the kitchen, holding a steaming bowl of noodles, and placed it in front of Granny Chen: "Eat the noodles, don't just drink water."

Granny Chen declined a couple of times, but still picked up the bowl, slurped a few mouthfuls, then suddenly put down her chopsticks and sighed.

"What's wrong?" Auntie asked.

Granny Chen shook her head and sighed again, this time with a deeper and heavier sigh: "What else can we do? Life is just tough. You've left, but we're still suffering in this village."

Xu Qing listened without interrupting.

Once Granny Chen started talking, it was like a flood bursting its banks, impossible to stop: "That Fish-Dragon Gang, when they first arrived, they talked a good game, all that 'pay less,' 'slow and steady wins the race,' 'they won't bully anyone'—bah!"

She spat fiercely, "That's all bullshit! It hasn't been long, and they've already shown their true colors. They've taken more money than the Giant Whale Gang. They say they'll pay 10% less, but in reality, they'll pay 10% more! You don't want to pay? Fine, don't even think about launching your boat or casting your net. You dare to talk back? We'll beat you! Last time Old Li argued with them, he got beaten so badly he was bedridden for half a month."

My second aunt stood at the kitchen doorway, frowning as she listened: "Didn't you say you wouldn't bully people?"

"Not bullying people?" Granny Chen's voice rose several decibels. "That was just an act when we first arrived! Now? We're even more ruthless than the Giant Whale Gang!"

"At least the Whale Gang has some rules; they don't cause trouble once they've taken the money. But the Fish and Dragon Gang, even after taking the money, still find fault with you. Today they say your boat is damaged and affects the dock's appearance, so you have to pay repair fees. Tomorrow they say your net mesh is too small, breaking the rules, so you have to pay a fine. There are so many excuses I can't even count them all."

As she spoke, she suddenly lowered her voice, as if afraid of being overheard: "Guess who's the fiercest person in the Fish-Dragon Gang right now?"

My second aunt shook her head.

Granny Chen curled her lip, her voice carrying an inexplicable sourness: "That kid from the Sun family at the east end of the bay, Sun Ping. The one who went to the same martial arts school as A-Qing."

Xu Qing's brows twitched slightly.

"That kid used to seem so honest and well-behaved. He always had a smile on his face when he met anyone, calling everyone 'Auntie' this and 'Auntie' that, and his words were as sweet as honey."

Granny Chen grew angrier as she spoke: "Now look at him, he's completely changed since joining the Fish and Dragon Gang. He's the fiercest when collecting money. If anyone pays slowly, he glares at them and curses. That look, tsk tsk tsk, it's like he wants to eat them alive. Last time I went to pay, I said my fourth son has bad legs, could I pay a few coins less? He didn't even look at me properly, it made me so angry—"

She picked up the bowl and took a big gulp of water, as if to quench the fire in her heart.

"His father, Sun Laoshi, was such an honest and upright man, how could he have raised such a son? He practiced martial arts for a few days, gained some skills, and the first thing he did was to target the villagers. Before, when his father was bullied at the docks, he said with red eyes that he would protect his family. Now, look what happened, he's become the one who bullies others."

Granny Chen went on and on for a long time, scolding Sun Ping from head to toe and cursing the ancestors of the Fish and Dragon Gang for eighteen generations before finally picking up the bowl of noodle soup with satisfaction, wiping her mouth, and leaving with the rice bag.

Xu Qing sat there, motionless for a long time.

Sun Ping.

He recalled last autumn when the two of them sat together in the carriage on their way back to Blackwater Bay. Sun Ping said, "I practice martial arts to protect my family." He was innocent and pure back then.

It's only been a few months? And they've already changed people.

He had noticed the change in Sun Ping's gaze towards Qin Liang and himself. He assumed it was envy, jealousy, a normal human reaction. He didn't pay it any mind.

Looking back now, what was buried beneath those eyes had already sprouted.

Xu Qing stood up, told her second uncle and aunt, and left the noodle shop.

He was walking down the street when the sun came out. The spring sunshine felt warm on his body, but he still felt a little cold.

He decided to talk to Sun Ping.

But Sun Ping was avoiding him.

When they met at the martial arts school, Sun Ping simply smiled and called out "Senior Brother Xu" before hurrying away without giving him a chance to say another word. Xu Qing invited him out for a chat, but he said he was "busy with training." When asked how he had been lately, he replied, "Not bad, not bad," and then walked away with his head down.

His eyes darted around, clearly showing he was guilty and afraid of being exposed.

Xu Qing stood there for a long time, watching his retreating figure.

He could tell that Sun Ping wasn't unaware that what he was doing was wrong. He knew, but he didn't want to change; he might even have thought he hadn't done anything wrong.

......

A few days later, Chen Laosi's wife went to the city again.

This time she wasn't carrying a bag of rice; her hands were empty, and her face was even more pale than before. As soon as she entered, she grabbed her second aunt's hand, her voice trembling, "Auntie, your old house in the village... it's been burned down."

The cleaver in my aunt's hand clattered to the cutting board. "What?!"

"It happened last night." Granny Chen swallowed hard. "A fire suddenly broke out in the middle of the night, and by the time we discovered it, it was already burning. Everyone tried their best to put out the fire, and my fourth son was even dragging his legs while splashing water, but... but the fire was just too big, we couldn't put it out..."

Xu Erniu went to the martial arts school and told Xu Qing about it. Xu Qing then went back to the noodle shop.

Granny Chen looked at Xu Qing, hesitating to speak, but finally said, "Qing, I know I shouldn't say such things, but everyone in the village thinks... it was the Fish and Dragon Gang who did it. You've moved away, the house is empty, they don't care if anyone sees them burn it down."

Xu Qing remained silent.

He stood there, his face calm, but his second uncle noticed a change in his eyes. The turmoil in those eyes was fiercer and hotter than the fire in the stove.

"Ah Qing..." Second Aunt looked at him worriedly.

"It's alright." Xu Qing smiled calmly. "If it's burned, it's burned. We're not going back anyway."

He turned to his second uncle and aunt, his tone soft but firm: "Uncle, Aunt, don't go back to Blackwater Bay anymore. If you need anything in the future, come to the martial arts school to find me first."

The second uncle and aunt exchanged a glance and nodded heavily.

Xu Qing escorted Granny Chen to the alley entrance, took out two taels of silver from his pocket, and stuffed it into her hand.

Granny Chen was stunned for a moment, then thanked Xu Qing profusely, tugging at his sleeve and saying, "Qing, you're a kind-hearted person. That boy from the Sun family... sigh..."

As she spoke, her eyes reddened, she raised her hand to wipe away her tears, and turned and walked away shakily.