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

Xu Qing stood in the alley.

The spring breeze felt chilly on her face, but Xu Qing felt even colder in her chest.

Lin Mu.

He knew this was Lin Mu's doing; Lin Mu was behind the Fish Dragon Gang.

Burning down his house was both a warning and a test. Lin Mu wanted to provoke him out of the city, to make him lose his mind and plunge headlong into the potentially pre-arranged trap in Blackwater Bay.

Did Sun Ping participate in this? Has Sun Ping already sided with Lin Mu?

Xu Qing had a vague answer in her heart.

He took a deep breath, and his gaze turned cold.

He will not be returning to Blackwater Bay for the time being.

It's not fear, it's inability.

No matter how strong he is, he is only at the hidden level. What if the one dealing with him is a master of the transformation level?

If he dies, what will happen to his second uncle and aunt? What will happen to Xiu'er? If he falls into Lin Mu's trap and dies in Blackwater Bay, then he will have truly lost.

He remembered this grudge, but now was not the time to seek revenge.

A few days later, good news came from the martial arts school.

Sun Ping has broken through to the Ming Jin level.

The news came from Qin Liang, who rushed over to Xu Qing with a beaming smile: "Junior Brother Xu, Junior Brother Sun has broken through! Shouldn't we invite him to a restaurant to celebrate?"

Qin Liang took Xu Qing to congratulate Sun Ping.

Sun Ping stood in the training ground of the outer courtyard, surrounded by his fellow disciples, a scene exactly the same as the day Qin Liang broke through. Some patted him on the shoulder, others gave him a thumbs up. He smiled, his face flushed, looking very happy.

Xu Qing walked over and took a closer look at him.

He noticed something that others couldn't.

The aura emanating from Sun Ping was off. It wasn't the solid, well-established aura of Ming Jin that he had cultivated himself; instead, it was a kind of weak, superficial power that seemed to be forced up by something.

Elixir for breaking through barriers.

Sun Ping took a certain kind of pill that forcibly boosted his qi and blood, which barely allowed him to cross the threshold of Ming Jin.

Xu Qing had heard Zhao Yan mention that kind of pill; it was only effective for breaking through to the next level. If one breaks through to the next level by taking the pill, their foundation will be unstable, making it even more difficult to advance further.

Xu Qing didn't say anything.

He stepped forward, smiled faintly, and said, "Congratulations." Qin Liang, however, remained enthusiastic, putting his arm around Sun Ping's shoulder and insisting on treating him: "Junior Brother Sun, let's go to a restaurant tonight, it's on me! We won't leave until we're drunk!"

Sun Ping smiled and shook his head, declining, "No, no, I have something to do tonight..."

Qin Liang wanted to persuade him further, but Sun Ping had already turned and left, walking very quickly, as if he were fleeing.

Xu Qing watched his retreating figure and noticed that he glanced back. He wasn't looking at Qin Liang, but at her. That glance was so quick it was almost imperceptible, yet Xu Qing caught it.

There was evasion, guilt, and... fear in his eyes.

Xu Qing didn't chase after him. He just stood there, watching Sun Ping disappear outside the courtyard gate, his gaze gradually turning cold.

A few days later, another problem arose.

That noon, Xu Qing had just finished practicing his skills when Constable Qi sent someone to summon him to the yamen.

Officer Qi was waiting for him at the door of the signing room, his face grim.

"Come with me." After saying this, Constable Qi turned and left.

Xu Qing didn't ask any questions and followed him through the front yard, around the main hall, and into the familiar passageway. The walls on both sides were covered with moss, and the air was filled with a damp, musty smell.

He recognized the road.

This is the road leading to the county jail.

His heart sank.

Officer Qi stopped in front of the iron gate, and the guards hurriedly inserted the key into the lock. With a "click," the gate opened.

The light inside was much dimmer than outside. The flames of a few oil lamps on the wall flickered in the draft, casting the shadows of the two rows of cells on the ground like distorted nets.

Xu Qing spotted Qin Liang at a glance.

Qin Liang leaned against the earthen wall, wrapped in a tattered blanket, his face as white as paper.

His left arm was splinted and slung across his chest. His face was covered in bruises, his left eye was swollen shut, and a black scab covered his lips.

Hearing the noise, he struggled to open the eye he could still open. When he saw Xu Qing, the corner of his mouth twitched as if he wanted to laugh, but the smile was uglier than a cry.

"Junior Brother Xu..." His voice was so hoarse that it was almost inaudible.

Xu Qing squatted down and carefully examined his injuries. His left arm was broken, three ribs were broken, and there wasn't a single patch of unscathed skin on his body. These kinds of injuries weren't inflicted during sparring; they were the result of being beaten to a pulp.

"Who did this?" Xu Qing's voice was low and cold, devoid of any warmth.

Qin Liang opened his mouth, but before he could speak, Constable Qi came up from behind and took over the conversation.

"Early this morning, our people went to the alley where Qin Liang lived to check the household registration. They heard a noise coming from his yard, broke down the door and found him lying in the yard, covered in blood and unconscious."

Officer Qi's voice was neither loud nor soft, revealing no emotion: "His parents were tied up in the kitchen, their mouths gagged with cloth, and they were terrified. We questioned them for a long time before we pieced together the gist of the story from them."

Officer Qi glanced at Qin Liang, then at Xu Qing, and continued, "The Tiger Head Gang came to him before dawn today. By the time our men broke down the door, they had already escaped over the wall. The leader is a cunning fellow. They had Qin Liang take your sister out of the private school and hand her over to the local temple outside the city."

Xu Qing's breath caught in her throat for a moment.

"Qin Liang refused." There was a hint of admiration in Constable Qi's voice. "Those people beat him, first punching and kicking him, and when they saw he still wouldn't agree, they went all out. They broke his left arm and three of his ribs, and beat him unconscious twice. They woke him up with cold water and continued beating him."

"He didn't give a word from beginning to end."

Officer Qi paused, looked at Qin Liang with a deep gaze: "If our men hadn't passed by his house, he would have died in his own yard this morning."

The cell fell silent; the flame of the oil lamp flickered briefly before settling back down.

Xu Qing squatted down in front of Qin Liang, looking at his face, which had been beaten beyond recognition. He didn't say anything more, but simply reached out and gently pressed on Qin Liang's uninjured shoulder.

Qin Liang twitched the corners of his mouth again, this time managing a slight smile: "Junior Brother Xu... Xiu'er... also calls me brother... Even if I die... I will never harm Xiu'er..."

He spoke haltingly, but every word was clear. He struggled to open his eye, which was swollen to a slit, but his gaze remained bright.

"I know," Xu Qing's voice was a little hoarse. "I know."

He stood up, shifting his gaze from Qin Liang to Officer Qi.

Officer Qi sighed, looked into the depths of the prison, and said, "Let's go, there's one more inside."

Xu Qing's eyes flickered, and he followed Constable Qi inside.

Sun Ping was imprisoned in the innermost cell.

Sun Ping sat on the straw, his hands chained, his face unharmed, his clothes clean, a stark contrast to Qin Liang's miserable state.