Proving God begins with the principle that no effort is wasted.

Chapter 11 Undercurrents

On the day of the fishing festival, the bustling Yucheng Wharf was shrouded in an inescapable atmosphere of hostility.

Every household carried their woven fishing nets to deliver, piling them up like small mountains.

Black Tiger Gang henchmen, carrying knives, moved about, cursing and kicking over substandard fishing nets. Scarlet lanterns hung at the four corners of the shed, their glow like will-o'-the-wisps in broad daylight, sending chills down one's spine.

"Hurry up! Master Ma is watching here. If you delay your mission in Shangcheng, your whole family won't be able to afford the consequences!"

The shouts of the henchmen rose and fell, and the people queuing to hand over their nets dared not utter a sound.

Jiang Lan carried the last three fishing nets and squeezed to the end of the long line, with Cheng Erniang following behind him.

At the very front of the group, in a grand chair, sat a burly man, slowly wiping a teacup.

Ma Sandao, the new leader of the Black Tiger Gang.

The procession moved extremely slowly. The fishing nets of two fishermen in front of them were knocked back, and their cries and pleas for mercy were useless; they were simply pushed aside by the henchmen.

Finally, it was Jiang Lan's turn. He put the fishing net on the table and was about to speak when Ma Sandao raised his eyes, his gaze lazily sweeping over Jiang Lan's martial arts training clothes, and paused for a moment.

"So you're that poor bastard who studied martial arts at the Guangchang Martial Arts School?"

The henchmen beside him immediately burst into laughter, their contemptuous eyes piercing Jiang Lan like needles.

Jiang Lan remained calm, clasped his hands in a fist and said in a flat voice, "Jiang Lan, come and hand over the fishing net."

Ma Sandao chuckled and tapped the table with his fingertips. "What a coincidence, I also came from Guangchang Martial Arts School. By seniority, you should call me senior brother."

Jiang Lan's heart sank.

He had long heard rumors that the martial arts school was colluding with the Black Tiger Gang.

But Ma Sandao's act of revealing this secret in front of so many people is an open threat—his every move in the martial arts school is known to his opponents.

He didn't reply, but simply pushed the fishing net forward.

Ma Sandao casually flipped the fishing net a couple of times, waved to the henchmen beside him, and whispered, "Go and find out where this kid comes from, what his family situation is, find out everything for me."

The henchmen immediately bowed and scraped as they ran off.

Ma Sandao picked up his teacup without even glancing at Jiang Lan.

Jiang Lan took her mother's hand and turned to leave. Even after walking a long way from the dock, Cheng Erniang's hand was still trembling.

He held his mother's cold hand tightly and whispered reassuringly, "Mother, it's alright, I'm here."

He said he was fine, but Ma Sandao's words "senior brother" were like a poisonous thorn, piercing his heart.

Ma Sandao wasn't just saying it casually; he had his eye on him.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

During the afternoon break at the martial arts school, several disciples gathered under the eaves and whispered among themselves. Jiang Lan was practicing her punches in front of the training posts when Sun Geng pulled her away.

"Do you know who the magistrate from Shangcheng is who came to the Fishing Festival?" a disciple asked in a low voice, his face full of mystery. "He's the steward of the Liu family from the prefectural city! The Liu family is a major silk producer in our prefecture; they collect tens of thousands of fishing nets from Yucheng alone every year!"

"What does collecting fishing nets have to do with us?" someone replied.

"The connections are enormous!" Sun Gengsan lowered his voice. "The Liu family doesn't just do business; they own the largest martial arts school in the entire prefecture in the capital, specializing in training bodyguards and镖师 (bodyguards/escorts). Even the worst graduates can become head instructors in wealthy families, earning dozens of taels of silver a month! I heard that this time, Manager Liu is not only here to buy goods, but also to select promising talents in Yu City and take them directly to the capital for training!"

"That would have to be a genius like Jiang Hao, right? With our aptitude, we can forget about it."

The group burst into laughter, their laughter filled with self-deprecation.

Jiang Lan stood there, but her heart suddenly skipped a beat.

In Fucheng, the Liu family's martial arts school not only offers better resources but also a higher platform.

Previously, he only thought about practicing his boxing skills at the martial arts school in Yucheng, opening up his acupoints, and participating in the martial arts examination.

But now, a wider road lies before him.

He didn't lean closer to listen anymore, but turned back to the wooden stake and assumed the starting stance of the Mountain-Crushing Fist.

Tiger's Ben, Tiger's Swing, Tiger's Pounce.

The force of his punches carried a muffled thud as they pierced the air, and his sweat, hitting the stone slabs, dried instantly. Each punch he threw was more steady and heavier than the last, his mind focused on only one thought: to become stronger, to become stronger quickly.

In the evening, most of the disciples had left. Jiang Lan put down his fist and was about to go get the medicinal bath when he bumped into Jiang Hao in the corridor.

Jiang Hao held a densely packed set of regulations in his hand, his brows furrowed, and his expression was very unpleasant.

"What's wrong?" Jiang Lan stopped and asked.

Jiang Hao glanced at him, and unusually, instead of turning away as usual, he shook the booklet in his hand irritably: "My master wants me to try out this year's martial arts examination."

Jiang Lan was taken aback: "You've only opened six acupoints. Didn't Master say that you need to open all nine acupoints to have a chance of winning a prize?"

"So I'm just giving it a try." Jiang Hao's tone was full of helplessness. "My mentor told me to go out and broaden my horizons, to experience the atmosphere of the examination room. But he also made it clear that with my current level, I can't even get past the threshold of the re-examination."

He paused, his gaze falling on Jiang Lan, and suddenly asked, "How's your training going lately?"

"Not bad, I've just gotten the hang of circulating qi and blood," Jiang Lan said truthfully.

Jiang Hao nodded, said nothing more, clutched the booklet, and turned to leave.

Jiang Lan watched his retreating figure, her heart churning with emotion.

Jiang Hao, who opened six acupoints in a year and was hailed as a genius by the entire martial arts school, couldn't even get close to the second round of the martial arts examination.

Just how difficult is this road?

He turned and returned to the empty training ground, regaining his horse stance.

For myself—to seize more opportunities, to protect my mother, and to have the confidence to stand up to someone like Ma Sandao!

He closed his eyes, calmed his mind, and clearly sensed the warm blood and qi within his body.

Having practiced stance training for so long, he was no longer a novice who could only vaguely feel the heat.

Now, he can accurately capture the flow path of Qi and blood—rising from the Yongquan acupoint on the sole of the foot, climbing up the spine along the leg bone, and then steadily sinking into the Dantian, with every flow clearly visible.

Following the flow of qi and blood, he lowered his waist, thrust his hips, twisted his shoulders, and threw a punch.

It doesn't rely on brute force of muscles, but rather on the qi and blood in the dantian flowing along the meridians and instantly shooting to the fist.

"call--"

A muffled thud echoed through the air, and the wooden stake in front of them swayed slightly from the force of the punch.

Jiang Lan opened her eyes, staring at her fist, her eyes shining with an astonishing light.

Not the same.

In the past, when I practiced boxing, my body followed my fist; now, my qi follows my fist. The boxing style is still the same, but the power, speed, and continuity of the force are much stronger than before.

A flash of golden light appeared in my mind, and a familiar control panel popped up:

Heaven rewards diligence; no effort is ever wasted.

【Crushing Mountain Fist (Beginner): 22/300】

【Crushing Mountain Stance Exercise (Beginner): 201/300】

[Martial Arts Comprehension: 2]

Jiang Lan took a deep breath, suppressed the turmoil in her heart, and steadied herself in her horse stance once more.

The changes brought about by improved comprehension are not just faster training, but also a deeper understanding of martial arts.

He used to just practice blindly, but now he can understand every move and stance in the boxing manual and what secrets it holds.

He practiced like this over and over again until it was completely dark and the lanterns in the training ground had almost burned out, before he stopped.

As Jiang Lan walked out of the martial arts school and passed the dock, she saw Ma Sandao talking to someone in the distance.

The man was dressed in a silk jacket, with a piece of mutton-fat jade hanging from his waist, and he had an extraordinary air about him.

The usually fierce-looking Ma Sandao was now bowing, his face full of smiles, and his tone respectful: "Manager Liu, rest assured, this year's fishing nets are all top-quality, they will absolutely not delay your business, sir. With me, Ma Sandao, here in Yucheng, there will be absolutely no mishaps."

Manager Liu nodded indifferently, his gaze casually sweeping across the dock, where it met Jiang Lan's eyes not far away.

In just a moment, Manager Liu looked away.

Jiang Lan lowered her head and walked quickly past, but she knew in her heart that with Steward Liu's early arrival, the peace in Yu City probably wouldn't last long.

Back home, Cheng Erniang was still weaving nets under the oil lamp. She had already handed in all the fishing nets she was supposed to, but she still wouldn't stop, saying that she would weave a few more so she could exchange them for some copper coins at the market.

Jiang Lan didn't try to dissuade her, but instead slipped a jar of ointment into her mother's hand.

My mother has supported this family her whole life with the shuttle in her hand; that's what she cherishes.

He boiled a pot of water and poured in the medicine packet given by the martial arts school. The bitter smell of the medicine mixed with the steam instantly filled the entire room.

He took off his clothes and stepped into the wooden tub. The scalding hot medicine enveloped his entire body. In the past, he would have gritted his teeth and clenched his fists in pain. But today, only a warm sensation seeped into his flesh, without any of the needle-like pain he had felt before.

His body has changed.

As one's physical constitution improves from the lower middle to the middle, even the body's tolerance and ability to absorb medicine also improve.

He closed his eyes and clearly felt the medicinal power seeping into his meridians and bones little by little along the path of his blood and qi, nourishing every inch of his skin and flesh.

Jiang Hao opened six acupoints in a year, what about him?

He didn't know how many he could break through in a year—one? Two?

But he knew that every step he took on this path was firmly planted in his heart. His speed would only increase.

If Jiang Hao can take the martial arts imperial examination, so can he.

We can catch up, we definitely can.

He clenched his fist, and the medicine in the bucket splashed over the rim.

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps and two men speaking in hushed tones came from outside the courtyard gate.

"Master Ma said to keep a close eye on this kid's family and not let him escape."

"Don't worry, what can a poor kid do? Once the fishing festival is over, Master Ma will have his own plans."

The footsteps faded into the distance, and the courtyard returned to silence.

Jiang Lan suddenly opened her eyes.

Ma Sandao, as expected, had no intention of letting him go.