Chapter 54 : Chapter 54
Chapter 54. With the Speed of Lightning?
Just like last month, Xu Yuan taught martial techniques at the training compound. There were no twists or surprises in the process. He was already thoroughly familiar with it, so after finishing the lesson quickly, he devoted all his effort to improving his realm.
At the same time, his reputation as a “martial fanatic” had become even more deeply rooted in people’s minds. Quite a few people would greet him with a friendly smile whenever they saw him, leaving Xu Yuan completely baffled.
Time hurried on, and another month passed in the blink of an eye.
The first day of the fifth month.
Chen Sanli and the others returned to the residence rather early today and came to Xu Yuan’s quarters for a small gathering in the afternoon. But seeing how eager Xu Yuan was to cultivate, they only hastily finished a simple meal before taking their leave.
After seeing them off, Xu Yuan went into the quiet chamber and tirelessly practiced his stance art. Only when the light had completely faded did he finally stop, raising a hand to wipe the sweat from his brow.
[Skills: Tai Chi Exercise (Mastery 70%), Stone Platform Stance (Mastery 92%), Benlei Fist (Small Success 67%)]
[Aptitude: 15 (Naturally Exceptional Bones)]
“As expected, the accumulation of Qi and blood at the Third Meridian is on a completely different level from the Second Meridian. I’ve cultivated bitterly without pause for two months, and I’m still a little short… but it’s close now.”
Xu Yuan shook his head. Logically speaking, he should still have had one month of self-selected duty left.
But just a few days ago, he had learned from Zhao Qiusheng that, just as the Shangyang Residence had begun to fall behind, it had suddenly come up with an unexpected stratagem and launched a massive counteroffensive against the Bai Family. It had now seized quite a bit of territory and was in urgent need of manpower.
So Xu Yuan and the others had all been moved forward a step, and this month they had been assigned to the Level Three zone.
“So whether the Shangyang Residence is losing or not, we still have to move, huh?” Xu Yuan felt speechless every time he thought about it.
One full month of self-selected time had been swallowed up just like that. Naturally, he was extremely unwilling, but under the shadow of the enormous behemoth that was the Shangyang Residence, all he could do was obediently cooperate.
Fortunately, the risks in the Level Three zone were somewhat lower. And through Zhao Qiusheng’s connections, he had chosen a street somewhat farther from the center of the fighting. There was even a friend of Zhao Qiusheng’s there who could help look after him to some degree.
What was more, once Xu Yuan got there, with his cultivation, he should be able to secure a team leader position, so it would presumably be fairly stable.
“According to Chen Sanli, not only does the team leader get the largest share of the benefits in the team, but the work is also extremely easy. Normally, he only needs to rotate in every few days and lead a patrol.”
“If my turn comes up in the first few days, then I’ll just spend some money and have Uncle Zhao’s friend cover for me. No matter what, I’m not going out until I break through to the Fourth Meridian.”
Xu Yuan considered this carefully, laying out his plans for the road ahead in detail. This involved his very life, so no amount of caution was excessive.
In any case, he still had a fairly ample amount of silver on hand. Throwing some of it away in exchange for a buffer of time was well worth it.
As long as he could wait until he broke through to the Fourth Meridian, he would have much greater confidence—whether it was harvesting heads for military merit rewards or calmly withdrawing if he encountered an opponent he could not defeat.
“I’ll be staying outside for quite a while this time. I should go speak with my elder brother and sister-in-law first.”
Having finished his deliberations, Xu Yuan went to the washroom to rinse away the sweat on his body. After cleaning himself up, he left the Shangyang Residence.
When he got home,
his sister-in-law, Zhang Shi, saw that it was him and at once moved to pour him some tea. Xu Yuan waved a hand and said, “No need, Sister-in-law. I can do it myself.”
Standing off to the side, Zhang Shi wiped her hands, her breathing slightly hurried. After a while, as though she had suddenly remembered something, she cried, “My soup!” and fled toward the back kitchen as if escaping.
Xu Yuan shook his head with a smile. He knew she wanted to improve their relationship, but she simply did not know what to say.
But in his heart, not only did he not mind the matter, he actually admired his sister-in-law quite a bit.
Back when the Xu family had been in that sort of state, how many women would still have dared to marry into it?
Then Xu Yuan looked around. The courtyard was clean and orderly, and strips of cured meat were hanging beneath the eaves to dry. Compared with their old life in the outer city, things were much better now.
It was not until evening
that Xu Zheng finally returned. His face looked somewhat weary, and his body carried the scent of sweat.
‘Elder Brother is still doing labor work?’ Xu Yuan frowned, quietly taking note of it.
At the dinner table,
his sister-in-law had prepared a whole table full of dishes, all excellent in color, aroma, and taste.
Naturally, the family ate heartily, and amid their talking and laughter, the atmosphere was quite harmonious.
“A few days ago, guess who I saw?”
His sister-in-law gradually became more talkative, and now she spoke with the particular love of gossip unique to married women.
“I ran into Li Xiaoqian on Front Street by the vegetable market. That cold expression of hers—she did not show even the slightest bit of warmth. And I used to buy candied hawthorns for her all the time, too. Hah!”
Xu Zheng’s expression shifted slightly, and he reached out to tap Zhang Shi on the shoulder. “Why are you talking about that in front of A-Yuan?”
“Oh? Right, right.” Zhang Shi cast Xu Yuan a discreet glance and slapped her forehead. “Look at my memory. Forget her…”
Seeing the strange expressions on both their faces, Xu Yuan frowned. He racked his brain for quite a while before finally remembering who Li Xiaoqian was, and he could not help shaking his head with a laugh.
“Speaking of which, when I was working in Sanhe Alley, I also ran into Auntie’s family,” Xu Zheng said, his interest in talking also stirred. He went on at length:
“They’re doing really well now. Their house is large and bright, and even the way they walk carries a certain swagger. But when they saw me, they acted like they did not know me at all and just walked off with their noses in the air.”
Zhang Shi spat in disdain and said indignantly, “There was not a single one among your relatives worth a damn. When something happened to the family back then, not even a ghost could be found. And all along, they were living right here in the inner city, doing perfectly well for themselves?”
“Isn’t that the truth?” Xu Zheng shook his head.
Xu Yuan watched the two of them chat about household matters and occasionally chimed in with a few words himself, but in his heart, he was still thinking about what would happen once he got to the Level Three zone.
…
And just as Xu Yuan was planning how to break through to the Fourth Meridian more safely in the Level Three zone and gather military merit,
Quan Xiong, who had been paying exceptionally close attention to the affairs inside the Shangyang Residence from the outer city, also learned of this news. So he hurriedly invited Chen Qimei over from the Bai Family.
“I heard from someone that starting this month, that brat is going to be forcibly assigned to the Level Three zone. Our chance has come!” Quan Xiong rubbed his hands together, looking somewhat excited.
Ever since learning that Xu Yuan had broken through to the Third Meridian, he had been like a startled bird. Even when eating and sleeping, his nerves remained taut. As long as Xu Yuan was dealt with, all this torment would come to an end!
“I’m saying, you used to be a man who lived with a blade at his throat. How did you become this frightened now?” Chen Qimei, by contrast, remained completely unhurried and even shot him a somewhat contemptuous glance.
“Besides, you’re standing in Bai Family territory. Even if that brat had ten times the courage, he still would not dare come here.”
“I’m old. I’m not like I was back then, charging around recklessly,” Quan Xiong said with a bitter face. “I’ve saved up enough family wealth that all I want now is to pursue the martial path. And if I fail in the end, then I still want to live out a peaceful old age.”
When Chen Qimei heard that, his expression softened somewhat. They were about the same age, and was that not exactly what he wanted as well?
After a pause, he continued,
“This sudden change in the Shangyang Residence actually works quite well for us. That boy’s talent is high, so the sooner he comes out, the better… Right, how are you so sure he won’t be assigned to the medicinal fields?”
“He won’t!”
Quan Xiong had already heard Liu Yue talk about this matter before, and now he analyzed it carefully:
“The best assignments in the Shangyang Residence are the medicinal fields and the Level One zone. Xu Yuan has broken through to the Third Meridian, and the lucrative posts suited to his level have long since been divided up cleanly among the well-connected. How could it possibly be his turn?”
Then he let out a cold laugh. “As long as he reaches the Level Three zone, he’ll be bordering Bai Family territory. Then we’ll be in the open and he’ll be in the dark. Are you telling me we still won’t be able to kill this brat?”
Knowing that Quan Xiong had contacts within the Shangyang Residence, Chen Qimei asked no further questions and instead began discussing the plan.
“On my side, I can invite two friends who are also at the Third Meridian…”
The moment Quan Xiong heard him leave that opening, he understood at once and gritted his teeth. “Understood. When the time comes, I’ll pay them for their help. And if Brother Chen needs anything from me in the future, I definitely won’t refuse.”
Only then did Chen Qimei nod in satisfaction. Their relationship might be good, but accounts still had to be kept clear.
Besides, this trouble had been caused by Quan Xiong in the first place, so naturally the consequences had to be borne by him as well.
“Still, we need to make some precautions. If we fail to kill him in one strike, that boy will probably become even more cautious in the future,” Quan Xiong said, frowning.
“Relax. A single street is staffed with three squads, and only the team leader is a Third Meridian martial artist. We’ll strike while he’s out on patrol. With a thunderous blow from three martial artists of the same realm, let’s see how he escapes.”
Chen Qimei smiled and waved his hand. The gap between each meridian of a martial artist was extremely large. Basically, there was no possibility of challenging above one’s level.
“As long as we make our move, it will be with the speed of lightning. We absolutely won’t give him any chance to react!”
The two of them then went back and forth over the details again and again, striving to leave nothing to chance.
As Quan Xiong discussed the plan, his heart gradually settled down. With a teasing smile on his face, he said, “This can practically be called an inescapable net. Unless he’s already at the Fourth Meridian, or this turns into one of those stories where a genius breaks through in the middle of battle, then this is as good as certain!”
“The Fourth Meridian? How is that possible?”
Chen Qimei was so amused by that remark that he laughed aloud. His contempt for Quan Xiong deepened even further. He was even considering whether he ought to keep a little more distance from him in daily life. How could the man say something so absurdly lacking in common sense?
Seeing Chen Qimei smile, Quan Xiong likewise began laughing, wearing a grin like Cao Cao beneath the setting sun.