Chapter 16: Body Tempering II

Lin Shunhe nodded and assented repeatedly.

After seeing off Xu Dao and his two men, he closed and locked the door. Turning around, he saw his wife standing by the inner room door, wearing a coat and watching him.

“A He…” Yao Shan called out worriedly.

“It’s alright. I’ve got this. You go back to sleep,” Lin Shunhe waved his hand, speaking calmly.

With his previous connections, Xu Dao‘s attitude was relatively gentle, and everything was handled according to the rules. This was good. He wasn’t afraid of many rules, only of no rules at all.

As for the profits, having managed an oil workshop for so many years, fudging the books was a simple matter for him.

The crucial point wasn’t the profits, but the support the shop would need once it opened.

Connections would diminish with use. It was fine for now, but in the long run, relationships would fade.

At that time… what would he rely on to sustain their current life?

Thinking of this, Lin Shunhe‘s mind raced, contemplating a way to break this situation in the future.

However, as soon as he entered the door, his wife Yao Shan couldn’t help but whisper.

“A He, the Muhua Gang people also came once today. Why did the Fuan Gang people come again?”

“Hmm? The Muhua Gang also came?” Lin Shunhe keenly sensed something was wrong. This situation usually only happened when two gangs started fighting over territory, but Xinyu Town had always been Fuan Gang territory.

“We’ll stay home these few days and not go anywhere. We’ll wait until the two gangs sort things out,” he instructed.

“I’m afraid the Fuan Gang won’t be able to hold them off. The Muhua Gang people were very overbearing; they took five thousand qian from us right away,” Yao Shan worried.

“It’s fine. This actually means the Muhua Gang doesn’t plan on long-term operations; it’s just a one-off deal. They’ll probably leave soon,” Lin Shunhe judged and reassured her.

Despite his words, he sighed inwardly. This was the exact situation of being left without a noble person’s protection or guarantee. If it were before, even the managers of the Fuan Gang would have to respectfully visit him and drink with him.

Now, Lin Shunhe had to be thankful that he had been smooth and proper in his conduct during his prosperous days, otherwise, if he had offended many people, he would surely be ostracized by a large group now that he was out of favor.

The current situation was almost the same as that of the common people, which was already a blessing in misfortune.

---

December.

The weather grew increasingly cold.

The area around the Clear Wind Taoist Temple was filled with swirling dead leaves and yellow foliage everywhere.

The cold wind howled.

The disciples who ventured out formed small teams, slowly patrolling the area around the temple like centipedes, driving away wild animals.

Lin Hui silently gripped his sword, standing in a corner of the somewhat empty training ground next to the wooden weapons rack, slowly immersed in the enlightenment of the final stance of the Seven-Section Quick Sword.

Just a moment ago, the final stance of the Seven-Section Quick Sword had finally completed its evolution.

It was replaced by a massive surge of memories related to the quick sword’s enlightenment, which flooded his mind.

The wooden sword in his hand became increasingly familiar, connected to his flesh and blood. At this moment, Lin Hui‘s eyes were blurred, his pupils rapidly contracting and expanding as if electrocuted.

About half a minute later, he let out a long sigh of relief.

He picked up the sword again and pondered for a moment.

Chii.

Suddenly, he performed a diagonal slash forward, initiating the Seven-Section Quick Sword with extremely practiced movements.

Stance after stance, every move of this sword style seemed to have sprouted a kind of vitality, becoming nimble and elegant in his hands.

At this moment, he looked as if his entire being had transformed into a brown shadow, a shadow encased by the wooden sword’s brown outline.

All seven stances, encompassing over fifty points of force, were seamlessly executed in his hands, completed within a brief half-minute.

Swish.

Lin Hui stopped his movements, stood still, held the sword vertically along his body’s central axis, and closed his eyes to regulate his breath.

A clear, cold current of air swiftly rose from the soles of his feet as he stood motionless, flowing up his calves, thighs, waist, abdomen, and directly toward his crown.

For a moment, Lin Hui felt as if he were soaking in clear, cold spring water, yet he felt no chill.

Only a strange sense of relaxation and comfort flooded his heart.

‘It’s done!’ He opened his eyes, and a great weight finally settled heavily in his heart.

Over a year of hard training had finally paid off today.

The cold current of Body Tempering was so clear that he almost mistook it for something else.

After all, he had asked Chen Zhishen about it in a letter before. The cold current that appeared during Body Tempering should normally be a very faint trace, requiring careful, quiet sensation to detect.

But the current he felt just now was truly exaggerated. That cold current, which almost occupied the entire vascular muscle system of his lower legs, was hardly a trace; it was probably ten times stronger, if not more.

Lin Hui felt the state of his body for a moment, then put down his sword again and began a new round of Body Tempering.

The number of daily Body Tempering sessions using the Seven-Section Quick Sword was unlimited but required consumption of the body’s energy reserves. Therefore, a person could perform a maximum of ten Body Tempering sessions daily.

Of course, under normal circumstances, even a genius like Huang Shan could not complete ten Body Tempering sessions.

This was because if even one of the fifty-plus points of force was wrong, they would have to start over. Furthermore, as practice progressed to the later stages, intense concentration became harder to maintain, making errors more likely.

Therefore, generally, according to Chen Zhishen‘s inquiries, a strong disciple who could complete six or seven Body Tempering sessions a day was considered impressive.

Average disciples managed four or five times, and the weakest only once or twice.

This was the hierarchy among the formal disciples of the Clear Wind Taoist Temple.

‘This Body Tempering is a basic skill that must be done daily. Falling short by just a few sessions every day, when stretched over time, truly creates a gap that widens daily and becomes an insurmountable chasm.’

Lin Hui only now sensed the tremendous difference talent made at this moment, a terrifying gap that ordinary people were powerless to bridge.

After completing this Body Tempering session, he practiced the Seven-Section Quick Sword ten more times, completing the maximum, before slowly stopping.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to continue, but a faint stinging pain clearly emanated from his chest, indicating that he had overloaded his system.

After stopping, the students who had been out patrolling also entered the gate and returned to the temple.

Lin Hui immediately grabbed his wooden sword and headed toward the main hall in the front.

He had completed Body Tempering. It was time to register and change his status. The benefits of being a formal disciple were numerous. Aside from improved living conditions, the tuition fee would be less, and he would no longer have to pay so much every month. Furthermore, his name would be recorded in the Clear Wind Taoist Temple‘s annual recommended disciple roster, becoming a catalog for various powers to select and hire from.

This system was something the martial arts halls and sects in Tuyue had long mastered with great proficiency.

Passing through the main hall, Lin Hui quickly spotted Daoist Minchen, the Master on duty, who was watching the disciples practice in the front courtyard.

This was the man he had met once at the entrance to the Mist Zone path in the rear. He had seen him a few times since, serving as a martial arts instructor.

Lin Hui recognized him immediately.

Minchen was stroking his goatee, his eyes scanning the disciples below.

An unobservant person would be awed by his image of transcendent Taoist grace and develop respect.

But a disciple like Lin Hui, who had stayed in the temple for over a year, knew that the Master’s gaze was definitely focused on the physically appealing female disciples below.

“Disciple Lin Hui greets True Man Minchen.” Lin Hui wasted no words, stepping forward and bowing in salute.

“Hmm, what is it?” Minchen, clearly having forgotten the young man he had met individually, collected himself slightly and glanced at him.

“This disciple officially completed the initial Body Tempering today and has come to change my status in the register,” Lin Hui stated directly.

“Completed Body Tempering? Not bad,” Minchen nodded casually. “How long did it take you to complete Body Tempering?”

“Just over a year.”

“That’s acceptable. Huineng, take him to change the register,” Minchen instructed a nearby half-grown Taoist child.

“Yes.”

The Taoist child was only thirteen or fourteen, significantly shorter than Lin Hui, but this type of child was closest to the True Masters, so Lin Hui dared not look down on him and immediately greeted him respectfully.

The Taoist child smiled and led Lin Hui to a small, single room to the side of the main hall, pulled out the register, and meticulously recorded his name.

“Senior Brother already has a contract with the temple, so you don’t need to be placed on the recommendation roster. That simplifies things,” the Taoist child said with a smile.

“Indeed,” Lin Hui nodded, returning the smile.

“Next, Senior Brother can go to the front courtyard to practice daily. The front courtyard is the designated area for us formal disciples to practice. Most of the practice focuses on the Nine-Section Quick Sword and the Clear Wind Sword Style. The area allocated per person is quite large, but the space is limited, so you’ll have to wait your turn to use the field. Of course, you can also practice outside in the nearby area. However, many Senior Brothers and Sisters choose to leave the temple once they reach the front courtyard, practicing at home, and only returning for gatherings to receive instruction on days when the Masters teach.”

The Taoist child explained a few things.

“In short, once you enter the front courtyard, you have much more freedom than before. Some skilled Senior Brothers and Sisters even hold positions in minor gangs and earn money, leading very comfortable lives. So, if you encounter members of minor gangs in the city, ask for their background before acting. Of course, they usually ask first, and once they know our background, those with some relationship will usually willingly give face and bypass you.”

“Thank you for the guidance, Junior Brother,” Lin Hui clasped his hands in salute, thoughtful.

“No problem. I just hear everyone talking a lot and happen to know a little more,” the Taoist child said with a smile.

After changing his name, Lin Hui received a hard, black waist tablet, simply carved with the characters ‘Clear Wind,’ representing his new status as a formal disciple of the front courtyard.

“You now have a three-day leave. How you arrange it is entirely up to you,” the Taoist child continued.

“I think I’ll go home for a visit. It’s been a long time since I’ve been back,” Lin Hui replied.

Having completed the registration change, he turned and walked toward the rear courtyard. Leaving the main hall, he passed the dining hall entrance and encountered many disciples gathering to go for lunch.

A few girls walking together happened to see him exit the side room where the register was kept.

Among the girls, the one with a long braid on the left was none other than Xie Li, who had been in the same social circle as Lin Hui and Chen Zhishen before.

She looked at the noticeably more upright and taller Lin Hui and guessed that he had completed Body Tempering.

“He broke through too. He’ll probably be sent out soon, just like Chen Zhishen?”

She herself had completed Body Tempering last month and knew the situation in the front courtyard. There was a reason why the front courtyard maintained a size of only twenty-something disciples.

On one hand, many disciples’ goal was simply Body Tempering, and once achieved, they immediately left to earn money.

On the other hand, the front courtyard also had a competitive system. Only those ranked in the front were qualified to enjoy the welfare and benefits of the temple’s resources. The rest still had to spend heavily to purchase resources for practice. Since this made their expenses exceed their income, few could sustain it.

“Is that Lin Hui? He finally completed Body Tempering. Actually, he’s still quite fast,” her friend said casually with a smile. “Well, Xie Li, do you regret anything a little? Maybe he’s a small genius too?”

“It’s nothing major. The cultivation after Body Tempering is harder and longer. That’s the real challenge to face. With his aptitude and talent, he won’t make much of a splash,” Xie Li said calmly. “I’m currently following Senior Sister Mu Qiaozhi. Being at the same level of Body Tempering, I enjoy superior benefits at the Mu Family, and my cultivation speed far exceeds that of ordinary front courtyard disciples. If I had stayed as I was before, that would have been the true regret.”

“That’s true. Senior Sister Mu Qiaozhi is kind-hearted. You are lucky,” her friend chuckled playfully.

“Let’s go. It won’t be long before he realizes how important resources are to people like us who aren’t geniuses,” Xie Li said no more. Compared to Lin Hui, whose family status had fallen, she was no longer on the same level as him.

In a year at most, the gap between them would widen to a point that would make him despair.

(End of Chapter)