"What a load of goddamn horseshit!"
Qiu Wenjie shot Luo Dehu a cold look. "Back when Brother Xu decided not to join, all of you mocked him for being a coward. You're the one with no brains, yet you blame him for not giving you a heads-up? Even if Brother Xu had warned you, would any of you have listened?"
Luo Dehu's face flushed crimson.
Qiu Wenjie continued, "Think before you speak. All you do is dream of windfalls from the sky. You wanted Brother Xu to warn you? And he should be the one to offend Xue Fangsheng in the process?"
"Alright!"
Xu Yang patted Qiu Wenjie's shoulder, and only then did he fall silent.
In truth, besides Tang Ruiyang and the other two who had died, people like Zhang Yong and Luo Dehu had actually won their gamble.
With this money, achieving Qi Gathering was no longer just an idle fantasy.
They could use the money to hole up in Weiyuan Hall until they succeeded at Qi Gathering. Once they left after that, Xue Fangsheng would no longer be a threat.
Xue Fangsheng also didn't want the matter escalating to Lin Cheng, so he hadn't shorted them a single coin. He gave the four of them a full fifty-odd taels of silver.
'I had originally intended to give them a hint,' Xu Yang thought, 'but Luo Dehu's words made me lose all desire to say anything. Still, they'll probably figure out the solution of staying in Weiyuan Hall soon enough.'
'The only shame is that I won't get to see the looks on the faces of Tang Ruiyang and his cronies. Honestly, seeing Luo Dehu and Qian Jiaxing in such a sorry state is actually a little gratifying. The main reason I came over was to see the regret on the faces of those who had mocked me for being a coward.'
After a short while, Zhang Yong and the others did indeed think of staying in Weiyuan Hall to avoid Xue Fangsheng. They used their cut from him to pay for lodging, leaving him unable to make a move.
The next day, the families of Tang Ruiyang, Yang Dacai, and the third deceased disciple came to Weiyuan Hall to raise a fuss. After Zhang Yong, Luo Dehu, and the others paid them off with a sum of money, the deaths of the three men were quickly forgotten.
...
On this day, Xu Yang and Zhang Hong were sparring. The match concluded when Xu Yang defeated him with a single technique, "Spirit Bear's Victory."
"You're improving quickly," Xu Yang said with a sigh. "At this rate, you should reach the threshold for a breakthrough in half a month at most."
Zhang Hong didn't hold the previous incident against him. It had been his own choice, so there was no one to blame—besides, Xu Yang had already warned him.
It seemed Zhang Yong had also come to terms with what happened, as he would occasionally take the initiative to exchange a few words with Xu Yang.
Now that they had money, both of them were improving rapidly. Reaching the threshold within half a month wouldn't be a problem. As for whether they could successfully achieve Qi Gathering, even Xu Yang couldn't say.
"What about you, then?"
Zhang Hong wiped the sweat from his face and looked at Xu Yang curiously.
Even though they sparred often, he could never quite gauge the depths of Xu Yang's abilities; it felt as if he was always holding something back.
"Me?"
Just as Xu Yang was mulling over how to respond, a long, clear cry suddenly echoed through the air.
Both instinctively turned to look. The source of the cry was none other than Lu Ren.
Lu Ren's aura was surging, his hair whipping around him, his face flushed with excitement. "Haha… I've achieved Qi Gathering!"
These words stunned everyone in the Outer Courtyard.
To succeed in Qi Gathering was to cross a divide as vast as that between the clouds and the mud.
Once someone succeeded in Qi Gathering, they became a true Martial Artist. Their power would undergo an earth-shattering transformation, and they would be treated with courtesy and respect wherever they went.
The fact that Lu Ren had achieved Qi Gathering after only two months of training, at the absolute most, made his achievement all the more significant.
Consider this: Zhou Yang, who had started training half a month before them, hadn't even reached the threshold for Breaking Through yet.
"To think he achieved Qi Gathering so quickly!"
Zhang Hong was once again struck by a sense of helplessness at Lu Ren's talent. As one of the prospects chosen alongside him from the Huang Family, he had, of course, secretly competed with Lu Ren, wanting to surpass him.
Now, that last shred of desire to compete with Lu Ren vanished completely.
"We're truly no match for him."
Zhang Yong walked over as well, a complicated mix of emotions on his face.
Xu Yang remained silent. He just watched Luo Dehu and Qian Jiaxing rush over to kiss up to Lu Ren and saw the other Outer Courtyard Disciples offering fawning congratulations.
Lu Ren, his expression proud, responded to each of the well-wishers in turn.
"Let's go over. We all struggled in the same pit together. That has to count for some kind of bond."
Zhang Hong took the first step.
After a moment's hesitation, Zhang Yong followed. By this point, life had forced him to recognize some harsh realities, and his once-lofty pride had been utterly crushed.
Without giving it much thought, Xu Yang calmly walked over as well.
"Congratulations on your breakthrough!" The three of them cupped their fists in salute to Lu Ren.
Lu Ren returned the gesture, then his gaze fell on Xu Yang. "If you ever regret your decision, you can come to me anytime."
'He's full of himself again,' Xu Yang thought. 'The implication is clear: if I just lower my head, he would still deign to take me on as a lackey.'
'It just goes to show, give someone an inch and they'll try to walk all over you.'
Xu Yang said nothing more. He had only come to offer his congratulations because of the bond they'd forged while struggling together.
"Junior Brother Lu Ren, congratulations!"
A group of Inner Courtyard Disciples strode out from the Inner Courtyard, calling out their congratulations to Lu Ren from across the yard, their faces wreathed in smiles.
Even Xue Fangsheng, who had exchanged a few sharp words with Lu Ren that day, was in the crowd.
"There's no time like the present to join us in the Inner Courtyard, is there, Junior Brother Lu Ren?" Sun Tao said with a smile.
Breaking the Gate and Gathering Qi was the qualification to move from the Outer to the Inner Courtyard.
Lu Ren grew even more exultant. "After you, Senior Brothers!"
With that, the group walked toward the Inner Courtyard, talking and laughing, leaving behind a crowd of envious Outer Courtyard Disciples.
Lu Ren's successful breakthrough had actually prompted a group of Inner Courtyard Disciples to come personally and escort him into the Inner Courtyard. This was a singular honor, simply unprecedented.
Another Outer Courtyard Disciple had broken through before, but forget about a group of Inner Courtyard Disciples coming to guide him—even Sun Tao hadn't appeared. That disciple had to make his own way to the Inner Courtyard.
That was because he had taken a full three months to achieve his breakthrough.
"I'd die happy if I could have a day in the spotlight like that."
Someone muttered to himself.
"Xu Yang, Lu Ren has already broken through. What about you? Can you still keep up with him like you used to?" Zhou Yang suddenly turned to Xu Yang, a smirk on his face.
He had toned it down a lot since Xu Yang beat him, but that didn't mean the matter between them was settled.
At his words, many eyes turned to Xu Yang.
"Worried about me? You'd be better off worrying about yourself. You've been training for two and a half months, and from the looks of you, you're destined to just fizzle out."
"You…"
Xu Yang's words immediately hit a nerve. Most of the disciples from Zhou Yang's cohort had already washed out, and after two and a half months, he still hadn't even reached the threshold for Breaking Through. He was already frantic with anxiety on the inside.
A short while later, the Huang Family's Fifth Master and Second Master appeared together, carrying gifts as they went straight into the Inner Courtyard of Weiyuan Hall.
Before long, the three of them appeared together in the Outer Courtyard. They announced that the Huang Family was hiring Lu Ren as a Sacrificial Martial Artist for fifteen taels of silver per month, and that he would share in their glory and shame.
The Outer Courtyard erupted in another uproar. The retainer fee for most Martial Artists was ten taels; those who could command fifteen were typically true geniuses.
Not long after the announcement, Lu Ren left with Huang Jin and Huang Ping. It was said that the Huang Family had prepared a courtyard home for him; they were taking him to see the property, furnish it, and a banquet would be arranged for him later that evening.
"Now that's some real prestige!"
The importance the Huang Family placed on Lu Ren made Zhang Yong and Zhang Hong feel a pang of envy.
[Comprehension: 21]
[Root Bone: 40]
[Cultivation: None]
[Cultivation Technique: Turtle and Snake Grand Posture - Introduction (99/100), Mountain-Shaking Bear Fist - Introduction (149/150)]
[Skills: Mining Level 3 (283/400)]
[Remaining Lifespan: 57]
[Martial Arts Longevity Points: 35]
'I'm almost there, too!'
Xu Yang stared at his panel. Even without using it to boost his progress for the past half-month, both his Turtle and Snake Grand Posture and his Mountain-Shaking Bear Fist had reached the very last step yesterday, bringing him to the threshold.
His Root Bone had already risen to "40" ten days prior, entering the B-class tier.
If he hadn't felt his body's conditioning was still a little lacking, he could have used the panel to Break Through today, achieving his own breakthrough even before Lu Ren.