Ding Qing

It was the third day since Qu Bushi, the tenth chief of Chenjian Dock, had lost his head.

As the first light of dawn broke, Shen Xiuhan rinsed his mouth with tooth powder, ate two scallion pancakes that Madam Zheng had freshly made, and set off toward the Mei Courtyard with his prepared belongings on his back.

When he reached the intersection of South Street, he caught sight of a familiar figure in the distance.

Dressed in a green robe, the man had an utterly ordinary face—the kind that would instantly blend into a crowd.

Yet, Shen Xiuhan recognized him at a glance.

Han Li!

Just as he was about to call out, Han Li paused, turned, and slipped into the alley to the north.

Shen Xiuhan had been to that alley before. There were few wealthy households there, and if there was any notable place to speak of, it was only the Tongbei Martial Arts Hall...

“The last time I saw him with Xiao Wen, they seemed to be heading toward that alley too, didn't they?”

Shen Xiuhan shook his head and dismissed the thought, making his way toward the Mei Courtyard.

“Hei!”

“Ha!”

Before he even stepped through the gates of the Mei Courtyard, he could hear the synchronized, powerful shouts of the disciples echoing from within, carrying far in the morning breeze.

Upon entering, his gaze swept across the martial arts field. He noticed that during his absence, a few familiar faces had left the outer courtyard, but several new disciples who had paid their tuition fees had also joined.

“Good morning, Senior Brother Shen!”

“Greetings, Sixth Senior Brother!”

Many outer courtyard disciples stopped what they were doing upon seeing him and bowed respectfully.

The newly joined disciples began whispering to their peers, asking about this unfamiliar senior brother.

Shen Xiuhan casually waved over a disciple he recognized and asked, “Which inner courtyard senior brother is supervising the morning practice today?”

The disciple quickly cupped his fists and replied, “Answering Senior Brother, today is Fifth Senior Sister's turn. However, Senior Sister Ding gave word yesterday that she would be arriving half an hour late this morning...”

Shen Xiuhan nodded in understanding and said in a deep voice, “In that case, let's not delay the morning practice. I will supervise for now. Assume your stances!”

“Yes!”

The outer courtyard disciples shouted in unison.

They spread out in formation, practicing the basic Mystic Eagle Stance move by move.

According to the rules of the martial arts hall, all inner courtyard disciples shared the responsibility of supervising the outer courtyard.

However, Shen Xiuhan had only recently joined, and since he had been dispatched to Yunyi Island early on, this duty had never fallen to him.

Since he had nothing else to do today, there was no harm in offering them some guidance.

He paced through the crowd, occasionally nudging a disciple's lower body with his foot to correct their stance, adjusting their posture, or offering quiet pointers.

About half an hour passed.

A young girl dressed in lotus-root-pink short robes, her hair tied in a high ponytail, walked in hurriedly. Her face was slightly round and adorable, indicating she was in her early teens.

Seeing that the outer courtyard disciples had already begun practicing their stances, a look of surprise crossed her face.

But when her gaze landed on Shen Xiuhan, who was calmly pacing through the crowd with his hands behind his back, a look of realization dawned in her eyes.

Shen Xiuhan noticed her as well and walked over to greet her.

Before he could speak, the girl stepped forward with a bright smile and said, “You must be Xiao Liu, right? Hehe, finally, I'm not the youngest in the inner courtyard anymore...”

“Shen Xiuhan greets Fifth Senior Sister,” Shen Xiuhan said with a smile, cupping his fists.

“I like the sound of that...”

Fifth Senior Sister nodded with satisfaction, her eyes curving into crescent moons as she smiled. “My name is Ding Qing. I just went out to buy some things for Miss Tangyin.”

Tangyin?

Luo Tangyin?

Shen Xiuhan remembered Second Senior Brother Xu Chuan mentioning her.

Fifth Senior Sister Ding Qing served as a bodyguard to the Luo family's young mistress, but he hadn't expected it to be Luo Tangyin, one of the four geniuses!

“Junior Brother, you returned to the martial arts hall today because you have something to discuss with Master, right?”

“Indeed.”

Ding Qing quickly waved her hand at him. “Then go on! I'll keep an eye on the outer courtyard.”

“Thank you, Senior Sister.”

Shen Xiuhan did not stand on ceremony. He cupped his fists in a bow and headed toward the back courtyard.

Arriving in front of the main house, he raised his hand and knocked on the door.

“Come in.”

Shen Xiuhan pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Sunlight streamed diagonally through the window lattices, spilling over Mei Shuangfeng's pristine white robes.

She sat upright in a large chair, flipping through a yellowed ancient text. The corners of the pages were slightly curled, showing it had been read many times.

Walking with a brisk stride, Shen Xiuhan cupped his fists in salute and got straight to the point. “Master, this disciple has broken through the Bone Tempering barrier.”

Mei Shuangfeng was slightly startled, a flicker of surprise passing through her eyes. She gestured to him, “Come here.”

Shen Xiuhan stepped forward as bidden.

Mei Shuangfeng reached out her pale hand. Her fingers pinched his shoulders, the back of his neck, and his ribs in turn. Finally, she slightly bent her knuckles and pressed them against his spine.

She released a sudden burst of force from her palm.

Shen Xiuhan felt his entire skeletal structure shudder, and a series of muffled, dense vibrations echoed within his body.

After just a few breaths, Mei Shuangfeng withdrew her hand and let out a long breath, a brilliant light flashing in her cool eyes.

“Not bad... you have indeed succeeded in Bone Tempering, and it is even the most difficult section—the spine.”

Mei Shuangfeng picked up her teacup, took a light sip, and spoke slowly:

“The Mingjin Rank is divided into three stages: Blood Tempering, Bone Tempering, and Tendon Tempering. This Bone Tempering stage tempers four skeletal areas: the shoulders, neck, ribs, and spine.”

“There is an old saying in the martial arts classics: ‘Without iron bones, Anjin cannot be released; if qi forces decaying bones, death is certain.’ The meaning is clear. Only by first tempering your skeletal frame to be as tough as raw iron can your physical body withstand that overbearing force when you break through to the Anjin Rank in the future.”

“Among these four skeletal areas—shoulders, neck, ribs, and spine—the spine is the great dragon of the human body. It is the most perilous and difficult to temper, but once achieved, the boost to your combat strength is also the most significant.”

“You are quite bold, tackling the hardest bone to chew right from the start.”

Hearing this, Shen Xiuhan shook his head with a bitter smile.

“To be honest, Master, this disciple was only forced by circumstances to resort to this risky move.”

This was a lie.

Back when he deduced the Mystic Eagle Stance, Shen Xiuhan's cultivation had already been pushed to the peak of the Bone Tempering Rank.

Ordinary martial artists tempering their bones had to progress from the easiest to the hardest.

They would temper the shoulders first, then the neck, then the ribs, and only at the very end would they dare to touch the spine.

But for Shen Xiuhan, it was merely retracing a path he had already fully trodden.

“Forced by circumstances?”

Mei Shuangfeng raised an eyebrow slightly, set her celadon teacup down on the desk, and looked directly at him. “Tell me the details.”

“Yes.”

Shen Xiuhan did not hide anything.

He reported the key details of how he had received a sudden assignment to go to the Wuji Academy on Mount Mang, leaving him no choice but to force a breakthrough into the Bone Tempering Rank overnight. Fortunately, he had succeeded. He then explained how he had been ambushed by Chenjian Dock on the way and ended up killing Qu Bushi in self-defense.

“Qu Bushi...”

After listening to his account, a look of surprise flashed in Mei Shuangfeng's eyes. She sized Shen Xiuhan up once more from head to toe, a faint smile playing on her lips.

“I am actually starting to get quite curious about your true strength now.”

“If I remember correctly, Qu Bushi broke through to the Bone Tempering Rank many years ago and possessed decent martial arts. To think he would actually fall by your hand...”

“Uh...”

Shen Xiuhan hesitated slightly, trying to figure out how to explain.

“Never mind.”

Mei Shuangfeng waved her pale hand, her eyes softening with a gentle curve.

“The path of martial arts is long. Who doesn't have their own opportunities and trump cards? Since you have your own fortunes, that is your own capability. There is no need to lay everything bare for others to see.”

Then, she changed the subject. Her tone sounded casual, yet it carried an undeniable dominance:

“Just proceed according to the plan you agreed upon with the Ji family. They won't go back on their word over something like this. Even if news leaks somehow and draws the retaliation of Chenjian Dock... there is no need to fear. Even if the sky falls, your master will protect you.”