Chapter 10: Ming Jin (Manifest Strength)
By the time Chen Qing arrived at Zhou Yard, many Disciples were already practicing their fists.
Chen Qing quietly went to a corner, stood still, took a deep breath, and began to stretch his muscles and bones.
Arms, shoulders, spine, waist, and hips—every joint was fully extended, and his muscles alternated between relaxation and tension.
After a few breaths, Chen Qing began to Cultivate Tong Bei Stance.
His movements were fluid and natural, his footwork and hand techniques perfectly coordinated.
【Tongbei Fist Stance Introduction (709/1000): Heaven Rewards Diligence, there will be achievements, ten practices a day, Minor Achievement in three months, Major Achievement in one year】
“At this rate, perhaps in less than a month, I’ll be able to Cultivate Tong Bei Stance to Minor Achievement, reaching Ming Jin (Manifest Strength).”
After one round of the stance, Chen Qing sat down to catch his breath, pondering in his heart.
During this period, people came and went in the yard, familiar Faces became scarce, and new Faces constantly appeared.
He was already an 'old-timer' at Zhou Yard.
There was one more month until the tuition fees were due.
Chen Qing remained calm, but several of his Senior Brothers from the same period looked sullen, burdened with worries.
“Why isn’t Senior Brother Guo here today?”
At this moment, a Disciple asked softly.
Chen Qing looked up at the sound, his gaze sweeping across the yard.
Guo Dachui, who came from a poor farming family, usually trained diligently and was never late.
“He…”
The Senior Brother next to him sighed, his voice low, “He failed the Breakthrough last night and packed his bags to return to his hometown overnight.”
The air suddenly solidified, and several Disciples from the same period lowered their heads in unison; some unconsciously rubbed the calluses on their palms, while others stared blankly at their worn-out cloth shoes.
Chen Qing’s brows furrowed. Zhou Liang had said that those who failed the first Breakthrough would basically be unrelated to the Martial Dao for life.
Moreover, the longer the time passed, the smaller the possibility of a Breakthrough.
If one couldn’t Breakthrough to Ming Jin (Manifest Strength) and couldn’t take up a position, how could they sustain this path of martial arts Cultivation?
A Disciple sighed, “Senior Brother Guo and Junior Brother Qin have always had a good relationship. Last night, he greeted Junior Brother Qin before he left, but Junior Brother Qin didn’t even acknowledge him.”
The atmosphere became oppressive.
There was a clear distinction between Disciples who had achieved Ming Jin (Manifest Strength) and those who had not, as if two worlds were separated.
Chen Qing’s gaze involuntarily drifted towards Qin Lie.
That Genius from humble beginnings had truly changed a lot.
The surrounding Disciples all had different thoughts; those with some family wealth were contemplating their fallback options.
If they failed in martial arts, what would they do?
Disciples with nothing to their name secretly clenched their fists, seeing this as a do-or-die opportunity to turn their lives around.
Chen Qing rested briefly, then returned to his training.
From that day on, Guo Dachui never appeared in Zhou Yard again.
Zhou Yard remained Zhou Yard, unchanged by the absence of one person.
During this time, several new Disciples arrived, and one with good Aptitude received special attention from Zhou Liang.
As some people came, others naturally left.
As time passed, some people's attitudes towards Chen Qing also subtly changed.
The warmth and coldness of human relationships were just like this.
This afternoon, Chen Qing arrived at Wang's Cloth Shop on Sifang Street.
Han had told him that Yang Huiniang had come looking for him yesterday, seemingly about something.
The storefront of the Jinxiu Cloth Shop was not large, with various fabrics hanging on the street-facing display. The air was filled with the unique scent of laundered cloth.
Chen Qing stood at the entrance, looking inside. Figures were busy, and the sounds of weaving machines, cutting scissors, and pounding laundry mixed together.
In a corner, Yang Huiniang stood by a large wooden basin, her sleeves rolled high, revealing her red, cracked forearms as she strenuously pounded thick, heavy cloth.
Splashes of water wet the hem of her skirt, and fine beads of sweat dotted her forehead.
“Cousin,” Chen Qing called softly.
Yang Huiniang looked up at the sound, her Face instantly lighting up with surprise: “A Qing! You’re here?”
She hastily wiped her wet hands on her apron and quickly walked to the door to greet him.
“I almost forgot!” Yang Huiniang seemed to suddenly remember something, quickly turned, and ran to a small stool used for sundries in the corner, pulling out a faded cloth bag from underneath.
She carefully opened it; inside were two still-warm boiled eggs, with twenty-odd copper coins placed beneath them.
“Here, take it.”
Yang Huiniang, without explanation, pushed the eggs and copper coins into Chen Qing’s hand, lowering her voice, “The Young Master Wang gave them to me yesterday; I just warmed them up this morning.”
Chen Qing quickly refused: “How can I take this?”
“Why are you being so polite with me?”
Yang Huiniang gave him a chiding look, then revealed a warm smile, “Keep the copper coins for yourself; you’ll always need them for martial arts Cultivation. Didn’t I say I’d pay you back later, with interest?”
Chen Qing held the warm eggs and the heavy copper coins, his heart warming: “If you give me all the money, what will you do?”
“Don’t worry, I barely use any here,” Yang Huiniang said lightly.
Chen Qing took a deep breath and said with a serious expression, “Cousin, great kindness needs no words of thanks.”
Besides Han, Yang Huiniang was undoubtedly the person who had helped him the most and whose kindness was the heaviest.
Yang Huiniang’s willow-like brows furrowed, and she feigned anger: “If you keep this up, I’ll really get angry!”
“Got it.”
Chen Qing smiled, “I’ll record it in the ledger, and I’ll pay you back with interest later.”
Yang Huiniang also smiled brightly.
“I was wondering where you ran off to!” Suddenly, a sharp, harsh voice came from the back of the cloth shop.
A manager’s wife, wearing a silk jacket and with high cheekbones, stood with her hands on her hips at the door, glaring fiercely in their direction, “There are three more bolts of cloth piled up in the back waiting to be washed and pounded! Are you going to dilly-dally until dark? Don’t you want your wages?!”
Yang Huiniang’s smile instantly froze, and she said helplessly to Chen Qing, “A Qing, I have to go to work now, you should go back quickly…”
“Hurry up!”
The manager’s wife’s urging voice rang out again.
Yang Huiniang dared not delay any longer and turned to jog back to the large wooden basin.
The manager’s wife cast a sidelong glance at Chen Qing, snorted, and turned to leave.
Chen Qing frowned slightly and silently left Wang's Cloth Shop.
In the afternoon, Chen Qing went to Zhou Yard to continue his training.
Ever since Guo Dachui’s incident, the Senior Brothers of the same period had become anxious.
Zhou Liang continued to recruit Disciples, but only a dozen or so stayed by his side, which revealed a clue.
Reaching Ming Jin (Manifest Strength) was not easy; this first Breakthrough alone blocked seventy percent of the people, and with some external conditions, the probability was even less than seventy percent.
Chen Qing stood steadily on the wooden pile, his figure unmoving like an ancient pine.
Sweat dripped down his temples, glistening in the morning light.
This was the last round of Tong Bei Stance.
Sun Shun was also secretly anxious for Chen Qing.
He knew better than anyone Chen Qing’s diligence and hard work, but on the path of Martial Dao, effort alone was far from enough.
On the other side, Qin Lie impatiently waved away a Junior Brother who was seeking guidance, and the Disciple left, his Face flushed with embarrassment.
In Qin Lie’s view, the questions from these mediocre Disciples were merely a waste of his precious Cultivation time.
His gaze inadvertently swept across the training ground, landing on the sweat-soaked figure.
He remembered that Chen Qing had joined half a month earlier than him and trained desperately, yet had been slow to Breakthrough.
The dark, damp outhouse suddenly came to mind, the scene where they had once cleaned filth side by side.
Qin Lie subconsciously touched his new training uniform; the feel of the fine cotton cloth brought a strange irritation to his heart.
He averted his gaze, as if to completely shake off that memory, and focused on his own boxing stance.
“Junior Brother Qin, what are you looking at?”
A Senior Sister walked gracefully over, glancing at Chen Qing, following Qin Lie’s previous line of sight, “That one? It’s been almost three months, and he’s still struggling on the wooden pile.”
Her name was Luo Qian, of average appearance, not particularly striking, but her family was wealthy and prosperous, one of the rich households in the Inner City.
Besides practicing martial arts in Zhou Yard, Luo Qian would also scout for potential Disciples, providing financial support and building connections before they made a name for themselves.
By the time these Disciples grew up, even if they couldn't join the Luo family, a favor would still be invaluable.
In her opinion, this was entirely a matter of sifting for gold in dung, but she had indeed found a piece of gold.
This gold was Qin Lie.
Chen Qing was unaware of the external gazes and discussions; his world was only the wooden pile beneath his feet, the Qi and blood within his body, and every subtle detail of the stance in his mind.
Sweat soaked his single garment, and his muscles signaled soreness under continuous tension, but his will was like iron. He adjusted his breathing again and again, guiding the faint but persistent flow of Qi and blood.
Suddenly, a strange change occurred.
It was not a mountain collapsing or a sea roaring, nor was it a blazing fire.
It was like a long-blocked river channel being quietly opened by a warm, tenacious force.
Chen Qing felt his vision suddenly brighten; the veins of the leaves on the old locust tree in the distance were clearly visible, and even the tiny dew drops on the leaf tips were reflected in his eyes.
The noisy sounds of training and wind in his ears seemed to recede instantly, leaving only the steady, powerful thumping of his own heart, like drumbeats, one after another, clearly echoing in his chest.
The sound of blood rushing also became real, like a stream washing over a riverbed.
The wooden pile beneath his feet seemed to have grown roots, becoming one with the solid earth.
His skin became unusually sensitive, clearly perceiving the subtle coolness brought by the morning breeze sweeping across his sweat-soaked skin, and even capturing the trajectories of dust particles floating in the air.
A warm and abundant force quietly rose from his Dantian in the lower abdomen, neither rushed nor slow, slowly permeating his limbs and bones like spring water.
At the same time, his muscles and bones made ‘cracking’ sounds, crisp and pleasant.
The long-standing sense of stagnation was swept away, as if the clouds had parted to reveal the sun; the mist that had troubled him for so long finally dispersed, and the path ahead suddenly became clear.
【Tong Bei Stance Minor Achievement (1/5000): Heaven Rewards Diligence, there will be achievements, ten practices a day, Major Achievement in one year, Perfection in three years, Peak in five years】
“I succeeded.”
Chen Qing slowly opened his eyes, then exhaled a mouthful of stale air, “This is Tong Bei Stance Minor Achievement!?”
A hint of joy appeared in his heart.
Reaching Ming Jin (Manifest Strength) not only meant he could continue practicing martial arts but also allowed him to take up a position as a guard.
“Congratulations, Junior Brother Chen!”
“Junior Brother Chen, please take care of us in the future!”
The surrounding Senior Brothers enthusiastically came forward to congratulate him, and the atmosphere instantly changed.
Those Disciples still lingering outside the Ming Jin (Manifest Strength) threshold had envy in their eyes, mixed with a hint of unwillingness; they knew too well what this meant.
Chen Qing breathed a sigh of relief.
Now that he had reached Ming Jin (Manifest Strength), he could not only take up a position but also participate in the Martial Examination.
Sun Shun stepped forward, smiling broadly: “Junior Brother Chen, congratulations.”
“Thank you, Senior Brother Sun.”
Chen Qing clasped his fists at Sun Shun.
Zhou Yu also came over smiling, encouraging him: “Zhou Yard has gained another Ming Jin (Manifest Strength) Disciple today. Congratulations, Junior Brother Chen, keep up the good work.”
Saying that, she handed him a small paper packet, “This is a Blood Qi Powder; keep it.”
Although she was slightly surprised by Chen Qing’s Breakthrough at this moment, it strengthened the yard’s overall power regardless.
Chen Qing’s eyes lit up, and he nodded: “Thank you, Senior Sister!”
Blood Qi Powder was an oral medicine powder that greatly benefited Cultivation. Chen Qing often saw Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters in the yard who were well-off or held positions taking it.
Not far away, a hint of surprise flashed in Luo Qian’s eyes, and she then whispered, “He actually stumbled upon it; this kid’s luck isn’t bad, but due to his natural bone structure, his potential is exhausted. There’s no hope for him to Breakthrough a second time.”
With these words, she was trying to save her ‘accurate judgment’ Face.
Qin Lie was deaf to the discussions behind him, not even raising an eyelid.
Chen Qing’s success or failure, or how quickly he Breakthrough, was, in his eyes, merely a pebble on the roadside that pricked his foot, not worth the slightest attention.