Lying Low in the Martial World to Become a Saint-Chapter 69 - 65: Success

Chen Qing returned from the Linfu Restaurant under the cover of night, his steps steady but his mind a surging tide.

Wu Manqing’s offer of recruitment still echoed in his ears.

Before, when he had just started his martial arts journey, he had no resources and needed sponsorship.

But now, only a step away from the threshold of Transmutation Force, he had his own confidence.

The sponsorship of others was certainly tempting, but it was like an invisible shackle.

Besides, he was about to break through to Transmutation Force soon. Why would he tie himself to the Wu Family’s wagon?

With his mind made up, his steps grew a little lighter.

Before long, the familiar small courtyard with its green-tiled roof appeared before him.

Pushing open the courtyard gate, he saw Ms. Han holding a needle and thread. She stared at Chen Qing’s old tunic for a long time without making a stitch, her brow furrowed and her expression heavy with worry.

When Chen Qing got home and saw Ms. Han like this, he asked, "Mother, did you find anything out? What about the Liu family’s daughter?"

Ms. Han, as if startled awake, put down her needlework and sighed. "I did. I ran around for half the day; my legs have been run ragged."

She looked at her son with a complicated expression. "The girl’s family background is clean. Shopkeeper Liu is an honest, decent man, and his shop is well-off. As for her looks, the neighbors all say she’s pretty. Her temperament seems gentle, she’s literate, and she knows how to use an abacus and keep accounts. All of that is true."

Chen Qing nodded. "Sounds pretty good."

"It is pretty good..."

Ms. Han’s tone shifted, and she lowered her voice slightly. "But Ah Qing, Mother heard about... something else."

She paused, seeming to choose her words carefully. "This Miss Qiaolan, she has high standards, but she’s also a deeply devoted person. Two years ago, she was involved with a poor Scholar from West Street with the surname Li! They were deeply in love, reciting poetry and painting together. It seemed like a true romance."

Chen Qing raised an eyebrow slightly but didn’t interrupt, waiting for his mother to continue.

"Sigh."

Ms. Han sighed again. "But Shopkeeper Liu looks down on the poor and fawns over the rich, and he forcibly broke them up! I heard it got very ugly. The girl even went on a hunger strike, and nearly... That Scholar was completely disheartened. Later, I don’t know if he moved away or what, but he was never heard from again. After that, Miss Qiaolan was like a frostbitten eggplant, utterly dejected and never leaving the house. That’s when Shopkeeper Liu and his wife started to panic. They’ve been desperately asking everyone to arrange a marriage, as if their eyebrows are on fire. They just want to marry her off quickly, get her away from here, afraid that the old feelings can’t be severed and that things will get complicated if they wait too long."

She looked at her son, her eyes full of worry. "It’s not that I mind the girl has a past. There are plenty of stories about star-crossed lovers being torn apart in this world. What I’m worried about is that her heart... I’m afraid it still belongs to that Scholar! The Liu family is in such a rush; they might be trying to cover something up, to quickly put this whole affair behind them. Ah Qing, tell me, if you two get married, and she comes into our home but her heart isn’t with you, how suffocating would that life be?"

Chen Qing fell silent for a moment after hearing this.

He hadn’t been very enthusiastic about the matter to begin with, and now he understood where his mother’s anxiety was coming from.

"You’re right, Mother." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Chen Qing’s tone was calm and reassuring. "Marriage is a major life event. It certainly can’t be rushed."

The weight on Ms. Han’s heart finally lifted. She said quickly, "Exactly, exactly! Let’s not mention it again! Our Ah Qing is destined for a great future; there’s no need for you to get involved in someone else’s heartache. I’ll go talk to Aunt Zhang later and tell her we’re not in the right mindset for this right now, and thank her for her trouble. If anyone brings it up in the future, I’ll be sure to investigate their background thoroughly, down to the last detail!"

She picked up her needle and thread again, this time stitching briskly, as if a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

...

For the next half-month, because of what happened with Qin Lie, the disciples were much quieter during their training. The usual banter and joking around disappeared, and the air was filled with a kind of suppressed diligence.

Song Yufeng ultimately failed to break through to Manifest Force and left the Zhou Institute with regret.

Luo Qian and Zheng Ziqiao appeared less and less frequently, their presence in the courtyard as rare as a guest’s. Anyone with eyes could see that their hearts were no longer here.

Zhou Liang still sat on the bluestone slab under the old tree, occasionally raising a hand to correct a disciple’s form, just as he always had.

But his once-bright eyes seemed to be covered by a layer of dust, and even the wrinkles at their corners had deepened, as if his Essence, Qi, and Spirit had been drained away.

On this day, as Chen Qing slowly stretched his muscles and bones, feeling the ceaselessly surging Qi and blood within him, he thought to himself, ’Tonight should be the night it all comes together.’

Nourished by a Blood Qi Pill every two days, coupled with his own unceasing, arduous training, the Realm of Perfection in the Great Success stage of Long Arm Fist was now within his grasp.

"Brother Sun, Junior Brother Chen."

Zhou Yu’s voice called out, summoning Sun Shun and Chen Qing to a secluded corner.

Sun Shun was a little surprised. "Junior Sister Zhou, is something the matter?"

Zhou Yu took out a simple wooden box and handed it over. "There are a few two-year-old Hundred Spirits Grass stalks in here. You two should take them."

Sun Shun was taken aback. "Hundred Spirits Grass? Isn’t this a Treasure Medicine for cultivating one’s foundation?"

Chen Qing’s eyes held a questioning look.

"Yes,"

Zhou Yu nodded. "Low-year Treasure Medicines can be cultivated if you put in the effort. This was originally Junior Brother Qin’s share."

Her voice was slightly strained, but she quickly pulled herself together. "You’ve probably heard the news about the Cyan Scale Association. Experts from all sides are gathering. Every bit of strength you can gain will give you that much more confidence."

Sun Shun hesitated for a moment, then said, "In that case, I won’t refuse. Thank you, Junior Sister. And thank you, Master!"

His foundation had been damaged after his failed breakthrough attempt, so he desperately needed this kind of Treasure Medicine to nourish his Qi and blood and speed up his recovery.

Chen Qing also accepted it frankly. "Thank you, Senior Sister Zhou."

"Go on, prepare well."

Watching the two of them turn and walk away, Zhou Yu sighed, her heart heavy.

’Who could be counted on to shoulder the burden for the vast Zhou Institute in these turbulent times?’

’Brother Sun? He’s loyal and reliable, and capable of teaching apprentices, but asking him to hold the fort alone?’

’Junior Brother Chen? His Root Bone might not be good, but his achievements are the greatest. He even passed the Martial Arts Examination, but...’

Zhou Yu’s heart was filled with uncertainty.

「In the back courtyard.」

Zhou Liang was hunched over his desk, writing furiously. The tip of his brush rustled across the paper.

Zhou Liang’s wife, Mrs. Li, walked in quietly and asked in a low voice, "What are you writing?"

"A letter to Brother Zhang," Zhou Liang replied without looking up.

Mrs. Li’s heart tightened. "Zhang Shitong of the Four Seas Escort Agency?"

That was the old, established Escort Agency in Shuangye County, from which Zhou Liang had retired as a Leader of the Escort years ago.

"Mm."

Zhou Liang grunted in acknowledgment, his brush never pausing. His voice carried a deep weariness. "My Qi and blood are in decline; I’m a flickering candle in the wind. Shi Wenshan is aggressive and relentless; he will never let this opportunity pass. I’m afraid... I’m afraid that when the city gates catch fire, the fish in the moat will suffer. I’ll end up dragging these innocent disciples down with me."

He paused, his brush tip hovering as the ink bled into a small blot on the paper. "They’ve followed me for so long and gained little from it, yet now their futures might be ruined because of my old grudges. When I hear them call me ’Master,’ I feel ashamed!"

Mrs. Li opened her mouth, but ultimately, she was speechless.

"Will it work?"

"The Four Seas Escort Agency is short-staffed right now. As long as the disciples are willing to go, they’ll at least have a meal to eat and a path to walk."

Zhou Liang looked at the characters on the letter and said slowly, "Sun Shun has a steady temperament and is thorough in his work. Although his foundation was damaged when he failed his breakthrough and he has no hope for Transmutation Force, his experience is vast. He’s more than qualified to be a Steward at the Escort Agency, leading some Porters and escorting ordinary goods."

"As for Chen Qing..."

Zhou Liang’s brush fell once more, the strokes seeming a bit heavier. "He may be young, but his will is as tough as iron. He placed on the C List of the Martial Arts Examination, his mastery of Long Arm Fist has reached Great Success, and more importantly, he’s a man who values relationships and his promises. He is by no means a fickle person. If the Zhou Institute weren’t in decline, the help we could offer him is truly limited..."

He heaved a heavy sigh, his remaining words turning into silent regret.

At this, Zhou Liang sighed heavily.

"Luo Qian and Zheng Ziqiao have their own family businesses; I don’t need to worry about them. As for the other few Manifest Force disciples, as long as they’re willing, the Four Seas Escort Agency won’t be short a few bowls of rice for them."

Mrs. Li nodded silently, a lump forming in her throat that left her unable to speak.

Zhou Liang put down his brush, leaned his body heavily against the back of the chair, and closed his eyes.

This letter was the last spark he could ignite for his disciples, and his final answer to the title of "Master."

He folded the letter carefully, placed it in a thick envelope, took the hot, melting sealing wax, and solemnly dripped and stamped it.

Tomorrow, it would be sent by the most reliable courier, riding at top speed to the Four Seas Escort Agency in Shuangye County.

...

「Evening.」

Chen Qing returned home and said to Ms. Han, who was busy at the stove, "Mother, just leave the food on the stove to keep warm after you’re done. I’m going to train first."

With that, he walked straight to the center of the small courtyard.

The cold wind was like a knife, scraping past the bare branches of the courtyard and making a low whistling sound.

The night was deep, and all was silent.

Chen Qing’s eyes were slightly closed as he felt the surging Qi and blood within him. It had long been as docile as mercury, as heavy as lead, but now, it was like cold water thrown into boiling oil, suddenly erupting.

[Heaven Rewards Diligence, Success is Inevitable]

[Long Arm Pile Skill Great Success (1999/2000)]

The final point of progress that had been stuck before the threshold of Perfection was finally complete.

Countless images flashed through Chen Qing’s mind, finally coalescing into a single, incredibly clear thought:

’It all comes together, today!’

He snapped his eyes open, a sharp glint appearing within them. No longer deliberately maintaining the Pile Skill stance, his entire body abruptly began to move!

The moves of Long Arm Fist came to him effortlessly, yet they were completely different from before.

It was no longer the fierce explosion of Manifest Force, nor the insidious subtlety of Dark Force, but something in between existence and non-existence—a perfect fusion of hard and soft, flowing harmoniously.

SWOOSH!

His sleeves billowed without a breeze, rustling loudly.

His body stretched out like a nimble ape exploring a ravine, his arms lashing out like steel whips cracking through the air. His movements seemed slow, yet they left behind trails of afterimages, stirring the cold courtyard air and creating a dull, humming sound.

Every inch of his muscles, bones, skin, and fascia vibrated at a high frequency. From within his body came a dense, continuous crackling, like the popping of roasted soybeans or the rumble of distant thunder.

That was the resonance of his bones and sinews, the sound of Qi and blood surging to its absolute limit, washing through his acupoints!

Baihui! Yongquan!

These two final and most stubborn gates, at this moment, felt as if they were being seared by a red-hot branding iron, sending waves of sharp, burning pain through him.

At the same time, an unprecedented feeling of clarity swept through his entire body!

The Baihui Acupoint connected to the heavens; the Yongquan Acupoint seemed to root him to the earth, drawing up an endless, heavy power.

The ferocity of Manifest Force and the subtlety of Dark Force seemed to have found a point of convergence, merging completely like milk and water, becoming indistinguishable from one another.

With a slight shift in his intent, he casually waved an arm forward.

There was no explosive crack tearing through the air, no howling wind from the force of the blow.

In the courtyard, a dead leaf, caught and spun by the cold wind, happened to drift down toward his shoulder.

The dead leaf was not deflected, nor did it fall under any force.

It just hung there, bizarrely suspended about half an inch from the skin of his shoulder.

It was as if supported by an invisible, intangible, yet incredibly resilient and flexible field of energy, trembling slightly, unable to fall another fraction of an inch!

"A fly cannot land... a feather cannot be added..."

Chen Qing slowly retracted his arm. He gazed at the suspended leaf, feeling the perfectly unified Power flowing within him, his mind becoming clear and serene.

Transmutation Force. Achieved!