Lin Yue bit his lip, feeling deeply wronged.

He wanted to say that he had rejected the Xiao Family for Sun Ningxiang’s sake, that his mind was in turmoil because he was worried about the Martial Arts Hall’s future. But when the words reached his lips, they came out as a sullen mumble, "I was wrong."

"Wrong? I don’t think you know what you did wrong at all!" Sun Yong’s voice rose. "Your root bone is the best in the entire hall. You have a great chance of breaking through to the next realm, perhaps even going higher. But look at you now! Your mind is wandering, filled with distracting thoughts! The path of the Martial Dao is like rowing a boat upstream; if you don’t advance, you fall behind. If you keep being this lazy, you’ll only be harming yourself in the end!"

He looked at Lin Yue with a sense of deep disappointment, as if trying to forge iron that wouldn’t become steel. He pointed at Yang Jing not far away and said, "Look at Yang Jing. His root bone is inferior to yours, but he works ten times harder. After breaking through to the Dark Energy realm, not only did he not slack off, but he’s pushing himself even harder than before. If he keeps training like this, he might just amount to something. And you? You dare to be lazy just because you have a good root bone?"

Lin Yue followed his master’s gaze to Yang Jing. He saw him smashing his fists into a wooden stake, putting his full power into every punch. His sweat-soaked shirt clung tightly to his back, outlining his solid muscles.

’Is Master doing this on purpose, using Yang Jing to put me down? But how could he know what a huge sacrifice I made for Senior Sister Ning Xiang and for the Martial Arts Hall? I turned down the chance to become the Xiao Family’s son-in-law!’

"I... I will change," Lin Yue said, lowering his head. His voice was muffled, but his fists were clenched tightly within his sleeves.

"Alright. Continue your training," Sun Yong said in a deep voice.

Lin Yue nodded. He took a deep breath, suppressing the irritation and anger in his heart. He sank into his stance again, assuming the opening form of the Mountain-Shattering Fist.

This time, he forced himself not to think about the Xiao Family’s recruitment offer or dwell on Sun Ningxiang’s attitude. He focused his attention solely on the fist techniques and the circulation of his Inner Strength.

He threw a punch. Although his Inner Strength wasn’t as smooth as usual, it was much more stable than before.

He followed with the "Mountain Collapse" technique. Power erupted from his waist and abdomen, and the force from his fist kicked up a wind that swept across the ground, rolling up a few fallen leaves. He had finally regained some of his former presence.

Sun Yong stood to the side, watching quietly. Seeing Lin Yue gradually regain his focus and his techniques return to a semblance of order, his knitted brows slowly relaxed, and he nodded slightly.

In all of Sun’s Martial Arts Hall, when it came to root bone and aptitude, Lin Yue was the undisputed number one.

Sun Yong had placed enormous hopes in him. He had even been planning in secret to make things official once Lin Yue advanced to the next stage, betrothing Ning Xiang to him.

It was both an acknowledgment of Lin Yue’s abilities and a plan for the Martial Arts Hall’s future. Only with a disciple like Lin Yue to inherit his mantle could Sun’s Martial Arts Hall secure its footing in Yuhe County.

It was precisely for this reason that he couldn’t stand to see Lin Yue slack off.

Now, seeing that Lin Yue was capable of recognizing and correcting his mistakes, and had refocused himself, the anger in Sun Yong’s heart mostly dissipated, and he breathed a secret sigh of relief.

Meanwhile, in another part of the front courtyard.

Yang Jing was completely unaware of the commotion.

He was immersed in his fist techniques, incorporating Sun Yong’s earlier pointers into his moves bit by bit.

With every punch, he felt the subtle changes in his Dark Energy—sometimes concentrating it on the surface of his fist, other times channeling it through his fingertips, striving to control its release and retraction at will.

The martial contest in over twenty days loomed over him like a great mountain, but it also served as his strongest motivation.

He knew that although his foundation was stable, he was short on time. He had to race against the clock to hone his strength. Even the slightest improvement would increase his chances of victory in the contest.

Sun Yong continued to pace around the front courtyard, occasionally offering a few words of guidance. But when he passed by Lin Yue, he paused for a moment, and the expectation in his eyes deepened.

...

As dusk fell, Yang Jing walked out of the Martial Arts Hall’s main gate, a worn cloth bag on his back, and headed toward Tongyi Square.

The evening breeze carried a slight chill, making the lanterns along the street sway. He was mentally planning how to bring his family into the city.

The countryside was growing more and more chaotic. A few days ago, he had heard that a gang of vicious bandits had appeared on Ten-Mile Slope outside the city, daring to rob even passing merchant caravans. Ordinary farming families lived in constant fear.

He was now a Dark Energy Martial Artist. He had the ability to protect his family, so there was no reason to let them stay in the countryside, frightened and worried.

’This courtyard in Tongyi Square is small, but we could squeeze in if we had to. Still, there’s no need to be cramped, and it wouldn’t be convenient for my training. I can just rent a place nearby when the time comes,’ Yang Jing mused. ’In times like these, it’s better to rent than to buy. Who knows how chaotic things will get in the future?’

Lost in thought, he arrived at his own courtyard gate.

By the dim moonlight, he saw three or four people standing at his gate. They were dressed in respectable silk clothes and wore Jade Pendants at their waists. They didn’t look like gang members, but they gave off the air of strangers.

Yang Jing paused, his brow furrowing slightly. ’Are some other fools looking for trouble?’ He secretly circulated his Dark Energy and slowly walked over.

"Might you be Young Master Yang Jing?" The leader was an elder in his fifties. His face was kind, but his eyes held a glint of shrewdness. Seeing Yang Jing approach, he quickly cupped his fist in respect and smiled. "I am Wang Weijie of the Wang Family. I am the second master in my generation, and the Wang Family Patriarch is my elder brother. I have come unannounced in hopes of inviting Young Master Yang to join our Wang Family as a Guest Minister."

A man beside him added, "Although our Wang Family is not one of the six great families, we have considerable assets and are financially strong. We hope Young Master Yang will grace us with his acceptance."

Yang Jing understood. They had come to recruit him for a position.

He shook his head. "Thank you for your generous offer, Second Master Wang, but I have already given my word to another family. I’m afraid I must decline your kind intentions."

The smile on Second Master Wang’s face didn’t falter. "Won’t you reconsider, Young Master Yang? The terms our Wang Family is offering may not be any worse than the other family’s. Why not hear us out?"

"There’s no need." Yang Jing waved his hand, his tone firm. "Since I have already made a promise, I will not go back on it. Hearing your family’s terms would only put me in a difficult position and cause unnecessary trouble."

This was his nature; once he made a decision, he would not be easily swayed.

Besides, the Liu Family Medical Hall had treated him well, and Liu Maolin in particular had shown him great sincerity. He had no reason to be tempted by a better offer.

Seeing his resolute attitude, Second Master Wang knew that further persuasion would be useless. He sighed. "In that case, we won’t disturb you any longer, Young Master Yang. If your situation changes in the future, the doors of the Wang Family will always be open to you."

With that, he shook his head and left with his men, a look of regret on his face.

Yang Jing watched their retreating backs, then opened his courtyard gate and went inside.

He leaned against the back of the door and let out a soft breath.

’News of my breakthrough to the Dark Energy realm has really spread. Even families from the Inner City are coming to my door.’

...

「In a room in the rear courtyard of Zhao’s Escort Agency.」

The candlelight flickered, clearly illuminating the characters in the ledger.

Zhao Yuman was bent over, checking the recent accounts for the escort silver. Her fingertips traced over lines of numbers, her expression focused.

Qinghe was at her side, having just brewed a cup of hot tea. Just as she was about to hand it over, the door opened with a CREAK.

Zhao Yuman looked up at the sound and saw her older brother, Zhao Feng, striding in. He wore a rare look of joy, and even his usually steady steps seemed somewhat hurried.

Qinghe quickly bowed. "Greetings, Leader of the Escort."

Zhao Feng was the eldest young master of the Zhao Family, but he rarely allowed people to call him ’Young Master,’ preferring the title ’Leader of the Escort’ instead.

"Brother? What is it, so late at night?" Zhao Yuman put down her brush, looking at him with some confusion.

Zhao Feng didn’t even bother to sit down, getting straight to the point. "Yuman, a while ago, did Liu Maolin from the Liu Family Medical Hall introduce you to a Martial Artist named Yang Jing?"

Zhao Yuman paused for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, he did. What about it?"

"He’s broken through to the Dark Energy realm!" Zhao Feng’s voice was filled with unrestrained excitement, exploding in the room like a clap of thunder.

CLATTER—

The brush in Zhao Yuman’s hand dropped abruptly onto the ledger, and a black blot of ink instantly spread across the page.

It was as if she had been struck by an Immobilization Technique. She froze in her chair, the color draining from her face at a visible rate until it was as pale as paper.

"Dark... Dark Energy? Brother, you must be mistaken, right? He just has a Lower-Grade Root Bone." Her voice was as hoarse as sandpaper.

’How is this possible?’