After sending Li Changgui off, Chen Yuan began reflecting on his shortcomings during the recent battle.
The Black-Scaled Leopard was undeniably formidable. Its speed and defense far surpassed his own, but it wasn’t invincible. He had chances to strike a lethal blow whenever it lunged to attack or exposed a vulnerability while devouring the precious herbs.
Unfortunately, his offensive power had been lacking. If he could comprehend Hidden Force, refine his Elephant Bone just a bit further, or even reach Great Success in Bone Refining, he could absolutely slay the beast.
Chen Yuan exhaled softly. He had assumed that reaching Great Success in Manifest Force and Minor Achievement in the bone barrier would yield a substantial leap in strength. He never expected to be left so helpless against a mere Black-Scaled Leopard. He had only barely managed to drive it away. His strength was still far too weak.
Pushing these distracting thoughts aside, Chen Yuan resumed practicing the Dragon Elephant Prison-Suppression Body. With abundant resources at his disposal for the next two months, he needed to accelerate his progress in the bone barrier and Elephant Bone as quickly as possible.
A few days later, Chen Yuan was sparring with Senior Brother Fang in the Huo Courtyard, pushing his Heart Intent Six Harmonies Fist closer to the realm of Hidden Force.
Seeing Chen Yuan’s rapid progress and his mastery of Manifest Force at Great Success, Fang Minghai often mocked himself. "Junior Brother Chen, why do I get the feeling you’re gonna grasp Hidden Force before me too?"
Xu Heng’s comprehension of Hidden Force in less than seven months had dealt Minghai a significant blow.
Chen Yuan chuckled. "You’re joking, Senior Brother Fang. All you lack is the right opportunity."
"You can drop the ’get the feeling’ part," Chen Yuan thought to himself.
The truth of the Martial Dao was inherently cruel. Some people spent their entire lives unable to comprehend Hidden Force, waiting for an opportunity that would never come.
Minghai sighed helplessly. "No need to comfort me. Your priority is to master Hidden Force as soon as possible. I’m still counting on you to help me beat the crap out of those bastards from the He Family."
They had been constantly provoking him, demanding sparring matches. If he had comprehended Hidden Force, he wouldn’t have let the He Family run rampant like this.
Chen Yuan nodded. After he shattered the bone barrier, the Fang Family had increased their financial support to fifteen taels a month—a welcome icing on the cake. Combined with the timely aid they had provided in his darkest hour, it was only right that he help them resolve their troubles once he had the strength.
As they were speaking, Xue Anping walked over and cupped his hands in greeting. "Brother Chen, do you have a moment? I have news."
Chen Yuan nodded. It was a good time for a break anyway.
Watching the two men leave, Minghai thought to himself that coming to terms with one’s own mediocrity was truly no easy feat. He envied Xu Heng’s triumphant advance on the Martial Dao. Yet, in the eyes of Xue Anping—who hadn’t even grasped Manifest Force yet—he himself was someone worthy of envy. Not to mention those with poor Root Bones who couldn’t even break through the muscle or bone barriers.
"Brother Xue, what’s the matter?" Chen Yuan asked as they reached the shaded pergola.
"Brother Chen, do you remember what I mentioned a while back?" Xue Anping asked. "The wedding date for Yu Yan and the Third Miss Gu, Gu Wantong, has been set. It’s on New Year’s Day—a double celebration."
Chen Yuan thought for a moment. "Rings a bell. If it’s New Year’s, that’s just over half a month away." In the blink of an eye, a new year was already upon them.
Anping nodded. "Exactly. Yu Yan’s idea is that those of us who are still practicing martial arts should find some time to get together in the next couple of days."
Chen Yuan raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure that’s what he said? Including me?" He couldn’t be bothered to deal with Yu Yan right now. As for that fool Gao Mingchang, he was no longer even worth Chen Yuan’s attention.
Anping offered a bitter smile. "Of course. That’s exactly why I came to find you. Yu Yan specifically asked me to invite you along. He said he acted too impulsively in the past and wants to use this opportunity to apologize to you. He hopes you’ll do him the honor of attending."
When he first heard it, Anping had also found it unbelievable, but upon closer thought, it made perfect sense. Brother Chen was now steadily advancing and thriving. Even if he wasn’t quite at Yu Yan’s level, he wasn’t far off. It was perfectly normal to want to settle past grudges; no one wanted an extra formidable enemy.
This time, Chen Yuan was genuinely surprised. The same Yu Yan who had ousted him from the Gu Family was actually going to apologize to him? Had he turned over a new leaf? Or did the Gu Family see Chen Yuan’s rising momentum and want to use Yu Yan to close the book on their previously unpleasant fallout?
If it was an apology, there would definitely be gifts involved. It would be foolish to turn down free compensation.
With that in mind, Chen Yuan nodded. "Alright, I’ll make the trip. You should know when I’m free. Just let me know once the time and place are finalized."
Seeing him agree, Anping breathed a sigh of relief. He desperately wanted these two to reconcile; otherwise, being caught in the middle would remain incredibly uncomfortable. He smiled. "Then it’s settled. I reckon it’ll be either tomorrow or the day after."
***
Today was a rest day. Chen Yuan practiced continuously in the Huo Courtyard until dusk. Afterward, he purchased some of the tea leaves Senior Brother Huang usually drank and headed toward the Gu Family estate.
Chen Yuan wasn’t someone who blindly obsessed over the Martial Dao at the expense of other important things in life. Whenever he had free time, he would visit Senior Brother Huang at the Gu Family to drink tea and chat. After all, he owed his current position at the Li Family entirely to Huang Yan’s recommendation.
As for choosing to visit at dusk, it was because Cheng Xiaoyu would be finishing her shift around this time. After paying his respects to Senior Brother Huang, he planned to take the little girl for a stroll around the Inner City. If they were short on household supplies, they could buy them and bring them back. And if she took a liking to any trinkets, he would usually buy them for her. It would only cost a few copper coins anyway, a small price to pay for her happiness.
Right now, he had the sweet scent of osmanthus and fine wine in his life, and he intended to cherish the present. He refused to look back years from now and lament that the carefree days of his youth were gone forever.
Inside a guest room at the Gu Family estate.
Huang Yan poured Chen Yuan a cup of hot tea and smiled. "How have you been lately? Is your progress in the Martial Dao going smoothly?"
He had seen great potential in Chen Yuan from the beginning, and the young man hadn’t disappointed him. According to Da Jiang, after Chen Yuan was transferred to guard the Medicinal Garden, he had quickly earned the favor of the General Manager there.
Chen Yuan took a sip of tea and smiled faintly. "Thank you for your concern, Senior Brother. Everything is going smoothly. I just reached Minor Achievement in Bone Refining a few days ago, and my Manifest Force has attained Great Success."
He recounted his recent progress in full detail, seeing no reason to hide such accomplishments.
"Oh? Such rapid progress?" Huang Yan was slightly taken aback, the admiration in his eyes deepening before he shook his head with a laugh. "You must be one of those late-blooming prodigies. The further you go, the more astonishing you’ll become. I reckon it’s only a matter of time before you surpass Yu Yan."
He didn’t hesitate to give such high praise, even using Yu Yan—the Gu Family’s current rising star—as a point of comparison.
Chen Yuan offered a humble smile. "You flatter me, Senior Brother Huang. I have no intention of comparing myself to Yu Yan. I just want to focus entirely on my own martial arts cultivation."
Why did he detect a hint of dissatisfaction toward Yu Yan in Huang Yan’s words?
Huang Yan drank his tea, then let out a heavy sigh. "If I had to choose between the two of you, I’d bet on you. Unfortunately, the Patriarch foolishly believed slanderous rumors and stubbornly chose to abandon you. I wonder how he feels about that now? And how he’ll feel a few years down the line?"
After spending the better part of a year with him, Huang Yan had pretty much figured out Yu Yan’s temperament. The talent was there, but the boy couldn’t settle his mind at all. He considered himself superior to everyone else and looked down his nose at the world. Ever since his defeat at the hands of Xu Heng a while ago, Yu Yan had become even more gloomy and temperamental. His approach to martial arts had grown far more passive as well.
In Huang Yan’s view, it was highly debatable whether Yu Yan would even reach his current level of cultivation in the future. Chen Yuan, on the other hand, was destined to surpass him sooner or later.
Chen Yuan chuckled. "What is meant to be will be; perhaps it was just the will of heaven. At the very least, you’ve always supported me, Senior Brother Huang. By the way, Yu Yan mentioned hosting a banquet to invite me in the next couple of days. He said he wants to apologize. Is the Gu Family behind this?"
Huang Yan raised an eyebrow, his expression turning serious. "I haven’t heard any whispers of that. The Patriarch actually considers your name a taboo subject these days. Perhaps it was Gu Ye’s idea. He always thought highly of you and might want to smooth over the rift. If Yu Yan genuinely wants to bury the hatchet on his own accord, I might actually gain some respect for him. But stay on your guard—given his temperament, a sudden betrayal isn’t out of the question."
That being said, Huang Yan wasn’t overly worried. Yu Yan had achieved Minor Achievement in Bone Refining less than a month ago, and his time at Great Success in Manifest Force was even shorter. If it really came down to a fight, it was anyone’s guess who would emerge victorious.