Chapter Forty: Embracing the Unconventional

In the visualization, the stream began to flow more swiftly under the guidance of the whirlpool. As its speed increased, sprays of water occasionally burst forth, but the sound of these splashes was neither crisp nor clear; rather, it resembled the roar of a tiger. The rocks and hidden reefs that once dotted the river's surface had now been reduced to gravel and dust, most of which had sunk beneath the water. Strangely, trying to remove them with medicinal power only made things more troublesome.

Kou Li surmised that perhaps this was because the process now involved the refinement of the internal organs, making it far more complex and demanding greater consumption of the medicinal energy. At last, when he had drained the ointment of all its power, a section of the river was finally cleansed. Opening his eyes, he became profoundly aware of each beat of his heart—so clear and powerful, each thump like the steady beating of a drum.

Though he did not yet understand the full significance, Kou Li recognized that he now possessed the heart of a perfect martial artist. Yet, gazing at the empty medicine bottle, he could not help but sigh. If this continued, even a thousand taels of silver might not suffice. He needed to devise a more economical way to train.

By the time he returned to the martial hall, dusk was falling. The evening glow spilled over the mountains and forests, making Kou Li’s steps unconsciously lighter. When he arrived, however, he was met by the curious sight of numerous heads peering out from windows and cracks in the door. Standing at the entrance were Yao Wu Huo, flamboyantly dressed, and a young woman in green.

So this was the one his second senior brother was infatuated with?

Kou Li glanced at her instinctively. Though plainly attired, her hair held up with a simple wooden hairpin, her figure was well-proportioned, with a delicate, fair-skinned appearance and gentle countenance. Just as he narrowed his eyes in recognition, intending to retreat to the rear courtyard, it was already too late.

“It’s you!” Lin Su’e’s eyes lit up with delight.

Seeing Kou Li quicken his pace, the young “Mazu” grew anxious and abandoned Yao Wu Huo to chase after him.

“Wow—” The martial hall apprentices exchanged knowing glances, their expressions filled with meaning.

“Are you all right? I’ve been wanting to see you again,” Lin Su’e patted her chest, her breathing quick and cheeks flushed—whether from running or another reason was uncertain.

Kou Li looked at her, or rather at Yao Wu Huo, whose face had turned an alarming shade of green. In that instant, Kou Li understood: the infatuation was entirely one-sided.

“Don’t you recognize me? I’m—”

“I do, I do,” Kou Li interrupted, his expression changing abruptly. This foolish woman—couldn’t she keep secrets? If she kept talking, the truth about his alchemical skills would be exposed. Did she not realize the threat she posed?

Lin Su’e herself didn’t understand why she became so nervous in his presence. It wasn’t love at first sight, but she did feel a certain fondness for him—a life-saving gratitude, perhaps.

But in Yao Wu Huo’s eyes, the scene became something else entirely: a man and woman both harboring feelings—what a shameless pair!

“What are you doing here?” he demanded.

“There are many poor people in Guanchao who can’t afford treatment. Since the clinic is quiet, I came to see them, and also brought some things for Brother Yao on behalf of his aunt. I didn’t expect to find you here—it’s wonderful.”

Wonderful, indeed! Kou Li couldn’t help but roll his eyes. Was this woman hopelessly persistent or simply foolish? After all she’d been through, she still insisted on her charitable endeavors.

Without me, you wouldn’t even be able to protect yourself.

“Oh, if there’s nothing else, I’ll be going,” Kou Li replied calmly. He and this woman were a disastrous match; it was best to keep his distance.

“Don’t go!” Lin Su’e exclaimed, grabbing his hand in her anxiety.

Kou Li was speechless.

The apprentices’ eyes sparkled with anticipation.

“Ah!” Realizing her impropriety, Lin Su’e snatched her hand back as if scalded, her blush deepening beyond the evening glow. “No, I just… I made some cakes and couldn’t finish them. I wanted to give you some.”

Flustered, she rummaged through her bundle and produced a white cloth, inside which were four round, plump rice cakes, resembling chubby babies.

Kou Li’s mouth twitched. This woman was only making things worse. With so many prying eyes, accepting or refusing would both be awkward.

“Miss Lin, are you very close to my junior brother?” came the gritted voice from behind, a reminder that Yao Wu Huo was still very much present.

“Oh,” Lin Su’e finally realized the awkwardness of the situation and caught Kou Li’s pleading look—not to reveal her identity.

“Um, yes. He’s… he’s my cousin, that’s right, a cousin I haven’t seen in a long time!” Lin Su’e’s eyes brightened as if she’d found the perfect excuse. “I’ve missed my cousin terribly.”

Kou Li was silent.

Luo Yanzong was silent.

What cousin from out of town? What cousin so unfamiliar she couldn’t recognize him?

“Cousin, here, take these. I’ll be going now,” Lin Su’e pressed the cakes into Kou Li’s hands and hurried away.

Kou Li glanced at the cakes, then at Yao Wu Huo’s face, now darker than charcoal. Any goodwill he’d gained that morning was not just nullified, but plunged deeply into the negative.

No sooner had the three left than the martial hall was ablaze with gossip.

“So Miss Su’e is Senior Eight’s cousin? Why haven’t we heard that before?”

“Are you blind? It’s obvious she has a crush on our Senior Eight!”

“What? What about our chief instructor?”

“That’s not the point—the point is Senior Eight doesn’t seem interested!”

“He may not be, but the chief instructor is.”

“But from what I see, Miss Su’e isn’t too keen on the chief instructor either.”

“Interesting, truly interesting. The mountains have nothing on the gossip in the martial hall,” Jiang Yazhi concluded.

The night passed without incident. The next day, Kou Li appeared on the training ground with Zheng Bao’er, and at once was the focus of countless curious eyes. Guanchao was a poor place, and so was the martial hall—opportunities for entertainment were rare, especially ones as juicy as this.

Zheng Bao’er seemed oblivious, chewing contentedly, “Yesterday’s cakes were delicious, Brother Kou. When can we have more?”

With a crack, Yao Wu Huo spread his palm, revealing a pile of wooden splinters.

“Senior Brother Yao, I feel I’ve improved in Tiger Fist since yesterday. I can now master the Tiger’s Inner Draw.”

“Very good, very good,” Yao Wu Huo forced out a smile, though his twitching eyelids betrayed anything but goodwill.

Kou Li nodded. This black bear had a volatile temper; perhaps it was best to keep him slightly off-balance. Who knew if one day the man’s jealousy would boil over?

After offering a few pointers to Xiaotou and the others, Kou Li stepped onto the plum blossom posts once more. He sank his stance, gripping with his toes, his posture light and agile, reminiscent of both cat and tiger.

Shock step, shifting step, overlaying step, crossing step, tiptoe step—combined, these formed the Tiger’s Pounce, the essence of Tiger Fist.

His form became a shadow, flickering across the posts before suddenly dropping low, sinking into a stance. The pressure on his ten toes was immense; his momentum almost caused his posture to collapse.

But at that moment, his heart gave a sudden, anticipatory thump. Instinctively, he pivoted and kicked off, and the energy that should have dispersed instead gathered again as he changed direction.

What was going on?

Kou Li was momentarily stunned. His heart’s sudden, forceful beat had compelled him to make an adjustment, and his energy hadn’t scattered as it had the day before.

He recalled that during yesterday’s stance training, he had absorbed the medicinal power and refined his heart. That made his reactions more sensitive; as the heart is the center of blood circulation, it allowed him to sense the gathering and dispersing of energy in advance.

With this awareness, he could adjust his stance and movements early, stabilizing his form.

So that was it!

Kou Li realized that stance training could offer such a benefit. What he didn’t know was that this advantage was reserved for those with perfect physique and deep understanding of martial principles—true prodigies.

And he was now on the path to becoming a prodigy.

“Where’s that wind coming from?” Xiaotou, having finally settled into his stance, was startled by a sudden rush of wind that disturbed his concentration. Was the sea breeze blowing again?

But as he opened his eyes, he saw most of the apprentices staring wide-eyed. The figure darting nimbly across the plum blossom posts, weaving and leaping like waves among flowers, was none other than Senior Kou.

The sound of the wind was caused by his movements.

To an expert like Yao Wu Huo, Kou Li’s movements combined the ferocity of a tiger with the agility of a cat. He had truly succeeded—cat and tiger in one, just from a single hint from their master!

For a moment, Yao Wu Huo’s expression grew complicated. He was pleased that the Tiger Fist might finally be completed in his hands, yet troubled by the connection between Miss Su’e and this man.

Even the straightforward “Black Bear” was caught in rare indecision: should he pursue the girl, or the fist manual?

The other apprentices exchanged a look, each satisfied. This was the Senior Kou they knew: always extraordinary!