The Fight
“I feel quite confident that I will win, Teacher Li. Will you really teach me the art of Throwing Knife after the match?” Shi Mu gave a quick nod and asked.
“This Throwing Knife Art is my crowning achievement after years of meditation, I doubt it would lose to any of the rare skills held by large families. I had planned to keep it as a secret, but if you gain enough fame for our Feng Liu club in this competition, then I shall gift it to you” Li Canghai chuckled.
“Then I shall do my best.” Shi Mu answered with a smile.
“Honestly your progress in Body Tempering is truly amazing, you are already able to practice with iron sand. But don’t take this competition lightly. Although all the participators are below the age of eighteen, the other club’s student should not be much weaker than you. I know of at least a couple contestants who have reached level ten in Body Tempering. If you could reach level eleven, then it will be guaranteed easy win.” Li Canghai said with a serious tone.
“I shall practise ceaselessly.” Shi Mu answered without thinking.
Li Canghai’s eyes glittered with hope. Then he led Shi Mu to a spacious room at the back of the yard. Once they entered it, he bolted the door directly. As for Shi Mu, he took off his shirt and a belt of heavy sand thudded down onto the ground which caused the floor to tremble.
Except for bathing and sleeping, Shi Mu never took off the belt, he was even wearing it when he confronted the zombie in the old temple. Had it not been for the heavy sand belt, which he had no time to undo when the zombie appeared, he would have been much quicker.
“The belt is not heavy enough for you. From tomorrow on, you shall increase the weight by ten kilograms." Li Canghai took a stout stick from the nearby shelf which was covered with a thick layer of animal skin padding at each end. Shi Mu nodded obediently as he stomped hard on the ground. He lowered his body firmly and took a deep breath, then clenched his fists, holding his breath.
Li Canghai steadily raised his arms before pounding at every acupuncture point on Shi Mu’s body heavily. After a long period of time, Shi Mu came out of the room with his clothes on, his normally nimble feet looking slightly unsteady, his face somewhat contorted in pain.
Meanwhile Li Canghai, who was sweating profusely in the room, smiled to himself bitterly.
“This little boy must have a demon-like body! How else could I, an intermediate warrior, be exhausted by him! But that’s good, if it had not been for this demon-like body, he could not have finished the iron sand practice in half a year! I look forward to the competition this year. Not even considering the iron sand practice, he is still too outstanding in raising two levels within half a year. Incredible! Is he actually a bloodline warrior?” Li Canghai sank into a meditation.
He did not know that Shi Mu had not been taking regular breaks between each iron sand practice. One would normally rest for a few days after using the iron sand method. Instead Shi Mu, relying on his amazing healing power, continued his practice during the intervals by hunting wild animals in the mountain while wearing the heavy black armour. It was this way that allowed him to achieve so much in body tempering.
After leaving the club, Shi Mu crossed a street before reaching a rather beautiful manor. This remote manor was actually one of his residences in the city. A short time after he entered the manor, a certain room was filled the strong smell of medical herbs and steam that wafted out the window.
“Ahhh.” Shi Mu sighed relaxedly as he lay in a big wooden basin, immersed in boiling water and covered by some herbs. His upper body, outside the water, was full of swollen marks, but his face was relaxed. Shortly after he fell asleep in his bath.
When he opened his eyes again, the water had already cooled down, and the sky had turned dark outside the window. Shi Mu rose from the basin and had a good look at his body - the swollen prints were nearly invisible now. The special medicine made by Feng Liu club was truly wondrous. Coupled with his own abnormal healing, he was able to go through the brutal training for half a year. After all, not every warrior could stay safe and sound with the heavy poundings he endured every several days, let alone the arduous running he did every evening with a heavy armour and weighted belt. In this half year, he had grown much taller. Apart from a small bit of childishness, both his stature and in his style of speech were like that of an adult.
After he dried himself with a towel, Shi Mu donned his shirt and sand belt before leaving the room.
One hour later, Shi Mu was at a certain street in the city’s north district. He looked around to make sure no one was watching, then turned and walked into a plain looking house. Inside there was an ordinary-looking room where two men were waiting at a square table. The two were none other than Feng Li and Gao Yuan.
“Brother Shi, you’ve come.” As soon as he saw Shi Mu, Feng Li rose from the chair and greeted him with a warm smile. Gao Yuan also happily rose to greet him.
“I was sure Brother Feng had some business for me when you made the gesture at the dojo.” Shi Mu said with a smile.
“Brother Shi’s right, this time, we need your presence. The opponents are from the Luan Shi [1] gang near Huang Tian. We of the Black Fox sect have asked them to come here and have a competition tonight. The result of this competition will decide who can reign over the five streets near North King Temple. The news I got was that this time, they obtained the help of some experts, so please be careful Brother Shi." Feng Li explained the situation.
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