The moonlight was pristine.
A horse-drawn carriage slowly pulled up to the Bai Family Ancestral Mansion in the dead of night.
"Thank you, Sister Chen."
"You've worked hard, Little Sister Xiao. Go get some rest."
Xiao Qiaoniang's fingers, no longer as rough as before, were now pale and slender. She lifted a corner of the carriage curtain.
She ducked out of the carriage.
The Bai Family's earning power had increased significantly, but so had their expenses. Of course, most of the money was spent on Bai Yuan's food.
They couldn't afford to buy a carriage, but thankfully Mrs. Liu of the Chen Family was acquainted with the shopkeeper of a carriage rental in the city. He had agreed to rent one to the dye workshop for two taels of silver a month.
This was why Xiao Qiaoniang and Mrs. Liu of the Chen Family dared to travel home so late at night.
The moment she stepped into the courtyard, she was greeted by the rich aroma of meat.
'What a wonderful smell.'
The dye workshop was a busy place. Xiao Qiaoniang had been so preoccupied with balancing the books and stocking inventory that she hadn't eaten all day.
The tempting aroma made her stomach growl with hunger. She assumed Sister Zheng had prepared dinner.
Although Aunt Zheng worked for the Bai Family, she and Bai Yuan had agreed to let her go home and care for her young child after preparing their dinner.
Xiao Qiaoniang pushed open the kitchen's wooden door.
Her eyes widened in shock at the scene before her.
A roast suckling pig, nearly half as tall as a person, sat on the stove, still steaming.
Although she had broadened her horizons in the city, this was the first time she had seen a roast suckling pig.
"Sister-in-law, you're back?"
Just as Xiao Qiaoniang was gaping in surprise, Bai Yuan walked into the kitchen.
It didn't take a genius to figure it out. Bai Yuan had obviously brought the roast suckling pig back from the Drunken Immortal Pavilion and put it on Ji Hanming's tab. The Young Master of Flying Eagle Castle would likely never even look at the bill from the pavilion, much less care about a single pig.
Bai Yuan used chopsticks to pick up a piece of wafer-thin, crispy pork skin and held it to Xiao Qiaoniang's lips.
"Sister-in-law, go on, try it. The roast suckling pig from the Drunken Immortal Pavilion is quite famous."
Xiao Qiaoniang opened her mouth just wide enough to accept the piece of pork.
She chewed carefully. CRUNCH. It was indeed crispy, and the fragrance of the juicy meat exploded in her mouth.
The day's exhaustion vanished in an instant as Xiao Qiaoniang lost herself in the delicious flavor of the roast pig.
Although Bai Yuan would occasionally bring back some exquisite food, this was the first time he'd brought home a roast suckling pig.
Before long, the two of them had eaten the entire thing.
Of course, most of it went into Bai Yuan's stomach.
"Brother-in-law, business at the dye workshop is going well. Sister Chen and I were thinking about opening a branch. What do you think?"
Xiao Qiaoniang asked while washing the dishes.
Although she could have left the dishes for Aunt Zheng to wash tomorrow morning, Xiao Qiaoniang was used to doing it herself.
Bai Yuan nodded.
"That's a good idea."
He had also been keeping an eye on the dye workshop's business. Mrs. Liu of the Chen Family was indeed very good at management, and the cloth from the Hongqiao Dye Workshop was always in high demand in Qinghe County.
A look of joy spread across Xiao Qiaoniang's face at Bai Yuan's approval.
Now that Bai Yuan was a Martial Artist, his expenses were growing. She'd heard that in addition to their huge appetites, Martial Artists needed a constant supply of medicinal herbs, or they risked developing hidden injuries.
That's why she had proposed opening another branch in the city to Mrs. Liu of the Chen Family—to save up money for Bai Yuan's herbs.
That would bring in an extra ten taels of silver a month, which would be enough for his medicine.
...
「The next day.」
Huwei Arts Hall, the Martial Arts Arena.
"Do you really want to spar with me?"
Liu Qingshan crossed his arms, the corner of his mouth twitching upwards slightly.
When Bai Yuan approached him to spar, he had agreed without a moment's hesitation.
He admitted he wasn't as talented as Bai Yuan, but he had been training at the hall for three years longer. He was still confident he could win.
Bai Yuan walked to the weapon rack and picked up an unsharpened long saber.
'I'm afraid I won't be able to hold back and will end up cleaving him in two.'
'Although I can use reinforcement points to level up my cultivation technique directly, it's better to get a feel for real combat first.'
'Liu Qingshan is a good choice for a sparring partner.'
Of course, he wouldn't use his full strength. The last time he'd underestimated his power, he had accidentally killed Liu Chu in a single blow.
"Come on."
Liu Qingshan bristled with fighting spirit.
Bai Yuan didn't waste words. He dragged his long saber along the ground and moved quickly toward Liu Qingshan.
Liu Qingshan stared intently at Bai Yuan, the long sword in his hand already unsheathed.
In the next instant, he tapped his toes and leaped into the air, his flexible long sword bending as he thrust it straight at Bai Yuan's back.
This was his signature swordsmanship, the Cyan Snake Sword.
It was agile and tricky, meant to catch an opponent off guard.
But Bai Yuan neither retreated nor dodged. Ignoring Liu Qingshan's soft sword, he brought his own blade down in a powerful, heavy-handed strike.
Liu Qingshan had never seen such a reckless, life-or-death fighting style.
He hurriedly withdrew his sword and retreated.
"Stop, stop, stop! This isn't a spar, this is a fight to the death!"
The corner of Bai Yuan's mouth lifted slightly.
"The Martial Dao is fundamentally a killing art. A real enemy won't show mercy."
In truth, those were Zhang Yang's words.
Liu Qingshan couldn't help but roll his eyes. He had to admit that he really couldn't beat Bai Yuan.
The guy was just too savage. If he hadn't retreated, the result would have been his death and Bai Yuan's injury. But the moment he fell back, he was completely overwhelmed by Bai Yuan's ferocious saber style, leaving him no room to counterattack.
In a duel between Martial Artists, victory wasn't just decided by fundamentals like one's cultivation technique and realm; many other factors came into play.
This was why the Soul-Chasing Tower, despite not having many experts, struck fear into the hearts of countless masters across the Xuan Yang Dynasty.
Killing has never been just about martial strength.
Bai Yuan replayed the battle in his mind and realized the problem.
'I've been focusing entirely on increasing my killing power, but reality isn't a game. There are no health bars, and getting slashed by a sword would not be a pleasant experience.'
'Looks like I need to find a martial art to improve my body technique.'
Acknowledging his defeat, Liu Qingshan looked dejected.
'The gap between an ordinary person and a genius truly can't be bridged by time alone.'
"Junior Brother Bai, I should be leaving the martial arts hall next month."
He was an Outer Disciple. If he couldn't be promoted to an Inner Courtyard Disciple within five years, he could only stay at the martial arts hall as a Martial Artist, like Zhang Yang, or leave.
Liu Qingshan's family had a huge business waiting for him, so of course he was returning to Baisha Town.
Bai Yuan glanced at Liu Qingshan and felt the urge to punch him.
'There's no need to get sentimental over something that isn't life-or-death, especially when the guy is just going home to inherit his family business.'
Liu Qingshan felt awkward under Bai Yuan's stare and scratched his head.
"Oh right, there is another matter I need your help with."
"What is it?"
"Baisha Town has been plagued by bandits recently. Many people who went into the mountains have been killed and hung from trees. My father hopes you can take action."
Bai Yuan nodded.
He was, after all, a Martial Artist affiliated with the Liu Family. He couldn't just take their money and do nothing.
Besides, he was also from Baisha Town. If the mountain bandits broke into the town to plunder, they might just break into his house and harm his sister-in-law.
With his current strength, dealing with mountain bandits would be a piece of cake.
'The reinforcement points I get from killing people are much higher than what I get from hunting.'
'Wiping out bandits is a pretty good excuse.'
The Firewood Cutting Saber, wrapped in burlap on Bai Yuan's back, was already growing restless.