"Since Grandfather and Uncle Lei already have an agreement, this junior will naturally give his all and not fail your trust."
Mu Yun's tone was plain, yet carried a quiet resolve.
At these words, a light leapt into Lei Gang's eyes, and his smile deepened. "Good! With those words, I can rest half easy."
The two turned from the matter at hand and, over their tea, drifted into idle chatter about the old tales of Qingchuan City.
As a local strongman born and bred in the city, Lei Gang's conversation touched upon numerous sects and noble houses, and the secret affairs of the city lord's manor. Mu Yun nodded along in secret, finding his understanding of the city deepening by the moment.
Tea fragrance curled; time slipped by. In the time it took to drink a few cups, the two rose and pushed open the door.
Lei Gang then arranged for Mu Yun to be settled in a quiet courtyard of the Wind and Cloud Martial Hall, a temporary place to rest.
Before long, a somewhat hurried set of footsteps approached from outside the courtyard — it was Lei Yu.
"Hah! I told you the wind had been stirring these past days, and sure enough, Brother Mu has arrived!"
Lei Yu was by nature bold and forthright; now that he saw Mu Yun, his eyes immediately brimmed with delight.
Learning that Mu Yun had broken through to the Minor Subtle Realm, he was beside himself with surprise and joy, unable to contain himself in speech. He insisted on a bout with Mu Yun on the spot.
Lei Gang had meant to say something, but in the end only waved a hand with a smile. "Stop when you've had enough — don't let it come to bad blood."
Clearly, he too wished to use this to see just how far Mu Yun's cultivation had come.
Before long, the training grounds of the Wind and Cloud Martial Hall were packed with onlookers — all elite disciples of the hall, their faces alight with excitement.
Lei Gang stood with hands behind his back at the edge of the raised platform, his gaze steady as a mountain.
In the center of the training ground, Mu Yun and Lei Yu stood thirty feet apart.
"Brother Mu, enlighten me!"
Lei Yu roared, his voice like thunder, sending a tremor through the surrounding air. His heroic bearing was that of a tiger roaring in the mountains — he strode forward and charged, wielding no arts whatsoever, relying solely on the explosive power of his flesh!
Mu Yun did not budge an inch. His eyes unhurried, he watched Lei Yu's charge come, then shook his shoulders and stepped forward in kind, not yielding an inch!
— Bang!!
Fists and palms met, the air detonating, gusts of force surging like a tide.
The disciples all felt a shockwave erupt from the center of the field, so strong it staggered them, forcing them to stagger back again and again!
"Good!!!"
The watching disciples roared their approval, their blood boiling.
The two in the field traded blow for blow, fists and feet flying, yet not a single strike carried any art or true qi — they contended purely with bodily strength. Fists fell like meteors, kicks like rolling thunder; every collision rang with the crack of bone and the detonation of air!
Lei Gang's brow lifted slightly, and a touch of satisfaction rose unbidden in his eyes.
— He could see it: every move Lei Yu made held a measure of restraint, a hidden force ready to pull back, never pressing his opponent to the wall.
"Yu'er has tempered his flesh since childhood. He believes he has few equals among his peers. his boxing is famed for its ferocity; even those of the same realm, few can stand against him head-on."
Lei Gang narrowed his eyes, his bearing as steady as ever, yet a flicker of surprise crossed his gaze.
"But this Mu Yun..." His eyes fell on the youth standing like a pine, like a mountain, and waves stirred in his heart. "He seems indifferent, his moves unadorned, yet every step hides an edge... This boy — his body is far more than it appears!"
By now, gusts rolled across the training ground, the wind sharp as a blade.
The watching disciples had already retreated several dozen feet back. Even disciples with fully tempered bodies felt their hearts race, their skin grow feverish — as though merely watching made turbid qi churn within them.
They could not make out a single detail of the exchange. All they could catch was two afterimages clashing across the flagstones, followed by a muffled boom like rolling thunder!
Bang!!
Another heavy strike. Their fists met, stone chips flying, and a spiderweb of cracks exploded outward from where their feet stood!
In mere moments, over a hundred exchanges had passed!
Lei Yu's battle intent burned like fire. His fists were thunder, his footwork faster by the breath, gales howling as though tearing the air itself apart.
Mu Yun, cold-faced, stood as steady as a mountain. Each strike seemed unremarkable, yet it defused all of Lei Yu's ferocious force; every blow that landed split the flagstones like a collapsing mountain!
— Another hundred exchanges, and not a single patch of the training ground floor remained whole!
On the platform, Lei Gang stroked his beard with a smile, then suddenly called out in a clear voice: "Hahaha, enough! That will do. If you two keep at it, my Wind and Cloud Martial Hall will truly have to find another plot of land and rebuild!"
His voice boomed like a great bell. The clash between the two faltered at once, and both withdrew their fists and stepped back.
Lei Yu wiped the sweat from his brow, his face wreathed in smiles. "I never expected Brother Mu to keep such a low profile — and yet his fists and feet are this formidable. What a fight! Truly satisfying!"
A faint smile tugged at Mu Yun's lips as he spoke slowly: "Brother Lei's power is deep and heavy, his momentum like a surging thunder. My arms and legs already ache. Had it gone on a moment longer, I fear I could not have withstood one of your thunderous strikes. I must also thank Uncle Lei for stopping things in time — saving me a modicum of dignity."
At these words, the crowd erupted. They knew not whether to marvel at Lei Yu's strength or admire Mu Yun's composure.
Lei Gang threw back his head and laughed, full of approval. "Hahaha, good, good! This bout, win or lose, has opened all our eyes!"
He shifted his tone, a note of expectation entering his voice:
"Young Friend Mu's body is extraordinary — I wonder which art you have cultivated? Were it paired with spells and martial techniques, you would already rival the peak of Qi Refining!"
"Father, you actually call Brother Mu 'young friend'? Doesn't that jumble up the generations?"
Before Mu Yun could speak, Lei Yu could not help but cut in. His tone held a smile, but also a hint of bewilderment.
At this, Lei Gang harrumphed and casually clapped Lei Yu on the shoulder, his voice unhurried: "What would you know? The Way of cultivation values realm and bearing, not vulgar etiquette."
He paused, turning to Mu Yun with a glint of appreciation in his eyes: "Mu Yun is young, but his mind is steady and his cultivation extraordinary — already far beyond ordinary juniors. When I call him 'young friend,' it is not out of seniority, but through the Way."
He turned and glanced at Lei Yu, smiling faintly: "If one day you possess such bearing and cultivation, I will call you 'young friend' as well."
Lei Yu was taken aback, then scratched his head and grinned sheepishly, saying no more.
Mu Yun only smiled faintly and nodded, not taking up the thread, though in his heart he felt a new measure of regard for Lei Gang's broad-mindedness and devotion to the Way.
These words left Lei Yu thoroughly awkward, yet he dared not retort — he could only scratch his head and laugh.
Seeing this, Mu Yun took up the conversation. He looked to the two of them and cupped his hands: "Uncle Lei, this junior does not dare to put on airs. It is only that, of late, I have been studying a saber art."
"Oh?" Lei Gang's expression sharpened at once. His voice dropped: "A saber art?"
His gaze focused. After a moment's thought, he nodded slowly: "Good. The fist is yang and vigorous; the saber belongs to slaughter. If you take up the saber, you must walk the path of slaughter. The Wind and Cloud Martial Hall could use a fighting style of a different bent. In that case, you and Yu'er — one the sharp point piercing the enemy, the other guarding the front — if you coordinate well, it is not impossible that you will seize every advantage in this tournament."
He changed tack and called out: "Someone! Repair the training ground floor, bring in stonemasons to reinforce the foundation! The rest of you, disperse — stop gawking!"
The crowd scattered at the command. Before long, the field had fallen quiet, leaving only the three of them — Lei Gang, his son, and Mu Yun — standing amid it.
Stone dust still hung in the air; the scars on the ground had not yet faded. Yet the three stood as though at the eye of a storm, their qi and wills meeting, undercurrents surging.
Lei Yu glanced sideways at Mu Yun, then suddenly smiled and said in a low voice: "Brother Mu, three days from now, we take the field side by side. Don't let me down."
Mu Yun did not answer, only smiled faintly, his gaze turned toward the distance. Yet deep in the depths of his eyes, a cold, sharp blade-light seemed to bloom —
Silently, unfurling.