Yang Jing snapped out of his thoughts and quickened his pace to catch up with his martial brothers.

’The urgent task now is to return to the Martial Arts Hall. As for Shen Lie... I’ll deal with him after the buzz from the tournament dies down. I must eliminate this menace.’

The group left the tournament grounds and walked along the stone-paved road toward West City Chengping Square. His martial brothers were still excitedly discussing the details of the tournament. At one moment, they’d cheer for Yang Jing’s perilous situations on the fighting stage; the next, they’d speculate about when the Court’s official announcement would be posted.

When they reached a fork in the road, Liu Maolin suddenly clapped Yang Jing on the shoulder. He said to the other junior brothers beside them, "You guys head back to the hall and let them know the news. I need a word with your Senior Brother Yang. We’ll be right behind you."

The junior brothers were all quick-witted. They understood immediately, agreed with a smile, and quickened their pace. They soon put some distance between them, leaving the two with enough private space.

Liu Maolin watched the junior brothers’ backs disappear around a corner before turning to Yang Jing. His smile faded, replaced by a more serious expression. "Junior Brother, there’s something I need to make clear to you."

Seeing his serious expression, Yang Jing stopped walking and asked, "What is it, Senior Brother?"

"It’s about that elixir you took earlier," Liu Maolin said, pausing for a moment, his tone filled with a hint of awe. "That was no ordinary elixir. It’s called a Hundred Herbs Spirit Pill, refined from dozens of rare medicinal herbs. It can repair injuries and nourish the meridians in a very short time, and even slightly improve the quality of one’s Inner Strength. A treasure like that costs over a thousand taels of silver for a single pill. An ordinary Martial Artist might never even see one in their entire life."

Yang Jing was shaken.

He knew the elixir was miraculous, but he had never imagined it would be so precious.

Over a thousand taels of silver... It was an absolutely unheard-of price.

Liu Maolin continued, "The elixir wasn’t mine. How could I be so wealthy? This morning, Miss Jinlian was watching the fight from the spectator stands. When she saw you were injured, she had someone quietly deliver it to me, specifically instructing me not to say it was from her."

"Pan... no, Miss Jinlian?" Yang Jing was stunned.

’He barely knew this remarkable woman, having met her only once. Why would she give him such a valuable elixir?’

"It took me a while to figure it out, too," Liu Maolin said with a laugh, looking at his astonished expression. "She was most likely impressed by your performance on the stage. The Hundred Herbs Spirit Pill is expensive, but it’s nothing to her."

A mix of emotions washed over Yang Jing.

’If Miss Jinlian had given him the elixir directly, his pride would never have allowed him to accept such an extravagant gift for no reason. Besides, they were neither friends nor family; he wouldn’t have dared to take an elixir from a stranger.’

’But she had it delivered through Liu Maolin at the critical moment right before his fight with Xu Guangwei. She solved his urgent problem without putting him in an awkward position. Her consideration was truly meticulous.’

"Still... isn’t this gesture a bit too extravagant?"

Yang Jing still couldn’t understand.

Liu Maolin rubbed his chin and teased, "She obviously values your potential. Think about it. You took fourth place in the tournament, and you’re so strong at such a young age. Your future is limitless. Miss Jinlian is well-connected in Jintai Prefecture, so it makes sense for her to befriend a rising star like you. Or maybe..." He deliberately drew out his words and winked. "Could it be that she’s taken a fancy to *you*?"

Yang Jing felt a bit uncomfortable and coughed lightly. "Senior Brother Liu, please don’t joke around."

"Let’s go, back to the hall for now." Liu Maolin patted his arm. "In any case, that elixir was a huge help. If you get the chance in the future, you can thank her properly."

Yang Jing nodded, a genuine feeling of gratitude welling up inside him.

He looked down at his fists, and the scene of his fight with Xu Guangwei surfaced in his mind.

’By then, the effects of the Rejuvenation Pill had long since worn off, and the Inner Strength in his body had been on the verge of depletion. If not for the residual power of the Hundred Herbs Spirit Pill continuously nourishing his meridians and replenishing his Inner Strength like a gentle stream, allowing him to hold on to the very end of that battle of attrition, he would have been overwhelmed by Xu Guangwei’s fierce attacks long ago—let alone been able to seize an opening and defeat him.’

’Without that victory, he wouldn’t have had the foundation to secure fifth place, much less defeat Zhou Tong later and claim fourth.’

’This series of breakthroughs seemed to be something he had fought for step by step, but in reality, the turning point had been seeded the moment he took the Hundred Herbs Spirit Pill.’

’A precious pill worth over a thousand taels of silver was no ordinary favor. He would remember this kindness, this timely aid in his hour of need.’

"You’re right, Senior Brother," Yang Jing said, looking up with a sincere gaze. "To me, this elixir wasn’t just a boost—it was a fateful opportunity, a blessing from a benefactor. Without it, I might not have made it this far. After the official announcement is posted in a few days, I should prepare a gift and pay a visit to thank Miss Jinlian personally."

’Even if she only helped him because she saw his potential, that recognition and gift deserved a formal response.’

’On the path of the Martial Dao, aside from one’s own arduous training, serendipitous encounters and the help of benefactors were indispensable. To calmly accept goodwill and then repay it with courtesy was simply the proper way.’

Seeing his attitude, Liu Maolin smiled and nodded. "As it should be."

...

「West City.」

Yang Jing and Liu Maolin walked side-by-side into Chengping Square. From a distance, they could see the plaque of Sun’s Martial Arts Hall shimmering in the sunset.

Before they even stepped through the main gate, a clamor erupted from within. They could faintly make out the words "fourth place" and "Senior Brother Yang." It was clear the junior brothers who had returned earlier had spread the news of today’s tournament.

As they pushed open the gate to the Martial Arts Hall, the noise washed over them in an instant.

Six or seven disciples who hadn’t left yet crowded around them, their faces flushed with excitement, all talking at once to offer their congratulations.

"Senior Brother Yang, you’re incredible! Fourth place!"

"Our Martial Arts Hall is finally going to have someone on the tournament rankings!"

"I knew you could do it, Senior Brother!"

Surrounded by everyone, Yang Jing felt the pain from his injuries lessen. He smiled and clasped his hands in a salute, responding to each of them, "It was just a stroke of luck, and the results aren’t official yet. It’s all thanks to the daily guidance from Master and my senior brothers, and the care from my junior brothers."

Liu Maolin laughed from the side. "Alright, don’t crowd him. Let Junior Brother Yang catch his breath."

He turned to Yang Jing. "Master isn’t here. I asked just now, and they said he went to the infirmary to see Junior Brother Lin Yue. A few of the most senior brothers went with him, while the others went home. Junior Sister Ning Xiang isn’t around either. She’s probably at the infirmary as well."

Yang Jing nodded. Lin Yue had been severely injured by Li Mengchao during his match, so it was only natural for their master to go visit him.

He touched his abdomen, where a dull ache was still nagging at him. "Since Master isn’t here, I’ll head back first too. I need to properly tend to the injuries I got today."

"Alright," Liu Maolin replied. "Focus on your recovery. Once you’re all healed up, I’ll throw you a proper celebration!"

Yang Jing thanked Liu Maolin, said goodbye to the junior brothers who had gathered around, and turned to leave the Martial Arts Hall.

He walked along the familiar streets toward Datong Square as twilight gradually fell. The lanterns on the side of the street lit up one after another, casting a dim yellow glow on the stone-paved road.

Yang Jing walked slowly, keeping his steps as steady as possible to avoid aggravating the injury in his abdomen. ’I’ll use the remaining herbs to brew another medicinal soup when I get back,’ he planned. ’Combined with the effects of the Rejuvenation Pill, I should heal up as quickly as possible.’

「Meanwhile, at Sun’s Martial Arts Hall.」

Night had completely fallen. Oil lamps were lit inside the Martial Arts Hall. In the dim yellow light, a few servant disciples were tidying up the equipment in the courtyard. The CLANG of stone locks hitting each other was mixed with their excited discussion—

"I really didn’t expect Senior Brother Yang to be so incredible!"

"I know, right? When I first heard the news, I thought Senior Brother Ma and the others were joking. I can’t believe it’s true!"

"This morning, we suddenly heard that Senior Brother Lin was severely injured and taken to the infirmary. That gave me a real scare. I didn’t expect to get such good news in the evening."

"Master is going to be ecstatic when he gets back..."

Just then, footsteps sounded from outside the courtyard gate. Sun Yong walked in, followed by Sun Ningxiang.

Sun Yong’s face was so dark it looked like it could drip water. His brows were tightly knitted, and he had barely spoken a few words the entire way back.

...