Chapter 10 – Were Boulders Always This Heavy?

  Two days had passed since they began their secluded training camp.

  The courtyard echoed with the steady thuds of fists striking wood and stone.

  Gu Bi grunted as he pushed against the 50kg training boulder, his small frame shaking from the strain. “Come on… just… a little… more…!”

  It shifted an inch.

  “Good,” Kong Tian said from where he sat cross-legged, eyes half-open. “Better than yesterday.”

  Gu Bi collapsed onto his back, panting heavily. “Better? My bones are screaming!”

  Kong Ming chuckled, his sleeves rolled up as he followed through on a sequence of stances from the recovery manual he’d taken from the knowledge pavilion. His movements were smoother than before, but every step was calculated, every shift deliberate.

  “I’ve only just managed to hold my form steady for 10 minutes,” he said, shaking his arms out. “Even Gu Bi is ahead of me now.”

  Gu Bi sat up quickly. “That’s only because I have a thicker frame. You’re still recovering, Brother Ming. I wouldn’t even be here without you two.”

  Kong Ming offered a weak smile. “That’s not what bothers me. It's my body… It feels like it resists improvement. Like I’m dragging myself uphill with my arms tied behind my back.”

  Kong Tian stood and walked over, placing a hand on his younger brother’s shoulder.

  “Progress isn’t always a sprint. Sometimes surviving the hill is the victory.”

  Gu Bi nodded. “And hey, I still trip over my own feet every third punch. So don’t go handing me any titles just yet.”

  They laughed, tired, but together.

  While Kong Ming and Gu Bi took a break and washed up in the stream, Kong Tian entered the early part of the woods to hunt Mortal-ranked demon beasts.

  As he was walking along the path, a grey-robed old man appeared in front of him.

  Startled, Kong Tian clumsily jumped back. “Steward Gu…?”

  Steward Gu, the attendant of Lee Chan-Chan, the man whose face was covered by the brim of his straw hat, revealed a kind and amiable face.

  “I didn’t mean to startle you, young man. Are you okay?”

  Kong Tian nodded, his guard still tense.

  Steward Gu chuckled. “If I wanted to harm you, do you really think I would go through all this trouble, given my strength?”

  Kong Tian… paused and realized the foolishness of his reaction. His cautiousness resembled an ant trying to block the attack of a tiger.

  “I came here because I’ve taken a liking to you and your brother and find you two interesting.”

  He handed Kong Tian a silk pouch filled with pills.

  Kong Tian’s brows furrowed. “Senior, what kind of pills are these?”

  Steward Gu chuckled. This boy knows absolutely nothing outside of the martial Dao, he thought inwardly.

  “They’re spirit-grade body recovery pills and meridian cleansing pills.”

  Kong Tian’s hands trembled, almost dropping the silk pouch filled with expensive pills.

  “S-s-spirit-grade recovery pills?!? I can’t accept such an expensive gift.”

  Kong Tian already felt guilty accepting the robes from Lee Chan-Chan. He was also saved by Senior Gu during the fight with the Yuan brothers. He didn’t want to be indebted to them any further. He was a firm believer that there is no free lunch in this world.

  Attendant Gu chuckled. “This old man would like you to do a task for me in return.”

  He understood Kong Tian’s personality and knew he would feel more comfortable exchanging these pills for something in return.

  “I owe Senior a life-saving grace. Name it, and this young Kong will do his utmost.”

  Senior Gu smiled in approval.

  “I want you to become my little miss’s friend.”

  He sighed. “Due to my little miss’s unfathomable background, she hasn’t had many opportunities to form pure relationships that weren’t based around special interests.”

  “I’ve been watching you young men since the entrance ceremony. I can see that you and your brother aren’t blinded by greed, power, or wealth.”

  “In this world, power is everything, but the higher you climb, the lonelier it feels.”

  “That’s why I’m asking you brothers to look after the little miss when possible.”

  “Don’t worry, I’m not asking you to become her bodyguard or anything of that nature. And if my little miss gives you too much trouble, I’ll free you from this agreement.”

  “…So… what do you say?”

  Kong Tian pondered for a moment.

  “I don’t think it’s right to be paid to be someone’s friend.”

  “I don’t think your little miss is a bad person, so we won’t reject her if she’s open to being friends.”

  “So, Senior… let’s make a different agreement.”

  Steward Gu was silent… He was truly impressed by Kong Tian’s upright character.

  “How about helping this old man run an errand?”

  Kong Tian nodded.

  Senior Gu chuckled. “I haven’t even told you what it was yet.”

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  He reached into his sleeve and handed him a sealed letter.

  “I want you to deliver this letter to the Cloud-Seeking Sect leader. If you manage that, consider the debt repaid.”

  Kong Tian received the letter and bowed politely as he bid the old man farewell.

  As he departed, the old man reminded him, “Make sure to give those medicinal pills to your brother before the demon beast trial.”

  Kong Tian nodded in response and continued his hunt for food for the night.

  One hour later…

  Kong Tian returned to the courtyard with a twin-tailed eagle rabbit and some herbs to use in a stew.

  Gu Bi’s eyes sparkled. “We’re having a rabbit tonight!”

  Ever since meeting the Kong brothers, his life felt like a dream filled with warmth and laughter. The lonely nights he once lived, sleeping alone on abandoned carts with an empty stomach, were slowly becoming distant memories.

  Kong Tian prepared the stew and secretly placed two body recovery pills into the pot.

  It’s better that those two don’t know about the medicine from Senior Gu. There’s no point in all of us feeling indebted to the Lee Clan, he thought inwardly.

  ?

  For the next several days, the courtyard became a world of its own.

  While the Iron Root Martial School resumed its teachings and gossip, the Kong brothers and Gu Bi vanished from public view. They skipped every lesson. They attended no lectures. Made no appearances on the sparring fields.

  Head Instructor Fang Duan permitted their leave of absence, but the other students weren’t aware.

  Fang Duan sat at his desk, stacked with scrolls. He was writing a letter with the name “Fang Longwei” written at the top.

  He wondered how those Kong brats were progressing.

  Sometimes there are more important things to do than listening to lectures.

  Instead, they trained from sunrise to moonrise.

  Kong Tian’s regimen was brutal, lifting boulders, striking reinforced poles until his knuckles bled, running uphill with Gu Bi following.

  Gu Bi, surprisingly, kept pace. His arms and legs thickened, and his coordination sharpened.

  Kong Ming, however, struggled. He woke each day with sore joints and barely enough energy to complete his routines. The exercises designed for recovery helped, but progress was slow. Painful. Frustrating.

  “I can’t even lift the first boulder off the ground,” he muttered one morning, sweat dripping from his brow.

  Gu Bi trotted past with a cheerful grin, a 150kg boulder balanced across his shoulders. “Need help, Brother Ming?”

  “Only if you can carry my pride too.”

  Kong Tian looked on in silence, watching his brother grit his teeth and continue.

  “Ming’er, take this.”

  He tossed him a small pill.

  Kong Ming caught it. “What’s this?”

  “A present. Your birthday’s in a month, right? Consider this an early gift.”

  Kong Tian hoped the body recovery pills he slipped into the food would help, but Gu Bi seemed to be the only one progressing by leaps and bounds.

  Maybe the source of Ming’er’s stubborn development lies in his meridians.

  Kong Ming looked at the pill with curiosity. “How did Big Brother obtain such a valuable-looking medicine?”

  Kong Tian shrugged his shoulders. Kong Ming swallowed it.

  Instantly, a cool feeling overcame his body. He no longer felt the constant burning and aching pain in his joints and meridians, but instead felt a refreshed sensation.

  My meridians!… They’re not hurting! He shouted inwardly in surprise.

  Ever since he broke through to the Body Tempering Realm a few weeks ago, there hadn’t been a moment when he wasn’t in pain.

  But today, he finally felt the physical keenness that a true body tempering cultivator should feel emanating from his body.

  Kong Ming clenched his fist with newfound strength, the strong grip sensation foreign to him.

  “Maybe I can finally lift that first boulder,” he pondered.

  He then shook his head. “I should continue with the basics for now.”

  Evening – By the Courtyard Fire

  Kong Tian had been slipping recovery pills into every meal since that day.

  The three boys sat around the fire, eating salted meat with roasted roots. The flames danced, casting shadows on their sweat-slick faces.

  “Any luck sensing spiritual qi?” Kong Ming asked quietly.

  Kong Tian shook his head. “Not even a flicker.”

  Gu Bi frowned. “I thought once you finished tempering your body, it just… happened.”

  “So did I,” Kong Tian admitted, staring at his clenched fist. “But something’s off. Either I’m missing something… or the heavens are just laughing at me.”

  “Maybe you need to do something different,” Gu Bi said. “Like meditating under a waterfall, or fighting a spirit beast, or…”

  “Drink celestial dew off a plum tree during moonrise?” Kong Ming added dryly.

  Gu Bi grinned. “Hey, that sounds poetic.”

  Kong Tian gave a rare smile. “I’ll consider it.”

  ?

  The Next Day.

  Iron Root Martial School – Main Courtyard

  Though the Kong brothers had been absent for nearly ten days, they were far from forgotten.

  Whispers floated through the school corridors.

  “They’ve gone into seclusion.”

  “I heard Kong Tian’s trying to open a hidden meridian.”

  “Or maybe they ran off after offending someone important.”

  Amid the rumors, Fang Zhu stood near the training grounds, arms crossed, watching two students spar sloppily.

  “Tch. Trash,” he muttered.

  Behind him, a fellow Fang Clan member approached. “Still thinking about her?”

  Fang Zhu scowled. “She hasn’t looked at me in over a week. Not once.”

  “You know she’s still talking to that Chan-Chan girl. Maybe the nobles, ”

  “It’s not Chan-Chan,” Fang Zhu snapped. “It’s him. That mutt Kong Tian.”

  Fang Zhu’s lips curled. I already informed the elders of the threat Kong Tian's presence brings.

  The other youth hesitated. “Shouldn’t we let it go? Instructor Fang Duan’s watching them closely.”

  “Then we won’t touch them. There’s nothing stopping us from hitting a target with a stranger’s arrow.”

  He turned toward the path leading to the practice yard.

  “Street rats, will always be rats, no matter how well you dress them.”

  “I’ll remind them of their place soon.”

  ?

  Day Twelve – Kong Residence Training Ground

  Gu Bi stood, panting, in front of the fourth boulder.

  He hadn’t lifted it, but he had made it move.

  Only slightly. Barely a shift. But it was something.

  Kong Tian’s eyes lit with approval. “At this rate, you’ll match a third-stage beast in pure muscle. Your cultivation may lag, but your strength won’t.”

  Those pills made such progress for Gu Bi after a few days… perhaps those pills weren’t simply spirit grade… but higher?!

  Gu Bi scratched his head, smiling shyly. “I’m just trying to be useful. I’m not a genius like you two.”

  Kong Ming laughed weakly from where he was lying on his back, covered in sweat. “Speak for yourself. I’d trade this body for a sack of potatoes and a good night’s sleep.”

  “You can’t lift a sack of potatoes,” Gu Bi pointed out.

  “Exactly.”

  Kong Tian chuckled. “Ming’er, your progress is slower. But it’s real. Your body is healing. That’s the most important thing.”

  Kong Ming stared at the sky. “Brother, my body has been feeling strange since you gave me that pill.”

  Kong Tian’s eyebrows rose.

  “Strange?… How so?”

  Kong Ming shrugged. “I can’t describe it very well. My body feels lighter, and I recover a lot faster. I even feel meaningful amounts of strength in my legs.”

  Kong Tian smiled. “That’s great. Maybe you should try running, it’s a great way to improve stamina. I haven’t seen you run since you were three years old.”

  “Memories surfaced in Tian’s head. It was a time when Kong Tian and Kong Ming were young, and they often ran and played together in the large palace halls. During those days, smiles and laughter were an hourly occurrence.

  He sighed..

  He felt sadness and nostalgia. “Those simple childhood experiences were more precious than he could imagine; he never thought during those days that he would possibly never be able to run and play with his brother for the rest of his life.”

  Kong Ming’s eyes widened.

  Despite being able to walk, he never had the strength and balance to run, up until now.

  “But my legs have stopped wobbling in recent days… After three hours of exercise, my body should be able to handle running… right?” he thought inwardly.

  Kong Ming had never run before. Due to his frail body, a simple fall often led to a broken bone or worse. Even though his body has been strengthening… his mind was still in the same place.

  In his head, he was still the bedridden boy who could barely get out of bed or fall without breaking a bone.

  He stood up straight and began walking, his steps firm. His pace increased.

  Slow jog… fast jog… running… sprinting!

  Kong Tian’s eyes widened in disbelief.

  His stoic demeanor fell apart as tears began to stream down his cheeks.

  He had pushed himself for so long, trying his best to be the pillar of support for his younger brother. He never displayed an ounce of concern or vulnerability, but today, that iron door, which held back years of self-sacrifice, opened the floodgates of emotion.

  Uncle Lao… if only you could see this right now…

  Kong Ming was too immersed in the sensation of running along the stream to notice his older brother’s tear-ridden face.

  Gu Bi noticed Kong Tian’s moment of vulnerability and remained silent.

  Kong Tian had a large, tall, muscular build and a strong outward persona… but he was still a 13-year-old boy after all. It was easy to forget that based on his appearance.

  ?

  Chen Clan Estate – Secret Chamber

  Chen Wei reviewed several scrolls at his desk when a servant entered with a respectful bow.

  “My lord. Word has it the Kong brothers are skipping school. Rumors suggest they’re training in private.”

  Chen Wei didn’t look up. “As expected. Has the honey worked?”

  “No response to Chen Ning’s approach, my lord.”

  “Hmph. As I thought. Then it’s almost time for the stick.”

  He turned toward a candle-lit map of Iron Root’s surrounding forest.

  “Let’s see how long the tiger cub lasts once you throw him into a pit of wolves.”

  ?

  Final Day Before the Trial – Kong Residence

  The courtyard was still. The air smelled of sweat, blood, and burnt herbs.

  Kong Tian knelt in the center, hands resting on his knees. His breath slowed.

  Then,

  A faint ripple.

  His eyes opened.

  Kong Ming looked up from his scroll. “Did you…?”

  Kong Tian nodded slowly. “I broke through to the Spirit Apprentice Realm.”

  Gu Bi perked up. “Qi?!”

  Kong Tian nodded again.

  Gu Bi jumped in excitement.

  Kong Tian smiled wryly.

  He stood, his body relaxed. His muscles, once stiff with tension, now felt light, ready.

  “Tomorrow’s the trial,” he said. “And no matter what happens… we won’t be left behind.”