Chapter 128: The Daily Grind

Chapter 128: The Daily Grind

Weeks had passed since I returned, and life had finally settled into something resembling normalcy. At first, it was overwhelming. Between catching up with the villagers, setting the shop back in order, and making time for training, I felt like I was trying to juggle a hundred different tasks all at once. But now? Now it felt effortless, like slipping back into an old, familiar routine.

Of course, "effortless" didn’t apply to everything. Not when it came to Elder Ming’s training regimen, which had, without a doubt, turned into my own personal hell.

Every morning, like clockwork, I’d wake up before dawn, join Lan-Yin and Wang Jun for training, and face whatever new form of torment Elder Ming had concocted. He’d wave us off with a smile, then add, “Oh, and Kai? No using qi today.”

At first, I thought it was a joke. But after one too many mornings of running through the hills with rocks strapped to my limbs, I realized he was serious. Dead serious. According to him, if my body couldn’t keep up with my cultivation, I was doomed to hit a wall later on. He kept harping on about building a strong core and lower body. Apparently, it didn’t matter what martial art you practiced—whether you were a swordmaster or a fist-fighter—if your legs were weak, you’d collapse like a rotting log.

“Maybe he’s secretly a sadist,” I muttered under my breath, trying to keep pace as we sprinted uphill yet again. “There’s no way any normal human could come up with this.”

“Did you say something?” Wang Jun panted beside me, already starting to lag behind. He wore similar weights along his legs, albeit smaller than mine.

“Just... thinking about how much I love early mornings.”

Lan-Yin, further ahead and looking as fresh as ever, threw a glance over her shoulder. “Keep up, boys. You’re falling behind!”

I gritted my teeth, putting everything I had into each step. No qi, no shortcuts—just raw, burning muscle. By the time we finished the sprint, I was seeing stars and couldn’t feel my legs.

And this was just the warm-up.

Next came the bodyweight exercises. Push-ups, squats, planks—all with Elder Ming standing off to the side, watching like a hawk. He even had the nerve to sip tea while we were on the verge of collapse. Meanwhile, Lan-Yin and Wang Jun were working hard too, but it was clear I was on another level of suffering. Elder Ming had tailored my training to be, well... particularly brutal.

“Five more, Kai!” Elder Ming called, as if that were supposed to motivate me.

“What kind of sadist did you learn these from?” I muttered into the dirt as I struggled through my last push-up. My arms felt like they were made of lead, shaking with every movement.

He only chuckled in response. “That’s for me to know and you to experience.”

As I finally collapsed onto the ground, face first, I relished the cool winter air that washed over my skin. Steam rose from my body as the sweat evaporated in the chilly morning breeze, and for a moment, I just lay there, savoring the sensation. There was something almost liberating about being utterly, completely exhausted. My mind was too tired to worry about anything else. It was just me, the dirt beneath me, and the cold air above.

“I’m... alive,” I groaned, rolling over onto my back. Lan-Yin, who had finished her own set of exercises, stood nearby with a smirk.

“Barely,” she teased, offering me a hand to help me up.

I took it, groaning as my legs protested. “Remind me again why we do this every morning?”

“Because you’re obsessed with getting stronger?"

“Right. I knew there was a reason.”

Wang Jun, looking equally wrecked but far more cheerful about it, clapped me on the shoulder as I wobbled to my feet. “By the way, I took a good look at that Iron Boar pelts you brought back.”

“Yeah?” I asked, wiping sweat from my brow.

He nodded. “It’s an incredible specimen. The hide is thick, durable, and has just the right amount of flexibility. I’ll be able to make something great with it, but it’s gonna take some time. Working with material that tough requires precision.”

“No rush,” I said, waving him off. “Take your time. As long as it keeps me from getting skewered in the future, I’m happy.”

He chuckled. “Oh, it’ll do that and more. Just leave it to me.”

With that, our training session came to an end, and we all began to part ways for the day. Lan-Yin had tasks at the Soaring Swallow, and Wang Jun was headed to the forge. As for me, I was looking forward to collapsing in my shop and maybe catching a break from Elder Ming’s ‘sage wisdom.’ But before we split up, I couldn’t resist one last jab.

"By the way," I said, letting a sly grin creep onto my face as we walked. "You two seem... closer these days. All that ‘cultivating together,’ eh? Must be quite the experience, sharing your energy flows, synchronizing your qi... bonding in such an intimate way.”

Wang Jun groaned, rolling his eyes, while Lan-Yin’s face flushed red. “Kai...” she warned, already clenching her fist.

“What?” I asked, feigning innocence. “I’m just saying—cultivating side by side, your breathing in perfect harmony, feeling each other's presence, the warmth of your combined—”

“Oh, no,” I muttered, stepping back and staring at the webbed corpse. That had to be the work of that strange spider I’d seen skittering around the garden a few times.

The thing was terrifying, being able to subdue animals many times larger than itself. Clearly, it had been busy while I was gone. And unlike Tianyi or Windy, it didn't seem enthused about meeting me. It skitters away as soon as I see it. I'd have to give it a name soon. Calling it the 'strange spider' all the time was rather tiresome.

I sighed and shook my head, wondering how long it would be before the regular farm animals in this village turned sentient or magical, too.

"One day, it'll be chickens. I just know it," I muttered under my breath, imagining a qi-infused rooster unfolding the Silent Moon sect's techniques. It was rather comical, imagining one unfolding the Twelve Form Harvest Moon.

For some reason, the image fit incredibly well.

As I stood there, shaking my head at the ridiculous image of battle-hardened chickens wielding martial techniques, something heavy dropped right beside me. I jumped back, startled, as the bisected form of a magpie lay at my feet, still twitching slightly. My stomach twisted at the sight.

'Sorry.'

I glanced up just in time to see Tianyi fluttering lazily overhead, her delicate wings shimmering with soft blue light.

Before I could get a word out, Windy slithered into view, his tongue flicking in the air. In one smooth motion, the serpent swallowed the magpie’s remains whole. I grimaced but said nothing. Between Tianyi, Windy, and that unsettling spider, my shop was turning into something of an invincible fortress—one that dealt with pests in its own gruesome way.

"Could you at least give me some warning next time?"

Tianyi fluttered down to perch on my shoulder, her small presence a familiar comfort despite the odd situation. I shook my head and turned back to the garden, deciding it was better to focus on something a little more peaceful.

Slowly but surely, my plants drank in my qi, ensuring they’d be ready to flourish when spring came.

As I worked, a few customers passed by, seeking potions or salves for winter ailments. It wasn’t a busy day, so the work went by quickly. Most of the villagers were accustomed to my shop’s pace now, and the flow of people seemed steady, without the rush I'd experienced when I first returned.

Just as I was finishing up another round of tending to the herbs, a familiar sound reached my ears: the high-pitched chattering of children. Sure enough, Xiao Bao and Mei-Li, two of the more rambunctious village kids, appeared at the gate, followed by a gaggle of their friends.

“Kai!” Xiao Bao called out, his eyes wide with excitement. “Tell us more about the Gauntlet! How you fought the Five Fists of Narrow Stone Peak!”

Mei-Li joined in, bouncing on her toes. “Yeah, you never told us what happened!”

I suppressed a grin, already feeling the urge to embellish my tale. “Ah, the Five Fists, huh? Well, let me tell you, those were some of the toughest foes I’ve ever faced.”

The kids gathered around, eyes wide, completely enraptured. I knew this was my moment. Of course, I didn’t mention the minor detail that I had help from Xu Ziqing. Why ruin the magic of the story?

“And then,” I continued, standing tall, “with a single blow, I shattered their formation. The very ground trembled beneath our feet, and the heavens wept at the sight of my victory!”

The kids gasped in awe, and I couldn’t help but smile.

As the children ran off, no doubt to reenact my grand battle with the Five Fists, I rested my elbows against the fence and took in a deep breath. The beauty of a normal life, a life I’d once thought too small for my ambitions, was finally settling back into my bones. That constant wanderlust that used to gnaw at me had been tempered by the rhythm of the village.

But as the sun dipped lower, painting the sky with shades of amber, I knew my day wasn’t done yet.

Once the shop was closed and the village had quieted for the night, I made my way to the small clearing next to my home. The moonlight filtered down through the bare branches, casting soft silver shadows across the ground.

Tianyi hovered beside me, her wings shimmering in the moonlight, while Windy coiled lazily near the base of a tree. I stretched my limbs, preparing for the final task of the day—training.

My qi reserves were brimming, which was exactly what I needed. Tonight, I would spar, pushing myself to the edge of my physical and mental limits. The remaining beast core elixir I had consumed needed to settle, to fully integrate into my dantian. And the best way to ensure that was through the grind of battle.

Taking a deep breath, I slipped into my stance, the energy swirling within me as I prepared to test everything I had. The night was still, the world quiet, as the three of us charged at each other, sharpening our skills.

Rooted Banyan Stance has reached level 3.

Another day. Another step closer.