"Please bear with my constant requests for votes as we continue our quest to climb the rankings. We are still some distance away from making it, and I can only rely on all of you. Just one vote from each person will get us there.
The moment these words were spoken, a tumult arose, and countless eyes turned to Su Mu in utter disbelief.
So that's it! Yang Kai suddenly realized. He had been trying to guess Su Mu's motive, contemplating whether it was for profit or fame. But he was wrong; Su Mu's intention was actually for the sake of beauty.
Yang Kai had seen the daughter of Master He before. She was a lovely young girl, not a stunning beauty but a delicate and charming lass with clear eyebrows and a graceful figure. At just fourteen, she was already a well-known beauty in Wumei Town.
Who would have thought that such a young girl would catch Su Mu's eye, bringing trouble to He's Rice Shop?
"Stop spouting nonsense!" Su Mu's face flushed red as he tried to argue.
The burly man continued to sneer, "I am not spouting nonsense. Although my brother and I have questionable characters and often engage in extortion, we would never frame someone by claiming their rice was poisoned, cutting off their livelihood. You all are our bread and butter; how could we ruin our own means of survival? This whole plot was orchestrated by this young man."
His sincere tone even elicited laughter from the crowd.
Yang Kai then asked, "And how much did he promise to pay you for this job?"
"Fifty taels of silver!" the burly man replied.
"Fifty taels, quite a sum." Yang Kai nodded lightly.
Having listened for a while, Master He understood the whole situation. He glared at Su Mu with disdain, "You despicable scoundrel, using such dirty tricks. My daughter would never look at you! The Lingxiao Pavilion has indeed produced a disgrace like you, tarnishing its reputation. With such vile character, you can't hold a candle to Young Brother Yang. It's truly shameful, and your parents must feel the same."
The shopkeepers around joined in, cursing and despising Su Mu's actions.
Su Mu's face turned from blue to red, knowing that after today, he would be too ashamed to show his face in Wumei Town again.
All this trouble stemmed from this... senior brother! If not for him, today would have ended with Master He's gratitude, making it easier for him to get close to the daughter in the future, eventually winning her heart. But now, everything was ruined, not only failing in his plan but also losing his reputation.
Calm in his extreme shame and anger, Su Mu asked coldly, "Senior brother, may I have your name?"
"Guess!" Yang Kai squinted at him.
Su Mu took a deep breath, "Even if you don't tell me, I will find out. You've been in the sect for over three years and haven't broken through the Body Tempering Realm, making you a trial disciple. There are only a handful of trial disciples in Lingxiao Pavilion. You wait, I will settle this score with you."
With that, Su Mu turned and walked out. He indeed had some skills, pushing aside anyone in his way as he left without hindrance.
Once Su Mu left, everyone remembered the two men beaten to a pulp, but they were already gone, having slipped away during Yang Kai and Su Mu's confrontation.
This farce ended with Yang Kai revealing the truth, earning the shopkeepers' praise, especially Master He, who was deeply grateful to him.
The young shop boy also looked at Yang Kai with admiration.
As the crowd dispersed, Mistress He came over, holding Yang Kai's hand and looking increasingly pleased with him.
Master He, however, showed concern, "Young Brother Yang, you've offended Su Mu today. I'm afraid you might face some trouble back at the sect."
After today, Master He had become much more affectionate in addressing Yang Kai.
"Don't worry," Yang Kai smiled, "The sect has its own rules. Even if he hates me, he can't do anything to me."
"That's true, but you must still be careful. If any harm comes to you because of today, we would feel guilty," Master He advised.
"I will be careful," Yang Kai reassured.
The He couple, grateful for Yang Kai's help today, insisted on having him stay for dinner. Yang Kai was about to agree when Mistress He said something that made him flee.
"Xiao Yang, do your parents have plans for your future marriage?"
Seeing her demeanor, Yang Kai suspected she was considering him as a potential son-in-law. With vague replies, he made his escape, his feet barely touching the ground.
He left with a large bag of white rice, far more than what ten taels of silver could buy. At least, he wouldn't have to worry about food for the next month.
Initially, Yang Kai was worried that Su Mu might ambush him on the way back, given Su Mu's petty and sinister nature. But Su Mu never showed up, even as Yang Kai returned to Lingxiao Pavilion.
On reflection, Su Mu had some sense. Although Lingxiao Pavilion's disciples often fought, killing within the sect was strictly forbidden, especially outside the sect. If Su Mu dared to ambush him outside, he would be severely punished if caught.
Su Mu would likely challenge him openly within the sect. As for whether he could discover Yang Kai's identity, it was inevitable. With so few trial disciples in Lingxiao Pavilion, Su Mu could easily find out by asking around.
Yang Kai couldn't gauge Su Mu's true strength but knew he was also in the Body Tempering Realm, though he didn't know how advanced he was.
Clearly, Yang Kai needed to intensify his training if he wanted to survive in Lingxiao Pavilion.
With this in mind, Yang Kai hurried back to his small hut. After a brief rest, he began his training.
It was too late to practice the Body Tempering Art, but he could still work on the basics taught by Lingxiao Pavilion. These foundational techniques were meant to temper the body using external methods, consuming physical strength to refine the physique.
Techniques like the Long Fist and Whip Leg that Yang Kai had used in previous challenges were examples of such foundational skills, not classified as real martial arts but essential training every sect and family provided.
In a clearing beside his hut stood a wooden dummy, one person tall, made by Yang Kai himself from century-old locust wood. It was tough and ideal for training. The dummy bore numerous dents and even bloodstains from Yang Kai's training.
Assuming his stance, Yang Kai began to strike the dummy with all his might, his punches and kicks swift and powerful, making the dummy sway and creak.
But after a short while, Yang Kai felt something different.
His punches and kicks seemed stronger than before, evident from the dummy's movements and the resounding thuds. Moreover, a warm, tingling sensation arose beneath his skin and within his bones, a clear sign of qi circulation, making his earlier qi sensation more pronounced.
From the fourth level of Body Tempering onwards, qi sensations develop, enabling the tempering of internal meridians. This warmth and tingling indicated the opening of his meridians."