A month had passed since the murder case in Luijiang, and Li Wei, now almost 18, found himself with more free time than he knew what to do with. No life-or-death investigations, no murderous spirits—just peace, quiet, and, of course, training. Which was great, because nothing screamed "free time" like stabbing the air with a sword for hours on end.
On this particular morning, Li Wei was out in the open field practicing his swordsmanship, his strikes precise and focused, sweat glistening under the rising sun. He paused to wipe his brow, taking a quick glance at the imaginary "stats panel" he always liked to keep in his head:
Tiger Boxing Method [Complete]
Iron Sand Palm [Complete]
100 Poison Immunity [1/100]
Basic Swordsmanship [35%]
His eyes lingered on "100 Poison Immunity." Now, this was an interesting one. The method was as fun as it sounded: poisoning yourself just enough to not die, then practicing a breathing technique before bed. Because what could be more relaxing after a long day than drinking poison and then sleeping it off?
"Ah, the simple joys of slow, painful immunity building," Li Wei muttered to himself, shaking his head. The technique wasn't about getting stronger physically, but his internal organs had started to feel like they were becoming more efficient. Which was a weird thing to notice about your organs. Anyway, progress was progress, right?
Afternoon Break: Tea with the Mayor
After a few hours of swinging his sword at nothing, Li Wei figured he deserved a break. Naturally, his "relaxation" involved visiting the mayor's house for a casual chat with Zhao Jun's dad, the mayor of Longjiang. If there was one thing Li Wei enjoyed about the mayor, it was his endless supply of weird wisdom.
"How's the training going?" the mayor asked, sipping his tea like they weren't about to dive into an impromptu philosophy lesson.
"Steady," Li Wei replied, trying to match the mayor's calm. "But there's something I've been wondering. What exactly is a breakthrough? I hear everyone talking about it, but no one explains it."
The mayor chuckled, leaning in like he was about to share a secret recipe for immortality. "Think of it as… a second puberty."
Li Wei blinked. "A second what now?"
"You know, puberty. But worse." The mayor grinned at Li Wei's expression. "When a 3rd-rate warrior hits their limit, their body stops growing. But during a breakthrough, your body goes haywire again. For two months, you'll be eating like a horse, growing stronger, faster, and hungrier. And You will poop 10 times a day and worse the poop will be too smelly and black."
Li Wei raised an eyebrow. "That sounds… fun."
"Oh, it's a blast," the mayor continued, not missing a beat. "You'll be able to lift at least 650 kilograms and run 100 meters in under eight seconds by the end of it. But in the meantime, you'll feel like you're always starving."
Li Wei stared into his teacup, wondering if there was a polite way to cancel future breakthroughs. "So it's not instantaneous?"
"Nope. It's two months of pure chaos," the mayor said, clearly enjoying Li Wei's discomfort. "But the end result? Worth it. Trust me, kid, you'll love it when you're not busy raiding the kitchen."
Li Wei mentally filed that away under "things to prepare for." "Got it. Second puberty. Fun."
Sword Shopping: Li Wei's Retail Therapy
A few days later, Li Wei decided his sword wasn't keeping up with his soon-to-be superhuman strength (thanks, second puberty), so he headed over to the blacksmith's forge. Zhao Jun had once introduced him to this guy, and if there was one thing the man knew, it was how to make a weapon sharp enough to slice through a falling leaf.
The blacksmith, built like a brick wall, looked up from his work as Li Wei entered. "Well, look who's here. Need something stronger?"
"I need a better sword," Li Wei replied, as calm as ever. "Something that can keep up with me." He tried not to sound too smug about his progress.
The blacksmith eyed him for a second, then grinned. "Getting ahead of yourself, huh? You want strength or balance?"
"Balance," Li Wei answered, without hesitation. After all, who cared about brute strength if you couldn't hit anything?
The blacksmith chuckled. "Good call. I've got just the thing." He reached behind him and pulled out a sword that gleamed in the light. "This one's for those who like to hit and dodge at the same time. Perfect for someone who doesn't like being a punching bag."
Li Wei gave the sword a few test swings. It felt smooth, balanced, and far superior to his old blade. "This will do."
"Yeah, yeah," the blacksmith said, waving him off. "Come back when you break it trying to cut through a boulder or something."
Relaxing with Poison: Li Wei's Evening Routine
As the sun set, Li Wei returned to his usual routine of carefully poisoning himself—because that's what a responsible martial artist does. He concocted his latest brew, swirling a small vial of something he couldn't pronounce but knew would make his insides tougher.
"Cheers," he said to no one in particular before downing the vial and settling into his breathing technique. The process wasn't fun, but it worked. Probably.
As the toxins slowly worked through his system, Li Wei reflected on the past month. He had learned about breakthroughs, upgraded his sword, and made more progress on becoming immune to deadly substances. All in all, not a bad stretch of time.
Sure, the calm wouldn't last. It never did. But for now, Li Wei was content. And when the real challenges came, well… at least he'd be ready—with a brand-new sword, poison-resistant organs, and the knowledge that he'd soon experience puberty all over again.