Second Miss Fang gave a slight nod, then turned and gracefully walked away.
The two had seen each other a few times at the Fang Family's congee stall. Chu Fan recognized her, but she likely didn't remember him.
Chu Fan didn't dare to linger. He quickened his pace, and before long, he arrived at the thatched-roof hut near the Seven Stars Gang's congee stall.
In front of the hut, several long lines had already formed, a dense, dark mass of people.
Chu Fan glanced up at the sky. The clouds were black as ink, churning endlessly.
By the looks of it, a heavy downpour was inevitable.
'I hope the rain holds off a little longer,' he prayed silently.
Eight or nine out of ten people in line were half-grown kids, around twelve or thirteen years old.
Chu Fan and a few other older individuals were mixed in with them, standing out like cranes among chickens.
At the very front of the line stood a scrawny, middle-aged man.
The man clutched a wine gourd in his left hand while his right hand pinched and prodded the boys in line, occasionally giving them a light pat, all with a casual air.
Chu Fan had come here a month ago, so he recognized the man as Cao Feng, the Chief Instructor of the Seven Stars Gang.
This Cao Feng appeared gaunt and looked like a hopeless drunkard, but when his eyes occasionally snapped open, a sharp glint would flash from them, making a person's heart tremble, afraid to even take a breath.
Rumor in the martial world had it that he was the old Gang Leader's right-hand man, with skills that surpassed even the various Hall Masters in the gang.
Although Chu Fan didn't know what the Hall Masters were capable of, he had once seen with his own eyes a woman attending Cao Feng toss a burly man thirty feet with a single flick of her hand!
The Martial Dao of this world seemed to possess Extraordinary Power, something that truly captivated the heart.
At that moment, Cao Feng was using the "Bone Touching" method to inspect the aptitude of the boys in line for learning martial arts.
This was the difference between a gang like the Seven Stars Gang and an ordinary Martial Arts Hall.
At an ordinary Martial Arts Hall, as long as you paid the tuition, you could become an Entry-Level student, regardless of your aptitude.
The Seven Stars Gang didn't charge a single coin, but if your aptitude was too poor, you couldn't even step through their gates.
A month ago, Chu Fan had undergone this Bone Touching from Cao Feng.
But because he was a bit too old and his aptitude was only average, he had been turned away.
Watching the line slowly inch forward, Chu Fan couldn't help but feel his heart tighten with anxiety.
Even though he had practiced his "Firewood Splitting Saber Technique" to the peak of Perfection, it was ultimately just a commoner's trick, not a true martial art.
Therefore, he had no confidence at all that his "Firewood Splitting Saber Technique" at the Perfection Realm would be of any help in today's Bone Touching.
"Hey!"
In the next line, a dark-skinned youth with a longbow on his back waved at Chu Fan. "Hey, big bro! If you're here to learn martial arts, aren't you a bit on the old side? You're kinda... old..."
Being called "old" at seventeen, Chu Fan couldn't help but feel a little helpless. He retorted, "You look older than me..."
The dark-skinned youth waved his hands repeatedly. "No, no, you're definitely older. I'm a Hunter from the mountains, so I'm always out in the wind and sun. That's why I look old, but I actually just turned seventeen..."
"Both of you, shut your mouths! Who gave you permission to chatter here?"
A clear, sharp rebuke rang out as a woman in black martial attire gracefully approached.
This woman was about twenty years old, with eyebrows like distant, ink-washed mountains and eyes that tilted up slightly at the corners. Within their depths seemed to lie a frigid pool, carrying a chill that was sharpened by a piercing glint.
A Long Saber, wrapped in purple shark-silk, was slung diagonally at her waist. Its sheath was inlaid with an ancient bronze beast head, and a crimson tassel was tied to the hilt. Contrasting with her cold-toned attire, the weapon gave her a flamboyant and fierce aura. One look told you she was not someone to be trifled with.
This was the woman who had thrown a man thirty feet with one hand.
If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, Chu Fan could have racked his brain forever and never believed that such a delicate and pretty woman could possess such terrifying strength!
Seeing her cold gaze sweep over them, both Chu Fan and the bow-carrying youth felt a chill in their hearts and immediately fell silent.
Time trickled away like sand through one's fingers, leaving no trace...
Of those in the line who were around Chu Fan's age, everyone except for the bow-carrying youth had been eliminated.
Although the bow-carrying youth was also older, he was a Hunter by trade and had developed a strong and tough physique from a young age. Possessing a solid foundation for martial arts, he even earned a few words of praise from Cao Feng!
At long last, it was finally Chu Fan's turn...
Cao Feng grabbed his wine gourd and took a big swig. He reached out, prodded Chu Fan's bones, and clapped him on the shoulder twice before saying slowly, "Kid, from the looks of you, you must be eighteen, right?"
"Reporting to the Instructor, I still have four months until I'm eighteen," Chu Fan replied respectfully, his heart tightening.
"Your aptitude is mediocre, and you're too old." Cao Feng shook his head.
Just as he was about to turn away, he suddenly looked back. "Wait, you look a little familiar... Weren't you here last month?"
Chu Fan quickly forced a smile. "Instructor, your eyes are like torches! Nothing can escape your discerning gaze!"
Cao Feng's eyes widened as he roared in anger, "How audacious! You dare waste my time... Qingxue, throw this kid out!"
The black-clad Li Qingxue stepped forward at his command. With a casual reach of her right hand, she gripped Chu Fan's shoulder.
"HISS!"
An intense pain shot through Chu Fan's shoulder, and he sucked in a sharp breath. It felt as if his shoulder was caught in an iron claw, and his entire body went numb, unable to move!
'Is this the difference between a martial artist and a common mortal?'
'Just this light grasp felt like it was about to crush his shoulder bone!'
Chu Fan hurriedly shouted, "Instructor, wait! I've practiced a sword technique before!"
"A sword technique?" Cao Feng was taken aback.
During the Bone Touching just now, he had already inspected the boy's qi and blood, but he hadn't detected the slightest sign of martial arts training.
Cao Feng waved his hand.
Li Qingxue, who was gripping Chu Fan's shoulder tightly, immediately let go.
Chu Fan grimaced, rubbing his numb shoulder.
This Li Qingxue looked to be only two or three years older than him, but in terms of skill, he feared that even twenty or thirty of himself would be no match for her.
And she would only need one hand.
"Qingxue, bring a saber," Cao Feng gestured to Li Qingxue.
Li Qingxue drew the saber from her waist and handed it to Chu Fan.
The blade of this saber was long, narrow, and slightly curved—the classic shape of a willow leaf.
Forged from cold iron, its edge shimmered with a bluish tint under the dim light, like a frost-covered blade forged on a cold autumn night. It seemed to pierce the soul before it even touched the skin.
The smooth curve of the spine ran from the tip to the handguard, like the stark silhouette of a willow branch under the moon, its flexibility concealing an unbreakable sharpness.
When Chu Fan took the saber, his expression suddenly turned dazed.
[Item Discovered: Cold Moon Lone Shadow Saber. Refinement requires 20 points of Spiritual Essence. Insufficient Spiritual Essence. Refinement failed.]
[Refinement yields Sword Technique: "Seven-Star Bead Slash"]
'So besides Breaking Limits, Spiritual Essence has this amazing use too?!'
Chu Fan froze. In his daze, some strange information flashed through his mind...
Human life between heaven and earth is like a white colt flashing past a crack in the wall—over in an instant.
A person leaves behind a shadow, a goose leaves behind its cry. Though the years may be like sand slipping through fingers, there are always those who can use their flesh and blood as ink to carve an Undying mark upon the world.
Some use bamboo slips as boats to carry a thousand years of culture across the river of time; the scent of ink has not yet faded, and one can almost see the upright scholars in their blue robes.
Some forge their souls into their bloodlines, and no matter how the blue seas turn to mulberry fields, a single spark will always ignite a prairie fire in the eyes of their descendants.
And this saber, like such a vessel, recorded every detail of Li Qingxue's practice of the "Seven-Star Bead Slash."
The moment Chu Fan's fingertips touched the hilt of the "Cold Moon Lone Shadow Saber," a blast of icy energy shot into his veins. Immediately after, a tidal wave of memories shattered the barriers of his consciousness...
Shattered images burst forth in the depths of his mind like a glacier cracking apart, countless bizarre fragments splashing about: Li Qingxue training arduously under a peach blossom tree, performing tedious slashes late into the night...
The chaotic images spun like a zoetrope.
Like strands of silk being combed, those fragmented pieces slowly coalesced into a discernible form, finally unfurling in his mind as text, as images of light and shadow, and as an unforgettable, bone-deep tremor.
Unfortunately, with insufficient Spiritual Essence, Chu Fan ultimately couldn't perform the Refinement on the "Cold Moon Lone Shadow Saber," so naturally, he couldn't grasp those words of light and shadow.
"Hey, what are you spacing out for?"
Li Qingxue's cold voice snapped Chu Fan back to reality. "I told you to demonstrate your sword technique. Why are you just standing there?"
Chu Fan came to his senses, took a deep breath, and began to perform his "Firewood Splitting Saber Technique."
Slicing, paring, cutting, chopping, stabbing...
Each and every move was nothing but the most common of sword techniques.
So common, in fact, that mocking smiles had already appeared on the lips of many in the crowd.
"Huh!"
But Cao Feng, his eyes hazy with drink, couldn't help but let out a soft sound of surprise.
He saw that Chu Fan's swings seemed to lack any form and his footwork was chaotic, yet each slash he delivered possessed a smooth, flowing grace.
Fast, steady, precise, and ruthless!
This seemingly clumsy "sword technique" actually contained the very essence of saber training!
Beside him, a flicker of astonishment also flashed through Li Qingxue's eyes!