"Brother Zhao, the old man tending horses at your residence is quite intriguing."
The woman's voice wasn't loud, yet it carried clearly.
"His shoulders are broad, neck muscles full, and the tendons in his forearms are tightly wound. This is the foundation of someone who has trained their strength for years."
"The strength has been honed to a very deep level, at least over a thousand pounds," the woman said with a curious smile, "but he hasn't reached the second-rate level. The inner force hasn't penetrated the periosteum, just a thin barrier away."
The dark-faced young man also leaned in for a closer look, raising his thick eyebrows.
"At such an age, and without training to the periosteum, yet still maintaining strength over a thousand pounds?"
He extended a hand, making a slight grasp in front of Chen Anshun, sensing the qi and blood fluctuations emanating from him. Then he released his hand, stepped back, and gave a thumbs-up.
"Old man, I admire you. At your age, still striving upwards, your martial spirit is truly strong."
Chen Anshun's mouth moved slightly, but he said nothing.
Right now, his mind was filled with one thought—these three people's backgrounds were even deeper than Lin Wei had mentioned.
The woman had merely glanced at him and discerned his foundation. The dark-faced young man probed his qi and blood from a distance with clean and efficient technique. These two were definitely beyond second-rate.
As for Zhao Youdao, standing there calmly, his aura was so well-concealed it was impenetrable, making him the hardest to read among the three.
Zhao Youdao spoke up.
"Old Chen, I remember you came to our residence the year my father became the Assistant Magistrate?"
"Yes."
"How old were you then?"
"Sixty."
Zhao Youdao calculated.
"So this year... you're almost eighty?"
"Exactly eighty."
Zhao Youdao raised his eyebrows.
An eighty-year-old third-rate martial artist, with such vigorous qi and blood? In his ten years of traveling, he'd met many extraordinary individuals, but never someone still training their muscles and bones, pushing for second-rate at eighty.
"How did you manage it?"
The question was direct.
Chen Anshun glanced at the three.
Zhao Youdao, as the eldest young master of the Zhao Residence, spoke with a casual tone, without any condescension. The dark-faced young man and the woman, despite their profound skills, showed no malice, only pure curiosity.
"When I was young, I practiced the Virgin Boy Skill. I trained for a lifetime, sixty years, without success."
He placed the water ladle on the edge of the trough and straightened up.
"Last month, for some unknown reason, the Virgin Boy Skill suddenly succeeded. My declining qi and blood were locked in place, temporarily not deteriorating."
The three were simultaneously stunned.
Zhao Youdao opened his mouth, then closed it.
The dark-faced young man widened his eyes, his lips moving slightly.
The woman was silent for a full three breaths before slowly exhaling.
"Virgin Boy Skill... sixty years... successful?"
Her voice rose an octave.
She had certainly heard of the Virgin Boy Skill. Her father, Zuo Guang, was a Grandmaster with hundreds of disciples, some of whom practiced the Virgin Boy Skill. But achieving success required not just time and perseverance, but also a lifetime of maintaining a virgin body and a pure mind. Sixty years. A man, training from twenty to eighty, maintaining a virgin body for sixty years.
What kind of willpower did that require?
The dark-faced young man clicked his tongue, raising his thumb again.
"Old man, I've traveled far and wide, seen many tough individuals, but your determination truly impresses me. Sixty years without wavering, if it were me, I couldn't last three months."
Chen Anshun didn't respond.
Sixty years without wavering? It's not as admirable as it sounds. It was simply due to poor talent and a lifetime of poverty, never even crossing the threshold of Spring Breeze House. All his savings went into beef and medicine.
It wasn't strong willpower, he just had no choice.
But there was no need to explain this to outsiders. If others wanted to think of him as a dedicated martial arts fanatic, let them.
Zhao Youdao stared at him for a while, then suddenly smiled.
"Old Chen, you're quite a character. You've been feeding horses at my family's residence for twenty years, and I never knew there was such a person hidden in the stables."
The woman suddenly spoke.
"Brother Zhao."
Zhao Youdao turned his head.
The woman gestured towards Chen Anshun.
"Why not have this old man lead our horses and guide us?"
Zhao Youdao was taken aback.
"This man has been in Qingquan County for decades, surely familiar with the surrounding terrain, villages, and waterways. We're here on official business under the Prefectural Commandery Order, searching for someone in this area. We can't just wander blindly. Having a local familiar with the terrain would be much more efficient."
The dark-faced young man, Tian Wu, nodded. Get faster updates on g.com.
"Junior Sister is right. The three of us are outsiders, unfamiliar with Qingquan County. Relying solely on inquiries is too slow."
Zhao Youdao thought for a moment and agreed.
Three pairs of eyes fell on Chen Anshun.
Chen Anshun's heart sank.
Search? Prefectural Commandery Order?
These words were no small matter.
Right now, all he could think about was how to make money, how to train, how to break through to second-rate. Following these three around for errands, at least three to five days, at most half a month, his training would be interrupted.
Training required momentum; once interrupted, the effectiveness would diminish.
Moreover, since the prefecture had dispatched these three, the person being hunted must have considerable skill. If they encountered them, what use would he be, a third-rate peak with just regained thousand-pound strength?
Going would only cause trouble; not going was the sensible choice.
He was about to decline, his mind already crafting an excuse: "I am old and frail, my legs and feet are not nimble, afraid of dragging down you esteemed guests..."
Zhao Youdao was quicker.
The eldest young master pulled out a silver ingot from his sleeve, holding it in his palm, and extended it towards him.
"One hundred taels. For running errands."
The bright silver ingot, as large as an adult's fist, shimmered with a soft luster in the afternoon sunlight. An official-cast Plum Blossom Sycee, of excellent quality.
Chen Anshun's mouth was already open, the words of refusal at the tip of his tongue.
One hundred taels.
One hundred taels would buy him eight days' worth of beef and Qi Replenishing Powder. Eight days, one hundred and sixty pounds of strength.
The words in his throat took a turn.
"When do we set off?"
Zhao Youdao smiled. Tian Wu grinned.
The woman raised an eyebrow, her lips curling slightly, with an indescribable expression.
Lin Wei stood behind, watching the silver ingot fall into Chen Anshun's hand, his mouth twitching.
He had served the Zhao Residence for over ten years, with a monthly salary of only five taels.
Chen Anshun had already tucked the silver ingot into his chest, his hand still inside his jacket. The heavy weight against his chest made him feel more grounded.
Zhao Youdao withdrew his hand, nodding towards the garden path behind him.
"Tomorrow at dawn, gather at the residence gate. Travel light, no need to bring too much."