The next morning, in the Fu Family’s rear courtyard.
Fu Juemin was leaning back languidly in a rosewood armchair. Beside him was an exquisite tea tray holding freshly brewed, fragrant tea and a plate of seasonal fresh fruit.
Little Locust Flower stood behind him, concentrating on massaging his shoulders.
After reaching Great Success in Bone Forging, Fu Juemin’s physique had grown even more powerful. His shoulders were broad, his chest thick, and the smooth lines of his muscles rippled faintly beneath his black satin training uniform.
Though he sat casually, he naturally exuded the profound, imposing air of a crouching tiger and a coiling dragon.
His gaze was fixed on the center of the courtyard, where a man in a gray shirt was practicing a Saber Technique. The moves were wide and sweeping, occasionally creating a sound like the air itself was being torn.
One of Fu Juemin’s hands rested casually on the armchair’s armrest, his fingertips tapping lightly against the wood in unconscious rhythm with the man’s Saber Montum.
"Young Master, why the sudden interest in learning the saber?"
Cao Tian stood at Fu Juemin’s side, his eyes also fixed on the man in the courtyard.
"I’m idle anyway. It never hurts to learn a few more skills."
Fu Juemin glanced at Cao Tian, then said after a mont of thought, "When you have free ti, you should go to the firing range and practice. From now on, carry a gun with you whenever you go out. You never know when it might co in handy."
Cao Tian seed to think of sothing and nodded in agreent.
"Oh, right."
Fu Juemin let out a soft sigh. "I just rembered that you’re also skilled with the saber. If I had known, I wouldn’t have looked for an outsider. I should have just learned from you directly."
Cao Tian shook his head. "My Saber Technique is a low-class Marketplace Saber Technique, the kind used by street thugs in brawls. It’s unrefined and not suitable for you to practice, Young Master."
"Did you learn it in the Black Shark Gang?"
Fu Juemin asked casually.
"No, not there."
Cao Tian hesitated for a mont before replying, "Before I was twelve, a blind, la old man lived next door to my family. They said that in his youth, he had served for a ti as a Cyan Robe for the Salt Gang in Guangsheng Prefecture during the previous dynasty. I traded him two live fish for this Saber Technique, and I’ve been using it ever since."
Fu Juemin raised his eyebrows in slight surprise.
He knew that a so-called "Cyan Robe" was equivalent to a Red Stick in a dock gang—they were all top-tier enforcers.
But Guangsheng Prefecture of the previous dynasty was far larger than the small Luan River County, and the Salt Gang, which still stood strong in Guangsheng Prefecture, was in a different league entirely from the Black Shark Gang.
’A person who could beco a Cyan Robe in the Salt Gang must have been genuinely skilled. To trade two live fish for his signature technique... I have to say, Cao Tian truly is a man blessed by martial fortune.’
"Where is that old man now?"
Fu Juemin couldn’t help but ask.
Cao Tian answered, "The year before last, he got drunk, lost his footing, and fell into the river and drowned."
"What a pity."
Fu Juemin sighed with a look of regret. Then, pointing at the man in the courtyard diligently practicing his Saber Technique, he casually instructed Cao Tian, "Go down and spar with him. Be mindful of your strength."
"Yes."
Cao Tian knew Fu Juemin wanted to see his Saber Technique for himself. Without a word, he nodded, drew the short saber at his waist, and entered the courtyard.
"Master Huang."
Fu Juemin clapped his hands and called out, "It must be boring practicing by yourself. I’ve found soone to spar with you."
The man practicing in the courtyard imdiately stopped, cupped his fists, and replied, "I am at Young Master Fu’s disposal."
The man’s na was Huang Fang. Fu Juemin had his people find him at a Martial Arts Hall in the city. He was in his forties, and while his strength was average—barely at the Bone Forging level—his mastery of the Eight Trigrams Saber was quite refined.
The two quickly began to exchange blows. Because of Fu Juemin’s prior instructions, Cao Tian didn’t use his full strength. Coupled with the fact that he was using a short saber, he found himself evenly matched with the man for a ti.
Fu Juemin unconsciously straightened up in his chair, his eyes glued to the two sparring below. He saw the grand, upright, and powerful nature of the Eight Trigrams Saber, contrasted with the ruthless, treacherous, and unorthodox strikes of Cao Tian’s Marketplace Saber Technique.
In his mind, however, what appeared were the various stances and moves of the *Pharmacist Master Purifying Light Saber* he had discovered by chance within the *Pharmacist Buddha Sutra* last night.
Fu Juemin’s sudden whim to learn a Saber Technique was, naturally, for another purpose.
Although he still held Firearms in high esteem, this was a heaven-sent opportunity. Besides, it was a set of Techniques that complented the *Pharmacist Buddha’s Glazed Body*. There was no reason not to learn it.
Strictly speaking, the *Pharmacist Master Purifying Light Saber* wasn’t a pure Saber Technique. According to the diagrams revealed in the Buddhist Scripture’s hidden, light-shifting layer, apart from a few killing moves that required a blade to unleash their full power, many of the Techniques could be executed with just a Hand Blade.
’My plan is to first build a foundation in saber arts and get a basic grasp of its principles,’ Fu Juemin thought. ’Then, I’ll figure out how to reach the Entry Level on my own. The rest can be left to allocating points.’
This was precisely why he hadn’t gone to Li Tong with the Saber Technique.
Before he knew it, the spar between Cao Tian and Huang Fang was nearing its end.
Cao Tian was a Blood Refining Realm Martial Artist, after all. His reflexes and speed were a cut above Huang Fang’s. After dozens of back-and-forth exchanges, Cao Tian found an opening in Huang Fang’s Techniques and quickly pressed his short saber against his opponent’s neck.
"A fine display, Master Huang!"
Seeing the spar had ended, Fu Juemin stood up and clapped.
Huang Fang, however, had a face full of sha and shook his head, speechless.
"Go, bring Master Huang twenty silver coins."
Fu Juemin casually ordered his attendants, then continued, "Master Huang, from now on, co teach the saber for two hours every morning. How about five silver coins each ti?"
Huang Fang looked up, stunned. After a mont, he stamred, "This... How can I accept? My skills are inferior... I am truly unworthy of this..."
Fu Juemin smiled and waved his hand. "I can’t have Master Huang teach for free."
"Then... it would be disrespectful of to refuse."
Huang Fang’s expression was ecstatic as he gave Fu Juemin a deep bow with cupped fists. "Thank you, Young Master Fu!"
These days, running a Martial Arts Hall in Luan River was only a small step up from being a street perforr.
Fu Juemin had already made inquiries. This Huang Fang had opened a hall to teach his art, but with a large family to support, he was so poor he could barely make ends et.
This job as a private saber tutor was undoubtedly a lifeline for Huang Fang. Fu Juemin wasn’t worried he would refuse.
From the spar just now, Fu Juemin could see that Huang Fang’s attainnts in the Eight Trigrams Saber were considerable. At the very least, he was more than qualified to provide him with a basic introduction to the saber.
’Since I’m planning to bypass Li Tong for this saber training, I need to have soone around who can answer my questions at any ti, right?’
After receiving his first paynt, a delighted Huang Fang departed. Fu Juemin wasn’t in a hurry to start on the *Pharmacist Master Purifying Light Saber*. Instead, he pulled Cao Tian aside to ask in detail about the training secrets of the Marketplace Saber Technique he had gotten from the Salt Gang Cyan Robe.
The *Pharmacist Master Purifying Light Saber* was a Buddhist Saber Technique, and its moves were open and righteous. However, because it used the Hand Blade and the Buddhist Precepts Saber, it inherently possessed an elent of unorthodoxy.
One orthodox, one unorthodox. These two styles happened to vaguely align with the saber paths that Huang Fang and Cao Tian specialized in. Fu Juemin planned to study both Saber Techniques simultaneously, figuring it would be a great help in reaching the Entry Level of the *Pharmacist Master Purifying Light Saber*.
As Fu Juemin and Cao Tian went back and forth, one asking and the other answering, with Cao Tian occasionally demonstrating and explaining in person, Fu Juemin’s understanding of saber principles gradually deepened. He was no longer just scratching the surface.
"Young Master, if you want to learn from the ground up, I suggest you first follow Master Huang and diligently practice his Eight Trigrams Saber."
Cao Tian offered his sincere advice. "My unorthodox style should just be a reference for you, Young Master. There’s really no need to learn it."
"I understand."
Fu Juemin nodded, then stood up, shrugging off the top of his training uniform as he casually called out to his attendants.
"Five of you, co help with my training."
The group of sparring partners from the Nursing Ho, who had been watching from the side, imdiately understood. Their Young Master was preparing for his daily Bone Forging practice. They hurried over to the weapons rack to grab the wooden clubs used for the beatings.
But then, Fu Juemin unexpectedly added in a calm tone,
"No clubs today... Switch them all to Iron Rulers."
With his *Eight Extres Bone Forging Skill* having advanced to the Great Success Realm, Fu Juemin’s Bone Forging was also nearing Perfection.
Now was the ti to prepare to break through to the Blood Refining Realm.
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