[Great Stone-Throwing Hand proficiency +1]
Zhao Ya, already drenched in sweat, finally stopped practicing after seeing this prompt.
This was a small grove outside the city, already in the early hours of the morning. The grove was in total disarray, with trees the thickness of bowl mouths destroyed and broken.
This was all the result of Zhao Ya’s practice of the Great Stone-Throwing Hand just now.
After returning home from the escort agency, Zhao Ya hastily had dinner and then came to the woods outside the city to continue practicing the Great Stone-Throwing Hand.
Because the power of this ultimate skill was too great and the noise it generated was too intense, it was not suitable for practicing at home.
But as the saying goes, hard work pays off. After practicing for half the night, Zhao Ya finally succeeded in grasping this ultimate skill.
At this moment, Zhao Ya opened the attribute panel and indeed saw the skill of Great Stone-Throwing Hand.
Great Stone-Throwing Hand (Novice Practice 1/100)
And now that he had this skill, Zhao Ya could start accumulating proficiency to upgrade it.
Zhao Ya took out two pieces of cured Green Bamboo Snake and tossed them into his mouth as he began walking home.
The practice just now had left him feeling deeply exhausted.
He knew that even Meng Lei, a Martial Artist of the Third Realm, could not use this Great Stone-Throwing Hand freely, let alone Zhao Ya, who was only at the Second Realm.
He could only learn this ultimate skill first, and slowly hone and refine it when his realm improved in the future.
The next day, Zhao Ya arrived at the escort agency with breakfast he had bought.
After Meng Lei finished eating breakfast, he began to teach Zhao Ya the secrets of the Great Stone-Throwing Hand again.
A day passed like this, and by evening, Zhao Ya felt he had gained a lot, but even so, his proficiency only increased by one point.
Zhao Ya understood that this was still related to his current realm, so he was not in a hurry.
"Chief, it’s so late, why not come to my house for dinner?"
Meng Lei shook his head and declined, "No need, there’s food at the escort agency, I’ll just have something simple, after all, I’m leaving tomorrow and want to stay here a while longer."
His words were full of desolation and reluctance.
Zhao Ya was moved upon hearing this; he had long wanted to ask but never got the chance to speak. Now hearing Meng Lei mention it, he couldn’t help but ask, "Chief, where do you plan to go next?"
"To the Commandery!"
"The Commandery?"
"Yes, my family lives in the Commandery," Meng Lei said.
"So, if I want to see you, should I just go to the Commandery to find you?"
"That’s right, I’ll leave you an address. If there’s a chance, you can come to the Commandery to find me," Meng Lei said.
Zhao Ya nodded, feeling a sudden sadness.
Even though there was no official master-disciple title between him and Meng Lei, they shared a real master-disciple bond.
Especially after being taught the Great Stone-Throwing Hand, Zhao Ya already regarded Meng Lei as his mentor.
Now that parting was imminent, Zhao Ya naturally felt very uncomfortable.
Seeming to sense Zhao Ya’s feelings, Meng Lei laughed and patted him on the shoulder with one hand.
"Come on, Ya, a man of great stature shouldn’t act like a woman. Besides, you should be happy for me."
"You must know, my family has been urging me to retire for a long time. I’ve always been reluctant, and now there’s finally a chance to retire. It’s a blessing for me—after all, how many men of Jianghu can have a good ending!" Meng Lei sighed.
Zhao Ya also smiled.
What Meng Lei said was true. As someone who makes a living on the knife’s edge, even though he lost an arm, being able to retire safely was already very fortunate.
"Then I will come to see you off tomorrow."
Meng Lei waved his hand, "No need, say farewell and it’s just an unnecessary sadness. Besides, although it’s a long journey from Wuxiang City to the Commandery, with your abilities, it’s nothing. So, we’ll definitely have a chance to meet again, why make it so somber!"
With that, Meng Lei laughed heartily, "If you really want to say goodbye, why not have a few drinks with me tonight and see it as an early farewell!"
Zhao Ya immediately nodded, "Alright, I’ll go prepare the food and drinks right away."
There was still some food left at the escort agency, but no meat or vegetables, so Zhao Ya went to the street and knocked on the door of a butcher’s shop.
Only some meat bones were left in the butcher’s shop.
In these times, fatty meat sold best, lean meat next, and these bones no one wanted.
Zhao Ya simply wrapped up these bones and took them back to the escort agency, where he washed them in clear water, added spices, and simmered them.
The bones were easy to cook, and in a short moment, the meat was tender and the bones soft. Zhao Ya then fished them out, placed them in a large basin, and with palm power, snapped all the bones open, revealing the white jade-like marrow inside.
This made for excellent drinking food.
The two sat around the table. The wine was bought by Zhao Ya at a high price from a familiar shop on the street. It wasn’t particularly good wine, but at least it wasn’t watered down and had a strong flavor.
"Master, here’s to you, may your journey home be smooth." With that, Zhao Ya tilted his neck back and drank a full bowl of wine.
Meng Lei laughed heartily, "Good, as you say, drink!"
After three rounds of drinks, neither showed any sign of drunkenness.
Meng Lei looked at the empty escort agency and suddenly sighed.
"Two or three decades of hard work gone in an instant!"
Zhao Ya put down his wine cup, not knowing how to respond.
"I really wanted to keep Changlong Escort Agency running, but the world doesn’t allow it, nor do those powerful families. I wanted to fight for my life, but ended up with everyone scattered and living with a broken arm."
"Ya, do you understand this feeling?" Meng Lei turned to ask Zhao Ya.
Zhao Ya nodded.
Meng Lei gave a wry smile, "No, you don’t understand at all. Changlong Escort Agency was like my child."
At this, Meng Lei suddenly sniffed.
"Alright, alright, let’s not talk about this. Fortunately, I have you! To be honest, in all these years of running the escort agency, you’re probably the most talented, stable, and astute young man I’ve met."
"Sometimes I even feel like you’re not a young man at all, but an old hand in Jianghu."
"Master, you’re too kind!"
Meng Lei shook his head, "No, I’m not too kind. You are indeed excellent. The previous Wei Yu was also good, but he was too arrogant and ended up with a paralyzed and dead ending."
Hearing Meng Lei mention Wei Yu, Zhao Ya felt a bit melancholic.
During their last escort trip, Wei Yu, who had always been paralyzed in bed and felt hopeless about recovering, had hanged himself from the bedpost with a rope, ending his own life.
This matter was only discovered after they returned.
But because the escort agency had undergone great changes, there was no other choice but to have two people hastily bury Wei Yu.
A once high-spirited youth thus became bones in a grave, a concluding thought-provoking.
"I didn’t mean anything else by mentioning him, just to remind you, you must remain humble and cautious. This world only recognizes strength, it was like this before, and it will be even more so in the future!"
"I understand!" Zhao Ya nodded solemnly.
This drinking session went on until midnight.
Zhao Ya wanted to stay and chat with Meng Lei, but was driven away by him.
In Meng Lei’s words, if you don’t go home and accompany that little girl, what’s the point of staying here.
Helplessly, Zhao Ya had to return home, deciding to go to the escort agency early tomorrow.