Ma Heng froze, his expression caught somewhere between surprise and confusion. Had those words truly come from the mouth of that child?
He scanned the area. There was no one else in sight.
The child had also noticed his approach. Upon realizing that Ma Heng was not from the Chen family, the helpless look on Chen Qingcheng’s face vanished, replaced by an innocent smile befitting his age. Before Ma Heng could react, the boy turned and skipped off into the distance, his small figure disappearing swiftly from view.
Only after the child had completely vanished did Ma Heng snap out of it. His casual demeanor from earlier was gone, replaced by growing urgency as he quickened his pace toward the outskirts of the clan.
There was something uncanny about the Chen family.
As he hurried along, he mulled it over seriously—perhaps he really ought to take his wife and child and flee tonight.
“Let’s stop here for today.”
Elsewhere, Mo Si exited the academy building in haste after finishing his lecture. He had never imagined teaching this class would be so exhausting.
The students' bizarre logic and interpretations had left him completely shaken. It felt as though the knowledge he had spent years studying was now being turned on its head.
He needed time alone to calm his mind.
Behind him, Chen Tianquan called out, “Mr. Mo, don’t forget to come again tomorrow!”
Mo Si didn’t respond—he simply picked up his pace.
Watching the teacher’s hurried retreat, Chen Tianquan sighed deeply. After sitting through the whole lesson, he felt like he hadn’t learned a thing. If anything, his own interpretation of the material now seemed even more vivid in his mind. That couldn’t be right. The clan’s youths probably felt the same way.
This wouldn't do. Soon, the clan leader and elders would be attending the lectures as well.
Night fell quickly. In the dense forest surrounding Chaotic Burial Mountain, the steady chorus of insects was suddenly disturbed by the sound of swift, deliberate footsteps.
From between the trees, a figure in a black robe emerged, his movements ghostlike, flickering forward with each step that covered several meters. Fallen leaves and crooked roots seemed to bend beneath his feet, supporting him without resistance.
In his hand was a glowing divine stone that flickered with radiant light.
This man was Shi Chengyu, dispatched from Yong’an City under the orders of his clan. As the divine stone shone brightly, he came to a halt, eyes settling on a patch of freshly disturbed earth.
A brief search revealed the bodies of Shi Potian and another fallen clansman. Though two days had passed, the low nighttime temperatures had kept decomposition at bay. Still, Shi Chengyu’s expression was grim, and his fists were clenched tightly at his sides.
These two were his juniors—kin he’d once been close to.
His gaze shifted toward the lights of the distant Chen estate. He recalled the message he had received via Wind Spirit Bird during his journey. The elders had told him not to act rashly. Bring the bodies back first, then wait for further instructions.
Shi Chengyu didn’t understand why, but he obeyed. After checking the scene carefully, he gathered the corpses and vanished into the night.
“Good morning, Master Ma!”
On the clan’s main square the next day, a new batch of students greeted him in unison. These were youths he hadn’t seen the day before. Ma Heng smiled and nodded.
The night before, he and his wife had talked at length about the idea of running away. But after hours of back-and-forth, they came to a grim conclusion—there was nowhere for them to go.
Building a home near Chaotic Burial Mountain had cost them nearly everything. In the end, Ma Heng could only return to the Chen Clan and continue teaching martial arts.
Fortunately, today’s class was simple. All he had to do was repeat what he taught yesterday.
“Martial cultivation begins with tempering the body…”
As he spoke, Ma Heng didn’t forget to offer hands-on guidance where needed.
When he reached the part about how those with abundant qi and blood, strong willpower, or unique physiques could progress faster, a boy in the crowd raised his hand.
“Master Ma, what exactly is a unique physique?”
Ma Heng nodded, ready for the question.
“Everyone’s body is different. Some are born physically strong, some mentally sharp. Others are born able to sense the flow of qi and blood within themselves, showing early talent in martial arts.
“In simpler terms, if someone behaves very differently from the average person, there’s a good chance they possess a rare physical trait. We call such people those with special constitutions.”
As soon as he finished speaking, a boy eagerly raised his hand again.
“Master Ma, I think I might be one of them!”
“Oh?” Ma Heng was surprised, though a glimmer of hope flickered in his eyes. Special constitutions were exceedingly rare—one in a thousand, if that. Normally, only the elite clans, backed by years of resources and bloodline cultivation, could produce such a person.
If the Chen Clan truly had one, that would be quite the discovery.
If he reported it, surely the clan would reward him. Without hesitation, he asked, “What’s your name?”
“Very good. Tell me—what makes you think you’re different from others?”
The other boys looked at Chen Qingmeng with wide eyes. Only Chen Qinghe furrowed his brow in confusion.
He saw Chen Qingmeng every day and had never noticed anything unusual.
“I’ve noticed I can eat way more than everyone else! I can finish several catties of fierce beast meat in one meal. That must count as something, right?”
Ma Heng paused, glancing at Chen Qingmeng’s notably large build, then into his bright, earnest eyes. The boy was clearly genuine. Ma Heng swallowed the harsh truth he was about to deliver.
Instead, the rest of the boys began chiming in excitedly.
“Now that he mentioned it—I think I’m special too! No matter how late I sleep, I always manage to get up and sit at the breakfast table.”
“Ahem. Qingluo, I’ve seen your mom drag you out of bed more than once.”
“I-I-I can go half a month without drinking water!”
“Qingshui, don’t be ridiculous. You drink beast broth every day. What water are you talking about?”
Listening to the chaotic chorus of declarations, Ma Heng slowly fell into silence.
Maybe… maybe he really should run tonight. Being a martial instructor wasn’t nearly as easy as it looked.
“Clan Leader, after screening the candidates, the ones who’ve stood out the most are Master Mo and Master Gu. As for martial instructors, Master Ma has been very thorough. There’s also Master Luo—he’s only at the Body Tempering Realm, but he’s experienced and perceptive.”
Two days later, in the clan’s great hall, Chen Xingzhen nodded thoughtfully at the report.
They had invited many teachers this time, but some were clearly unqualified. Still, it only took a few days of lessons for the truth to surface—those with genuine skill were easy to identify.
There weren’t many youths in the clan, and four good instructors would be enough. No point in wasting more blood rice.
“Dismiss the others,” Chen Xingzhen said.
“Wait. When you send them off, give each two catties of blood rice.”