The spring breeze blew warmly.
Green trees swayed their shadows, and on the coiled dragon-like branches stood a black-feathered bird, its plumage glossy as it spread its wings and soared into the sky.
Little Black was now twelve or thirteen years old but showed no signs of aging, strutting proudly as it patrolled its territory and bullied the rooster at the village entrance.
This rooster was no longer the same one from before.
After completing its patrol, it flew back to the Li family courtyard, perching on the eaves like an auspicious beast, its dark pupils reflecting the sparring movements of brothers Li Pingfu and Li Pingcan.
Seeing his elder brother's fist coming straight at him, Li Pingcan neither dodged nor avoided it. Instead, his wrist twisted like a snake, deflecting Li Pingfu's punch before crouching low and delivering a fierce counterhook.
His fist was forcefully parried—a suppression born of sheer strength disparity.
The two brothers weaved and flipped, exchanging blows, their movements alternating between fast and slow as light dust swirled around them.
Soon, Li Pingcan's blood qi was exhausted. After a feint from Li Pingfu, the follow-up "Black Tiger Plucks Heart" sent him reeling backward. Forced into a hasty retreat, Li Pingcan could only slide back to disperse the force, stepping out of the combat circle in defeat.
"Big brother, why do you always resort to sneak attacks?"
"Haha, all's fair in war." Li Pingfu wrung out two clean towels in cold water, handing one to his younger brother. The icy stream water wiped away their sweat, leaving an indescribable freshness. "You've improved a lot recently. Your punches have real power now."
Today, Li Pingcan's moves had been decisive and fierce. Instead of relying on the White Crane Style's guerrilla tactics, he had gone head-to-head with brute force—an approach that had initially felt unfamiliar.
"Still couldn't beat you, though."
Losing to his elder brother wasn't shameful, so Li Pingcan brushed it off with a casual remark, though his mind lingered on the spar.
He had abandoned his usual guerrilla tactics in favor of direct confrontation, and at first, his brother's movements had clearly slowed for a few breaths.
This led to one conclusion—the importance of rhythm variation in combat.
The martial arts schools in Flat Peach Town all taught set routines—partly because it was cheaper to instruct, and partly because disciples absorbed the training more easily.
Different scenarios had fixed countermeasures embedded in the school's techniques.
But set routines also meant rigidity.
Mastering rhythm variation meant that once an opponent failed to adapt, they could be thrown into disarray.
True martial techniques were always kept secret—three moves hidden from non-core disciples.
"Then let me teach you a trick. Maybe you'll beat me next time."
Li Pingcan's eyes lit up. "Hurry up and tell me, big brother. Stop keeping me in suspense."
"It's something Master Zhou taught me—judging 'Qi Opportunity.'"
"Qi Opportunity?" That sounded mystical.
Seeing his younger brother's confusion, Li Pingfu explained patiently, "Qi Opportunity is essentially momentum and opportunity. First, observe your opponent's momentum—identify their strengths, whether they fight bare-handed or conceal weapons. Only by seeing clearly can you defend and counter. These are all opportunities for victory, so 'observation' is key."
Li Pingcan pondered this.
Li Pingfu continued, "In actual combat, the more you see, the more opportunities you have to win. It also makes you more confident and decisive in your strikes—this is another way to accumulate 'momentum.'"
A realization dawned on Li Pingcan. "In other words, the more cards you hold, the better you can predict, and the higher your chances of winning."
The principle was universal. When dealing with the Black Snake Gang, or when their father and elder brother had hunted down Wang Li, hadn't they all started by gathering intelligence, stacking their own advantages while weakening the enemy?
Suddenly itching for another fight, Li Pingcan spun like a white crane. "Big brother, let's go again—full power, no restrictions!"
"Fine." Li Pingfu raised his fists, only to see his younger brother shift his stance—his palm now gripping a forearm-length branch, twisting lightly before thrusting forward.
"What's that little stick gonna do?"
Though he mocked it, Li Pingfu knew his younger brother had endless tricks up his sleeve. He focused intently, slapping at the branch to shatter it.
With his Black Tiger Fist mastery, shouldn’t a mere twig be child's play?
Yet the branch merely slid from the impact, showing no signs of breaking as it coiled like a snake’s head and stabbed toward his chest.
Li Pingfu was astonished. "It's that tough?"
Li Pingcan smirked—this was a Druid skill, [Oak Stick Technique]!
[Oak Stick Technique: You channel natural energy into a short stick or staff you hold. For the duration of the spell, the weapon becomes sturdier and deals enhanced damage in melee combat. Additionally, if the weapon was not originally magical, it temporarily becomes a magic weapon.]
In other words, under Oak Stick Technique, the twig had transformed into a low-grade treasure—how could his brother’s palm easily break it?
This was one of the skills he had gained upon reaching LV4 Druid.
Li Pingfu frowned, sensing trouble. If he couldn’t break the weapon, he’d have to target the hand wielding it.
Activating his Black Tiger Technique, his bones emitted low creaks as blood qi surged into his fists. With overwhelming force, he struck Li Pingcan’s wrist, numbing it and forcing him to release his grip!
The Oak Stick Technique-enhanced branch flew far away, landing on the ground and reverting to an ordinary twig.
"Without that weird stick, let’s see what else you’ve got."
"Big brother, you’re relaxing too soon."
Before the words faded, Li Pingcan had already closed the distance. His fingernails abruptly lengthened into five-centimeter claws glistening with green liquid.
Li Pingfu barely had time to react before the claws swiped at him. He blocked with brute strength but noticed droplets of the green liquid corroding the brick floor, hissing as pits and bumps formed instantly.
"I yield." Seeing the acid about to make contact, he conceded pragmatically. His younger brother had no martial integrity, resorting even to acid.
Truthfully, fighting a serious Druid—especially one who combined martial arts and magic seamlessly—was nearly impossible even for a peak Blood Qi martial artist.
Li Pingcan withdrew his skill [Primal Savagery], triumphant and grinning.
After getting beaten by his brother every day, it felt good to win for once!
This victory had come precisely because his brother hadn’t known his new "moves"—proving the validity of "Qi Opportunity."
He glanced at the skill description:
[Primal Savagery: Your teeth or nails elongate into sharp claws, primed for acidic strikes. Make a melee spell attack against a nearby creature. On hit, the target suffers ongoing acid damage. After this attack, your claws revert to normal.]
"You’ll need more practice to get used to those strange techniques."
Li Pingfu warned, "But remember—never use them against anyone except me and Father unless they’re already dead."
"I know." Li Pingcan nodded—he’d already considered that.
The brothers exchanged more martial insights until Li Pingcan suddenly looked toward the courtyard wall.
A moment later, Li Pingfu followed his gaze just as Li Yuan hurriedly pushed the gate open.
Caught under two pairs of eyes, Li Yuan froze briefly before blurting out urgently, "Pingfu-ge, it's bad—killer bees have appeared in the mountains!"