Day 2 Night 2

It was a long night and a long morning. He literally crapped more than what he had inside his body.

Washing himself with a bucker of water and changing clothes were first. A slight pep in his step and an obvious change in his body. He was slightly taller and more defined in the muscle area.

"Well, what was the next part in the book." Going over, he checked the citation for the next book. Reading it over quickly was not that bad. Their was a way to increase the size of his core. As well as the power of his qi. Required the blood of beast to do so. Which didn't sound to bad, if he was allowed to boil it. "Hmm get some later. Need to go to this blasted meeting."

Grabbing a few other books he wanted to read and a bag, Liang Yu left. Dressing in some comfy clothes to enjoy himself.

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Master Xu-

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He made it before the other two could. Master Xu was mediating not to far away. So Liang Yu sat down and got to reading. An XueYun showed up promptly and didn't bother him. Seeing as Liang Yu did not address her, she left it be. Ye Xinghe arrived late, the same as what originally happened.

Master Xu explained some things to him as well as handed him his manual he prepared. Considering how he was a Star God Martial Artist, training methods were really low for him.

"He he!" Ye Xinghe giggled happily. He started looking through the book and sat down.

"Ha." An Xuehen sighing looking at him. She looked at Liang Yu in the corner of her eyes who was reading his book still. 'What do I do…? I rather talk than cultivate right now.' Her cheeks puffed in annoyance.

"I see." Liang Yu closed the book and moved to a spot that had a pit. He grabbed some stuff to burn. With a quick lighting of the pit, he had a nice fire going. "Here goes nothing."

*Flick!* Liang Yu cut his wrists on both sides. Placing the knife in his mouth to bite down on for the ensuing pain. Having the qi keep his blood in place was the easy part compared to what was next.

*Chish!* Liang Yu's skin burned as he placed them in the pit. His Qi that held the blood in place ate away at the fire. Circulating it at the same time caused Liang Yu to feel as if he was cooking alive. His body burned with each passing. The hairs on his arms burned away quickly enough.

"Grrrr!" Biting down hard kept him away from the pain a little. After 36 passes he stopped. The manual was very specific to do one less than the realm you were currently in. Liang was currently in the 2nd Layer for both the Flame Arts and the Flame Vortex. "Shit that's smarts!"

*Crackle!* His chared skin broke away revealing new pink flesh. Taking a breather was the current best option. As he rest, thoughts came to the surface in his mind. As if something was unlocked.

'Fire Body… sounds hot!' Liang Yu was excited for anything that gave him more power and an edge. Shifting all his thoughts to it, revealed a few smaller gates in his body. All in areas that extended pass the primary ones. 'Looks like I will be messing with fire pits for a while. I do not look forward to putting my balls in fire. But it will be a lot faster.'

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-Hours Later-

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Old Xu came back after watching everything from afar. He gave a glance to Liang Yu and An Xueyun. Then towards Ye Xinghun. Happy for his hard-working disciples. Mostly at Ye Xinghan who was still in the same spot.

"Good Boy!" Old Xu exclaimed. Noting the said boy from his contemplation. "I can't help it. I am impressed with the energy you all have. Today's practice is over, come here." The three paid respects. "As your master, I have something to share with you. Martial arts are hard. Without a strong heart, talent will not flourish. Without a strong talent, success will prove difficult."

Liang Yu was looking away, which slightly bothered the old man.

"I want to ask a question before we start formal martial arts lessons." He looked hard at Liang Yu. Turning to him was easy enough. "What do you think is most important in order to practice martial arts?"

It was quiet for a bit. An Xueyun decided to go first since Liang Yu had nothing to say at the time.

"I Desire freedom to travel around free as a bird." Xu mumbled the word Freedom to her. Prodding yet having a general idea already of why she wants that. "I aspire to live an unfetterd life. Without sacrificing yourself for family interests. Not to just be someone's wife, this kind of freedom."

"I see. Like the Martial Goddess Tian Yin of old." Old Xu mumbled. He looked at Lian who looked at Lian Yu holding back a laugh. "Something funny?"

"She is a liar." Liang Yu said plainly. "If she wanted that, then she could have it already. Do not want to be confined by family intrest and used? Bullshit!" His tone was cold and harsh, as he looked at her with disgust. "You still wear their clothes and eat their food with no issue. You are away from the influence of your family right now. Yet still carry yourself as a "belonging" of them. You do not want freedom. What you want is pity and someone to save you."

"That is not true!" An Xuehan exclaimed.

"A concubine's daughter is not different from a royal daughter or common daughter. An intellectual will tell you that. But you hold your head up high using your status when it suits you." Liang Yu's eyes bore into her. "If you do not want to get married off, then don't. Write a letter saying you leave the family. Your sister will just take your place instead."

"I would never do that!"

Then continue living a comfy life like you are. Broken little bird." Liang Yu felt odd for some reason. He shouldn't be this mad about the girls' situation. But images from the manga tickled his mind a little. "So much you can do to break away from your family but you don't. Such lies you tell."

An Xuehen was shaking a little. Ye Xinghe looked angry and stared daggers at Liang Yu who just shrugged not caring.

"What about you Ye Xinghe?" Old Xu asked. His eyes glancing at them all once for a second. Gauging their response to each other words. 'The girl is chasing something she does not have the conviction for on her own. As for Xinghe.. he wants to be a hero but is not mindful of his personal situation first.'

"I don't have lofty goals master. I just want my clan to live a better life!" Ye Xinghe said quickly. Liang Yu shook his head knowing that won't happen at all. "Xinghe is only a vassal's son. Our clan must hand over every year a large sum in taxes."

"That is horrible." An Xueyan said. She looked at Liang Yu. His blank face bothering her. "Why do you treat your people like that?!"

"I have no people or power in the family." Liang Yu shrugged. "I am not anywhere in line to take over. If not enough food, one changes the circumstance themself. Stop wasting it on parties or festivals and food will be available to you all. Cut back on extravagance and buy food that yields more crops and not taste. Take chances in the wild and hunt more."

"Risk death that way." Ye Xinghe said indignantly.

"Control your birth rate better. Have the kids help more and study more. Hell, have your people just try to better themselves. It is actually easy if you have the willpower." Liang Yu shrugged not really minding the glares he received. "If you weren't so gutless, you would ask for an investigator from the capital to check on things."

"What!?" Ye Xinghe was shocked that was an option.

"Come on now, your taxes are higher than they should be. Your leader knows it but rather cowers and save face than speak up. Either way you die horribly or quickly if wrong." Liang Yu pulled out a note book. Looking over something. "Yeah.. you can even ask the school to look into it. Or don't. I know, ask her to get involved. She has pull and connections."

"I do not." An Xuehan said quickly. Not wanting to have her fmaily involved at all.

"Lies. A broken lieing bird who has a will but to prideful to do so. Cry outrage but do not help." Liang Yu pulled out a envelop and handed it to Old Xu. "If you wish to do right by the people or whatever. That will help. But if you don't help, not my fault."

"I will look at this later." Old Xu tucked it away. "Now lastly you. What does it mean for you?"

"Power to change what I see before me." Liang Yu said with a straight face. "To break what is baring down wrongly like a weak clan that is eating away at the land. Or useless children getting married off to horrible people." His eyes flared with malice. "To kill those who wish to destroy the innocent. The good stuff that is in front of me. Not going to go looking for it obviously. That would be stupid."

"I see." Old Xu had a lot to think about. "Go rest, all of you." He left first.

"Hmmm." Liang Yu went back to the pit. The dagger he left inside had been there long enough. "To pierce the heart and hope for the best… " Liang Yu was not ready to do this part. But the call for power was strong. Placing it back in the pit, he checked something in the book once again to make sure.

The other two looking at him slightly between talks. Startled seeing him plunge a bright red dagger into his chest. In a hurry, they ran over.

"Raaah!" Liang Yu cried out blasting the two away with Qi. In the center of his chest, a metal seed appeared. The skin around blistered in pain. "Ha.. ha.. ha…"

*Ting!* The handle dropped into the pit. The blade completely compressed into his chest as the metal seed.

"Ok.. that will make things easier to protect in the future. Just have a weird metal seed inside me." Liang Yu put out the fire completely and left. 'Gonna take a nice long shower. Oh wait… they don't have those. Guess a soak it is.' He did not notice the two he injured at all. That was easy since he did not care.

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Night time-

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Liang Yu had read a few more books as he soaked in the tub. His body was naturally warmer now due to Fire Body. Circulating his Qi throw the gates as well as the seed was exhausting. But it was easier as time passed.

Fire Body giving a little protection against other Flame Martial Artist as well as the fire of all types of techniques. The stronger his own Flame Martial Artist attainment the stronger his defense against various fires.

"Ok, the seed gathers a bit of my qi in passing. Which slows it down slightly. But passes a metal qi into my core. Which seems to strengthen it." Liang felt the weight increase but if that was the only issue, that was not bad.

Since the passageways became stronger, he could now pass bigger strings through them. Which would cut his cultivating down a bit if he did it before healing. He would hate to let his body become injured from rushing to quickly.

"Oh!" The water started to heat up. A byproduct of the cultivation. Which might be a problem down the road. "Ah well, at least it doesn't hurt."

Hours passed till Liang Yu stopped three hours before he would have to leave to meet the others. Three hours would be all that was needed since they were going to receive practical study.