Before the morning watch, with night still deep, Xiangzi woke.

Perhaps due to his robust vitality, he’d slept soundly, waking refreshed after just a few hours.

A splash of cold water on his face, mixed with the chilly night breeze—invigorating.

Locking his door, he descended from the third floor.

Soon, the night air carried the whoosh of breaking wind.

With his current vitality, Xiangzi’s stance work roared like a tiger in the mountains.

He ran through two sets of stance work, then a round each of fist and kick techniques.

[Four-Square Horse Stance +3]

[Progress: 258/500 (Minor Mastery)]

Xiangzi’s heart leapt—the thirty-silver-dollar tonic boosted my stance proficiency?

Normally, an hour of stance work yielded 2 points. Today, two sets earned 3?

Nearly double the progress!

Does stronger vitality enhance stance work too?

With daily mine runs, Great Mastery seemed within reach.

Suppressing his excitement, Xiangzi exhaled, halting his practice.

Dawn’s faint glow crept over the horizon.

A familiar figure emerged from the light, chuckling. “You’re at it early, kid. Gotta say, your stance work’s shaping up nicely.”

Xiangzi clasped his fists. “Morning, Uncle Jie! Sleep well last night?”

Uncle Jie nodded, smiling, his short tunic crisp and sharp.

He started to speak but froze, eyes narrowing—in one night, this kid’s transformed.

Xiangzi’s face was still honest, a touch boyish, but his eyes held a sharp edge.

Fresh from stance work, his muscles and bones were perfectly aligned, each step exuding unified vigor.

Uncle Jie was stunned—Xiangzi’s stance work is at this level?

A month ago, this kid was just a brute-strength puller.

Such talent would earn a “decent” nod even in Forty-Nine City’s martial halls.

Uncle Jie had doubted Xiangzi, with his short training time, could reach “full vitality” before twenty to break the Vitality Barrier.

Now, this kid might just do it!

As Uncle Jie mused, Xiangzi dashed upstairs.

Returning, he held a pair of gloves, offering them with a smile. “Uncle Jie, saw these while wandering yesterday. Thought you might use them.”

Uncle Jie blinked, taking the gloves—fine musk deer leather, stitched with beast sinew, glossy from tanning, clearly embassy district quality.

Patting Xiangzi’s shoulder, Uncle Jie said nothing, but the leather’s warmth reached his heart.

He’d injured his left hand practicing spear in his teens. Too poor to treat it, the injury lingered, causing piercing pain in his joints every spring and fall.

That injury kept him from martial halls.

He’d mentioned it casually to Xiangzi days ago, warning him against overexertion, using his own story to teach restraint.

Yet Xiangzi remembered, even seeking these gloves in the embassy district.

“You’re a good kid,” Uncle Jie said, his graying temples flickering in the dawn, his voice tinged with emotion.

In his years in South City, he’d seen plenty of young hotshots turn arrogant. A humble, grateful youth like Xiangzi was rare.

Guiding Xiangzi had been partly due to hometown ties, but mostly his stubborn grit stirred Uncle Jie’s compassion.

He hadn’t expected this cart-puller to show martial talent. Later, Uncle Jie, moved by pity, even shared a few family spear techniques.

Xiangzi wasn’t dense—he knew Uncle Jie’s sincerity.

In martial arts, true teachings are worth more than a thousand scrolls.

Sharing without reservation was a rare favor.

A pair of musk deer gloves was nothing in comparison.

For the next two days, Liu Tang joined Xiangzi on the mine runs.

The escort guards increased to nearly ten per trip, showing Liu Tang’s focus on the route.

The road stayed calm.

Xiangzi’s humility and generosity—never scolding, always pulling the heaviest carts—won hearts.

Flesh and blood respond to kindness.

Despite Liu Hu and Jin Fugui’s lingering influence, the veteran pullers grew to respect their young lead puller, though they said little.

Xiangzi relished the steady 8-point daily stance proficiency gains.

Thus came the third day of his tenure as lead puller.

Before dawn, the second-class yard pullers were up.

Gathered in the yard, they noticed something off—neither Master Tang nor Master Hu appeared, only a lean middle-aged man behind Xiangzi.

Xiangzi clasped his fists, smiling. “Everyone, from today, Uncle Jie will join us on the mine runs.”

The veteran pullers recognized Uncle Jie, a ten-year east building veteran.

Standing behind Xiangzi, he stepped forward after Xiangzi spoke, still half a head shorter.

His sharp gaze swept the crowd. “We serve Fourth Master. On this mine route, the east building follows the lead puller!”

The words stunned everyone.

Even the guards exchanged looks—Uncle Jie’s giving Xiangzi full face!

No wonder they were shocked. With Uncle Jie’s status, why defer to a mere lead puller?

Xiangzi had come from the east building, after all.

In the east building, Uncle Jie was second only to Liu Tang, his word law. He handled all affairs, a true guard leader.

Even Fat Yong, with his deputy police chief brother, didn’t dare cross him.

Mine runs were grueling, low-profit, and disrupted training—guards had long grumbled privately.

With Uncle Jie overseeing, complaints ceased.

But when did he start favoring Xiangzi so much?

The crowd wasn’t alone in wondering. Jin Fugui and Skinny Monkey locked eyes, each seeing shock—they’d planned to target Xiangzi once Liu Tang was gone.

But now Uncle Jie’s rooting himself to the mine route!

Their shady dealings just got trickier.