《Beginning With Max Enlightenment: I Confront The Immortals With Martial Arts》 Chapter 1 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Zhou You leaned against the cold wall. His eyes widened as he looked at the carvings on the wooden wall. He sighed. There was no going back. When he woke up with a hangover, he became another person. His name was also Zhou You. He was fourteen years old. The original host¡¯s parents made a living by doing business. Although they were not considered rich, they were still a well-off family. They had accumulated a lot of assets and bought dozens of acres of land in the countryside. They also bought a small courtyard of more than a hundred square meters in the East River. However, unexpected things could happen. Seven days ago, when the original host¡¯s parents were traveling through Soul Breaking Valley on Longmen Mountain, they were attacked by bandits and died. Following their death, he was bogged by many problems. This included his parents¡¯ funeral, creditors¡¯ debt collection, and partnership settlements. Things went by in a daze for the original owner of the body. The originally well-off family collapsed in the blink of an eye, leaving only this empty courtyard with not even a bed left. Perhaps he was suffering from depression. After the original host of the body settled his parents¡¯ funeral, he closed his eyes and died. Zhou You from an unknown place took over the body. After sorting out his memories and recalling his experiences in the past few days, Zhou You was very sure that his original host had been scammed. He was not the ignorant half-grown child like the original owner of this body. He immediately discovered something fishy. He went through the accounts and found deficits, and promissory notes. Also, the purchase prices were used as the selling prices¡­ If the original owner of the body¡¯s parents lost their goods and died, they would certainly lose a lot of money. However, it was definitely not to the extent of losing almost all their assets. Just the tens of acres of land in the countryside alone were worth hundreds of taels of silver on the market. In addition to the furniture and furnishings in this courtyard, the shares in the company of traveling merchants and their accumulation of wealth added up to hundreds of taels of silver. If they were invested as capital, it would take many trips before his parents went into the red. How could they lose it all in one trip? It was obvious that the original owner of the body had been tricked and sucked dry by everyone. Fortunately, a close family friend helped to handle the matter and left Zhou You a place to shelter him from the sun and rain. He did not have to sleep on the streets. Recalling the past, Zhou You realized that those people¡¯s hands were quite clean. The paperwork was written in black and white, and there did not seem to be any problems on the surface. However, he still silently made a mental note of those people. Then, Zhou You calmed down and began to think about his future. From the memories of the original owner of the body, Zhou You learned that there were cultivators who could fly in the sky and burrow into the ground in this world. There were also strange and unpredictable demons and ghosts. If possible, Zhou You naturally wanted to cultivate. However, if there were no accidents, it would never happen in this lifetime. This was because when the original host was five years old and was still in his hometown in the countryside, an immortal master once descended from the sky on a seven-colored auspicious cloud and took in a disciple in the village. Unfortunately, it was not him. The immortal master was in a good mood after taking in a disciple. He checked the spiritual roots of all the children below the age of ten in the village. In the end, of course, he gained nothing. There were very few people with spiritual roots. Among 100,000 people, not even one might have a spiritual root. This time, a person with spiritual roots actually appeared in a remote mountain village. It could be said that auspicious smoke had risen from the graves of eighteen generations of ancestors blessing their offspring with spiritual roots. People were born with spiritual roots. Without spiritual roots, one could not cultivate. This iron law in the cultivation world made the original owner of the body give up all hope of ever cultivating. He had just transmigrated, so it was impossible for him to suddenly have spiritual roots. Besides, immortal encounters were hard to come by, and immortal cultivators were difficult to find. Zhou You had no idea where to find immortal cultivators. Since he could not cultivate, he could only practice martial arts. Practicing martial arts and cultivating seemed to be in two different latitudes. The difference was like the difference between the sky and the earth. On the path of martial arts, a martial arts Grandmaster who had reached the peak was only equivalent to a Qi Refinement Realm cultivator who had just started cultivating. Moreover, although practicing martial arts could strengthen one¡¯s body, let the practitioner fly over roofs, walk on walls, and possess incomparably powerful strength in the eyes of ordinary people, it could not allow one to live forever. However, in Zhou You¡¯s current situation, it was already good enough that he could practice martial arts. He did not dare to expect more. In this world where martial arts were flourishing, martial artists could be seen everywhere, and there were many martial artists in Mengyang City. The City Lord¡¯s Manor, two gangs, and four dojos were powerful forces in Mengyang City and had many powerful warriors under them. Even the leader of the Green Snake Gang, who collected protection fees from a few streets nearby, was said to be a warrior. There were at least 20 to 30 such unranked powers in the entire Mengyang City. From this, it could be seen how many martial artists there were in Mengyang City. Although the threshold for practicing martial arts was much lower than cultivation, not everyone could practice it until they were famous. When the original host was 12 years old, he had once gone to the Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo to find a martial artist to get his bones checked. According to the martial artist, his foundation was alright, but it was weak and his vitality was insufficient. He needed to consolidate his foundation and nurture his essence. It was best to practice martial arts after three years of nourishing his blood. Otherwise, if one¡¯s foundation was unstable, forcefully practicing martial arts would easily result in a loss of Qi and blood. If one¡¯s foundation was damaged, not only would it affect one¡¯s future martial arts cultivation, but one¡¯s lifespan might also be shortened. The White Crane Fist Dojo said the same thing. The Ferocious Tiger Fist of the Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo and the White Crane Fist of the White Crane Fist Dojo were both internal martial arts. They placed more emphasis on the long-term development of their disciples. It was better to have fewer disciples than to have bad ones. Although the tuition fees were more expensive, the parents of the original owner of the body still liked them. If nothing unexpected happened, Zhou You would become an apprentice in one of the two dojos after the new year. As for the other two martial arts schools, the Diamond Dojo and the Iron Skin Dojo, they mainly focused on external martial arts. In addition, various martial arts such as fists, palms, legs, feet, and so on were also offered. For apprentices, they would not reject anyone. They would teach as long as they got paid. In any case, as long as people were willing to be diligent, they would be able to train their strength. Even if they could not become a martial artist, they would be much stronger than ordinary people. At the very least, he could earn a few more bucks by carrying bags at the docks. Moreover, with martial arts, he would not be bullied by hooligans. As for the two gangs, the White Sand Gang and the Black Stone Gang, they were basically in the black or gray business. They fought and killed all day long and often went out of the city, into the forest, and into the mountains. The risk factor was higher. Neither the original host¡¯s parents nor Zhou You had considered them. There was no need to consider the City Lord Manor. Unless one married into the Meng clan or sold their body, they would not be able to enter. It was the same for the other families. After making up his mind, Zhou You fumbled around under the blanket and finally confirmed his current net worth. There were two hundred copper notes. Four copper notes worth ten copper coins. Ten copper coins. A total of 250 copper coins. Looking at the landscape architectural drawings on the two-finger-wide, five-finger-long, colorful, and slightly bumpy copper notes, Zhou You was a little dazed. Zhou You¡¯s expression turned dark when he recalled some of the memories belonging to the original owner of the body. Perhaps, someone had come into this world previously and gone through the same story and fate? Papermaking. Motion-type printing. Firearms. Twenty-four hours a day. Sixty minutes per hour. Thirty breaths per minute. Glass. ¡­ Many familiar things flooded his mind. His grand plan to make a fortune in the alternate world would collapse before it even started. It died before he even did anything about it. However, this world seemed a little strange. There were both paper-making and printing techniques, but the literary field did not flourish. There was not much future in studying. Firearms existed, but martial artists still called the shots. As for cultivators, there were too few of them. It was difficult to find cultivators, so they had little to do with the general population. Even though many things were similar, the Dayuan Dynasty was not like a unified dynasty. He did not know about other places, but in Mengyang City, there was no government. The final decision of all disputes was in the hands of the City Lord Manor. More accurately, it was in the hands of the Meng family. Not only did the Meng family have a large number of martial arts experts, but they also had an elite private army of more than a thousand people. Most of the nearby cities were the same. In a way, the entire Dayuan Dynasty might be similar. A feudal dynasty in the truest sense. Chapter 2 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Zhou You had 250 copper coins in cash. The market price of this courtyard was about 100 taels of silver. This was Zhou You¡¯s entire fortune. After some thought, Zhou You made up his mind. He folded the deed and stuffed it into his inner pocket. He put on the remaining two sets of intact clothes and hung his identity badge at his waist and stuffed it into his belt. He smoothed the creases on his clothes with both hands and walked out of the courtyard. After closing and locking the door, Zhou You had just turned around when he was startled. A yellow-faced skinny man with a wretched appearance, bucked teeth, and cracked lips came forward from the side. His face was full of smiles, making him look even more despicable, like a yellow dog. Zhou You did not know this person¡¯s name. He only knew that his surname was Huang and his nickname was Yellow Dog. He was a famous hooligan in this area. He stole and extorted people all the time and did many bad things. After measuring his figure, Zhou You was slightly relieved. If they really fought, his chances of winning were higher. However, Yellow Dog was not alone. He was a member of the nearby Green Snake Gang. If they really fought, he would definitely suffer. A wise man does not fight when the odds are against him. He endured it. Zhou You tilted his head slightly to avoid Yellow Dog¡¯s slightly arrogant tone. ¡°Little You, have you thought about it?¡± Yellow Dog said with a smile as if he had everything under control. Hmmm? Zhou You narrowed his eyes and tiptoed slightly on the threshold. He leaned forward and looked down at Yellow Dog. He said word by word, ¡°Absolutely not!¡± When his predecessor¡¯s parents were handling the funeral arrangements, Yellow Dog had come to pay his respects. He had even busied himself pretending to be a kind neighbor and tricked at least ten taels of silver from the original owner. In the end, he even made a verbal agreement with the original host to help him sell this courtyard. The original host¡¯s initial plan was to sell the courtyard seven days after his parents¡¯ death. Then, he would take the money back to his hometown in the countryside and buy a few acres of land to find a wife and live a peaceful life. Now that it was Zhou You¡¯s turn, he naturally changed all the plans. Although the courtyard still had to be sold, it could not be sold to Yellow Dog. His eyes turned dark and intimidating, and a sense of oppression assaulted Yellow Dog¡¯s face. Yellow Dog¡¯s heart trembled, and he subconsciously took a step back. His smile froze at that moment, and a trace of embarrassment climbed up his cheeks. His voice was raised and a little sharp. ¡°Hey, Little You, how can a man go back on his word?¡± Zhou You stared at Yellow Dog without saying a word. Yellow Dog looked a little bewildered. He had already discussed the price with the guy. Did something suddenly change? Had the guy changed his mind? Was he not planning to sell it? Impossible! As a young boy, he could not guard this courtyard at all. If he had any brains, he would have sold it obediently to avoid being schemed against. Besides, he had put grand plans into the boy¡¯s head encouraging him to get married and have a child. Didn¡¯t he like the idea? Did someone else intervene? That did not seem right. This area was the territory of the Green Snake Gang. He was considered a reputable figure. Other than the gang leader, who would dare to disrespect him? The leader of the gang could not have handled this personally for roughly 100 taels of silver, right? Anyway, no matter how much money the gang leader got, he had to give him half. Then¡­ What was the reason? Yellow Dog thought quickly and a smile appeared on his face. ¡°Little You, before I came, I went to see Old Master Chen and helped you negotiate the price. He said that he could give you this amount.¡± As he spoke, Yellow Dog stretched out two fingers and raised eight fingers. ¡°80 taels!¡± Seeing that Zhou You was unmoved, Yellow Dog pondered and added, ¡°Little You, the price is a little low, but your parents just¡­ so the place is a little inauspicious. It¡¯s already very fair for Old Master Chen to pay this price.¡± Zhou You remained unmoved, quietly watching Yellow Dog¡¯s performance. Old Master Chen? It was probably just Yellow Dog or the person behind him, right? 80 taels?! Zhou You did not believe that Yellow Dog could really fork out so much money! He did not need to guess to know that Yellow Dog was definitely out for a free lunch. It was an old trick. Seeing that Zhou You was still indifferent, Yellow Dog lowered his head slightly. A trace of pain flashed across his face. He took out a money bag from his bosom, gritted his teeth, and handed it to Zhou You. ¡°Little You, I even helped you negotiate with Old Master Chen. Old Master Chen is willing to give you a deposit of ten taels. Ten taels are enough to build a big courtyard in the village.¡± Looking at the money bag, Zhou You was a little tempted, but he still shook his head. Without hesitation, he turned around and strode away, leaving behind three words. ¡°Not for sale!¡± It was not a good idea to take the ten tael silver note. This was not only the deposit but also the price of the entire courtyard. It was even possible that Yellow Dog would use all sorts of methods to take back these ten taels of silver. If it was the original owner of this body, it would probably be the best outcome if he could leave safely without any money. He had rejected Yellow Dog to his face. He was bound to resort to all kinds of dirty tricks, right? However, Zhou You did not care. He had already made up his mind to go straight to the Treasure Source Pawnshop on Great South Street. Soon, Zhou You came out of the Treasure Source Pawnshop with 60 taels of silver notes. He had already pawned the deed. The pawnshop valued the compound at 80 taels of silver notes, and the actual cash received was 60 taels of silver notes. It would cost 100 taels of silver to redeem it within a year. With the money in his pocket, Zhou You identified the direction and headed straight for the Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo. Now that he had money, it was time to get down to business. Learning martial arts! Although three years had yet to pass, Zhou You felt that there should be no problem with practicing martial arts with this body. Besides, the dojo wanted to make business. Although the dojo would give some suggestions, if the client insisted, it was impossible to go against the client¡¯s wishes. After passing through three streets and two alleys, the Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo appeared in front of him. The Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo occupied an extremely large area. The open mahogany door was 10 feet tall and 30 to 40 feet wide. It was extremely imposing. Two stone tigers that were as tall as a person occupied the two sides. The tigers¡¯ eyes were furious and daunting. Zhou You walked past the stone tigers and walked straight to the door. He looked over the threshold and saw the registration area on the left. A brawny man dressed in a brown warrior¡¯s combat-style outfit leaned against the back of the chair with his arms crossed resting his eyes. He suddenly opened his eyes and looked at Zhou You. Without asking, he said, ¡°If you want to learn martial arts, it starts at a minimum of three months. Ten taels of silver a month.¡± Hearing this, Zhou You was not surprised. The original host planned to practice martial arts, so he naturally asked about the market. The Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo and the White Crane Fist Dojo both started with a minimum of three-month packages and cost ten taels a month. The Diamond Dojo and Iron Skin Dojo started at five taels a month. After getting inspected by each of the dojos, the Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo was the most suitable for him. ¡°I¡¯ll sign up,¡± Zhou You said without hesitation. He took out three ten taels silver notes that he had prepared beforehand, took out the identity badge from his waist, and handed it over with both hands. The burly man took the silver notes and identity badge. As he registered, he asked, ¡°Zhou You, right? Are you staying in the boxing club? Or outside?¡± ¡°I¡¯m staying at the boxing club,¡± Zhou You said straightforwardly. He knew that the martial arts school provided food and accommodation, so Zhou You decided to pawn the house. He had no intention of going back today, which was why he had taken on Yellow Dog. ¡°Then even if you enter the academy today, We¡¯ll only teach you martial arts tomorrow morning. Is that okay?¡± ¡°No problem.¡± Zhou You nodded. ¡°Xiao Liuzi, come, bring the new junior brother to choose a room.¡± The burly man called out to a gray-clothed youth not far away. He looked up at Zhou You and added, ¡°Go and see if Old Wang has any more bedding. Go and collect a set.¡± ¡°Alright, Ninth Senior Brother.¡± Xiao Liuzi jogged over and led Zhou You to the backyard. Chapter 3 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡°Wake up, Zhou You. Wake up!¡± Knock knock knock! There was a strong knock on the door, accompanied by a slightly childish voice. ¡°I¡¯m up!¡± Zhou You jumped up from the bed and hurriedly put on his clothes and shoes. He followed Zhao Liuping, also known as Xiao Liuzi, who was waiting outside the door, and headed to the canteen. The Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo was a big business. As an apprentice Zhou You had been allocated a single room, and the conditions were not bad. Afraid that he would be late for his first morning class today, Zhou You made an appointment in advance and asked Zhao Liuping to wake him up in the morning. After breakfast, Zhou You followed Zhao Liuping to the training grounds. At this moment, the martial arts arena was filled with people. They were gathered in twos and threes. At a glance, there were at least 70 to 80 people. These people were all apprentices who paid to learn martial arts. After lifting weights a few times and stretching his muscles, it was already eight o¡¯clock. It was time for the morning class. Ninth Senior Brother, Zhao Qing, slowly walked out of the inner courtyard, his tiger-like eyes sweeping across the entire place. His voice immediately lowered. The apprentices who were gathered together also spontaneously dispersed into a half-arc shape. They looked at the center of the arc and pretended to be all ears. Zhao Qing nodded in satisfaction and walked to the center of the arc. He cleared his throat and said loudly, ¡°As usual, follow me and do it once. Then, ask me if you have any questions.¡± Nodding at Zhou You, Zhao Qing got into his stance and started practicing the Ferocious Tiger Fist. As he moved his feet, he squatted slightly with his hands interchanging between fists and palms. He twisted his waist, shook his shoulders, rotated his arms, and moved his body¡­ A set of 36 forms of the Ferocious Tiger Fist was executed smoothly in Zhao Qing¡¯s hands. 15 minutes later, Zhao Qing stopped and stood still. ¡°Alright, if you have any questions, just ask. If you don¡¯t have any questions, go and practice your boxing. Practice hard!¡± As he spoke, Zhao Qing walked over and looked at the shocked Zhou You. He asked with a smile, ¡°How many moves did you remember?¡± In his opinion, this was the first time Zhou You had come into contact with martial arts. He was shocked by his heroic figure. Zhou You¡¯s reaction satisfied him and gave him a sense of accomplishment. However, he did not know that Zhou You was shocked not because of his heroic bearing, but because¡­ In Zhou You¡¯s eyes, he could see Zhao Qing demonstrating the movements of the Ferocious Tiger Fist over and over again. From slow to fast and from the outside to the inside. From the movement of his feet to the wind formed by his punches to the continuous trembling of his entire body. It even came down to the bobbing of his Adam¡¯s apple, the airflow produced by the breathing from his mouth and nose, and the movement of his muscles. All of Zhao Qing¡¯s movements, no matter how detailed they were, were perfectly displayed in Zhou You¡¯s eyes. He looked at it countless times, but in reality, it was only for a moment. Zhao Qing¡¯s voice sounded in his ear, and Zhou You subconsciously replied, ¡°I remember¡­ about seven or eight moves.¡± In fact, Zhou You felt that he had already memorized all 36 forms and completely grasped the essence of the Ferocious Tiger Fist. However, the words that were on the tip of his tongue suddenly slipped. ¡°Not bad. You can practice these moves first. After you¡¯re familiar with them, you can practice the rest. Don¡¯t be anxious. Take it slow step by step.¡± Someone beside him asked for guidance. Zhao Qing said a few words to Zhou You before turning around and walking away. However, Zhou You was in no mood to pay attention to him. After feeling that he had completely grasped the essence of the Ferocious Tiger Fist, the Zhao Qing in his eyes suddenly disappeared. Then, with a whoosh, a translucent panel popped up. Name: Zhou You Affinity: 1 Aptitude: Ferocious Tiger Fist (12%) Comprehension: 100% Martial Arts: Ferocious Tiger Fist (Uninitiated) Martial Arts Points: 0 As expected, his special ability had arrived. Zhou You¡¯s heart did not even waver as he immediately began to study it. Without the manual, Zhou You could only make a bold guess and carefully verify it later. ¡°The 36 forms of the Ferocious Tiger Fist are still vivid in my mind. It¡¯s as if they¡¯re engraved in my mind and recorded on the interface. Does this mean that I¡¯ve learned them? However, if I don¡¯t have the basics of the Ferocious Tiger Fist, does that mean that my brain can learn it, but not my body? I still need to practice diligently and turn the things in my brain into muscle memory, I guess?¡± Thinking of this, he practiced the Ferocious Tiger Fist methodically according to the clear memories in his mind. The first time. It was a little bumpy. The second time. Zhou You was pleasantly surprised to find that he could already complete the first eight moves smoothly and skillfully. His movements were extremely standard. Unfortunately, he still had not mastered the Ferocious Tiger Fist. Could it be that he had to complete a complete set of Ferocious Tiger Fist before he was considered initiated? He looked up and saw that Zhao Qing had already left the martial arts arena. Zhou You thought for a moment and decided to continue practicing the eighth move. He practiced several moves separately until he was proficient in them. Although he did not intend to directly expose the terrifying talent that he could learn after watching it once, there was no need to hide it too much. Showing a little talent in the morning class and working hard in private after returning to the house was the way to go. He pretended to stumble along as he completed the Ferocious Tiger Fist, Zhou You opened the interface and frowned. The Ferocious Tiger Fist was still not at the beginner level. Then how could he become a beginner? Did he have to finish the entire set as skillfully as Zhao Qing? Zhou You was confident that he could do as well as Zhao Qing, but there was no need to do so in front of everyone. Looking around, many apprentices had already ended their boxing practice and started punching sandbags, wooden dummies, stabbing sand, sparring, and so on. The Ferocious Tiger Fist emphasized bravery and unyieldingness. Every time they practiced, they had to use all their strength. With the physical fitness of these apprentices, they could only practice for an hour at most. By now, most of the apprentices were already exhausted. They could only reduce the intensity of their practice and start slacking. Zhou You also ended his fist practice and found a sandbag to punch. It was as if he had returned to the familiar past. He was sweating profusely trying his best. Soon, it was noon. ¡°The morning class is over!¡± Zhao Qing appeared out of nowhere and roared. ¡°It¡¯s over!¡± ¡°Class is over!¡± ¡°Go take a shower and eat!¡± ¡°Where are you going this afternoon?¡± ¡°Want to go to the pier?¡± ¡­ A cheer went up from the apprentices as they surged toward the public baths. Zhou You lived in the dojo, so he naturally did not have to squeeze into the public bathhouse. Instead, he dragged his tired body back to the backyard. After washing up, he went to the canteen and collected his food from the window. Zhou You buried his head and worked hard. Breakfast was ordinary, but lunch was quite sumptuous. There was meat and vegetables, and the meal was satisfying. After quickly finishing the food in front of him, Zhou You felt that his strength had returned. He could do it again. After resting in his room for a while, Zhou You got up and started practicing his boxing. He had already gathered a lot of experience in the morning. Now, he went all out and practiced from beginning to end. After practicing the technique once¡­ Ding! A soft chime rang in his ears. Zhou You was overjoyed as he opened the interface. The Ferocious Tiger Fist was still not at the beginner level. However, he could clearly feel that his proficiency in the Ferocious Tiger Fist had increased a little. Something was different about the technique! Zhou You was in high spirits and continued to practice and test. Two hours later, Zhou You lay on the ground weakly. His entire body was wet. He looked tired, but he was also a little excited. He had basically figured out the pattern of the increase in proficiency. Only when he went all out and practiced the entire set of Ferocious Tiger Fist technique in a standard posture in 15 minutes would his proficiency increase. He could not even be a little lazy. Throughout the entire afternoon, his proficiency only increased three times. The Ferocious Tiger Fist was still not at the beginner level. He did not know how much his proficiency could increase each time or how many times he had to increase it before he could become a beginner. There was still some time before dinner, but Zhou You had to stop practicing. With his current physique, he could only hold on for so long. If he practiced any longer, his foundation would be damaged and his vitality would suffer. On the path of martial arts, he could not overdo it. Examples of people being crippled from practicing martial arts were not new. Chapter 4 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Zhou You had originally planned to continue practicing the Ferocious Tiger Fist after dinner. He realized that even though his stomach was full, his body still felt very empty and tired as if he had stayed up all night. He knew that his body had yet to recover, so he had no choice but to give up on practicing boxing and doing low-intensity training for his hands and legs. He only needed to control the intensity of the training and not exceed the threshold of natural physical recovery. The next morning, Zhou You asked Zhao Qing about eight fist techniques as planned before continuing to slack off. In the afternoon, he practiced diligently, and his proficiency increased four times. Zhou You knew that this should be the limit of his current body. On the afternoon of the third day, after practicing the Ferocious Tiger Fist for the second time, Zhou You opened the interface as usual. He was pleasantly surprised to discover that he had finally mastered the Ferocious Tiger Fist. Ferocious Tiger Fist (Master) (0/10) Zhou You silently noted that his proficiency increased nine times before he continued practicing. After one round, Zhou You discovered something different. His cultivation speed seemed to be slightly faster than before. After practicing the Ferocious Tiger Fist four times with all his might, Zhou You suddenly felt that he still had strength left, but it was not much. He could not keep up and had to stop practicing. Over the past few days, Zhou You had asked around. If an apprentice wanted to learn the Ferocious Tiger Fist, he would have to complete it in 15 minutes. Normally, it would take three months, which happened to be the tuition cycle. Those with higher talent would need at least a month. After all, it would take the other apprentices at least half a month to memorize all 36 fist techniques. Zhou You took note of it after reading it once. He had become a beginner in three days and it was genuinely fast. He decided to wait for almost a month before telling Zhao Qing. Two days later, on September 21st. After the morning class ended, Zhou You went to the cafeteria and found that other than the window that usually served food, another window was opened. There was a long line in front of the window. The apprentices were laughing, fighting, and cursing, all with expectant expressions. Zhou You was a little confused. Zhao Liuping was in the queue. He saw him and hurriedly called out, ¡°Zhou You, come and line up here.¡± When they first entered the dojo, there were still people who warmly invited Zhou You out to hang out after class. After a few rejections, no one called him anymore, and their attitude was not as enthusiastic. Only Zhao Liuping was slightly closer to him. Zhou You was not afraid of talking to people. However, he had left the dojo once only to find someone on his tail. He could only quickly find an excuse and run back to the dojo. He had already made up his mind not to enter the dojo for three months. In any case, he did not need to spend a single cent in the dojo. If three months was not enough, then six months. If he could not develop an internal force to become a martial artist in six months, he would find an opportunity to follow the dojo¡¯s escort team out of the city and go far away. Seeing that the apprentices were all lining up, Zhou You was about to line up at the back. When he heard Zhao Liuping call him, he looked around and walked straight behind Zhao Liuping cutting the queue. The man behind him glared at him but said nothing. Zhao Liuping was Zhao Qing¡¯s distant cousin. He would occasionally help Zhao Qing with some chores in the outer courtyard. The apprentices had to give him some face. ¡°Zhou You, this is the secret bacon soup brewed by Master Cheng. You can receive it on the first, eleventh, and twenty-first day of the lunar calendar,¡± Zhao Liuping turned around and explained. Bacon soup? Zhou You understood and his eyes lit up. This was a medicinal soup that strengthened one¡¯s foundation and nourished one¡¯s vitality. It was also sold outside. The original host would drink one portion a month for one tael. Following the flow of people, Zhou You quickly received the bacon soup. The palm-sized glass contained black viscous fluid. He shook it gently but its contents remained motionless. It was much thicker than the previous ones he took. When he brought it to his mouth, a strong medicinal smell filled his nose. Taking a deep breath, Zhou You did not hesitate to raise his cup and poured it into his mouth. Then, like the other apprentices, he used some clear soup to wash the cup clean. Then, he raised his head and drank the fluid. Only then did he put down the glass and go to the side to get rice. When the medicine entered his body, Zhou You felt a warm current rising from his lower abdomen. It was very weak, but it was endless. His entire body felt warm, and the fatigue in his body quickly disappeared. This feeling seemed to be a little different from the memories of the original host. This warm current seemed to have become much stronger. Carrying the food, he sat down opposite Zhao Liuping. Before Zhou You could speak, Zhao Liuping asked, ¡°Zhou You, have you drunk bacon soup before?¡± ¡°I have.¡± Zhou You nodded. Since they planned to practice martial arts, the apprentices here had more or less drunk tonics before joining the dojo. ¡°Then do you want to buy more at the market price internally? It¡¯s definitely strong and undiluted.¡± The corner of Zhou You¡¯s mouth twitched. Wasn¡¯t it obvious that the bacon soup sold outside by the boxing club had been mixed with water? No wonder the medicine wasn¡¯t as effective as the one he had just drunk. After some hesitation, Zhou You shook his head. ¡°Let me think about it.¡± The Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo was involved in a variety of trades. In addition to accepting payment to teach fist techniques, they also provided bodyguards, guards, medicines, and so on. There were in-house apothecaries in the dojo who were in charge of refining medicine. The in-house doctor was in charge of treating bruises and massaging to improve blood circulation. However, only official inner disciples could enjoy it for free. If outer disciples needed any of this service, they had to pay for them. When practicing martial arts, one relied on hard work and medicine. Medicine could strengthen the foundation of the body and treat hidden injuries left behind by martial arts practice. It could also increase his cultivation speed. Zhou You naturally wanted to buy medicine, but he wanted to test the medicinal effect before making a decision. Now that there was no source of income, money had to be spent carefully. After the lunch break, the usual practice was to cultivate in their rooms. Two hours later, Zhou You stopped cultivating. After practicing the Ferocious Tiger Fist eight times, his body finally reached its limits. The effects of the bacon soup had also passed. After the third round, the interface changed. Ferocious Tiger Fist (Master) (1/10) After practicing the Ferocious Tiger Fist nine times with all his might, his proficiency increased by 1. It was the same as when he entered the dojo. Zhou You vaguely felt that he had found a pattern to increase his proficiency. ¡­ In the blink of an eye, half a month had passed. After practicing the technique the second time today, Zhou You opened the interface and his eyes lit up. Ferocious Tiger Fist (Greater Mastery) (0/100) Nothing else changed. Zhou You continued practicing the technique. As usual, after two more rounds of boxing, Zhou You suddenly felt that he still had enough strength to fight again. He did as he thought. Twelve minutes later, Zhou You leaned against the back of the bed and panted heavily. Zhou You had never felt so tired before. It was even more tiring than when he had just started practicing boxing. However, he looked very excited. After this round of boxing, his proficiency increased, but it did not exceed the limits of his body. This meant that when he woke up tomorrow, he would be an energetic man again. From the next day onwards, he could practice boxing five times a day. It was not much, but it was a good change. For the past 20 days, other than the day he drank the bacon soup, he could only practice boxing four times a day. This made Zhou You think that this would continue for good. Now that there was a change, he was filled with anticipation for the future. However, when he saw that the Greater Mastery Stage required 100 proficiency points, Zhou You¡¯s expression turned bitter. According to the previous pattern, the interface would only increase by one proficiency point after practicing the technique nine or eight times. The entire Greater Mastery Stage would take about five to six months. Even if he spent the remaining 30 taels of silver to stay at the dojo for three months, he could only stay in the martial arts school for a little more than five months. In that case, time was very tight. Before the tuition period ended, he might be able to master the Ferocious Tiger Fist, but he was not entirely sure. Moreover, who knew if he would be able to cultivate inner strength after mastering it? Or what if there was a higher realm following it? As for leaving the martial arts school to cultivate on his own, aside from the tail on him, just earning money for food every day would probably exhaust all his strength. He would not have much strength left to use for practicing the technique. After all, the boxing club provided meat for every meal. The rice and steamed buns were filling, and it was much better than the food from the original owner¡¯s well-off family. After hesitating for a moment, Zhou You finally made up his mind and walked towards the door. Chapter 5 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations When Zhou You reached the door, a group of people came in noisily. Seven or eight apprentices surrounded a man. The man¡¯s face was bruised and swollen, and his clothes were in tatters. A few bloody marks could be seen on his body, but his head was raised high, and his nose was pointed at the sky proudly. He walked valiantly and looked confident, and his spirit was high as if he was a general who had returned victorious. This person¡¯s name was Luo Yong. Just like his name, he was really brave. He looked for people to fight with all the time. After fighting all the disciples in the dojo, he went out to find people to challenge. However, he adhered to the rules. Every time he fought, he would find a good excuse. He would only fight with apprentices from other martial arts schools. Moreover, he often won more than he lost. The martial arts school would turn a blind eye to his actions. Most of the youths recruited by the various martial arts schools were 12 to 18 years old. They were in their youth and had nowhere to vent their anger. Fighting was common. As long as they did not cause trouble and only fought, the martial arts schools would not care. Fighting could at least increase one¡¯s skills and resistance to beatings. It was better than eating, drinking, prostituting, and gambling. From the looks of it, Luo Yong had gone out to fight again today. Although he was beaten up badly, he still won in the end. Zhou You had originally planned to find Zhao Liuping and a few apprentices to back him up at a fight. Now that he saw Luo Yong, he immediately changed his mind. Luo Yong¡¯s martial strength was stronger than Zhao Liuping¡¯s, and he was more famous around here. Although he was always causing trouble, Zhou You could tell that Luo Yong was a straightforward person. He was very warm and forthright. Turning around to welcome him, Zhou You smiled and greeted, ¡°Brother Yong, have you returned victorious again?¡± Luo Yong lowered his head and glanced at him. He said disdainfully, ¡°I naturally win!¡± In fact, Luo Yong did not like Zhou You. He had been in the dojo for so long, but he had never participated in a group activity. He had never even gone out to support the dojo, let alone fight personally. He simply stayed in the house all day, acting like a sissy. He was usually weak when practicing martial arts, like a weak shrimp. Two red lines slowly flowed out of his nostrils. Luo Yong quickly raised his head and turned his head away with a muffled groan. Zhou You did not mind Luo Yong¡¯s attitude and continued, ¡°Brother Yong, I have a rival who keeps messing with me. I hope you can go fight him with me. When is it a good time for you, Brother Yong?¡± ¡°Hmmm?¡± Luo Yong tilted his head and raised his hand to wipe the blood from his nose. His eyes were actually shining, and his tone was a little excited. ¡°Really? What¡¯s the special occasion? Why is the coward manning up for once?¡± Then, Luo Yong caught onto the inappropriateness of his words and hurriedly said, ¡°I¡¯m free! I can do it anytime! Give me a few minutes. I¡¯ll be back soon!¡± Before he could finish speaking, Luo Yong raised his head and ran into the clinic. A few minutes later, he ran out with a few ointments and a white cloth. ¡°Cow¡­ Zhou You, let¡¯s go. Who are we going to f*ck?¡± Looking at Luo Yong¡¯s energetic reaction, Zhou You completely put down his previous misgivings and said, ¡°Someone from the Green Snake Gang. His nickname is Yellow Dog. Brother Yong, are you okay with it?¡± ¡°Green Snake Gang?¡± Brother Yong hesitated for a moment and asked, ¡°Do you just want to fight him without breaking his legs?¡± When fighting, one had to know their limits. It was just a fight. Even if the leader of the Green Snake Gang was a martial artist, it was no big deal to fight his subordinates. However, if they went too hard and broke their bones, they would become enemies. Even if he could be cured, it would affect his future martial arts career and life. It would ruin his future and cause a huge feud. ¡°Then let me make it clear first. If you go overboard and get surrounded, I won¡¯t help you.¡± Luo Yong¡¯s mind was still very clear. He coughed gently and added, ¡°Of course, if you can¡¯t beat them, we¡¯ll help you.¡± ¡°We¡¯re brothers, so we¡¯ll definitely help.¡± Seeing that Zhou You had already come to an agreement with Luo Yong, someone beside him jeered, ¡°Zhou You, if you win, you have to treat us to a drink. You¡¯ve been here for so long, but you haven¡¯t bought us any drinks yet.¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll thank my brothers first.¡± Zhou You cupped his hands in obeisance. Then, a large group of people strode out of the gate and headed toward Osmanthus Lane. ¡°Zhou You, how¡¯s your fist technique? Have you mastered it?¡± On the way, Luo Yong asked with concern. He would probably buy everyone drinks regardless of winning or losing, but he certainly hoped he could win. ¡°Uh huh.¡± Zhou You nodded. This meant that he had already mastered the entire set of fist techniques. As long as he was not afraid of battle and dared to charge forward, he was already a qualified fighter in the sect. ¡°Then there¡¯s no problem.¡± Luo Yong heaved a sigh of relief. He patted his chest and said, ¡°Zhou You, let me tell you. When you¡¯re dealing with those stupid people outside, just do it directly. Don¡¯t think about anything. Just go out there and get the job done. Use a combo to knock the other party down.¡± Zhou You was speechless. It was really simple and crude. He did not think it would be that simple. Previously, he had asked around. Although Yellow Dog was only an ordinary person, he had practiced the Mad Dog Fist technique. If he really fought, even with two or three people, they would not be able to get close to him. If his Ferocious Tiger Fist technique had just reached the beginner level, Zhou You did not have much chance of winning. However, the Ferocious Tiger Fist at the Greater Mastery Stage should be enough to help him lock in the victory. Moreover, as he studied the interface, Zhou You guessed that what affected his cultivation speed was not only his Affinity but also his Aptitude. Affinity was probably the speed of practicing martial arts. The higher one¡¯s innate ability was, the faster one could practice martial arts. Aptitude probably referred to the efficiency of practicing a certain martial art. Or rather, his compatibility with a certain martial art. The higher the compatibility, the faster the cultivation efficiency. Aptitude: Ferocious Tiger Fist (12%) Every eight or nine times he practiced the technique, his proficiency would increase by 1 point. If he multiplied 12% by the number of times he practiced the skill, it would be exactly 1. At present, the data sample was insufficient to draw conclusions. However, Zhou You felt that he was probably right. As for the Comprehension column, the number was 100%, which meant that this 12% was very likely to increase. However, he had yet to discover a way to improve. If the compatibility of the Ferocious Tiger Fist reached 100%, he might be able to increase one proficiency point after practicing it once. Unable to find a way to increase his compatibility for the time being, Zhou You prepared to try various methods. The Ferocious Tiger Fist emphasized bravery and unyieldingness. He was too careful and overcautious, so his mindset was a wrong fit. Mentality could also affect cultivation speed. Luo Yong was the best example. Luo Yong was not the most talented among their batch of apprentices, but after a few months, he had become the strongest. Perhaps it was because he was stouthearted enough, so it only took him half the effort to master the Ferocious Tiger Fist. Zhou You also wanted to give it a try. Target: Yellow Dog! If he won this battle, even if he could not increase the compatibility of the Ferocious Tiger Fist, he could destroy the shadow in his heart. In the future, he would be able to enter and leave the dojo as he pleased. He would not be in such a difficult situation now. Soon, the group arrived at the entrance of Osmanthus Lane. More than a dozen hooligans had already gathered at the entrance of the alley. The leader was Yellow Dog. ¡°As expected, he¡¯s been waiting for me!¡± Zhou You narrowed his eyes. On the way, Zhou You could sense a tail on him again and deliberately said loudly that he wanted to settle scores with Yellow Dog. In the end, Yellow Dog was waiting here with his men. This meant that he had been silently keeping an eye on him. If he failed to beat him into submission today, who knew what would happen in the future? Chapter 6 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Seeing Zhou You and the others approach, Yellow Dog placed one hand on his waist and pointed at Zhou You with the other. His tone was frivolous. ¡°One-on-one? Or do you want to attack together?¡± He knew that Zhou You was here to cause trouble for him, but he did not take it to heart. He even targeted Zhou You¡¯s remaining money. Previously, he had already found out that Zhou You had pawned the house for 60 taels. He had spent 30 taels to learn boxing and already paid the tuition fees, so there were still 30 taels left. During this period of time, he had not left the martial arts school. The money should still be on him. Even if he used up all his money, he had to seize this opportunity to break Zhou You¡¯s legs and completely extinguish his thoughts of revenge. As for not being able to defeat him? Yellow Dog had never thought about it. Even if he knew that Zhou You was practicing martial arts, it was impossible for him to achieve anything in just 20 days. As for the helpers that Zhou You had found, they were a group of young boys who had yet to grow their hair. He also did not take them to heart. Perhaps his martial arts were not bad, but fighting was not just about martial arts. Looking at the solemn and slightly excited gazes of Luo Yong and the others, Zhou You took a step forward. He clenched his right hand into a fist and stretched out his middle finger to shake it at Yellow Dog. He said loudly, ¡°One-on-one!¡± ¡°Alright! If you have the guts, come into the alley!¡± Yellow Dog raised his left hand and made a throat-slitting gesture as he retreated into the alley. Zhou You waved at Luo Yong and followed behind him. ¡°Ow!¡± Just as Zhou You took a step forward, Yellow Dog suddenly stopped. Instead of retreating, he advanced. With a sudden roar, he charged over. His hands danced up and down wildly, making it impossible to see where they were going to land. Zhou You was stunned by the loud roar. When he came back to his senses, he was shocked to find that Yellow Dog had already arrived in front of him. His hands were like claws, one cutting off his throat and the other going for his lower body. It was sinister and vicious. Knowing that he had lost the initiative, Zhou You¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He did not dare to be careless. He hurriedly folded his arms in front of him, raised one hand, and reached down with the other. He formed a palm with his hands and slapped forward. At the same time, he staggered backward. ¡°Ah!¡± Yellow Dog let out a strange cry and raised his hands to face Zhou You¡¯s that were held in front of him. He spread his five fingers and suddenly clenched them tightly, locking Zhou You¡¯s hands tightly and pressing downwards. With his hands locked, he could not retreat. Yellow Dog pressed down on him, Zhou You lost his balance and fell forward. ¡°Little brat, you¡¯re still too inexperienced!¡± Yellow Dog looked at Zhou You¡¯s rapidly approaching face and smiled contemptuously. He exerted strength with both hands and pushed outwards. At the same time, he raised his right knee and straightened his right leg like a spear, kicking in between Zhou You¡¯s open legs. ¡°Oh no! He got him!¡± Luo Yong¡¯s expression changed when he saw this. He did not expect Yellow Dog, who did not look tall and strong, to have such rich combat experience. He attacked quickly and ruthlessly. The first attack was effective. Then, he approached with a grappling technique and took control of the fight. Looking at the strength of his kick, Brother Zhou would probably have to lie down for at least half a month. He could not ignore it. Luo Yong twisted his left foot hard on the ground and raised his right leg to spin. Swoosh! Like a battle ax, it slashed toward Yellow Dog¡¯s waist. He joined the scuffle to stop Yellow Dog from killing Zhou You. ¡°Hehe, little brother, you¡¯re not following the rules.¡± Two people rushed out from behind Yellow Dog and attacked Luo Yong from both sides. Luo Yong had no choice but to retract his leg and sweep to force the other party back. He was entangled with the two of them. Whoosh! A strong wind blew over, and the black silhouette in his eyes got closer and closer. Zhou You¡¯s pupils constricted. He gritted his teeth and made up his mind. He grabbed Yellow Dog¡¯s hands and twisted them hard. At the same time, he exerted strength from his waist and soared into the air. He raised his neck high and smashed his head at Yellow Dog. Yellow Dog¡¯s expression changed. He hurriedly leaned backward and pressed his entire upper body back. PAH! The leg whip swept across his chest and abdomen. Zhou You felt his entire body tremble. His ribs hurt and his internal organs were in turmoil. A mouthful of blood almost surged into his throat. Suppressing the reverse blood, Zhou You¡¯s eyes turned fierce. Blood seeped out from the corner of his mouth. He suddenly roared. Then, he exerted strength using his leg whip and spun around. His entire body was almost upside down as he spun half a circle. Whoosh! With Zhou You¡¯s own weight and the powerful spinning force, half of Yellow Dog¡¯s body was lifted off the ground. He quickly released his hands. Plop! Zhou You fell against the alley wall. PAH! With both hands on the wall, he used the recoil to stabilize himself on the ground. He placed his hands in front of his chest and bowed slightly. Zhou You assumed a defensive posture and looked at Yellow Dog with an extremely gloomy expression. Hiss! A sharp pain came. Zhou You took a closer look and realized that the back of his hand was covered in black and swollen marks. His gaze fell on Yellow Dog¡¯s hands. They were grayish-black, and their surfaces were covered in bumps and cracks. They looked like cracked old bark, and it was obvious that they were very hard. ¡°He must have practiced an external cultivation technique. His fist is harder than mine, his speed is faster than mine, and his strength is greater than mine¡­¡± Zhou You quickly analyzed. He was still a little glad that he had not been impulsive back then. At that time, if he really fought, he would probably be dead. ¡°¡­ External martial arts don¡¯t have any moves. The Mad Dog Fist doesn¡¯t have a pattern. Compared to Yellow Dog, my advantage is my martial arts. Ferocious Tiger Fist! The Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo had made a name for themselves in Mengyang City with their Ferocious Tiger Fist. Naturally, they were no pushovers. ¡°My Ferocious Tiger Fist is naturally far inferior to the inner martial arts disciples, but there¡¯s no reason why I can¡¯t even defeat a hooligan who doesn¡¯t know martial arts!¡± Taking a deep breath, Zhou You¡¯s eyes became firm. The 36 forms of the Ferocious Tiger Fist quickly flashed through his mind. The short battle from before also flashed through his mind like two parallel slides. Then, the two slides overlapped. Zhou You¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Little brat, that was just a warm-up. I haven¡¯t even gotten serious yet. If you¡¯re scared, kneel down and call me grandfather. I can be merciful and let you go.¡± Yellow Dog took a few steps back and leaned against the wall. He looked at Zhou You with a teasing expression. As soon as they fought, he knew that this brat was indeed good-looking but useless. No wonder he had to take tonics at such a young age. Even if he practiced martial arts, it was still useless. Zhou You¡¯s expression was calm as he said indifferently, ¡°What a coincidence. I just finished warming up myself.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Zhou You ran quickly and closed the distance between them. He clenched his fists like hammers and went straight for Yellow Dog¡¯s face. He aimed straight for the face! The smile on Yellow Dog¡¯s face disappeared. He raised his left arm horizontally and reached out with his right claw to attack Zhou You¡¯s lower body. Zhou Shu¡¯s momentum did not change. When he touched Yellow Dog¡¯s left hand, his hands suddenly turned into palms and pressed down lightly. At the same time, he turned his hip, lifted his right foot off the ground, and kicked Yellow Dog¡¯s abdomen with the tip of his foot. He had caught up with Yellow Dog! Yellow Dog¡¯s expression changed. He turned his right hand and grabbed Zhou You¡¯s calf. PAH! Zhou You¡¯s attack was powerful and heavy. It directly repelled Yellow Dog¡¯s right hand and kicked it fiercely in the abdomen. ¡°Ah!¡± Yellow Dog let out a miserable cry, and his body curled up powerlessly. Zhou You was unforgiving. He leaned forward and swung his hands repeatedly, fighting him with interchanging fists and palms. Yellow Dog endured the pain and quickly brandished his hands and went toward him. Pah pah pah pah! In the blink of an eye, Zhou You had exchanged five or six moves with Yellow Dog. He seized a flaw and punched Yellow Dog¡¯s right shoulder. Yellow Dog staggered and lost his balance. His hands attacked even more wildly. Pah pah pah pah! Zhou You took advantage of the opening and continued to attack Yellow Dog. In less than a dozen breaths, Yellow Dog collapsed to the ground, groaning and making incomprehensible sounds. Chapter 7 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Looking at Yellow Dog lying on the ground, a cold light flashed in Zhou You¡¯s eyes before disappearing. He leaned over and searched. Putting a few bills into his pocket, Zhou You stood up and turned to smile at Luo Yong. ¡°Brother Zhou, you did well! I officially acknowledge you as my brother!¡± Luo Yong smiled and nodded, his gaze approving. From the corner of his eye, he saw two people secretly retreating in front of him. Luo Yong strode forward and shouted, ¡°Where are you going?! You can leave in one piece, but not with the money!¡± How could there be no spoils of war after winning a fight? Since Yellow Dog had already been defeated, the rest of the Green Snake Gang had no intention of resisting to the end. They left behind a few taels for medical fees and carried Yellow Dog away in a hurry. Zhou You and the others did not stay behind. The group of people shouted and headed towards the agreed-upon wine shop. Now that he had relaxed his tense heartstrings, Zhou You felt that his entire body was extremely sore. His hands were already swollen like pig trotters, and he was so numb that he could barely feel them. He lifted his clothes and saw that his body was also covered in bruises. There was even blood seeping out in some places and slowly flowing down. From his appearance alone, Zhou You was even more severely injured than Yellow Dog. It could not be helped. Even if Zhou You suppressed Yellow Dog with his martial arts techniques, Zhou You¡¯s fists were not as hard as Yellow Dog¡¯s and his speed was not as fast either. He could only counter every move and exchange injuries for injuries. Minor injuries in exchange for serious injuries. He had only suffered superficial wounds, while Yellow Dog had suffered internal injuries. He would not recover without lying down for ten days to half a month. When he arrived at the wine shop, he drank tea with Luo Yong and the others. After paying the money for the wine, he returned to the boxing club and went straight to the clinic. Just as he reached the entrance of the clinic, the door of the apothecary beside him opened. A hale and hearty old man with gray hair and a rosy face walked out. His gaze landed on Zhou You and he said, ¡°You¡¯re Zhou You, right? Did your Ferocious Tiger Fist reach the beginner stage today?¡± Zhou You was stunned for a moment before answering honestly, ¡°Master Cheng, yes.¡± This old man was the only apothecary in the Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo, Cheng Yiqing. He was highly respected around here and even the dojo master¡¯s disciple, Zhao Qing, had to be polite to him. ¡°You took 22 days to become a beginner. Your Comprehension ability is not bad.¡± Cheng Yiqing nodded and suddenly asked, ¡°The apothecary is planning to recruit an apprentice. Are you interested?¡± An apothecary apprentice? Zhou You¡¯s expression changed. There were two affiliated clinics in the Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo. The clinic was in charge of treating injuries, massaging, and reviving blood. There were many doctors and apprentices. Cheng Yiqing had always been the only apothecary here responsible for brewing pills. If he really became an apprentice in the apothecary, his status would definitely be high. However, as an apprentice, he might not have much freedom. Moreover, the threshold for becoming an apothecary apprentice was higher than being an inner disciple. He did not know what conditions were needed to enter. ¡°Master Cheng, can I still practice martial arts after joining the apothecary?¡± Zhou You asked. ¡°The path of alchemy is vast and profound. I¡¯ve studied it all my life, but I only have a superficial understanding of it. Do you still want to divert your attention to practicing martial arts?¡± Cheng Yiqing glared at him and shouted angrily. He turned around and stormed off, slamming the door behind him. Zhou You was stunned. Why did Master Cheng have such a temper? He only asked a question but Master Cheng left without saying anything. This was really¡­ At this moment, Zhou You felt a trace of regret. However, Zhou You immediately threw this trace of regret to the back of his mind. In this world, power meant everything and only martial arts mattered. All unorthodox methods were undesirable. ¡­ Two months later. After practicing the Ferocious Tiger Fist for the third time today, he felt a flash of numbness in his body. When he heard a ding in his ear, Zhou You opened the interface excitedly and nervously. Then, he heaved a sigh of relief. Name: Zhou You Affinity: 1 Aptitude: Ferocious Tiger Fist (22%) Comprehension: 100% Martial Arts: Ferocious Tiger Fist (Level 1) (0/500) Martial Arts Points: 1 After defeating Yellow Dog, Zhou You realized that the Aptitude column on the interface had changed. The compatibility of the Ferocious Tiger Fist had increased by 10%, and the cultivation efficiency had nearly doubled. This way, after nearly two months of hard training and spending all his savings to buy bacon soup and Blood Strengthening Pills, he finally raised the proficiency of the Ferocious Tiger Fist to the Greater Mastery Stage. He successfully cultivated internal force. The flash of numbness he experienced when he stopped cultivating just now was the feeling of internal force passing through his body. It was as if he had been electrocuted. Glancing at the interface, Zhou You was surprised to find that his Martial Arts Points had suddenly increased from 0 to 1, and there was a plus sign behind his Affinity and Aptitude. Did this mean he could increase their points? Zhou You¡¯s face was filled with joy. With these additional points, did he have to worry about martial arts being weaker than cultivators? Did it matter if Peak martial arts Grandmasters were inferior to Qi-Refinement Realm cultivators? So what if martial arts cultivation could not provide immortality? These notions were simply hilarious to him now! After calming his excited heart, Zhou You began to think about how to make his points increase. Plus signs only appeared after the Affinity and Aptitude columns, but there was no plus sign after Comprehension and Martial Arts. This meant that only the first two columns could get more points, and his Comprehension had already been maxed out. He could only rely on himself to practice martial arts. Zhou You basically understood what each column on the interface meant. Affinity represented cultivation speed. The higher the Affinity, the faster the cultivation speed. Aptitude represented cultivation efficiency. The higher the Aptitude, the higher the cultivation efficiency, and the faster the increase in proficiency. For example, when practicing the same martial arts technique with high Aptitude, cultivating three to four times could increase the proficiency point by one. As for those with low Aptitude, they needed to cultivate seven to eight times to increase by one proficiency point. The cultivation speed between the two could be said to be worlds apart. Zhou You roughly understood what the Martial Arts Points represented. After cultivating a martial art to a certain stage, one could obtain Martial Arts Points. This made him think of finding another martial art to cultivate. Cultivating an internal force martial arts technique might affect the cultivation of the Ferocious Tiger Fist. The gains did not make up for the losses. Moreover, it was very difficult to obtain internal force martial arts techniques. In the Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo, one had to first verify that internal force had already been established and officially acknowledge a master before learning the mental cultivation method. As for his own cultivation, with the powerful destructive power of his internal force, if he was not careful, his internal organs would be injured. If he was slightly injured, he would die suddenly. There were almost no internal force martial arts techniques in the world. Even if it occasionally emerged on the market, it was sold at an astronomical price that Zhou You could not afford. However, external martial arts techniques were not difficult to find. Even a small gang like the Green Snake Gang had external martial arts techniques. The leader of the Green Snake Gang, Zhuo Ling, had relied on an unranked Green Snake Fist to cultivate his inner strength. However, there was no way to go further since there were no internal force martial arts techniques out there. People could only be stuck in the early stages of Body Forging and could not advance any further. It would not be too difficult for him to obtain external martial arts techniques. However, he did not know if he could obtain Martial Arts Points by cultivating external martial arts techniques. Putting aside his thoughts, Zhou You began to think about which columns to increase. Should he increase his Affinity? Or should he increase his Aptitude? Affinity enhancement worked on all martial arts. The increase in Aptitude seemed to be only applicable to the Ferocious Tiger Fist. If he cultivated new martial arts, it would be useless. Moreover, how much Affinity could one Martial Arts Point fetch? How much Affinity could it add? He had already decided to practice external martial arts. Zhou You hesitated for a moment. His thoughts landed on the plus sign behind his Affinity and he pressed hard. Swoosh! A white light flashed on the panel. His Martial Arts Points became 0 again. His Affinity had become 2. Whoosh! Zhou You let out a long breath. It was a 1:1 increase. Thank heavens. Chapter 8 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Zhou You carefully sensed his body. He could not feel anything. It was as if nothing had happened. After resting for a while, he continued to practice martial arts. As soon as he got into his stance, a strange feeling suddenly arose in his heart. It was as if this move should be executed like this, and this move should be improved like this. He should slow down here and speed up here. He should take a deep breath here. He should slowly exhale here. He should split each breath into three parts and slowly exhale. He should take a deep breath here. He should slowly exhale here. He should split into three parts in one breath and slowly exhale. After going through a lot of fine-tuning and recalling the movements of the Ferocious Tiger Fist, Zhou You felt that this was no longer the Ferocious Tiger Fist, but a brand new set of fist techniques. ¡­ Countless insights surfaced in his heart. Zhou You subconsciously followed the guidance in his heart and practiced the Ferocious Tiger Fist. Traces of internal force appeared from all parts of his body like electric currents. They gathered and strengthened, stimulating his muscles and skin. PAH! A crisp sound rang out. After one round, Zhou You stopped and stood still. He was still immersed in the aftertaste of the internal force flowing through his body. A moment later, Zhou You came back to his senses and let out a long sigh. His entire body was covered in sweat. The experience of cultivating internal force for the first time kept appearing in his mind. New inspiration burst from his mind as it automatically organized, analyzed, and summarized. Not only had Zhou You completely mastered the first level of the Ferocious Tiger Fist, but he also understood why he had to cultivate it like this. The first level of the Ferocious Tiger Fist corresponded to a Rank-9 martial artist. Early-stage Body Forging Realm. Inner force came from the muscles. Cultivating inner force mainly strengthened the muscles and skin. The focus was on the skin. Therefore, Early-stage Body Forging martial artists were usually called skin-refining martial artists. The effect of skin refining was to increase one¡¯s resistance to blows. Secondly, it locked the blood Qi. Sweat and blood Qi were closely related. During cultivation, the blood transported energy to various parts of the body. Part of it was used to strengthen the body, and the other part was expelled from the body through sweat and hot air. The energy expelled from the body far exceeded what the body absorbed, and it was lost for nothing. Moreover, even if one did not cultivate, exercise, or sweat, as long as one was alive, one would still emit heat to the outside world at any time. This was also a loss of vitality. The purpose of skin refining was to seal part of the blood Qi lost, reduce consumption, and increase the efficiency of cultivation. After the skin refinement was completed, martial artists could control all the pores in their bodies to close and lock a portion of their blood essence. As for completely locking down the loss of vitality, only the legendary Peak Grandmaster¡¯s Anasrava Body could do so. The metabolism of powerful martial artists far exceeded that of ordinary people. If they did not refine their skin and close their pores to block the loss of blood Qi, they would simply be like a bucket with a hole at the bottom that kept leaking. The amount of energy a martial artist consumed every day even without cultivating was an astronomical figure. Not to mention cultivating, the energy consumption was even greater. In addition, Zhou You discovered that skin refinement could not only stop the loss of blood Qi but also hide and suppress the blood Qi fluctuations in one¡¯s body. This discovery made Zhou You heave a sigh of relief. As long as he did not make a move and did not let others see his internal force, no one would be able to tell his true strength. However, this fact worked on Zhou You and the other martial artists. No one knew if the beggars begging along the streets, the vagabonds in ragged clothes, and the blind fortune tellers were martial arts experts. The spiritual light in his mind disappeared. Zhou You came back to his senses and could not help but gasp. Was the maximum level of Comprehension so powerful? He could remember martial arts techniques at a single glance, but he was far stronger now. After calming himself down, Zhou You began to carefully experience the changes in his body. He had learned martial arts, but he still had to learn how to use them. The most important thing was to familiarize himself with the state of his body at all times. He had only driven his internal force to practice his fist technique once. His body had already reached its limit. In that case, he could probably only practice three times a day. However, this time, he felt that the strength of his body, the toughness of his skin, and the density of his internal force had increased by a small amount. The internal force had just been born but the strengthening effect on the body was very obvious. His strength would increase greatly in a short period of time. After this metamorphosis period, it would enter a stable cultivation period. At that time, the number of times he cultivated every day would increase. Counting the time, there was only half a month left until the three-month deadline. When the time came, he would continue to stay in the dojo and find an opportunity to reveal his internal force¡­ No, he should first find out how the dojo tested internal force before making a decision. After all, Zhou You had heard a lot of news recently. The head of the Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo, Zheng Zhu, was a Rank-6 Visceral Tempering martial artist. His strength was unfathomable. Perhaps he could see through his true strength? Moreover, the Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo was actually a chain establishment that spanned several states. Many cities had branches. Above the many Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojos was the headquarters¡ªFive Tigers Sect! An incomparably powerful first-grade sect. A top faction in the world. A first-class sect meant that there was a Grandmaster in the sect or that there had been a Grandmaster before. The martial artists in the world were divided into nine ranks. The Rank-9 Body Forging Realm was the lowest, and the Rank-1 Grandmaster was the highest. Peak martial arts Grandmasters were not included in the ranking. The Five Tigers Sect was very strong. The Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo had strong backing. The dojo was like a paradise, so Zhou You had a peaceful time staying here for the past two months. However, considering Zhou You¡¯s situation, it might not be a good thing. The Five Tigers Sect was very formidable, so it meant that the standard hunting order in the martial arts world would be very forceful. If it was just the ordinary Ferocious Tiger Fist technique, he would probably be fine. However, if the cultivation method for the internal force level Ferocious Tiger Fist appeared on someone who was not a disciple of the Five Tigers Sect and had not been authorized, it would definitely attract the experts of the sect to reclaim their martial arts. The most common way to reclaim martial arts was to destroy the martial artist. Therefore, if Zhou You wanted to leave the Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo, it was best not to use the Ferocious Tiger Fist in front of others in the future. Or he could change the appearance of the Ferocious Tiger Fist so that no one in the Five Tigers Sect would be able to recognize him. Both methods were very difficult. At least, with Zhou You¡¯s current strength and understanding, he could not do it. After thinking for a moment, Zhou You decided to stay in the Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo for the time being and quietly become stronger. As for revealing his talent and being discovered by the higher-ups to focus on nurturing him¡­ Zhou You felt that he was a low-key and reserved person. He did not want to be so high-profile. Since he had decided to stay, the rest was simple. He just needed money! It was only 30 taels of silver. Zhou You felt that with his current strength, it was not difficult. There were still many creditors in the small notebook. Now that he had the ability, it was time to collect the debt. He bent down and pulled out a wooden box from under the bed to open it. A pair of black iron brass knuckles could be found inside. Two pairs of iron bracers. One pair for his arms and one pair for his calves. A pair of wrist guards made of five layers of cowhide. A pair of knee pads made of five layers of cowhide. A face mask made of five layers of thin gauze. A bottle of universal antidote pills. Ever since he was tricked when he fought Yellow Dog, although he won in the end, he was also beaten up badly. After Zhou You returned, he learned his lesson and came up with some countermeasures. If his fists were not as hard as others, he would wear brass knuckles. If the other party had a weapon, the protective gear would be useful. The mask would make it easier for him to do things in secret, and it could also filter the air a little. Coupled with the antidote pill, he had the protection to defend himself against most poison powder and poisonous gas. The bracers and knee pads were for joint protection. The joints needed to be flexible, so they could not be made of hard materials. Zhou You also wanted to get an invulnerable robe to wear, but unfortunately, he was short of money. Although he had already dared to start leaving the dojo to look for work and earn money some time ago, he was still an ordinary person after all. He could only earn money through menial labor and had never been rich. Chapter 9 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Zhou You had made up his mind to collect the debt, but he did not immediately take action. Instead, he waited for another ten days. In these ten days, as his internal force continued to strengthen his muscles and skin, his ability increased by leaps and bounds. Just his strength alone had increased by more than 50%. His speed and resistance had also increased greatly. In addition, his five senses had also become much sharper. His vision, hearing, and sense of smell had become sharper. When he fought, it would bring overwhelming defeat to his opponents. A few days ago, Zhou You had gone to look for a few famous hooligans in the vicinity to spar, but none of them was a match for him. ¡­ The West River and Meng River converged at Mengyang City, dividing it into three parts. They were known as the inner city, West River and East River. North of the West River, the inner city west of the Meng River was what the old people called the city. The City Lord Manor¡¯s Meng Family and its affiliated families lived there, as well as some branches of merchant groups. South of the West River, west of the Meng River was known as the West River. The main powers consisted of two dojos and one gang. The Black Stone Gang, White Crane Fist Dojo, and Diamond Dojo. East of the Meng River was the East River. The main powers also consisted of two dojos and one gang. White Sand Gang, Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo, and Iron Skin Dojo. The two gangs were local tyrants. The four dojos were all established as chains, and there were even stronger headquarters above them. Under the two gangs and four dojos, there were countless small martial arts schools and sects. It was not that they were innumerable, but the change in power was too fast. If they established themselves today, they might be destroyed tomorrow. No one had the mood to remember. The Green Snake Gang was a small gang in the East River. As Zhuo Ling was a martial artist, the Green Snake Gang had always been standing strong. Their reputation was relatively big, so it was easy to obtain information about them. The Green Snake Gang only had one martial artist, Zhuo Ling. There were thirty to forty members within the gang. Zhuo Ling was an Early-stage Body Forging martial artist. He did not have any follow-up cultivation techniques for the Green Snake Fist, so he could not make any further progress. Instead, he switched to practicing the Iron Skin Technique of the Iron Skin Dojo. He had already cultivated the Iron Skin to the Greater Mastery Stage, and his entire body was immune to sabers and swords. If it was ten days ago, Zhou You might not have been able to defeat Zhuo Ling. However, now that his strength had advanced by leaps and bounds, he was full of confidence. Zhou You had tried it before. By pouring his internal force into his fist, he could shatter an ordinary person¡¯s calf bone with a single punch. It would not be a problem for him to defeat someone with Iron Skin Technique at the Greater Mastery level. As for the other 30 to 40 ordinary gang members, Zhou You did not care about them at all. As long as he was careful not to be surrounded by more than five people with sharp weapons in a narrow area, there would be no problem. In a head-on battle, he could defeat one with a single punch. However, he still had to guard against some underhanded moves and could not be careless. The headquarters of the Green Snake Gang was located on Pine Lane. It was a large courtyard that was connected to several small courtyards. It was divided into three ring-shaped areas. The outer ring consisted of the ordinary gang members¡¯ living area and the training area. The middle ring consisted of middle management living areas and a meeting hall. The inner ring was a complete small courtyard that belonged exclusively to Zhuo Ling and his two sons. It was a moonless night. Zhou You wore ordinary hemp clothes and a similarly ordinary facecloth. He followed the swaying shadows of the trees on the courtyard walls, easily avoiding the sentries on duty in the middle of the outer ring and sneaking all the way into the inner ring. After becoming a martial artist, his five senses had become much sharper. His eyes could adapt to extremely weak light, and the sound of his footsteps was lowered to a level that ordinary people could not detect. There were also three people on duty in the inner ring, but because the place was narrow, it was difficult to pass through. Zhou You had already expected this. He supported himself against the wall with one hand and effortlessly climbed over the wall. He quickly took a few steps and slid behind the toilet. Time passed slowly. One of the guards pushed the door open, undid the belt of his pants, and peed. PAH! With a dull thud, the man collapsed. Zhou You grabbed the man and covered his mouth with one hand. He placed his other arm across his neck and moved swiftly. Crack! Zhou You quickly wiped his hands on the body with a look of disdain. Then, Zhou You gently put the man down and leaned him against the wall as if he had fallen asleep. ¡°One down! Two to go!¡± It was as easy as he had planned. Zhou You did not feel much when a life disappeared in his hand. The main sources of income for gang members were protection fees, bullying, extortion, and banditry. He would not say every gang member was bad, but every time they were shot, no one was wronged. Zhou You continued to wait silently. Soon, someone walked towards the toilet while cursing in a low voice. ¡°Son of a b*tch, did you fall into a latrine? Why haven¡¯t you come out after so long!¡± Zhou You¡¯s ears twitched. The night was quiet. Although there was only one voice, he heard two footsteps, almost overlapping. ¡°You¡¯re quite vigilant, aren¡¯t you?¡± Zhou You raised his eyebrows slightly. Fortunately, he saw this coming! PAH! The toilet door was roughly pushed open. One of them stuck his head out and saw his companion leaning against the corner of the wall. He was stunned and was about to speak. Swoosh! A black shadow rushed over with a strong wind. The man¡¯s expression changed drastically. He opened his mouth and was about to shout when he felt a pain in his throat. The entire world spun, and his entire body leaned back. He happened to see a black silhouette grab another companion¡¯s throat and break it forcefully. Crack! With a soft sound, a huge foot descended from the sky. PAH! His vision went black and he lost consciousness. Zhou You raised his leg and looked at the two corpses lying on the ground. He took a deep breath and rushed towards the east wing without any hesitation. He thought about how he would react in a situation like this. Zhou You did not believe that such a huge commotion outside had not alerted Zhuo Ling by now. He had never planned to plot against Zhuo Ling. This kind of mafia boss who had risen from the mud had much more experience than him. How could he be so easily assassinated? Killing him fair and square was the right way. As long as he was fast enough, he could safely retreat. Crack! With a powerful kick, the door opened. Facing Zhuo Ling¡¯s stunned expression, Zhou You did not have time to think. He kicked his legs hard and pounced forward like a ferocious tiger descending the mountain. His muscles tensed up and bulged. He squeezed and condensed his internal force into his fists. He raised his fist high and smashed it down like a pair of hammers. He attacked his enemy to the face! Without any hesitation, Zhou You used his strongest frontal attack. There was nothing fancy about his attack and it was just a straight punch. He smashed down with all his might! PAH! A dull thud sounded. Zhuo Ling hurriedly raised his hand to block. Under the powerful impact, he flew back high. Zhou You did not show mercy. He pounced forward and punched out with his fists. Pah pah pah pah! A few breaths later. Zhou You looked at Zhuo Ling, who was lying limply in the corner and no longer breathing. He took a few deep breaths and leaned forward to search Zhuo Ling¡¯s body for a while. Then, he quickly searched the room. He quickly retrieved the money, two booklets, and a dagger. After putting them away, he turned around and went quickly towards the west wing. Zhou You looked at the two children who were not much younger than him. They covered their mouths tightly and their eyes were filled with fear, but they could not hide their hatred. Zhou You hesitated for a moment before making up his mind. He also searched the area quickly and rushed out of the door. He stretched out his hand in front of the courtyard wall and jumped over it. He landed in the shadows and silently disappeared into the darkness. At this moment, the lights in the outer ring of the middle ring lit up one after another. Cries of surprise and clamor came from behind. Chapter 10 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations The Green Snake Gang quickly fell into chaos and became history after Zhuo Ling¡¯s death. Zhou You did not go looking for trouble with Yellow Dog. A few days later, Yellow Dog died in a gang conflict. After returning to the dojo with the spoils of war, Zhou You suddenly felt that he should change his residence. The dojo basically did not care about the residences of the outer disciples. However, if anyone suddenly did a ward round one day, many of his secrets would be exposed. Moreover, as he became stronger, he could foresee that his secrets would increase. It was time to think of a way to build a private base outside to make things easier. Putting it aside for the time being, Zhou You began to count his gains from tonight. 350 taels of silver. It was a huge sum of money that Zhou You had never seen before. If he drank a bowl of bacon soup every day, it could last for a year. Unfortunately, after becoming a martial artist, the effect of the bacon soup was greatly reduced. A portion of bacon soup could only allow Zhou You to complete one more practice session. Moreover, he could only take one every five days. Medicine was 30% poisonous. If he took the medicine too frequently and his body could not completely metabolize it, it would accumulate poison in his body and damage his foundation. As for the other Blood Strengthening Pill commonly used by apprentices, its effect was also greatly reduced. It was just that there was an unlimited number of pills available, as long as the digestive system could keep up. Zhou You asked around and found out that there were two types of supplements for cultivation. One type was to strengthen the foundation and repair hidden injuries, such as bacon soup. The other type was used to replenish energy, such as the Blood Strengthening Pill. The Blood Strengthening Pill was actually refined from the flesh and blood of powerful ferocious beasts through special methods. It was not much different from ordinary food, but the energy density was greater and it was easier to digest and absorb. It could heal hidden injuries and replenish energy. It was called a medicinal pill. Other than money, the most valuable items in his loot were two martial arts manuals. The first was the Green Snake Fist. The second was the Iron Skin Technique. Both of them were basic martial arts. When cultivated to the extreme, one would be able to develop inner force. The difference was that the Green Snake Fist did not have any subsequent internal force development techniques. However, Iron Skin Technique came with it. Sadly, it was not included in this booklet. One had to join the Iron Skin Dojo to obtain it. He flipped through it carefully and recorded the two martial arts on the interface. Green Snake Fist (Uninitiated) Iron Skin Technique (Uninitiated) The cultivation of the Iron Skin Technique was to use strong external stimulation to temper the skin membrane. A special potion would be used to speed up the repair of the skin membrane. It would be constantly destroyed and repaired. Finally, it would achieve the effect of the skin membrane being incomparably hard and invulnerable. Zhao Qing was rather disdainful when he talked about the Iron Skin Technique. According to him, the Iron Skin Technique would refine the skin into dead skin. He could not even feel anything when touching women, and he could not cultivate more exquisite martial arts techniques. His attacks were as direct as a barbarian¡¯s. If he could develop internal force through cultivation techniques, he would be able to shed his skin and return to being a normal person. Since he did not have the manual to develop internal force for the Iron Skin Technique, Zhou You temporarily suppressed his thoughts to practice this. Instead, he turned his eyes to the Green Snake Fist. There were only five moves in the Green Snake Fist, and it was far less exquisite than the Ferocious Tiger Fist. However, there is something to be said for the technique when it came to the development of the flexibility of the wrist and the training of the fingers. Following the instructions in the manual, Zhou You began to practice the Green Snake Fist. With Zhou You¡¯s current martial artist abilities, he no longer needed to go all out to practice the basic techniques. As long as he got into the rhythm, he could increase his proficiency. After one round, Zhou You was surprised to discover that he had already mastered the Green Snake Fist. Martial Arts: Green Snake Fist (Master) (0/5) Green Snake Fist also appeared in the Aptitude column. Aptitude: Green Snake Fist (55%) The compatibility of the Green Snake Fist was actually as high as 55%! This was something Zhou You had not expected. No wonder he was able to learn the basics after just one session. Was he that well-suited for practicing the Green Snake Fist? Certainly not! It probably only had this effect now that he was a martial artist! It was naturally easy for junior high school students to solve elementary school questions! That was right. That must be it! The Green Snake Fist focused on training his hands. Coupled with the fact that he did not have to use much strength, he did not feel much after practicing it. He continued to cultivate. After repeating it five times, he saw the words behind the Green Snake Fist change on the interface. Only then did Zhou You drag his slightly heavy hands and fell asleep. Green Snake Fist (Greater Mastery) (0/50) ¡­ Five days later. After the morning class ended, Zhou You found Zhao Qing, who was leaning against the back of the chair and dozing off at the main entrance. Zhao Qing opened his eyes and glanced at him. He said directly, ¡°Your package ends today, right? If you want to continue learning boxing, you should pay your tuition fees. If you don¡¯t want to continue doing it, you can move out in the afternoon.¡± Just as Zhou You was about to take out the money to continue learning martial arts at the dojo, Zhao Qing straightened his back and looked at him. ¡°I have a proposal for you, but I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯re interested.¡± Hmmm? Was he trying to recommend him for a job? Zhou You¡¯s interest was piqued. He raised his hands at his waist and cupped his hands. ¡°Thank you for looking out for me, Ninth Senior Brother. What do you mean?¡± ¡°Master Cheng wants to recruit an apprentice from our dojo. You¡¯re still a member of our dojo today, so you can naturally give it a try. It depends on whether you¡¯re interested or not.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Zhou You went speechless. So that was the reason. More than two months had passed and Cheng Yiqing still hadn¡¯t recruited any apprentices. Was it that difficult? Apprentices in the martial arts school paid money to learn martial arts. Nominal masters did not have many restrictions on apprentices. On the other hand, apprentices in most other industries were recruited as untrained labor. Furthermore, they had to sign a long-term contract. They had to do odd jobs for at least three years before they could come into contact with real trade-related work. As an apprentice, being beaten and scolded was a common occurrence. Therefore, Zhou You had rejected Cheng Yiqing the last time. Just as Zhou You was about to refuse, he heard Zhao Qing say, ¡°Master Cheng doesn¡¯t have many rules. He doesn¡¯t sign an apprenticeship contract. Instead, he just signs a relatively long labor contract. If you perform well, you have a chance to become his disciple.¡± Hmmm? Was it not an apprenticeship and just a working contract? Although they were both labor contracts, there was a huge difference between the two. Apprentice contracts were equivalent to indenture contracts. During the duration of the contract, one could expect little or no payment at all. If one broke the contract, the contract owner could directly capture you. On the other hand, the labor contract was an agreement to work for income. It would specify the specific work scope, time remuneration, and so on. If one breached the contract, one would only have to pay the agreed compensation. If Cheng Yiqing had directly said that it was a labor contract, Zhou You might have had a good talk with him. If things went well, he might have joined the apothecary. ¡°Thank you, Ninth Senior Brother. If I can pass smoothly, I will definitely thank you for this.¡± After some thought, Zhou You decided to take a look. ¡°Go on. Do your best.¡± ¡­ In the apothecary, Cheng Yiqing and Zhou You stared at each other. After a few rounds of tests, such as identifying herbs, distribution of medicine, technique, pharmacology, shorthand, and mental arithmetic, they entered the final signing process. That was when the two of them ended up this way. After a long while, Cheng Yiqing angrily flicked his sleeves, picked up the paper on the table, crushed it, and threw it away. Then, he took out another piece of blank paper and started writing A moment later, Cheng Yiqing pushed the paper over and spoke in a choked voice. ¡°Alright! Sign it!¡± Zhou You took the piece of paper with a smile and browsed through it. Then, he took the brush and signed his name before pressing his thumbprint. From this moment on, Zhou You officially became an apprentice in the apothecary. The time limit was fifteen years. Zhou You did not care about the duration at all. Whether Cheng Yiqing could live for fifteen years was a question in itself. The salary aside, the penalty fee was only 150 taels. Was he looking down on him? He could leave whenever he wanted. The other terms were not too harsh under Zhou You¡¯s persuasion. Eight-hour working hours. Initially, Zhou You wanted to strive for five working days a week. When he saw that the old man was really about to fall out with him, he quickly changed his words. He changed it to an annual leave system. ¡°You can leave now. Remember to come to work on time tomorrow!¡± Cheng Yiqing picked up the contract, blew it dry, and put it away. ¡°The outer court accepts so many apprentices every year, but they¡¯re all blockheads! There¡¯s not a single smart one!¡± Chapter 11 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Zhou You went straight to the dining hall after leaving the apothecary. ¡°Zhou You, over here.¡± When Luo Yong saw Zhou You enter from afar, he stood up and waved his hand. Zhou You smiled and nodded. He took the food and sat down beside Luo Yong. There were also a few familiar apprentices at this table. ¡°Brother Zhou, what are your plans? If you like, I¡¯ll hold a spot for you at the dock.¡± Luo Yong hesitated for a moment before asking. Luo Yong¡¯s father worked as a porter at the docks and he gathered dozens of people to take on jobs. He had some face and his income was not bad. It was just enough to support Luo Yong to practice martial arts. After spending more than two months together, Luo Yong naturally knew about Zhou You¡¯s situation. He also knew that today should be Zhou You¡¯s last day in the dojo. Next, he had to make a living for himself. Without the help of his family, his life in the future would definitely be very tough. As brothers, he would help Zhou You as much as he could. ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Brother Luo. I¡¯ve already found a job. I¡¯ll buy you a drink tonight.¡± Zhou You turned around and said to the people beside him, ¡°You guys can come too.¡± After two months of being together, the way they addressed each other gradually changed. ¡°Huh?¡± Luo Yong looked puzzled and asked, ¡°Where are you working? How¡¯s the salary?¡± Although the work at the docks was a little tiring, the salary was not low. With his father taking care of him, Zhou You would not be bullied. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about the salary. I¡¯m quite satisfied with the work.¡± Zhou You did not directly mention that he had already become an apprentice in the apothecary. If he said it out loud, it would give people a feeling of showing off. ¡°That¡¯s good. Work hard. There will be a day when you make something of yourself.¡± Luo Yong patted Zhou You¡¯s shoulder hard. ¡°You too. Brother Luo, you¡¯re about to cultivate inner strength, right?¡± Zhou You felt a little awkward and quickly changed the topic. At the mention of this, Luo Yong immediately became excited. ¡°Of course. Soon, soon. Two days ago, Ninth Senior Brother even said that I should be able to develop inner strength this month and told me to work hard.¡± After five to six years of laying the foundation at home, entering the dojo last summer, and training hard for a year and five months, he finally saw the hope of becoming a martial artist. He had cultivated internal force in a year and a half. This talent was quite good. He even had a chance to be taken in as a disciple by the dojo master. There were quite a few martial arts masters in the dojo, and there was a lot of talk about who they were under. The disciple of the dojo master and the disciple of other martial arts masters were treated completely differently. He could not help but be excited. Only the disciples of the dojo master could get ranked and greeted accordingly. His voice was a little loud, and the apprentices at the nearby tables looked at him enviously. Who wouldn¡¯t work hard to become a martial artist after joining the dojo? However, people were different. Developing internal force in a year was different from cultivating internal force in three years. In the Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo, apprentices could only stay for three years at most. After more than three years, they were determined by the dojo to be unsuitable for martial arts and told to give up. ¡°Congratulations on getting what you want, Brother Luo.¡± Zhou You was sincerely happy for Luo Yong. ¡°That¡¯s right. In a few days, we¡¯ll have to call you Senior Brother Luo. We¡¯ll really make it.¡± ¡°Why wait, right? Senior Brother Luo, allow me to pay my respects. Don¡¯t forget me when you make it big.¡± ¡°I have a drinking party tonight. I hope Senior Brother Luo will do me the honor.¡± The apprentices who were familiar with him cheered. Luo Yong¡¯s face was flushed as he replied politely. ¡°You¡¯re too kind. We¡¯re all brothers.¡± Zhao Liuping walked into the dining hall and looked around. When he saw Zhou You, his eyes immediately lit up and he welcomed him. Hearing the praises from others, he suppressed the congratulations that had already reached his throat and answered Luo Yong. ¡°Congratulations are in order I see. Allow me to congratulate you in advance for successfully becoming an inner disciple. My treat at Misty Rain tonight. If you¡¯re free, please do me the honor of having a few drinks together.¡± Luo Yong glanced at Zhao Liuping. In the end, he could not turn him down in public, so he agreed. ¡°Thank you, Brother Zhao.¡± When there were too many people, it was normal for small circles to form. Luo Yong and Zhao Liuping were two of the top apprentices. Although there was no conflict on the surface, they basically did not interact in private. Ever since Zhou You had invited Luo Yong to go fight Yellow Dog, Zhao Liuping had naturally distanced himself from Zhao Liuping. ¡°I¡¯m glad you can make it, Brother Luo.¡± Zhao Liuping inadvertently glanced at Zhou You and pretended to be nonchalant. ¡°All of you are Brother Luo¡¯s friends, so they¡¯re naturally my friends as well. Why don¡¯t we drink together tonight?¡± Zhou You noticed Zhao Liuping¡¯s gaze. After thinking about it, he understood that he should already know that he had become an apprentice in the apothecary. This invitation might be directed at him. The others looked at each other and exchanged glances with Luo Yong before agreeing. Zhou You also agreed. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡­ At night. Meanwhile, at Wangcheng Road. It was brightly lit and noisy. Wangcheng Road was adjacent to the Meng River and opposite the inner city. It was the red light district in the east of the river. There was a huge difference in consumption levels across a river, so inner city residents often went to Wangcheng Road to have fun. In order to attract customers, the brothels here were quite affordable. Ordinary people could come once in a while. Misty Rain was not the most high-end brothel on Wangcheng Road, but it was the most well-known. At this moment. A group of people stood at the entrance of Misty Rain and looked at the girls who were dressed gorgeously. When they waved their sleeves to welcome the guests, they occasionally revealed some skin. Their Adam¡¯s apples bobbed, and their expressions were a little unnatural. Zhou You looked around and found it funny. Previously, everyone had been very enthusiastic on the way, shouting that they had a lot of experience. They were experienced and knowledgeable, but as soon as they reached the door, they were exposed. Even Zhao Liuping, who suggested coming here, felt a little uneasy. Zhou You did not know if it was because he had no experience or because he felt the pinch. Zhao Liuping thought about his business proposal, so he took a deep breath and waved his hand. ¡°Come on! Let¡¯s go in!¡± ¡°Are we really going in? This place must be very expensive.¡± ¡°We¡¯re already at the door. How can it be fake?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t need to spend money. Brothers, don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°No matter how high-end it is, isn¡¯t it still a brothel? It¡¯s not our first time. What¡¯s there to be afraid of? Brothers, just get in!¡± The others did not expect Zhao Liuping to really bring them to Misty Rain. They thought he was bragging. Then, they could find a random wine shop by the roadside. It would not lower their status. They weren¡¯t rich people. Luo Yong¡¯s expression was a little hesitant. He lowered his voice and said, ¡°Brother Zhao, why don¡¯t we forget about it? We can just find a place to drink a few glasses. It¡¯s not cheap here.¡± They looked at the decorations, this lady in front of them, and the scene behind her. There were more than ten people among them. Even if they ate vegetarian, it would at least cost twenty to thirty taels of silver, right? It was worth two to three months of school fees! That was a year of his father¡¯s salary. What a waste! Although he originally wanted to squeeze Zhao Liuping, this was too ruthless. He could not bring himself to do it. Zhao Liuping stopped in his tracks and waved his hand nonchalantly. ¡°It¡¯s fine. We should just have a good time and celebrate. Just drink my friends. Don¡¯t think about anything else.¡± Even so, Zhou You could clearly see the pain and conflict on Zhao Liuping¡¯s face. If he could not bear to pay, why bother bringing them here? What was Zhao Liuping thinking? With a thought, Zhou You suddenly said, ¡°Since we¡¯re already here, we naturally can¡¯t give up halfway.¡± Seeing Zhao Liuping¡¯s face darken, Zhou You added, ¡°However, it¡¯s not good for Brother Zhao to spend so much money. ¡°Brothers, how about this? Brother Zhao will pay for the wine. As for the other food, snacks, and women, if any of you want them, you can order them yourselves. What do you think?¡± Zhao Liuping heaved a sigh of relief. Luo Yong heaved a sigh of relief as well. The others also felt relieved and hurriedly echoed. ¡°Brother Zhou¡¯s suggestion is not bad. Brother Zhao, why don¡¯t you just pay for the drinks? We can take care of the rest on our own.¡± The apprentices were only in their teens and were a little thin-skinned. It was fine to squeeze others, but they could not bring themselves to go overboard. Chapter 12 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Zhao Liuping made up his mind. He waved his hand and took the lead. As soon as he approached, a smart waiter welcomed him. ¡°Sirs, please come in.¡± ¡°Girls, come over and receive our guests.¡± He was so straightforward. As the waiter showed them into Misty Rain, Zhou You looked around curiously before losing interest. In his eyes, the resplendent decorations of the Misty Rain were too vulgar and old-fashioned. Only the carvings on the walls and windows had some taste. There were also girls in wide-sleeved dresses, holding pipas that covered half of their faces. Their eyes were like spring water that wanted to reject and welcome. They looked a little interesting. The others, on the other hand, looked like stupid boys. Their eyes were flying everywhere, and no one knew where they were looking. Only Luo Yong and Zhao Liuping restrained themselves a little and tried their best to pretend to be regular customers. Everyone followed the waiter to a corner of the hall and sat down. Zhao Liuping thought that he had pretended very well, but in fact, he had long been seen through by the sharp-eyed waiter. He had arranged everything properly without even asking. Even when he sat down, Zhao Liuping did not feel that there was anything wrong. ¡°Sirs, what kind of set meal do you want? What flavor of snacks do you like?¡± The waiter flipped open the menu on the table and introduced it. ¡°The set meal is more worth it. There are plums, orchids, bamboo, and chrysanthemums. Plums are fragrant. Orchids are pretty. Bamboo is shy. Chrysanthemums are soft. Which one do you prefer?¡± Hearing the waiter¡¯s words, Zhou You tilted his head curiously to look at the menu before understanding what it meant. The so-called set meal was wine, fruit platters, side dishes, and beauties. Plums, orchids, bamboo, and chrysanthemums represented the four wines available and also the styles of the drinking escorts. Each had its own merits, and the price was different. 100 taels for plums. 50 taels for an orchid. 30 taels for a bamboo. 10 taels for the chrysanthemum. After the set meals, there were even more expensive goods. The waiter did not introduce them, clearly thinking that Zhou You and the others could not afford them at all. Desserts were also in fact girls. These cost 1 tael to 5 taels and could be touched. If the customers liked them, they could go straight to the backyard. Of course, they could also touch the drinking escorts. It depended on one¡¯s strength. Looking at the price, Zhao Liuping did not pretend to be generous. He directly ordered two of the cheapest chrysanthemum sets and handed the menu to Luo Yong. ¡°Brother Luo, take a look. Is there anything you like?¡± Luo Yong took the menu and glanced at it. As if the menu was scalding hot, he threw it to Zhou You. Zhou You did not even look at it and passed it to his friend beside him. Then, the menu circulated in everyone¡¯s hands. Some people did not order, while others ordered the girls they liked. It was not easy for them to come to such a high-end place. There were many people who pretended to be rich. Before long, the two set meals, and the girls that the others ordered arrived one after another. The quality was not bad. The cheapest girl costing one or two taels at the very least was delicate and pretty. She looked quite pleasing to the eye. The two escort beauties were even more outstanding with their words. They coaxed everyone until they were dizzy and almost made them spend everything they had. Judging from their level of literacy and eloquence, they did not seem like ordinary people. Zhou You secretly raised his guard. After three rounds of drinking, everyone was a little drunk and completely let go. Some people ran to the backyard anxiously. Even Luo Yong pestered the beauty who accompanied them to drink and asked questions, looking like a love-struck fool. Zhao Liuping came to Zhou You¡¯s side and pulled away from the others. He lowered his voice and said, ¡°Brother Zhou, when you strike gold in the future, you can¡¯t forget me.¡± ¡°Brother Zhao, you¡¯re too kind. Who knows who might make it rich first, right?¡± replied Zhou You. Now, Zhou You was finally certain that Zhao Liuping already knew that he had become an apprentice of the apothecary division. He might have bought them drinks, but there must be more to it. ¡°Now that Brother Zhou has entered the apothecary, you are an insider with a lot of access. If you have any business in the future, I hope you can remember me. I might not have much, but I have a wide network.¡± Zhao Liuping did not beat around the bush. He did not say anything, but Zhou You already knew what it was. Business was all about buying and selling. The business of the apothecary was either to buy medicinal herbs or sell medicinal soups and pills. With a flip of his hand, he would earn a considerable sum of money. ¡°I¡¯m just an apprentice. I have to be careful with my words and actions. I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t help Brother Zhao much.¡± Zhou You shook his head and rejected him tactfully. He might be able to earn some money from the difference in price. ¡°Brother Zhou, you¡¯re too humble. Master Cheng has been in the dojo for more than ten years and hasn¡¯t accepted any apprentices, but he took a fancy to Brother Zhou at a glance.¡± ¡°Brother Zhou, you¡¯re not an ordinary apprentice. You can¡¯t look down on yourself,¡± Zhao Liuping said meaningfully. Zhou You contemplated. Cheng Yiqing¡¯s assessment was indeed too strict and comprehensive. It was not like taking in an apprentice, but more like taking in a disciple. ¡°There¡¯s no need for Brother Zhou to do anything. I just need you to talk to Master Cheng. I will split anything I earn with you.¡± Zhao Liuping smiled bitterly. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid to tell you the truth, Brother Zhou. After knowing that Master Cheng wanted to take in an apprentice, I went to give it a shot. However, I was scolded by Master Cheng and kicked out. ¡°There were also others who tried, but they all failed in the end.¡± If he could become an apprentice in the apothecary, he would be able to sell medicine. After all, there were only two people in the apothecary. Master Cheng would definitely favor him after interacting with him for some time. In this day and age, people fought for profitable businesses. The number of goods obtained from the apothecary was becoming more and more unstable. Even if his cousin was the dojo master¡¯s disciple, he could not get away with everything. They were all on the same side, so they could only compete fairly. Did someone else try and fail? No wonder the old man said that they were all blockheads. In that case, there might still be people looking for him to pull connections. However, as he mentioned, it¡¯s not worth it. At least not when he first entered the apothecary. Zhou You thought to himself. He wanted to find an excuse to tactfully refuse, but he suddenly had an idea. He changed the topic and said, ¡°Brother Zhao has a wide circle of friends. I wonder if you have any way to obtain martial arts techniques?¡± ¡°Martial arts techniques? This is a little difficult.¡± Zhao Liuping frowned. ¡°Brother Zhou, the Ferocious Tiger Fist is broad and profound. It¡¯s difficult to reach the pinnacle of the technique even if you practice it for your entire life. Why do you need to learn other martial arts?¡± Zhou You sighed. ¡°Brother Zhao, as you know, after entering the apothecary, I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t have the energy to practice martial arts. However, when traveling the martial arts world, you still need to have the ability to defend yourself.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need profound martial arts. It¡¯s best if it¡¯s a Lightness Skill. If you can¡¯t beat him, you can still run.¡± ¡°Lightness Skill?¡± Zhao Liuping thought for a moment and frowned. ¡°Lightness skill requires internal force to activate. It¡¯s not easy to find. Movement techniques are not very useful to you when used in combat. If it¡¯s a leg technique, I know one, but¡­¡± Zhao Liuping rubbed his fingers and looked like he wanted to say something but hesitated. Martial arts manuals were all very valuable. Even basic martial arts were worth at least dozens of taels. He could not help Zhou You without any real promise. Looking at Zhao Liuping¡¯s attitude, Zhou You heaved a sigh of relief and said with a smile, ¡°Brother Zhao, I don¡¯t need it now. However, I won¡¯t take your things for nothing. This has to be a mutually beneficial relationship. I get it.¡± The Green Snake Fist could still be cultivated for a period of time. Zhou You was only collecting martial arts manuals in advance. As for helping Zhao Liuping talk to Master Cheng, it was impossible. At most, he would pay for the pills and sell them to him. He believed that the old man would give him an internal discount. Chapter 13 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Zhou You turned his gaze to the dance performance on the stage in the middle of the hall after the discussion. Every once in a while, new courtesans would join Misty Rain. If one wanted the company of a new courtesan, one did not just need to have money. One also needed to prove one¡¯s talents in literature, music, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, and song. It was unknown who started this trend. It was somewhat ironic. The place that promoted literature the most was the red light district. Today was the day for a new courtesan to join Misty Rain. After the song and dance performance ended, the questions for today were out. They had to make a poem using the word moon. Zhou You subconsciously thought of a poem and said, ¡°There is moonlight shining before my bed, I suspect that there is frost on the ground.¡± It seemed that the scene in front of him was not appropriate. He automatically blurted, ¡°When does the bright moon appear? One raises a cup and asks the blue sky.¡± Although it was a verse, considering its standard, it was enough to ignore the requirements of the question. Just as Zhou You was wondering if he should use the poems written by the masters, people started memorizing and spitting out his poems. ¡°¡­¡± Zhou You. He wanted to use the works of the masters, but plagiarism was rife and ruined his plans. Fortunately, he did not do it. Zhou You angrily left his seat. When he left Misty Rain, the sky was already dark. The winter wind was fierce, and Zhou You was completely awake. He looked up at the sky and saw snowflakes falling. Despite his physical fitness as a martial artist, he felt a little cold. Tightening his clothes, Zhou You turned a few corners and took a shortcut into an alley. After walking for a distance, Zhou You seemed to sense something and his eyes flashed. There was someone behind him! Also, there was more than one! It was normal for there to be people in the alley, but what was abnormal was that there was a murderous aura! It was an indescribable and mysterious feeling. If not for the fact that his five senses had become much sharper after becoming a martial artist and that the person behind him was not hiding anything, Zhou You would not have been able to sense it. Zhou You quickened his pace. The person chasing behind him also ran. Zhou You heaved a sigh of relief. Judging from the slightly uneven breathing and unsteady footsteps, they should be ordinary people. Then there was nothing to be afraid of. Zhou You slowly stopped in his tracks. He placed his hands on his knees and panted heavily. He turned around with a bewildered expression. Four burly men with broad shoulders and wide shoulders walked over with cold smiles on their faces. ¡°Run then! Why aren¡¯t you running anymore?!¡± One of them snorted coldly, and the four of them spread out and surrounded Zhou You. ¡°Who are you? What do you want?¡± Zhou You looked flustered and his voice trembled. ¡°Not much really. Someone paid for your legs. You should have remained a normal person. Why bother practicing martial arts?¡± The leader snorted coldly. The four of them took out iron rods from their waists and charged forward. ¡°You people¡­¡± Zhou You retreated in panic and fell backward. The two people in front of him subconsciously leaned forward and swung their iron rods. Swoosh! Zhou You¡¯s expression suddenly changed. His left foot spun forcefully, and his entire body instantly turned from leaning back to charging forward. His hands spread out like large wings and slashed forward at an incomparably fast speed. PAH! He grabbed their necks with his hands and pushed them forward. OW! Plop! The four of them collided and fell. Zhou You turned around and grabbed the flying iron rod with both hands. With a flick of his wrist, he ran forward and attacked. Pah pah pah pah! AHHHHH! After a series of wails and howls, the noise quickly went down. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that it was inconvenient to bring the brass knuckles when he went out today, he would not have to show weakness to a few ordinary people to lure the enemy. In such a narrow place, it was inevitable that he would be injured even if he won. There was no time to heave a sigh of relief. Zhou You suddenly turned around and looked at the black shadow that was charging over not far behind him. His furious roar echoed in the night sky. ¡°Xiao Zhi! You killed Xiao Zhi, I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± When he launched a counterattack and sent the four of them flying, Zhou You heard a weak heartbeat and realized that there was actually another person in the alley! He decisively dealt with the four of them and went all out to deal with the remaining fifth person. Whoosh! The night wind howled. Zhou You¡¯s pupils contracted. This person had a scar on his face that went through his eyebrows and nose. He was extremely fast and had an astonishing aura. He was actually a martial artist! Also, they were on par! Immediately, he bent his waist a little and bent his legs slightly in front and behind. He placed the two rods in front of him and assumed a defensive posture. When he got close, the scar-faced young man calmed down from his anger. He looked at Zhou You solemnly and said in disbelief, ¡°You¡¯re a martial artist! You¡¯ve only practiced martial arts for three months and you¡¯ve already become a martial artist?¡± His little brother was the only family he had. Whenever his little brother took on jobs, his little brother would tell him about it to ensure it was fine. Even if he was Lu Chuanfeng aka Tiger Lu¡¯s secret disciple, he had to die!! However, he did not expect that such a simple task tonight would go wrong. His brother was dead! He was beaten to death right under his nose! Unforgivable! The murdererer has to die! No matter who he was! Even if he was Lu Chuanfeng or Tiger Lu¡¯s secret disciple, he would still die!! Swoosh! The scar-faced young man¡¯s legs moved. All the muscles in his body compressed, tightened, and released. His internal force erupted, transforming into powerful kinetic energy that pushed his entire body forward at an extremely fast speed. In a breath¡¯s time, he arrived in front of Zhou You. His fist was like an afterimage as it suddenly smashed toward Zhou You¡¯s face. Zhou You¡¯s pupils constricted. This power¡­ He was at the Flesh Tempering Stage! Without any time to think, Zhou You suddenly raised his arms and swept out the iron rod. Swoosh! The scar-faced young man suddenly changed his move. His fist that was charging forward twisted horizontally and held the iron rod as it swept toward him. The other fist drew an arc and struck Zhou You¡¯s chest. The undercurrent was surging! Zhou You hurriedly let go of the iron rod in his hands and crossed his arms in front of his chest. PAH! With a dull thud, Zhou You lost his balance under the powerful impact and retreated. The scar-faced young man moved forward and punched continuously. Pah pah pah pah! Zhou You kept retreating. He quickly waved his arms to block. The redness and pain were unbearable. However, his expression became even calmer. This scar-faced young man was a flesh-refining martial artist, and his strength was much greater than his. However, for some reason, the power in his fist was extremely scattered, covering the entire fist. If it was concentrated on the ulna, Zhou You would probably have broken his bones and died. He would not be able to persevere. PAH! After another collision, the two of them separated. They were both drenched in sweat and breathing heavily. Swoosh! The scar-faced young man took a deep breath and charged over again. PAH! He exerted force with his feet and jumped up. His five fingers stretched out and turned his fist into a palm. His palms pressed down on Zhou You¡¯s head with the pressure of Mount Tai. Thousand Layer Waves! Zhou You¡¯s expression turned stern. He stomped his feet and charged forward. His fists were like hammers as he used the momentum of his charge to suddenly swing backward. At the same time, all the muscles in his body tensed up. His internal force gathered and poured into his fists. Tiger Swings Its Tail! PAH! PAH! Two dull thuds sounded almost at the same time. A huge recoil came. The scar-faced young man¡¯s body froze for a moment in midair. Zhou You was sent flying. In mid-air, Zhou You forcefully twisted his waist and raised his right leg with all his might. He straightened it like a spear and stabbed it toward the scar-faced youth¡¯s abdomen. Everything was just perfect timing! Chapter 14 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Pftt! There was a dull thud. The scar-faced young man groaned in pain and flew backward. He gritted his teeth and curled his fingers into a fist. PAH! Zhou You bent his legs and kneed hard, borrowing the force to fly backward. Plop! The scar-faced young man curled up like a shrimp and landed heavily on the ground. Enduring the pain in his lower abdomen, the scar-faced young man stretched out his hand and stood up. He turned around and was about to rush out of the alley. A cold light flashed in Zhou You¡¯s eyes. He placed his hands on the ground and stood up. He spread his legs like wheels and swept towards the scar-faced young man. Pftt! The scar-faced young man spat out a mouthful of blood and flew backward. After landing on the ground, he rolled and continued to escape. Zhou You landed on the ground and took the opportunity to pull out the dagger on his thigh and thrust it forward. Pftt! The entire dagger sank into his back. The scar-faced young man was like a deflated balloon as he collapsed to the ground. Looking at Zhou You who was walking towards him, the scar-faced young man¡¯s expression turned crazy. He tried his best to swallow his saliva and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Zhou Shanchang from Lishui Village was behind this!¡± Zhou You¡¯s eyes flashed, and he lifted one of his legs up high and slammed it down. Crack! Footsteps could be heard. Without any time to think, Zhou You turned around and disappeared into the darkness. Not long after, a group of burly men in blue and white uniforms arrived. When they saw the corpses in the alley, they went forward with solemn expressions and quickly checked through them. Suddenly, someone exclaimed, ¡°It¡¯s our leader, He Guanghe! This person¡­ this person seems to be from White Sand Gang too!!¡± The scene fell silent for a moment, then everyone was furious. ¡°Who did this? No matter who it was, they have to pay the price for killing someone from White Sand Gang!¡± ¡°Protect the scene and inform the Branch Leader.¡± ¡­ With a frown, he clutched his chest and quickly walked through the shadows under the tree in the corner. Previously, he had always been careful. He usually stayed in the dojo and never went out alone. He did not expect to get attacked the moment he was alone. This world was too dangerous. Was the man behind the attack called Zhou Shanchang from Lishui Village? Although the attacker¡¯s words were not very credible, perhaps he had nothing to lose any more since he was dying. There was no grudge between him and the attacker, so there was no need to use his life to deceive him. Moreover, Zhou Shanchang was not related to Zhou You. He was on good terms with the original Zhou You¡¯s parents. After the original Zhou You¡¯s parents died, he enthusiastically took care of the aftermath. The original host was grateful and entrusted Zhou Shanchang to handle many things, including settling accounts and compensation. Oh yes. The tens of acres of farming land bought by the original owner¡¯s parents were in Lishui Village. The original owner of the body did not know who the land went to, but as long as he checked, he could learn the truth. If the land was in Zhou Shanchang¡¯s hands, then today¡¯s matter¡­ He thought about the location of Lishui Village. It was at the foot of Longmen Mountain, not far from Soul Breaking Valley. Perhaps there was something more to the accident that killed the original host¡¯s parents. Although he had yet to verify it, Zhou You already had an answer. On the small notebook in his heart, the page that belonged to Zhou Shanchang was highlighted. The mountains around Mengyang City were vast. The towns and villages that could take root in the mountains where ferocious beasts ran rampant and bandits everywhere had extraordinary martial strength and were extremely united. If he wanted to take revenge, he had to think about it at length. Since he had inherited the original host¡¯s body and memories, he should naturally inherit his gratitude and hatred. As he ran, he felt a tearing pain all over his body. Zhou You frowned deeply. The scar-faced young man he met this time was a powerful enemy that he had never encountered before. Be it strength, speed, or internal force, they were all above him. However, his moves were exquisite, but his use of strength was inferior to his. Even his combat experience was inferior to his. The edge he had in terms of strength could be attributed to the Ferocious Tiger Fist. The Ferocious Tiger Fist was the foundational martial art for the Five Tigers Sect¡¯s selection of disciples. When one practiced it to a high level, one could directly cultivate true Qi. It was definitely considered a high-tier martial art. The 36 forms of the Ferocious Tiger Fist Technique had endless variations and could deal with most attacks. As for battle experience¡­ The scar-faced youth¡¯s attacks were fierce and decisive. It was obvious that he had experienced hundreds of battles. However, he seemed to lack combat experience in front of him. That was not his problem, but¡­ Zhou You was simply too strong! Although he had not experienced many battles, when he attacked, Zhou You instinctively knew how to dodge the attacks. If he could not dodge in time, he knew how to reduce the impact of the attack to the minimum, grab the fleeting opportunity and lock onto the victory. It was as if he was born to fight. Combat techniques had become instinctive! There was no need to think too much. When he attacked, he naturally executed it, as if he had been tempered thousands of times. Perhaps¡­ this was due to his maximized Comprehension ability? Recalling the night attack on the Green Snake Gang, Zhuo Ling, who was also at the early stage of Body Forging, was sent away with a wave of quick attacks without any resistance. Zhou You felt that his strength seemed to be stronger than he thought. Soon, the Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo appeared in front of him. He slowed down his footsteps and tidied up his clothes to cover the injuries on his arm. Zhou You waved at the gatekeeper and calmly walked past the patrolling personnel and returned to the apothecary. This afternoon, Zhou You had already moved into the apothecary. After finding some medicine in the apothecary, Zhou You quickly returned to the bedroom and began to treat his wound. While he was treating his wound, the room opposite opened silently. Cheng Yiqing slowly walked out, his nose twitching. ¡°Young man, you¡¯re smart, but you don¡¯t have any experience. You don¡¯t even know how to hide your scent when you go out to cause trouble. I wonder how many flies will be attracted by the smell of blood in this room.¡± With that, Cheng Yiqing put on a nostalgic expression and walked out of the door with his hands behind his back. He was like an ordinary old man who had gone out for a walk after dinner to digest his food. Soon, Cheng Yiqing left the dojo and walked further and further away leisurely. If Zhou You saw this scene now, he would be surprised to find that Cheng Yiqing¡¯s route and the route he had taken back had ¡­ The next morning. After breakfast, Zhou You went to the apothecary to prepare for his first day of work. Cheng Yiqing was already sitting on the wide-backed chair behind the table, reading quietly with his head lowered. Cheng Yiqing stood up and took down one book after another from the bookshelf behind him. He placed them on the table and pushed them over. ¡°You can¡¯t help much now. Just read here first. Follow in this order. I¡¯ll check your progress in a while.¡± ¡°If I¡¯m satisfied, you can enter the medicine refinement room and begin the next step.¡± With that, Cheng Yiqing left the apothecary. Zhou You looked at the stack of books that were half the height of a person in front of him with a stunned expression. ¡°Hundred Herbs Sutra¡± ¡°Geodesy¡± ¡°The Five Qi of the Human Body¡± ¡°Typhoid and Mixed Diseases¡± ¡°Five Elements Yin Yang Examination¡± ¡°Mutated Beast Records¡± ¡°Yunzhou Geography¡± ¡°A Preliminary Exploration of Longmen Mountain¡± ¡­ Hang on. Medicinal herbs, pharmacology, medical skills, biogeography¡­ There were too many things to learn. In his previous life, Zhou You was just an ordinary student from an ordinary university. Even when he took his postgraduate entrance examination, it did not feel half as hard. Most importantly, he had tested it before. When one¡¯s Comprehension reached the maximum level, it was only useful for practicing martial arts and fighting. It did not directly increase his intelligence. These cryptic books were a disaster for him. However, what had to come, had to come. Zhou You pulled over a stool and sat down. He picked up the Hundred Herbs Sutra at the top and started reading. Chapter 15 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations In the following days, he swam and struggled in the sea of knowledge during the day, and worked hard on martial arts at night. If martial arts were replaced with something familiar, it would be as if he had returned to his university days. Every night, he spent more than an hour cultivating the Ferocious Tiger Fist six times. He took a high-grade Essence Energy Pill and rested for more than an hour. He spent another twenty minutes practicing the Green Snake Fist ten times. Then, he took a Blood Strengthening Pill and went to bed. In the blink of an eye, more than a month had passed. Winter passed and spring came. Everything was revived. Zhou You was 15 years old. At night. In a room inside the apothecary. Looking at the proficiency of the Green Snake Fist, Zhou You took a deep breath and continued practicing. Green Snake Fist (Perfection) (499/500) Unlike the Ferocious Tiger Fist, the Martial Arts Points did not increase after his Green Snake Fist had reached Greater Mastery. That was because there was still Perfection to come. Zhou You did not give up and continued cultivating. Today, it was finally the final moment. Whether cultivating basic martial arts could increase one¡¯s Martial Arts Points depended on this. Swoosh! Zhou You¡¯s feet slid, and his body twisted into a strange posture. His fists and palms changed, and his five fingers opened and closed indeterminately, like a green snake flicking its tongue. Two minutes later, Zhou You stopped. He felt a vibration coming from his ten fingers, along his wrist and arm. The trembling was very light. When it reached his shoulder, he could no longer feel it. The trembling lasted for a very short time. In less than a breath, it had calmed down. He felt as if he had just been pricked by a needle. Zhou You knew that this was the internal force born from cultivating the Green Snake Fist to Perfection. Green Snake Force. It was different from the Ferocious Tiger Force cultivated from the Ferocious Tiger Fist. It was very weak. The strengthening effect on a martial artist¡¯s body was negligible. It only increased the flexibility of his fingers and wrists and the flexibility of his arms. He could do some previously unimaginable actions. He opened the door and walked out of the courtyard. He stood in front of a big tree. Zhou You raised his right hand, straightened his shoulders, and retracted his elbow. He moved his forearm forward, closed the fingertips of his five fingers, and pecked forward. Thud! There was a soft thud. A shallow dent appeared on the bark, and one could vaguely feel the hard trunk. He retracted his right hand and moved it away slightly. His five fingers closed into a fist and pressed against the tree. Zhou You exerted all his strength and pressed forward before retracting his hand. A shallow dent also appeared. From the looks of it, it was almost identical to the previous one. This discovery stopped Zhou You from thinking about it. The power of the Green Snake Force was similar to ordinary attacks. There was almost no increase in strength. However, Zhou You did not look depressed at all. He opened the interface and looked at the new Martial Arts Point appearing on it. Without hesitation, he clicked on Affinity. Swoosh! Affinity +1. Name: Zhou You Affinity: 3 Aptitude: Ferocious Tiger Fist (22%) and Green Snake Fist (60%). Comprehension: 100% Martial Arts: Ferocious Tiger Fist (Level 1) (150/500) and Green Snake Fist (Perfection). Martial Arts Points: 0 Other than his Affinity becoming 3, there was another change. The compatibility with the Green Snake Fist had increased by 5%. But¡­ what was the use? Clenching his fists, Zhou You looked excited. After resting for a while, he began to cultivate the Ferocious Tiger Fist. Today, knowing that the Green Snake Fist was about to break through, he specially adjusted the cultivation sequence. After practicing Ferocious Tiger Fist six times, he saw that his proficiency had increased by 4 points. Zhou You knew that after his Affinity increased, the proficiency he obtained every time he cultivated had increased greatly. Although it was not as much as the previous time, it was still a 50% increase. With close to 4 proficiency points every day, he would be able to enter the second level of the Ferocious Tiger Fist in less than nine months. Increasing one level in 11 months was considered a genius even in the inner courtyard. A low profile. He had to keep a low profile! Zhou You felt very good about himself now. His results in theoretical studies were outstanding, and Zhou You had already obtained Cheng Yiqing¡¯s approval. He had begun to learn many things. The distribution of the Blood Strengthening Pills was also handed over to Zhou You. In terms of the distribution of medicine, Zhou You did not show favoritism. Instead, he adhered to the principle of fairness and openness and further obtained Cheng Yiqing¡¯s approval. In private, although Zhao Liuping and the others were a little unhappy, they still tacitly kept their previous agreement. Since he could obtain Martial Arts Points by practicing basic martial arts, he should fulfill his agreement with Zhao Liuping. ¡­ The next day, after work. Zhou You went to find Zhao Liuping. ¡°Brother Zhao, I wonder if there¡¯s any progress on the martial arts techniques I asked you to find last time?¡± ¡°Oh. Regarding this matter, fortunately, I didn¡¯t disappoint you. I¡¯ve already contacted the seller, but¡­¡± Zhao Liuping rubbed his fingers. ¡°This is a martial art passed down from that person¡¯s family. It¡¯s not cheap.¡± He made a three sign. 30 taels? Zhou You immediately understood. He took out three ten-tael silver notes and handed them over. During this period of time, Zhou You had already begun to take a commission from selling medicine. He did not have to worry about others suspecting that his money came from an unknown source. ¡°Brother Zhou, if it¡¯s urgent, I¡¯ll send it to you tonight.¡± Zhao Liuping took the silver notes with a smile and said politely. ¡°Thank you, Brother Zhao,¡± Zhou You said. ¡°¡­¡± Zhao Liuping¡¯s smile froze. When the sky turned dark, Zhao Liuping delivered the martial arts manual as promised. It was a basic leg technique. Gale Phantom Kick. When cultivated to a high level, one¡¯s legs would be like a gust of wind, and it would be difficult to distinguish between real and fake. He flipped through it carefully and successfully recorded it on the interface. Gale Phantom Kick (Uninitiated) The Aptitude column was also displayed. Gale Phantom Kick (40%) The compatibility did not match the 60% he had for the Green Snake Fist, but it was much higher than the 22% for the Ferocious Tiger Fist. Zhou You was not in a hurry to cultivate the Gale Phantom Kick. Instead, he began to cultivate the Ferocious Tiger Fist. After six routine cultivation sessions, Zhou You rested for a while before starting to cultivate the Gale Phantom Kick. The Gale Phantom Kick was far more complicated than the Green Snake Fist, and it was far harder to practice it. After cultivating six times, Zhou You stopped. Gale Phantom Kick (Master) (6/8) At this speed, he could reach Perfection in three months. Zhou You was a little dissatisfied, but his body had already reached its limit. If there was a better tonic, it might shorten the process. After studying for more than a month, Zhou You now had some understanding of medicine. At this stage, the only thing suitable for him was bacon soup. The other factions also had similar tonics with similar effects. As for tonics with better effects, the only option was medicinal pills. In the entire Mengyang City, only the Meng family had apothecaries who could refine pills themselves. The pills of the other factions were either distributed from the headquarters or bought from the outside at a high price. There were abundant tonics to replenish energy. For Body Forging martial artists, there were Blood Strengthening Pills, Essence Energy Pills, Muscle and Bone Pills, and so on. Blood Strengthening Pills cost one tael of silver each. Essence Energy Pills cost two to five taels of silver each. They were divided into the upper, middle, and lower grades. They were upgraded versions of Blood Strengthening Pills. The Muscle and Bone Pill cost three taels of silver each. It had the effect of nurturing large tendons, and its medicinal effect was only equivalent to a low-grade Essence Energy Pill. In terms of cost-effectiveness, the Blood Strengthening Pill was the most cost-effective. However, the speed of recovery was gradually unable to keep up. If he ate too many Blood Strengthening Pills, he would not be able to digest and absorb them when he practiced martial arts. It would affect his sleep at night. Now, Zhou You consumed one high-grade Essence Energy Pill and one Blood Strengthening Pill every day. It was worth six taels of silver. After buying the martial art technique today, he did not have much savings left. Chapter 16 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations In the morning. After routinely guiding the outer courtyard disciples in their cultivation, Zhao Qing walked into the inner courtyard and arrived outside his master¡¯s study. Zhao Qing was knocking on the door when a loud voice sounded. ¡°Qing¡¯er, come in.¡± ¡°Good morning, Master.¡± Zhao Qing pushed open the door and said to the muscular middle-aged man sitting on the tiger-skin chair. This person was the owner of the Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo, Lu Chuanfeng, who was known as Tiger Lu. The Visceral Tempering expert who shook Mengyang City had mastered the Ferocious Tiger Fist Technique. It was difficult to find a match for him. Actually, Lu Chuanfeng was already over 60 years old this year. However, he had taken good care of himself and did not look old at all. Lu Chuanfeng gestured for Zhao Qing to sit down and said, ¡°Qing¡¯er, the White Sand Gang sent news yesterday that a group of pirates came to Berlin Bay and wreaked havoc. They call themselves the Dark Shark Gang. They rob and commit all kinds of crimes.¡± Zhao Qing sat down and raised his eyebrows. ¡°Master, the waterway is the White Sand Gang¡¯s business. If they can¡¯t handle it, the Black Stone Gang will definitely be happy to help. Even if they can¡¯t, there¡¯s still the Meng family. What does it have to do with us?¡± ¡°The waterway is none of our business.¡± Lu Chuanfeng nodded and changed the topic. ¡°However, the White Sand Gang also said that the Seven Star Grass is out of stock this month. Not only this month but next month as well. In fact, as long as the Dark Shark Gang still stays in Berlin Bay for a day, we won¡¯t have access to it.¡± Seven Star Grass? Zhao Qing¡¯s expression changed slightly. He was involved in their apothecary¡¯s business, so he naturally knew that the Seven Star Grass was one of the supplementary ingredients for refining the Bone Strengthening Pill, and it was the irreplaceable kind. Without the Seven Star Grass, they would not be able to refine the Bone Strengthening Pill. In the future, if the disciples of the dojo wanted to forge their bones, they could only buy Bone Strengthening Pills outside. The cost would increase by at least 30%. Zhao Qing had already passed the Bone Forging Stage, but¡­ he had half of the Bone Strengthening Pills in the apothecary. Without this income, who knew how long it would take to complete Purification? Now, Zhao Qing finally knew why his master wanted to see him regarding this matter. ¡°Master, does the White Sand Gang want us to help exterminate the Dark Shark Gang?¡± Zhao Qing asked uncertainly. If the White Sand Gang could not destroy the Dark Shark Gang and asked the dojo for help¡­ If the dojo intended on taking out the pirates, they would definitely send out a few stronger senior brothers or even a few uncle-masters. Although the leaders of the White Sand Gang were not very strong, they were still a little better than him. ¡°There¡¯s no need. They can settle their own matters on the waterway. We don¡¯t have to interfere.¡± Lu Chuanfeng shook his head and said, ¡°I called you here to ask you to bring people to Berlin Bay to pick a batch of Seven Star Grass.¡± After a pause, he continued, ¡°This time, go and figure out the situation. In the future, we¡¯ll pick the Seven Star Grass ourselves.¡± ¡°Yes, Master,¡± Zhao Qing said excitedly. Without the White Sand Gang, he would have two channels to sell the Bone Strengthening Pills. His income would definitely increase greatly, and he would be closer to reaching Purification. As for the sudden appearance of the Dark Shark Gang, Zhao Qing did not take it to heart. Since the leaders of the White Sand Gang did not ask for help, it meant that they thought they could deal with it. The leaders of the White Sand Gang could be taken care of. Even if he could not, he had no problem protecting himself. ¡­ In the apothecary, Zhou You was reading a book. Cheng Yiqing pushed open the door and entered, casually evaluating a few knowledge points. After getting a satisfactory answer, Cheng Yiqing nodded and said, ¡°You¡¯er, you remember the pharmacology very well and have some understanding of the medicinal properties of the half-finished herbs in the apothecary.¡± ¡°However, this was not enough to become a qualified apothecary.¡± ¡°You also need to go to the wilderness, mountains, and water, to understand the environment where various medicinal herbs grow down to the soil, the sun, the temperature, and so on.¡± ¡°The same medicinal herb would grow in different environments and have different medicinal properties. The way it was handled would also be slightly different.¡± ¡°If it was used on ordinary injuries, it would not be a big deal.¡± ¡°However, if the medicinal properties of the medicinal soup and pills used for cultivation were too different, the effects would be obvious after taking them for a long time.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t do it well, it will ruin your reputation.¡± Now that Zhou You was no longer a noob, he naturally knew that Cheng Yiqing was exaggerating. The effect of the medicine was affected by many factors. In addition to medicinal herbs, there was also the heat, pill refiner, technique, and so on. Zhou You did not refute and nodded. ¡°Old Cheng, are we going out?¡± ¡°Yes, we are.¡± Cheng Yiqing nodded. ¡°Today, Little Jiu will bring people to Berlin Bay to pick Seven Star Grass. We¡¯ll tag along and learn from them.¡± ¡°Yes, Old Cheng.¡± ¡­ An hour later. A group of more than ten people in long tops, pants, leather gloves and waist bags gathered at the martial arts arena. Then, they left the dojo and headed south along the river. Other than Zhao Qing, Zhou You was also familiar with Luo Yong, who had just entered the inner courtyard along with the other inner disciples. There were also a few senior outer disciples from poor family backgrounds who planned to earn money to continue practicing martial arts. Hearing that there was work to be done in the dojo, they volunteered to sign up. Although they did not have to go into the water on this trip to Berlin Bay where the pirates were rampant, it was very close to the water and was still dangerous. However, a trip would cost ten taels of silver. If they picked a lot of Seven Star Grass, there would be an additional reward. It was worth it. If they got lucky, they would be able to gather enough money for three months of school fees. But what caught Zhou You¡¯s attention the most was the square-faced middle-aged man walking beside Cheng Yiqing. Zhou You had seen this middle-aged man when he accompanied Cheng Yiqing to the inner courtyard to deliver medicine. His name was Tan Fei, and he was one of Lu Chuanfeng¡¯s junior brothers. Zhao Qing called him Third Uncle-Master. He was a powerful Visceral Tempering martial artist. His strength was ranked among the top in the entire dojo. He was also very famous in the entire Mengyang City. ¡°Uncle-Master Tan is actually here. It seems that this trip to gather medicinal herbs is not easy. It might even be dangerous.¡± Zhou You thought to himself. With Zhao Qing in the lead, the group quickly left the city. They did not go down south of Meng River, but instead entered the mountains. They walked along the path at the foot of the mountain. The forest was dense and the mountain path was slippery. Insects, snakes, and rats could be seen everywhere. Even the gazes of ferocious beasts had appeared more than once. However, most of them were martial artists, so they naturally emitted powerful auras. No ferocious beasts attacked them. After walking for more than an hour, the team arrived at a valley surrounded by mountains on three sides. The curved lake in the valley was as blue as a mirror. It was connected to the surging Meng River like a sapphire. As the mountain went downwards, a few peninsulas could be seen in the lake. There were also a few small islands scattered in the lake. Undercurrents surged, and the water situation was complicated. About 100 meters away from the shore, Zhao Qing stopped and waved his hand. ¡°I¡¯ll go take a look first.¡± With that, Zhao Qing darted out and disappeared into the dense forest. A moment later, Zhao Qing returned with two green plants with straight stems and round leaves. The leaves were fleshy, like a star with seven points. ¡°This is Seven Star Grass. Look carefully. Don¡¯t make a mistake later.¡± Zhao Qing raised the plant in his hand and showed it to the others. He instructed, ¡°I¡¯ve seen everything within a mile. There¡¯s no danger. ¡°However, you have to be careful when you walk. There are some poisonous insects that are hard to guard against. Don¡¯t get in their way.¡± ¡°Also, don¡¯t go into the water. There are many snakes in the water. I heard that there are also crocodile dragons. If you get careless, you might have trouble getting out.¡± Chapter 17 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations The disciples and apprentices dispersed to pick the Seven Star Grass. After supervising Zhou You to pick a few stalks, Cheng Yiqing sent him to pick the Seven Star Grass. Zhou You entered the dense forest and quickly lost track of the others. The dense forest was deep and serene. Even with his eyesight, he could only see five to six meters away at most. Beyond that, there was only a patch of emerald green. He bowed and stared at the ground, searching for traces of the Seven Star Grass. The Seven Star Grass liked the wetness and cool environment. It mostly grew in dense forests by the water. Berlin Bay was indeed the largest source of Seven Star Grass near Mengyang City. In just a moment, he found five Seven Star Grass and picked them to keep in his waist bag. However, things did not go so smoothly after that. There was not a single Seven Star Grass for a long time. Looking at the traces nearby, it turned out that someone had already beaten him to it. The others did the same. The entire medicine gathering team gradually spread out. Soon, they were more than a mile away and further away. There were also many people who were skilled and bold walking toward the water. The closer they were to the water, the denser the distribution of the Seven Star Grass. In fact, there were even people who saw densely packed Seven Star Grass on a large rock in the water under the shadow of a slanted tree. At a glance, there were at least a dozen of them. However, when he saw the Seven Star Grass, someone further away also saw him. Whoosh! A small boat cut through the calm of the lake. Then, more boats appeared one after another and quickly approached. On it stood burly men holding all kinds of weapons. They were aggressive and it was obvious that they did not come with good intentions. ¡°Pirates!!¡± The man cried out in surprise and quickly went back the way he came. Tan Fei was still chatting with Cheng Yiqing on the spot when he had a change in expression. He pushed himself off using the tree trunk beside him and jumped to the top of the tree with a few swooshes. He looked up in the direction of the sound. Seeing the pirates rapidly approaching the lake, Tan Fei immediately composed himself and shouted, ¡°Everyone, come back! There are pirates!¡± There were many pirates. They were all strong men with fierce and violent auras. It was obvious that they had seen blood. If there were Purification or Bone Tempering martial arts practitioners among them relying on their numbers to hold them back, other than Zhao Qing, the others would most likely be doomed. This roar was like thunder, shaking the land for miles. ¡°The pirates are here. Run!¡± ¡°Quick! Return to Uncle-Master¡¯s side. Uncle-Master¡¯s a powerful martial artist. He will definitely be able to protect us.¡± Even if the disciples and apprentices had learned martial arts, they did not dare to rashly provoke the pirates. They hurriedly rushed in the direction of Tan Fei¡¯s voice. Splash! When the boat was about to reach the shore, the pirates jumped into the water like dumplings and swam toward the shore. Their speed was extremely fast. It was not slower than the disciples and apprentices passing through the dense forest. Or perhaps even faster! On the shore, their speed did not slow down at all. They spread out according to the enemies¡¯ movements. Upon hearing Tan Fei¡¯s voice, Zhou You immediately turned around and returned. However, he had only run halfway when the dense forest in front of him suddenly shook. A bald burly man crawled out. When he looked up and saw Zhou You, the bald burly man was delighted. A teasing smile appeared on his face. ¡°Little cutie, be good and go back with me. I¡¯ll dote on you.¡± He had been practicing martial arts for nearly half a year and made a breakthrough to become a martial artist. He had grown rapidly and was almost 1.8 meters tall. Although he had been practicing martial arts for a long time, he had been cultivating internal martial arts in seclusion. He did not have the brawny muscles of other martial artists and looked slender and well-proportioned. Coupled with his fair skin that had not been exposed to the wind and sun, there was still some youthfulness in his face, but his features were already well-defined. It was the favorite of certain special groups. Sensing the bald man¡¯s fearless gaze, Zhou You felt a chill in his heart. He hurriedly turned around and fled. The strength of the enemy was unknown, so it was not appropriate to attack. ¡°Little cutie, you can¡¯t run away.¡± Unexpectedly, the bald man let out a sinister laugh and used both his hands and feet like a big ape. His figure darted left and right around the big trees and vines blocking the way, quickly closing the distance between him and Zhou You. Sensing the movement behind him, Zhou You turned around and his expression changed. ¡°It seems he has practiced some kind of movement technique. It¡¯s very suitable for an environment like a dense forest where obstacles exist. I can¡¯t shake him off!¡± He had been staring at him fiercely. There was no killing intent, but he did not feel any particularly powerful pressure. His strength should not be very strong. ¡°We ran too far just now. We¡¯re at least 500 meters away from Uncle-Master Tan and the others. It¡¯s impossible for them to know the situation here.¡± Zhou You quickly analyzed in his heart and promptly made a decision. When the bald man approached and a black iron-like hand tried to grab him, Punch! Whoosh! His fists were like hammers, smashing down on the bald man¡¯s head. ¡°You¡­¡± The bald man¡¯s expression changed and his legs went soft. He suddenly changed direction and rushed out from the side in an arc. PAH! His fists landed on the tree trunk. With a muffled sound, the tree shook violently and leaves rustled down. Whoosh! The bald man stabilized himself and turned back. He threw a straight punch at Zhou You¡¯s back. Zhou You opened his right hand and grabbed the tree trunk. His shoulders shook, and his left hand clenched into a fist and swung backward like a cannonball. Tiger Swings Its Tail! PAH! Zhou You¡¯s body shook as he took a few steps back and pressed his back against the tree trunk. The bald man also took a few steps back and reached out to grab a vine. His entire body swung half a circle before landing steadily on the ground. Zhou You calmed down. The bald man¡¯s strength was comparable to his, so there was nothing to fear. The only thing he had to pay attention to was the other party¡¯s strange movement technique. In this dense forest filled with obstacles, there was actually no hindrance at all. He was like a fish in water. As for his Ferocious Tiger Fist, it was severely affected. If it were any other Body Forging Stage disciple from the Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo, even if their realm was slightly higher, they might not be a match for this bald man. Unfortunately, he was different. Facing such an environment, Zhou You had already thought of a way to deal with the attacker after a short exchange. He could not go all out punching the bald man. He could not use up all his strength. The attacks could not have any fixed forms. He had to improvise. Zhou You¡¯s eyes narrowed. He bent his legs and jumped off the tree trunk. He rushed forward and placed his hands in front of him. ¡°Ferocious Tiger Fist? Someone from the Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo?¡± The bald man snorted and swung his hand. The vines flew towards Zhou You. Pftt! With a stomp of his feet, the bald man followed closely behind and threw a straight punch. Facing the vines, Zhou You¡¯s expression did not change. He flicked the vines with one hand and pushed out with the other. PAH! The fist and palm collided, and the two figures retreated. The bald man reached out to grab a vine and was about to swing away when his expression suddenly changed. Zhou You¡¯s other hand had unknowingly appeared in front of the bald man. He raised his palm like a knife and slashed at his abdomen. He went straight to the point! Pftt! The bald man curled up like a prawn. His face was covered in cold sweat, but his eyes were sharp as he slammed his head forward. Zhou You pressed one hand on the bald man¡¯s head, while his other hand spread open into claws and grabbed his neck, twisting it forcefully. Crack! The bald man immediately collapsed to the ground, dying with grievances. Zhou You took a deep breath and rubbed his hands together. The bald man¡¯s strength was average. He shouldn¡¯t be a martial artist, but his fists were heavy and hard. Although the Ferocious Tiger Fist had skin refinement, it was only used to seal the blood. Compared to the self-harming skin refinement technique of external martial arts, the hardness was very different. Even with brass knuckles, this problem still existed. The effects of force are mutual. Chapter 18 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Zhou You had already grasped the Iron Skin Technique, but he had never practiced it. It was not that Zhou You could not bear the hardship of cultivating external martial arts. Instead, the characteristics of practicing external martial arts were very obvious. The bald man¡¯s fist was black and rough. It was obvious that he had practiced an external martial arts fist technique. Moreover, with his current status as an apprentice apothecary, his hands had to be very agile and sharp. After searching the bald man¡¯s body, he took out a money bag and a booklet. He then turned around and left. After running a short distance¡­ Pah pah pah pah! A series of sounds of heavy objects colliding rang out one after another. The sound was loud and indistinct. Splash! The ground trembled and the branches swayed. This¡­ someone was fighting! From the sound of it, it was at least a few hundred meters away. The sound of the battle came from some distance away, but it was still so clear. It was obvious that both sides were experts. One of them ought to be Uncle-Master Tan. The other party should be the pirates. Unexpectedly, there was such an expert among the pirates! Then should he still meet up with Uncle-Master Tan? If they encountered powerful pirates, wouldn¡¯t they be walking into a tiger¡¯s den? He might as well go deep into the mountains. The mountains were vast, and the pirates would not be able to find him. Just as Zhou You was hesitating, a loud shout suddenly sounded from afar. ¡°Little Jiu, take Master Cheng away first. I¡¯ll be there soon.¡± Upon hearing this, Zhou You turned around and disappeared into the mountains without hesitation. After running non-stop for more than ten minutes, there was no more movement behind him. Zhou You heaved a sigh of relief and sat on the ground. He looked down the mountain through the gaps in the branches. The sapphire lake was calm. There were no boats or pirates on the surface. It was as if nothing had happened just now. He wondered how Old Cheng was doing now. How was Zhao Qing? How were the others? Did they manage to escape? With a sigh, Zhou You suddenly turned around and grabbed with his left hand. Hiss! An emerald green snake as thick as a finger opened its mouth and hissed. Zhou You grabbed it by its weak spot and coiled its body around his shoulder. Pftt! He exerted strength with his fingertips, and the green snake drooped weakly. Zhou You casually threw it into the distance and tried his best to determine the direction before heading towards the mountain path he had come from. In the mountains, it was easy to get lost if one did not walk along the road. Not long after, Zhou You glanced at a certain spot at the foot of the mountain from the corner of his eye. His expression suddenly froze, and he hurriedly squatted down and hid behind a rock. He carefully poked his head out and looked down the mountain from the corner of his eye. Experts could feel the gazes of others. In the stream at the foot of the mountain, boats rowed across the lake and stopped on both sides. The pirates followed the line of boats as if they were walking on flat ground and quickly disappeared. ¡°There should be a secret cave at the foot of the mountain. This is probably the pirates¡¯ lair.¡± Zhou You quickly made a judgment. ¡°No wonder these pirates appeared so suddenly and so quickly.¡± Although he was wandering around the mountain and the pirates were at the foot of the mountain, the straight line was less than 100 meters away. He did not dare to move recklessly. He lay on the ground and slowly retreated. After retreating more than 100 meters, he got up and jogged away. Without much trouble, he returned to the dojo before dark. When he came back, he found out that two inner disciples had been killed, and all the apprentices had been wiped out. Tan Fei was also slightly injured. On the other hand, Cheng Yiqing was safe and sound. Zhao Qing took him away immediately. No one cared about the death of a few apprentices. They just gave the promised reward to their families. However, the death of two inner disciples still made Lu Chuanfeng furious. After a detailed discussion with Tan Fei, he suppressed this matter. According to Tan Fei, the leader of the pirates who fought with him was also a Visceral Tempering martial artist! There were also many Purification and Bone Forging Stage martial artists under him. If not for the Tiger Fist Dojo¡¯s prestige, he would not have been able to escape unscathed considering his strength. This was what Zhou You learned later. After returning this time, Zhou You no longer went out casually. He studied in peace and practiced martial arts diligently. Zhou You had obtained more than 100 taels of silver from the pirate. It was enough to last him for a period of time. There was also an Iron Arm Fist manual. One of the basic external martial arts techniques of the Iron Skin Dojo. After flipping through it and recording it on the interface, he threw it to the back of his mind and still did not plan to practice the technique. ¡­ In the blink of an eye, a month had passed. On March 1st. The Iron Skin Dojo held a banquet to celebrate dojo master, Du Lianzong, accepting a fine student. Zhou You followed Cheng Yiqing to the banquet and met the main star of the banquet, a dark and thin youth. The young man¡¯s name was Lin Yu, and he was born in a remote mountain village. He was not tall and had an ordinary face. He did not have any martial arts skills. However, the reason why he could be taken in as a disciple by Du Lianzhong was very simple. He was born with innate divine strength! Lin Yu was naturally strong. Although he was only 15 years old this year, his arms already had the strength of 500 kilograms, and he had the ability to pull a galloping horse. Du Lianzhong went out to visit a friend and passed by Lin Yu¡¯s hometown. When he heard the rumors about Lin Yu, he personally went to see him. He was instantly shocked and accepted him as a disciple. In this world, there were people with innate strength. Their muscles and bones were different from ordinary people. Without needing to cultivate, he already possessed strength that far exceeded that of ordinary people. Once he officially started practicing martial arts, his cultivation in the Body and Bone Forging stages would advance by leaps and bounds. After that, he would have a huge advantage over ordinary people. In other words, as long as a person with innate divine strength did not die prematurely, they could smoothly cultivate to the Greater Mastery Stage of Visceral Tempering. In at most ten years, the Iron Skin Dojo would have one more master at Visceral Tempering. Du Lianzong was only at the Greater Mastery Stage of Visceral Tempering. It took ten years to master Visceral Tempering¡­ one had to go through Body Forging, Bone Forging, Purification, and Visceral Tempering. Each realm was further divided into three small realms: Beginner, Medium, and Later (Greater Mastery). There were a total of twelve small realms. Breaking through twelve minor realms in ten years meant that each minor realm breakthrough could not exceed ten months! The first level of the Ferocious Tiger Fist represented a small realm. It had been three months since Zhou You became a martial artist. He still needed about two months to break through to the next level. It took five months. It seemed that there was plenty of time. However, the further he practiced, the longer it took to break through each small realm. With his current speed of practicing martial arts, Zhou You was not confident that he could reach the Greater Mastery Stage of Visceral Tempering in ten years. Unless he could obtain more Martial Arts Points to increase his Affinity. The higher the Affinity, the faster the cultivation speed. In order to obtain more Martial Arts Points, he needed to obtain more tonics and even medicinal pills. After returning, Zhou You paid attention to gather information. Soon, he discovered that there was a special physique in this world that allowed one to practice martial arts at lightning speed, far surpassing others. Some people were born with divine strength and could resist large tripods. Some people had bronze skin and iron bones. They were born strong and invulnerable. Some people had extraordinary Comprehension abilities and grasped skills immediately. There were even people who naturally learned the subsequent martial arts without needing a mental cultivation method. After learning that there were such talented people in the world, Zhou You¡¯s eyes lit up. Wasn¡¯t he one of them? There were very few talented people and they were one in a million. However, Mengyang City had produced a person with innate divine strength. Why couldn¡¯t there be another person with extraordinary Comprehension abilities? However, he felt sorry for Old Cheng. Chapter 19 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations The next day. After delivering the medicine to the inner courtyard, Zhou You knocked on Lu Chuanfeng¡¯s door. ¡°Come in.¡± Zhou You pushed open the door and entered. He cupped his hands respectfully and said, ¡°Greetings Dojo Master.¡± Looking at Zhou You, Lu Chuanfeng frowned and said, ¡°Where¡¯s Old Cheng? Why didn¡¯t he come to find me and send you instead?¡± For so many years, Cheng Yiqing had only accepted one apprentice. In their private conversation, he had intended to nurture Zhou You as an apprentice. Lu Chuanfeng naturally had an impression of Zhou You. Moreover, his impression was pretty good. He was smart, diligent, and capable. Of course, he heard it all from Old Cheng. However, since Old Cheng had yet to officially take him in as a disciple, Zhou You would be considered rude to approach Lu Chuanfeng in private. ¡°Dojo Master, Old Cheng is fine. I wanted to see you about something.¡± Zhou You raised his head and said in a deep voice, ¡°I entered the dojo last September. After half a year, I¡¯ve finally cultivated inner strength!¡± Lu Chuanfeng was displeased when he heard that Zhou You had come looking for him because of his private matters. As the leader of the Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo, Lu Chuanfeng was in charge of hundreds of people in the dojo and had to take care of every area of their lives. He cultivated and was busy with work every day. How could he have the time to personally deal with the private matters of a mere apprentice? If everyone came to look for him, even if there were eight of him, it would not be enough to handle matters. Also, why did he take in so many disciples? Wasn¡¯t it just to help him share some of the burdens? ¡°You¡­¡± Lu Chuanfeng was about to reprimand Zhou You, but when he heard the latter half of Zhou You¡¯s words, he forcefully swallowed his words mid-sentence. He coughed lightly and said, ¡°¡­ Not bad. You only took half a year to gain internal energy. Not bad at all!¡± Lu Chuanfeng¡¯s eyes lit up. He stood up and stretched out his right hand at lightning speed, placing it on Zhou You¡¯s shoulder. PAH! Zhou You felt a strange force attack him. The muscles in his entire body instantly tensed up, and internal force condensed to resist the strange force. ¡°Not bad, you indeed have internal strength.¡± Lu Chuanfeng nodded. Suddenly, he raised his eyebrows and looked into Zhou You¡¯s eyes. His expression became even more serious. ¡°Looking at the strength of your internal force, you didn¡¯t just develop it, right?¡± Zhou You¡¯s eyes turned cold. He knew that he could not hide it from Lu Chuanfeng¡¯s investigation, so he simply said, ¡°Dojo Master, I indeed didn¡¯t just gain internal strength. In fact, I¡¯ve already gained internal strength for more than two months. It was around the time that I caught Master Cheng¡¯s attention.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that I¡¯ve only just entered the apothecary. I was afraid that Master Cheng wouldn¡¯t like it, so I hid the matter of my internal strength.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. It wasn¡¯t easy for Old Cheng to recruit an apprentice, but in the blink of an eye, you developed internal strength. If I transfer you to the inner courtyard, I¡¯m afraid he¡¯ll really be angry.¡± Lu Chuanfeng nodded, accepting Zhou You¡¯s explanation. He kept sizing up Zhou You, and his expression became more and more satisfied. Finally, he smiled. ¡°Haha! You¡¯ve just entered the apothecary and you¡¯ve already gained internal strength. That means that you only used three months to do it. According to this speed, you will need one and a half years to complete Body Forging, three years to finish Bone Forging, one year¡­ Three months for Purification, and five years to complete the Visceral Tempering level.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that I¡¯m going to have a genius under my tutelage who masters Visceral Tempering in ten years?¡± At this point, the smile on Lu Chuanfeng¡¯s face froze. He realized that something was wrong and exerted strength in his palm again. That strange force spread throughout Zhou You¡¯s entire body again. Zhou You felt the pressure increase greatly. All the muscles in his body compressed and tightened as he tried his best to squeeze out his internal force to resist the external pressure. In an instant, Lu Chuanfeng stopped and looked at Zhou You with burning eyes. His voice was actually trembling. ¡°Zhou¡­ You¡¯er, have you developed internal strength throughout your body? Have you started refining your skin?¡± His eyes were so hot that they seemed to be on fire. Zhou You¡¯s scalp went numb when he saw this. He nodded honestly and said, ¡°Yes, Dojo Master. After I gained internal strength, I continued to cultivate the Ferocious Tiger Fist. I felt that it was a little unstable and awkward. ¡°After that, I simply stopped thinking about those moves and used them however I felt comfortable. Then, I began to refine my skin.¡± ¡°Hmmm?¡± Lu Chuanfeng grunted and subconsciously clenched his fists. He said with a trembling voice, ¡°Do you just execute the moves in whatever way you like? Didn¡¯t anyone teach you the follow-up for Ferocious Tiger Fist? Did you figure out the subsequent training method by yourself?¡± Considering Lu Chuanfeng¡¯s martial arts level, even though he could not do it, he was born into a prestigious family and was very knowledgeable. He knew Zhou You was not joking when he said that he executed the technique in whatever way he was comfortable. Instead, he had a very thorough understanding of martial arts and had already reached the realm of perfection. It was also known as the legendary No Moves Realm. Previously, Lu Chuanfeng thought that someone had privately taught Zhou You the subsequent cultivation techniques of the Ferocious Tiger Fist. Even though it was against the rules, Zhou You did not hide it from him. Also, he had discovered a genius disciple in the process, so he did not want to pursue the matter. After listening to Zhou You, he learned that no one had taught Zhou You the subsequent cultivation techniques of the Ferocious Tiger Fist. Instead, Zhou You practiced the technique somewhat casually before he got to the skin refinement level! Such Comprehension and Aptitude were comparable to the cr¨¨me de la cr¨¨me nurtured by the inner courtyard with no expenses spared! If Lu Chuanfeng reported this to the higher-ups, not only would he be able to return to the mountain in advance to retire, but he would also be able to obtain a generous reward that was enough to live the rest of his life in comfort! No! Why should he have to report it? Why couldn¡¯t he nurture Zhou You himself? In any case, no one would know for now! He wanted to take Zhou You in as his disciple and personally nurture him! Ten years later, he would personally bring him back to the mountain to visit each and every one of those arrogant and detestable snobs! After making up his mind, Lu Chuanfeng calmed down. He let go of Zhou You and stretched out his hand. ¡°Come, You¡¯er. Let me see your Ferocious Tiger Fist. Go all out. Don¡¯t worry. You can¡¯t hurt me.¡± ¡°Alright, Dojo Master.¡± Zhou You cupped his hands and bowed. He clenched his fists and punched out like a door hammer. Lu Chuanfeng did not move from his original spot. He pushed his palm forward with one hand, while his other hand brushed past Zhou You¡¯s fist and cut into his abdomen. Zhou You pressed down with his other hand and took a step forward with his right leg. He shifted his center of gravity forward, causing his upper body to lean forward. The strength in his hands increased greatly. Lu Chuanfeng staggered and turned his body half a circle. He clenched his fists and swung them back¡­ The two of them exchanged punches and palms. Their figures moved around and quickly exchanged blows. Ferocious Tiger Fist versus Ferocious Tiger Fist. No matter how Zhou You attacked, Lu Chuanfeng could adapt to the situation and receive it with the Ferocious Tiger Fist. Moreover, Lu Chuanfeng did not use his strength beyond that of the Early-stage Body Forging realm. In terms of the flawlessness of execution, Lu Chuanfeng surpassed anyone Zhou You had seen before. Unless he used his full strength to fight, his moves were far inferior. Even if he used all his combat instincts, it was impossible for him to be Lu Chuanfeng¡¯s match. Why should he embarrass himself? He would even have exposed more secrets for nothing. Zhou You believed that the talent he had displayed was enough to obtain more resources. Suppressing his restless heart, he executed the Ferocious Tiger Fist one by one. Occasionally, a very inspired move would appear and he would display exquisite technique. Pah pah pah pah! In the blink of an eye, the two of them had already exchanged more than a hundred moves without using their internal force. Zhou You was already drenched in sweat, and his movements could not help but slow down. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough.¡± Lu Chuanfeng withdrew his attack and retreated. Although his gaze on Zhou You was not as passionate as before, he was still extremely satisfied. Zhou You was not the top prodigy born for martial arts and battle, but he could also be ranked among the geniuses. His future was bright. Chapter 20 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡°You¡¯er, are you willing to acknowledge me as your master and become my disciple?¡± Lu Chuanfeng stared intently into Zhou You¡¯s eyes and asked directly. Zhou You was slightly stunned. When he snapped out of his daze, he immediately knelt down and bowed. ¡°Thank you for accepting me, Master!¡± Since he had decided to reveal his talent, Zhou You was already mentally prepared. Unless one remained an unaffiliated martial artist, no matter which faction they joined, it was inevitable for them to submit to the power and humble themselves. It was better for an expert to take the initiative to take him in as a disciple than for him to force his way up. Their statuses were completely different, and the attention they received was also completely different. Hearing Zhou You¡¯s answer, Lu Chuanfeng nodded in satisfaction and glanced at the coffee table beside him. A cup of steaming hot tea sat on the coffee table. Zhou You caught Lu Chuanfeng¡¯s drift and held the teacup with both hands above his head. ¡°Master, please have some tea!¡± Lu Chuanfeng took the teacup and drank it in one gulp. He laughed and said, ¡°Alright, You¡¯er. From now on, you¡¯re my 14th disciple. ¡°Tomorrow, I¡¯ll hold a banquet and invite good friends from all walks of life¡­¡± At this point, Lu Chuanfeng suddenly paused. He frowned and shook his head. ¡°Hang on! It¡¯s better not to hold a banquet. We shouldn¡¯t hold a banquet at all.¡± Looking at Zhou You¡¯s puzzled expression, Lu Chuanfeng explained, ¡°You¡¯er, do you know what happened last night?¡± Before Zhou You could ask, Lu Chuanfeng gave his answer. ¡°Last night, Hammer Du¡­ I mean Du Lianzong¡¯s new disciple was injured and almost lost his life.¡± ¡°Right now, Hammer Du is extremely nervous. He keeps Lin Yu by his side at all times and doesn¡¯t leave his side for even a moment.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Zhou You was promptly startled by the news. Lin Yu was born in the countryside and had no relatives or enemies in the city. If he was attacked, it could only mean that he was attacked by an enemy of Du Lianzong or the Iron Skin Dojo and got implicated in the process. However, it was more likely that Lin Yu¡¯s talent was too good, and someone did not want him to advance! If that was the case, then once his talent was leaked, he might also be attacked. If Lu Chuanfeng stayed by his side to protect Zhou You and kept an eye on him all day, it would be very difficult for him to hide his secret. Then again, Lu Chuanfeng was the dojo master and was busy with work. He was unwilling and unlikely to keep an eye on him at all times. ¡°As you wish, Master.¡± Zhou You knew that Lu Chuanfeng must have thought things through more thoroughly than he, so he left the decision to him. ¡°You¡¯er, don¡¯t worry. My Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo is far stronger than the Iron Skin Dojo. As long as we stay in the dojo, we don¡¯t have to worry about our safety.¡± Lu Chuanfeng comforted him. After pondering for a while, he said, ¡°You¡¯er, I¡¯m sorry to do this to you. I won¡¯t tell anyone about you becoming my disciple. I won¡¯t even tell your uncle-masters and senior brothers. ¡°Only the heavens and earth and you and I can know about this. Only then can we ensure your safety.¡± Hearing this, Zhou You did not feel aggrieved. Instead, he was a little happy. The hunter will shoot the bird that sticks out. He had to keep a low profile. If not for the fact that he saw Lin Yu in the limelight yesterday and wanted to resolve the problem of knowing the Ferocious Tiger Fist technique more than he should, Zhou You would not have come looking for him today. Zhou You pretended to be sad. ¡°I respect your decision, Master.¡± ¡°My good disciple, I won¡¯t let you suffer. When you succeed in Purification, I¡¯ll definitely let you enjoy the glory.¡± Lu Chuanfeng nodded in satisfaction. He turned around and walked to the wall. He picked up a porcelain bottle from the cupboard and handed it to Zhou You. ¡°You¡¯er, this is the Tiger Bone Pill. Its medicinal power is gentle and long. It can nourish the muscles and bones and repair the foundation. Take one every five days. When you¡¯re done, ask me for it.¡± Zhou You took the porcelain bottle with both hands and looked happy. The Tiger Bone Pill was the best Bone Forging Pill in the Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo. It was also considered top-notch among all Bone Forging Pills. The market price was 30 taels each. A bottle of 10 pills was worth 300 taels. If he ate one every five days, six a month would add up to 180 taels of silver. Some time ago, he racked his brains but could not think of a way to earn more than 100 taels a month. Although his status as an apothecary¡¯s apprentice was safe, it was indeed inconvenient to earn money and he could not be too conspicuous. It was a business without capital, and the risk was too high. It was easy to fail. Now that he had just become a disciple, he had earned six Tiger Bone Pills in a month. When he broke through, his perks would probably increase again. ¡°Thank you, Master. I will definitely practice martial arts diligently and not let you down.¡± Zhou You spoke in sincere gratitude. This time, it came from the bottom of his heart. Lu Chuanfeng nodded and instructed, ¡°You¡¯er, stay in the apothecary for now. Don¡¯t come and look for me often. You can tag along when Old Cheng comes over.¡± Pausing for a moment, Lu Chuanfeng revealed a concerned expression. ¡°You¡¯er, is working at the apothecary tiring? Will it affect your martial arts cultivation? If so, I can make arrangements.¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t worry, Master.¡± Zhou You felt that it was quite useful learning to be an apothecary. Besides, he could still persevere with an eight-hour work schedule. ¡°Then go back. Take this side door.¡± Lu Chuanfeng waved his hand. ¡°It¡¯s time for your senior brothers to pay their respects.¡± ¡°Goodbye.¡± ¡­ At night, inside the room. Zhou You opened the porcelain bottle and poured out a Tiger Bone Pill. The pill was round and pale yellow, emitting a faint fishy smell. However, it was not unpleasant. Instead, it whetted his appetite and made his mouth drool upon smelling it. Without any hesitation, Zhou You brought the Tiger Bone Pill to his mouth and swallowed it. In just a few breaths, a warm current rose from his lower abdomen. Zhou You was invigorated. He took a stance and began to practice the Ferocious Tiger Fist technique. As he practiced, the warm current in his lower abdomen surged out and seeped into his limbs and bones. Two hours later, Zhou You exhaled deeply and stopped practicing. This time, he practiced the Ferocious Tiger Fist nine times in one go, three times more than usual. When he stopped cultivating, the warm current flowing out of his lower abdomen gradually slowed down, but it still continued. Zhou You¡¯s eyes were filled with joy. The effect of the Tiger Bone Pill was indeed strong. At this speed, he should have completely recovered by the time he woke up tomorrow morning. He could cultivate for a while before going to work. Practicing martial arts morning and night would double the efficiency. As for whether a Tiger Bone Pill could last five days, Zhou You did not care. After he finished taking all the pills, he could ask his master for more. His master ran a big operation, so he definitely did not care about such minor expenses. Accepting a disciple was an investment. If it was a positive investment, the more investment there was, the greater the benefits. Zhou You believed that his potential was limitless and worth it. After resting for a while, he continued to cultivate Gale Phantom Kick. Now, Zhou You understood what it meant to overdo martial arts and damage one¡¯s foundation. For Body Forging martial artists, their foundation was their muscles and bones. As the saying goes, it takes a hundred days to recover from a serious injury. His muscles and bones were strong. Once he was injured, his recovery speed would be extremely slow. Practicing martial arts daily, along with other daily activities, would inevitably cause damage to his muscles and bones. Some damage could be recovered by resting and eating. As for the slightly more serious injuries, medicine was required for recovery. If the damage was so serious that medicine could not repair it, it would leave hidden injuries and permanently damage the foundation. Only when the marrow cleansing was completed could these hidden injuries be healed. With Zhou You¡¯s current physical condition, if he exceeded the limits of his body by practicing internal force martial arts, his foundation would be damaged. As for cultivating basic martial arts, this ceiling would be pulled very high. Half an hour later. After Zhou You finished practicing the Gale Phantom Kick ten times, he stopped and washed up to rest. A warm current slowly flowed out from his lower abdomen, as if he was soaking in a hot spring. Zhou You slept soundly. Chapter 21 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations A month later. Early in the morning in the room. After Zhou You finished practicing the Ferocious Tiger Fist, he felt that his entire body was transparent. A strange feeling surged in his heart. The internal force spontaneously spread out and covered the outer layer of the skin. His skin trembled slightly as his pores contracted and closed. Success! Zhou You was excited. He knew that this was a sign that the skin refinement was complete. The pores closed, locking in the Qi and blood and preventing loss! After locking in the Qi and blood, the efficiency of the use of energy would greatly increase in his future cultivation. Other than that, he could also use his internal force to stimulate his skin muscles and begin to cultivate external martial arts. He opened the interface and saw that the Ferocious Tiger Fist had successfully entered the second level and was beginning to refine his flesh. Ferocious Tiger Fist (Level 2) (0/1000) Flesh Tempering, the middle stage of Body Forging, was also known as Strength Training. The membrane locked his Qi and blood, and his internal force focused on stimulating and strengthening his muscles. His strength increased by leaps and bounds. After the flesh refinement was completed, the strength could reach 500 kilograms or several times over. The gap between these martial artists and ordinary people was truly wide at this stage. Ordinary people would get injured if they got scraped by these martial artists, and die if they touched them. Without sharp weapons and armored warhorses, even 20 to 30 ordinary people would not be a match for a flesh refinement martial artist. He clenched his fist and felt his strength. It was about 250 to 300 kilograms. It was still far from 500 kilograms. Zhou You was not in a hurry. He washed up, had breakfast, and went to work. In the afternoon. Zhou You delivered the medicine to the inner courtyard. After handing it over, he walked straight into his master¡¯s room through the side door and into the inner room. After secretly becoming Lu Chuanfeng¡¯s disciple, the frequency at which the apothecary delivered medicine became more and more frequent. Zhou You had time to enter the inner courtyard almost every day. When they needed to meet, the master and disciple would send each other a secret signal and then agree on a time to meet. It was as if they were meeting underground. In the room, Lu Chuanfeng sat on a tiger-skin chair and looked at Zhou You with a smile. During this period of time, he would occasionally do some random checks. He was very satisfied with the progress of Zhou You¡¯s martial arts. He was not far from breaking through. Zhou You bowed and said, ¡°Master, I¡¯ve already broken through to the Flesh Tempering stage!¡± He had no intention of hiding the progress of his martial arts. The faster one¡¯s cultivation speed was, the more resources one would obtain. ¡°Hmmm?¡± Lu Chuanfeng stood up and crossed a few meters in one step to arrive in front of Zhou You. He placed his palm on his shoulder. A strange force came over, and the internal force in Zhou You¡¯s entire body naturally gathered. All the pores on his skin closed. Now, Zhou You knew that his master¡¯s move was to stimulate his body¡¯s instincts. Under Zhou You¡¯s instincts, his strength could not be hidden. This method was only effective against Body Forging and Bone Forging martial artists. Moreover, the difference in strength between both parties had to be extremely great, and the control of strength had to be very precise. ¡°Good! As expected, the skin refinement is completed!¡± Lu Chuanfeng was pleasantly surprised and exclaimed in admiration. His eyes lit up as he looked at Zhou You sizing up an unpolished jade. Four months of skin refining was faster than he had expected. This meant that You¡¯er¡¯s foundation was deeper than he had imagined. His cultivation strength was greater than he had expected. Thinking of this, Lu Chuanfeng¡¯s heart tightened. ¡°You¡¯er, come, let¡¯s spar.¡± Zhou You¡¯s foundation could not be investigated clearly. Lu Chuanfeng could only rely on his experience to make a vague guess. However, whether there were any hidden injuries on Zhou You¡¯s body could be seen through a full-strength exchange. Ten minutes later, Zhou You leaned back in his chair, exhausted. In this last exchange, Lu Chuanfeng was much more ruthless than before. Zhou You was forced to his limits and was exhausted. Lu Chuanfeng looked very satisfied. Through the exchange just now, he had already confirmed that his disciple¡¯s foundation was not injured. In that case, he could increase the intensity of his cultivation! Lu Chuanfeng wanted to shorten the original one and a half years of Body Forging to just one year! There were not many techniques to cultivate in the Body Refining stage. It was just hard training and accelerating the speed of cultivation using pills. Seeing his disciple¡¯s exhaustion, Lu Chuanfeng walked forward and placed his hands on his body. With a unique rhythm, he massaged Zhou You to invigorate his blood. In just a moment, Zhou You felt that he had recovered a lot of strength. He stood up and said awkwardly, ¡°Master, I¡¯ve finished the Tiger Bone Pill.¡± Lu Chuanfeng was not too surprised. The faster one cultivated, the greater the consumption of pills. He turned and took a bottle of Tiger Bone Pills from the cupboard and handed it to Zhou You. ¡°Don¡¯t stop taking them. There¡¯s no need to skimp on them. I have plenty of medicinal pills.¡± ¡°Thank you, Master.¡± Zhou You took the porcelain bottle and looked like he wanted to say something but hesitated. Lu Chuanfeng frowned and scolded softly, ¡°Just man up and don¡¯t be shy!¡± Only then did Zhou You smile in embarrassment and say, ¡°Master, you see. A few days ago, Master Cheng said that he would give me some tests in a couple of days. If I can pass, he will take me in as a disciple.¡± I¡¯m here to ask for your opinion.¡± ¡°Does Old Cheng wants to take you in as his disciple?¡± Lu Chuanfeng frowned. ¡°Although he likes you, I didn¡¯t think he would accept you so soon, right? With his old-fashioned personality, I thought he would only take you in as a disciple in three years.¡± In the past, three years was probably just enough for Zhou You to complete Bone Forging. With his current progress, it was not a big problem. After the Bone Forging was completed, Zhou You could have the means to protect himself. Only then did Lu Chuanfeng feel at ease to publicize the relationship between them. He did not expect Old Cheng to make a move so quickly! Should he tell Zhou You to turn down the offer? It was inappropriate. The difference in status between an apprentice and a disciple was too great. An ordinary person who was not even a martial artist would never refuse such an offer It simply did not make sense at all. Instead, it would attract the attention of people with ulterior motives. If Zhou You turned down the offer, Old Cheng might fly into a rage out of humiliation and chase his good disciple out of the dojo. It would be troublesome if Lu Chuanfeng wanted to see him every day in the future. Besides, it was not that peaceful outside the dojo. The Iron Skin Dojo and the Diamond Dojo fought all day long. Because they disrupted the business of merchants, they were warned several times by the City Lord Manor. On the waterway, the White Sand Gang was also beaten back by the Dark Shark Gang. The Dark Shark Gang had the intention of going ashore to replace the White Sand Gang. Recently, the people from the Dark Shark Gang had even openly appeared at the East River Pier. The White Sand Gang was angry but did not dare to say anything. In Mengyang City, only the inner city was peaceful. The other places were very dangerous. What if his disciple was injured? Since he could not refuse, he could only agree. Although he was very displeased, Lu Chuanfeng still said, ¡°Since Old Cheng wants to take you in as his disciple, it¡¯s also because he has a discerning eye and recognized your excellence. Why don¡¯t you just accept his offer?¡± ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Seeing that his master¡¯s expression was not good, Zhou You cupped his hands and said, ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± ¡°Go. Remember to practice martial arts hard.¡± ¡­ Two days later. Cheng Yiqing invited everyone in the inner courtyard of the dojo to a banquet and announced that he would accept Zhou You as his disciple. Everyone congratulated him and sent him their congratulatory gifts. Lu Chuanfeng and the uncle-masters attended the banquet and encouraged Zhou You warmly. There was no need to mention the attitudes of the other disciples. They were very enthusiastic as if they had seen their long-lost relatives and were extremely concerned. After taking over the delivery of the medicine, Zhou You often went in and out of the inner courtyard and became familiar with the disciples. However, it was only now that Zhou You became Cheng Yiqing¡¯s disciple that the other disciples placed him in the same position, or even slightly higher. Even if Zhou You was just an ordinary person on the surface, becoming a disciple meant that Zhou You could truly come into contact with alchemy. Perhaps in a few years, he would become a qualified apothecary. Unlike the previous apprentices, no matter how long they worked, they were just workers doing odd jobs. Chapter 22 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Zhou You was able to enter the medicine refinement room and officially start learning how to refine medicine after becoming a disciple. Originally, Zhou You thought apothecaries had a high status and that the process of making medicine would look very grand and cool. In the end, he was greatly disappointed. The process of refining medicine was not grand at all. Instead, it was very old-fashioned, like boiling soup on a daily basis. First, add water to a medicinal pot or cauldron of water and heat it. He placed the sliced herbs and medicinal powder into the vessel and boiled the ingredients in the order written on the prescription until it had turned to paste. Then, he let the paste cool naturally or quickly before rubbing it into balls with his hands. The pills were completed. Among them, he had to pay attention to the strength of the fire, the ratio of medicinal herbs, the time each medicinal herb could be placed in the pot, and the length of time they had to be boiled. Also, he had to look out for the state of the concoction before it was ready to move on to the next stage. In just three days, Zhou You had mastered the basics and successfully brewed his first pot of bacon soup. The bacon soup that had just been brewed was a jelly-like condensation that could be preserved for a long time. It could be consumed directly after adding boiling water. In addition to bacon soup, Cheng Yiqing was also able to make Blood Strengthening Pills, Essence Energy Pills, Muscle and Bone Pills and Bone Strengthening Pills, and a few other pills needed for Bone Forging and Body Forging martial artists. It was said that he could also refine Bone Forging Pills, but the success rate was too low and he did not pass the Apothecary Master Test for it. After learning how to brew Blood Strengthening Pills, he could earn an additional bonus in addition to a fixed salary. Originally, Zhou You could get a commission from Zhao Liuping and the others every month. Now that Lu Chuanfeng had provided all the pills needed for practicing martial arts, there was no need to buy any more. After more than a month, Zhou You¡¯s wallet gradually filled up. He actually had some savings. With the money, Zhou You redeemed the small courtyard that he had originally pawned and moved out from. Practicing martial arts at the Flesh Tempering level would cause a greater commotion. If he still wanted to practice external martial arts like the Iron Skin Technique, he would definitely not be able to hide it from Master Cheng. After all, they would only be separated by a wall, if he stayed in the apothecary. Master Cheng did not stop him. As an apothecary¡¯s disciple and a preparatory apothecary, Zhou You could be considered a first-class figure with status. It was understandable for him to pursue a better quality of life. Initially, Zhou You thought that his other master, Lu Chuanfeng, would stop him. However, for some reason, Master Lu only reminded him to be careful and let him be. He had no intention of stopping him. ¡­ After breaking through to the middle stage of Body Forging, Zhou You felt energetic and his cultivation time was greatly extended. However, he did not devote all his energy to practicing Ferocious Tiger Fist. Instead, he controlled it by practicing for an hour each morning and night to ensure that he could meet Master Lu¡¯s expectations. He spent the rest of his energy cultivating the Gale Phantom Kick. Now, he had basically confirmed his cultivation direction. He mainly cultivated the Ferocious Tiger Fist to increase his realm and strength. He focused on basic martial arts to obtain Martial Arts Points, and increase Affinity and Aptitude. Affinity determined one¡¯s cultivation speed and was applicable to all martial arts. The higher the Affinity, the faster the cultivation speed. Aptitude determined the compatibility of each martial art. The compatibility of each martial art was different. After adding points, it could only increase the compatibility of a particular martial art. From the looks of it, Aptitude was not as important as Affinity for the time being. Zhou You planned to increase his Affinity to 10 first before testing the effect of the increase in Aptitude. For the next period of time, Zhou You practiced the Gale Phantom Kick for two hours every day. In just seven days, he had perfected the Gale Phantom Kick. Gale Phantom Kick (Perfection) Aptitude: Gale Phantom Kick (52%) When he cultivated the Green Snake Fist to Perfection, his Aptitude increased by 5%. The Gale Phantom Kick had been cultivated to Perfection, and his Aptitude had also increased, but it was as high as 12%. Zhou You guessed that as his martial arts cultivation advanced, his Aptitude would continue to increase. However, there were too few cases for him to study, so he did not know how far it could increase. Zhou You was more concerned about another problem. He had made a breakthrough with the Ferocious Tiger Fist, but his Aptitude had not increased. Perhaps breaking into a small realm was not enough to increase one¡¯s Aptitude. It was the same as not being able to obtain Martial Arts Points. Perhaps advancement into a major realm would allow him to obtain Martial Arts Points at the same time and increase his Aptitude. It was useless to fantasize. Zhou You looked at the bottom of the interface. As expected, 1 Martial Arts Point appeared. Without any hesitation, Zhou You added Martial Arts Points to his Affinity. Affinity +1! Next, Zhou You¡¯s gaze landed on the two martial arts recorded on the interface that had yet to be initiated. Iron Skin Technique. Iron Arm Fist. Two external martial arts techniques. One of them was an external martial arts technique intended for his body, while the other focused on his hands. When practicing these techniques, the methods were extremely brutal. They used intense external stimulation to make their skin muscles hard. This was also to prevent the loss of Qi and blood. Compared to internal martial arts practitioners, external martial arts practitioners had stronger defense and strength. However, the practitioners were often only good at external martial arts. On the other hand, internal martial artists were more all-rounded. They would only know who would win and who would lose after fighting. After comprehending the principles of external martial arts, Zhou You made a revelation. He had finished refining his skin, and he could actually start cultivating external cultivation and complete the basic stage of strengthening his skin. However, the intensity of his cultivation had to be reduced appropriately. The internal force stimulated the membrane from the inside out, and the external hammering method stimulated the membrane. The final effect was similar. He recalled the cultivation methods of the Iron Skin Technique and the Iron Arm Fist. Zhou You decided to cultivate the less difficult Iron Arm Fist first. He parted his feet as wide as his shoulders. He exerted strength under his feet and his strength rose from the ground. The muscles in his entire body bulged as internal force gathered on his arms. At the same time, he used the technique mentioned in the secret manual to harness his energy. Pah pah pah pah! With a unique rhythm, his two hands formed palms and slapped the other forearm. Then, he clenched them into fists and hit the back of the other hand until they were red and swollen. He would use internal force to invigorate blood circulation and reduce the swelling. With that, he completed one cultivation session. Iron Arm Fist (Master) (0/7) He successfully mastered the Iron Arm Fist. In addition, what surprised Zhou You was the compatibility of the Iron Arm Fist. Aptitude: Iron Arm Fist (50%) Apart from the Ferocious Tiger Fist, Zhou You had cultivated three basic martial arts. The compatibility was from high to low. Green Snake Fist (55%) Iron Arm Fist (50%) Gale Phantom Kick (40%) This sequence was exactly the same as the proficiency required to cultivate each martial art! Green Snake Fist (Master) (0/5) Iron Arm Fist (Master) (0/7) Gale Phantom Kick (Master) (0/8) The difficulty of cultivation and the power of martial arts increased one after another. Zhou You came to a conclusion about this discovery for now. The stronger the martial arts, the lower the compatibility with one¡¯s body, and the more proficiency needed to cultivate. This also indirectly meant that the stronger the martial arts technique, the longer it would take to cultivate. This was an undeniably correct conclusion. In the days that followed, he was very disciplined. Every day was extremely fulfilling. He woke up early to cultivate the Ferocious Tiger Fist at home for an hour. In the morning, he studied theoretical knowledge in the apothecary. In the afternoon, he concocted pills in the medicine refinement room and sent them to the inner courtyard to receive Master Lu¡¯s guidance. At night, he went home to cultivate the Ferocious Tiger Fist for an hour. Then, he would cultivate the Iron Arm Fist for two hours. He used internal force to massage and invigorate blood circulation. Also, he used medicine he had brewed to apply as a heat compress to clear the heat and reduce the swelling. Now, every time he finished practicing the Iron Arm Fist, he only needed to rest for about ten minutes to return to normal. Two hours was enough to practice it ten times. Chapter 23 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations A month later, The bright moon hung high in the sky. Zhou You stood in front of the wooden dummy and took a deep breath. He stomped hard on the ground and his strength rose from the ground. It followed his strong thigh all the way up, past his waist, up the spine, into his shoulders, arms, and fists. All the muscles in his body bulged as internal force condensed. His fists were like hammers as he punched out. Pah! Crack! The wooden dummy swayed violently and finally broke at the waist. Its upper body flew far away and hit the courtyard wall. Zhou You¡¯s eyes lit up. He had specially gotten someone to customize this wooden dummy. The wood was tough, covered with leather, and used for the cultivation of the Iron Arm Fist. Tonight, he had cultivated the Iron Arm Fist to Perfection, so Zhou You tested its power. The result surprised and delighted him. This punch could directly break the wooden dummy. It had at least 500 kilograms of force. A few days ago, when he was conversing with Master Lu, his Ferocious Tiger Fist Flesh Tempering was only at its second level and had a fist strength of 400 to 450 kilograms. But now, it exceeded 500 kilograms of strength, which meant that the strength of the Iron Arm Fist had increased by at least 50 kilograms. This was the first time Zhou You had discovered such a situation. When the Green Snake Fist was cultivated to Perfection, the improvement was negligible. His Gale Phantom Kick had been cultivated to Perfection. There were not many leg moves in the Ferocious Tiger Fist to begin with, so Zhou You did not have much to compare against. He only felt that his lower body was slightly more stable, his footsteps were slightly lighter, and his endurance was slightly stronger. Now, his Iron Arm Fist had been cultivated to Perfection, but it had improved so much. As he carefully sensed it, he recalled the feeling when he had cultivated the Iron Arm Fist to Perfection. Zhou You realized that the skin and muscles in his hands were indeed slightly stronger than before. The internal force gathered from the complete cultivation of the Iron Arm Fist was absorbed by his muscles and actually strengthened them. Unfortunately, this kind of enhancement only happened once. It was useless to continue practicing the Iron Arm Fist. It was not like the Ferocious Tiger Fist. Every time he cultivated it, his muscles would be strengthened and he would continue to become stronger. After thinking for a moment, Zhou You picked up the Green Snake Fist that he had not practiced for a long time and practiced it completely. Hiss! His internal force was drawn out with the force of his fist. His muscles contracted and swallowed his internal force. Zhou You¡¯s eyes lit up. He felt that his strength had increased again. It was not much and just slightly over 5 kilograms. However, this discovery confirmed his guess. Cultivating basic martial arts would also strengthen muscles as long as one could gather internal force. However, he had not completed the skin refinement previously. His blood and Qi overflowed, and the effect of internal force strengthening his muscles was not obvious. This was a good thing. Cultivating basic martial arts now was no longer just to obtain Martial Arts Points. It could also increase one¡¯s strength. Delighted, Zhou You opened the interface. Name: Zhou You Affinity: 4 Aptitude: Ferocious Tiger Fist (22%), Green Snake Fist (60%), Gale Phantom Kick (52%), and Iron Arm Fist (60%). Comprehension: 100% Martial Arts: Ferocious Tiger Fist (Level 2) (373/1000), Green Snake Fist (Perfection), Gale Phantom Kick (Perfection), Iron Arm Fist (Perfection), and Iron Skin Technique (Uninitiated). Martial Arts Points: 1 There were not many changes. Other than the increase of one Martial Arts Point, the compatibility of the Iron Arm Fist had increased to 60%. Without any hesitation, Zhou You added Martial Arts Points to his Affinity, and it became 5. Next, it was time to cultivate the Iron Skin Technique. The cultivation of the Iron Skin Technique was similar to the Iron Arm Fist. However, it went from tempering the arms and fists to tempering the entire body. Zhou You had already thought of a practice method relying mainly on using wooden dummies and his hands as a supplement. The wooden dummy was broken, so he would need to buy a new one. Zhou You decided to wash up and rest before fighting tomorrow. ¡­ Before long, it was May. The Iron Skin Dojo and the Diamond Dojo were still at odds with each other, but they had restrained themselves a lot and no longer disturbed the market. Moreover, the area around Osmanthus Lane where Zhou You was located had already been included in the territory of the Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo. The conflict between the two dojos would not affect this area. On the east side of the river, the White Sand Gang was forced to retreat under the attacks of the Dark Shark Gang. They had completely retracted their sphere of influence back to the city. They were only limited to the docks and relied on the City Lord¡¯s Manor. The Black Stone Gang in the west of the river seized the opportunity and crossed the Meng River to confront the Dark Shark Gang, which was at its peak. In the context of the battle between the two gangs, only the merchant caravans heading south from the City Lord¡¯s Manor, the Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo, and the White Crane Fist Dojo could smoothly pass through. The other merchant caravans were charged high tolls and even lost their goods from time to time. Under such circumstances, the business of the Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo was booming. A large number of inner courtyard disciples were sent out as escorts. The disciples who stayed behind also had to strengthen their patrols and oversee the dojo¡¯s businesses. They became very busy. Even Lu Chuanfeng was very busy. He had not checked Zhou You¡¯s martial arts progress in half a month. Every time they met, he would only chat briefly and throw some pills at Zhou You. ¡­ On May 17th. The inner courtyard disciples of the Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo were gathered together, and it was extremely lively. In the afternoon, Zhou You completed his routine pill refinement. After sending it to the inner courtyard, he wanted to go home. However, Zhao Qing stopped him. ¡°Don¡¯t go back just yet. Eldest Senior Brother and the others are back. The dojo booked the sixth floor of Full Moon Inn to welcome them.¡± ¡°Eldest Senior Brother and the others are back?¡± Zhou You was stunned. To be honest, he had never met any of his seniors in his life. Lu Chuanfeng had fourteen disciples, and Zhou You was ranked fourteenth. Of course, on the surface, Lu Chuanfeng only had thirteen disciples. Among them, the second, fourth, sixth, seventh, tenth, and eleventh disciples died due to various accidents. Their names were unknown. Third Senior Brother called Meng Tianyang was born into the Meng Family. Fifth Senior Brother was called He Ruozhuo and was born in the He Family from Conch Creek Town. The two of them had already started a family and a career. Other than Lu Chuanfeng¡¯s birthday, they usually did not come to the dojo. The only one left in the dojo was Lu Li, the eldest disciple and the third son of his master. He was the only surviving son. Then came Eighth Senior Brother, known as Luo Jin, Ninth Senior Brother, known as Zhao Qing, Twelfth Senior Brother, known as Yu Wenli, and Thirteenth Senior Brother, known as He Ping. Zhou You often saw the last four senior brothers and knew them well. Among them, he was most familiar with Zhao Qing. Zhou You had never seen Eldest Senior Brother before. ¡°Before the New Year, Eldest Senior Brother, Third Senior Brother, and Fifth Senior Brother went to Yunzhou to participate in the sect tournament. They only came back today.¡± Zhao Qing explained. Only then did Zhou You understand. The headquarters of the Five Tigers Sect was located in Yunzhou, which was thousands of miles away. The dojos under their command were spread all over eight states and 180 counties. There were more than 300 dojos. Every three years, the Five Tigers Sect would hold a sect tournament to select genius disciples. They would also check the quality of the teaching in various dojos and distribute cultivation resources such as medicinal pills for the next three years. The process of the sect tournament was very simple. It depended on one¡¯s age and realm. Only Visceral Tempering martial artists under the age of 35 were qualified to participate in the sect tournament. Secondly, it depended on actual combat. The ultimate goal of practicing martial arts was to defeat the enemy and win. Only by winning would one be considered strong. In this sect tournament, the Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo¡¯s branch in Mengyang City sent out three Visceral Tempering disciples. It was quite standard. If a certain branch could not send out a Visceral Tempering disciple under the age of 35, they would be deemed to have failed and someone from the main branch would be sent to take over. As for the results of the tournament¡­ there was no need to place too much hope on it. Every time, they would always be the last place. It was impossible for it to be any worse. Mengyang City was located at the border, and its foundation was far inferior to those prefecture cities and county cities that had been developing for a long time. An ancestor of the Meng family had crossed the Meng River, mastered Nine Twists Fist, and advanced to become a high-ranked martial artist. It had only been more than a century since he gathered people and built the city here. Chapter 24 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Full Moon Inn was located on the most prosperous riverside road in the inner city. It was the largest restaurant in Mengyang City. It was of an extremely high grade and cost at least 100 taels of silver to dine there. This time, the dojo had spent more than 3000 taels to book an entire floor to welcome Eldest Senior Brother and the others. The one who paid was Third Senior Brother. Meng Tianyang. The others were not surprised. The Meng family had shares in Full Moon Inn. If someone from the Meng family dined here, they could get a discount. The disciples of the dojo were dressed in uniforms. 70 to 80 people walked out of the dojo grandly, crossed the bridge, and went to the Full Moon Inn. They swaggered through the city, attracting everyone¡¯s attention. There were many spies from the Dark Shark Gang in the city. The Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo¡¯s actions also served to show off their martial strength and intimidate others. ¡°Gentlemen, please go upstairs. This way.¡± As soon as they arrived at Full Moon Inn, a servant of the Meng family welcomed them and warmly led the way. Soon, everyone arrived on the sixth floor. Three imposing young men greeted them at the door with smiles on their faces. ¡°Eighth Brother, you¡¯re here. Master and our uncle-masters are chatting in the private room. Go and greet them first.¡± ¡°Ninth Brother, Twelfth Brother, Thirteenth Brother, you guys should go too.¡± ¡°Yes, Eldest Senior Brother.¡± ¡°Greetings, Third Senior Brother.¡± ¡°Greetings, Fifth Senior Brother.¡± ¡­ Through the conversation with others, Zhou You quickly identified the three senior brothers. The one with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes was Eldest Senior Brother, Lu Li. The one with a gentle face and refined temperament was Third Senior Brother, Meng Tianyang. The one with the honest face and sad smile was Fifth Senior Brother, He Ruozhuo. ¡°This must be Junior Brother Zhou from the apothecary. You¡¯re indeed a fine man. Let¡¯s have a few drinks when we have time.¡± Lu Li had obviously done his homework. He recognized Zhou You at a glance and greeted him warmly. ¡°Greetings, Eldest Senior Brother. A pleasure to meet you.¡± Zhou You cupped his hands and said politely. Lu Li gave him a good impression. ¡°The pleasure is all mine. Junior Brother Zhou, go in first. Master Cheng is also in the private room. Go and greet him first.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Zhou You walked towards the private room. There was a large round table in the private room, with seven people sitting on each side. Zhou You knew two masters, Lu Chuanfeng and Cheng Yiqing. The uncle-masters Tan Fei, Yang Yong, and Wang Hengsong were also there. There were two people he did not know, but they had extraordinary auras. They were clearly not ordinary people. Zhao Qing and the others stood behind Lu Chuanfeng and the others. From Lu Chuanfeng¡¯s actions and words, he seemed to be introducing his good disciples. There were also a few young men in fine clothes behind the two of them. They greeted them warmly under the introduction of their elders. As soon as Zhou You entered the private room, Cheng Yiqing¡¯s eyes lit up. He called out to him and began to introduce him. ¡°You¡¯er, this is Uncle Meng Zhaohui. Come and say hi.¡± ¡°Hello, Uncle Meng.¡± Zhou You had no choice but to do as he was told. ¡°You¡¯er, this is the chief constable of Mengyang City, Wei Changxin.¡± ¡°Greetings, Chief Constable Wei.¡± Zhou You took a second look at the legendary chief constable. There were simple job positions available under the City Lord¡¯s Manor, such as the treasury, constabulary, and so on. They were responsible for maintaining order in Mengyang County. It was the Meng family¡¯s private land. Many outsiders formed close relationships with the Meng family and even married into the family. Wei Changxin had married the three daughters of the previous head of the Meng family to secure his position as chief constable. After greeting the seniors, Lu Li and the other two received the guests and went into the private room. Zhou You and the other disciples left the private room. Although Lu Li and the other two were also disciples, Lu Li was Lu Chuanfeng¡¯s only son and the heir of the Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo. Meng Tianyang was a member of the Meng family, and Meng Zhaohui was his father. Although He Ruozhuo¡¯s background was not as good, he had already inherited the title of the head of the He family. He had earned his way to sit at the table. ¡­ After leaving the private room, Zhou You heaved a sigh of relief. The others left after exchanging a few pleasantries. Zhao Qing looked around and brought Zhou You around the hall to introduce new faces. This celebratory banquet was jointly held by Meng Zhaohui, the leader of the second branch of the Meng family, and the Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo. Everyone who came was one of their own. Most of those unfamiliar faces were from the Meng family. Among them, there were many young and beautiful girls. They were surrounded by many hormonal male disciples from the dojo. The Meng Family was a big family, and the women from the branch families did not enjoy many benefits. If a disciple of the dojo took a fancy to them, it would be best if he was a direct disciple of the dojo master. That would make him a good potential candidate to date. Zhao Qing gave a simple introduction before being pulled away by a few people from the Meng family. They said that they wanted to introduce someone to him. Zhao Qing smiled apologetically at Zhou You and ran away. Zhou You was the only one left. He sat in a corner and ate snacks silently. Occasionally, someone would chat with him for a while before leaving quickly. There were also girls who asked about him. After learning that he was only the apothecary¡¯s disciple, they all lost interest in him. An apothecary¡¯s disciple¡¯s status was not low and their income was quite abundant. Since they came from a martial arts family, they preferred martial artists who were strong and could give them a sense of security. The welcoming banquet was very lively. However, Zhou You was not interested. He could not be bothered to spend time and energy trying to socialize with important characters or meet women. After rejecting a few invitations, no one came looking for Zhou You anymore. The disciples of the dojo were already used to Zhou You¡¯s behavior. The Meng clan had alchemists, and their numbers for apothecaries went as high as double digits. They had a sufficient supply of medicinal pills, so there was no need to curry favor with an apothecary¡¯s disciple who had yet to graduate. On the other hand, Zhao Qing and the others were like fish in the water surrounded by women. ¡°Junior Brother Zhou, come, let¡¯s have a drink.¡± He Ping broke free from the crowd and looked around before walking towards Zhou You. ¡°I¡¯m not good at drinking. I hope Senior Brother He can forgive me.¡± Zhou You shook his head and refused. Thirteenth Senior Brother was only 20 years old and was still full of vigor. Now, he smelled like fragrance and makeup. Although he had already left the center of the vortex, his gaze was still lingering and his face was filled with regret. ¡°Senior Brother He, there are so many girls. Don¡¯t you like any of them? With your charm, it won¡¯t be a problem for you to take them down.¡± Zhou You was bored, but it was rude for him to leave early. Zhou You¡¯s eyes darted around and he suddenly joked. He Ping was fair and clean, and his looks were ranked among the top among the senior brothers. He was young and passionate given his youth and was very popular with the girls. ¡°Alas!¡± He Ping sighed and shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll have to pass for now. I¡¯m at a critical moment. I need to stabilize my essence and can¡¯t afford to get distracted.¡± Zhou You was stunned for a moment before a look of joy appeared on his face. He cupped his hands and said, ¡°Congratulations, Senior Brother He.¡± He understood what He Ping meant. He Ping had already started the Purification process! Cultivation during the Purification Stage was mainly to repair the hidden injuries in the body, stabilize the essence energy to keep it at its peak and consolidate true blood. During this period, if a large amount of essence energy was lost and needed to be restored, it would greatly extend the cultivation time of the Purification stage. In that case, out of Master¡¯s eight disciples, three were already Visceral Tempering martial artists and four of them were Purification martial artists. He was the only pitiful Body Forging martial artist. However, Zhou You did not belittle himself. In fact, He Ping was already taken in as a disciple by the master six years ago. He was originally nurtured as his last direct disciple. He Ping did not let him down. In just six years, he completed the Body Forging and Bone Forging stages and entered the Purification stage. At this rate, there was a chance that he could complete Visceral Tempering before the age of thirty and enter the Five Tigers Sect¡¯s headquarters to further his studies. After nurturing a 30-year-old Visceral Tempering martial artist, Lu Chuanfeng would complete the headquarters¡¯ mission. He could return to the mountain to retire and enjoy his life. Six years¡­ Zhou You was certain that six years later, he would definitely be stronger than the current Senior Brother He. Chapter 25 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations The alcohol got to his head, and He Ping became a chatterbox. He pulled Zhou You along and asked him all sorts of questions. Zhou You was tired of talking to him. After some time, He Ping finally left him alone. Before he was able to enjoy his peace enough, Zhao Qing walked over, reeking of alcohol. ¡°Junior Brother Zhou, are you interested in any of these pretty girls?¡± Originally, Zhao Qing was so intoxicated by the women around him that he could not find his directions. Unexpectedly, Eldest Senior Brother called him over and tasked him with the mission involving Zhou You. The mission was very simple. It was to introduce girls to Zhou You. After some thought, Zhao Qing understood Eldest Senior Brother¡¯s intentions. Eldest Senior Brother was already 33 years old this year. In the next sect tournament, he would have already passed the threshold of 35 years old and could no longer represent the dojo to participate. This time, he would not only focus on martial arts like before. Instead, he would start taking over the affairs of the dojo and start a family. In a few years, when his master was old, he would pass the position of dojo master to his eldest senior brother. Since Eldest Senior Brother would become the dojo master, he naturally had to nurture his own team. Apothecaries were indispensable. Master Cheng was about the same age as Lu Chuanfeng. When Lu Chuanfeng retired, he would probably take the opportunity to retire along with Lu Chuanfeng. The person who took over the apothecary would be his only disciple, Zhou You. Now, Lu Li wanted to introduce Zhou You to a woman from a good family with close ties to him. If he succeeded, Zhou You would definitely be closer to the dojo in the future. ¡°Senior Brother Zhao, you must be joking. I¡¯m still young and haven¡¯t graduated yet. How would I dare to have improper thoughts?¡± Zhou You shook his head and refused. ¡°Junior Brother, you¡¯re wrong. As the saying goes, men should start a family before starting a career. Family comes first and career second.¡± Zhao Qing shook his head. ¡°Besides, although you haven¡¯t finished your apprenticeship yet, you can already refine Blood Strengthening Pills. Also, your income is quite decent. You should have a family and children to strengthen the Zhou family¡¯s bloodline. I¡¯m sure that¡¯s what your parents want.¡± Without waiting for Zhou You to answer, Zhao Qing looked around the crowd and pointed in a certain direction. ¡°Junior Brother Zhou, the tall girl with long legs and flawless complexion on the left, is the eldest daughter of the Liu family, Liu Ruyi. She¡¯s 16 years old and smart. She¡¯s already working in her family¡¯s fabric store.¡± ¡°In the future, she would definitely be a good wife. It would be a real blessing to marry her.¡± ¡°Junior Brother, what do you think of her? Do you want me to introduce you to her and try to get together with her?¡± ¡°The two of you have already started working to earn money. You should have common topics to talk about.¡± Zhou You followed Zhao Qing¡¯s finger and looked over. She was indeed a beauty. Her posture was dignified, and her taste in clothes was extremely outstanding among the girls. She looked rather smart. However, although she was beautiful, she was not his cup of tea. Besides, he was only fifteen years old this year and his martial arts had yet to break through the Purification Stage. He had no plans to start a family for the time being. Master Lu valued him so much. If he knew that Zhao Qing had introduced someone to him, would he break his legs? Zhou You looked at Zhao Qing playfully and rejected him tactfully, ¡°Senior Brother Zhao, I don¡¯t like people older than me.¡± Zhao Qing was stunned. Only then did he realize that Junior Brother Zhou was so young. It was just that Junior Brother Zhou usually did things with composure. When they interacted with each other, it felt like they were of the same age and not a youth who had yet to come of age. Perhaps this was how hardships made people grow. He was not embarrassed. He pointed at another petite girl with baby fat on her face and introduced her to Zhou You. ¡°This is Landlord Chen¡¯s youngest daughter. She should be thirteen years old this year. One look and you can tell that she¡¯s a beauty.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re interested in her, you could get engaged first and marry her in two years.¡± ¡°Landlord Chen has a lot of land in the countryside and his family background is okay. However, he has no connections in the city. He could only attend this banquet because of his relationship with Third Senior Brother.¡± ¡°If Third Senior Brother puts in a good word for you, I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t say no.¡± Thirteen? Zhou You went speechless. This age¡­ was simply incredible. Although he had accepted many things about this time, there were some cultures Zhou You could not condone from this era. ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Senior Brother Zhao. However, I don¡¯t have any plans to start a family for the time being, so I won¡¯t trouble you.¡± Zhou You refused again, his tone firm. Sensing Zhou You¡¯s attitude, Zhao Qing scratched his head and did not introduce any more women to him. After exchanging a few pleasantries, he walked towards a group of women. He was at the critical Purification Stage, so he had no intention of really finding a partner to use his essence elsewhere. However, just looking at them was very pleasing to the eye. The words ¡®big brother¡¯ were also very pleasant to his ears, making him feel happy. Finally, it was quiet. Zhou You heaved a sigh of relief. He stood up and walked around. He carried a few snacks back to the corner and prepared to eat heartily. At this moment, there was a commotion outside. ¡°The sixth floor is reserved by the Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo. Stop, or don¡¯t blame me for being impolite!¡± ¡°Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo? Who do you think you are? Get lost!¡± ¡°Watch your tongue, or don¡¯t blame me¡­¡± ¡°Watch my tongue? How shameless can you get? What do you plan on doing about it?¡± ¡­ The noise outside became louder and louder, and the sound resounded throughout the hall. The expressions of the disciples of the dojo immediately darkened. Many of them stood up angrily and walked towards the door. The people outside were so arrogant. They did not take the Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo seriously. The disciples treated the dojo as half their family, if not more. They could not tolerate outsiders insulting them. However, before they could reach the door, they heard a loud crack. The door opened with a bang and a figure flew in from the outside. Swoosh! Among all the disciples of the Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo in the hall, Luo Jin was the closest. He immediately got up and rushed over when he noticed the conflict outside. At this moment, he happened to be at the front. When he saw the junior brother guarding the door sent flying in, his anger immediately surged. He quickly walked forward and reached out to scoop him up. As soon as he touched his junior brother¡¯s back, a force that exceeded his expectations came, and his feet were involuntarily lifted off the ground. Luo Jin¡¯s expression changed. He immediately took a deep breath and shifted his center of gravity downwards. At the same time, he exerted strength in his waist and abdomen. He tapped the ground with his front foot and spun on the spot two and a half times like a top before he could stabilize himself and gently put his junior brother down. ¡°Cool!¡± ¡°Beautiful! Senior Brother Luo has such nimble moves!¡± Luo Jin was carrying someone in his arms. His clothes fluttered in the wind, attracting a round of flattery from people outside of the martial arts trade. However, as soon as the last man spoke, things went quiet. The intruders shot murderous gazes at him. Instantly, he shrunk his neck like a quail and did not dare to say anything else. Luo Jin felt extremely awkward, but at this moment, he had no time to pay attention to it. He looked at the door with a solemn expression. The other disciples consciously stood behind Luo Jin, forming a human wall. Their eyes were cold and angry as they looked outside. The Meng clan disciples lagged behind and watched coldly from the side. Although the Meng family had paid for this welcome banquet and organized it with the Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo, the main star for the night was the Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo. If someone dared to cause trouble for the Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo in Full Moon Inn, they would not stand up for them even though they had put the Meng family in the spot. The Meng family would only demand the other party to apologize later. The Meng Family was the sky of Mengyang City. Regardless of the conflict, the Meng family would not be at the forefront. But in the end, the Meng family would always benefit the most. This was the Meng family¡¯s way of life. Chapter 26 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Under everyone¡¯s gaze, two burly middle-aged men walked in. He looked at Luo Jin with admiration. ¡°Kid, not a bad fighter.¡± One of them looked around and said disdainfully, ¡°However, are these the only twats that the Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo is capable of grooming?¡± Everyone glared at him indignantly. The Meng family was no exception. The moment this person opened his mouth, he offended everyone, including them. ¡°Damn you¡­¡± Someone could not hold it in anymore and shouted angrily. Luo Jin quickly raised his hand to stop him. He cupped his hands and said in a deep voice, ¡°May I know who you are? What business do you have here? If my junior brother has offended the two of you, allow me to apologize.¡± After exchanging blows in the air, he knew that this person was not weak. He was definitely a Visceral Tempering martial artist. Although the Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo was not afraid of Visceral Tempering martial artists, these two people were new faces whom he had never seen before. In order not to cause unnecessary trouble for the dojo, Luo Jin chose to make peace. The two of them glanced at the crowd disdainfully and snorted. ¡°Apologize? Get lost now. I¡¯m a magnanimous person and won¡¯t take your offense to heart.¡± ¡°Hurry up and get lost. Don¡¯t be an eyesore here and affect my mood while I eat.¡± Hearing this, everyone¡¯s anger rose again. A lot of faces turned red from anger and were about to attack. Even though they knew that the two people in front of them were powerful. However, there were 180 martial artists here. Many among them were Purification and Bone Forging stage martial artists. Just the number of Visceral Tempering martial artists present was enough to bury them. Luo Jin¡¯s expression changed. Just as he was about to speak, a loud voice came from behind him. ¡°Alright, back off.¡± ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Luo Jin turned around and bowed, retreating to the side. When the others heard this, they parted to the sides and looked at the five people walking over with burning eyes. Lu Chuanfeng was in front. Lu Li was next to him. Tan Fei, Yang Yong, and Wang Hengsong followed behind. It was inconvenient for the Meng family to get involved with Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo matters. He Ruozhuo had already become the head of the family. Every move he made concerned the entire He family. He was told by Lu Chuanfeng to stay in the private room. Cheng Yiqing was a weak apothecary and was not suitable to charge into battle. ¡°My friends, may I know where you are from? If Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo has offended you, you¡¯re welcome to set a date and time to challenge us officially.¡± Lu Chuanfeng cupped his hands and spoke slowly. Suddenly, he changed the topic. He raised his eyebrows and his eyes narrowed as an invisible aura pressed forward. ¡°If you barged into our banquet for no reason, I can only invite the two of you out.¡± He emphasized the word ¡®please¡¯. Obviously, the way they invited him out would not be very polite. Five Visceral Tempering martial artists from the Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo stood in front of them. Some of them even called Tiger Lu the number one Visceral Tempering martial artist in Mengyang City. The two people at the door were still standing there, looking fearless. However, when Lu Chuanfeng spoke, the two of them looked at each other and their expressions became serious. One of them said, ¡°Are you Tiger Lu? Looks like you have some strength to speak of. You¡¯re not someone with an undeserved reputation.¡± ¡°We came here for no other reason than to take a look at Tiger Lu, who had shaken the entire Mengyang City.¡± ¡°Since we have already seen you, we would naturally take our leave. ¡°Please forgive us for disturbing you.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the two of them turned around and left without any attachment. Everyone in the room stared at each other in confusion. Lu Chuanfeng clenched and unclenched his fists, then clenched and unclenched them again. In the end, he sighed imperceptibly and turned around to speak. ¡°The banquet continues.¡± If he was still young, with their attitudes, he would have beaten them up so badly that even their mothers could not recognize them. Now that he was old, he was not as rash as before. Thinking of the marriage arrangements he had just decided on for Lu Li had just discussed, a smile crept onto his face. Lu Chuanfeng returned to the private room and started chatting happily. Although the trouble was gone, the banquet atmosphere was no longer there, so things ended quickly before nine o¡¯clock. After leaving Full Moon Inn, Zhou You looked up at the sky. It was drizzling, and the sky was gloomy, making it impossible to see clearly. ¡­ Outside the city. On a small mountain covered in pine trees. A middle-aged man in a python robe stood proudly on the mountain with his hands behind his back and eyes narrowed. Behind him, black shadows stood in silence. Splash! The night wind passed through the pine forest, bringing with it a series of extremely soft sounds. The sound grew louder and closer. Soon, it stopped in front of the man. ¡°Qi Shan, Qi Lin, have you seen him? How is it?¡± The middle-aged man in embroidered clothes suddenly asked without opening his eyes. ¡°Lord Tie, we¡¯ve seen him. Tiger Lu¡¯s reputation is well-deserved. Even if the two of us join forces, I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t be a match for him.¡± Not far away, two people knelt on one knee and one of them replied respectfully. Judging from their appearances, they were the two people who had just caused trouble at Full Moon Inn and then left for no reason. ¡°Oh?¡± Lord Tie suddenly opened his eyes, and a bright light flashed in his eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to find such an expert in a border area. The Five Tigers Sect is indeed a first-grade sect. They have a deep foundation and unfathomable strength.¡± He was very clear about the strength of his subordinates. Qi Shan and Qi Lin had both achieved Greater Mastery of the Visceral Tempering Stage. If the two of them joined forces, it would be difficult for them to find a match among Visceral Tempering martial artists. Unexpectedly, in a small town like Mengyang City, there was a Visceral Tempering martial artist with the ability to suppress the Qi brothers. ¡°Can he be recruited?¡± Initially, Lord Tie was conducting business casually, but he had now taken an interest. ¡°Not likely, I¡¯m afraid.¡± Qi Shan said with uncertainty, ¡°Lord Tie, Tiger Lu, and the Meng family have already arranged a marriage for their son and daughter. At that time, there were people from the Meng family present, so we did not try to recruit him.¡± With that, Qi Shan lowered his head, looking a little nervous. ¡°The two of you should return to the team. There¡¯s no need to interact with the other factions. The martial arts sects are ultimately unreliable.¡± Lord Tie did not take the outcome to heart. After pondering for a moment, he asked, ¡°Qiu Lin, what¡¯s the situation on your side?¡± Someone stepped out from the shadows behind him and said, ¡°The Dark Shark Gang is interested in cooperating, but they need our help to deal with the Black Stone Gang.¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Lord Tie snorted coldly. ¡°The Dark Shark Gang sure has the cheek to ask. After dealing with the Black Stone Gang, do they plan to unify the east and west of the river and take over Mengyang City? Have they stopped to look at themselves? How could they have such an appetite?¡± When no one responded, Lord Tie asked, ¡°What about the Plum Mountain Bandits?¡± ¡°The Plum Mountain Bandits don¡¯t want to leave the mountain.¡± Qiu Lin hesitated for a moment before continuing, ¡°They said they won¡¯t do it unless you can help them get a black-level mutated beast.¡± ¡°Black-level mutated beast?¡± Lord Tie sneered, ¡°If I had such a thing, I would have given it to you long ago. Why would I give it to an outsider?¡± After saying that, Lord Tie looked up at the sky and muttered, ¡°At the emperor¡¯s grace, I was bestowed with a name and granted the post of patrol inspector to survey the lands.¡± ¡°After leaving Yuanzhou, I have traveled to 70 cities. However, I was unable to investigate a single official or patrol a single city. Not a single person took my orders seriously.¡± ¡°Did this land still belong to the Dayuan Dynasty?¡± ¡°Do these countless subjects still respect the Dayuan Dynasty?¡± ¡°I shall follow the deceased Emperor¡¯s orders and overcome all obstacles to re-establish the golden age of the Dayuan Dynasty.¡± Tie Shou looked in the direction of Mengyang City, his eyes filled with determination. Chapter 27 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations In the inner courtyard of Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo A group of direct disciples exchanged blows in the courtyard. Lu Chuanfeng watched from the side and occasionally gave some pointers. The other disciples watched the battle from the side and cheered loudly. Occasionally, one or two people would step forward to challenge him, but most of them got quickly defeated. Lu Chuanfeng had three junior brothers. Since they got along, they settled down here and taught their disciples martial arts. If any of their disciples performed well, they would also transfer them to Lu Chuanfeng. After all, they did not have deep ties with the sect like Lu Chuangfeng, so they could not obtain many medicinal pills and resources. This time, Lu Li and two other disciples went to the sect tournament. Thanks to Lu Chuanfeng, they gained many benefits and improved in strength. After returning, Tan Fei and the other two uncle-masters exchanged a few moves with them. However, they stopped fighting before long, afraid that they would lose face. Zhou You did not leave after delivering the medicine. He stayed at the side to watch the battle. Ever since he became Cheng Yiqing¡¯s disciple, he had been recognized by the dojo as one of their own. There was no harm in watching the disciples practice martial arts. ¡°Eighth Brother, that was good.¡± Meng Tianyang easily forced Luo Jin back with a palm strike. He retreated to Lu Chuanfeng¡¯s side and spoke softly. ¡°Master, I¡¯ve already asked around. The two people from last night were called Qi Shan and Qi Lin. They were originally figures in the green forest of Qizhou. Later, they caused trouble and fled to Yuanzhou. They were recruited by the Imperial Court and entered the office of the Patrol Division.¡± The Meng family¡¯s intelligence network was far better than the Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo. ¡°Someone from the Patrol Division? Since they appeared in Mengyang City, there should be a patrol inspector here, right?¡± Lu Chuanfeng raised his eyebrows. ¡°Are there still inspectors who dare to patrol the area? Aren¡¯t they afraid of being robbed and drowned?¡± Lu Chuanfeng did not deliberately lower his voice. As soon as these words were spoken, laughter immediately sounded in the inner courtyard. Although the Yuan family controlled 63 states, the country still belonged to Dayuan Dynasty. However, the Yuan family was the Yuan family. The Dayuan Imperial Court was the Dayuan Imperial Court. The Yuan family was publicly acknowledged as the number one aristocratic family in the land. As for the Dayuan Imperial Court¡­ It was nothing! Then again, it was not entirely true. To say the least, the country succeeded in promoting the nine ranks of martial arts. It corresponded to the ninth grade system of classifying aristocratic families and sects. The Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo was actually a Rank-6 sect, but no one inside or outside had ever called it that. Instead, they regarded it as a force under the Five Tigers Sect. Sects below Rank-4 were often collectively called unranked. There were also state lords and county lords, which were generally recognized by the states and counties. All the state lords were Rank-1 officials. The county lords under the state lord ranged from Rank-2 to Rank-4. Rank-4 was a threshold. It was considered a high rank and had the qualifications to build a city and gather people. The City Lord of Mengyang City was a Rank-3 County Lord. Of the 33 counties in Baizhou, it belonged to Central County. According to the duties of the Patrol Division, they had the right to patrol the area and impeach the county lord. But¡­ it had been a long time since there was such a hard-headed patrol inspector. After laughing for a while, Lu Chuanfeng raised his hand to stop him and looked at Meng Tianyang. ¡°Then it seems that our patrol inspector doesn¡¯t know the rules very well. He didn¡¯t even come to visit and even wanted to show off his strength. Isn¡¯t he afraid of spraining his ankle?¡± ¡°Tianyang, it¡¯s rare to see such an insensible patrol inspector. How do we want to handle it this time?¡± His tone was filled with mockery. Last night, he had suddenly encountered two Visceral Tempering martial artists of unknown origins who had come to provoke him. Lu Chuanfeng had been worried for a while, afraid that he had inadvertently provoked someone. After knowing that it was someone from the Patrol Division, he was relieved. The Patrol Division was the face of the Dayuan Dynasty, so they still cared about their reputation. ¡°How? Let¡¯s go by the same old rules. The people from the Patrol Division have a lot of grease. We can provide them with good food and drinks first. Once they run out of money, they can get their asses back to Yuanzhou.¡± Meng Tianyang looked nonchalant. He glanced at his master and said with a smile. ¡°If you are not satisfied, the mountain road near Mengyang City is steep and difficult to walk on. It¡¯s completely normal for two people to fall to their deaths, right?¡± Every eight to ten years, a patrol inspector would come. The Meng family already knew how to handle them. Upon seeing his master¡¯s satisfied expression, Meng Tianyang continued, ¡°By the way, Master, this patrol inspector has already sent an invitation this morning. He will enter the city in the afternoon to pay a visit to Eldest Uncle. Do you want to go?¡± Meng Tianyang¡¯s eldest uncle was naturally the City Lord, Meng Chaoyun. It was not like he had never seen a patrol inspector before. What was there to see? Lu Chuanfeng was about to refuse when he saw the curious expressions of the surrounding disciples. He pondered for a moment and said, ¡°I won¡¯t be going to the City Lord¡¯s Manor. Which route does the patrol inspector plan to take? I can take a look from afar and see what kind of person he is.¡± ¡°He¡¯s an official of the Imperial Court, so he naturally has to use the main bridge and enter through the main entrance.¡± Meng Tianyang pondered for a moment and said, ¡°Master, let¡¯s go to Full Moon Inn where the view is broad.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡­ In the afternoon. On the sixth floor of Full Moon Inn. A group of people sat in front of the window, chatting and laughing. From time to time, they would greet their peers who had appeared from the stairs not far away. It was true. After learning that the patrol inspector had entered the city, many people came to watch the show. Not only the Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo, but the other three dojos, two gangs, and some small factions had also come. The White Crane Fist Dojo was a branch of the Thousand Crane Sect. Although its power was inferior to the Five Tigers Sect, they were quite on par with each other. The disciples of the White Crane Fist Dojo were dressed in white. There were various accessories embedded in their collars and sleeves. Most of them were slender and good-looking. There were many female disciples among them. A few of them looked familiar. They were girls from the Meng family who had attended the welcoming banquet last night. A few gazes kept darting back and forth between the Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo and the White Crane Fist Dojo, looking at each other affectionately. The Iron Skin Dojo¡¯s disciples were dressed in black. One look and one could tell that they were capable and powerful. Zhou You was slightly more familiar with them. He immediately saw Lin Yu, who was surrounded like a star. Two months had passed, and Lin Yu had grown much taller. His body had also swelled up, and he no longer looked thin and weak. Instead, he was filled with strength. What caught Zhou You¡¯s attention was that Lin Yu had already completed his Body Forging and was beginning to do Bone Forging. The speed of his improvement made Zhou You feel a rare sense of defeat. People with special physiques were so enviable. He still had to train hard to condense internal force to stimulate and strengthen his muscles. As long as a person with innate divine strength ate voraciously, they could transform nutrients into muscles. Moreover, they could easily mobilize the strength of all the muscles in their body to condense it into internal force. Then, they could strengthen their skin, muscles, and bones, and their strength would advance by leaps and bounds. A little further away from the west of the river were the disciples of the Diamond Dojo. They were dressed in yellow and most of them had broad shoulders and round arms. Also, they were tall. There were even a few people whose fat on their necks and stomachs trembled as they walked, making people wonder if they could make a move. Similarly, they also practiced external martial arts. The Iron Skin Dojo had taken root among the lower classes and developed a short-term crash course. The commoners could also learn it for a period of time with just a bit of money. Most of the porters and laborers at the docks had learned martial arts at the Iron Skin Dojo. The disciples of the Diamond Dojo were mainly from wealthy families in the city. Their families were rich, but they were not talented enough. They loved to cause trouble. Not far from the Diamond Dojo was the Black Stone Gang. They were dressed in black and had embroidered patterns on their chests to distinguish them. Recently, the Black Stone Gang and the Dark Shark Gang were fighting outside the city. The gang members held their heads high and puffed out their chests, their fighting spirits high. On the other hand, the White Sand Gang, which was separated by a river, lowered their heads looking defeated. They were listless and only occasionally looked in the direction of the bridge with slight gloating in their eyes. All the factions and people were here to see the patrol inspector make a fool of himself. There were also some people who looked at the Full Moon Inn. The Patrol Division crashed their party last night. How would Tiger Lu react to the incident? Chapter 28 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Inside Full Moon Inn, Lu Chuanfeng¡¯s expression was calm. He did not care about the strange gazes. ¡°Li¡¯er, are we really not going to make a move?¡± Although he had received an affirmative answer previously, Lu Chuanfeng still wanted to confirm it again. ¡°Father, that¡¯s right.¡± Lu Li said indifferently, ¡°The Ferocious Tiger Dojo is independent and not a vassal of the Meng Family. Why should we fight their fight for them? It was just a minor dispute and no harm was done.¡± ¡°Li¡¯er, I¡¯m glad you think this way. I can hand the dojo over to you with peace of mind in the future.¡± Lu Chuanfeng nodded his head in satisfaction. If the other factions in the city had done this, he would have long gone to them and asked for an explanation. However, it would be a joke if the people from the Patrol Division acted rashly. It was not good to kill him directly. There would be endless trouble in the future. Zhou You looked out the window and listened to the words in his ears as he thought to himself. It seemed that the imperial power in this world was really weak. It was just a small dojo in a small border town, yet they did not even take the patrol inspector seriously. According to the description, the patrol inspector used to be a high-ranking imperial envoy. However, people unexpectedly disrespected him here. If it were Zhou You, he would definitely have nowhere to vent his anger. He could not be sure if he could restrain himself from causing trouble. ¡°Master, Third Senior Brother just sent a message. Yesterday, the patrol inspector sent someone to contact the Plum Mountain Bandits and the Dark Shark Gang to recruit them,¡± Luo Jin reported. Today, the Meng family held a banquet to entertain the inspector. As an outstanding disciple of the younger generation, Meng Tianyang had to stay at home to receive important guests. However, he did not forget to send a message to the Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo. ¡°Recruit the Plum Mountain Bandits and Dark Shark Gang?¡± Lu Chuanfeng frowned. ¡°Why did they look for us then? Do they think we¡¯re one of those people without any backing?¡± Pausing for a moment, Lu Chuanfeng seemed to have thought of something and asked, ¡°Has he come into contact with the other forces in the city?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Luo Jin replied. ¡°That¡¯s interesting.¡± Lu Chuanfeng clicked his tongue and turned to Lu Li. ¡°Li¡¯er, what do you think?¡± ¡°If I don¡¯t do anything wrong, I won¡¯t be afraid of ghosts knocking on my door in the middle of the night.¡± Lu Li thought for a while and said calmly, ¡°As long as the Ferocious Tiger Boxing Dojo is upright, no one can touch us.¡± Lu Chuanfeng opened his mouth, wanting to say something. ¡°He¡¯s here!¡± Suddenly, someone shouted from the side, attracting everyone¡¯s attention. Zhou You leaned against the window and looked in the direction of the voice. On the spacious street, a cavalry slowly walked over. In front of him, there was a strong man carrying a flag that was dozens of feet tall on his shoulder. There were white words on a black background, and the words ¡°Patrol¡± were written in large letters. It represented the patrol inspector. Behind the flag, a middle-aged man in embroidered clothes sat on the back of a horse. He smiled at the onlookers and waved his hand from time to time. Behind him, more than ten black-clothed cavalries held their reins and walked silently. According to the rules of Mengyang City, horses were not allowed on the main roads of the city. It was already an exception for the patrol inspector to cross the street on horseback. It represented respect for the Imperial Court. ¡°Is this the patrol inspector? He looks quite impressive riding across the bridge.¡± ¡°Those are good horses. I wonder if I can ride one of those. It will definitely feel awesome taking them out for a walk in the spring!¡± ¡°It¡¯s said that the patrol inspector is a Rank-4 expert. Most of his subordinates are martial artists at the Visceral Tempering or Purification stage. I wonder if we have the chance to test his moves.¡± ¡°His clothes look good. It doesn¡¯t look like it¡¯s sold in the city. Anyone who can get their hands on them will make a killing.¡± ¡°I heard that the patrol inspector is very rich and will definitely not be stingy with his expenses. If you have any good ideas, why don¡¯t you share them?¡± ¡­ Many people¡¯s eyes landed on the patrol inspector¡¯s group as they commented with burning gazes. It was as if they had seen a fat sheep. The street was not cordoned off. From time to time, pedestrians and children would run into the middle of the road. The group could only stop and wait for the road ahead to clear before continuing. They proceeded slowly for more than an hour. Other than some small interludes, there were no accidents. Many people were disappointed. When it was almost dark, the group successfully crossed the bridge and was led to the City Lord Manor for a banquet. Seeing that the commotion was over, everyone dispersed. ¡­ The patrol inspector arrived with great fanfare. However, it was as if nothing had happened. The business had only improved slightly in a few areas. Other than that, his presence only served as gossip for people to pass time. In the inner city, at Grand View Garden. It was said that a certain patriarch of the Meng Family traveled around Yuanzhou and saw the prosperity of the state. When he returned, he imitated some of the iconic buildings of Yuanzhou and built a manor. It was usually not open to the public and was only used to receive VIPs. Arrangements were made for Tie Shou and the others to live in the Grand View Garden. It was not free. The daily accommodation fee was as high as 1,000 taels of silver. If they stayed for a year or so, the Meng family would be able to recover the cost of building the Grand View Garden. Tie Shou had also sent people to look for other places, but their standards were too low. As the face of the Imperial Court, it was not like he did not have money. Naturally, Tie Shou would not mistreat himself. Either the asking price was too high or the place was small. They had to live with others and it was quite inconvenient to do things. In a serious comparison, the Grand View Garden was actually the most cost-effective. Inside the spacious property, apart from a few chefs and servants, the Meng family did not arrange for anyone else to monitor their every move. After dinner, Tie Shou dismissed the servants and called Qi Shan, Qi Lin, and Qiu Lin for a meeting. There were more than ten people under him. All of them were considered to be highly skilled in martial arts, but only three of them were more intelligent. A man could not rely on his intelligence alone, so Tie Shou often listened to his subordinates¡¯ opinions and suggestions. ¡°We¡¯ve been here for a few days. What do you think of Mengyang City?¡± Tie Shou went straight to the point. The three of them looked at each other. Qi Shan said hesitantly, ¡°Although Mengyang City is a part of Central County, as far as I know, the Meng family doesn¡¯t have any Rank-3 experts. The strongest is only a Rank-4 expert.¡± ¡°With your skills, it won¡¯t be a problem for you to take down a Rank-4 martial artist from a small town. Why don¡¯t you¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bring this up again!¡± Tie Shou cut him off with a glare. In terms of just martial arts alone, the Yuan Family was number one in the country. How did the Dayuan Dynasty end up like this? As a patrol inspector, he would not be so embarrassed. ¡°Qiu Lin, you have to be more careful. Tell me about your investigations.¡± Qiu Lin organized his words and said, ¡°Lord Tie, from what I¡¯ve seen these past few days, the Meng family is strict in managing the family and has a good way of dealing with them.¡± ¡°Almost no one in the Meng family has committed crimes in the country. The business in the city is thriving. Although the people were not rich, they rarely sold their daughters as servants.¡± ¡°The various factions have conflicts from time to time, but it¡¯s nothing serious. They rarely affect the people and the prosperity of the land.¡± After a pause, Qiu Lin concluded, ¡°The Meng Family has been established for less than a hundred years and is still in a period of flourishing development. It has not begun to decay yet.¡± ¡°If you want to get what you want, I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be easy.¡± ¡°I know what you mean.¡± Tie Shou sighed. ¡°However, the inland has been peaceful for a long time. The aristocratic families have long been deeply rooted for many generations. Their foundation is unfathomable and cannot be touched lightly.¡± ¡°Only this new territory at the border has room for you to operate.¡± ¡°Lord Tie, what should we do?¡± Qiu Lin asked. ¡°Wait.¡± Tie Shou thought for a while and smiled bitterly. ¡°Wait?¡± Qiu Lin and the others were confused. ¡°Yes, we wait!¡± Tie Shou stood up with an inexplicable expression. ¡°In any case, I can¡¯t do anything. I might as well not do anything.¡± ¡°As long as we stay here, people will think more and do more. The more they do this, the more trouble they will cause. The more trouble, the more disputes.¡± ¡°Once the dispute begins, our chance will come.¡± Qiu Lin and the other two looked at each other, not knowing why their lord was suddenly so negative. After some hesitation, Qiu Lin asked, ¡°Lord Tie, how long do we have to wait?¡± ¡°How long?¡± Tie Shou chuckled. ¡°A year? Three years? I don¡¯t know how long I have to wait either.¡± Qiu Lin was stunned. He suddenly thought of something and hurriedly said, ¡°Lord Tie, with our current expenditure, I¡¯m afraid our cash flow can only last for a year.¡± ¡°You¡¯re all powerful martial artists. Why are you worried about money? At most, you can earn it.¡± After Tie Shou finished speaking, he realized that his words were inappropriate and added, ¡°Let¡¯s walk the righteous path. Aren¡¯t there a lot of missions with rewards for suppressing bandits at the City Lord Manor? If the Meng family needs our help, we can also offer it.¡± Qi Lin, Qi Lin, and Qiu Lin went speechless. Chapter 29 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations The patrol inspector arrived with great fanfare. However¡­ he did nothing. They ate, drank, and had fun as if they were on vacation. Some people were stunned at first, but then they calmed down. Most of the forces in the city felt that the situation was fine, except for the White Sand Gang. The Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo did not change much. After Eldest Senior Brother returned, he began to take over the daily affairs of the dojo. Lu Chuanfeng was still in charge of the dojo but he was no longer as busy. When he had time, he would check on Zhou You¡¯s cultivation progress. Apart from cultivating the Ferocious Tiger Fist, Zhou You also began to cultivate the Iron Skin Technique. His strength increased quite quickly. Lu Chuanfeng was surprised, but he did not pay much attention to it. In the Strength Training Stage, because of the difference in physique, the increase in strength of each person varied a lot. In the blink of an eye, two months passed. It was a dark moonless night. Meanwhile, in the small courtyard. Pah pah pah pah! Zhou You¡¯s body moved with his fists, palms, legs, shoulders, back, chest, and abdomen colliding against the wooden dummy, producing dull thuds. Soon, most of his skin turned red and swollen. Zhou You retreated a little. His palms swung out, forming a series of afterimages that landed on the spot that he had not hit before. Before long, after confirming that other than a few fragile parts of his body, he had already tempered the other parts, a soft sound sounded in his ear. Zhou You stopped cultivating and jumped into the medicinal bathtub that he had prepared long ago. He sat down cross-legged and groaned happily. Practitioners of the Iron Arm Fist could still apply medicine to reduce swelling. However, people practicing Iron Skin Technique could only use a medicinal bath to take care of the entire body. The medicinal bath formula that Zhou You used was naturally not the medicinal bath used by the Iron Skin Dojo to cultivate the Iron Skin Technique. He had concocted it using his medicinal knowledge. He was unsure how it compared to other medicinal baths since he had nothing to use as a comparison, but it was enough for his cultivation. The drug took effect, and the pain all over his body subsided a little. He rested his head on the edge of the bucket and opened the interface with a thought. Name: Zhou You Affinity: 5 Aptitude: Ferocious Tiger Fist (22%), Green Snake Fist (60%), Gale Phantom Kick (52%), Iron Arm Fist (60%), and Iron Skin Technique (44%). Comprehension: 100% Martial Arts: Ferocious Tiger Fist (Level 2) (710/1000) Green Snake Fist (Perfection), Gale Phantom Kick (Perfection), Iron Skin Technique (Perfection Perfection), and Iron Arm Fist (Perfection). Martial Arts Points: 1 Without hesitation, he added a number behind his Affinity. His Martial Arts Points disappeared, and his Affinity became 6. After two months of cultivation, the Iron Skin Technique had been cultivated to Perfection. His compatibility had increased from 31% to 44%. As for the Ferocious Tiger Fist, he controlled the speed of his training with the intention of breaking into the late-stage Body Forging Stage in six months. It met Master Lu¡¯s expectations. Now that four and a half months had passed, his cultivation speed was slightly slower. Since he did not have any other martial arts to practice, Zhou You planned to practice the Ferocious Tiger Fist with all his might at least five hours a day. As he refined his flesh, his muscles continued to strengthen. While his strength increased, his endurance and recovery speed also increased. His daily cultivation time was also increasing. Ten minutes later, the swelling on his body had disappeared. Zhou You got up and put on his clothes. He stretched his limbs and suddenly threw a punch at the wooden dummy at lightning speed. PAH! Pftt! The cowhide covering the wooden dummy was deeply dented, forming an inch-deep fist mark. Ever since he had broken the wooden dummy, Zhou You had replaced it with a wider wooden dummy with a thicker layer of leather. From the depth of the fist mark, one could roughly determine the strength of the punch. Zhou You¡¯s punch was about 1,000 kilograms. Compared to two months ago, it had doubled! This was brought about by the improvement in his Ferocious Tiger Fist and the complete cultivation of the Iron Skin Technique. Among them, the improvement brought by the Iron Skin Technique was at least 250 kilograms. It was far beyond Zhou You¡¯s expectations. Perhaps this was because the Iron Skin Technique was an external martial art that allowed one to train more muscles. This was only the basic level of external martial arts. If he could obtain the Iron Skin Technique manual at the internal force level, how much more would his cultivation improve? Unfortunately, the manual was a secret technique belonging to the Iron Skin Dojo. It was even more strictly protected than the Ferocious Tiger Fist technique. It was too difficult to obtain it. It was almost impossible. Moreover, even if he obtained it, he would not dare to use it in front of outsiders after he had mastered it. Iron Skin Dojo¡¯s hunting order was also very scary. He drained the water from the wooden bucket, washed it, and placed it in the courtyard room. He made it seem as though he had already gone to bed. Zhou You came to the osmanthus tree beside the courtyard wall. He stretched out his hand and easily jumped onto the courtyard wall. After looking around in the shade and finding nothing abnormal, he slid down the courtyard wall and landed in the courtyard next door. Taking out the key from his pocket, Zhou You opened the door and entered the room. After closing the door, Zhou You squatted in front of a table in a corner of the hall. He hooked a corner of the floor with his fingers and lifted a thick wooden board that was two feet long and wide, revealing a black hole. Zhou You covered his mouth and nose with a mask and jumped down. He landed on the ground and stabilized himself. He restored the wooden board above his head and rubbed it at the side for a while. A trace of fire lit up, illuminating the entire underground space. The underground space was not high, so it was just enough for him to stand up straight. It was only three meters wide, but it was very long, more than ten meters in length. It was divided into several compartments with various herbs and utensils. This was Zhou You¡¯s laboratory. It was specially used for various research. The main research content was poison. After entering the apothecary, Zhou You was interested in learning how to make poison. No matter how powerful his martial arts were, he could still get poisoned. It was indeed something necessary for all occasions and could be used against thieves and defeat the strong. In the end, when Cheng Yiqing found out, he reprimanded him harshly for not doing his job properly. After that, Zhou You had no choice but to temporarily put aside the idea of researching poisons and obediently study apothecary. It was not until he moved out that he secretly bought the courtyard next door. He connected the vegetable cellars in both courtyards and restarted the research on poison. After restarting his research, Zhou You realized that poison was very easy to refine. It could be refined by anyone. When many ingredients were combined, they would produce considerable toxicity. After extracting and tempering it, it was a poison. However, the characteristic smell was too obvious. Ordinary people could easily distinguish it. In fact, people in the poison trade did not even think that it was poison. In the eyes of those in the poison trade, the basic quality of a qualified poison was that it was colorless and odorless, silently poisoning people without them knowing. Alternatively, the poison had to be extremely potent. It had to have the ability to attack all organs before the subject knew it and was impossible to save. If he wanted to achieve both characteristics, it was actually much more difficult than brewing tonics like Blood Strengthening Pills. With Zhou You¡¯s current level, he could not do it for the time being. He could only refine some ordinary poisons. He estimated that he had to at least reach the level of an alchemist before he could refine a qualified poison. The top poisons in the world were often made by alchemists. However, the reason why Zhou You had spent so much effort to create this underground space was not only to study poison but also to build a secret base for himself. Although Master Lu treated him very well, he could not rely on him too much. After studying the poison for a while, Zhou You went straight to a cubicle farthest from the laboratory to rest. A cool breeze seeped in from the top of his head. Zhou You looked up at the simple self-made periscope beside him, checked the threads wrapped around the head of the bed, and fell asleep peacefully. Chapter 30 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations In the afternoon. After greeting Lu Chuanfeng and collecting a bottle of Tiger Bone Pills, Zhou You was about to leave. Lu Chuanfeng pulled him back. He looked hesitant, but he still said, ¡°You¡¯er, in the next few days, I might arrange for you to go out of the city with the merchant caravan. Are you okay? If not, I can find an excuse to turn it down for you.¡± Zhou You was stunned for a moment before he reacted. ¡°Master, I¡¯ll do it. Master Cheng is getting on his age. I don¡¯t have the heart to make him do it.¡± What had to come had come. He had long heard about this matter and was mentally prepared. The merchant caravan was a joint caravan of the four dojos. They were mainly in charge of purchasing food, meat, medicinal herbs, and other scarce supplies. The joint merchant caravan was made up of people assigned by the four dojos. They would leave the city once every ten days or so, and each trip would take about three days. In addition to the supervisor and the guards, he also needed an apothecary to accompany the team and be in charge of appraising and purchasing medicinal herbs. Each dojo took turns providing the supervisor and the apothecary. Master Cheng was the one who went last time. Logically speaking, it should be his turn this time. Zhou You had no reason to refuse. The matter regarding the joint merchant caravan of the four dojos started two months ago. After the patrol inspector entered the city that day, he had been seeking pleasure in the city and did not do anything serious. However, many changes had already happened inside and outside Mengyang City. The patrol inspector¡¯s group only stayed in the city, but it took up more than half of the Meng family¡¯s energy. The experts were always on standby in the city and did not have time to care about the outside of the city. The two gangs and four dojos took over the affairs outside the city according to their usual rules. They dealt with all kinds of unexpected troubles and maintained the basic order outside the city. Among the two gangs, the White Sand Gang was already crippled. The Black Stone Gang was currently fighting fiercely with the Dark Shark Gang. The responsibility of maintaining the basic order outside the city fell on the four dojos. Coincidentally, at this moment, the Plum Mountain Bandits on Longmen Mountain broke their previous tacit agreement and brazenly descended the mountain. Unintentionally or otherwise, they formed a pincer attack with the Dark Shark Gang forcing the Black Stone Gang to retreat. This completely cut off the trade routes of Longmen Mountain to the east and the waterway to the south. Two of the three trade routes north and southeast of Mengyang City were gone. Many supplies in the city instantly became tense, and prices began to rise. In more than two months, the price of food had increased by more than 30%, and the price of meat had doubled. Due to the continuous bloodshed outside the city, the demand for medicinal herbs had increased greatly. In addition, the supply of goods had decreased, and they were already priceless. Currently, the medicinal herbs accumulated in the apothecary were almost depleted. They could only brew one pot of pills a day and could no longer keep up with the consumption of the inner courtyard disciples. In fact, Mengyang City was surrounded by mountains and did not lack meat and medicinal herbs. However, the ones who collected the most meat and medicinal herbs were the towns and villages dotted across the mountains. Under normal circumstances, they would naturally send them to Mengyang City to sell. Alternatively, traveling merchants would take the initiative to buy the stock and transport them back to the city to sell it to earn the difference in price. His predecessor¡¯s parents were in this business. Now that the trade route was cut off, they could only organize their own merchant caravans and go to the villages to buy them. One person was not enough to handle it. The four dojos had formed a joint merchant caravan to take charge of this matter. ¡°Since you¡¯ve already made up your mind, I won¡¯t persuade you out of it. Don¡¯t worry and just go. I¡¯ll arrange everything.¡± Lu Chuanfeng patted Zhou You¡¯s shoulder and paused for a moment before adding, ¡°If anything happens, remember not to resist. Report your identity as an apothecary immediately.¡± ¡°Although the Plum Mountain Bandits are ferocious, they won¡¯t casually attack apothecaries. At most, they¡¯ll be captured and brought back to help them refine medicine. I will find an opportunity to save you.¡± ¡°¡­Thank you, Master.¡± ¡­ Seven days later, at the Four in the morning before dawn. Zhou You got out of bed, washed up, and dressed. He put on his boots, tied two custom-made two-finger-long daggers to his calves, and tidied up his brass knuckles, protective gear, antidotes, medicines, and poisons. Carrying a standard long saber, he pushed open the door and walked out. There were already a few dojo disciples outside the door. Eighth Senior Brother Luo Jin led the team, along with four other disciples. They were all Bone Forging martial artists. Although there were not many people, it was a powerful combination. The mission of purchasing from the countryside was quite dangerous. In the beginning, they had lost a lot of manpower, and there were many Body Forging martial artists among them. The four dojos discussed and decided to send only martial artists above Bone Forging Stage to participate. If there were fewer people, they would be more flexible. If they really encountered danger, they would abandon the convoy and enter the forest. It would not be a problem for them to escape. Everyone was dressed in long boots and had long sabers at their waists. Although the Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo was a martial arts dojo, they were also involved in weapons. It was just that they rarely used them and were not as useful as the brass knuckles. The greatest advantage of weapons was that they were more suitable for killing enemies, especially when there were many enemies. They were far more efficient at killing people than using fists. After confirming that everyone was present, Luo Jin took the lead and the six of them walked out in a line. They crossed the quiet and deserted street and arrived at the city gate. The city walls in the east and west of the river were not ordinary city walls. Instead, they were formed by densely planted thorns. There was an empty area on both sides of the wall to set up thistles and obstacles before spraying insect and beast-repellent powder. There was already a convoy waiting at the city gate. A middle-aged, plump man greeted them with a smile. ¡°Greetings, everyone.¡± Zhou You knew this stout middle-aged man. His name was Yang Xiupei, and he was once a disciple of the dojo. Later, because of his limited Aptitude, he stopped practicing martial arts and turned to run his own Yang Merchant Group. Later on, the Yang Merchant Group became affiliated with the Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo and was one of their own. He was also the supervisor of the joint merchant caravan this time. After some small talk, the disciples of the other three dojos arrived one after another. There were five of them, and their strength was above Bone Forging. Now that everyone was here, they chatted briefly before Luo Jin introduced Zhou You to the leaders of the other three dojos. The leader of the White Crane Fist Dojo was called Zhao Yi. He was dressed in white and had a slender figure. He looked like a handsome young master. The leader of the Iron Skin Dojo was called Wang Jinquan. He was as fat as a ball. The leader of the Diamond Dojo was called Qin Hong. He was thin and lean. All three of them were martial artists at the Purification Stage. There were not many Visceral Tempering martial artists in the four dojos. They each had important matters to attend to, so they would not get assigned to such a drudgery. The Plum Mountain Bandits had even fewer Visceral Tempering martial artists. They only had three heads. They rarely participated in such raids which hinged solely on luck. The merchant caravan quickly set off. There were more than 30 people in the group. No one was riding a horse. Other than one person from each side who was sent to scout the way, the rest were squeezed into ten ox carts that carried a lot of salt, iron, and other goods. They slowly moved forward with an ox cart piled with empty boxes. Their destination was Daliang Village, which was more than a hundred miles away. Daliang Village was a clan village with more than 3,000 people. It was the most influential village within a radius of dozens of miles and was also a trade center in the mountains. Ordinary bandits did not dare to provoke them at all. Even the Plum Mountain Bandits had no intention of fighting to the death. Nothing happened along the way. Everyone started chatting, and the topic gradually fell on Yang Xiupei. Although there were many powerful martial artists in this group, in terms of experience, no one could compare to Yang Xiupei since he traveled extensively. Most of them had never left Mengyang County. They rarely even left the city and spent most of their time in the city. Yang Xiupei was good at socializing. He quickly got along with everyone and asked about their well-being. From family, hobbies, and glorious deeds, they chatted all the way to their life¡¯s ideals, marriage, spouse, and dirty jokes¡­ Everyone¡¯s expressions gradually changed. Some people felt awkward while others listened with relish. Until two female disciples from the White Crane Fist Dojo suddenly stood up with red faces and moved to the last ox cart. They instructed the coachman to slow down and distance himself from the convoy in front. At this moment, Yang Xiupei and the male disciples of the other three dojos realized that there was actually a member of the opposite sex traveling with them this time! It was because the two female disciples were too burly and wrapped themselves too tightly with their clothes. Their voices were also very rough, making it impossible for others to associate them with women. Chapter 31 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Nothing happened along the way. Before nightfall, the merchant caravan successfully arrived at their destination, Daliang Village. Through casual conversation, Zhou You knew that the trip was not too dangerous. Bandits did not do business without profits. The goods transported to Daliang Village were not worth much. High-value silver notes were distributed among them for transport. If they encountered small-time thieves, they could easily get rid of them. If they encountered the elites of the Plum Mountain Bandits, they could just abandon the carriage and escape if they were no match for them. Their losses would not be too great. Instead, the return journey was even more dangerous. Even if the Plum Mountain Bandits could not do anything to the merchant caravans, they could still bring back all the medicinal herbs and meat. No matter what, it was a win-win for them. They rested in Daliang Village for the night. Early the next morning, Zhou You was busy identifying the medicinal herbs. After confirming that there were no mistakes, Yang Xiupei and his subordinates bargained. The others did not idle either. They were mainly in charge of selling the goods they brought, buying meat and some mountain goods they needed. Unlike the merchant caravans that had a good reputation well-suited for long-term cooperation, when people went personally to the countryside to buy medicinal herbs, the quality was mixed. Moreover, the villagers believed once the goods and money were exchanged, the deal was done. Often, the customers could not identify the problem on the spot. After they found out and tried to rectify the problem, no one would admit to it. This required a professional apothecary to accompany the team to avoid suffering in silence. It was not until dark that the empty boxes on the ox cart were finally filled with herbs. Coupled with meat and other goods, the entire convoy was filled to the brim. After that, they rested for the night. At five o¡¯clock in the morning on the third day, the convoy set off, just in time to return to Mengyang City before midnight. The convoy was full, and the journey back to the city would be slower. After leaving the patrolling area of Daliang Village, everyone kept their eyes open and looked around vigilantly, afraid that they would miss any signs. The scouts at the front would send back safe signals from time to time, making everyone in the convoy feel slightly at ease. They walked like this for more than two hours. The sky was already bright. Golden light shone through the gaps in the forest. It was warm, making Zhou You, who had cultivated late last night and woke up early today, feel a little sleepy. At this moment, something unexpected happened. ¡°The Plum Mountain Bandits are here!¡± A loud shout came from the distant forest, accompanied by a figure staggering and retreating frantically. A group of men in black was also chasing after him rapidly. Almost instantly, everyone in the convoy¡¯s expression changed drastically. Zhao Yi from the White Crane Fist Dojo stood up and tapped his foot on the carriage floor. He spread his arms like a big bird and glided into the forest. With just a few jumps, he arrived behind the person being chased. After a few quick exchanges, he forced back the masked man who was charging at him menacingly. He picked that person up and retreated swiftly. Zhao Yi only let go of the man after retreating to the side of the convoy. He stood side by side with the other martial artists with a solemn expression, protecting Zhou You, Yang Xiupei, and the others in the middle. The masked men quickly approached. There were about forty to fifty of them, and their killing intent was strong. They locked onto the martial artists from the four dojos in the front row. The Plum Mountain Bandits¡¯ greatest feature was their masks. It was clearly an open robbery, but they often hid their tracks. There had always been news circulating in the city that two groups of people from the four dojos had joined the Plum Mountain Bandits. There were even people from the Meng clan. As such, the Plum Mountain Bandits had never dared to reveal their true faces for fear that their identities would be exposed. As for the truth, no one knew. ¡°Our merchant caravan is with the four dojos. We¡¯ve always minded our own business. Do we have to fight?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s money you want, I¡¯m willing to hand over 3,000 silver notes and consider us friends.¡± Although he knew that a fight was inevitable, Yang Xiupei still stood up with hope and said loudly. ¡°3,000 taels? Do we look like beggars to you?¡± The masked man in the lead scanned the convoy and shouted coldly, ¡°10,000 taels! If you pay up, my friends and I will leave immediately! I guarantee that you will all get to leave in one piece along with your goods.¡± Keeping their word was also a characteristic of the Plum Mountain Bandits. Yang Xiupei¡¯s expression was extremely ugly. If it was 3,000 taels, the four dojos could still split the cost. If it was 10,000 taels, they would make a loss for this trip, but not an entire one. The price that the masked man offered was actually within the bottom line. For a moment, Yang Xiupei hesitated. In any case, people took turns supervising. This time, he would be given credit if he brought the people and goods back safely. The slight loss of money was a minor detail in comparison. Just as he was about to agree, the masked man spoke again. ¡°Oh yes. The apothecary has to go back with us. We won¡¯t make things difficult for him. In a year or so, we¡¯ll let him go back.¡± Hearing this, Zhou You¡¯s expression changed slightly. Why was he suddenly talking about him? However, after thinking about it, he understood why. In the past two months, the four dojos had fought with the Plum Mountain Bandits several times. Both sides had their own victories. The Plum Mountain Bandits had snatched a lot of medicinal herbs and sold them to Xining City behind Longmen Mountain. It was too troublesome to travel through mountains and rivers. It was better to snatch an apothecary back to refine medicine. Selling medicinal pills was more convenient than selling medicinal herbs. The others¡¯ expressions also changed slightly, but their expressions immediately became firm and no longer hesitated. Each of the four dojos only had one official apothecary and several disciples while the Plum Mountain Bandit did not have any apothecaries at all. This showed how precious apothecaries were. If he were to hand over the apothecary to the Plum Mountain Bandit this time, even if it was just a disciple, once the apothecary knew about it, he would definitely ruin their ties. It was very likely that there would be no apothecaries in the future. Without an apothecary, the income of the dojo would be greatly reduced, and there would be no cheap medicine provided. The cost of cultivation would definitely increase greatly. This was something they could not tolerate. Yang Xiupei also understood the severity of the problem and immediately rejected him. ¡°Your request is too much! Looks like we can only rely on our own abilities!¡± ¡°You talk too much!¡± The masked man in the lead snorted coldly. ¡°I told you we should just fight. We have to beat them up! If we win, everything will be ours! ¡°Boss said that we have to be polite before resorting to force. It¡¯s too troublesome. It¡¯s a waste of my saliva!¡± As he spoke, the masked man took a step forward. His entire body¡¯s aura surged, and a bloody smoke suddenly rose from the top of his head. ¡°Blood qi smoke! Purification Greater Mastery?¡± Exclamations sounded one after another. The expressions of Luo Jin and the others, who were standing at the front, changed drastically. When martial artists in the Purification Stage cultivated, the quality of the blood in their bodies would greatly increase after repairing the hidden injuries in their bodies and removing the impurities of the blood clots. It was called true blood. After the true blood replaced all the blood in the martial artist¡¯s body, it turned into fog and moistened his internal organs. It was released like smoke and fire. Luo Jin and the others were all Purification Stage martial arts practitioners. They had already begun to condense their true blood and could also release their blood qi smoke. However, every time he released it, it would consume his true blood and slow down the progress of Purification. He would not choose to do it unless he had to. The expressions of the other Bone Forging martial artists also changed drastically. If they faced a martial artist in the middle stage of Purification, he would be unwilling to burn his blood vitality. He would not be much stronger than Bone Forging martial artists like them. If he could not win, he could still run. However, when faced with a martial artist who could burn his blood and qi at will, if the other party really wanted to chase after him, no one had the confidence to escape alive. Zhou You¡¯s heart tightened. Although he seemed to be the safest as an apothecary¡¯s apprentice, no matter how one looked at it, it was not a good thing to be captured and brought back to the thieves¡¯ nest. Who knew if they would kill him after he outlived his use? Besides, he would definitely be watched very closely in the thieves¡¯ nest. He would not have the chance to cultivate and increase his strength. He could only hope that Master Lu would save him. He would be in such a passive position. Chapter 32 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations In front, Luo Jin and the others were discussing countermeasures in low voices. ¡°Brother Zhao, the two of us will hold him back.¡± Zhao Yi nodded and had no objections. The Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo and the White Crane Fist Dojo had always suppressed the Iron Skin Dojo and Diamond Dojo. ¡°Brother Wang, Brother Tan, we will be counting on the two of you. You guys should act together. If there¡¯s a chance, deal with the others first before helping us.¡± ¡°If things don¡¯t work out, take Junior Brother Zhou and leave first.¡± ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll do as Brother Luo says.¡± Wang Jinquan and Tan Hong had no objections. Now they had come back to their senses. If they were to face a martial artist at the Profound Purification Realm alone, the odds were against them. However, if the two of them joined forces, they still had the confidence to protect themselves. ¡°The rest of you, just hang on a little while more. When Junior Brother Zhou is safe, retreat.¡± The others had no objections. ¡°Are you done with your discussion?¡± The leader of the masked men let out a sinister laugh. His body moved, and in just a breath¡¯s time, he had crossed dozens of meters. The bloody smoke above his head turned into a giant python that wrapped around his arms. He opened his bloody mouth and swallowed Luo Jin. ¡°Brother Zhao, help me!¡± Luo Jin¡¯s expression was solemn. He raised his fists and they instantly turned red as he charged forward. At the side, Zhao Yi raised his arms like a crane spreading its wings and swept horizontally, bringing with it a wisp of blood light. The two of them immediately used their blood-ignition techniques. However, they were all very restrained. They were not as fearless as the other party. Pah pah pah pah! A series of continuous loud bangs sounded. Three figures moved quickly, their fists and palms intertwining so quickly that they turned into afterimages. Wherever it passed, flowers, grass, and soil flew. Trees swayed and broke. Leaves rustled and fluttered in the sky, blocking the vision of others. Wang Jinquan and Qin Hong took a few glances and confirmed that Luo Jin and Zhao Yi could still hold on for the time being. They looked at each other and joined forces to attack the masked man. Both of them were invulnerable to swords and spears. Using their full power, they only attacked without defending. Immediately, the sound of bones breaking and miserable cries could be heard. The masked man was beaten back repeatedly, and everyone¡¯s morale soared. However, at this moment. As Qin Hong¡¯s palm struck a masked man until he spat out blood, a sudden change occurred. At some point, a masked man had reached his side and struck out with his palm. Originally, Wang Jinquan was coordinating from the side, and his Bronze Armor Technique had already reached a small success. Qin Hong charged forward and did not care about the masked man¡¯s siege. Even if the masked man¡¯s attacks landed on him occasionally, they did not hurt. But this time, he had miscalculated. When the masked man slapped him, Qin Hong¡¯s expression changed drastically. He immediately ignited his true blood without hesitation. But it was too late. PAH! There was a dull thud. Qin Hong was sent flying several meters away like a rubber ball. He crashed into a few trees before stopping. With a thud, he fell to the ground and spat out a mouthful of blood. His face instantly turned as pale as paper. If not for his strong external martial arts, he would have died. Wang Jinquan was shocked and took a few steps back. He looked at the masked man in front of him with a solemn expression. The masked man sneered. ¡°Big-eyed Bull, looks like I have to do it since you failed.¡± ¡°Bullsh*t! Give me five more minutes and these two bastards will run as far as they can!¡± A furious roar came from the distant forest. Accompanied by a rumbling sound. ¡°Five minutes? I¡¯ve already settled it!¡± ¡°Big-eyed cow, let¡¯s see who¡¯s faster!¡± Yan Laoshan chuckled and charged at Wang Jinquan. ¡°Iron Skin!¡± Wang Jinquan¡¯s expression changed. He took a deep breath and bent his legs like a tree taking root. He clenched his fists in front of his chest. PAH! With a loud bang, the force swept in all directions. Wang Jinquan¡¯s face turned red as he stood rooted to the ground. On the other hand, Yan Laoshan took a few steps back before he could dissipate the recoil. Shaking his numb arm, Yan Laoshan muttered, ¡°They¡¯re really hard, one harder than the other. These annoying barbarians!¡± Under the sneak attack just now, he had sent the fatty flying with a palm. It was obvious that he was very resistant to beatings. He had thought that the remaining one would be easy to deal with. Who knew that it would be so hard? Yan Laoshan moved and was about to attack again. A deep shout came from behind. ¡°Diamond Technique!¡± Whoosh! A strong wind blew over. Yan Laoshan felt a chill on his back and his scalp went numb. He hurriedly twisted his body and rushed to the side. Crack! There was a loud bang. A tree as thick as a man¡¯s waist broke in the middle, and a shadow fell from above. Yan Laoshan hurriedly retreated. His expression was no longer relaxed. He looked solemnly at the two figures, one fat and one thin, who was rapidly approaching not far away. The fatty who had been ambushed by him previously actually acted as if nothing had happened! Yan Laoshan did not dare to be careless. He fought Wang Jinquan and Qin Hong with all his might. At this moment, an angry shout came from the distant forest. ¡°Yan Laoshan, how dare you say that you¡¯re faster than me? Who knew you¡¯d f*ck up?¡± Yan Laoshan had no time to care about him. He dragged Wang Jinquan and Qin Hong further and further away. ¡°Run!¡± Seeing that the four leaders of the Plum Mountain Bandits had already disappeared from sight, a Bone Forging martial artist immediately shouted and rushed into the forest. Two dojo masters on the other side had stalled the four leaders of the Plum Mountain Bandits and had the upper hand. The remaining masked men were mostly Bone Forging martial artists or Body Forging martial artists who were proficient in joint attacks. If they continued fighting, their side would definitely lose. It was better to run first. Where there¡¯s life, there¡¯s hope. As if it was a signal, the disciples of the other four dojos also fled in all directions. Fortunately, they did not forget about Zhou You and ran with him. As for Yang Xiupei and the other ordinary people in the convoy, no one had time to take care of them. Fortunately, the Plum Mountain Bandits were not vicious and everything could be redeemed with money. After everyone ran into the forest, the masked men continued to chase after them. Everyone kept separating, then separating again to close in on their targets. During this period, the chase and counterattack continued. Both sides suffered casualties. Unknowingly, there was no one else by Zhou You¡¯s side. He was the only one fleeing alone. He had already gone countless miles into the forest. No paths could be found in the surrounding forest by now, and there were no traces of humans stepping on it. The forest was deep and dark. There were faint roars of beasts. There were poisonous insects, rats, and ants everywhere. The air was filled with the smell of mold. When he took a sniff, he felt faint. ¡°I can¡¯t run anymore!¡± Zhou You hurriedly took out an antidote pill and consumed it. He smeared a layer of odor-reducing powder on his body and looked around before quickly going down the mountain the way he came. The depths of the mountain were filled with ferocious beasts. Even Bone Forging martial artists did not dare to rashly enter. It was said that there would occasionally be extremely ferocious mutated beasts. Even a Visceral Tempering martial artist like Master Lu would find it difficult to escape unscathed. After walking for a while, Zhou You suddenly stopped. His line of sight extended forward, and the way he had come was clearly visible. In an environment like the forest, it was easy to escape, but it also depended on the person. He did not have any wilderness survival experience and did not know how to hide his tracks. His tracks in the forest were like stars in the night sky, so obvious and dazzling. As long as the Plum Mountain Bandits continued to chase after him, they would definitely be able to catch up to him! Chapter 33 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡°What should I do?¡± Zhou You¡¯s mind raced as he continued on his way, thinking of countermeasures. He thought about the battle he witnessed. Zhou You¡¯s expression turned solemn and his gaze became firm. ¡°I can¡¯t beat Bone Forging martial artists, but those Body Forging martial artists who know joint attack techniques seem like a potentially good target¡­ I can break their joint attack techniques! Since that was the case, he would take a gamble! ¡°The Bone Forging martial artists had probably all gone to chase after the martial artists from the various dojos. As for those people running after me, since I¡¯m a weak apothecary without martial arts, they should be Body Forging martial artists!¡± ¡°There aren¡¯t many of them. At most, they will send a few people to chase after me. If I can deal with them, I can buy a long period of safety and definitely escape safely!¡± After making up his mind, he headed in the direction of Mengyang City while searching for a place to ambush. Soon, Zhou You took a fancy to a big tree. The branches and leaves were lush, and the view was wide. He could attack or retreat. He did not climb up the tree immediately. Instead, he continued to rush forward for a while before returning carefully. He climbed up the tree and hid in the dense leaves to wait silently. Not long after, a masked man caught up from afar. He lowered his head from time to time to check, clearly looking for traces left behind by Zhou You. His tracks were not difficult to find. The masked man quickly passed under the tree and was very fast. Zhou You was not even prepared to make a move, so he could only give up for the time being. On the tree, Zhou You held his breath and did not dare to move or look directly at him. He only watched the masked man leave from the corner of his eye. Before long, the masked man appeared in his vision again. This time, his speed was extremely slow. He checked the traces by the roadside very carefully. Zhou You instantly tensed up. As the masked man approached, he finally arrived not far from the tree. He secretly estimated the distance and did not hesitate anymore. Zhou You suddenly jumped out of the leaves and pounced down from the tree. Coincidentally, the masked man raised his head in confusion. Their eyes met. PAH! He suddenly moved in on the masked man and borrowed the momentum of the fall. Before the masked man could react, Zhou You had already pounced on him. His legs wrapped around his chest and abdomen, and his left hand grabbed his neck and twisted it. Crack! The masked man fell to the ground without a word. His legs twitched and he completely stopped moving. Instant kill! Zhou You made up his mind and quickly touched the masked man. There were a few Essence Energy Pills, medicines, antidotes, and more than ten taels of silver in his waist pouch. After stuffing the items into his chest, Zhou You quickly dealt with the scene and looked for the next ambush location. At this moment, two masked men dashed over from afar and saw Zhou You at a glance. ¡°Don¡¯t run! Otherwise, don¡¯t blame us for being impolite!¡± The target had run so far, so they were already suspicious and came together, unlike the rash fellow from before. If the two of them joined forces, they would even be able to slow down a Bone Forging martial artist. They would have to fight and retreat while waiting for reinforcements. Besides, they did not believe that Zhou You, an apprentice of an apothecary, would be a Bone Forging martial artist. At most, he had practiced leg techniques and could run a little. Zhou You stood rooted to the ground as if he had given up. However, just as the two masked men were a few meters in front of him, Zhou You suddenly panicked and turned to escape. A masked man subconsciously quickened his pace and grabbed Zhou You¡¯s shoulder. At this moment, Zhou You suddenly turned around and stomped his feet. He raised his shoulders high and rushed towards the approaching masked man like a ferocious tiger descending the mountain. ¡°You¡­¡± The masked man reacted quickly and immediately raised his arm to block his chest. At the same time, he retreated repeatedly and joined his companions. Boom! At this moment, he heard a familiar sound. His expression immediately changed, and his eyes became terrified. This sound¡­ The large tendon was like a bowstring! The moment it got released, it could cause landslides! This was a sign that the later stage Body Forging martial artist had reached the Tendon Transformation Stage and his strength had increased greatly! This apothecary¡¯s disciple in front of him was at least a late-stage Body Forging martial artist! His strength was not inferior to his! Fortunately, there was no follow-up after this sound. It was only the later stage of Body Forging. Otherwise, if he was not careful, he would probably¡­ Just as the masked man was secretly rejoicing, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest. His entire body lightened and he flew backward. ¡­ The large tendon was like a bowstring! After a few days of bitter cultivation, Zhou You finally broke through to the third level of the Ferocious Tiger Fist and officially stepped into the later stage of Body Forging. He could mobilize the strength of all the large tendons in his body and increase his explosive power greatly. With the sudden burst of power and the addition of speed from the Gale Phantom Kick, he finally managed to pass through the middle of the masked man¡¯s chest before the masked man¡¯s arms closed. White Tiger Leaves Cave! After severely injuring one masked man with a single strike, the attack of the other masked man had already arrived. Zhou You did not have time to react. He hurriedly activated the Iron Skin Technique with all his might while trying his best to avoid the vital parts of his body. Bam! A heavy punch landed on his body. Zhou You felt his entire body tremble, and his chest felt as if it had suffered a heavy blow. It was so heavy that he almost suffocated. He opened his mouth and took a few quick breaths before turning around and punching. Boom! Boom! The sound of two bowstrings being released sounded almost at the same time. PAH! A pair of fists collided fiercely. Zhou You stood rooted to the ground. The masked man took a step back unsteadily. ¡°Hmmm?¡± Zhou You¡¯s expression was a little stunned. He did not have time to think. He did not stop and charged forward with his fists. Pah pah pah pah! After a series of intense physical collisions, the masked man was sent flying. Zhou You strode forward and grabbed the masked man¡¯s head with his hands. Crack! The masked man died immediately, and his corpse fell to the ground weakly. At this moment, the other masked man had yet to get up. He was horrified when he saw this scene. Zhou You stepped forward, and a huge foot landed. The world fell silent. Zhou You rubbed his chest hard with both hands and felt much better. After quickly looting the corpse and thinking for a moment, Zhou You took off the mask and clothes belonging to one of the masked men and hid the corpse in a corner. He strode down the mountain. Now that the Plum Mountain Bandits had the upper hand, the disciples of the dojo should be fleeing. It should be safer for him to change into the Plum Mountain Bandits¡¯ clothes. Even if the Plum Mountain Bandits saw him, they would not pay attention to him. However, he had to be careful to leave as soon as possible. Otherwise, if the Plum Mountain Bandits were to bring him back to their lair, it would be too late for regrets. Along the way, he looked at the few Plum Mountain Bandits from afar. As expected, no one noticed him. Zhou You pretended to search as he headed toward Mengyang City. He began to analyze the previous battle. Previously, it was hard to say about the two masked men, but in the end, he took a blow head-on. The masked man attacking him should be a late-stage Body Forging martial artist. However, this late-stage Body Forging cultivator seemed to be much weaker than he had imagined. The palm strike that struck him earlier was obviously done in a hurry. At most, it was only 500 kilograms of force. After breaking through the defense of the Iron Skin Technique, there was not much left. It did not cause any substantial damage. After that, he mobilized his large tendons and attacked, but he was also suppressed by Zhou You. Obviously, the masked man¡¯s strength was inferior to his. Since the other party¡¯s strength was inferior to his, and their cultivation realms were the same, it was not strange for him to be crushed to death. Zhou You had such confidence. Zhou You had not tested his current strength, so he did not know the exact details. However, when combined with the explosive power of the large tendon, it should be more than 1,500 kilograms. This strength was incomparable to innate divine strength. Among the late-stage Body Forging martial artists, it was definitely not weak. Chapter 34 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Whoosh! Whoosh! Somewhere in the forest. A masked man arched his back and covered his abdomen with his hand. Blood seeped out from the edge of his palm and slowly flowed down. Not far in front of him, messy traces spread into the distance. One could vaguely see a staggering figure getting further and further away before finally disappearing from sight. Rip! He tore off a piece of cloth from his shirt and wrapped it around his abdomen a few times. The masked man spat angrily. ¡°Count yourself lucky!¡± He rushed in the direction he came from. After chasing for more than twenty miles, they were already far away from the main group. Although the other party was more seriously injured than him, the masked man no longer dared to chase after him. If one of them decided to come back, he would probably fail miserably. Not long after leaving, a companion came up to them. The masked man¡¯s eyes lit up. He stretched out his hand and called out, ¡°Do you have medicine? Give me some!¡± Zhou You, who was also wearing a mask, stopped in his tracks and quickly looked around. The terrain here was open, and it was not conducive to escape. With a thought, he touched his waist and quickly approached the masked man. ¡°Yes!¡± In a few breaths, the distance between the two of them had shortened to less than ten meters. Zhou You took out the medicine and handed it over. ¡°Here!¡± His muscles were tense. If anything went wrong, he would attack and quickly escape. Although he could tell that the masked man was injured, Zhou You still did not dare to do anything rash. Previously, he had no choice. Now, hope was right in front of him. It had been a long time since he had found any traces of the masked man. Zhou You speculated that he would be able to completely leave the masked man¡¯s search range if he advanced a little further. It was impossible for the masked man to pursue them endlessly. Once they left the familiar home ground of the forest, it would be easy for them to attack and defend. Seeing the masked man reach out to take the medicine, Zhou You felt a little relieved. However, he heard a greeting. ¡°It¡¯s a beautiful day.¡± ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡± Zhou You¡¯s mind raced, and he subconsciously answered, ¡°Yes¡­¡± As soon as the words left his mouth, Zhou You immediately felt that something was amiss. The hair on his entire body stood on end. Without thinking, his entire body shrank. He turned his body sideways, bent his elbow, and smashed forward. PAH! There was a dull thud. Zhou You felt his entire body tremble, and his left forearm went numb. He was sent flying three to four meters away. He rolled on the ground and quickly moved behind a big tree. The masked man¡¯s body swayed and he grunted. The cloth around his waist was instantly soaked in blood. ¡°Hmm? He didn¡¯t chase after me¡­ Or is he too weak to chase after me?¡± Zhou You thought to himself as he looked at the blood that was constantly spreading from the masked man¡¯s waist. At the same time, he was extremely glad. The power of the masked man¡¯s palm almost crippled half of his body. He was definitely a Bone Forging martial artist. If he were to receive another palm strike, he would definitely be unable to withstand it. However, the masked man was injured and his strength was greatly affected. In just a breath, Zhou You felt the sensation in his left forearm return. A sharp pain pierced his mind. Hiss! Zhou You gasped. Without any hesitation, he got up and ran wildly. He drew an arc around the masked man and was about to leave. ¡°Little thief! You want to run?!¡± The masked man was furious. In the previous short exchange, he had already determined the other party¡¯s strength. Did a mere Body Forging martial artist want to escape in front of him? Pah! The killing intent in the masked man¡¯s eyes intensified. He tightened the cloth around his waist and stomped his feet. Like an arrow released from a bow, he instantly crossed a distance of seven to eight meters and pounced toward Zhou You. Three moves! All it would take was three moves! He could kill this little thief with his palm! Whoosh! A strong wind whistled by his ears, and a substantial pressure landed on his body, causing his entire body to tremble slightly. Zhou You¡¯s heart skipped a beat. All the muscles in his body instantly tightened and twisted. Inner force spewed out, and his large tendons trembled crazily. Boom! Zhou You turned his feet with force and suddenly turned around. He bent his knees, twisted his hips, raised his arms, and clenched his fists. Borrowing the momentum of his charge, his right fist smashed out like a hammer. A frontal hammer! Boom! A clear and loud sound rang in his ears. Zhou You could no longer care about it. He leaned forward with all his might and pressed his entire body down. Whoosh! His right fist became even more powerful. From the moment he saw the masked man¡¯s speed, Zhou You instantly gave up on the idea of escaping. If he was as agile as the White Crane Fist Dojo disciples, he might be able to escape. But he was not. Running away would only expose his back to the enemy. He would definitely die! At this moment, he could only fight with all his might! PAH! Fist and palm collided. With a muffled sound, qi shot out and grass flew everywhere. The two figures were in a stalemate for a moment and took a few steps back at the same time. The masked man¡¯s eyes were bloodshot as he covered his abdomen with both hands. Blood flowed like a stream, leaving a long red mark on the ground. Facing a mere Body Forging thief, he had only used the power of his large tendons. Not only would it not cause injuries, but it could also destroy the enemy in one go. Even if a Bone Forging martial artist only used the strength of a late-stage Body Forging martial artist, he could still crush a late-stage Body Forging martial artist without a special physique. However, the moment they exchanged blows, he suddenly felt that the other party¡¯s strength had exceeded his expectations. He had no choice but to hurriedly mobilize his bone strength, instantly causing his wound to bleed. What made his eyes almost pop out of their sockets was that even so, he still did not suppress the other party. This time, they were evenly matched! His legs swept across three to four meters like plows. Zhou You stabilized his body and calmed down slightly. He caught it! Zhou You was still able to catch the Bone Forging martial artist¡¯s killing blow, an injured one no less. He opened and closed his fingers, quickly repeating it a few times. Zhou You looked at the masked man intently. He looked at the red mark that was dragged out from under the other party¡¯s body, his eyes burning. If he turned around and ran now, the masked man would most likely not chase after him. However, when he saw the tragic state of the masked man, Zhou You felt there was no reason to run! The Ferocious Tiger Fist was fierce and courageous. This was how battles should be! After making up his mind, Zhou You bent down and took a short knife from his calf. He held it in his hand and shouted, ¡°Kill!¡± With a stomp of his feet, the dagger in his hand flashed as he charged toward the masked man. Zhou You had actually never learned any dagger techniques, but now that the masked man might still have the strength to counterattack, it was not appropriate for him to fight head-on. Bloodletting with a knife was the best method. The masked man took a deep breath and was about to step forward when he suddenly felt a flash in front of him and something moved. Sensing that something was wrong, he turned around and ran without hesitation. Zhou You was shocked. He quickly stepped forward and gathered the five fingers of his right hand into a beak. He extended the tip of the dagger and stabbed at the masked man¡¯s back. Green Snake Flicked its Tongue! Swoosh! The masked man suddenly turned around and grabbed at him with his right hand. Crack! The tip of the knife was twisted into a fried dough twist. Zhou You quickly let go of the dagger and retreated with his fingers crooked. His upper body leaned back and his right leg swept over like a whip. Whoosh! The masked man¡¯s eyes were fierce. He no longer cared about the wound on his lower abdomen. He clasped his hands together and hugged Zhou You¡¯s right leg. Zhou You gritted his teeth and made up his mind. He placed his hands on the ground and twisted his waist. His left leg also left the ground and swept out like a whip. Pah! The masked man had just wrapped his arms around Zhou You¡¯s right leg when his left leg swept over with the sound of the wind. Bam bam! The masked man was sent flying. Blood splattered like a fountain and he fell to the ground. He straightened his neck and glared at Zhou You with hatred. ¡°You!¡­ I actually¡­¡± Before he could finish his sentence, the masked man¡¯s head fell heavily to the ground. He died with a grievance in his heart. Chapter 35 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Zhou You stomped heavily a few times. When the masked man¡¯s head and neck were completely contorted, he stopped. After quickly looting the corpse, Zhou You turned and left. After running for a few more minutes and not seeing any more masked men, the main road appeared in his vision again. Zhou You took off his coat and threw it away. He did not go on the main road. He continued to run along the main road in the forest hundreds of meters away. Along the way, he did not stop when he encountered villages and towns. He headed straight for Mengyang City. It was not until the sky was dark that he saw the city gate. It was even earlier than the time they expected the convoy to return. At this moment, there was already a large group of people waiting at the city gate. Most of them were from the four dojos, and there was no lack of familiar faces. This included Cheng Yiqing, Zhao Liuping, Luo Yong, and some inner courtyard disciples. He did not see his senior brothers, uncle-masters, Master Lu, and the others. When Cheng Yiqing saw Zhou You, he quickly stepped forward and took a closer look. He patted Zhou You¡¯s shoulder and comforted him. ¡°Okay, it¡¯s good that you¡¯re back.¡± Zhou You¡¯s heart warmed. He hurriedly went forward to support him and said, ¡°I¡¯ve made Master worry.¡± Usually, at this time, Cheng Yiqing would already be asleep. Today, he came to the city gate to wait for him. His goal was obvious. However, he was usually cold and stubborn, so it was impossible to tell. At this moment, Zhou You could feel Master Cheng¡¯s deep concern. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s good that you¡¯re back. Go back and sleep early. Remember to work on time tomorrow.¡± Cheng Yiqing turned around, yawned, and slowly walked into the city. The two disciples of the dojo followed. Only then did Zhao Liuping come over and say with concern, ¡°Junior Brother Zhou, I thought you were¡­ I¡¯m glad you made it.¡± Ever since Zhou You had taken Cheng Yiqing as his master, the outer courtyard disciples had addressed him as senior brother. However, not long after, Zhao Liuping broke through to become a martial artist and entered the inner courtyard but this title had never changed. He let out a long sigh of relief. Now, Zhou You was not only Master Cheng¡¯s disciple but also his and Zhao Qing¡¯s greatest source of income. Ever since Zhou You could refine medicine independently, the medicine he refined was handed over to Zhao Liuping to sell. He made a lot of profits. Zhao Liuping knew that his talent was average. If not for the fact that he often took pills to cultivate, he would not have made any breakthrough. ¡°Thank you for your concern, Senior Brother Zhao. Is there any news about Senior Brother Luo and the others?¡± Zhou You asked with a concerned expression. Since he had already returned, there was no reason for the stronger Senior Brother Luo and the others not to return. If nothing went wrong. ¡°Senior Brother Luo and the others are fine. After returning, they went out with Uncle-Master Tan and the others.¡± Zhao Liuping explained, ¡°The Plum Mountain Bandits are elusive and difficult to find. Their nest is too dangerous. Back then, the Meng family couldn¡¯t eliminate them even after mobilizing their full strength. We had no choice.¡± ¡°We already expected the convoy to be intercepted this time. Uncle-Master Tan and the other uncle-masters from the three dojos have already gone to intercept them. We have to stop the Plum Mountain Bandits.¡± Zhou You nodded. If he took the main road, he might be able to meet Uncle-Master Tan and the others. Seeing that Zhou You was free, Luo Yong also went forward and patted his shoulder. He said with concern, ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re fine. Junior Brother Zhou, we should grab a drink sometime.¡± He seemed to be in a bad mood. After entering the apothecary, Zhou You and Luo Yong¡¯s relationship drifted apart. They rarely met, so they naturally did not contact each other much. Most of the other inner courtyard disciples were just mere acquaintances. It was getting late. Martial artists from the four dojos came back one after another, and the crowd gradually dispersed. Zhou You also returned to the dojo. After applying the medicine and washing up for a while, he did not go home and directly rested in the dojo. It was almost sun up. Zhou You woke up and prepared to train early. Footsteps sounded in the courtyard, accompanied by a conversation. When he came out of the courtyard, he saw that Senior Brother Luo and the others had returned. Senior Brother Luo and the other Bone Forging martial artists were all present. However, they were all in a sorry state. Their clothes were tattered, and many wounds were bleeding. Looking at the pale Luo Jin, Zhou You hurried forward to greet him. ¡°Senior Brother Luo, are you alright?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a small matter. I just burned some true blood.¡± Luo Jin had a nonchalant expression as he looked at Zhou You with concern. ¡°Junior Brother Zhou, I¡¯m relieved that you¡¯re fine. I wonder which senior brother helped you. Don¡¯t forget to prepare a generous gift and thank him.¡± The few people from the Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo had gathered behind and had just returned. Since it was not them who helped, it must be the disciples of the other three dojos. Otherwise, how could an ordinary person run back on his own? The other party had saved his life. Logically speaking, he should be grateful. Zhou You¡¯s expression froze for a moment. He hesitated for a moment and then said with some embarrassment, ¡°Senior Brother Luo, I ran back by myself.¡± ¡°Hmmm?¡± Other than Luo Jin, the other disciples also looked at Zhou You in surprise. ¡°You¡­¡± Luo Jin realized something and asked with uncertainty. Zhou You raised his head and said with certainty, ¡°Senior Brother Luo, I¡¯ve already broken through to become a martial artist. I previously cultivated a leg technique. After getting rid of a masked man, I ran back on my own.¡± Just now, Zhou You had already thought about how he could properly expose his strength. He believed that Master Lu could understand. Becoming a martial artist in more than ten months was not a bad speed. He could be considered a talent, but he would not draw attention. During this period of time, Zhou You gradually realized that it was inconvenient to be just an ordinary person on the surface. As an apothecary¡¯s disciple, he had a good status and could make all the martial artists in the inner courtyard call him brother. However, he was not strong enough and could not get into their circles. Status was determined by status and strength. With a higher status, it would be more convenient and logical to do many things. For example, collecting martial arts techniques. It was very difficult for ordinary people to come into contact with the world of martial artists and martial arts manuals. Previously, he had only collected basic martial arts. As an ordinary person, he could still collect them as long as he spent money. Now, Zhou You wanted to collect internal force martial arts. After investigating for a long time, there was no way. Even if news of internal force martial arts occasionally spread, it would only reach Zhou You¡¯s ears after the transaction ended. At that moment, Zhou You suddenly realized that ordinary people and martial artists were not in the same world. Only martial artists were qualified to come into contact with internal force martial arts. Therefore, Zhou You had the idea of revealing a portion of his strength. Now was the time to say it. Cultivating internal force martial arts would probably earn him more Martial Arts Points. If he cultivated the Ferocious Tiger Fist step by step, he might really be able to complete the Visceral Tempering within ten years and achieve Master Lu¡¯s expectations. However, he could do it faster! Why did he have to do it step by step?! Martial arts. Now, he needed to find new martial arts to cultivate and obtain Martial Arts Points. As long as one had Martial Arts Points, anything was possible. But now, he knew that the only way to obtain Martial Arts Points was to continuously cultivate new martial arts. Perhaps he could obtain Martial Arts Points by cultivating the Ferocious Tiger Fist, but how many Martial Arts Points could he obtain if he cultivated a martial art to the end? Gathering all the martial arts in the world and obtaining endless Martial Arts Points to infinitely increase one¡¯s Affinity and Aptitude was his cultivation path. ¡­ Luo Jin¡¯s eyes lit up when he heard that Zhou You had already broken through to become a martial artist. He stepped forward and stretched out his hand to test the waters. Zhou You tried his best to control his muscles, afraid that he would expose himself. At this moment, Lu Chuanfeng came out of the room. His gaze landed on Zhou You as he glared at him and waved his hand. ¡°It¡¯s already dawn. Why aren¡¯t you resting? You¡¯re injured, so you have to rest more and try to recover as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Good morning, Master. I¡¯ll go back and rest now. I won¡¯t disappoint you.¡± Luo Jin cupped his hands and quickly turned to leave. ¡°Greetings, Master. Allow me to take my leave now.¡± The other disciples also hurriedly ran away. ¡°Greetings, Master. Allow me to take my leave now.¡± Zhou You glanced at Lu Chuanfeng and quickly left. Chapter 36 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Zhou You entered Lu Chuanfeng¡¯s room through the side door in the afternoon. As soon as they met, Lu Chuanfeng glared at him and said unhappily, ¡°You¡¯er, how could you take the initiative to expose your strength?¡± ¡°The tallest tree in the forest would be destroyed by the wind!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not forget what happened to Lin Yu. Don¡¯t follow in his footsteps!¡± Hearing this, Zhou You calmed down. Master Lu¡¯s tone was mostly concerned, but he did not complain much. Zhou You smiled. ¡°Master, I¡¯ve thought about it. I¡¯ve been in the dojo for more than ten months. In addition, Master Cheng has taken in a disciple¡­ As a disciple, even though I don¡¯t take medicine every day, I definitely don¡¯t lack it.¡± ¡°Becoming a martial artist will naturally happen in good time. It won¡¯t be considered unusual in any way.¡± In fact, Cheng Yiqing was also a martial artist, a Body Refinement martial artist. As long as people had sufficient nutrition and cultivated properly, they could enter the Body Forging Stage. Apothecaries did not lack such supplements. However, as a Body Forging martial artist, Cheng Yiqing only had slightly stronger five senses and more vigorous energy. His actual combat ability was a mess. ¡°You¡¯er, since you¡¯ve already thought it through and people know, this matter ends here.¡± Lu Chuanfeng nodded, acknowledging Zhou You¡¯s words. He took a bottle of Tiger Bone Pills from the cupboard and handed it over. He casually asked, ¡°You¡¯er, how long until you reach the Tendon Transformation Stage?¡± ¡°Master, it has already started for me.¡± Zhou You accepted the Tiger Bone Pill and answered honestly. ¡°Hmmm?¡± Lu Chuanfeng waved his right hand slightly and suddenly turned around. His eyes were extremely bright and his tone was trembling. ¡°Really?¡± When Lu Chuanfeng checked the progress of his cultivation, Zhou You¡¯s body would have an instinctive reaction. Not only could he not hide his strength, but there were also many other things that he could not hide. It was equivalent to being naked in Lu Chuanfeng¡¯s perception. Zhou You was actually very embarrassed. Once, he asked hesitantly if he could stop using that special method to check his body. Lu Chuanfeng followed suit and stopped investigating Zhou You¡¯s cultivation situation. Instead, he based everything on combat. ¡°How would I dare to lie to Master?¡± Zhou You raised his hand, bent his arm, and suddenly swung his elbow. Boom! There was the sound of a bowstring being released. Although it was not big, it was still clearly heard. Lu Chuanfeng was very relieved. He suddenly turned around and took another porcelain bottle from the cupboard, handing it to Zhou You. ¡°Come, You¡¯er, this is for you.¡± Zhou You took the porcelain bottle and looked at it. There was a label on it that said: Leopard Fetus Tendon Transformation Pill. Zhou You¡¯s expression froze for a moment before his eyes lit up. This Leopard Fetus Tendon Transformation Pill was naturally not the famous poison in his previous life. Instead, it was one of the few medicinal pills recorded in the medicinal book that had the best effect to assist in the cultivation of the Tendon Transformation Stage. For Zhou You who cultivated the Ferocious Tiger Fist, there was no better result. Zhou You realized that as he cultivated the Ferocious Tiger Fist deeper, the Ferocious Tiger Fist was actually constantly changing, integrating the characteristics of leopards, cats, and other cats. His strength was greater, his speed was faster, and his explosive power was stronger. All his shortcomings were constantly being made up for. Previously, the pill he used was named after Tiger Bone. Now that there was a Leopard Tendon, Zhou You was not surprised. Although the quality of the Leopard Fetus Tendon Transformation Pill was inferior to that of a medicinal pill, it was extremely difficult to concoct. Ordinary alchemists could not concoct it, so very few pills were produced in the world. He did not expect Master Lu to have it! It was given to him directly without any effort. Facing Zhou You¡¯s respectful and grateful gaze, Lu Chuanfeng stroked his chin and smiled. Then, his smile disappeared and his tone became serious. ¡°You¡¯er, don¡¯t rush to break through at the Tendon Transformation Stage. You must cultivate your large tendon to the extreme and develop a secret technique that belongs to the sect before you can break through.¡± ¡°Otherwise, no matter how fast you advance, you won¡¯t be able to obtain the recognition of those old fellows in the mountains and the true knowledge of the Five Tigers Sect.¡± ¡°Secret skill?¡± Zhou You looked puzzled and asked, ¡°Master, what is a secret skill? What is the true knowledge of the Five Tigers Sect?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about the true knowledge of the Five Tigers Sect for now. We¡¯ll talk about it when you reach the stage.¡± Lu Chuanfeng¡¯s eyes were filled with nostalgia, and his tone was slightly regretful. ¡°Secret techniques are extremely powerful killing moves that are developed by cultivating a certain part of the body to its limits.¡± ¡°The large tendons, spine, and five internal organs can all give birth to their own secret skills. They are extremely powerful. Once the secret skills are used, they are invincible.¡± ¡°Large tendons? Spine? Five internal organs?¡± Zhou You muttered to himself and suddenly asked, ¡°Master, can only these three parts give birth to secret techniques? What about the other parts?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡± Lu Chuanfeng shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s said that the Diamond Dojo is researching secret techniques about muscles. Iron Skin Dojo is researching secret techniques for skin membranes. However, they haven¡¯t succeeded for many years. ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s because skin and muscles can¡¯t give birth to secret techniques at all.¡± He sounded uncertain. Zhou You wanted to ask more, but Lu Chuanfeng waved his hand and said, ¡°You¡¯er, remember to bite off more than you can chew when cultivating. I¡¯ve already told you a little too much today. ¡°Cultivate well first. When you reach the realm, I will naturally tell you.¡± ¡°What if¡­ it¡¯s too late?¡± Zhou You hesitated. ¡°Master, I want to learn a movement technique. May I be permitted?¡± The Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo actually had many martial arts secret manuals. However, they were not open to the public. They were afraid that their disciples would be distracted and delay the cultivation of the Ferocious Tiger Fist. However, disciples who often went outside often cultivated one or two martial arts to make up for their weaknesses. ¡°Movement technique?¡± Lu Chuanfeng pondered for a moment and finally nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll bring you to see what¡¯s suitable tomorrow.¡± ¡°Remember, don¡¯t be greedy.¡± ¡°Thank you, Master.¡± ¡­ Meanwhile, at night. After a simple warm-up, Zhou You picked up the porcelain bottle and poured out a Leopard Fetus Tendon Transformation Pill. The pill was dark red and emitted a faint fishy smell, but it was not unpleasant. Instead, it made him feel refreshed. ¡°Leopard fetus? Was it really made from leopard? Will this be stronger than tiger?¡± Zhou You muttered a few words and poured the pill into his mouth without hesitation. He raised his head and swallowed it. Whoosh! In just a breath, a line of fire rose from his lower abdomen and spread to his limbs and bones. Zhou You could not help but frown. This medicinal effect was a little fierce! The burning sensation only lasted for a moment. The fire in his body disappeared, and the medicinal effect turned gentle and soft. It spread throughout his body and disappeared into the depths of his body. His muscles were nourished and he felt much lighter. His strength was also increasing, but the increase was very small. This change was very normal. Any medicinal pill would definitely affect the entire body, but each had its own focus. It was like refining skin, like refining flesh, like tendon transformation, like forging bones¡­ The focus of the Leopard Fetus Tendon Transformation Pill was naturally the large tendons in the entire body. Zhou You got into his stance and began to cultivate the Ferocious Tiger Fist. Pah pah pah pah! His figure moved, and from time to time, crisp and dull sounds rang in his ears. This was the sound of the large tendons constantly stretching, tightening, and loosening, rubbing against the muscles and bones of the skin. Two hours later. Zhou You stopped cultivating. He should have rested for an hour and cultivated for another two hours to end today¡¯s cultivation. But now, Zhou You felt that the medicinal effects were continuously flowing out of his body, nourishing his body. It was far from reaching its limit. Since that was the case, he continued to cultivate. Another two hours passed, and his body finally reached its limit. He stopped cultivating. The medicinal effect was still slowly flowing out of his body, but it was already very weak. Zhou You estimated that the medicinal effect should be completely exhausted by tomorrow morning. Then he would make the best use of his time. He would wake up an hour early tomorrow and increase his training time to two hours! Chapter 37 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations The martial arts manuals of the Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo were stored in the underground armory. The armory had a total of three levels. The items on the first level were very random. There were medicinal herbs, food, meat, pills, weapons, protective equipment, and so on. Zhou You had been here before. After the apothecary finished refining, the pills that had not been distributed and sold would be stored here first. The security on this floor was not very strict. Many inner courtyard disciples had come in before. The second level was martial arts manuals and treasures. This floor was an important place for the dojo. Even Lu Chuanfeng could not make a decision on his own. He still needed the permission of the three uncle-masters to enter. Zhou You had thought about coming before, but he had never found a good opportunity. Only Lu Chuanfeng, his son, and his three uncle-masters could enter the third level. They placed precious resources and medicinal pills from the Five Tigers Sect here. Upon reaching the second level, Zhou You¡¯s eyes lit up. At a glance, there were dozens of boxes. Some of the chests were half-open, and shiny gold and silver could be seen inside. Although silver notes were very convenient, many rich families still liked to store a large amount of gold and silver. It looked more reliable. Behind these boxes, there was a small room. It was not big, about four to five meters long and wide. ¡°You¡¯er, the martial arts manuals collected by Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo are all inside. Go take a look yourself. I won¡¯t accompany you anymore.¡± ¡°If you need money, tell me. Don¡¯t touch anything outside. People take inventory every day.¡± ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Zhou You strode forward and entered the small room. Previously, Lu Chuanfeng had instructed that martial arts manuals could not be brought out and could not be copied. They could only be read in the armory. There was only one day left. He had to hurry. Under normal circumstances, it would take a day to memorize a martial art. As soon as he entered the small room, he quickly scanned the books on the shelves. Zhou You was a little disappointed. There were only 15 to 16 martial arts manuals stored here. Among them, there were five internal force martial arts manuals and more than ten basic martial arts techniques. After quickly looking at the names of a few internal force martial arts, Zhou You had a vague guess. There should be more martial arts manuals in the Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo, but even if they obtained martial arts manuals from other sects and aristocratic families, they could not let their disciples cultivate them openly. Only the martial arts of the sects and aristocratic families that had already declined and been destroyed, as well as the martial arts created by the ancestors of their sects, could be displayed openly. Zhou You picked up a copy of the Golden Swallow Technique and began to read it carefully. Nearly an hour later, Zhou You opened the interface to take a look. He put down the Golden Swallow Technique and picked up another book. Zhou You only needed half an hour to read and grasp an internal force martial arts technique. It got recorded on the interface. Basic martial arts could be recorded in less than ten minutes. In less than six hours, Zhou You had already recorded all 16 martial arts on the interface. He walked out of the small room and left the armory. Today, he recorded 16 martial arts manuals. Zhou You did not have to worry about not having any martial arts to cultivate for a long time. Also, it also broadened his horizons and deepened his understanding of martial arts. Internal force was a relative control of strength. When practicing martial arts, one would gather the scattered power floating on the surface of the body and direct them to certain parts of the body to form internal force. According to the direction of martial arts cultivation, the body parts where internal force gathered were also different. For example, in the Green Snake Fist, internal force gathered in the palm of the hand. In Gale Phantom Kick, internal force gathered on his legs. When practicing Ferocious Tiger Fist, internal force gathered in his hands and legs, shoulders, elbows, knees, and so on. In the Iron Skin Technique, internal force gathered in most of the skin on the surface of his body. Other than the different body parts where internal force gathered, the level of martial arts was determined by the strength of the internal force gathered. The more body parts were involved in cultivation, the stronger the internal force cultivated and the stronger the aftereffects. Although the Ferocious Tiger Fist was called a fist technique, it actually involved almost the entire body. The internal force was fierce and long. Other martial arts that specialized in fists, kicks, fingers, and palms might be comparable to the Ferocious Tiger Fist in a short period of time or even suppress it, but they were not strong enough to fight for a long time. The Ferocious Tiger Fist was not the most powerful internal force martial art, but it was one of the most comprehensive martial arts to train the body. The Iron Skin Technique actually had a follow-up cultivation method. For some reason, after the basic Iron Skin Technique was cultivated to Perfection, there was no follow-up cultivation method. After much consideration, Zhou You could only think that the Iron Skin Technique was a special martial art. Special martial arts required special external stimulation, such as medicine, extreme environments, extreme emotions, and other conditions that ordinary people did not have. Only a few people could cultivate martial arts. Simply put, there was a very high threshold for cultivation. After understanding this, Zhou You was a little curious. What were the requirements for the follow-up cultivation technique of the Iron Skin Technique? ¡­ Meanwhile, at night. After cultivating the Ferocious Tiger Fist for three hours, Zhou You still had a lot of energy and began to cultivate the Golden Swallow Technique. The Golden Swallow Technique was an internal force martial art. After cultivating it, one¡¯s body would be as light as a swallow. They could fly on roofs and walk on walls as if they were on flat ground. They could glide dozens of meters with a single step. Zhou You constantly adjusted his posture and began to cultivate the Golden Swallow Technique. The Golden Swallow Technique had a total of three levels: Light Body, Instant Step, and Wind Riding. Before that, there was a basic stage as usual. Other than a few special martial arts, there was no difference in the internal force cultivated from other martial arts. This made Zhou You think of a possibility. If his physical condition had already reached the first level of the Golden Swallow Technique, could he skip the basic stage of cultivation? After trying hard, Zhou You realized that¡­ he couldn¡¯t. However, there was an additional joy. Golden Swallow Technique (Master) (0/5) This proficiency was far lower than the Ferocious Tiger Fist and was even on the same level as the Green Snake Fist. It was obvious that it did not match the level of the Golden Swallow Technique. ¡°As my strength increases and my body continues to become stronger, the difficulty of cultivating other martial arts is rapidly decreasing!¡± It was easy to come to a conclusion. Perhaps, when his realm was high enough, he would be able to completely master the basic martial arts with a casual glance. Golden Swallow Technique¡¯s compatibility was only 25%. Zhou You was not too disappointed. He settled down and began to cultivate the Golden Swallow Technique. The basic stage of cultivation did not involve internal force. For the current Zhou You, cultivating continuously for a few hours would not be tiring. He simply did not rest and continued cultivating. Three hours later. Zhou You let out a long breath and stopped cultivating. He opened the interface and took a look. Golden Swallow Technique (Level 1) (0/500) The basic parts of internal force martial arts were only at the Master and Greater Mastery stages. In just over three hours, Zhou You had cultivated the Golden Swallow Technique to the first level. Recalling the cultivation method of the first level, Zhou You took a deep breath and slowly exhaled according to a unique rhythm. A strange feeling surged in his heart. It was as if streams of air were expelled from his body. They were endless, and his entire body suddenly became much lighter. Zhou You¡¯s eyes lit up. He took small steps and suddenly ran forward. Whoosh! In less than a breath, Zhou You had already run to the end of the courtyard. Seeing that he was about to hit the wall, Zhou You did not panic at all. His legs moved quickly and he actually ran up the wall. Just as he was about to reach the two-meter-tall wall, Zhou You suddenly turned around and jogged diagonally across the wall. After running seven to eight meters in one breath, Zhou You finally felt the momentum of his fall. He flipped over and landed steadily on the ground, his face filled with joy. With his current strength, he could reach out and prop himself up or leap up the courtyard wall with his legs. However, it was definitely not as relaxed and quiet as it was now. Running diagonally across the wall was even more impossible. ¡°The Golden Swallow Technique. I¡¯ve only just entered the Light Body Stage, but I can already fly over roofs and walk on walls!¡± The effect was stronger than expected. Zhou You could only attribute it to his strength at the later stage of Body Forging. He opened the interface and gained 1 Martial Arts Point. Without hesitation, he added it to his Affinity. Affinity: 7. Chapter 38 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Another day passed. Tan Fei and the Visceral Tempering martial artists from the other three dojos had just returned with the martial artists from the four dojos. He also brought back most of the goods and merchant caravan members. Many of them were injured and looked like they had just fought an intense battle. In fact, several Bone Forging martial artists had died, and one person from the Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo was lost in the forest for good. It was said that this time, the four dojos had joined forces and fought several battles with the Plum Mountain Bandits in the forest, causing mutual damage. The Plum Mountain Bandits suffered even greater losses. Even one of their leaders had been killed. If it was in the past, both sides would take a step back and shake hands. This time, for some reason, the Plum Mountain Bandits had no intention of backing down. The four dojos could only wait and see which one of them would cave in first. ¡­ After returning to the city, Zhou You went back to his usual daily activities. It might seem boring to outsiders, but he enjoyed it. He was valued, respected, had freedom, and could clearly feel his strength increase every day¡­ All of this made him extremely intoxicated. After breaking through to the first level of the Golden Swallow Technique, Zhou You temporarily stopped cultivating the Golden Swallow Technique and began to practice the Ferocious Tiger Fist with all his might. He wanted to complete the Tendon Transformation and enter the Bone Forging realm in a month or so before he left the city. He cultivated for six hours every day. With his current 7 Affinity, it was enough to complete his goal. In addition, he could also take two hours every day to cultivate basic martial arts and obtain Martial Arts Points to increase his Affinity. As his strength increased, Zhou You realized that the speed at which he cultivated basic martial arts was getting faster and faster. Especially after the Iron Skin Technique was cultivated to Perfection, his speed increased by a large margin. In just ten days, Zhou You had cultivated the Gale Kick Technique to Perfection. Affinity: 8. He used another seven days to cultivate the Mountain Splitting Palm to Perfection. Affinity: 9. He used another five days to cultivate the Mantis Fist to Perfection. Affinity: 10. He used another three days to perfect the Strength Fist. Then¡­ Zhou You suddenly realized that he did not obtain any Martial Arts Points! After thinking about it again and again, Zhou You felt that the reason why he could not obtain Martial Arts Points was because his body was already strong enough. When he practiced basic martial arts diligently, he was no longer able to obtain any substantial improvement. Thinking about it carefully, it made sense. There were tens of millions of basic martial arts in the world. If Master Lu wanted, considering his level of martial arts, he could create a large number of basic martial arts with a little effort. After breaking through a few more realms, Zhou You could create his own basic martial arts as well. Wouldn¡¯t that be endless Martial Arts Points? How was this possible? After understanding this, Zhou You was not disappointed. In 25 days, he had mastered three basic martial arts, and his strength had increased by more than 100 kilograms. Even without using the explosive power of his large tendon, his basic strength was already as high as 1,500 kilograms. He had surpassed an ordinary early Bone Forging martial artist. Zhou You was not arrogant because Master Lu had told him about Lin Yu¡¯s situation some time ago. Lin Yu had just entered the Bone Forging stage, and his strength had already exceeded 2,500 kilograms. Coupled with his innate divine strength physique, after reaching the Greater Mastery Stage of Tendon Transformation, he naturally grasped a secret skill. When he unleashed his full strength, his strength exceeded 5,000 kilograms. With his Early-stage Bone Forging Stage martial arts, he suppressed the Late-stage Bone Forging martial artists of the Iron Skin Dojo. Du Lianzong boasted in private that within this year, Lin Yu would become the number one expert in the Bone Forging realm in Mengyang City. His innate divine strength physique was not only powerful, but he could also easily master the two secret skills of the great tendon and spine, crushing martial artists of the same realm. Although the halo gradually faded, the strong foundation laid by the Body Forging and Bone Forging realms could still ensure that they were stronger than ordinary martial artists and broke through faster. What Lu Chuanfeng meant was that Zhou You shouldn¡¯t even think about competing with Lin Yu in the Bone Forging realm. He had to lay a good foundation. After the Purification Stage, he would compete in the Visceral Tempering Stage. He became more and more confident in Zhou You. When he discovered that cultivating basic martial arts could continuously increase his strength, Zhou You could not believe it. He wanted to continuously stack basic martial arts to see if he could reach or even surpass Lin Yu. But now, cultivating basic martial arts was no longer effective, which meant that his plan to stack them had failed. Lin Yu¡¯s innate divine strength was indeed worthy of being a special physique. He was just an ordinary person and could not compare. After settling down, Zhou You began to cultivate the Ferocious Tiger Fist with all his might. ¡­ Ten days later. The sky was slightly bright. Zhou You stopped and stood still. He spat out a mouthful of white gas that reached a meter away and lingered for a long time. He opened the interface with a thought. Name: Zhou You Affinity: 10 Aptitude: Ferocious Tiger Fist (37%) Iron Skin (55%) Golden Swallow Technique (40%) ¡­ Comprehension: 100% Martial Arts: Ferocious Tiger Fist (Level 4) (0/2000) Iron Skin Technique (Level 1) (0/1000) Golden Swallow Technique (Level 1) (0/500) ¡­ Secret Skill: Explosion (Ferocious Tiger Fist) Martial Arts Points: 1 The basic martial arts had all been folded. He could check it by clicking on the ellipsis. Zhou You glanced at the interface, his eyes gradually becoming pleasantly surprised. It was no surprise that the Ferocious Tiger Fist had broken through to the fourth level and entered the Bone Forging realm. What surprised him was that the Iron Skin Technique automatically entered the first level! Was this the threshold to cultivate the subsequent internal force cultivation techniques of the Iron Skin Technique? Was this threshold an Affinity of 10? He focused his attention on the Iron Skin Technique, and the cultivation method for the first level of the Iron Skin Technique automatically unfolded. Zhou You read it once and completely understood the key points. The first level of the Iron Skin Technique still cultivated the skin membrane, but it used internal force to stimulate the skin membrane from the inside out, forming a new skin membrane and shedding old dead skin. The first level was also known as molting. Zhou You looked at his skin. Although it was not smooth, it was not dead skin. Apothecaries needed both hands to be sensitive and nimble, so he had been protecting them well. How was he going to shed his skin? Zhou You looked puzzled and were about to try cultivating. Suddenly, his eyes moved. Something seemed to be different on the interface! He looked at the bottom and was not surprised to see a secret skill column. Zhou You had long felt that after cultivating to each stage, he would reach the limit of his current body. It was only natural for him to develop secret skills. The secret skill was too powerful. To test its power, he had to find another place. 1 Martial Arts Point was a little unexpected, but after thinking about it carefully, it was very normal. Breaking through to the Bone Forging realm was a major breakthrough. Logically speaking, he should be able to obtain Martial Arts Points. However, it was only one point. Zhou You was a little disappointed. If it was before, Zhou You would have added Martial Arts Points to his Affinity without hesitation. However, his Affinity had already reached 10. With another 1 point, his cultivation speed would increase by 10%. He planned to follow his original plan and try to increase his Aptitude. He wanted to see what happened after increasing his Aptitude. His gaze landed on the Aptitude column, and his gaze suddenly froze. The Aptitude of the Ferocious Tiger Fist, no, the Aptitude of all martial arts, had actually increased by a huge margin! Other than summoning the courage in his heart that one time, the Aptitude of the Ferocious Tiger Fist had not changed. After a long time, Zhou You subconsciously ignored the Aptitude column. Only now did he realize that after completing the Body Refining Stage, his Aptitude would actually increase! The Ferocious Tiger Fist had increased by 15%. It was equivalent to his cultivation speed increasing by nearly 70%! His other martial arts had also improved significantly. At this moment, Zhou You felt a little regretful. Why didn¡¯t he add more points to his Aptitude earlier? If adding points could have such a good effect¡­ if he had added points to his Aptitude from the beginning, then now¡­ No, he had to increase his Affinity to at least 2 before it was worth it¡­ That was not right either. The increase in Aptitude could only increase for one martial art. If he increased the Tiger Fist, the cultivation speed of other martial arts would be greatly reduced. He might not be able to obtain so many Martial Arts Points. According to the pattern of the later stages, the effect of adding points would become worse. After adding some Aptitude, the compatibility of the Ferocious Tiger Fist would definitely decrease greatly. In that case, it was still unknown if it would be of any substantial use in the end. Chapter 39 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Zhou You gently tapped the back of the Ferocious Tiger Fist after calming himself down. The martial arts points disappeared, and the compatibility numbers behind the Ferocious Tiger Fist blurred before becoming clear again. From 37% to 49%. It increased by 12% and more than 30%! Zhou You closed the panel and took a few deep breaths to calm himself down. He began to cultivate the Iron Skin Technique. The defense of the basic Iron Skin Technique was as high as 500 kilograms. Previously, the Iron Skin Technique had contributed greatly to taking the masked Bone Forging martial artist¡¯s attack head-on. The defense of the first level of the Iron Skin Technique would definitely be stronger. Moreover, cultivating the Iron Skin Technique could increase his strength. With greater strength, his attack speed and explosive power would also increase at the same time. Now, Zhou You had mastered three internal force martial arts. The Ferocious Tiger Fist was his main cultivation technique. It was focused on attacking. Not only could the Ferocious Tiger Fist be cultivated to the Greater Mastery Stage of Visceral Tempering, but it was also a symbol of status that could not be abandoned in a short period of time. Master Lu treated him very well. It was impossible for him to abandon the Five Tigers Sect. His secondary cultivation was Iron Skin Technique, which focused on defense. He cultivated the Golden Swallow Technique which focused on speed. As for the other internal force martial arts, although they had many merits, they were not as outstanding as these three in all aspects. He could only temporarily put aside their cultivation. Martial arts was about quality and not quantity. Zhou You kept adjusting his breathing and his body trembled slightly. He used the unique circulation method of the Iron Skin Technique and began to condense the internal force in his body to stimulate his skin. Hiss! Hiss! The membrane on his entire body vibrated violently, emitting a sucking sound as if his body was¡­ leaking air. Wisps of white smoke rose from his body and dispersed into the air. The surrounding temperature rose slightly. The Iron Skin Technique was domineering and violent. It instantly broke through the seal of the skin membrane, and a large amount of blood and Qi seeped out of his body. After cultivating for less than half an hour, he felt a faint emptiness in his body. Zhou You frowned and stopped cultivating. He took out a bottle of Blood Strengthening Pills and swallowed them. A warm current slowly rose from his lower abdomen. Only then did Zhou You have the time to check his body. His skin was flushed red and was slowly fading. With two fingers on his left hand, he touched the skin on his right arm. It was a little rough and hard, and it felt slightly insensitive. The degree was not very obvious. It would not affect his medicine refining. After the blood and Qi pierced through the skin, it began to nourish and strengthen the skin. If he cultivated for a long time, he might really grow a layer of hard skin and shed it. However, the consumption of the Iron Skin Technique was beyond imagination. The consumption of the first level was far greater than the consumption of the third level of the Ferocious Tiger Fist. In that case, with the medicinal pills and resources he had obtained from Master Lu, he could at most maintain two hours of cultivation a day. He would practice the Ferocious Tiger Fist for six hours. No wonder it took ten years for the Iron Skin Technique to be successful. Next, Zhou You prepared to practice the Ferocious Tiger Fist for an hour every day to deal with Master Lu¡¯s inspection. After cultivating the Iron Skin Technique for nearly two hours, he first raised it to the second level. It was not that he could not extend his cultivation time, but he needed higher-level medicinal pills. Even with Master Lu¡¯s wealth, it was impossible for him to supply it to him indefinitely. Zhou You calculated that he needed at least five bottles of Tiger Bone Pills every month, which was worth 1,500 taels. The Tiger Bone Pill was originally a Bone Forging Pill. It was actually a waste for him to use it previously, but Master Lu did not care. Now that he had entered the Bone Forging realm, he could continue to use it. There weren¡¯t many Bone Forging Pills in the world whose medicinal efficacy surpassed his. As for the entire Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo, the tuition fees of the outer courtyard apprentices, the income from missions as escort guards, the affiliate fees from merchant caravans, the income from selling medicine in the apothecary¡­ The total income was not small, but the profit would not exceed 3,000 taels. If half of it fell into Master Lu¡¯s hands, it would be equivalent to giving it all to him. The dojo was not a profitable business to begin with. The Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo was a subsidiary of the Five Tigers Sect, so they could not take advantage of them. Previously, he had heard Eldest Senior Brother and the others chatting about the sect tournament. Many small town branches were so shabby that they completely relied on the medicinal pills and resources given by the headquarters to survive. The headquarters occupied a province and was rich and imposing. Even if they added up the 300 plus Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojos, they could not compare to the headquarters. Although Mengyang City was prosperous, it did not have much to do with the Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo. Most of the income would belong to the Meng family. For an external force like the four dojos to allow you to open a dojo and take in disciples, it was on account of your own backing. After setting up a cultivation plan for a period of time in the future, Zhou You opened the interface and his eyes suddenly froze. The proficiency of the Iron Skin Technique had increased. However¡­ the compatibility of the Ferocious Tiger Fist had actually decreased by 1% to 48%. Not only the Ferocious Tiger Fist, but the compatibility of the Golden Swallow Technique had also decreased by 1%! What was going on?! His stamina had already recovered quite a bit, and his research was fruitless. He began to practice the Ferocious Tiger Fist. As he cultivated, he carefully sensed the changes in his body. A moment later, Zhou You stopped and raised his hand to take a closer look. He pinched his body and frowned. The skin membrane that had become slightly harder after cultivating the Iron Skin Technique had become soft again after cultivating the Ferocious Tiger Fist. The agile feeling in his hands had also returned. Had it just¡­ dispersed the results of the Iron Skin Technique¡¯s cultivation? He opened the interface and took a look. As expected, the compatibility between the Ferocious Tiger Fist and Golden Swallow Technique had recovered. The compatibility of the Iron Skin Technique flashed, but it did not drop. Zhou You pondered for a moment and quickly came to a conclusion. This was¡­ a conflict of martial arts! Some special martial arts would cultivate special internal forces and reject other internal forces. In other words, they rejected all other martial arts. Iron Skin Technique happened to be a special martial art. It was said that after cultivating to the Purification Stage and condensing true blood, a unique Dragon Roar Force could be born. Once the Dragon Roar Force was born, martial artists would not be able to make any progress in cultivating any other internal force martial arts. The Dragon Roar Force would automatically transform all the other internal forces in his body into the Dragon Roar Force. Clearly, the first level of the Iron Skin Technique had yet to give birth to the Dragon Roar Force. It was only circulating an ordinary internal force, but it was already beginning to show its dominance. If Zhou You had not seen the changes in the Ferocious Tiger Fist and Golden Swallow Technique, after he had cultivated for a period of time, the Iron Skin Technique might have turned the tables and suppressed the Ferocious Tiger Fist, becoming his main martial art. No, it would become the only internal force martial art he had. For generations, those who had successfully cultivated the Iron Skin Technique had never heard of an attack method other than the Dragon Roar Force. At most, he could only use heavy weapons. It was purely martial arts skill, and technically not martial arts. Major in Iron Skin? After thinking for less than a second, Zhou You gave up on this idea. He could not give up on the Ferocious Tiger Fist. He could only temporarily put aside the cultivation of the Iron Skin Technique. After thinking for a moment, Zhou You chose Collapsing Mountain Strike from the remaining four internal force martial arts. The cultivation of the Collapsing Mountain Strike used internal force to temper the shoulders, elbows, knees, and other parts of the body. It gathered all the internal force in the body to make the practitioner indestructible and shockingly lethal. This was not only an offensive martial art. After tempering the elbows, shoulders, knees, and back, it was also half a defensive martial art. Now, his daily cultivation plan had changed. He practiced Ferocious Tiger Fist lasted for an hour. He practiced the Golden Swallow Technique for five hours. He first cultivated the Golden Swallow Technique to the second level. Looking at the proficiency requirements, he decided whether to cultivate the third level of the Golden Swallow Technique or the first level of the Collapsing Mountain Strike. Chapter 40 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Two days later at five in the morning. Zhou You appeared at the city gate again. Accompanying him were Zhao Qing, a few Bone Forging disciples, Yang Xiupei, and other merchant caravan members. It was the Ferocious Tiger Fist Dojo¡¯s turn to preside over the joint merchant caravan after a month. Zhou You set off with the team of apothecaries. After more than a month of conflict, the martial artists of the four dojos and the Plum Mountain Bandits suffered heavy losses. They had lost many Bone Forging martial artists. Many martial artists in the early and middle stages of Purification had fallen into the lower realms due to frequent blood-ignition. After many years of bitter cultivation, they had returned to the Greater Mastery Stage of Bone Forging. For martial artists who had attained Purification before the Greater Mastery Stage, after their true blood had been burned to nothing, their bone marrow would need to be re-activated. However, with experience, his speed would be much faster than before. Soon, the martial artists from the other three dojos arrived. Most of them were wearing bamboo hats, so their faces could not be seen clearly. They could not be recognized if no one mentioned their names. After chatting for a while, Zhao Qing took out a bamboo hat from the ox cart and put one on himself. Then, he handed them to Zhou You and the others. ¡°This is a trend brought about by Iron Skin Dojo recently. Since the Plum Mountain Bandits cover their faces, we¡¯ll wear bamboo hats. No one will recognize each other, so we can fight more freely.¡± Zhou You took a bamboo hat and put it on. He looked around and suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. The convoy soon set off. This time, their target was Lishui Village. Zhou You had a lot of memories of the place. Lishui Village was located at the foot of Longmen Mountain, which was quite close to the Plum Mountain Bandits¡¯ lair. The four dojos merchant caravans were not only there to purchase goods, but also a silent provocation to the Plum Mountain Bandits. The danger would definitely be much greater than before, but since it was their turn, no one would back down. The convoy slowly moved forward and soon left the main road, walking on the rugged mountain path. Everyone was on high alert, secretly raising their guard to prevent the Plum Mountain Bandits from attacking. The Plum Mountain Bandits did not disappoint them. It was late in the morning and the people were exhausted. The merchant caravan was looking for a shady place to rest and eat when the Plum Mountain Bandits suddenly appeared. It was not considered sudden. After a few months of confrontation, both sides had already understood each other¡¯s tactics. A sneak attack was impossible. They could only fight head-on. The outcome was determined primarily by the accuracy of the information and allocation of manpower. There were about 20 masked Plum Mountain Bandits, roughly the same number as the merchant group¡¯s martial artists. As soon as they met, both sides tacitly used their qi to probe and lock onto their opponents, quickly closing the distance. Zhou You and the merchant caravan members sat quietly on the ox cart, waiting for the outcome of the battle. Victory was naturally a good thing. If one of them lost, as long as the loser did not resist and the other party did not do anything funny, it would not be a problem for them to survive. In the blink of an eye. A group of masked men and a group of bamboo hats collided like two torrents. ¡°Kill!¡± ¡°Kill!¡± With loud shouts, everyone attacked with all their might, using all kinds of killing moves and secret skills. Boom boom boom! Vigor shot out, and the wind howled. The air within a radius of hundreds of meters seemed to distort, and countless vortexes could be vaguely seen. Pah pah pah pah! One figure after another collided, and explosions sounded incessant. Some of the battle groups instantly fell into a stalemate. Some of the battle groups were instantly at a disadvantage and were endangered. ¡°Haha! Die!¡± He roared. BOOM! A bloody smoke rose into the sky. A masked man stretched out his palm at lightning speed. It instantly turned red and became bigger. He slapped the head of a bamboo hat man. Pftt! Before the bamboo hat man could react, his entire head exploded like a watermelon. Red and white matter sprayed everywhere, and his headless corpse fell backward. There was a sudden silence. Instant kill! To be able to instantly kill an early Bone Forging cultivator, even if he used a blood-ignition technique, he would need to be at least at the middle Purification Stage. Who would have thought that the Plum Mountain Bandits could still send martial artists above the middle stage of Purification? In an instant, three bamboo hat men tacitly separated from the group and surrounded the masked man. The burning of true blood did not last long. Without true blood, martial artists of Purification and Bone Forging levels could surround and kill them. The masked man chuckled and turned around to retreat without hesitation. At this moment, the palms of a bamboo hat man diagonally behind him suddenly turned pitch-black like iron. He forced his opponent back with a few consecutive moves and attacked the masked man in a pincer attack. ¡°Hmph! Iron Palm? A mantis trying to stop a chariot!¡± The masked man snorted coldly and slapped the bamboo hat man with his blood-red palms. In an instant, the red and black palms were already inches away from each other, about to meet. The masked man¡¯s eyes were filled with disdain. He tapped his feet and pressed down. His aura was ferocious, and he looked like he would kill anyone who stood in his way. Crack! At this moment, a bowstring could be heard pulled taut and released. The sound of bones rubbing against each other could be heard. The masked man did not care at all. This sound was the sign of a Bone Forging martial artist striking with all their strength. This sound was clear and powerful, likely at the middle Bone Forging stage¡­ There was no time to think. Crack! Crack! Crack! A series of bones and tendons resonated in unison, one after another, and finally turned into¡­ BOOM! There was a shocking explosion! The air exploded, and airwaves wreaked havoc. The bamboo hat on the bamboo hat man¡¯s head silently exploded, and countless bamboo fragments shot out. Amidst the flying dust, a deep roar sounded. ¡°Secret technique: Reinforced Steel!¡± ¡°Secret technique: Iron Bone!¡± ¡°Die!!¡± BOOM! A black-red palm stretched out from the smoke and dust, suddenly turning into an afterimage and disappearing. BOOM! There was a loud bang. Qi surged violently, and a figure was sent flying by the surging airwave. Blood poured down like a waterfall. Taking a closer look, it was the masked man who had been insufferably arrogant just now! Plop! The masked man flew back more than ten meters and landed heavily on the ground. The ground trembled slightly and his entire body sank half a foot into the ground. Moo! Moo! The camel ox let out an uneasy neigh in shock, and its four hooves kept running in circles. On the ground, the masked man kept twitching and struggling with all his might, but he was only squirming in vain and could not stand no matter what. The attack just now had already broken his spine. The scene instantly fell silent. All the masked men and bamboo hat men who were fighting parted in tacit understanding and looked at the figure standing proudly in the dust with shock. ¡°Lin Yu!!¡± Looking at the person¡¯s face that still had a trace of youthfulness, Zhou You muttered silently. Unexpectedly, Du Lianzong was willing to let his precious disciple out of the city! What was even more unexpected was Lin Yu¡¯s strength¡­ was so powerful?! This strength¡­ was at least 5000 kilograms! The masked man, who was at least in the middle stage of Purification, was actually unable to withstand a single move! Although Lin Yu had caught the masked man off guard, it was obvious how powerful he was. He was not just the number one Bone Forging martial artist in Mengyang City. Even among martial arts practitioners at the Purification Stage, his strength was probably ranked at the forefront! No wonder Du Lianzong dared to let him out of the city. With the Visceral Tempering martial artists restraining each other, with Lin Yu¡¯s strength, even if he was no match for them, he could still retreat unscathed. Moreover, he had innate divine strength and strong defense. He was almost immune to the damage of low-realm martial artists and was not afraid of being attacked. Zhou You reflected on himself. Originally, Zhou You had thought that his strength was not bad. Even if he reached the Greater Mastery Stage of Bone Forging, as long as he did not comprehend the secret skill, he should be able to fight. But looking at Lin Yu¡­ the speed of his attack just now, he actually did not see it clearly at all! If they fought, the outcome would be obvious.