The habit of rising early, cultivated at the martial arts school, meant Zhou You could not sleep in even at home.
He woke as soon as dawn broke. Afraid of waking his parents, he quietly pushed open the door and went out for morning practice.
Zhou You jogged along the streets, loosening his limbs as he calculated that he would definitely have to move someday.
The family lived in a rented house. While having neighbors on all sides made things lively, it also brought endless petty troubles.
There was not even a suitable place for him to stretch his limbs.
Zhou You planned to buy a small courtyard in the future. There would be open space in the yard; his mother could keep chickens in cages, his father could nap beneath a tree, and he could train without restraint.
"I still need money!"
Zhou You thought of the five hundred taels he had extorted from the Wild Fox Gang. He did not expect them to agree in one breath, but he should at least get two or three hundred taels.
He would use that money to buy secret medicine, raise his strength, and speed up his progress toward breaking through the Blood Qi Gate.
Once he became a Blood Qi martial artist, he would qualify to enter the Inner Court as a disciple. Buying a courtyard would no longer be a dream.
As the sky gradually brightened, more pedestrians and stalls began appearing throughout the district.
Zhou You jogged along when he suddenly spotted Gao Qiang by the roadside, leading several underlings as he extorted a peddler.
"Zhou You! Zhou You!"
The moment Gao Qiang saw Zhou You, he abandoned the trembling peddler and enthusiastically came over.
"You achieved Martial Force—such huge news, yet you didn't tell me? You don't consider me a friend, do you?"
Gao Qiang's left leg limped slightly. That was the aftereffect of the punishment inflicted by the Punishment Hall after he lost the Bone Tempering Powder—a sharp blade stabbed into his thigh.
His sources were quite well informed. He had learned about yesterday's events so quickly.
Zhou You glanced at him, thinking, I never considered you a friend in the first place. He vaguely replied, "I didn't have the chance."
"What luck, running into you! My treat—I'll take you to Golden Harvest Tower for a meal."
Golden Harvest Tower was Gongliang City's most upscale restaurant, a place of lavish splendor and glittering excess. It was a high-spending establishment ordinary people would struggle to set foot in for an entire lifetime.
A banquet table cost ten taels of silver, and that was merely the minimum charge at Golden Harvest Tower. It did not even include the drinks.
It was worth mentioning that Mao Xiaoli, from the neighboring household, worked as a runner at Golden Harvest Tower.
The moment Gao Qiang opened his mouth, he offered to treat him at Golden Harvest Tower, making himself seem rich and imposing. After all, a casual meal there would cost no less than thirty or forty taels of silver.
"No need. I have to return to the martial arts school at noon. I truly can't spare the time."
No matter how many times Gao Qiang invited him, Zhou You refused.
In his eyes, the Wild Fox Gang and the Mad Horse Gang were birds of a feather—none of them were good people.
Just now, Gao Qiang had been extorting a street peddler, looking so ferocious that he seemed ready to devour someone.
Zhou You truly had no desire to associate with such a person.
"Is that so?"
Gao Qiang revealed a regretful expression, then said, "The Second Elder has always said he wants to see you. Could you find time to come with me?"
"Sorry, I can't. The martial arts school has strict rules forbidding us from associating with gang members. Gao Qiang, don't come looking for me again in the future."
Zhou You still remembered that when Zhang Shu spread rumors claiming he had colluded with the Mad Horse Gang, the root of it all had been Gao Qiang.
"Boss, this kid doesn't know what's good for him. Should we teach him a lesson?"
One of the small lackeys watched Zhou You's retreating back. Noticing Gao Qiang's grim expression, he eagerly offered the suggestion.
Gao Qiang's face darkened at once. "You self-righteous idiot. Do you know who he is? He's a martial artist who has achieved Martial Force. Even the hall masters don't dare touch him."
"What are you? You dare plot against him?"
"Tu Laosan has an elder brother who's a Vice Gang Leader, yet doesn't he still have to bow his head now? More than a dozen brothers died, and he doesn't even dare let out half a fart."
Gao Qiang was, after all, a minor leader. His information was sharp, and he knew exactly how much Zhou You weighed.
The Wild Fox Gang's two hall masters at the Martial Force level—one was severely wounded, the other defeated and forced back. They had taken the initiative to seek peace. Those were all achievements Zhou You had fought for with his own hands.
If he possessed such strength, he would have soared into the sky long ago. He would not need to scrape by in the streets, doing lowly work like collecting protection fees.
Whenever Gao Qiang thought of Zhou You's brilliant future, his heart twisted and stabbed with agony, making him feel as though he might cough up blood.
They had clearly grown up together. How had Zhou You thrown him aside and become such an important figure?
When Zhou You returned to the street where his family lived, he found the atmosphere rather strange. The neighbors along the road all nodded politely upon seeing him.
It should be known that at this time yesterday, the neighbors had all been hiding in their homes, terrified of being dragged into trouble.
Though these neighbors said nothing aloud, they surely resented Zhou You's family for bringing Tu Laosan's retaliation upon them.
Why were they being so polite today?
When he reached his doorway, Zhou You was startled. Was this still his home? It was practically a marketplace.
A sea of people crowded around it, packed so tightly that even the door could not be seen.
The ground, the corners by the walls, and the windowsills were piled with all sorts of things—eggs, pastries, bolts of cloth, and more.
The visitors were all neighbors, carrying bamboo baskets and paper parcels, speaking flattering words of blessing. They had clearly come to deliver gifts.
Zhou You did not understand. Why were these people bringing gifts to his home?
"Young Master Zhou is back!"
Someone suddenly spotted Zhou You standing at the door and let out a sharp cry. The gift-givers immediately scattered.
Once the crowd parted, Zhou You saw his parents, exhausted beyond measure from all the fuss.
"You'er, you're finally back."
Zhou You coughed twice. "Everyone, please return home for now. The house is a mess and unsuitable for receiving guests. I'll visit you another day."
Those were merely polite words. What he really meant was for them to leave as soon as possible.
"Young Master Zhou, do you remember me? When you were three, I held you on my knee and even fed you half a piece of candy."
"Get lost. You're really shameless enough to dig up stale grain from more than ten years ago. I..."
"Step aside, all of you! I'm a matchmaker, here to introduce a fine marriage match to Young Master Zhou."
Zhou You's eyelids twitched wildly. Pointing at the door, he said, "If you don't get out now, I'll start hitting people."
A moment later, every last person had left, leaving behind a somewhat disheveled home.
Food and daily necessities still lay on the ground and windowsills. The visitors had not taken them with them when they left.
"You'er, news came this morning. The Wild Fox Gang has announced that from now on, they'll take detours around our home. They said it's to give Young Master Zhou face."
Zhou You thought that Tu Laosan did not possess such magnanimity. The order must have come from Wu Gang, or perhaps from the higher-ranking Tu Lao Er.
The neighbors had made inquiries everywhere and learned that Zhou You had become an official apprentice of Jianxiong Martial Arts School, with boundless prospects ahead of him.
Only a few months had passed, yet even the Wild Fox Gang, whom no one could afford to offend, had lowered their heads.
Thus, the neighbors had swarmed over, bearing gifts and currying favor. They had blocked Old Man Zhou's door so thoroughly that he could not even get out, forcing him to take a day off work.
Besides bringing gifts, the neighbors wanted Zhou You's help handling matters and resolving certain troubles.
Some so-called old acquaintances with no connection to them whatsoever even indulged in wishful thinking, hoping to borrow the martial arts school's Wooden Talisman and hang it outside their own doors for two days.
At the same time, some families, coveting the Zhou Family's blazing-hot future, sent over their daughters' birth dates and horoscopes in hopes of arranging a marriage.
"You'er, we can't accept these things. Later, I'll return them house by house."
Old Man Zhou's expression brimmed with pride. "And we can't agree to the things these neighbors are asking for either. We mustn't cause you trouble."
"However, we can consider the cards brought by those matchmakers. You're not getting any younger."
Zhou You felt utterly helpless. He should return to the martial arts school as soon as possible—he could not stay at home any longer.
Before you continue