Fifth Simulation, Initiate!

"The first thing I do every morning is—"

Yun Shou opened his eyes. "Complete the daily quest. Simulation, start!"

[Ding! Foundation -1%, current Foundation 245%.]

Nearly two and a half times the foundation—he had never possessed such good talent before!

[You get up early and head straight for Qing He Gang to find Xu Ruohai.]

[But the difference from the last simulation is: last time you went to discuss things amicably and leave the gang peacefully, but this time, you plan to beat him up before quitting.]

[However, just as you reach the village entrance, several people block your path. You focus your eyes and see the Shao Brothers, whom you beat until they sprayed yesterday, followed by a few formally dressed Qing He Gang members in specific attire.]

[And this group is clearly led by a middle-aged man of a higher rank, a minor Qing He Gang boss-level figure.]

[This man is none other than Qing He Gang's twenty-first-in-command, Mu Jian, a Second-rate Martial Artist, and the biological uncle of Shao Yimao and Shao Erdan!]

"Twenty-first-in-command..." Yun Shou complained for the second time: "Shallow water, plenty of turtles."

He set aside the water and turtle matter for now; what truly caught his attention was the change in the simulation: "Those two bastards actually have an acquaintance in the gang, and a Second-rate Expert at that. Why wasn't this mentioned in the previous simulations..."

After a moment's thought, Yun Shou understood. In his first two attempts, he couldn't afford to provoke the two Shaos, so naturally, the simulation didn't include them coming to cause trouble.

In the third simulation, he started as a Second-rate Martial Artist but only threw one punch at each Shao brother—not a heavy blow—so their uncle had no reason to oppose a young Second-rate genius like him.

Then, because his real self and his simulated self had different mindsets—one knowing he would grow powerful in two days, the other aware he was in a simulation and had to train step by step—the more confident former made Uncle Ji sigh with emotion and withdraw all his savings, which led to a passing Shao noticing and planning to steal.

As for the fourth simulation, he started as a First-rate Expert and went straight to Qing He Gang headquarters. By then, Shao Yimao and the other were probably planning the theft when they heard the gang was going to treat Uncle Ji and the others well, so they dared not act, and the conflict never sparked.

Thus, through a series of coincidences, the two Shaos called their uncle for revenge this morning.

"They're at the village entrance right now?"

After figuring out the causal logic of the events, Yun Shou looked toward the village entrance.

During the simulation, time in the outside world also flowed synchronously.

Fortunately, the simulation progressed quickly—it could be said to play at an accelerated pace in his mind. His longest simulation so far, the fourth, only consumed one minute of real time.

(PS: There won't be any cliché plot of fighting while simulating and leveling up.)

[Mu Jian stares coldly at you, sensing something different about you, and sneers: "Dare to practice martial arts behind Qing He Gang's back?"]

[He senses that your spirit and energy are completely unlike an ordinary person's, but he doesn't think you're a strong martial artist: at such a young age, having just started on the martial path, and lacking dietary supplements, being a Third-rate would already make you a little genius.]

[Then, relying on the experience accumulated from the previous two simulations, you want to make Mu Jian lose control of his sphincter too... but he has inner energy protecting his body, making it not so easy to pull off.]

[Under your beating, Mu Jian chooses to start cursing from the heart.]

Yun Shou: "..."

No way! Why is my simulated self so fixated on this!?

Yesterday, he was just messing around, but he never thought of making this his regular method!

[After beating Mu Jian, you head straight for Qing He Gang headquarters, grabbing a steel blade along the way, coating it with Azure Force Qi, and with a single horizontal slash, you force back several Second-rate Martial Artists.]

[You call out Xu Ruohai by name for a duel, each blade strike flowing with power and exploding, and after thirty or forty exchanges, you push Xu Ruohai into a disadvantage.]

[Xu Ruohai, losing face in front of his subordinates, fumes and is about to order the gang to swarm you... but you suddenly step back a few paces and signal a halt.]

[You: "At the end of the day, this is Qing He Gang's fault. You exploited an ignorant youth into signing an indentured contract, and then that Mu whatever—a forty-something old man and his two nephews in their twenties—came to bully a kid like me. What can I do? Can you blame me for this?"]

[Xu Ruohai's face turns iron-gray: "..."]

[The various Qing He Gang leaders: "The young man has a point!"]

["Yeah, how can you bully a kid like that? He's still young and doesn't know better, Gang Leader, just forgive him this once."]

["He's a child, doesn't understand, just playing around."]

[Xu Ruohai's iron-gray expression gradually shifts, and he says in a deep voice: "This matter was indeed Mu Jian's fault first."]

[You realize this gang leader is quite good at taking a graceful exit.]

[All the "misunderstandings" are resolved in this moment. You can't defeat Xu Ruohai plus the other gang members, and Xu Ruohai can't afford the various losses.]

[Only the trio of Mu Jian and his nephews end up hurt.]

[You demand compensation from Xu Ruohai, such as tearing up the indentured contract and an additional sum of silver.]

[The next day, you travel dozens of li to Qingcheng. This simulation, you plan to make Qingcheng your base before the Alien Demon descends, and you also plan to contact Zhu Baowen again.]

[But first, you sign up for the Lin Family daughter's Martial Arts Tournament to Choose a Spouse.]

[You cut through the competition, much stronger than in the last simulation, almost all matches ending in instant kills, until you meet another First-rate Expert on the arena besides yourself.]

[He calls himself "Chibi Guest," full name Zhang Xiaoran, the nickname stemming from his towering stature and his martial arts causing his skin to flush red, like a crimson wall standing there.]

[In direct contact, you realize this man is in his thirties, with an overwhelming and terrifying aura. His martial arts talent is likely not much lower than yours, and he has definitely reached the "Vital Energy Infused into Bone" stage, possibly even possessing a talent like "Dragon Elephant Strength."]

[If you fought, you wouldn't be a match—because you're only at thirty percent completion of Extreme Viscera Enhancement, still in the foundation-building phase of a First-rate Martial Artist. "Vital Energy Infused into Bone" is where strength truly skyrockets.]

[Fortunately, Zhang Xiaoran, like in the last simulation, states he has no interest in competing for first place and is just here to crush weaklings for fun. He expresses goodwill toward you, a young First-rate Martial Artist, saying he won't take what you're after.]

[You treat him to a meal with Qing He Gang's money and also tell him the alias you've just taken: Yun Wu Dao. "Wu" stands for the fifth simulation, and "Dao" is your most accustomed weapon.]

[The alias sounds strange, but martial artists are full of oddballs, so Zhang Xiaoran doesn't mind. You chat and become friends.]