Mu Jian's actions were entirely reasonable.
A kid had suddenly displayed something extraordinary, seemingly having practiced Martial Arts. When Mu Jian rushed over to take a look—well, those eyes, that bearing. Sure enough, he had practiced Martial Arts.
But even if this kid had come into contact with martial arts through some channel, how long could he have trained in this tiny fishing village?
Before coming, Mu Jian had specifically looked through the records and learned that this orphan named Yun Shou was a fishing laborer for the gang. His parents had died two years ago.
He had grown up within Qing He Gang territory since childhood, with a clean background. Two years ago, driven into a corner, he had even signed a contract selling himself. Thus, if he had encountered some "fortuitous opportunity" and become a martial artist, it could only have happened within the past two years.
Yet he had to go fishing every day. Burdened by all that exhausting labor, it would be extremely difficult for him to find time to train. Even if his talent aptitude were outrageously high, there was no way he could have become a Second-rate Martial Artist.
Unless some passing martial arts master had taken a fancy to the kid and accepted him as a disciple, yet instead of directly taking him away to train, had provided him with resources for rapid progress and made "leaving Qing He Gang by his own efforts" a trial?
What a joke! How could there be such an absurd master—and for me to happen to run into such a thing?
Therefore, Mu Jian reached a conclusion: Yun Shou must have accidentally found a Martial Arts manual somewhere, then relied on his fairly decent natural talent aptitude to train himself to the level of a Third-rate Martial Artist.
His two nephews were useless trash who could not endure hardship. They did not even qualify as Unranked martial artists and could only throw their weight around before ordinary people. A Third-rate Martial Artist could already beat the shit out of both of them!
Mu Jian was steady as a mountain inside. That kid was merely a Third-rate Martial Artist, at most capable of erupting with several hundred pounds of force. But that was the strength of his entire body—one punch or one kick. If he used his butt to sit, it would be discounted by who knew how many folds.
Meanwhile, with Internal Force bolstering him, a single fart from him carried eight hundred pounds of force. Even this kid's full-force strike would not possess such strength. By now, he was surely so stunned that he could not speak.
Yun Shou really was rather stunned.
Seeing Mu Jian's self-assured manner, he had thought some grandmaster stood before him, or perhaps a peerless genius Martial Master on the level of Bei Chenguang from the simulations.
In reality, he was merely a Second-rate Martial Artist in his forties, ranked twenty-first in Qing He Gang. He was definitely among the lower tier of Second-rate Martial Artists, likely unable even to achieve Unity of Qi and Strength. His talent aptitude was only around 110 points, including Martial Arts bonuses. He had no hope of becoming First-Rate in this lifetime.
Seeing the kid standing there stupidly,
Mu Jian sneered. "You brat, you found Martial Arts yet failed to report it, and secretly practiced behind the gang's back. Do you know what crime this is!?"
Qing He Gang had some degree of control over Martial Arts, though it was more of an unwritten rule: without permission, no secret training. It was not as rigid as the Fish King surrender order.
During Yun Shou's first simulation, he had once tried midway through to join a martial arts school. When the gang found out, they had merely beaten him up—not the sort of beating that injured his bones and sinews.
But if someone privately hid a captured Fish King, then even if it was discovered in the end and handed over untouched, they would still be drowned in the lake.
"So, what do you think should be done?" Yun Shou asked after taking a deep breath.
No good. His hands were starting to itch.
"Naturally, you will obediently come with me to the gang and accept punishment, then hand over the Martial Arts you obtained. Perhaps you will suffer fewer blows. But if that Martial Arts was stolen from somewhere within the gang..."
Mu Jian's fists cracked as he clenched them. "Then forget about keeping that skin of yours!"
"Is that all?"
Mu Jian froze at his words, then his expression twisted savagely. "No, no, no. Of course there is more. It seems Martial Arts from elsewhere have made you so fearless."
"But before we go to the gang headquarters, I have a little personal account to settle with you."
He stepped forward and looked down at Yun Shou from the height of a grown man.
"Do you know that Yimao and Erdan are my nephews?"
"They may be disappointing, but you will have to taste the suffering they endured too!"
Shao Erdan supported Shao Yimao. The two had already begun celebrating at the side. "Yeah!"
With that, Mu Jian drew upon a thread of Internal Force and punched toward Yun Shou's lower abdomen.
A Second-rate Martial Artist had Internal Force to temper his body, making him far stronger than a Third-rate Martial Artist to begin with. Adding the amplification of Internal Force, this punch could knock the bile right out of the kid!
Though it probably would not knock the shit out of him. But that was fine—he would do to this kid exactly what the kid had done to his two nephews yesterday: throw a few more punches!
Bang!
A dull impact sounded, accompanied by the hiss of compressed air.
Yun Shou caught the punch with his palm.
Shao Erdan and Shao Yimao stopped halfway through their cheer, then immediately realized what had happened. "Uncle, this kid actually dares to block!"
"He's rebelling against heaven! Uncle, hurry and beat the shit out of him, then throw him into the latrine too!"
Cold sweat seeped from Mu Jian's forehead. He felt as if his fist had struck the earth itself. Yun Shou's hand, smaller than his own, gripped his fist as though it had sunk into an infinitely thick layer of heavy soil.
He had already driven his Internal Force at full power, yet the force that should have shattered stone and snapped wood vanished into the sea like a stone, without the slightest response.
Mu Jian: "..."
Shao Erdan could not read the atmosphere and continued shouting from the side, "Uncle, hit him already! Why are you deadlocked with this kid?"
Shao Yimao's legs were split wide, and the pain had driven him out of his mind. "Uncle, don't rush to take him to the gang after you beat him up! I want to take him to the latrine and make him drink a bellyful—a whole bellyful!"
Mu Jian had never found his two nephews so idiotic.
He was already going numb.
Especially when the youth opposite him wore a half-smiling expression, completely at ease.
The air was silent as death. Mu Jian tried to pull back his fist.
He could not pull it free.
The other gang members, who had remained in NPC mode the entire time: "..."
The two Shaos finally sensed that something was wrong as well.
Mu Jian revealed a miserable smile filled with bitterness, pain, and difficulty.
"Heh... can we reconcile?"
Yun Shou smiled back.
Then—gripping Mu Jian's fist, he swung the middle-aged man's hundred-plus-pound body like a meteor hammer. After whirling him half a circle, Yun Shou released him, and Mu Jian flew out like a human-shaped rag sack.
He crashed into Shao Erdan, who was supporting Shao Yimao. The three rolled into a heap, all crying out miserably.
The NPC-like crowd outside: "..."
"Beat the shit out of him, was it?" Yun Shou finally understood why his simulated self had continued that heavy-taste style.
They had started it first!
Yun Shou lifted Mu Jian, whose eyes were spinning with stars, and used him as a human weapon, swinging him in every direction.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Mu Jian felt like a rag doll.
The Shao Brothers lying on the ground were battered by his flung arms and legs until they howled.
The storm-like beating continued for more than ten minutes.
The NPC-like gang members outside... uh, they had somehow already run far away.
Yun Shou dragged Mu Jian, while Mu Jian dragged the Shao Brothers with both hands. The three gradually approached the latrine pit.
Mu Jian wore a fawning expression. "Young hero, look, I obediently dragged these two little bastards over as well..."
"Mm." Yun Shou nodded. "You only need a soak. They still need to eat a whole pound."
Before you continue