One Month Was Enough!

At this moment,

Inside Li Hu's house,

His underlings had gathered around a wooden table, drinking heartily.

"Come, come, come! Another cup!"

"Brother Hu, what a drinker!"

"From now on, us brothers will follow Brother Hu! If you tell us to go east, we'll never dare go west!"

Listening to their flattery, Li Hu could not help bursting into loud laughter.

"I, Li Hu, naturally won't treat my brothers poorly!"

He suddenly looked toward Zhang Tao at the side.

"Pockmark, following your Brother Hu is better than following Fang Chen, isn't it? Back when Fang Chen was the big brother, did we ever live as well as we do now?"

"If Fang Chen learned that we're now eating rich food and drinking fine liquor, do you think he'd regret it?"

A smile immediately appeared on Zhang Tao's face. He could tell that Li Hu wanted him to state his position.

As for whom he would follow from now on, Zhang Tao naturally knew perfectly well.

So he immediately forgot all about how he used to call Fang Chen Brother Fang every other sentence.

Zhang Tao said with a chuckle, "Of course following Brother Hu is better!"

"Fang Chen must be regretting his decision right now!"

"Why did he insist on learning Martial Arts? Wouldn't following our Brother Hu be better? Brother Hu has now received the aid of a powerful patron. His days ahead will only get better and better!"

"Luckily, Brother Hu was willing to give me another chance. Otherwise, I'd definitely be regretting it to death now!"

Hearing this, Li Hu grinned so broadly that he could not close his mouth.

By all rights, his strength was not enough for him to become a minor leader.

But fate had come knocking. By chance, he had met a powerful patron. He had merely killed a few Green Robe Gang members, yet he had directly become a leader!

Now that his relationship with the steward was close, his future was something Fang Chen could never compare to.

"By the way, Brother Hu. What task did the steward give you?"

At that, Li Hu said with a grin, "Heh heh, the steward told us to collect head money in a few days."

"The territory assigned to us is right near Fang Chen's home!"

"Never mind how much profit there is to squeeze from it. When the time comes, we can even go throw our weight around at Fang Chen's house and see what he looks like now. Just thinking about it makes me feel good!"

Head money was another name for protection money.

Fang Chen's family paid it every month, and it was indeed nearly time to collect it again.

At the Fang Family home,

The three of them were eating.

Fang Chen had bought some meat and asked his elder sister to cook it.

His elder sister moved the plate of meat closer to Fang Chen.

"You and Dad should eat this meat. My work at the laundry is fairly easy, so I don't need meat."

Fang Chen shook his head and moved the plate back to the middle.

"It's fine. You should eat something good too. With me here, our lives will only get better and better from now on."

Father Fang asked with concern, "A Chen, is practicing Martial Arts difficult? How do you feel about it yourself?"

His elder sister also put down her bowl and looked over at Fang Chen.

Today, at the laundry, she had told the others that her younger brother was going to practice Martial Arts.

Everyone had reacted more or less the same way. First came surprise, then they felt it was unlikely her brother could succeed.

One older woman had even said that her brother might find it difficult even to get started.

She had advised her to stop her brother as soon as possible and not waste money, claiming it was for their family's own good.

But his elder sister had not been affected by them. She carried an inexplicable expectation in her heart, always feeling that perhaps her brother really could make it.

Then she would not have to marry Zhao Si, and her father would not have to do such heavy work anymore.

Fang Chen felt the expectant gazes of the two of them.

A smile appeared on his face as he said confidently, "It's alright. I got started today."

"Don't worry. Before long, I'll be able to give our family a better life."

Father Fang did not understand what getting started in a single day meant.

But hearing Fang Chen's calm, confident words, his mood could not help improving as well.

He smiled and nodded. "That's good, that's good! I've also been taking on more work lately. I should be able to earn more money and buy you meat to eat!"

"Anyway, don't worry about money. Just focus on practicing Martial Arts."

Hearing Father Fang's words, Fang Chen felt warmth in his heart.

In truth, the money Father Fang earned could not buy many Qi and Blood Pills.

Six Blood Qi Pills cost three taels, while twenty Blood Qi Pills cost ten taels.

But no amount of Blood Qi Pills could buy this familial affection.

Fang Chen turned to look at his elder sister, Fang Ting, and found her staring in shock.

"A Chen, you really got started in just one day!"

"Doesn't that mean your talent is extremely high?"

Fang Chen nodded.

"Yes, Sister. By the way, Sister, did that fat hag come today?"

Fang Ting's expression instantly turned ugly.

"Hmph, that fat hag used Zhao San's status to pressure us again today! She even said that whether I wanted to marry or not, I had to marry, and it wasn't up to us!"

"She just thinks we're easy to bully!"

Father Fang added, "That matchmaker told us to give her an answer within this month. Otherwise, we'll bear the consequences ourselves."

Fang Chen's expression turned cold as he secretly pondered.

It seems I need to get rid of this threat sooner. Tomorrow, I'll have Junior Brother Zhou help me gather some information.

I wonder how strong Zhao San is.

After dinner, Fang Chen rested for a while.

With the medicinal power of two portions of Qi Replenishing Soup in him, he felt exceptionally energetic now.

Doing several more rounds of the Tiger Subduing Fist would be no problem at all.

Fang Chen could not help thinking of Zhou Hai.

Junior Brother Zhou is so diligent, and his family is better off than mine. He must be practicing Martial Arts energetically too right now.

One truly cannot slack off on the road of Martial Arts. Even someone talented like Junior Brother Zhou is still working hard at his training. How can I relax?!

He began training at once!

Fang Chen focused on practicing his punches. Compared to his stumbling start, he now performed them with great smoothness and continuity.

Inside the house, Father Fang and Fang Ting secretly watched him practice Martial Arts.

The two looked at each other and saw the surprise in each other's eyes.

His elder sister murmured, "A Chen has truly changed. He's actually this diligent and hardworking. And this fist technique looks so imposing. It seems A Chen really is talented."

Father Fang also nodded in gratification, his eyes full of joy.

At that moment, Fang Chen was carefully sensing the changes in his body.

The Tiger Subduing Fist truly was different after getting started!

He felt that as he practiced, threads of Blood Qi seemed to be growing inside his body.

Moreover, the Blood Qi was nourishing his skin, membranes, and muscles.

The feeling was especially obvious in his fists. Fang Chen felt that his fists were faintly swollen and hot. That should be the reason the Blood Qi was nourishing them!

"Hah!"

With his final punch thrown, Fang Chen quickly completed the last form.

Tiger Subduing Fist Proficiency +1

Martial Arts: Tiger Subduing Fist (Getting Started 1/300)

Looking at the panel, Fang Chen calculated in his heart.

If I only do ten rounds a day, and each round only adds one point of proficiency, then it will take a month to reach the First Realm.

If I have enough Blood Qi Pills, the actual time needed should be even shorter!

No matter what, one month should pass quickly enough.

I remember Hong Decheng saying that disciples who fail to reach the First Realm within three months must leave the martial hall themselves. Looking at it now, I have nothing to worry about.

Fang Chen now had a rough estimate in mind.

He just did not know how strong Zhao San was. When would he be able to kill him?

Zhao Si would be easy enough to deal with. The troublesome one was his older brother, Zhao San.

Should he ask Zhou Hai for help?

But they had known each other for only a day. The other party probably would not help him so easily.

He still needed to improve his own strength.

Since Zhao San was merely a minor leader, that meant he probably had not entered the First Realm of Martial Arts.

Fang Chen had asked around. Those who could enter the First Realm of Martial Arts could basically become stewards within a gang.

By that reasoning, minor leader Zhao San should have practiced Martial Arts, but his strength had not yet entered the First Realm.

So the day he killed Zhao San and Zhao Si was not far off!

Getting Zhou Hai's precious medicine would not be a problem either!