Enemies

Life Level: 7 (45/700)

"Six days. Outer Refinement Great Accomplishment. Life Level 'experience' increased by 1 point."

It had gone from 44 points to 45.

In other words, if he continued cultivating at this pace, it would take roughly a dozen years to raise his Life Level to 8.

With Outer Refinement Great Accomplishment, he could strengthen his internal organs.

"Internal Strengthening requires certain special medicines to stimulate the five viscera and six bowels."

Li ChunJun dug a baseball cap out of his wardrobe, put on a mask, slung a guitar case over his back, and headed out.

It was April, the peak season for colds. Wearing a mask was somewhat unusual, but not enough to draw too much attention.

Li ChunJun left the building, went downstairs, and headed for a pharmacy not far away.

Pharmacies in this era were no longer like those of decades past, selling only capsules and pills. They also carried quite a few medicinal ingredients specially prepared for Martial Artists, though their prices varied greatly.

After some picking and piecing things together, Li ChunJun barely managed to gather some ingredients for Internal Strengthening. However, because several expensive items were missing, the effect would be weaker than that of a complete prescription.

He took out the money he had pocketed from Jin Haoxuan's residence, paid for the goods, then turned toward his apartment.

But he had not gone far when he noticed something.

He slightly altered his route back to the apartment and headed into an alley with fewer people.

At that moment, five figures followed him in.

With his sharp hearing and keen eyesight, he had already caught their hushed conversation. "Is that him?"

"Looks a little like him, but he's wearing a hat and mask. Can't be sure."

"Close enough. If it's really him, that's five million. Of course, be careful. Don't earn money you'll never live to spend."

"Fortune is found amid danger. If I, Black Hawk, were afraid of dying, I wouldn't be out here hustling!"

After a brief exchange, two kept watch while the other three quickly closed in behind Li ChunJun.

One of them accelerated for several steps and was about to slam into Li ChunJun.

Li ChunJun shifted aside, locating him by sound. The man who hit empty air stumbled underfoot and nearly fell to the ground.

A flash of anger crossed the man's face.

The two beside him noticed the "accident" and immediately crowded over, putting on a show. "Buddy, that was your fault, wasn't it? You nearly ran into my friend. Shouldn't you apologize?"

Li ChunJun looked at the three men.

Judging by their appearances and clothes...

They were probably low-level punks who drifted around the fringes of gangs.

And not even particularly high-ranking ones.

At most, they usually bullied middle school students and threw their weight around in arcades and pool halls.

But...

Li ChunJun did not care who they were.

"Looks like there's been a lot of movement these past few days. Whose men are you?"

He asked directly.

"What do you mean?"

The slightly burlier of the two men turned cold. "We're the ones asking questions, not you."

Li ChunJun fell silent for a moment, then said calmly, "I'll give you one chance..."

But as soon as the words left his mouth, he stopped.

Who would give me a chance?

What he wanted to do...

Was uphold the heart of being one among ordinary living beings, and see all things and all spirits.

And from an ordinary person's perspective, if he had truly offended some important figure and was currently hiding from place to place, only for these people to expose his whereabouts, what would the final result be?

Death!

If he died, those who killed him bore responsibility.

And those who acted as the tiger's accomplices, providing clues...

They bore responsibility too.

So there was no need to talk so much.

The next instant, Li ChunJun struck without hesitation, clamping a hand around the burly man's neck.

His strength erupted. He lifted the man's eighty- or ninety-kilogram body half a foot off the ground, then viciously smashed him down against the pavement.

Bang!

The burly man's entire body slammed into the ground. The violent impact instantly split his head open, blood flowing everywhere.

More than that, the fierce collision with the ground seemed to shake his internal organs. His mouth fell open involuntarily, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood.

He was clearly breathing out more than he was breathing in.

"Old Cat!"

The sudden upheaval made the remaining two men's faces change drastically.

They were even...

Completely stunned!

Why had he suddenly attacked?

They had only wanted to use an "accident" as an excuse for a conflict, pull off his hat and mask to confirm whether he was the criminal their superiors had ordered them to search for, then secretly have someone report the news. How had it...

Turned into a fight immediately!?

Especially when, the moment he moved, he was so cruel and violent!?

He was trying to beat Old Cat to death!?

Wasn't he supposed to be an eighteen-year-old student?

What kind of savage was this!?

After a moment of shock, the young man who had called himself Black Hawk could not help shouting. He swiftly drew a dagger from his body and, fueled by a surge of hot-blooded courage, charged fiercely at Li ChunJun.

But just as he began his pouncing attack, Li ChunJun had already raised a leg and, at an unimaginable speed carrying the force of thunder, drove a heavy kick into his abdomen.

The more-than-eighty-kilogram body flew backward instantly from that kick. Like a boiled lobster, he curled into himself, sailed four or five meters, then smashed heavily onto the alley floor, sliding another meter or two without losing momentum.

Fortune was found amid danger, and lost amid danger as well.

This young gang member, Black Hawk, who seemed newly fledged and eager to earn merit, got exactly what he wished for.

He was out here hustling, unafraid of death.

So he died.

The man who had nearly fallen, along with the other two keeping watch, nearly had their eyes pop out at the sight.

They usually relied on their status to tyrannize others without restraint, believing themselves skilled fighters and bold beyond measure, convinced that given the chance, there was nothing they would not dare to do.

Yet the worst thing they had ever done in their lives was break both hands of a student who refused to "lend" them money.

But Li ChunJun was different. Before either side had even figured out their relationship, he had directly dealt lethal blows. In a savage, brutal fashion, he forcefully lifted one of his good brothers and smashed him to death, then killed another with a single front kick!

The savagery displayed by such pure, extreme violence deeply stimulated his nerves and shattered everything he thought he knew about being fierce and ruthless!

When Li ChunJun turned his gaze toward him, full of icy killing intent, his legs went weak. He collapsed limply to the ground.

"B-Boss, spare my life..."

"Answer my question."

Other than a stillness that made the man's soul tremble, Li ChunJun's eyes held little emotion. "Whose men are you?"

"Big Iron Tooth! We're Big Iron Tooth's underlings!"

The man trembled as he hurriedly answered.

Big Iron Tooth?

Just days ago, Li ChunJun had been a law-abiding senior high school student focused on his studies. He was not part of that circle and knew nothing about these underworld figures.

He could only ask, "What company do you belong to? Who is the general manager? And who is the actual parent group and chairman?"

"We're employees of Da Fa Building Materials. Big Iron Tooth is the Public Relations Director, specifically responsible for handling business deals that are difficult to negotiate... The general manager is President Song Yuan. Th-there's no group or chairman..."

The man answered in terror.

Seeing no change in Li ChunJun's expression, he feared that a moment of dissatisfaction would prompt the other man to end his life with one punch. He hurriedly added, "But... Song Yuan once trained at Sword Tasting Hall. He is one of the thirteen registered disciples under Hall Master Han Shan, one of the top figures in Guangzhou City's martial arts world."

Sword Tasting Hall. Song Yuan. Han Shan.

Li ChunJun nodded.

Then he asked, "Did Sword Tasting Hall send you to find me?"

After a moment, he seemed to think of something else. "Who is looking for me?"

How could the man dare admit it? He repeatedly waved his hands. "N-No! We weren't looking for you, Boss. I just mistook you for someone else..."

Before he could finish, however, a bone-chilling sensation rose uncontrollably through his entire body.

Every instinct of life seemed to warn him that if any of his next answers went even slightly wrong, it would bring consequences from which there was no return.

That surging terror of death swiftly crushed every scrap of shame and cleverness in his heart. He answered almost as fast as he could, "Sword Tasting Hall's Kill Order, the Underworld Bounty Order, Dark Web Dead Money, and Wanted Orders from the Garrison Department and Prosecutor's Office... all of them! Important figures standing at the very peak of the political world, business world, martial arts world, and underworld have all issued orders, forming a Heavenly Net that hunts you from every direction!"

He could not help hunching over. Whether he feared that saying this would enrage Li ChunJun or offend the important figures above, his entire body trembled uncontrollably. "Right now, every road out of Guangzhou City is being watched. Thousands upon thousands have been mobilized. No one can escape! No one can escape a hunt like this!"

Li ChunJun listened quietly.

If the man still had the courage to look up at that moment, he would have discovered that Li ChunJun's face...

Held not the slightest trace of fear.

There was only a calm as still as an undisturbed lake.

Occasionally...

When ripples rose, they even seemed to carry a smile without the slightest warmth.

"Very good."