It's Not Like I'm Playing With My Life, Who Can't!

Everyone's hearts trembled, their eyes widened in shock, and a chill ran down their spines.

Steward Shen reflexively reached for his saber, while a tempest raged in his heart. His pupils constricted: "This Li Jing is actually a powerhouse with Blood Qi Like an Ox!"

A chill spread through him.

Martial arts training began with tempering the physique and enhancing speed and strength. Once a certain level was reached, speed and strength became difficult to increase further because the human body has its limits. Even with exceptional talent, one could only contend with an ox.

At this point, Blood Refinement was necessary to continue strengthening the physique.

The gap between a Blood Refinement martial artist and someone who hadn't undergone it was immense.

Even with just First Blood Change, strength, speed, and physical toughness far surpassed ordinary people, with explosive power that could overwhelm a dozen adult men.

After Second Blood Change, stamina rivaled a galloping horse, strength matched a fierce tiger, and a swing of the arms could generate a thousand jin of force.

Then, with Third Blood Change, they became Blood Qi Like an Ox, their strength increasing significantly beyond common understanding. Their breathing became deep and steady, improving their bones, muscles, and skin, strengthening their internal organs, and granting them long-lasting stamina and extreme endurance, comparable to a top-tier warhorse in human form.

Their agility was also superb, like a divine beast, capable of catching eagles and rabbits in a single movement.

They moved as swiftly as a galloping horse and leaped as nimbly as a flying bird.

Such individuals could be considered a match for a hundred men, appearing like monstrous beasts to ordinary people.

Among the young, strong men in the Lu Family caravan, there were very few Blood Refinement martial artists, let alone those who had undergone Third Blood Change to become Blood Qi Like an Ox.

The next moment, Steward Shen's body trembled, his mind went blank, and he slowly lowered his head to look at the saber held at his throat. The bone-chilling coldness of the saber, still damp with horse blood, touched his skin, making his scalp tingle.

At this moment, if Li Jing merely twitched his wrist, his head would fall to the ground just like the horse's.

Steward Shen turned his head with difficulty to look at Lu Yuan, his eyes conveying a plea for instruction.

Although he was the leader of this caravan, the boss's son was also present. It was up to him to decide whether to pay the money.

Lu Yuan understood the chill in Steward Shen's eyes. He glanced at everyone in the caravan. Unlike their earlier indignation, they were now all sweating profusely, their faces etched with fear.

As martial artists themselves, they clearly understood how terrifying Li Jing's strength was.

It could be said that the twenty-odd people from the Lu Family were no match for him alone.

If a fight broke out, Li Jing would be slaughtering them like vegetables.

Is this what a powerhouse is? Even with all its wealth, the Lu Family is at the mercy of such a strong individual... I transmigrated here, only to inherit the Lu Family business and become a merchant of medicinal herbs, living a mundane life until fifty-five?

With my cheat, how can I be content with such a life? Lu Yuan's thoughts drifted.

Li Jing sneered as he looked at Lu Yuan. "Hey, kid, it looks like you're the one in charge. Hand over the money for my elder brother's birthday, and we can all go our separate ways. But if you don't... Hmph!"

He sneered and withdrew the saber from Steward Shen's shoulder, waving it a few times, the threat evident.

Dozens of riders from Iron Dragon Stockade also brandished their weapons in unison, as if waiting for Li Jing's command to charge and begin the slaughter.

"Second Young Master."

Steward Shen and the others looked at Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan sighed inwardly. The situation was beyond his control; he had only one choice. If a fight truly broke out, the outcome would be dire, with heavy casualties for the Lu Family's twenty-odd people.

"Leader Li, my Lu Family has no intention of becoming enemies with Iron Dragon Stockade. How much of a congratulatory gift would satisfy you?"

Lu Yuan chose to yield.

"This much..."

Li Jing held up one finger.

"One... One hundred taels?"

Li Jing's eyes widened. "You're offering a hundred taels of silver for my elder brother's birthday? Are you looking down on my elder brother or what???"

"Then... a thousand taels??"

Lu Yuan's anger surged, but he dared not speak it.

The Lu Family didn't even earn that much in a month.

Giving him this money would mean the Lu Family worked for nothing for a month.

"Uncle Shen, how much money do we have left?"

Lu Yuan prepared to pay obediently, to get through the crisis first.

"Five hundred and fifty taels. The rest was used to purchase medicinal herbs."

Lu Yuan said, "Leader Li, you heard that. We only have five hundred and fifty taels on hand. Can we give you the rest next time?"

"Fine, but I'm warning you, don't try any tricks!"

A smile appeared on Li Jing's face. He wasn't afraid that the Lu Family wouldn't pay.

As long as the Lu Family was still operating in Lingbao County and needed to go out to purchase medicinal herbs, they would depend on the whims of Iron Dragon Stockade.

"Farewell!"

After counting the silver, Li Jing led his group away.

"A bunch of greedy vampires! We already pay enough protection fees, and they still come up with excuses to extort us!" Steward Shen grumbled in a low voice.

If you can't find the book by its title, you can try searching for the author; maybe they just changed their name!

Lu Yuan's resolve grew even stronger.

Chaos was imminent. Without martial power, facing strong martial artists, he would be at their mercy.

Iron Dragon Stockade was already one of the more disciplined bandit groups. As long as the Lu Family paid their dues on time, they generally wouldn't make trouble. However, the existence of the toll road meant the Lu Family's monthly profits were reduced by a portion.

And the government couldn't be relied upon either.

"Only by becoming strong myself, by mastering martial power, can I avoid being bullied!"

Lu Yuan thought silently.

He returned to the county town. After handing over the medicinal herbs, Lu Yuan went back to the Lu Family residence.

As he reached the street corner, Lu Yuan was stunned.

The Xie Family residence was wide open. The place was filled with government officials, and from the outside, one could see more than a dozen bodies lying neatly inside.

Everyone in the Xie Family, from old to young, was present.

Not a single one of their corpses was intact. Each one looked as if they had been hit by a car at a hundred miles per hour, a gruesome sight.

"Brother Chu, what happened?"

Lu Yuan walked up to a constable standing by the entrance.

The constable sighed, "The eldest young master of the Xie Family provoked Demonic Creatures out there. In the middle of the night, the Demonic Creatures infiltrated their home and slaughtered the entire Xie Family, more than a dozen people."

Lu Yuan gasped. The Xie Family was a scholarly lineage. The old master of the Xie Family had served as a Prefectural Assistant, the third-highest figure in the prefecture.

Although he had retired many years ago and no one had stepped up to take his place, in Lingbao County, the Xie Family's status was far above the Lu Family's.

Living on the same street, today the Xie Family was wiped out by Demonic Creatures. Who knew when the Lu Family might suffer the same disaster?

"What about the Demonic Creatures?"

"The captain is leading men to hunt them down."

Silence followed.

Lu Yuan's mind raced.

This world wasn't just plagued by human strife; Demonic Creatures also wreaked havoc. It was too dangerous.

America, with its daily gunfights, was far safer than this place.

He returned to the Lu Family home.

It was a courtyard with five entrances and five courtyards, staffed by over ten servants. The Lu Family itself only had three members.

Lu Yuan, his elder brother Lu Cheng, and their father, the head of the Lu Family, Lu Longjing.

Despite being a merchant, Lu Longjing had a tall, slender build and a refined demeanor, looking more like a scholar who had read extensively.

After listening to Lu Yuan's account, his face turned ashen. He slammed the table heavily, "This is too much! These bandits from Iron Dragon Stockade are simply insatiably greedy."

Lu Yuan shook his head and sighed, "Fortunately, none of our Lu Family members were injured today. We only lost some money."

"The Lu Family can afford this loss."

Lu Longjing mused, "Iron Dragon Stockade has broken the rules. I fear this isn't an isolated incident, and they will become greedier in the future."

Lu Yuan silently got up and left.

If his fists weren't as strong as theirs, no amount of scheming would help.

Back in his room, Lu Yuan locked the door tightly and ordered the servants not to disturb him.

With a thought, he summoned his status panel.

"This damned world. If I could live a life without worrying about food and clothing, even if I only lived to sixty-one, that would be fine. But no, they have to force me down this path."

A disgusting and damned world.

In a single day, he had been bullied and extorted by bandits and horse thieves, and then he witnessed the massacre of the entire Xie Family by Demonic Creatures.

Lu Yuan had two choices.

Should he endure a lifetime of humiliation and hardship, meeting Yama at sixty-one?

Or should he live a life of exhilaration, shining his brightest light in a short existence?

Without a doubt, it was the latter.

Fine, fine, fine. You're forcing my hand, aren't you?

Then bring it on!

A flash of madness crossed Lu Yuan's eyes.

This life was a bonus anyway. What's the big deal about risking it all? Who can't do that?

Looking at the panel, Lu Yuan took a deep breath.

"Golden finger, yes, that's it, talent. Please fill it up for me."

"Thank you."

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