Yesterday Lu Iron Skin, Today Leader Lu

When he left the training ground, Lu Chen's hand held a heavy bundle.

It was a hundred taels of silver, and that Iron Cloth Shirt that countless low-ranking gang members eyed with envy.

"Leader Lu, this way, please."

A gang member in charge of logistics, his face full of flattery, led the way ahead, his waist bent extremely low.

Before, these people would see Lu Chen and at most call him "Brother Lu" or shout "Lu Iron Skin."

But now, the address had changed to "Leader Lu."

That was the shift in status.

Lu Chen's expression remained calm as he followed the man, crossing the noisy training ground, bypassing the crowded, clamorous dormitory, and arriving at a quiet cluster of courtyards.

This was where the Black Water Gang reserved residences for core members at the Junior Leader level and above.

Blue brick tiled houses, independent small yards—nothing luxurious, but the advantage lay in peace and spaciousness.

"Leader Lu, this is your residence, and the key is here."

The logistics gang member opened a vermillion wooden door and respectfully handed a bronze key to Lu Chen.

"All daily necessities inside have been replaced with new ones, and someone will come monthly to clean. Also, your monthly salary has been raised to five taels, to be collected from the accounting office at the start of each month."

Five taels of silver.

In Nujiang County, that was enough for an ordinary family of three to live worry-free for a year on food and clothing.

And in the Black Water Gang, this was merely a Junior Leader's monthly allowance.

"Much obliged."

Lu Chen took the key, casually fished out a piece of broken silver weighing about half a tael, and tossed it to the gang member.

"Get yourself some tea."

The gang member's eyes lit up, and he hurriedly caught it, his smile growing even brighter.

"Thank you for the reward, Leader Lu! If you have any orders in the future, just say the word!"

After dismissing the hangers-on, Lu Chen turned and closed the courtyard door, sliding the bolt into place.

The noise from outside vanished instantly.

He stood in the center of the yard and took a deep breath.

The air no longer carried that strange mix of sweat, foot odor, and mildew from the dormitory—only the faint scent of soil and grass.

"Finally, no more cramming in with dozens of people."

Lu Chen muttered to himself, his taut nerves relaxing considerably.

But he didn't linger long in the joy of moving in.

Entering the house, he stashed the silver securely, then immediately sat at the table and pulled the yellowed thread-bound ancient book from his bosom—Iron Cloth Shirt.

The pages were somewhat worn, the corners frayed, clearly flipped through countless times.

Lu Chen washed his hands, his face solemn, and opened the first page.

"Iron Cloth Shirt: externally trains sinew, bone, and skin; internally trains a single breath..."

The opening was the general outline.

Lu Chen read word by word, sentence by sentence, daring not to miss a single character.

This martial art was far more complex than Stone Crushing Palm.

It not only had a unique breathing and circulation method to vibrate the organs and strengthen blood and qi, but also a "Striking Method" and "Herbal Bath Formula" for coordinated practice.

The so-called striking meant using specially made wooden clubs, iron rods, or even the backs of blades to continuously hit every part of the body, stimulating the skin and muscles to make them tough and compact.

The herbal bath, on the other hand, was meant to repair the body's damage after striking and use the medicinal power to nourish the flesh, preventing hidden injuries.

Neither could be omitted.

If one only struck without the herbal bath, the person would soon be crippled by accumulated internal damage.

If one only bathed without striking, the body might grow strong, but it wouldn't develop that hardness impervious to blades and spears.

"Hah..."

Half an hour later, Lu Chen closed the manual and let out a long breath.

In his mind, that familiar translucent panel appeared once more.

[Detected Mortal Grade Low-Rank Martial Art Iron Cloth Shirt. Record?]

"Record."

Lu Chen silently commanded in his mind.

The panel flashed, and a new line of text appeared in the skill column.

[Martial Art: Iron Cloth Shirt (Not Yet Initiated)]

Looking at this line of text, Lu Chen's eyes burned with fervor.

With the panel in place, the hardest parts—"entry" and "bottlenecks"—simply didn't exist for him.

As long as he was willing to grind, this martial art would eventually be trained to perfection.

But right now, the urgent priority was preparing the resources needed for cultivation.

The Herbal Bath Formula listed over a dozen medicinal ingredients. Though none were especially rare, together they added up to a considerable expense.

On top of that, he needed specially made striking staffs.

Lu Chen stood up and pushed open the courtyard gate.

The moment he stepped out, several Gang Members who had been loitering nearby immediately straightened their backs and looked over with reverence.

These were all low-ranking members of the War Hall, now technically his subordinates.

"You, come here."

Lu Chen pointed at one of them, a young man who seemed relatively sharp.

Flattered and flustered, the youth hurried over and cupped his fists. "Leader Lu, you called for me?"

"What's your name?"

"Reporting to Leader Lu, this humble one is called Wang Xiaoliu."

"Wang Xiaoliu, take this list of herbs to the city pharmacy and buy them for me—ten portions of each."

Lu Chen pulled out a freshly written prescription and handed it over along with ten taels of silver.

"Use the leftover silver to order a few Jujube Wood Staffs from the carpenter's shop. Solid wood, two fingers thick, the sturdier the better."

Wang Xiaoliu took the silver and the list, his hands trembling.

Ten taels of silver was a fortune to him, yet this newly appointed Leader Lu had casually tossed it out.

"Rest assured, Leader Lu! This humble one will see to it right away and handle everything perfectly!"

Wang Xiaoliu thumped his chest in assurance, then scurried off in a flash.

Being able to run errands for a leader was an opportunity countless people begged for. Do it well, and you'd have a backer in the gang from then on.

Lu Chen watched Wang Xiaoliu's retreating figure, then turned and went back into the courtyard.

This was the benefit of power.

In the past, he would have had to handle all these trivial matters himself, wasting time and drawing attention.

Now, a single word was enough, and someone else would run their legs off.

By evening.

Wang Xiaoliu came back panting, carrying a large bundle of herbs and a stack of polished Jujube Wood Staffs on his back.

"Leader Lu, everything you asked for is bought! The pharmacy owner saw I was buying in bulk and even knocked off the odd coppers. The leftover silver is all here."

Wang Xiaoliu set down the goods and respectfully handed back a few small pieces of silver.

Lu Chen glanced at them but didn't take them.

"Keep it."

"Thank you, Leader Lu! Thank you, Leader Lu!"

Wang Xiaoliu kowtowed repeatedly in excitement. Those few bits of silver were worth half a month's allowance to him.

After sending Wang Xiaoliu away, Lu Chen immediately began his cultivation.

He set up a large iron cauldron in the courtyard, lit a charcoal fire beneath it, and tossed in the prepared herbs to boil.

Gurgle, gurgle...

As the water temperature rose, a thick medicinal aroma filled the small courtyard.

It was the mixed scent of safflower, angelica, and pyrola—a smell that made one's blood and qi surge just by inhaling it.

Once the Medicinal Bath had boiled down to a dark brown, Lu Chen poured it into a huge wooden tub, added some cold water, and adjusted the temperature.

He stripped off his clothes, revealing a lean, muscular upper body with sharply defined lines.

Taking a deep breath, he picked up a Jujube Wood Staff.

"Let's begin."

Lu Chen held his breath, tensed his arm, and swung the Jujube Wood Staff hard against his own thigh.

A sharp crack rang out.

The staff struck the muscle heavily, leaving a red mark behind.

A piercing pain shot through him.

But this was only the beginning.

Gritting his teeth, Lu Chen brought the staff down like a rain of blows.

Arms, thighs, chest, abdomen, back...

Slap! Slap! Slap!

Dull thuds echoed through the small courtyard.

Each strike had to be coordinated with the unique breathing method of Iron Cloth Shirt, tensing the muscles, vibrating the blood and qi, and channeling that external force deep into the skin and membrane.

This kind of training was pure self-torture.

Ordinary people training Iron Cloth Shirt would proceed step by step, even needing others to help with the strikes and controlling the force.

But Lu Chen was different.

He had the [Body Immunity] trait, so he wasn't afraid of getting hurt or leaving hidden injuries.

The force he applied was several times more vicious than an ordinary person's.

A hundred strikes, two hundred strikes, five hundred strikes...

Half an hour later.

Lu Chen's entire body was bright red, covered in crisscrossing swollen welts, with blood even seeping through in some places.

He looked like he had been brutally tortured, a miserable sight.

But his eyes grew fiercer and fiercer.

Throwing aside the Jujube Wood Staff that had snapped in two, Lu Chen didn't hesitate. He jumped straight into the scalding hot medicinal bath.

Sizzle...

The medicinal water soaked into his wounds, bringing a tingling numbness and stabbing pain, like ten thousand ants gnawing at him.

"Urgh..."

Lu Chen let out a muffled groan, veins bulging on his forehead, but he gritted his teeth and forced himself not to move.

He immediately activated the breathing method, guiding the medicinal power to seep into his body.

That numbing sensation gradually deepened. His originally swollen and reddened skin, nourished by the medicinal power, began to visibly reduce swelling and fade in color.

A warm current surged beneath his skin and membranes, strengthening every cell.

Lu Chen glanced at his panel.

[Martial Art: Iron Cloth Shirt (Not Yet Initiated 5% -> 15%)]

"It's working!"

Seeing the proficiency increase, all the pain turned into motivation.

This feeling of getting results just by putting in the effort was utterly addictive.

Over the next few days.

Lu Chen completely entered seclusion mode.

Aside from eating and sleeping, he spent all his time training Iron Cloth Shirt.

The sound of "slap slap slap" could be heard in the small courtyard all day long.

Wang Xiaoliu delivered fresh meat and medicinal herbs every day. Every time he heard the commotion in the courtyard, he couldn't help but shrink his neck.

This Leader Lu was way too hard on himself.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

Under countless rounds of hammering and medicinal bath refinement, the skin on Lu Chen's body had undergone some changes.

His originally bronze-colored skin had become firmer, finer, and took on a dull luster, like a layer of old cowhide.

When he pressed down hard with his finger, the skin rebounded quickly like tough rubber.

[Martial Art: Iron Cloth Shirt (1st Realm, Just Entered the Door 1%)]

[Trait: Thick Skin (Beginner, greatly increases skin toughness, can cushion blunt weapon strikes)]

Finally initiated!

Lu Chen stood up from the medicinal barrel, feeling the changes in his body.

Although it was only the first step through the door, he could sense that his defense had risen another level.

If before, [Bronze Skin] was about hardness, then now, [Thick Skin] was about toughness.

Hard and tough—that was true defense.

Just as Lu Chen was about to put on his clothes and test his skills...

Clang! Clang! Clang!

A sharp, urgent gong suddenly shattered the morning calm.

The sound was incredibly penetrating, instantly spreading throughout the entire Main Hall of the Black Water Gang.

Lu Chen's expression changed.

This was the gang's "Emergency Summon Order."

It was only rung when something happened that threatened the gang's very survival.

"Something's happened."

Lu Chen quickly pulled on his clothes, grabbed the Mountain Splitting Saber hanging on the wall, and pushed open the door.

By now, the corridor outside was in complete chaos.

Countless Black Water Gang members were stumbling out of their rooms half-dressed, faces filled with panic and confusion.

"What's going on? Why did they sound the emergency gong?"

"No idea—could the Red Fish Gang be attacking?"

"Stop blabbering, get to the Training Ground now! If you're late, you'll lose your head!"

Lu Chen blended into the crowd, his face cold.

His instincts told him this was no small matter.