Shen Fan had no idea that he had become the "Senior Brother" admired by some of the older disciples. At that moment, he was holding a money pouch in his hands and grinning like an idiot.
He couldn't help it. This was the richest he had ever been in his life, and the money had practically fallen into his lap. Of course he was delighted.
In a good mood, Shen Fan decided to take a day off. With his current talent, he was only a few months away from reaching Bone Forging, after all.
That was assuming his theory was right: that mastering three entry-level martial arts would let him break through to Bone Forging. If it didn't work, he would have to find more advanced martial arts manuals.
There was one problem, though: manuals cost money, and he was nowhere near being able to afford them!
But that was a problem for later. Right now, Shen Fan just wanted to go out and enjoy himself. Laiyang City had plenty of good food and fun things to do, and he wanted to try them all.
The moment he stepped out of the Martial Hall, Shen Fan could tell that things were different.
The lively cries of street vendors rang out without end. Women and children, young men and the elderly—all had happy smiles on their faces.
A few steps later, he passed a stall sending out a rich, savory aroma that drew diners from every direction.
There was plenty of other delicious food nearby. Shen Fan patted the silver in his clothes and confidently headed down the street.
Along the way, Shen Fan made full use of a Muscle Refining Warrior's greatest strength—eating. He ate and ate!
As a Muscle Refining Warrior, Shen Fan's appetite was beyond what ordinary people could imagine. He polished off enough food to satisfy four or five grown adults, yet it only made him about thirty percent full!
The silver he spent, however, made his heart ache.
That was because almost everything he ate was meat. In Laiyang City, ordinary families were lucky to eat meat once a month, which showed just how precious it was.
In only an hour, Shen Fan had spent half a tael of silver!
Don't think that was a small amount. It was already a quarter of his wealth.
Only now did Shen Fan realize that if he hadn't joined Ox Demon Martial Arts School, he might very well have starved to death on the streets!
Becoming a Martial Artist gave him great strength, but it also took great wealth to support him. As a Rookie Warrior like him, who could only claim the Martial Hall's stipend, he probably wouldn't have access to higher-level martial resources!
But there was nothing he could do about it. His current strength was only average. He was certainly stronger than ordinary people, but he was still far from the truly powerful Martial Artists.
So Shen Fan didn't entertain any crooked ideas. He just planned to keep his head down for now and wait until he was strong enough to come out and show off.
After enjoying all that delicious food, Shen Fan decided to call it a day. Money really did disappear fast.
With his appetite finally sated, Shen Fan wandered the streets. Laiyang City truly lived up to its reputation as the only city within five hundred li. It was home to hundreds of thousands of people.
The bustle was extraordinary.
Besides the dazzling variety of food, there were all sorts of strange performers: opera singers, storytellers, acrobats, and even magicians!
The entertainment was so varied that Shen Fan nearly forgot he was in a high-martial world where martial arts reached the heavens.
It was proof that the five great factions really did manage Laiyang City well. The people lived in peace and contentment. Injustices still occurred, but overall, things were pretty good.
To achieve such results in such a harsh world, the top Martial Artists of Laiyang City must have been remarkably wise!
That put a little pressure on Shen Fan. Martial Artists weren't brutes, and they weren't easy to deal with.
Still, Shen Fan knew he didn't need to make enemies of most people. He could just keep a low profile and cultivate his Longevity Martial Path.
Once again, Shen Fan was glad he had a good Golden Finger. Without it, he would have been doomed.
Shen Fan strolled around, occasionally buying a few trinkets. They were cheap, so he never bothered haggling.
But even that habit drew the attention of some people.
As evening fell, Shen Fan decided to head back to the Martial Hall and rest. He ambled down the street, watching the crowds thin out, and felt utterly at ease.
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But when he reached a rather secluded alley, he suddenly sensed something was wrong.
"Who's there? Come out!"
Shen Fan shouted, his nerves tensing.
Sure enough, footsteps sounded, and two burly men appeared in front of him, with another two behind him, perfectly blocking every escape route!
"May I ask what you gentlemen want?" Shen Fan asked, forcing himself to stay calm.
The men across from him said nothing. They stared fixedly at the money pouch at Shen Fan's waist. Their intentions couldn't have been clearer.
Shen Fan relaxed and promptly tossed the pouch to the man blocking his way, clasping his hands in greeting. "This is a small token of my goodwill. Please accept it, sirs."
Following the principle that it was better to avoid trouble, Shen Fan decided to pay his way out of danger. Besides, there was only a little over one tael of silver in the pouch—not that much.
The bearded man in the lead caught Shen Fan's pouch and tossed it in his hand. He seemed less than satisfied, but then he grinned.
"Kid, you know what's what. But you're not leaving today!"
"Why not? I gave you my money pouch, didn't I?" Shen Fan asked in surprise.
"You did, but this pouch isn't ordinary."
"Kid, you're from Ox Demon Martial Arts School, aren't you? In that case, we can't let you go!" the bearded man snarled, murderous light glinting in his eyes. He had clearly made up his mind.
"Why? Do you have a grudge against Ox Demon Martial Arts School?" Shen Fan's muscles tensed, ready to counterattack at any moment.
"A grudge? No. But someone in Laiyang City is paying for the heads of people from your Martial Hall. A fresh recruit like you is worth ten taels of silver!"
"What? Ten taels?" Shen Fan's heart jolted. He couldn't help being alarmed by the forces lurking in the shadows. Ox Demon Martial Arts School had hundreds of disciples—wouldn't that mean a bounty of at least several thousand taels of silver?
"That's right, ten taels. It'll keep the four of us living it up for a while. So, little brother, lend us your head!" The bearded man laughed smugly, as if Shen Fan were already in his grasp.
It was no wonder he was so confident. All four brothers were Skin Refining Warriors. Dealing with a fresh Little Chicken like Shen Fan would be a piece of cake.
As for how they knew Shen Fan was a new recruit, it was obvious from his youthful face!
The four men grinned viciously and lunged at him. But what they hadn't expected was that Shen Fan would take the initiative and attack.
"Bold!"
One of the men drove a fist toward Shen Fan's heart, hoping to crush his heart meridians.
The others attacked as well, each strike aimed at a vital spot.
But Shen Fan suddenly moved faster. His fists whirled like a storm, smashing through their defenses and slamming into two men's chests.
The two men barely had time to look surprised before they were sent flying. They hit the ground vomiting blood and couldn't manage a single complete sentence.
The other two had just reacted when they saw Shen Fan turn around and effortlessly block their fists.
Feeling the force of Shen Fan's blocks, they both thought the same thing: He's a Muscle Refining Warrior!
"Run!"
The two exchanged glances and tried to flee, but how could Shen Fan let them get away?
Muscle Refining Warriors trained not only their strength, but also their muscles' explosive power.
Shen Fan unleashed his tremendous explosive force, charged forward, and punched each man once. Soon, four figures lay on the ground, vomiting blood.
Without hesitation, Shen Fan snapped their necks, quickly searched their money pouches, and left.
Having been inexplicably swept into a whirlpool of trouble, Shen Fan felt a little panicked!
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