The Ice Talisman and Its Perks

Meng Sheng and Qian Peng exchanged a glance. They hadn't expected the tall, lanky Jiang Yan to be such a ruthless fighter.

They'd misjudged him.

"Jiang Yan, are you a Martial Apprentice?"

Shan Renhu tamped down his astonishment and asked tentatively.

Jiang Yan's attack just now had been so fierce, like a sudden storm sweeping everything away—clean and decisive.

Shan Renhu had already touched the threshold of sensing Vital Energy, yet even he couldn't have dealt with Submerged Grass so easily.

Though he asked the question, he still found the answer hard to believe. Yet he had already concluded that Jiang Yan had crossed the threshold countless ordinary people dreamed of and become a true martial artist.

At his words, Meng Sheng and Qian Peng also looked over curiously.

Jiang Yan slid his sword back into its sheath and smiled, shaking his head. He admitted frankly, "I only broke through last night. I haven't had the chance to tell Captain Tang yet."

"You have to tell him. It's a rule in the Dahe Gang: once you become a Martial Apprentice, you can be appointed a junior leader. Whether or not you get any real authority, the perks alone are better than those of an ordinary team member."

Shan Renhu carefully explained it to Jiang Yan.

Jiang Yan nodded. He'd already learned a little about this over the past few days.

"What? You're saying Jiang Yan's already a Martial Apprentice?"

That evening, on the square, Tang Long was just as incredulous.

Jiang Yan put on an uncertain expression. "Captain Tang, to be honest, I'm not sure myself. These past few nights, I've gone back and practiced the Chopping Iron Four Forms as hard as I could. Every time I finished, I felt a little stronger. Then last night..."

He looked Tang Long straight in the eye, his gaze utterly sincere. "I practiced until very late last night. As I was training, I suddenly lost myself in thought. When I came to, I felt a wisp of qi below my navel, and I'd gotten quite a bit stronger too."

Tang Long's expression had returned to normal.

"Your breakthrough followed the usual pattern. The Chopping Iron Four Forms are ultimately meant to help you reach the threshold where you can sense Vital Energy and draw its power into your body. That does indeed greatly improve your physical constitution."

Then he frowned.

"Is something wrong?" Jiang Yan pressed.

"No." Tang Long shook his head.

You just broke through too quickly, he thought to himself.

Of course, he'd heard stories of peerless geniuses in various biographies—figures who, with enough resources, had broken through three or even four realms in a single day.

So while Jiang Yan reaching the Martial Apprentice realm in ten days was astonishing, Tang Long accepted it.

"Then there's just one last thing. Let me test whether you've really broken through."

The Martial Apprentice realm had no distinct outward signs, but a Martial Apprentice's strength was beyond that of an ordinary person. A test of strength would settle it.

With that, Tang Long raised his head and arm, then threw a punch.

Jiang Yan met it with a punch of his own.

Their fists collided with a thud. Jiang Yan's body shook, and he staggered back five steps before stopping. He opened his hand and looked at the back of it: it was red and throbbing.

Tang Long looked at him with a complicated expression. "Not bad. That's the strength of someone who's just entered the Martial Apprentice realm. Congratulations, Jiang Yan. You're a true martial artist now."

Then he said, "Don't rush off to eat. Come with me first."

Jiang Yan followed Tang Long toward the western side of the village. They passed four rows of houses and stopped in front of a stone building.

The house was built entirely of bluestone and looked extremely sturdy.

Tang Long stepped forward and knocked lightly on the door.

Jiang Yan looked up. A finely crafted plaque hung above the entrance, bearing a simple character: Sheng.

After a while, the door opened, revealing the face of a fair-skinned, middle-aged man.

"Ah, Tang Long. What brings you here?"

At the sight of the man, Tang Long instinctively lowered his voice. "Senior Captain Sheng, I have something to report..."

"Go ahead."

Tang Long patted Jiang Yan on the shoulder, signaling him to step forward, then lowered his voice. "This brother just joined us. He's quite talented and has already broken through to become a Martial Apprentice."

"Oh?" Only then did Sheng Fuwu look up and examine Jiang Yan carefully.

Jiang Yan hurriedly cupped his fists. "Jiang Yan pays his respects, Senior Captain Sheng."

"Jiang Yan, if I remember right, the Patrol Team only arrived ten days ago. To break through to the Martial Apprentice realm so quickly—you're quite talented. You were even a few days faster than I was. Tang Long, handle things according to the usual procedure. Also, give him an extra Blood Qi Pill."

Then Sheng Fuwu casually took out a Yellow Talisman. "This is an Ice Talisman. It's a higher grade than the Blazing Flames Talisman. Train hard."

Jiang Yan thanked him, and Sheng Fuwu casually dismissed the two of them.

"Everyone's probably finished dinner by now. Come back to my courtyard with me, Brother Jiang. We'll have a simple meal."

Jiang Yan had some questions he wanted to ask, so he nodded. "Sorry for the trouble, Captain Tang."

A large table held five plates of braised meat and some dried fruit. Tang Long also brought out a jug of wine.

He poured each of them a cup, and they drank together.

"Congratulations, Brother Jiang. In this world, if you're not a martial artist, how can you live with any freedom?"

Jiang Yan drained his cup, then promptly refilled Tang Long's.

Taking the opportunity, he asked, "I'm grateful for your praise, Brother Tang. Could you tell me what benefits the gang offers to Martial Apprentices?"

Tang Long took another drink. "Even if you hadn't asked, I would've told you. First, your pay will go up considerably, and you'll be given a small courtyard."

"But those are just minor perks. What really matters is that every Martial Apprentice receives a token from the Dahe Gang, making them a junior leader. With that token, if one of the gang's halls needs people, you can apply to transfer there. If the hall leader agrees, you can move over. Then you'll have authority, gain access to resources, and have a much better chance of obtaining cultivation methods."

Huh, so even another world has a separation between rank and authority? Jiang Yan thought silently.

"Lastly, the Dahe Gang allows newly advanced disciples to choose one martial technique."

Jiang Yan quietly took it all in. The improved benefits were only fair. For now, he had the title of junior leader; he'd still have to find a way to secure an actual position.

The martial technique was what would be most useful to him right now.

Then he began to worry. The Dahe Gang's headquarters was said to be in Guihua City. How could he learn this martial technique?

"Brother Tang, the gang's headquarters is far away in Guihua City. How am I supposed to learn the martial technique?"

"Don't worry. The mining district is one of the Dahe Gang's core interests. It has tokens, pills, cultivation methods, and martial techniques. The rewards for new recruits who break through in the mining district or in any of the five villages are all distributed by the mining district's branch hall. Be patient for a few days. We'll send in the report, and your reward will arrive soon."

Jiang Yan felt reassured. He raised his cup, a smile on his face. "Thank you for clearing that up, Brother Tang. Let me toast you!"

They talked about a few other things, and eventually the conversation turned to Sheng Fuwu.

Jiang Yan learned that Sheng Fuwu was the newly arrived chief of the Dahe Gang's Patrol Mountain Hall, a Body Refining Realm martial artist. His main responsibility was dealing with the strange creatures that the Patrol Teams couldn't handle, as well as those special creatures that slipped past the patrols and hid in the villages.