An Introduction

The sky gradually darkened.

The other disciples of the martial arts school left one after another.

Seeing that it was getting late,

and since Meng Zhaowu hadn't eaten dinner yet,

Chen Feng found a restaurant so they could eat while they talked.

Fusheng Tower, second floor.

A table by the window.

The ground-floor hall buzzed with noise. The servers' shouts, the clamor of people playing drinking games, and the clinking of chopsticks against bowls all blended together.

By contrast, this corner seemed especially quiet.

The dishes had already arrived: a plate of braised beef, a dish of peanuts, several fresh vegetable dishes, and two pots of yellow wine.

Chen Feng lifted his cup and took a sip of yellow wine.

Its warmth slid down his throat and spread through his stomach like a ball of heat.

"Brother Chen, if you want to take up an outside position, the first place I'd recommend is the Changwei Escort Agency."

Meng Zhaowu picked up a slice of beef and put it in his mouth.

"Could you tell me more about it?"

"This escort agency has deep ties with our martial arts school. For starters, the Head Escort, Yang Changwei, was our Hall Master's comrade-in-arms."

"Given their many years of friendship, I'm sure you'd be treated well if you joined the agency."

Chen Feng understood. So there was that connection.

"Not only that, but Head Escort Yang's son also studied staff techniques at our martial arts school."

"That's why the Changwei Escort Agency has always been the first choice for our Formal Disciples. Some of them become Escort Guards after graduating."

Meng Zhaowu raised his cup and took a small sip.

Chen Feng also took a small sip.

"Escort missions pay well, but they're risky, too. Given the state of things these days, I don't need to tell you what it's like outside the city..."

Chen Feng nodded.

Outside the city, there were either Exotic Beasts or bandits. Ordinary wild beasts and poisonous creatures were the least of your worries.

He'd heard Mountain Demons had been spotted out there, too... Of course, it might just be a rumor.

Chen Feng had only heard it secondhand.

Without seeing it with his own eyes, he couldn't jump to conclusions.

"Besides the Changwei Escort Agency, you could also take up a post as an Attendant for wealthy gentry or Noble Families. A Blood Refining Realm Martial Artist is in high demand."

"If it's a major family, they'll have more resources. But it wouldn't be an employment relationship—it'd be a kind of investment."

"An investment?"

Meng Zhaowu explained in detail:

"Major families usually already have high-realm martial artists serving as Attendants, but they want stability in the long run."

"For example, the Cheng Family and the Su Family recruit talent from the city's various martial arts schools every year and sign contracts with them."

Meng Zhaowu knew a little about Chen Feng's circumstances.

He deliberately didn't mention the Li Family.

The Li, Su, and Cheng Families were Pingcheng's three great Noble Families. They had connections in both the underworld and the legitimate world, colluded with officials in the city, and colluded with bandits outside it.

They practically had the city in the palm of their hands.

"It's like trading a huge amount of resources for a favor in the future. Once the students graduate, they join the family as guest retainers and are groomed to become future Attendants."

Chen Feng had already ruled out that path.

Whether or not his master would allow it was beside the point.

Even if his master did, he wouldn't choose it.

Chen Feng couldn't accept selling his future to someone else.

"Then there are the smaller factions, gangs and the like. They tend to make more demands."

"But they also value martial arts school disciples more. They'll invest more resources in them at the start, though they tend to run short later on."

As your training advanced, you needed vast amounts of resources.

Small factions had limited capital.

They couldn't invest too much in a single person.

Chen Feng picked up some food and ate it, nodding in agreement with Meng Zhaowu.

"Finally, there's public service: taking the Martial Arts Grand Examination or joining the army. But these days..."

Even without Meng Zhaowu continuing, Chen Feng understood.

Daliang's bureaucracy was rotten to the core.

The higher-ups were either embezzling money or taking bribes. Even with the fighting at their doorstep, they could still stoop to the disgusting business of withholding soldiers' pay.

The Martial Arts Examination got worse every year, too.

At least in Pingcheng,

he'd never heard of a Martial Artist taking the Martial Arts Grand Examination.

The pay was too low.

Even becoming a bandit was a more carefree and comfortable life than being a Martial Scholar.

As for Martial Arts Graduates, Pingcheng hadn't had one in many years.

Many Martial Artists who turned to banditry did so thinking, "I'll have a few years of fun first, then accept an amnesty from the imperial court."

That was the state of Daliang.

In one word:

Rotten.

After hearing Meng Zhaowu's analysis, Chen Feng found it clear and perceptive.

He'd pointed out many key details,

laying out both the advantages and disadvantages for Chen Feng.

But one thing puzzled him, and he couldn't help asking:

"Brother Meng, why don't you tell me about your family's trading company?"

Meng Zhaowu hurriedly waved his hands and explained:

"I really want to be friends with you, Brother Chen. I'm not trying to get anything out of it. That's why I haven't mentioned my family's trading company—I don't want money to taint our friendship."

"There are other people in the company besides my father. They'd definitely try to make more money off you, Brother Chen..."

"If money, that vulgar thing, came between us, I'd be beside myself."

Chen Feng was taken aback.

Then he burst out laughing.

"Good! Brother Meng, I'll drink to that."

He filled the cup beside him and drained it in one go.

Meng Zhaowu filled his own cup as well and downed it.

Time passed, cups clinked.

The two drank and chatted merrily.

When the cups were empty and the plates cleared,

Chen Feng called over a waiter and paid the bill.

At the entrance to the restaurant,

as they were about to part, Meng Zhaowu couldn't help venting about some people in the trading company.

"They always think I'm useless at everything. I didn't do well at school, and my martial arts training hasn't gotten me anywhere..."

"They even think I have bad judgment and say I'm not cut out for business. What kind of thing is that to say..."

Chen Feng cheerfully chimed in.

After seeing Meng Zhaowu off,

Chen Feng returned to his dormitory.

He planned to get a nice, satisfying night's sleep.

This was the first time since he'd crossed over that he'd stayed in such a fine room.

It was about time he enjoyed himself.

"But..."

Chen Feng's thoughts stirred—

[Experience]: 12697

[Techniques]: Five Elements Fist Technique (Proficient), Tai Chi Profound Origin Technique (Perfect)

"Should I max out the Five Elements Fist?"

He definitely had enough Experience now.

But...

Chen Feng was worried that, just like last time with the Tai Chi Profound Origin Technique, maxing it out would trigger a huge leap forward and leave him sprawled outside the room.

The sky for a blanket, the ground for a bed.

That wasn't a pleasant feeling.

[Five Elements Fist Technique]: Proficient (0/1500)

Tsk—

Chen Feng felt like the panel was tempting him.

After thinking it over,

he went for it!

Max it out!

What was the point of having a cheat if he was going to keep hesitating?

That was ridiculous.

After chiding himself, Chen Feng hurried to the bed, rubbing his hands together as he looked at the panel.

As the saying went, once bitten, twice shy.

This time, even if he passed out,

he'd be passing out on the bed.

"System! Add the points!"

Chen Feng shouted inwardly.

His Experience points rapidly dwindled.

His mind played through the essentials of the Five Elements Fist like a film, committing them all to memory.

At the same time, a familiar sensation welled up inside him. His muscles, bones, marrow, and internal organs all began to change.

It was as if he'd been practicing the Five Elements Fist for years.

There it was...

As his Martial Art proficiency increased,

it drove Chen Feng's own realm upward!

In just a few short breaths, he gained what would have taken days of hard training!

[Experience]: 9197

[Techniques]: Five Elements Fist Technique (Perfect), Tai Chi Profound Origin Technique (Perfect)

The moment the Five Elements Fist reached perfection,

Chen Feng felt as if his entire body were brimming with strength!

The marrow throughout his body began to transform, and his bones and muscles changed along with it!

Along with this came a frenzied drain on his Blood Qi...

Chen Feng was lost in the joy of his rapidly rising strength.

"Wait..."

"My Blood Qi is draining like crazy...?"

A bad feeling rose in Chen Feng's heart.