Tempering

After not lacking money.

Chen Feng's life became incredibly fulfilling. As soon as his eyes opened, he was practicing, dedicating all his free time to punching.

Not only could it temper his body.

It could also accumulate experience.

The system could only help Chen Feng with martial arts problems. True realm advancement still depended on him, step by step.

Unless he could find a cultivation technique that involved all over 200 bones in his body.

That was unrealistic.

And the books Chen Feng bought, although they couldn't directly help him forge bones, greatly increased the efficiency of his body tempering. It could be said they were of immense help to him.

At his previous speed, it would take several days of Qi Blood Flush to polish a single bone.

Moreover, the Five Elements Fist Technique always focused on a few specific bones, leaving some obscure parts to be developed at a very slow pace.

Now, Chen Feng could advance together.

The efficiency was extremely high.

While Chen Feng was practicing at the martial arts school, Cheng Tingxue often came over.

But Cheng Tingxue would just sit on a stone stool under the courtyard tree, quietly watching Chen Feng punch.

When Chen Feng rested, they would chat for a bit.

She didn't feel bored at all.

Chen Feng was also happy to chat with her. However, Cheng Tingxue would bring a bottle of Great Tonic Pill for Chen Feng every time she visited.

He always had the illusion of being kept...

Others at the Dragon Walk Martial Arts School saw Cheng Tingxue and assumed she was looking for Su Wanqing, as their relationship was extremely good, which was well-known.

According to Cheng Tingxue, Cheng Li had returned safely, but he had lost an arm.

This was within Chen Feng's expectations.

The malicious acts of the Canal Gang were known to everyone. If one had to label them, it would certainly be "unscrupulous."

The Imperial Examination had not yet ended, and the Cheng Family head was still in the Provincial Capital. The Cheng Family could only suffer in silence.

It was good that the person had returned.

As for the Xu family, Cheng Tingxue had already severed ties with them completely. The marriage alliance between the two families was supposed to be a joyous occasion, but now, because of the Canal Gang, they were opposed to each other.

Fate truly plays tricks on people.

Early morning, the sky was dimly lit.

Chen Feng stood in the courtyard, feet apart, shoulder-width apart. He had just finished a set of Five Elements Fist and slowly exhaled a mouthful of turbid qi.

As the Tai Chi Profound Origin Technique circulated, a warm current flowed through his meridians.

Chen Feng felt as comfortable as if he had soaked in hot springs, a pleasant sensation from his toes to the crown of his head.

"Crackling~"

After a strange sound.

Chen Feng's mind cleared.

He immediately understood that all the bones in his body had completed their tempering, and his realm had successfully surpassed Fifth Senior Sister.

At this pace, he should step into the Viscera Quenching realm before Su Wanqing.

Chen Feng clenched his fist.

In the current era where martial artists are scarce, the Bone Forging realm is enough to establish one's own minor faction in Pingcheng, making one an honored guest wherever one goes.

At an escort agency, one could become an escort leader; in a noble family, one could become a retainer; even the highest-ranking Jiao Xi in a martial arts school is only in the Bone Forging realm.

If he were to join the army.

He would at least be a Squad Leader, and with some experience, he could be promoted to Company Commander, commanding dozens of men under him.

Thinking back to a few months ago.

He was just a porter at the dock, exploited by others. Chen Feng felt a daze.

His strength was steadily growing every day, and this feeling was grounding. However...

His experience was increasingly insufficient.

With a thought, the panel appeared before his eyes:

[Name]: Chen Feng

[Experience]: 678

[Cultivation Techniques]: Five Elements Fist Technique, Tai Chi Profound Origin Technique, Mountain Splitting Palm Technique, Grasshopper Step, Bone Setting Essentials, Internal Realm Diagram, The Classic of Herbal Medicine... (Expand)

To gain experience, one needs to witness and learn. Chen Feng spent his days at the martial arts hall punching. Although training did yield some experience points, it was only a few hundred daily. He had long been spending more than he earned, unable to save up.

"My strength has reached a bottleneck. I'm not in a hurry to break through, but I need to think about how to earn experience..." Chen Feng muttered.

He had worked as a medicine boy for a few days, but the experience gained was dwindling, no longer worth Chen Feng's time.

However.

Before that, he still had one important thing to do--

The Lin Family's constant attempts to sabotage him.

Chen Feng hadn't retaliated yet.

He hadn't forgotten that Xie Fei acted on the Lin Family's orders, even trying to annoy Chen Feng when he was escorting a shipment out of the city.

Chen Feng was no saint.

If someone put a knife to his throat, would he wait to be beheaded instead of disarming them and fighting back?

He had now reached the peak of the Bone Forging Realm. With careful planning, his strength was more than sufficient.

Rather than waiting passively.

Chen Feng preferred to take the initiative.

Fuxing Merchant Association Hall.

Blue brick high walls flanked a ceremonial archway, covered with dark gray barrel tiles. A black plaque with gilded characters hung above the lintel, inscribed with four vigorous characters: "Ju Fu Yong Xing".

People came and went incessantly.

All sorts of goods were being moved in and out.

Deep within the hall, however, it was tranquil, with some auspiciously symbolic green plants planted, giving it a serene atmosphere.

At this moment, in the assembly hall.

The sides of a long table were filled with shopkeepers from various businesses. Some stroked their beards, some clutched their teacups, their expressions varied.

On the main seat.

Meng He, the president of the merchant association, had a solemn expression. He lowered his eyelids, seemingly lost in thought.

However, the fingers constantly fiddling with his thumb ring revealed his inner impatience.

Meng He said in a deep voice:

"Everyone, the checkpoint taxes have been increased again, and the canal transport is also blocked. I've called everyone here today to think of a solution together..."

An old gentleman, dressed in a long gown and fiddling with an abacus, interjected:

"President Meng He, several people have left our Fuxing Merchant Association in the past few months. The gangs are expanding their territory and smashing places everywhere. We need to quickly hire some Martial Artists."

"Otherwise, if we let them cause trouble, we won't be able to do business, and we'll eventually collapse."

"Yes, yes."

Everyone echoed, believing this to be the top priority. Other matters could be discussed later.

With the gangs causing trouble like this.

The shops under everyone's management were losing money every day. This hurt more than cutting off their flesh!

Seeing this, Meng He spoke, "I'm already thinking of ways to deal with this. However, the Martial Artists in the city are demanding high prices, and our funds are already a bit tight..."

Everyone's expressions changed drastically.

Hearing Meng He's words, he wanted them to take more money out of their pockets. How could they agree to that!

Their shops were already losing money, and now they had to spend more. Wasn't that asking for their lives!

The old gentleman in the long gown snorted again: "You are the president, so you should be the one to figure it out."

After speaking, he glanced at Meng Zhaowu at the end of the table and continued to say to Meng He:

"Your son has been in the Dragon Walk Martial Arts School for some time. Do you know which skilled individuals he has recruited who can lend a hand to our merchant association?"

"I..." Meng Zhaowu hesitated to speak.

Seeing everyone's eyes turn towards him, Meng Zhaowu didn't know what to say. Even brothers have to settle accounts clearly. Who would help without money?

Especially for a dangerous task like confronting gangs.

Seeing that he couldn't come up with a satisfactory answer, dissatisfaction appeared on the old man's face. He said sarcastically:

"When will Young Master Meng understand that he is also a member of the merchant association? He takes the merchant association's resources but does nothing..."

Meng Zhaowu wanted to retort.

Because he used his own money to practice martial arts, he didn't touch a single cent of the merchant association's fees, let alone take any resources.

However, he saw his father's restraining gaze and could only fall silent helplessly.

Meng He pondered and then said:

"Elder Qin, my idea is to quickly go to the martial arts hall and recruit a batch of Martial Artists to fight against the Gang, and the expenses will be shared equally..."

The old man had a stinky face and interrupted Meng He, "The environment is not good now, everyone is short of money. To suddenly come up with such a large expenditure to hire thugs is not appropriate."

Everyone nodded repeatedly.

No one wanted to pay.

Meng He wasn't angry at being interrupted: "Then what are Elder Qin's high opinions?"

"Hmph..."

The old man did not answer, but just frowned, constantly fiddling with the abacus in his hand, making "ka ka" sounds.