New Skill

If it had been Li Yuan from half a month ago, he likely would have struggled to dodge this strike.

But now, he didn't move his feet; he merely tilted his upper body slightly, letting the club whistle past his ear.

At the same time, Li Yuan thrust his right hand out, precisely grabbing Wang Three Scars' wrist and twisting it with force.

"Agh!" Wang Three Scars let out a miserable shriek, feeling as if his wrist were clamped in iron pincers, the sharp pain piercing his heart.

The club in his hand dropped, only to be caught by Li Yuan.

"How dare you touch Third Brother!"

"Cripple this brat!"

Seeing this, the other ruffians drew their short clubs and swarmed forward.

"Brother Yuan, watch out!" Chicken Brother cried out in alarm.

The ruffians behind him saw the scene and rushed forward, cursing as they came.

Li Yuan didn't retreat; instead, he stepped forward, swinging the short club and aiming specifically for their joints.

"Bang!" A strike landed on the shoulder blade of the first ruffian to charge; the man's arm immediately went limp, and he began to howl incessantly.

"Smack!" A backhand strike caught another on the cheek, drawing blood from his nose and mouth as he stumbled backward.

In the span of a single breath, three men were already on the ground, wailing in pain.

The remaining two ruffians saw how ferocious Li Yuan was and stood frozen, clubs raised but afraid to advance, their faces deathly pale.

Chicken Brother watched from the side, dumbfounded; he had never seen such a valiant side to Li Yuan.

Wang Three Scars grimaced in pain, yet he still stubbornly spat, "Y-you brat, do you know who is backing me? It's Yan Xiang!

Yan Xiang's brother, Yan Ning, is an expert at the Three Stages of Skin Refining.

If you touch me today, don't even think about surviving in this county town."

Hearing this, Li Yuan delivered several more fierce strikes, beating Wang Three Scars until his nose and mouth bled and his wails grew constant.

"Even if your father were Yan Ning, I would still beat you today."

"You bunch of dogs who only know how to bully the weak!"

"If you're so tough, why don't you go find an expert at the Three Stages of Skin Refining to collect money from? Huh? Don't you want to?"

"M-mercy, Master Li, I was wrong! Master Li, this little brother won't dare do it again."

Seeing that Li Yuan was not swayed by threats, Wang Three Scars immediately caved.

He was genuinely terrified that Li Yuan might beat him to death on the spot.

Seeing that the beating was sufficient, Li Yuan went over to thrash the other ruffians as well, until one by one they were all wailing and begging for mercy.

These people only knew how to bully the defenseless at the bottom of society; once they encountered someone more ruthless and reckless than themselves, they were the first to fold.

If it weren't for the fact that it was broad daylight and they were near the market with a large crowd, Li Yuan would have liked to beat these men to death.

Li Yuan let out a cold snort and turned to the still-stunned Chicken Brother. "Chicken Brother, come here."

Chicken Brother walked over hesitantly.

"Stomp on him a few times." Li Yuan pointed at Wang Three Scars on the ground. "Wasn't he being arrogant just now? Let yourself vent some anger too."

Chicken Brother hesitated, but under Li Yuan's encouraging gaze, he finally gathered his courage, stepped forward, and stomped hard on Wang Three Scars several times.

"That's for bullying people, that's for collecting protection money!" Chicken Brother cursed as he stomped, feeling more relieved with every blow.

Wang Three Scars dared not resist, only able to cover his head and endure it.

"If I see you collecting money indiscriminately again, I'll beat you every time I see you. Let's see if this money is enough to cover your medical bills."

Li Yuan bent down to pick up the money bag and scanned the ruffians sprawled on the ground. "Today is just a small punishment. If I see you extorting money again, it won't just be your hands that get broken. Get lost!"

The ruffians acted as if they had been granted amnesty, scrambling away in a pathetic heap while helping each other up, not even daring to retrieve the clubs they had dropped.

As for whether he would face retaliation from Yan Xiang later, that was a problem for another time.

Before he practiced martial arts, he had to endure because he couldn't beat these ruffians.

After practicing martial arts, if he didn't even dare to fight these thugs, then what was the point of practicing at all?

If he were afraid of this and that, he might as well hole up in a mountain village for the rest of his life, living as a bottom-feeder and enduring the oppression of others forever!

Li Yuan was an orphan with no attachments; he wasn't afraid of these people retaliating against his family. If they had a problem, they could come straight for him.

As for that Yan Xiang, he had eaten his money, and sooner or later, he would have to spit it back out with interest.

Watching their retreating backs, Chicken Brother grabbed Li Yuan's arm in excitement. "Brother Yuan, w-when did you become so strong?"

"Martial arts. Only by practicing martial arts can one possess the power to protect oneself in this world."

"I must practice martial arts."

This scene with Li Yuan had a profound impact on Chicken Brother.

In the past, he had only talked about it, his attitude toward the matter being ambiguous, but now he had finally made up his mind.

Outside the alley, many merchants had seen Li Yuan beating the men, and every one of them was clapping and cheering.

"Well struck, Brother Yuan, you should hit them hard."

"I see Brother Yuan's physique has grown much sturdier than before; he's finally getting enough nutrition."

"Hurry along, little Yuan, be careful they don't bring Yan Xiang back to take revenge on you."

Li Yuan was a hunter who often came to the market to sell his goods, so everyone had gotten to know him over time.

These ruffians only knew how to bully those with family burdens, leaving everyone miserable.

After escorting Chicken Brother to the county gate and ensuring he was safe, Li Yuan returned to the Five Animals Academy, prepared to continue honing his stance.

Back in the courtyard, Li Yuan first went to his spot and picked up a Stone Lock to practice.

Third Senior Brother Zhao Qin was also nearby, and the two nodded at each other.

[Skill: Five Animals Fist Stance (Entry)]

[Progress: 80/300 points]

After practicing with the Stone Lock for a while, feeling the warmth and soreness as his blood and qi flowed slowly through his muscles and bones, Li Yuan set the lock down and wiped away his sweat.

Blindly training alone probably isn't enough; I must understand the principles to achieve twice the result with half the effort.

Li Yuan pondered this and asked Third Senior Brother Zhao Qin for the location of the study.

Zhao Qin pointed to a quiet room on the east side of the backyard: "It's right there, but it's mostly full of written materials. It's quite dull, and not many junior brothers care to look at them."

Saying they were unwilling was just an excuse; the root cause was that they all came from poor families and were mostly illiterate.

Li Yuan hadn't known many characters either, but because he had awakened his Past Life Memory, the script here wasn't too different from his previous life.

That was how he was able to recognize them.

Li Yuan offered his thanks and headed toward the study.

He arrived at the small study in the backyard, intending to read the Five Animals Secret Manual during his break.

Inside were stored various transcripts regarding the forms of the Five Animals Fist and the insights of predecessors, available for disciples to borrow and study.

The study was small, containing only a table, a chair, and a few bookshelves against the wall.

Neatly stacked on them were several piles of thread-bound books and bamboo slips.

Li Yuan casually picked up the volume on the Tiger Form of the Five Animals Fist and began to study it.

The Tiger Form focused on power, and combined with his Archery, he would have nothing to fear at either long or short range.

His success rate when hunting large game in the mountains would also be higher.

Li Yuan became engrossed, his mind completely immersed in the text before he even realized it.

Just as he finished reading, closed the book, and shut his eyes to reflect, a sudden clarity washed over his mind, as if some invisible barrier had been shattered.

[Read a hundred times, and the meaning reveals itself.]

[You have focused on studying martial theory, grasped the essence, and gained insights through analogy.]

[Skill: Literacy (Entry)]

[Progress: 61/500 points (Cannot breakthrough)]

[Effect: Your comprehension has slightly increased.]

"This is a new skill? It reached entry level so quickly?"

Li Yuan opened his eyes, a flash of surprise crossing his face as he looked at the newly displayed skill, thinking to himself.