Qin Ming (Seeking Follow-up Reads)

On this day, at the Zhao Family training grounds.

Li Yuan and Zhao Qin stood facing each other.

Having been tormented by Yang Chong every single day, he was no longer certain of his own level.

Now, he would take this opportunity to see exactly where he stood within the Stone Skin Realm.

The two men cupped their fists in salute, then assumed their stances.

"Junior Brother, be careful!" Zhao Qin let out a low shout and launched the first attack.

He also specialized in Bear Form and Tiger Form; his steps were steady as he delivered a palm strike straight toward Li Yuan's chest.

Li Yuan slid toward the rear flank, simultaneously reaching out to grab Zhao Qin's wrist in an attempt to neutralize the force.

Zhao Qin seemed to have anticipated this; mid-strike, he shifted his technique, turning his palm into a claw to hook Li Yuan's arm while his other hand delivered a bear-like strike toward Li Yuan's ribs.

Li Yuan reacted with extreme speed, sinking his arm and tucking his elbow to narrowly evade the claw strike.

At the same time, he pushed off with his feet, twisted his body, and took the brunt of Zhao Qin's shoulder bash with his back.

"Bang!"

With a dull thud, Li Yuan stumbled back two steps but immediately regained his balance.

Instead, he used that momentum to twist his waist and unleash a Tiger Roar Fist straight toward Zhao Qin's center, the force of his punch sharp and fierce.

Zhao Qin crossed his arms in front of his chest to take the blow head-on.

"Thud, thud!"

Zhao Qin was also forced back half a step, his arms tingling slightly.

A flash of surprise crossed Zhao Qin's eyes; he had not expected Li Yuan's technique to be so mature.

He exhaled sharply and stopped holding back, unleashing his mastery-level Bear Form Fist.

The onslaught of punches was like a violent storm, and combined with his near-mastery Tiger Form Fist, it placed immense pressure on Li Yuan.

The two traded blows across the training ground, the sound of fists and feet colliding ringing out as their figures intertwined, drawing several Zhao Family guards to stop and watch, whispering among themselves.

After some time.

"I concede, Junior Brother." Zhao Qin pulled back his stance and let out a breath.

Li Yuan smiled bitterly: "Senior Brother is formidable; I still lost."

He hadn't thrown the fight; going all out, there was indeed still a gap between him and Zhao Qin.

Hearing this, Zhao Qin could only laugh heartily, though he felt a hidden bitterness he couldn't voice.

Every one of Li Yuan's moves was incredibly fluid; he never wasted an ounce of energy.

His defense was steady, and his counterattacks were sharp and precise. Zhao Qin hadn't won easily, and his exhaustion was far greater than he had anticipated.

"Senior Brother, how would you rate my current strength within the Stone Skin Realm?" Li Yuan asked as he washed his hands in a nearby water basin.

Zhao Qin thought for a moment and said: "Overall strength? I'd say upper-middle."

"Don't overthink it; just focus on accumulating your blood energy and honing your fist techniques.

You are still young, after all. As long as you stay steady and follow the path, your chances of breaking through to the Iron Skin Realm are quite high."

He paused, his tone tinged with emotion: "Many people, myself included, finally accumulate enough blood energy only to find themselves nearing thirty.

After thirty, blood energy naturally begins to decline. Once you fail the first attempt at a bottleneck, you become anxious, and the more anxious you are, the harder it is to succeed. It becomes a vicious cycle, making the breakthrough increasingly difficult."

He looked at Li Yuan with a solemn expression: "Furthermore, Junior Brother, you must understand that there are gaps even among geniuses.

During the Inner City Grand Competition last year, I encountered a genius from a noble family who was two years younger than you, yet he had already broken through to the Stone Skin Realm and wielded the Breeze Sword Art with supernatural skill."

Li Yuan asked with curiosity: "Did you win?"

"I gave it my all, but I still lost. I was twenty-five at the time, and he was only about fifteen..."

Zhao Qin shook his head, a look of helplessness on his face.

"A fifteen-year-old in the Stone Skin Realm?" Li Yuan was astonished.

Zhao Qin sighed, "They never lack for consumption, they have all sorts of medicinal tonics for nourishment, and they have elders at the Bone Forging Realm personally guiding them from time to time.

Standing in such a gale, even a pig could fly, let alone those who already possess remarkable talent."

"I tell you this not to discourage you, but to make you realize that there is always someone better, and a sky beyond the sky.

I have been stuck in the Stone Skin Realm for over four years, and your Senior Sister Liu Yan has been there for nearly three.

Cao Chuan has better talent and took two and a half years to break through, but he has also been grinding in the Iron Skin Realm for four years now.

From Iron Skin to Bone Forging is another massive hurdle that requires condensing blood energy and transforming it into internal force; it has stumped countless people."

He patted Li Yuan on the shoulder: "Therefore, in my view, being able to step into the Iron Skin Realm before thirty is already quite an achievement.

As for the Bone Forging Realm... even those geniuses from noble families with endless resources dare not boast that they will definitely break through before thirty. You are still young, and the road ahead is long. Staying grounded is what matters most."

Li Yuan nodded silently, taking his Senior Brother's words to heart.

In the blink of an eye, another half-month passed.

On this day, Li Yuan specifically changed into a clean and sharp outfit, tidying his appearance in front of a water basin.

Zhao Qin had made arrangements for the two of them, scheduling a meeting in the Inner City for this afternoon.

Calculating the time, it was time to set off.

Just as he was preparing to head out, a series of hurried footsteps and shouts came from outside the door: "Brother Li! Brother Li! It's bad!"

A youth wearing a grey short-sleeved tunic ran through the doorway, panting heavily; he was a low-level member of the Grey Rat Gang, the small gang where Li Yuan held a nominal position.

"What's going on? Why the panic?" Li Yuan frowned.

"Brother Li, it's the people from the Transport Gang! They suddenly came to two shops in our territory today to collect protection money, and the price is thirty percent higher than usual!

Our brothers couldn't reason with them, and it looks like they're about to start fighting.

Gang Leader Wang told me to hurry and ask you to come over and hold the line!" the youth said rapidly.

Trouble had to come neither early nor late, but at this exact critical juncture.

If he rushed over to the gang now, he would definitely be late for the meeting in the Inner City.

As for Huang Wei..., he had made an appointment with her in advance; if he didn't show up...

However, the Grey Rat Gang provided him with a monthly stipend. Although it wasn't much, it was a stable source of income.

Things were usually peaceful, but if he, a nominal member, didn't show up when real trouble occurred, it would be unjustifiable both in sentiment and reason. Even if his reputation in this line of work wasn't ruined, it likely wouldn't be very good afterward.

After a moment of hesitation, Li Yuan sighed inwardly and said to the man, "Lead the way."

When Li Yuan arrived, the two sides were arguing incessantly in front of a shop.

"This place has always been managed by our Grey Rat Gang!"

"Bullshit! This street should have belonged to our Transport Gang long ago!"

"Do you have no regard for the rules?"

"Fists are the rules!"

Gang Leader Wang Kui of the Grey Rat Gang had blood on his face and was being supported by two men.

On the ground lay a young man from the Grey Rat Gang, his chest sunken in; he was already breathless.

On the Transport Gang side, there were seven or eight men, and the bald-headed leader, Liu San, was wiping blood off his knuckles.

"Not paying? This is what happens! Wang Kui, I'll ask one last time: are you paying or not?"

"Liu San! You motherfucker, you killed someone!" Wang Kui's eyes were bloodshot.

"So what if I killed him? Trash shouldn't take up space." Liu San spat on the ground.

Li Yuan's heart sank; a life had been lost.

At this moment, the group saw Li Yuan approaching. Wang Kui's face lit up with joy, and he quickly went over to explain the situation.

After understanding the circumstances, Li Yuan did not want to resort to violence and said to Liu San in a deep voice:

"You have already killed one of our men. Now that I am here, we can discuss who this street belongs to later.

But you must pay compensation for this life."

The Transport Gang was powerful, and their gang leader was a veteran of the Iron Skin Realm for many years. Li Yuan felt that it would be best if the problem could be solved peacefully.

Just then, a voice came from behind the Transport Gang members: "Liu San, you can't even handle such a small matter?"

If the Grey Rat Gang could call for help, the Transport Gang naturally could too.

The crowd parted, and a middle-aged man wearing a silk shirt with a lean build stepped out.

His gaze was sharp, and his knuckles were large and thick; one look was enough to tell he was highly skilled in external martial arts.

This person was none other than Qin Ming, the Fourth Gang Leader of the Transport Gang, a veteran who had been honing his skills in the Stone Skin Realm for many years.

Li Yuan watched Qin Ming step out, his heart sinking.

He knew that today's matter would likely not end well.

He had heard of this man: the Fourth Gang Leader of the Transport Gang, a veteran of the Stone Skin Realm for many years, a tough nut to crack, and not someone easy to deal with.