"Lu Yuan... you again..."
Chen Yong clenched both fists, his body trembling slightly.
The resentment he felt toward Lu Yuan for blocking his path rose up once more, stronger than ever.
"Brother Lu, congratulations on taking third place again!"
"Brother Lu, once you make it big, don't forget about us!"
Quite a few people gathered around Lu Yuan, showering him with flattery.
By now, they were almost certain that although Lu Yuan practiced the Five Animals Fist no more than once or twice a day at Song Academy, he must have trained like mad after returning home.
And if they weren't mistaken, Lu Yuan had probably already mastered the basics of the Five Animals Fist.
After all, he had been at Song Academy for less than half a month, yet he'd already reached the entry level. He was much faster than some of them, who had practiced for over half a month or even a full month.
Even if his progress was partly thanks to the free meat he got every day, it was still enough to show that his natural aptitude, while not quite good enough to catch Master Song's eye, was certainly far better than theirs.
"A Yuan, you really haven't let me down!"
Fang Chang came over too. After waving the crowd away, he turned to Lu Yuan with a smile. "I should be able to reach a minor level of mastery in the Five Animals Fist within the next couple of days. And with my master's help, I'll definitely be able to undergo my first Blood Qi Tempering soon and become an External Energy Realm martial artist."
"When that happens, I'll have a chance to defeat Hong Lei and become the true heir of Song Academy. If you can completely bring those guys from the Outer Courtyard to heel, then you and I will call the shots across all of Song Academy!"
Fang Chang looked excited, as though everything were already under his control.
"Then congratulations in advance!"
Lu Yuan smiled.
Fang Chang patted Lu Yuan on the shoulder again, then walked over to the new arrivals and cheerfully asked after them.
He patiently answered all their questions about cultivation and even gave each of them a piece of dried meat.
Clearly, he knew he couldn't win over the old hands like Wu Yu and Chen Pi, who had always backed Hong Lei. Rather than waste his time on them, he was better off spending his effort winning over the newcomers who hadn't been at Song Academy for long.
"Thanks, Brother Fang!"
"Brother Fang, you're so kind!"
The newcomers were indeed overwhelmed by the attention, calling him "Brother Fang" over and over.
Hong Lei had naturally seen it all, yet he still stood there quietly, smiling.
It was hard to tell whether he already had a plan in mind or simply didn't care.
He seemed to pay little attention to Lu Yuan, let alone the newcomers.
After smiling and nodding at Wu Yu, Chen Pi, and the others, Hong Lei turned and went straight back into the Inner Courtyard.
"A Yuan, it isn't hard to master the basics of the Five Animals Fist, but what comes after that won't be easy. Your natural aptitude is ordinary, and your potential limited, so don't slack off. Let's work hard together. Our good days are just around the corner!"
Fang Chang came over and quietly said this to Lu Yuan, then hurried back into the Inner Courtyard as well.
[Five Animals Fist, Great Mastery (721/10000)]
Lu Yuan didn't say much. Regardless of his natural aptitude, and regardless of whether the Five Animals Fist got harder and harder for everyone else, he could still reach perfection in no time, even if he could only practice it once a day now.
"A Yuan, have you mastered the basics too?"
Before long, Chen Pi came over, looking at Lu Yuan with a strange expression.
"Yeah."
Lu Yuan nodded. He had reached the entry level ten days ago.
"Then your natural aptitude really is a little better than ours. Still, I have to advise you not to get too involved in the conflict between Brother Hong and your little brother."
Chen Pi lowered his voice before continuing. "When two tigers fight, one is bound to get hurt. And no matter which of them wins in the end, it may not turn out to be a good thing."
"Brother Chen Pi, what do you know?"
Lu Yuan asked curiously.
Chen Pi was usually close to Hong Lei, so he ought to know some of the inside story.
"You should know that Master Song takes just about any job he can get to make money, right?"
Chen Pi glanced around before speaking.
"That's true."
Lu Yuan nodded.
The reason he and Fang Chang had been able to enter the martial world so quickly was that they had taken a job from Master Song hauling bodies at the Chaos Burial Mound. That was how they'd gotten their chance.
Apparently, Master Song had taken the job from the authorities, then paid them to do the work.
When Fang Chang was drunk before, he had mentioned that Master Song took just about any job that could make money.
"Word is, a year ago, when Master Song was working as a hired escort for an escort agency, he offended a very powerful enemy. Someone intervened to get them to set aside their feud for the time being, but they also made a wager. They would each spend a year doing everything they could to train an heir. At the end of that year, their heirs would fight to the death, and the winner would settle it all."
Chen Pi's eyes held a strange glint as he said, "There's only half a year left until the wager comes due!"
"They must know about it themselves, right?"
Lu Yuan's gaze sharpened.
No wonder Master Song had gone to such lengths to find a gifted personal disciple. It wasn't just about passing on his legacy; it was also for this deadly wager.
"Of course they know!"
Chen Pi nodded. "But in Brother Hong's eyes, his natural aptitude is already exceptional. As long as he works hard and Master Song gives him his full support, he can become a Bright Energy Realm or even Hidden Energy Realm martial artist within a year, and win that fight with ease. I'm afraid your little brother thinks the same way!"
Lu Yuan fell into thought. He hadn't planned to enter the Inner Courtyard and become Master Song's personal disciple, nor had he intended to compete with Fang Chang for anything. Now he was even less inclined to do so.
Though he really was short on money and resources, he could still grow quickly by keeping his head down and steadily grinding away. There was no need to fight someone to the death and make enemies he didn't need.
Resources could add the finishing touch and speed up his progress, but they weren't indispensable.
Besides, Master Song had roamed the martial world for years and taken any job that paid. He probably had more than one or two enemies. If Lu Yuan stood out too much, someone might cut him down before he had the chance to grow.
As the saying went, "The tallest tree catches the wind."
This was a chaotic world where the strong preyed on the weak. Until he had enough strength to protect himself, it was better to stay cautious and keep a low profile.
In short, safety came first. Everything else could wait.
I'm already a Bright Energy Realm martial artist. Besides continuing to nurture and temper my blood and qi, it seems I can also train in techniques!
Though techniques couldn't directly strengthen his body, they could unleash his power in an instant and improve his offensive abilities.
It would be best to learn a movement technique too. Whether he was pursuing an enemy or fleeing, he'd be able to handle himself.
He could only practice the Five Animals Fist once a day for now, anyway, so he had plenty of time to train in techniques.
But there was a problem: where could he find techniques?
Unless he entered the Inner Courtyard and became a personal disciple, there was almost no chance of learning techniques from Master Song in the short term.
But whether he went to a proper martial arts school or tried to buy them on the black market, he'd run into the same problem: he had no money.
Before he knew it, Lu Yuan had reached the bustling market.
He noticed that quite a few Black Tiger Gang thugs seemed to be going door to door, asking about something.
Could they be... looking for me?
Lu Yuan raised an eyebrow, then quietly hurried back the way he had come.
Before you continue