On the way, Lu Yuan heard plenty of talk. It seemed he'd been worrying for nothing.
These Black Tiger Gang thugs weren't looking for the killer of those two men.
Then again, they'd only been two low-level thugs. Dead was dead.
The Black Tiger Gang thugs seemed to be searching for something—something far more important to the gang.
Lu Yuan could now be sure it probably had nothing to do with him.
After all, he'd found only three taels and two mace of silver on the two men, and nothing else.
"But better safe than sorry. I had my face covered that day, but anything that happens leaves traces. If the Black Tiger Gang happens to investigate and finds its way to me, that'll be trouble!"
Lu Yuan furrowed his brow.
Although he was now a Bright Energy Realm martial artist, the Black Tiger Gang wasn't considered a particularly powerful gang in Qinghe County. Still, there were plenty of fish in shallow waters. The gang might well have Hidden Energy Realm or even Transformation Realm experts. The longer he could avoid crossing paths with them, the better.
Besides, he hadn't yet learned any techniques, so he couldn't bring his full strength to bear.
Even if the Black Tiger Gang might not actually trace the matter back to him, it was always wise to prepare for danger in times of peace.
After returning home, Lu Yuan rested for the afternoon, then had a hearty meal that evening.
Madam Yang seemed to know that practicing martial arts meant he needed to eat plenty of meat. These days, she made sure he got the meat at almost every meal.
As night fell, Little Nannan played with Lu Yuan for a while before Madam Yang took her to bed.
Lu Yuan sat quietly inside the house, facing the front door.
He had already tucked the lime powder and chili powder he'd prepared into his clothes.
As long as it wasn't a Hidden Energy Realm or Transformation Realm expert, he was confident he could put up a fierce fight with his Five Animals Fist, which was nearing perfection.
Fortunately, even late into the night, he heard no sign of anyone entering the courtyard.
Unless something unexpected happened, the Black Tiger Gang probably hadn't traced the matter back to him yet.
He went to bed without changing, but didn't sleep deeply. He drifted in and out until dawn.
Even so, with his blood qi circulating without pause, he still felt refreshed and clear-headed.
He was not only free of fatigue; his whole body felt comfortable and invigorated.
Clearly, blood qi was wondrous in ways that went far beyond unleashing strength.
Even if Lu Yuan went several days without sleep, he reckoned it wouldn't affect him in the slightest as long as his blood qi remained abundant.
When he went out that morning, he specifically reminded Madam Yang to avoid going out as much as possible. If anything seemed amiss, she should take Nannan and hide in the hole beneath the stove.
The hole seemed to have been dug by Madam Yang herself, bit by bit, before he crossed over.
It was well concealed and, if they squeezed together, could fit three people. Clearly, it was meant as a refuge for the family of three.
When Lu Yuan passed through the market, he deliberately slowed his pace, listening to the endless chatter around him.
His hearing and eyesight were now exceptionally sharp. He could make out almost every conversation nearby.
"Why did the Black Tiger Gang pull out so quickly?"
"Haven't you heard? They couldn't find what they were looking for, and they drew the Iron Palm Gang down on them too. They say more than a hundred men from the two gangs fought all night. There was so much blood, it stained the ground red. Terrifying!"
"Good riddance if they all died. Then they'd stop preying on ordinary folk like us!"
From the chatter, Lu Yuan pieced together two things.
First, the Black Tiger Gang hadn't found the important item.
Second, the commotion they'd made had drawn the Iron Palm Gang in, and the two gangs had fought a bloody battle with heavy casualties.
It went without saying that he probably wouldn't have to face the Black Tiger Gang anytime soon.
That was good news for him.
What he needed most right now wasn't money or resources, but enough time to grow.
Although martial arts training was mostly about eating, supplementing, and practicing—three parts training, seven parts eating—as long as he could keep training in peace, even if he played it safe, took his time, and put in the hours, he would eventually reach the summit.
As for the conflict between the Black Tiger Gang and the Iron Palm Gang, he couldn't care less as long as it didn't affect him.
Across all of Qinghe County, there were dozens, if not a hundred, gangs of all sizes.
Fights between gangs were an everyday occurrence.
Every few days, there'd be news of one gang being wiped out or another being founded.
So perhaps the Black Tiger Gang would be completely wiped out tomorrow. Who could say?
Over the next few days, Lu Yuan continued going to Song Academy once a day to practice his Five Animals Fist. After eating his free portion of meat, he left at once.
He spent most afternoons resting at home. After eating the meat Madam Yang prepared in the evening, he went to bed early to be well rested for the next day's training.
[Five Animals Fist: Great Mastery (3165/10000)]
Although he practiced only once a day, his proficiency continued to rise quickly. Each practice now added more than five hundred points. At that rate, he would perfect the Five Animals Fist in less than ten days.
It wasn't just his proficiency that had changed. The blood qi within him had reached six strands, nearly twice as much as before, and the strength he could unleash had naturally grown as well.
His strength, speed, reflexes, and other abilities had also improved noticeably.
Lu Yuan stepped into the courtyard and abruptly unleashed his blood qi, slamming a fist into a boulder as large as a bowl.
"Bang!"
With a muffled thud, the hard boulder shattered completely, sending fragments flying.
Even the ground caved in two or three inches, cracks spreading all around.
"This punch is probably close to a thousand catties of force!"
Lu Yuan nodded in satisfaction. Most importantly, his fist was completely unharmed.
That was the difference between an ordinary martial artist and an External Energy Realm martial artist.
Ordinary martial artists couldn't unleash Bright Energy. Even if brute force let them smash a stone, the recoil would injure them—at best bruising flesh, at worst breaking bones and sinews.
External Energy Realm martial artists were different. They could use blood qi to unleash Bright Energy and concentrate their force in one spot, releasing a much more powerful blow without suffering any injury.
Thus, even with the same strength and speed, if an ordinary martial artist and an External Energy Realm martial artist exchanged punches head-on, the result would still be like an egg striking a rock: the former's fist would break, while the latter remained unscathed.
"Once my blood qi reaches ten strands, I should be able to attempt the second round of Blood Qi Tempering and break through to the Hidden Energy Realm!"
Lu Yuan's eyes gleamed, his heart filled with anticipation.
Bright Energy was already this powerful. How terrifying would Hidden Energy be?
More importantly, once he reached the Hidden Energy Realm, he could begin making plans for the Martial Examination.
With ambition for the future in his heart, Lu Yuan went to bed early, as usual.
Early the next morning, as soon as Lu Yuan arrived at Song Academy, he saw that the crowd wasn't practicing with their usual enthusiasm.
Everyone stood quietly, whispering among themselves.
Clearly, something out of the ordinary had happened—or was about to.
"Brother Chen Pi, what's going on?"
Lu Yuan turned to Chen Pi and asked quietly.
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