Black Mountain Gang

The first step of martial arts training is standing in a horse stance and practicing punches to nourish the qi and blood, strengthen the tendons and bones, and solidify the foundation of one's training.

Once the qi and blood reach the necessary conditions, one can proceed to "knock on the gate." There are three levels to this process, and successfully passing the first one counts as truly stepping onto the path of martial arts and becoming a martial artist.

These three levels are known as Ming Jin, An Jin, and Hua Jin.

Each attempt to knock on the gate is a significant test of the body, qi, and blood; the further one progresses, the more difficult it becomes, and the cost of failure grows accordingly.

Of course, every breakthrough brings earth-shattering changes to the body, affecting one's qi, blood, physical strength, spirit, and even primordial yang.

And these are merely the threshold for entering the path of martial arts; beyond the martial artist, there are martial masters, martial sages, and so on.

He had once reached the level of An Jin, but due to his current physical condition, he could no longer exert his former strength. However, avoiding a direct confrontation and exchanging a few moves with a Ming Jin martial artist was still not a problem.

This was largely thanks to the Taiji Health Cultivation Technique and the nutritional support from his father-in-law's family. Although it was just ordinary food, it had allowed him to recover somewhat; otherwise, he would still be as weak as a chicken.

"Is there something you need, brother?"

Returning to the present, Chen Han cupped his hands and asked the man before him respectfully.

People who practice martial arts are individuals that even ordinary civilians and government officials dare not offend.

What they fear is not just the person, but the martial arts school or gang that likely stands behind them.

If it were a martial arts school, the worst-case scenario would be offering an apology and compensation, but if it were a gang... it was not unheard of for families to be destroyed and lives ruined.

"Nothing, I'm here to pick up my Yi."

Yi?

Chen Han looked at the young boy beside him, who was holding his head high with a smug expression.

Clearly, he was the Yi the man spoke of, and he was very proud that his father was a man of the martial path.

The man looked at Chen Han, a look of surprise appearing in his eyes. He looked him up and down and asked, "Brother, judging by your demeanor, have you practiced before?"

Having practiced the Taiji Health Cultivation Technique, Chen Han's behavior, temperament, and even his appearance had changed, giving him an air of calm and ease that was nonetheless imposing.

Chen Han gave an awkward smile. "I did practice a little bit of the basics, but later, because my aptitude was poor, I stopped."

"Oh, is that so?"

Seeing the other party avoid a confrontation, the man stepped forward without hesitation and pressed his large hand onto Chen Han's shoulder, his knuckles digging into the bone to probe his constitution. Chen Han's face twisted in pain, but he did not resist.

The world is not a peaceful place; without absolute strength to suppress an opponent, swallowing one's pride is the best choice.

After a moment, the man laughed heartily, his face filled with arrogance. "Just as I thought. No wonder you couldn't succeed; you're just a weakling."

Chen Han followed with a bitter, hollow laugh.

"Just a joke, don't take it to heart, brother."

Shen Yue, Chen Han's younger sister, looked very displeased at this. After secretly glaring at the man, she pulled Chen Han away.

What the group did not notice was that in a hidden corner of the crowd, four burly men with broad shoulders were silently watching the father and son.

"The higher-ups are watching closely and time is tight. Collect the protection money here first, and when we leave, slaughter this whole family."

Along the way, Shen Yue did not say a word, only walking ahead of Chen Han in a dejected manner.

Chen Han knew that although Shen Yue did not always get along with him, she still acknowledged him as her big brother in her heart.

He smiled with relief and remained silent. In truth, he had not taken the matter to heart at all, merely silently noting the man down in his mental ledger.

The sun set behind the mountains, and night fell.

The Shen family gates were closed early. Since his younger sister had returned home after ten days, Lu, Chen Han's current mother, had specifically gone to the butcher shop to buy half a catty of meat.

Chen Han ate the most, drawing a roll of the eyes from the elderly couple.

Under the hazy moonlight, Chen Han practiced the Taiji Health Cultivation Technique in the courtyard until late at night. As expected, the progress bar did not move an inch.

Chen Han was now certain that during the bone-remodeling stage, without high-quality supplements like exotic beast meat or medicinal soups, it was impossible to make progress; in fact, it would only ruin his body.

Lying on the bed, Chen Han's eyes were half-open. He wanted to sleep but couldn't; his mind was filled with thoughts of how to obtain exotic beast meat and medicinal soups.

Both items were priceless; even with money, one might not be able to buy them. The simplest method Chen Han could think of was to join a martial arts school.

But with his current aptitude... which school would accept him?

Throw money at it?

Where would he get that much money?

"Are you tired today?"

Shen Wan'er turned over and gently hugged Chen Han, her voice soft and sweet, asking in a half-dreaming state.

She was a young woman, her face still bearing the innocence of a girl, delicate as water. She was Chen Han's wife, Shen Yue's older sister, and the eldest daughter of the elderly couple.

"Mm, a bit tired, but it's alright."

Chen Han was indeed tired. He practiced the health technique morning and night, and sat in meditation for hours at noon. An average person might be fine, but with this body of his...

The Taiji Health Cultivation Technique was not like the tea-sipping and moon-viewing of the wealthy masters; it required horse stances, sweeping palms, and more. The level of hardship was no less than that of actual martial arts training.

"Mm, don't work yourself too hard."

Shen Wan'er seemed to be caught between sleep and wakefulness, her words slurred and hazy. After a moment, she added, "Practicing martial arts is a massive drain on silver. If you don't have enough, I still have some savings here."

Chen Han was taken aback. "Haven't you always been against me practicing martial arts?"

The corners of her mouth curled into a helpless smile. "And would you have listened if I opposed it?"

Chen Han was left speechless.

"Since you wouldn't listen, I might as well let you have your way, lest you blame me later. Besides, you are my man now. If I don't help you, who else can you rely on?"

Chen Han froze for a moment. In this life and the last, it was the first time he had ever felt this way.

He smiled and said nothing more, his resolve to practice martial arts hardening in his heart.

This was not just an obligation to himself, but to those by his side. If a man has no long-term plans, he will soon face immediate troubles. In this world, only by becoming strong can one master their own fate.

Three days later, as the sun set behind the mountains.

Across from the Chen residence, "No silver! My family only has this one rotten shop; what we earn isn't even enough to eat, so where would I find silver for you bloodsuckers!"

The middle-aged man's face turned red, his neck veins bulging as he roared in a sudden surge of anger.

He had vented his frustration, but the next moment, he regretted it.

Two or three burly men swarmed him and beat him half to death, even snapping his leg. In front of his own son and daughter-in-law, he wailed like a stray dog.

The middle-aged man's self-respect was shattered into pieces, and he wept uncontrollably, like a child.

"You can't even cough up half a tael of silver a month, yet you dare to bark in front of me..."

"What, three taels?"

Shen Wufu stood before his doorway, his expression a mix of shock and fury, the bones in his hands bulging.

Lu stood by his side, at a complete loss, her fingertips trembling.

Before the couple stood four middle-aged men wearing bamboo hats, their gazes sinister—all of them thugs from the Black Mountain Gang.

They were the very perpetrators of the tragedy that had just unfolded across the street.

The leader among them was a bald man with an impossibly massive build. A closer look revealed him to be a Mingjin martial artist!

"Old thing, are you saying... you think it's too much?"

The bald brute, known as Master Bear, stepped forward. His curly chest hair was almost touching Shen Wufu's face, his threatening gaze undisguised as he stared down the man in his forties, whose hair was already beginning to gray.

The Black Mountain Gang was the true local tyrant of Black Lion City, living off the tax silver extorted from commoners.

Whether it was a wedding or a funeral, regardless of the shop's size or background, they collected their cut without fail—they even dared to seize the government's tax silver.

As the saying goes, a powerful dragon cannot suppress a local snake!

The government had once organized raids, but they all returned empty-handed; in fact, the county magistrate's office had been burned down several times.

When the sun rose one day, they discovered that the thousand-man commander who organized the raid, along with his entire family, had their heads hung at the city gates!

Shen Wufu was also a Mingjin martial artist, and his strength was naturally superior to the average person, but he had to admit that fists fear the young and vigorous.

In recent years, his vitality had begun to decline. Old injuries and hidden ailments from his youth were gradually catching up to him, and even sparring with young men who hadn't yet reached the threshold of the realm felt beyond his capabilities.

Now, facing an opponent of the same level with more abundant blood and energy, he had no strength left to fight.

But what else could he do?

Presumably, the other side knew all of this, which was why they had made their move, raising their tax from half a tael to three.