The Black Mountain Gang

The first step in training in martial arts was to practice stances and throw punches, nourishing one's qi and blood while strengthening the sinews and bones and laying a solid foundation.

Once one's qi and blood reached the necessary level, one could attempt a breakthrough. There were three stages to this, and successfully passing even the first meant truly entering the martial path and becoming a martial artist.

The three stages were Bright Force, Dark Force, and Transformation Force.

Each breakthrough was a major test of the body and one's qi and blood. The further one advanced, the more difficult it became, and the greater the cost of failure.

Of course, every breakthrough brought earth-shaking changes to the body. Qi and blood, force, spirit, even primal yang—all were affected.

And all this was merely the threshold of the martial path. Beyond martial artists were martialists, martial masters, martial saints...

He had once reached Dark Force, but his body had long since left him unable to bring out the strength he'd once possessed. Still, avoiding an opponent's strongest blows and exchanging a few moves with a Bright Force martial artist was no problem.

He had the Taiji Health Cultivation Technique and his father-in-law's family to thank for that. Their meals were ordinary, but they had still helped him recover a little. Without them, he'd still be too weak to lift a chicken.

"May I ask what brings you here, brother?"

Back in the present, Chen Han cupped his hands and respectfully addressed the man before him.

Those who practiced martial arts were not people ordinary citizens—or even officials—dared to offend.

It wasn't the individual they feared, but the martial hall or gang that might stand behind him.

A martial hall was manageable; at worst, you apologized and paid compensation. But a gang... There had been no shortage of families left broken and destitute.

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

Yi?

Chen Han glanced at the boy beside him. The boy held his head high, looking smug.

Clearly, he was the Yi the man had mentioned. He was proud that his father was part of the martial world.

The man looked at Chen Han, surprise flickering in his eyes. He sized him up and asked, "Brother, judging by your bearing, have you trained before?"

After practicing the Taiji Health Cultivation Technique, Chen Han's behavior, temperament, and even appearance had changed somewhat. He gave off an air of calm and easygoing composure, yet somehow commanded respect without raising his voice.

Chen Han gave an awkward smile. "I've practiced a little, but my bones weren't suited for it, so I gave up."

"Oh, is that so?"

Seeing that Chen Han was avoiding his edge, the man stepped forward without a hint of courtesy and planted his large hand on Chen Han's shoulder. His knuckles dug into the bone as he tested Chen Han's constitution. Chen Han's face twisted with pain, but he didn't stop him.

The world was rough. Without absolute strength to cow your opponent, swallowing your anger was the best choice.

After a while, the man burst out laughing, his face full of arrogance. "Just as I thought. No wonder you couldn't train—you're a spineless weakling."

Chen Han let out a few awkward chuckles of his own.

"I'm just joking. Don't take it to heart, brother."

Shen Yue, Chen Han's little sister, looked furious. She shot the man a discreet, venomous glare, then pulled Chen Han away.

What none of them noticed was that, in a hidden corner among the crowd, four burly men with broad backs and powerful shoulders were silently watching the father and son.

"The bosses are keeping a close eye on things, and we're short on time. Let's collect the protection money here first. We'll butcher this whole family on our way out."

······

For the entire walk home, Shen Yue didn't say a word. She simply walked ahead of Chen Han, looking dejected.

Chen Han knew that although Shen Yue often didn't get along with him, deep down she still considered him her big brother.

He smiled, touched, but said nothing. In truth, he hadn't taken the matter to heart at all. He'd simply added the man's name to his little blacklist.

The sun sank in the west, and night fell.

The Shen Family's gate had been closed early. After more than ten days away, his little sister was home again, so Lu, Chen Han's mother in this life, had gone to the butcher's and bought half a jin of pork.

Chen Han ate the most, earning a few pointed looks from the old couple.

Beneath the hazy moonlight, Chen Han practiced the Taiji Health Cultivation Technique in the courtyard until late at night. As expected, his progress bar hadn't moved a hair.

Now Chen Han was sure: without nourishing supplements such as Exotic Beast meat or medicinal broth, there was no way to make progress during the bone-rebuilding stage. He'd only wear his body down instead.

Lying in bed, Chen Han kept his eyes half-open. He wanted to sleep, but couldn't. His mind was filled with thoughts of how to get Exotic Beast meat and medicinal broth.

Both were priceless and scarce. Even with silver, there was no guarantee he could buy them. The simplest solution he could think of was to join a martial hall.

But with his current constitution... which martial hall would take him?

Could he just throw silver at the problem?

Where would he get that much silver?

"Are you tired today?"

Shen Wan'er turned over and gently held Chen Han, her voice soft and drowsy as she asked, half asleep.

She was a young woman, her face still holding a girl's youthful innocence, delicate as a flower. She was Chen Han's wife, Shen Yue's elder sister, and the old couple's eldest daughter.

"Mm, a little tired, but I'm all right."

Chen Han really was tired. He practiced the Health Preservation Technique morning and evening, then spent several hours sitting at midday. An ordinary person might have managed, but his body...

The Taiji Health Cultivation Technique wasn't something practiced by sipping tea and admiring the moon like some grand lord. It required bow stances, standing practice, sweeping arm movements, and more. It was every bit as grueling as martial training.

"Mm. Don't push yourself too hard."

Shen Wan'er seemed caught between sleep and wakefulness, her words indistinct. After a moment, she added, "Training in martial arts costs a lot of silver. If you don't have enough, I've saved some."

Chen Han was surprised. "Didn't you always oppose me training in martial arts?"

A helpless smile curved her lips. "Would you listen if I opposed it?"

Chen Han was speechless.

"Since you won't listen, I might as well let you have your way, so you don't blame me later. Besides, you're my man now. If I don't help you, who else can you count on?"

Chen Han froze. In both his previous life and this one, he had never felt anything like this before.

He smiled and said nothing more, his resolve to train in martial arts growing even firmer.

This wasn't just about answering to himself. He had to answer to those around him, too. Those who failed to plan for the future would find trouble at their doorstep. In this world, only strength could put fate in your own hands.

······

Three days later, the sun sank in the west.

Across from the Chen Family's home, a middle-aged man stood red-faced, his neck bulging. "I don't have any silver! My family has nothing but this rundown little shop, and what we earn barely covers food. Where am I supposed to get silver to feed you bloodsuckers?"

His anger had gotten the better of him. He'd let out a burst of fury, but the very next moment, he regretted it.

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

The middle-aged man's pride lay shattered on the ground. He sobbed like a child.

"You can't even cough up half a tael of silver a month, and you still dare bark at me..."

"What? Three taels?"

Standing at the entrance to his home, Shen Wufu looked furious and stunned, the bones in his hands bulging beneath the skin.

Lu stood nearby, helpless, her fingertips trembling.

Four middle-aged men stood before the couple. They wore conical hats and had sinister looks in their eyes. All were enforcers for the Black Mountain Gang.

They were the very men behind the brutal scene across the street.

The bald man leading them was so powerfully built he scarcely looked human. A closer look revealed that he was a Bright Force martial artist!

"Old man, are you saying... you think that's too much?"

The bald brute was called Master Bear. He stepped forward, his curly chest hair nearly brushing Shen Wufu's face. His threatening gaze made no attempt to hide itself as he stared down the old man, past forty and already going gray.

The Black Mountain Gang was the undisputed local power in Black Lion City, and made its living mostly by collecting protection money from common folk.

Weddings or funerals, large shops or small, no matter what their connections were, the gang collected from them all. They even dared to seize the government's tax revenue.

They said even a mighty dragon couldn't crush a snake in its own lair!

The authorities had organized several crackdowns, but none had succeeded. The county office itself had even been burned down several times.

When the sun rose one day, they discovered that the commander who had organized the crackdown—and the heads of his entire family—were hanging from the city gate!

Shen Wufu was a Bright Force martial artist too. His strength was naturally beyond that of an ordinary person, but he had to admit that youth had the advantage.

Over the past few years, his qi and blood had begun to wane. Old injuries and hidden ailments from his youth had gradually caught up with him. Even sparring with young men who hadn't yet passed a breakthrough had begun to leave him struggling.

Now, facing an opponent at the same level with far more vigorous qi and blood, he had no chance of winning.

But what else could he do?

The gang must have known this was how things stood. That was why they'd raised the protection money from half a tael to three.