That afternoon, the grain convoy returned to Wen'an County in a sorry state.
Lu Chen was covered in blood, splattered there as he fought the bandits.
Ten of the thirty workers had fallen, and nearly half the grain carts had been stolen. If Lu Chen hadn't fought with all his might, the whole group would likely have been lost on those desolate mountain roads.
Jin Ming lay sprawled in a cart, pale as a sheet and trembling like a leaf. This pampered young master had never seen blades hack into flesh and guts spill across the ground. He was already scared out of his wits.
Outside the Daxing Rice Shop, beneath the lamplight.
Jin Ming's father, Jin Haotian, stood on the steps, watching as two workers helped his youngest son down from the cart in such a wretched state.
Jin Haotian's face darkened at once.
Beside him, his eldest son, Jin Shuo, shook his head and sighed. "Father, I advised you earlier that Third Brother is still immature and too young. It's too soon for him to go into business, let alone manage things on his own."
Jin Haotian said nothing. His eyes were full of anger and disappointment. He swept his sleeve around and went into the shop.
Jin Shuo watched his father leave, a pleased smile rising on his face.
Lu Chen took it all in and understood.
It seemed the Jin family's eldest young master didn't want his younger brother getting involved in the family business.
Those bandits had shown up under suspicious circumstances. Looking back, it was likely no coincidence. There was a good chance this young master had arranged it.
He saw through it but said nothing. After dark, he wandered over to Sheep Intestine Alley. The area had plenty of coal shops and workers who mined coal on North Mountain, so it also had plenty of bathhouses. Lu Chen ducked into one, washed away the blood and weariness, then came out wearing only his gray martial outfit. At the alley entrance, he found a washerwoman and handed her his bloodstained cotton robe along with a few copper coins.
"Sorry for the trouble. I'll come back for it at this time tomorrow."
The woman took the robe and nodded.
On that cold night, he walked alone back to the small courtyard in Sheep Dung Alley.
That boy Jin Ming had been scared witless this time. Lu Chen figured he'd wait a couple of days, until the boy had recovered, then ask for payment for the job.
Once home, he called Blind Man and the others over and asked how business at the Lottery stall was going.
Blind Man replied, "Don't worry, big brother. The stall's doing fine. Nothing's gone wrong."
Er Gou chimed in, "It's just that lately there've been a lot of pickpockets around. Several neighbors have come to complain that they've lost things."
Lu Chen said, "Go ask around and see if they're from the Thief Gang. If they are, tell them to get off my turf. If they aren't, catch them and kill them on the spot. Dump them outside the city."
"Yes, big brother."
The next day, Lu Chen went to the rear courtyard of the martial arts school and gave Master's Wife the mother-of-pearl hairpin.
"Thank you for looking after me all this time, Master's Wife. It's only a small gift to show my gratitude. I hope you won't mind that it's a little crude."
Master's Wife picked up the hairpin and looked it over. A hint of warmth appeared in her eyes, and her voice softened. "That was thoughtful of you."
She gently set the hairpin on the table, then turned her gaze to Lu Chen and studied him from head to toe for a moment before speaking. "From the progress you've made these past few days, your steps are steady and your breath has grown stronger. If you keep training like this, you should be able to develop External Force within six months and truly cross the threshold into martial arts."
Hearing this, Lu Chen took the opportunity to ask, "What exactly is External Force? I feel that my strength and blood are stronger than an ordinary person's, but if I had to face an External Force expert, I doubt I'd last three moves. Where does the difference lie?"
Master's Wife thought for a moment, then said,
"External Force isn't just about being strong. When ordinary people train in martial arts, their strength lies in their sinews, bones, skin, and flesh. They fight by meeting force with force. External Force is when you twist your blood, spirit, and all the skill you've built up over the years into one stronger, more obedient force."
She paused, then said, "It's like quicksilver, heavy and concentrated, but you decide where it flows. Gather it at your fingertips, and you can punch holes in wood and stone. Spread it across your body, and ordinary blades and swords can't easily hurt you."
Lu Chen listened and nodded thoughtfully.
That evening, on his way back from the martial arts school, Lu Chen passed Meat Market Street and came upon two groups hacking at each other.
The flash of blades mingled with sprays of blood, and severed limbs and chunks of flesh flew everywhere. Even so, plenty of people had gathered along the street, craning their necks to watch.
One side was the Witch Sect. The other wore red from head to toe and seemed to belong to some other sect.
He asked a butcher who was packing up nearby, "Who are the ones picking a fight with the Witch Sect?"
The butcher answered quietly, "They're from the Red Pill Sect, a new sect in town. Plenty of wealthy families in the county believe in them, and they even gave them money to build a temple."
Lu Chen understood at once.
There were all sorts of sects in this chaotic world. The Witch Sect had long held sway in the northern region, and anyone who tried to seize its territory had been driven off.
For the Red Pill Sect to establish itself here and even build a temple, it must have something going for it. No wonder the two sides were fighting—and fighting so viciously. The Red Pill Sect had come right onto the Witch Sect's turf to steal its livelihood.
Lu Chen looked away, preparing to leave, when a line of text appeared before his eyes without warning.
[Mission: Choose a side to help]
[Option One: Help the Red Pill Sect]
[Reward: Unlock the "Red Pill Secret Technique" card pool]
[Option Two: Help the Witch Sect]
[Reward: Unlock the "Human Face Beast Heart" card pool]
Lu Chen stopped in his tracks. The words appearing before him left him slightly stunned.
Another mission?
And this time, he had to choose between two opposing forces.
Who should he help? Lu Chen weighed it over, but for the moment, he couldn't make up his mind.
The main problem was that he didn't know what sort of card pools these were or what he might draw from them.
He knew a little about the Witch Sect. They'd dealt with the strange beasts outside the city for years, and knew how to handle all kinds of frightening things. They specialized in controlling ferocious creatures.
Their card pool was probably geared toward that too. Perhaps he could draw a method for taming beasts or exorcising evil spirits.
As for the Red Pill Sect, he knew nothing about them. He had no idea what kind of cultivation method they practiced or which deity they worshipped.
"The Witch Sect seems like the safer bet," he mused.
After all, the Witch Sect had been entrenched in the Northern Lands for years. It was the largest sect, with deep roots. The Red Pill Sect was still new and might not last long. It could be uprooted by some powerful Witch Sect figure any day now. Helping the Witch Sect seemed like the better choice in the long run.
Having more or less made up his mind, he was just about to step forward and help when—
A sudden turn of events unfolded in the middle of the street.
Seeing their side's dead and wounded piled up, a member of the Red Pill Sect gritted his teeth and pulled a packet of crimson powder from his robes, flinging it at the enemy.
The Witch Sect members reacted as if they'd seen snakes and scorpions. They covered their noses and mouths and retreated, clearly terrified of the powder.
Taking advantage of the opening, the Red Pill Sect members hoisted their wounded and darted down an alley.
The Witch Sect had suffered heavy losses. Several were dead and many were wounded. They were too exhausted to give chase, so they cursed as they carried their own people away.
In the blink of an eye, the street, moments ago ablaze with fighting, was left with nothing but blood, scattered limbs, and the red mist that still hadn't fully dispersed. The sight made one's skin crawl.
The crowd dispersed in an instant.
Only Lu Chen remained, rooted to the spot like a wooden post.
He bitterly regretted how slow he'd been to act. He'd let the opportunity slip right through his fingers.
No, it wasn't often he got the chance to unlock a new card pool.
Tomorrow, he'd have to visit the Witch Sect's temple and take a look. Maybe he'd get lucky.
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