Breakthrough, External Force

Lu Chen's expression darkened. "If I hadn't blocked those bandits that day, you would have died on the road long ago. How would you still have the life to drink here? And you dare to stall on my money?"

Jin Ming sneered, "Stalled, so what? This money, I give it if I want to, and if I don't, what can you possibly do about it..."

Clang!

The blade had already left its sheath, the cold edge resting against his neck.

Jin Ming's drunken rambling stopped abruptly. His face turned deathly pale, and his intoxication instantly transformed into a cold sweat.

"Heh heh... Brother Lu, that was just drunken talk, how could you take it seriously? The wages are naturally yours, I'll pay them now, I'll pay them right now."

Jin Ming hurriedly summoned his personal attendant, ordering him to go to the brothel madam to borrow some ready cash.

As soon as the madam heard it was the Third Young Master of Daxing Rice Shop borrowing money, she immediately lent him thirty taels.

Three ten-tael silver ingots were quickly brought over; this was the ten-tael reward for transporting the grain, plus the twenty taels of prize money promised for winning against Jiang Ming'er.

Lu Chen weighed the silver, tucked it away, and turned to leave.

The moment he stepped out the door, Jin Ming's face turned livid. He grabbed the wine cup beside him and smashed it violently against the floor.

The attendant nearby quickly scurried over to soothe him:

"Young Master, please calm your anger. This Lu Chen is too arrogant. Given your status, for him—a mere drifter in South City—to treat you this way..."

Jin Ming gritted his teeth and sneered, "This ungrateful wild dog, I've given him too much face in the past, and now he dares to bare his fangs at me. Go, head to Old Cat Alley and invite Boss Mo over for me. Tell him I have a job here and need his help to discipline something that doesn't know its place."

"Understood, Young Master, I'm going right now!" The attendant scurried off.

Left alone in the room, Jin Ming grew more irritated the more he thought about it. With nowhere to vent his pent-up rage, he slammed the table and roared toward the outside:

"Madam! Where have you all died off to? Find me some girls, I want them now!"

Lu Chen returned home, locked the door, and summoned the card-drawing interface.

The Plum Blossom Fist and Treading Snow Seeking Plum had merged into a new technique, yet the experience points from the two original martial arts had not been added together.

Plum Blossom Fist Original: Barely Proficient 91.4%
Treading Snow Seeking Plum Original: Barely Proficient 18%

After the fusion, the experience of the new martial art, Plum Blossom Quick Fist, remained fixed at 91.4%.

Lu Chen steeled his heart; he would make a breakthrough today.

With the thirty taels of heavy silver ingots in hand, his confidence grew. Without a second thought, he aimed at the Proud Snow Cold Plum pool and began to draw frantically.

Draw, draw, draw again!

Back and forth, the silver flowed away like water.

The experience bar for Plum Blossom Quick Fist moved forward bit by bit, like an old ox pulling a broken cart.

He didn't care what kind of traits or attributes he drew; his gaze was locked firmly on the experience bar of Plum Blossom Quick Fist.

He watched the numbers climb slowly from 91.4% to 95.4%, then inch toward 99.4%...

Finally, after who knows how many flashes of light, the progress bar "dinged" and hit the top—it was full!

The experience bar for Plum Blossom Quick Fist had finally struggled its way to 100%.

In an instant, a brand-new realization flooded his mind. His mastery of the fist technique broke through "Barely Proficient" as naturally as water flowing into a channel, stepping firmly into the realm of "Slightly Accomplished."

The moment his realm broke through, Lu Chen's body trembled slightly.

Deep within his dantian, a new, warm power was born.

He clenched his fist and felt the tendons and bones beneath his skin being quietly tempered by this nascent energy.

His previously scattered strength felt as if it had been gathered by an invisible hand and twisted into a tougher rope.

External Force, achieved.

Lu Chen exhaled a long, heavy breath.

He could feel it: a wisp of extremely faint internal energy was coiled within his dantian, its color like plum blossoms in the dead of winter.

With a thought, he tried to guide it to his palm.

This nascent energy was too thin; it could only wrap a faint layer around his fingertips, unable to even fully envelop his fist.

He walked into the courtyard and picked up half a brick.

He pressed the pale plum-colored energy at his fingertips gently against the brick surface. Like cutting through thin paper, the brick silently split in two, the cross-section smooth.

Lu Chen withdrew his hand, and the energy vanished.

So this is External Force? Truly extraordinary.

An indescribable excitement surged in Lu Chen's heart.

He looked up at the sky, vast and boundless. He had crossed over to this world and wasted ten years.

Today, he had finally caught a glimpse of the path and stepped through the gate of martial arts that countless others sought in vain.

Just then, the courtyard gate was violently kicked open. Blind Man rushed in, his voice urgent: "Big Brother, it's bad! Boss Mo from Old Cat Alley in North City has brought his men to block us. Judging by their formation, they've come with ill intent! Let's run!"

Lu Chen said calmly, "How many came?"

Blind Man said anxiously, "Over twenty, all top-tier killers from the Rat Gang!"

"Hmph, they've come at just the right time."

Blind Man was even more frantic upon hearing this: "Big Brother, you're still joking at a time like this? When did you cross the Rat Gang?"

Lu Chen walked up to him and patted his shoulder: "Don't panic. Your Big Brother here just broke through to the External Force realm."

"What?" Blind Man was stunned for a moment, then his face filled with surprise.

Lu Chen smiled, but his eyes suddenly turned cold: "Boss Mo came at the perfect time. I was just worrying about where to test my skills. Let's go, lead the way!"

The two of them left the small courtyard one after the other.

Deep in the narrow alley, the group of thugs led by Boss Mo was in a standoff with Lu Chen's brothers.

The opposing side was a swarming mass of people, blocking the path completely.

Though Er Gou, Baldy, Miao Lao San, and the other brothers were terrified, they refused to let their boss, Lu Chen, lose face or be put in danger.

If they cowered and tucked their tails to run now, how could they continue to survive on these streets? Where would their boss, Lu Chen, put his face?

They would rather be beaten to death than be scared to death!

The brothers glanced at each other, seeing a desperate ruthlessness on each other's pale faces, and gripped their weapons even tighter.

Baldy forced himself to stay calm and shouted: "Boss Mo, we've always kept to our own territories. You bringing people to cross the line today—isn't that a bit against the rules of the underworld?"

Boss Mo was a brute in his forties, as bulky as an iron tower. He sneered upon hearing this: "A bunch of trash like you deserves to talk about underworld rules? Get lost, or I'll cripple every one of you right here!"

Er Gou and the others gripped their Nangzi Knives tightly: "Boss Mo, don't push us too far! If you want to run wild here, don't think you'll leave in one piece without paying with a few lives!"

Boss Mo spat: "I'd heard Lu Chen raised a bunch of fearless hard-bones, and today I've finally seen it. You don't want to take the easy way out, huh? Fine, I'll grant your wish! Get them, beat them to death!"

Baldy's eyes turned red; he cursed and prepared to lead the charge.

"Stop!"

With a low shout, Lu Chen and Blind Man turned the corner into the alley.

Both sides froze for a moment.

Lu Chen walked to the front, shielding his brothers, and looked straight at Boss Mo: "Do I have a grudge against you?"

Boss Mo crossed his arms and eyed him sideways: "Just taking money to do a job. You didn't offend me, and I don't want your life. Just losing an arm will finish the job."

Lu Chen smiled: "It was Jin Ming who paid you, wasn't it?"

Boss Mo was a leader in the Rat Gang, and the Rat Gang was the very organization that controlled the lifeblood of the grain trade in Wen'an County.

Lu Chen had just held a blade to Jin Ming's throat at the brothel today, and by nightfall, the Rat Gang had blocked his door.

The person behind this was already clear as day.

"Don't bother asking who." Boss Mo tilted his head, his neck cracking with a loud pop. "You just need to know that you're finished today. I know you're from the Plum Blossom Martial Hall, but our Rat Gang isn't afraid of that. We're all in the same business; I'm giving you some face. Either chop off your own arm, or let me do it for you. Choose, and don't drag this out."