Breaking Through to External Force

Lu Chen's expression darkened. "If I hadn't stopped those bandits that day, you'd have died on the road. You wouldn't be here drinking now. And you dare drag your feet on paying me?"

Jin Ming sneered. "So what if I do? I'll pay if I feel like it. If I don't, what are you going to do about it...?"

Clang!

His blade was already out of its sheath, its icy edge pressed against Jin Ming's neck.

Jin Ming's drunken words cut off abruptly. His face turned deathly pale, and his drunkenness vanished in an instant, replaced by cold sweat.

"Heh... Brother Lu, those were just drunken words. Surely you won't take them seriously? Of course I'll pay you. I'll pay right now."

Jin Ming hurriedly called over his personal servant and told him to ask the brothel's madam to lend him some cash.

When the madam heard that the third young master of Daxing Rice Shop wanted to borrow money, she immediately lent him thirty taels.

Three ten-tael silver ingots were soon brought out. This was the ten-tael reward for transporting the grain, along with the twenty taels Jin Ming had promised for defeating Jiang Ming'er.

Lu Chen weighed the silver in his hand, put it away, and turned to leave.

As soon as he was out the door, Jin Ming's face turned livid. He grabbed the wine cup beside him and hurled it to the floor.

The servant hurried over to soothe him.

"Young master, please calm down. Lu Chen is far too arrogant. With your status, how dare a street thug from South City treat you like that?"

Jin Ming gritted his teeth and sneered. "That ungrateful stray dog. I've shown him too much favor, and now he dares bare his teeth at me. Go to Old Cat Alley and fetch Boss Mo. Tell him I have a job for him—I want him to teach some blind fool a lesson."

"Got it, young master. I'll go right away!" The servant scampered off.

Left alone in the room, Jin Ming grew angrier the more he thought about it. With nowhere to vent the fire raging inside him, he slammed his hand on the table and roared toward the door.

"Madam! Where the hell is everyone? Get me a girl, and make it now!"

Lu Chen returned home, shut the door, and summoned the draw interface.

Plum Blossom Fist and Treading Snow Seeking Plum had fused into a new martial art, but the experience from the two techniques hadn't been added together.

Plum Blossom Fist was originally: Rudimentary Proficiency 91.4%

Treading Snow Seeking Plum was originally: Rudimentary Proficiency 18%

After the fusion, the experience of the newly formed Plum Blossom Quick Fist had remained fixed at 91.4%.

Lu Chen steeled himself. Today, he would break through in one go.

The thirty taels of heavy silver in his hand gave him a little more confidence. Without another word, he aimed at the Proud Snow Cold Plum pool and started drawing.

Draw, draw, and draw again!

He repeated the process, his money flowing away like water.

The experience bar for Plum Blossom Quick Fist crawled forward like an old ox dragging a broken cart, inch by inch.

He paid no attention to what traits or attributes he drew. His eyes stayed fixed on the experience bar for Plum Blossom Quick Fist.

He watched the number creep from 91.4% to 95.4%, then inch closer and closer to 99.4%...

At last, after who knew how many flashes of light, the progress bar gave a "ding" 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 wholly new understanding welled up inside him. His mastery of the fist technique broke through "Rudimentary Proficiency" as naturally as water finding its course, and firmly entered the realm of "Minor Achievement."

The moment he broke through, Lu Chen's body gave a slight tremor.

A warm new force sprang to life deep within his dantian.

He clenched his fist and felt the new force quietly tempering the bones and sinews beneath his skin.

His previously scattered strength seemed to be gathered by an invisible hand, twisted into a tougher rope.

He had achieved External Force.

Lu Chen let out a long breath of turbid air.

He could feel a wisp of force coiled within his dantian, its hue like plum blossoms in the depths of winter.

A thought stirred in his mind, and he tried to guide it to his palm.

This nascent force was far too thin. It could only wrap a flimsy layer around his fingertips, not even enough to cover his whole fist.

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

He gently pressed the faint plum-colored force on his fingertips against the brick. Like a thin sheet of paper being cut, the brick silently split into two, its fracture smooth.

Lu Chen drew back his hand, and the force vanished.

So this was External Force? It was indeed extraordinary.

An indescribable exhilaration surged through Lu Chen.

He raised his head and gazed at the boundless sky. He had crossed into this world and wasted away ten years.

Today, at last, he had glimpsed the threshold and stepped through the door to the martial path that countless people sought.

Just then, the courtyard gate was slammed open, and Blind Man rushed in, shouting, "Big brother, this is bad! Boss Mo from Old Cat Alley in North City has brought a crowd and blocked the way. They don't look like they've come in peace! We'd better run!"

"How many?" Lu Chen asked calmly.

"More than twenty! They're all seasoned fighters from the Rat Gang, the ones who specialize in killing!"

"Hmph. They came at just the right time."

Blind Man grew even more anxious. "Big brother, how can you joke at a time like this? When did you get on the Rat Gang's bad side?"

Lu Chen walked over and patted him on the shoulder. "Don't panic. Your big brother just broke through to External Force."

"What?" Blind Man froze, then his face lit up with delight.

Lu Chen smiled, but his eyes suddenly turned cold. "Boss Mo came at just the right time. I was just looking for somewhere to test my strength. Come on, show me the way!"

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

Deep in the narrow alley, Boss Mo and his gang of hired thugs faced off against Lu Chen's men.

Their crowd packed the alley, blocking the way completely.

Er Gou, Baldy, Miao Lao San, and the others were afraid too, but they wanted to give their boss, Lu Chen, a chance to get away safely. And they couldn't let him lose face.

If they chickened out now and slunk away with their tails between their legs, how could they show their faces on the streets again? What would that do to their boss Lu Chen's reputation?

They'd rather be beaten to death than scared to death!

The men exchanged glances. On one another's pale faces, they saw the same desperate resolve, and their grips tightened around their weapons.

Baldy tried to keep his nerve and shouted, "Boss Mo, we've always stayed in our own lanes. You've brought your men into our territory today. Don't you think that's breaking the rules of the underworld?"

Boss Mo was a brawny man in his forties, as big as an iron pagoda. He sneered. "A bunch of nobodies like you think you can talk about the rules of the underworld? Get lost, or I'll cripple every last 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're here to cause trouble, you won't get away unscathed unless you leave a few lives behind!"

Boss Mo spat. "I've heard Lu Chen keeps a bunch of fearless hardcases around him. Now I've seen it for myself. So you're refusing to appreciate a favor? Fine, I'll grant your wish! Get them! Beat them to death!"

Baldy's eyes reddened. He cursed and was about to lead the others into a charge.

"Stop!"

Lu Chen's low voice rang out as he and Blind Man emerged from the mouth of the alley.

Both groups froze for a moment.

Lu Chen walked to the front and stood between his men and the others. He looked straight at Boss Mo. "Do I have a grudge against you?"

Boss Mo folded his arms and gave him a sidelong glance. "I'm just getting paid to do a job. You've offended someone else, not me. I won't take your life. I'll just take an arm, and that'll be that."

Lu Chen smiled. "Jin Ming paid you, didn't he?"

Boss Mo was a leader within the Rat Gang, the gang that controlled Wen'an County's rice and grain supply.

Lu Chen had just held a knife to Jin Ming's neck at the brothel that day, and that very night, the Rat Gang had shown up at his door.

Who was behind it was already obvious.

"Don't bother asking who." Boss Mo tilted his head, and his neck cracked. "All you need to know is that you're finished today. I know you're from Plum Blossom Martial Hall, but the Rat Gang isn't afraid of them. We're all people of the streets. I'll save you some face: cut off an arm yourself, or let me do it for you. Choose, and quit dawdling."