Gold Card, Plum Bone

Lu Chen heard this and laughed instead: "My arm is right here. I'm afraid you won't be able to take it."

Boss Mo was so angry he laughed, his expression full of mockery as if looking at a fool.

"Fine, kid, you've got guts! I was feeling generous and only intended to cripple one of your arms, but since you're hell-bent on dying, you can leave that leg behind too!" He spat on the ground, waved his hand, and roared: "Brothers, get him! Cripple him for me!"

"Kill!"

The twenty-some men behind him shouted in unison, then charged forward with wild howls, brandishing their weapons.

"Boss!"

"Let's fight them to the death!"

Lu Chen's subordinates gripped their knives, ready to rush in.

A thin, withered hand stopped them.

It was Blind Man. Far from showing fear, he wore a rather strange grin: "Steady your nerves and watch. Let Big Brother loosen his muscles."

"But there are too many of them..." Baldy said anxiously, but the words had barely left his mouth.

A sudden, violent change erupted in the alley!

Lu Chen moved.

Facing the first thugs to rush him, he didn't retreat but stepped forward, throwing out a simple, straightforward punch.

"Splat!"

The man's head exploded like a watermelon, spraying red and white matter everywhere.

The Rat Gang thugs were stunned.

Lu Chen's figure had already cut deep into the crowd; the Plum Blossom Quick Fist double-strike was activated!

"Bang! Splat!"

"Crack! Thud!"

Every pause was followed by two nearly overlapping muffled sounds—simple, efficient, and cruel.

This was not a battle; it was a slaughter.

Like a fierce tiger charging into a pack of wild dogs, wherever his claws struck, flesh and blood flew.

In less than a dozen breaths, all twenty-some thugs were dead, their corpses littering the alley.

Lu Chen stepped through the thick, warm pool of blood, leaving a bloody footprint with every step, until he stood before Boss Mo. His voice was as calm as if he were discussing the weather: "Your luck is poor, choosing the very day I break through to come here."

Boss Mo looked at the sea of corpses and trembled: "You've entered the External Strength realm?"

"Yes!"

Boss Mo gave a miserable smile: "Master Lu, I concede. I am thoroughly convinced. I know the rules of the underworld; this life should be yours. But beyond the rules, there is always a price. The two pawnshops in North City—I hold a thirty percent stake in them. They are all yours. I have family back home, I beg Master Lu to show mercy. From now on, the Rat Gang will remember your favor in the North City territory."

Lu Chen was silent for a moment, then nodded. He agreed.

Boss Mo looked as if he had been granted a reprieve; he cupped his hands and bowed deeply: "Thank you for your grace, Master Lu! By noon tomorrow, the deeds and the tribute will be delivered!"

Lu Chen waved his hand.

Boss Mo dared not linger. He backed away, stooped over, then turned and ran off in a flash.

Blind Man stepped forward: "Big Brother, letting him go just like that—isn't that letting him off too easy?"

Lu Chen gazed toward the alley entrance: "He is the leader of the Rat Gang. The Rat Gang controls the grain trade; they have money and men. Killing him isn't hard, but the endless trouble that follows is. Doing it this way, we get the benefits and avoid the future headaches."

Blind Man nodded, then solemnly offered his congratulations:

"Congratulations to Big Brother for breaking through and entering the External Strength realm!"

The other brothers were stunned at first, then surged with wild joy. Their own boss had become an External Strength expert; from now on, they would be able to bask in his glory.

Lu Chen wiped the red and white mess off his hands onto the wall and laughed: "Tonight, drinks are on me."

The crowd cheered in agreement, beaming with joy.

Before the drinking began, Lu Chen went home to change into clean clothes, while Blind Man led the men to efficiently load the corpses onto carts, cover them with straw mats, and transport them outside the city to be dumped in the mountains for the wolves.

That night, they gathered at a familiar tavern in South City, set up tables, and ordered fine wine and food to celebrate boisterously.

The night grew deep.

Lu Chen walked home under the moonlight, carrying the slight tipsiness and fatigue of the feast. He collapsed onto the kang fully clothed, closed his eyes for a moment, then suddenly opened them again. The drunkenness in his eyes faded, leaving only stillness.

For this card draw, he had spent over thirty taels of silver, pulling from the "Proud Bone Cold Plum" pool a total of two hundred and forty times.

This time, besides pushing the experience bar for Plum Blossom Quick Fist to 100% and raising his realm, he had also gained a Gold card.

"Plum Bone (Gold)" effect: Base defense increased by 100%. When in cold wind, low temperatures, or icy environments, this defense bonus doubles (increasing to 200%).

The effect of this Gold card was truly impressive.

Unfortunately, there was only one trait slot.

His inventory only had ten slots, and since he couldn't fit the large number of white and green trait cards he had drawn, he ultimately had to discard them.

It seems that from now on, he couldn't just keep pulling from a single martial arts pool.

Occasionally, one must pull from the basic card pool to at least secure more trait slots and inventory space.

Lu Chen did not hesitate, directly removing the "Cold Plum Trembling Shadow Force (Purple)" from his card slot and equipping the "Plum Bone" card, which shimmered with a golden flow.

He recalled the slaughter in the alleyway today; over twenty lives had fallen beneath his fists like blades of grass, with an ease that surprised even him.

The sense of control and destructive power that surged when his strength flowed made him feel addicted from the bottom of his heart.

Lu Chen focused his mind inward, watching the strand of newly born internal energy circulating slowly within his dantian.

He suddenly opened his eyes, a reflection of cold plum blossoms in snow appearing in his pupils, as a long-hidden ambition fell like a spark into a withered field, quietly igniting.

External force has been achieved; it is time to push the plan forward and dominate South City!

Today is the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the Lantern Festival, the liveliest and most festive day in the North besides the Spring Festival.

Plum Blossom Martial Hall is also immersed in this joyous atmosphere.

Many personal disciples who travel abroad have returned on this day to pay their respects.

Since early morning, the Mistress has been preparing hot tea and delicate snacks in the main hall, chatting and exchanging pleasantries with the returning disciples.

There are only seven personal disciples of Plum Blossom Martial Hall in total.

All of them were personally selected and carefully cultivated by the Mistress.

Today, for the Lantern Festival, only four have returned. The other three are far away in other provinces and truly could not get away.

In the midst of this, a disciple who looks like a refined young nobleman, waving a folding fan, asked with a smile: "Mistress, I heard that a junior brother has been quite prominent in the martial hall recently, and that he easily defeated four opponents during the mid-month trial?"

"That is correct."

The Mistress smiled and nodded: "His name is Lu Chen, a good child with a pure heart who conducts himself with propriety."

Her attire and makeup today have been meticulously prepared.

The South Sea Shell Hairpin in her hair is particularly eye-catching, making her already dignified and beautiful face appear even more radiant.

At this moment, a petite female disciple with short, ear-length hair spoke softly: "But when I walk around the hall, many fellow disciples do not speak well of him. They say he is cold and aloof, ignoring everyone he meets. Some disciples even sincerely asked him for martial arts advice, but he refused them all, only focusing on his own training."

Another disciple, dressed in black with a stern face, chimed in: "Indeed, I have also heard that his interpersonal relationships in the hall are quite distant."

Upon hearing this, the Mistress merely smiled gently: "His home is in South City, so naturally, his social graces are not as polished as those of wealthy young masters. But his heart is truly pure."

The young nobleman waving the fan took the opportunity to add: "Since the Mistress says so, there is naturally no need to doubt the junior brother's character."

The short-haired junior sister glanced sideways at the young nobleman and sneered: "Young Master Zhou, the weather is cold enough to make people shiver, yet you are still waving that fan around—you really do know how to put on airs."