The Food Chain

Martial artists train and ponder only how to strike down men, treating humans as their hypothetical enemies.

Once the protective Qi is activated, unless one is a practitioner of External Force, it is impossible to break through the defense.

Yet in this current world, monsters run rampant; they can easily tear through the protective Qi that martial artists pride themselves on, killing them as if it were child's play.

This is strange.

Since there are so many monsters in this world, and they can even suppress martial artists, why has one never heard of any sect or school whose martial arts are specifically designed to fight monsters?

It seems as if no one has ever thought about dealing with these monsters specifically.

Am I ignorant and ill-informed?

Or did the monsters appear too late for the martial path to reform?

Or perhaps... there is another reason that keeps the martial path trapped in the old rut of "men killing men"?

He felt a vague sense that something was wrong, like looking at flowers through a fog, unable to grasp the reality of it.

"Chen'er, what is the matter?" The voice of his martial aunt pulled him back to his thoughts.

Lu Chen suppressed the chill in his heart; thinking about these things now was too far-reaching and had no solution.

"It is nothing, Martial Aunt. I just feel that the world is becoming increasingly unstable. This disciple will be careful."

Martial Aunt sighed softly: "Staying alive is more important than anything else. Go now, and be careful in all things."

"Yes."

He exited the main hall, the cold wind biting to the bone.

Lu Chen looked up at the gray, gloomy sky.

It is going to snow!

Lu Chen emerged from the inner residence and did not return directly to Huaijiao Alley; instead, he detoured to the kitchen of the martial arts school in the front courtyard.

Shuan Hu was standing with his back to the door, stir-frying dishes at the stove. He was a bit heavier than before. Hearing the movement, he turned around, and seeing it was Lu Chen, his eyes immediately lit up, and he said happily: "Boss, why are you here?"

"I came to see you. Are you getting used to it here? If you want to go back, just say the word," Lu Chen said.

Shuan Hu smiled, his expression steady: "It is quite good here, peaceful. Besides, I still have to prepare medicine for Blind Man."

Lu Chen also smiled: "We have money now, there is no need to be secretive. If Blind Man wants to learn martial arts properly, the school can take him in."

Shuan Hu gave an honest, simple smile:

"Every bit saved is a bit earned. The entrance fee here is ten taels of silver, which is not a small sum. Besides, my mother is happy to tears knowing I am no longer hanging around the streets and have become a cook. She is terrified that I will be out fighting and killing, and one day die on the street with no one to bury me."

Lu Chen looked at him:

"The brothers have all become wealthy recently. The lottery stalls in South City, and all such business in Wen'an County from now on, belong to us. I have already instructed Blind Man to send you a monthly allowance as well, no less than what Baldy, Er Gou, and the others receive."

"Boss..." Shuan Hu felt a lump in his throat, and his eyes suddenly turned red.

He had been listening to the rumors on the streets. He knew that Lu Chen had broken through to the External Force realm and taken over South City, earning gold by the day. It would be a lie to say he wasn't envious; Baldy and Er Gou, who used to hang around with him, had become managers and leaders, looking glorious and respectable, while he was still stuck in this smoky kitchen, busy all day long.

Did Shuan Hu want to go back?

Naturally, he did! He dreamed of it!

Lu Chen was easy to talk to; he only needed to ask, and Lu Chen would surely agree!

How wonderful it would be to go back, to follow Lu Chen and the old brothers, to fight together and share the money together—that would be true joy!

But as soon as this thought surfaced, the image of his mother's weary, hunched figure flickered before Shuan Hu's eyes.

She did not understand the brotherhood of the pugilistic world, nor did she care for prestige; she only hoped her son would leave that path of violence, find an honest trade, save money steadily, and eventually marry and live a stable life.

Going back would be joyful, but if he went back, what would happen to his mother?

He was a rough man who did not understand grand principles.

But he knew that he was a child his mother had picked up from the edge of a pile of corpses, raised on spoonfuls of rice water and porridge.

He had seen his mother go hungry, drinking cold water at night to fill her stomach, just to save half a pancake for him.

He had seen his mother, upon hearing he had been injured in a fight, beg and plead with everyone she knew to borrow money for a doctor, crying until her eyes were swollen for three days.

And he had seen even more: ever since he became a cook, the brow his mother had furrowed for a lifetime finally relaxed, and she could sleep soundly at night.

Shuan Hu had already resigned himself to his fate; for his mother's sake, he would just toil in this kitchen for the rest of his life.

Who would have thought that now that Lu Chen had made his fortune, he would still remember to set aside a respectable allowance for him.

Shuan Hu's throat choked up, his eyes grew hot, and tears rolled down.

Lu Chen patted his sturdy shoulder: "Good brother, set your heart at ease. As long as I, Lu Chen, have a bite to eat, your family will never go hungry!"

"Boss... I, Shuan Hu... I will follow you in the next life too!" Shuan Hu raised the back of his rough hand and wiped his face fiercely, sobbing.

Lu Chen came out of the kitchen and ran into several martial arts students.

The expressions of those few men shifted instantly the moment they caught sight of Lu Chen.

Lu Chen's gaze swept across their faces; they were familiar. These were the very same people he had defeated four-on-one during his first minor trial.

Upon seeing Lu Chen, their eyes were filled with complex emotions.

Their aptitude was considered decent within the martial arts hall, and they usually carried a fair bit of arrogance.

Yet, the person before them was an out-and-out monster who had crushed them four-on-one during his first trial.

Now, he had even broken through to the External Force realm.

He was, without a doubt, the top figure among the younger generation of the martial arts circle.

He was already on a completely different level from them.

In the past, no one in the hall looked down on Lu Chen because he came from South City and was from a poor background, but now that they saw how powerful he had become, they all harbored thoughts of currying favor and befriending him.

The group quickly shifted from arrogance to obsequiousness, their faces changing in an instant as they piled on smiles and greeted him, "Senior Brother Lu!"

Lu Chen merely gave a faint response before walking straight past them.

The disciples in this martial arts hall had always been the type to suck up to whoever was powerful or wealthy.

He couldn't be bothered to pay them any mind.

Their display of eagerness met with only a cold reception, and the expressions of the group darkened immediately.

Feng Xudong stared at Lu Chen's retreating back, lowering his voice to curse, "Coming from South City, he has absolutely no manners!"

Han Fei's willow-leaf brows shot up as she shrilly retorted, "What is he acting so arrogant for! A piece of trash with no upbringing!"

Liu Chuan, who had a somewhat lecherous appearance, let out two low, snickering laughs, and with a wink, chimed in, "Senior Sister Han is absolutely right. You guys didn't know, did you? This Senior Brother Lu of ours is an orphan. No father, no mother—no wonder he's so devoid of humanity."

"Heh, no wonder. Serves him right that his parents died."

The group was busy trading vicious insults, feeling as though they had finally vented their pent-up frustration.

Unexpectedly.

Lu Chen's figure returned, standing just a few paces away.

"Chatting quite happily, are we?" Lu Chen said coldly.

The laughter of the four came to an abrupt halt, as if they had been throttled by the neck.

The smiles had yet to fade from their faces, now frozen into expressions of awkwardness and panic, their lips trembling as they tried to explain.

But Lu Chen did not give them the chance.

His movements were shockingly fast; the group felt a blur before their eyes, a rush of wind swept past, and they each took a solid blow to the face.

"Smack!" "Smack!"

The sounds were crisp yet heavy, painful just to hear.

Feng Xudong's cheek caved in, teeth falling out amidst a spray of blood.

Han Fei spun and staggered, welts appearing instantly.

Liu Chuan slammed into a corridor pillar, spitting out shattered teeth.

Zhao Qin clutched his face and doubled over, blood seeping through his fingers.

In an instant, the four of them lay slumped on the ground in a wretched state, their cheeks swollen and their speech slurred.

Lu Chen withdrew his hands and stood still, looking at them indifferently, as if he had merely brushed away a speck of dust.