Li Pingsheng finished speaking, then clasped his hands toward Pei Guang once more.
Pei Guang's weathered face was hard to keep composed. He had always prized fairness, yet today he had been made a fool of by a young man.
He cleared his throat and announced loudly,
"What are you all staring at?"
"Li Pingsheng has top-tier bones and blood as robust as a beast's. He is a once-in-a-century prodigy for the Azure Cloud Martial Hall."
"Starting today, Li Pingsheng is a True Disciple of the Azure Cloud Martial Hall."
The neighbors and onlookers who had been jeering moments ago all gaped, their mouths wide enough to fit an egg.
The disciples inside the martial hall who had been watching for a show exchanged stunned glances. The contempt in their eyes had vanished, replaced in an instant by shock.
Could a place like the Wealthy District really produce a dragon?
Master Qin, standing among the crowd, felt his vision darken. His knees went weak, and he nearly collapsed.
It was over.
The two underlings he had sent out were probably at the Li Family by now. If they had already started—
"Pingsheng, come with me. I'll take you to meet the Hall Master."
Pei Guang was all warmth now. With a sweeping gesture, he led Li Pingsheng toward the Inner Courtyard.
Li Pingsheng was worried about what might be happening at home, but he couldn't snub Master Pei, so he forced down his anxiety and followed.
As they entered the Inner Courtyard, where ordinary disciples weren't allowed, the surroundings fell silent.
The courtyard had rockeries and flowing water, with bamboo shadows swaying. It was like another world compared to the dust and clamor outside.
The two arrived at a quiet chamber. The only person by the door was a young attendant in blue, standing deferentially with his hands at his sides.
"Master Pei."
The attendant bowed.
Pei Guang frowned.
"Where's the Hall Master?"
"Master Pei, the Hall Master was summoned by the county magistrate early this morning. I heard a village outside the city suffered a military disaster, and there may be demons involved. It's urgent, so he might not be back for a while."
A trace of gravity crossed Pei Guang's face, but he quickly returned to normal.
He looked at Li Pingsheng, considered for a moment, then made up his mind.
"Never mind. We'll make an exception for a special case. I'll explain everything to the Hall Master when he returns."
He immediately took Li Pingsheng to the accounts office.
"This is your identity token. It's marked in bronze and issued only to True Disciples. With this token, you can go to most places in Qingyun County."
Pei Guang handed Li Pingsheng a bronze token. The front was engraved with the words "Azure Cloud," and the back bore the archaic character "Li."
"Also, this is your stipend for this month: two taels. From now on, you can collect it here on the first day of every month."
The accounts clerk respectfully wrapped two silver ingots in red paper and presented them with both hands.
Two taels.
Li Pingsheng accepted the silver.
Those two taels would ease the burden on his family considerably.
He tucked the silver and token close to his body, then said earnestly to Pei Guang,
"Master Pei, I'd like to go home first and tell my family the good news, so they won't worry."
"Of course, of course."
Pei Guang looked at him with approval.
"Such filial piety. Good. I'll personally see you out."
He patted Li Pingsheng's shoulder with fond regard, then personally escorted him to the martial hall's main gate. The honor he showed him left the people still gathered outside staring in amazement.
The moment Li Pingsheng stepped through the gate, he spotted Master Qin, hunched like a frightened rat, sneaking toward a narrow alley.
The two broad-shouldered bully underlings who had been at his side were nowhere to be seen.
Master Qin's underlings had vanished. There was only one possibility: they had been sent away before Li Pingsheng's bone assessment results came in.
Their destination could only be the Wealthy District—his home.
Killing intent, mingled with fury, surged through Li Pingsheng and smashed his reason to pieces.
He didn't even bother chasing Master Qin. He dropped low and drove off with a sudden burst of force.
Bang!
The flagstones beneath his feet cracked into a fine web.
He shot off like a cannonball, turning into a white blur as he raced toward the Wealthy District.
Without thinking, he used the breathing method of the Health Preservation Stance. Driven by his fury, his two specialties, [Blood Strengthening] and [Tiger Bone], began working on their own.
His legs were hard as steel. Every step struck the ground with a muffled boom, as if it wasn't a man running, but a giant beast thundering across the wilderness.
A fierce gust swept past the vendors and pedestrians along the street, carrying the faint sound of a tiger's roar. Before anyone could make out what had passed, the white blur had vanished around the corner.
"Good heavens, what just went by?"
"A martial arts expert! Some big shot from the Inner City!"
The cries of alarm were already far behind Li Pingsheng.
The [Blood Strengthening] specialty drew on his body's potential, and searing blood surged through his limbs.
His lightning-fast sprint didn't tire him. Instead, his breathing grew stronger, and the fire in his chest burned hotter and hotter.
The muddy, hard-to-traverse outskirts of the Wealthy District were as easy as level ground beneath his feet. His speed didn't slacken in the slightest.
Meanwhile.
In the Wealthy District, at the Li Family's ramshackle shack.
Bang!
Someone kicked the rickety wooden door open, sending splinters flying in every direction.
Two thugs with fleshy faces and wooden clubs in hand barged inside.
"Who's there?"
Madam Li and Second Aunt, who were weaving bamboo baskets with their heads down in the yard, jumped in fright and hurriedly looked up.
"Pay up."
A scar-faced thug had a vicious look in his eyes. He smashed the yard's only water jar to pieces with one swing of his club.
Clear water mixed with dirt and spread across the ground.
"Where's that little bastard Li Pingsheng? He swindled Master Qin, and thinks hiding will get him off the hook? If you don't come up with sixteen taels today, your whole family can pay with your bodies."
The other thug, his face covered in pockmarks, sneered as his gaze roamed over the terrified faces of Madam Li and Second Aunt.
"Honorable sirs, please, let's talk this out. Pingsheng, he... he can join the martial hall today. We'll repay the money, I promise."
Madam Li steeled herself and spoke in a trembling voice.
"Bullshit."
The scar-faced thug spat a wad of phlegm onto the ground.
"Join the martial hall? That kid's a fraud. He's probably already had his legs broken and been thrown out."
Just then, Second Uncle rushed in from the fields at the commotion. He took in the scene, and his eyes instantly reddened.
"What gives you the right to smash our things?"
He stepped forward to argue, but the pockmarked thug kicked him in the chest.
Bang!
With a muffled thud, Second Uncle flew backward. The back of his head slammed hard against the stone mill in the yard. He didn't even groan before blood began pouring from his brow, staining the ground red.
"Second Uncle!"
Second Aunt let out a piercing scream.
Old Master Li, who had been hiding inside the house, rushed out too. His aged body trembled with rage.
He shielded Yunmei, who stood behind him, pale with terror.
"I'll fight you to the death!"
"Get out of the way, old man!"
The scar-faced thug shoved him away impatiently. Old Master Li was frail with age and couldn't withstand the blow. He stumbled to the ground and couldn't get back up for a long while.
The two thugs' eyes eventually settled on the small figure trembling in the corner.
"Hey, there's a pretty little girl here."
The pockmarked thug rubbed his hands together and advanced on Yunmei, his face openly malicious.
"Sixteen taels? Sell you to the cheapest brothel, and you'd barely fetch a fraction of that."
"No! Waaah..."
The sight of his savage face terrified Yunmei out of her wits. She huddled in the corner and burst into a heart-wrenching wail.
"Let go of my granddaughter!"
"Don't touch my daughter!"
Old Master Li's roar and Madam Li's desperate wail rang out together.
The pockmarked thug's hand was already reaching for Yunmei's slender arm.
Boom!
The entire yard wall of the shack was smashed down.
Li Pingsheng had arrived.
He saw Second Uncle lying in a pool of blood, his grandfather sprawled on the ground, and the filthy hand about to touch his little sister.
"Looking to die."
Before you continue