Bounty Pavilion

Subduing Tiger Martial Hall, Inner Courtyard.

Two figures darted and shifted across the open ground, the dull thuds of fists and feet colliding drawing frequent glances from the disciples practicing on wooden stakes nearby.

It was Li Yun sparring with someone.

His opponent was also a senior brother who had recently entered the Inner Courtyard, both of them in the Body Tempering Realm.

The opponent dropped his shoulders and sank his elbows, thrusting out a "Fierce Tiger Probes with Claws" that whistled through the air, aimed straight at Li Yun's face.

Li Yun dared not be careless; his feet moved rapidly in the "Crouching Tiger Mountain Climbing Step," his body sidestepping like a tiger.

At the same time, he twisted his waist and threw a right punch, executing the counter-attack from the Tiger Subduing Fist known as "Tiger Tail Sweeps the Hall." The strike was cunning, aiming directly for the senior brother's soft ribs.

The two traded blows, fists and feet interweaving, every move adhering to the core essence of the Tiger Subduing Fist.

Dozens of exchanges passed.

Both were drenched in sweat, their breathing growing heavy, yet their eyes became increasingly clear. The rhythm of their sparring did not slow down; instead, it became faster and more ferocious.

After another dozen moves, the senior brother forced Li Yun back with a punch, retreated two steps, and raised a hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

"That's enough, Junior Brother, let's stop here. If we keep going, I'm going to run out of steam."

Li Yun also reined in his momentum, bowing his head as he panted, his chest heaving violently. His muscles felt sore and swollen, yet he felt a sense of exhilarating satisfaction.

He cupped his hands and said:

"Many thanks for your mercy, Senior Brother. I have benefited greatly from today's sparring."

"You exaggerate, we are just learning from each other."

After resting for a while.

Li Yun was preparing to find another martial hall disciple to spar with, but unexpectedly, Xiao Shun came to find him.

"Junior Brother Li, come here for a moment."

"Senior Brother."

Xiao Shun went straight to the point:

"Junior Brother, there are a few part-time positions available. Listen to these.

The first is a transport position at Lu's Meat Shop. You would follow the meat delivery fleet every day, transporting slaughtered pigs, cattle, and sheep to various branches inside and outside the city.

The meat business is booming, and they provide ten catties of high-quality pork belly as a monthly benefit, plus a monthly wage of five taels.

The other is a position at Wei Yuan Escort Agency. You would follow official escorts on short-distance missions, responsible for scouting the path, guarding the cargo, and dealing with petty thieves along the way.

You can learn things there.

The monthly wage is ten taels, with extra rewards for each mission."

Xiao Shun had clearly put some thought into this.

Delivering meat usually only takes half a day, leaving the rest of the time for cultivation.

The pay is decent, and there is meat to eat.

As for the second option, escorting, going out to gain experience also has its benefits.

Li Yun bowed slightly, cupping his hands in a salute:

"Many thanks, Senior Brother, I appreciate your concern.

Yesterday, I accepted financial support from Senior Brother Lu Kuan.

As for the part-time positions, I intend to settle my mind first and bring my Tiger Subduing Fist to the entry level. I will choose based on the situation then, so as not to neglect one thing while attending to another and delay my cultivation."

Hearing this, Xiao Shun reached out and patted his shoulder, his eyes filled with a touch of approval:

"Good, as long as you have a plan in mind.

On the path of martial arts, the greatest taboo is being impetuous. Strengthen your skills first; no matter which path you choose later, you will be more secure."

He paused for a moment, then as if suddenly remembering something, he changed the subject:

"By the way, a 'Bounty Pavilion' opened in the center of the Outer City a few days ago. If you have any ideas later, you can go take a look."

"Bounty Pavilion?" A hint of curiosity flashed in Li Yun's eyes.

"Yes."

Xiao Shun nodded and explained:

"That place is a go-between for posting bounties and tasks.

As long as you feel you are capable, you can accept a task. Once completed, you can collect the bounty directly. It is much more flexible than a part-time position."

"Understood, many thanks, Senior Brother."

Li Yun felt that this Bounty Pavilion was more suitable for him.

He could choose tasks independently and reduce unnecessary trouble.

"Hey, there is no need for such formalities between fellow disciples."

"I happen to have some free time now. Shall we spar?"

"I couldn't ask for more."

As the second senior disciple, Xiao Shun's understanding of the Tiger Subduing Fist was undoubtedly among the best in the Subduing Tiger Martial Hall.

Li Yun had no reason to refuse an opportunity to have him feed him moves.

He immediately took his stance, ready to exchange blows.

Seeing that Xiao Shun was prepared, Li Yun launched a Fierce Tiger Pounces on Prey, striking directly at his face.

"Well done!"

Xiao Shun praised, stepping forward instead of retreating. With a light shift of his footwork, he dodged the fist's edge while simultaneously raising his left hand to press against Li Yun's knuckles, effortlessly deflecting the fierce punch to the side.

Li Yun was not afraid of hurting Xiao Shun, so he unleashed all the moves he had polished over these past few days.

One move followed another like flowing water; the wind from his fists grew increasingly powerful, and his blood and qi surged through his meridians.

Their figures intertwined in the Martial Arts Arena, the muffled thuds of fists and feet colliding echoing incessantly.

At first, he was somewhat restrained, his movements carrying a hint of stiffness.

But as Xiao Shun continuously guided and prompted him with clever force, Li Yun felt his entire body becoming more and more invigorated.

The transitions that had always felt awkward during his practice now felt like ice melting in warm water, smooth and effortless.

[Tiger Subduing Fist: +1]
[Tiger Subduing Fist (Entry): 1/5000]

"Stop!"

Xiao Shun raised his hand to halt Li Yun's offensive, a gratified smile appearing on his face.

"Good lad, you've reached the entry level of the Tiger Subduing Fist in just three days. It seems your foundation in basic fist techniques is very solid."

"It is all thanks to Senior Brother feeding me moves!"

Li Yun bowed, his tone filled with gratitude.

Li Yun was truly grateful to Xiao Shun.

It was he who taught him the cultivation method, he who fed him moves, and he who helped him find a place to hang his hat.

By comparison, Xiao Shun felt more like a master to him than Fu Huaixing did.

This favor had to be remembered.

That night.

Li Yun walked out of the Subduing Tiger Martial Hall.

Having not stepped a foot outside the martial hall for over four months, the Outer City seemed even more dilapidated than he remembered.

The streets were crowded with ragged beggars, dying as they scavenged for food in piles of trash.

The air was thick with the stench of rot and the pungent odor of excrement.

In an empty corner, he even saw a bloated corpse soaking in sewage.

Has it really reached this point?

Now, Li Yun had a concrete image of what his fellow disciples meant when they said, "The Outer City is in chaos."

Without stopping, he headed straight from the South District to the Meat Workshop in the West District.

Following his memory, he arrived at a meat stall.

He circled to the Back Courtyard.

He scanned the surroundings.

Confirming no one was there, he bent his knees slightly, his calf muscles tensing. With a light push of his feet against the mottled wall, he used the rebound force to spring up like a tiger.

His right hand gripped the bricks atop the courtyard wall, his knuckles straining and veins bulging on his arm. With a twist of his waist and abdomen, he vaulted over the ten-foot wall with ease, landing silently inside the courtyard.

Upon landing, he tapped his toes lightly against the ground, making not a sound.

The area was deserted.

Li Yun stood up, his footsteps extremely light, and moved slowly along the base of the courtyard wall.

A faint, intermittent moaning drifted into his ears.

He didn't stop, but followed the direction of the sound until he reached a house.

The door was left ajar, not fully closed, leaving a gap the width of a finger.

The dim light of an oil lamp shone through the crack, casting a long, narrow shadow on the ground.

Doing business without closing the door?

Li Yun did not have the habit of waiting for people to finish their business.

I kicked the door open.

The man and woman on the bed stiffened in fright, their intimate movements coming to an abrupt halt.

The woman let out a startled cry, hurriedly pulling the quilt over her body.

The man whipped his head around, his hair disheveled and his face still flushed with lingering heat. His eyes were filled with terror and fury as he barked:

"Who?!"

"Your father."