Bounty Pavilion

The Subduing Tiger Martial Hall, Inner Courtyard.

Two figures darted and weaved across the open ground. The dull thuds of fists and feet colliding drew frequent glances from the disciples practicing their stances nearby.

It was Li Yun sparring with someone.

His opponent was another senior disciple who had entered the Inner Courtyard not long ago. Both were in the Body Tempering Realm.

The man lowered his shoulders and sank his elbows, driving out a "Fierce Tiger Probes with Claws." His fist whistled through the air, aimed straight at Li Yun's face.

Li Yun didn't dare let his guard down. His feet flashed through the "Crouching Tiger Mountain Climbing Step," and he twisted aside like a tiger dodging the strike.

At the same time, he turned at the waist and swung his right fist in a counterattack—the "Tiger Tail Sweeps the Hall" from Tiger Subduing Fist. The punch came at an awkward angle, aimed straight for the soft spot along his senior's waist.

They traded blows, their fists and feet crossing, every move rooted in the core principles of Tiger Subduing Fist.

After dozens of exchanges,

both were drenched in sweat, their breathing growing heavier. Yet their eyes only grew brighter. Their pace didn't slow; if anything, their attacks became faster and more forceful.

After another dozen exchanges, his senior drove Li Yun back with a punch, retreated two steps, and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"That's enough, junior brother. Let's call it here. If we keep going, I'll be completely spent."

Li Yun checked his momentum too. He bowed and panted, his chest heaving. Every muscle ached and throbbed, yet he felt invigorated from head to toe.

He clasped his hands and said,

"Thank you for going easy on me, senior brother. I learned a great deal from today's spar."

"You're exaggerating. We were just learning from each other."

After resting for a while,

Li Yun was about to find another Martial Hall disciple to spar with when Xiao Shun came looking for him.

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

"Senior Brother."

Xiao Shun got straight to the point.

"Junior brother, there are a few positions you can choose from. Have a listen.

"First, there's a position with Lu's Meat Shop, escorting their deliveries. You'd accompany the meat wagons each day, taking slaughtered pigs, cattle, and sheep to the shop's various branches inside and outside the city.

"The meat business is booming. They can give you an extra ten catties of premium pork belly each month as a perk, and the monthly pay is five taels.

"Next, there's a position with the Wei Yuan Escort Agency. You'd accompany the regular escorts on short-distance jobs, scouting the route, guarding the cargo, and dealing with roadside bandits.

"You can learn a lot there.

"The monthly pay is ten taels, with extra rewards for each escort run."

Xiao Shun had clearly put thought into it.

Delivering meat usually took only half a day, leaving the rest of the day free for cultivation.

The pay was decent, and he'd get meat too.

The second option—escorting cargo—would let him gain some experience on the road. That had its benefits as well.

Li Yun bowed slightly, clasping his hands.

"Thank you, senior brother. You've gone to a lot of trouble.

"Yesterday, I accepted Senior Brother Lu Kuan's support.

"As for a position, I'd like to settle down and focus on training until I've brought Tiger Subduing Fist to the Entry level. Then I can choose based on the circumstances, so I don't neglect one thing for another and hinder my cultivation."

Hearing this, Xiao Shun gently patted him on the shoulder, a hint of approval in his eyes.

"Good. It's best to know your own mind.

"On the path of martial arts, the worst thing is impatience. First, make sure your skills are solid. Then, whichever path you choose, you'll be on firmer footing."

He paused, then seemed to remember something and changed the subject.

"By the way, a 'Bounty Pavilion' just opened in the center of the Outer City a few days ago. If you're interested, you can go take a look."

"Bounty Pavilion?" A flicker of curiosity crossed Li Yun's eyes.

"Mm."

Xiao Shun nodded and explained,

"It's a place that connects people. You can post tasks and offer bounties.

"If you think you can handle a task, you can take it on. Once it's done, you collect the bounty on the spot. It's much more flexible than taking a position."

"Got it. Thank you, senior brother."

Li Yun felt that the Bounty Pavilion suited him better.

He could choose his own tasks and avoid unnecessary hassle.

"Hey, no need to be so formal between senior brothers. I happen to have some free time. Want to spar?"

"I'd be glad to."

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

Li Yun had no reason to turn down a chance to have him guide his moves.

He immediately assumed his stance, ready to spar.

Once Xiao Shun was ready, Li Yun launched a "Fierce Tiger Pounces on Prey," charging straight for his face.

"Good!"

Xiao Shun praised him. Instead of retreating, he stepped in, shifting lightly to the side. As he dodged the punch, he raised his left hand and laid his palm against Li Yun's fist, gently deflecting the powerful strike to one side.

Li Yun wasn't worried about hurting Xiao Shun. He unleashed every move he'd honed over the past few days.

One move flowed into the next like a winding stream, the force of his punches growing stronger as his blood and qi surged through his meridians.

Their figures crossed in the Martial Arts Arena, the dull thuds of colliding fists and feet ringing out without pause.

At first, he'd held back a little, and his moves were somewhat stiff.

But as Xiao Shun kept guiding him with subtle force and offering pointers, Li Yun felt more and more at ease.

The awkward transitions that had troubled him during practice were now like ice melting in warm water, flowing without the slightest hitch.

[Tiger Subduing Fist: +1]

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

"Stop!"

Xiao Shun raised a hand to halt Li Yun's attack, a pleased smile on his face.

"Not bad, kid. You've reached the Entry level in Tiger Subduing Fist in just three days.

"Looks like you've built a solid foundation in basic boxing."

"That's all thanks to your guidance, senior brother!"

Li Yun bowed, his voice full of gratitude.

Li Yun was truly grateful to Xiao Shun.

He'd taught him the technique, guided his moves, and helped him find a way to earn extra money.

By comparison, Xiao Shun felt more like his master than Fu Huaixing did.

He had to remember this kindness.

That night,

Li Yun walked out of the Subduing Tiger Martial Hall.

He hadn't set foot outside the Martial Hall in over four months. The Outer City looked even more dilapidated than he remembered.

Tattered beggars crowded both sides of the street, scavenging through garbage heaps for food with barely a breath left in them.

The air reeked of rot and excrement.

At an empty corner, he even saw a bloated corpse floating in filthy water.

"Had it really come to this?"

Now Li Yun could picture what his fellow disciples meant when they said the Outer City had descended into chaos.

Without slowing his steps, he went straight from the South District to the Meat Workshop in the West District.

Following his memory, he found a meat stall.

He circled around to the back courtyard.

He scanned the area.

Once he'd confirmed no one was around, he bent his knees slightly and tensed the muscles in his calves. He pushed off the mottled wall, using the rebound to spring upward like a tiger.

His right hand caught the blue brick atop the courtyard wall. His fingers tightened, the veins in his arm bulging slightly. He twisted at the waist and lightly vaulted over the wall, nearly ten feet high, landing silently inside the courtyard.

His feet touched down lightly, making not a sound.

No one was around.

Li Yun rose and moved softly along the base of the wall.

A faint, intermittent "ah, ah" drifted into his ears.

He kept moving, following the sound until he reached a house.

The door was ajar, not quite shut, leaving a gap a finger's width wide.

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

"Doing the deed with the door open?"

Li Yun wasn't in the habit of waiting for people to finish.

He kicked the door open.

The man and woman on the bed froze in terror, their intimate movements abruptly stopping.

The woman cried out and hurriedly pulled the quilt over herself.

The man whipped around, his hair disheveled and his face still flushed. His eyes were full of fear and anger as he shouted,

"Who?!"

"Your father."