Blood Creek, Done!

Just as Chen Jing continued to practice the River-Breaking Fist, a clamor suddenly erupted by his ears.

One of the disciples lowered his voice and said, "Hey, I just got news—that Brother Tiger from the Blue Scarf Gang is dead!"

"I heard he was beaten to death. His face looked like it had been scorched by lime, his neck was broken, and his chest had been stabbed three times."

"They say three people did it together: one threw the lime, one slashed the neck, and one stabbed the heart!"

Another disciple heard this and beamed with joy. "Brother Tiger is dead? That's fantastic news!"

"Exactly. I've heard of that guy too; he relied on the fact that he'd learned some martial arts to bully people and extort money..."

"If I hadn't reached First Blood yet, I'd have taught him a lesson myself if I'd run into him!"

The group whispered among themselves, their expressions a mix of excitement and schadenfreude.

Chen Jing, however, remained honestly and steadily practicing his punches in the corner, his form meticulous and precise, as if he had never even heard of this Brother Tiger.

Just then, a disciple suddenly remembered something, turned to look at Chen Jing, and asked, "By the way, Junior Brother Chen, don't you live in the northwest? That's pretty close to the Blue Scarf Gang. Have you heard any rumors?"

Chen Jing shook his head and replied, "No. I've been staying at the martial arts hall during the day and pulling a cart at night to help with expenses, so I haven't heard anything."

The disciple nodded and warned, "You should be careful when you go home lately. I heard the Blue Scarf Gang thinks the Canal Gang killed Brother Tiger, and now they're all acting like madmen, preparing for a fight."

"Understood. I won't go out to pull the cart for the next few days."

Chen Jing's tone was steady, revealing nothing unusual; no one would ever guess that he was the one who had killed Brother Tiger with his own hands yesterday.

On the north side of Red Rock County, the Cold River winds from north to west, splitting the county town in two.

The so-called Canal Gang is a faction that developed by relying on the water transport of the Cold River.

Originally composed of five or six small gangs, it was consolidated two years ago by a Second Blood martial artist and has since become a force in the region that cannot be underestimated.

The Blue Scarf Gang, meanwhile, is a faction that has long entrenched itself in the slums of northwest Red Rock County, primarily collecting protection money and operating gambling dens and brothels.

In recent years, because the Canal Gang has been expanding too aggressively and encroaching on the waterways, friction between the two gangs has been constant.

Now that Brother Tiger has died a violent death in his own home, the Blue Scarf Gang's first reaction was naturally that those guys from the Canal Gang were provoking them and preparing for war!

As the people in the martial arts hall continued to discuss the matter, Chen Jing remained silent, focused entirely on his fist techniques.

After practicing for the whole afternoon, Chen Jing brought two catties of Green-skinned Horned Pig meat back home.

He first hid half of the Green-skinned Horned Pig meat in the cabinet, then tore off a piece of jerky from the remaining portion and began to chew it.

As he chewed, a warm power slowly dispersed from his stomach, surging into his limbs and bones.

At the same time, the Exemption Bead in his mind began to grow bit by bit.

Just then, the door was pushed open, and Chen Sanwu walked in, looking hurried.

"Dad, you're back. I brought some meat today, eat up!"

Seeing this, Chen Jing quickly handed the jerky in his hand to Chen Sanwu.

"What kind of meat is this? Why does it look a bit green?"

Looking at the jerky Chen Jing handed over, Chen Sanwu asked with some confusion.

Chen Jing smiled and explained, "This is Exotic Beast Meat, so naturally, it's different from ordinary meat."

"Exotic Beast Meat?"

Chen Sanwu immediately tried to push the meat back, saying, "Jing'er, you're the one practicing martial arts, so you're the one who should be eating good things like this! It's a waste for an old man like me to eat this stuff!"

"Dad, I've already eaten. Just eat it; there's more in the cabinet—a full two catties!"

Seeing this, Chen Jing quickly pushed it back toward him.

Chen Jing is a young man who is now practicing martial arts; even though Chen Sanwu has pulled carts for years and built up some strength, how could he possibly compare to Chen Jing?

Thus, after a bit of tugging, Chen Sanwu was unable to force the jerky back.

Seeing that Chen Jing wouldn't give up until he ate, Chen Sanwu had no choice but to tear off a few shreds, chew them a few times, and then return most of the meat to Chen Jing.

"By the way, Jing'er, a big thing happened today!"

Remembering the reason he had returned, Chen Sanwu quickly said, "That Brother Tiger is dead!"

Chen Jing nodded and said, "Yes, the senior brothers at the martial arts hall mentioned it too."

"I thought he was going to come by today to collect the security fee, but I didn't expect... he just died."

Chen Sanwu slapped his thigh, looking indecisive. "Right, should I pay back the silver I borrowed? I don't know if the Blue Scarf Gang will still send people to collect money..."

"It's fine, Dad."

Chen Jing spoke first to steady Chen Sanwu. "You should pay that money back. I still have some silver here. Don't go out to pull the cart for a few days; just get some good rest."

As he spoke, he took out the silver he had obtained yesterday, picked out a portion, and handed it to Chen Sanwu.

Of this money, forty taels were originally intended to be returned to Zhuang Tao, and the rest... he stuffed it all into Chen Sanwu's hands.

"So much money... where did you get this?"

Looking at the money Chen Jing handed him, Chen Sanwu's face changed drastically; he was clearly startled and spoke in disbelief.

This was no small sum; a carriage driver in the slums could go his entire life without ever seeing this much silver.

"These are a congratulatory gift from a senior brother who knew I was about to break through, and the Exotic Beast Meat we ate today was also from him, so don't worry."

Seeing the look of alarm on Chen Sanwu's face, Chen Jing hurriedly began to explain.

At the same time, Chen Jing pondered to himself that he needed to find a way to establish a stable source of income.

Otherwise, he would never be able to explain where his money came from in the future.

After all, the excuse about his senior brother could only hold up for so long.

The more money he had later on, the harder it would be to explain.

"Since it was a gift from your senior brother, then keep it for now."

After hearing this and thinking it over, Chen Sanwu finally accepted the silver.

Ever since the earlier incident where he tried to refuse the Exotic Beast Meat, Chen Sanwu had realized that he could no longer sway Chen Jing's decisions.

"But we must find a chance to return this favor later. We cannot owe others too much."

After saying this, Chen Sanwu carefully placed the silver into a box under the bed: "As for this money, I will keep some of it, saving it for when you take a wife..."

Watching his father's cautious movements, Chen Jing froze, a sudden, suffocating tightness gripping his chest.

After a moment, Chen Jing nodded his head and replied: "Mm..."

Then, Chen Jing turned to look out the window.

The Blue Scarf Gang and the Canal Gang would inevitably clash sooner or later, and ordinary people like them were the most likely to suffer.

Therefore, he had to move and earn more money.

The sooner, the better.

Thinking of this, Chen Jing took a deep breath, and the circulation speed of his Five Harms Technique quickened.

Now, relying on the insights gained from breaking through to First Blood with the Five Harms Technique, Chen Jing felt that his River-Breaking Fist was also on the verge of a breakthrough.

The next day.

Chen Jing stood in the martial arts hall, took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and continuously practiced the River-Breaking Fist.

His fist wind was steady as the tide, every strike and stance carrying a distinct sense of weight.

At this moment, Zhuang Tao stood in the Central Courtyard with his arms crossed, watching Chen Jing through the doorway with intense focus.

"Junior Brother Zhuang, still watching Junior Brother Chen?"

Pu Shaojie appeared from nowhere, leaning against a pillar and saying indifferently: "It's already been two months. Even though there is still one month left, to be honest, his chances aren't very high."

Zhuang Tao only laughed after hearing this.

He laughed for a good while before turning to look at Pu Shaojie and saying: "That's hard to say... How about we make a bet, Senior Brother?"

Pu Shaojie became interested upon hearing this and asked: "Oh, what shall we bet?"

Zhuang Tao replied: "Let's bet fifty taels of silver. I bet that Junior Brother Chen will break through to Blood Creek within the next half-month!"

Pu Shaojie's eyes darted around, and he said with a smile: "Fifty taels of silver, is it? But Junior Brother Zhuang, you are friends with Junior Brother Chen, so you naturally know his progress, and you even gave him two catties of Exotic Beast Meat."

"In that case, if Junior Brother Chen can break through within two days, I'll consider it my loss. Otherwise... conversely, it will be your loss, Junior Brother Zhuang. How about that?"

Zhuang Tao frowned slightly upon hearing this: "Within two days? Isn't that a bit harsh?"

Seeing Zhuang Tao's hesitant response, Pu Shaojie immediately added a dose of provocation: "What? Are you afraid, Junior Brother Zhuang?"

Zhuang Tao's gaze sharpened, and he accepted immediately: "Since Senior Brother says two days, then two days it is!"

Seeing that his goal was achieved, Pu Shaojie smiled and continued: "To be honest, if you want to make connections, Junior Brother, you should befriend Junior Brother Xiang. After all, Junior Brother Xiang is the teacher's favorite right now, and he is the one valued most. Who knows, he might break through to Blood Creek in a few days."

Watching the situation with Xiang Lingfei these days, as well as the level of attention Fei Feng paid to him, everyone in the entire River-Breaking Fist Academy had come to the same conclusion: Xiang Lingfei was the raw jade of the academy, while everyone else was merely sand and stone.

Facing Pu Shaojie's reminder, Zhuang Tao replied indifferently: "That is not something you need to worry about, Senior Brother."

He then continued to watch Chen Jing's movements.

The conversation between Pu Shaojie and Zhuang Tao naturally piqued the curiosity of others in the Central Courtyard, and they all looked at Chen Jing, wanting to understand what exactly made him worthy of such high regard from Zhuang Tao.

Under the gaze of the crowd, Chen Jing practiced his fist techniques over and over. His arms felt as sore as if they were filled with lead, but the premonition in his heart grew stronger with every strike.

Then, in the next second, the soreness vanished instantly, replaced by a flowing sense of ease surging from within his arms, like a small stream rushing through his bones!

At the same time, the intent of the River-Breaking Fist suddenly clicked into place.

"It's here!"

Chen Jing's heart jolted, and he immediately continued to channel his fist momentum.

The next second, a faint red mark emerged from the base of his arm, winding like a stream and clearly visible.

Blood Creek, achieved!