Unpaid Wages

After Zhou Xiu's lonely figure vanished at the end of the alley, the oppressive atmosphere in the Fist Academy gradually dissipated. The sounds of training resumed, and everything seemed to return to its original track.

Chen Jing remained the most diligent student in the academy, rising at the first light of dawn to train until the night fell before returning home.

By now, the River-Breaking Fist had become increasingly refined in Chen Jing's hands. Every punch he threw carried a whistling gale, and the force of his blood and qi surging through his meridians grew stronger with each passing day.

As for the olive branch Liu Chuzhou had extended that day, Chen Jing had long since cast it to the back of his mind.

To Chen Jing, while the protection and silver of the Liu Family were tempting, they were far less reliable than the strength he held in his own hands.

Moreover, although Liu Chuzhou had not explicitly stated it, Chen Jing saw through the situation clearly: once he nodded in agreement, he would become a mere vassal of the Liu Family, his every word and action henceforth constrained by their will.

Worse still, his own family would become chips for the Liu Family to manipulate him. At that point, let alone protecting them, he wouldn't even be able to control his own fate!

Therefore, only by making his own strength formidable enough to shatter all shackles could he truly protect those he wished to keep safe, standing upright in this world without having to live under anyone else's thumb.

That evening, Chen Jing returned home from training and paused upon pushing open the courtyard gate.

At this hour, Chen Sanwu would usually still be out struggling with his rickshaw, but today, he was uncharacteristically sitting on a stone stool in the yard, a half-smoked cigarette pinched between his fingers, his brows furrowed as if he were troubled by something.

Chen Jing wiped the sweat from his forehead and asked, "Father, you're home early today."

"Jing'er!"

Hearing this, Chen Sanwu immediately stubbed out his cigarette and stood up to greet him. A forced smile appeared on his face, though his tone carried a hint of trepidation: "There is something I would like to discuss with you."

Chen Jing's heart stirred, and he pulled his father down to sit. "Go ahead."

"You once said that pulling a rickshaw is not a long-term solution—exposed to the wind and sun, and always having to swallow one's pride."

Chen Sanwu rubbed his calloused palms, a glimmer of anticipation in his eyes. "So, I've been thinking about what other work I could do. I've been asking around, and there's a small storefront in the west of the city. It's not large, but the location is decent, and the monthly rent is only half a tael of silver. I was thinking of leasing it to open a pancake stall. I wouldn't have to pull the rickshaw anymore; I could just sell pancakes."

"That's a great idea!"

Chen Jing's eyes lit up at the news, and he nodded immediately. "Father, you should have thought of this long ago. A pancake stall is stable and much less taxing than pulling a rickshaw. I fully support you!"

Seeing that his son did not object, Chen Sanwu breathed a sigh of relief, his smile becoming more genuine. "That's good! I plan to go to the rental agency tomorrow to tell the boss I'm returning the rickshaw and quitting for good."

After the father and son chatted a bit more about the shop, Chen Sanwu went to his room to rest early.

Chen Jing stood in the courtyard, took a deep breath while looking at the night sky, and then set his stance to continue his training.

His fists cut through the air, and his blood and qi circulated rapidly within his body. Chen Jing could clearly feel the blood and qi in his dantian growing thicker, faintly touching an invisible barrier—the threshold of the Blood River Realm.

At this rate, in a few days at most, he would be able to break through the bottleneck and step into the Blood River Realm!

Chen Jing felt invigorated, his fist techniques becoming increasingly fierce until he finally stopped late into the night.

But who could have foreseen the following evening?

When Chen Jing returned home, he found Chen Sanwu sitting in the courtyard with his head buried in his knees. The man radiated an indescribable sense of dejection, not even noticing when Chen Jing entered.

Seeing this, Chen Jing's heart tightened, and he quickly stepped forward to ask, "Father? What's wrong? Is there a problem with the shop?"

Chen Sanwu looked up, his face sallow and his eyes rimmed with red. His voice was hoarse as he replied, "The shop... the shop is fine. It's the rental agency... they've withheld my wages."

"Withheld them?"

Chen Jing's brows furrowed instantly. "What happened?"

"I went to tell the boss today that I was quitting and wanted to settle the wages for the past two months. He claimed I was breaking the contract mid-term and insisted on deducting most of my pay, offering only one tael of silver to send me away."

At this point, Chen Sanwu clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white. He was trembling with rage, his voice filled with suppressed indignation. "That is the hard-earned money I saved by risking my life! By what right does he get to deduct it?"

"I'm going to find him!"

Chen Jing stood up abruptly at these words. His blood and qi surged uncontrollably, and a chilling, intimidating coldness flashed across his eyes, making the very air around him seem to drop in temperature.

His father worked from dawn till dusk, braving the wind and rain, running through every street and alley with that rickshaw. His palms were worn raw, his back was hunched, and every cent he earned was blood and sweat soaked into his labor.

And that rental agency boss? He wanted to withhold the majority of the wages with a single excuse of a contract breach, trying to dismiss a man with a mere tael of silver. Where in this world was there any justice in that?

Indeed, the filthy business of wage theft and exploitation was something that could never be hidden, no matter where one went!

These so-called bosses grew fat by stripping the blood and sweat from the laborers at the bottom. They put on the airs of benefactors, but in reality, their hearts were as black as ink, and they specifically bullied the honest.

Knowing that rickshaw pullers were powerless and would have to swallow their grievances even when cheated, these bosses became increasingly unscrupulous, treating exploitation as a matter of course!

People like this, who sucked the blood of the downtrodden, were the most detestable!

If he didn't demand justice today, not only would his father's hard-earned money be lost, but the rental agency boss would only become more brazen, continuing to oppress more rickshaw pullers just like his father!

"Don't go!"

Chen Sanwu quickly grabbed Chen Jing, his tone urgent. "That boss is no ordinary man. He has connections with the Blue Scarf Gang in the west of the city, and there is even a First Blood Martial Artist stationed there!"

"Jing'er, even though you are a martial artist now, you must not be impulsive. It's not worth risking your life over this bit of money!"

Chen Jing looked down at his father's face, which was filled with fear and exhaustion, and the rage in his chest felt as if it were about to explode.

Yet, in the end, he suppressed that murderous intent bit by bit.

"Father."

Chen Jing's voice was soft, yet exceptionally steady. "Don't worry."

"I have a plan for this."

"Get a good night's sleep. Tomorrow, you go and lease that shop."

Chen Jing helped his father back to his room and closed the door.

Chen Jing stood where he was, his fingertips slowly tightening. He clenched his fist so hard that his knuckles ground together, emitting a crisp cracking sound that was exceptionally clear in the quiet night.

The rage he felt upon hearing that his father's wages had been withheld did not cause Chen Jing to lose his reason; instead, after a moment of contemplation, it transformed entirely into a cold, steely resolve.

When dealing with scum like the carriage firm boss—a man who bullied the weak and feared the strong, living off the blood and sweat of those at the bottom—reasoning was useless, and begging was even more futile. Only real blades and fists could make him feel pain, make him learn his lesson, and make him feel the threat of death, forcing him to obediently cough up the blood-and-sweat money he had swallowed!

However, the warnings of Chen Sanwu still echoed in his ears.

The carriage firm boss had connections, and there was a First Blood Martial Artist stationed there.

Chen Jing was not a reckless man; he knew that although he was currently at the peak of the First Blood Realm, a head-on collision might not guarantee him the upper hand and could instead land his father in even more trouble.

Therefore, for the sake of caution, it was better to wait until he broke through to the Blood River Realm!

Once he stepped into the Blood River Realm, his vitality and punch power would undergo a qualitative leap, and by then, Fei Feng and Zhuang Tao would value him even more.

At that time, let alone a mere hired First Blood Martial Artist, even if the carriage firm boss had even tougher connections, he would have the confidence to demand justice!

Thinking of this, Chen Jing took a deep breath of the cool night air, suppressed the restlessness in his heart, reached out to pick up a piece of Green-skinned Horned Pig meat wrapped in oil paper, and took a large, fierce bite.

The fat melted on his tongue, carrying a rich, meaty aroma as it slid down his throat into his stomach, instantly transforming into a warm surge of energy that nourished his ceaselessly circulating meridians.

At the same time, Chen Jing focused his mind and suddenly accelerated the circulation of the Five Harms Technique.

The vitality within his dantian was like an ignited torrent, surging madly along the established meridians; every cycle made his vitality increasingly refined and thick.

His meridians bulged, his vitality surged, and the flesh and skin all over his body trembled slightly, as if a majestic power were about to break through its shackles.

Chen Jing could clearly feel that his vitality had climbed to the absolute limit of the First Blood Realm, like a balloon about to burst; it only lacked the final ounce of force to pierce through that invisible barrier.

He was already standing on the edge of breaking through to the Blood River Realm!