Exemption Bead, Grant Me Exemption!

After feeling the Exemption Bead in his mind fully take shape, Chen Jing suppressed his excitement, casually told Zhuang Tao that he was heading back to rest, and hurried out of the martial hall.

The martial hall was crowded, with too many eyes and ears around—especially since Fei Feng had exceptionally keen hearing.

If Fei Feng realized he was going to cultivate the Five Harms Technique, he might not just be expelled from the school. He could even lose his life.

Before long, Chen Jing crossed the residential district and arrived in the slums to the northwest.

He headed toward home, but before long, he saw three burly men walking side by side toward him.

Blue bands were tied around the men's right arms. They were clearly members of the Blue Scarf Gang, which operated in this area.

Seeing the three men coming toward him, Chen Jing slowed for a moment, his heart tightening. Then he stepped aside to let them pass.

Although Chen Jing was learning martial arts at the hall, he was nowhere near strong enough to casually take on gangsters and street thugs.

Besides, Chen Jing had always lived by the principle of not looking for trouble, but not fearing it either. When faced with most kinds of trouble, he avoided it whenever he could.

"Hmph!"

Seeing Chen Jing step aside, the scar-faced man at the front glanced at him, snorted contemptuously, then grinned viciously. "You know what's good for you. Next time you see your Brother Tiger, make sure you greet me properly!"

Seeing this, the two underlings beside him hurried to chime in with praise. "Brother Tiger sure is imposing!"

"Even though this kid's learning martial arts at the hall, he still knows to stay out of your way!"

At their taunts, Chen Jing remained calm, as though he hadn't heard a thing.

Only after the three men's backs had disappeared completely at the mouth of the alley did he furrow his brow. Deep in thought, he continued toward home.

They knew I was learning martial arts at the hall?

Did a neighbor tell them?

Or is someone watching me?

After all, I have no real connection with the Blue Scarf Gang. They shouldn't even know who I am...

Could they have come this time... specifically for me?

Or did Father offend the Blue Scarf Gang?

At the thought, Chen Jing's heart tightened. He put aside his questions and hurried home.

Meanwhile...

At the other end of the alley, the three men were hiding nearby, waiting.

After quite a while passed without Chen Jing showing up, Brother Tiger spat on the ground and said sharply, "Let's go. The kid didn't take the bait."

"I thought that after a few days of training, he'd get too big for his britches. Didn't expect him to be pretty sharp."

Clearly, Brother Tiger had said those things earlier on purpose to provoke Chen Jing.

Hearing this, one of the underlings quickly got up and followed Brother Tiger. Then, puzzled, he asked, "Brother Tiger, didn't we find out that this guy really is learning martial arts at the River-Breaking Martial Hall? Why pick a fight with him?"

"What if he knocks us all flat?"

Faced with the two underlings' questions, Brother Tiger sneered. "You idiots don't know a thing."

Then Brother Tiger lowered his voice, his gaze turning cold. "If this family can afford to send him to the martial hall, that means there's still some fat to be squeezed out of them! Our gang's about to clash with the Canal Gang, and we don't know who'll come out on top. We've got to scrape up as much as we can while we still have the chance!"

"Once it's over, there might not be anything left to squeeze out!"

Hearing Brother Tiger's explanation, the underling finally understood. "So that's what this is about... squeezing them dry!"

Brother Tiger nodded, his eyes gleaming. "And I've got the rest of the story too. That kid's been studying for a month and a half and still hasn't become a First Blood Martial Artist. He's got no chance."

"A guy like that is destined to be a good-for-nothing for half his life. He didn't take the bait today, but I'll deal with him another time."

As he spoke, he thumped his chest, brimming with confidence. "Besides, I used to train in martial arts myself. I never reached First Blood, but a little beginner like him? I can take him with one hand!"

"Brother Tiger, you're the best!"

"Exactly! No wonder you're our boss, Brother Tiger. You really think of everything!"

"Idiot, it's 'you really think of every dick!'"

The three of them laughed and joked as they left.

By then, Chen Jing had returned home. He pushed open the door and saw Chen Sanwu sitting beside the battered low table, his brow furrowed with worry.

"Father, I'm back."

Chen Jing walked over, concern in his voice as he asked, "I just saw some Blue Scarf Gang members coming in from the alley... What happened?"

Chen Sanwu looked up. He fell silent for a moment, as if weighing his words, then finally sighed and spoke. "The Blue Scarf Gang came by earlier."

"They said we owe them protection fees and told me to have the money ready for them to collect the day after tomorrow."

"But our family... we only paid the protection fee half a month ago. Why do we have to pay again?"

"And... we're already scraping by just to afford food. Where are we supposed to find anything extra for them?"

By the end, his voice was heavy with frustration and helplessness.

After listening, Chen Jing understood completely.

The Blue Scarf Gang had come to shake them down!

He also understood why Brother Tiger had mocked him as soon as they met.

The man had obviously wanted to provoke him into throwing the first punch, then use that as an excuse to extort a hefty sum!

The gang's leader sure knew all the tricks of the trade!

Chen Jing took a deep breath, suppressing the anger rising in his chest, and reassured him, "Father, it's all right."

"I still have a little money. We'll use it to get through this for now."

He wasn't a First Blood Martial Artist yet, so for now, he would have to swallow this insult!

As long as he could break through to First Blood with the Five Harms Technique, whatever money Brother Tiger took from his family, he would pay back in full!

Hearing Chen Jing's concern, Chen Sanwu waved a hand, then asked with concern, "By the way, Jing'er, why are you back so early today?"

"I came back to get something," Chen Jing replied casually.

"Then go ahead and keep training."

Chen Sanwu nodded, then stood up and rubbed his aching legs. "Eat dinner by yourself tonight. I'm going to haul a few more loads."

"Don't waste that money of yours. Save it to build up your strength."

With that, he pushed open the door and left.

Chen Jing stared in the direction Chen Sanwu had gone, his fingers tightening slightly.

The next second, Chen Jing took a deep breath, crouched down, and pulled the thin book on the Five Harms Technique out from under the bed. He spread it open on the table once more.

Although he had long since memorized its contents, this evil technique was unlike ordinary martial arts. A single mistake while circulating it could leave him seriously injured—or kill him on the spot.

So he had to check it one more time.

After confirming the instructions, Chen Jing sat cross-legged.

The night breeze came through the broken window, and the flame flickered gently.

Chen Jing began circulating his blood and qi according to the technique's mantra: "Blood feeds the fire, the organs form the furnace. Five energies stray down a path of ten thousand tribulations. Force the primal yang to break the true body. When the art is complete, bones decay and the Dao is attained."

In the next instant, the blood and qi in Chen Jing's body rumbled and surged!

He could clearly feel that the blood and qi, which had remained motionless for days, were slowly rising again!

But the good times didn't last.

Before ten breaths had passed, Chen Jing's heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys began to ache faintly, as if pricked by needles!

The Five Harms Technique's price was clearly beginning to show. It used damage to the five organs as fuel, forcibly driving up the rate at which his blood and qi grew!

Anyone else would have had to stop at once. Otherwise, they would be crippled at best, or drop dead at worst.

But Chen Jing didn't stop. Instead, he shut his eyes tight, sank his consciousness into his mind, and fixed his attention on the fully formed Exemption Bead.

"Exemption Bead... grant me exemption!!"

The instant the thought arose, the Exemption Bead blazed with light!

The crimson glow that should have shrouded it receded with a roar. A warm current, gentle beyond compare, spread from his mind and flowed along his meridians, pouring into his organs.

His heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys... all felt more comfortable than ever before.

The next moment, Chen Jing steeled himself once again, and the Five Harms Technique's route for circulating blood and qi instantly sped up.

This time, his organs still... felt not the slightest pain!

The Exemption Bead had clearly erased every single price of the Five Harms Technique!

In an instant, Chen Jing felt the blood and qi in his body growing several times faster than before.

If his blood and qi had once been like someone struggling to run across muddy ground, now the muddy road had become a woodland path. He still couldn't run fast, but it was a vast improvement over before!

"Haha... It worked!"

Feeling what was happening inside him, Chen Jing couldn't help grinning. Not even the cool breeze could dampen the excitement surging in his chest.

With the Five Harms Technique and the Exemption Bead bolstering him, Chen Jing could clearly feel that he was close to breaking through to First Blood...

Not far away at all!