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Scar Bear's appearance did not surprise Chen Cheng in the least.

It was time to collect the Peace Tax again. Those starving dogs who sucked the marrow from bones would naturally come knocking on schedule.

But Zhao Shan sitting here did catch Chen Cheng off guard.

Bound by a Death-Pledge Contract, strictly speaking, his entire person was property of Dragon Mountain Hall.

Zhao Shan had caused trouble at the Lower Academy just this noon.

If something happened to him that very night, then Zhao Shan would be the prime suspect, and Dragon Mountain Hall's retaliation would certainly not be half-hearted.

By all reason, anyone with half a brain should have swallowed this anger, waited until he returned from merchant travel a month later, after the heat had died down, and then sought a chance to strike in the dark. That would have been the prudent course.

Yet Zhao Shan had come anyway. Even at the risk of making an enemy of Dragon Mountain Hall, he still wanted an answer from Chen Cheng tonight.

That was clearly unreasonable—unless... hatred had already burned through Zhao Shan's reason.

Chen Cheng's thoughts raced. Within several breaths, the threads had become clear.

For an old hand of the martial world to disregard consequences like this, Zhao Shan's relationship with Laitou was definitely more than simple kinship.

Laitou... was an illegitimate son who could not see the light of day?

That icy thought surfaced, instantly linking every inconsistency together.

Only the pain of losing a son could drive someone so mad, make someone disregard all cost.

A faint, chilling sharpness flashed through Chen Cheng's eyes.

"Chen Cheng! You came at just the right time! Whatever grudge you have with this gentleman is your business... I only collect money! Hand over the Peace Tax for you and your mother, and I'll leave immediately!"

Scar Bear was no fool. One look told him Zhao Shan was someone he could not afford to provoke, and every word was aimed at distancing himself from the matter.

"Lord Scar, I know you're in a hurry, but don't be in such a hurry."

Chen Cheng steadied himself and met Zhao Shan's sinister, icy gaze without yielding an inch.

"Guard Zhao, I know your temper. Since you came, you must be determined to get a result... Let's discuss whatever you have to say outside. Don't frighten my mother."

"Discuss? Are you worthy? Come with me immediately, and your mother will naturally be fine. Otherwise..."

Zhao Shan slowly clenched his fist, his knuckles cracking one after another. The threat could not have been clearer.

As long as Chen Cheng dared let even half a word of refusal leave his mouth, Zhao Shan would not mind killing him in front of Madam Li.

He was nothing but a wretched, cowardly pauper from the lowest rung—not even worthy of being called human. Beat one to death, frighten another to death; they would only have themselves to blame!

Even if Dragon Mountain Hall came looking afterward, he could simply spend money to avert disaster.

Could Dragon Mountain Hall possibly fight him, Zhao Shan, to the bitter end over a Lower Academy ant that could not even condense Blood Qi?

Did they really think he had survived decades of drifting through the martial world with nothing to rely on?

Hearing this, Chen Cheng's expression did not change. He merely placed the package of braised beef in his hand gently onto the battered wooden table beside him.

The faint sound of the oil paper settling was especially clear within the deathly silent little house.

"Move!"

Zhao Shan had long since run out of patience. Seeing Chen Cheng deliberately dawdling, rage flared in him. With a low shout, his left hand shot directly toward Chen Cheng's shoulder blade.

That grab carried immense force. His five fingers were like steel hooks, tearing out a fierce whistle of wind. If it landed, Chen Cheng's shoulder bone would shatter at once.

What he did not know was that under cover of the room's darkness, Chen Cheng's slow movement of setting down the braised beef had actually been the process of gradually gathering Crouching Force.

At the instant Zhao Shan's fingertips were just about to touch him.

Chen Cheng abruptly turned sideways, sank his shoulder, and twisted at the waist. His right palm, filled with gathered Crouching Force, drilled out with savage force. Rather than striking straight ahead, it wound upward along the inside of Zhao Shan's grabbing arm, locking onto his elbow joint in an instant.

Crouching Dragon Entangling Lock Force erupted without the slightest reservation, unleashing a Reverse Dragon Twist powerful enough to wrench an ordinary man's arm apart.

"...That speed, that strength... Chen Cheng, he succeeded!?"

Zhao Shan reacted incredibly quickly, and his composure was equally steady. Even amid his shock, he was still able to spin with the motion.

Using his trapped left elbow as an axis, his right fist swept across like a heavy hammer, smashing straight toward Chen Cheng's temple.

This strike was fast! Precise! Ruthless! It was plainly a move meant to take them both down together.

If Chen Cheng insisted on breaking his arm, he would give up that arm in exchange for Chen Cheng's life!

He truly was an old veteran who had licked blood from knife edges, his savage nature laid bare!

In that flash of lightning and flint, Chen Cheng understood as clearly as a mirror how dangerous Zhao Shan's punch was.

He immediately released his grip, twisted away, and leaned backward.

That fist, tearing through the air, scraped past the hairs at Chen Cheng's temple. It truly had been a thread between life and death.

A vicious grin had just begun to form at the corner of Zhao Shan's mouth. He thought he had forced his opponent back and regained the initiative.

But unexpectedly, Chen Cheng's backward-leaning body suddenly halted through an exquisitely strange footwork that seemed to defy all reason.

His heels nailed themselves to the ground, his waist and hips exerted force, and his upper body spun back in Perfect Harmony with the momentum of that backward lean, like a hardened bow drawn to its limit and suddenly released.

And the Crouching Force he had forcibly withdrawn did not disperse. Instead, it turned with the motion, running up his spine, through his shoulder, and reaching the tip of his arm...

His right fist clenched tight, knuckles bulging as he launched a Dragon-Splitting Drill even swifter and more savage than before, drilling straight for Zhao Shan's throat.

"...You can twist back like that!? Crouching Dragon Fist has such bizarre footwork!?"

Zhao Shan's eyes flew wide. The change before him far exceeded his understanding, as though it were not something human strength could achieve.

But he was, after all, an old hand who had condensed Blood Qi for more than a decade.

Although limitations in his Bones and some hidden injuries left from his early years had prevented him from condensing a Second-Incense Blood Qi.

He had trained without cease and nourished his body constantly over the years. No matter how one put it, there was no way he could fear Chen Cheng, who had only just condensed Blood Qi.

In an instant, he retreated rapidly, his burly frame displaying agility utterly at odds with its size.

As he bent his elbow to shield his throat, his left fist, packed full of force, had already slammed out like a cannonball to meet Chen Cheng's drilling punch head-on.

Bang—

The next instant, their fists collided, the muffled boom like a drum of alligator hide being struck!

Zhao Shan felt an intensely penetrating force, like a red-hot iron awl, drill through flesh and stab viciously toward his bone marrow.

First came explosive pain in his finger bones, then his entire left arm seemed to be drilled through by that force, pain piercing into his heart and lungs.

His feet could no longer bear the force. He staggered back several steps, and his hulking body stumbled out the door, crashing with a bang into the shed across the alley. Only after shaking down a cloud of dust did he barely stop his decline.

Blood surged into his face, then swiftly faded into an iron-blue pallor. He clenched his teeth so tightly that the muscles in his cheeks jumped.

Though he tried desperately to keep a straight face, the bone-piercing, marrow-drilling pain coming from his left fist still twisted his whole face, making his lips tremble beyond control.

This brat's fist force... how could it be so wicked? Pain that seeps into the bones...

His heart sank sharply, and the confidence he had placed in using his seasoned experience to fight head-on instantly went cold by half.

Chen Cheng, on the other hand, used the rolling muscles of the Dragon Scale Vest to shed much of the force. He retreated only half a step before standing firm.

His expression remained calm as he slowly drew his right fist back to his side, appearing to hold the upper hand.

But only he knew that his entire right arm, hanging within his sleeve, was trembling uncontrollably. Every inch of Tendons and Flesh from his finger bones to his shoulder blade felt as if it had been torn to the brink of collapse.

The gap in strength was simply too great. His current trump cards could not bridge it at all.

After that direct clash, his right arm had already suffered a faint internal injury.

"Xiao Cheng..."

Madam Li's trembling voice, nearly on the verge of tears, came from the corner.

The room was too dark. She could not see what had happened in that brief moment at all.

Only when Zhao Shan was driven back by Chen Cheng did the heart hanging in her throat finally settle somewhat. Yet her legs were still so weak that she had to rely on the wall planks to avoid collapsing.

"...This!"

On the other side, Scar Bear had seen everything with perfect clarity. His eyes were round as saucers, his chest rising and falling violently, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed again and again, bitterness filling his mouth.

He had never imagined, even in his dreams, that Chen Cheng could force back the terrifying Zhao Shan.

This was a genuine Martial Artist who had condensed Blood Qi and honed himself for half a lifetime!

It meant that Chen Cheng had crossed that heavenly chasm after practicing martial arts for only a month or so! And he even possessed something extraordinary!

If this news got out, all of Bitter Locust Village would shake three times!

Scar Bear's back had long since been soaked in cold sweat as his mind raced...

This was his territory. Zhao Shan could pat his backside and leave, but Scar Bear had nowhere to run.

He absolutely could not offend Chen Cheng, this newly advanced Martial Artist lord!

"Sir... please calm your anger first..."

Scar Bear hurriedly forced out a smile, shifting half a step to the side. He cupped his hands toward Zhao Shan, who was still panting heavily outside. Though he spoke to Zhao Shan, the corners of his eyes kept stealing glances at Chen Cheng's expression.

"No matter what, this is land watched over by my Black Wolf Gang. Please give me a little face... Do not make this matter any bigger. That would not be good for anyone, wouldn't you say?"

"Hmph!"

Zhao Shan's face darkened as he slowly shook his left arm, which was still stinging and numb.

"This time... I'll leave it for the Black Wolf Gang's sake..."

He gritted his teeth hard, his gaze like poison-tempered hooks raking viciously over Chen Cheng's calm face before he flicked his sleeve and left.

Clearly, Zhao Shan understood it as plainly as a mirror.

If Chen Cheng had merely been a weak and lowly Lower Academy disciple, Zhao Shan could have relied on his backers to erase Chen Cheng by force and settle matters with compensation afterward.

But now Chen Cheng had condensed Blood Qi and become a true Martial Artist, which meant he was a formal disciple of Dragon Mountain Hall's Middle Academy.

His status was entirely different. Even the people behind Zhao Shan would not dare openly harm Chen Cheng.

Moreover, the Black Wolf Gang was clearly standing with Chen Cheng at this moment.

If he stubbornly continued this entanglement, it would bring Zhao Shan no benefit whatsoever.

"Lord Scar, thank you."

Chen Cheng's tone was calm, revealing not the slightest abnormality caused by his hidden injury.

"Don't! Brother A-Cheng, from today onward, I can no longer bear the title of 'lord' from you..."

Scar Bear waved his hands repeatedly, the smile on his face piled so high it seemed ready to spill over. His back naturally bent a little farther.

"From now on, you can simply call me by my name, Xiong Lang."

"Brother Xiong."

Chen Cheng smiled.

"Have you eaten dinner? Why not stay and have some with us?"

"Heh, Brother A-Cheng, you're too polite!"

At the sound of "Brother Xiong," Scar Bear's mouth nearly split all the way to his ears.

"I still have to hurry to the next household to collect money, so I won't disturb you... Another day. Another day, I'll host, invite Brother Xiao Long too, and the three of us can have a proper gathering!"

"Sounds good."

Chen Cheng raised an eyebrow.

"Then my family's Peace Tax..."

"Do you even need to ask? Waived! Completely waived!"

Scar Bear deliberately raised his voice. His eyes shifted as he displayed a shrewd hint of goodwill.

"Not just you and your mother—your other relatives can benefit as well... Though if they live on someone else's turf, you'll have to go over and speak to them yourself..."

"Understood. Then forgive me for not seeing you out."

Chen Cheng still wore that polite, courteous expression.

"Stay, stay! Brother A-Cheng, please stay!"

Scar Bear bowed and scraped as he backed away. Before leaving, he even respectfully bowed to Madam Li.

"Madam, since Brother A-Cheng called me Brother Xiong, you are half a mother to me, Xiong Lang... From now on, within this little patch of land, if there is anything you need from me, just speak!"

"This... ah."

Madam Li froze, not knowing where to put her hands or feet. In the end, she could only nod awkwardly.

She had lived in Bitter Locust Village all her life, yet this was the first time she had seen Scar Bear fawn over someone so shamelessly.

And that fawning was directed solely at her!

Who was she? A bottom-rung ant with no money, no ability, a dead husband, someone who had once felt the sky was about to collapse, someone who worried about the next meal while eating the current one...

For Scar Bear to treat her this way felt like a dream, utterly unreal.

"...Mother, eat."

Only after Scar Bear had gone far away did Chen Cheng's voice reach her. Madam Li suddenly shuddered and came back to herself...

The room still carried the dusty smell stirred up by the fight. Chen Cheng slowly opened the package of braised beef on the table, its fragrance becoming even more enticing.

Madam Li finally became completely certain that this was not a dream!

Her son had truly made something of himself! He had genuinely become a Martial Artist lord!

All the unreality of this day had no other explanation. It was entirely, completely her son's achievement!

"Xiao Cheng..."

Madam Li choked back sobs, raising a hand to wipe at the reddened corners of her eyes. A smile of ultimate comfort gradually bloomed across her face, every wrinkle smoothing open.

"Back then, your grandfather said your Bones were poor, and your Third Uncle privately urged Mother not to let you practice anymore... Mother had been worried all along, unable to sleep night after night..."

"But looking at things now, your decision was not wrong at all. They underestimated you!"

"From now on... Mother can bask in your light... and finally stand a little straighter before them..."

She paused, her gaze becoming somewhat distant as it passed beyond Chen Cheng, as though looking somewhere far away.

"If your father knew you had become so accomplished... who knows how happy he would be..."

"...Father."

Chen Cheng stiffened slightly at her words, doing his utmost to control his emotions.

He had always lied to his mother about the contents of his father's family letter, telling her that his father was still training behind the lines and that everything was well...

It was not that he had never considered telling her the truth. He simply had never found a suitable opportunity.

More importantly, he feared that after learning the truth, his mother would be unable to bear it.

He could only keep it hidden for now.

For that very reason, he could not yet claim the ten taels of reward silver his father had exchanged his life for and sent back with the letter.

Otherwise, once the matter was exposed, his mother would inevitably have to face that incomparably cruel truth.

"Xiao Cheng, eat! Mother received work from Red Moon Nunnery again today. I specially bought some coarse rice and little mixed fish. Eat a few more bowls!"

Madam Li took out the bowls and chopsticks, handing them to Chen Cheng first.

"Alright. Mother, you should eat more too and slowly nurse your body back to health..."

Chen Cheng instinctively raised his accustomed right hand to catch the bowl, and a violent stabbing pain shot through his entire arm.

His movements instantly froze, his brows drawing tight as a suppressed intake of breath leaked through his clenched teeth.

"A-Cheng, your arm!?" Madam Li cried in alarm.

"It's nothing. I used too much force just now—I think I twisted a tendon. It'll be fine once I move it around a little..."

Chen Cheng had Madam Li bar the door from the inside, while he silently assumed a stance and began to practice that set of Health-Preserving Taiji.