Wangjiang Pavilion

Another two days passed.

The Iron Arm Martial Arts Hall's Training Ground was still filled with shouts and cries.

Lu Zhen stood in a corner. Taking advantage of a break, he stirred his thoughts slightly.

[Lu Zhen (30 years old)]

Money: 24 silver dollars

Current occupation: Rickshaw Puller

Level: Daily Settlement Lv.2 (70/200)

Skills:

Pulling Rickshaw Lv.2 (60/200)

Coiling Dragon Stake Lv.2 (60/200)

Iron Wire Fist Lv.2 (60/200)

Physique: Tendon Stretching and Bone Strengthening Lv.3 (200/800)

General Experience: 0

Lu Zhen's gaze fell upon the "Physique" section, and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.

Tendon Stretching and Bone Strengthening.

This was the realm of Lv.3.

If "Strong and Healthy" had merely given him a fair bit of brute strength before, then now, his aptitude had truly shed its mediocrity and entered the ranks of the above-average.

The feeling was wondrous.

The joints and tendons that had stiffened with age at thirty now seemed to be pried apart and stretched bit by bit by an invisible hand.

Lu Zhen drew a deep breath, planted his feet, and arched his back.

"Coiling Dragon Stake."

This time, that awkward sense of blockage vanished completely.

His spine was like an oil-slicked bearing, flexing smoothly with each breath, while his tendons snapped taut with power.

Then he twisted his waist and threw a punch.

"Iron Wire Fist."

Power surged through his meridians, reaching his fist without the slightest obstruction.

"Pa!"

A crisp explosive crack rang out.

It was still only one resonance, but it sounded clearer and sharper than it had two days ago, with a lingering aftertone.

Practicing boxing had once been torment. Now, it was enjoyment.

With the same movements, one round of practice now let his body retain several times more than before.

"I'm improving faster."

Lu Zhen clenched his fist, greatly pleased.

At this rate, mastering the entire fist art would take no more than ten days to half a month.

As for the "Daily Settlement level," now that he had laid a solid physical foundation, he could pour all the experience he earned into it.

As long as he piled up the levels, it would become a snowball rolling downhill, growing larger and larger.

Just as he was thinking this, a string of urgent explosions suddenly sounded from the other side of the Training Ground.

"Pa! Pa! Pa!"

Three times!

Like a string of firecrackers, crisp and pleasing, echoing through the entire grounds.

Lu Zhen abruptly turned to look.

Gu Yanzhi stood in the middle of the grounds, dressed in white as pristine as snow, slowly withdrawing his stance.

His complexion was rosy, a light sheen of sweat covered his forehead, and his whole person radiated high spirits.

All the apprentices stopped what they were doing and stared blankly at the scene.

Triple Resonance.

That was the threshold for entering the Iron Wire Fist.

Less than a month.

In barely over twenty days, this frail-looking young master from a wealthy family had actually succeeded!

"Creak—"

The curtain at the rear courtyard entrance was lifted.

Yan Tieqiao emerged with his hands behind his back.

This time, his face no longer held that aloof coldness that kept others a thousand miles away. Instead, it carried a rare trace of a smile.

He walked before Gu Yanzhi, examined him from head to toe, and nodded faintly.

"Not bad."

Yan Tieqiao's voice was not loud, yet it spread into every corner.

"Gu Yanzhi, you have been in the hall for less than a month, yet your Iron Wire Fist has already reached Triple Resonance."

"Your comprehension is excellent, and your bone structure is sound."

"From today onward, you are an Inner Sect disciple of the Iron Arm Martial Arts Hall. You will enter the rear courtyard and train under me."

The moment he finished speaking, another seven or eight people emerged from the rear courtyard.

They were the hall's Inner Sect senior brothers and sisters.

They rarely showed themselves on ordinary days, yet today they had all come out together.

One woman among them was especially eye-catching.

She was tall and slender, dressed in close-fitting training clothes. Her long legs were straight and powerful, while her full chest stretched her clothes taut, rising and falling slightly with every breath.

Her brows and eyes bore some resemblance to Yan Tieqiao's. She was the hall master's beloved daughter, Yan Shanshan.

"Oh my, Junior Brother Gu, congratulations!"

"You entered the Inner Sect in less than a month. Our martial arts hall hasn't produced such talent in a long time."

Her bright, watery eyes circled Gu Yanzhi once, her enthusiasm entirely undisguised.

"Now that you're one of us, this is a joyous occasion. Junior Brother Gu's family has such great wealth, so you must treat us properly tonight!"

Gu Yanzhi was briefly stunned by the spectacle, then quickly recovered.

He was, after all, a man accustomed to social occasions. He immediately cupped his hands and smiled.

"Senior Sister is right! This is my honor."

He turned toward the crowd and announced loudly.

"Tonight, I'll host a banquet at Wangjiang Pavilion! Not only the Inner Sect senior brothers and sisters, but all our Outer Sect brothers are invited as well!"

"We won't go home until we're drunk!"

"Wonderful—!"

"Young Master Gu is generous!"

The Outer Sect apprentices on the Training Ground instantly erupted with excitement.

Wangjiang Pavilion was one of Ocean City's finest restaurants. Ordinary people would not even bear to eat there once a year.

Everyone crowded around Gu Yanzhi, their faces full of flattery and envy, as though they wished to hold this newly promoted Inner Sect senior brother up to the heavens.

Yan Tieqiao paid no attention to the commotion. His gaze passed over the crowd and landed on a thin, uneasy figure in the corner.

"Song Shi." Yan Tieqiao spoke flatly. "Today marks two months since you entered the hall. Step forward."

Song Shi's body jolted when his name was called. He swallowed, lowered his head, and forced himself to shuffle toward the center of the grounds.

He knew the process too well: punch like Li Gen, stand in the stake stance, then roll up his bedding and get out.

Song Shi, who had endured endless scorn for his stutter since childhood, was already prepared for the laughter that would descend upon him like a black cloud.

But one second, then two seconds passed...

Apart from quiet conversation, there was not the slightest laugh on the Training Ground.

Song Shi raised his eyes tremblingly, only to see the dozens of apprentices still clustered around Gu Yanzhi in white, not one of them even turning their heads.

Even when someone happened to glance at him, it was as though they had seen a worthless patch of air and coldly looked away.

They could not even be bothered to mock him.

No one cared how well a stutterer destined to be kicked out could perform.

Song Shi's eyes suddenly reddened.

He was a living, breathing person. He had shed blood and sweat here for two months. Why did he not even deserve to leave behind a sound?!

"L-Look... look at me!"

Song Shi suddenly howled hysterically.

Everyone was jolted by that shout and turned back in unison.

The instant all those gazes converged on him, Song Shi desperately arched his back, squeezing every last drop from his tendons and bones. That unwillingness transformed into scorching blood and vitality, forcefully breaking through the sluggishness of his naturally weak body.

"Ha—!"

His right foot stamped fiercely into the yellow earth, sending dirt flying!

His right arm shot forth like a savage python leaving its den, smashing through the air with the ruthless force of jade and stone perishing together!

"Pa!"

An incomparably crisp explosion burst forth!

But it was not over! Song Shi twisted his waist and drove his hips forward, his eyes wide as his left fist followed, piercing through the air!

"Pa!"

The second resonance rang clear and stirring!

By then, his strength was exhausted and his cheeks had turned purple, yet the fire in his heart only burned fiercer.

His body lurched forward as he pressed every bone, every drop of blood, and this wretched life of his into the final right punch!

"Pa—!!!"

The third resonance!

It was like thunder exploding on level ground, deafening to the ears!

After throwing those three punches, Song Shi looked utterly drained, panting violently and drenched in sweat. Yet he held his head high, his bloodshot eyes sweeping over the surroundings like those of a lone wolf.

The Training Ground, boisterous only moments ago, was now so silent that a needle dropping could be heard.

The Outer Sect apprentices all stared wide-eyed at the thin youth in the center, as though they had seen a ghost in broad daylight.

Even Gu Yanzhi, who had been surrounded like the moon among stars, froze. His folding fan stopped in midair, his eyes filled with disbelief.

That stutterer, who had always possessed only brute strength, had also produced Triple Resonance.

For a full three breaths, there was silence.

"Good! Well struck, Senior Brother Song!" someone suddenly shouted first.

Immediately afterward, the apprentices who had looked upon him with indifference moments ago put on ingratiating smiles and surged forward like a tide.

"Senior Brother Song, I always said you trained harder than anyone. You were bound to make it!"

"Congratulations on entering the Inner Sect, Senior Brother Song! Our Outer Sect has produced two joyous successes in a row!"

Listening to the overlapping flattery around him, Song Shi stood frozen. His flushed face still looked somewhat at a loss, as though he had yet to adjust to this earth-shaking change in treatment.

A young man with a pleasant smile stepped out from among the Inner Sect disciples.

His name was Zhao Peng. His family ran an escort agency, and he had always been smooth and tactful in every direction.

"What a case of deep accumulation and sudden release!" Zhao Peng patted Song Shi's shoulder familiarly, as though they were old friends of many years. "Junior Brother Song truly remained silent until he astonished the world! My Four Seas Escort Agency lacks capable people like you, who refuse to bend despite a hundred setbacks. We must spend more time together in the future!"

"Th-Thank you, Senior Brother Zhao..." Song Shi's stutter flared up again.

Yan Tieqiao watched this scene and nodded slightly. "Not bad. The path of martial arts sometimes relies on water dripping through stone, and sometimes it is a single soaring flight from the depths of despair. Go wash your face and change your clothes. From now on, train in the rear courtyard."

"Y-Yes! Master!" Song Shi's eyes reddened as he abruptly dropped to his knees and kowtowed.

In the corner, Lu Zhen quietly watched the whole performance. He watched the Outer Sect apprentices shift from arrogance to servility, and watched Zhao Peng's quick, calculating mind at work.

If I had befriended that stuttering senior brother earlier, wouldn't I have another powerful ally now?

The thought had barely arisen when Lu Zhen shook his head and smiled.

With the Panel and Daily Settlement, all he needed to do was steadily watch the progress bar fill.

"I don't need to envy others. I'll cross that step soon enough..."

That evening, at Wangjiang Pavilion.

Built along the river, it blazed with lights. Five full tables had been set on the second floor, and substantial dishes such as braised pork knuckle and scallion-braised sea cucumber were served one after another like flowing water.

Zhao Peng acted like half a host, weaving through the room as he entertained everyone with effortless tact. Even when he saw Lu Zhen come upstairs, he greeted him with a smile. "Junior Brother Lu, you're here? Hurry and find yourself a comfortable place to sit!"

At the main table, Gu Yanzhi's cheeks were slightly red from drinking, and he was in extremely high spirits. Yan Shanshan had shed her usual icy manner, repeatedly serving him food and pouring him wine, making no attempt to hide her affection.

Zhang Lei, seated at the same table, saw it all and nearly ground his teeth to pieces.

At that moment, Gu Yanzhi spotted Lu Zhen in the corner and waved warmly. "Brother Lu! Come, sit here at the main table!"

Lu Zhen paused, then cupped his hands with a smile. "Young Master Gu is too courteous. I won't join in the excitement. I'd feel more at ease squeezing in with the Outer Sect brothers."

With that, he sat down in the corner.

Gu Yanzhi felt a little regretful but did not insist.

Yet this became the fuse that set Zhang Lei off. Seizing on the matter, he heavily set down his wine cup and sneered.

"Junior Brother Gu has only just entered the Inner Sect, so perhaps he doesn't understand the rules. The Inner Sect is the Inner Sect, and the Outer Sect is the Outer Sect.

"If just any Outer Sect rickshaw puller is allowed to sit at the main table, people will laugh at us for having no sense of rank or propriety!"

The second floor instantly fell silent.

Though the Outer Sect disciples felt humiliated, no one dared offend Zhang Lei, an expert in the Late Force Refining Realm.

Some even chimed in with a few strange, mocking remarks in order to curry favor with him.

Lu Zhen acted as though he had heard nothing, leisurely eating his food.

Zhao Peng, normally so skilled at navigating every situation, merely pretended to blow on his tea at this moment, determined not to stick his head out.

Zhang Lei was a Late Force Refining Realm expert. He absolutely could not offend Zhang Lei for the sake of an Outer Sect disciple.

Gu Yanzhi's face darkened, his gaze sharp. "Senior Brother Zhang, I booked the place tonight. Whom I invite is my freedom. If Brother Lu wishes to sit, then he shall sit at this main table!"

"Insolent!" Zhang Lei flew into a rage from humiliation and slammed his palm onto the table.

Seeing that they were about to tear all pretenses apart, Zhao Peng finally hurried to his feet to smooth things over. "Come now, we're all brothers of the same family. Why harm our harmony over a seat? Each of you take a step back..."

Zhang Lei glared with eyes like those of an ox and ignored him completely. Zhao Peng could only sit back down awkwardly.

Just as the situation was about to spiral out of control, a fair hand gently lifted the wine jug before Zhang Lei.

"That's enough, Senior Brother Zhang." Yan Shanshan smiled like a blooming flower, her voice soft and sweet. "It's Junior Brother Gu's joyous day—why get so angry? Let me toast you, Senior Brother. With your bearing, you'll inherit my father's mantle one day. Why bother squabbling with apprentices beneath you?"

That cup of wine and those few words flattered Zhang Lei into perfect compliance. Looking at the beauty so close at hand, the wicked fire in his heart immediately died away. "Since Junior Sister has spoken, I won't lower myself to his level."

Yan Shanshan resolved the disturbance with four ounces that moved a thousand pounds.

After three rounds of wine, the topic gradually turned to the current state of affairs.

"Have you heard? That Western 'Golden Lion Empire' has recently stirred up quite a commotion."

An Inner Sect senior brother with well-informed connections lowered his voice and said:

"They've created some ghastly thing called 'Beast Blood Serum.'"

"Beast Blood Serum?" Everyone was taken aback.

The senior brother's expression turned grave as he raised three fingers.

"This serum is extremely sinister. After ordinary people inject it, they have a thirty percent chance of surviving."

"As long as they survive and endure a year-long rejection period, they can become Bloodline Warriors."

"Their physical strength and explosive force are enough to rival Bright Force experts who have trained bitterly for decades!"

"What?!"

The moment those words were spoken, everyone at the table was shocked.

Even Lu Zhen, seated in the corner, stopped his chopsticks.

One year? Enough to rival Bright Force?

One had to know that ordinary martial artists trained through the bitter cold of winter and the scorching heat of summer, tempering their strength and honing their minds. From the Early Force Refining Realm to the Late Force Refining Realm, then to comprehending Bright Force—it was a single-plank bridge where only one in ten thousand could pass.

How many people trained their entire lives, only to remain in the Early Force Refining Realm until old age?

Yet this Western Agent could actually let someone ascend to the heavens in a single step?

"This... this is cheating!"

Zhang Lei was the first to object, slamming the table so hard it shook like thunder.

"What kind of skill is that? They're borrowing the blood of beasts! It's external power!"

"When we practice martial arts, we cultivate a breath and refine our own greatness. That is the orthodox path, that is the great way!"

"Those who drink beast blood are nothing more than a pack of wild beasts that know only brute force. Against a true grandmaster, they wouldn't even know how they died!"

Quite a few disciples nodded in agreement, their faces showing the pride of "orthodox" martial artists.

But some held different opinions.