The Rabbit God

Returning home quickly, Lu Li found that the sky had already turned completely dark.

Along the way, Lu Li had sensed that the gazes of certain individuals had been lingering on him, whether intentionally or not.

Fortunately, they did not take any actual action.

However, now that he was a martial artist, Lu Li no longer feared them; yet, avoiding a fight was always a way to save himself some trouble.

After bolting the door, Lu Li hurried to his bedroom and dumped everything he had obtained onto the bed.

Counting them up, there were twenty taels of silver in total.

Lu Li's eyes shone as he looked at the silver; it was his first time seeing so much money!

He immediately took a deep breath to suppress the excitement in his heart and hid the silver under his pillow.

He then picked up the Flesh-Regenerating Pill to examine it; according to Hero Zhao, this pill could help a martial artist reach the Flesh-Refining Realm.

A thought stirred in Lu Li's mind: he possessed great talent, and his Heaven Rewards Diligence destiny could accelerate the growth of his proficiency.

Could the medicinal pill also accelerate that growth?

He decided to act immediately.

Lu Li picked up the remaining manual and began to study it.

Before long, he had completely etched the remaining techniques from the manual into his mind.

As a genius, he quickly grasped the flow of the fist techniques, forming a coherent whole in his mind.

Memorizing the moves of the Tiger-Subduing Fist was not a difficult task.

Moreover, the Tiger-Subduing Fist was not of a very high grade; while it might be quite challenging for others, for Lu Li, it was simple.

The light screen changed, and the "unupgradable" status next to the Tiger-Subduing Fist was erased.

[Destiny: Heaven Rewards Diligence]

[Destined One: Lu Li]

[Attribute: Ten horses pulling a carriage, success lies in persistence]

[Martial Skill: Tiger-Subduing Fist (Skin-Refining Realm 0/200) - Practice once a day, success in twenty years]

"The path of martial arts is indeed difficult; the difficulty of the Flesh-Refining Realm has actually doubled!"

However, possessing such talent, Lu Li was not the least bit panicked.

He immediately swallowed the pill.

Instantly, a warm current surged rapidly through his body, and his blood and qi began to boil.

Lu Li focused his mind and held his breath, listening intently; he could clearly hear his blood and qi flowing within him, rushing like a river.

He felt a stinging sensation in his flesh and blood, as if pricked by needles, and soon they began to ripple, rising and falling like mountain ranges.

A massive force exploded within him, filling his limbs and bones. Lu Li felt as though he were now as vigorous as a dragon or tiger, capable of shattering stone with a single punch.

He immediately went into the courtyard and assumed the stance of the Tiger-Subduing Fist. Under the influence of the pill, his momentum climbed steadily, and his entire body was enveloped in rolling heat.

His eyes were as sharp as lightning, emitting a gaze that chilled the soul; he was truly like a fierce tiger, his tiger-might overwhelming!

Lu Li struck out with a punch, and with a crack, it tore through the air, creating a whistling sound.

The formidable force sent the snow in the courtyard scattering in all directions.

If anyone had seen this, they would surely have been shocked.

Each move and stance carried immense power, something only a martial artist could unleash.

Once he finished practicing the Tiger-Subduing Fist, Lu Li looked up at the panel and saw that the proficiency had changed significantly.

[Martial Skill: Tiger-Subduing Fist (Skin-Refining Realm 4/200)]

Lu Li's eyes lit up, his heart filled with pleasant surprise.

Sure enough, the pill could also accelerate the progress of the Tiger-Subduing Fist!

Taking advantage of the lingering medicinal power and the fact that he hadn't exhausted himself, Lu Li immediately began to practice again.

By the time the medicinal effect wore off, the sky was already beginning to brighten.

To his surprise, Lu Li felt no fatigue at all; as time passed, he remained full of energy and vitality.

[Martial Skill: Tiger-Subduing Fist (Skin-Refining Realm 60/200)]

"Is this the benefit of high-grade medicine?"

"Not only does it accelerate martial progress, but it also replenishes mental exhaustion, allowing me to practice all night without feeling the slightest bit tired."

Lu Li clenched his fist, feeling his body grow stronger. "Furthermore, it increases blood and qi, making up for the body's deficiencies."

"No wonder the path of martial arts is a bottomless pit; the difference between using medicine and not using it is like heaven and earth!"

However, thinking of his assets, Lu Li felt a headache coming on. He had thought he had earned a large sum, but when it came to spending it on martial arts, it still felt like a drop in the bucket.

With twenty taels of silver, he wondered what kind of high-grade medicine he could actually afford to buy.

"Sometimes I hear the Huang Family martial artists chatting, saying that buying a single dose of medicinal tonic costs dozens of taels of silver. Tsk tsk, I'm still poor."

As he spoke, Lu Li licked his lips.

Having tasted the effects of the medicinal tonic, Lu Li was now somewhat reluctant to let go, unable to forget the sensation of such rapid growth.

"Better get to work quickly." He looked up at the sky; it was time to start his shift.

Although he had obtained twenty taels of silver, he still needed to maintain a facade of normalcy.

Otherwise, in this world, it would easily arouse the suspicion of those with ulterior motives.

He was not invincible in Changfeng County.

Just then, a violent pounding on the door suddenly erupted from outside.

The door frame shook violently from the impact.

Lu Li frowned, realizing the visitors were ill-intentioned. He wrapped his coarse cloth clothes tighter around himself before opening the door.

Standing outside were three men built like iron towers. The leader held a cudgel and had a face full of flabby, vicious flesh.

The cudgel was stained with blood, with bits of flesh still clinging to it, and he kept tapping it against his palm, producing a crisp thwack-thwack sound.

Behind the three men, a person lay on the ice and snow with a shattered skull, motionless—clearly dead.

Lu Li's heart skipped a beat. The man before him was named Zhang Hu, a minor leader in the Black Tiger Gang responsible for collecting protection fees in their area.

"Lu Li, it's time to pay the protection fee." Zhang Hu's voice was low, carrying an air that brooked no refusal.

Lu Li thought to himself, as expected, and hurriedly put on a fawning, flattering expression. He took out one hundred copper coins and respectfully offered them with both hands.

"Master Hu, please take a look," Lu Li said.

Zhang Hu took the protection fee, glanced at it briefly, and nodded in satisfaction. "You're more sensible than him. He insisted on yapping at me, not knowing his place, so I beat him to death with one strike."

As he spoke, Zhang Hu sighed. "I know things are hard for you, but things are hard for me too!"

"It's all about the rules, and I have to act according to the rules."

"Of course, of course," Lu Li said, his smile never wavering as he nodded.

Inside, he was grumbling that this world was becoming harder to live in and increasingly chaotic; some people had already begun to kill and plunder, choosing to take desperate risks.

It was fortunate that he had found work gathering herbs for the Huang Family; otherwise, he feared he would have followed in the footsteps of that corpse.

After Zhang Hu finished speaking, his expression shifted again, suddenly becoming intimate. He stepped forward, draped an arm over Lu Li's shoulder, and began asking after his well-being. "Look at how thin you are. I bet these hundred coins were saved by scrimping and saving."

"You'll want to marry and have children in the future; relying on herb gathering, that's not worth a damn."

"Brother will introduce a job to you that guarantees you'll have no worries about food or clothing."

He raised an eyebrow. "You know Master Wang, right?"

"Haha, Master Wang appreciates you very much and wants to take you as his foster son!"

"Kid, this is an opportunity you couldn't find even with a lantern!"

"Master Wang?" Lu Li was stunned, looking at Zhang Hu in astonishment.

He and Master Wang were complete strangers, and he had no reputation to speak of; how could Master Wang possibly take a fancy to him?

A chill rose in Lu Li's heart, instantly spreading throughout his entire body.

He suddenly remembered something.

He had heard rumors that Master Wang had no wife or children.

It wasn't that he wasn't interested in sexual matters; it was that Master Wang seemed to be a pederast!