Huangshi County's Outer City.
A great mass of refugees stood in line, waiting for relief from within the city.
Li Chuan took a careful look and found the porridge so thin it was practically water, with only a dozen or so grains of rice faintly visible.
Yet even so, many people still strained with all their might to squeeze their way in.
"Could Anning County end up like this one day?" Li Chuan could not help thinking.
Though gangs stood thick as forests in Anning County's Outer City and fought often, there was at least a relatively stable order.
But once thousands or tens of thousands of refugees began lingering outside the city, no one could guarantee that the city walls would not be breached!
Bright Force and Dark Force martial artists were not invincible. A blade would wound them, and poison would kill them.
Even if a Transforming Force master was there to hold the fort, the risks would still be considerable.
"If I get a chance to make money, I need to settle my family in the Inner City. Only then will they be safe."
Lost in thought as he walked, Li Chuan soon arrived at Jia Family Pharmacy.
Luo Houping entered with a smile and spoke with the pharmacy owner. Before long, he emerged carrying a cloth sack.
Through one corner of it, Li Chuan could see silver ingots glinting inside.
"Give us all a hand. Unload the goods, then get some rest early!" Luo Houping instructed everyone.
After they had unloaded the goods from all seven carriages, Jia Family Pharmacy sent several people to load another batch of medicinal herbs onto them.
Luo Houping explained to Li Chuan:
"It isn't easy to make a trip to Huangshi County, so naturally we exchange what each side has for what the other lacks. We'll also buy some medicinal herbs that are unique to this place."
Once everything was done, they spent the night in the Outer City.
Early the next morning, they set out for Anning County.
This batch of goods was lighter, and the carriages traveled faster as well.
Having earned Luo Houping's favor, Li Chuan finally no longer had to travel outside on foot.
Instead, he rode inside a carriage.
Li Chuan seized this rare stretch of free time to practice Through-Arm Fist.
This unexpected incident had made him place even greater importance on combat techniques.
Having strength alone was useless if he could not bring it to bear.
Through his unrelenting efforts.
Two days later.
Li Chuan finally unleashed the move Throat-Piercing Heart-Lock.
His five fingers formed claws, vicious and fierce.
[Through-Arm Fist Proficiency +1] [Through-Arm Fist has broken through to Minor Mastery] [Skill: Through-Arm Fist (Minor Mastery)] [Proficiency: 1/2000]
At the instant of the breakthrough, Li Chuan felt something strange.
It was as though some kind of shackle within his body had been released.
Whenever he used Through-Arm Fist before, he had always felt constrained.
It was like wearing ill-fitting clothes. He could wear them, but they were uncomfortable.
Now, however, everything was entirely different.
Whether he used Throat-Piercing Heart-Lock, the Heavy Strike Style Rib-Breaking Mountain-Cleaving, or the Entangling Strike Style Arm-Entangling Tendon-Breaking,
he felt as though a fish had returned to water.
As if his arms and fingers moved exactly as he wished!
"This change alone is enough to raise my strength by twenty percent!" Li Chuan thought to himself.
Satisfaction flashed through Luo Houping's eyes.
"Congratulations on your breakthrough, A-Chuan."
Another day passed, and they finally returned to Anning County.
Li Chuan looked at the familiar four characters of "Luo Family Pharmacy" and felt somewhat dazed.
This medicine delivery trip had taken eight or nine days.
The gains had been extremely plentiful as well.
First, he had performed well during the delivery and could receive an additional reward.
Second, Through-Arm Fist had broken through to Minor Mastery. He had finally obtained combat techniques worthy of his Bright Force, and his strength had risen another level.
Luo Houping took a sip of tea and coughed lightly.
Everyone straightened up, knowing it was time to reward merit.
"Lin Shuyuan, three qian of silver."
"Gao Wenlu, four qian of silver."
"Wang Youwei, one tael of silver."
The others cried out in surprise. They had not expected Wang Youwei to receive a whole tael of silver.
Wang Youwei instinctively looked at Li Chuan.
He knew Li Chuan must have put in a good word for him.
He silently engraved this favor in his heart, thinking that one day, he would surely repay it.
Luo Houping went on to read out more than a dozen names.
Only Li Chuan had yet to be mentioned.
Everyone held their breath, eager to see how much reward Li Chuan, the greatest contributor to this journey, would receive.
"Li Chuan... you rendered merit in protecting the medicine. You averted a crisis and preserved the Luo Family's reputation. Reward: three taels of silver!"
The crowd gasped aloud.
Three taels was a month and a half of their wages!
Those cartloads of medicinal herbs had only been worth several dozen taels to begin with, and the Luo Family could not possibly pocket all of it.
The cost alone was considerable, and the profit would have been at most a dozen or so taels.
Yet under such circumstances, Li Chuan had been awarded three taels of silver.
It could be said that a large portion of the profit from this medicine delivery had been given to Li Chuan.
Luo Houping did not forget to encourage everyone.
"As long as you do what should be done properly, there will be no shortage of silver for you."
After dismissing the others, Luo Houping called Li Chuan before him.
"A-Chuan, you did very well this time. It has greatly changed my opinion of you."
"You also know A-Zheng—your Senior Brother Luo's temperament. He likes making friends in every direction, and over the years he has recommended quite a few people to join our medicine delivery team. But most were crooked melons and split dates, incapable of bearing any great responsibility."
"But you are different. You are decisive in killing and meticulous in thought."
"Go back and prepare well. When it is time to deliver precious medicine, I will bring you along."
Li Chuan's pupils contracted.
Precious medicine was not something ordinary herbs could compare to.
The amount carried by these seven carriages alone was worth several hundred taels of silver!
The facts proved that his somewhat gamble-like choice had been the right one.
"Thank you, Uncle Luo, for your support!"
Luo Houping smiled warmly.
"Go back. Even someone with a Low-Grade Bone Constitution has a sliver of hope of knocking on the gate a second time."
After Li Chuan left, Luo Houping's expression instantly darkened. Cold light flashed in his hawk-like eyes.
"That pack of starving wolves has a problem. Go find the trail of those young refugee boys. If you discover any connection..."
"Don't let a single one go!"
If they did not kill a few people, they would really think the Luo Family could be kneaded and pinched by anyone.
Before leaving, Li Chuan drew an advance on this month's wages.
Adding the three taels of reward silver, his fortune had abruptly risen to six taels!
Li Chuan rubbed the silver in his robe, feeling its texture.
"Why does this feel like I've received a huge bonus..."
The world had not yet fallen into chaos, and silver was still highly valuable.
Five taels of silver were enough to support a family of three for an entire year.
His family lived frugally and worked from dawn until dusk every day, yet could only provide him with one tael a month for food expenses.
Six taels of silver undoubtedly counted as a huge sum!
Moreover, from now on, he would receive at least three taels of silver in monthly wages.
And it would not be limited to three taels. Every medicine delivery would also bring him a substantial share!
It could be said that he had become truly well-off.
At the very least, eating meat at every meal would pose no pressure at all!
Li Chuan's heart burned with excitement, but rather than heading to the market to buy food first,
he went to the pawnshop and redeemed the jade bracelet his mother had previously pawned.
Afterward, he went to the market and bought three roast chickens, a jin of beef, ten jin of white rice, and two jugs of yellow wine.
The hour of Xu.
Li Family Breakfast Shop.
Winter nights always darkened early. By the hour of Xu, it was nearly completely dark already.
By the dim moonlight, Wang Xiumei wearily saw off the last table of customers, then collapsed into a chair.
Running a breakfast shop was exhausting work to begin with.
Not to mention that this shop had to remain open from morning until night.
By the time she finished cleaning the shop every day, it was nearly the hour of Hai.
After hurriedly resting for a short while, she had to get up at the hour of Yin to prepare the ingredients.
The prolonged overwork had left Wang Xiumei utterly haggard.
But whenever she thought of Li Chuan, far away at the Martial Hall, a wave of contentment filled her heart.
As long as her son could live well, all of it was worthwhile.
"I wonder how Chuan'er is doing now. With the weather so cold and the ground frozen, is he cold? Are two taels of silver enough for him?"
Mothers were always like this.
Unlike fathers, who hoped their sons would become dragons, mothers often only wanted their children to be happy.
Knock, knock, knock.
"Who is it?"
"Mother, I'm back."
Creak.
Wang Xiumei pulled open the wooden door. When she saw that familiar face, she froze for a moment before delight blossomed across her face.
"Chuan'er, why have you come back? Are you doing well at the Martial Hall? Mother thinks you've grown much more haggard. Has anyone bullied you? How have you been eating..."
Wang Xiumei chattered on and on.
Li Chuan did not find it annoying in the slightest. He simply listened patiently.
"Oh, right, Chuan'er, your Gate-Knocking... how did it go?" Wang Xiumei carefully watched Li Chuan's expression, afraid that he might be unhappy.
"It's alright, Mother was only asking. Even if it didn't work out, that's fine. Come back to the breakfast shop—you won't go hungry!" Wang Xiumei hurriedly added.
Li Chuan smiled.
"Mother, I succeeded. I'm now a Bright Force martial artist and Master's Registered Disciple."
"Ah!" Wang Xiumei cried out, then shouted inside, "Dahai, A-Chuan succeeded in his Gate-Knocking!"
Wang Xiumei only felt that all the hardship and effort she had put in during this time had finally been repaid.
Tears instantly welled up in her eyes as she murmured:
"Dahai, do you see it? A-Chuan has truly made something of himself..."
She instinctively touched the jade bracelet on her wrist, only to remember that she had long since pawned it.
Just as disappointment rose within her, a bracelet gleaming with a glassy luster appeared before her eyes.
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