The Dragon Slayer Becomes the Evil Dragon

Nighttime.

Li Chuan dragged his exhausted body back to the communal dormitory.

Qin Feng, reeking of alcohol and with a face glowing red, was packing his belongings.

Seeing Li Chuan, his expression grew complex.

He opened his mouth to call him Senior Brother Li, but suddenly felt it was inappropriate.

Having entered the inner courtyard as Master Liang's personal disciple, he was, by rights, two ranks higher than Li Chuan.

Hesitating for a moment, he blurted out, "Junior Brother Li, I am leaving for the inner courtyard."

Junior Brother Li?

Li Chuan smiled; the figure of Qin Feng before him was gradually overlapping with the memory of Hu Yuan from before.

He still remembered that not long ago, Qin Feng had been deeply bothered by Hu Yuan calling him "Junior Brother Qin," vowing that once he achieved something, he would never act that way.

How long had it been?

Li Chuan offered a lukewarm "congratulations."

Qin Feng opened his mouth to explain something, but looking at Li Chuan, he felt there was nothing left to explain.

He was merely a man of inferior aptitude; they would likely have no further intersection in the future.

His own stage was the entirety of Anning County, while Li Chuan would likely have to leave the martial arts hall in disgrace.

Qin Feng suddenly felt as if a thick barrier had risen between them.

In the end, Qin Feng left.

The three-person dormitory was left with only Li Chuan.

It was said that Hu Yuan had been so devastated that he dared not show his face at the martial arts hall, hiding away at home.

The reversal of their fortunes caused quite a stir within the hall, becoming a frequent topic of discussion among the disciples.

Only Li Chuan remained unchanged; rain or shine, clear skies or overcast, he went to the training grounds to practice martial arts with unwavering consistency.

Gradually, everyone grew accustomed to his presence and no longer viewed him as an anomaly.

His reputation in the outer courtyard quietly began to change.

Fourteen days later.

Hu Yuan returned.

He immediately apologized to Li Chuan, saying that he had been young, frivolous, and ignorant of the heights of the world, and had neglected Senior Brother Li.

From then on, he worked with renewed determination, following Li Chuan to the training grounds every day.

Whenever Li Chuan returned, he would return as well.

Twenty-five days later.

My silver is almost gone, and the one-month deadline Liu Hu gave is approaching. It's time to go home and see how things are, Li Chuan thought, summoning a panel.

[Primordial Jade Record]

[Effect: Record skills; diligent practice will surely lead to success!]

[Host: Li Chuan]

[Skill: Mountain-Holding Stance (Entry)]

[Proficiency: 302/500]

[Skill: Through-Arm Fist (Entry)]

[Proficiency: 233/500]

Li Chuan exhaled a breath of stale air.

Twenty-five days of hard work had yielded extremely rich rewards.

The Mountain-Holding Stance was only a little over a hundred points of proficiency away from breaking through to the minor achievement stage, at which point he would complete his first breakthrough and become a disciple of Ming Jin.

From then on, he would no longer need to chop wood or clean latrines.

He could also take up positions in certain places to earn silver to subsidize his martial arts training, no longer forcing his family to work from dawn until dusk just to scrape together a tael of silver for his food expenses.

Li Chuan looked down at his own physique.

He had transformed from his previously lean frame into something robust; his muscle lines were clear and fluid. While he hadn't grown massive muscles, he could feel the significant power contained within them.

As I am now, taking on two or three grown men shouldn't be a problem, Li Chuan pondered.

And this was only with the progress made from eating meat every two days; if he could add medicinal and nutritional supplements, his cultivation speed would only increase.

In short, the future was promising!

That afternoon, Li Chuan sought out Luo Zheng.

"Second Senior Brother, I would like to request leave to return home for a period of time."

Luo Zheng looked at Li Chuan.

He had witnessed Li Chuan's diligence during this period.

His impression of him had undergone a complete turnaround.

His prejudice against Li Chuan had stemmed from Li Chuan's previous slacker, good-for-nothing behavior; now that he had seen with his own eyes that Li Chuan had mended his ways, he naturally felt gratified.

Consequently, his attitude toward Li Chuan had improved significantly.

"It isn't time for a break yet, so I shouldn't really let you go, but I believe you are no longer that reckless sort and have your own plans. I will grant you three days of leave."

Li Chuan quickly cupped his hands and said:

"Thank you, Second Senior Brother."

"Go on. The outer city is not peaceful these days; be careful on the road."

Li Chuan thanked him once more and departed.

He could feel that Second Senior Brother's words were sincere.

If I had to compare him, Second Senior Brother is like those teachers from my past life who genuinely want their students to succeed. As long as you are diligent and hardworking, regardless of your grades, their attitude toward you will never be poor.

In the vast Pine Wind Martial Hall, there were very few who were as dutiful and responsible as Second Senior Brother.

Even the First Senior Brother, Tang Xiang, only cared about his own martial progress; he would never spend time paying attention to the likes of them, these "crooked melons and split dates."

Li Chuan exited Pine Wind Martial Hall and headed toward his family's breakfast shop.

The street vendors along the way were not as numerous as before, and many stall owners were cautiously observing their surroundings.

As Li Chuan passed by, he could hear some people complaining.

"The Black Bear Gang and the Iron Tiger Gang have been fighting more and more fiercely lately. They often have shootouts right in the city, making everyone afraid to go out. My business has been dismal."

"Who's to say otherwise? I heard the Black Bear Gang lost the last skirmish, and even their gang leader was injured. They've been a bit more restrained lately."

Li Chuan's heart stirred.

The Black Bear Gang—wasn't that the gang Liu Hu belonged to?

His family's breakfast shop was the very one that Cao Yan, the leader of the Black Bear Gang, had specifically demanded.

Now that he was fighting so fiercely with the Iron Tiger Gang, he might not have the time to concern himself with this matter.

Liu Hu, too, was likely too distracted to come and cause trouble.

Li Chuan felt a little more at ease.

If he could drag this out for a bit longer, he might be able to break through to the Ming Jin stage, and by then, Liu Hu might just give up on his own.

Thinking this, Li Chuan returned to his family's breakfast shop.

It was currently evening, and logically, it should be dinnertime.

His family's shop sold noodles in the evening; the prices were affordable, the taste was good, and it was a long-standing establishment in the neighborhood, so there should have been plenty of customers.

However, as Li Chuan looked closely, he noticed that the passing crowds would often glance at their shop, yet no one sat down.

Wang Xiumei, holding a spatula, also wore a look of distress.

His grandparents, cousin, and aunt could not help but sigh repeatedly.

"What is going on?" Li Chuan's brows furrowed, and he quickened his pace.

"Grandpa, Grandma, Mother, Cousin, Aunt, I'm back," Li Chuan said loudly.

Wang Xiumei wiped the gloom from her face and revealed a smile:

"Chuan'er is back. Have you eaten? Mother will cook you a bowl of noodles."

Li Nian's aged face also broke into a smile:

"A-Chuan, why are you back earlier this month? Did you know your aunt saved an old hen for you?"

Wang Xiumei explained:

"The old hen San Feng was raising died from a fall yesterday. She specifically said to save it for when you returned so you could nourish your body."

Although everyone was smiling, Li Chuan felt there was an air of forced cheerfulness about it.

Besides... how could an old hen die from a fall?

Chickens could fly, after all...

"Mother, are you all hiding something from me?" Li Chuan asked.

"What could there be? You're overthinking it, Chuan'er."

"Then why is there no one in the shop today?"

Wang Xiumei stammered, and the others pretended not to hear.

No matter how Li Chuan asked, they simply refused to say.

A suspicion formed faintly in Li Chuan's heart.

Taking advantage of his family not paying attention, he planned to go to Uncle Liu's next door to ask for the truth.