An Apology

"A day laborer actually went hunting first, then cultivated his way into becoming a martial artist?!"

Inside the Black River Gang, Zhao Lie, the gang leader, heard the letter relayed by his subordinate and stared with his mouth agape, his face full of shock. In disbelief, he said, "Are you sure he really became a martial artist?"

"Replying to the gang leader, this subordinate saw it with his own eyes. That hard bluestone was smashed apart by one punch from him, easy as anything, and he himself swore up and down that he'd become a martial artist and wouldn't pay our Black River Gang's protection money anymore."

In the hall, the fatty who had returned after failing to collect protection money from Li Chengfeng's home knelt on one knee, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and hurriedly answered the gang leader. "This lowly one figured, even if that bluestone was fake, if he hadn't really broken through to become a martial artist, he wouldn't dare fool us like that."

"Otherwise, once you went to see for yourself, would he still have a life left to live?"

"That's true."

When Zhao Lie heard the fatty, a squad leader within the gang, give that answer, he nodded slightly. Then he looked at the sky, thought for a moment, and waved his hand. "The timing isn't good right now. There's no sense in going to deliver gifts to someone in the afternoon. Go back and find out what his name is. Tomorrow morning, come with me to meet him."

"Aye, yes, gang leader!"

The fatty hurriedly agreed, then respectfully took his leave.

"If he isn't a martial artist, then so be it. If he is, then a rootless, unfounded martial artist like this is just right to befriend a little..."

Zhao Lie thought for a moment, his eyes shifting, then went to have someone prepare a gift.

"..."

In an unnamed alley, in Li Chengfeng's shabby little courtyard.

Li Chengfeng, who had just finished cherishing Liu Yuniang, did not know what the Black River Gang leader was thinking. At this moment, in a carefree mood, he was beside the bamboo grove, using spear arts in place of fist techniques, tempering his taiji skill one move at a time.

Qi and blood circulated within his body, and Clear Power surged through him with a splashing rush. Each time Li Chengfeng practiced through it once, he rested for a while, then immediately threw himself back into cultivation.

He practiced all the way until dark before stopping.

After dinner, Li Chengfeng happily held Liu Yuniang and cherished her properly. Then the two fell asleep in each other's arms and slept in comfort.

Early the next morning.

Li Chengfeng woke early from bed. After eating, he felt his waist, which could still let him practice martial arts with ease, looseness, and agility, and his expression turned satisfied.

This Bear Waist Stance was truly useful. It was indeed a method for laying one's foundation!

Beside him, Liu Yuniang was picking vegetables. Watching Li Chengfeng fiercely drill with the great spear again, she pouted coquettishly in her heart, her feet pressed together as her scallion-white fingers picked through the tender greens in her hands one by one.

As she was picking, she suddenly heard knocking sound from outside the door.

"Knock, knock, knock~"

"Is Brother Chengfeng here? I am Zhao Lie, leader of the Black River Gang, and have specially come to pay a visit!"

A hearty voice rose from outside the courtyard gate. Li Chengfeng, who was practicing hard with the long spear, frowned, slowly withdrew his spear, and turned his head to signal Liu Yuniang with a glance.

Liu Yuniang felt that whenever anything happened, she had to hide, as if she were some delicate flower Li Chengfeng kept tucked away in the house every day.

But sensing how much Li Chengfeng was protecting her, she was also happy inside. She nodded, lifted the vegetable basket, and returned to the house.

"May I ask what Gang Leader Zhao has come for?"

Only after Liu Yuniang returned inside did Li Chengfeng turn and go to the courtyard gate to open it. Looking at the brown-clothed man standing at the entrance, and the familiar fatty gang member behind him grinning obsequiously, he frowned and asked aloud.

As he spoke, his palm rubbed against the spear shaft, and qi and blood surged within his body.

He thought to himself, Could it be that they feel yesterday's matter made their Black River Gang lose face, so they've come to get it back today?

"Heh heh, Brother Chengfeng, there's no real business. It's just that yesterday, the men under me were ignorant. They actually didn't even know you'd broken through to become a martial artist, and still came to bring you bad luck. So I've brought him again to apologize."

Standing at the courtyard entrance, Zhao Lie was a martial artist, and immediately sensed the qi and blood on Li Chengfeng's body. He raised his brows, smiled all over his face, cupped his fists toward Li Chengfeng, and spoke.

After speaking, he spread his hands to show that he carried no weapons. Then, smiling, he took a floral-cloth gift box from the respectfully standing fatty gang member behind him and handed it over with a beaming smile.

"In the past, the gang has offended Brother Chengfeng in many ways. Brother Chengfeng broke through to become a martial artist, yet I was unable to rush over at the first moment to congratulate you, Brother. For any impropriety, I hope Brother will forgive me. This small gift is my brotherly intention, and I hope Brother Chengfeng won't take the matters of the past to heart."

The Black River Gang leader Zhao Lie spoke to Li Chengfeng with a face piled full of smiles, but the words he said left Li Chengfeng feeling surprised.

He was this good at handling things?

"What are you saying, Gang Leader Zhao? My family lives here, and we still have to rely much on the Black River Gang's protection to have fewer incidents of theft and forced seizure. Before I became a martial artist, paying some protection money was only right."

Seeing that the other party was so good at handling things, Li Chengfeng also smiled and cupped his fists in return. He accepted the other party's gift without the slightest politeness, while answering courteously with his mouth.

The original body had paid protection money for so many years, one hundred wen every month. Over all these years, how many wen did that add up to?

So what if he accepted one gift from the other party now?

Besides, it was a gang's money. If he did not take it, he would be taking it for nothing.

"Haha, as long as Brother Chengfeng doesn't mind. Speaking of which, I don't live too far from here either. We can be considered close neighbors. If anything happens in the future, we should visit each other more. If we encounter any trouble, we can also lend each other a hand."

Hearing Li Chengfeng's words, Zhao Lie spoke with a beaming smile. Then, seeing that he was here diligently cultivating his martial skills, and also seeing that the door to the inner room was closed, he did not disturb him further. With very proper sense of measure, he politely cupped his fists and said, "Then I won't disturb Brother Chengfeng's martial practice here. Another day, we'll keep in closer contact."

"Very well. Gang Leader Zhao is the leader of a gang and has many affairs to attend to, so I won't keep Gang Leader Zhao any longer."

Li Chengfeng was not polite either. Carrying the gift box wrapped in floral cloth, he cupped his fists and answered Zhao Lie with a smile.

"Good, good. Brother Chengfeng, you're busy, so I'll be going first."

Zhao Lie raised his brows and cupped his fists toward Li Chengfeng with a beaming smile. Then, very politely, he led away the fatty behind him, who had been smiling ingratiatingly and bowing the whole time, and turned to leave from the entrance of Li Chengfeng's courtyard.

With a smile on his face, Li Chengfeng watched Zhao Lie's departing back. Only after the other party disappeared did he withdraw his gaze, his expression shifting as he shut the courtyard gate and carried the gift box in his hands back into the courtyard.

"Wonder what it is."

Curious, Li Chengfeng directly tore off the cloth outside in the courtyard and saw that there was a wooden box inside.

He opened the wooden box, only to see nine pills laid out in neat rows inside, with a note placed beside them.

Li Chengfeng raised his brows, picked up the note, and a sentence entered his eyes.

[I have offended you many times in the past. I offer these Blood-Qi Pills, which can aid blood-qi cultivation. I hope you will accept them with a smile and show much forgiveness.]

"Blood-Qi Pills?"

Li Chengfeng's eyes lit up. "So this is what martial artists in this world pay attention to in cultivation—pills?"

Li Chengfeng's heart thumped. He first closed the wooden box, then told Liu Yuniang that everything was fine.

After Liu Yuniang returned to the courtyard to pick vegetables again, he, his expression stirring with excitement, took one pill and tried to continue cultivating the Taiji Great Spear in the bamboo grove.

"Swish, swish, swish~"

This round of cultivation truly felt extraordinary. Stream after stream of energy continuously scattered from the Blood-Qi Pill in his stomach to his whole body, making Li Chengfeng feel strength all over.

[Taiji Fist Proficiency +3]

Clear Power circulated without ceasing. Once one round of the Taiji Great Spear ended, Li Chengfeng could sense three additional wisps of blood-qi in his body, along with physical strength that showed not the slightest sign of being consumed. He was overjoyed.

"This Blood-Qi Pill can both replenish the body's energy expenditure during cultivation and provide a person with abundant physical strength. Its effect is actually this good?"

Li Chengfeng could not help his eyes from shining, and he continued cultivating without the slightest pause.

As a result, not long after, when another round of Taiji Great Spear cultivation came down, he still did not feel tired!

Li Chengfeng's eyes brightened again. He cultivated the Taiji Great Spear over and over, all the way until noon, without stopping for even a moment.

Finally, as this round of the Taiji Great Spear came to an end...

[Skill: Taiji Fist]

[Level: Proficient (804/2400)]

[Effect: Whole-Body Power; Clear Power]

"Phew~"

Li Chengfeng planted the long spear on the ground. Feeling his tired body and the increase in his skill proficiency, a glimmer shone in his eyes.

"One morning actually supported me through twenty rounds of practice, and the remaining medicinal power is still restoring the physical strength I consumed!"