Visiting

"Thank you for your kindness, Brother Zhao!"

When Li Chengfeng heard him, his eyes lit up. He immediately tossed away the spear in his hand, and after the long spear flew from his grip, it instantly stood by the wall like a pillar.

Then, with his eyes flashing, he leaped backward and landed in the middle of the courtyard. He cupped his fists toward Zhao Lie. "Brother Zhao, please!"

"Good!"

When Zhao Lie saw Li Chengfeng's spear-throwing skill, his eyes brightened. He immediately jumped in front of Li Chengfeng, set his stance, and reminded him, "Body Tempering Realm—heavy strength, sinking force. Be careful!"

"Brother Zhao, come!"

"Good, here I come!"

As Zhao Lie's words fell, his figure suddenly moved, and he lunged fiercely at Li Chengfeng like a ferocious tiger.

"Whoosh!"

Before the sharp fist force even reached him, it already seemed as if spiritual-force vigor had struck his body, making his skin sting.

"Crash~"

Li Chengfeng's eyes flickered. The Taiji force immediately circulated through his whole body, and the Neutralizing Power within him revolved at full strength. Seemingly slow but actually fast, his figure moved like flowing water. He received Zhao Lie's punch, guided and led it, and dispersed that powerful force into nothingness.

"Good method. Watch carefully!"

Zhao Lie's eyes lifted. He immediately stopped holding back so much and attacked with seventy percent of his strength. Every move raised a tigerish wind, as if what faced him was not a person, but a fierce, savage tiger!

Li Chengfeng's brows grew heavy, his breath calm. Neither hurried nor slow, he met the assault with his own Taiji force.

"Crash, crash..."

"Papapap!"

In the time it took sparks to fly from flint, under Zhao Lie's rapid attacks, the two had already exchanged more than ten moves.

The more Zhao Lie fought, the more shocked he became. He only felt that Li Chengfeng's force was ever-changing and impossible to predict. His strength clearly was not great, yet the fierce, hard force Zhao Lie struck out with was always dissolved by him. Fighting him felt as if every punch landed on cotton, without the slightest point of purchase.

That feeling even grew stronger and stronger. At the start, Zhao Lie could still sense resistance, could make his force land on something solid.

But as the number of exchanges increased, Li Chengfeng seemed to have adapted to this kind of battle as well. He grasped his own force more and more smoothly, applied it more and more roundedly in combat, making Zhao Lie's fighting more and more difficult.

"Crash~"

Force surged across the field. In the time it took sparks to fly from flint, the two had already exchanged several dozen moves. Only when Zhao Lie saw a hint of flushed strain on Li Chengfeng's face did understanding dawn in his heart. His figure sprang up, and he leaped out of the battle circle.

"Brother Chengfeng, good method. With such strength, you can indeed deal with that Zheng Estate guard."

As Zhao Lie spoke, he cupped his fists toward Li Chengfeng with admiration and shock in his eyes. "Brother Chengfeng cultivated such strength in a mere ten days. Zhao Lie admires you. But facing the Zheng Estate guard leader alone, you may inevitably be somewhat unequal to it. Why don't you rest well for a while first, Brother Chengfeng? Zhao will stay here and accompany Brother Chengfeng in dealing with that Zheng Estate guard leader."

"With that, I imagine that even if he comes, he won't dare act recklessly!"

"Whew~"

In front of Zhao Lie, Li Chengfeng let out a long breath, suppressing the churning blood and qi within his body. Listening to his words, he looked seriously into his eyes. Seeing his straightforward expression and flashing gaze, he cupped his fists. "Many thanks for your righteous help, Brother Zhao. Chengfeng is endlessly grateful!"

"Brother Chengfeng, as long as you don't mind me meddling in other people's business."

Zhao Lie laughed heartily, then said to him seriously, "That bout just now, though brief, was extremely draining. Brother Chengfeng, rest well, in case that Zheng Estate leader suddenly pays a visit."

"Thank you, Brother Zhao!"

Li Chengfeng's expression shifted. Then he turned back and had Liu Yuniang bring out some tea, along with stools and some fruit, to entertain Zhao Lie.

Zhao Lie smiled and exchanged courtesies with Liu Yuniang. Afterward, he did not interfere any further, only sat steadily at the edge of the courtyard, took a sip of tea, and waited for the possible arrival of that Zheng Estate leader.

This exchange did let me become instantly familiar with my grasp of Neutralizing Power.

Seeing that Zhao Lie truly did this, then thinking back on their fight just now, Li Chengfeng's eyes filled with emotion.

During the battle, he had never struck out with his own Hidden Power, to avoid truly injuring the other party.

At the same time, however, he could also sense that Zhao Lie had not used his true strength either. Instead, he had guided him to grasp his own power. It was precisely because of this that he had fought so freely and joyfully, and had mastered his brand-new strength so quickly.

This meant that if the Zheng Estate commander truly came over and attacked without courtesy, his confidence would be much greater as well.

Before, he had looked down on him as the head of a black gang, but perhaps in the future, the first person he could truly regard as a friend would still be him.

Thinking of this, Li Chengfeng could not help sighing at the strange wonders of life's encounters.

In truth, he understood clearly in his heart that the other party had approached him like this most likely because he wanted his own Black River Gang to develop further and absorb him, this martial artist, into it.

But even knowing his purpose, could he reject such help from someone else?

The benefits were something he had taken in solidly and truly.

Thinking of this, Li Chengfeng could only sigh softly in his heart. He turned his head and gave Liu Yuniang an instruction, telling her to go back inside and stay there. Then, under her worried gaze, he swallowed an elixir on his own, sat cross-legged, and silently recovered his blood and qi.

With Zhao Lie's help, I have even more confidence in dealing with that Zheng Estate guard leader.

Li Chengfeng looked at the seated Zhao Lie, his eyes flashing.

He did not know whether Zheng Pandao would truly send his family's guard leader here to look for him.

No matter what, I already have a thorough way to respond.

Li Chengfeng silently recited in his heart, pondering the profundities of circulating and neutralizing force in battle.

If we're talking about true strength, I've only just achieved Neutralizing Power now, and my foundation still hasn't completely stabilized. There's still a very great gap between me and Zhao Lie.

But Taiji Fist used force to control force, and its skill of moving a thousand catties with four taels was exceedingly profound. Added to the profundity of Hidden Power, even if the Zheng Estate's head guard came, I should still have the strength to deal with him.

Thoughts surged through Li Chengfeng's mind. He knew that the time he had spent tempering his body was still short; in terms of raw strength, compared with someone like Zhao Lie, who had undoubtedly immersed himself in this realm for many years, he was still somewhat lacking.

But skill could make up for those gaps to a certain extent.

If that Zheng Estate head guard really comes, I must not meet him head-on.

Li Chengfeng thought this inwardly, then stilled his mind and calmed his breath, waiting for the medicinal power of the Blood-Qi Pill to digest and restore the qi and blood in his body, along with the physical strength he had consumed.

By noon, when no one had yet appeared, he personally went to the kitchen to cook and ate and drank together with Zhao Lie.

After that, the two of them rested in the courtyard, each lying on a recliner, for half an hour.

Half an hour later, the two had just stood up and moved their hands and feet, and were wondering whether Zheng Pandao would send someone over, when their eyes suddenly shifted and they looked in unison toward a corner outside the courtyard.

"Tap, tap, tap..."

Footsteps sounded. A young man holding a long saber, his expression dark, strode to the outside of Li Chengfeng's courtyard. He glanced at the Martial Tablet nailed to Li Chengfeng's door, his gloomy eyes sweeping through the courtyard before immediately locking onto Li Chengfeng and Zhao Lie.

"Hmph! I wondered how a lowly little day laborer, a thing no better than a wild dog, dared to injure someone of my Zheng family. So it turns out he had help from you, a rat from the gutter."

"What? Did you think that by finding some petty little gang as your backer, you could make my Zheng family feel dread?"