Four Thousand Characters

Li Mazi kicked Yan Dao in the knee of his other leg. With a thud, he truly fell to both knees.

"You..." Yan Dao glared furiously at Li Mazi.

"Since you're kneeling, don't try to be a whore and build a shrine to chastity at the same time. Being able to kneel before our gang leader is your good fortune. Hmph!" Li Mazi's foul mouth could piss anyone to death.

Zhang Yu looked at Yan Dao. "Hand over the Thirty-Six Forms Mountain-Splitting Saber Technique you cultivate."

The Thirty-Six Forms Mountain-Splitting Saber Technique was a second-rate martial art. Zhang Yu had already set up a Scripture Repository in the small courtyard and placed all the martial arts he had gathered recently inside.

In the future, he intended to popularize martial arts, so he needed to start accumulating them now.

Yan Dao had just opened his mouth when a rough voice suddenly came from outside. "Zhang Yu, Boundless City is not a place where you can run wild."

As soon as the words fell, a burly man strode in.

He was about as tall as Niu Mancang, but even more solidly built.

"Iron Bear." Li Mazi let out a soft cry upon seeing him.

Iron Bear, the Ghost Alliance's Battle Hall Master, was a Transformative Force expert. He cultivated the second-rate Giant Bear Brute Force Art and possessed boundless strength.

The instant Iron Bear stepped inside, Niu Mancang moved, throwing a punch straight at him.

"Hmph!"

Iron Bear snorted coldly and met it with a punch of his own.

Buzz!

The two iron fists collided with a sonic boom, and a ring of air surged outward in all directions.

Thud, thud, thud!

Niu Mancang staggered back three steps, a trace of astonishment appearing on his face.

He knew his own strength well. He had not expected to lose to the other man in raw power.

Thud!

Iron Bear also retreated a step, but he was even more shocked than Niu Mancang. In Boundless City, no one had ever forced him back even half a step through sheer strength. Not even their alliance leader, Mo Wangui, could do it.

"Those who insult my master shall die!" Niu Mancang roared and charged at Iron Bear again.

He did not defend at all. He simply swung his iron fists and hammered them at his opponent.

Iron Bear struck Niu Mancang in the head, dodged his punch, then drove a knee into his abdomen.

Next came a savage elbow strike into Niu Mancang's back.

Yet Niu Mancang returned the blow with a shoulder ram, hunching over and slamming into Iron Bear's chest.

Bang, bang, bang...

The two tore into each other like wild beasts. Niu Mancang did not dodge or defend in the slightest; he only attacked.

For every punch Niu Mancang landed on Iron Bear, Iron Bear could land three on him.

But the longer they fought, the less confidence Iron Bear had. His fists striking Niu Mancang's body felt like they were hitting an iron plate, jolting his knuckles with pain.

His fists could shatter boulders, yet they could do nothing to his opponent. Niu Mancang had taken dozens of punches and was somehow still fine.

This...

Damn it, was he even human? Just how far had he cultivated his hard-body martial art?

Was a third-rate Iron Shirt really this powerful?

Iron Bear felt that he could not keep fighting. After taking more than ten of Niu Mancang's punches, his whole body ached. Especially after that headbutt just now—his nose was bleeding, and his vision had gone dark.

This madman.

Bang, bang, bang...

At first, Niu Mancang had needed to take three punches to land one of his own. Gradually, it became one punch for one punch.

Blood began to flow from the corners of both men's mouths.

Iron Bear's punches were extremely heavy. Every punch from a Transformative Force martial artist could unleash the limit of their body's strength. That was what made Transformative Force so terrifying.

But Niu Mancang had endured it. His Feral Ox Physique and perfected Iron Shirt had withstood Iron Bear's earlier storm-like barrage, and he had gone from scattered counterattacks to an even match.

A punch for a punch.

After taking more than ten punches, Iron Bear could no longer endure. He did not have Niu Mancang's hard-body defenses.

The Giant Bear Brute Force Art was a martial art that increased strength, not a hard-body martial art.

Boom!

After another exchange of punches, fear seized him.

Blood spilled from his mouth. Every tendon and bone in his body hurt, and even his internal organs began to burn with pain.

So Iron Bear seized the chance to retreat from the hall, turned, and ran.

"Stop!" Niu Mancang roared, about to chase after him when Zhang Yu called him back.

At that moment, Zhang Yu looked at the system panel, an imperceptible smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

Niu Mancang's fierce battle with Iron Bear had increased his Feral Ox Physique development by 2%, from 30% to 32%.

At the same time, it had fed back a large amount of Iron Shirt proficiency to Zhang Yu, allowing his Iron Shirt to complete its first limit break.

[Name: Zhang Yu]

[Martial Art: Iron Shirt, first limit break. Comprehended Tiger Roar Art.]

[Tiger Roar: Internal organ cultivation method for Iron Shirt]

Once the internal organs had been tempered to a certain degree, one could assault the human body's third barrier and step into Transformative Force.

Excellent! Niu Mancang doesn't need to switch martial arts. He can keep cultivating Iron Shirt and break through to Transformative Force. Zhang Yu was overjoyed.

Yan Dao, still kneeling on the ground, had been about to stand when he saw Iron Bear of the Ghost Alliance arrive. Never in his wildest dreams had he expected Iron Bear to trade blows with Niu Mancang for a while, then turn and flee.

His body, halfway risen, sank back to its knees.

"Mancang, are you hurt?" Zhang Yu asked with concern.

Niu Mancang wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and revealed an honest smile. "Master, I'm fine."

As he spoke, he thumped his own chest.

Zhang Yu gave him a Blood-Nourishing Pill and told him to rest nearby and tend to his injuries.

"Wen Hua, have people move all the valuables from the Broadsword Gang back. At the same time, take over the medicinal herb shares and medicine slaves under their control," Zhang Yu ordered Wen Hua.

"Yes, Master!"

Wen Hua led Li Mazi and the other gang members in looting the Broadsword Gang.

Zhang Yu looked toward Yan Dao, who was kneeling on the ground. "Do you want to die or live?"

"Live." Yan Dao was exceedingly obedient now.

How could he not be? Even Iron Bear, a Transformative Force expert, had been beaten into fleeing. He himself was only half a step into Transformative Force. If he said one wrong word, he would probably have only death waiting for him.

"Hand over everything valuable on you," Zhang Yu said.

At the same time, a troubled expression appeared on his face, because he had just used the Eye of Truth-Piercing to inspect Yan Dao's information.

[Name: Yan Dao]

[Age: 38]

[Realm: Half-step Transformative Force]

[Martial Art: Second-rate martial art, Thirty-Six Forms Mountain-Splitting Saber Technique]

[Cultivation Aptitude: Mediocre]

[Comprehension: Mediocre]

[Fate: Pluck every feather from a passing goose, selfish]

[Physique: Mad Saber Battle Physique (unawakened)]

Pluck every feather from a passing goose: He took a share of every benefit that passed through his hands.

Mad Saber Battle Physique: Ranked thirty-eighth among the seventy-two Earthly Baleful Physiques. Its bearer cultivated saber techniques five to ten times faster than ordinary people and could unleash twice the power of their saber techniques in battle.

No wonder Yan Dao, with mediocre aptitude and mediocre comprehension, had still cultivated to half-step Transformative Force. If his Mad Saber Battle Physique awakened, his cultivation speed might even surpass Niu Mancang's.

Kill him? Or spare him?

That put Zhang Yu in a difficult position.

People with special physiques were treasures—rare things that could only be encountered by chance.

But Yan Dao was selfish, and his fate of plucking every feather from a passing goose meant that he was destined to never be wholeheartedly loyal to anyone.

What a difficult decision! For the first time, Zhang Yu felt troubled.

Yan Dao held the manual for the Thirty-Six Forms Mountain-Splitting Saber Technique out with both hands. "Gang Leader Zhang, this second-rate martial art is the only valuable thing on me."

Zhang Yu accepted the martial art manual and glanced at him.

Irritation surged in his heart. He really wanted to kill Yan Dao with a single saber stroke, but special physiques were as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns, and he could not bear to do it.

Seeing Zhang Yu's face shift between light and shadow, Yan Dao felt his scalp tingle. He had hidden ten thousand taels of gold and a five-hundred-year blood ginseng. Those things were not in the Broadsword Gang, but hidden in a secret place.

Unless it came down to the very last moment, he would never hand them over.

The more Zhang Yu looked at Yan Dao, the angrier he became.

Damn it, if you had a loyal fate, I wouldn't have to be so conflicted.

If you didn't have a special physique, I wouldn't have to be conflicted either.

After a moment, Zhang Yu rose to his feet in a huff and said to Niu Mancang, "Mancang, watch Yan Dao. Make him keep kneeling like that."

"Yes, Master!" Niu Mancang nodded.

After saying that, Zhang Yu left.

He did not want to see Yan Dao. He feared killing him, but he also feared that he would regret it afterward.

Ghost Alliance.

Iron Bear returned wounded.

The alliance leader, Mo Wangui, was greatly shocked when he saw the injured Iron Bear.

"Hall Master Iron, you're injured? Who hurt you?"

"Zhang Yu's big fool of a disciple, Niu Mancang. Damn it, that man's a complete madman. Alliance Leader, do you think Iron Shirt is really that powerful when cultivated to the extreme? I hit him nearly a hundred times, and he was still completely fine." Iron Bear looked utterly dejected.

He felt as though his martial heart was about to shatter.

He cultivated the top-tier second-rate Giant Bear Brute Force Art, while Niu Mancang cultivated the common third-rate Iron Shirt.

He was a Transformative Force martial artist, while Niu Mancang was a Dark Force martial artist.

Yet in the end, he had not been able to defeat the other man and had fled in disgrace.

"You lost? That shouldn't be possible. According to our investigation, he's only at Dark Force." Mo Wangui's face was full of astonishment.

"I lost." Iron Bear hung his head dejectedly.

"This..." Mo Wangui's expression grew grave. "If that's the case, then the story of Zhang Yu killing a Transformative Force martial artist with one punch may not be a rumor. It may be true."

"Alliance Leader, I'm going to treat my injuries. In any case, the Broadsword Gang is probably finished." Iron Bear rose and left.

Mo Wangui furrowed his brows tightly and sank into thought.

Originally, he had not regarded Zhang Yu as a threat, and he had dismissed the rumors with disdain. A Dark Force martial artist killing a Transformative Force martial artist? What a dream.

Now that it seemed true, he had to consider whether he should return the Black Tiger Gang's medicinal herb shares.

What if Zhang Yu was not satisfied and opened his mouth like a lion, demanding the Ghost Alliance's shares as well?

Niu Mancang faithfully carried out Zhang Yu's order, watching Yan Dao kneel for a full day and night.

At first, Yan Dao could endure it. But as time passed, his thoughts began to run wild, all kinds of imaginings filling his head.

Did Zhang Yu find out about the things I hid?

Impossible!

Endure a little longer. I've accumulated those things over ten years. They're my hope of breaking through to Transformative Force. I absolutely can't hand them over.

After enduring for several more hours, Yan Dao could no longer hold on. "Brother Niu."

"Who's your brother?" Niu Mancang glared at him. "Kneel properly! Don't force me to beat you."

"Brother Niu, let me ask: how long must I kneel? You've already moved everything from our Broadsword Gang. If you want to kill or skin me, just give me a straight answer." Yan Dao forced himself to say it.

"If my master hasn't said anything, then you keep kneeling. Of course, you can choose not to kneel. I'll kill you and take you back to report in. That'll save trouble," Niu Mancang said.

He had fought Iron Bear to a draw, and he was actually feeling quite depressed. He thought he had embarrassed his master and wasted all the resources his master had given him.

Niu Mancang was anxious to return and cultivate. He had no desire to guard Yan Dao. He almost wished Yan Dao would run, so he could cripple him and drag him back to report in.

Yan Dao truly could not endure any longer. "I hid a five-hundred-year blood ginseng. I'm willing to offer it to Gang Leader Zhang. Please report this to your master for me, Brother Niu."

Zhang Yu sat in a reclining chair in the courtyard, eating melon seeds while staring at the system panel.

Now that he had comprehended the Tiger Roar Art, as long as there were enough resources, Niu Mancang's Feral Ox Physique and outstanding cultivation aptitude should quickly carry Zhang Yu into the Transformative Force realm.

With his current strength, even without using the Shattering Martial Intent, killing Transformative Force martial artists would be effortless.

Bright Force: A thousand jin of strength. Different martial arts produced different levels of strength, generally between one and five thousand jin.

Dark Force: Between five thousand and ten thousand jin.

Transformative Force: Between ten thousand and fifty thousand jin.

Zhang Yu estimated that his strength had already surpassed fifty thousand jin. If he used the Shattering Martial Intent, he did not know whether he could threaten a True Qi Realm expert.

His understanding of the True Qi Realm was still very limited.

"Master!" Wen Hua came rushing in excitedly, holding a five-hundred-year blood ginseng.

"Yan Dao hid a five-hundred-year blood ginseng. He couldn't endure the kneeling anymore and confessed. Eldest Senior Brother had me bring it back."

Zhang Yu glanced at it. "Put it in the storeroom."

"Yes, Master. Yan Dao must still be hiding good things. He won't shed a tear until he sees the coffin. Should we use some methods on him?" Wen Hua asked.

Zhang Yu waved his hand. "No need. Go handle your work. Manage the medicinal herb shares properly, and don't let anything go wrong. The Cui Family's monthly portion must not be short by even a bit."

"Rest assured, Master. I'll do it properly." Wen Hua nodded.

"Once you've straightened out the medicinal herb matters, hand them over to Li Mazi. Then come back and focus on cultivation," Zhang Yu said.

Wen Hua had outstanding aptitude and comprehension. With sufficient resources, his cultivation should have progressed quickly, but ever since he began managing the Black Tiger Gang, his cultivation had clearly slowed. Li Yue was gradually catching up to him.

Previously, Wen Hua could provide Zhang Yu with 12 points of Clearwind Stance Art proficiency every day, while Li Yue provided 6 points.

Now, Wen Hua had dropped to 6 points, while Li Yue had risen to 10 points.

Clearly, Wen Hua had less time to cultivate.

Of course, Li Yue's destiny, Forged Through a Thousand Trials, had been greatly underestimated. The longer the timeline stretched, the more terrifying the role this destiny would play.

"Yes, Master!"

After Yan Dao handed over the five-hundred-year blood ginseng, his heart bled. But when he saw that Zhang Yu still gave no response at all, he grew even more terrified.

Could it be that he knows I still have ten thousand taels of gold hidden away?

No way?

Did one of my men rat me out?

I've always been very careful. No one should know.

Not necessarily. Maybe someone from the gang does know.

His mind ran wild with all kinds of speculation.

Two hours later, he handed over another ten thousand taels of gold.

Even Niu Mancang was stunned by this ridiculous move. He had thought the five-hundred-year blood ginseng was the end of it. Never in his wildest dreams had he expected Yan Dao to produce another ten thousand taels of gold.

"Yan Dao, what else have you hidden away? Hand it over as soon as possible," Niu Mancang said.

"Brother Niu, there's really nothing left. I painstakingly saved all this over more than ten years, hiding it from the Cui Family... sob..." Yan Dao cried. He really cried, and cried bitterly.

A man who would pluck the feathers from a passing goose had taken out what he had hidden away for ten years just to stay alive. His heart was being cut by knives, and he wept in utter despair.

Seeing Yan Dao weeping and snotting uncontrollably, Niu Mancang's heart softened a little. "All right, stop crying. I'll have someone inform Master."

An hour later, Niu Mancang brought Yan Dao to the rear courtyard of the Zhang Residence.

After thinking for an entire day and night, Zhang Yu had made his decision. Since he could not bring himself to kill the man, he would keep him by his side. As long as he was stronger than Yan Dao, he would not fear him turning traitor.

There was another main reason. Once he entered the Transforming Force realm, the number of disciples he could take would definitely increase. If Yan Dao's Mad Saber Battle Physique awakened, it would bring him a huge amount of proficiency every day.