Collecting Protection Money at the Training Ground?

Zhang Mang's expression changed several times.

From surprise to disbelief, it finally settled into something strangely complicated.

Six Third-Rank Martial Artist Snow Wolves: 480,000.

He had led five members of the Fierce Tiger Squad on patrol through Zone A all day, risking a counterattack from the wolf pack to bring them down.

480,000 was already considered top-tier earnings in the Bladebreaker Battalion.

Then he saw that number.

2.2 million.

One person, one night.

Earned by clearing out sewers.

Xiao Liu from the Quartermaster Department adjusted his glasses and quietly reminded him, "Captain Zhang, your settlement is scheduled for later."

Zhang Mang slammed the bag of Snow Wolf horns onto the counter and turned to leave.

Several squad members followed behind him without saying a word.

Li Zhengyang put away his phone and left the Quartermaster Department.

He was covered in rat blood and reeked of sewers. He needed a shower first.

The fortress's public bathhouse was in the eastern district, not far away.

After washing for twenty minutes, he changed into clean clothes and came out.

The moment he reached the open space beside the training ground, his path was blocked.

Zhang Mang stood in the middle of the road with seven members of the Fierce Tiger Squad, lined up neatly.

Quite a few people from other squads were training on the field. Seeing this formation, their movements slowed.

"Li Zhengyang." Zhang Mang stood with his hands on his hips, his tone aggressive.

"There's a rule in the Bladebreaker Battalion. Has no one told you about it?"

Li Zhengyang stopped and looked at him.

"When new recruits earn their first money in the fortress, thirty percent goes to the Fierce Tiger Squad." Zhang Mang held up three fingers. "Protection money. Get it? If you want to get by peacefully around here, you need someone watching your back."

A squad member beside him chimed in, "Thirty percent of 2.2 million is 660,000. Captain Zhang has already given you a discount. By the old rules, it should be fifty percent."

A crowd gathered around the training ground.

Some had come to watch the show, some were gloating, and several recruits from the same batch huddled in the corner, barely daring to breathe.

Li Zhengyang glanced around before his gaze landed on a quartermaster officer sitting beside the training ground.

"Let me ask you something."

The quartermaster officer was chewing on a steamed bun. Being called out so suddenly, he nearly choked.

"Huh?"

"If you fight someone in the fortress and cripple them, do you have to pay compensation?"

The quartermaster officer froze for two seconds, then shook his head. "No. Internal conflicts in the fortress fall under private fights, so there's no compensation involved. But serious cases can result in confinement."

"How long?"

"Depends on the injuries. Usually three to seven days."

Li Zhengyang nodded.

"Then that's pretty worthwhile."

Zhang Mang's face darkened.

He took two steps forward, and his aura suddenly erupted.

Peak Great Martial Master.

The pressure of his outwardly released Astral Qi spread out. Several nearby recruits immediately staggered back, and one whose legs went weak nearly collapsed onto the ground.

"I've been in this fortress for six years. Hundreds have come and gone through the Bladebreaker Battalion, and not a single one dared refuse to pay protection money." Zhang Mang lowered his voice. "You spent one night digging through a stinking sewer, made a little money, and now you think you're hot stuff?"

He stretched out his hand, fingers spread, and pressed it toward Li Zhengyang.

"660,000. Transfer it now. Otherwise—"

He did not finish.

Li Zhengyang moved.

He did not draw his spear.

His left foot shifted half a step forward, the opening stance of Cloud-Shocking Steps.

Zhang Mang's pupils contracted sharply.

He saw the trajectory of Li Zhengyang's footwork, but his body could not keep up with his reaction speed.

The gap between a Great Martial Master and a Martial Spirit was pushed to the limit in that single step.

A straightforward punch landed on Zhang Mang's chest.

Just how powerful was the physical strength of a First-Rank Martial Spirit?

Crack.

Everyone in the field heard it.

First came the sound of Zhang Mang's Body-Protecting Astral Energy shattering, followed by the chain reaction of breaking ribs—three, four, five—like firecrackers going off.

Zhang Mang's body left the ground and flew backward.

A burly man standing six feet tall and weighing over two hundred pounds was turned into a cannonball by one punch, flying straight toward the edge of the training ground.

A row of special alloy targets stood at the edge of the training ground. They were two meters tall and half a meter thick, specifically for Martial Master-level fighters to practice punching.

Bang!

Zhang Mang's back slammed into the alloy target.

The target did not fall.

Neither did he.

The impact was too great. Zhang Mang's body was embedded directly into the alloy target, with most of his upper body sunk inside and both legs hanging outside.

Every sound on the training ground vanished.

Those hitting sandbags stopped, those running stopped, and those sparring stopped.

Hundreds of eyes stared at the human-shaped outline embedded in the alloy target.

Zhang Mang's legs twitched twice, then went still.

He was not dead. His chest was still rising and falling, but he had lost consciousness.

The other six members of the Fierce Tiger Squad were all petrified on the spot.

The deputy officer leading them trembled so badly that he could barely hold onto the blade in his hand.

Three seconds later, he finally spoke up.

"Newbie... you're in trouble!" The deputy officer's voice rose into a shriek. "Captain Zhang's uncle is the fortress's deputy commander, Zhang Jianbiao! A Fifth-Rank Martial Spirit! You're finished, do you hear me?!"

Li Zhengyang did not look at him.

He walked up to the target and felt around Zhang Mang's waist.

He found a storage bag, removed it, and weighed it in his hand.

He opened it and took a glance.

There were several Beast Cores inside, some cash, and two bank cards.

"Protection money, right?"

Li Zhengyang stuffed the storage bag into his pocket.

"Consider this your payment."

With that, he picked up his spear, walked through the crowd, and left.

The training ground behind him was silent as death.

The deputy officer shakily pulled out his communicator and dialed a number.

"Deputy Commander Zhang! Your nephew was beaten up! He's at the training ground! He's embedded in a target! We can't pull him out!"

There was silence on the other end of the communicator for two seconds.

"Who?"

"A new recruit from the Bladebreaker Battalion named Li Zhengyang! He only reported in yesterday!"

A loud crash of overturned tables and chairs came from the communicator.

On his way back to the barracks, Li Zhengyang took out his phone and checked the bank cards he had found in the storage bag.

Both cards were empty.

"What a broke bastard. No wonder he was robbing other people."

Li Zhengyang could not help muttering.

The 2.2 million mission reward plus the money he had already had.

He had around 2.8 million in total.

He did not intend to top up all of it. He needed to keep some money, and his current spear was becoming a little awkward to use. He needed a new weapon.

After closing the barracks door, Li Zhengyang sat on his bunk.

He brought up the System Interface.

Top-up amount: 2,000,000.

His finger hovered over the confirm button.

The door was pushed open.

Several roommates from Third Platoon, Seventh Squad crowded into the doorway, craning their heads inside as though they were looking at some rare animal.

"Did you really embed Zhang Mang in a wall?"

"Yeah."

"You know his uncle is the deputy commander, right?"

"I know."

"Aren't you afraid?"

Li Zhengyang pressed the confirm button.

[Top-up successful!]

[Top-up amount: 2,000,000]

[Blood-Qi Value gained: +20,000]

[Current Blood-Qi Value: 52,628]

[Blood-Qi Value has surpassed the threshold]

[Realm breakthrough: First-Rank Martial Spirit → Fifth-Rank Martial Spirit!]

Blood Qi surged through his body, his meridians expanded, and every inch of his muscles was remade.

Li Zhengyang closed his eyes, his body trembling faintly.

The people at the door felt the aura fluctuations pouring out from the room and all retreated three steps in unison.

The aura of a First-Rank Martial Spirit had already been terrifying enough.

But this pressure... was several times stronger than before.

"Fuck, he broke through again?"

Li Zhengyang opened his eyes.

Fifth-Rank Martial Spirit.

Afraid?

Afraid of shit.