Meeting Again, Settling Victory with Fists

All under heaven bustle for profit; all under heaven scramble for gain.

His break with Luo Yongcheng had brought him no negative emotions.

If anything, it had made Jiang Shu's heart for the Martial Dao even firmer.

He strolled through Pingling County's Inner City, taking in the flourishing scene.

Nine avenues and three markets, carriages and horses flowing like dragons. Buildings stood in clusters, towers rising high.

Yet sadly, none of it had ever belonged to commoners.

From the Inner City to the Outer City.

From sprawling estates with flying eaves and upturned corners to the low, cramped earthen houses of Crooked Snake Alley.

Luo Yongcheng was not wrong to want to protect the secret formula.

Most people in his place would have made the same choice. After all, his grandfather had gathered the medicinal ingredients deep in the mountains, enduring untold hardship and narrowly escaping death several times before collecting everything and preparing the formula. Not to mention the time and effort involved, a considerable amount of silver had been spent as well.

After all, this Blood Nourishing Medicinal Cuisine truly worked wonders for commoners preparing to practice martial arts. Once sold in Pingling County, it would be like owning a hen that laid golden eggs. So long as the formula was kept secret, silver would flow in without end.

It was a family business that could truly make several generations wealthy.

Was it wrong to want to protect such a family fortune?

It truly was not.

He was simply too weak.

A common man committed no crime, yet was guilty for possessing a jade.

In Pingling County, to truly gain a foothold, one needed two things: stability and ruthlessness.

Stability meant having sufficient Martial Dao cultivation, or finding a backer one could trust.

Ruthlessness meant eliminating every trouble before danger arrived.

Luo Yongcheng's current predicament was something he himself would surely encounter one day.

He had to prepare early.

Traveling between two worlds, stance training, breathing, punching.

He trained diligently day and night, and a month slipped away in silence.

Pingling County.

The sky hung heavy, dark clouds massing thickly, as though a downpour were about to break.

Hungry Tiger Martial Hall.

It was time once more for the monthly sparring bout.

The moment the chubby Zhou Yang saw Jiang Shu step inside, he hurried over at a quick trot, the flesh on his face piling into an incomparably flattering grin. "Brother Jiang, you're here! Have you eaten yet, Brother Jiang? I brought some fine Blood Strengthening Wine from Tongfu Restaurant today. Would you do me the honor?"

"This Blood Strengthening Wine isn't like ordinary liquor. I heard it contains several kinds of precious medicinal ingredients."

As Zhou Yang spoke, his voice grew lower and lower, as though he wanted to lean right up to Jiang Shu's ear. "This wine has miraculous effects. Whenever those young masters from wealthy families visit Cloud Sparrow Quarter, they always drink a cup! They can keep going all night without falling!"

"Of course, if Brother Jiang isn't interested in that, you only need to circulate your Qi and Blood. The Blood Strengthening Wine will bolster the Qi and Blood throughout your body, saving you roughly half an hour of arduous stance training!"

Like a man claiming credit, Zhou Yang pointed at the exquisite wooden box that had long been placed nearby, his face full of pride.

He had personally watched Jiang Shu enter Hungry Tiger Martial Hall and rise from complete obscurity to receiving Old Man Chou's praise several times in a row.

Among the forty or fifty apprentices of Hungry Tiger Martial Hall, who had the best chance of becoming a formal disciple?

Without question, it had to be Jiang Shu!

A formal disciple of the martial hall was no ordinary martial artist who had completed the Whole Body Qi and Blood Great Circulation.

Becoming a formal disciple was equivalent to having one foot across the threshold of the Skin Grinding Realm.

With enough Hungry Tiger Secret Medicine, it would take as little as half a year or as long as a year for the Skin Grinding Realm to come naturally, like water flowing into a channel.

If he did not build a good relationship now, should he wait until Jiang Shu had been accepted by Old Man Chou before trying to curry favor? By then, the daylilies would be cold!

Besides, he had once had a tiny little conflict with Jiang Shu. Though he did not know whether Jiang Shu would hold a grudge, smiling and apologizing a little more was still better than doing nothing.

"Hmph."

Before Jiang Shu could reply, footsteps sounded beside them. Luo Yongcheng stepped in through the doorway, glanced at Jiang Shu and Zhou Yang, and let out a cold snort.

"What's his problem?"

Fawning over Jiang Shu did not mean Zhou Yang would indulge anyone else.

If the Luo Family Pharmacy were still in business, he might have yielded a little out of consideration. Not because he was afraid, but simply because he did not want trouble.

But now?

In just over a month, that member of the Yao Family would be celebrating his fiftieth birthday.

After putting in so much effort, the Luo Family Pharmacy's Blood Nourishing Medicinal Cuisine secret formula would certainly appear among the birthday gifts.

Did Luo Yongcheng think he could keep it?

He was dreaming.

"Cut it out. I recall you're about to begin Qi and Blood Circulation too, aren't you? Is there any need to act like this? If you didn't have that kind of talent, then based on what you did to Han Dali, you'd have been thrown out of the martial hall long ago."

"Heh heh..." Hearing Jiang Shu's utterly blunt words, Zhou Yang gave a foolish laugh. He was no ingrate; over this period of time, he had more or less figured out Jiang Shu's temperament.

If he was willing to say a few words, it meant the relationship could still continue.

It seemed the things he had done these past days had not been in vain.

Amid Zhou Yang's continued fawning, the sparring began.

Last month, another two apprentices had been recruited by wealthy households to become senior guards.

Thus, there were not many apprentices on the field today who had achieved the Whole Body Qi and Blood Great Circulation.

Before long, it was the turn of the apprentices undergoing Qi and Blood Circulation to spar.

"First round: Jiang Shu versus Luo Yongcheng."

The maid's voice rang out brightly.

"Junior Brother Jiang, a pleasure."

Luo Yongcheng swiftly stepped onto the field in a few strides.

One dose of Hungry Tiger Secret Medicine only lasted three to five days.

He had been waiting a long time for this day of sparring.

Watching Jiang Shu step onto the field as well, Luo Yongcheng narrowed his eyes and spoke word by word.

This time, he was still very fortunate.

His opponent was not one of those apprentices who had long since begun Qi and Blood Circulation.

Jiang Shu had not even broken through to Qi and Blood Circulation two months ago. He was surely no match for him.

Jiang Shu's victory last month had been purely because of good luck—he had drawn someone with an even weaker foundation.

This month, he would put an end to Jiang Shu's good fortune.

Thinking of how Old Man Chou would occasionally offer Jiang Shu pointers, Luo Yongcheng could not help turning to glance at Old Man Chou, his hands clenched tightly into fists.

If Jiang Shu were defeated by him in the ring shortly, unable to obtain the Hungry Tiger Secret Medicine, what expression would Old Man Chou have? And what expression would Jiang Shu have?

Merely imagining it sent an inexplicable thrill surging up from the depths of his heart!

Without the slightest hesitation, Luo Yongcheng struck first.

For martial artists like them who had yet to reach the Skin Grinding Realm, there were no moves capable of splitting steles and shattering stones.

When the two fought, it came down to whose fists were bigger, whose fists were harder, and whose fists were faster!

Jiang Shu, you think that even if I become a martial artist, it will be useless.

But on the path of Martial Dao, I have never once slackened.

The Hungry Tiger Secret Medicine is mine for the taking!

Luo Yongcheng charged straight in, swinging his right palm and fiercely chopping toward Jiang Shu's chest.

The Tiger Form Three Styles had clearly reached minor mastery as well!

Jiang Shu remained unhurried. With a turn of his feet and a shift of his body, he neatly evaded the most ferocious strike. Letting the palm wind howl past his ear, he retreated.

Compared to last month's head-on exchange of fists and kicks, this month, he understood how to use finesse.

In his view, when two opponents fought, eyesight mattered most.

If one could see the opponent's move in advance, one could choose from several ways to respond.

Retreat at their strongest.

Strike at their weakest.

Pay the smallest price to inflict the greatest damage.

As Jiang Shu retreated, Luo Yongcheng pressed his advantage without mercy, closing in again and chopping down with another palm strike.

Jiang Shu retreated once more.

Yet even as he drew back, one hand swiftly shot out from the side and heavily slapped Luo Yongcheng's shoulder—his lower stance already unstable from overcommitting!

Bang!

With just that one blow, Luo Yongcheng let out a muffled grunt, and his entire offensive was abruptly broken.

Jiang Shu turned and advanced.

His fists and palms came without pause.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Luo Yongcheng blocked again and again, but Jiang Shu's striking, training, and cultivation were already no weaker than his. Now, Jiang Shu's momentum surged in like the tide, endless and unceasing.

In merely a few breaths, offense and defense had reversed. The pain in his shoulder and chest left him unable to muster any strength.

"Scrape..."

After several more heavy blows, Luo Yongcheng staggered back several steps. He planted one foot hard to stop himself, only to find that his body had already crossed beyond the white circle.

He looked up to see Jiang Shu, dressed in his training uniform, give a slight cupped-fist salute. His breathing was steady, and his voice calm.

"Senior Brother Luo, thank you for letting me win."

Feels like the increase in bookmarks today is pretty good? Or is that just my imagination? Don't let only the bookmarks rise while everything else stays still... Everyone, don't forget to keep reading! Ahhh!