How Did You Become a Martial Warrior?

"You!"

Pockmarked Face was so furious that his mind went blank. In his eyes, Zhou Chen came from a poor background and had limited talent; a little intimidation should have been enough to make him submit. Who would have thought Zhou Chen would actually tell him to get lost!

What he hated most was people mentioning the pockmarks on his face!

No matter who it was!

"Hey! Junior Brother Pockmarked! Don't force him. It is entirely up to our junior brother whether he wishes to do so. I never force others into anything."

Ma Pengcheng raised a hand at just the right moment to stop Pockmarked Face, then waved it casually, putting on an air of tolerance and magnanimity.

"I..."

Pockmarked Face shot Zhou Chen a vicious glare, clenched his fists, then turned to Ma Pengcheng with a smile. "Senior Brother Ma, my surname is Zhang..."

"Did I remember it wrong?"

Ma Pengcheng looked at him.

"It's fine. Junior Brother Pockmarked sounds nice too."

Pockmarked Face smiled, then silently added in his heart, Aside from senior brothers stronger than me, no one else is allowed to mention the pockmarks on my face!

After placating Pockmarked Face, Ma Pengcheng smiled at Zhou Chen. "But Junior Brother, are you truly unwilling to reconsider? If I join the Noble Family Trading House, my benefits will double. Then what Qi-Blood Soup couldn't I repay you for? A hundred taels, a thousand taels—those would be trivial matters."

His voice sounded mild, but anyone could hear the threat beneath it: I'm giving you one last chance.

In his view, with the status of an Ordinary Disciple and his own strength, if he applied pressure once more, Zhou Chen would obediently agree so long as he was not an idiot.

Yet the next moment, Zhou Chen calmly shook his head. "Thank you for your kind offer, Senior Brother."

He did not believe a single word Ma Pengcheng said.

The further one progressed on the martial path, the more money slipped through one's fingers.

Upon reaching the Flesh Tempering Realm and Bone Tempering Realm, one had to keep up a daily supply of fish, meat, and nourishing soups to prevent one's vital blood from declining.

Even if Ma Pengcheng truly reached Major Accomplishment in the Flesh Tempering Realm and found himself a fine posting through the Guild, the resources he earned would barely be enough to sustain himself. Where would he find the spare money to "repay him a thousand taels"?

Anyone who believed that would be a damn idiot!

"Fine!" The smile on Ma Pengcheng's lips did not change, though an imperceptible chill flashed through his eyes. Still smiling broadly, he said, "Whenever Junior Brother changes his mind, come find me at any time."

After saying that, he turned and left with his people, as though his earlier words had merely been spoken in passing.

But after he had taken only two steps, the people behind him began cursing under their breaths.

"Damn it, this trash really doesn't know what's good for him. We gave him face, and he threw it away! There are only forty days left of the three-month deadline. If he can complete Initiation, I'll eat shit standing on my head!"

"That's what I've been saying. Letting him drink Qi-Blood Soup is a waste. He's drunk so much of it, yet his Stake-Standing Exercise still hasn't even reached Initiation. I've never seen such trash. It would be better to let Senior Brother Ma drink it and build his cultivation. If Senior Brother Ma hadn't stopped me, I would've taught him a lesson today."

"People like him have never been beaten, so they don't know what's good for them."

The voices were not loud, yet they drifted straight into Zhou Chen's ears.

Zhou Chen stood where he was, watching their retreating backs as he narrowed his eyes slightly.

That was how the world worked. If you did not obey, you were in the wrong. Even if you had done nothing wrong, hatred could come knocking from the most inexplicable places.

But on the martial path, seizing another's fortune and opportunities was no different from murdering their parents!

Ma Pengcheng had coveted his Qi-Blood Soup time and again. He had already crossed Zhou Chen's bottom line!

What was more, Zhou Chen did not believe Ma Pengcheng was truly as magnanimous as he pretended to be.

Who knew what stumbling blocks he might place in Zhou Chen's path later? He might even make a move against him!

"When all is said and done, I'm still too weak... If I became stronger, who would dare snatch things from my hands?"

Zhou Chen slammed a fist into the wooden training dummy, his gaze icy.

Although he had already broken through to become a First-Rank Martial Artist, Ma Pengcheng had been at the first rank for several years. His vital blood had long since reached Major Accomplishment, and his fist art had also achieved Minor Accomplishment. His overall strength was unquestionably above Zhou Chen's.

For now, he could not tear off all pretense!

From the moment he began practicing martial arts, he had made up his mind: even if conflict arose, in public, whenever he needed to yield, he would yield. He only needed to strike from the shadows afterward.

After all, in his view, only fighting across realms was the safest course.

Of course, by fighting across realms, he meant using a higher realm to crush a lower one!

Using a higher realm to fight a lower one was still fighting across realms. Nothing wrong with that!

"I'll remember this for now. Once I'm strong enough... just watch how I kill you!"

Zhou Chen muttered to himself, placing Ma Pengcheng on the blacklist in his heart first.

Several fellow disciples beside him watched with concern.

"Junior Brother Zhou, you were too rash. Senior Brother Ma holds some prestige even among the Ordinary Disciples, and he was right as well. You have no hope of completing Initiation within three months. You might as well forge a good relationship with him."

"Exactly. Once you have him as a backer, if you go back to do business, even the gangs might waive your monthly protection fees."

"Besides, Senior Brother Ma is in charge of managing us Registered Disciples this month. He'll surely find ways to make things difficult for you!"

Zhou Chen paid them no mind. Seeing that he would not listen to their advice, some people quietly began distancing themselves from him, afraid of being dragged into trouble.

But it did not matter. A fierce tiger walked alone; only cattle and sheep traveled in herds.

Du Song, however, eagerly came over. He pulled a flatbread from his robes and started gnawing on it, then plopped down on the ground and spoke up for Zhou Chen. "Damn it, that Ma bastard is really pushing his luck! Don't take it to heart. If he won't give it to you, he can't just openly rob you of it!"

As he spoke, he held the flatbread toward Zhou Chen. "Hey, want some? My family's flatbread—crispy outside, soft inside, and fragrant as hell!"

Zhou Chen glanced at the black grime beneath Du Song's fingernails and hurriedly smiled as he shook his head. "No, I need to save room for my meal later."

Du Song really was a good guy. While everyone else avoided Zhou Chen, he had eagerly come over and even offered him flatbread. It was just that his hygiene habits were truly too careless. The flatbread smelled wonderful, but Zhou Chen really could not bring himself to take a bite.

"True enough. You eat with the direct disciples, so your meals are much better than my flatbread."

Du Song took a huge bite, his cheeks puffing out like a hamster's. As he chewed, the smile on his face gradually faded, replaced by an unconcealable melancholy. "Ah Chen, have you figured out a way out for yourself? My three months will be up in a few days, but neither my Stake-Standing Exercise nor my fist art has accomplished anything. I'm still far from it. My parents won't let me work as a guard, saying it's too dangerous. They insist I go back and sell flatbread... What about you? What are you planning to do?"

In his eyes, Zhou Chen was just like him—there was absolutely no way he could complete Initiation within three months.

Before Zhou Chen could speak, Elder Zheng came over for his usual inspection. Zhou Chen could only say, "I got lucky. Yesterday, I broke through and became a First-Rank Martial Artist. Master Zheng is here, so I'll report to him first."

"Mm-hm, go ahead." Du Song took another large bite of flatbread and casually waved his hand.

Then he suddenly froze.

The flatbread in his hand stopped in midair. His mouth was still chewing, but his entire body seemed to have been petrified.

He raised his head, his eyes widening as he stared fixedly at Zhou Chen's retreating back. His face was filled with disbelief. He wanted to say something, but the flatbread was too dry and lodged in his throat. He could only pound frantically at his chest, his face turning red from the strain, bloodshot veins appearing in his bulging eyes.

What had he just heard?

Zhou Chen, whose bones and talent were below average just like his, had completed Initiation?!

"Holy shit!!!"

Du Song finally swallowed the flatbread, grabbed his bamboo tube, and gulped down a mouthful of cold water. He choked and coughed violently, but his eyes remained fixed on the direction Zhou Chen had gone. His mind buzzed, and his face was full of shock!

Zhou Chen had become a Martial Warrior!!!

Bro!

Didn't we agree to go back and sell flatbread together?

How did you become a Martial Warrior first?!