Du Ruming!

"Ah, right, Junior Brother, I'm getting married next month. Don't forget to come drink at the wedding banquet!"

After mentioning the extra benefits, Lian Taoze suddenly brought it up with a grin on the way to Warehouse No. 2.

"Senior Brother, you're getting married?"

"That's right." Lian Taoze chuckled, a rare hint of shyness in his tone. "I've trained and trained, but this is about as far as I'll get. I might as well start a family early and have a few children, hoping they'll go farther than I did on the martial path. Speaking of which, meeting your sister-in-law was fate. Although we'd only met a few times, I just felt in my heart that she was the one for me in this lifetime, so we settled things."

"Good. I'll definitely come when the time comes, Senior Brother."

Zhou Chen was happy for Lian Taoze as well.

"By the way, Junior Brother, aren't you considering getting married early?" Lian Taoze asked again.

"I'll put that off for now. I plan to practice martial arts for a few more years."

Lian Taoze immediately looked at him with the eyes of an experienced man. "That's true. When my father and uncle introduced marriage prospects to me back then, I had exactly the same thoughts as you. I always thought I was sharp and exceptional, a special existence among men. But after being battered by the ways of the world, my mindset gradually changed. When you change your mind someday, come find your senior brother. I'll introduce you to a few good matches."

"Sure. Then I'll trouble you, Senior Brother."

Zhou Chen chuckled. What he had said was true. He really hadn't considered marriage and children. Before he had formidable strength, he simply couldn't think about such things. At present, protecting his family was already difficult enough. How could he possibly involve himself in a marriage as well?

Soon, the two of them arrived at Warehouse No. 2.

The street was secluded and quiet. Behind the warehouse stood a densely packed cluster of residences, their walls towering high, with thorns and sharp iron spikes covering the tops—clearly meant to stop people from climbing over.

Several guards were patrolling back and forth at the entrance. When they saw Lian Taoze arrive, one of the youths leading them hurried over with a face full of smiles and called out, "Senior Brother! You're here!"

Zhou Chen was startled when he saw him, because this person was precisely the youth named Chen He. He hadn't expected Chen He to have become a guard at Lian Taoze's home.

"Hehe, Xiao He, let me introduce you. Junior Brother Zhou will be stationed at Warehouse No. 2 from now on."

The youth called Chen He froze. He wondered to himself: When he had been practicing martial arts, how come he didn't remember a disciple surnamed Zhou among those who had hoped to break through?

He cautiously raised his head to look at Zhou Chen. When he saw Zhou Chen's face clearly, he froze again!

It was this senior brother!

He had never imagined that the usually most inconspicuous Zhou Chen would successfully break through and become a Martial Warrior.

The shock in his heart flashed past, but Chen He was no longer the proud, high-spirited youth he had once been.

After being tempered by the ways of the world, he had become much more slick-tongued. He hurriedly bowed and said with a smile, "Congratulations, Senior Brother Zhou! Congratulations, Senior Brother Zhou! Back when we were at the hall, I already felt that you had an extraordinary bearing and were no ordinary person trapped in a pond. As expected, it's come true. If you have any orders at Warehouse No. 2 in the future, just call on me."

Zhou Chen looked at his oily, ingratiating manner, and a complicated feeling suddenly welled up in his heart.

If he hadn't possessed that Divine Statue, he probably would have spent his entire life like Chen He—bending at the waist and smiling apologetically before others, cautiously begging for a job.

At that moment, another man in his thirties strode out of the courtyard. His muscles bulged high, and he had a round face, a crew cut, and short stubble covering his cheeks. A long saber hung at his waist. Seeing Lian Taoze, he clasped his fists with a hearty smile. Zhou Chen had expected his voice to be rough and rugged, but it was unexpectedly rather delicate as he said, "Second Young Master! Long time no see!"

"Brother Du, let me introduce you. This is Junior Brother Zhou Chen. From now on, the two of you will guard Warehouse No. 2 together and look after each other. That will put my mind at ease." Lian Taoze returned the salute.

"Good day, Brother Du!"

Zhou Chen hurriedly cupped his fists.

According to Lian Taoze, Du Ruming had come from Plum Rain Martial Hall. His cultivation was on par with Lian Taoze's, and both were at Minor Accomplishment in Skin Tempering. His Plum Blossom Saber Technique had also reached Minor Accomplishment. Once he truly fought, he was far more troublesome than ordinary Martial Warriors of the same realm.

However, looking at this man's round face, crew cut, and short beard, Zhou Chen couldn't help feeling that he resembled the iconic look of some city from his previous life, which made him feel somewhat strange.

"Brother Zhou, you're too polite!" Du Ruming laughed heartily. "If the two of us didn't both have to guard this warehouse, I'd definitely drag you out for a few drinks tonight. Second Young Master, rest assured. With Brother Zhou and me here, nothing will go wrong at this warehouse."

"Good. You two talk things over. I'll head back first." Lian Taoze waved his hand and turned to leave.

Afterward, Du Ruming took Zhou Chen on a tour around the warehouse, then introduced him one by one to the guards and accountants there and explained the specific procedures.

It was nothing more than preventing fires and theft. Every day, the two of them would each take people out on two patrols.

As for the accountants' task of checking the medicinal materials and goods entering the warehouse, Du Ruming told him not to worry about it and to focus on cultivating. However, the patrol times couldn't be fixed, lest someone figure out the pattern and exploit a gap.

Du Ruming said bluntly, "Just do it according to your mood. Two patrols a day, no fewer. The rest is up to you."

Zhou Chen nodded inwardly. Du Ruming looked rough and boorish, but he was meticulous in his work.

Finally, Chen He led him to the residence assigned to him, a small courtyard right next to the warehouse.

The room wasn't large, but it had every piece of furniture one could need. The bed and bedding were all new, and there was even a wooden training dummy in the courtyard for practicing fists.

Zhou Chen looked around, quite satisfied.

Du Ruming had also said earlier that his own residence was spacious. If Zhou Chen found it boring to live alone, he could stay with him, and they could even bathe together or the like. Upon hearing this, Zhou Chen naturally hurriedly declined, refusing Brother Du's goodwill.

After putting down his things, Zhou Chen immediately assumed a stance and began practicing the Wild Bull Fist, striving to reach Minor Accomplishment in the technique as soon as possible.

Over the following days, the old residence was successfully sold, earning Zhou Chen another ten taels of silver. His savings had now reached the enormous sum of forty-two taels.

When buying meat, Zhou Chen discovered a black meat called Blood Deer. It contained more Miasma Poison and Blood Vitality, but its price was several times higher than Eye Meat. After asking Zhang Ying, he learned that although this meat contained a great deal of Miasma Poison, it was also rich in Blood Vitality, whose essence could be extracted through a secret method and refined into medicine.

Zhou Chen had now become a First-Rank Martial Artist and naturally ate more. He hoped to take in more Blood Vitality and Miasma Poison while eating the same amount. Besides, eating too much of the old Eye Meat left too many impurities, forcing him to visit the latrine many times a day, which was truly troublesome. Thus, he began buying Blood Deer meat to eat.

However, the price of fifty or sixty copper coins per pound still made his heart ache. At that price, he could buy some fairly good white meat.

But the benefits were astonishing!

Every day, he could accumulate one cun of Mist Incense!

During this period, Zhou Chen also experienced the effects of using Blood-Boiling Powder. He had to admit, taking medicine really felt incredible!

After bathing, soaking, and absorbing it, the Blood Vitality throughout his body circulated nearly half again as fast as normal. It was like putting premium gasoline into a car that normally used regular fuel. Whether it was Stake-Standing Exercise or fist techniques, practicing them brought twice the results with half the effort. Unfortunately, one dose of Qi-Blood Powder could only last a day, and even the three doses per month allocated to him by the Lian Household were nowhere near enough!

After experiencing it, Zhou Chen thought of the silver in his possession. Gritting his teeth, he decided to use Blood-Boiling Powder every day, gorge himself on expensive Blood Deer meat, and cultivate faster through internal and external supplementation!

A month passed in the blink of an eye. During this period, Zhou Chen traveled diligently between home, the warehouse, and the martial hall every day, practicing martial arts with all his might.

During this time, Du Song indeed failed to achieve Initiation and left dejectedly. Zhou Chen had a small gathering with Du Song that day and drank a few cups of wine. Du Song became drunk and couldn't help burying his face in his arms and weeping bitterly.

"Senior Brother Zhou, I originally thought that if I could truly achieve something in martial arts, I'd one day marry Xiaocui in grand style, and that would count as not failing my parents' painstaking efforts. Unfortunately... I really wasn't fated for it."

Du Song wiped his face and forced a smile. "Fortunately, Cui'er doesn't despise me. Once her term is over and she leaves, the two of us will set up a sesame-cake stall. We'll be able to get by somehow. It's just that whenever I think of my parents, already advanced in years, still going through the streets and alleys selling sesame cakes for my sake... it truly leaves a bitter taste in my heart."

He paused, lifted his cup, and downed another mouthful. "I'm not good at saying anything else, so I'll just wish Senior Brother Zhou success on the martial path and a future as bright as brocade."

For a moment, Zhou Chen didn't know how to comfort him. He could only clink cups and drink with Du Song. Afterward, Du Song became completely drunk. His body went limp, and his head slammed heavily toward the table.

Bang!

Zhou Chen smashed his fist into the wooden training dummy, leaving an incomparably deep fist mark. He slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air.

He looked toward the panel.

[Martial Art: Wild Bull Fist (Initiation) 578/1000]

[Realm: First-Rank Skin Tempering Realm (Minor Accomplishment) 268/2000)]

During this period, he had devoted most of his time to practicing the "Wild Bull Fist." In this one month, he had spent more than twenty taels of silver, but the benefits were obvious as well: the Wild Bull Fist's progress had increased by more than half!

The Mist Incense in his mind had also accumulated to three chi in length!

The feeling of spending money to grow really was different!

Zhou Chen slowly exhaled, then lit the Mist Incense in his mind. "Come on! Divine Statue, fill me up with your experience points!"