Fortune in the Novice Village

The Heavenly Wolf Gang's Merit Transmission Hall was located in the rear courtyard of the headquarters, with a training ground spanning a thousand zhang for the gang members to practice.

All members newly inducted into the Heavenly Wolf Gang had to train there for half a year to a year before being assigned to different halls based on their strength and performance.

Chen Yuan had caught Jiang Kaitai's eye while training in the Merit Transmission Hall and had been taken in as his adopted son.

There were only a dozen or so people in the Merit Transmission Hall. Aside from Chen Yuan's trusted attendants, the rest were retired veteran members of the Heavenly Wolf Gang serving as instructors.

When they saw Chen Yuan return, the old instructors respectfully greeted him and addressed him as Hall Master.

On the path of martial arts, the accomplished came first. Though Chen Yuan was young, his understanding of the Heavenly Wolf Gang's martial arts ran far deeper than theirs.

Moreover, Chen Yuan was generous and never stingy with his insights and experience, earning the respect of these old instructors.

Chen Yuan no longer needed to personally teach these newcomers in daily life. The old instructors could handle it, leaving him, the Hall Master, quite idle most of the time.

Returning to his room, Chen Yuan took out a notebook filled with all manner of obscure words and symbols.

During the first few days after transmigrating, he had recorded every opportunity he remembered from Linked Mountains City and elsewhere.

He could not be sure whether time would make him forget, so he had immediately recorded everything in a way he could understand.

After staring at the notebook in thought for a long while, Chen Yuan put it away as his mind raced.

What he needed to do now was not only earn Jiang Kaitai's trust, but more importantly, improve his strength.

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Without strength, no matter how much he plotted, it would all be empty fantasy.

In this jianghu, the strong had always been revered. Power was the foundation of everything.

Of the Nine Martial Realms, Chen Yuan was currently only in the first realm, the Body-Tempering Realm.

This realm merely involved tempering the flesh and refining one's physique and strength.

It could be said that ninety percent of martial artists in the jianghu who had never cultivated internal arts were in the Body-Tempering Realm.

Beyond that was the Meridian-Unblocking Realm. One had to possess an internal cultivation method and gather inner force to open the Eight Extraordinary Meridians, using the meridians' power to further increase one's strength.

Chen Yuan did have an internal cultivation method. It was the "Azure Wood Method" taught to him by Jiang Kaitai.

Qin Yuancheng, Chu Ziping, and quite a few hall masters of the Heavenly Wolf Gang all cultivated this internal art.

But this internal art possessed virtually no advantages. Its cultivation progress was incredibly slow, and its inner force grew at a turtle's pace. It could only increase by the slightest amount through the passage of time.

If it had any advantage at all, it was that it was balanced and peaceful, with no risk of cultivation deviation.

Jianghu II classified cultivation methods into four grades: Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow. Each grade was further divided into upper, middle, and lower ranks.

The Azure Wood Method was a Yellow Tier lower-rank cultivation method, standard trash among trash.

As for martial skills, Chen Yuan only knew the Heavenly Wolf Saber Art, a Yellow Tier middle-rank saber technique that everyone in the Heavenly Wolf Gang knew.

However, Chen Yuan was talented and had cultivated it to an exceptional level, enough to instantly defeat most Body-Tempering Realm martial artists of the same level.

The Heavenly Wolf Gang did possess higher-grade cultivation methods. Jiang Kaitai did not cultivate the Azure Wood Method, but a Yellow Tier upper-rank internal art known as the Black Fiend Art.

Jiang Kaitai's famous ultimate move, the Northern Dipper Sky Wolf Slash, was an advancement of the Heavenly Wolf Saber Art and could rank as a Profound Tier lower-rank technique.

However, Jiang Kaitai was cautious and suspicious by nature. He had never passed down either the Black Fiend Art or the Northern Dipper Sky Wolf Slash, keeping both firmly in his own hands.

If Chen Yuan wanted higher-grade cultivation methods and martial skills, he could only find a way within Linked Mountains City.

As one of Jianghu II's novice villages, Linked Mountains City did not have particularly high overall martial strength.

The strongest people in the city were Jiang Kaitai and Blackwater Gang Leader Yuan Dongtian. Both had reached the fourth martial realm, the Qi Forging Realm, and could release true qi externally.

But although Linked Mountains City was not a high-level location, that did not mean it lacked good things.

Those good things were simply hidden deeply, serving as Easter eggs waiting for players to uncover them.

And now, all those good things belonged to Chen Yuan.

After locking the notebook in a cabinet, Chen Yuan began meditating with his eyes closed.

Though the Azure Wood Method's cultivation progress was painfully slow, Chen Yuan did not want to waste time without an alternative. Even the slightest improvement was better than nothing.

After all, time waited for no one. There were less than three months left until Jiang Kaitai performed the blood sacrifice for the divine artifact.

Early the next morning, after breakfast, Chen Yuan called for his trusted attendant Zhang Xiaoyi and had him prepare a carriage.

Zhang Xiaoyi was only eighteen this year. He was simple and guileless, with some youthful immaturity still visible on his face.

His parents had died early, leaving him no choice but to join a gang to make a living.

Because of his young age, he had been bullied by other gang members while training in the Merit Transmission Hall. Once, he had nearly been beaten to death, but Chen Yuan had saved him and made him his attendant.

From that day onward, Zhang Xiaoyi had been utterly loyal to Chen Yuan. Though his strength was average, he was diligent and dependable.

Thus, after transmigrating, Chen Yuan had continued keeping him at his side.

"Young Master, where are we going?"

"Black-Clothes Alley."

Zhang Xiaoyi drove the carriage all the way to Black-Clothes Alley. As soon as they reached the corner by the alley entrance, Chen Yuan suddenly said, "Stop here and wait for me."

Chen Yuan stepped down from the carriage, walked over to the beggar he had given money to yesterday, and handed him another small piece of broken silver.

But this time, Chen Yuan did not leave. He stood before the beggar as though waiting for a response.

This ragged, filthy beggar lying sprawled there was one of Linked Mountains City's opportunities.

The beggar had once been Duan Mubai, heir to Zhenshan Martial Arts Academy, the foremost martial arts academy in Linked Mountains City.

He had been handsome, charming, and romantic. Several years ago, he had been considered a well-known figure in Linked Mountains City.

When Duan Mubai's father, Duan Zhenshan, had still been alive, Duan Mubai had been a carefree young noble. He had not cared much about martial cultivation and had barely involved himself in the academy's affairs.

Once, Duan Zhenshan had gone out to repay a favor. He had been perfectly fine when he left, but had returned as a corpse.

After the academy master died unexpectedly, Duan Mubai had no choice but to take over Zhenshan Martial Arts Academy, hurriedly becoming its master.

But Lin Jingqi, Duan Zhenshan's senior disciple, had openly challenged Duan Mubai. He claimed Duan Mubai was unqualified to become academy master, saying that he could not even properly use Zhenshan Martial Arts Academy's secret Great Coiling Silk Hand. What right did he have to lead the academy?

Lin Jingqi gathered some disciples to cause trouble, forcing Duan Mubai to accept the challenge. They even signed a life-and-death agreement: if Duan Mubai lost, Zhenshan Martial Arts Academy would be handed over to Lin Jingqi.

Though Duan Mubai had once been a carefree young noble, he possessed considerable martial talent.

Even without putting much effort into cultivation, he had reached the late Body-Tempering Realm.

Furthermore, he had received his father's secret teachings, making him slightly stronger than Lin Jingqi.

But Lin Jingqi had long been having an affair with Duan Mubai's junior sister, who was also Duan Mubai's childhood sweetheart and fiancée. Lin Jingqi had instructed her to administer a light dose of Bone-Softening Powder to Duan Mubai the day before the duel.

Then, during the match, Lin Jingqi not only defeated Duan Mubai, but viciously used the Duan Clan's ancestral Great Coiling Silk Hand to crush the bones in his hands and feet, turning him into a cripple.

Yet to demonstrate his magnanimity, Lin Jingqi did not kill Duan Mubai. He merely drove him out of Zhenshan Martial Arts Academy, leaving him a beggar crippled in both hands and feet.

In the original storyline, a player had pitied Duan Mubai. He could not even compete with other beggars for alms, so the player gave him one copper coin every day.

Some players were simply like that. They did strange, inexplicable things in games that had nothing to do with the main storyline.

On the tenth day, Duan Mubai, who had never responded before, would teach the player Zhenshan Martial Arts Academy's true ultimate skill in gratitude: the Coiling Silk Shattered Jade Hand.

Zhenshan Martial Arts Academy's Great Coiling Silk Hand was merely an ordinary grappling art, only at the level of a Yellow Tier lower-rank technique.

But the Coiling Silk Shattered Jade Hand was a Profound Tier upper-rank martial skill. One aspect was hard and the other soft; it cultivated both Silk-Winding Force and Shattered-Jade Force, combining hardness and softness with boundless power.

Afterward, Duan Mubai would ask the player to help him kill Lin Jingqi and avenge him after mastering the skill. Once the player killed Lin Jingqi, he would receive an achievement.

In a small city like Linked Mountains City, the Profound Tier upper-rank Coiling Silk Shattered Jade Hand was an exceptionally rare and outstanding martial skill, enough to grant a tremendous advantage during the novice stage.

Chen Yuan stood before Duan Mubai for a long while, only to find him still lying there without the slightest movement.

What was this supposed to mean?

Back then, someone gave him one copper coin a day, and he had eagerly handed over the Coiling Silk Shattered Jade Hand himself.

I give you a piece of silver every day, and now you're playing dead with me?

Chen Yuan waited for a moment. Seeing that there was still no response, he could only cough and say in a deep voice, "Duan Mubai, are you truly willing to spend the rest of your life as a beggar, watching your father's life's work be stolen and occupied by someone else?"

This time, Duan Mubai finally moved.

He laboriously raised his head to look at Chen Yuan and asked in a hoarse voice, "What else can I do? I'm a cripple. What can I use to take revenge? What can I use to reclaim Zhenshan Martial Arts Academy?"

"Your Duan Clan's foundation, of course!"

Chen Yuan crouched in front of Duan Mubai and said quietly, "Teach me your Duan Clan's Coiling Silk Shattered Jade Hand. I'll help you kill Lin Jingqi and reclaim Zhenshan Martial Arts Academy!"

A sharp gleam erupted in Duan Mubai's eyes as he stared straight at Chen Yuan, seemingly wondering why Chen Yuan knew of the Coiling Silk Shattered Jade Hand.

His father, Duan Zhenshan, had never taught this ultimate skill to any other disciple, nor had he ever used it in public.

Though Duan Mubai had learned it, his mastery was insufficient to perform it in full, so he had never displayed it either.

After taking a deep breath, Duan Mubai asked, "You are Chen Yuan, Hall Master of the Merit Transmission Hall and one of the Heavenly Wolf Gang's Three Elites?"

Chen Yuan nodded.

It was not strange that Duan Mubai knew him.

Chen Yuan had kept a low profile in the past, but recently, in order to earn Jiang Kaitai's favor, he had made several moves.

Especially after publicly killing Hu Laosan at Worry-Free Tower, Chen Yuan's name had spread throughout Linked Mountains City.

Duan Mubai might be a beggar now, but beggars discussed jianghu gossip too.

"Fine! As long as you bring me Lin Jingqi's head, I'll give you the Coiling Silk Shattered Jade Hand!"

Duan Mubai's eyes were bloodshot. Merely mentioning Lin Jingqi's name made it seem as though he wanted to grind his teeth to pieces.

"You won't give me the Coiling Silk Shattered Jade Hand first? You want me to bring you the head before you give me the technique?"

Chen Yuan immediately felt somewhat frustrated.

Before, that player had given him one copper coin a day, and he had happily handed over the technique himself, practically begging the player to avenge him.

I give you a piece of silver every day and voluntarily offer to avenge you, yet you still don't trust me? You insist on seeing the head before giving me the technique? That's far too much of a double standard, isn't it?

Duan Mubai said bluntly, "You are a gang member. I don't trust you. If you take the technique and refuse to avenge me, there's nothing I can do to you.

"Of course, you can capture me now and torture the technique out of me. But I believe that in the end, I will certainly take my Duan Clan's ancestral secret skill with me to the Netherworld."

Chen Yuan was speechless for a moment. In the end, he could only say, "Deal. One hand gives the head, the other gives the technique."

Torturing Duan Mubai was not realistic.

His body was severely depleted. He might die from the slightest touch.

This matter with Duan Mubai also taught Chen Yuan a lesson.

This was not truly a game where every character operated according to a fixed script.

The one who had given Duan Mubai money in the original storyline had merely been an ordinary player, outwardly appearing to be a poor, low-level jianghu drifter.

Charity and assistance from someone of the same social standing naturally moved people more deeply.

It was like how no one found it remarkable when the richest man donated billions, but an elderly scavenger donating a few hundred yuan could move people to tears.

Moreover, Chen Yuan's identity as a gang member truly made him difficult to trust.

The two gangs controlling Linked Mountains City were not good organizations. Their reputations were terrible, and oppressing merchants and commoners, bullying others, and monopolizing trade were commonplace.

There was another reason as well: the timing was different.

The original storyline took place later than this. By then, Duan Mubai was likely already at death's door.

So before dying, he had chosen to gamble once, selecting someone he believed trustworthy enough to receive the technique and avenge him.

Duan Mubai still had some time left now. It was only natural for him to be wary of Chen Yuan, who had come forward on his own initiative.

Chen Yuan stood and instructed Zhang Xiaoyi, "Find several gang members to keep an eye on him. Buy him some food, and don't let anything happen to him.

"Then go to the Merit Transmission Hall and find more than a dozen gang members whose cultivation progress ranks near the top. Come with me to Zhenshan Martial Arts Academy."