The Huang Family Broke Their Agreement

"What a load of dogshit!"

Qiu Wenjie looked coldly at Luo Dehu. "When Senior Brother Xu refused to join you, you all mocked him for being a coward. Now you blame him for not warning you when you were the ones without brains? If Senior Brother Xu had warned you back then, would you have listened?"

Luo Dehu's face flushed red.

Qiu Wenjie continued, "Try using your brain before you speak. All you do is dream of pies falling out of the sky. Senior Brother Xu was supposed to warn you and offend Xue Fangsheng in the process?"

"Enough!"

Xu Yang patted Qiu Wenjie on the shoulder, and only then did Qiu Wenjie stop.

In fact, apart from Tang Ruiyang and the other two who had died, Zhang Yong, Luo Dehu, and the others had won their gamble.

With this money, Qi Gathering might no longer be an impossible dream.

They could use the money to hide out in the Mighty Far Hall and remain there until they succeeded in Qi Gathering. Then Xue Fangsheng would no longer pose a threat.

Xue Fangsheng did not want the matter brought before Lin Cheng either, so he had not withheld a single coin of their share, giving the four of them more than fifty taels in total.

Xu Yang had originally intended to remind them, but Luo Dehu's words had killed his desire to speak. Still, they would probably soon think of staying in the Mighty Far Hall themselves.

His only regret was that he could not see the looks on Tang Ruiyang's and the others' faces. To be honest, seeing Luo Dehu and Qian Jiaxing in such miserable shape had given him a little pleasure.

He had come over so eagerly mainly to see the regret on the faces of those who had mocked him for being a coward.

After a while, Zhang Yong and the others did indeed think of moving into the Mighty Far Hall to avoid Xue Fangsheng. They used the money they had received from him to stay there, leaving him no opportunity to strike.

The next day, the families of Tang Ruiyang, Yang Dacai, and the third man came to the Mighty Far Hall to make a scene. After Zhang Yong, Luo Dehu, and the others gave them some money, the three deaths were simply forgotten.

That day, Xu Yang sparred with Zhang Hong, ending the match by defeating him with Spirit Bear Plucks the Osmanthus.

"You're improving quickly. Within half a month at most, you should reach the threshold," Xu Yang remarked with a sigh.

Zhang Hong had not grown distant from him because of what had happened. He had made his own choice and could blame no one else. Besides, Xu Yang had warned him.

Zhang Yong also seemed to have let go of the matter and occasionally took the initiative to exchange a few words with Xu Yang.

With money now available, both men improved rapidly. Reaching the threshold within half a month would be no problem, but Xu Yang could not judge whether they would succeed in Qi Gathering.

"What about you?"

Zhang Hong wiped the sweat from his face and looked curiously at Xu Yang.

Although they sparred frequently, he still could not fathom Xu Yang's true strength. Xu Yang always seemed to be holding something back.

"Me?"

Xu Yang considered his answer. Just as he seemed to be wondering how to respond, a long, ringing cry suddenly reached them.

Both instinctively turned to look. The cry had come from Lu Ren.

Lu Ren's aura surged and his hair fluttered, his face flushed with excitement. "Hahaha... I've succeeded in Qi Gathering!"

His words stunned everyone in the Outer Court.

Once one succeeded in Qi Gathering, the difference was like that between clouds and mud.

Success in Qi Gathering made one a martial artist of standing. Their strength underwent an earth-shaking transformation, and wherever they went, they would be treated with courtesy and respect.

Lu Ren had succeeded after only two months of martial training, all told, making his achievement even more significant.

The Zhou Yang brothers had begun training half a month before them, yet even now they had not reached the threshold for a breakthrough.

"He actually succeeded in Qi Gathering this quickly!"

Once again, Zhang Hong felt powerless before Lu Ren's talent. As someone selected alongside him from the Huang Family, he naturally wanted to surpass Lu Ren and had been secretly competing with him.

Now, even that last shred of desire to compare himself with Lu Ren vanished.

"We really can't match him."

Zhang Yong walked over as well, his expression full of complicated emotions.

Xu Yang said nothing. He merely watched Luo Dehu and Qian Jiaxing run over to lavish flattery on Lu Ren, while the other Outer Court disciples offered fawning congratulations.

Lu Ren wore a proud expression as he responded to each of his admirers.

"Let's go over. We struggled in the same mud pit, after all. That counts for something."

Zhang Hong stepped forward first.

After a brief hesitation, Zhang Yong followed. By now, he had had enough time to recognize certain cruel realities. His lofty pride had long since been smashed to pieces.

Without overthinking it, Xu Yang calmly walked over.

"Congratulations on your breakthrough!" The three clasped their fists in salute.

Lu Ren returned the salute, then looked at Xu Yang. "If you regret your decision, you can come to me anytime."

He thought he was something special again. What he meant was that, as long as Xu Yang bowed his head, he would still accept him as a follower.

Give someone like him a little face, and he would immediately try to step on yours.

Xu Yang said nothing. He had come to offer congratulations only because of the bond forged through their shared struggles.

"Junior Brother Lu Ren, congratulations!"

A group of mysterious Inner Court disciples strode out from the Inner Court, offering Lu Ren congratulations from a distance, their faces wreathed in smiles.

Even Xue Fangsheng, who had exchanged a few heated words with Lu Ren that day, was among them.

"Junior Brother Lu Ren, if you don't enter the Inner Court with us now, what are you waiting for?" Sun Tao asked with a smile.

Once a disciple broke through and achieved Qi Gathering, he could move from the Outer Court into the Inner Court.

Lu Ren looked even more radiant. "Please, senior brothers, after you!"

With that, the group walked toward the Inner Court, chatting and laughing, leaving behind a crowd of envious Outer Court disciples.

Lu Ren's successful breakthrough had actually brought a whole group of Inner Court disciples out to escort him inside. Such an honor was truly without equal.

An Outer Court disciple had broken through before, but never mind an escort of Inner Court disciples-even Sun Tao had not appeared. The man had gone to the Inner Court on his own.

That was because he had taken three months to break through.

"If I could enjoy such glory one day, I'd die content."

Someone muttered those words to himself.

"Xu Yang, Lu Ren has already broken through. What about you? Can you still follow close on his heels like before?" Zhou Yang suddenly asked, looking at Xu Yang with a smile.

After Xu Yang had beaten him, he had behaved himself much better. But that did not mean the matter between them was over.

At his words, many people turned to look at Xu Yang.

"Worried about me? You'd better worry about yourself. You've been training for two and a half months. Judging by the state of you, I'm afraid all that awaits you is a dismal exit."

"You..."

Xu Yang's words immediately struck a nerve. Most of those who had started alongside Zhou Yang had already left in dejection. After two and a half months, he still had not reached the threshold for a breakthrough, and he had long been frantic with anxiety.

A little later, the Huang Family's Fifth Master and Second Master arrived together, bringing gifts straight into the Mighty Far Hall's Inner Court.

Before long, the three appeared together in the Outer Court and announced that the Huang Family would hire Lu Ren as an Attendant martial artist for fifteen taels of silver a month, sharing honor and disgrace alike.

Another uproar swept through the Outer Court. Most martial artists received ten taels for serving as Attendants. Those paid fifteen were generally true geniuses.

Not long after the announcement, Lu Ren left with Huang Jin and Huang Ping. Apparently, the Huang Family had prepared a courtyard residence for him. They were taking him to see the house and arrange its furnishings, with a banquet scheduled for later.

"Now that's real grandeur!"

The importance the Huang Family placed on Lu Ren left Zhang Yong and Zhang Hong deeply envious.

[Comprehension: 21]

[Bone Root: 40]

[Cultivation: none]

[Techniques: Turtle-Snake Great Stance · beginner (99/100), Mountain-Shaking Bear Fist · beginner (149/150)]

[Skills: Mining lv.3 (283/400)]

[Remaining lifespan: 57]

[Martial Dao Longevity Points: 35]

"I'm almost there too!"

Xu Yang looked at the panel. Even though he had not used it to improve himself over the past half month, both his Turtle-Snake Great Stance and Mountain-Shaking Bear Fist had reached the threshold yesterday, leaving him just one final step away.

His Bone Root had already risen to "40" ten days earlier, entering Grade B.

If he had not felt that his body still needed a little more tempering, he could have used the panel to break through today, before Lu Ren did.