Starting as pearl divers, they have endless jobs.

Chapter 8 Making Money in Boiling Oil, A Swift and Invisible Blade
Fang Tao turned around abruptly and was taken aback to see that it was Chen Ye who was speaking.

He knew Chen Ye was talented, but this skill required years of hard work and practice. Chen Ye had only been in the industry for half a year, so how much skill could he possibly have?
"Chen Ye, this is no joke!"

"Don't worry, young master, I know what I'm doing." Chen Ye gave him a reassuring look, then stepped into the center of the arena and clasped his hands in a fist salute to the four directions.

His appearance immediately sparked a discussion.

"Who's this kid? He looks completely unfamiliar!"

"Hey, does Fang Tao have no one else to rely on? He actually sent out this greenhorn to die?"

The girls on the other side of the colorful gate had shimmering eyes.

Today, Chen Ye is tall and handsome, with a calm demeanor, which contrasts sharply with the rough and rugged men around him.

Chen Ye ignored these comments and simply looked at the arrogant man opposite him before speaking.

"Does it mean we've won if I can fish the money out of this frying pan like you?"

“That’s right!” The man raised his head, his face full of disdain.

"it is good."

Chen Ye nodded, and then did something that left everyone in the room speechless.

He pulled out a handful of copper coins from his pocket and threw them all into the boiling oil pot with a whoosh!

A dozen or so copper coins sank to the bottom instantly.

"Holy crap, is this kid insane?!"

"What does he want to do?"

The entire audience erupted in uproar, and even Fang Tao's heart was in his throat.

However, Chen Ye remained expressionless. Amidst the astonished gazes of the man and everyone else, his eyes narrowed, and he brought his index and middle fingers together, plunging them into the boiling oil like lightning.

Immediately afterwards, Chen Ye withdrew his hand, a copper coin slick with hot oil between his fingers.

With a clinking sound, Chen Ye tossed the copper coin into the tray beside him.

Before everyone could recover from their shock, Chen Ye's fingers didn't even pause for a moment before probing in again!
Ding ding ding...

The crisp sounds came one after another, so fast it was dazzling.

In the blink of an eye, he retrieved every single copper coin that had sunk to the bottom of the pot.

Looking at Chen Ye's fingers again, they were fair and slender, and there was not even a red mark, let alone a burn.

Everyone was stunned, including the arrogant man who had been so cocky just moments before. He was now staring blankly at the pile of steaming copper coins on the tray, his expression as if he had seen a ghost.

"You flatter me!" Chen Ye clasped his hands in a fist salute, his expression calm and composed.

"it is good!"

Fang Tao was the first to stand up, clapping and cheering excitedly.

He knew Chen Ye was talented, but he didn't expect him to be this talented.

In just six months, he was able to retrieve copper coins from boiling oil without a scratch, a skill that surpassed many seasoned veterans who had been in the business for years.

As soon as he started, people applauded and cheered.

The girls from the Cai Zi Men group, in particular, even started using whistles.

"Young man, I'm rooting for you!"

"Hey bro, do you have a wife? If not, how about me? I'm really good at taking care of people."

These traveling performers were all very outgoing and uninhibited, so they spoke without any restraint, almost to the point of directly flirting with the girls.

Yang Ze, however, had a gloomy expression and stared intently at Chen Ye, seemingly lost in thought.

At the same time, Chen Ye also had an unexpected surprise.

Just now, a system notification suddenly appeared in front of me.

[Skill: Miraculous Healing lv7→ lv9]

Chen Ye was somewhat surprised. He had only intended to help Fang Tao out of a predicament and dampen his arrogance, but he never expected that his display of skill in front of others would actually raise his "Miraculous Hands" skill by two levels.

That's really great.

Chen Ye remained expressionless, clasped his hands in a fist salute to the crowd once more, and then prepared to step down from the stage.

Just then, a cold voice came from behind.

"Wait!"

Chen Ye turned his head and saw Yang Ze staring at him with a gloomy expression, which made him feel a little wary.

What does this guy want to do?
At the same time, Fang Tao suddenly stood up, stared intently at Yang Ze, and said coldly, "Yang Ze, what do you want to do? Are you trying to renege on your debt?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the men behind Fang Tao stood up abruptly, silently staring at Yang Ze's group. Yang Ze's men, not to be outdone, also rose and confronted Fang Tao's forces.

The atmosphere instantly became tense, and the air was thick with the smell of gunpowder.

Just then, the Rong family elder, who had been silent all along, suddenly coughed and said calmly, "Don't let outsiders laugh at us."

Upon hearing this, both Fang Tao and Yang Zequan took a half step back and nodded to their sect elders to show their respect.

After both sides took their seats, Yang Ze chuckled and said, "Young Master Fang, you don't need to be in such a hurry. Although I, Yang Ze, am not a hero, I am not the kind of person who goes back on his word. If I lose, I lose, and of course I accept it."

"I just think this young man is very skilled, and I am really happy to have him spar with me again."

"Don't worry, it's just a simple exchange of skills. We won't gamble on territory or hurt feelings. So, are you relieved now, Young Master Fang?"

Fang Tao frowned, not believing a single word of Yang Ze's nonsense.

This guy has always been narrow-minded and vindictive. Having lost so much face today, how could he possibly let it go? Therefore, this so-called sparring is clearly just an attempt to get revenge.

But people in the martial arts world value appearances the most. Yang Ze has spoken so eloquently; if he were to forcefully stop him, it would make him seem afraid and damage the reputation Chen Ye has just established.

For a moment, Fang Tao was in a dilemma and could only look at Chen Ye with questioning eyes.

Chen Ye nodded slightly to him, indicating that he was being respectful, and then looked at Yang Ze, saying neither humbly nor arrogantly, "I wonder what Young Master Yang intends to compete in?"

A glint flashed in Yang Ze's eyes, and he said in a deep voice, "Little Knife! I want to test my knife skills with you."

Upon hearing this, the crowd stirred again, especially the members of the Rong family, who looked at each other in bewilderment.

Everyone knows that Yang Ze's nickname is "Quick Knife Yang." He is incredibly skilled with a small knife, ranking among the best in the entire Rong family.

So this wasn't a friendly exchange; he was clearly using his best skills to bully a newcomer!
Fang Tao's expression changed, and he was extremely anxious. He was just about to think of a way to replace Chen Ye when, unexpectedly, Chen Ye had already agreed readily.

"Alright, then I'll have a quick knife contest with you."

His voice was clear, crisp, and decisive, without the slightest hesitation.

Everyone was stunned, including Fang Tao.

He looked at Chen Ye in disbelief, not understanding why he had agreed so readily.

A hint of barely concealed smugness flashed in Yang Ze's eyes.

In his view, Chen Ye was young and arrogant, daring to accept his quick-knife challenge, which was simply humiliating himself!

You have to understand that making a small knife requires real, meticulous craftsmanship, and there's no room for shortcuts. I've been immersing myself in the craft for over a decade, so there's no way I could lose to a newcomer who's only recently entered the field.

Little did he know that Chen Ye was secretly overjoyed.

Whatever you think comes true!
The previous oil-frying incident had boosted his "Masterful Hands" skill by two levels, and now Yang Ze had delivered the "Quick Knife Challenge." Isn't this like someone offering you a pillow when you're sleepy?
"Good! You have guts!" Yang Ze praised, and then, as if afraid that Chen Ye would change his mind, immediately ordered his men to clear the area.

The second round of competition has officially begun.

Yang Ze didn't hold back and took the initiative to demonstrate first.

With a flick of his wrist, a three-inch dagger fell into his palm, swirling and dancing at his fingertips, its cold light dazzling to behold.

"it is good!"

This opening gesture alone drew cheers.

Yang Ze's lips curled into a smug smile, and then he called out loudly, "Someone, bring up what I prepared!"

Two men immediately brought up a wooden frame, on which was placed a fully inflated pig bladder, crystal clear and as thin as a cicada's wing, as if it would burst at the slightest touch.

Then someone carefully picked up a very thin slice of raw pork with chopsticks and gently placed it on top of the pig's bladder.

All eyes were drawn to it.

Yang Ze took a deep breath, his eyes suddenly becoming incredibly sharp, and then he flicked his wrist.

Swish!
A flash of silver light streaked by, so fast that its trajectory was almost invisible.

Looking at the pig's bladder again, it still stood there intact. But the thin slice of meat placed on it had been neatly divided in two.

"Good sword skills!"

"As expected of Quick-Knife Yang, he's truly amazing!"

The audience erupted in applause, and even the uncles from the other departments couldn't help but nod in approval.

The control over the force of this strike was truly masterful; otherwise, the slightest mistake would have undoubtedly caused the pig's bladder to burst.

Fang Tao's expression turned extremely solemn. He secretly regretted not stopping Chen Ye sooner. Now, his newly established reputation had been ruined in the blink of an eye.

However, to everyone's surprise, Chen Ye's face showed no sign of tension; instead, a faint smile appeared on his face.

He didn't look at the pig bladder, nor did he pay attention to Yang Ze's smug expression. Instead, he turned his head and looked towards the colorful gate, smiling broadly.

"Would any young lady be willing to come up on stage and do me a small favor?"

(End of this chapter)