Starting with photographic memory, I've worked my way up to become a martial arts immortal.

Jiang Yuan climbed over the wall and left. As for the so-called poison, it was just something he casually made by mixing lime powder and Yiqi powder after he left the house.

It looks like it's working quite well.

He came here with the intention of eliminating Hou An directly and preventing future troubles.

However, although killing Hou An was simple, the Black Tiger Gang's subsequent investigation would inevitably suspect him, since he didn't know how many people had handled the matter.

The moment he saw Liu San's mistress, his mind changed. He decided to let Hou An off the hook for now, using his weakness to keep the other party in check for a while. Once he broke through to the Ming Jin level, he would have a better chance of dealing with this kind of thing.

It was late at night, and Li Guihua was restless and uneasy when she returned home.

Li Guihua breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Jiang Yuan appear, and asked worriedly, "Xiao Yuan, what happened? Why are you back so late today? I haven't been at ease all night."

Jiang Yuan chuckled and opened the package on his back, revealing meat and fruits. "Mother, my senior brother invited me to a restaurant for dinner today. Look, I even packed some things for you."

"This child, he comes home late without even telling his mother."

Li Guihua's tone was serious, but her face relaxed. When she saw what Jiang Yuan handed her, her eyes lit up. "There's also fruit. This is very precious. I won't eat it; I'll save it for you."

"I'm already stuffed, don't worry about me." Jiang Yuan smiled and picked up an apple, handing it to him, "Try it."

Li Guihua reluctantly took it, wiped it with her hand, and then carefully put it to her lips and took a bite.

The sweet juice burst in her mouth, and a relieved smile appeared on her face. "Xiao Yuan has grown up and knows how to care for his mother."

Jiang Yuan scratched his head, said nothing more, and picked up a book to read.

Li Guihua finished the apple with a smile, swallowing even the core. Afterward, she refused to eat any more and put the things away before going to sleep.

The oil lamp on the table burned a dim, yellowish light, its flame flickering as wisps of smoke disappeared into the darkness.

Jiang Yuan waited for a while and heard a faint snoring sound before taking out today's harvest and placing it on the table.

Although Hou An was a minor leader in the Black Tiger Gang and had amassed a considerable amount of money, he was usually extravagant and had spent a lot of money hiring assassins, leaving him with only a little over three taels of silver. On the other hand, the woman contributed nearly ten taels, and together with the other four people, they received a total of twenty taels of silver, which was not a small amount.

However, the most precious one is still the scroll of "Yuanxi Gong".

Jiang Yuan took out the leather and examined it closely.

It appears to be made of some kind of unknown animal hide, yellowish and resilient, with tiny characters slightly raised along the texture of the hide, the strokes vigorous. At the bottom are many patterns, which do not look like offensive techniques, but rather like a kind of stance training.

Jiang Yuan quietly read through all the content and memorized it before carefully putting it away, letting out a soft sigh.

Unfortunately, I haven't mastered Crane Style Fist and Crane Style Stance yet, so I can't input this technique into the panel.

If you try to cultivate, the progress may be slow, resulting in a waste of time.

The most important thing now is to break through to the minor level of Crane Stance Kung Fu, so that I can become a Ming Jin martial arts master.

Jiang Yuan thought silently, mentally reviewing what had happened that night.

Overwhelmed by fatigue, he sat at the table and fell asleep without realizing it.

The next morning, Jiang Yuan was awakened by the noise from Li Guihua.

He opened his eyes and saw his mother tiptoeing over him, draping a coat over his shoulders.

Seeing her son lying on the table all night, Li Guihua couldn't help but feel sorry for him. "This child, he has a bed but insists on sleeping here."

Jiang Yuan got up to stretch his aching body, ate breakfast, and then went out.

I was originally planning to take a detour, but before I knew it, I had arrived at the place where the fight had taken place the night before.

Only charcoal remained at the site of the burned wooden shed, and the dirt road had been cleared, leaving only scattered traces of blood.

"They were quite quick and clean."

Jiang Yuan silently gave Hou An a thumbs up in his heart.

······

Anningfang.

In a small alley near the White Crane Martial Arts School, a middle-aged man dressed in gray came to a house, took out a bunch of keys, and unlocked the large lock on the door.

He took out the pipe tucked behind his back and took two puffs. "This courtyard is not bad. It's in a good location. It's just a few steps from the alley to the main street, making it convenient to buy things."

After saying that, he led the handsome young man behind him inside.

Jiang Yuan didn't go directly to the martial arts school in the morning, but instead found a broker to look at the house.

Although he felt that Hou An wouldn't dare to betray him for the time being, he still felt uneasy. He thought it would be better to move near the White Crane Martial Arts School, which would not only be safer but also make it more convenient for him to go to the school.

The prices of houses in the outer city were not very high, and Jiang Yuan could easily afford them with the few dozen taels of silver he had. However, he still felt it was not worth it and thought that renting a nice house would not cost much.

Upon entering, one is greeted by a building resembling a narrow stone wall, devoid of any carvings, giving it a very simple appearance.

The broker pointed at his pipe and said, "This is a screen wall. It gathers energy and wards off evil spirits. The two houses I showed you before didn't have this."

Jiang Yuan nodded slightly, knowing that the screen wall also served to block the view, so that the scene inside the courtyard would not be completely visible to outsiders once the gate was opened.

Further in is a small courtyard with bluestone slabs paving the ground, and a small vegetable garden enclosed in a corner near the courtyard wall.

"This is a large house with three rooms. On this side is the woodshed and kitchen, and in the back there is the outhouse. It may be small, but it has all the essentials. Let me show you around."

The broker glanced at Jiang Yuan and led him on a careful tour of the house.

"How is it? Is the house to your liking?" the broker asked, cracking his pipe.

Jiang Yuan nodded in satisfaction. "Not bad. How much?"

Upon hearing this, the broker put away his pipe, a smile spreading across his face. "Sir, you have good taste. This house used to be a business..."

In the end, Jiang Yuan rented the house for 200 cash per month, with a deposit of one month's rent and six months' rent paid in advance, spending less than two taels of silver.

Even so, he was still very distressed. You know, in the past, one or two taels of silver was enough for his family to eat and drink for a whole year, although they couldn't eat anything fancy.

At noon, as soon as he got home, he told his mother about the move.

Although her mother looked suspicious, she didn't ask any further questions and thoughtfully agreed.

Jiang Yuan loaded the barely usable items in the house onto the donkey cart. He originally planned to leave them all where they were and buy new ones when he got to the new house, but his mother just couldn't bear to part with them.

Li Guihua looked up at the house where she had lived for many years with lingering reluctance, as if she wanted to remember everything inside, before slowly locking the door.

"Brother Jiang, are you leaving?"

Yueyue seemed to hear the noise next door and ran over with her short legs.

Jiang Yuan squatted down, picked her up, and gently pinched her nose. "Yeah, has Yueyue been behaving well lately?"

"Yueyue is the best girl, even Grandma praises me." She reached out her little hand and grabbed Jiang Yuan's finger. "Brother Jiang, where are you going? Will you come to see Yueyue again?"

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "It's not far. I'll come back when I have time."

"Don't lie to Yueyue, let's make a pinky promise."

Looking at the little girl's cute yet earnest expression, Jiang Yuan smiled and agreed, then bent his little finger and hooked it with hers.

Yueyue gripped the handle with great care despite her light strength, reciting the mantra in her clear voice, "Pinky promise, forever!"

On the other side, Aunt Liu chatted with Li Guihua for a few words, then reached out to take Yueyue and said goodbye to them.

Jiang Yuan set aside some of the meat he had acquired the previous night before turning to leave.

"Brother Jiang, Yueyue is waiting for you here. Yueyue wants to hear your story again!" The little girl's clear, sweet voice rang out.

"good!"

Jiang Yuan reached out and waved, but did not turn around.

······

In the afternoon, as Jiang Yuan arrived at the entrance of Baihe Martial Arts School, he saw a woman with long, slender legs loitering nearby.

"Junior Sister Du?" he asked as he strode over.

Du Yingying's beautiful eyes lit up, and her haggard face brightened a bit. "Senior Brother Jiang, it's you? It's so great to meet you here."

Jiang Yuan smiled at her, thinking that she might have come about her father, and asked,

"But has there been any news about Master Du's whereabouts?"

Du Yingying's face darkened. "I have some things I want to discuss with Master Wei, but I haven't decided whether or not to go see him."

I haven't decided what you're here for.

Jiang Yuan was puzzled and hesitated before asking, "Should I take you inside?"

After a moment's hesitation, Du Yingying finally nodded as if she had made up her mind, "Then I'll have to trouble Senior Brother Jiang."

"It's nothing," Jiang Yuan waved his hand dismissively.

Inside the outer courtyard, many disciples were practicing their skills when they saw Jiang Yuan leading a tall, slender, and pretty woman in. They couldn't help but look at each other in surprise.

"Why did Senior Brother Jiang bring his family along?"

"He's quite good-looking. What's Senior Brother Jiang up to?"

"What family members? That's the young master of the Du Family Martial Arts School. Look at you all, you've never seen a woman before."

"The young master of the Du Family Martial Arts School? How could Jiang Yuan be associated with someone like that?" Zuo Qi stood in the corner, only glancing at him from afar, not daring to jump out as he used to.

"I heard that something bad happened at the Du Family Martial Arts School recently."

After Jiang Yuan and Du Yingying had walked away, one of the disciples suddenly spoke mysteriously.

"What happened? How come I didn't know?"

"Speak quickly, speak quickly."

Several disciples who had finished practicing and were resting immediately surrounded him.

Jiang Yuan led his men back to the courtyard after seeing Wei Xuan, and went to his usual spot to practice the Crane Stance Technique.

Not long after, Du Yingying walked out of the house, looking dejected. She searched the courtyard with her beautiful eyes until she saw that Jiang Yuan was focused on practicing his skills and hadn't noticed her at all. Then she left sadly.

Jiang Yuan was completely absorbed in his own world and had no mind to think about anything else.

He only stopped exercising wearily when the kitchen lady's loud voice rang out. He felt his muscles in his hands and feet trembling, making it difficult to move.

After a while, he went over and drank a bowl of soup, then leaned against a wooden post to rest.

At that moment, a familiar figure appeared.

Yu Heng walked triumphantly through the outer courtyard. Many disciples greeted him, and he smiled and nodded in response.

"Senior Brother Yu, you mentioned last time that there was some progress on the temporary assignment, has it been finalized?"

Zuo Qi was practicing his skills in a corner when he saw Yu Heng appear, so he immediately walked up to him.

Yu Heng smiled and nodded, deliberately raising his voice, "That's right, I've joined a security escort agency."

Zuo Qi, immediately understanding, continued, "I wonder about Senior Brother Yu's salary this month...?"

"Ten taels," Yu Heng said, feigning nonchalance. "They think highly of me, and the monthly salary they're giving me is the highest level."

The disciples fell silent instantly, then burst into discussion, "Is it true? I heard that last time a highly talented senior brother broke through to the Ming Jin level and joined the Fulin Escort Agency, he didn't get a monthly salary as high as ten taels."

"Yes, the monthly salary at the escort agency is lower; the main income comes from the profit sharing on the escort missions!" a knowledgeable disciple added.

Even though Zuo Qi was somewhat prepared, he was still shocked by the news. Before he could speak, he heard Yu Heng say to him, "Our escort agency is short-handed recently. Would you like to go?"

"Me?" Zuo Qi's heart skipped a beat, then he said excitedly, "Of course I want to, but I wonder how much the monthly salary is?"

"The monthly salary for a镖师 (bodyguard/escort) isn't high, only two taels of silver, but they can also receive a share of the profits from the镖师's journeys," Yu Heng said.

"Two taels? That's not bad. With dividends, it'll be at least thirty taels of silver a year!" Zuo Qi's eyes lit up. He felt that if he had to look for it himself, he definitely wouldn't find a place that could earn so much money.

He hurriedly called out, "Yu Heng, I'm willing to go!"

Many disciples who couldn't afford the next tuition fee and came from impoverished families were also very interested upon hearing this, and one of them tentatively asked, "Senior Brother Yu, can I take you along?"

Yu Heng looked up and, seeing it was a disciple who usually liked to flatter him, immediately waved his hand and said, "Alright, you're in!"

The disciples who were initially interested suddenly became anxious and started clamoring to go as well, causing a brief period of chaos.

Yu Heng looked at the eager gazes of the crowd with a pleasant mood, but still put on a stern face and said, "The head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) only gave me four spots, and now there are two left. We'll have to prove ourselves with our fists and feet, so the head镖师 won't think that the people I brought got in through connections."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "Don't worry, I haven't been here these past few days because I went on a delivery mission and gained a lot of experience. If any of you junior brothers are willing to work under me as deliverymen, I will definitely protect you."

The crowd's interest was piqued, and some of the more astute disciples who weren't interested quietly took a step back.

Wei Chong heard the commotion at the door and came over, frowning. "Yu Heng, are you here to recruit people at the martial arts school?"

Yu Heng laughed and said, "Look at what you're saying, Third Senior Brother. Many people can't break through to the Ming Jin level no matter how hard they try. I just want to give my fellow disciples a good way to make money."

Wei Chong wasn't buying it at all and headed towards the inner courtyard.

Seeing this, Yu Heng sneered, "Those of you who are willing to make money, come with me. Let some people be envious then."

After saying that, he turned and left, giving Jiang Yuan a cold look before he left.

Several disciples, who were quite interested, looked at each other, gritted their teeth, and followed him out.

We tightened our belts to make ends meet, and we paid for their tuition to go to the martial arts school, wasn't it all so they could learn skills to earn money?

Their foundation is average, and it will be extremely difficult for them to break through to the Ming Jin level. Now that a way to make money is right in front of them, they must seize it!

A moment later, Wei Xuan emerged from the inner courtyard, his eyes sweeping over the crowd like lightning, and he barked:

"The world outside is in chaos these days. Escorting goods isn't so easy. You all need to practice your skills diligently. Once you've mastered them, people will naturally come offering you money!"

"yes!"

The disciples shouted in unison.

"I don't know if they listened to me or not."

Looking at his disciples, each with their own distinct expression, Wei Xuan sighed inwardly.

He suddenly thought of the days when he first started learning martial arts.

At that time, he was not favored by anyone, but through his hard work day and night, he gradually surpassed one so-called genius after another.

Who says effort is useless?

For most ordinary people, hard work may be their only light in the darkness.