A Martial Saint in Chaotic Times: Starting with Grinding Proficiency

The atmosphere in the alley froze instantly.

Gao Qiang's face, covered with blue birthmarks, looked particularly ferocious in the dim light.

The four or five men following behind him were no pushovers either; each of them had their hands on their hips and were staring at Zhou Yuan with ill intent.

Zhou Yuan felt a chill run down his spine; Gao Qiang had actually come in person.

The next moment, the aura of a martial artist at the Skin Refining Realm erupted from his body.

A surge of intense heat instantly coursed through his body, causing his muscles to bulge beneath his thin clothes.

He wanted to see what tricks Gao Qiang was up to today.

However, the anticipated conflict did not occur.

"Master Zhou, it's a misunderstanding, it's all a misunderstanding!"

He quickened his pace, adopting an extremely humble posture, even bordering on ingratiating.

"My subordinate was being disrespectful a few days ago and offended Master Zhou. I just wanted to invite Miss Zhou over for a drink to repay her for her help back then. I absolutely had no other intentions!"

After saying that, he turned around abruptly and slapped a man behind him hard across the face.

Snapped!

The crisp sound echoed through the alley.

"You blind fool! Apologize to Master Zhou right now!"

The man was spun around on the spot after being hit, covering his face, furious but unable to speak out. He could only bow repeatedly to Zhou Yuan: "Master Zhou, I was blind and didn't recognize your greatness. Please forgive my rudeness!"

While cursing his men, Gao Qiang secretly glanced at the courtyard gate behind Zhou Yuan, seemingly searching for Zhou Ting.

This behavior doesn't seem like someone coming to seek revenge; it seems more like someone coming specifically to apologize.

Zhou Yuan's aura gradually subsided.

He knew that Gao Qiang had taken the initiative to curry favor with him after hearing that he had entered the Skin Refining Realm.

After all, once you reach the Skin Refining Realm, you are considered a formal martial artist, and these small gangs don't dare to offend you easily.

"They're all old acquaintances, so I won't hold this against them in the future," Zhou Yuan said calmly, his face revealing neither joy nor anger.

Upon hearing Zhou Yuan's words, Gao Qiang was overjoyed, and his smile widened.

"Master Zhou is indeed straightforward! I knew we didn't have any deep-seated hatred between us!"

He waved his hand, and immediately his men came up with a tray, on which were a pot of wine and two bowls.

"Come on, Master Zhou, let's settle this today! I, Gao Qiang, will drink this glass in front of all the neighbors, and we'll call it even!"

As Gao Qiang spoke, he shouted into the alley, "Come out and be our witnesses! From now on, Gao Qiang and Master Zhou are friends!"

The neighbors, who had been secretly watching the commotion through the crack in the door, now saw that there was no danger, and a few of the bolder ones poked their heads out.

Gao Qiang filled two bowls with wine with satisfaction and handed one of them to Zhou Yuan.

Zhou Yuan did not refuse, took the wine bowl, and drank it all in one gulp.

The spicy liquor went down his throat, but he didn't even flinch.

"Great! Master Zhou has a huge appetite!"

Gao Qiang tilted his head back and downed the wine in his bowl, then slammed the bowl heavily on the ground.

"From now on, anyone who dares to cause trouble for Master Zhou and his sister is going against the Jinshi Gang!"

He left with these polite words and then departed in a grand procession with his men.

In the alley, the neighbors were talking about it. The way they looked at Zhou Yuan had changed from sympathy and pity to awe and envy.

……

As Gao Qiang and his group walked out of the muddy alley, the smiles on their faces vanished instantly, replaced by a gloomy expression.

"Boss, is this... just going to be left like this?" the subordinate who had been beaten earlier asked unwillingly.

"Forget it?" Gao Qiang sneered, glancing back at the alley entrance. "Today we're just trying to appease that kid. He's just a piece of trash who just entered the Skin Refining stage. Does he really think he's someone important?"

He spat.

Having spent many years in the outer city and being the leader of a sect, he naturally knew that a martial artist at the Skin Refining Realm was not someone to be trifled with, but Gao Qiang was no ordinary person.

"My brother, Goldman Sachs, is currently spending time with the eldest son of the Wei family and doesn't have time to deal with our trivial matters. Once he's free, I'll make that kid wish he were dead!"

The thought of Zhou Ting's beautiful figure and pretty face ignited a lustful fire within Gao Qiang.

The frustration of not being able to possess it immediately made him increasingly irritable.

"Damn it, this is infuriating!" he cursed viciously, then turned to his men and asked, "That Butcher Hu from Chenpi Lane, hasn't he paid back the money he owes yet?"

The subordinate quickly replied, "We were just about to go ask for it today!"

A lewd glint flashed in Gao Qiang's eyes.

He remembered that Butcher Hu's wife was quite pretty.

……

Zhou Yuan watched Gao Qiang and the others walk away, then turned around, pushed open the door, went inside, and casually closed the courtyard gate.

Inside the room, Zhou Ting was standing, leaning on the table, her face deathly pale and her body trembling uncontrollably.

She heard Gao Qiang shouting outside the door clearly.

"Sister." Zhou Yuan walked over.

"Yuanzi..." Zhou Ting's voice trembled with tears, "That person..."

"It's alright now." Zhou Yuan supported her shoulders and helped her sit down. "I've already broken through to the Skin Refining Realm. Gao Qiang came to apologize; he said the past is forgotten."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Ting suddenly looked up, staring at her younger brother in disbelief.

Skin Refining Realm!

Let's call it even!

These words were like a thunderclap, exploding in her mind.

These past few days, she has been living in boundless fear and oppression, unable to sleep at night, terrified that those people will break down her door.

Is the crisis over now?

Did my younger brother really solve this huge problem on his own?

Overwhelmed by the immense emotional impact, Zhou Ting could no longer hold back her tears. From agitation to a daze, she finally collapsed onto the table and sobbed uncontrollably.

Zhou Yuan didn't say anything, but stepped forward and gently hugged his sister's trembling shoulders.

"Sister, from now on, I'll take care of this family, so you don't have to worry about anything."

Holding his frail sister in his arms, he couldn't help but feel a little scared.

If they hadn't transmigrated here and obtained the "Heaven Rewards Diligence" panel, this poor brother and sister would probably have been devoured by Gao Qiang, that vicious wolf, leaving not even bones behind.

Zhou Ting was in an unprecedentedly good mood during this dinner.

She specially cooked two dishes, even adding a generous amount of minced meat. This kind of extravagant meal was something she would only dare to dream of during the Lunar New Year.

At the dinner table, Zhou Yuan was so shocked to hear that after he had affiliated himself with a powerful organization, he would receive at least several taels of silver every month. He was speechless for a long time.

She worked hard at home embroidering handkerchiefs, and if she was lucky, she could save one or two taels of silver a year.

Her younger brother now earns in a month what she earns in several years.

This stark contrast instantly filled her with boundless anticipation for the future.

After finishing his meal, Zhou Yuan did not slack off in the slightest because of his breakthrough, and continued to practice his boxing tirelessly in the courtyard.

With the introduction of the Six Harmonies Stance Technique, the Mountain-Shaking Fist also broke through to the second level.

He could clearly feel that his strength was much greater than before.

Late at night.

After finishing his last round of boxing, Zhou Yuan felt the surging blood and qi within his body, but instead of going back to his room to sleep as usual, he did not.

"To wipe the slate clean?"

A cold smile crept across Zhou Yuan's lips.

He was just worried about not having a suitable opportunity to kill Gao Qiang, but the peace talk during the day provided him with cover.

He then returned to the eaves and took out the gleaming wood-chopping knife, tucking it behind his waist.

He then walked to the courtyard wall, leaped over it silently, and instantly disappeared into the darkness of the alley.

......