Becoming a god starts with one certificate becoming eternal.

Not long after, the apprentice who had gone into the escort agency came out, and behind him stood a middle-aged man in a blue robe.

The middle-aged man had a fair complexion, but his eyes held a shrewd glint.

The first thing he did upon emerging was not to exchange pleasantries, but to focus his gaze on the token hidden in Ye Xiao's sleeve.

"The brand," the middle-aged man said.

Ye Xiao flipped his palm over, revealing the token.

Qin Yong ran his finger lightly along the edge of the token, his fingertip tracing the dark patterns before pausing for a moment at an inconspicuous indentation.

The next moment, he withdrew his hand, his expression still calm, but his tone was less casual than before.

"I am Qin Yong, the manager of Qingyun Escort Agency. If you wish to see the chief escort, please come in with me."

Ye Xiao nodded and stepped inside.

Inside the Qingyun Escort Agency, the smell of medicinal oil mingled with the scent of wood, clean and restrained, yet exuding a cold hardness.

In the outer hall, people were exchanging punches, the dull thuds of fists hitting flesh telling everyone that the only thing you could rely on in this place was your fists.

As Qin Yong passed through the outer hall, he wore a half-smile, as if asking a casual question, but every word seemed to be probing for answers:

"Why would an inner disciple of the Azure Dragon Sect personally come to our door, and specifically request to see the Chief Escort? What is the reason for this?"

Ye Xiao's gaze remained unwavering, and his reply was steady:

"The Green Owl Gang".

Qin Yong paused for a moment, but showed no surprise.

Soon the two arrived at the side hall, and as soon as the curtain fell, the noise outside immediately ceased.

Qin Yong sat down, offered no tea, and went straight to the point:

"Tell me your true purpose."

Ye Xiao then made his point clear, his voice low but each word resonating:

"I want to be Gray Sleeve of the Green Owl Gang."

Qin Yong's eyelids twitched, then he suppressed them, staring at him for two breaths: "You want to be a nobody among the Azure Dragon Inner Sect members? What are you after?"

"Live better," Ye Xiao said.

Qin Yong tapped his knuckles lightly on the edge of the table and asked with a smile, "Need money?"

"We're in dire need of him." Ye Xiao didn't deny it: "Just tell me what conditions I need to see the chief镖头 (chief镖头 is a term used in Chinese to describe someone who is very skilled or knowledgeable).

Qin Yong stared at him for a long time, then got up and lifted the curtain, still smiling.

"If you really want to see the head镖师 (chief镖师), go to the training ground now. At least you need to convince the chief镖师 that you are truly qualified to stand in that position."

"If you can withstand three moves, I'll convey my purpose to you. If you can't, then go back."

Ye Xiao stood up, his sleeves slightly tightened.

He never believed that he could meet someone in just a few words.

As soon as the curtain was lifted, the wind and the sound of punches from the training ground rushed in.

Ye Xiao took a step.

The training ground of the escort agency was more spacious than the outer hall. The ground was polished to a shine by countless feet, and wooden stakes, sandbags, and weapon racks were lined up in a row.

As soon as he stepped inside, the sound of punches didn't stop, but everyone's gaze turned towards him.

It wasn't because he was particularly conspicuous; on the contrary, he was quite ordinary, dressed in tattered old clothes, his body still bearing the cold, metallic scent of coal from the North Furnace.

"These are the inner disciples of the Azure Dragon Martial Arts Academy. Let's see how well you've trained," Qin Yong said with a faint smile.

"Is this all? And this is an inner disciple of the martial arts school? Are the standards for inner disciples at Canglong Martial Arts School getting worse and worse?" someone couldn't help but say.

"For someone from the Northern Furnace, this inner sect member is truly pathetic. Did they get in through some back door?" another person laughed. "If he is truly a Bone Forger, he should be the weakest Bone Forger."

Qin Yong didn't explain or shout, he just raised his hand towards a burly man on the sidelines:

"Old Du, you go first, three moves."

Everyone around was somewhat surprised. Du Laosan was not weak among them, and he was naturally stronger than ordinary people. It seemed that the manager did not intend to lose.

Du Laosan hung the wooden knife he was holding on the rack, walked to the center of the field, grinned, and smiled with a hint of disdain:

"I haven't fought the inner disciples of the martial arts school yet, and they don't look very impressive."

Ye Xiao remained calm, as if the other person was not speaking to him.

The next moment, Du Laosan stepped forward.

The people from the escort agency are straightforward; they don't test each other or beat around the bush. With a sinking shoulder, their punches are direct and powerful, aimed at breaking the opponent's stance.

When he punched down, three muffled thuds echoed from his joints. The force wasn't explosive, but rather a gentle, pressing pressure that tightened the chest and slowed even the breath.

Several people on the sidelines instinctively held their breath.

They waited to see Ye Xiao defeated, crushed, or even knocked down on the spot.

Ye Xiao landed firmly on his feet just as the fist was about to strike.

The Crimson Blood Stake sank.

The breath in his chest felt as if it had been forcibly pressed into the cracks of his bones, and a burning, dull pain immediately rose deep within his flesh. It was not outwardly apparent, but it forced the tension in his entire body to tighten instantly, becoming cleaner and more compressed.

He neither retreated nor shouted.

With a simple lock of the waist and hips, the spine feels like it's being straightened inch by inch.

The next moment, the force traveled from the heels to the waist and back, and then pushed inch by inch from the spine to the fist.

It's the same three-bone sound.

But these three sounds were not sharp or crisp; instead, they were heavier and longer, like heavy iron rolling through wood.

Du Laosan's fist came crashing down on his face.

Ye Xiao then unleashed a powerful right punch.

Mountain-Crushing Fist!

This punch was short, uncircular, and unreliable; it was as pure as a mountain collapsing, with the force penetrating through it, fist bone to fist bone, a hard collision.

"Bang!"

The fists collided in mid-air, producing a muffled thud.

The ease on Du Laosan's face vanished instantly.

He thought his punch would send his opponent flying, but when his fist made contact, he realized that the opponent's strength was too great, and all the force that had been pressing down on him was pushed back into his chest.

Ye Xiao's force surged backward, shaking Du Laosan's arm away, and then landed on his chest, causing him to involuntarily retreat.

He only managed to stand still after taking five steps back and then crushing a section of the training ground's wooden plank with his bare foot.

His face turned pale, his throat bobbed, and he forced back the surging blood pressure. His entire right arm was numb and painful, and it was difficult to even lift it.

The training ground was initially deathly silent.

The next moment, it was as if someone suddenly remembered to breathe.

"They retreated five steps?"

"That's Du Laosan! He was forced back with just one punch?"

"Among his peers, Du Laosan is practically unmatched. How can there be such a huge difference between two players who both achieve three strikes?!"

The surrounding noise seemed to be ignited, crackling and popping up in segments.

Ye Xiao had already withdrawn his fist and his stance.

The burning sensation in his chest was still intense, but he quickly suppressed it.

He made no attempt to pursue, simply standing still and watching Du Laosan.

Du Laosan raised his eyes, stared at him for a couple of breaths, and finally swallowed the churning mouthful of food. He clasped his hands in a fist salute, his voice hoarse:

"No need to continue."

"I lost."

Ye Xiao didn't speak, but simply calmed his breathing.

The weight of that punch, the force of the opponent's downward pressure, and the limits that my bones and muscles could withstand were all clearly imprinted in my body.

He suddenly remembered what Xue Chan had said.

Each step in the three stages of body forging is crucial and will affect one's future prospects. Many people deliberately slow down and refine their skills repeatedly in order to make their foundation more solid.

But he doesn't need it.

It wasn't to save trouble, nor was it to take shortcuts.

Rather, his destiny is characterized by "Heaven rewards diligence, and one proof is eternal proof," ensuring that every step he takes and improves is a step in the most stable way.

There's no need to go back and make corrections, nor is it necessary to deliberately stop and rework it.

That punch just now is the most direct proof.

No one on the sidelines dared to laugh anymore.

The initial arrogance before the war was extinguished, leaving only an overwhelming sense of apprehension.

They thought Du Laosan could defeat Ye Xiao in three moves, but it ended in one move, only the other way around.

Qin Yong stood under the eaves, his gaze lingering for a moment on Ye Xiao's fist before he looked away and smiled:

"Good, follow me."

He led Ye Xiao through the inner corridor, where curtains fell one by one, gradually reducing the sounds of punches and voices outside.

Until the last door, Qin Yong raised his hand and gently knocked twice.

A deep voice came from inside, neither angry nor pleased, yet like the back of a knife pressing against the edge of a table:

"Enter."

Qin Yong stepped aside to let Ye Xiao cross the threshold, and he followed him in.

The room was dimly lit, and a middle-aged man, dressed simply, sat behind a table.

He didn't look up, but only asked one question:

"The Azure Dragon Inner Sect, trying to wear the skin of my Azure Owl Gang's Gray Sleeves?"

"What gives you the right?"

Ye Xiao stopped, cupped his hands, and spoke in a low voice:

"Because I am of value to the hall master."

The hall master stared at him for a moment, his lips twitching slightly, a faint smile that sent chills down one's spine:

"Okay, sit down first, and tell me your thoughts and purpose."

Ye Xiao didn't mince words: "Seeking refuge is also a form of cooperation."

The hall master's eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly, as if he had heard a good word, but he said indifferently, "Cooperation? What makes you, a newly promoted inner disciple, have the qualifications to talk to me about cooperation?"

From the moment Ye Xiao stepped into the escort agency, Qin Yong had already used his eyes to instruct his subordinates to run the route, while simultaneously notifying him.

The information won't all arrive at once, but he already has a general understanding of its origins, background, and whether there are any problems.

"The Town Guard has wiped out a branch, leaving the position of branch leader vacant." Ye Xiao's voice was calm: "The remaining members of the branch will be fought over by the Gray Sleeves, and each branch will also send people to fight for it. For the next period of time, the Green Owl Gang will be in chaos."

The hall master said calmly:

"continue."

Ye Xiao put it bluntly: "What you lack is allies, not ordinary subordinates, and I am the best choice... As long as you give me the position of Gray Sleeve, I am confident that I can take the vacant position of Hall Master."

"If I manage to snatch it, you'll have one more person who can speak for you in the gang... If I fail to snatch it in the end, you can take my life."

The hall master finally looked at Ye Xiao directly, his fingertips pressing on the edge of the table, but his tone was even colder:

"You're only in the early stages of Bone Forging right now, you're not qualified to compete for the position of Hall Master at all... Even if you don't become a quasi-martial artist, you should at least have the strength of the late stages of Bone Forging before you even have a chance to compete, don't you know that?"