I equip myself with everything in this chaotic world of martial arts.

During his afternoon boxing practice, Huang Yi felt something different about his body.

The moves are still the same, but the power is smoother when exerting force, and the flow of qi and blood in the body is clearer.

I was still tired, but I recovered much faster.

The combination of that medicinal soup and its blood-nourishing properties seemed to have dug a deep well within his body, the water flowing continuously, albeit in a thin stream.

This made him even more eager to obtain the body-refining elixir.

He also noticed that his master, Zhou Qing, was looking at him more often.

She not only watched, but also frequently offered verbal guidance while he practiced boxing:

"Shoulders sink three-tenths of an inch." "Waist turn, not twist." "Power originates from the ground."

They were all simple words, yet they always hit the nail on the head regarding how he exerted his power.

During the break, Zhang Tiezhu came over, his dark face filled with envy:

"Junior brother, Master really cares about you. When I first joined the school, Master only taught me for one day. After that, it was Fifth Senior Brother who led the training."

Huang Yi's heart skipped a beat.

He lowered his head and pretended to wipe his sweat.

Did Master discover something?

"Don't overthink it," Zhang Tiezhu patted his shoulder. "Master has a keen eye. He probably thinks you have potential. Train hard and don't let him down."

Huang Yi nodded, but a sense of vigilance rose within him.

By the time we left the museum, it was nearly dusk.

Huang Yi packed his things and walked over to Chen Meng, casually asking, "Fifth Senior Brother, that medicinal soup this morning... wasn't cheap, was it?"

"It's expensive."

Chen Meng wiped his sweat and lowered his voice, "There are a few herbs inside that we have to get from Baicaotang. Master has to pay for them out of his own pocket, and it's not a small amount over a month."

He paused, looking at Huang Yi: "You were lucky to get into the academy. Many people came with money, but the master didn't accept it. They were after this bowl of soup."

Huang Yi was taken aback.

He had initially thought that the martial arts school had only had a dozen or so people after three months of operation.

It turns out that Zhou Qing wasn't after money when he took on apprentices.

"Then..." he asked tentatively, "how can I drink it more often?"

Chen Meng grinned: "It's simple, but not simple. Within six months, if you master any one of the Five Animal Fist forms and can sense the Qi and blood, you can become a formal disciple."

"By then, one bowl every five days."

Huang Yi silently made a note of it.

"Thank you, Fifth Senior Brother."

"Don't mention it." Chen Meng waved his hand. "I'm leaving now, see you tomorrow."

As Huang Yi stepped out of the martial arts school, he paused.

Across the street, Li Tieniu was peering anxiously inside.

They came looking for us at this time...

Huang Yi's heart tightened, and he quickly walked over: "Uncle Tie Niu, what's wrong?"

"Hey, I've finally found you." Li Tieniu breathed a sigh of relief when he saw him come out, then looked him up and down. "You look great! Your brother asked me to pick you up; he said he'd treat me to meat tonight!"

Huang Yi was taken aback.

Li Tieniu lowered his voice, his expression becoming more serious: "Something's happened in the outer city. A gang called the Mountain Lord Gang has appeared out of nowhere and is fighting with the Mountain God Gang. The streets are in chaos. Your brother was worried and sent me to meet you."

He wiped his face and sighed, "The inner city is still the safest place. With the government offices and powerful families keeping things in check, gangs don't dare to come in."

Huang Yi breathed a sigh of relief.

It's good that everything is alright at home.

But the Mountain King Gang... the outer city is about to descend into chaos again.

Li Tieniu knew the way back to Yongqingfang very well.

He deliberately chose to go through alleys, winding his way through the streets, and actually managed to avoid several places where gang members gathered.

Huang Yi followed along, feeling a growing admiration for this honest, middle-aged man. These porters, who spent their lives making a living away from home, possessed their own wisdom for survival.

As Huang Yi approached his home, he suddenly stopped in his tracks.

The door to Li Xiuhua's house was kicked down.

The door panel hung crookedly on the door frame, and the inside was a mess.

Tables and chairs overturned, and shards of pottery jars were scattered all over the floor.

Blood rushed to his head.

Huang Yi stepped inside.

The house was empty; no one was there.

He turned and ran home, almost bumping into Li Tieniu behind him.

"Bang!"

He pushed open his own wooden door.

Standing in front of the stove, Li Xiuhua trembled with shock.

Upon seeing it was him, a little color returned to his pale face.

"Zeng Hu came by?" Huang Yi asked in a flat voice.

Li Xiuhua bit her lip and nodded: "In the afternoon... they lingered at the door for a long time, and I didn't dare to make a sound. Then, then they just kicked the door down..."

Her voice trembled: "Luckily, I was brewing medicine at your house. They stood at the door for a while, but someone called them away just now."

Huang Yi remained silent.

He walked to the water vat, scooped up a ladle of cold water, and splashed it on his face.

It was icy cold, but the fire in my heart was suppressed and solidified into a hard lump.

He wiped his face: "Sister, don't be afraid, I'll ask Master to intervene."

Behind him came Li Tieniu's sigh: "It's difficult! Zeng Hu... is the nephew of a steward of the Mountain God Gang. Although Master Zhou has influence, he may not be willing to break ties with the Mountain God Gang over this matter."

Huang Yi turned around: "Uncle Tie Niu, you know him?"

"I know a bit about him." Li Tieniu rubbed his hands together. "That kid has done a lot of dirty work. Now that the two gangs are fighting, if he takes the opportunity to cause trouble and then blames it on the Mountain Lord Gang... even if Master Zhou wants to intervene, he might not be able to control him."

The trouble is big.

Huang Yi's heart sank.

He originally thought that with his master's prestige, he could keep a thug in check.

Unexpectedly, the other party was backed by the Mountain God Gang, and even by the deacon's relatives.

Now that the two factions are fighting each other, it's the perfect time to fish in troubled waters.

If Zeng Hu really takes the opportunity to make a move...

No.

can not wait.

He took a deep breath and looked at Li Tieniu: "Uncle Tieniu, my master values ​​me highly, so he should be willing to help with this."

Li Tieniu's eyes lit up: "Really? That's great! If Master Zhou is willing to step in, even the Mountain God Gang will have to give him some face!"

Li Xiuhua also looked up, hope in her eyes: "Xiao Yi, is Master Zhou really willing to help you?"

"Um."

Huang Yi nodded, but he knew in his heart that half of what he said was true and half was just to comfort him.

He couldn't tell the truth; he couldn't let Sister Xiuhua live in fear all night.

Li Xiuhua breathed a sigh of relief, and a smile finally appeared on her face: "That's good, that's good... Uncle Tie Niu, please sit down, the food is still warm, I'll go get it."

She turned and went to the stove, bringing out stewed pork with potatoes and brown rice.

The meat is red, with alternating layers of fat and lean meat, stewed until very tender, and glossy with oil.

The rice was steaming hot.

Li Tieniu rubbed his hands as he sat down, then frowned: "Where's your brother?"

"Brother Jian can't get out of bed yet, he'll eat in the room," Li Xiuhua explained. "Xiao Yi can stay with you. You eat well, I'll go feed Brother Jian."

Huang Yi looked at the meat and rice on the table, his throat tightening.

He knew that his older brother and sister Xiuhua's dinner would definitely be thin porridge and pickled vegetables again.

But with guests present, he couldn't let his secret slip.

He picked up his chopsticks and called to Li Tieniu, "Uncle Tieniu, eat."

Li Tieniu didn't stand on ceremony and ate heartily, but he only picked up the few pieces of meat in front of him and didn't touch the ones further away.

At the dinner table, Huang Yi casually asked, "Uncle Tie Niu, where does Zeng Hu usually live? Where does he often go?"

Li Tieniu swallowed his food and lowered his voice: "He lives at the end of Beiyue Street, in a small, secluded courtyard. This guy has a problem; he loves drinking and womanizing. No matter how late it is, he goes to Zuichunlou every day."

He paused, then lowered his voice even further: "Many people on the street know about this."

Huang Yi nodded, made a mental note of it, and then asked for more information about the other party and the two henchmen before stopping.

After the meal, Li Tieniu patted his belly and said goodbye: "I'll pick you up tomorrow morning and take you to the martial arts school. This meal can't be eaten for nothing."

After seeing Li Tieniu off, Huang Yi asked Li Xiuhua to clear the dishes: "Sister, you can eat the rest of the food. I'm tired, I'll rest first."

Return to the west room and close the door.

The room was dimly lit.

Huang Yi sat on the bed, going over Li Tieniu's words in his mind.

Zeng Hu.

The nephew of the Mountain God Gang's steward.

He was not a martial artist, but merely a martial arts apprentice who had practiced Bajiquan.

I go to Zuichunlou every day.

Two gangs are engaged in a fierce battle...

He closed his eyes, and the image of the equipment bar appeared in his mind.

The blood ginseng has a warm, reddish hue.

Then he opened his eyes.

His eyes were calm, as calm as well water.

He knew what to do.

Late at night.

From next door came my older brother's suppressed cough, which gradually subsided and turned into steady snoring.

Huang Yi opened his eyes and gently got out of bed.

He changed into dark, old clothes and listened to the noises next door for a while.

I opened the window, and a gust of cold wind rushed in.

He flipped over and landed silently.

The night was as dark as ink, and the streets were deserted.

Occasionally, shouts of fighting could be heard in the distance, but they quickly disappeared.

Huang Yi wrapped his clothes tighter, and his thin figure quickly disappeared into the darkness.