I am a high-level martial arts master.

It was late at night, and all was quiet.

At the headquarters of the Azure Dragon Gang in the east of the city, a middle-aged man turned his head to look at Feng Yue, who was respectfully performing the disciple's salute.

"You mean, after Ye Li met Lu Xiuyuan, he went to the gang's money lender and borrowed a large sum of money?"

"Elder Yang, that is indeed the case!" Feng Yue replied respectfully and honestly.

The middle-aged man in front of me was named Yang Shichang, and he joined the gang thirty years ago.

Before he was forty, he advanced to the mid-stage of the Acquired Realm thanks to his martial arts talent.

This kind of talent, though hopeless from birth, has the potential to reach the level of perfection achieved by the gang leader during one's lifetime!

Around Feng Yue, not only Yang Shichang, a post-natal cultivator, but eight elders gathered together, all staring intently at Feng Yue.

This meeting was to discuss how to deal with Ye Li and Lu Xiuyuan, two geniuses within the gang.

Being watched by so many people made Feng Yue feel like he was having trouble breathing.

Upon hearing Feng Yue's report, an elder clad in black robes laughed:

"This young man is quite clever, actually going to borrow money. But does he really think that he can break through to the Acquired Realm just by having enough resources?"

The old man in black robes received the approval of all the elders present.

They all started as ordinary disciples and worked their way up step by step, so of course they understand how difficult it is to overcome the barriers between different realms.

While one can progress from the initial stage to the peak of the Body Tempering Realm through diligent practice, each minor realm is separated by a time limit depending on one's innate talent.

Reaching the Acquired Realm after perfecting Body Tempering presents a completely new level of difficulty.

That requires an understanding of martial arts, the application of power, and an understanding of muscle structure; it's not something you can just level up by following the steps of body tempering.

A relentless offensive with money will only get you stuck at the peak of Body Tempering, unable to make any further progress, and may even torment you to the point of near-death experiences when trying to advance to a lower realm.

"That's no clever trick."

Upon hearing the black-robed elder's words, Yang Shichang frowned and said, "Elder Wang, there are already signs that they are becoming disloyal to the gang."

"Clearly, Ye Li feels that the gang is focusing all its resources on nurturing Lu Xiuyuan, so he wants to break through on his own without relying on the gang's help."

"That can't be right, it was borrowed through the gang's channels," an elder questioned.

Yang Shichang shook his head and said:

"I ask you, if this gets out, what will they think if a genius who can break through to the Body Tempering Realm in just two months is reduced to having to borrow money from his own family to make ends meet for his daily cultivation?"

quiet--

Upon hearing Yang Shichang's words, the elders present imagined the scene he was creating.

If this happened to another force, they would immediately mock them and then offer a hefty sum to poach them.

Geniuses are the future of a power, and the more the better!

"Another question," Yang Shichang said.

"If Ye Li's loan sharking goes through, what will he think when he looks at the thousand taels in his hand?"

No one answered, so Yang Shichang explained directly: "He would think that the gang isn't short of money, but simply unwilling to give it to him."

"The guild already has Lu Xiuyuan's blue tag, so they don't value themselves."

"What if other forces were willing to offer him two thousand taels, or even ten thousand taels, at this time?"

"Is ten thousand taels a lot for such a genius? It might not even be enough for a few of us to cultivate for a year."

No one answered. After a brief silence, Elder Wang, dressed in black robes, chuckled sinisterly:

"Young people these days are really ungrateful. I think Lao Yang is exaggerating a bit. When we were fighting against the gang leader, we didn't have such good conditions as him."

"Having two Body Tempering Pills is already quite good. Can't he endure some hardship, persevere, and settle down for a while? Once he proves his loyalty, we will certainly cultivate him properly."

"Anyway, it's just slowing down his cultivation speed by a year or two. He's so young, what's wrong with waiting a bit?"

Yang Shichang frowned and said:

"Don't even mention waiting a year. Given the Li family's threats, Ye Li might face their retaliation next month."

"Are you expecting Ye Li to face those few acquired cultivators from the Li family just because he's only at the early stage of Body Tempering and is a core disciple?"

silence……

Many elders present, considering Ye Li's current situation, realized that it was indeed very serious.

As for Feng Yue, he was just a minor instructor in the Body Tempering Realm. He kept his eyes and nose closed as the elders argued, not daring to overstep his bounds in the slightest.

Yang Shichang said calmly, "Things are different now than before. There's a lack of promising young talents in the gang."

"The talented ones were almost all lost in the battles against the Poison Wolf Gang a few years ago, and the only core disciple with the blue attribute is Xiu Yuan."

"Although we have managed to keep our territory in the east of the city from being eroded thanks to the leader's cultivation, we no longer have a successor."

"Things have been alright these past few years, but what will happen when our generation gets old? Who will take care of us in our old age? Will we rely on the drug lord gang?"

"Training disciples is also for our own benefit. You all know the character of those West District bastards in the Poison Wolf Gang. If we lose in the struggle, we really don't need to think about what will happen after we step down."

"Elder Yang is right," another elder chimed in. "It's too stingy to let promising newcomers in the gang take out loans to practice martial arts."

"Why not waive the loan, find an elder to take him as a disciple, and train him according to the same standards as Lu Xiuyuan?"

Seeing everyone agreeing, the old man in black robes quickly interjected, "The Li family's problems can be resolved within the gang, but allowing a core disciple to receive such preferential treatment is against the rules."

Yang Shichang frowned and glared at the black-robed elder, saying, "Wang Luhe, you weren't so strict with the rules when you were dealing with Lu Xiuyuan. You can't show such favoritism just because Lu Xiuyuan is your disciple."

His trick was exposed, and Wang Luhe's lips twitched as he said:

"I'm doing all this for the gang, don't bring up irrelevant things."

"You'd better really be!"

Yang Shichang's calm reply left Wang Luhe at a loss for words.

"I propose that the one thousand taels be distributed to Ye Li as usual, so he can manage it as he sees fit, without interest!"

"However, a test must be set. If you pass it, you don't need to repay; if you fail, you only need to return your principal!"

Yang Shichang paused for a moment and then said, "As for this request..."

"Let me reach the mid-stage of Body Tempering within five months!!!"

The next day, inside Wantong Textile.

Ye Li, who got up very early, did not go to Huichun Lane first, but went here to collect his money.

At this moment, he stared at Ji Yu and Feng Yue in front of him, and after hearing the so-called request, the shock on his face was hard to suppress.

"Excellent!" Feng Yue solemnly relayed the order on behalf of the elders:

"I know this request is very difficult, but it reflects the high hopes the elders have for you. I hope you can overcome this challenge."

"If your request is fulfilled, you won't have to pay back this thousand taels!"

Ye Li: Is there really such a good thing as a free gift?