In chaotic times, one can become a martial immortal.

"Brother Yuan... listen to me!"

"I always thought that this was all I would ever be, that I would either freeze or starve to death, or be bullied to death by gangsters, and that even in death I would never truly live like a human being!"

"I never expected that God would be so kind to me and give me such a big surprise."

"Brother Yuan, did you know that Master not only accepted me as his personal disciple, but I also get to eat three meals a day at Song Academy, including fine grains, meat, and vegetables? He even promised that if I can successfully master the Five Animal Fist within six months and defeat Hong Lei, the personal disciple who entered the academy before me, he will pass the entire Song Academy to me!"

"I never dreamed that I, Fang Chang, would have such a day!"

Lu Yuan watched Fang Chang, who was getting more and more excited as he spoke, and simply ate his meal and listened quietly.

"Brother Yuan, don't worry. Once I become the master of Song Academy, I will definitely not forget you. I will at least give you a position as a butler. Then, the two of us brothers can live a life of luxury. Wouldn't that be wonderful!"

After downing the wine in his cup in one gulp, Fang Chang seemed a little drunk and continued to spout grand pronouncements: "My master told me that among everyone in Song Academy, I have the best aptitude, even better than Hong Lei. Therefore, I will definitely be the most successful one."

"I'm not bragging, but I can confidently say that in at most half a month, I will have mastered the Five Animal Fist. Then I will gradually rise to the top, not only to become the master of Song Academy, but also to rule the entire Qinghe County..."

Before he could finish speaking, he slumped onto the table and fell asleep.

Lu Yuan first packed up all the leftovers, then called the waiter to settle the bill, and then helped Fang Chang up to walk back.

"From now on, no one is allowed to speak loudly to me!"

"If anyone dares to bully me again, I'll kill them!"

Hearing the drunken ramblings around him, Lu Yuan could only smile and shake his head.

If he wasn't mistaken, the reason Master Song took Fang Chang as his personal disciple was because he saw Fang Chang's potential and wanted to cultivate a successor so that he could take care of him in his old age.

Of course, this is on the premise that Fang Changzhen can successfully master the Five Animal Fist within six months, and that Fang Changzhen can also successfully defeat another disciple named Hong Lei.

To be honest, regardless of his innate talent, Lu Yuan's cultivation speed, thanks to his skillful and adaptable nature, is probably much faster than Fang Chang's or Hong Lei's.

If he were to display such speed, Master Song would likely choose him as his successor.

However, Lu Yuan did not intend to do so.

The reason he was able to get into martial arts so quickly was because of Fang Chang's help; otherwise, he wouldn't know how long he would have had to waste before taking this step.

Of course, it wasn't just because he didn't want to compete with Fang Chang or even become enemies, but also because in such a chaotic world, being cautious was still very necessary.

Lacking both ability and connections, it's best to keep a low profile.

Quietly cultivating oneself and becoming stronger is not a bad thing.

Moreover, given his cultivation speed, he'll eventually have everything.

……

"Hmph, ha, hey..."

The next day, Lu Yuan arrived at Song Academy as usual and cultivated on his own with Chen Pi and the others.

As for Fang Chang, he was naturally summoned to the inner courtyard by Master Song for special tutoring.

After a night of rest and recuperation, Lu Yuan was finally able to begin the third rehearsal.

[Five Animal Frolics - Beginner Level (10/100)]

The proficiency level immediately reached 10, a full 5 points more!

At this rate, it probably won't be long before Lu Yuan masters the Five Animal Fist.

Without hesitation, he continued his cultivation.

"Thump!"

Just then, someone suddenly collapsed to the ground.

"It should be nothing serious. It must be that his body hadn't fully recovered before he forced himself to start cultivating."

Chen Pi smiled and then said to Lu Yuan, "A Yuan, you must also remember that everything should be done in moderation and within your limits. The body is the foundation of a person. If it is depleted too much, it will not only damage the body, but may also damage the foundation, making it almost impossible to successfully temper the body's qi and blood."

"Brother Chenpi, how can I recover faster?"

Lu Yuan quickly asked.

He ate quite well yesterday, with rice, vegetables, and even meat, but it still took him a whole night to fully recover.

"It's simple, just fix it!"

Chen Pi smiled and said, "Or you could say it's about food. The better you eat, the faster you replenish your body, and the faster you recover. Ideally, you should eat your fill at every meal, or even eat meat at every meal. If conditions permit, you can also take medicinal soups and rejuvenation pills!"

He paused for a moment, then continued, "However, even the cheapest medicinal soup costs three taels of silver per serving, while the more expensive ones can cost seven or eight taels or even more than ten taels. As for the Rejuvenation Pill, it is not something ordinary people can afford; it may cost twenty or thirty taels of silver per pill."

Hearing Chen Pi's words, Lu Yuan could only sigh and shake his head.

Forget about any rejuvenation pills, even medicinal soup is beyond his current means.

Even eating meat at every meal, or even eating his fill at every meal, is still a big problem for him right now.

In short, it can be summed up in one word: poverty!

"In the entire Song Academy, I'm afraid only Brother Hong and your little brother are so fortunate. They not only have three free meals a day, but Master Song also finds a way to provide them with medicinal soups and even rejuvenation pills."

Chen Pi glanced enviously toward the inner courtyard, regretting that he couldn't take its place.

"We need to find a way to make money as soon as possible."

Lu Yuan remained silent, pondering to himself.

Fang Changneng was appreciated by Master Song, which naturally pleased him, and he still had no intention of competing with him.

After all, even without these resources, he could quickly improve his strength.

Of course, even if it's not for martial arts training, being able to eat your fill every meal, or even eat meat every meal, is a goal that must be achieved.

Moreover, if he can recover his condition faster, his improvement speed will naturally be faster as well.

……

"Knock knock knock..."

Lu Yuan had just returned home when there was a sudden, urgent knocking on the door.

He turned his head and gestured to Yang to take the girl and hide first, then got up and opened the door.

Two middle-aged men, one tall and one short, were standing outside the door, each holding a stick.

You can see a small black tiger head mark on the back of each of their hands.

"The Black Tiger Gang!"

Lu Yuan's gaze narrowed slightly; these two must both be thugs from the Black Tiger Gang.

"Three heads for thirty coins, is it cash or rice in lieu?"

The tallest man among them peeked inside, then grinned at Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan raised an eyebrow slightly, but without saying anything, he directly gave the other party thirty coins.

That's just how the world is; for ordinary people, surviving is as difficult as climbing to heaven.

The government imposed all sorts of exorbitant taxes and levies, exploiting and ruthlessly squeezing every last drop of profit from the people.

Gangs like the Black Tiger Gang also collect money from members, euphemistically calling it protection money.

Although Lu Yuan had been practicing the Five Animal Fist for two days and made rapid progress, he had not yet truly mastered it and was still an ordinary person, not a martial artist.

Therefore, even if he wanted to resist, he did not have the ability to do so at the moment.

As the saying goes, one should not show one's disgrace when insulted, for a gentleman's revenge is never too late, even after ten years!

Besides, he won't have to wait too long!

"How is it? What's the quality like?"

"Not bad. Selling it to a brothel would at least get you a few taels of silver. There's also a younger one, which should be worth even more. Even if some rich gentlemen don't want him, they can break his arms and legs and throw him away to make a living. As for the last one, if all else fails, we can sell him to Granny Sun's steamed bun shop and earn some extra money!"

Before the two had even gone far, they were already loudly plotting something.

"Bang!"

Lu Yuan took a deep breath and then slammed the door shut.

……