Chaos and monsters begin with the red dragon's clone.

"If you can't trace me back to that house, then there's nothing there," Zhang Xun said after thinking for a moment.

"No need to worry." Zhao Shaoting shook his head slightly. "My family owns several houses like this in town. We're a member of the Sanlian Gang, so we can't figure out who it is."

As he spoke, he looked the young man up and down carefully once more, and his opinion of his junior brother Zhang changed slightly.

He has always been optimistic about Zhang Xun's character and temperament; he is down-to-earth, calm, and likely to achieve something in martial arts.

But after only meeting the scoundrel Liu Biao once, he immediately moved and escaped a potential murder.

Within just a few days, a counterattack strategy was devised. He personally executed it, aiming for a decisive victory.

This decisiveness, ruthlessness, and drive are not something that can be easily developed like a loud punch.

"No wonder Liu Biao wanted to get rid of Junior Brother Zhang so quickly." Zhao Shaoting suddenly felt a strange sensation. This Junior Brother Zhang might be a rough gem that no one else in the boxing academy had discovered except for him. He suddenly had a feeling that among all the ordinary people he had helped, this junior brother in front of him might be the one with the most potential.

"Senior brother? Senior brother?"

"...What's wrong?" Zhao Shaoting came back to his senses.

"I received tens of thousands of coins this time, and I'd like to ask you to help me buy some exotic beast meat," Zhang Xun said in a low voice.

Zhao Shaoting understood and recommended, "How about black-browed rabbit meat? It costs a thousand coins per catty on the market. Its blood-nourishing effects are better than others at the same price. However, the meat is a bit tough and the taste is not as good. It also has fewer toxins, which would be quite suitable for you."

"Toxins?" Zhang Xun asked, puzzled.

"Yes, whether they are domesticated or hunted, the exotic beasts all originate from the Fog Zone and contain trace amounts of toxins. Eating too much of them can make people as irritable and bloodthirsty as wild beasts. Many wanted criminals and serial killers are those who have eaten too much exotic beast meat," Zhao Shaoting explained.

"It has this effect too?"

Zhang Xun was terrified; he had never heard of this before.

"This is another reason why martial arts training emphasizes aptitude. Don't eat too much, eating slowly won't be a big problem," Zhao Shaoting added. "Or you can take Qingxin Grass to eliminate the poison, but Qingxin Grass can't be grown in the inner city, it can only be collected in the misty area, and it's very expensive. People in the Body Tempering Realm can basically forget about buying it... Never mind, these are too far away for you, don't worry about them."

He paused, then sighed softly, "Junior brother, you don't have many ways to make money right now. It's a pity that I recommended some people to my family before, but they felt that the funding they provided hadn't recouped its costs, so they stopped trusting the people I recommended. Otherwise, you wouldn't have to worry about this for the time being if you had received the funding."

Zhang Xun sighed inwardly that he hadn't caught up with the good fortune. He had been in the inner courtyard for almost half a month, and he had naturally heard that the scholarship was a good thing that only people with good aptitude could receive.

Take Song Zhou, for example. Recently, he no longer needs to share his exotic beast meat with others when eating in the cafeteria; he brings his own. Many people are saying that he received a substantial subsidy and will not have to worry about money and food for the next few years.

"It's okay, a few tens of thousands of dollars should be enough for me to use for a while and figure out a solution."

As Zhang Xun was speaking, he suddenly noticed Zhao Shaoting giving him a strange look. He was about to ask what was wrong.

Zhao Shaoting pondered for a moment and said, "It seems there is a way, but I wonder if you, Junior Brother, would be willing?"

"Senior brother, please speak."

"Yes, it's about marriage."

"A marriage alliance?" Zhang Xun was taken aback.

"Yes, junior brother, if you're interested, I'll find a pretty cousin from a collateral branch to introduce to you. If that works out, I can convince my family to sponsor you." Zhao Shaoting looked at him earnestly.

"..."

Zhang Xun was stunned, not expecting this outcome.

The Zhao family is a large family, and the conditions for taking a son-in-law are not bad. If the collateral branches are good-looking, the same applies. Usually, only those with good aptitude are qualified. He did not expect that Senior Brother Zhao would think so highly of him.

Soon, after careful consideration, he became somewhat tempted.

Although I possess the body of a red dragon, I am far away in the foggy region and cannot provide assistance in the short term. While my human body has the ability to resolve martial arts training issues through "extrasensory perception," there are still other practical matters to consider, such as money and other real-world circumstances.

Once you're connected with the Zhao family and become their son-in-law, many problems will be solved. You won't have to worry about money for martial arts training anymore, and the Three Alliances won't be a problem either. You can then let the Red Dragon Body slowly find a way to come to you.

Thinking about this, Zhang Xun became even more tempted.

"Senior brother, is it my aptitude?" Zhang Xun hesitated. It wasn't that he felt inferior; he couldn't reveal his Red Dragon body or his 'supersensory state' to others, so the conditions were what they were.

"Don't worry, Junior Brother, you're a handsome young man. It's not all about aptitude." Zhao Shaoting smiled, quickly finished his instructions, and turned to leave. "I'll have someone bring you the Black-browed Rabbit meat later. Wait for my news, and I'll go see who in the clan is suitable."

As Zhang Xun watched Zhao Shaoting's retreating figure, a sense of anticipation rose in his heart. Life... seemed to be getting back on track.

…………

Across from the Flying Stone Boxing Academy, the Zhang family rented a house with a shop in the front and a yard in the back. The house was divided into two floors with several rooms, so they no longer had to cram the whole family into one room like they did in the slums. The backyard was enclosed by a mud wall that was taller than two people. Some dry firewood, hoes, water tanks and other odds and ends were piled up in the corners. In the middle, the mother, Yao Cuiling, had leveled out a space of about ten square meters for practicing martial arts.

Night fell, with no stars or moon in sight; it was pitch black.

Zhang Xun stood in the open space in the backyard, holding a piece of dried meat to his nose. The smell was a bit fishy and pungent, but he couldn't tell much difference from ordinary dried meat. He put it in his mouth and chewed...

Yes, it is indeed a bit tough and woody.

Zhang Xun chewed the food thoroughly and swallowed it. Almost immediately, he felt a difference. A warm sensation surged from his stomach and flowed through his blood vessels to his limbs and bones.

The fatigue accumulated from a whole day of hard training, and the swelling and soreness in the muscles, seemed to be relieved a lot by this warm sensation.

"This meat is indeed strong."

Zhang Xun's eyes lit up. He assumed a fighting stance, his spine rising into the sky as he entered a "super-sensory state" to practice the Flying Stone Fist.

First move: Grasping the Sparrow's Tail.

This time, he felt completely different.

As soon as I started practicing the moves, I noticed a slight warm current emanating from certain parts of my body. These were new points of power generation. Although I had practiced those points before, I hadn't been able to verify them. This time, I could.

Thud. I don't know how long they practiced.

call.

Zhang Xun paused, slowly coming to a stop, standing upright and motionless, his mind extremely foggy. But as he exhaled a puff of white air, his pores opened up, giving him a feeling of exhilarating pleasure.

'Flying Stone Fist Technique: 123/300, Proficient'

Watching the progress increase in the Red Dragon's field of vision.

Zhang Xun was overjoyed; this speed was much faster than usual.

If there is a continuous supply of dried meat from exotic beasts, wouldn't I be close to the second stage of Body Tempering?

"My aptitude is average, but in my super-sensory state, my body tempering efficiency is high, and the amount of alien beast meat I need shouldn't be enough to drive me insane."

As Zhang Xun was thinking, another wave of drowsiness washed over him.

This time it's the red dragon's body.

"Oh, I'm getting sleepy. Looks like I'm not far from hibernating and growing from a fledgling to a young dragon. The soil I'm digging is a bit tough, but it's alright. Double good news!"

After quickly washing himself, Zhang Xun went into his room and fell asleep immediately.

For the next two days, no one from the Sanlian Gang came knocking, which put Zhang Xun's mind at ease. News also soon came from Senior Brother Zhao's side…