The Martial Saint rose to power starting as a substitute bridegroom.

Gu Family Village, Gu Mansion, East Wing.

Gu Yunzhou lay on the bed, his arm wrapped in a blood-soaked bandage, wincing in pain: "Ouch... Father, it hurts! You have to find someone to avenge me!"

Gu Jitang stood before the bed, his face ashen. "My son, who hurt you like this?"

"The Green Ox Martial Arts Society... a little bastard named Li Yuan... Ouch, that hurts so much..."

"Li Yuan?"

Gu Jitang frowned.

Steward Zhu, who was standing nearby, quickly bowed and said, "Reporting to Master, it's the orphan that Gu Laoqi adopted. He recently joined the Qingniu Martial Arts Club to learn martial arts..."

Gu Jitang's brows furrowed even deeper.

Of course, Gu Laoqi knew that in his youth he was a notorious shrew in the surrounding area, and his harpoon skills were superb.

But what truly alarmed Gu Jitang was Li Yuan's cultivation level.

To beat one's son into this state, that kid must be at least a Ming Jin martial artist.

He knew his precious son's character best.

Gu Yunzhou, relying on his status as a disciple of the Tianlong Martial Arts School and the continuous supply of silver-striped perch from the Gu family, barely managed to pass the test and step into the Ming Jin realm.

While his lack of effort and ambition certainly contributed to this, without his decent physical constitution, breaking through to the Ming Jin level would have been a pipe dream.

He knew all too well what breaking through to the Ming Jin level meant.

Li Yuan, that kid, is clearly from a peasant background. There's no way he could have broken through to the Ming Jin level by nourishing his body with silver-striped perch every day like his son.

How extraordinary must his innate talent be?

Given time, such a person may very well achieve great things.

Gu Jitang was able to live a stable and prosperous life as a wealthy man in the countryside for more than 20 years, not because he was mean and stingy, but because of his instinct to read people's expressions and seek advantages and avoid disadvantages—always leaving room for maneuver and never making enemies for himself.

Of course, those incompetent fishermen and peasants are not included in this category.

If Li Yuan were just an ordinary fisherman's son, he would have had the other party's legs broken long ago, repaying his son's injuries tenfold, and he wouldn't care about the other party's life or death.

But the other party is a Ming Jin martial artist, which changes the nature of the matter.

"Someone in the village has joined the martial arts society. Why didn't you inform me sooner?" Gu Jitang asked in a deep voice.

Steward Zhu bowed even lower: "Please forgive me, sir. Li Yuan was recently found by his biological parents and, by some twist of fate, married into the Zhou family in town, becoming their son-in-law. Since he has already left the Gu family, I... I didn't dare trouble you, sir."

Steward Zhu stole a glance at Gu Yunzhou, who was groaning on the bed, and, thinking he had guessed his master's thoughts, said with a fawning smile, "Master, how about we give that old bastard Gu Laoqi some trouble?"

Gu Jitang suddenly turned her head and glared at him with eyes as sharp as knives.

"Go to the kitchen, pick out ten pounds of the fattest, best meat, and send it to Old Seven Gu!" His tone was resolute and brooked no argument.

"What?!" Gu Yunzhou jumped out of bed in shock, the movement aggravating his wound and causing him to gasp in pain. "Father, are you out of your mind?"

Gu Jitang's voice was hoarse, revealing deep apprehension: "Son, it's not that your father doesn't want to avenge you. The other man comes from humble origins, yet he's become a Ming Jin martial artist. With that potential, he might even break through to An Jin in the future. You've offended Gu Laoqi, and my Gu family has made him our mortal enemy. If he succeeds in the martial arts exams in the future, won't we be nothing more than fish on a chopping board for him to manipulate?"

Gu Yunzhou scoffed, his face full of disdain: "He broke through to the Dark Force realm? Father, you're giving that good-for-nothing too much credit! I've already found out that his aptitude is extremely low; he only managed to reach the Bright Force realm by sheer luck. Ha, the Dark Force realm hurdle can't be overcome by luck alone!"

Butler Zhu seemed to remember something and quickly chimed in, "Young Master is right. I've heard that when Li Yuan joined the martial arts club, all the big martial arts schools in the county town thought his aptitude was too poor and no one was willing to accept him. In the end, he only managed to squeeze into the not-so-reputable Qingniu Martial Arts Club in the countryside by pulling strings."

Gu Jitang's expression froze.

He didn't take the previous words to heart, but the words "inferior aptitude" were like nails driven into his ears.

Since there's no hope for the opponent in martial arts, then... should we just make a move like this?

He is not a reckless person; this matter requires careful consideration.

The safest approach is to wait.

Once the Wuhan University entrance exam is over, everything will be settled.

If Li Yuan fails the imperial examination, while Yun Zhou succeeds in the martial arts examination, the Gu family will have the protection of official rank. Even if they deal with that kid and Gu Laoqi's entire family, they will have no worries about the future.

"Let's put aside the matter of giving gifts for now," Gu Jitang said slowly.

Gu Yunzhou visibly relaxed and lay back down on his pillow.

"The most urgent thing is to heal your injuries." A ruthless glint flashed in Gu Jitang's eyes. "From today onwards, your share of Silver-Striped Perch will be doubled! You must train like crazy and break through to the Dark Force realm before the grand exam! As long as you pass the martial arts exam, not only will Li Yuan and Gu Laoqi be at the mercy of the Green Ox Martial Arts Society!"

"Thank you, Father!" Gu Yunzhou was overjoyed.

He understood his father's plan perfectly well—it's better to nip the problem in the bud than to raise a tiger to cause trouble, but to nip the problem, one must wait until the tiger is most helpless.

......

Patrol battalion.

After reporting for duty, Li Yuan was assigned a task.

His fellow patrolman was a burly man in his thirties named Liang Bai, with a square face, a serious expression, and a fierce gaze.

My first impression of them is that they are not easy to get along with.

But after exchanging a few words, I realized that he was a person who was cold on the outside but warm on the inside.

The Liang family was well-off, owning a butcher shop, so they shouldn't be short of five taels of silver.

He was at the peak of the Ming Jin realm, but failed several times in his attempts to break through to the An Jin realm. Perhaps he took this part-time job to find some solace in his work.

But I later found out that his daughter was studying and his son was learning martial arts, and they needed money for everything.

With his wife pregnant again, the pressure was even greater.

Upon their first meeting, Liang Bai learned a little about Li Yuan's background and couldn't help but feel more favorably toward him after learning of his humble origins.

Back then, he also came from humble beginnings and built up his family business with just a butcher's knife.

"Safety is the top priority during routine patrols," he said, taking a bite of an apple and tossing the core to the side of the road. "Don't panic in case of trouble."

"If you encounter a petty thief, you can arrest him, but do not pursue him relentlessly."

"If you encounter a fight, especially a group fight, a brawl, or a gang fight, just go around it and notify the patrol office. There are special officers to handle it."

He took a breath and continued, "We've only made a little money, it's not worth risking our lives."

"If you encounter a conflict between experts, especially a fight between powerful families, don't get involved. Even the Patrol Division can't handle these kinds of things, so what are we...?"

The two patrolled and chatted, with Liang Bai explaining in detail all the things to pay attention to while on duty.

After exchanging pleasantries, Li Yuan felt that this person was quite nice and couldn't help but feel even closer to him.

On the street, pedestrians, merchants, and vendors come and go.

A pale-faced woman was arguing heatedly with a short, thin, dark-skinned merchant over a single copper coin.

A little beggar picked up some rotten vegetable leaves from the roadside, carefully removed them with his dirty little hands, and put them into a broken earthenware pot to cook...

"The streets we're responsible for patrolling are all in the outer city area, and most of the people coming and going are poor," Liang Bai remarked with a sigh.

Clack, clack...

An unusual commotion came from the other end of the street, accompanied by the neighing of horses.

"Get out of the way!"

"Get out of my way!"

A dozen or so burly men dressed in coarse cloth and short jackets roughly pushed aside the crowds on the street, regardless of age or gender.

Those who fell to the ground rolled up, dusted themselves off, and stood obediently at a distance from the roadside, not daring to breathe.

Some stalls were overturned by the crowds, and oranges, bananas and other fruits rolled all over the ground and were trampled to pieces by the crowds.

Click!

Amidst the little beggar's sobs, the earthenware pot used for cooking shattered in two, spilling warm soup all over the ground...

A passage was quickly cleared.

The men wore knives at their waists, and each had large, thick hands, clearly indicating they were all skilled martial artists.

On the tall horse, the spirited young man had a calm expression, as if he didn't see anything.

Liang Bai grabbed Li Yuan and pulled him to the side of the road.

"Brother Liang, who is he?" Li Yuan couldn't help but ask, watching the figure on horseback heading towards the inner city.

"A martial arts master!" Liang Bai breathed a sigh of relief. "He passed the martial arts exam last year and earned the title of martial arts master."

"With the title of martial arts master, even the county magistrate will have to treat you with utmost respect."

"Becoming a martial arts master not only allows you to take a government position and receive a substantial salary, but also provides opportunities to enter major martial arts sects and advance further... The benefits are numerous."

"Those martial arts practitioners, vying to serve as servants to the martial arts master, aren't they just hoping to gain some advantage..."

Liang Bai's eyes were filled with longing. For a merchant like him, obtaining the title of martial arts master would be an incredible blessing for his family.

Wu Ke High School means so much.

Liang Bai composed himself, sighed, and said, "However, getting into the martial arts high school is incredibly difficult! Linjiang City has a population of over 100,000, and thousands of them practice martial arts. To get into the high school, one must be in the top ten of the martial arts examination!"

The two looked into the distance.

The outline of the city emerged in the twilight, and the lights twinkled like stars in the deep sky.

That's the inner city.

Li Yuan had been there; everywhere were grand courtyards with upturned eaves and rows of pavilions. Officials, merchants, and wealthy gentry walked the streets in high spirits, their faces beaming with smiles.

"In the outer city, people are still struggling to get something to eat, while the gentlemen in the inner city are already indulging in a life of luxury and debauchery," Liang Bai sighed.

Li Yuan nodded.

Isn't that true of every era?

The so-called upper class in society is nothing more than someone who stands on the corpses of others.

As the sun set and its last rays faded, the two returned to their barracks.

"Kid, let me weigh you up!" Liang Bai suddenly perked up and assumed a fist-fighting stance.

"No need, Brother Liang..."

"Enough talk, take this!"

With a solid foundation and a stable lower body, Liang Bai stepped forward in a bow stance and unleashed a powerful and heavy Bull Fist.

The sound of wind breaking came whistling in, and Li Yuan dared not be negligent in the slightest.

He crossed his arms to block the opponent's punch.

This is defense, and also a way to gauge the strength of the opponent's punches and kicks.

Now Li Yuan felt more confident.

Liang Bai's attack was deflected, but instead of retreating, he advanced, and his other fist followed up like a cannonball, the fierce force creating a soft sound as it ripped through the air.

A glint of light flashed in Li Yuan's eyes, and his body suddenly felt heavy as he unleashed a powerful "Tiger Splitting the Mountain" strike.

bang——

Their fists clashed together.

The two of them took a few steps back to steady themselves.

Liang Bai felt a tingling sensation in his forearm.

He couldn't help but be startled.

I heard that Li Yuancai had only recently broken through to the Ming Jin level, yet he dared to fight me head-on with a punch.

He himself possessed a genuine peak Ming Jin cultivation level.

Moreover, the power of Li Yuan's punch was in no way inferior!

"Interesting." Liang Bai smiled slightly, becoming even more excited.

A worthy opponent rekindled his deep-seated desire for battle.

Thud! Thud! Thud! ......

The sounds of fists and feet clashing were incessant. The two exchanged blows, their moves becoming increasingly swift and cunning, leaving the returning patrolmen from other groups completely stunned.

Liang Bai had a clear advantage in qi and blood, but Li Yuan was superior in martial arts techniques.

If Liang Bai hadn't known that the other person was not even twenty years old, he would have thought that the other person was a master who had practiced martial arts for many years.

"good!"

Liang Bai became increasingly alarmed as the fight progressed.

If language is the foundation of communication for ordinary people, then "fist and foot" is the way martial artists communicate.

Punches and kicks, back and forth.

The "mutual appreciation" in many martial arts novels is forged in this way.

After dozens of rounds, the two men, sweating profusely, finally shook hands and made peace.

The other patrolmen looked at Li Yuan with a different gaze.

In terms of strength, Liang Bai was one of the best in the entire barracks.

Well, now a newcomer who is his equal has arrived.

This person commands respect from all.

"The martial arts exam is next month. At your current level, you're still quite a distance from reaching the Dark Force stage. You'd better hurry up," Liang Bai reminded him, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

"Brother Liang, aren't you going to participate?" Li Yuan asked.

"Me?" Liang Bai gave a bitter smile. "I've participated in the past few years, and without exception, I failed every time."

"Even at the peak of Ming Jin, there is absolutely no hope."

Liang Bai stared blankly, as if recalling those unforgettable defeats on the martial arts arena.

"My potential is exhausted, and there is no possibility of me breaking through to the next level of internal strength. You are different; you are still young and have a bright future ahead of you."

Does failing to break through the hidden strength level mean there's absolutely no chance?

Li Yuan frowned.

No wonder some people say that the difference in strength between internal strength and external strength is greater than that between an adult and a child.

......

The training ground of the Green Ox Martial Arts Club.

After finishing his practice, Li Yuan sat down on the stone steps to rest.

Due to insufficient supplementation, progress remains poor.

【White Tiger Bone Forging Technique (Minor Success): 40/100 (Practice ten times daily, achieve major success in ten days)】

Each additional repetition became an unbearable burden on the body.

Just keep going.

After some rough calculations, I realized that by focusing all my energy on cultivating the martial arts technique, I had almost reached the level of mastering internal strength during the martial arts examination.

Whether he can make it to the martial arts exam remains to be seen.

There is hope, but it's not a done deal.

The numerical panel provided by the Heavenly Book of Derivation is calm, objective, and leaves no room for compromise.

Suddenly, a burst of laughter rang out.

Congratulations on Junior Brother Lu's healthy return!

"Junior Brother Lu has turned misfortune into blessing. Not only has his injury healed, but he has also broken through to the late stage of Ming Jin, and is only a step away from An Jin. He is truly enviable!"

At this moment, Lin Chong led Qi Xiuyuan, Chen Ting, and Lu Qing out.

Lu Qing looked energetic and lively, showing no signs of injury whatsoever.

Lin Chong's face was flushed, clearly indicating that he was in a very good mood:

"I hereby declare that from this day forward, Lu Qing is my personal disciple, Lin Chong's disciple!"