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

Li Yuan looked puzzled, and the woman then explained, "I am from Liang Bai's family."

"So it's you, my sister-in-law." Li Yuan quickly and warmly bowed. "You...were waiting for me here?"

"Um."

As the woman approached, Li Yuan finally saw clearly that she was a dignified woman, but her eyes were red and swollen, indicating that she had been crying for a long time.

"Sister-in-law, has something happened?" Li Yuan asked.

As soon as she said it, the woman's tears streamed down her face again.

"Martial Arts Master Li, our Liang family... I'm afraid we can't get through this... Liang Bai said that your martial arts exam is imminent and forbade me from disturbing you. I sneaked out... If there were even the slightest way, I wouldn't dare to trouble you..."

"Sister-in-law, this is not the place to talk. Please come with me."

Li Yuan found a teahouse that was still open, and the two sat down. After listening to the woman's story, Li Yuan finally understood why Liang Bai had looked so worried when he met him that morning.

It turned out that Liang Bai had just opened a new shop. The Tianlang Gang had their eye on the land, claiming it was a feng shui treasure, and wanted to buy it to set up their headquarters. Though they called it a purchase, the few taels of silver they offered were practically robbery. Liang Bai's eldest son, furious, went to confront the Tianlang Gang. During the ensuing verbal altercation, he was beaten half to death and remains unconscious to this day.

Liang Bai didn't want to delay Li Yuanwu's exam, so he kept it a secret and forbade his family from asking Li Yuan for help.

Now, that shop has been forcibly taken over by the Tianlang Gang.

The woman from the Liang family lowered her head and sighed, "Martial Arts Master Li, I've heard that Huang Kui, the leader of the Tianlang Gang, is a master of internal strength... My suggestion is that since you're in the martial arts society, could you perhaps ask a few of your fellow disciples or friends to intervene and seek justice? We're willing to pay whatever it takes..."

Li Yuan took a deep breath.

The woman's intention was to prevent him from having a direct confrontation with Huang Kui, lest he suffer a defeat and be injured.

But if he really did that, wouldn't he, as a retainer of the Liang family, become a laughingstock?

Besides, when it comes to murder and looting, it's like a business being offered to you; there's no reason to turn it away.

"Sister-in-law, please put your mind at ease. You don't need to worry about this matter," Li Yuan said.

His mind was made up. Having become someone's retainer, he was obligated to repay their money and solve their problems. If he couldn't even do that, he would lose his integrity and have no future in the martial world. Besides, Li Yuan could sense that the Liang family's initial support wasn't based on any potential or future prospects, but rather on Liang Bai's genuine desire to help him.

This sincerity is more precious than gold.

After sending the woman home, Li Yuan turned around and went to the headquarters of the Sihai Society on Yingbin Street.

When Ding Zhen heard that Li Yuan had arrived, he was overjoyed. He jumped off the bed without even putting on his shoes and ran out to pull Li Yuan into the house.

"Brother Li, we've been waiting for you! You've finally come to your senses!" Ding Zhen laughed loudly. "As long as you're willing to become a guest retainer of my Four Seas Society, your salary will be doubled!"

Li Yuan smiled and said, "Brother Ding, you misunderstand. I've come here to inquire about something."

"What is it?" Ding Zhen frowned.

Hearing Li Yuan decline again, he was truly disappointed, but then he thought that if he could help Li Yuan and make a good connection, it wouldn't be a loss.

Therefore, he was still happy to help.

"Brother Ding, have you ever heard of the Sky Wolf Gang?"

"Brother Li, you don't mean you're thinking of becoming a guest retainer of the Sky Wolf Gang, do you?" Ding Zhen's eyes widened.

"Don't mention it," Li Yuan said with a smile.

"So it was the Sirius Gang that provoked you." Ding Zhen's expression changed slightly, and his brows furrowed tightly.

He lit a cigarette before slowly saying, "Brother Li, please don't be offended. The Tianlang Gang is a tough opponent, and my Sihai Society can't help with this."

Li Yuan had only come to gather information and had no intention of asking the Four Seas Society for help.

"What is the explanation? I would like to hear the details."

"That Huang Kui is a true master of internal strength. Back when he and the Tianlang Gang first emerged in the outer city, I gathered seven or eight experts of external strength and ambushed and killed him when he was alone. Who would have thought..." Ding Zhen's eyes reddened slightly, "...that none of them came back alive. So, I would rather give the Tianlang Gang half of its territory than watch my brothers die in vain."

Ding Zhen was known for his chivalrous spirit, and Li Yuan had heard of this. This story was probably true.

"Besides Huang Kui, who else is in the Sirius Gang?"

Ding Zhen shook his head: "That's it. The Sirius Gang originally came from among the refugees in Shuangye City. They were unfamiliar with the place and the people there, and Huang Kui was the only one holding them together."

"Alright, I understand. Brother Ding, please continue with your work. I won't bother you any longer," Li Yuan said, standing up.

"Brother Li, take my advice. Let's hold off on this matter with the Sky Wolf Gang for now. There's plenty of time!"

Li Yuan chuckled: "I never said I wanted to be their enemy, I was just asking around."

……

Yanxia Street, Liang Family Butcher Shop.

Although the meat had been removed, the air was still thick with the stench of blood.

Huang Kui was drinking with seven or eight ruffians, making a huge commotion that reached the ears of the person on the roof.

"The daughter of the tailor shop owner on West Street is so tender, you could practically squeeze water out of her, hehehe..."

This was followed by a burst of lewd laughter.

"Third Brother, you're so disloyal! You've had your fun, but you won't let the brothers have any fun either. How could you just throw that little wench into the well?"

"Nonsense, do you think I, Wu San, am someone who eats alone? I didn't throw it away; she jumped up in shame and indignation herself."

"It must be because you don't know how to treat a woman with respect, you scared her... Hahaha..."

There was another burst of laughter.

On the rooftop, Li Yuan sighed inwardly.

The room was full of seven or eight people, but ultimately they were only relying on a master of internal energy to back them up. He was 90% confident he could take them all down, but not 100%.

It seems I'll have to come another day.

Just as I was about to leave, I heard a sound coming from inside the house.

"Alright, alright, it's getting late. You guys go back first. Mud Monkey and San'er, stay and clean up." Huang Kui gave them the order to leave.

Five or six hooligans got up to take their leave, looking rather unsatisfied as they left the shop and disappeared into the thick night.

"Brother Huang, this is the tax collected from the streets of the West District. None of those peasants and unscrupulous merchants dared not pay it. It's a full three hundred taels of silver." Wu San, a rogue dressed in a short jacket and shirtless, poured out a pile of silver ingots from his money bag and placed them in front of Huang Kui.

Huang Kui picked up a piece of pig's head meat with his chopsticks, sipped his wine, and pushed the silver ingots to the side of the table with his hand. He exhaled a breath of wine and said, "Mud Monkey, put two hundred taels in my box. As for the remaining hundred or so, you two can each take fifty, and the rest can be divided among the brothers."

Mud Monkey was a lean man with bright, intelligent eyes. He immediately beamed with joy: "Thank you, Boss Huang!"

Wu San smiled and accepted his share, raising his glass and saying, "Brother Huang, this is a toast to you, bottoms up!" He then tilted his head back and downed it.

Huang Kui, reeking of alcohol, said, "You two are different from those good-for-nothings in the gang. You are real talents who can practice martial arts, and you are my trusted confidants. Our Tianlang Gang is a newcomer, and everything needs to be rebuilt. We will have to rely on you two brothers in the future."

The mud monkey turned around and went to the cabinet next to him to put away the silver ingots.

Wu San poured wine for Huang Kui again: "Brother Huang, there's something I don't understand. We just took over the Liang family's shop and beat up his son. Do you think he'll let it go? Liang Bai is a member of the patrol battalion."

Huang Kui, hiccuping, touched his forehead, already quite drunk, and sneered, "What a load of rubbish! It's just a shelter for a bunch of down-on-their-luck martial arts school disciples with no connections. Liang Bai is even worse—a piece of trash who's failed several times at the internal strength level. What's there to be afraid of?"

"What Boss Huang says is true. However, according to my inquiries, the Liang family also has a retainer, a disciple of the Green Ox Martial Arts Society named Li Yuan. He is a young Ming Jin disciple, and there is still a possibility that he may be able to break through to An Jin... We must be careful!" Wu San said cautiously.

"You two have only just entered the Ming Jin stage, how could you know how difficult it is to break through to the An Jin stage? Not just anyone can break through so easily..." Huang Kui said, then paused, "However, what you said makes some sense, we must be careful. Tomorrow, call the brothers, intercept him halfway, and cripple him."

squeak-

Just then, a boy walked in with a smile.

"You three, are you eating?"

"Who are you?!" The three were startled and stood up abruptly.

"My name is Li Yuan." The young man's smile remained unchanged. "And I am also—the one who has come to take your lives."

Li Yuan?

The Ming Jin disciple that Wu Sanfang just mentioned?

Huang Kui was taken aback.

This kid is rushing to his death without even bothering to find out who I am beforehand.

"How dare you!"

No sooner said than done.

Huang Kui, with his face full of scars, glared fiercely and grinned maliciously before launching the first attack.

The lingering stench of blood in the butcher shop was suddenly dispelled by the powerful gust of wind. He unleashed a fierce Dragon Claw technique, his five fingers like iron hooks, carrying a vicious gust of wind, aiming straight for Li Yuan's right shoulder joint.

This Dragon Claw Hand technique is insidious and ruthless, specializing in targeting joints, tendons, and acupoints. It emphasizes using skill to overcome clumsiness and softness to overcome hardness. Huang Kui has been immersed in this art for many years, and his finger strength is astonishing. Once he firmly grasps an arm, dislocating tendons and bones, that arm will be crippled in an instant.

Li Yuan's eyes narrowed, and he stomped his foot, creating a shallow crater in the greasy ground. Instead of retreating, he advanced like a tiger unleashed from its cage, pressing forward with a fierce and devastating aura.

The muscles in his right arm bulged, and the nascent power of internal energy surged through his meridians. He neither dodged nor avoided, but met Huang Kui's grappling hand head-on with the simplest and most direct "Hungry Tiger Strikes the Heart," striking straight at the opponent's center.

Use strength to overcome skill, and force to subdue strategy.

"Um?!"

Huang Kui had not expected his opponent to be so fierce, and in haste, he changed his grab to a slap, his palm colliding head-on with Li Yuan's fist.

"Bang!"

The muffled thud was like striking leather. Huang Kui felt a powerful and domineering force suddenly come over him, mixed with a chilling coldness. His palm went numb, his blood and qi stagnated slightly, and he involuntarily took half a step back.

Li Yuan used the momentum to spin around, dodging a cleaver that Wu San swung at from the side. The blade grazed his clothes before slamming into the meat processing table beside him, penetrating several inches and sending wood chips flying.

"Hidden strength?!"

Huang Kui was secretly alarmed. Hadn't they just said that Li Yuan was merely a Ming Jin disciple?

But now it's too late to say anything.

"Attack him together and chop him up!" Huang Kui shook his numb hands and shouted sharply. He had already sensed the ferocity of Li Yuan's punches and dared not be careless anymore.

The three men rushed forward, knives and clubs flashing. The butcher shop was already cramped, and the wet, greasy floor added to the danger.

Li Yuan, however, was like a tiger among sheep.

His movements were fluid and rhythmic, like those of a ferocious beast, as he unleashed the perfected Tiger Form Fist.

With a deep, tiger-like stance, his lower body became as stable as a rock, allowing a jujube wood stick to sweep across his waist. He contracted and sprang from his waist, channeling hidden energy, and actually deflected the stick. Then, his "Tiger Tail Kick" lashed out like a steel whip, striking the mud monkey holding the stick squarely in the shin. With a crisp "crack," the mud monkey screamed and fell to the ground.

As Wu San thrust his dagger from the side, Li Yuan used the "Tiger Leaps Over the Mountain Stream" technique, his body nimbly dodging the blade. At the same time, his claws pounced like a tiger, grabbing Wu San's wrists and unleashing a burst of energy wrapped in Yuan Sha's chilling aura.

"ah--!"

Wu San felt a sharp force surge through his wrist, his entire arm instantly becoming numb and tingling, as if his blood was freezing. The dagger clattered to the ground. Li Yuan showed no mercy, his "Tiger Claw" tearing downwards with a sharp rip. A hissing sound, mixed with the muffled crack of tendons snapping, rang out. His wrist twisted and deformed, and he screamed as he rolled away. The severed arm had an unnatural bluish-gray tinge, exuding a chilling aura.

Huang Kui's eyes twitched; the chilling bluish-gray aura made him shudder.

"Poisonous? What kind of evil kung fu is this kid practicing?!"

Li Yuan was also secretly surprised. How could such a dose of Yuan Sha Qi not kill the other party? This Yuan Sha Cold Poison is incredibly powerful against demons and evil spirits, so why is it so much less effective against humans?

He vaguely felt that this "Yuan Sha Gong" was probably a technique specifically designed to suppress evil spirits.

Although it's not very effective on people, it's enough.

Huang Kui dared not wait any longer. With a roar, he unleashed his full power and charged forward like a wolf. His hands formed claws, and his fingertips gleamed with a metallic sheen. They tore through the air with a sharp, sizzling sound, aiming straight for Li Yuan's throat and heart.

It was his deadly technique, the Heart-Shattering Claw, which he wielded with Dragon Claw!

Its claws are sharper and more powerful than swords.

Facing this long-awaited killing move, Li Yuan took a deep breath. The nascent internal energy and the chilling, malevolent energy accumulated from the "Yuan Sha Gong" surged wildly towards his fists.

A faint gray-black aura swirled around his fist, making the surrounding air seem to cool down.

"Perfect timing!"

Li Yuan roared, neither retreating nor dodging, and fiercely met the attack with the move "Fierce Tiger Climbing the Mountain".

Their fists and claws clashed, a real, hard-hitting collision.

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

Several explosions rang out in the cramped butcher shop, the force of which spread outwards, causing dust to fall from the roof and the iron hooks holding the meat to shake violently.

Huang Kui's wolf claws were fierce and ruthless, with every move aimed at vital points; Li Yuan's tiger-shaped fist was powerful and violent, with wide and sweeping movements, and each punch contained a chilling and sinister aura.

Huang Kui grew increasingly alarmed as the fight progressed. He discovered that every time his sharp claw strikes penetrated his opponent's fist, they were neutralized by that powerful and eerie force. Instead, wisps of chilling, malevolent energy continuously seeped into his meridians through the point where his fists and claws met, causing his blood and qi to stagnate, his arms to grow colder and colder, and even his internal energy to become somewhat stagnant.

"Damn it!"

Knowing he couldn't delay any longer, Huang Kui endured Li Yuan's shoulder strike, coughing up blood, but seized the opportunity to change his move. He feinted with his left hand, while his right hand suddenly unleashed a powerful claw attack, its five fingers like hooks, at an extremely tricky angle, bypassing Li Yuan's blocking arm and striking straight at his ribs.

If this strike lands firmly, the hidden force will penetrate deeply, enough to break one's heart and intestines.

In the blink of an eye, a fierce glint flashed in Li Yuan's eyes.

Ignoring the deadly claw aimed at his ribs, he used the impact to slightly shift his body, narrowly avoiding a claw tip grazing his flesh and drawing blood. At the same time, his long-prepared right fist, imbued with all his strength and almost solidified Yuan Sha cold energy, flew upwards in a violent arc, striking Huang Kui squarely in the center of his chest, which was wide open due to his exertion.

boom--!

This muffled thud was far heavier and more terrifying than any of the previous collisions.

Huang Kui's eyes bulged out, and the ferocious expression on his face froze instantly. He felt an overwhelming force smash into his chest, and a chilling, destructive, and eerie force burrowed into his heart and lungs like a venomous snake.

puff--!

Huang Kui coughed up blood, the blood mist mixed with tiny ice shards. His chest caved in, and his clothes ripped open with a "rip," revealing a large hole through his back, through which a gray-black fist mark was faintly visible, instantly covered with a layer of frost.

He staggered backward, knocking over the meat chopping board behind him, sending countless pieces of flesh and broken bones flying everywhere. He raised his finger at Li Yuan, wanting to say something, but only a hoarse "hoarse" sound escaped his throat, his eyes filled with disbelief, horror, and despair. In the blink of an eye, the chilling, poisonous energy that had invaded his internal organs froze and annihilated his life force inch by inch, and his burly body crashed to the ground.

"Spare me...spare me! Master Li! Master Li, spare me!"

The remaining two were already terrified. Wu San struggled to sit up, tears streaming down his face, and repeatedly kowtowed to Li Yuan, his forehead hitting the greasy ground with a loud thud.

"Let me go, all the money is yours, Master Li..."

As he spoke, he reached for his waist, seemingly wanting to take out his money pouch.

Li Yuan smiled calmly.

"You're incredibly stupid. Even if I kill you, the money will still be mine."