Proving God begins with the principle that no effort is wasted.

At dawn, Jiang Lan stood on the wooden stake, lowered his waist and assumed a horse stance, slowly finishing the entire set of Bengshan Jin stance exercises.

He leaped off the wooden stake, landing firmly on his feet, and his knees didn't feel weak and trembling like they had yesterday.

In the past, by this time he would have been completely exhausted, his meridians feeling as if all his strength had been drained. But now, a trace of warm energy remained in his limbs and bones, and he had not been completely overdrawn.

Heaven rewards diligence, and no effort is wasted. He made up for his innate shortcomings with a hundredfold effort.

If he doesn't develop some skills, he and his mother, who make a living by guarding the fishing boat, will eventually be devoured by the evil forces in this city, leaving nothing but bones.

Suppressing the joy he dared not show, he leaped onto the wooden stake again, gritted his teeth, and practiced two more times until sweat soaked through his coarse clothes and dripped down his chin before he finally stopped.

……

As the sun set, the martial arts school disciples left in twos and threes, and the noisy training ground gradually became deserted, leaving only Jiang Lan still repeating the tedious and grueling stance training on the wooden stakes.

With the final movement, he gathered his energy back into his dantian before leaping lightly down from the half-person-high wooden stake, landing steadily and silently.

At this time yesterday, his legs felt as heavy as lead, and it was difficult to take even one step. Today, although they are still sore and swollen, he can still walk with his back straight.

He knew perfectly well that his physique had been slightly improved through days of arduous training, and his body was finally able to withstand heavier trials. This subtle change also gave him a sense of confidence.

Just then, two lines of pale gold writing appeared in my mind without warning, as clear as if they were engraved in my soul—

Heaven rewards diligence; no effort is ever wasted.

【Crushing Mountain Stance Exercise: 30/300】

Jiang Lan's heart jolted, then she was overjoyed.

With this thing, his comeback is never just empty talk.

He composed himself and strode towards the accounting office to collect his free medicinal bath for the week. This bath was his only means of strengthening his meridians and improving his strength; for someone of mediocre talent like him, it was more precious than anything else.

As he passed the connecting corridor, two extremely low whispers suddenly entered his ears, causing him to stop abruptly in his tracks.

"I was eavesdropping on the accountant and the master craftsman's conversation just now, and my ears were almost deafened!"

"Are you out of your mind?! Eavesdropping on our master's private conversations? If caught, you'll be expelled from the sect!"

"It was worth it this time! The old man said the Black Tiger Gang gave our martial arts school three hundred taels of silver as a tribute this month, which is a real fortune!"

Black Tiger Gang!

Jiang Lan shrank back and silently hid behind a pillar, her heart clenching suddenly.

"It's no secret that the martial arts school has dealings with the Black Tiger Gang, so why are you making such a fuss?"

Jiang Lan's heart sank to the bottom.

The Black Tiger Gang had been entrenched in the city for many years, committing all sorts of atrocities, including arson, murder, and robbery; they were ruthless villains who squeezed every last drop of blood from the bones.

But he never dreamed that the martial arts school where he devoted himself to learning martial arts would be so deeply involved with this evil force!

Those Black Tiger Gang thugs who run rampant on the streets might actually be trained by martial arts schools.

"And that's not all," the disciple said, his voice barely audible. "The Black Tiger Gang has their eye on Master's personal disciple, Jiang Hao, and wants to poach him with a hefty sum. Master is furious and really worried about it!"

"Jiang Hao is Master's successor, how could Master possibly release him?"

"That's why I said this is a tricky matter. We should pretend we don't know anything and absolutely not spread it around, or we'll get ourselves into trouble!"

The footsteps faded into the distance, and the corridor returned to silence.

Jiang Lan leaned against the cold stone pillar, his mind churning with emotions, a sense of impending doom gripping him. The Black Tiger Gang's poaching of people and the martial arts school's collusion with criminal elements—this quagmire was far deeper than he had imagined; a single misstep could lead to his utter destruction.

But he quickly came to his senses. With his current strength, he was powerless to interfere in these matters. The only way out was to focus on training hard and protect himself and his mother.

Upon arriving at the accounting office, the manager tossed him the medicine packet, saying indifferently, "This medicine is only enough for one day. If you want an extra dose, it'll cost twenty coins. This is the only free dose we have each week, so don't even think about asking for more."

Jiang Lan bowed and thanked him, clutching the medicine packet tightly to his chest, his heart heavy. Twenty coins for a single dose of medicine was an amount he simply couldn't afford due to his impoverished background. If he wanted to cultivate faster, he could only rely on his own relentless and arduous practice.

He clenched his fists, with only one thought in his mind: he must become stronger as soon as possible and get rid of this predicament of being at the mercy of others.

Just as he reached his doorstep, two blood-red lanterns blocked the bow of his fishing boat, their glare stinging his eyes.

Scarface Seven leaned against the deck, a pipe dangling from his mouth, the scar on his face looking particularly menacing in the firelight.

He smiled and waved to Jiang Lan, his tone dripping with malice: "Jiang Lan, you're finally back? I heard from your mother that you went to the Guangchang Martial Arts School to learn martial arts? You've certainly improved."

Jiang Lan suppressed the chill in his heart and forced a smile: "Thank you for your concern, Master Dao. I'm just trying to make a living."

Scarface Seven stepped forward, his rough hands gripping his shoulders tightly: "Learning martial arts must cost a lot of money, right? Your family is so poor, I'm afraid you can't afford it. Let me show you a way out: one hundred coins as capital, two coins of interest per day, settled daily. Just pawn some valuables. It's a great deal."

Jiang Lan felt a chill run through her body, and a surge of hatred welled up inside her, but she dared not show it on her face.

This isn't a loan; it's outright usury that preys on people without a trace. The daily interest may seem small, but with compound interest, it could bankrupt his family in less than a month.

"Thank you for your kindness, Master Dao," Jiang Lan bowed slightly, his tone respectful yet resolute. "I can barely hold on for now. If I really can't go on, I'll come and bother you again."

Scarface Seven patted his cheek with utter contempt, then turned and shouted into the thatched hut, "Second Aunt Cheng, next month is the fishing festival, and the city magistrates are coming to inspect the goods. If you can't deliver this batch of fishing nets, how am I supposed to explain it to them?"

He strode into the thatched hut and kicked open the broken wooden cabinet in the inner room.

Cheng was weaving a net when she was startled and dropped the shuttle. She saw Scarface Qi rummaging through drawers and cabinets, her face deathly pale: "Master Dao, what are you doing? We'll definitely deliver the fishing nets on time, we won't cause you any trouble..."

"Talk is cheap." Scarface Seven pulled an old earthenware jar from the bottom of the cabinet, opened it, and inside lay a pair of silver earrings. He picked them up, held them up to the light, and grinned. "Put some things as collateral first, and I'll return them to you once you hand them over online. Don't worry, Knife Master will keep them safe for you; they won't get lost."

"That's...that's what Alan's father left me..." Cheng's voice trembled, her eyes red, but she dared not step forward again.

Jiang Lan rushed in and saw Scarface Qi stuffing his silver earrings into his pocket.

His blood froze instantly, and his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

"Master Dao," he said in a very low voice, "we will definitely hand over the fishing nets, please be lenient..."

"Have mercy?" Scarface Seven sneered, patting his cheek. "Kid, it's not that I don't trust you, it's that the big shots up above don't. Once you hand it over to the internet, this thing will naturally be returned to you."

He left with two henchmen, carrying a scarlet lantern.

Jiang Lan stood at the bow of the ship, her whole body tense, the anger and humiliation in her chest almost about to explode.

He turned and walked into the dimly lit thatched hut. His mother, Cheng Erniang, sat at the table, clutching a shuttle for weaving nets in her hand. Her eyes were red and her face was full of sorrow. She looked at him, unable to say a word, only letting out a silent sigh.

"Mother, don't be afraid, I'm here." Jiang Lan's voice was soft, but it was filled with unprecedented determination. He placed the medicine packet on the table, his eyes as cold as ice.

He walked alone to the riverbank, put his hand into the icy cold water, and felt the chill spread from his fingertips throughout his body, but he could not suppress the anger in his heart.

The golden panel reappeared in his mind:

Heaven rewards diligence; no effort is ever wasted.

【Crushing Mountain Stance Exercise: 30/300】

He slowly clenched his fist, his knuckles turning white, and his entire aura turned icy cold.

Kill him, and Mother's dowry will be returned.