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

Less than half a month after the Chamber of Commerce was established, the martial arts trend in the entire city had completely shifted.

The strong winds first swept through the shops of the powerful and wealthy, then suppressed the local forces, and finally fell into the courtyards of every martial arts school in the city, causing the livelihoods of the lower-class martial artists to wither away step by step.

Guangchang Martial Arts School is becoming increasingly deserted.

Within a few days, the five disciples left.

The three men ran out of food and, driven by the need to survive, had no other choice. In these impoverished times, martial arts training couldn't fill their stomachs, and their families couldn't afford to wait for their sons' future.

The other two took a shortcut and went to the martial arts school affiliated with the Chamber of Commerce.

The general trend is inevitable, and the people's hearts waver; this is the norm in times of chaos.

Shen Qing was the fifth person to leave.

As dawn broke, frost covered the courtyard.

He stood alone in front of the wooden stake, his posture upright and motionless. He wasn't practicing his punches or practicing stances; he was just standing quietly, as if bidding a silent farewell to his years of martial arts life.

Jiang Lan walked out from the backyard, paused slightly, and stared silently.

"Senior brother." Shen Qing turned around upon hearing the voice.

His eyes remained unchanged, showing no sign of weakness.

"When are you leaving?" Jiang Lan asked flatly, without any warmth or inflection.

"I'll leave today." Shen Qing forced a faint smile, which vanished in an instant. "My father sent a message through a fellow villager that the rice jar at home is empty, and we really can't hold on any longer."

He was never afraid of the hardships of martial arts training.

He practiced in the morning frost and walked in the evening breeze, punching wooden stakes hundreds of times, breaking through layers of skin and growing thick calluses on his bones, but he never uttered a single complaint.

Physical suffering can be endured.

However, the suffering of the world has no solution.

"I went to Guangchang to learn boxing from a master, just to change my fate." Shen Qing looked down at his calloused hands, the cracks between his thumb and forefinger clearly visible. "We farmers have been trapped in the fields for generations, facing the yellow earth and turning our backs to the sky... I don't want to live like this for the rest of my life."

He originally thought that diligence could make up for lack of talent and martial arts could turn his life around.

Once the five acupoints are fully developed and one has acquired exceptional strength, one can find a martial arts job, protect one's family, and earn a stable livelihood.

But once the Chamber of Commerce arrived, all paths forward were blocked.

"But the road is blocked." Shen Qing raised his eyes, his voice low but heavy. "All the martial arts jobs, shop guards, and martial arts sparring partners in the city are all controlled by the Chamber of Commerce. We, the lowly martial artists without any sect or backing, don't even have the chance to risk our lives to make a living."

Jiang Lan stood there, silent.

He sees things clearly.

I don't blame the disciples for being disloyal, nor do I blame people for being restless.

The game is too big, and the pieces are too light. The upper echelons are engaged in fierce battles and killings, while the lower-level martial artists are nothing more than dust to be crushed at will.

"Senior brother, if the world becomes more stable in the future, I will surely return one day."

Shen Qing's voice was clean and pure, concealing the undiminished obsession of a young man.

Jiang Lan nodded slightly and uttered the most practical words, "Don't let your skills go to waste, don't let your strength dissipate, the road won't be blocked forever."

Shen Qing bowed deeply, displaying impeccable manners.

With a bow and a sway, he severed ties with his fellow disciples and bid farewell to his original aspiration to learn martial arts.

He turned and strode straight toward the martial arts school gate. As he crossed the high threshold, his steps did not falter, his head did not turn back, his resolve was so resolute that there was not a trace of lingering regret.

A gust of cold wind swept through the alleyway, and the slender figure vanished into the morning mist in an instant.

Jiang Lan stood quietly in front of the door, and after three breaths, she withdrew her gaze.

He took off his outer garment, casually draped it over the railing, and stepped to the wooden stake.

The Mountain-Crushing Fist is unleashed.

The tiger leaps forward, attacking with a powerful swing.

After mastering the internal energy, his fist techniques became completely fluid and unhindered. With each punch, the internal energy was clear, concentrated, and powerful, the wind from the punch cutting through the air with a low hum, slamming hard into the solid wooden stake.

With a series of loud bangs, the frost on the stakes fell in a flurry, and snowflakes flew everywhere, covering the bluestone ground.

After completing a set of punches, blood and energy surged throughout the body, and the internal organs were cleansed and nourished by the warm and powerful force.

With eyes closed and breathing regulated, golden light floated in the mind, and a line of words appeared clearly.

[Mastery of Internal Organ Strength (498/500)]

Two points of progress, and perfection is within reach.

Once perfected, one will immediately enter the Thunder Sound Marrow Cleansing Realm.

It cleanses the marrow and removes impurities from the body, refines the pure qi and blood, and transforms one's body.

At that time, facing the perfectly formed Shiyun Mountain with its nine acupoints, he would be fully confident of standing up to it.

The few remaining disciples huddled under the eaves, whispering among themselves.

"All martial arts jobs at the docks are suspended. The Chamber of Commerce will handle all operations, and outsiders will not be hired."

"The cloth shop guards I had previously agreed to hire suddenly backed out yesterday, saying that the spot had been given to someone from the Chamber of Commerce's martial arts school."

"Those martial arts schools affiliated with Jinghong and Tianju get 30% cheaper cultivation herbs and healing medicines. We can't even afford the cheaper ones, so how are we supposed to cultivate our strength and break through acupoints?"

"How about... we go and join the Chamber of Commerce? At least we can survive and continue practicing martial arts."

"Our master has treated us with the utmost kindness and righteousness; to do this is extremely unjust."

"No matter how good the friendship, it can't fill an empty stomach or save a family."

The words grew softer and softer until they were completely swallowed up by the cold wind blowing through the courtyard.

Jiang Lan finished her practice and stood upright, never turning around.

He understood the struggles of these disciples.

Those who remained were not the most loyal and righteous, but simply those who still had the strength to persevere.

Those who harbor ulterior motives are not heartless or ungrateful; they are simply caught in a dilemma by the chaotic world.

The Chamber of Commerce's monopoly cut off 60% of the livelihoods of lower-level martial artists and raised the cost of cultivation.

Like boiling a frog in lukewarm water, slowly suffocating all the wild martial artists who don't belong to any faction.

……

As the sun began to set, twilight spread into the courtyard.

Chen Zhenggang came to the door.

He wore a worn-out gray cloth robe, faded from washing, and his brows were heavy with an unyielding melancholy, his face full of worry that he could not hide.

Inside the guest room, Liu Changqing sat in the main seat.

Beside him stood another man, Li Demao, the head of the Li Yuan Martial Arts School in the north of the city. He was over fifty years old, with graying temples and a thin, frail build. He had fewer than twenty disciples under his command, making it a small martial arts school even weaker than Guangchang's, with shallow roots and a precarious existence.

The three looked at each other and sat down. The table was filled with hot tea, but no one raised their cup.

A deathly silence enveloped the entire living room.

Chen Zhenggang broke the silence first, his voice deep and cold: "I have two cloth shops under my name and a stable job as a guard for three years. Today, the Chamber of Commerce forcibly took them away with a dispatch order. They call it resource integration, but in reality, it's just favoring their own faction and excluding us idle martial arts schools."

Li Demao sighed softly, his tone bitter: "I am even more miserable. All the sparring partners, guards, and escorts in the martial arts school were rendered useless overnight. The Chamber of Commerce cut off all our income with a single sentence: 'Other arrangements.' The disciples scattered, and the martial arts school was on the verge of collapse."

"On the surface, they're trying to consolidate their power in the martial arts world, but in reality, they're excluding others and profiting from them." Chen Zhenggang's fingers tapped together slightly, his anger barely concealed. "If we join the Chamber of Commerce, we'll become their puppets, at their mercy. If we don't join, they'll cut off our livelihoods and force us to destroy ourselves."

Liu Changqing ran his fingertips along the edge of the teacup, his expression calm, suppressing the anxiety of the two men.

"This matter is not as simple as just seizing profits and cutting off access."

The two looked up at the same time, their gazes meeting.

"I asked an old friend from the canal transport industry to investigate, and it turns out that the Chamber of Commerce has recently been shipping many cargo ships abroad, ostensibly carrying medicinal herbs and fish, but secretly smuggling prohibited items."

Liu Changqing lowered his voice to an extremely low level, "The black market for martial arts drugs, which are strictly prohibited by the imperial court, were being smuggled into the city in bulk and distributed through various channels. The receiving terminal was the Zhao Family Pharmacy, with the Wangyuan Escort Agency handling all the transportation, and the Zhufeng Shop responsible for secretly storing and sealing them. The four parties were in cahoots, forming a tight closed loop without any loopholes."

One sentence caused the temperature in the room to plummet.

In ordinary factional struggles, the conflict is about interests.

Smuggling banned drugs is against national law and involves gambling with the lives of your entire family!

Chen Zhenggang's expression instantly turned serious: "They dare to do something like wiping out an entire family?"

"Backed by powerful families and protected by money and power, they naturally act with impunity." Liu Changqing's gaze was piercing. "The Chamber of Commerce is just a disguise they wear to gather street martial artists, using them as free pawns and scapegoats. When the case is exposed, all the martial arts schools affiliated with them will be lambs to the slaughter, unable to defend themselves."

Li Demao's body trembled slightly, his fingertips twitched, and hot tea spilled onto his palm, burning him painfully, but he was completely unaware.

"This is not a chamber of commerce...it's clearly a deadly net."

"Is the information 100% accurate?" Chen Zhenggang asked in a deep voice.

"The cargo manifest, the shipping route, and the people involved are all verifiable." Liu Changqing's tone was firm, without a trace of falsehood. "The Zhao family is leading the charge, with various forces sharing the profits, and they are covering things up layer by layer. They want to use the martial arts world to reshuffle the deck and make a life-or-death deal."

The fire crackled and sparks flew, casting a grim light on the faces of the three men.

A brief silence.

Li Demao's voice was hoarse: "Brother Liu, how should we establish ourselves now?"

Liu Changqing tapped his teacup lightly on the table, silently setting the tone.

"The three parties advance and retreat together, forming a defensive alliance."

"We will never be subservient to the Chamber of Commerce, nor will we act as puppets or get involved in the chaos of family extermination. We will also not confront their sharp edge head-on, but will temporarily avoid the limelight."

"After that, we shared information, resources, and helped each other, sticking together for mutual support."

"Their power may be strong for a time, but it's hard to maintain it forever. They need to consolidate their foundations, remain patient and bide their time, and wait for the right moment to change things."

In chaotic times, the weak survive not by fighting with passion, but by enduring, remaining calm, and waiting for the right time.

"I agree," Chen Zhenggang replied, landing on the ground.

"I'll join too. We'll share life and death, and stick together to defend the game." Li Demao nodded solemnly.

The three of them lowered their voices and carefully discussed the counterbalancing measures, communication mechanisms, and emergency escape routes, making thorough arrangements until night completely enveloped the streets and alleys.

As dusk settled, the two rose to take their leave.

Liu Changqing stood at the door, watching the two figures disappear into the darkness. He stood there silently for a long time before turning around and going back inside.

……