Chapter 86: Special Training

As the members of the Wild Wolf Gang left, the courtyard gradually fell silent.

The corpses of Wei Bao and his companions were taken away as well, but the bodies of Jiang Xiong and his men were left behind like trash, untouched.

Some members of the Wild Wolf Gang, clinging to a hope of luck, wandered inside the house, found nothing to profit from, and then silently left.

Wu Tian and his group, who were collecting stall fees on the street, were also walking back, the atmosphere heavily oppressive.

"Brother Tian."

Finally someone spoke up: "Shall we make a quick getaway?"

When those words were spoken, the others also looked up, turning their gaze toward Wu Tian at the front.

They had all witnessed the fate of Wei Bao and his group—ten or twenty people wiped out by a single individual. What does that mean? If that person turned on them, how would their end differ from Wei Bao's?

"We need to tidy up quickly and prepare to run away,"

Wu Tian said, squinting his eyes.

He suspected that the Iron Fist Gang was behind this, aiming to make them scram immediately.

"Then, run today?"

Wu Tian glared at him, "Why rush? No one else is fleeing; if you run first, how will the others view you when they find out?"

"Brother Tian is right; leaving is certain, but we can't be the first," a nearby junior echoed.

"Exactly."

Wu Tian glanced toward the rear, "Running away isn't a child's game; we must be fully prepared. In two days, then, in two days we'll leave."

"Alright!"

The several of them answered in unison.

"By the way, Brother Tian, before we leave, shouldn't we deal with that kid?" a junior made a throat‑slashing gesture.

"Did I need your reminder?"

Wu Tian let out a cold laugh.

Even if not for the Roasted Sweet Potato recipe, just to vent the malice in his heart, he would still kill that kid.

"Remember, be extra careful these two days; after dark, try not to go out. I feel the guy who killed Wei Bao is watching us from the shadows."

The group shivered in fear and hurriedly looked around.

…

In the blink of an eye, a morning passed.

After saying goodbye to everyone at the Martial Arts Hall, Jiang Cheng walked back, glancing at the Panel.

The Double Staff's Experience Value rose by nearly fifty points, yet it was still far from the 3,000‑point Experience Bar.

However, an hour of Real Combat training could match several hours of solitary practice.

"If only we could spar with Sister Bai and the others all day,"

Jiang Cheng thought that.

Unfortunately, that wasn't realistic.

First, he couldn't stay in the Martial Arts Hall all day unless he skipped his stall in the afternoon.

Second, Bai Wei and the others were responsible for all the second‑floor members, not just him.

Unless…

A thought flashed through Jiang Cheng's mind.

Unless he spent money.

Yes, spend money specifically to hire a training partner.

It takes 50 hours of nonstop sparring with a master, without eating or drinking, to reach Great Completion in Staff Method. At one hour a day, that's over fifty days; at four hours daily, just a dozen days; at eight hours, five or six days! But that's extreme— even if others have time, he might lack the stamina.

As for money, even at 200 per session, a four‑hour morning costs 800 yuan; over ten days that's only eight or nine thousand, which seems trivial for someone who just came into wealth. Indeed, anything solvable with money isn't really a problem.

But Jiang Cheng also had a concern.

Would doing so arouse suspicion? Yet on further thought it seemed needless worry. After all, everyone knows his Roasted Sweet Potato business is doing well; a keen observer could even calculate his daily profit.

Spending a few thousand could be easily explained.

With that in mind, Jiang Cheng nodded. Though the Wild Wolf Gang was unlikely to know he was the killer, just in case he should still use the time to strengthen himself.

No matter how much money he has, hoarding it is useless; spending it where it counts leaves no reason for hesitation.

If his Staff Technique improves, he might meet the Gym Master and quickly get access to Secret Martial Arts.

As for the partner, he'll first ask Senior Brother Zeng; if he's unavailable, he'll approach Senior Brother Zhao, and if that fails, he'll ask Sister Bai.

After all, with Senior Brother Xiao watching keenly, Jiang Cheng can at least feel steadier.

Of course, if luck is bad and all three are unavailable, there are alternatives; besides the Flying Eagle Fist Hall, there are two other martial arts schools on the street that he could approach.

Having sorted all this, Jiang Cheng felt much better, already envisioning himself achieving Dual Staff Mastery in a few days and defeating Senior Brother Zeng.

When he got home, he first checked for any signs of a thief before starting to cook.

After finishing the meal, with no time to rest, he pushed the tricycle out to set up his stall.

By the time he reached the street, the news of Wei Bao's murder had already spread, with people everywhere discussing it.

Compared with the morning, there were new reports: members of the Wild Wolf Gang had gone out, sending people to inquire about the killer's whereabouts, warning that anyone who dared conceal it would bear the consequences.

Some speculated it was the work of an Iron Fist Gang expert, since the two groups are mortal enemies.

Others guessed a heroic swordsman was acting for justice, eliminating a menace for the people.

There were also those who thought it was a case of black on black—a traitor within.

Jiang Cheng found it amusing; the more the situation got muddied, the better.

At evening, he closed his stall on time, tallied the earnings—still over four hundred, close to five hundred.

Besides that, there was good news: his Roasted Sweet Potato skill had reached the Perfect Realm.

This means the sweet potatoes he baked are even sweeter and more delicious.

Even so, Jiang Cheng has no intention of raising prices; in fact, he's somewhat worried that once the Iron Fist Gang arrives, daily income will drop again.

When he got home, after dinner, Jiang Cheng rested for a while and began practicing Standing Post.

Since he has already found a quick way to improve Double Staff, the rest of his time should be spent more on enhancing his Standing Post skill.

After all, this thing cannot be improved by sparring with others; it can only be advanced by honestly spending time on it.

A night passed without a word.

Early the next morning, Jiang Cheng took a thousand coins from the money box.

Today is Senior Brother Zeng's day to instruct the group, so I might as well ask him whether he's willing; if he is, that's better, I can give the money directly. If not, I'll ask someone else later.

After locking the door and asking the neighboring residents for a favor, Jiang Cheng went to the Martial Arts Hall.

Soon after, Lin Quanliang arrived, stretched for a while, and the two began sparring.

Everything looked almost the same as yesterday.

When the time reached past eight o'clock, Zhao Xiangyu appeared on the second floor.

"Jiang Shidi, stop for a moment."

He waved at Jiang Cheng, who was sparring, and said, "I have something I want to tell you."

Jiang Cheng was startled, his mind filled with doubt, but he still removed his protective gear, set the Double Staff aside, and went upstairs.

"Senior Brother Zhao, what's the matter?"

Zhao Xiangyu's expression was somewhat solemn, not wearing his usual smile.

Jiang Cheng felt a bit uneasy inside.

"Come with me."

(End of chapter)