Chapter 12: Refugees Block the Path, First Test of Skill

Li Hao becoming a Zhengshi Xuitu was a huge inspiration to all the new students.

The subsequent changes in treatment were even more enviable.

A Zhengshi Xuitu no longer needed to pay the monthly tuition of 20 taels; furthermore, the martial arts hall covered food, lodging, and clothing.

The Tiger Bone Paste, issued every seven days, was also changed to one application every three days.

More importantly, the Hall Master would also summon Zhengshi Xuitu from time to time to provide pointers on their cultivation.

In the Outer Courtyard, a Zhengshi Xuitu was practically a person above others.

Crossing the threshold of Force and becoming a Zhengshi Xuitu was the goal all new students strived for.

"Have you heard? After Li Hao became a new student, the elders in his clan immediately returned his father's inheritance."

"Of course, he has the Hall Master backing him now."

Two new Apprentices were talking as they walked.

The new Apprentices in the Outer Courtyard talked about Li Hao's affairs the most.

As it turned out, after Li Hao's father died in battle, the elders in the clan used his youth as an excuse to seize all the heirlooms left behind from his father's official post.

However, the moment Li Hao became a Zhengshi Xuitu of the martial arts hall, everything was returned intact.

The reason was simple: Li Hao proved his potential with facts.

Once he broke through the Qi and Blood barrier to become a Martial Warrior, he would be qualified to inherit his father's official position as a City Gate Guard, and the entire clan would have to rely on him.

"For Li Hao to have today, both talent and hard work were indispensable."

"His father was a military officer who laid the foundation for him from a young age, already surpassing ninety percent of us new students; plus, he trains as if his life depends on it, tsk tsk!"

The Apprentices were full of envy for Li Hao, who had officially been promoted in just two months.

If it were them, once the three-month deadline arrived, who knew if they would even be able to train out any Force?

"Zhou You, heading home?"

A new Apprentice saw Zhou You walking toward him and subconsciously greeted him.

Zhou You nodded; the first month of closed-door training had ended, and he could go home to visit his parents.

During this period, his father had also sent word through someone outside the martial arts hall's Outer Courtyard that everything at home was fine and told him to focus on practicing martial arts.

There was a wooden plaque for Jian Xiong Martial Arts Hall at the entrance, so petty criminals dared not approach, and the security in the surrounding area had improved significantly.

Zhou You was eager to return home and asked the Big Senior Brother for a half-day leave.

Walking on the road, he felt that the situation was different.

He was wearing the apprentice uniform of Jian Xiong Martial Arts Hall, and passersby let him pass, their faces filled with awe.

In this world, the status of those who practice martial arts is far higher than that of ordinary people.

"Hmm?"

Zhou You arrived at the neighborhood where he lived and saw that along the familiar street, several shops had been reduced to ruins.

A layer of broken bricks and rubble remained with traces of fire; clearly, something had happened.

Many refugees with accents from other places wandered along the street, begging passersby for dry rations and drinking water.

Everywhere on the ground were tattered bedrolls, with ragged women and children with dull eyes sitting on them.

In just one month, so many refugees had appeared in the city.

Zhou You noticed that the accents of these refugees were the same as Fang Guiqi's; they should all have fled here from Su Cheng.

Some refugees were rummaging directly through the ruins, scavenging for anything they could use.

"How much will you give at most?"

"2 taels, no more. In the current market, a half-grown girl isn't worth much."

"Give a little more, have mercy. We ran out of food seven days ago, and the old folks are so hungry they can't see clearly."

"Your woman isn't bad; why not sell her too and make it a round number?"

"Let me think about it, let me think..."

The human traffickers in the city were openly selecting women among the refugees and haggling with their fathers and brothers.

Zhou You quickened his pace, wondering how long the peace of Gongliang City could last after the chaos in Su Cheng.

The times were becoming increasingly dangerous, urging him to train out his Force as soon as possible and become a Zhengshi Xuitu.

He rounded an alleyway when suddenly three refugees darted out in front of him; they were so dirty their features were indistinguishable, revealing only their black-and-white eyes.

The few refugees were all young, able-bodied men, holding sticks and threatening him viciously, "Hand, hand over all your money."

Robbing in broad daylight—this behavior was truly vile.

Zhou You's heart suddenly rose in alarm, and he felt a chill down his back.

He subconsciously tensed his entire body's muscles, a sharp sound of air being pierced rang in his ears, and then a cold stab struck the center of his back.

The refugees in front were just a diversion; the one actually attacking was hiding in the shadows, ambushing him from behind.

A stinging pain struck; it wasn't a stick, but a sharp, sharpened iron weapon.

Zhou You was shocked and furious; it was one thing for these refugees to rob, but they were killing people right from the start.

The thieves doing dirty work in the city, under the constraints of the government and gangs, followed some rules.

The worst behavior was just hitting passersby with clubs and dragging them to the side of the road to rob them clean; they rarely caused loss of life.

Refugees were different; they were so poor they only had their lives left, and not only did they not value their own lives, they didn't care about others' either.

"You thieving bastards, how bold."

Zhou You's month of bitter training was not without effect.

Tiger Subduing Fist, as a foundational fist technique, improved strength, speed, and defense in all aspects.

The moment the blade tip pierced his skin, it immediately triggered his body's instinctive reaction.

The hand of the refugee holding the knife stopped; the knife felt as if it had stabbed into a piece of dry cowhide, and a tremendous resilience rolled back.

Zhou You's foot slipped, and the few refugees who had him pincered saw a blur before their eyes, losing track of him.

He flashed to the side of the refugee holding the knife and threw a punch like a Hungry Tiger pouncing on its prey, causing the air to tremble.

A fierce wind rose from the flat ground, and a roar that shook the heart sounded in the refugees' ears.

The refugee who had attempted a sneak attack with the knife was sent flying as if struck by a galloping wild horse, half of his head reduced to pulp.

"Someone's dead, someone's dead."

The remaining few refugees were terrified out of their wits, dropping their clubs to flee for their lives.

Want to leave?

Zhou You's eyes flashed with cold light; he twisted his feet against the ground, his square-circle steps as swift as a gale, and charged into the crowd.

The wooden stakes and Stone Lock in the Outer Courtyard are dead targets; it is rare to have living things to practice on.

His strikes were cold, decisive, and showed no mercy.

The scene was like a fierce tiger charging into a flock of sheep; every gesture brought death or injury.

One by one, the refugees were knocked into mid-air, and upon landing, their tendons snapped and bones broke, twitching a few times before moving no more.

Zhou You's conclusion from this small test of real combat was that even without having cultivated internal force, his combat level exceeded that of an ordinary person.

Looking at the wound on his back again, it had only scratched the surface, and the blood had already clotted without much loss.

"Zhou You, you are too ruthless."

The commotion was too great and soon alerted the local patrolling Constable.

Constable Liu was an acquaintance; he was the lover of their neighbor Li Guafu, and the two families had met.

He inspected the few refugees on the ground and finally shook his head.

The refugee who had committed the assault with a knife had his head smashed in and was thoroughly dead.

The remaining refugees who had participated in the robbery had broken bones piercing their internal organs; even if they weren't dead, they had only half a breath left.

These methods were clearly those of a martial artist, only a step away from internal force.

"Constable Liu, you must uphold the law impartially; I was acting in self-defense."

Constable Liu laughed heartily, "A few refugees, their cheap lives aren't worth much; just have someone drag them to the mass grave outside the city."

"When I have time, I'll play host and invite you for a drink."

He then reminded Zhou You, "Don't eat the wild dog meat on the market lately; it's not clean."

As it turned out, there were too many refugees coming to Su Cheng, and with countless deaths and injuries, the wild dogs outside the city had been fattened up.