Chapter 5

Zhao Yuantu gave Han Zhao a set of training clothes to change into and then taught him the basic body tempering method.

According to this special training method, after a while, his body began to sweat. He felt his skin and flesh tighten, and the soreness in his body accumulated very quickly.

Just like that, Han Zhao practiced until evening, when the sun set in the west.

Zhao Yuantu carried a large wooden bucket to the middle of the courtyard. The apprentices who were practicing stopped.

Han Zhao also stopped.

The apprentices took out bowls from somewhere and lined up in three rows in front of Zhao Yuantu.

Zhao Yuantu took out a round wooden spoon and scooped the steaming red liquid into everyone’s bowls. Although the bowls everyone brought varied in size, he always filled two spoons exactly, no more, no less.

Soon, the line in front was completed, and it was Han Zhao’s turn.

Zhao Yuantu took out a bowl and handed it to him.

“Junior Brother, this is Vitality Soup. Every apprentice who pays will have one bowl a day. Drink it and have a good night’s sleep. Your body won’t hurt tomorrow. Oh right, remember to bring your own bowl tomorrow.”

“Okay, Eldest Senior Brother.” Han Zhao took the bowl. This red liquid could eliminate the soreness caused by the accumulation of lactic acid. In his previous life, it was simply a divine medicine.

The red liquid in the wooden barrel had been emptied, but it was just enough.

Zhao Yuantu placed the bottom of the wooden bucket diagonally on the ground and scooped out two spoonfuls of Vitality Ssoup. Then, he added another half spoonful for Han Zhao.

Han Zhao was taken aback.

Zhao Yuantu said, “This is Master’s order. Drink it while it’s hot. The effect will be worse if it’s cold.”

As he spoke, Zhao Yuantu scooped two more spoonfuls for himself.

There was still some Vitality Soup left in the wooden bucket. Zhao Yuantu had not scooped it all out.

Han Zhao took a small sip of the boiling blood soup. It wasn’t as hot as he had imagined.

The liquid entered his stomach through his esophagus. Soon, a comfortable feeling spread throughout his entire body.

“It’s working so fast?” Han Zhao was a little surprised, but his expression remained unchanged. He drank in large gulps while observing his surroundings.

The apprentices were distributed in groups of twos and threes in the courtyard according to their relationship.

Although they were wearing the same training clothes, one could roughly tell everyone’s background from their expressions and actions.

Needless to say, those apprentices whose faces were glowing after drinking the Vitality Soup stuck out their tongues and licked the middle of the bowl. It was obvious that they had hope and responsibility.

“Come, come, come! The water is here! The water is here!”

After a while, a young man with thick eyebrows and big eyes came to the courtyard with a kettle. He poured a pot of boiling water into a wooden bucket and used a round wooden spoon to stir the remaining Vitality Soup to prevent some medicinal dregs from sinking to the bottom.

“Give me a spoonful!”

“Me too!”

“Don’t push!”

Half of the apprentices surrounded him. They held their bowls and looked at the Vitality Soup in the wooden barrel that was almost transparent. This time, no one queued up because they were too late.

Han Zhao finally understood why Zhao Yuantu had left behind some Vitality Soup.

“The apprentices who learn fist techniques are very mobile. Many of them won’t come if they don’t break through in three months. Their families can’t support them.” Zhao Yuantu’s voice was a little low.

Looking at the noisy apprentices in the middle of the courtyard, a portion of the apprentices outside left the courtyard.

Lu Yi was already used to this scene and continued to munch on melon seeds leisurely.

At this moment, two men and two women walked out of the courtyard behind him. All of them were good-looking.

The four of them were all wearing long sabers at their waists. The training clothes they were wearing were of different colors and gorgeous styles. It was obvious that they were very expensive.

As if they disliked the noisy apprentices in the middle of the courtyard, they greeted Lu Yi and left the front yard.

…

On the way home.

Han Zhao’s back was facing the setting sun, and his figure grew longer and longer on the horizon.

When he returned to Xinqiao District and was about to reach the alley outside his house, he realized that someone was following him.

He looked back and saw two strong men in black clothes staring at him not far away. When they noticed his clothes, their expressions clearly changed.

Han Zhao continued walking, and the two of them did not follow.

He reached his front door and pulled out his keys. He was about to open the front door to the yard when he paused.

There was mud stuck to the edge of the courtyard wall.

He also heard breathing, just inside the door.

Although the sound was very soft, he could hear it with his current hearing. Especially after circulating his true qi, he could even hear the sound of clothes rubbing against the wall.

[There are two scumbags behind the door who are preparing to ambush you. If you stick your head in after opening the door, the probability of getting hit by a brick is as high as 66%. The probability of getting hit by a rod is as high as 33%. The probability of dying directly is as high as 1%.]

Han Zhao’s expression darkened.

Perhaps because he had paused in his act of unlocking the door, the breathing inside had clearly become heavier.

Tap, tap!

Han Zhao unlocked the door and pushed it open.

He stretched his leg in and pulled it back the next second.

“Go to hell!”

Two thick arms held the bricks in the air in front of him.

Shock appeared on the two ferocious faces.

“Um…”

Han Zhao circulated his true qi with both hands and grabbed their arms. He grabbed them forcefully and bent them!

Crack!

Han Zhao broke their arms like sugarcane. They were twisted and deformed.

“Ah—!” A miserable scream sounded, making one’s hair stand on end.

Han Zhao let go, and the two of them rolled on the ground in pain.

He kicked the two of them hard.

“Stop! Stop at once!”

“We’re from the Wild Dog Gang. If you… Ah!”

The two of them screamed repeatedly. One of them wanted to threaten Han Zhao, but Han Zhao kicked him so hard that he almost fainted.

“Does your Wild Dog Gang want to be enemies with the Mountain Shaking Fist Academy?”

Han Zhao pointed at the word “Lu” on his training suit.

The Wild Dog Gang was a small gang formed by gangsters from the slums. They committed all kinds of crimes. However, the gang members were all ordinary people. There was not even a single Skin Tempering martial artist. They only relied on ruthlessness to gain a foothold in the slums.

When these people heard the news of Han Lin’s death, they probably wanted to extract benefits from him.

He probably didn’t even know that he was going to the Mountain Shaking Fist Academy and was lying in ambush in his courtyard in advance.

“Grandpa Han! Grandpa Han! We were wrong!”

“We don’t dare to be enemies with the Mountain Shaking Fist Academy. Please spare our dog lives!”

Only then did the two of them pay attention to Han Zhao’s training clothes. Under the dual pressure of Han Zhao’s martial strength and identity, they endured the pain and kowtowed like they were pounding garlic.

“Get lost. Don’t let me see you again. Don’t provoke me in the future, members of the Wild Dog Gang!” Han Zhao pointed at the door.

“Thank you, Grandfather Han! Thank you, Grandfather Han!”

“We wouldn’t dare! We definitely wouldn’t dare!”

Both of them scrambled out of the courtyard.

Han Zhao remembered their faces and closed the door.

He walked to the middle of the courtyard and glanced at the wooden shelf. He was suddenly stunned.

“Where’s my cured meat?!”

There were bamboo sieves on the wooden shelf. Originally, it had cured meat and dried radishes inside. Now, there were only dried radishes left.

Han Zhao could only bear to eat a little of the cured meat every meal, but now it was gone.

[Look on the bright side. They could have taken everything away, but now they’ve at least left you some dried radish.]

“Local gangs are so rude!”

Han Zhao’s heart burned with rage. He locked the courtyard door and quickly chased after the two.

Originally, he had considered that it was not good to kill someone at his doorstep. After all, there were officials in the city, so he could not be too blatant.

He let the two of them leave because he was prepared to wait until no one made a move at night and keep the commotion quiet.

After all, he could not believe such shameless words at all. Who knew if they would play tricks behind his back?

In any case, the government would not care about the matters in the slums.

In the end, the cured meat was gone.

He was even disgusted by this damn notification.

Now he was furious.

…

Heilin District, the slums of Blackrock City.

Trash was casually piled by the roadside, and the air was filled with the smell of feces and urine mixed with something rotting and fermenting.

At this moment, in a narrow alley.

The two men limped and supported each other as they walked home. Both of their right arms were twisted and deformed.

“Han Zhao, that damned bastard!”

“Damn it! Sooner or later, I’ll kill him!”

The intense pain made the two of them break out in cold sweats. Only curses could slightly ease the pain.

However, just as the two of them were about to walk out of the alley, a voice came from behind them, making them feel as if they had fallen into an icy river.

“It won’t have to happen sooner or later. Let’s end it now.”

Before the two of them could turn around, the brick mover hit them on the back of the head.

BANG! BANG!

The two of them blacked out and fell to the ground.

Han Zhao added a few more blows until their skulls were completely shattered, revealing their peaceful sleeping faces. Only then did he throw the bricks away.

“I don’t cause trouble, but I’m not afraid of trouble. I’ll be nice if you don’t force me.” Han Zhao’s face was cold as he took a deep breath. The smell of blood made him feel a little uncomfortable.

It was just that if he wanted to live well, he had to do this.

These two people deserved to die. If he hadn’t been vigilant, he would have been the one lying on the ground.

Since they dared to ambush him, they had to die!

Looking at the spreading bloodstains on the ground, Han Zhao quickly squatted down and found his own cured meat, two taels of silver, and dozens of copper coins.

Taking advantage of the fact that no one had noticed, he put away his things and left in a hurry.