CHAPTER 87: CHAPTER 86: A STROKE OF COINCIDENCE

"How dare you!"

Another martial artist shot out rapidly from behind Zhan Weida’s brother, charging towards Lou Yi like an arrow.

His speed was so great that the flowers and grass in the flowerbed next to the courtyard swayed violently.

He raised his fist high, aiming heavily at Lou Yi’s head.

The surface of the fist had Qi-blood flowing, red as a boiled lobster.

As it fell, a whooshing sound of breaking through the air resounded, like a heavy object plummeting at high speed, and the consequences of being hit could only be imagined.

"Stop!" Zhan Weida’s face changed dramatically, trying to rush towards Lou Yi, but someone blocked him upfront.

"Good brother, not just any incompetent coward can serve my Zhan Family." The man in red chuckled lightly, his eyes filled with mockery.

"Screw you, that’s my friend!"

Zhan Weida punched towards the man in red, who easily caught it.

Only a loud ’bang’ was heard, and both of them turned their heads in astonishment.

On the distant wall.

A man stuck to it in a human figure, then slowly ’flowed’ downwards, leaving a long trail of blood.

On the other side, Lou Yi lowered his high-raised leg and leisurely looked towards the man in red.

"You’re Weida’s brother, aren’t you?" Lou Yi’s face suddenly turned serious, "I also advise you, in everything, keep your eyes open, don’t let any cheap stuff surround you."

"Though your Zhan Family is vast and rich, it can’t withstand such losses."

"Hmm?" The man in red squinted his eyes, licking his lips.

Though he showed no joy or anger on his face, his trembling arms indicated how furious he was inside.

He clenched and unclenched his fists, but never felt confident of a hundred percent win; with a sneer, he turned to leave, not caring at all about the fate of his two subordinates on the ground.

"Brother, take care, come back often for fun, huh." Zhan Weida shouted loudly, making the man in red wobble in place.

"Haha, feels so good, that guy also has his day!" Zhan Weida laughed heartily, "Drink to our success!"

He had two maidservants bring a table and chairs into the courtyard, adding two pairs of chopsticks, peanuts, cooked beef, and other snacks, pulling Lou Yi over for a drink.

"Since childhood, everything good was his."

"The rocking horse was his, all kinds of kites were his, the best teachers were hired for him, and even the family’s martial arts were only his to learn..."

"What am I? Just the son of a concubine..."

"Do I have to be trampled under his foot for life? I refuse!"

The more Zhan Weida spoke, the more he drank, as if he wanted to spill all the grievances suffered over the years.

"You’ll surpass him in the future," Lou Yi suddenly said.

"Really?" Zhan Weida’s eyes misty, his slightly unattractive face full of doubt.

"I said you will, so you will." Lou Yi patted his shoulder.

Standing up, he looked at his friend already snoring on the table, and instructed the two maidservants, "Take good care of your young master."

"Yes, Young Master Liu, take care," the maidservants respectfully replied.

...

"Everyone is striving to live, huh."

Lou Yi walked out of the courtyard, took a deep breath, and looked at the attribute panel:

[Name: Lou Yi]

[Age: 19/56]

[Realm: Quasi-Martial Artist (4/600)]

[Cultivation Technique: Yellow Extreme Breathing Technique (First stage, Beginner 0/60 + one stalk of Heart-Eroding Grass), Hu Family Breathing Technique (Not yet started 0/10)]

[Skills: Lou’s Axe Skill (Proficient 0/100), Extreme Fist (Skilled 0/30), Stone Throwing (Proficient 0/30), Light Body Technique (Proficient 0/60), Basic Spear Technique (Beginner 0/6), Secret Skill: Dragon Piercing Technique - Fragment (One)]

[Talent: Petrification (Skilled 0/60 + 3 Stone Spirits + 1 Phoenix Blood Stone)]

[Energy: 3]

Currently, the breathing technique is at the beginner stage; practicing for half an hour a day can increase the realm proficiency by two points, but any more wouldn’t be very effective.

At the current pace, it would take more than six months to break through to the next realm, unless a breakthrough in the breathing technique is achieved.

Now the Heart-Eroding Grass is available, but the energy needed to advance the breathing technique is severely lacking.

Currently, Lou Yi has developed a cemetery in the city.

Visiting three cemeteries back and forth daily, with luck, he gets two energy points a day. On a bad day, two days might not yield even one.

Besides the breathing technique,

Raising Extreme Fist requires thirty energy points, and raising the talent Petrification requires sixty energy points.

As for other lower-priority skills, such as Light Body Technique and Stone Throwing, they are not even worth mentioning.

Energy, energy, severely lacking!

Lou Yi previously thought of becoming a Beast Hunter Guard, but that also requires breaking through to Martial Artist to apply.

Does it really mean steady development for over six months?

Lou Yi felt somewhat unwilling, yet he also realized a clever woman can’t cook without rice.

He took out a piece of pig jerky given by Zhan Weida; its color was reddish-orange, tougher to chew than beef tendon by ten times.

Of course, its nutritional value was astounding; eating just a few pieces provided a slight feeling of fullness, saving him from hunting birds.

On the way back to his residence, Lou Yi saw the two familiar figures again.

Huang Longgang, dressed in a high-quality cloud-white brocade robe, with a warm jade pendant hanging from his waist, walked elegantly in soft-soled satin boots, his robe fluttering as he walked.

With his gentle face, he seemed suave.

Beside him, Jia Hong, who had taken off the blue clothes she often wore at the Martial Arts Hall, had changed into a pleated pink long dress.

Her shiny black hair was styled in a fresh lily bun, and her tender skin had a touch of rouge, making her look like a fairy among mortals.

Men passing by were all dumbfounded.

"Hongmei, you are truly beautiful..." Huang Longgang spoke with excitement, evidently not expecting Jia Hong to dress up especially for him.

The thought of having the opportunity to be with such a lovely person made his heart pound, even though he was well-experienced in romance.

"Brother Gang, thank you for the Purifying God Incense these days, but father always taught me not to owe others. Here’s your silver taels..." Jia Hong said softly, handing a silver note to him.

When calling ’Brother Gang,’ her brows furrowed slightly, as if after some inner struggle.

But Huang Longgang ignored these details completely; hearing her call him ’Brother Gang,’ he was already intoxicated.

"No, no, no, keep the silver notes. Can our friendship be measured by money?" Huang Longgang righteously pushed the notes back, "Don’t worry Hongmei, as long as I haven’t broken through to Martial Artist, I won’t stop supplying the Purifying God Incense!"

Jia Hong gave him a charming look, her eyes full of gratitude.

"There are some hurdles in the breathing technique that I still don’t understand. Brother Gang, please ask the family for help if you have the time," Jia Hong said softly, "I saw that Liu Yi seems to know, but he won’t teach me."

"Humph, Liu Yi?" Mentioning this name, Huang Longgang’s face showed disdain, "He’s almost twenty, what’s the use of a breakthrough?

If my father weren’t busy with important matters and had deployed all the master’s at home, I would surely teach him a lesson!"

At this, a trace of viciousness flashed in Huang Longgang’s eyes.

He didn’t mention another reason.

This Liu Yi was as cunning as a monkey, always disappearing once he went out. He had someone follow him once, but it failed, so he didn’t continue.

As the two shared their feeling, two young men with an unusual appearance approached them, one fat and one thin.

They both wore red cloaks, laced with deer hide boots, with broad swords on their backs, each sword twice as wide as a normal sword.

Seeing Jia Hong in her long dress, the two were stunned. One of them, a chubby guy, couldn’t help but show a Brother Pig-like expression, his eyes gleaming.

"Miss, excuse my boldness, I am Peng Zhuang, a disciple of the Heavy Sword Sect. May I ask for your name?" The chubby one couldn’t help but strike up a conversation.

Seeing him flirting openly with the one in his heart, still the rival sect of Extreme Fist, the Heavy Sword Sect,

Huang Longgang got angry and directly stood in front of Jia Hong.

"Scram!"

"You!"

The chubby Peng Zhuang’s face turned angry, but his companion pulled him back, forcing him to hold back his anger and turn away.

After walking just over ten steps,

’Thud!’

A stone flew from behind, hitting the back of the chubby one’s head accurately.

"Ouch!"

The chubby one rubbed his head, turning around in anger, coincidentally catching Huang Longgang’s gaze, which seemed overly satisfied.

"Damn your second uncle!"

He decisively drew the broad sword from his back.

...