In the courtyard of the Jiang Family.
The wooden stick fell halfway, then suddenly stopped.
"Is this really going to work..."
Jiang Che held the stick, his face full of hesitation.
His previous training sessions had been tiring, but at least he never got hurt.
But this was intentionally taking a beating.
No one in their right mind wants to get hit.
"Forget it. Brother Sun definitely wouldn't lie to me!"
Steeling his resolve, Jiang Che took the wooden stick and smashed it hard against his own thigh.
WHACK!
HISS—
Jiang Che sucked in a sharp breath of cold air from the pain.
Even in the Bull Skin Realm, where his skin was thicker, it didn't mean he couldn't feel pain.
Even a bull would cry out if you hit it with a stick, let alone a person.
But having made up his mind, Jiang Che no longer hesitated. He followed up with another strike against himself.
Before long, Jiang Che had beaten himself black and blue, looking utterly miserable.
The slightest movement pulled at his injured muscles, making his face twitch in pain.
'This should be enough...'
'I wonder how many beatings Brother Sun had to take to become a star... ah, no, to master his Iron Body Skills.'
Jiang Che gave a wry, internal smile.
He put down the stick, got dressed, then took out a Golden Injury Pill and swallowed it.
A moment later, Jiang Che felt his bruised muscles begin to warm up, as if his body was accelerating its recovery.
Ten days passed like this.
THWACK!
Jiang Che smashed the stick hard against his chest, but the stick snapped in two on impact.
[Body Refinement Entry Level (1/100)]
A new Skill, "Body Refinement," had appeared on his system panel.
At the same time, Jiang Che felt that his muscles no longer hurt as much when he struck them.
When he tensed his muscles, his body would even turn slightly red, a bit like how Sun Yong looked when he used his Iron Body Skills.
'I finally did it!'
Jiang Che was so moved he was on the verge of tears.
He had taken more beatings these past few days than in his two lifetimes combined!
'Wooden sticks aren't enough anymore. It's time to try bricks and stones...'
Jiang Che tossed aside the broken stick and walked to a corner, picking up a green brick he had prepared earlier.
Now that he had proof it worked, he didn't hesitate.
He took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, and smashed it hard against his body.
...
「Prefecture Street.」
「Hou's Noodle House.」
A handsome young man in white martial arts attire was slurping down a bowl of beef noodles.
The broth was rich, topped with several large pieces of braised beef, and the noodles were satisfyingly chewy and springy.
The young man was sweating profusely as he ate, looking utterly content.
After finishing one bowl, he ordered another.
Then he went back to devouring it.
This person was none other than Jiang Che.
This was a newly opened noodle house diagonally across from Jiang Che's home.
A wealthy family had originally lived there.
For some reason, they had moved out a while ago, and the current owner had taken over the property, converting it into a noodle house.
The owner's surname was Hou. He looked to be in his thirties and had a kind face.
He hadn't hired any help; he and his wife ran the small shop themselves.
It was said he used to be a chef at a large restaurant in the Inner City.
After saving up some money, he came here and opened his own noodle house.
Jiang Che had eaten here once and was hooked.
The quality of the noodles was excellent.
Even though there was no MSG in this era, the broth, simmered with beef bones, chicken carcasses, ham, and dried scallops, was bursting with umami flavor.
A short while later, two men who looked like Martial Artists sat down nearby.
They each ordered a bowl of beef noodles as well.
"Did you hear? The Thunderbolt Gang in the south of the city is gone!"
"Oh? How'd they disappear?" the other man asked curiously.
"Their strongest member, Brother Dao, is dead! They found him in Rag Alley. His head was crushed, his stomach was sliced open, and his organs were all gone!"
"That gruesome?! Wasn't Brother Dao at the Peak of Bull Skin Realm? Who could have been so ruthless?"
"I don't know. They say..." The man glanced around and lowered his voice. "They say it was a demonic haunting!"
"For real?!" The other man was shocked.
"That's the rumor, anyway. It's all very strange." The man took a sip of his noodle broth and continued,
"With Brother Dao dead, the Thunderbolt Gang had no one else who could fight. The Cyan Dragon Gang quickly came knocking, and even their Gang Leader was hacked to death!
"In the end, the Cyan Dragon Gang took over all of the Thunderbolt Gang's territory!"
"Boss, the bill!" Jiang Che finished his noodles and handed over sixty copper coins.
The noodles were thirty coins a bowl and came with a few pieces of beef, so it wasn't too expensive.
'I can't believe Brother Dao is dead too... It must have been that green-eyed monster.'
Because of what had happened with Zhao Hu and Skinny, he had been worried that Brother Dao would come looking for trouble.
Although he hadn't killed those three, he was somewhat connected to their deaths.
And now, even Brother Dao was gone.
But this brought Jiang Che no relief.
Brother Dao was just a hair's breadth away from breaking through to the Stone Skin Realm.
Yet he had died such a gruesome death at the hands of that monster.
Jiang Che felt that if he used all his trump cards, he could probably beat Brother Dao.
But recalling the heart-pounding terror he felt when he first encountered the monster, he knew he was still no match for it.
With a monster like that in the city, no one could live in peace.
Who knew if it would stay in the south of the city or if it would roam around?
What if it came to the East District one day...
'I can't. I absolutely must not wander around at night!'
One day, Jiang Che was practicing his fist techniques at the Martial Arts Hall when his master, Luo Kun, suddenly called him over.
"Master, what are your instructions?"
Luo Kun was meditating on a cushion. Hearing Jiang Che's voice, he glanced at him.
"The Martial Arts Hall has received a mission to help the Government Office capture a wanted fugitive. Everyone else seems busy, so you go."
"Yes, Master!"
Jiang Che knew that he often left early and seemed rather idle compared to the others, which was why he was being sent to do these odd jobs.
But he couldn't very well argue, and besides, he did have a duty to carry out missions for the Martial Arts Hall.
After taking his leave of Luo Kun, Jiang Che headed toward the Government Office.
As he walked out the main gate of the Martial Arts Hall, Jiang Che subconsciously glanced back.
He saw Luo Kun patting Gong Yulei on the shoulder with a smile on his face, though he couldn't hear what they were saying.
Jiang Che understood. What master didn't prefer a genius disciple?
Still, being neglected left him feeling a little disheartened.
He shook his head, clearing it of distracting thoughts, and strode toward the Government Office.
The Government Office was located on Prefecture Street in the East District, not far from his home.
Before long, Jiang Che arrived.
Looking up, he saw a pair of heavy, black-lacquered gates densely studded with copper nails the size of chicken eggs.
The door knockers were carved into the heads of unknown beasts, their eyes wide with rage, giving them a ferocious appearance.
To the right of the gate stood a large Injustice Bell. Its surface was somewhat yellowed, but it didn't show many signs of being struck.
To the left stood a stone stele, on which were carved the large words: "False Accusations Shall Incur a Triple Punishment."
A Government Soldier stood on each side of the entrance.
They wore cyan, tight-fitting uniforms and had long sabers at their waists.
The muscles bulged beneath their clothes, and their breathing was long and steady. A single glance told you they were Martial Artists who had entered the Qi Blood Realm.
However, they looked somewhat exhausted at the moment, as if they hadn't slept all night.
Seeing Jiang Che approach the Government Office, one of them shouted in a deep voice:
"Halt! Who goes there?"
Jiang Che cupped his fist and said, "I am Jiang Che, a disciple of the White Cloud Martial Arts Hall. I am here to assist Chief Liu in capturing a fugitive."
"Ah, it's Young Hero Jiang. Chief Liu has been waiting for you. Follow me!" The man nodded and led Jiang Che into the Government Office.