abnabooks Chapter 10 Refugees Enter the City, Gangsters Come Knocking
Chapter 10 Refugees Enter the City, Gangsters Come Knocking
Time flies, and a month and a half has passed in the blink of an eye.
The cold wind was like a knife, swirling with fine snowflakes on the dusty streets of Cangzhou City.
The locust trees by the roadside had long since lost all their leaves, their withered, dark branches pointing straight up at the leaden-gray sky.
A gleaming black car rolled over the cobblestones covered with a thin layer of ice, making a soft crunching sound.
A layer of white fog covered the car window. Zhou Tong reached out and wiped away a small patch, then looked out the window.
The streets are more crowded and desolate than they were a month and a half ago.
Ragged refugees huddled under the eaves and in the corners of walls, covered with tattered cotton or straw mats, their numb faces turning blue and purple from the cold wind.
As the car turned a street corner, Zhou Tong's pupils contracted slightly.
At the entrance of a narrow alley ahead, several passersby were pointing and whispering. Two dark red pools and two... twisted corpses could be vaguely seen on the ground.
"Afu," Zhou Tong said in a low voice.
Ah Fu in the front seat obviously saw it too, his face paled, and he quickly lowered his voice: "Young Master... I heard that the 'Black Tiger Gang' and the 'Blood Wolf Society' have been fighting over territory recently, and they must have fought each other last night."
The city is in turmoil these days. Too many martial arts masters and江湖人士 (jianghu figures) have fled from southern Shandong, forming gangs, fighting for territory, and there are daily brawls resulting in deaths. The police station... is completely short-handed and overwhelmed.
Zhou Tong remained expressionless, only narrowing his eyes slightly.
With the increase in the number of refugees, gangs also emerged.
He knew this was the norm in chaotic times, but there was nothing he could do; there was so little one could do in this world.
The car stopped in front of the Dragon Tiger Martial Arts School. Zhou Tong wrapped his thick cotton robe tighter around himself and strode into the courtyard.
The shouts in the courtyard were louder than usual, and the heat mixed with the smell of sweat washed away some of the cold and oppressive atmosphere outside.
His gaze swept across the area, and he quickly found Ji Chang in the corner.
Ji Chang wasn't practicing his martial arts; he was just leaning against a pillar with his arms crossed, squinting at the bustling scene in the courtyard, looking rather leisurely.
After a month and a half of arduous training, Ji Chang's already robust physique seemed even more refined, his temples slightly bulging, and a glint of light flashing in his eyes—a sign that he was about to break through to the Bone Forging Realm.
I just don't know how long this "soon" will take. If it's short, it could be today; if it's long, then it's uncertain.
Ji Changka has been at the peak of his training for some time now. Apart from his daily routine of training, he spends most of his time wandering around the city, making friends with all sorts of people, and is extremely well-informed.
Zhou Tong walked over, greeted him, exchanged a few brief pleasantries, and then changed the subject, asking, "Senior Brother Ji, are you familiar with those newly emerging gangs in the city?"
Ji Chang grinned, revealing his white teeth: "What, Junior Brother Zhou, you're also concerned about these sordid matters now?"
"Just asking."
Ji Chang nodded, his smile fading slightly. "Recently, quite a few gangs have indeed sprung up, at least a dozen or so, big and small. Most of the leaders are martial arts masters who fled from Lunan; they have some skills and are ruthless enough."
"Being new here and without any connections, the fastest way to get a share of the pie in Cangzhou is to fight—fight tooth and nail, and make a name for yourself."
He casually pointed outside, "I don't know if you've noticed those loud, boisterous new faces on the street? Many of them are thugs recruited by these gangs, or simply displaced people who have been coerced."
Ji Chang paused for a moment and said, "However, don't worry. This is the most chaotic time. After a while, those without a foundation or expertise will either be swallowed up or eliminated by the police or larger gangs. Only those who remain will truly have a foothold in this city. At that time, they will start to follow the rules, and things will be peaceful on the surface."
Ji Chang spoke calmly, with a detached indifference that suggested he had seen through the ways of the world: "In this world, everyone just wants to make a living. Even if you're ruthless, it's all for survival, for a better life."
Zhou Tong nodded to himself.
Ji Chang's analysis, though ruthless, gets straight to the heart of the matter.
In chaotic times, force and survival are the only laws.
Just then, a commotion broke out in the center of the courtyard.
A stocky young man dressed in gray, running outfit, ran excitedly to his senior brother Chen Zong, bowed deeply, and exclaimed, "Senior brother! I...I've mastered the Dragon-Tiger Flesh-Refining Stance!"
Upon hearing this, many students who were practicing nearby stopped and curiously gathered around.
Even Zheng Hao and Liu Qing, who were in the corner, turned their gazes towards them.
Chen Zong remained calm and nodded: "Practice it once and I'll see."
The young man responded excitedly and quickly took off his short jacket, revealing his bare upper body.
He took a deep breath, lowered his waist and sat in a horse stance, slowly assuming the starting posture of the Dragon Tiger Stance.
At first I was a little nervous, but I quickly got into it. Every move was steady and powerful, and the sixteen stances were performed as smoothly as flowing water.
When he finished his stance, he stood still, not relaxing immediately.
His muscles rippled gently like water, and beneath his skin, countless tiny streams seemed to flow, rising and falling, which looked quite strange.
His skin also glowed with a healthy, light red sheen, and steam rose from it.
"Qi and blood flow into the skin, causing the body to tremble slightly. Hmm, the training is going well."
Chen Zong slowly said, "That's right. From today onwards, you are a formal disciple of my Dragon Tiger Martial Arts School and can begin your training in the flesh-refining stage. Come with me to pay your respects to your master."
The young man was overjoyed and thanked him repeatedly. He hurriedly put on his clothes and followed Chen Zong to the backyard.
A murmur of envy immediately arose from the surrounding area.
Zhou Tong's gaze swept across the courtyard, spotting many faces.
With the increasingly chaotic situation lately, the number of people coming to the martial arts school to learn has increased significantly.
The courtyard was packed with people, probably seventy or eighty. This was only because many of them had learned the basics of stance training and only came every few days; otherwise, there would have been even more people.
In this chaotic world, martial arts have become a source of hope for many to make a living.
"Tsk, another one."
Ji Chang clicked his tongue and nudged Zhou Tong with his elbow. "I see your stance is getting more and more stable, and your energy is great. You seem to have talent. How long do you think it will take to master it?"
Zhou Tong smiled, his gaze slightly lowered: "Senior Brother Ji is joking. The cultivation of stance training will naturally progress; how can one say exactly when?"
He was only half telling the truth.
Generally speaking, the progress of pile driving is indeed difficult to measure precisely, and there are often situations where it is rapid in the early stages but stagnant in the later stages.
However, just as his thoughts began to stir, the transparent panel, invisible to others, quietly appeared before him:
[Dragon and Tiger Flesh Training Post (Perfect Version): Estimated time to reach the "Flesh Training" level: 36 days]
This is a new panel feature that Zhou Tong discovered a while ago.
The panel can then calculate the time required to reach the next stage based on his current progress, physical condition, and cultivation efficiency.
This feature gave him a clearer grasp of his cultivation path and made his daily hard work no longer aimless, but rather a clear countdown.
Counting the days, it took him about three months from the time he started learning the Dragon Tiger Stance to the time he mastered it.
While this speed may not be comparable to that of unparalleled geniuses like Liu Qing and Zheng Hao, who mastered stance training in a month, it is definitely considered top-tier talent among the younger generation of the Dragon Tiger Martial Arts School and even the entire Cangzhou City.
Moreover, he was cultivating the perfect version, which was derived by the system and was more difficult and had greater potential.
Because he knew the situation clearly, Zhou Tong's enthusiasm for martial arts training remained high. Every day, he could see the countdown numbers on the panel decrease by a little. This tangible sense of progress supported him through every sore and tired moment.
He said no more, nodded to Ji Chang, and walked to his usual corner. He took off his outer robe, calmed his mind, and once again assumed the stance he had practiced a thousand times.
……
A few days later, at dusk, Zhou Tong returned home by carriage.
As soon as the car came to a stop in front of the door, Zhou Tong got out, only to see four or five men walking out of his house.
These men were all around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, tall, wearing brand-new but plain cotton robes, and their eyes held a fierce and alert look that suggested they had been mingling on the streets.
The leader had a striking scar on his face, running diagonally from his eyebrow to his cheek, adding to his ruthless appearance.
When Scarface saw Zhou Tong, he paused slightly, his gaze sweeping over Zhou Tong's well-made winter coat before glancing at the black car. He forced a smile that was neither friendly nor provocative, then led his men away swaggeringly, disappearing into the alley as dusk deepened.
Zhou Tong frowned slightly and stepped inside.
In the hall, the father, Zhou Chengzong, was sitting in a grand chair drinking tea. His expression was normal, but there was a hint of fatigue between his brows.
"Father, who were those people who went out just now?" Zhou Tong asked directly.
Zhou Chengzong put down his teacup and said calmly, "A new gang has emerged in the area called Yixintang. I heard that the gang leader is a martial arts master of a dirty level. He has gathered a group of desperados from southern Shandong and is one of the few large gangs that have recently gained a foothold. They've come here to collect their dues."
Zhou Tong remained silent.
For example, to put it politely, it was actually protection money.
If the family hadn't split up, the Zhou family would still be one of the top families in Cangzhou. Which gang would dare to come to the Zhou family to collect their "fees"? They'd be asking for trouble.
But now that the family has separated and the father has withdrawn from the Chamber of Commerce, in the eyes of outsiders, their branch of the family is like a fat sheep that has lost power, and these wolves, smelling the scent, naturally swarm around them.
Seeing his son's face darken instantly, Zhou Chengzong smiled and comforted him:
"Tong'er, don't worry. Yixintang is just a small gang that has only recently established itself."
"Although your father has separated from the family, I've still maintained some influence and know a few people who can be trusted. If you really don't want to give this money, you can ask someone to pass on a message, and this little trouble can be resolved, but there's no need for that."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Tong's expression softened slightly, and he smiled, saying, "Father is right. I misunderstood."
He chatted with his father for a few minutes, then excused himself that he was tired from practicing martial arts and went back to his room to rest.
As Zhou Tong closed the door, the smile on his face faded.
The father spoke lightly, but he knew the truth in his heart.
After the family split up, their relationship with the Zhou Clan Chamber of Commerce became a mere formality. In the past, many favors were given out of consideration for Zhou Chengzong's identity as a member of the Zhou Clan Chamber of Commerce.
Now that this identity is gone, those favors become less valuable with each use and are difficult to make up for.
In my father's view, it would be a losing proposition to use precious personal connections for such a small amount of money; it would be better to spend the money to avoid trouble and endure it for the time being.
"Still... not strong enough." Zhou Tong looked out the window at the deep night and muttered to himself.
If he were a Bone Forging Master, or even just if he showed clear potential to become a Bone Forging Master, how could those gangs dare to come knocking on his door so easily?
If he were a Grand Martial Master... how many people in Cangzhou City would dare to look him in the eye?
He walked to the table, focused his mind and summoned the panel. Looking at the words "[Estimated time to reach the 'Flesh Refining' realm: 31 days]", his eyes became calm and firm again.
No matter how heavy the wind and snow, we must walk step by step.
And his path, clear and forward, lies in this daily practice of stance training, in these gradually decreasing numbers.
A book makes a long story; a bookless story makes a short story.
In the blink of an eye, another month has passed, and Zhou Tong has finally reached the breakthrough point.