Chapter 6

Jin Ray and Kai Zen went to collect their silver taels.

The courtyard was empty, except for the battle scars on the ground that hinted at a past conflict. The bloodstains also bore witness to the fight.

Leon Wei stood with his hands behind his back, lost in thought. The Three Blades Martial Arts Hall's chapter had closed, but his journey was just beginning.

To live well, one needed strength. Anything obtained without strength would eventually have to be returned.

With that thought, he began to draw lots.

First, he used up the white wish points he had received. The golden ones needed careful consideration; this was the first time he had obtained them, so they had to be treated seriously.

The familiar roulette appeared, consuming the white wish points as the draw began.

[Congratulations: Proficiency in Wind Thunder Palm 50]

A common result, nothing unexpected.

Next, he focused on the golden wish points.

As the page switched, the lottery page for the golden wish points was completely different from the one for the white wish points.

At the top, there were many categories: Comprehensive, Martial Arts Proficiency, Martial Arts, Divine Weapons, Elixirs, and Rare Items.

Except for Comprehensive, which was highlighted, the others were dimmed. When he tried to click on them with his mind, there was no response. Then a prompt appeared.

[Would you like to spend one golden wish point to draw in a specific category?]

He decisively refused; he only had one point, so he went ahead with the Comprehensive draw. He understood that this type of draw was focused on a specific category, with a clear target, which felt quite user-friendly.

Since he didn't have enough points to create his own category, he had to start with the Comprehensive draw.

There were various items to draw from, emitting different shines, making it a dazzling sight. He felt the temptation but reminded himself not to dream too much; daydreaming was futile.

"Draw, draw."

[Consuming one golden wish point]

As the halo began to spin, Leon Wei silently prayed, hoping for reliable items. His life in this world depended on these items, and he needed something substantial.

He had seen that even if he drew Martial Arts Proficiency, it wouldn't matter. The lowest proficiency in the golden draw started at three hundred.

After a moment, the halo stopped, framing an item that looked somewhat peculiar. Upon closer inspection, it seemed to resemble a house.

A house?

This made Leon Wei think of some strange things, like: "Congratulations on winning a set of premium mansions in Ankang County."

If it were true, he would be beyond exasperated.

"A mansion? I want legendary items that shine brightly."

[Congratulations on drawing: Accelerated Training Chamber (Rare Item)]

[Note: Can integrate the Accelerated Training Chamber into a designated house, can be retrieved and reassigned.]

[Note: Can add others to share the accelerated training effect.]

"This thing..."

Leon Wei rubbed his chin, pondering. It seemed quite good, and it seemed to be of great help in establishing a sect. Adding others to share the accelerated training effect sounded formidable.

He then designated the Accelerated Training Chamber to the Lin Martial Arts Hall. Suddenly, he felt a connection between his heart and the martial arts hall.

"Retrieve."

The connection disappeared, and the Accelerated Training Chamber rotated in his consciousness.

"Designate."

The connection reappeared, and the Accelerated Training Chamber vanished from his consciousness.

Retrieve, designate, retrieve, designate...

He was thoroughly enjoying this, feeling the thrill of it.

"Master, I'm back."

Just as he was engrossed in the activity, Jin Ray appeared, content with the silver taels. He noticed that even though it hadn't been long since the master defeated Ma Sandao, it seemed like many people knew about it. The way they looked at him had changed; no longer were they pointing fingers as before.

This feeling was beyond satisfying.

"Our martial arts hall has truly risen."

Leon Wei looked at Jin Ray and Kai Zen. Jin Ray still had no wishes above his head, but Kai Zen's head now displayed a new wish.

"What a change when one has money; men of all ages are the same."

Kai Zen seemed like such an honest person; who would have thought he had such desires.

"Master, there are a total of twenty-seven taels here. Originally, there weren't this many, but the people at the Loulan Pavilion knew I was from the martial arts hall, so they gave me a round number." Jin Ray felt it was about showing face; they gave him more silver taels.

"Alright," Leon Wei took the silver taels and then took out seven taels to hand to Jin Ray, who was surprised and kept refusing, saying he didn't need it. "Alright, listen to me. A man should always have some silver taels on him. Otherwise, if you go out without any money, you'll be servile and unable to stand tall."

"Yes, Master."

Jin Ray took the silver taels, feeling so touched he wanted to cry. His master was truly kind to him.

"Kai Zen, you've earned quite a bit, haven't you?"

Leon Wei saw the curve at the corner of Kai Zen's mouth that even an AK couldn't suppress, knowing how happy he was inside.

"Not much, just a little. I'm planning to take a break for a while, rest well. To be honest, I never thought in my life that silver taels would come so easily. I owe it all to Leon Wei." Kai Zen said.

"Don't say that. It took courage for you to bet on me winning. Anyway, no matter what, let's celebrate tonight. Close your stall first, come find me with the silver taels tonight, and I'll take you to a good place."

"Take silver taels? A good place?" Kai Zen's eyes lit up at these words, then he concealed his excitement, asking tentatively, "Where are we going?"

"Don't ask. You'll find out when we get there. Hehe..."

"Alright."

With a heavy purse, Kai Zen left to close his stall. For him, selling tofu pudding? How much money could he make from that? He decided to take a break from selling and rest for a while.

"Jin Ray, remember to hand over at the Mingxiang Teahouse. Do it the same way as before."

"Yes, Master."

With the Mingxiang Teahouse now in place, there would be income coming in. Now he understood why Ankang County had such a strong tradition of challenging other martial arts schools; the wealth came in so quickly.

Fist and foot skills, a few slaps, and you could earn a big income.

Challenging other schools was a lucrative business.

It seemed he would have to hire some people to serve him in a while. He needed maids and cooks; he would need three or four people to serve him.

"Jin Ray, starting tomorrow, I will teach you the true martial art of Wind Thunder Palm. Be prepared to work hard. This martial art is quite challenging and requires great effort to achieve success."

Although his understanding of Wind Thunder Palm was only at a basic level, it was enough to teach others how to practice it.

He needed to train Jin Ray; after all, he couldn't have the head of the martial arts hall personally participating in challenges. To become a true strongman, he needed his own team.

Jin Ray would be the first person he would train, the first to taste the crab.

"Yes, Master."

Jin Ray was excited. He knew his master was about to teach him something substantial. After passing his master's test, the rewards he could receive were immense.

Leon Wei quietly added Jin Ray to the shared list, turning him from an ordinary warrior into a genius warrior.

This was the deep love his master had for him.

Loulan Pavilion, the true gold mine of Ankang County.

In its most mysterious room, a woman sat there, her jade arms supporting her chin as she gazed out the window. With a creak, the door was pushed open, and a maid entered.

"Sister, this time our bet at Loulan Pavilion brought us a total profit of twenty-three thousand four hundred taels. This profit is even faster than robbing someone."

The maid placed the silver notes on the table, almost unable to believe it. Unlike the usual bets, this time almost no one bet on Lin Martial Arts Hall winning. Who would have thought they would win and earn so much?

The woman nodded, not paying much attention to the silver taels.

"Sister, with such profits from the usual martial arts bets, should we have more matches?" The maid thought this was a path to riches; one match brought in over two thousand taels, ten matches would be over twenty thousand taels. The thought was terrifying.

"What are you thinking? The match between Lin Martial Arts Hall and Three Blades Martial Arts Hall was a one-time event. It was a unique combination of timing, location, and people. It's not something that can be replicated." The woman replied, looking at the maid with a smile.

The maid gazed at the woman's smile, captivated by its beauty.

It was truly mesmerizing, with an indescribable charm. Even though she was a woman, she was already deeply captivated.

Evening.

Kai Zen arrived early, dressed differently from the daytime. He was clean and neat, without any patches, showing a complete transformation.

One could tell he had intentionally dressed this way, probably taking out his most precious clothes.

Jin Ray's attire was relatively normal, but it was clear he came from a humble background.

Only Leon Wei dressed well, having bought many clothes after getting rich from performing at the martial arts hall. His wardrobe was full, so he never lacked clothes.

The three of them walked side by side in the night, silent.

It felt like they had agreed to go somewhere with a few friends, although they didn't say it outright, everyone seemed to understand.

The atmosphere was tense, exciting, fearful, and a mix of emotions. Their hearts were pounding like lost deer, startled and anxious.

Soon.

"We're here."

The three of them arrived at the entrance of a place, surrounded by colorful lanterns. The sound of music filled their ears, and Jin Ray and Kai Zen's faces turned red.

"What is this place?"

Kai Zen was clearly asking knowingly, as he was being teased with words like 'Sir, come and play' and 'Sir, this maid has missed you.' For a man like Kai Zen, who had been innocent for decades, it was truly stimulating.

"Yi Hong Pavilion," Leon Wei said matter-of-factly, then dragged Kai Zen towards the entrance. "Let's go in."

"No, no, no, Leon Wei, I can't come here. I'm old, how can I come to such a place? People will laugh at me. You go in, I'd better go back." Kai Zen protested, but as Leon Wei dragged him inside, his legs cooperated effortlessly, and he entered without resistance.

He wanted to come to this place, but he couldn't come alone. He was curious, and for some reason, Kai Zen felt a connection with Leon Wei, as if he had found a kindred spirit.

"Hey, sirs, you're here." The flamboyant madam greeted them warmly as she linked arms with Kai Zen, getting cozy.

Smelling the fragrance on the madam, Kai Zen's heart fluttered, but he kept saying, "Miss, please don't do this."

"Sir, you're still shy. The ladies at our Yi Hong Pavilion are so much fun."

The madam, having dealt with many people, saw all kinds, and she felt she had many ways to handle such guests.

The three men were led by the madam to a table on the side of the first floor.

"Madam, you go on ahead. We'll call you if we need anything." Leon Wei was also a first-time visitor to a brothel, but he had to appear calm; he couldn't let anyone see that it was his first time.

"Alright, sirs, make yourselves at home."

At that moment, Jin Ray was bowing his head, hands on his knees, feeling awkward and hesitant to move.

Kai Zen's eyes were darting around mischievously, his mouth slightly open, his teeth scattered but full of vitality.

Leon Wei was watching the scene, and he noticed a new wish above Jin Ray's head.

"What a wish! I hope Master will teach me the true martial art of Wind Thunder Palm. I'm eager for it (0/1), reward: one white wish point."

Although it was just a regular white wish point, and there was only one, Leon Wei thought it was already quite good. To become a strong person, one had to accumulate little by little; there were no instant successes.

Jin Ray brought breakfast, a bowl of rice porridge, a baked bun, and an egg.

Just the rice porridge was a luxury item; common people ate mixed grains, and white rice was something only the wealthy could afford.

After the battle ended swiftly in the evening.

Leon Wei arrived in the courtyard. "Jin Ray, you're here so early?"

Jin Ray was lifting a stone pillar, showing his strength. His dedication was admirable; if he wasn't successful, who would be?

Of course, Leon Wei had also put in effort the previous night, and his Wind Thunder Palm proficiency had reached forty.

"This is the time to work in the morning. I must work hard and not waste time. Master, I've brought you breakfast."

"Well done."

Having a disciple was truly a blessing.

Everything was taken care of.

Leon Wei noticed a new wish above Jin Ray's head.

"I look forward to Master teaching me the true martial art of Wind Thunder Palm. I've been eager for it (0/1), reward: one white wish point."

Although it was just a regular white wish point, and there was only one, Leon Wei thought it was already quite good. To become a strong person, one had to accumulate little by little; there were no instant successes.

"Our martial arts hall has truly risen."

Leon Wei looked at Jin Ray and Kai Zen. Jin Ray still had no wishes above his head, but Kai Zen's head now displayed a new wish.

"What a wish! I hope Master will teach me the true martial art of Wind Thunder Palm. I'm eager for it (0/1), reward: one white wish point."

Although it was just a regular white wish point, and there was only one, Leon Wei thought it was already quite good. To become a strong person, one had to accumulate little by little; there were no instant successes.

"Our martial arts hall has truly risen."

Leon Wei looked at Jin Ray and Kai Zen. Jin Ray still had no wishes above his head, but Kai Zen's head now displayed a new wish.

"What a wish! I hope Master will teach me the true martial art of Wind Thunder Palm. I'm eager for it (0/1), reward: one white wish point."

Although it was just a regular white wish point, and there was only one, Leon Wei thought it was already quite good. To become a strong person, one had to accumulate little by little; there were no instant successes.

"Our martial arts hall has truly risen."

Leon Wei looked at Jin Ray and Kai Zen. Jin Ray still had no wishes above his head, but Kai Zen's head now displayed a new wish.

"What a wish! I hope Master will teach me the true martial art of Wind Thunder Palm. I'm eager for it (0/1), reward: one white wish point."

Although it was just a regular white wish point, and there was only one, Leon Wei thought it was already quite good. To become a strong person, one had to accumulate little by little; there were no instant successes.