Unexpected (2000+ Words)

Translator: Cinder Translations

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Three Limit-Breaking Light Orbs vanished rapidly.

The next moment.

Buzz!

Insights surged, and the progress of the Giant Tiger Technique changed.

[Giant Tiger Technique: Beginner (46%) +]

"Wait, that's it?"

Chen Feng raised an eyebrow, surprised by the amount of Limit-Breaking Light Orbs required for the Giant Tiger Technique.

At this rate, it seemed like he would need four more Limit-Breaking Light Orbs to break through to the Rock Tiger stage.

"Plus, the Explosive Fist and Flame Tiger Stance, the Limit-Breaking Light Orbs required for later stages will increase exponentially."

"All in all..."

Chen Feng felt a headache coming on, mentally calculating that he would need to find more Light Orbs in the dream realm no matter what.

Then, standing still, he focused on his physical training to strengthen his bones, muscles, and skin.

The progress was negligible, but Chen Feng had already grown accustomed to it and was not disappointed.

Until one day after martial arts practice ended, he sought out Cao Tong to inquire about the secret medicine.

"Strengthening techniques are hard to practice, right?"

Cao Tong smiled slightly before his expression turned serious. He explained, "As for secret medicines, the rules within our sect are simple."

"You exchange contributions for them or get a fixed monthly quota within the sect."

"Can't you buy them with money?" Chen Feng asked curiously.

"It's difficult."

Cao Tong shook his head, elaborating, "This is the foundation used by our martial arts sects to assist with personal cultivation."

"The medicinal ingredients are already rare, and the refining methods are intricate and energy-draining."

"The sect can't meet the demand internally, and outsiders find it difficult to refine and absorb them. Plus, the sect is not short of money, so we don't allow them to be bought with money."

Chen Feng thought for a moment but was not too disappointed.

He didn't have any money to begin with, and even if he could buy them, he probably couldn't afford it.

"How do you earn contributions, then?"

"By completing sect tasks. And once you become an official disciple, you'll receive a fixed quota every month that can be exchanged for secret medicine for cultivation."

At this point, Cao Tong seemed somewhat regretful.

The third elder could have helped Chen Feng become an official disciple quickly, but he insisted on having him stay in the core class longer.

Chen Feng had thought of this as well.

But he didn't mind too much. Instead, he recalled his conversation with Lin Hao.

Secret medicine.

Enhancement serum.

"Cao Ge, I heard that if you want to practice martial arts, you shouldn't inject enhancement serum easily?"

"Yes!"

Cao Tong's expression grew serious, and he replied earnestly, "This is a taboo in the martial arts world."

"Why?" Chen Feng was puzzled.

He had learned recently that enhancement serums were one of the major ways to improve strength in the current technological age of Earth.

Through injection, they could enhance genes and cells, improving physical attributes comprehensively.

The more expensive the enhancement serum, the fewer side effects it had, and the more times it could be used.

Generally speaking, even the most basic serum would cost hundreds of thousands per injection.

"It destroys the foundation of martial arts."

Cao Tong paused, and perhaps sensing this explanation might be a bit profound, he continued, "Enhancement serums forcibly improve your genes and cells, and once injected, the body becomes highly dependent on them."

"Additionally, at a certain level, this conflicts with our true cultivation techniques, making it harder to break through bottlenecks and advance."

After the explanation, Chen Feng understood the key point, even if he didn't fully grasp the details.

The two continued chatting for a few more minutes, and when it became clear that time was running short, Chen Feng said goodbye and went to the changing room to switch clothes.

"How's it feel, getting special treatment?"

Lin Hao, already dressed in a casual gray outfit, seemed to be waiting for him. He asked with a smile.

"It's fine," Chen Feng replied.

"Really?"

Lin Hao chuckled, his eyes showing a hint of envy.

Sensing something, Chen Feng didn't speak much but felt a bit puzzled about why Lin Hao was so determined to practice martial arts.

After all, from Lin Hao's usual performance, it seemed like he struggled with martial arts, barely managing to visualize the entry-level techniques.

Given his financial situation, a few injections of enhancement serums should have been no problem.

Chen Feng couldn't quite understand why Lin Hao insisted on this approach.

"Alright, I have to go to the club. The boxing coaches from the interview are still waiting for me."

Lin Hao spoke, and Chen Feng nodded. The two quickly parted ways.

Tap tap!

As Chen Feng walked outside the martial arts hall, he boarded a bus.

The bus was not crowded, so Chen Feng easily found a window seat.

The holographic projections of the surrounding buildings were still floating, and the bustling city seemed peaceful.

However,

[Yesterday's riot, the Safety Bureau has intervened in the investigation.]

[Please trust the Safety Bureau and the Joint Council. The attackers from Utopia will surely be brought to justice.]

News kept scrolling, and Chen Feng shook his head as he looked at the display screen inside the bus.

He could feel that Nanjiang was indeed getting more chaotic.

Utopia, Serpent Spirit Sect...

Who knows when this city will truly return to peace.

"Then I'll leave now, Sister Hongxia."

"Okay, Sister Zhang. Drive safely."

At the entrance of Yongle Fu Supermarket, Li Hongxia, stood wearing a delivery uniform. It was rare for her to arrive a few minutes early for her shift.

Beside her, Xu Yao waved to Aunt Zhang, carrying her backpack while occasionally glancing outside the window.

She had heard from her mother that today was Chen Feng's last day working at the supermarket.

After such a long time, she wondered if he would...

Ding!

"Welcome!"

The mechanical announcement sounded as a tall, muscular figure blocked some of the light.

"Sorry, Aunt He."

"Traffic was bad, I got delayed a bit."

Chen Feng apologized and quickly put on the red vest to begin his shift.

"No problem, no problem, it was just a minute or two."

Aunt He waved her hand and looked Chen Feng up and down.

"Xiao Feng, how's the new job search going?"

"Why don't you come work at my son's company? I've mentioned it to him, and it's just up to you..."

After spending half a month together, she could tell that Chen Feng was reliable and grounded, so she wanted to help him out.

"Thanks, Aunt He."

Chen Feng politely declined, saying he had already found his next job.

"Ah, okay."

"Well, you're so capable, you'll be welcomed anywhere you go."

Aunt He smiled and said a few words before finally waving goodbye to Chen Feng.

As he watched Aunt He leave, Chen Feng sensed a gaze on him. He turned his head toward the sofa area.

Xu Yao was sitting there, having just placed her backpack down, and was looking at him.

Their eyes met, and she quickly blushed, lowering her head, not daring to look at him again.

The atmosphere became silent, and Li Hongxia wasn't sure what to say either. Most of the time, she was busy organizing items on the shelves.

Without breaking the silence, Chen Feng stood behind the cash register, silently waiting for time to pass.

During this time, several customers came and went, far more than yesterday.

Some of the shops near the area that had been damaged were undergoing repairs, and because of this, occasionally carpenters or tile workers would come in to buy water or cigarettes.

"Beep!"

"Payment received, 13 yuan!"

A middle-aged man wearing a safety helmet bought a pack of Lichun cigarettes, and the rubber curtain at the door was lifted.

A girl entered, somewhat frail, no taller than 1.6 meters.

She wore thick glasses, a gray t-shirt, and a denim skirt, with a white leather bag slung over her shoulder.

"Chen Feng!"

She called out, and Chen Feng frowned slightly.

"Wang Hanwen?"

He was somewhat surprised. He hadn't told her where he worked.

"I asked Han Yue. She mentioned it at the last class reunion and said you worked here."

Wang Hanwen quickly explained, and Chen Feng relaxed his brow.

"How come you're here?"

"I... I wanted to invite you to dinner."

Once she spoke, Xu Yao and Li Hongxia, who were nearby, heard the noise and instinctively looked over.

"You helped me yesterday. Please let me have a chance to thank you," Wang Hanwen said carefully, seemingly worried that Chen Feng would refuse. She looked up at him with sincere eyes.

"That's not necessary."

Chen Feng shook his head slightly, not wanting to waste time.

Seeing this, Wang Hanwen could tell he wasn't interested in the invitation, and she became a little downcast.

"Oh, it's fine."

She opened her mouth several times, wanting to say something but stopped each time.

Finally, under Chen Feng's calm gaze, Wang Hanwen weakly asked, "Then... next time, could you reply to me on WeChat?"

Hmm? Chen Feng was slightly stunned.

Then, he remembered that at the last reunion, he had blocked her messages because he found her chatter annoying.

"Oh."

He replied with just an "Oh," and nodded lightly, signaling that it was okay.

"Then let me buy you a bottle of water."

Hearing this, Wang Hanwen seemed relieved. She quickly went to the shelf, grabbed two bottles of drinks, and tried to pay by scanning the code.

Seeing this, Chen Feng hesitated for a moment.

"Alright."

He could tell she genuinely wanted to show gratitude, and if he refused, it might make her feel uncomfortable.

Click!

The bottle cap twisted open. Since there weren't many customers at the moment, Wang Hanwen stood next to the cash register and chatted with Chen Feng for a while.

"I work at He Lin Street. I'm a clerk. It's hard to find work these days."

"Yesterday, I just happened to pass by here, and my wallet in my bag had a photo my grandmother left me. It's really important to me."

She rambled on for a while, and Chen Feng finally understood why she hadn't let go earlier.

"Sorry for wasting your time."

Realizing she had said too much, Wang Hanwen stopped talking in time.

Then, seeing another customer arriving, she courteously said goodbye, "I'll go now, Chen Feng. See you next time."

Chen Feng nodded lightly and watched her leave.

From the memories of the original body, Wang Hanwen had been a history and archaeology major in university, but in the end, she found a job unrelated to her major.

Her personality was still quite nice, and looking at her now, she hadn't changed much.

"Is she your classmate?"

Li Hongxia, who had walked over, asked.

"Yes, a high school classmate."

Chen Feng nodded, then scanned and collected payment for the customer purchasing items.

"She seems like a nice girl," Li Hongxia smiled and said, as if implying something.

Chen Feng shook his head and didn't respond.

Li Hongxia smiled faintly and didn't say anything else.

Time passed until midnight.

Clang!

The roller shutter door was pulled down, and Chen Feng stood at the door, officially finishing his first job in this world.

"Xiao Feng, I wish you good luck with your new job."

Li Hongxia stood beside Xu Yao and sincerely wished him well.

"Bro- brother Chen Feng, will we see each other again?"

Xu Yao hesitated for a long time before finally asking. Upon hearing this, Chen Feng rubbed her head.

"Yes."

Chen Feng remembered the drawing she had given him, along with the origami crane.

"Then can I add you on WeChat?"

Xu Yao cautiously asked, pointing to her student smartwatch.

"Sure."

Chen Feng smiled and nodded. He quickly scanned and added her as a friend.

Finally, standing in place, he waved and watched as the mother and daughter rode off on their electric bike.

The red taillight grew smaller in the night, until it finally passed through the green light at the intersection.

Buzz!

Boom!!!

A red sports car sped from another intersection, and the loud sound echoed. The electric bike was thrown far away.

Iron fragments and hard shell debris flew everywhere. A pink backpack fell from the sky.

Stained with blood.

(End of the Chapter)

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Read (MF) ahead on (pa treon. com/CinderTL) – Chapter 107.

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Translated 4 Series, 1.65K+ Chapters and 2.01M+ Words.