Seeking good fortune and avoiding misfortune: Starting with death row inmates

Within a day, the news of Shen Chen's advancement to True Qi Martial Artist spread throughout the Dog Fang Mountain Stronghold. Most of the martial artists knew the significance of reaching True Qi after only half a year of martial arts training, and they all came to congratulate him, hoping to make his acquaintance.

"Master Shen, my name is Liu San. I am at the Internal Organs Realm and once single-handedly repelled ten government troops. Do you think I have the opportunity to serve you faithfully?"

"Chief Shen, are you ever married? Our leader has a daughter..."

"Master Shen! We heard your sword was damaged. This is a precious sword that our master sent to you!"

Master Shen had Cui'er see off the last group of visitors, then rubbed his temples, saying, "It's true what they say, 'Even in the deepest mountains, wealth attracts distant relatives.' Seeing that I've reached the True Qi Realm, people are swarming to curry favor with me like locusts..."

Qin Pi, standing to the side, said, "When the internal organs enter the True Qi realm, it's like a carp leaping over the Dragon Gate. It's a transformative change. There are only about twenty True Qi martial artists in the entire stronghold, including the leader. Once you enter the True Qi realm, it's practically like you've secured a seat. Naturally, there will be many people eager to curry favor with you."

He clinked glasses with Shen Chen and said, "Tomorrow is the village's martial arts competition. There are still two seats available. If you can achieve a good ranking in the competition, you will become a leader who is on par with me."

He said, "Now that you have entered the True Qi Realm, there are very few leaders who can fight you in martial arts competitions."

"Among the True Qi Realm cultivators in the stronghold, Lu Feng, the [Whirlwind Blade] under Zhao Ying, is the strongest, followed by Hei San, the [Mysterious Iron Hand] under Mo Yuancai, Wu Long, the [Black Dragon Blade] under Tang Long, and Luo Xiong's younger brother, Luo Tieniu, the [Black Bull]."

"You have a chance to beat all of these people, but in this martial arts tournament, there is one person who has probably already secured first place, so your chances of winning are really slim," Qin Pi said.

Shen Chen asked, "Who is it?"

"Huang Sancai, the sworn brother of the second-in-command Huang Ahu, is also known as 'Tiger Descending the Mountain'," Qin Pi said. "This man recently broke through to the Meridian Opening Realm and single-handedly robbed a caravan escorted by four True Qi martial artists. He is ranked eighty-third on the Heroes List."

"He should have been the head of the family all along; this martial arts tournament was just a formality," Qin Pi said. "Fortunately, Fang Yongxin is dead, so there's an empty seat, and you still have a chance."

Shen Chen silently noted down these opponents and nodded: "Okay, I'll do my best!"

Qin Pi stood up and called to Shen Chen, "Come on, let's go outside and practice our swordsmanship!"

The two went outside to an open space, and Qin Pi drew his sword: "This time, we'll fight with real swords!"

When Shen Chen was at the Internal Organs Realm, Qin Pi also sparred with him. However, Qin Pi used a wooden sword at that time. Even so, his wooden sword could still fight against Shen Chen's iron sword without leaving a trace.

True Qi martial artists can attach their true Qi to external objects, and even break stones and shatter monuments with their bare bodies, which is as different as clouds and mud from the Visceral Realm martial artists.

Shen Chen gripped the blade, assumed a fighting stance, and Qin Pi came straight at him, the sound of the blades clashing ringing out crisply in the night.

"Not only have I gained true qi... my reaction speed has also increased a lot!" Shen Chen opened his eyes wide and looked at Qin Pi's knife. In the past, when Qin Pi swung his knife, he could only see afterimages and could not see the other party's knife skills at all. He could only make inferences based on the shadows.

Now, however, he could clearly see the trajectory of Qin Pi's knife movements and even the changes in his muscles.

Shen Chen quickly followed Qin Pi's movements. After exchanging blows for a while, Qin Pi sheathed his sword with satisfaction: "Not bad, you've now mastered my swordsmanship."

"Get familiar with it some more, and try to develop the martial arts imagery!" Qin Pi patted Shen Chen on the shoulder, sighing inwardly. He never expected that the frail advisor he brought up the mountain would grow into a genuine Qi martial artist in less than half a year.

After practicing his swordsmanship with Qin Pi, Shen Chen began practicing the Thousand Cloud Hands technique.

clap clap clap!

With a flick of his wrist, his arm crackled and stretched out a bit.

Some movements of the Thousand Cloud Hands technique can cause arm dislocation, and for ordinary martial artists, this side effect means they are almost unable to perform the Thousand Cloud Hands technique at all.

But true qi martial artists are different. True qi allows their bones and muscles to withstand the pressure of deformation. Now, all the movements of the Thousand Cloud Hands are no longer an obstacle for Shen Chen!

After Shen Chen finished his Thousand Cloud Hands combo, the wooden dummy opposite him had been reduced to rubble.

"I'll have to switch to the Iron Man training pole from now on." Shen Chen let out a soft breath. With a thought, his dantian suddenly became hot. Looking inward at himself, it seemed as if a blazing sun was rising.

The Extreme Yang Breathing Technique can also be maintained in operation at all times, and can directly generate martial arts imagery!

True Qi martial artists are terrifyingly powerful!

Shen Chen breathed a sigh of relief and returned to the house.

His ears twitched, keenly sensing that there was another person in the room: "Who?"

"Me." The voice was childish, like that of a small child.

The lights came on, and a freckled girl sat by the window, looking at Shen Chen: "You still owe me a meal."

Upon seeing that it was Bai Li, Shen Chen immediately composed himself and said, "Okay, I'll make it for you right away."

A moment later, Bai Li took a handful of sweet potato chips, put them in her mouth and chewed them, then squinted her eyes with pleasure: "Not bad, not bad."

Shen Chen looked at Bai Li, thought for a moment, and asked, "Bai Li, you said earlier that I'm special. What exactly makes me special?"

Bai Li chewed on a sweet potato chip and said, "I can see the color of other people's hearts."

"Most people are black, some are red, but you..."

She paused, looked at Shen Chen's chest, thought for a moment, and said, "It's like a star, very beautiful. I've never seen such a beautiful heart."

Shen Chen frowned. The color of a heart?

He suddenly remembered something: "Could it be because of Rahu's mark?"

As he was thinking, his thoughts suddenly stopped.

Oh no, she found out about this!

Shen Chen immediately looked at Bai Li, and to his surprise, Bai Li ate sweet potato chips with a calm expression the whole time, without showing any curiosity.

"Didn't she hear what I was thinking?" Shen Chen wondered to himself.

The next second, Bai Li looked up at him: "What were you thinking just now?"

Shen Chen was now completely certain that Bai Li indeed didn't know the term "Rahu Mark." He calmly replied, "No, don't you know what I'm thinking?"

Bai Li nodded, then licked the crumbs off her hands with lingering satisfaction: "Is there anything you'd like to know lately?"

This has become a tacit agreement between the two since they met: Bai Li would come over and ask Shen Chen to feed her, and then tell him some secrets about the mountain stronghold. In this way, Shen Chen would always owe her a meal.

Shen Chen pondered for a moment, then asked, "Do you know which of the leaders of the mountain stronghold is a spy for the government?"

He hadn't expected an answer, but Bai Li said, "I know, but Father told me this news must be kept absolutely secret. You'll have to offer me at least two good meals in exchange, and you have to swear not to tell anyone."

Shen Chen's pupils contracted slightly. Was there really a government spy among the leaders of the mountain stronghold?