During the Republic of China era, I achieved unparalleled success by returning to the past.

The backyard of the gambling den.

Boom! The entire boxing ring shook, sending up a cloud of dust.

The boxers around them stared wide-eyed, their mouths agape, each one big enough to fit a duck egg.

Song Beiyou was panting heavily, his body steaming with heat. He moved his arm, which had been bruised and swollen from A Biao's beating.

"Hey, here you go!"

A towel flew over. Song Beiyou caught it with his long arms, wiped the sweat from his face and neck, and nodded with a smile: "Thanks."

The middle-aged man opposite him chuckled and gave him a thumbs up.

Clap clap clap clap! Zhang Feilong led the applause, and the other boxers followed suit, their eyes filled with admiration.

Song Beiyou clasped his hands in a fist salute to the crowd, pushed off the railing, jumped down from the boxing ring, and walked up to Zhang Feilong with a smile: "Second Master, how was it?"

Zhang Feilong grinned and cursed, "Damn it! If you had said you knew how to box, I would have sent you to some hospital!" He turned and ordered, "Go and get three hundred silver dollars."

"Thank you very much, Second Master." Song Beiyou's face showed surprise and delight.

Zhang Feilong put his arm around his shoulder and pulled him aside, whispering, "You're a talent, good at fighting and smart. Want to consider joining me?"

Song Beiyou chuckled and said, "It's my honor that Second Master thinks so highly of me. However..."

Zhang Feilong raised his hand to stop him: "Don't refuse so quickly. How about this, in a few days, I'll take you to an underground boxing match. You help me win, and the debt you owe me, plus the three hundred from earlier, will be wiped clean. As long as your fists are strong enough and you're brave enough to fight, making money won't be a problem. How about it?"

Song Beiyou's heart skipped a beat, his eyes changing: "This fight... must be very important, right?"

"I run a gambling den, I'm a born gambler, and this boxing match just happens to be both exciting and entertaining. So what? Give me a straight answer. If you want to make big money, you have to take the unconventional path."

Boxing is a good way to accelerate the awakening of one's inherited skills. With the "master" level of Eight-Armed Fist, one should be able to get by in lower-level matches. Winning can earn money and increase awakening level, killing two birds with one stone.

Song Beiyou's thoughts raced, and he asked, "How strong are the other boxers?"

Seeing that he was interested, Zhang Feilong laughed heartily: "Don't worry, since I've asked you to fight, I definitely want you to win. There's a saying, 'Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated.' Let's start with something simple. I'll let you go through the information on the experts thoroughly."

Song Beiyou raised an eyebrow: "Since Second Master thinks so highly of me, then I'll accept."

Zhang Feilong grinned from ear to ear: "Good brother! I'll send someone to find you in a couple of days. We'll make a fortune together then." He took the black cloth bag from his underling and handed it to him personally.

Song Beiyou took it in his hands and immediately felt a weight drop down; it was heavy, probably weighing eight or nine pounds. He gave it a gentle shake, and the bag rustled loudly, giving him a reassuring feeling. "Thank you, Second Master."

Zhang Feilong raised an eyebrow and said half-jokingly, "You're not going to run away with the money, are you?"

"What joke are you talking about, Second Master? My roots are right here, how can I run away?"

"Okay, I'll have Ah Dong come find you then. Eat and drink well these two days, but no messing around with women."

Watching Song Beiyou leave, Zhang Feilong waved, took the cigar, lit it, and took a satisfying puff, the smoke swirling around him.

"Second Master..." Ah Biao, who had been lying dead on the stage, finally stood up unsteadily, his body covered in bruises. He shouted, "That kid cheated! He only hit the places I haven't practiced yet!" He had only taken two steps when he gasped in pain.

Zhang Feilong sneered, "In martial arts, avoiding the strong and attacking the weak is the norm. You've built all muscle, but you don't have a brain."

Ah Biao, his face flushed and neck bulging, said, "Second Master, buy me the cheapest serum, and I guarantee I'll slaughter everyone!"

"That stuff is ten times more expensive than gold! Besides, aren't you fucking afraid of turning into a monster? How are you going to go back to your hometown then?"

Ah Biao deflated, plopped down, slammed his fist on the boxing ring, and said dejectedly, "I'll come back for revenge after I've perfected the Thirteen Body-Shaped Techniques!"

The middle-aged man who had just handed over the towel—the gym manager—came over and said, "Second Master, this kid's kung fu is pretty good, but he might not be able to defeat the Black Prison Master. This guy hasn't lost since he stepped into the ring; those who fight him are either crippled or dead."

A boxer next to him chimed in, "The brothers have studied this guy. Since he first appeared, he's fought 36 matches, crippling 19 people and killing 17 out of 10."

A cunning glint flashed in Zhang Feilong's eyes: "Let him fight a few easy matches first, so he can earn back all the money he owes me. Once he's earned enough, let him fight the Black Prison Master. If he wins, giving him another two hundred dollars is worth it. If he loses... then we'll just have to sell him to the foreigners as spare parts."

"Second Master is amazing! No wonder everyone says he never does anything that loses money."

……

Shen Daguan paced back and forth like a headless fly, occasionally glancing at the dark curtain of the gambling den diagonally opposite.

"Why isn't he out yet... I hope nothing bad has happened?" More and more water droplets were falling from his head. He reached up and touched them, his eyebrows furrowing. He took a few steps toward the gambling den, then suddenly stopped and hurriedly turned back.

Seeing that he was covered in water droplets and Song Beiyou still hadn't come out, Shen Daguan finally made up his mind, gripped the sharp knife on his back, gritted his teeth, and charged forward!

Suddenly, the heavy curtain was lifted, and a tall, slender figure stepped out, holding an umbrella in one hand and a cloth bag in the other.

Shen Daguan's eyes widened like saucers, and he grinned broadly, his expression a mixture of surprise and delight. He strode forward and put his arm around Song Beiyou's shoulder: "Ayou!"

Song Beiyou hissed and shrugged, "Be gentle."

"What happened? Are you hurt? They hit you!"

Song Beiyou's lips curled into a smile: "I did get into a fight, but he was in a worse state than me."

Shen Daguan didn't understand and hurriedly asked about what he cared about most: "Second Master, that account..."

Song Beiyou handed the black cloth bag to him: "Take a look."

Shen Daguan reached out and took it, only to feel a sudden weight in his hand. He opened it and looked inside, his eyes blurring from the light. He hurriedly clutched his pocket, swallowing hard. "What's going on? Where did all this money come from?"

Song Beiyou hooked his arm around his shoulder: "I discussed a business deal with Second Master, and this is what he gave me."

"Given by the Second Master?" Shen Daguan was dumbfounded, thinking to himself that the Second Master was so easy to fool, he should have tried it himself.

"Come on, let's have a good meal first." Song Beiyou pulled him along.

Shen Daguan snapped out of his daze, handed the cloth bag back, and rubbed his hands together, saying, "Ayou... Brother Song, if you still have a lucrative business, don't forget about your little brother."

Song Beiyou reached out and squeezed his shoulder hard: "We've been brothers for a lifetime, why are you talking to me like that?"

Shen Daguan frantically touched his bald head, his eyes gleaming.

The two then found a high-end restaurant on Datong Street and had a big meal.

Shen Daguan held up a black umbrella, shielding Song Beiyou from the rain while chuckling, "Master Song, this way please, please get in the car."

Song Beiyou smiled and remarked, "My car is a bit run-down, though."

Shen Daguan said, "Master Song, please make do with this for now. I'll get a new car in a while."

Song Beiyou reached out and brushed the water droplets off the rickshaw's tattered cushion, then plopped down on it: "Little Guanzi, prepare to go to Fan Gua Village!"

Shen Daguan was about to reply with a "Yes, sir!" when he suddenly paused, "Master Song, what are we going there for?"

Song Beiyou said mysteriously, "I'm going to see an old friend."