Longevity Martial Arts: Obtain Golden Affixes at the Start

The next day, Hong Lang learned from Chen Nuo that Liu Yuan had treated them to a meal the day before. After several rounds of drinks and dishes, Liu Yuan suddenly pulled out a pre-prepared contract.

They would receive a monthly subsidy of three taels of silver and be at the Liu family's beck and call for three years.

Two people were immediately moved during the meal and signed the papers without hesitation, expressing their willingness to serve the Liu family wholeheartedly, even at the cost of their lives.

really!

Hong Lang thought to himself: These people, despite their young age, are all incredibly shrewd and calculating!

A subsidy of thirty-six taels a year is pitifully small when it comes to martial arts training.

The two men who signed the contract looked at Hong Lang with a different gaze; they looked at him like he was an enemy.

Hong Lang sneered inwardly. What sycophantic dogs they were! They had just recognized their master and were already thinking of biting people for him.

If the two of them really do something, he wouldn't mind treating them to something "good."

In the following days, with the ten taels of silver "supported" by Master Feng, Hong Lang no longer needed to chop wood and was able to concentrate on honing his martial arts skills.

Every day he would buy two catties of pork to take home, and Qin Jiuzhen and Li Tao'er also benefited from it.

Li Tao'er, in particular, looked much better and had gained some weight. Her originally slender figure had gradually become more graceful and feminine.

As for the herbal medicine, Hong Lang hadn't considered it for the time being. After all, he only had ten taels of silver in total, and every extra penny spent would reduce his confidence.

Because of Jiang Guanlan's covetousness, Qin Jiuzhen can't go out for the time being, and with three people sharing the money, they have to be careful with their spending.

With the meat supply, Honglang's progress bar steadily increased, reaching 45% in just ten days.

Hong Lang thought to himself, "At this rate, I'll definitely be able to break through the barrier within half a month!"

Ordinary people practice martial arts for only two or three hours a day. If they practice for more than that, their bodies will be overburdened and their foundation will be damaged.

But Hong Lang was different. Even if he practiced for five or six hours a day, he was still full of energy and showed no signs of physical exhaustion.

The phrase "dragon-like strength and tiger-like ferocity" not only gave him great power, but also gave him extremely vigorous blood and energy.

This is still under the condition of insufficient meat and medicinal soup. If resources were plentiful, the progress would probably be even faster!

The disciples in the martial arts school now look at Hong Lang differently. Why is this kid so good at training?

If you let them practice like this for three days, they're guaranteed to be bedridden.

A few days later, Master Shen Shan returned with injuries on his face, and Master's wife Tang Chen did not speak to him again.

Hong Lang couldn't help but laugh to himself, guessing that he had gotten a beating from his master's wife.

According to Chen Nuo, his master Shen Shan only had the cultivation of the Lesser Completion of the Marrow Cleansing Realm, while his master's wife Tang Chen had a higher cultivation level, being at the Perfection of the Marrow Cleansing Realm.

That afternoon, Chen Nuo quietly approached him and asked, "Junior Brother Hong, there's a good job for you, would you like to go?"

Hong Lang chewed on the meat pie in his hand and asked, "What kind of good job is it?"

"The Chang Le Gang needs some men to boost morale tonight; each person who goes will receive one tael of silver!"

Hengjiang County has more than a dozen towns under its jurisdiction, and various gangs are everywhere, often engaging in firefights.

Some gangs, lacking manpower, will temporarily hire martial arts school disciples or idle men to make up the numbers and bolster their strength.

Hong Lang had also heard of the Chang Le Gang, a small gang in Qinghe Town with only a handful of members who ran a gambling den in the town.

As far as Hong Lang knew, the government in this world was quite strict, and although there were conflicts between gangs, very few gangs dared to openly collect protection money.

In contrast to this stability, there are all sorts of exorbitant taxes and levies. Take Hong Lang for example, he used to spend half of his annual income on taxes.

Every year, people are forced into hard labor by the government because they cannot pay their taxes, and their fate is miserable.

Hong Lang shook his head and said, "If a fight breaks out and someone gets injured, one tael of silver might not even be enough to buy medicine. It's not worth it."

Chen Nuo waved his hand: "How can we really fight? Nine times out of ten it's just for show. As long as we shout slogans, we can get a tael of silver. It's a good deal."

Even if the fight doesn't happen in the ninety-ninth round, as long as I go, the fight will start in the hundredth round.

As a time traveler, Hong Lang was aware of this.

He still has some silver given to him by the Feng family, enough to last him until he breaks through the barrier.

Once you successfully pass the level and your strength increases significantly, you can draw more entries, giving you more options in whatever you do.

When you lack strength, the best strategy is to survive and develop your resources!

After being rejected, Chen Nuo started looking for other disciples.

Hong Lang thought to himself, Chen Nuo must be able to profit from this, otherwise why would he be so enthusiastic?

He admired people like Chen Nuo; as long as they could make money, they would be everywhere.

The world is bustling with activity, all for profit; the world is in turmoil, all for gain. In the end, everything in this world revolves around the word "profit."

After going around in circles, Chen Nuo returned to Hong Lang's side.

"Junior Brother Hong, are you really not going to consider it? It's a free bargain, it would be a shame to pass it up!"

Hong Lang shook his head and remained silent.

……

Anfu Village, Jiang Family.

"Sir, Widow Qin hasn't been to town to sell her needlework lately. I reckon she'll give in if she goes hungry for a while longer."

A servant was standing in front of Jiang Guanlan, reporting the situation.

Jiang Guanlan nodded in satisfaction, his heart itching as he thought of Qin Jiuzhen's alluring figure.

Qin Jiuzhen, a widow for many years, still possessed a captivating charm that far surpassed that of ordinary village women. Her daughter, too, was exceptionally beautiful and alluring.

He didn't dare to be too unruly before, but now that his wife is gone, who will be able to control him in the future?

"She's held out for quite a while; she must have plenty of food left!" Guanlan picked up her teacup and took a sip. "The autumn tax is due soon; let's see what she does now!"

"Master, why not just have someone kidnap her and bring her here directly? Why go through all this trouble?" the servant asked, puzzled.

Jiang Guanlan blew on the foam in his teacup:

"Women, the process of playing is important. If you only look at the result, what woman haven't I tasted? I want her and her daughter to walk into the Jiang family on their own and stay by my side."

"Keep investigating and see who she's been in contact with lately, lest someone secretly be helping her and ruin my plans!"

The servant thought to himself, "Master really knows how to play games. He actually wants the mother and daughter to come into the mansion together. With the old lady gone, Master has completely revealed his true nature."

He respectfully replied, "Yes, sir!"

……

As soon as Hong Lang returned home, Li Tao'er, like a joyful little bird, hopped and skipped over to him:

"Brother Lang, these days Mother won't even let me leave the village. I'm stuck at home doing needlework all day. I'm going crazy!"

Hong Lang knew that Qin Jiu was afraid that Jiang Guanlan would harm Li Tao'er.

But Li Tao'er was at the prime of her youth, how could she sit still?

She had lived in Taiping Village for more than ten years and knew every plant and tree in the village like the back of her hand. Staying in the village every day felt like being in prison.

Hong Lang patted Li Tao'er's head gently, his voice tender: "Tao'er, just bear with it for a few more days. Once I become a true martial artist, I'll take you out for a delicious meal!"

Li Tao'er said pitifully, "Okay... Brother Lang, you have to keep your word. I want to go to Songhelou to eat something delicious. I heard their pastries are amazing."

Hong Lang pinched Li Tao'er's little nose and teased, "Songhelou is nothing. When I have money, I'll take you to the best restaurant in the county!"

Now that he has a cheat code, Hong Lang is confident he can take her to the most prestigious restaurants in the county town, or even the most luxurious restaurants in the prefecture or state capital.

Li Tao'er said softly, "Brother Lang, I'm happy no matter where I eat with you."

In his previous life, Hong Lang was focused on his work and had never been in a relationship. He had never heard such heartwarming words before.

He was so flattered by Li Tao'er's words that he felt lightheaded, as if he were about to fly away.

Qin Jiuzhen coughed lightly: "I heard from the hunters in the village that the tax has increased by 10% this year, to two taels and two mace of silver per person. This is terrible..."

She sighed, her voice filled with helplessness.

Fortunately, Li Tao'er is only 14 years old and is not yet considered a person, otherwise I really don't know how she would survive.

Hong Lang took out five taels of silver from his pocket: "Sister Qin, take this money first. I have some more, enough for my martial arts training."

Qin Jiuzhen said she didn't need it, but her eyes couldn't help but dart towards the silver.

Those five taels of silver were enough for the mother and daughter to pay their taxes and get by for a while longer.

Hong Lang grabbed her hand and stuffed the silver into it: "Sister Qin, once I become a martial artist and deal with Jiang Guanlan, you don't need to do needlework anymore, it's too tiring."

The moonlight shone on Hong Lang and Qin Jiuzhen's faces, casting a faint glow on their cheeks, making the atmosphere somewhat subtle.

Qin Jiuzhen quickly pulled her hand back, her voice somewhat hurried: "I'm destined to be poor, I can't stay idle even if I don't work, I feel uneasy."

Li Tao'er glanced at Qin Jiuzhen furtively and said slowly, "Brother Lang, when we have money in the future, let's open a shop for Mother in town. That way, she'll have something to do and won't have to do needlework anymore."

The three chatted for a while longer before Hong Lang finished his meal and went back to his room.

A short while later, a soft knock came from outside the door.

"It's so late, it shouldn't be them, mother and daughter. Who could it be?" Hong Lang wondered.

He got up and opened the door, only to see two tall, dark-skinned men standing in the doorway, each holding a piece of fresh meat.