Ultimate True Lord

A small pavilion by the water.

Wen Jin and his group didn't take the earlier incident to heart and continued to drink tea and chat until dusk.

During this process, everyone shared many insights and techniques about practicing Red Sand Palm. In particular, the second senior brother Wang Zheng and the fourth senior brother Liu Mao, who were both masters of soft strength, were also present.

Jiang Ming benefited greatly from the exchange and gained a clearer understanding and insight into the concept of strength and vigor.

To master the "Gang Jin" (a type of martial art), one must first learn to control and release Qi and blood. Successfully using Gang Jin three times consecutively within a short period is considered a mastery. Afterward, a Gang Jin martial artist must strive to master and strengthen its effortless, weightless nature.

When you can deliver a punch as powerful as a hammer blow, that's when you've mastered the art of powerful punches.

Lifting heavy objects with ease, yet delivering punches with the force of a hammer.

This is the main characteristic of the "vigorous" realm.

It was the hour of You (5-7 PM) in the afternoon.

The crowd dispersed and went home.

……

……

Fenghepu, the Wang family's private school.

The dim light shone through the paper windows of the house, and the faint sound of reading drifted out, suggesting that school was about to end.

Beside the private school, in a dark alley, stood two men in gray clothes.

One man was thin and dark-skinned, with a faint scar on his face, and wore a faded, grayish-brown short-sleeved shirt. The other man was short and stocky, dressed in a wrinkled gray cloth outfit, with a black cloth belt casually tied around his waist.

He looks like a street urchin who lives a rough life.

The two men, their eyes darting furtively, watched the children coming and going at the entrance of the private school, and spoke in hushed tones.

"It's getting harder and harder to make a move lately. Our gang has been trying to abduct young girls, and people in the surrounding dozen or so streets are on guard. They're keeping a close watch on them and don't even let their daughters leave the house."

The short, stocky man spat and continued impatiently, "All the pretty girls south of Fenghepu have been snapped up. It's getting harder and harder to find suitable goods in our area."

Another gaunt man gave a sinister smile: "What's there to be afraid of? The Gray-Clad Gang is wary of the areas they control. But in the areas they don't control, they're completely unaware, making it easier for them to succeed."

"That's right!" The short, stocky man chuckled. "As long as we can snag a decent young girl, we'll get a reward and earn merit."

"We've earned enough merit. Maybe the gang leader will teach us the real skills. Then we'll live a life of luxury, wouldn't that be wonderful?"

The two became more and more excited as they talked, their faces filled with greed and lust.

Just then, the private tutor called out from inside the house, "School's out!" Instantly, the children rushed out in a swarm, making a noisy commotion.

The two immediately fell silent, their eyes scanning the crowd rapidly.

If an adult is picking you up, skip this step.

Those heading further north from Fenghepu will also be skipped.

After the selection process, only a handful of people remained who were traveling alone to the south.

The two men exchanged a glance, their pupils flashing with a fierce light, and quickly locked onto their target. A girl of about twelve or thirteen in the crowd, with delicate features and a beautiful appearance, was clearly someone who could fetch a good price.

"She's the one."

The two men smirked and silently followed, ready to make their move.

"Whoosh!"

Suddenly, two large hands emerged from the depths of the alley behind them, with tremendous force, instantly dragging the two of them into even deeper darkness.

It was as if some terrifying monster had swallowed them whole!

"what……"

The gasps of surprise abruptly ceased.

On the street, Jiang Tao, carrying a small cloth bag filled with books, stopped in her tracks. She glanced back at the alleyway in the distance, somewhat puzzled; she thought she'd just heard something there. But it was gone now; perhaps she'd imagined it.

Jiang Tao started walking again, skipping and hopping towards the siblings' new home. She planned to go home and cook a nice meal for her second brother.

The last time she made mushroom and pork rib soup, my second brother really liked it. He drank the whole pot of soup and ate it with rice, saying it was incredibly delicious.

Afterwards, he praised Jiang Tao, saying that she had more energy for practicing martial arts after eating it. Jiang Tao kept this in mind, so she planned to recreate the dish today to satisfy her second brother's taste buds.

On the street at sunset.

After Jiang Tao disappeared at the end of the street, a tall and burly figure in a tight-fitting outfit emerged from the alley.

Jiang Ming glanced up at the twilight sky, his gaze indifferent. Behind him, two terrified corpses lay sprawled on the ground. The two gray-clad gang members had their necks twisted and mouths slightly open, as if trying to cry out for help.

But it was all too late.

After the event at Linjiang Xiaoxuan ended, Jiang Ming returned from the inner city, intending to stop by Wang's Private School to pick up his younger sister from school. Unexpectedly, he saw two men in gray clothes lurking suspiciously in the alleyway, their intentions unclear.

So Jiang Ming simply killed the two of them!

His powerful strength was like that of a giant python; the two gray-clad gang members were strangled to death by his strong arms before they could even utter a sound.

The entrance to the dimly lit alleyway.

Jiang Ming stood there expressionless, his strong arms hanging slightly at his sides.

"Now that I've broken through to the level of 'Gang Jin' (a martial arts technique), instead of causing trouble for the Gray-Clad Gang, they've come after me."

"They need to be taught a lesson."

He suddenly turned around, dragged the two corpses in the alley, and casually threw them into the Mu River not far away.

Afterwards, as darkness fell, Jiang Ming began searching for members of the Gray-Clad Gang north of Fenghepu. He walked briskly through the streets, clutching a bag of quicklime in each hand, remaining completely silent.

However, whenever Jiang Ming encountered members of the Gray-Clad Gang, he would suddenly attack them, throwing lime in their faces and delivering heavy blows.

It was late at night.

Two more gray-clad gang members were killed by him and thrown into the river.

Several others had their backs to Jiang Ming and had no idea who attacked them. They were ambushed, severely injured, and knocked unconscious.

Jiang Ming killed some people and injured others. He was ruthless but left no name, intending to disguise himself as another force. He was unhappy with the Gray-Clad Gang's overreaching influence, so he took action as a warning.

As evening approached, darkness fell.

With a creak.

The wooden door to the new house was pushed open, and a figure slowly walked in.

In the courtyard, under the shade of the trees, freshly cooked hot dishes are laid out on a wooden table, their aroma tantalizing and tempting.

Mushroom and pork rib soup, stir-fried tender green vegetables, braised pork slices with scallions, soy sauce egg custard, and two bowls of white rice.

Jiang Tao sat on the side stool, her chin resting on her hands, reading by the light of the oil lamp while swinging her legs.

Hearing the door open, she quickly turned around and smiled.

"Brother, you're back so late today."

Jiang Ming walked over, holding two packs of oil paper, and replied, "Yeah, something came up on the way and I was delayed."

"By the way, I bought you something."

He handed the oiled paper to Jiang Tao, who unwrapped it to find a stack of rough-edged paper for practicing calligraphy. Inside another package of oiled paper was a row of osmanthus cakes with a faint fragrance, her favorite treat.

"Hehe, thanks bro!"

Jiang Tao smiled happily and picked up a piece of osmanthus cake to eat.

"Eat after you finish your meal."

Jiang Ming raised his hand and tapped her on the head as a warning.

"Okay, brother." Jiang Tao rubbed her head, looking aggrieved, then smiled, her eyes crinkling with a hint of smugness. "Brother, look what I made for you today!"

She pointed to the dishes on the table: "Your favorite mushroom and pork rib soup."

"Um."

Jiang Ming sat down and began to eat.

"Hey bro, what do you mean by 'uh-huh'? I made this especially for you. I even improved it a bit from the last time. You said it was a little bland, so I added a little more salt."

Jiang Tao considers herself a rapidly improving young cook.

"Um."

Jiang Ming moved his chopsticks and bowl quickly, unwilling to utter a single word.

"Brother, how did I make it? Is it tastier than last time?"

"Um."

"Brother, when are you going to bring me a sister-in-law?"

"Children shouldn't worry about adult matters."

"Haha, bro, you finally can do more than just 'uh-huh'!"

The atmosphere in the small courtyard was ordinary yet warm. The voices of the brother and sister drifted through the courtyard wall and into the dimly lit street outside.

On the main road, a portly figure flashed by.