Starting from the pharmacy, he grew into a martial saint among men.

Chu Hong did not speak again.

Faced with the infighting threat of the Iron Fist Gang, any struggle is futile without strength.

Chu Hong knew this, and so did his parents.

In fact, my father practiced martial arts in his early years, but due to his inferior physique, he also had very bad luck.

He failed three times in his attempts to master the Ming Jin (a martial arts technique), and his eagerness for quick success damaged his foundation.

In the end, he had no choice but to give up his martial arts training.

The eldest brother had the opportunity to break through to the Ming Jin level, but he was forcibly conscripted and taken away, and his fate is unknown.

That time, even spending money didn't work for the conscription.

The Chu family's pillars collapsed one by one, which is why they were subjected to wanton humiliation.

"If I were to reach the Ming Jin level, my family would probably be able to have an equal dialogue with the Iron Fist Gang."

-----------------

As the sun gradually sets in the west, it casts down golden rays.

Golden light streamed through the window and shone on the old eight-immortal table.

The food was steaming hot, clearly visible under the light.

His mother ladled out a bowl of pork rib soup and gently placed it in front of Chu Hong:

"Hong'er, eat more to nourish your body."

He then handed another bowl of soup to Chu Jianghe:

"Jiang He, have something to eat too. You must be tired today."

Chu Hong saw that there were several large pieces of spare ribs in his bowl.

The father's bowl contained only scraps of bone with hardly any meat.

He silently picked out a few pieces of spare ribs and placed them in Chu Jianghe's bowl:

"Dad, you eat!"

Chu Jianghe paused, looking at Chu Hong in surprise, somewhat incredulous.

Why has my child suddenly become so sensible?

Could it be that he was woken up by those thugs?

He shook his head, put the ribs back into Chu Hong's bowl, and said, "Hong'er, you eat."

"Hong'er, your father still has some left, you should eat it quickly," the mother said.

Chu Hong stopped refusing and lowered his head to eat.

His mother would frequently put food on his plate, afraid that he wouldn't have enough to eat.

The father frowned, absentmindedly picking at his food.

The meal was unusually quiet, with only the echoing sounds of bowls and chopsticks clattering.

After the meal, my mother cleared away the dishes.

Chu Hong then sat down in front of Chu Jianghe, who was tending to the medicinal herbs.

I somewhat clumsily learned Chu Jianghe's technique to clean the dirt off the medicinal herbs:

"Father, I want to learn martial arts."

Chu Hong's tone was calm, yet firm.

Upon hearing this, Chu Jianghe paused involuntarily.

He remained silent for a few moments before turning to look at Chu Hong, his eyes slightly red.

"Hong'er, just stay home and behave yourself. Your father is here."

Chu Hong shook his head:

"In this world, martial arts is the only way out."

"I can't stay under your protection forever. My older brother is gone, it's my turn to support this family."

Chu Jianghe was stunned again.

He looked at his child in disbelief, if not for the fact that his appearance hadn't changed at all.

He even suspected that his child had been switched.

"Hong'er," Chu Jianghe wiped his eyes, his voice trembling, "you've become sensible, but practicing martial arts is very hard..."

Seeing that his father seemed somewhat reluctant, Chu Hong immediately spoke up:

"Father, the government's taxes are too heavy, and the Iron Fist Gang is pressing us harder and harder. If we don't practice martial arts, we will have no way out."

"As long as we have Ming Jin (a type of internal strength), we won't be afraid of the Iron Fist Gang."

"If I pass the imperial examination, the government will exempt me from taxes, and then our family will truly be better off."

"Dad, I can endure hardship! Trust me!"

He knew his father was worried about him suffering, so he did the same as always.

They get especially worried if I get even a little injured or tired.

That's why his father spent ten taels of silver to send him to a martial arts school a month ago.

After he returned crying, his father never mentioned sending him back to the martial arts school again.

Chu Jianghe was truly shocked this time.

He remained silent for a long time, looking into Chu Hong's resolute eyes, and nodded emphatically:

"Hong'er, I will support you no matter what! Once you've recovered, I'll send you to a martial arts school."

"Father, time waits for no one," Chu Hong replied. "I'll go tomorrow!"

When his father sent him to the martial arts school a month ago, he had already paid the tuition fee, which allowed him to train at the school for six months.

This time, there's no need to pay again; just bring some daily necessities.

Thinking of the threat posed by the Iron Fist Gang, Chu Hong dared not waste any more time.

"Okay! I'll go tomorrow!"

Behind her, her mother leaned against the doorway, secretly wiping her eyes, but a smile that hadn't been seen in a long time appeared on her face.

-----------------

The next day.

At my doorstep.

The two saw Chu Hong off.

"Hong'er, don't make yourself suffer. Take a proper rest when you need to."

The mother straightened Chu Hong's clothes, her eyes red, and gave him some instructions.

Chu Jianghe patted Chu Hong on the shoulder and said in a deep voice:

"Hong'er, just focus on your martial arts training. Don't worry about things at home. I'll take care of the Iron Fist Gang."

"Here, take this." He then pulled out a money pouch and handed it to Chu Hong. "Take this. You need money most when practicing martial arts and honing your qi and blood."

"Eat more meat, don't deprive yourself."

Chu Hong nodded and stuffed the money pouch deep into his pocket.

He estimated that there were about two taels of silver inside.

Although it's not a large number at the martial arts school, it's still much better than the children from poor families.

Chu Hong heard that most people couldn't even earn one or two taels of silver a month.

Even Wang Chuan, whose family ran a steamed bun shop, could only earn one or two taels of silver a month with the help of his entire family, and he lived a very frugal life.

Chu Hong's basket contained several doses of medicine prepared by his father, as well as a few flatbreads that his mother had made early in the morning. He waved his hand and said:

"Father, Mother, I will practice martial arts diligently, don't worry."

He looked at Chu Jianghe, thought for a moment, and then said:

"Father, if all else fails, we can cooperate with the Iron Fist Gang, but we need to discuss the profit sharing again."

"Where there's life, there's hope."

"Once I reach the level of Ming Jin, or even An Jin, I can take all of this back double."

"Father will consider it," Chu Jianghe nodded in response.

-----------------

Chu Hong walked down the street.

Looking around at the unique street scene.

This was the first time he had ever seen such a vibrant and down-to-earth ancient marketplace.

The streets were bustling with people, and the sounds of vendors hawking their wares rose and fell.

Many stalls were crowded with people, and bursts of laughter could be heard from time to time.

What a scene of peace and prosperity!

Suddenly, several familiar figures appeared in Chu Hong's line of sight.

It's aged!

At this moment, he was leading his burly men, dragging a young girl out of a house.

The girl's hair was disheveled, her hands gripping the doorframe tightly, her voice hoarse.

"Please, please, spare me! Don't send me to a brothel!"

But her strength was like that of an ant in front of a strong man.

The man simply pulled hard, and she was dragged and thrown onto the street.

A gaunt woman, her face contorted with grief, rushed out and clung tightly to Chen Nian's leg.

"Master Chen, Master Chen, please, please let Ah Hong go! She's just a child."

Chen Nian, his face full of impatience, raised his leg and kicked the woman away with a bang.

"What is this!" He patted the dust off his legs in disgust.

He glared fiercely at the woman who was about to pounce on him, threw down an IOU, and said:

"Zhang Gouzi lost twenty taels yesterday and has already given her to me to pay off his debt."

"If you dare to obstruct me again, I'll drag you away with me!"

The woman picked up the IOU and broke down in tears.

"Hong'er, my Hong'er."

Before long, he coughed up several mouthfuls of blood and fainted.

Chen Nian frowned, but didn't say anything more.

He simply waved his hand, instructing his men to put the people in sacks and carry them away.

The onlookers witnessed this scene, but no one dared to step forward to help.

Chu Hong stood at the edge of the crowd, and so did Chu Hong.

He himself is facing threats from the Iron Fist Gang, so it's even less likely that he would step in to be a hero and save the damsel in distress.

Moreover, a hero who doesn't have the ability to save a damsel in distress is out of the question.

That's something only a fool would do.

In this world, I'm stuck with a father who's a gambler.

That girl named Hong'er can only hope for the best.

Chu Hong shook his head and glanced at the panel again.

【Hun Yuan Zhuang (Beginner)】

[Proficiency: 1/500]

"Strength is the only true measure of success."

"Otherwise, in such a cannibalistic world, it would be difficult to even protect oneself, let alone one's family."