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

The sentiment is exciting.

Almost all the disciples were filled with enthusiasm and stepped forward to sign up.

Chu Hong silently stepped back a few steps, stood in a corner where no one would notice him, and crossed his arms in deep thought.

After connecting some of the clues, he suddenly understood everything.

The martial arts exchange is a tradition that has been held for many years, that's true.

But the so-called open communication and the so-called blood pool rewards are not just for gathering information.

It was a long-planned "conscription".

Huang'an County was attacked from the outside, and there were also bandits and the Wuyou Sect in the shadows outside Yunxi County.

The county government is using these martial arts school disciples as scouts and expendable resources.

Merit is indeed tempting, but if you don't live to claim it, it's all just empty talk.

For Chu Hong, real combat is indeed important, but the extremely dangerous real combat of bandit suppression is not suitable for him.

Especially during the bandit suppression, when he was ambushed by experts with hidden strength or even transformation strength, he, a mere ordinary expert with visible strength, would not be able to escape.

This kind of uncontrollable real combat is no different from being cannon fodder.

Moreover, he only needs to grind proficiency every day to steadily increase his strength.

There's no need to risk your life for benefits like those disciples.

"Junior Brother Chu? You're not planning to sign up either?" Xiao Yi asked.

Chu Hong nodded: "Going out to suppress bandits is still too dangerous. It's better to play it safe."

"Indeed, my mother is still waiting for me to take care of her in her old age, so I can't afford to get into trouble," Xiao Yi replied in a low voice.

The two quietly left.

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

Qin family.

As soon as Qin Lin returned to the mansion, she slammed the door to her bedroom and refused to open it no matter how much Qin Feng knocked.

All that could be heard from inside was the sound of porcelain shattering.

Qin Ruhai stood in front of the hall, his face ashen.

The Qin family suffered a great loss of face after being humiliated by Chu Hong in public and having their engagement broken off.

But the most crucial point is not here, but rather what happened after the news spread throughout Yunxi County.

The Qin family will inevitably be branded as "unrighteous and immoral," at which point all cooperating forces will certainly take a wait-and-see approach to future cooperation, or even sever ties as a result.

The family business will inevitably be affected and suffer a sharp decline.

"If only I had known..."

Qin Ruhai was filled with regret and resentment.

She regretted that she had misjudged Chu Hong and underestimated his strength.

They also resented Chu Hong for being so ruthless, leaving the Qin family with no room for maneuver.

"No, we can't just sit here and wait to die; we have to find a way to salvage the situation..."

"Or, try to eliminate the root cause of the problem!"

Qin Ruhai's eyes flashed with ruthlessness, and he had already begun to calculate in his mind.

"Master, we request an audience with the young master."

The servant respectfully reported this.

Qin Ruhai's expression shifted slightly.

Xiang Rufei seems to be a great help.

"Bring him in."

Before long, Xiang Rufei slowly walked into the hall, his eyes burning with resentment.

He was extremely indignant, believing that if Chu Hong hadn't resorted to underhanded tactics, he would have beaten Chu Hong to a pulp.

But now, it is he who has lost face.

"Uncle, I've arrived."

After inquiring about the injuries with concern, Qin Ruhai pointed towards Qin Lin's boudoir and said in a low voice:

"Lin'er has suffered so much because of you, go and comfort her."

"yes!"

Xiang Rufei came here to comfort Qin Lin.

At the same time, he also wanted to see how the Qin family would treat him.

If the Qin family looks down on him and shuts him out because of this, then no one will have a good time.

He knew that after he fainted, the Qin family pinned all the blame on him.

Xiang Rufei arrived outside Qin Lin's boudoir and gently knocked on the door:

"Lin'er, it's me. Open the door, I have something to tell you."

After a moment of silence, the door opened, and Xiang Rufei was pulled inside.

The room was a mess, and Qin Lin's eyes were red and swollen, clearly from crying.

Xiang Rufei quickly hugged him in his arms:

"Lin'er, don't be afraid, I'm here."

With just this hug, Qin Lin seemed to soften, clinging tightly to him and sobbing incessantly.

"Brother Fei, what...what will they think of me? Will I be condemned by everyone?"

Xiang Rufei's heart tightened, and he quickly said:

"Lin'er, Chu Hong only defeated me by taking advantage of his agility; it doesn't count as real skill."

"When I return to the martial arts school, I'll diligently practice my movement techniques!"

"When the martial arts exam comes, I will definitely cripple him in public, so everyone will know that you made the right choice!"

Qin Lin hugged him tighter upon hearing this, slowly raising her head, her tone icy:

"Crippling him isn't enough, I want him dead! I want you to kill him with your own hands! By any means necessary, kill him! Otherwise, I won't be able to quell the hatred in my heart!"

"Fine! Let him die! I will personally kill him!"

Outside, Qin Ruhai nodded slightly.

It seems I don't need to push things along anymore.

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

Within days of the martial arts exchange meeting, most of the disciples of Chengfeng Martial Arts School were lured away by the promise of merit and joined the Yunxi Army, which was tasked with suppressing bandits.

Every day, someone would send back good news.

Black Mountain Ridge has been flattened, and the three leaders of the Dark Force have already surrendered.

The bandits of Xifeng Mountain were also wiped out, and everyone got a share of the looted treasure.

Yunxi Army went on campaign and was invincible, suffering no defeats.

This repeatedly caused a stir in the martial arts school, and one by one, people couldn't resist the temptation and joined the bandit suppression army.

Chu Hong turned a deaf ear to this, and apart from going on two more escort missions, he completely confined himself to the martial arts school.

No matter how others praised him, he continued to practice his stances, boxing, and body movements on his own.

My proficiency is increasing day by day.

Xiao Yi, on the other hand, has been away from the martial arts school lately, and even when he is there, he always looks worried.

Chu Hong asked, but Xiao Yi kept refusing to answer.

Chu Hong was also unaware of the specifics of what had happened.

In the blink of an eye, a month has passed.

Chu Hong's feet moved suddenly, as fast as lightning, leaving only a faint afterimage.

His figure moved left and right, turning without leaving a trace. Even though he seemed right in front of you, you couldn't pinpoint where he would land.

In the blink of an eye, he had already changed his location.

His steps were so light that no dust was stirred up when he moved.

[Swift Step Proficiency +1]

[Swift Step has been upgraded to 'Minor Mastery']

"call!"

Chu Hong stood firmly, his face filled with barely suppressed joy.

The Swift Wind Step has been completed.

This means that within the same territory, no one else can touch the hem of his clothes.

Even if he were to be ambushed by a master of internal energy, he would still have a chance to escape unscathed.

He unfolded the panel to review the results of the past few days:

Heaven rewards diligence.

[Effect: Reflecting on all methods, diligent study and practice will surely yield results!]

【Hun Yuan Zhuang (Minor Success)】

[Proficiency: 305/2000]

【Nine-Forged Fist (Minor Success)】

[Proficiency: 203/2000]

【Swift Step (Minor Success)】

[Proficiency: 2/2000]

"Swift Step is enough to keep me alive. Now, it's time to shift my focus!"

During this period, although he focused on the Swift Wind Step, he did not completely give up stance training and Nine Forging Fist.

With combined practice, the gains in both were quite impressive.

But he was neither arrogant nor boastful.

Instead, he silently regained his composure and began practicing his boxing and stance training again.

Back in the dormitory at night, Tang Sinian, who was usually taciturn, approached Chu Hong for the first time.

"Um... Senior Brother Chu..." Tang Sinian said somewhat awkwardly.

Chu Hong, puzzled, asked calmly, "Junior Brother Tang, what is it?"

In fact, Chu Hong knew what he wanted to ask, but he had a rule for doing things.

He won't proactively explain things to others unless they ask.

This is both to avoid being a know-it-all and to prevent my good intentions from being wasted.

Tang Sinian said in a low voice, "Senior Brother Chu, I'm about to knock on the gate."

"Yes, that's a good thing. I believe you can do it." Chu Hong patted him on the shoulder.

"Senior Brother Chu!" Tang Sinian couldn't help but speak again when he didn't get the answer he wanted. "I...I wanted to ask if there are any tricks to breaking through the barriers?"