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

"I'll be waiting for you at Dawei Escort Agency."

As soon as he finished speaking, Chu Hong, disregarding Huang Cheng's thoughts, got up and left quickly.

On his way home, Chu Hong kept thinking.

Huang Cheng is loyal to his friends and righteousness, and stubborn in nature; he is not someone who can be easily swayed.

To repay a debt of gratitude, he was willing to "sell himself" to the Tianshui Escort Agency for several years, and even when he was suppressed and humiliated, he was still willing to keep the secret.

Achieving a true breakthrough is extremely difficult.

"Should I resort to underhanded tactics, corner him, and then try to bribe him?"

Chu Hong entertained a despicable thought, but he quickly dismissed it with unwavering resolve.

If he really did that, then how would he be any different from Zhang Yang and his ilk?

"Well then, with such a loyal person at Dawei Escort Agency, he can also keep the agency's secrets."

"We'll figure out a way to investigate later. He's probably not the only one from the Tianshui Escort Agency who's being bullied."

Inside the room, Huang Cheng looked at the silver notes in front of him, and then at Chu Hong's departing figure.

Thinking about the restrictions and suppression from the Tianshui Escort Agency, my heart was filled with bitterness.

He knew that Chu Hong had come here to cause trouble for the Tianshui Escort Agency.

However, as a bodyguard of the Tianshui Escort Agency, he had to abide by the rules, keep secrets, and not leak any information.

But Chu Hong's last move struck the softest spot in his heart.

He slowly reached out to touch the banknote, but pulled it back as if he had been electrocuted.

After a long while, his hands involuntarily reached for the banknotes again.

"Hey, Huang Cheng, you're still home?"

A short while later, a burst of teasing laughter came from outside the courtyard gate.

Immediately afterwards, Zhang Yang, with his arm in a sling, slowly walked into the courtyard.

Huang Cheng shuddered, quickly hid the silver note in his pocket, and went to meet him.

"Don't come near me!" Zhang Yang frowned, stopping him from getting closer, and turned to his servants, ordering, "Come, give the things to Chief Escort Huang."

The servant immediately handed over a page covered with dense writing.

Zhang Yang held his head high, looking down at Zhang Yang:

"Master Huang, you are a veteran of our escort agency. If we just let you go like this, people will say that our agency is inhumane."

"This contract renewal is my guarantee for you. Sign it and continue working for the security company. Our security company will never treat you unfairly."

Huang Cheng held the paper, and his anger flared up after just one glance.

"Young Master, I am just a bodyguard, not one of your henchmen."

"What do you mean? You want me, a dignified Dark Strength cultivator, to sign a contract of servitude to you?!"

Zhang Yang silently took two steps back, no longer pretending, and sneered:

"Huang Cheng, I'll give you a month to consider it. If you sign it, we can still work together on escort missions."

"If you don't sign, hmph, our Ning'er is going to suffer."

Seeing Huang Cheng fall silent, he spoke again, each word piercing to the heart:

"Huang Cheng, you don't want anything to happen to Ning'er, do you?"

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

When Chu Hong returned home, Chu Jianghe and his mother were already eagerly waiting for him.

Chu Hong's deeds spread throughout Yunxi County, and they naturally heard the news as well.

Knowing that Chu Hong would be competing again in a month, she couldn't help but feel worried.

"Hong'er, why don't we stop practicing martial arts and learn medicine from your father instead? That would be much better, without having to fight to the death."

The mother's face was full of worry, fearing that Chu Hong might get into trouble that day because of his martial arts practice.

Chu Jianghe rebuked in a deep voice, "That's a woman's view. Without Hong'er practicing martial arts, could we even live in the inner city?"

"Without Hong'er practicing martial arts and improving his status, our family would have been wiped out by the Iron Fist Gang long ago."

"Hong'er practices martial arts not only for himself, but also for us. He wants to pass the martial arts examination and find Tian'er. How can we give up so easily at such a critical moment?"

Upon hearing this, the mother immediately turned her head away, and large tears streamed down her face.

Seeing this, Chu Hong quickly stepped forward to smooth things over: "Father, Mother is only thinking about my safety."

"After all, the path of martial arts training is indeed dangerous; a slight mistake could lead to death on the spot."

"Mother, don't worry, I'm very capable. I will achieve fame in the martial arts examination, find my elder brother, and reunite our family."

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

As the Lunar New Year approaches, every household in Yunxi County is starting to prepare for the holiday.

Every household hung red lanterns, creating a festive atmosphere.

Chu Hong, on the other hand, used the Qi and Blood Pills and the expensive meat and medicinal food he bought to practice martial arts in his courtyard every day.

My proficiency improved rapidly.

Whenever he thought of this, Chu Hong couldn't help but sigh that the government had truly treated him well.

The original plan for dealing with the "rebellion" of the Zhao family and other forces included a clause to confiscate some assets and transfer them to the county government.

The county government did not keep all the profits to itself; instead, it packaged all the assets and sublet them to the Song family and other non-rebellious forces, sharing the profits according to the terms of each period.

As the biggest contributor, Chu Hong inevitably received a share of the benefits.

Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to afford so many resources now.

In the courtyard, Chu Hong gently patted the large blue stone, like a lover's caress.

But then, the large blue stone suddenly exploded with a "boom," scattering fragments everywhere.

This palm strike appears to use the softness of hidden force, but beneath that softness lies a hint of the fierceness of overt force.

That's why, even though he didn't make many moves, the large blue stone suddenly shattered.

Chu Hong inquired with Song Qingshan and Shi Potian.

The two told Chu Hong that Hua Jin is actually the combination of the fierceness of Ming Jin and the flexibility of An Jin.

They blend together perfectly, forming a unified whole.

Chu Hong's current approach, while not quite a perfect match, is at least beginning to take shape.

Once you have enough Qi and blood, it will be easier to break through the barriers and transform your strength.

Of course, that applies to the average person.

Chu Hong has a control panel; he only needs to max out his proficiency to directly unlock the gate, so he doesn't need to worry about much else.

"Phew~"

Chu Hong finished his practice and exhaled a puff of white mist.

He opened the panel, his face beaming with joy.

Heaven rewards diligence.

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

【Hun Yuan Zhuang (Da Cheng) 1785/4000】

【Nine-Forged Fist (Mastery) 1572/4000】

【Swift Step (Minor Mastery) 1305/2000】

【Cold-light legs (Minor achievement) 135/2000】

【Void Palm (Beginner) 536/1000】

"Although I haven't made any real breakthroughs this month, my application of strength has become even stronger."

"We can also put up a fight against Zhou Mingrui."

There were still two days left until the January appointment.

Chu Hong had never seen Zhou Mingrui's true strength, but after learning about the previous martial arts competition, he knew that Zhou Mingrui was definitely a formidable opponent.

However, he was not afraid. Chu Hong estimated that he should be able to easily defeat two Zhang Yangs in his current state.

If he were to confront Zhou Mingrui, he should be able to hold his own, and might even be able to win.

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

As evening approached, Chu Hong packed his things to go home.

But as soon as they stepped out of the gate, they saw a figure hiding outside.

A foul stench hit me.

Chu Hong looked around, then quickly went up and pulled the man inside, whispering, "Master Huang, what brings you here?"

During this month, Zhang Yang noticed that Huang Ning's condition was gradually improving, which greatly increased his suspicion of Huang Cheng.

They even asked him if he had secretly joined the Dawei Escort Agency.

For this reason, Zhang Yang repeatedly used Huang Ning to threaten Huang Cheng, demanding that he sign a "contract of servitude".

Huang Cheng went to Zhang Dawei to explain the situation, but Zhang Dawei refused to see him and allowed Zhang Yang to bully him at will.

Huang Cheng could no longer tolerate it and had no more attachment to the Tianshui Escort Agency.

He decided to contact Chu Hong in advance and send his wife and daughters to the Song family for foster care.

Meanwhile, he continued to gather irrefutable evidence at the security escort agency.

Even a clay figure has some earthy qualities, let alone a dignified martial artist with internal strength.

His weaknesses were gone, and he was no longer afraid of any threat from Zhang Yang.

On the surface, they diligently carried out their escort missions, while secretly collecting and organizing evidence and observations from over the years.

In his view, the Tianshui Escort Agency, which colluded with the Wuyou Sect, was rotten to the core and there was no need to save it.

I wish I could burn it all down.

Huang Cheng pulled out two thick account books from his pocket and whispered:

"Brother Chu, this is the evidence I've collected these past few days."