I relied on leveling up to achieve a comeback.

Xu Hao returned to the martial arts school and went directly to the outer courtyard training ground.

He only has one month to cultivate, so he needs to speed up his progress and hopefully break through to the next level within a month.

In this way, he could take up a position in some forces and receive some funding, so he wouldn't have to worry about money and could focus on leveling up.

Xu Hao swung his fists, breathing heavily, his movements clumsy.

He needs to slow down his movements to be able to execute a full combo.

But as time went on, Xu Hao became more and more skilled.

Moreover, the visible progress fueled Xu Hao's enthusiasm.

"That kid's already working so hard since he just arrived, who's he trying to impress!"

"Do you really think that hard work alone will lead to success? You can't even afford a two-tael-of-silver-per-use skin-refining ointment. Without cultivation resources, you'll inevitably develop hidden injuries sooner or later!"

"Let him be. After all, for him, ten taels of silver a month is a lot of money, so he has to make the most of it!"

"Let's see how long he can hold out."

Xu Hao's dedication to training has attracted considerable scrutiny.

Some people took it in stride, some scoffed at it, and others thought he was just trying to impress the owner.

Of course, it also fosters a competitive spirit, making people want to be ahead of Xu Hao and not fall behind.

The intermittent chatter around him did not dampen Xu Hao's enthusiasm for practice.

Xu Hao's short-term goal is to practice martial arts, become a strong person, and then level up.

With Xu Hao's diligent practice, the morning passed quickly.

At noon, it was lunchtime at the Chen Family Martial Arts School.

The other martial arts students at the training ground stopped practicing and headed in small groups towards the outer courtyard canteen.

Xu Hao was no exception.

He went to the food station and picked up his lunch for the day.

The rice had meat and was of good quality.

Of course, there are also many members of powerful families and gangs who bring their own meals and maintain a clear separation from others, forming their own circles.

Given Xu Hao's status as a fisherman, even ordinary disciples didn't come to contact him.

Because everyone felt that Xu Hao, being a fisherman, wasn't worth befriending.

They might not even be able to stick it out for a month, and even if they do, they might not be able to pay their tuition for the next month.

Xu Hao showed no emotional fluctuation under these scrutinizing gazes.

After he finished eating, he returned to the training ground and began practicing martial arts.

Train until you drop dead, train until you drop dead.

Tiger Fist Proficiency +1.

[Body Tempering +1]

Xu Hao looked at the displayed prompt and felt frustrated.

As expected, his physical aptitude was still lacking; he only improved slightly after several rounds of cultivation.

At this rate, breaking through to the next level in a month might be quite difficult.

"Right now I only have Strength, Stamina, Agility, and Intelligence. It would be great if I could add some more aptitude later!"

Xu Hao sighed and continued his cultivation.

Although it's slow, you can see progress, and as long as you reach the required progress, you'll be able to break through to the next level, at least you'll avoid some detours compared to others.

Xu Hao gritted his teeth and persevered.

At first, some people questioned whether Xu Hao could last long.

But after a few days, such doubts diminished considerably.

Many people are amazed by Xu Hao's endurance and resilience.

From morning till night, except for meals and rest, he cultivated every day without fail. Although he sometimes felt tired, he only needed to rest for a while, and his physical strength would slowly recover as if he were playing a game.

This made Xu Hao like an ox that could never be exhausted from plowing.

And his progress is visibly improving.

Another day has arrived. After getting up from the dormitory, Xu Hao straightened his clothes.

This time, he did not immediately begin his cultivation, but instead asked Chen Changhe for leave.

Today is the day the Catfish Gang collects offerings from the Dragon King.

He was afraid that his mother, Xu Liushi, would suffer and that he couldn't handle it alone.

Wearing his martial arts school uniform, Xu Hao left the Chen family martial arts school and immediately headed towards Qinghe's house in the eastern suburbs.

The eastern suburbs are a slum-like area, mostly inhabited by people from the lower classes.

But even in these places where there is very little profit, there are still gangs that leech off others.

When Xu Liu saw Xu Hao walk in, she asked with concern, "How's the martial arts school going? You've lost weight!"

"Not bad, you're not skinny, you've got muscle!" Xu Hao pointed to the layer of skin on his body. "I've come to pay my respects to the Dragon King today, so I've come to take a look!"

It was bought for ten taels of silver, so naturally it should be of some use.

Although it may not be very useful, it can at least deter the Catfish Gang.

The Catfish Gang is a group of people who come together to share water.

Such forces are the most likely to bully the weak and fear the strong.

Xu Hao didn't want to be exempted, but at least he couldn't let the Catfish Gang raise prices arbitrarily.

Xu Liushi knew that Xu Hao was doing this for her own good, and nodded with relief.

The two then sat down in the courtyard and chatted about everyday matters.

In the afternoon,

"Bang!"

The gate to the dilapidated courtyard was kicked open, and the loud noise sent a chill down Xu Liu's spine.

Xu Hao frowned and looked in the direction of the sound.

Several burly men with catfish embroidered on their chests strode in with an air of arrogance.

The leader was a fat man, extremely prosperous-looking, whose fat jiggled as he walked.

In a world where even the poorest people can't afford to eat, he is considered an outlier.

[Huang Shan, Strength: 5, Stamina: 4, Agility: 3, Spirit: 6]

Technique: Catfish Twist, Special Feature: Strength +1, Speed ​​+1 during execution.

Xu Hao was slightly taken aback when he saw the red name attribute displayed in front of him.

It's a red name, and the attributes are so bad.

With this attribute, even without practicing martial arts, let alone having mastered the basics of Tiger Fist, he would still be capable of killing his opponent.

"They're living a good life, huh? They don't even do any work. They must have money to pay for the Dragon King's incense offerings!" Fatty Huang Shan glanced at Xu Hao and Xu Liushi in the courtyard and snorted sarcastically.

Xu Hao immediately stood up and said with a forced smile, "Mr. Huang, I'm so sorry for not greeting you properly since you've come all this way. Please have a seat!"

"What kind of garbage place do you think you can let me sit in?" Fatty Huang Shan glanced at Xu Hao's clothes, showing no respect whatsoever, and scolded, "Enough nonsense! The Dragon King Temple in the eastern suburbs is being repaired. This is a task assigned by the higher-ups. Every household in the eastern suburbs must pay for Dragon King incense!"

"How much do you want?" Xu Hao said with a gentle smile.

The fat man in yellow robes flashed his immediately yellowed teeth. "Your family of three is worth three taels of silver!"

"How can this be so expensive? Besides, my father has already been conscripted for labor, and there are only two people in our family!"

"What, you won't give face to my Catfish Gang, and you won't give face to the Dragon King either, huh??" Fatty Huang Shan's voice carried a threatening tone at the end.

Two burly men stepped forward and stood on either side of Xu Hao.

He's quick to resort to violence and teach a lesson at the slightest disagreement.

"Xiao Hao!" Xu Liushi, standing to the side, looked tense and worried.

"How could I not give it to you?" Xu Hao took a deep breath and smiled. "But, Master Huang, three taels of silver is no small sum, and we can't raise it all at once. Could you grant us a few more days?"

"I'm not one to be heartless. I can give you a few days, but three days it is!" Fatty Huang Shan's thick hand slapped onto Xu Hao's shoulder as he calmly spoke, "I want to see cash in three days, or you know what will happen!"

"Yes! Thank you for your kindness, Master Huang!" Xu Hao replied earnestly.

"Haha, you know what's good for you. Let's go!"

The fat man, Huang Shan, laughed loudly, turned his obese body, and left. "Remember, only three days!"

After the Catfish Gang members left, Xu Liushi, trembling with worry, said, "Xiao Hao, three taels of silver, such a large sum of money, what are we going to do?"

The Catfish Gang is a group of ruthless bandits who will not hesitate to kill if you don't cooperate. They will not only rob you of your belongings, but also beat you to death.

"Don't worry, I have a way!" Xu Hao narrowed his eyes, revealing a murderous intent.