He achieved the pinnacle of martial arts starting with breaking through the limits of Tiger Fist.

For the next two weeks, apart from some minor frictions, the fish market area was generally calm.

Perhaps it's because the year is drawing to a close, or perhaps it's the calm before the storm.

These gang members also have families and need to celebrate the New Year, right? In the dead of winter, who wants to go out and fight?

However, this was a good thing for Chen Sanlang. Over the course of the month, everyone at the stronghold had made considerable progress in their archery skills, enough to handle ordinary gang battles.

Jiang Lin himself was not idle either; he had already cultivated the "Surprising String Score" and the "Water Dividing Technique" to perfection.

Jiang Lin

[Breakthrough Point] 1 (Progress 88%)

[Martial Arts] Water Dividing Technique (Perfected, but the technique is incomplete and cannot be broken through its limits)

[Martial Arts] The Amazing String Manual (Complete)

[Effect] To shoot an arrow through a willow leaf from a hundred paces.

[Effect]: Startling the String. Gathering Power (When the bow is fully drawn, the strength of the whole body is like hundreds of rivers flowing into the sea. By gathering power for three breaths, an arrow can be released. The arrow is as powerful as a collapsing object and can pierce through metal and stone.)

[Martial arts skill has been checked and found to be at its peak. Would you like to consume one Breakthrough Point to break through the limit?]

Jiang Lin studied the panel. The "Water Dividing Technique" was an incomplete skill and would not be mentioned for the time being. The effect of the "Surprising String Score" was quite interesting, as it actually required an active trigger.

Now that he has the potential to break through the limits, he decided to do so without hesitation.

With a thought, the limit point was reset to zero, and the panel was suddenly refreshed.

[Effect]: Startling String. Breaking (The bow is fully drawn, blood congeals, the arrow is released like thunder, blood pierces the sun, and men and horses all fall.)

The message on the panel was vague, but Jiang Lin understood it perfectly.

This arrow condenses the power of blood and qi into its shaft, unleashing tremendous power far exceeding ordinary limits upon firing. However, its drawback is also quite obvious: the arrow is extremely fragile and cannot be used again for a short period.

When Jiang Lin practiced his martial arts, the blood and qi he condensed were all used to strengthen his physical body and consolidate his foundation. Even if he could draw upon them, they could only circulate within his body.

If one were to condense one's qi and blood into an external object, he simply could not do it; that would fall into the realm of a higher level of martial arts.

Jiang Lin was very curious about the power of the arrow, but he was in no hurry to verify it. It wouldn't be good to have blood and arrows during the New Year.

"Let's go, Sixth Brother, let's go out and buy some New Year's goods, let's have some fun together."

Jiang Lin shouted, and Lin Zheng, who was diligently practicing his stances in the courtyard, slowly stopped.

Sometimes he really admired the sixth brother's courage. After causing trouble, instead of hiding properly at the martial arts school, he actually dared to come to the fish market to spend the New Year with him.

It was the same before; they dared to ambush someone without even knocking on the gate, and after being chased down, they still dared to go again.

What kind of spirit is this?

After taking Lin Zheng out the door, Jiang Lin borrowed a handcart from a fishmonger he knew.

"Put the cart ready, let's go to town and buy more things to make this New Year more festive."

Jiang Lin walked in front, with Lin Zheng following behind pulling the cart.

Lin Zheng looked unwilling. "Why am I the one pulling the cart while you're empty-handed?"

Jiang Lin's eyes widened, and he pointed to his clothes, "See this outfit? It's from Jinxuan Underwear in the city, and it cost thirty taels of silver!"

"That bastard."

Lin Zheng felt a surge of frustration, then looked down at the hempen clothes he was wearing and immediately deflated.

"Tell me, why don't you think to buy yourself some new clothes during the New Year? I'm not short of money!"

Lin Zheng muttered to himself as he pulled the cart along, feeling frustrated, to catch up with Jiang Lin.

There were still three days until Lunar New Year's Eve, and the town's market was at its busiest.

Jiang Lin was dressed in a blue, close-fitting outfit with narrow sleeves, looking clean and neat. The flowing water pattern on the clothes made him look even more noble.

Now, several months later, he has grown taller and his muscles have become more defined. Coupled with his handsome face, he has attracted the attention of the young women and wives in the town, who often steal glances at him and occasionally let out soft giggles.

Seeing this, Lin Zheng felt even more suffocated.

Actually, Lao Liu was quite good-looking, but his clothes were rather shabby, and he was pulling a cart, so he looked like a servant following behind Jiang Lin.

"Uncle Jiang, are you at the market?"

People who recognized him greeted him.

Jiang Lin simply nodded in response, which made the person who had greeted him beam with pride, as if he had gained a great deal of respect.

For nearly twenty days after the banquet at Long Mansion, Jiang Lin focused his energy on practicing his martial arts, and fishing for money was just a side job.

Even so, his net worth was still considerable, amounting to over six hundred taels.

With money, you can't be stingy when buying things.

The pig is half a carcass, the sheep is a whole one, and the rest we buy whatever tastes good or whatever is expensive. We don't have to worry about not being able to finish it all; after the New Year, we can leave it for the other people at the base to eat.

There was no need to buy fish; he had already prepared them, and they were even premium fish.

He grew up here and knew many people here. This trip around the market gave him a feeling of returning home in glory.

That's just how people are. Once you stand out, you're surrounded by good people and you hear nothing but praise. Jiang Lin, having lived two lives, wouldn't be so easily swayed by this.

His goal was crystal clear: to reach the pinnacle of this world, the ultimate in martial arts.

After finishing his shopping at the market, he headed back, but the robbery he had anticipated did not occur, which left him slightly disappointed.

Upon arriving at the base, Jiang Lin naturally took charge of cooking, with Lin Zheng assisting him.

To be honest, he has had very few opportunities to showcase his culinary skills since he came into this world.

Before, I was poor and could only afford to cook fish occasionally. After I joined the martial arts school, I had neither the time nor the space.

With spices readily available and supplies plentiful, now is the perfect time for him to showcase his skills.

When the food was served, Lin Zheng was dumbfounded.

The braised pork belly was fatty but not greasy, the stewed mutton was delicious, the mushroom stewed chicken was fragrant, and even the braised offal had a unique flavor.

You should know that he and Jiang Lin were so poor in the early days that they ate this stuff until they felt like throwing up.

Although the wine is village rice wine, it is sweet and refreshing, perfect for drinking heartily.

There was no one else around at this time; even Chen Sanlang had returned home, leaving only the two of them.

However, both of them were carefree people and did not show any sadness or discomfort.

The two men sat around the fire, eating meat and drinking wine heartily, displaying the heroic spirit of martial arts practitioners.

"This first cup is a toast to our brotherhood, may it last forever, and may our friendship endure through thick and thin." Jiang Lin raised his cup.

"Dry"

"The second cup is to you and my brother, who started out alone and destitute, but have now established yourselves in this world and have a bright future ahead of you."

Jiang Lin's words were true. Both of them now possessed superior physical attributes and high comprehension, making them among the most gifted in Jiangning County.

"Dry."

Lin Zheng seemed to choke on the second cup of wine, tears welling up in his eyes. "Now that my great revenge has been achieved, my mind is at peace. I must thank Brother Jiang for this..."

Then he interrupted, raised his glass again, and said, "This third glass is a toast to you and me, brothers, to join hands and climb to the peak of martial arts together."

Jiang Lin was also filled with enthusiasm, "Alright, let's do it!"

"Although we brothers were born from humble beginnings, we must never feel sorry for ourselves. Although heroes are as numerous as carp crossing the river, we should also be courageous and diligent, and make sure to leave a strong mark on this world."

"Drink lavishly."

"Okay, let's have another drink."

Jiang Lin suddenly recalled a line of poetry from his past life and loudly proclaimed to Lin Zheng:

"Chase the wind and chase the moon without stopping, for beyond the flat plains lie spring mountains."