Chapter 3: Opportunities in the Novice Village

The Heaven Wolf Gang’s Skill Transmission Hall was located in the backyard of the branch office, with a martial arts field spanning a thousand feet for the Gang members to Cultivate.

All members who first joined the Heaven Wolf Gang had to Cultivate there for six months to a year, after which they would be assigned to various halls based on their performance and strength.

Chen Yuan was noticed by Jiang Kaitai and taken in as an adopted son while he was cultivating in the Skill Transmission Hall.

There were actually only a dozen or so people in the Skill Transmission Hall; aside from Chen Yuan’s trusted followers, the rest were some retired veteran members of the Heaven Wolf Gang serving as instructors.

Seeing Chen Yuan return, these old instructors all bowed and greeted him respectfully, calling him Hall Master.

In the path of martial arts, those who have achieved more come first. Despite Chen Yuan’s young age, his understanding of the Heaven Wolf Gang’s martial arts was much deeper than theirs.

Moreover, Chen Yuan was very generous and never stingy with his insights and experience, which earned him the respect of these old instructors.

Normally, Chen Yuan didn’t need to teach the newcomers personally; he could leave it to these old instructors. As the Hall Master, he was usually quite idle.

Returning to his room, Chen Yuan took out a notebook filled with various obscure words and symbols.

These were all recorded during the first few days after his Transmigration, documenting the various opportunities in Lianshan City and other places from his memory.

He couldn’t guarantee that he wouldn’t forget them as time passed, so he immediately made a record in a way only he could understand.

After staring at the notebook and contemplating for a while, Chen Yuan put it away, his mind racing.

What he had to do now was not only to gain Jiang Kaitai’s trust but, more importantly, to increase his strength.

Without strength, no matter how much one schemed, it was all vanity.

In this Jianghu, the strong are always respected; power is the foundation of everything.

There are nine Realms of martial arts, and currently, Chen Yuan was only at the first Realm, the Quti Realm.

This Realm simply involved tempering the Physical Body and refining physical strength.

It could be said that ninety percent of the Martial Artists in the Jianghu who haven’t cultivated Internal Skills are in the Quti Realm.

The Pulse Opening Realm above it requires an Internal Skill Mind-Cultivation Technique to gather Internal Energy and open the eight extraordinary Meridians, using the power of the Meridians to take one’s strength a step further.

Chen Yuan had an Internal Skill, the “Azure Wood Heart Method” taught by Jiang Kaitai.

Qin Yuancheng, Chu Ziping, and many other hall masters of the Heaven Wolf Gang all cultivated this Internal Skill.

But this Internal Skill had almost no advantages; the cultivation progress was extremely slow, and the growth of Internal Energy was like a tortoise, relying entirely on grinding out time to gain even a sliver.

If one had to name an advantage, it was only that it was balanced and peaceful, with no risk of Qi Deviation.

“Jianghu II” divides Cultivation Techniques into four levels: Heaven, Earth, Mysterious, and Yellow, with each level further divided into High Grade, Medium Grade, and Low Grade.

This “Azure Wood Heart Method” was a Low Grade Yellow-level technique, standard trash among trash.

As for Martial Skills, the only one Chen Yuan knew was the Heavenly Wolf Swordplay, a Medium Grade Yellow-level swordplay that everyone in the Heaven Wolf Gang knew.

However, Chen Yuan had great talent and had cultivated it to an extremely profound level, enough to instantly kill most Martial Artists in the same Quti Realm.

There were higher-level techniques within the Heaven Wolf Gang; what Jiang Kaitai cultivated was not the “Azure Wood Heart Method,” but a High Grade Yellow-level Internal Skill called “Black Fiend Skill.”

Additionally, Jiang Kaitai’s famous ultimate skill, “North Star Heavenly Wolf Slash,” was an advanced version of the Heavenly Wolf Swordplay and was ranked as a Low Grade Mysterious-level skill.

However, Jiang Kaitai was cautious and suspicious by nature; he hadn’t taught the “Black Fiend Skill” or the “North Star Heavenly Wolf Slash” to anyone, keeping them strictly for himself.

If Chen Yuan wanted to obtain higher-level Cultivation Techniques and Martial Skills, he could only find a way within Lianshan City.

As one of the novice villages in “Jianghu II,” Lianshan City’s martial power level wasn’t very high.

The strongest people in the city were Jiang Kaitai and the Blackwater Gang’s leader, Yuan Dongtian, who had reached the fourth Realm of martial arts, the Foundation Establishment Realm, and could release True Qi externally.

Although Lianshan City’s level wasn’t high, it didn’t mean there were no good things inside.

It’s just that these good things were hidden very deeply, acting as easter eggs waiting for players to discover.

And now, these good things all belonged to Chen Yuan.

Locking the notebook in a cabinet, Chen Yuan began to sit in meditation and Cultivate.

Although the cultivation progress of the Azure Wood Heart Method was pitiful, Chen Yuan didn’t want to waste time in the absence of a replacement; even a sliver of progress was better than nothing.

After all, time waits for no one; there were less than three months left before Jiang Kaitai’s Blood Sacrifice of the Divine Artifact.

Early the next morning, after having breakfast, Chen Yuan called his trusted follower Zhang Xiaoyi to drive the carriage out.

Zhang Xiaoyi was only eighteen this year, simple-minded and still looking a bit immature.

His parents had passed away early, and he had no choice but to join the Gang to make a living.

Because he was young, he was bullied by other Gang members while cultivating in the Skill Transmission Hall and was once nearly beaten to death. Chen Yuan saved him and made him his follower.

Since then, Zhang Xiaoyi had been loyal to Chen Yuan. Although his strength was mediocre, he was reliable in his work.

So after transmigrating, Chen Yuan had always kept him around.

“Young Master, where are we going?”

“Wuyi Lane.”

Zhang Xiaoyi drove the carriage all the way to Wuyi Lane. Just as they reached the corner of the lane’s entrance, Chen Yuan suddenly said, “Stop here and wait for me.”

Chen Yuan stepped out of the carriage and walked up to the beggar he had given money to yesterday, giving him another small piece of broken silver.

But this time Chen Yuan didn’t leave; he stood before the beggar as if waiting for a response.

The disheveled beggar paralyzed there before him was an Opportunity in Lianshan City.

This beggar was once the heir of Lianshan City’s number one martial arts academy, the Town Mountain Martial Arts Academy, Duan Mubai.

He was handsome and elegant, a well-known figure in Lianshan City several years ago.

Back when Duan Mubai’s father, Duan Zhenshan, was around, he was a playboy who didn’t care much for martial arts cultivation or the academy’s affairs.

Once, Duan Zhenshan went out to repay a favor; he was fine when he left, but he returned as a corpse.

With the academy head’s unexpected death, Duan Mubai had to take over the Town Mountain Martial Arts Academy, hastily becoming the head.

However, Duan Zhenshan’s eldest Disciple, Lin Jingqi, openly challenged Duan Mubai, saying he wasn’t qualified to be the head since he couldn’t even use the academy’s secret Great Silken Thread Hand properly.

Lin Jingqi organized some Disciples to cause trouble, forcing Duan Mubai to accept a challenge and even sign a life-and-death waiver; if Duan Mubai lost, the Town Mountain Martial Arts Academy would be handed over to Lin Jingqi.

Although Duan Mubai was previously a playboy, his martial talent was quite good.

Even if he didn’t put much heart into cultivation, he still had the strength of the Late Stage Quti Realm.

And because he had his father’s secret transmission, his strength was slightly superior to Lin Jingqi’s.

But Lin Jingqi had long been having an affair with Duan Mubai’s Junior Sister, who was also his childhood sweetheart and fiancée, and instructed her to give Duan Mubai a small dose of Bone-Softening Powder the day before the match.

Subsequently, in the match, Lin Jingqi not only defeated Duan Mubai but also ruthlessly used the Duan family’s ancestral Great Silken Thread Hand to crush the bones in his hands and feet, turning him into a cripple.

But to show magnanimity, Lin Jingqi didn’t kill Duan Mubai; he only kicked him out of the Town Mountain Martial Arts Academy, leaving him a crippled beggar.

In the original plot, a player saw that Duan Mubai was pitiful, even unable to compete with other beggars for food, so they gave him one copper coin every day.

Some players are just like that, doing inexplicable things in the game that have nothing to do with the main storyline.

By the tenth day, Duan Mubai, who had not responded, would teach the player the Town Mountain Martial Arts Academy’s true ultimate skill: “Silken Thread Shattering Jade Hand” to show his gratitude.

The Town Mountain Martial Arts Academy’s Great Silken Thread Hand was just an ordinary grappling technique, only at the Low Grade Yellow-level.

But the Silken Thread Shattering Jade Hand was a High Grade Mysterious-level Martial Skill; it combined hardness and softness, cultivating both Silken Thread Energy and Shattering Jade Energy, with immense power from their integration.

Subsequently, Duan Mubai requested the player to help him kill Lin Jingqi for revenge after mastering it; once the player killed Lin Jingqi, they would obtain an achievement.

In a small city like Lianshan City, the High Grade Mysterious-level Silken Thread Shattering Jade Hand was definitely a rare and excellent Martial Skill, enough to provide a significant advantage during the novice period.

Chen Yuan stood before Duan Mubai for a long while, but found that he was still paralyzed there without any movement.

What does this mean?

Back then, that person gave you one copper coin a day, and you actively handed over the Silken Thread Shattering Jade Hand to them.

I give you a piece of silver every day, and now you’re playing dead with me?

Chen Yuan waited for a moment, and seeing that the other party still hadn’t moved, he could only cough and say in a deep voice, “Duan Mubai, are you content to be a beggar for the rest of your life, sitting by as your father’s lifeblood and foundation are seized and occupied by others?”

Duan Mubai finally made a move this time.

He laboriously raised his head to look at Chen Yuan and said in a raspy voice, “And if not? I’m a cripple; what do I have to seek revenge? What do I have to take back the Town Mountain Martial Arts Academy?”

“Of course, by using your Duan family’s heritage!”

Chen Yuan squatted in front of Duan Mubai and whispered, “Teach me your Duan family’s Silken Thread Shattering Jade Hand, and I’ll kill Lin Jingqi for you and take back the Town Mountain Martial Arts Academy!”

A flash of sharp light erupted in Duan Mubai’s eyes as he stared intently at Chen Yuan, seemingly wondering how Chen Yuan even knew about the Silken Thread Shattering Jade Hand.

His father, Duan Zhenshan, had never taught this ultimate skill to other Disciples, nor had he ever used it in public.

Although Duan Mubai had learned it, he had never displayed it because his skills were insufficient to perform it completely.

Taking a deep breath, Duan Mubai asked, “Are you one of the Three Heroes of the Heaven Wolf Gang, the Skill Transmission Hall Master Chen Yuan?”

Chen Yuan nodded.

It wasn’t strange that Duan Mubai knew him.

Previously, Chen Yuan was low-key, but recently, to gain favor in front of Jiang Kaitai, he had taken action several times.

Especially after publicly killing Hu Lao San in the Wangyou Tower, Chen Yuan’s name had spread throughout Lianshan City.

Although Duan Mubai was now a beggar, the beggars would also discuss Jianghu gossip.

“Fine! As long as you can bring Lin Jingqi’s head, I will give you the Silken Thread Shattering Jade Hand!”

Duan Mubai’s eyes were bloodshot; mentioning Lin Jingqi’s name made him look as if he were about to grind his teeth to pieces.

“You won’t give me the Silken Thread Shattering Jade Hand first? You want me to bring the head before you give the technique?”

Chen Yuan was suddenly a bit depressed.

That player before gave you one copper coin a day, and you actively handed over the technique to them, begging them to help you seek revenge.

I give you a piece of silver every day and offer to help you seek revenge, yet you don’t trust me and want to see the head before giving the technique. This double standard is too much.

Duan Mubai said directly, “You are a Gang member, I don’t trust you. If you take the technique and don’t help me seek revenge, I won’t be able to do anything to you.

Of course, you can also seize me now and use torture to interrogate me for the technique, but I believe that in the end, I will certainly take my Duan family’s ancestral secret technique to the underworld with me.”

Chen Yuan was momentarily speechless and finally said, “Deal. One head for one technique.”

Torturing Duan Mubai was unrealistic.

His body was severely depleted now; it was possible he would die from any random touch.

This matter with Duan Mubai also gave Chen Yuan a lesson.

This isn’t a real game, after all; not all characters will run according to a fixed program.

In the original plot, the one who gave money to Duan Mubai was just an ordinary player, appearing as a poor, low-level Jianghu person.

Alms and assistance from someone also at the bottom would clearly be more moving.

It’s like when the richest man in the world donates hundreds of millions, you think it’s normal, but when a scavenger donates a few hundred, it’s deeply moving.

And Chen Yuan’s identity as a Gang member was indeed hard to feel at ease about.

The two Gangs controlling Lianshan City were both no good; they had terrible reputations, and it was common for them to exploit merchants and commoners or bully the markets.

Another reason was that the timing was different.

The timing in the original plot was later than now; by then, Duan Mubai was likely on the verge of death.

So he chose to gamble before dying, selecting someone he felt he could trust and entrust with the technique to help him seek revenge.

Now Duan Mubai still had some time, so it was normal for him to be cautious and vigilant against Chen Yuan, who had approached him on his own initiative.

Chen Yuan stood up and instructed Zhang Xiaoyi, “Find a few Gang members to keep an eye on him, buy him some food, and don’t let anything happen to him.

Then go to the Skill Transmission Hall and find a dozen or so Gang members whose cultivation progress is at the forefront, and accompany me to the Town Mountain Martial Arts Academy.”