parentshiftbook Chapter 17 Strange Things
Chapter 17 Strange Things
It was past midnight when I came out of Feng Zhanyuan's house.
There was less than an hour until dawn.
Unless I stop practicing this morning, going back now would be worse than not being able to sleep; in fact, it would be even more uncomfortable if I did manage to fall asleep.
Therefore, Lu Chengsuo simply did not go back and went directly to the square to practice the Xuan Ying stance.
Although Feng Zhan's attitude did not completely put Lu Cheng at ease, he was no longer so worried.
Although Changfeng Escort Agency's strength is not top-notch in Yangcheng County, it is worlds apart from the Fish Gang.
No martial arts school or sect was willing to break ties with the Fish Gang and Changfeng Escort Agency over something as trivial as that.
Even the Vermilion Bird Martial Arts School, which also has practitioners who cultivate their bodies.
But Feng Zhan's words were also very clear.
Changfeng Escort Agency is willing to protect Lu Cheng, but that doesn't mean they will take the initiative to help Lu Cheng deal with the Fish Gang.
In the end, Lu Cheng still had to find the Fish Gang to settle the matter himself.
So ultimately, we still need to improve our strength as soon as possible.
If tonight, Lu Cheng had not only eliminated the young leader of the Fish Gang and a few of the thugs from Hanliu Town, but had instead wiped out all the thugs of the Fish Gang, then nothing would have happened.
With that in mind, Lu Cheng didn't delay any longer. He summoned the black figure in his mind and began practicing stance training, referring to it.
……
Before long, Zhuang Xing and the other two arrived at the square.
Upon seeing Lu Cheng, the three of them were greatly surprised.
Zhuang Xing, in particular, noticed that Lu Cheng was soaked from head to toe, clearly indicating that he had been training for an unknown amount of time, as he was drenched in sweat.
It felt like seven or eight mice had crawled into my heart, scratching and irritating me, making me feel uncomfortable inside and out.
Ever since he lost face in front of Lu Cheng that day, he has moved his morning practice time forward by 25 minutes.
He vowed to develop his internal strength before Lu Cheng and become the first among the new disciples.
In order to get some guidance from his senior brothers who had already achieved some success in cultivating their internal energy, he went to great lengths to curry favor with them.
In just three or four days, they spent six or seven taels of silver.
Now that he discovered that Lu Cheng had arrived even earlier than him, he was immediately filled with endless worry.
She kept turning her head to look at Lu Cheng, her thoughts written all over her face, and even the other two noticed that something was wrong today.
But Lu Cheng paid no attention to this guy, still engrossed in practicing his stance training.
Feng Zhan's test increased his proficiency in the [Twelve Forms of the Mysterious Eagle Stance] by seven points.
Although it's not nearly as much as the 25 points of proficiency gained from fighting Shi Da, it's still equivalent to half a day's worth of effort.
It's best to attend this kind of exam once a day.
Of course, this was actually Lu Cheng's wishful thinking.
The reason he was able to improve so much in these two instances was because Lu Cheng had integrated the experience he had accumulated during his four days of training through combat.
Training is training, and fighting is fighting.
While proficiency in "fighting" increases rapidly, it is based on "practice".
Before long, the rooster crowed three times, and people began to arrive at the square.
"Lu Cheng? When did you get back?"
The chubby boy was still the last to arrive. After greeting Lu Cheng, he slowly started to strike a pose and get into the swing of things.
This guy doesn't actually get up late every day, but he needs to eat for about 15 minutes after getting up.
With that time, even if others get up late, they would all start practicing their skills.
Upon hearing this, Zhuang Xing, who was not far away, had a sudden thought:
return?
Didn't Lu Cheng get up early in the morning?
He didn't practice beforehand!
He took a few steps toward Lu Cheng and listened intently, his ears perked up.
Lu Cheng practiced his stance training while responding verbally:
"After visiting my teacher, I ran into a few classmates. We chatted for so long that we lost track of time, so I just came here to practice standing meditation."
So that's how it is. Zhuang Xing finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Unexpectedly, after his mind relaxed, everything went black before his eyes, and his body began to tremble.
The chubby boy shook his head and said to Lu Cheng:
"You're really working hard, but I have to remind you that you can't just push yourself to the limit when practicing martial arts, or you'll ruin your health before you even master the skills."
Just then, Zhuang Xing finally couldn't hold on any longer and collapsed to the ground with a "thud".
The chubby boy was startled, then pointed at Zhuang Xing and said to Lu Cheng:
"See, see, what did I tell you?"
"This guy stands here practicing meditation every day without sleeping. It's only been a few days, and his health has already collapsed. Lu Cheng, you can't follow his example."
As she spoke, she seemed to remember something else and offered some advice to the two who worked alongside Zhuang Xing from dawn till dusk every day:
"I remember you two were working just as hard, right? Listen to my advice, you should prioritize your health."
The two men were unwilling to listen to the chubby boy's nonsense, but Zhuang Xing had genuinely fainted right in front of them, so they couldn't help but worry and even stopped walking.
What they didn't know was that Zhuang Xing's fainting was indeed due to his early morning and late night practice.
But more than anything, it was the conversation between the chubby boy and Lu Cheng that caused his tense and uneasy mood to suddenly relax, and he couldn't handle the sudden change in pace.
But everyone was in a daze, and no one bothered to figure out what the reason was.
Just then.
A loud shout came from the gate:
"Master Zhang of the Vermilion Bird Martial Arts School pays a visit to the three镖头 (bodyguards/escorts)."
Wow, you came so fast!
Lu Chengyan paused in his stance training, stopped, and turned to look at the gate.
But the chanting of names did not stop.
After announcing the Vermilion Bird Martial Arts School, he went on to rattle off a long list of names:
"Master Zhou of the White Tiger Martial Arts School pays a visit to the three镖头 (bodyguards/escorts)."
"Master Li of the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School and Master Xun of the Black Tortoise Martial Arts School pay a visit to the three镖头 (bodyguards/escorts)."
"Master Xu and Master Huang paid a visit to the three镖头 (bodyguards/escorts)."
"Master Wu of the Sanyang Sect, Head Zhang of the Yuntao Sect, Leader Xing of the Changle Gang, Elder Wei of the Bengshan Fist, Leader Zhao of the Feipeng Society..."
After the Xu and Huang families announced their names, a series of eleven sects and martial arts schools followed.
The commotion caused all the disciples in the square to stop what they were doing and look towards the gate.
"Everyone, line up on both sides and clear the square."
Feng Zhan's voice came through.
Lu Cheng turned his head and saw that Feng Qi and the other two had appeared in front of the hall at some point.
The three men, led by Feng Qi, stood on the steps, looking solemnly toward the gate.
Feng Ji's mouth twitched a few times, and two of the older disciples standing to the side immediately left.
Soon, a group of people poured in through the main gate.
The group was led by four elderly men, all over fifty years old.
All four had gray hair and beards, and were dressed in robes of red, blue, black, and white respectively.
It is embroidered with the four mythical beasts, including the Vermilion Bird and the Azure Dragon, with their claws outstretched.
Beside the four were two elderly men dressed in fine clothes, adorned with gold and jade, who looked like wealthy men, each accompanied by a man with a deep and profound aura.
Following that were more than ten men and women dressed in various costumes that clearly reflected the characteristics of different sects.
Among these people, there was a short, elderly man with a sorrowful expression.
The old man stood among more than ten people, but judging from his gait and demeanor, he was completely out of place with those around him.
As Lu Cheng was sizing him up, the old man suddenly turned his head and looked over, as if he had sensed something, staring intently at Lu Cheng.
Lu Cheng had a feeling that this old man was probably the leader of the Fish Gang.
But then he realized something was wrong.
A gang of fishermen, a group of thugs and bullies who make their living by extorting and exploiting fishermen.
How could they possibly have such great ability to invite so many martial arts forces?
It can only be said that these people are not here to stand up for the Fish Gang at all.