That evening.
A figure hurried into the backyard.
"How is Qingxue doing?"
Luo Qianshan asked, standing with his hands behind his back under the trellised walkway.
"Junior Sister Lin ran into people from the Dongling Martial Arts Hall. She suffered so minor injuries, but she’s fine now."
Luo Yan, who had just rushed back, reported dutifully. His burly physique resembled a great boulder, and his square-jawed features gave him a rugged look.
Luo Qianshan nodded slightly at his words, then let out a quiet sigh.
"I didn’t expect the Thunder Extre Martial Arts Hall to have roped them all in."
"If I’m not mistaken, this was just a probe. Their real moves are yet to co..."
His voice was old, tinged with a hint of weariness.
Luo Yan fell silent for a mont upon hearing this.
"Father, if that’s the case, why don’t you just teach Junior Brother Lu the Martial Skill and Secret Technique?"
He looked at him in confusion and continued, "That way, even if he gets targeted later, he’ll have more ways to protect himself, right?"
Whether in terms of talent or comprehension, Junior Brother Lu is clearly no less capable than Junior Brother Shen.
And in terms of character, he’s even a cut above. There’s no reason not to accept him as an inner disciple and keep delaying.
However, what happened next was unexpected.
An imperceptible breeze swept through, causing the flowers, plants, and trees in the backyard to sway gently.
But a formless Martial Arts Power circulated around Luo Qianshan, bringing the breeze to a standstill. It also silently insulated his lowered voice, cutting it off from the surroundings.
"How do you know I haven’t taught him a Secret Technique?"
The question made Luo Yan stop in his tracks.
His gaze sharpened as if he had just thought of sothing.
"Are you saying..."
"Just as water has no constant shape, warfare has no constant tactics."
Luo Qianshan continued walking, his tone faint. "Lei Wanjun is far more ruthless and cunning than he was twenty years ago... There are so things I must also be flexible about."
....
That sa evening, Lu Chao stepped off the tram.
Block Two was bustling with people. He shook off his fatigue and headed straight for his apartnt building.
He kept Luo Qianshan’s words in mind, though he didn’t know what the man truly ant.
’But it sounds like the corresponding Secret Technique for the Golden Stone Fighting Skill is settled?’
However, the price of learning this Martial Skill was the corresponding feud between the martial arts halls: the hostility from Lei Wanjun, the Martial Artist rumored to have broken the hundred-point Life Energy barrier, and other powerful experts like Wu Yuntao.
’No need to rush. Since Master Luo said that, I’ll take my ti and consider it carefully.’
’And besides...’
A glint in his eye, Lu Chao looked at the data from his intuitive sense.
[Carbon-Based Human]
[Life Energy: ?]
Even now, as a seasoned professional, he still couldn’t see through the man’s Life Energy data.
Without a doubt, Master Luo’s strength was greater than he had imagined.
A powerful Martial Artist whose Life Energy exceeded one hundred points, soone who could truly be called super-powered.
’With such strength, yet he chose to open a martial arts hall in the Iron Ring District instead of the inner city ring...’
Lu Chao mused to himself, feeling that the man was hiding other secrets.
Pondering it yielded no answers, so he eventually pushed aside his stray thoughts and started walking ho through the crowd.
But soon.
"Protest!!"
"Protest the crackdowns!"
"We condemn the unscrupulous atrocities of [Lianwei Heavy Industry] and the [Biotechnology Company]!"
Suddenly, seven or eight figures holding banners in a corner of the street started shouting and causing a commotion, making Lu Chao pause.
The sudden disturbance drew the attention of many onlookers, who stopped and watched with furrowed brows.
"What’s going on?"
"I think they’re from the complex across the street. That one guy should be Old Xu. I heard he used to work in logistics at [Lianwei Heavy Industry], but it seems he got laid off recently."
"Not just him. That other guy is probably Xiaolin, my daughter’s classmate’s father. I think he used to work for [City Ring Transportation]. He was also laid off recently because of the wilderness managent policies."
The chatter of the neighbors reached his ears, and Lu Chao frowned slightly, standing in place.
For so reason, it reminded him of the chaotic scene he had witnessed at the inner ring passageway and the tide of displaced people he had seen back then.
Fortunately.
TAP! TAP! TAP!
"Who’s causing trouble!"
Another patrol team on duty nearby spotted the commotion and rushed over, shouting coldly to stop them.
A short while later, the troublemakers were taken away, and the street returned to its usual state.
Feeling inexplicably conflicted, Lu Chao finally shook his head, pushed aside his thoughts, and walked into his apartnt building.
CLICK.
The door opened.
Zhao Yuanqing had gotten off work early today. Wearing a blue shell jacket, he was standing by the window as the neighbors downstairs were still gossiping.
"Those people..." He ca back to his senses, his tone complicated. "They aren’t going to be locked up, are they?"
"It won’t co to that."
Lu Chao shook his head, changing his shoes. He understood what his friend ant.
Having co from the orphanage and the factory district, they understood the plights of these people better than anyone.
"It’s not a big deal. As long as they cooperate, they’ll be out in a few days."
He shook his head and offered a brief explanation, not ntioning the sparring match he had encountered today.
Then, he turned his head to look at the living room.
He was slightly taken aback, but he soon noticed the items arranged on the coffee table and sofa.
Most of it was pharmaceutical equipnt, like glassware and filters.
[Herb Grinder], [Liquefaction and Filtration Device], [Quantitative Sampler], [Small Thermostatic Furnace]...
The corresponding nas popped into Lu Chao’s head, and a smile touched his face.
"When did you buy all this?"
He had already finished studying the three basic fields of Alchemist knowledge; all that was left was hands-on practice.
To that end, he had ntioned it a few days ago, asking his friend to help him buy the equipnt.
After all, Zhao Yuanqing now worked at a legitimate Prosthetic Clinic, so it was more convenient for him to access these things, and he had a better eye for quality.
"Ah, the clinic’s equipnt supplier ca by today, so I happened to ask about it,"
Zhao Yuanqing explained, shaking his head and not dwelling on the earlier incident. "I got a deal through the clinic, a twenty percent discount. I also asked the Pharmacist at the clinic about this stuff. The quality should be good; he said it’s more than enough for making basic types of potions..."
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