Chapter 61: Plotting
Chapter 61: Plotting
Jiang Cheng's heart, which had just settled, was now stirred up again.
Is Zhao Shixiong going to discuss the secret martial arts with me?
"Ordinary people have no access to them. Even the core members of the gangs are the same."
"Is it that difficult?"
Upon hearing these words, Jiang Cheng's heart leaped with joy.
He didn't want to confront the gang members head-on, lest things spiral out of control.
However, many things in this world are beyond human control. The moon waxes and wanes, and people's fortunes can change in the blink of an eye—this is the principle being described.
If he were to encounter them and a fierce conflict ensued, he could only give it his all. But if the gang members knew secret martial arts, the situation would be dire.
Now, listening to Zhao Shixiong, even those so-called Three Great Kings had limited physical strength beyond that of ordinary people. Most of their power came from their familiarity with martial arts and weaponry, which eased Jiang Cheng's worries considerably.
"Indeed."
Zhao Shixiong sighed.
He glanced outside and then said, "You've heard about the Martial Ban Decree, right, Jiang Shidi?"
"Of course."
Jiang Cheng nodded emphatically.
"Since the Martial Ban Decree was issued, all secret martial arts circulating in the market have been destroyed, and individuals are not allowed to possess them privately. In just a few years, ninety percent of the secret martial arts manuals have been destroyed. Even those who are lucky enough to have preserved them dare not tell others, let alone take them out. Therefore, to obtain secret martial arts now, one can only rely on oral transmission. One must be guided by someone who knows the secrets to learn the true secret martial arts. Those gang members, aside from their questionable morals, would never risk teaching them the secret martial arts."
"That's true."
Jiang Cheng nodded repeatedly.
After all, this was a matter of life and death for his family.
"Moreover, there's another requirement for learning secret martial arts, and it's even more challenging than obtaining the secret martial arts themselves."
"What requirement?"
"Secret medicine."
Zhao Xiangyu spoke the two words with a sigh.
"It's not easy to unlock the secrets within your body. Only a once-in-a-century genius can achieve this naturally. Others must have secret medicine that complements their secret martial arts to make their training more effective. Without the secret medicine, it might take three to five years to even begin learning, and even then, progress would be painfully slow."
"There's such a thing?"
Jiang Cheng took a deep breath.
The original body didn't know about this, as the great calamity had occurred a hundred years ago. At that time, even the original body's parents might not have been born yet.
"Indeed. The Martial Ban Decree prohibits not only the spread of secret martial arts but also the circulation of medicinal materials for producing secret medicine."
"If you have secret martial arts and don't tell anyone, even if you practice them secretly, no one will target you. But the moment you try to purchase materials for making secret medicine, you'll be under surveillance. This is the truly terrifying aspect of the Martial Ban Decree."
"What if someone secretly cultivates it themselves?"
Jiang Cheng asked tentatively.
Zhao Xiangyu was taken aback and smiled, "Jiang Shidi, you're quite clever. It's possible that someone might do that, but cultivating those medicinal materials isn't easy. They are prohibited, and the consequences are severe if caught."
"I understand. No wonder you said that gang members don't know secret martial arts; the difficulty is indeed so high." Jiang Cheng skillfully changed the subject.
It wasn't that he didn't want to ask if there were secret martial arts in the martial arts hall, but their relationship hadn't reached that level yet.
Moreover, Zhao Xiangyu had already revealed quite a bit of information, and these were likely just the basics, not touching on any secrets.
But if he hadn't said anything, Jiang Cheng wouldn't have known any of this.
"Yes."
Zhao Xiangyu nodded and then asked, "Do you have any other questions, Jiang Cheng?"
"No more, thank you for your answers, Zhao Xiangyu," Jiang Cheng replied gratefully.
"Hehe, it's nothing, just some basic questions," Zhao Xiangyu waved his hand dismissively, "But regarding the secret martial arts mentioned earlier, when we go out later, Jiang Cheng, you must not mention it to anyone."
"Don't worry, I won't bring it up with anyone," Jiang Cheng assured him.
The two left the meeting room and headed to the second floor training area. Zhao Xiangyu stayed back to observe Jiang Cheng's fundamental skills before going to instruct others.
Jiang Cheng, meanwhile, quietly processed the information he had just received.
Within half a month, all members of the Wild Wolf Gang would be gone.
After all, two tigers cannot occupy the same mountain; staying here, when the Iron Fist Gang arrives, there will surely be no good outcome.
Doesn't this mean the backers of those few people, like Jiang Xiong and the others, will be gone? According to the original body's memories, these people were just local thugs who resided here. After the Wild Wolf Gang arrived, they latched onto them and became even more domineering.
And once the Wild Wolf Gang leaves, their backers will naturally disappear.
Unless they also choose to leave.
But the days of fleeing won't be easy. The slums are divided into various areas, each managed by different gangs. Outsiders entering will immediately attract attention.
Thinking of this, Jiang Cheng's lips curled up.
The main reason he didn't confront those people directly was that he didn't want to provoke the Wild Wolf Gang. The secondary reason was that his double stick skills weren't highly advanced; he was only proficient.
If he had ten more days of practice, at least reaching the master level would be a certainty.
Moreover, without anyone backing them up, even in broad daylight, he could kill them at their doorstep without a second thought.
Of course, if those few people also gained the support of the Iron Fist Gang, then it would be a different story.
But Jiang Cheng felt this possibility was slim.
Why, after the Iron Fist Gang arrives, wouldn't they have their own thugs do this kind of thing? Instead, they trust someone who used to work with the Wild Wolf Gang?
The emperor's ministers change with the times; this is an unchanging truth.
"In the next half a month, I'll focus on improving my skills. The day the Wild Wolf Gang leaves will be your end!"
Jiang Cheng's eyes flashed with determination.
These people, even if they hadn't directly killed anyone, had indirectly caused the deaths of many. They deserve to die!
As for the secret martial arts.
According to Zhao Xiangyu, without the corresponding secret medicine to assist, the speed is like a crawling turtle, or even standing still.
Jiang Cheng didn't know if his proficiency panel could exempt the need for secret medicine and directly improve his secret martial arts realm.
But without the secret martial arts in hand, he couldn't verify it and could only secretly speculate.
...
In the afternoon, Jiang Cheng returned home and shared the news he had heard from the martial arts academy with Chen Sao, his neighbor.
Upon hearing this news, Chen Sao finally heaved a sigh of relief.
But when she heard that the Iron Fist Gang would arrive in half a month, she sighed helplessly.
The same old saying, the Iron Fist Gang would never be so kind as to waive a month's management fee for them; at most, they'd reduce it a little.
As for the final amount, it would definitely not be less than one thousand yuan.
Perhaps one thousand two, or one thousand five.
And from now on, the monthly fee would be this amount.
After lunch, Jiang Cheng pushed his cart out to his stall, and as expected, the number of pedestrians on the street was visibly reduced.
This made his heart sink.
He had anticipated that today's sales would be lower than yesterday's, but the drop was likely even greater than he had imagined...
Thanks to the generous 100-point coin reward from the reader, Photographer Zee!
(End of Chapter)
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