Chapter 76: Visiting the Dojo
Chapter 76: Visiting the Dojo
After several sparring sessions with Zhao Xiangyu, Jiang Cheng had been at it for a full hour, his muscles aching and his body drenched in sweat.
In contrast, Zhao Xiangyu only broke a light sweat and still had the energy to continue sparring with others.
"If I spar with Zhao Shixiong for another hour, I'll be able to reach the Expert Level with my double sticks," Jiang Cheng thought to himself.
He really wanted to come and practice at night as well, but he was worried about his home being burglarized.
Fortunately, even at the Proficient level, he could hold his own against several Wild Wolf Gang members.
For safety's sake, after leaving the dojo, he decided to buy a pair of iron sticks. The wooden ones lacked killing power, so from now on, he'd carry iron sticks with him, except when practicing at the dojo.
"Jiang Shidi, would you like some water?" a pleasant female voice called out.
Sun Xiaoli approached, holding two bottles of water and offering one to him.
Jiang Cheng was taken aback.
"What are you staring at? Take it," Sun Xiaoli urged.
"Thank you, Sun Shijie," Jiang Cheng said, feeling flattered. He took the water and took a few sips.
"Have you been a member of the dojo before, Jiang Shidi?" Sun Xiaoli asked curiously as she opened her own bottle and took a small sip.
"No, why do you ask?" Jiang Cheng turned to look at her.
"Then you're truly impressive, Jiang Shidi. Practicing alone, you can hold your own against Zhao Shixiong. Unlike us, we barely last a few rounds before he defeats us," Sun Xiaoli said with a hint of helplessness.
"Well, practice makes perfect," Jiang Cheng chuckled.
After all, Sun Xiaoli and the others' progress was quite reasonable.
If it weren't for his Proficiency Panel, he might not even be able to defeat Sun Xiaoli and her friends.
"Practice makes perfect, and in the future, could you spar with me more often and give me some pointers?" Sun Xiaoli asked with a smile.
"Sure, Lin Shixiong also mentioned this to me. We're all members of the same dojo, so it's no big deal," Jiang Cheng said, taking a few more sips of water. Before he knew it, half the bottle was gone.
"That's great, I'll trouble you then, Jiang Shidi," Sun Xiaoli replied.
The two chatted casually, and soon, another one or two people joined in the conversation.
As the group grew, Jiang Cheng mostly listened quietly.
Finally, the last person finished their sparring session, exhausted.
Zhao Xiangyu approached, glancing at the group before his gaze settled on Jiang Cheng. He praised without hesitation, "Zeng Shixiong's words ring true. Jiang Shidi's double sticks are just a step away from the Expert Level. If he reaches that level, I fear I won't be his match either."
Upon hearing this, Sun Xiaoli and the others looked at Jiang Cheng with admiration and envy.
"Zhao Shixiong, you flatter me," Jiang Cheng said with a bitter smile. "It's clear that you've been going easy on me."
"Hehe, not really," Zhao Xiangyu replied ambiguously. Then, he added, "Jiang Shidi, your weapon skills are impressive, but don't neglect your martial arts training. In combat, if your weapon is knocked away, it could be disastrous.
And unless you always carry your short stick, some experts might not even give you a chance to draw it."
"I understand, Zhao Shixiong. I won't neglect my basic training," Jiang Cheng assured him.
"Mhm."
Zhao Xiangyu nodded in satisfaction.
He had initially worried that Jiang Cheng might become arrogant due to his superior performance compared to others.
But now, it seemed that Jiang Cheng's character was indeed commendable. He didn't let his skills go to his head and remained humble.
Jiang Cheng was about to practice foundation training to relax a bit, but before he could, he had to address an issue that occurred during the previous day's business.
In the blink of an eye, evening arrived.
Compared to the previous two days, business had somewhat recovered, and the net profit had returned to over five hundred.
Jiang Cheng, not wanting to be greedy, promptly packed up his stall and headed home with the sweet potatoes he had bought.
Today was the second-to-last day of the month, and tomorrow was the day the Wild Wolf Gang would come to collect their money.
It was no surprise that this evening was destined to be tumultuous.
Sure enough, not long after he left, two individuals stopped him. It was evident that they were doing this for the first time, and their nervousness exceeded even that of Jiang Cheng.
Jiang Cheng was slightly speechless. After revealing his identity as a senior member of the Martial Arts Gym, the two men fled in fear.
Had it not been for their pitiful state, Jiang Cheng would have already brandished his short stick and confronted them, without engaging in unnecessary chatter.
Upon reaching home, he noticed a couple of dark shadows loitering nearby.
He stared at his own house and Chen Sao's neighboring house with an indifferent gaze.
When Jiang Cheng approached the door of his house, he quietly left.
Jiang Cheng unlocked the door, lit a candle, and glanced inside. The room remained as he had left it at noon, and he nodded in satisfaction.
He had spent twenty yuan, but it was worth it.
The next day, after the Wild Wolf Gang's visit, he planned to give each household ten yuan. This would at least ensure that the money lasted until Granny Chen Sao and the others returned.
Jiang Cheng prepared the noon meal, frying two eggs, and boiled some sweet potatoes. Due to his martial arts training, he felt his appetite had increased significantly. Without a full stomach, he couldn't continue practicing.
...
The following day, the sky was just beginning to brighten.
Jiang Cheng was still in the land of dreams when the sound of banging on the door woke him.
"Everyone's up! Time to pay the management fee! Did you hear me?"
"We're up! Ready to pay the fee!"
"Bang! Bang!"
The person outside quickly arrived at Jiang Cheng's door, banging loudly and repeating the same words.
After calling out two or three times with no response from Jiang Cheng, they proceeded to Chen Sao's house next door.
Apparently, they were notifying each household in advance to prevent delays when they came to collect the money, in case someone was still asleep.
Jiang Cheng got up, opened the door, and saw that the people outside were surrounded by a crowd, creating a chaotic scene.
Those unaware of the situation might have thought it was the eve of Chinese New Year.
"So many people around here?" Jiang Cheng muttered to himself, then turned to wash up and prepare breakfast.
With his premium membership card in hand, his mood wasn't as heavy as that of the others. However, he wasn't entirely carefree.
Just like on the street the other day, even when he presented his premium membership card, the other party deliberately made things difficult.
This time, there was no guarantee that there wouldn't be any trouble.
However, he didn't need to be too afraid. Firstly, he had the backing of the Martial Arts Gym, and secondly, he was alone without any burdens.
After half an hour, the Wild Wolf Gang arrived. Leading them was a man named Wei Bao, nicknamed "Beast Brother," a little boss of the Wild Wolf Gang, in charge of collecting management fees in the area.
Following him were seven or eight gang members, some holding pens and paper, some carrying bags, and others wielding iron rods and watermelon knives, pushing tricycles.
It was somewhat comical, but no one found it funny.
(End of Chapter)
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