Chapter 58: Chapter 55: A Mountain Hard to Cross

In a corridor of the Patrol Department’s main hall.

A man named Qian Hu was deliberately provocative, his voice piercing Chen Xiao’s ears like a steel needle.

"You!"

Flushed with anger, Chen Xiao shot out a hand and grabbed the man’s collar.

As their eyes met, the other man didn’t resist at all. Instead, he grinned exaggeratedly and said, "Heh heh, looks like Young Master Chen is angry."

"You’re not going to run off and tattle to your uncle, are you?"

At the jeering mockery, Chen Xiao’s face turned beet red.

Lu Chao quickly stepped forward, pulled him back, and shook his head slightly.

Because of some old grudges between their two captains, Team Three and Team Two did not get along. Over the past month, Lu Chao had already seen similar situations several times.

He could tell that this Qian Hu was intentionally provoking Chen Xiao, trying to make him lose his temper and slip up at such a critical time.

Finally, after his chest heaved violently a few times, Chen Xiao took a deep breath.

He barely managed to calm himself, suppressing that flicker of rage.

Across from him, Qian Hu chuckled and straightened his collar.

"Looks like Young Master Chen is feeling defiant."

He waved his hand, signaling his team members to escort the prisoner away. As he brushed past, he deliberately stopped and said, "If you’ve really got what it takes, then let’s see which of our squads catches Qiu Shan and his people first."

"If you guys actually manage to..."

He glanced sideways at Chen Xiao’s clenched jaw, then shot a mocking look at Lu Chao.

"I, Qian Hu, will personally serve you tea and kowtow in apology."

STEP! STEP!

Having said his piece, he strode away.

Lu Chao watched the backs of the Team Two members disappear around the corner before finally looking back at Chen Xiao.

"That was embarrassing."

He gave a wry smile, his clenched fists slowly relaxing.

’Being fellow patrol officers has its advantages, but some rules are like invisible shackles.’

Seeing his frustration and restraint, Lu Chao shook his head gently.

"It’s fine. The future is long."

His tone was even as he patted the other’s shoulder and consoled him. "Besides, don’t you want to see the look on Qian Hu’s face when he’s serving you tea and kowtowing in apology?"

As his words landed, Chen Xiao froze for a moment.

Then he looked at Lu Chao. Meeting his smiling expression, Chen Xiao suddenly snapped back to his senses, his eyes instantly shining brightly.

"Right!"

"When the time comes, we’ll make that son of a bitch kowtow to both of us!"

...

「Ten days later.」

News of the protests and demonstrations appeared one after another in major newspapers, dominating the headlines.

Opinions were varied, and even the senior and junior brothers at the dojo were discussing it.

But Lu Chao, who had experienced it firsthand, didn’t participate in any of the discussions, focusing all his energy on himself instead.

He constantly balanced his time between being on duty, staking out locations, chasing leads, studying potion theory... and his martial arts training.

BANG! BANG!

Amidst the muffled thuds of fists and feet.

Lu Chao, who had taken the day off, arrived at the dojo early. Dressed in a gray-white training uniform, he stood in a corner of the training area, once again focusing on cultivating the 2nd Floor of his Fighting Skill.

As he unleashed his power, heavy, red leather sandbags were struck, swinging backward, only to be pulled back by gravity and slam fiercely into him.

THUD! THUD! THUD!

With a muffled grunt, a force equivalent to dozens of kilograms repeatedly slammed into him, vibrating through his flesh and blood.

Gritting his teeth against the pain, Lu Chao immediately followed the breathing technique to guide the external force, using the opportunity to temper his muscles, bones, and skin.

Sweat dripped down as exhaustion washed over him.

He repeated the process again and again.

He had already completely mastered the eight fundamental stances of the 2nd Floor Fighting Skill.

HUMMM!

Finally, he seized that sliver of opportunity, and his life’s potential once again broke through its limits.

An indescribable warm current surfaced from the deepest parts of his body, like a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis.

[Life Energy: 30→31!]

[Potential Progress: 40%]

The data on his panel changed automatically. Lu Chao’s eyes brightened, a sharp light flashing within them.

Thanks to the benefits at the Patrol Department, he had recently received another Life Potion, which was how he managed to increase his points by two in just ten days.

’My strength exceeds three hundred kilograms, and my explosive speed has also increased by a fair bit.’

’At this point, I should be considered a veteran Fighting Level practitioner.’

As he subtly perceived the changes in his body, Lu Chao recalled some key points Zheng Wu had taught him.

After reaching the Fighting Level, every five points of Life Energy was a hurdle. Only after surpassing thirty points of Life Energy could one truly pull away from ordinary fighters.

There was only one last stretch to go before reaching the professional level. If he was fortunate enough to break through that bottleneck and achieve the Copper Flesh Realm...

...he would be considered a figure of no small renown among the various factions in the Iron Ring District and would be eagerly recruited for important positions.

As the thought flashed through his mind, Lu Chao temporarily stopped his training and walked to the rest area.

He picked up a black sports water bottle and chugged a large mouthful.

The cool water flooded his stomach, quenching his thirst. As he wiped away his sweat with a towel, he subconsciously glanced behind him.

’Where’s Senior Brother Li?’

The quiet whispers of some disciples reached him, and Lu Chao froze, falling silent.

"You didn’t know? His training period ended yesterday. He couldn’t break through, so he had a good cry here last night and has already left."

"I heard he has a younger sister who needs to pay for school, and his parents aren’t in good health... *Sigh*."

He had been at the dojo last night, too.

He had wanted to say many things, but when faced with those incredibly dim, red-rimmed eyes, all he could muster in the end was a sigh.

’He was so close.’

points of Life Energy was the final result that Li Dong had fought for day and night.

But that final stretch was like an insurmountable chasm blocking his path...

"Haha."

Suddenly, a loud and flamboyant laugh cut through his thoughts.

Lu Chao frowned slightly and looked over to see several figures walking in through the dojo entrance.

"Brother Guo, you should have seen those guys just now. Tsk tsk, so stupid and pathetic."

"Isn’t that the truth? Utterly foolish, yet they blame everyone but themselves. They deserve to be poor their whole lives..."

Fang Jingyi, Guo Yun, and a few other young men and women of the Fighting Level walked in, clustered around Shen Tianchen in groups of two and three.

They were talking and laughing as if they’d just encountered something amusing, drawing confused looks from many people.

Seeing this, Luo Qianshan, who was instructing other disciples, paused briefly and frowned.

Off to the side, Lin Qingxue noticed the commotion and quickly walked over, pulling Shen Tianchen aside to a corner.

"Junior Brother Shen."

Her beautiful face held a trace of worry as she lowered her voice. "Didn’t Master tell you to calm your mind and focus on your training at the dojo these past few days?"

"Where did you just go?"

"Senior Sister."

His tone was casual as Shen Tianchen shook his head. "I just went out for lunch with Jingyi, Guo Yun, and the others."

"You know the dojo’s nutritional lunch is nowhere near enough for me. Besides, they were paying. Why wouldn’t I go?"

He smiled, a faint scent of alcohol on his breath.

Lin Qingxue’s expression changed slightly. She lowered her voice, "You’ve been drinking?"

"It was a specially brewed medicinal wine that Guo Yun brought."

Shen Tianchen smacked his lips. "That stuff is pretty good. It’s more effective than Exotic Beast Meat, just a step below a Life Potion."

"Don’t worry, Senior Sister. I know what I’m doing."

Having said that, he ignored her attempts to persuade him further.

Shen Tianchen quickly walked over to the sparring ring, raised a hand to Senior Brother Xu and the others, and challenged them to a practical combat match.

It was over in a matter of moments.

Fists and feet met with an explosive thud.

Senior Brother Xu and the others clutched their chests, their faces pale, as they were defeated one after another and slid off the ring.

Watching this, Lin Qingxue’s tightly furrowed brow gradually relaxed. From the corner, Luo Qianshan had, at some point, quietly departed.

Also watching this scene in silence, Lu Chao’s expression returned to calm. He put down his water bottle and once again threw himself into his training.

One punch after another.

He struck the wooden training dummy with solid force, each punch seemingly gathering a heavier, more stable power.