"Who goes there!"
Two shadows suddenly swooped down from above the Changfeng Tavern to guard Chang Fang.
They were the hidden guardians of the Chang Family protecting Chang Fang.
Jiang Ming flexed his joints.
He paid no attention to the two experts.
Instead, he spoke to Guan Man behind him, "That's very standard, I'm quite satisfied as your instructor."
Guan Man, just realizing the situation, exclaimed joyfully, "Instructor Jiang!"
"Junior Brother Jiang!" Qian Changgong also expressed surprise and delight.
However, his Junior Brother Jiang didn't come to help him out.
"Senior Brother Qian, hang tight for a bit."
Jiang Ming turned his gaze towards the two men.
His expression gradually filled with murderous intent.
"Since Lion Roar Martial Arts Hall has already torn off the façade, I have nothing to fear..."
"Dare to bully my students in front of me, you must leave something behind today!"
Other than Lion Roar Martial Arts Hall, which had offered him a job, Jiang Ming felt no ties in Evergreen City.
He was utterly fearless now.
If he couldn't win? He'd find another city willing to shelter him and then come back to show them that tides can turn over the decades.
Moreover, Jiang Ming had the powerful trump card of Li Jin's Summoning Card.
"Junior Brother Jiang! Don't be impulsive, breakout with me back to the Martial Arts Hall!"
Qian Changgong grunted, his two fists swung like whips to fend off opponents, barely giving him a chance to speak.
But Jiang Ming paid no attention to him at all.
Jiang Ming was direct.
Inner Strength surged through his meridians into his legs, while his Qi-blood filled his muscles, causing his thigh muscles to explode in an instant.
Chasing Wind!
At that moment, Jiang Ming appeared like a puff of smoke, approaching the two experts with an impossible speed and stance.
In Evergreen City, an expert at the level of a Martial Arts Hall Master wouldn't be used as a family's bodyguard.
The pair were well-ranked among Martial Arts Instructors, yet Jiang Ming was already completely transformed.
Qi-blood flames roared to life.
Subtle surprise flickered in the eyes of the two experts.
His cultivation was considered average among Martial Arts Instructors, so why the audacity?
The Qi-blood flame was futile against his kind; it was merely a waste of life force.
In the next instant, a surge of flame was compressed by a palm and then severed.
"Severing Flame!"
The expansive Qi-blood returned to the palm, exerting fifteen times its power through compression.
"Boom!"
The pair quickly responded to the sudden attack.
Jiang Ming seemed to anticipate their moves, switching his palm into a knife hand.
"Demon Slayer!"
Though merely a knife hand, the pair felt the sensation of flashing blade lights.
In this world, few understood the subtlety of Inner Strength.
Even if it didn't echo the explosive nature of Qi-blood, Inner Strength could resist, strike, and heal.
Jiang Ming clapped his hands, the crisp sound of breaking bones rang out.
While sparing their arms the fate of amputation, he shattered their shoulder blades.
With a light step, Jiang Ming slipped past them, gripping their throats.
"Boom!"
He slammed their necks into the ground forcefully.
The bluestone pavement shattered.
Rubble flew, and those around, after catching sight, widened their eyes.
The eyes of the two experts bulged lifelessly, their twisted necks leaking the stench of blood.
Blood seeped into the earth beneath the flagstones, pooling into a small puddle.
Chang Fang's mouth hung slightly open, dazed, his previously cold demeanor vanished.
Jiang Ming's eyes shifted.
[You've gained 60 Simulation Points]
"Brother Jiang, you..."
Just as Qian Changgong gathered his thoughts, a breeze stirred.
The sound of a grunt echoed.
Two bodies fell to the ground like ragdolls.
[You've gained 34 Simulation Points]
Jiang Ming regretfully watched as the Martial Artists sprinted off in separate directions, a sense of disappointment in his eyes.
Now to deal with the proper business...
He turned to Qian Changgong, asking, "Senior Brother Qian, what was it you wanted to say just now?"
"Ah?" Qian Changgong, somewhat shocked.
Jiang Ming, however, looked at Chang Fang, saying, "Senior Brother Qian, I'll leave this person for you to handle."
Jiang Ming was uncertain about the dynamics between Lion Roar Martial Arts Hall and other factions.
Though Chang Fang had taken things too far, Jiang Ming knew killing him might cause trouble for the Martial Arts Hall.
Qian Changgong exhaled deeply, setting aside his curiosity about Jiang Ming's sudden leap in power.
"Junior Brother Jiang, tend to Boss Guan's injuries first, I'll take care of the rest."
Jiang Ming nodded.
Qian Changgong, being the heir of Lion Roar Martial Arts Hall, surely acted with discretion.
Jiang Ming left the scene to care for Guan Man and Boss Guan, then disappeared into the crowd, walking east through the city as if nothing had happened.
With high skill, he remained unfazed, knowing Chang Fang remained in Qian Changgong's hands, leaving him unnoticed as a 'Nameless nobody.'
"But..."
"Simulation Points are acquired by killing?"
"Spirit Points from eliminating evil beings, Simulation Points from eliminating humans?" Jiang Ming furrowed his brow.
This logic seemed strange, Jiang Ming instinctively sensed something was off.
Arriving in the eastern part of the city, Jiang Ming openly exchanged a ginseng root from the Thousand-year-old Ginseng for considerable wealth.
He then deftly dispatched a few suspicious stalkers from the pawnshop.
Upon his return, he carried a haul of supplies, including a treasured blade.
The blade was perfectly proportioned, with a handle and sheath fashioned from purple sandalwood, its blade forged from Hundred-refined Meteorite Iron, a true weapon capable of cutting through iron and even hair.
For this, Jiang Ming sold another ginseng root and dealt with a few more stalkers just to save up enough money.
By the time Jiang Ming returned to Lion Roar Martial Arts Hall, night had fallen.
Jiang Ming entered his room, placing the blade aside.
From deep within Lion Roar Martial Arts Hall came a sudden rumble, prompting Jiang Ming to rush over.
The source was Elder Qian's courtyard.
It was collapsing, as Elder Qian stood before the entrance, hands clasped behind his back, seemingly lamenting the ruin of his long-occupied abode.
By the following noon.
Jiang Ming learned from Qian Changgong that Elder Qian and the Chang Family Patriarch reached a reconciliation under the guidance of Bai Changfeng from White Cloud Martial Arts Hall.
The conflict dissipated like a passing breeze, vanishing in an instant.
Jiang Ming didn't know what transpired, nor did he wish to involve himself in Lion Roar Martial Arts Hall's internal matters.
Only hearing Bai Changfeng's name, an inexplicable pressure weighed on Jiang Ming.
He had a hunch that he needed to expedite the collection of Spirit Points and Simulation Points...