Top-Class Insight: Start with Basic Fist Techniques

Chapter 64: The Government’s Reward, Heroes Meet Tragic Ends!

Translator: Daoist6fubtiW

“In these chaotic times…”

Over the past few days, Lu Changsheng had gradually come to understand that the world had descended into chaos, steadily heading into an era of turmoil.

In times of chaos, life was as fragile as grass, and ordinary people had virtually no means of self-defense.

However, following historical patterns, times of turmoil often give rise to many powerful martial artists.

By “powerful martial artists,” it referred to those in the Transcendence Realm and beyond. Those below the Transcendence Realm couldn’t truly be considered powerful.

Lu Changsheng was helpless. Regardless of the situation with the Big Desert Thirteen Riders, he had no control over it.

As time passed, the situation with the Big Desert Thirteen Riders grew increasingly serious.

At this point, the wealthy merchants and business people finally started feeling fear.

However, since the official troops had already suffered a major defeat, the government was unlikely to deploy any large armies.

Consequently, many wealthy merchants and business people began recruiting martial artists and guards.

Safety could be maintained within the city of Nan Yang, but outside the city, it had become the realm of bandits.

Bandits ran rampant outside the city, and the common people suffered immensely.

Lu Changsheng continued his daily routine of treating patients and practicing martial arts.

He could sense that his marrow had already been replaced by more than half.

New marrow was gradually covering the bones throughout his entire body.

Perhaps in just a few days, he would achieve a complete “marrow replacement” success.

On this particular day, he was walking from Miao Shou Yuan towards Miao Ren Tang.

On both sides of the street lay many refugees, almost covering every street.

There was a faint and unpleasant odor in the air.

Bandits roamed outside the city, resulting in the destruction of many households, forcing them to enter Nan Yang City with their families, seeking refuge. Thus, they became refugees.

This multitude of refugees was undoubtedly a sign of the turbulent times!

“Ding, ding, ding.”

Suddenly, a loud noise rang out on the street.

Lu Changsheng followed the sound.

He saw that many people had gathered outside the government office.

There were several yamen runners posting a public notice.

One of the runners loudly explained, “With bandits running rampant outside the city and the brutal and bloodthirsty actions of the Big Desert Thirteen Riders, it is unfortunate that the official troops suffered a major defeat, and the imperial court cannot spare large forces to eliminate the bandit threat.”

“The Prefect has posted a ‘Heroes’ List’ and hopes that heroes will step forward to kill the Big Desert Thirteen Riders, clear out the bandits, and restore peace to Nan Yang Prefecture!”

“If a hero can kill the Big Desert Thirteen Riders, the Prefect’s office will reward them with a Transcendence Realm martial art and five hundred taels of gold!”

As the runners posted the “Heroes’ List,” the crowd erupted into chatter.

The so-called “Heroes’ List” was similar to a call for talent.

This was a measure devised by the Prefect’s office.

The five hundred taels of gold were most likely a sum extracted from the local gentry and wealthy families.

In fact, this decision was not made hastily.

The official troops were defeated by the Big Desert Thirteen Riders due to the unsuitable terrain for combat in the wilderness. The Big Desert Thirteen Riders, along with skilled martial artists from the White Lotus Sect, targeted the commanders, leading to the defeat of the official troops. It wasn’t a defeat in a pitched battle.

To deal with powerful martial artists in the martial world, even stronger martial artists were needed.

Transcendence Realm martial artists were beyond the reach of the Prefect’s office.

Thus, recruiting martial artists from the martial world, whether motivated by righteousness, wealth, or the desire for Transcendence Realm martial arts, was necessary.

In any case, there would likely be martial artists who would respond to the call.

After all, this time the Prefect’s office had truly invested heavily.

“A Transcendence Realm martial art…”

Even Lu Changsheng was somewhat intrigued.

However, he already possessed the “Mountain Peaks and Ridges

Transcendence Art.” If not for that, he might have considered responding to the call for the opportunity to obtain such a martial art.

Indeed, not long after the “Heroes’ List” was posted, several burly martial artists walked over, tore down the list, and declared, “We, the Seven Brothers of Yunshan, accept the challenge!”

“The Seven Brothers of Yunshan?”

“Amazing! The Seven Brothers of Yunshan have trained together since childhood, with four of them being Refined Viscera Realm martial artists. What’s even more remarkable is that all seven of them have mastered a cooperative attack technique, which is extremely formidable. It is said they have defeated numerous Refined Viscera Realm martial artists.”

“However, the Big Desert Thirteen Riders are all Refined Viscera Realm martial artists, and they have allied with the White Lotus Sect. Can the Seven Brothers of Yunshan handle them?”

“But the Seven Brothers of Yunshan are not fools. If they dared to respond to the call, they must have some confidence.”

People were discussing in a flurry.

Lu Changsheng glanced at the Seven Brothers of Yunshan and saw that their vitality was vigorous, and their physical qualities were robust.

Most of these seven were likely individuals naturally endowed with divine power like Li Ji, the “Blade Dragging Heaven King.”

If they had a cooperative attack technique, it should not be underestimated.

Later, there was a lot of discussion outside the government office, with the Seven Brothers of Yunshan at the center of attention.

Lu Changsheng did not continue watching and instead went to Miao Ren Tang.

Time passed, and two days had gone by.

When Lu Changsheng arrived at Miao Ren Tang, he heard the apprentices, led by Zhang Huan, discussing something.

“Zhang Huan, what are you all talking about?” Lu Changsheng asked.

“Doctor Lu, the Seven Brothers of Yunshan are dead, and their bodies have been thrown outside the city by the Big Desert Thirteen Riders. They are so ruthless!” Zhang Huan whispered.

“The Seven Brothers of Yunshan are dead?” Lu Changsheng frowned slightly.

The Seven Brothers of Yunshan were not weak, and he didn’t expect them to have died.

For a while, the atmosphere in Miao Ren Tang became somewhat oppressive.

Even though the people at Miao Ren Tang hadn’t seen the Big Desert Thirteen Riders, the cruel acts they had heard about made the people of Miao Ren Tang hold no goodwill towards them.

In the eyes of many common people of Nan Yang City, the Seven Brothers of Yunshan were heroes.

But heroes often did not live long.

“However, even though the Seven Brothers of Yunshan have died, the One-Armed Hero has gone to respond to the call.”

“I heard that the One-Armed Hero is extremely powerful, undefeated in the One-Armed Blade Art. He came to our Nan Yang City purely by chance and responded to the call.”

Lu Changsheng hadn’t heard of the One-Armed Hero.

But it was a sure thing that someone who had gone to respond to the call even after hearing about the death of the Seven Brothers of Yunshan had some confidence in their own abilities.

Lu Changsheng began seeing patients as usual, but it seemed that there were very few patients.

“Zhang Huan, do you know why the number of patients has been decreasing?” Lu Changsheng asked.

Although it had already passed winter and the weather was gradually warming up, it wasn’t to the extent that no one would get sick. However, Miao Ren Tang was currently almost deserted.

Zhang Huan hesitated, but eventually said, “Doctor Lu, the world is too chaotic now. With bandits running rampant outside, the trade routes blocked, and lives being as worthless as grass, there is no food to eat, let alone money for medical treatment.”

“Even if they fall ill, they can only bear it at home and dare not come for medical treatment.”

Lu Changsheng understood.

It wasn’t that there were fewer patients; there were certainly many people who had fallen ill.

It was that most of them couldn’t afford medical treatment, so they had to endure their illnesses.

“In times of chaos…” Lu Changsheng truly felt the impact of these “chaotic times.”

And this wasn’t even a truly chaotic era; at best, it was just bandits running rampant.

A real chaotic era would be much more brutal.

The next day, Lu Changsheng returned to Miao Ren Tang.

Zhang Huan had a gloomy expression.

Doctor Lu, I heard that you have sensed Qi and blood and become a martial artist. Just how powerful are the Big Desert Thirteen Riders?” Zhang Huan couldn’t help but ask.

The apprentices in Miao Ren Tang were aware of some of Lu Changsheng’s “secrets.”

The news that Lu Changsheng had sensed Qi and blood and become a martial artist was not deliberately concealed, so Zhang Huan and the others naturally knew about it.

“The Big Desert Thirteen Riders should all be Refined Viscera Realm martial artists, very formidable,” Lu Changsheng could only give an honest answer.

“No wonder the One-Armed Hero has also died.”

Lu Changsheng was somewhat surprised. “The One-Armed Hero responded to the call yesterday, and today he’s dead?”

“Yes, the One-Armed Hero’s body was found outside the city today, with multiple knife wounds. His death was quite gruesome.”

“The Big Desert Thirteen Riders are so powerful. The Seven Brothers of Yunshan and the One-Armed Hero are both dead. 1 wonder if anyone else will dare to respond to the call?”

Zhang Huan looked concerned.

This was probably what the entire Nan Yang City was worried about.

One day, two days, three days…

Despite the passage of three days, no one else dared to respond to the “Heroes’ List” outside the government office.

Every time Lu Changsheng passed by the government office, he saw a crowd of people around the “Heroes’ List,” but one by one, they dared not take it down.

After all, the Big Desert Thirteen Riders were so ruthless that taking down the “Heroes’ List” was almost tantamount to a death sentence.

“If I can break through the profound boundary between life and death and advance to the Transcendence Realm, maybe I can take down the ‘Heroes’ List…,” Lu Changsheng mused.

He also couldn’t stand the Big Desert Thirteen Riders and had subtly come to consider Nan Yang Prefecture as his “territory.”

With the Big Desert Thirteen Riders running amok in Nan Yang Prefecture, wasn’t that a direct challenge to him?

However, Lu Changsheng was currently undergoing marrow replacement, a very crucial moment, and he didn’t want any distractions.

Just as Lu Changsheng was about to leave.

Suddenly, a familiar figure appeared in front of the “Heroes’ List” and promptly tore it down.

“I’ve taken down the ‘Heroes’ List!” Lu Changsheng squinted his eyes and looked at the distant figure.

Him?”

Lu Changsheng was somewhat surprised.

He hadn’t expected that this person would go and take down the “Heroes’ List” at a time like this..