Longevity Martial Arts: Grinding Experience in the Chaotic World novel Chapter 91

Chapter 91: Chapter 87 Another Year 2

"I’ve painstakingly hidden my strength, secretly building it up, just to catch Liu Yuanhu off guard one day—and you idiot went and spilled it all!"

Feeling Zhao Honglie’s storm-like fury, Han Lu instinctively gulped. He also realized that he might have taken things too far.

"Boss, I really know I was wrong!"

After venting, Zhao Honglie gradually calmed down.

"If it weren’t for the fact that you once took a blade for me, I would’ve chopped you up long ago. Every day, instead of training properly, you’re off causing all kinds of nonsense. Do you have any idea how many people are eyeing your position?"

Zhao Honglie’s disapproval was laced with frustration.

Han Lu, however, breathed a sigh of relief internally. This meant he had passed the crisis. Rubbing his head, he grinned in an attempt to please Zhao Honglie:

"Black Sand Gang is still under your command, Boss. No matter who’s watching my position, it’s useless to them."

"But, Boss, don’t you think you’re being a bit overly cautious about Liu Yuanhu? With the strength of our Black Sand Gang now, does he dare to turn against us?"

"Stay kneeling! Who gave you permission to get up?"

Zhao Honglie barked angrily, and Han Lu hastily knelt back down.

"You know nothing. Liu Yuanhu hasn’t been wasting time this past year. My informants say he’s been going back and forth to the city, building connections to become the acting county magistrate. If he really gets support from there, we’re going to have a rough time in the future."

"For now, this is still Da Liang’s world! Though the people above us might not have the energy to micromanage, we still need to prepare for every possibility. Growing stronger in secret is the wisest path. Thankfully, you’re not completely stupid—you didn’t expose all our strength."

Zhao Honglie pointed upward with a cold snort.

Han Lu immediately nodded repeatedly.

At this moment, he couldn’t help but feel a bit regretful. He’d lost his head earlier, letting Du Jiangbo stir him up into nearly ruining the gang’s major plans.

Thinking about Du Jiangbo’s death from falling off a cliff, he spat angrily in his heart.

"That mangy dog got off too easy!"

Seeing that Han Lu had truly taken his words to heart, Zhao Honglie’s expression softened slightly.

"Kneel here for three days! For the time being, spend the next stretch in the headquarters training seriously. No going outside."

Hands clasped behind his back, Zhao Honglie slowly walked away.

Han Lu’s face twisted bitterly, though he understood this was to quell voices of dissent within the gang. So, he harbored no resentment in his heart.

"Thank you, Boss, for your forgiveness!"

...

Time passed slowly.

This winter wasn’t as cold as last year’s, giving the lower-class folk slightly better days, though only marginally. The only good news might be that, in the year since the new emperor ascended the throne, there had been no reports of unrest anywhere.

This left Gu Sheng slightly surprised and curious about the new emperor. Could he really be a wise ruler at the dusk of an era, able to turn the tide and revitalize the dynasty?

Still, it was too early to tell.

In the end, whether success was achieved would depend on future developments. For Gu Sheng, however, this was undoubtedly a good thing—it meant he had more time to grow.

He even hoped that the new emperor could truly turn things around, restoring the empire, allowing him to devote more energy to pursuing the Martial Arts.

As his training progressed step by step,

Gu Sheng became increasingly immersed in it. The marvels of the Martial Arts often left him astonished, and the feeling of mastery over power fascinated him. He wanted to see just how far the Martial Arts could take him!

Merely the Four Realms of Body Refinement were already so formidable, making practitioners akin to superhumans. What terrifying heights would later stages reach?

For some reason, Gu Sheng recalled the storyteller surnamed Zhang and his tales of the Lightning General Qin Leiyu. If those descriptions were true, Qin must have been one of the strongest beyond the Martial Arts.

But that was still far from Gu Sheng’s reach.

He glanced at his stats panel.

[Name]: Gu Sheng

[Age]: 15

[Realm]: Refining Skin Realm (Iron Skin)

[Martial Arts]: Chopping Wood (First-level Tearing), Archery (First-level Penetration), Iron Stone Fist (Perfect 25%), Shapeshifting (Great Success 46%)