Feeling a sore and weak sensation all over his body, Hong Dahai raised his head and looked at Lin Xing in surprise, "How did you know where the weak spot of my Iron Cloth Shirt was?"
Bai Yiyi haughtily said, "It's just the Iron Cloth Shirt. Is the weak spot some kind of secret?"
Lin Xing honestly replied, "My master taught me."
Hong Dahai exhaled and said helplessly, "I lost, you won."
Immediately, the arena burst into commotion. Just as Lin Xing was about to ask where to collect the money, he saw Hong Dahai had already walked down.
Only then did he notice a squad of armed soldiers standing behind the arena. Hong Dahai had walked over to them, dressed in military uniform, and was talking to someone who looked like an officer.
The officer walked up with a beaming smile, clapping his hands as he spoke, "This gentleman's boxing skill is not bad, and your technique is exquisite, exactly the talent Commander Zhang is looking for."
Lin Xing was slightly stunned, sensing something was amiss, "Um... I thought this arena was about winning money for the fight."
Hearing this, the officer burst into laughter, and a sudden surge of murderous intent swelled up in him, compressing toward Lin Xing as if it were tangible.
"Once under Commander Zhang's command, naturally, your future will be prosperous, and you will enjoy endless wealth and honor."
"I am Shi Yingwei, one of the Deputy Generals under Commander Zhang. What might I call you, young friend?"
"This murderous intent," Bai Yiyi assessed, "This guy has also received the inheritance, definitely a soldier's inheritance."
Feeling the murderous intent emanating from the man, Lin Xing felt as though someone had a knife to his neck, his movements becoming somewhat stiff at this moment.
Glancing at the row of gun-wielding thugs behind the man, Lin Xing thought, "If I resist him here, I'm sure to die very quickly. This is a good opportunity for cultivation... but I'm so hungry right now."
Thinking about not eating breakfast on time and then having to endure hunger while time repeatedly flows backward, potentially for months, Lin Xing felt somewhat reluctant.
"Better to fill my stomach first," he decided.
After weighing his options, he introduced himself, "My name is Lin Xing."
Shi Yingwei walked up with a smile, his movements looking gentle but swift as lightning, instantly placing his hand on Lin Xing's shoulder.
"Good, Brother Lin. Come back with me to meet Commander Zhang, from now on we're all on the same team."
Lin Xing struggled a bit but found the man's grip as firm as steel claws, utterly unable to break free.
Judging the difference in strength between them, he thought, "Is the strength of someone with an inheritance so much greater than my robust level?"
Shi Yingwei half-dragged Lin Xing down from the arena, where a soldier had already brought over Lin Xing's belongings.
Then Lin Xing waited next to Shi Yingwei, chatting sporadically with him.
It was only then that Lin Xing learned that this arena was set up by Commander Zhang to recruit skilled fighters from the civilians.
In Shi Yingwei's words, Commander Zhang was currently the ruler of the entire Dongya Prefecture, the most powerful and influential figure within hundreds of miles, and the most dangerous and inviolable person in the whole prefecture.
Anyone in Dongya Prefecture who had offended Commander Zhang, whether major gangs or local magnates, had been annihilated.
By stating this, Shi Yingwei was cautioning Lin Xing to obey and serve Commander Zhang diligently, his words containing an implicit threat.
Upon hearing this, Lin Xing's interest was immediately piqued, "The most dangerous person within hundreds of miles? Then in the future in Mirror World, I just need to seek out Commander Zhang for cultivation, right? I can die however I want and rewind time as many times as I wish."
According to Shi Yingwei's description, to qualify for Commander Zhang's trusted aides, one needed to defeat Hong Dahai or another trusted aide on the arena, or match them without a clear outcome within fifty moves.
Anyone who could endure more than ten moves against Hong Dahai could also join the ranks of the four Deputy Generals.
However, in the following time, nobody besides Lin Xing was able to defeat Hong Dahai on the arena.
Lin Xing, rubbing his increasingly hungry stomach, thought about how he still hadn't been able to eat breakfast on time and finally couldn't help but speak, "I haven't had breakfast yet; is there anything to eat?"
Hearing this, Shi Yingwei laughed and called out, "Someone, go buy some buns for Brother Lin."
Soon after, someone brought up a large portion of steamed buns, and Lin Xing grabbed them and began to eat voraciously.
Shi Yingwei watched this with a slight smile, feeling that the youth's movements revealed a trace of simplicity, making him a good candidate for the military.
No sooner had Lin Xing filled his stomach than the competition ring became devoid of challengers.
Witnessing this scene, Shi Yingwei smiled coldly, "They refuse the face given to them, it seems many in the city still misunderstand the Commander."
"Let's go, Mr. Lin, we should head back."
Shi Weiyin, with Lin Xing and his team of riflemen, turned and left.
Walking behind Shi Yingwei, Lin Xing was also looking forward to meeting the most dangerous man in Dongya Prefecture.
Meanwhile, the vendor who had just been selling buns was cleaning up with blood all over his face. When he saw the approaching group and Lin Xing within it from afar, he immediately scrambled backwards with his belongings, hiding in the crowd.
However, Lin Xing did not notice him and was simply puzzled as to why the small bun stand had disappeared.
Next, Lin Xing followed Shi Yingwei and others to the southwest corner of the county town, where they encountered a large mansion.
According to Shi Yingwei, it was once a royal residence, but since the Commander had arrived in Taiping County, the locals had offered it to him.
The butler came out to greet them, informing that the Commander was not in the mansion today but hosting guests at Tianqing Building, and would meet the recruited trusted aides tomorrow.
Thus, Lin Xing was arranged in a side room within the mansion.
Along the way, Lin Xing saw people constantly cleaning both inside and outside the mansion, even the bluestone tiles under their feet seemed spotless.
The butler advised, "The Commander loves cleanliness and despises anyone who dirties the house. When you come and go from the mansion, always remember to keep yourself tidy to avoid the Commander's blame."
Upon entering the side room and finally being alone, Lin Xing sighed, "Who would have thought I would haphazardly end up under this Commander Zhang?"
Looking around the environment, Lin Xing nodded to himself, "But fortunately, this place is quiet and secluded, suitable for me to comprehend my inheritance. Please help me, Master Bai, in guarding the law."
Bai Yiyi curiously asked, "Do you already know the key points of comprehending the inheritance?"
Lin Xing pointed to his head, "Once I meet all the conditions of the Daoist Child's inheritance, I will know how to comprehend it."
Bai Yiyi still warned, "Be careful of external demonic influences, which are a necessary tribulation of comprehending the inheritance."
Lin Xing nodded in acknowledgment, then sat cross-legged, focusing his attention bit by bit into his own mind.
He could sense all the martial skills he had mastered, each turning into beams of light flickering in his mind.
This time, the comprehension of the inheritance required Taiqing Long Fist, meditation, and talismans.
He tried to focus on these three beams of light, moving them closer together.
At first, the task was difficult, and it felt to Lin Xing like he was trying to push three large trucks.
But Lin Xing remained patient and steadfast in his approach.
Eventually, the three beams of light began to move gradually, and Lin Xing felt his spirit growing increasingly fatigued.
As this fatigue was about to reach its limit, the three beams of light representing Taiqing Long Fist, meditation, and talismans suddenly collided.
In that instant, it seemed countless screams erupted around Lin Xing—voices filled with temptation, fear, and anger continuously speaking beside his ear.
Lin Xing knew this was the external demonic influence encountered during the comprehension of inheritance; any slight distraction would result in a failure.
However, Lin Xing's spirit had been tempered by countless life-and-death battles, and the external demonic intrigue seemed trivial compared to being torn apart by the Mountain God.
Finally, with his perseverance, something seemed to surge out from the collided beams of light.
In the next moment, as the three beams of light separated again, Lin Xing felt something new inside him and knew he had successfully comprehended the Daoist Child's inheritance.