The Liro Kingdom had always placed great emphasis on martial power, and the populace had a strong inclination toward martial arts. Opening a martial arts school was a lucrative business, and there were over sixty martial arts schools of various sizes in Qiyuan City. Most had numerous apprentices and a steady flow of income, but some smaller schools struggled, their doors hardly seeing any patrons.
As noon approached, Sun Chengwu sent off a few apprentices and stood at the entrance of the training room, lost in thought, feeling increasingly anxious. His Martial Arts Hall had been open for half a year, yet only five or six people came to practice. Sighing, he wondered how much longer he could hold on. He looked around at the mess in the training room and shouted, "Xiao Guo, are you slacking off again? Hurry up and clean up the training room!"
A voice from outside replied, "Okay, I'm coming." A young man entered, carrying a bucket and mop, wearing a cheerful expression. He nodded at Sun Chengwu and said, "Master, you've worked hard. I'll clean the room right away." Sun Chengwu, still feeling irritated, snorted and walked out of the room.
This young man was none other than Guo Xingyue. Half a year ago, while considering how to blend in with ordinary people, he had noticed this martial arts school opening and was recruiting a handyman, offering food and accommodation. Although Guo Xingyue's cultivation was not restored, he didn't require meals or a place to sleep. However, to avoid drawing attention, he needed a quiet place. The school was located in a relatively secluded area and was newly opened, with the master acting as the only instructor, free from complicated interpersonal entanglements. Guo Xingyue decided to apply for the job. After a few days of trial, Sun Chengwu found that although the young man was not very talkative, he was quite diligent, so he decided to keep him on.
Guo Xingyue had been at the Martial Arts Hall for six months. Aside from some daily chores, his life was relatively relaxed. Whenever he had free time, he would ponder the secrets of cultivation, hoping to find a way to resolve the magical essence in his nascent soul. Yet, he had made no progress; no matter how he mobilized his true essence, he could not expel that pesky magical essence. Nevertheless, Guo Xingyue remained undeterred and continued to cultivate daily, but due to the interference of the magical essence, his recovery was extremely slow. He noticed Sun Chengwu's troubles as well: in Guo Xingyue's view, Sun Chengwu's martial skills were only average. If he were to be placed in the martial world of Pangu Star, he would barely be considered a third-rate expert; here on Lingyan Star, he was at best second-rate. With such martial skills, it was no wonder that patrons were scarce at the newly opened Martial Arts Hall. Sun Chengwu was a sincere person and treated Guo Xingyue well. Guo Xingyue planned to find an appropriate moment to offer him some guidance.
Feeling frustrated, Sun Chengwu instructed Guo Xingyue to clean the training room and then left for the streets. After Sun Chengwu left, Guo Xingyue set down the bucket and began to mop the floor. Although he could quickly clean the training room using techniques, he didn't want to expose his identity as a cultivator. While his powerful spiritual awareness ensured that all ordinary people and most demon cultivators would not detect him using true essence, caution was wise on this demon cultivator planet. Moreover, Guo Xingyue had never experienced the life of doing chores. Since starting his exploration of the secrets of cultivation, he felt increasingly that the ordinary was the path, that the Dao existed within all things, and that daily life also contained principles of the Dao. Therefore, Guo Xingyue approached these chores seriously without using any true essence to cut corners.
While Guo Xingyue was diligently mopping the floor, he suddenly sensed a group of people entering through the main door, their intentions seeming unfriendly. He stopped his work and stepped out of the training room, only to see a group of brutish men striding toward him with a fierce demeanor. Guo Xingyue felt a stirring in his heart: ah, here come the extortionists. As expected, the leading burly man, his face full of bluster, shouted, "Where's your master? Get him out here! It's been over six months; it's time to pay the protection fee!"
Guo Xingyue smiled slightly and replied, "The master isn't here. You can talk to me about it."
The burly man laughed heartily, "Good! Then hand over the money. The total protection fee for the past six months is three hundred gold coins. Since I find you agreeable, I'll give you a discount. Just bring me two hundred coins, and we'll call it even."
There were a total of thirteen men in the group, all of them sturdy and steady on their feet, showing some martial skill. However, in Guo Xingyue's eyes, they were just a bunch of chicken feathers. Before stepping onto the path of cultivation, he had been the top martial artist in the Pangu Star's martial world. Even a horde of them would be a trivial matter, and he wouldn't even need to use true essence to deal with them. The big man was asking for two hundred gold coins right off the bat, clearly trying to extort. The Martial Arts Hall itself was worth at most two hundred coins. Guo Xingyue found this both amusing and infuriating, and he decided to have a little fun with these guys.
Guo Xingyue laughed, "That's easy to say! I do have the gold coins, but I wonder how you plan to take them?"
The leading man was taken aback by Guo Xingyue's good-natured response. Typically, when they demanded protection fees, they often had to go through a lengthy negotiation and sometimes even a fight to collect some money. He paused for a moment before responding, his mouth agape, "Hahaha, good! Just bring out the gold coins, and we'll take them and leave."
Guo Xingyue smiled and said, "Oh, it seems you didn't understand me. I'm asking what makes you think you can take the gold coins?"
Only then did the group of men realize that Guo Xingyue had been toying with them. Their expressions turned furious, and they began to curse loudly. The leading man silenced his companions' curses and glared at Guo Xingyue fiercely, saying, "Kid, you've got some guts to dare mock us! You should know who we are—Thirteen Eagles of Qiyuan City! If you don't teach you a lesson, you won't understand how high the heavens are or how thick the earth is!"
"Haha, as for how high the heavens are, I truly don't know. But as for how thick the earth is, I can tell you very clearly."
The leading man was puzzled and asked, "How thick is the earth?"
Guo Xingyue chuckled and said, "It should be about as thick as your skin."
Only then did the group of men realize they had been tricked again. Each one shouted and charged toward Guo Xingyue. Guo Xingyue didn't regard them as threats at all. He laughed heartily, welcoming the rushing group and darting among them like a butterfly weaving through flowers. Wherever he passed, chaos ensued, and none could withstand his skill. In the blink of an eye, thirteen fierce men lay sprawled on the ground, all of them crying for their mothers. Guo Xingyue clapped his hands cheerfully and said, "Everyone, it's cold and the ground is chilly. Be careful not to catch a cold. I still have things to attend to, so you may leave now."