8: What's the point of becoming a martial artist if you don't have the money?

"How did you kno... No! Nothing!"

Luo Hua, like a little mouse whose tail had been caught, almost blurted it out. He quickly stuffed goose meat into his mouth to prevent any slip of the tongue.

He didn't even know the other person's real name yet, but after a few days of chatting, he found many compatible views and couldn't help but develop a good impression.

Luo Hongguo and Gong Xinlan looked at Luo Hua's flustered attempts to cover up, a knowing smile appearing on their faces.

"Alright, alright, I won't keep you in suspense any longer."

"I have some good news I want to share with all of you, and that is—I've broken through to Advanced Trainee!"

Qiao Yu sat up straight like a well-behaved elementary school student, smiling as he spoke to everyone.

Luo Hua was just wrestling with his braised goose when he heard Qiao Yu say he had broken through to Advanced Trainee. His mouth fell open, and the goose meat dropped into his bowl.

"What? Brother Yu, what did you say?"

Luo Hongguo had just taken a mouthful of rice and swallowed it stiffly before he could even chew.

"Xiao Yu? You've broken through to Advanced Trainee?"

Gong Xinlan also looked at Qiao Yu with surprise.

"It's true!"

Qiao Yu nodded solemnly.

"But for the past two years, haven't you been... *cough cough*!"

Luo Hongguo was about to say that Qiao Yu hadn't made any progress in the past two years, but Gong Xinlan's elbow jab blocked the words in his throat.

"Brother Yu, I remember you've always been an Intermediate Trainee, right? Logically speaking, shouldn't you have to become an Intermediate Trainee before breaking through to Advanced Trainee?"

Luo Hua caught the blind spot in Qiao Yu's words.

"That's right! You have to become an Intermediate Trainee before you can break through to Advanced Trainee." Qiao Yu nodded in agreement.

"Xiao Yu, did what happened at Tiandu Garden today stress you out too much? As for work, take as many days off as you need, don't put too much pressure on yourself."

Luo Hongguo touched Qiao Yu's forehead, then his own. He wasn't running a fever.

Qiao Yu had opened his heart to them, and Luo Hongguo was arguably the happiest person, but this sudden leap from Intermediate Trainee to Advanced Trainee was truly unbelievable.

It was like someone who usually scored 200 on mock exams suddenly scored 600 on the college entrance exam.

"Uncle Luo, Aunt Lan, Luo Hua. It's true! Didn't Luo Feng say that every time he faints, his physique gets a huge boost? I've also had some fortuitous encounters recently."

Seeing Qiao Yu speak so earnestly, not like he was joking, Luo Hongguo and the others began to believe him.

Coupled with Luo Feng having told them about his fainting enhancement method before, they didn't feel it was so surprising after all.

"Xiao Yu... Good! Truly good!"

Luo Hongguo was choked up for a moment. Qiao Yu's father had died saving him, and Qiao Yu had to live under someone else's roof and live alone at such a young age.

Despite all of Qiao Yu's past efforts, his strength had never improved an inch. He constantly tortured his body through training, trying to break his limits, but was repeatedly beaten back by reality.

Even though he had never treated Qiao Yu poorly, he was the person, besides Qiao Yu himself, who most wished for Qiao Yu to live a good life.

All these years, he had lived in guilt.

"Xiao Yu, after Xiao Feng comes out, Aunt Lan will make you a big meal to celebrate properly."

Gong Xinlan didn't know how else to congratulate him, so she could only offer the most simple and unadorned words.

"Brother Yu, then you should also be able to become a martial artist like my brother very soon!"

Luo Hua offered his sincere blessings. His smile was genuine, but deep in his eyes, there was a trace of loneliness.

He had recently discovered he had quite a talent in the financial field and had been thinking that if Qiao Yu also had this talent, he could research it with him. Now, it seemed he would have to study it alone.

Qiao Yu felt a warmth in his heart as he looked at the Luo family's sincere and joyful blessings for him.

Since his transmigration, he had only seen the Luo family as Luo Feng's dependents, thinking he could cling to Luo Feng's thigh through this connection.

But in fact, every member of the Luo family had their own independent thoughts and ideas.

"Haha, Advanced Trainee is still far from being a martial artist. I'll take your auspicious words, Luo Hua."

Qiao Yu picked up a piece of meat for Luo Hua. He said it out loud, but inwardly, he gave a wry smile.

After this upgrade, to upgrade to a martial artist, he would need 1000 liters of flesh and blood mycelium, a hundredfold increase.

That is to say, cultivating one thousand liters of flesh and blood mycelium would require ten thousand jin of monster meat, which translates to one million in money.

For wealthy families, let alone one million, they would be willing to spend one hundred million for a martial artist.

But where was he going to get a million from?

Borrow a million from Luo Feng once he becomes a martial artist?

What a headache!

...Yian District, a certain KTV.

"Brother Zhou, I invited you here today because I need your help..."

"Two hundred thousand, for breaking a leg and an arm..."

"Alright, Brother Zhou, take care..."

After seeing off Zhou Huayang, Zhang Haobai sat on the long sofa in the private room, smoking with his legs crossed.

"Luo Feng's matter is settled, next up are his lackeys."

"I can't beat Luo Feng, but can't I beat you? Why can't poor people just take the bullying? Why do you have to cause me so much trouble? Is it that hard for me to just vent my anger?"

Zhang Haobai thought about how he had brutally beaten Qiao Yu that afternoon. He hadn't had such a satisfying fight in a long time, and his heart felt a little itchy.

He took out a black security briefcase from the corner, entered the password, and opened it.

Zhang Haobai looked at the test tube of green glowing genetic fluid, his eyes shining.

"As long as I drink this B-grade genetic fluid that my uncle brought back and become a martial artist, then whether you're Luo Feng or Qiao Feng, you'll all die!"

"It's a pity that I've been using medicine since I was young, and my foundation is too unstable. I must take this under my uncle's supervision to break through to a martial artist, otherwise, accidents are prone to happen."

Zhang Zehu had said he would return tonight, and Zhang Haobai had been excitedly carrying the genetic fluid all evening.

However, the Tiger Tooth Squad had discovered traces of a Silver Moon Fierce Wolf in the wilderness, and Zhang Zehu suddenly became unavailable again.

Zhang Haobai could only sigh and close the security briefcase.

As soon as he closed it, his phone vibrated in his pocket. Had his uncle returned?

He took out his phone and saw that it was one of his subordinates. Zhang Haobai's smiling face immediately fell.

"Hello?"

"Young Master Zhang! That kid is out! He's heading to the wet market now!"

Zhang Haobai's interest was immediately piqued. As soon as he left the police station today, he had sent his subordinate to follow Qiao Yu, all to vent his anger!

"This coward finally came out. His injuries probably haven't healed yet. Find a place to corner him. Don't tell me four Intermediate Martial Artists can't beat one beginner. Share your location, I'm coming over now!"

After seeing his subordinate enable location sharing, Zhang Haobai picked up the briefcase and immediately set off. Tonight, not only would Luo Feng be crippled, but this Qiao Yu would be no exception!

...After bidding farewell to the Luo family, Qiao Yu chose to continue purchasing monster meat. His remaining balance was not much, but he could only buy some to stock up on bacterial colonies first.

He definitely couldn't go to the same wet market from this morning. Buying so much monster meat in the same market within a day might attract unnecessary attention, so he had to switch to a more distant wet market.

During dinner, Qiao Yu had already explained to Luo Hongguo that he would focus all his time on advancing to a martial artist, so he certainly couldn't waste time on work. Luo Hongguo naturally had no objections.

He wasn't a martial artist yet, so he couldn't join a squad, nor could he let the fungal swarm scavenge monster meat for free in the Wilderness Area. However, his remaining money wasn't enough to buy monster meat to improve himself.

"A million truly stumps a hero. How can you become a martial artist without money!"

Qiao Yu walked and pondered, completely unaware that several pairs of eyes in the surrounding crowd were secretly watching him.