Chapter 410: Pre-Battle Preparations

Since Lu Jin had dared to kidnap Wang Yu, he must have made ample preparations. Tonight, Xinhu High School was bound to be a dragon's pool and a tiger's den. I absolutely could not underestimate the enemy.

"You all stepped forward in my time of need, and I'll keep that kindness in my heart," I said. "But the people we're dealing with tonight aren't ordinary. Their methods go beyond anything you can imagine. If anyone wants to back out, there's still time."

I scanned the brothers Er Gou had brought over. None of them showed the slightest intention of retreating. I gave a subtle nod and continued, "You know the danger, yet you're still willing to risk your lives for a friend, so I won't get sentimental. Practice your boxing around here during the day, and I'll give you some pointers. I'll also get some body-strengthening medicine from Ganding Pharmaceuticals to help temper your physiques. We'll try to push everyone's strength to the next level before night falls."

Er Gou and I had practiced the Eight-Step Crushing Fist in a dream, throwing tens of thousands of punches before figuring out how to exert our inner strength and grasping its various techniques. Now, I passed those techniques on to them without holding anything back.

"There's a Taekwondo dojo on the other side of Ting Tang Road. Head there first. I need to draw up a detailed plan."

Once Er Gou and the others left, I called Secretary Zhang to ask about the research progress on the Foundation-Solidifying and Origin-Cultivating Pill and the Stone Spirit Powder. I learned that both medicines had been successfully developed and manufactured according to their formulas. However, because a few of the medicinal herbs were quite rare, mass production was temporarily impossible. Their R&D department was working overnight to improve the formulas.

I asked Secretary Zhang to put the expense on my tab, hoping to get a few sets of the finished medicine on credit. After some haggling, Director Huang called me personally to say that the drugs were still in the experimental phase and they could provide five sets at most.

About an hour later, Secretary Zhang hurried into the Adult Shop with a silver briefcase in hand.

"Mr. Gao, Ganding Pharmaceuticals bears an undeniable responsibility for Wang Yu's disappearance. Director Huang also feels very apologetic. He specifically instructed me to provide you with this medicine as compensation in his personal capacity."

"Director Huang is too thoughtful." I didn't stand on ceremony with Secretary Zhang and opened the briefcase right in front of him. Inside sat ten Foundation-Solidifying and Origin-Cultivating Pills and five sets of Stone Spirit Powder ointment. "Ten pills? Did you make a mistake?"

"The Foundation-Solidifying and Origin-Cultivating Pill has been successfully developed, and since Director Huang knew you needed it, he's given you the entire inventory. As for the Stone Spirit Powder, the ingredients are truly scarce. Five sets are our absolute limit. I hope you can understand Director Huang's position and won't let this affect our future cooperation." Secretary Zhang offered an apologetic smile, keeping his posture very humble.

"Rest assured. In truth, even if you hadn't given me a single dose, I wouldn't have fallen out with Ganding Pharmaceuticals. Well then, thank Director Huang for me." My mind was perfectly clear, and I knew exactly what Huang Boyuan was planning. He was casting a long line to catch a big fish; by granting these favors, he was tying me firmly to Ganding Pharmaceuticals so he could easily monopolize the pill formulas in my hands later.

After seeing Secretary Zhang off, I first gave one Foundation-Solidifying and Origin-Cultivating Pill to Mr. Gu to help him nurse his health. Then, I carried the briefcase over to the Taekwondo dojo to find Chen Er Gou.

When I arrived, I saw a strange scene before I even walked through the door.

The largest training area in the hall had been taken over by Er Gou and the others. Rather than getting angry, the nearby Taekwondo enthusiasts were watching them with keen interest. Even the Black Belt dojo director was among the spectators.

"I underestimated Huaxia martial arts. In today's society, there are indeed plenty of parasites swindling people under the guise of ancient martial arts, but there are also some who have mastered the true martial dao." The director watched Er Gou practice without taking his eyes off him, nodding from time to time.

"Martial arts are divided into two types: one is for performance, and the other is for killing," I said, parting the crowd and squeezing my way through.

Seeing me step inside, Er Gou and the others stopped what they were doing and turned their heads in unison. They were only a breath away from shouting—hello, big brother!

"Aren't you guys being a bit too high-profile? Er Gou, go rent a smaller training room and don't let outsiders in." Ten minutes later, I brought Er Gou and his men to a new training room. I locked the door and took the medicine out of the briefcase. "The ancient martial art you're practicing is called the Eight-Step Crushing Fist. When combined with pills brewed from this ancient formula, it produces miraculous effects."

To avoid unnecessary trouble, I didn't tell them the name of the pills. It was for their own protection. Sometimes, the more you knew, the more danger you were in.

After Er Gou and the others took the Foundation-Solidifying and Origin-Cultivating Pills, their faces flushed with vitality, their blood and qi surging like wolves. When they threw punches, the air faintly whistled around their fists; their strength had increased by at least twenty or thirty percent.

"Jian Ge, do you have any more of this panacea? I feel as light as a swallow after eating it, like I've got an endless supply of energy. I reckon one punch could knock down a cow." After Er Gou spoke, his underlings chimed in, echoing his praise.

I packed away the remaining pills. "I have another type of medicine here that can greatly enhance the human body's resistance to blows, making the skin like rock walls and the body like solid stone. However, I only have five portions, so you can decide among yourselves who gets to use it."

"Skin like stone? Wouldn't that make us invulnerable to swords and spears?"

"I don't believe it. Isn't that a bit of an exaggeration?"

"Li Li, you went to high school and have the highest education level among us. Have you ever heard of this kind of medicine?"

"Damn it, even if I had studied abroad, I wouldn't be able to figure this stuff out!"

I raised my hand to signal for quiet. "Being invulnerable is definitely an exaggeration. This ointment's main function is to improve your resistance to impacts and enhance your ability to protect yourselves."

A dozen seconds later, Er Gou stepped forward with four others. "Tonight is a fight for our lives, so the best steel needs to be used on the blade's edge. These four have a lot of combat experience and should be able to help you out tremendously."

Er Gou introduced the four people behind him one by one. "These two who look alike are called Peng Qiu and Peng Dong. They're brothers who both served in the military, so their strength goes without saying. As for the other two, the tall, muscular one is Zhang Dali—he's a bit slow, but fiercely loyal. The short, skinny one is Knife; he knows a thing or two about throwing knives, and I met him back in the labor camp. The four of them plus me... us five will take this medicine."

"Pleased to meet you." I cupped my hands toward them, then turned to look at the other two men. "And what are your names, brothers? Once this matter is settled, I will definitely compensate you with the ointment."

"It doesn't matter if you compensate them or not; those two aren't very good at fighting anyway." Er Gou pointed at the one wearing glasses. "This is Li Li. He's full of dirty tricks and specializes in coming up with crooked ideas. That fat-headed, big-eared guy is Fatty Ma. He's from my village and eats like a pig. His parents kicked him out because they couldn't handle him anymore, so now he hangs out with me. He's basically our designated driver."

"You've got quite the complete crew here." After I finished getting acquainted with Er Gou's brothers, I took out the Stone Spirit Powder and helped apply it to their skin.

The Stone Spirit Powder looked like silicone, but when it was actually applied to the skin, it formed a thin layer that slowly seeped into the flesh.

"Grappling and taking hits can promote the absorption of the Stone Spirit Powder, but be careful not to overdo it. We still have serious business to attend to tonight."

I gave them some pointers on their boxing techniques and taught them the most basic meditation and abdominal breathing methods used in Daoist cultivation before getting up to leave.

Finding a deserted spot, I took out the Underworld Live Show Phone and browsed the product catalog, wanting to exchange for something that could save my life. 'If things keep going like this, let alone saving up points, I'll be lucky if they don't drop to zero. When will I ever save up ten thousand points?'

I shook my head, driving the thought out of my mind.

I only had sixty-nine points left to use. If I spent them all, I could get something pretty good, but those treasures were too expensive for me and had an extremely low cost-performance ratio.

Moreover, carrying a tremendous treasure might draw the covetous eyes of even more people.

'Should I exchange for a few Upper Vehicle Talismans?' A Random High-Tier Talisman cost ten points apiece. Because it was completely random, I had no idea what I would get. After thinking it over, I decided to drop the idea.

'My luck is incredibly bad. If I exchange for a talisman I don't need, wasting points will be highly detrimental to my future broadcasts. Even if I survive and rescue Wang Yu, I'll lose the capital to compete with them later on. I can't do it. These sixty-nine points absolutely cannot be wasted.'

I put my phone away and returned to Ting Tang Road, closing my eyes to circulate the Profound Truth Mental Method. My spirit platform became clear and bright. 'If I use the Profound Truth Talisman Methods tonight, it'll be tantamount to willingly admitting that I secretly learned the Profound Truth Dao Method. But if I don't form hand seals or chant incantations, I'll only be able to unleash half of my strength. Caught in this dilemma... do I really have to enter a full-scale conflict with the Profound Truth Dao?'

I knew very well in my heart that the moment I used the Profound Truth Talisman Methods in front of Lu Jin and Lu Chen, there would be no room left to maneuver between me and the Profound Truth Dao.