I achieved mastery of martial arts during the Republic of China era.

Chapter 44 Breaking Through Iron Skin, Martial Arts Value Competition

In mid-April of the lunar calendar, the twilight in Cangzhou still carried some of the daytime heat.

On the second floor of the North City Police Station, the shadows cast obliquely into the room through the window.

Zhou Tong glanced at his watch; it was almost time for his shift to end. He had just begun tidying up the table when Chen Yan's solicitous voice rang out beside him:

"Boss, you don't need to do these rough jobs!"

Before he finished speaking, Chen Yan had already rushed to the table, deftly took the documents from Zhou Tong's hands, and then picked up a rag to wipe the already clean tabletop.

His movements were deliberately cautious, and he kept glancing at Zhou Tong out of the corner of his eye.

After wiping it a few times, Chen Yan put on a smile and said casually:

"Boss, tomorrow's the day... As usual, we should visit those shops downstairs. Would you like to go yourself, or do it for me as before?"

The office fell silent instantly.

Li Kangzheng stopped adjusting his belt, and Zhao Hu stared down at the tips of his shoes, even his breathing became lighter.

Seven or eight pairs of eyes subtly fell on Zhou Tong, waiting for what would happen next.

Zhou Tong was slightly taken aback, only then remembering that Chen Yan had indeed mentioned this matter a few days ago.

He had barely begun speaking when Qin Lie called him away, and he forgot about it afterward.

The term "going around" refers to collecting tributes from merchants within the jurisdiction, which are customarily offered as tributes.

This is an unspoken rule within the police department:

The top merchants deal directly with the captain, the next level associates with the squad leader, and those below that get to associate with squad leaders like Zhou Tong.

The entire police department operates in this manner.

The merchant's tribute is given four times a year. The last time he received a tribute, he had not yet started working. This was the first time for him.

According to the usual practice that Chen Yan had previously revealed, a squad leader would receive two hundred silver dollars each time.

The total comes to over sixty yuan a month, which is equivalent to the monthly income of an ordinary bone-forging martial arts master.

The saying "A clean prefect for three years can amass 100,000 taels of silver" illustrates this point: with an official position, there's no shortage of illicit gains, both overt and covert.

Zhou Tong's gaze slowly swept over the crowd.

Beneath those smiling faces lay barely concealed anxiety.

Zhou Tong knew exactly what was going on.

He had forgotten about this matter before, and his subordinates were unsure of his thoughts and dared not bring it up again. They were probably still worried, fearing that he was young and impetuous and could not tolerate any wrongdoing, thus cutting off their source of income.

"If the water is too clear, there will be no fish. In this world, if I don't accept these offers, not only will my subordinates lose heart, but the merchants will also have sleepless nights."

Zhou Tong thought to himself.

The Zhou family has always been involved in business, and they've spent a lot of time bribing various people during holidays and festivals. He's long been familiar with these customs and practices.

Taking money is fine, as long as they are willing to put in the effort when the time comes, everyone will be happy.

He hesitated for a moment, then, under the watchful eyes of everyone, looked at Chen Yan and casually said:

"I have something to do tomorrow morning, so I won't be coming to the bureau. You're familiar with this matter, so everything will proceed as usual."

As soon as the words were spoken, the somewhat tense atmosphere in the room suddenly became relaxed.

Chen Yan's smile deepened, and he patted his chest, confidently declaring:

"Don't worry, boss! I know the old rules very well. The gift has already been prepared. It'll just be a formality when I visit, it's very simple!"

Li Kang and the others echoed in agreement, their laughter revealing a sense of relief and lightheartedness.

Zhou Tong said no more, picked up his thin woolen coat from the back of the chair, nodded slightly to everyone, and turned to leave.

……

After returning home and having a simple dinner with his parents, Zhou Tong went to the backyard alone.

According to the panel's instructions, tonight is the night to break through the Iron Skin barrier.

Zhou Tong was particularly looking forward to this.

The situation is relatively stable now, but the Worry-Free Sect is about to take root in the city, and who knows what the future holds?

The world changes in an instant. Before the situation completely collapses, having more strength means having more ability to withstand risks.

In addition, Zhou Tong was very envious of the controlled drugs that Senior Hu mentioned.

However, to perform a great service worthy of such a reward, one must possess sufficient strength.

Otherwise, if you don't have the strength when the opportunity really comes, you can only watch it slip away.

The April night breeze still carried a chill, and the old locust tree in the corner of the courtyard cast a blurry silhouette in the dim light.

Thinking to himself, Zhou Tong took off his outer garment, took out the Golden Jade Ointment and carefully applied it all over his body, then took the newly prepared medicine powder with warm yellow wine.

The medicine quickly took effect, and a hot current rose from his lower abdomen.

He took a deep breath and assumed the stance of a dragon and tiger training exercise in the courtyard.

The flow of Qi and blood is smooth and gradual as the standing meditation is performed, eventually becoming as turbulent as a tide.

He could clearly feel a fullness deep within his muscles, as if something, after countless trials, had finally reached the critical point of transformation.

Once, twice, three times...

Sweat soaked through his thin short-sleeved shirt, and his breathing grew heavier in the silence.

At a certain moment—

Zhou Tong's body jolted violently!

It was as if an invisible barrier inside my body had suddenly shattered, and the flow of my blood and qi surged dramatically!

The muscles under the skin twitch and tighten violently, making a faint "clucking" sound like a bowstring being taut.

A power far more solid and ruthless than that of the Stone Skin Realm surged forth from the depths of his bone marrow.

He stopped his stance and slowly clenched his fist.

As the five fingers closed, a low hum, like metal rubbing together, was produced.

The muscles on his arms bulged out, gleaming with a cold, hard, iron-gray luster under the moonlight. They were as hard as armor to the touch, yet contained an astonishing elasticity.

"Iron Skin...it's done!"

Zhou Tong muttered to himself. Upon careful observation, he could feel that his current strength, endurance, and even the smoothness of his blood circulation were far superior to those of the Stone Muscle Realm.

"I wonder how my current strength, combined with my perfected swordsmanship and the Shadowless Secret Technique, compares to that of someone at the Bone Forging Realm?"

Zhou Tong clenched his fist, eager to try.

After bathing and changing, Zhou Tong returned to his room.

He took out an iron box from a hidden compartment at the foot of the bed and took out the dark copper piece.

As I ran my fingertips over the engraving of "My strength can uproot mountains and my spirit can cover the world," the image of the tripod being lifted on the back gleamed softly under the light.

"After pondering for a long time, I still came up with nothing..."

Zhou Tong frowned slightly, his gaze deepening.

"Either this item is a fake, or it is indeed related to the Overlord, but has nothing to do with martial arts."

"Or...?"

A glint flashed in his eyes: "This item is indeed a true treasure, but as Senior Hu said, the ultimate path demands extremely high talent. Even if an ordinary person can master it, the treasure remains hidden, nothing more than a mirage, and they cannot fathom its mysteries."

With this thought in mind, Zhou Tong narrowed his eyes slightly.

He recalled the hint about "Golden Skin" on the panel—it wasn't a simple breakthrough in realm, but more like a divine state of physical perfection.

"Golden Hada... if it is truly as the Daoist Canon says, is the mark of developing muscles to their fullest potential."

"If this item truly is a supreme treasure for the physical body, then after achieving the Golden Body realm, will I be able to comprehend its mysteries?"

Thinking of this, Zhou Tong's thoughts drifted far away, and the turbulent events of more than two thousand years ago, as mentioned by Manager Hu that day, resurfaced.

Zhuangzi observed the Kunpeng and comprehended the ultimate Dao of the physical body; Xiang Yu possessed the strength to uproot mountains; Zhang Liang used divine arts to confuse the mind of the overlord…

"Liu Bang, Xiang Yu, Zhang Liang... I also have these figures in my memories of my past life, and their historical trajectories are the same, but there are no strange rumors about cultivation."

Zhou Tong's gaze narrowed slightly. "In addition, the histories of the two worlds are almost identical from the Qin and Han dynasties to the Tang dynasty, but they gradually diverged from the Song dynasty onwards, and completely diverged by the Ming dynasty, like two flowers that bloomed from the same root."

"Parallel universes, huh...?"

He shook his head and carefully put the copper piece away.

Sometimes, the memories of the two worlds overlapped, making him feel somewhat disoriented.

But he knew in his heart that the two were ultimately different.

There was no martial arts, no evil spirits in my past life...

……

The next morning, Zhou Tong changed into an indigo-blue thin cotton long gown and went straight to the Dragon Tiger Martial Arts School.

In the bright morning light of April, the courtyard of the martial arts school was already filled with shouts and the sounds of practicing martial arts.

As soon as he stepped through the door, his disciples stopped what they were doing and greeted him warmly.

Good morning, Junior Brother Zhou!

"Senior Brother Zhou, are you free today?"

Zhou Tong nodded with a smile, exchanging pleasantries as he walked without stopping, passing through the training ground in the front yard and heading straight to the main hall.

The hall door was open, and the eldest brother, Chen Zong, sat on a rosewood chair by the window. Hearing the sound, he looked up and gazed calmly at the sound.

"Senior Brother."

Zhou Tong clasped his hands in a salute, stepped inside, and stood before Chen Zong, getting straight to the point:

"I was fortunate enough to break through to the Iron Muscle Realm last night, and I have come to report this."

Chen Zong paused almost imperceptibly in the teacup he was holding.

He looked up at Zhou Tong, a flash of surprise crossing his eyes.

It took Liu Qing ninety-one days to go from stone-like skin to iron-like skin, and Zheng Hao ninety-three days. This is the fastest record in the martial arts school in the past ten years.

Chen Zong quickly calculated Zhou Tong's progress in his mind: eighty-three days!

This speed has surpassed that of Liu Qing and Zheng Hao.

He put down his teacup and stood up without saying a word, only extending a finger to place on the arm that Zhou Tong offered.

The moment his fingertips touched his skin, Zhou Tong secretly circulated his qi and blood, causing the muscles in his arm to suddenly tense up, revealing a hard, iron-like texture.

"His qi and blood are stagnant, and his muscles are like cast iron; indeed, his iron muscles are beginning to take shape."

Chen Zong slowly withdrew his hand, sat back in his chair, and a rare faint smile appeared on his face:

"In martial arts training, some people take one step at a time and succeed with their steadiness; some people start quickly but cannot maintain it for long; and some people not only start quickly but also have long-lasting strength. It seems that you are the last type."

Zhou Tong bowed: "Senior Brother, you flatter me. I was just lucky."

As Chen Zong said, the human body is mysterious and unpredictable, and the speed of cultivation is not static. Otherwise, how could there be terms like "a flash in the pan" or "a late bloomer"?

It was precisely because there were many such precedents that Zhou Tong dared to openly expose his cultivation speed, which was different from before, without worrying about others suspecting anything.

Chen Zong blew on the foam on the surface of his teacup, took a small sip of tea, and then looked up at Zhou Tong again, asking meaningfully:

"Your training speed has broken the martial arts school's record for nearly ten years. This is a good thing for you, and it is also good for the martial arts school."

I intend to inform all my disciples about this as an encouragement. What do you think?

Upon hearing this, Zhou Tong's mind raced.

The eldest brother, who was in charge of the martial arts school, rarely spoke, but he was very perceptive about everything. How could he not know about the undercurrents within the school?

He has now surpassed Liu Qing and Zheng Hao in terms of training speed. In terms of comprehension and physical talent, he is the number one in the martial arts school in the past ten years.

This is already a considerable threat to those two who aspire to become his disciples. How will they react?

Zhou Tong knew that while his senior brother was talking about making things public, he was actually trying to gauge Zhou Tong's attitude towards the matter of having a personal disciple.

At that moment, Zhou Tong met Chen Zong's gaze and said frankly, "It's all up to Senior Brother to decide."

He paused for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "My senior brother once taught me the art of concealing one's edge, saying that a martial artist must never lose that three-tenths of sharpness on his face. If you lose it, you become an ordinary person. I have always kept that in mind."

A hint of satisfaction flashed in Chen Zong's eyes.

He set down his teacup, tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest, and said slowly:

"That's right. You must know when to hide and when to fight. That bit of sharpness is the root of 'fighting'."

He paused, his voice slow yet clear:

"Everyone wants the good things and opportunities in this world, so why should we give them to you?"

Within martial arts schools, people fight for resources and titles; on the streets, they vie for territory and livelihoods; among merchants, they compete for footholds and customers... Such is the way of the world.

Every step we take forward in life is a tearing apart!

If you are born in a chaotic world and do not want to move forward, you should be prepared to be taken advantage of and wiped out if you are not careful.

This applies to individuals, and it also applies to nations.

At this point, his tone turned slightly somber: "In this world, foreigners are knocking on our doors, and Japan is also eager to make its move. If our nation does not fight back..."

Chen Zong shook his head slightly and did not continue speaking.

Zhou Tong respectfully clasped his hands and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother."

Chen Zong looked at Zhou Tong again, his gaze deepening.

"Striving is an attitude. But how to strive, and how to protect oneself in the eye of the storm—that is where wisdom lies."

He paused, then asked, "Are you... ready?"

Zhou Tong nodded slowly: "Thank you for your concern, Senior Brother. I am prepared."

"Care?"

The eldest brother shook his head slightly and said:

"Only when there are many people competing can the best person be chosen. I am just doing my duty as the senior brother. Don't misunderstand and think that I am biased towards you."

Zhou Tong's expression turned solemn, and he cupped his hands, saying, "Senior Brother is always fair in his actions."

Chen Zong said no more, got up and dusted off his long gown.

"Alright then."

He strode towards the hall exit, his voice calm: "Come with me."

The April sun was shining brightly, and figures moved about in the front yard practice area.

The shouts in front of the wooden stakes, the muffled thuds of sandbags being struck, and the sharp whistles of weapons cutting through the air blended into a familiar cacophony.

Chen Zong stopped in front of the steps, Zhou Tong half a step behind him.

"Stop for a moment, I have something to announce."

Chen Zong's gaze slowly swept across the arena, his voice not loud, yet clearly drowning out all the shouts and clanging of metal.

Upon hearing this, the disciples all stopped what they were doing and looked at Chen Zong.

Then, everyone saw that Zhou Tong was standing quietly half a step behind Senior Brother Chen Zong.

He wore an indigo long gown, stood upright, and had a calm expression.

Everyone immediately understood that what the senior brother was about to announce must be related to Zhou Tong.

Zheng Hao and Liu Qing also turned their gazes to Zhou Tong, their eyes revealing a hint of surprise and doubt. They exchanged a glance, said nothing, and slowly walked over.

The other disciples also gathered around, standing in a group about five or six steps in front of Chen Zong.

A series of gazes swept over Zhou Tong, and silent speculations floated in the air.

Chen Zong took in everyone's reactions and suddenly spoke up: "Zhou Tong!"

Zhou Tong understood, stepped forward half a step, and bowed to the crowd with clasped hands.

Chen Zong looked at everyone, his voice steady:

"Junior Brother Zhou Tong broke through to the Iron Muscle Realm last night."

As soon as he finished speaking, the room fell silent.

Without pausing, the eldest brother continued, "From stone skin to iron skin, the total time taken is eighty-three days!"

This speed is unprecedented in the past decade for our Dragon Tiger Martial Arts School, a truly joyous occasion. I am informing everyone of this to encourage you all!