Apocalypse: Grinding EXP through Hunting

Inside the Council Hall.

Vice Gang Leader Lin laughed out loud. "Wash your face? Then wash it well. I guarantee it! This will be the last time you ever wash your face in this life."

The others also looked quite surprised.

Vice Gang Leader Zhao, seeing Tang Wen’s calm expression, shot a look outside.

Within a few breaths, two slaves carried in a long table.

Another person brought in a copper basin.

The basin was filled with clean water, and a bar of white scented soap sat on the table.

Tang Wen rolled up his sleeves, scooped up a handful of water, and smiled faintly as he looked at his own sallow-yellow face.

’Time to give you all a little shock with my good looks.’

SPLASH SPLASH SPLASH.

Tang Wen shook the water from his hands, wiped his face with his sleeve, then looked up and scanned the room.

He looked up, a picture of proud elegance, as dazzling as a jade tree standing in the wind.

The pupils of the Black Water Gang’s upper echelon—a group of worldly old men with diverse tastes—quaked in shock.

Even Vice Gang Leader Lin forgot the scathing accusations he had prepared.

’This?’

’I’ve been a professional fault-finder for thirty years!’

’What was I supposed to say again?’

Elder Li: ’If I had looks like that, I’d at least double the number of my wives and concubines!’

’No, I’d quadruple it.’

Vice Gang Leader Zhao: ’If I were that handsome, Ah Liu wouldn’t have left me all those years ago.’

Another Vice Gang Leader: ’Red lips and white teeth! He’s so handsome even I’m moved.’

’A shame this kid is Old Zhao’s man. Not only is he a Middle-level Beastmaster, but he’s also a genius at Cultivation?’

’What a pity, what a pity!’

’Forget it. I’ll just go to the Bai Ma Pavilion in the Inner City tonight.’

A certain Elder touched the money pouch at his waist. ’A kid like that... does he even need to pay at a brothel?’

Vice Gang Leader Lin opened his mouth several times before finally forcing the words out. "To hide such a face, he must have ulterior motives! Gang Leader? Why not let me serve him some heavy punishment!"

His eyes oozed with thick malice.

Tang Wen glanced at him. ’I’ve prepared two explanations for why I disguised my face.’

’One is a story about being fancied by a burly, powerful woman—Zhou Bing—and getting dragged off to be her stay-at-home husband.’

’But he decided to tell the second one:’

"I once passed through a small city where the wife, daughter, daughter-in-law, and other close female relatives of a Vice City Lord Lin,"

"upon seeing me, all offered themselves to me at night. I couldn’t even beat them away."

"Later, they fought over me out of jealousy, and someone ended up dead."

"I nearly lost my own life as well!"

"With great difficulty, I managed to escape with the help of one of Vice City Lord Lin’s granddaughters."

"After that, I no longer dared to show my true face to people so easily."

He kept repeating "Vice City Lord Lin."

Although everyone knew he was spewing nonsense, they still looked toward Vice Gang Leader Lin.

Their gazes were ambiguous and full of profound meaning.

They were just short of teasing him directly. ’Old Lin, no wonder you’re targeting this junior so aggressively.’

’So that’s how it is!’

Vice Gang Leader Lin flew into a rage. "You little bastard! Utter nonsense!"

Seeing him stand up, as if about to make a move, Tang Wen quickly shuffled two steps toward Vice Gang Leader Zhao and shouted, "Vice Gang Leader Lin, please see clearly, I really, truly have never been to your home! You absolutely, positively must not overthink this!"

PFFT.

Several of the Vice Gang Leaders and Elders burst out laughing.

"Shut up, you little bastard!"

A fierce gust of wind rushed toward his face.

Tang Wen ducked behind Vice Gang Leader Zhao, covering his head and yelling for help.

WHAP!

A crisp sound echoed.

"Old Zhao, don’t stop me! I swear I’ll beat him to death."

"Enough!"

The Gang Leader had spoken.

And the Gang Leader, worthy of his title, immediately grasped the crucial point as soon as he spoke.

He stared at Tang Wen’s uniquely handsome face and asked,

"How old are you?"

Huh?

The high-ranking members all froze for a moment.

Only then did they realize that Tang Wen’s face was not just handsome, but also very young!

His appearance had been so stunning that it had made them overlook this point.

No, that wasn’t right!

They took a closer look, and their expressions immediately turned peculiar.

It wasn’t just that he was young!

The kid was too young. Unreasonably so.

Tang Wen watched them, taking in all their reactions.

He let out an intentional sigh before replying,

"Gang Leader must now understand the difficulty I face in not showing my true appearance."

"To be honest, your subordinate comes from a poor background, so I’m not entirely sure how old I am."

"I only know that I should be under twenty."

He said it calmly.

Although it was different from the truth,

every sentence was technically true.

The Vice Gang Leaders and Elders all held their breath.

The hall became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

What did this mean?

A Martial Artist at nineteen or twenty?

The Gang Leader’s expression shifted several times. "Quickly, summon Elder Physician Zhang."

Tang Wen’s heart skipped a beat.

He knew from his earlier martial competition with the Black Mountain Battalion that some people could determine a person’s age just by looking at their face.

Of course, an experienced person could also determine age by feeling the bones.

A Guard left.

Soon, an old man in a long robe strode into the hall.

Upon seeing Tang Wen, a hint of surprise flashed in the old man’s eyes.

Vice Gang Leader Zhao pointed at Tang Wen. "Elder Zhang, check his age."

Elder Zhang’s eyes narrowed, scrutinizing Tang Wen for a good ten seconds or more.

It was enough to make Tang Wen’s skin crawl.

Tang Wen’s Spiritual Power was sharp.

The moment this old man entered, he had vaguely sensed an Extraordinary aura.

There was no need to ask; this man was not just a physician, but also an Extraordinary Powerhouse.

"Young Master, allow me to check your pulse and feel your bones."

Tang Wen could only comply and extend his hand.

"No need to be nervous. I’m very accurate when it comes to age."

Tang Wen thought, ’It would be better if you weren’t accurate.’

’If you actually figure out my real age,’

’how am I going to get out of this?’

’Maybe after this is over, I should just find a chance to leave Ganshan City?’

’I’ll just tell Bai You Ruo that the mission failed and my identity was exposed.’

While he was lost in thought, Elder Zhang placed a hand on his shoulder and spoke,

"You have an excellent method for tempering your body; your muscles and bones have developed perfectly. This old man cannot give a specific age."

Tang Wen secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

’So Body Refining has this kind of effect. No wonder the person the Black Mountain Battalion found misjudged me.’

’They thought I was eighteen when I’m actually fifteen.’

’In any case, as long as he can’t figure out my real age, it’s fine.’

Elder Zhang smiled. "However, I can be certain of one thing: he is absolutely no older than seventeen!"

His tone for the last part of the sentence was firm and decisive.

The Council Hall fell instantly silent.

Only the slightly ragged breathing of the Vice Gang Leaders and Elder Zhang could be heard.

A Martial Artist of nineteen or twenty.

Was a rare genius.

Some Second Generation Wu, like the most promising grandson in Vice Gang Leader Zhao’s family, were roughly at this level.

It could be said that as long as they matured, they would become a pillar of the gang.

But a Martial Artist under the age of seventeen.

That would make him a Demon!

Visualization Martial Arts can only be cultivated after one enters their teens.

Even disciples from Martial Arts Families couldn’t start any earlier.

Furthermore, Body Refining to become a Martial Artist takes time.

Even Second and Third Generation Wu had to build their foundations step by step.

Although they didn’t lack resources, the foundation-building stage wasn’t something where faster was better.

There were plenty of examples of those who accumulated their strength slowly to achieve great things, or those who were late bloomers.

Previously, the instructor Vice Gang Leader Zhao had arranged for Tang Wen evaluated him as a once-in-thirty-years martial arts training genius.

He couldn’t compare to the young masters of the Inner City, but within the gang, he was a minor genius.

But now, a Martial Artist under seventeen.

What did that even mean?

Counting every single person in Ganshan City, even going back to the city’s founding,

Tang Wen could be called a freak of nature.

Our Black Water Gang has a successor!

Tang Wen: "..."

"Didn’t you say you couldn’t be precise? I think I should be at least eighteen, maybe even twenty."

Elder Zhang chuckled. "Incorrect. Absolutely not eighteen. Under seventeen, and that’s a conservative estimate."

Tang Wen quickly interrupted him, "Forgive this junior for being blunt, but have you never made a mistake?"

Elder Zhang flicked his sleeves. "This old man has not made a mistake in thirty years. If you don’t believe me, we can take a look at your teeth."

He stared at Tang Wen’s mouth.

How could Tang Wen dare let him look at his teeth?

’If he really finds out I’m only fifteen, will I have any freedom in the future?’

He waved his hands repeatedly. "Fine, let’s just say I’m seventeen."

Footsteps sounded.

The Gang Leader walked down from the main seat.

His eyes glittered with an inexplicable light.

"A truly unexpected delight! I never imagined, truly never imagined."

"Indeed, Gang Leader. A victorious return yesterday, and the discovery of a young genius today. It’s truly a double blessing!"

Elder Li stood up and said.

Vice Gang Leader Lin was not pleased. "Old Li, it’s too early to say that. Whether someone is a genius can’t be judged by age alone. A solid foundation is what makes a genius. This kid came from a vagrant background; I’m certain he can’t be called a genius."

He spoke with such conviction, as if he had personally seen Tang Wen living as a vagrant.

...