I have the face of a great demon.

The new, tall guy was about the same age as Liu Xingchen, and his face still had a bit of baby hair.

He gave Liu Xingchen a simple, honest smile and said, "Brother, this is the Lingshui Gang, right?"

Liu Xingchen nodded: "That's right."

"You're here to join the Lingshui Gang too, right? Me too. I'm from Zhao Family Village, fifty miles away. My name is Zhao Tiezhu, a man of iron, a pillar of strength."

Liu Xingchen raised the corners of his mouth slightly and forced a smile, saying, "My name is Liu Xingchen."

Perhaps because they were the only two young people in the long queue, the big man felt particularly close to Liu Xingchen and started talking non-stop.

It turns out that Zhao Tiezhu was born with great strength. At only eighteen years old, he was already incredibly strong and invincible in the village. He was the recognized little tyrant of several surrounding villages.

Some villagers said that with his amazing skills, keeping him in the village would be a waste of his talent. They suggested a way out for him, saying that the Ling Shui Gang was recruiting new members, and with his unparalleled martial arts skills, he would definitely be selected by the Ling Shui Gang.

Once selected, he would become a martial arts master and rise to prominence.

Thinking he could become a martial arts master and reach the pinnacle of life, he packed a bag and came without hesitation.

Liu Xingchen's lips twitched as he listened. This wasn't about finding a way out for him; it was clearly the villagers being afraid of him and using this opportunity to drive him away.

"By the way, Brother Xingchen, why did you join the Lingshui Gang?" Zhao Tiezhu asked curiously.

Liu Xingchen sighed, his eyes flashing with nostalgia for the past:

"Although I may appear to be a scholar, I actually harbor a martial arts dream in my heart, hoping to one day become a peerless hero who is unparalleled in the martial arts world."

"So I gave up my pen, picked up my sword, and embarked on this journey to find my dream."

He carried that divine sword on his back. Although it was covered by cloth, obscuring the god's true appearance, its shape still revealed that it was a sword.

In this way, his argument became very convincing, and Tie Zhu had no doubt about it.

The two chatted more and more congenially, and a long-lost smile gradually appeared on Liu Xingchen's face.

The confusion and loneliness I felt in this unfamiliar world seemed to be completely washed away by this laughter and joy.

In a daze, he was back to the days when he first arrived at the film studio, standing shoulder to shoulder with a group of fellow extras who also had dreams, chatting and weaving a blueprint for the future together.

The situation now is so similar to that of back then, except that my dream of becoming an actor has been replaced by a dream of becoming a martial arts hero. I hope this time my dream can come true.

The two were chatting idly when suddenly the surrounding noise subsided.

Immediately afterwards, a group of Ling Shui Gang members surrounded a burly man as they entered the center of the martial arts arena.

This burly man, who appeared to be middle-aged, was as imposing as a mountain, and each step he took caused the ground to tremble slightly.

He took three steps in two, and in the blink of an eye, he stood before the crowd, clasped his hands in a fist and looked around, his voice booming:

"Fellow villagers, I am Shi Yong, the leader of the Lingshui Gang. Today, our gang is recruiting new members, and we never expected to attract so many brave men. This is truly a great fortune for the Lingshui Gang, and we are extremely grateful."

"Although our Lingshui Gang is just a small gang, it has a well-known reputation in Lingshui Town. Everyone knows that if you want to learn martial arts and strengthen your body, coming to the Lingshui Gang is the best choice."

Chief Shi's humble yet confident words instantly ignited the enthusiasm of everyone present.

To demonstrate the gang's strength more directly, he even personally took to the stage and wielded a heavy-backed sword weighing eighty pounds.

The knife seemed weightless in his hands, dancing lightly with each stroke and movement imbued with overwhelming power. Wherever the blade passed, even the hair of the onlookers danced in the wind, creating a truly magnificent scene.

"Bravo!" Cheers erupted from the crowd, especially from Tie Zhu, whose shouts were so loud they seemed to lift the roof off, his hands clapping until they were red and swollen, not caring at all.

After completing a set of sword techniques, Shi Yong remained calm and composed, his ease and domineering presence winning everyone's admiration.

"Chief Shi's swordsmanship is absolutely amazing! This is exactly what I want to learn!" Tie Zhu's eyes lit up with excitement as he talked incessantly to Liu Xingchen.

Liu Xingchen smiled and said, "It would be great if you liked it. Once you join the gang, you can practice your swordsmanship with the gang leader."

However, not just anyone can join the Ling Shui Gang.

After taking a sip of water from the cup handed to him by his gang members, Chief Shi announced the rules for recruiting new members to the people present.

"Fellow villagers, thank you for your enthusiasm. Our gang welcomes you all to join us."

"However, our gang is not very capable and cannot keep everyone. We can only select thirty of the most capable people. As for the others, we can only apologize."

Upon hearing this, everyone began counting the number of people in the queue. There were over a hundred people in line, but only thirty were available, meaning most would leave disappointed.

Someone asked boldly, "So, how do we choose?"

"The selection method is very simple. We martial artists need to be strong, so everyone will take turns to lift the stone weights. The heavier the stone weight and the longer you can lift it, the better. The thirty people with the greatest skills will become our new brothers in the Ling Shui Gang."

Upon hearing this rule, Tie Zhu grinned from ear to ear. He was least afraid of strength contests, and he had never lost one.

Liu Xingchen, on the other hand, frowned deeply, thinking to himself, "This is terrible. With my physique, I'm afraid I can't even lift the smallest stone lock more than a few times..."

Before I could think any further, the competition had already begun.

One by one, the people in line stepped forward to lift the stone weights.

In the center of the training ground were three stone locks, each one larger than the last, and they looked very heavy.

Many people were afraid to be too confident, fearing they wouldn't be able to lift it and would lose face, so they chose the smallest stone lock. They figured that as long as they could lift it and hold it for a little longer, they could win.

Some of the stronger ones chose the middle stone lock, lifted it up with all their might, and won cheers from the crowd, making the Stone Gang Leader nod repeatedly.

Lifting the stone lock didn't take long, and the long queue quickly shortened until it was Liu Xingchen and Zhao Tiezhu's turn at the end of the line.

"Tiezhu, why don't you go first?" Liu Xingchen was a little intimidated, so he pushed Tiezhu forward.

Tie Zhu didn't refuse. He went straight up, grabbed the largest stone lock, and without any apparent effort, he lifted it up with a "hey."

"What a brave man!" Shi Yong shouted. This young man was so young, yet his strength was astonishing. He was a promising talent. With a few years of training, he would definitely become a good member of the gang.

A burst of enthusiastic cheers erupted from the crowd, mixed with a hint of "sour grapes".

The gang leader clearly favored this towering young man, and another spot for joining the gang was gone.

After Tie Zhu came down, it was Liu Xingchen's turn.