Disheveled long hair cascaded down to his waist, with strands of messy hair covering half of his face. A sparse and youthful appearance masked his mouth and cheeks.
Having spent a long time wandering through the tunnel, hunting countless prey, and engaging in numerous battles with wanderers in the wilderness, Wu Tietou's hair was messy, tangled with spider webs, grass, and leaves.
His attire was also simple. He had a pair of trousers, two roughly crafted chest protectors, a crude totem talisman hanging around his neck, and a well-made white tiger armguard on his right hand.
The chubby man quickly assessed Wu Tietou with his keen eyes and naturally discerned that there was little gain to be had from him.
He was just a poor, hapless kid who survived in the wild, with neither support from heaven nor help from earth.
There were countless miserable people like him in this world.
"Young man, you look energetic, and not short either. But, so skinny... have you ever eaten your fill?" The chubby man sighed and put down the copper bell in his hand, pointing at Wu Tietou. "Do you know martial arts? If you do, show me a few moves."
Just like the bull tribe warriors and wolf tribe warriors in Wu Tietou's family in the past, many people in this world did not cultivate martial arts. They relied solely on brute force to fight and kill.
Martial arts were extremely precious resources, only possessed by families and forces with sufficient strength to have a complete martial arts inheritance.
The chubby man's question to Wu Tietou was simply because Wu Tietou's temperament and aura differed greatly from ordinary "wild people," so he casually asked.
Wu Tietou nodded.
He raised his head and, after thinking for a moment, selected a shallow knowledge of the "Vajra Demon Subduing Fist" that had been burned into his mind by Old Iron.
There was no record in that knowledge about the origins of the Vajra Demon Subduing Fist, but it was noted that this fist technique focused on honing the body and could greatly increase one's strength. When cultivated to the extreme, it had the terrifying power to subdue demons and eliminate evil spirits, making it an excellent method for dealing with enemies.
The foundational build-up could not be revealed, and the foundational fist technique of Wu's family was not to be exposed either. Wu Tietou casually chose the Vajra Demon Subduing Fist to demonstrate.
With a loud roar, as if a thunderstorm had erupted on flat ground, Wu Tietou stretched out his limbs, unleashing the Vajra Demon Subduing Fist. The punch force was like a shooting star as it resonated through the air, producing a dull and thunderous boom.
A majestic and solemn aura spread out, and the thousands of dwarves, gnomes, lizardmen, and other onlookers gathered around the city gates were forced to withdraw.
Especially the dwarves, who were short and weak, were almost suffocated by the gust of wind from the punch; they stumbled back dozens of meters, gasping for breath.
Wu Tietou performed a set of Vajra Demon Subduing Fist repeatedly, and during the last set, a flash of insight suddenly crossed his mind, grasping some of the essence of the Vajra Demon Subduing Fist.
With a loud roar, he took a step forward and struck out with a punch.
In his mind, an imposing Vajra silhouette materialized. As he threw the punch, Wu Tietou's right fist revealed a faint glow, and a palm-sized fist qi flew out with a piercing whistle, heading straight for a guard outside the city gate.
"What nerve!" The guard, a 2.5-meter-tall bull warrior, roared as the fist qi approached. His large silver nose rings trembled vigorously as he, too, delivered a punch towards Wu Tietou's fist qi.
The sound of vibrating bowstrings came from within the bull warrior's body.
Wu Tietou squinted.
This bull warrior had indeed cultivated his body...
He recalled the information he had extracted from the killer's mouth regarding the Shi family.
This Shi family was different from the Shi family in Qianyu City.
The Cangyan Domain had three major clans.
The Lu Clan, Yan Clan, and Shi Clan.
The Lu Clan specialized in forging weapons. The weapons they produced sold well throughout the entire Cangyan Domain and were considered the wealthiest family. Their warriors were well-equipped, and other forces were simply unable to compete with them.
The Yan Clan, on the other hand, focused on cultivating berserk warriors.
It was said that the Yan Clan had some mixed-blooded lineage, which allowed them to cultivate at a fast pace. Their people were all fierce and temperamental, becoming like demons and wild beasts when they fought. Ordinary people were simply no match for them. The Yan Clan gained entry into the ranks of the three major clans solely by relying on the individual strength of their warriors.
As for the Shi Clan, they had a close relationship with the dwarves and giant forces. It was said that they possessed giant blood.
Their expertise lay in mining veins. The Shi Clan controlled 90% of the rare minerals in the Cangyan Domain. Even if the Lu Clan wanted to forge a divine weapon, they would need to request a favor from the Shi Clan.
The Shi Clan was wealthy, and they had formed an alliance with the dwarves and giant tribes in the Cangyan Domain, making them one of the three major clans by default.
No wonder this guard of the city gate, a bull warrior, had cultivated his body and had also reached the Foundation Establishment stage like Wu Tietou.
Adult bull warriors possessed incredible strength, with their power exceeding that of an ordinary adult human male by ten times.
With a cultivation technique, the bull warrior's physical strength was even more extraordinary; his bones and muscles were as strong as granite.
With a loud boom, the bull warrior's fist collided with Wu Tietou's fist qi. The fist qi exploded, and the bull warrior let out a muffled grunt as he staggered back seven or eight steps, tumbling into the entrance of the city gate. He struggled to climb to his feet before finally catching his breath, gasping heavily.
"Great strength!" The bull warrior shook his head, roaring loudly.
Several bull warriors at the city gate stared at Wu Tietou with wide eyes.
These straightforward bull people admired strength the most; any man who could overpower them in terms of strength, appetite, or alcohol tolerance was considered a hero. They had a mysterious fondness for heroes.
Wu Tietou smiled at these straightforward and honest people. He turned around and chuckled at the chubby man, "Sorry for losing control for a moment."
The chubby man stood up with a smile on his face. He circled around from behind the table and stood in front of Wu Tietou, affectionately patting his arm.
"Now, Brother Shi can answer your question."
"Eating enough, having meat."
"Haha, one punch can take down Niu Santong, well done, well done. I, Brother Shi, admire you."
"Haha, by the way, young brother... you're not a wildling, are you?"
Round and chubby Brother Shi smiled as he looked at Wu Tietou.
"Had a family... got wiped out."
Wu Tietou fell silent, giving a light answer to Brother Shi. He recalled the scene of his family being massacred, a mysterious chill and murderous intent instinctively revealing itself, twisting his expression into something grim.
Brother Shi, who seemed chubby and kind-hearted, was actually a shrewd person.
He saw everything and finally laid his worries to rest.
A family was wiped out, and the warrior had considerable cultivation. It was worth making an effort to win them over. Such talents were rare and precious.
"Condolences... This world... sigh!"
Brother Shi sighed deeply, forcefully patting Wu Tietou's arm as he said in a low voice, "You are an outsider warrior, so for now, you can only listen to the orders of the Outsiders Ministry. But as far as Brother Shi is concerned, you will receive the highest treatment as a first-class assistant in the Outsiders Ministry."
"What's your name?" Brother Shi sat back behind the table, picked up a pen, and quickly wrote on a thin piece of beast skin.
"Xiao Tie." Wu Tietou didn't mention his surname, directly using the name Old Iron called him.
"Xiao Tie?" Brother Shi raised his head with a smile and looked up and down Wu Tietou's sturdy figure. "Indeed, you're as solid as iron... just a bit too skinny. But if you eat more meat, you'll grow quickly."
He patted his bulging belly vigorously, and the rolls of flesh on his stomach trembled violently.
"Just take a look at this good meat on Brother Shi! You bunch of wretched wanderers, take a good look!"
Brother Shi trembled all over, shouting loudly at the dwarves, gnomes, lizardmen, and other onlookers.
"Look at this good meat on Brother Shi... How could I afford it if I didn't eat my fill every day?"
"You bunch of wretched wanderers... who can't eat their fill, dress warmly, and are always worried about being caught by slave-catchers... But if you join my Shi family, it's different..."
"Remember, this time my Shi family is not buying slaves, we're hiring laborers, laborers! Do you understand?"
He pointed ferociously at the dwarves in the crowd, as well as a few sneaky-headed rat people. "Even you useless wastes, our Shi family is willing to hire you as laborers this time. This is a one-time offer. There will be no second chance!"
Wu Tietou stood silently on the side, not making a sound.
Brother Shi stood up with a smile on his face. He walked over from behind the table and stood in front of Wu Tietou, patting Wu Tietou's arm warmly.
"Now, you can tell me, how is the treatment we're giving that little guy?"
"Wen Liang. Shi family is very sincere this time, recruiting people from the wilderness to supplement our family's needs. For example, Wen Liang here, as a first-class assistant in the Outsiders Ministry, he receives two catties of grains, three hundred catties of mushrooms and grains, and one hundred catties of meat every day..."
"In addition, all armor and weapons used by the first-class assistant will be covered by our Shi family."
"Also, the first-class assistant will receive one low-grade elemental grass per year as an aid in cultivation... Do you all know what elemental grass is?"
Wu Tietou's eyes lit up; of course, he knew what elemental grass was.
In Old Iron's time, they were called "spirit medicine," "spirit grass," or "heaven and earth treasures," which were now known as elemental grass.
The concept of elemental grass had been taught to Wu Tietou by Old Iron.
Wu Zhan had obtained a low-grade elemental grass, using it to lay a foundation for Wu Jin's cultivation. Wu Jin was the brother with the strongest foundational cultivation speed, as well as the fastest cultivation speed and the strongest overall strength.
The power of a low-grade elemental grass couldn't be compared to a foundational cultivation pill refined from blood essence.
Wu Tietou took a deep breath.
It seemed that joining the Shi family was indeed the right decision.
"Resources... resources..." Wu Tietou muttered to himself.
Brother Shi continued to shout, "I see you guys, you all appear to be capable of martial arts. Have you practiced a few moves?"
"Come, come, come, let Brother Shi see you demonstrate. As long as you have skills, don't you fear that my Shi family won't give you good things?"
"The Shi family, one of the three major families in the Cangyan Domain, has plenty of goodies!"
"Come, come, come, as long as you have the ability, whether you want women, men, food or drink, we can provide them all..."
"Hey, hey, this group of good-for-nothings, not only are you capable fighters, but you bunch of useless bums, my Shi family is recruiting labor this time, not capturing slaves... If you rock gnome fellows join, my Shi family will ensure you have enough to eat, warm clothing, and your safety!"
Brother Shi enthusiastically gestured; his voice spraying saliva as he shouted loudly.
Three days later, Wu Tietou, along with a group of laborers recruited by Brother Shi, embarked on a journey to the main city of the Shi family.
One moment it was cold, the next moment hot... bordering on catching a cold! It's speechless!
This chapter is complete.