Accidentally invincible!-Chapter 34 - 00: Damn! Go Back and Get Your Weapon

The harvest was rather satisfying.

The sky was growing dark; might as well wash up and sleep early.

Tomorrow will be another day of training those lads. If I don’t train them well, I wouldn’t deserve being their leader. And I’ll need to continue practicing the Head of Steel myself.

The cultivation technique I’m working on is really troublesome.

Step-by-step progression is necessary; rushing would be counterproductive. It’s nothing like those techniques that others just explode out of themselves—quick, easy, completely absorbed and mastered in an instant.

Nightfall blanketed Jiangdu City in silence.

From outside the city, a galloping steed darted into the city proper, halting abruptly at the front gates of the Serpent Gang’s main headquarters. Its rider quickly dismounted and stormed inside in a whirlwind.

Nu Hetian had long since retreated to slumber, cared for by his wife and concubines, but was roused in the deep of night. Throwing on his clothes, he made his way to the study.

"Third Master, Yang Zhi and Yu Bin have been killed ten li away."

Upon hearing the news, Nu Hetian’s expression shifted dramatically. Shock and disbelief washed across his face, rendering him momentarily dazed.

He had never held much faith in Yang Zhi. Yu Bin, however, had a sharp mind—a clever guy who would never act recklessly. How could he fail when dealing with just one constable?

"Did Wei Xiong die?" Nu Hetian asked.

"Dead," came the reply.

Nu Hetian furrowed his brow in contemplation. "Fine. Let’s leave this matter be. Arrange for someone to bury them."

"Understood, Third Master."

The study fell quiet, leaving Nu Hetian alone.

He walked over to the desk, his face clouded with uncertainty, clenching his teeth. He hadn’t expected such ruthless interference—it had to involve Wang Zhou.

The situation was now clear.

Originally, he only wanted Wei Xiong dead. As for Lin Fan, that was merely incidental since it was Lin Fan who brought trouble to the Serpent Gang.

But with Wang Zhou stepping in to meddle, dealing with Lin Fan meant he’d also have to handle Wang Zhou.

Forget it.

This ends here.

Even if Nu Hetian’s heart was brimming with resentment, he had to consider the bigger picture. Picking a fight with Wang Zhou would bring no benefits, regardless of victory or defeat.

A battle with no gain was utterly meaningless.

The next morning!

As usual, Lin Fan stood at the government office’s gates, waiting for his subordinates to arrive and begin their physical training.

Thanks to his rigorous regime, the lads were gradually acclimating to the daily grind.

The one thing they still struggled to accept was their shiny bald heads—it was incredibly uncomfortable.

Wherever they went, they were the constant center of attention. All eyes seemed magnetically drawn to their heads, and some people even exaggerated their reactions, shielding their eyes as if the glare could blind them.

Damn!

We know our heads reflect light, but there’s no need to act like that.

Fifteen constables trained within the bounds of Jiangdu City, playful children tagging along behind them, giggling all the while.

"Wow, look at that big bald head—it’s the biggest!"

"That one over there is bigger than yours. Yours isn’t impressive at all."

The children chuckled as they pointed and heckled, utterly unafraid of being reprimanded by the constables.

The constables’ hearts were bleeding.

No matter how much they resigned themselves to their reality, others’ stares consistently made their shiny bald heads feel downright unpleasant.

After circling Jiangdu City, they returned to the Martial Arts Training Ground for another bout of grueling collision drills.

These lads were still in the entry stages of Head of Steel. Smashing themselves against tree bark was already pushing their limits. But there was no choice—progress starts right here.

Meanwhile, Lin Fan grabbed an iron plate, sat on the steps, and struck it against his head over and over again.

"If you want to grow stronger, you have to endure hardship—there’s no other way."

Lin Fan always self-motivated in this manner. Sure, slaying demons could yield cultivation treasures, but that didn’t bring the same satisfaction. True gratification lay in personally enduring the most agonizing practices.

Someday, when admirers ask him if his journey was tough, he’ll be able to lift his head high and recount the pain of refining the Head of Steel.

To gain strength, one must embrace suffering.

Several days passed in this way.

On this particular day.

Lin Fan, as usual, stood at the government office gates, awaiting his subordinates.

The training was proving effective; the lads were visibly fitter, and all had reached entry-level mastery of the Head of Steel. Their cultivation had begun, even if their abilities remained feeble—it was a promising start.

"Sound off!" Lin Fan barked, as he always did.

"1, 2... 14."

The line came up short at fourteen.

"Who’s missing?" Lin Fan asked.

"Our guy, Zhen Bin," Wang Baoliu responded. As Lin Fan’s right-hand man, Baoliu was tasked with leading the group. Baoliu’s father believed his brain had been damaged in the past, but Lin Fan made sure Baoliu felt like a capable individual.

Gao Zhenbin.

Lin Fan remembered him distinctly—not for any great abilities, but for his silent nature. He rarely spoke, yet trained diligently and was the most skilled among them at mastering Head of Steel.

Logically, he wouldn’t skip out without cause.

Though he returned home nightly, he was always the earliest to arrive in the mornings.

Lin Fan pondered.

Scenes from countless films and dramas flickered through his mind.

"This is bad, something’s happened."

In those dramas, whenever this situation came up, it was invariably about the supporting role. The protagonist, busy with their own affairs, wouldn’t realize until much later, feigning regret while questioning, "Why didn’t you tell me?"

Idiots.

Just because they didn’t say anything, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t look for them.

"Who knows where his home is?" Lin Fan asked.

Wang Baoliu raised his voice. "I do, Boss!"

"Lead the way." Lin Fan motioned, determined to locate Zhen Bin and resolve this today.

Zhen Bin’s home was situated in the city’s outskirts, near the coast, a shabby little corner that belonged to the extremely impoverished. He became a constable to support his family.

Lin Fan and his team stood outside a wooden fence. "This is it?"

"Yes, Boss. This is Zhen Bin’s house," Wang Baoliu confirmed before knocking. "Zhen Bin! Are you home?"

The fence barely reached chest height; anyone could hop right over.

Soon enough, sounds emerged from inside the house.

"Who’s there?"

An old woman hobbled out, bent at the waist. Upon seeing a group of shiny bald heads, she froze for a moment before saying, "You must be Zhen Bin’s friends, right?"

"Ma’am, I’m Baoliu. This here is our leader. Zhen Bin didn’t show up today, so Boss brought us to check on him," Wang Baoliu said.

Hearing this, the old woman panicked, rushing to open the gate. "My good sirs, my son didn’t mean to skip out. Please don’t hold it against him!"

She began to kneel in an attempt to beg Lin Fan for forgiveness.

Quick to react, Lin Fan supported her. "No need, ma’am! We’re just here to check on Zhen Bin to see if anything’s wrong. We aren’t blaming him at all."

"Is he inside now?"

The old woman nodded anxiously. "Yes, yes, he’s inside."

Before long.

The group entered the house.

As they walked in, Lin Fan immediately noticed Zhen Bin sitting on the bed with his legs covered. He looked over at the doorway. "Boss, why are you here?"

"You weren’t at roll call this morning. We were worried something might’ve happened, so we came to check," Lin Fan said as he approached the bedside. "What’s going on? Weren’t you fine yesterday?"

Gao Zhenbin forced a smile. "Boss, I came home yesterday to fix the house, only to fall from a height and injure my leg. I meant to have my mom inform you, but I didn’t think I’d trouble you to come in person."

"Zhen Bin, treat the boss with hospitality. I’ll go boil some water," the old woman said.

"Ma’am, no need for trouble. We’re just here to check things out," Lin Fan quickly replied, then lifted the blanket covering Zhen Bin’s legs. His right leg was braced with bamboo splints and severely swollen, with visible bruises.

Gradually.

Lin Fan’s expression hardened. "Zhen Bin, you know I don’t tolerate being lied to. That injury doesn’t look like a fall."

"Boss, it’s nothing serious. A few days of recovery and I’ll be fine," Gao Zhenbin insisted, clearly hiding something.

"Hm?" Lin Fan narrowed his eyes and growled, "Are you treating me as a fool?"

Gao Zhenbin flinched. "Boss, that’s not what I meant. It’s just a minor issue, no need to bother the boss with it."

If Lin Fan believed that nonsense, then those countless dramas might as well have been useless.

Zhen Bin’s evasiveness could only mean one thing.

The culprit was someone formidable.

In Jiangdu City, the only ones capable of this kind of trouble were the Serpent Gang.

"Was it the Serpent Gang?" Lin Fan asked.

Gao Zhenbin gasped, evidently shocked that Lin Fan had figured it out.

"Spill it. What happened, exactly? Even if you don’t tell me, I’ll find out on my own—but your standing in my eyes will change," Lin Fan said.

Gao Zhenbin hesitated, torn between his options.

"Boss, here’s how it went..."

Lin Fan listened to the story, suppressing his simmering rage. By the time Gao Zhenbin finished, Lin Fan could no longer contain himself. He abruptly stood.

"Damn it! The Serpent Gang thinks they can get away with crippling one of my men? Brothers, follow me back to grab weapons!" Lin Fan roared, already moving toward the door.

"Boss, don’t go! The Serpent Gang’s dangerous—don’t let my situation drag you into trouble. I’m not dead. It’s just a broken leg—I’ll recover with time," Gao Zhenbin said, trying to climb out of bed, only for Wang Baoliu to hold him back.

Lin Fan turned back and pointed firmly at him. "Stay put and heal properly. You follow me, and that makes you one of my men. If someone bullies you, then as your leader, it’s my duty to bring justice. This is non-negotiable!"

"Let’s go. Back to gear up!"

"Let’s see just how tough they really are."

"Daring to break my man’s leg—a line they shouldn’t have crossed!"

PS: Feel free to throw some recommendation votes my way or even a few tips if you’d like—one hundred currency points from each person would be amazing, haha.