Yu Wenjing saw that there was no way to persuade Lin Changâsheng, so she had no choice but to let it go.
The two of them chatted for a while longer before returning to their rooms to rest.
Lin Changâsheng sat on the bed by the window, completely unable to fall asleep. In recent days, after raiding the three big martial arts halls, the Black Tiger Gang, Cyan Snake Gang, Chen Ling, and the just-slayed Situ Zhan and other experts, the amount of silver heâd gotten had already exceeded ten thousand.
It could be called quite a fortune.
He took out the Six Kills and Grass Flying secret manuals.
"This Six Kills is all saber techniques. If I cultivate it to perfection, I should be able to merge it with Wind and Thunder Saber Technique to form an even stronger saber art!"
Lin Changâsheng looked at the Six Kills secret manual in his hand, anticipation glimmering in his eyes.
And then thereâs Grass Flying.
When the time comes, it should also be able to merge with Flying Eaves and Light Body Skill.
If both his saber technique and lightweight skill improved again, his strength would skyrocket in leaps and bounds!
Lin Changâsheng picked up the Six Kills and started reading through it first.
This saber manual only had six kills, a very thin book, with six saber moves and some notes. The pages were curled at the edgesâit seemed Zhong Ling had studied this saber technique thoroughly and had written down his own insights in it.
[Detected martial arts saber technique Six Kills. Do you want to spend 10 taels of silver to simplify it?]
Just as Lin Changâsheng had finished reading the Six Kills for the third time, a red notification suddenly popped up on the panel in front of him.
"Simplify!"
Lin Changâsheng immediately clicked the "Yes" button.
[Great Dao is Simple: Simplifying Six Kills........Simplification successful.....Six Kills = Slaughter!]
Lin Changâsheng confirmed it took barely a few moments before the panel popped up another notification showing that the simplification was successful.
"Slaughter? Does that directly earn me experience points?"
Seeing the notification, Lin Changâshengâs eyes flashed. He had a bold idea, but he needed to test it out. If it worked, his Six Kills could reach perfection in no time.
"Letâs look at Grass Flying next."
Lin Changâsheng looked at the Grass Flying manual again.
This time, after reading it five times, a red notification appeared on his panel.
"Simplify!"
Lin Changâsheng instantly clicked confirm.
[Great Dao is Simple: Simplifying Grass Flying........Simplification successful.....Grass Flying = Treading Grass]
Lin Changâsheng saw on the panel that the simplification succeeded again after only a moment.
"Grass Flying simplified to Treading Grass?"
When Lin Changâsheng saw what was displayed on the panel, his eyes lit upâit really was that easy.
Now, all heâd have to do is walk straight through grass, and soon heâd reach perfection.
"Letâs cultivate for a while."
Lin Changâsheng thought secretly. With over a hundred dead bodies by the bamboo forest outside, there was no way he could sleep, so he might as well cultivate instead of restâto raise his cultivation experience points.
The next day.
It was still before dawn.
Yu Wenjing was already awake. She got up early to make breakfast and cleaned up the whole house.
When it was time for breakfast,
Yu Wenjing ate quietly, glancing at Lin Changâsheng from time to time, her expression complicated, deep in thought.
"The people picking you up have arrived."
Suddenly, Lin Changâsheng looked toward the door. He had already heard footsteps outside.
"Sorry for arriving late, Missâplease punish us."
A warm voice sounded from outside the door.
"Never mind, wait for me a moment."
Yu Wenjing spoke in a deep voice, looking at Lin Changâsheng, and said, "Changâsheng, you saved my life twice. In the days ahead, sigh... who knows if weâll meet again?"
"Till we meet again."
Lin Changâsheng replied solemnly.
"Till... we meet again."
Yu Wenjing gazed long and hard at Lin Changâsheng, as if trying to engraved his face in her memory, then turned and walked out the door.
At the doorway,
stood a middle-aged man dressed in a scholarâs gown, long black hair draped over his shoulders, aura unfathomable.
Behind him stood two towering, muscular giants, and more than thirty Profound Robe Swordsmen, all standing in neat lines on either side outside the courtyard.
"Welcome, Miss!"
As Yu Wenjing walked out, everyone bowed and cupped their fists with utmost respect.
"Uncle Jin, you go ahead. Iâll catch up!"
Yu Wenjingâs beautiful eyes flashed as she spoke to the middle-aged man at the head.
"Yes!"
The middle-aged man waved his hand, then led the two big men and the Profound Robe Swordsmen away.
A look of determination appeared on Yu Wenjingâs exquisitely beautiful face. She removed the jade-green hairpin from her headâthe very one she used to kill Zhong Ling last night.
She turned and pressed it into Lin Changâshengâs hand. "This hairpin is called the Life-taking Hairpin. It holds the power of two strikes from a Martial Arts Grandmaster! Infuse it with inner strength to activate it. You keep it! If one day... perhaps, you can come to Yu City...!"
After speaking, Yu Wenjing turned and hurried after Uncle Jin and the others.
"Life-taking Hairpinâtwo strikes of a Martial Arts Grandmaster!"
Lin Changâsheng watched Yu Wenjingâs departing figure, then looked down at the hairpin in his hand, silent.
........
Min Nan County.
It has jurisdiction over 18 cities.
The Golden Saber Sect
is situated in the Min Nan Main City, at Jade Box Mountain.
A series of grand halls lined the mountainside. Halfway up, there is a massive plaza covering several miles, with crowds of youths, both boys and girls, practicing saber techniques there.
Halfway up the mountain, there is a secluded little courtyard.
A youth, about twenty-five or six years old, sat cross-legged in the living room. Just then, a Divine Eagle flew down from the sky, landing atop a massive stone lock in the middle of the courtyard.
"Is it news from my big brother?"
Zhao Fuhu looked at the Divine Eagle, raised an eyebrow, and went up to untie a wax-sealed scroll from the eagleâs leg. Zhao Fuhu crushed open the seal, unrolled the letter, read for a while, and his expression suddenly changed. "What? Big brother killed? The Black Tiger Gang wiped out by a mysterious man?"
The news was sent by his second uncleâwho wasnât at the Black Tiger Gang at the time.
"Who is this mysterious person??"
Zhao Fuhuâs eyes turned blood-red. His fists clenched so tightly his bones sounded like beans popping, and a fierce, terrifying aura burst from his body!
"Who killed my big brother? Iâll dig up your ancestorsâ graves for eighteen generations!"
Zhao Fuhu ground his teeth with hate.
.......
County Government Office.
"Canglang Blade Master, Da Hu of the Min Nan Five Tigers, Situ Zhanâall major first-class experts! Add the Purple Thunder Flying Knife, the Lingnan Double Eagles, and over ten second-class experts, plus more than a hundred third-class fightersâthey were all killed!"
"His strength is truly off the charts!"
"Itâll be too hard to wipe out the risk of the ledger."
Chen Ling sat in the rear hall, his expression dark and full of sighs.
At this moment,
He could only hope that Lin Changâsheng wouldnât expose that ledger.
......
Yan Zhenâs Noodle Shop.
"My god! Canglang Blade Master Lightning Blade, Da Hu Situ Zhan of the Min Nan Five Tigersâall famous first-class experts in the jianghu! Whoâd have thought they all died in front of that kid Lin Changâshengâs house last night?"
"Lord Chen said it was a bunch of Jianghu Travelers fighting outside the kidâs house. The culprit was long gone!"
"To kill two first-class, over ten second-class, and nearly a hundred third-class fighters â if not a Martial Arts Grandmaster, then definitely a first-class master at peak!"
"I saw Canglang Blade Masterâs corpse. Both knees and crotch were pierced by arrows, and his head smashed by Iron Sand Palm! The killer knew both archery and Iron Sand Palm!"
"......"
Scattered customers inside the shop were deep in discussion.
"Shot by arrows? Iron Sand Palm?"
The proprietress, Yan Zhen, was scooping noodles while listening to the talk, her heart stirred by their speculations.
Last night, she saw blood all over Lin Changâsheng.
That was what struck her as odd.
If he wasnât involved, how did he get so bloody?
ArcheryâChangâsheng liked the old family bow. Iron Sand Palmâheâd gone to Iron Hand Martial Arts Hall to study it. And the night Ma Zhankui threatened her? That very night, his whole family was wiped out.
But the more Yan Zhen thought about it, the less she believed it was possible.
After all, Changâsheng is only seventeen. How could he possibly have that much power?
Maybe.
Itâs just a coincidence!