Mastering the Fire Sand Palm, the Wild Wolf Gang Arrives

"Qin... Qin Ming!"

Wang Shi's hand shook with fright, and the bundle fell heavily to the ground, silver spilling everywhere.

"Y-you... what are you doing here?"

Wang Shi's voice trembled, and the fear in her heart burst forth uncontrollably.

What else could Qin Ming have come for so late at night?

It had to be revenge!

Qin Ming couldn't be bothered with words. He drew the pig-slaying saber at his waist, ready to slaughter her with one stroke. After a moment's thought, he put it away again and struck Wang Shi with a Fire Sand Palm.

Bolstered by Qi and blood, Qin Ming's bare palms glowed faintly red. One strike shattered every one of Wang Shi's ribs, killing her on the spot.

Before she died, Wang Shi glared at Qin Ming, her face full of resentment.

[Ninth-Rank Martial Art: Fire Sand Palm (70/100), not yet initiated]

After he killed Wang Shi, the Fire Sand Palm immediately gained five points.

Qin Ming rubbed his chin, a thoughtful look in his eyes.

A sudden idea had struck him just now: he wanted to use Wang Shi for an experiment, to see whether killing with other martial arts would add points, as it did with the Pig-Slaying Saber Technique.

Now it seemed it really did!

As long as he killed a creature of flesh and blood, he could add points to his martial arts!

The stronger the opponent, the more points he gained!

"If no one provokes me, I won't provoke them. But if someone provokes me, I'll just have to turn you into points on my panel!"

Qin Ming put away the twenty taels of silver. Together with the twenty taels Wang Bo had advanced that day, he had forty taels in all.

After disposing of the corpse, Qin Ming returned to the shack district.

"Master Qin is back!"

Outside the shack district, a crowd had been waiting in the biting wind. When they saw Qin Ming return, they hurried over to greet him.

They carried rice, flour, and oil; some brought frozen fish, live chickens, and cured meat. Many had stood in the cold wind so long that their faces had turned blue and purple.

"Master Qin, I've come to apologize. I had eyes but failed to see and offended you before. Please don't stoop to this humble one's level!"

"Master Qin, my old eyes failed me during the day, and I took half a bag of rice from your home. Please accept these two bags as an apology, show mercy, and let this humble one off."

"Master Qin, my daughter is sixteen, with big breasts and a perky behind. She's reasonably pretty and quick with her hands and feet. If you like her, you can keep her by your side as a bed-warming maid!"

"Master Qin..."

Qin Ming, usually despised by everyone, had suddenly become a hot commodity. The same people who had once wished to stay as far away from him as possible were now jostling to get close, fawning smiles on their faces.

They bowed and scraped, a laughable sight.

At that moment, Qin Ming gained a deeper understanding of strength.

Wasn't this the same principle as laughing at poverty but not at prostitution?

Now that he had become a martial artist, those stronger than him or at the same level might mock him for being a pig butcher, but ordinary people all had to address him respectfully as Master Martial Artist.

As his strength grew, the mockery would only fade, while the looks of awe would grow more numerous.

Like stars surrounding the moon, the crowd escorted Qin Ming all the way to his house.

Only then did Qin Ming notice that everything taken from the room had been put back. The dust on the floor and in the corners had been swept away, even the iron door the yamen runners had broken open had been repaired, and there was a good deal more rice, flour, and other provisions on the table.

"All right, put everything down. I won't hold it against you."

Qin Ming spoke calmly.

Seeing Qin Ming relent, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. They bowed and thanked him as they set down their gifts, then prepared to leave.

"Wait!"

Qin Ming suddenly spoke, frightening everyone into stopping in their tracks.

"Whoever hurt Xiao Xi today, stay. The rest of you, leave."

As soon as he said that, everyone's eyes turned in unison to a sleazy-looking young man with curly yellow hair.

"Wait, why are you looking at me? I had nothing to do with it!"

Yellow Hair jumped in fright and hurriedly denied it.

"Master Qin, he was the one who kicked Xiao Xi flying. He also told the yamen runners you'd gone up the mountain."

Someone shouted from the side, his face full of glee at Yellow Hair's misfortune.

"That's right, I heard it too! He's always had improper thoughts about Embroiderer. Whenever you went out to slaughter New Year's pigs, he liked to lurk around your house. He even said Embroiderer was beautiful, and marrying Master Qin was like sticking a fresh flower in a pile of cow dung!"

"Master Qin, this brat got drunk and told me to my face last time that Embroiderer had curves in all the right places, and if he had her, he could play with her for a whole year."

Everyone talked at once, laying all of Yellow Hair's secrets bare.

Yellow Hair's scalp went numb with fright, and he trembled all over before bursting into curses. "Fuck all of you! Master Qin, please don't listen to their nonsense. I've never done anything like that!!"

"Is that so?"

The half-smile on Qin Ming's face made Yellow Hair feel even guiltier. He dropped to his knees with a thud.

"Master Qin, I was wrong. I know I was wrong. Please be magnanimous and let me go like a fart."

Qin Ming waved the others away. As if granted a pardon, they scattered in a rush, leaving only Qin Ming and Yellow Hair in the blink of an eye.

"What's your name?"

Yellow Hair's voice trembled with fear. "Master, this... this humble one is called Zhang Si."

"Zhang Si, do you want to live or die?"

"Live, Master! I want to live! Don't kill me!"

Zhang Si hurriedly kowtowed, his head thumping against the ground. His forehead soon turned black and blue, blood pooling beneath the skin.

For a martial artist, killing an ordinary person was as easy as crushing an ant. It wasn't that Zhang Si hadn't thought of resisting; he simply didn't have the nerve.

"If you want to live, I'll give you a chance. Go to Qingshan Town later and stay there. If you find anyone asking about me and Embroiderer, come back and tell me immediately. Do you hear me?"

"I hear you, I hear you."

Zhang Si hurriedly agreed.

"If you get this done, I'll spare your dog life. But if you mess it up and let those people find this place before you get back, your little life is over! Get lost."

As if granted a pardon, Zhang Si scrambled away on hands and knees.

Qin Ming looked at the things filling the room, picked up a portion, and took it next door to Wang Shun's family.

And so three days passed.

During the day, Qin Ming practiced his stance at the martial arts hall and kept Embroiderer company. At night, he returned to the shack district to practice the Fire Sand Palm.

He was waiting, waiting for Yan Yue-Ren's men.

Just after dark on the fourth day, Zhang Si came stumbling back, with several figures following behind him.

"Qin Ming, his house is right here! Come and kill him!!"

Zhang Si burst into laughter. "Qin Ming, bet you didn't expect this! I brought your enemies here! You expected me to tip you off? Pah! A pig butcher like you thinks he's worthy?"

Qin Ming, who had been practicing the Fire Sand Palm, abruptly stopped. The corners of his mouth slowly rose in a mocking smile.

"Good, very good. You've come at just the right time!"

A panel appeared before Qin Ming's eyes.

[Heaven rewards diligence; a hundred refinements forge steel]

[Host: Qin Ming]

[Life-Bound Martial Art: Pig-Slaying Saber Technique (173/500), minor mastery]

[Ninth-Rank Martial Art: Eight Trigrams Stake Skill (31/200), initiated]

[Ninth-Rank Martial Art: Fire Sand Palm: (28/200), initiated]

[Ninth-Rank Martial Art: Eight Trigrams Palm (25/100, not yet initiated)]

[Realm: Early Skin-Refining Realm (strength: 240 jin)]

[Pig-Slaying Saber Technique bonus: while wielding a pig-slaying saber, attack speed increased by 20%, force dissipation 10%, Fire Poison damage 10%]

A few days earlier, Qin Ming had drunk the packet of Qi-Blood Powder, and Qi and blood had flowed endlessly through his body. With its help, his stake skill points had surged by thirty.

There was more good news: after breaking through to the Skin Refining Realm, Qin Ming's skin had become as tough as cowhide, greatly extending the time he could spend practicing the Fire Sand Palm.

Qin Ming practiced the Fire Sand Palm every night in the shack district and finally reached initiation. His pig-slaying saber was enchanted with another new attribute.

Fire Poison!

As soon as the pig-slaying saber drew blood, Fire Poison would seep into the wound.

With that, Qin Ming had mastered a new martial art in addition to the Pig-Slaying Saber Technique!

"Qin Ming!"

Three figures arrived together.

Qi and blood surged around the three of them. All were genuine Skin Refining Realm martial artists!

"We have come under Incense Master Yan's orders. Hand over the beauty, and we'll spare your life!"