Recruitment

[Targets killed: 29. Ape Strike Staff Technique proficiency increased by 29%.]

[Targets killed: 29. Unlimited Combat proficiency increased by 29%.]

[Slaughter (Beginner Level): 42%]

Effect: You have tasted the pleasure of killing. Sha Qi surrounds your body, but you will not lose yourself.

[Targets killed: 29. Dragon Wandering Step proficiency increased by 7%.]

A barrage of notifications exploded in Qin Yan's mind.

Real combat was indeed the best way to increase his strength. Qin Yan looked at the corpses strewn across the ground and took a deep breath.

Sensing the strange, fearful gazes of the people around him, Qin Yan's eyes flashed with a complex emotion that vanished in an instant.

He immediately went over to Seventh Uncle and Qin Zhaoyang. The earlier riot had left them badly shaken, and they had fought desperately to keep others from robbing them.

They had protected everything, but they had yet to realize they were injured.

"Yan, we didn't lose anything."

Seeing Qin Yan approach, Seventh Uncle spoke as though seeking praise, a sincere smile lighting up his face.

"Seventh Uncle, don't risk your life like that again. If the things are lost, they're lost. We can earn them back later.

"Once your life is gone, everything's gone."

Qin Yan spoke earnestly.

"That won't do. We risked our lives to earn these things."

Seventh Uncle shook his head repeatedly.

To him, these things were his life. Without grain, his whole family might starve to death.

He couldn't gamble, and he didn't dare to.

Seeing this, Qin Yan could only shake his head helplessly. Their beliefs were deeply rooted; changing them in a short time was nearly impossible.

"Amazing!"

Jiang Wan looked at the corpses covering the ground through the carriage window. Her beautiful eyes widened at once, and she quickly looked away.

"Madam, young lady! The matter has been settled."

At the same time, the old servant lifted a corner of the carriage curtain. Seeing that the madam and young lady were unharmed, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Madam Chen slowly loosened her tight grip on her silk handkerchief. Though she forced herself to remain calm, her voice still trembled slightly.

"Sorry for the trouble, Uncle Chun!"

"It wasn't all my doing. The youth Li Wenqing sent was the truly formidable one!"

Uncle Chun shook his head slightly. Catching sight of Qin Yan out of the corner of his eye, he said warily, "That youth was born with divine strength. With nothing but a copper staff, he killed nearly thirty people!"

"That many!"

Even the composed Madam Chen couldn't help exclaiming and covering her mouth.

"He can only be a born killer. It would be best if you and the young lady had as little to do with him as possible from now on."

Uncle Chun lowered his voice.

In his view, Qin Yan was an extremely dangerous person, not someone to get close to.

"Mm!"

Madam Chen nodded solemnly, looking at the defiance on her daughter's face.

Her tone abruptly turned stern. "Wan'er, you must not have too much to do with that kind of country brute in the future."

Seeing her mother's expression, Jiang Wan opened her mouth to argue, but when she thought of their situation, she immediately closed it and nodded helplessly.

"Madam Chen, the road has been cleared. We can continue on our way!"

After clearing the corpses from the road, Qin Yan came to the carriage and spoke in a low voice.

"Thank you, Young Master Qin!"

Madam Chen gave only a brief, indifferent reply, and there was no further sound from inside the carriage.

Qin Yan didn't mind. As far as he was concerned, the less contact they had, the better. All he had to do was escort them to Clear Water Village, and he would be done.

With him leading the way, the group soon left that place of trouble behind.

Passing a household beside the official road, Qin Yan and the others returned the carriage they had rented.

"A carriage can't make it to Clear Water Village from here. We'll have to walk!"

Qin Yan looked at Uncle Chun as he explained.

"I understand." Uncle Chun nodded, then went over to the carriage and spoke with Madam Chen for a few moments.

Three figures slowly stepped down from the carriage!

The group left the coachman behind to return and report back.

Looking at the two shi of grain before him, Qin Yan took a sack in each hand and hoisted them onto his shoulders as though they weighed nothing, to the astonishment of everyone watching.

"What strength!"

Uncle Chun exclaimed in admiration. He could have done what Qin Yan had in his youth, but sadly, he was old now.

His strength was no longer at its peak.

Jiang Wan hid beside her mother, her beautiful eyes fixed on Qin Yan as though she had discovered something new and curious.

Seventh Uncle and Qin Zhaoyang also carried bundles large and small on their shoulders.

Years of labor had given them considerable strength as well.

The mountain path wound and twisted, and they did indeed walk for nearly two shichen. If not for having to accommodate Madam Chen and the others, Qin Yan would have reached the village long ago.

Yet he showed no sign of impatience on his face, leaving others unable to read his emotions.

"We're here!"

Qin Yan's voice jolted Madam Chen. Between the sweltering weather and the jolting journey,

she was too exhausted to maintain her dignified elegance. Sweat had plastered the hair at her temples to her skin, trailing down to her snow-white neck.

Now, she revealed a different kind of charm, entirely unlike before.

Seventh Uncle and Qin Zhaoyang took one look before turning their gazes away, not daring to look again for fear of offending this noblewoman.

An ordinary person like them couldn't afford to offend a woman like her.

Qin Yan escorted them all the way to a courtyard house with blue brick walls and stone roof tiles on the south side of the village.

"Everyone, my task is complete. Farewell!"

Qin Yan gave them a slight nod, then, before they could respond, shouldered his two shi of grain and left without looking back.

Madam Chen's astonished expression froze on her face. After a long moment, her sensual lips parted slightly. "He's certainly a youth with a personality of his own."

The sight made Uncle Chun think a little more highly of him.

"Though this boy has a strong killing nature, he also knows how to read the situation.

"If he'd been born into a great lineage, he might have accomplished quite a lot."

Uncle Chun stroked the black-and-white beard on his chin and cast a regretful glance in the direction Qin Yan had gone.

"Uncle Chun, you think so highly of this youth?"

Madam Chen asked in surprise.

"Indeed!" Uncle Chun nodded with a smile. "He was born with divine strength, and his martial talent is exceptional.

"More importantly, he acts decisively. Though he's so young, killing doesn't stir his heart.

"That shows this isn't the first time he's drawn blood, and he's quite accustomed to it.

"Unfortunately, he's only a commoner. His future is uncertain, and the most likely outcome is that he'll become an expert employed by some power or other."

By the time he finished, the regret on his face had deepened.

Madam Chen was somewhat tempted. "Do you think we could recruit this youth? Then my husband would have another expert at his side to command!"

Apart from Uncle Chun, she had no other expert at her side capable of keeping her and her daughter safe.

If she could recruit this youth and train him from a young age,

his loyalty would naturally be no problem, and she would also gain an expert who could one day take Uncle Chun's place.

At the thought of that person, a shadow fell over Madam Chen's lovely face.

"I'm afraid it won't be so simple."

Uncle Chun shook his head. "This boy's eyes are full of unruliness. When he looked at you and the young lady, he showed little respect.

"A youth like that will never submit to anyone easily."

"How will we know it won't work if we don't try?"

Madam Chen clearly didn't want to give up, and her eyes held a resolute look.

"Good, good, good! Recruit that fellow and make him my guard."

Hearing her mother say that, Jiang Wan's smiling face filled with delight, and she couldn't help clapping and cheering beside her.