Master, Are You Called Huang Silang?

The morning sun shone brightly, spilling light across the land. Good weather like this was a rare sight in Bangkok.

Ji Qinglin had just seen off several more customers who had come to buy Old Era relics. Ever since Yu Ye had started coming downstairs to practice, business at the General Store had improved considerably. Most of the time, customers spent far longer sneaking glances at Yu Ye than looking at the merchandise.

Dressed in a cropped athletic outfit, Yu Ye cleanly snapped out a kick in midair. Her movements were dashing and valiant, and the force of that kick alone blasted the poster off the wall. Customers who had already left the General Store actually backed up to take a few more looks.

"Master, isn't this Treading Snow to Seek Plum Blossoms a good move? Why did you make me hold back on the final kick?"

After several days of training in the General Store, master and disciple had basically learned all the high-grade techniques purchased from Zhang HuaiMin. Yu Ye had suffered after injecting all the techniques into her body, but it had also advanced her meridians and sped up her mastery. Naturally, though, the degree to which the two had mastered them differed.

Yu Ye had merely learned the forms and was still figuring out how to apply them flexibly, while Ji Qinglin, bolstered by Divine Sense Observation, could see the circulation of the techniques far more thoroughly.

Thus, after a few days, the more Yu Ye trained, the more unfathomable she found her Master.

Every technique she had learned, her Master somehow knew as well—and wielded with greater power. He could even break down the paths of circulation and techniques within each move to explain them.

Holding a teacup, Ji Qinglin walked over to Yu Ye. He reached out and caught her smooth calf as it kicked out, explaining, "Everyone knows the killing move comes last. That's like playing your cards faceup. If your opponent catches it, you'll be in a very passive position. You excel in agility, so it's best to slightly alter the circulation path in your leg for that final kick. Only by being able to advance or retreat can you leave yourself room to maneuver."

The techniques in the Technique Storage Device could be modified. However, few people understood the circulation paths through the meridians, so most did not dare alter them lightly. Ji Qinglin now naturally possessed that ability.

Hearing that, Yu Ye recalled how her kick had been effortlessly caught by her Master a few days ago, only for him to pin her to the sofa and strip her bare with a backhand. Shaking her head, she asked, "With you revising these techniques like this, catching anyone off guard shouldn't be a problem. What next? Are we going to buy new techniques?"

"There's no need. Being overly complicated will only drag you down. Actual combat is more important."

Yu Ye's eyes lit up. "Oh? Are you arranging opponents? Your disciple also thinks it's time those elders who don't know the height of heaven or the depth of earth got a taste of our master-disciple strength!"

"I wasn't planning to find Qi Practitioners from the chamber of commerce as your opponents. Exposing your strength too early would be unfavorable for your participation in the Cultivation Grand Competition. Besides, they can't help you quickly accumulate genuine combat experience."

Yu Ye's willow brows knitted slightly. "You're not going to do it yourself, are you? Your disciple has already lost herself twice."

Crazy Night: Pfft, you'd better be talking about training.

Ji Qinglin pulled out the computer beneath the counter. "Haven't you always wanted to know the General Store's other sources of income? Aside from the money I earn as an intermediary, another one is right here."

Yu Ye leaned closer, bracing herself against her Master's shoulder. Her faint body fragrance pressed close as she discovered that the computer screen was filled with portrait files constantly cycling past. They were arranged in two rows, and some portraits had already been marked with red crosses.

"This is... a Wanted Order."

"You can kill people without breaking the law, and if you want, there's a reward to collect. If you're lucky, the criminal may even have a little treasury of their own."

"No wonder you're so formidable, Master. So you were forged by licking blood from the blade's edge."

"No. In the past, I only made plans and never acted personally. I only changed that habit now to give you more practical combat experience."

Ji Qinglin naturally did not reveal that it was also to build up his own practical combat experience. "Can planning alone work?"

"Yes. Pick a target, hire Qi Practitioners, provide an operation plan and intelligence, then wait for the results and the money. The risks are low, and it raises the mission's success rate."

Yu Ye thought of Sang Feng from before. It really did seem to work that way.

"Master, are all the Wanted Orders here issued by the police?"

"The white Wanted Orders above are issued by the police. The black ones below are posted on the black market by private individuals or companies."

"The police rewards aren't high, but the black-market ones are outrageously high."

"When the price is that high, either you simply can't complete it, or you won't get the money even if you do. Comparatively speaking, police Wanted Orders are more reliable. Besides, in my experience, the valuables in a wanted criminal's hands are far worth more than their listed bounty."

Yu Ye noticed that beneath the wanted criminal's personal information, there was even a notice reading, "Group order being initiated."

"Y-you can even pool orders?"

"If you think you can't handle it alone but really want to take it, you can pool an order with others. Usually, though, those invitations are made privately. Pooling an order openly would let the wanted criminal know as well."

Yu Ye noticed that the logged-in account name in the upper-left corner of the screen was: Huang Silang.

Below it was written: Wanted Orders accepted: 24. Wanted Order mission success rate: 100%. "A one-hundred-percent success rate! Master, do you use a false name because you're afraid of retaliation?"

"It's only because I never do anything without certainty. Retaliation isn't really a concern. Everyone on the Dark Web uses virtual identities. Besides, I've always pulled weeds up by the roots. The name 'Huang Silang' is also quite renowned there. No one has ever refused a mission cooperation request I posted."

Even more admiration and anticipation filled Yu Ye's widened almond eyes. "Master, then what kind of target should we choose?"

Ji Qinglin patiently analyzed, "Look at the actions of these wanted criminals. Don't choose those who have killed large numbers of police officers or Qi Practitioners—they're too dangerous. Don't choose those with amounts too small either; they have no value as combat practice.

"It's best if the police recently issued the notice, the target has killed people but not too many, and their crimes are preferably those of a habitual thief. They all have little treasuries, and most are agile Qi Practitioners, making them suitable for you to practice against."

Using those conditions to filter the list, a Wanted Order matching the criteria indeed popped up before them: Name: Duan Tianpeng. Alias: Flying Mantis.

Techniques commonly used: Intercept Cloud Step (modified), Flying Curtain Kick, Heart-Urging Seal.

Summary of crimes: Repeatedly broke into homes to steal the lingerie and valuables of women from prominent families. On two occasions, after being discovered, he killed guards and cleaning staff. One week ago, he struck again on Xin Dong Street, stealing the lingerie of women from a wealthy household along with a large quantity of jewelry.

Yu Ye frowned. "A Lingerie Bandit? Master, how about we pick someone more respectable?"

"Are there any respectable people among wanted criminals? Don't aim too high. The fact that this guy can enter so many heavily guarded places proves his skills are definitely not poor."

"That's true, but the latest information is only from a week ago. How are we supposed to catch this thief?"

Ji Qinglin did not answer. Instead, he made a silencing gesture, then opened the Voice Simulator and connected to another person on the Dark Web. Yu Ye saw that her Master had labeled the person "Butler Tang."

Once the call connected, an older man's greeting came from the other side:

"Master Huang! It's been a while since you came online. Which unlucky bastard has caught your eye this time?"

Ji Qinglin replied concisely, "Flying Mantis, Duan Tianpeng. I want his latest information, not this stuff you people pasted onto the Wanted Order to fool outsiders."

"Understood. After it's done, we split the reward seventy-thirty?"

"If this intelligence is detailed and genuine enough, I can raise your share to forty percent."

"Master Huang, you're generous. Wait for my news."

Master Huang was tall and hard! Wishing everyone a happy Friday!