Innate Blade Immortal, Body Tempering Realm Ninth Level

Two sets of footsteps sounded. It was Black Dog returning, bringing a scribe from the county yamen with him.

"Boss, someone's looking for you at the gate. Someone from the yamen."

The scribe quickly lowered his head and saluted Shen Qing. "This subordinate greets Lord Shen."

Shen Qing sat on a stone bench to the side, pouring himself a cup of tea.

"Is there a case? Did you bring the files?"

In this world, there was such a thing as 'fortune' or 'luck'. People had it, and so did dynasties.

Personal fortune was within oneself, ethereal and intangible.

Dynastic fortune was simpler; it lay in territory, in the populace, and in stability.

Therefore, to stabilize their fortune, the first emperor of the Wu Dynasty established the Imperial Guards, spread throughout the land, to suppress the martial world, to quell evil, and to solve major cases, thereby stabilizing fortune. Cases that the yamen couldn't solve were also transferred to the Imperial Guards.

The scribe quickly took the files from his sleeve. "This subordinate has prepared them."

Shen Qing took the files.

[September 13th, Chen Shi, Changbie Alley, the Li family's tofu shop, all four members of the family found dead. All victims died from knife wounds. Both females showed signs of assault. The target has been locked: Jiang Hao, the young leader of the Sishui Gang.]

Just when I was dozing off, someone sent a pillow.

I was just looking for someone to test my golden finger on.

"Prepare the equipment, let's go!"

In less than the time it takes for half a cup of tea to steep, a troop of fully armed Imperial Guards galloped out of the courtyard on horseback.

The efficiency this time was exceptionally fast.

The reason was simple.

Shen Qing was too terrifying today; they didn't dare to incur his displeasure.

Shen Qing rode a brown Hexi horse, taking out a cyan porcelain bottle from his怀.

Inside was an Aperture Opening Pill, used for opening apertures in the Body Tempering Realm.

This was the most effective one issued by the Imperial Guards.

Shen Qing directly threw three pills into his mouth.

With the aid of his enlightened Dao heart, opening apertures while riding a horse was not difficult.

Shen Qing circulated the Overbearing Body Forging Art, beginning to locate the next acupoint.

In just two breaths, Shen Qing located the position of the next acupoint, and then the vast medicinal power surged into this vital point.

Shen Qing vaguely remembered that breaking through an acupoint used to require careful consideration for a long time, fearing mistakes and meridian disorders.

But today, these difficult points seemed to have disappeared. The path to opening apertures had never been so clear.

In just three breaths, the third acupoint of the sixth level of Body Tempering Realm was opened.

Shen Qing blinked.

He wasn't sure, so he tried again.

Ten breaths, the fourth acupoint, opened.

In the time it takes for half a cup of tea to steep, he reached the seventh level of Body Tempering Realm.

In the time it takes for a cup of tea to steep, the eighth level.

In the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the peak of the ninth level of Body Tempering Realm.

In less than two incense sticks, he broke through three cultivation realms consecutively.

For ordinary people to open acupoints, they would usually proceed cautiously, thinking thrice before acting, treading on thin ice.

But Shen Qing was like shooting an arrow at the yuanmen (outer gate), appearing domineering and boundless, yet in reality, every step was meticulously calculated, without any error.

Feeling the immense power surging within his body, Shen Qing felt a sense of clarity.

The scholar riding behind Shen Qing quickly rode forward.

"My Lord, we've arrived at the Sishui Gang."

Shen Qing looked up ahead, seeing a grand courtyard built alongside the Sishui River.

This was indeed the Sishui Gang, controlling the various businesses along the Sishui River. All the boat trackers and laborers had to make a living through them.

They had earned a fortune over the years.

Shen Qing glanced at Old Li. "Go knock on the door. Tell them the Imperial Guards have come to deliver warmth."

Shen Qing waved his hand. The Imperial Guards behind him immediately understood, taking out fist-sized, dark round objects from their waist pouches.

This was the Heaven Shaking Thunder, developed by the Wu Dynasty's Ministry of Works.

Once subjected to a violent impact, it would erupt with a loud noise and bright light, specifically equipped for the Imperial Guards to apprehend criminals.

Old Li was stunned for a moment but quickly reacted, trotting forward and slapping the door panel with a "yo-he" sound.

"Everyone from the Sishui Gang, come out! The Imperial Guards are here to deliver warmth."

The shout startled everyone in the manor, leaving the members of the Sishui Gang utterly confused. Imperial Guards? Delivering warmth?

They understood each word individually, but together they made no sense.

Huang Feng, the Vice Leader of the Sishui Gang, looked towards their leader, Jiang Xian.

"Leader, this..."

Jiang Xian's expression turned grim. "A weasel wishing the rooster a Happy New Year, what good intentions could they have?"

"It's obvious they're here to arrest Hao'er. We can't open the gate."

Huang Feng was hesitant. "But, Boss, those are Imperial Guards outside."

Jiang Xian spat on the ground. "Imperial Guards, schmim-perial Guards. I don't know them. Pack up, grab some silver notes, and prepare to escape through the back door."

Outside the courtyard, Old Li ran back to Shen Qing's side. He looked at the silent courtyard with dissatisfaction.

"Sir, these Sishui Gang members are uncooperative. If they don't open the gate, how will we deliver this 'warmth'?"

Shen Qing's lips curved slightly upwards.

"I lied to them. We'll deliver it even if they don't open the gate!"

"Throw it!"

As soon as he finished speaking, all the Imperial Guards swung their arms with all their might, and over a dozen Heaven Shaking Thunders landed in the Sishui Gang's courtyard.

Huang Feng looked up. "Something's coming in..."

The two men watched as more than a dozen Heaven Shaking Thunders landed rapidly, erupting in intense sound and light.

All the gang members in the courtyard were sent reeling, while the ordinary people without cultivation were directly knocked unconscious.

Jiang Xian felt dizzy and his face turned ugly. "Prepare to fight our way out! Hao'er absolutely cannot fall into their hands."

However, before he could finish speaking, the gate was kicked open.

Shen Qing walked in slowly, holding his Wild Goose Feather Saber.

"The Imperial Guards are investigating. It's best if you all surrender obediently."

Jiang Xian saw a hint of anger on Shen Qing's face, but now was not the time for scolding.

"Quick, split up and run immediately!"

Shen Qing stroked his chin.

"Split up? What an unreasonable request."

"But this official has decided to grant it!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Shen Qing's figure vanished from his spot, and a gust of wind swept through.

Jiang Xian turned his head, but before he could take two steps, a round object flew high into the air – it was Jiang Xian's head.

[Congratulations on successfully plundering the trait: Beginner's Blade Path (Green)]

Shen Qing raised an eyebrow. The drop rate for this trait was quite high.

Without any hesitation, he used the three trait upgrade opportunities from the novice gift package, plus the one free daily claim, for a total of four.

He went all in.

Consuming four trait upgrade opportunities.

Beginner's Blade Path (Green) upgraded to: Blade Path Master (Blue)

Blade Path Master (Blue) upgraded to: Blade Path Grandmaster (Purple)

Blade Path Grandmaster (Purple) upgraded to: Man and Saber as One (Gold)

Man and Saber as One (Gold) upgraded to: Innate Blade Immortal (Red).

[Innate Blade Immortal: Comprehension of the Blade Path is like that of a reincarnated Blade Immortal.]

Shen Qing felt another cleansing sensation deep within his soul. He felt as if the saber in his hand had become more intimate, like an extension of his own arm.

With a thought, aided by his clear Dao heart and the Innate Blade Immortal trait, the Roughening Wind Saber Technique felt no different than a kindergarten textbook.

Almost instantly.

The proficiency of the Roughening Wind Saber Technique advanced from minor completion to perfect completion.

With a casual flourish, he unleashed a saber strike, as if intending to shatter the wind itself.

Huang Feng was terrified to the point of his liver and gallbladder cracking, wishing his parents had given him two more legs.

Shen Qing took a step, his figure vanishing once more. Saber light flashed through the air, four strikes in quick succession. Huang Feng's limbs were severed at the root, the cuts perfectly clean.

In just two exchanges, the leader and vice-leader of the Sishui Gang were dead.

"Search the house."

Shen Qing flicked his Wild Goose Feather Saber, blood slowly dripping from the blade, dotting the ground like a vibrant flower.

Upon hearing Shen Qing's command, Black Dog and Old Li charged directly into the crowd, with the Scholar close behind.

For the next brief period, screams echoed endlessly within the courtyard.

The members of the Sishui Gang had long been terrified by Shen Qing, so facing the Imperial Guards now was basically a one-sided slaughter.

In the time it took for one incense stick to burn, no one was left standing in the courtyard except the Imperial Guards; not even a chicken was left standing.

Old Li grabbed a youth and threw him to the ground.

"Boss, Jiang Hao has been captured."

Looking at the corpses littering the ground, Jiang Hao's face turned deathly pale, and his crotch visibly darkened with moisture. He crawled on his knees towards Shen Qing.

"Sir... Sir, I know I was wrong. Please spare my life. I'm willing to pay to live."

Shen Qing glanced at Jiang Hao.

"You don't know you were wrong; you just know you're going to die."

He unleashed three saber flashes with the Wild Goose Feather Saber in his hand, cleaving Jiang Hao into several pieces.

"Boss! Boss! Hurry up!"

The Scholar's shouts echoed from the backyard.

Shen Qing went to a room in the backyard. It looked like it belonged to Huang Feng or Jiang Xian.

The Scholar stood excitedly in front of a hidden door, his fingers tapping away as he calculated.

Shen Qing also stood at the doorway and looked inside. There were several chests. One contained silver, a small one held silver notes, and another chest was full of silver notes.

The Scholar's face grew more and more excited. "Boss, I've roughly calculated that the silver notes and silver combined are conservatively worth over a thousand taels."

"And that's not including this jewelry, nor what we found from the other gang members."

"We're rich!"

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