Returning Laden with Spoils

Human hearts harbor luck, and greed is insatiable; these are common ailments in the world.

For this ambush and interception of the Mystic Armored Pangolin Dragon, Lin Zhao contributed immensely. It would have been fitting to give him even more than the agreed-upon forty percent of the Pangolin Dragon Essence, let alone that amount.

Even if Zhao Zhong had received his promised five bottles, the remaining eight would have been enough for him to afford the "Spirit Condensing Grass" needed to break through to the low-level Martial Master realm. Yet, this fool, thinking himself clever, attempted a double-cross, resulting in his death and the loss of all his possessions. He truly brought it upon himself.

"One must always guard against others. Fortunately, I saw through these people early on, realizing they were rogue cultivators from outside the garrison and not to be trifled with. Even more fortunate is that my Mystic Dragon Breathing Technique has reached the fourth level, giving me some real skill."

Ever since joining the Northern Garrison, Lin Zhao had sparred with Martial Masters of the same rank several times, only to discover that his own strength was even greater than he had anticipated. Except for the time he was ambushed and injured by a Night Raven Tower silver-tier assassin, he had emerged completely unharmed from encounters with ordinary low-level Martial Masters. The defensive power of the Mystic Dragon's internal energy was truly formidable.

Even among Martial Masters who had entered the realm, the gap between them was like that between clouds and mud.

This realization, however, made Lin Zhao dare not harbor any arrogance.

The path of the martial world is long. Beyond the northern lands lie Grandmaster Warriors of the Heavenly Gang Realm, and even Legendary Master Warriors of the Mystic Martial Realm. A single misstep could lead to a disastrous fall.

After escaping the danger, Lin Zhao began to clear the battlefield.

First, he looked at the ten bottles of Pangolin Dragon Essence. He calculated: with his current cultivation of the fourth level of the Mystic Dragon Breathing Technique, one bottle of Pangolin Dragon Essence would be enough to aid in condensing internal energy for half a month. At this rate, for the next half year or so, he wouldn't have to worry about auxiliary medicinal ingredients for improving his internal energy.

"By the end of this year, I must break through to the mid-level Entering Martial Master realm and raise the proficiency of my Mystic Dragon Breathing Technique to the fifth level," a sharp glint flashed in Lin Zhao's eyes. "By then, the Qi shield of the Mystic Dragon's internal energy will be thirty percent thicker, and my strength will reach another level. I'll even have the strength to fight against a Night Raven Tower gold-tier assassin!"

He wrapped the Pangolin Dragon Essence in oilcloth and carefully placed it into his backpack. Then, he turned to search Zhao Zhong's corpse.

He had suspected this man was a smuggler operating between the Oirat and Great Ming borders – otherwise, how would he have known the whereabouts of the Mystic Armored Pangolin Dragon?

However, after a thorough search, apart from over a hundred heavy Jiajing Coins, there were no other clues, not even a "customs clearance wooden token" commonly used by border smugglers.

"What a stingy smuggler!" Lin Zhao spat under his breath, then thought it made sense – ordinary smugglers wouldn't carry large sums of money and tokens with them.

It was inconvenient to carry and easily led to scrutiny by garrison patrols. They likely hid them in secret strongholds along the border.

Next, he moved to Xie Hongling's dismembered corpse.

Having fought this woman before, he was quite curious about her unique poison techniques. He had hoped to find something like a "Poison Scripture" or similar texts, so he could study them and have more ways to deal with opponents who used poison in the future.

To his surprise, his search yielded results.

"This Xie Hongling was truly meticulous; she sewed all her good things into the lining of her clothes." Lin Zhao looked at the pile of porcelain bottles and pottery jars stained with blood – they contained powdered Intestine Severing Grass, Crane Top Red crystals, and other highly toxic raw materials. Besides these, there were dozens of Jiajing Coins and a yellowed piece of sheepskin.

Upon unfolding the sheepskin, he saw it was a cultivation chart for a breathing technique.

This breathing technique was called the "Blood Poison Spider Breathing Technique." The paper was painted with vermilion ink, depicting over a dozen small figures in various poses. Each figure had subtle internal energy flow patterns drawn around their bodies. In the center was a depiction of a Blood Poison Spider, the size of a millstone – this was likely the "Blood Poison Spider" rumored in the martial world, and the foundation for cultivating this breathing technique.

Lin Zhao studied it carefully for a moment and found this breathing technique to be quite peculiar. Unlike ordinary cultivation methods that focused on body refinement, power gathering, defense, or lightness, this one specialized in "perception."

This perception ability required the use of internal energy to stimulate the fine hairs on the body's surface, allowing one to detect airflow changes, foot tremors, and even the chest movements of someone breathing behind a rock within a ten-zhang radius.

Any disturbance within the range of perception would be clearly transmitted to the mind, eliminating the need to rely on sight or hearing. In essence, it was a crucial skill for martial artists skilled in "blind combat" in the martial world, most suitable for sneak attacks or guarding against ambushes.

However, correspondingly, this breathing technique was much weaker in direct combat. Even when cultivated to its peak, it could only condense a thin layer of internal energy. It could be considered the weakest among the lower-grade techniques for Entering Martial Masters.

No wonder Xie Hongling's strength only reached the low-level Entering Martial Master realm. Such a specialized auxiliary technique, with its extreme bias, had to be paired with poison techniques or hidden weapon skills to be effective. Otherwise, no matter how strong the perception, she would merely be a target for slaughter.

"It's quite interesting, worth spending some effort to cultivate," Lin Zhao said, folding the sheepskin and tucking it into his embrace. "In the future, when on night watch or scouting enemy camps, this perception ability will be very useful."

He also discovered that although the Blood Poison Spider Breathing Technique required medicinal ingredients for assistance, they were not for improving internal energy but for concocting "Qi poison" – merging internal energy with poisons to attach to hidden weapons, increasing their potency by thirty percent.

It was likely due to this that Xie Hongling's poison techniques were so potent.

Afterward, Lin Zhao went to search the corpses of Li Cangying and Zhou Xuan. Unfortunately, apart from a few dozen Jiajing Coins, there was no other gain. He had hoped to find the diagram for Li Cangying's "Green Falcon Wind Chasing Steps," but now he had to give up.

After all, ordinary warriors wouldn't carry their core cultivation techniques with them. Xie Hongling had to keep hers on her person because the poison formula and the breathing technique complemented each other.

However, Zhou Xuan's equipment was of excellent quality. Although the set of Mystic Iron Mountain Pattern Armor was stained with blood, it was not damaged in any way. The Bincheng Iron Great Shield was completely intact, and even the blade of the Quenched Iron Armor Piercing Axe only had a small chip, which could be used again after a bit of grinding.

Lin Zhao did not stand on ceremony and collected the armor, shield, and weapons one by one. He could either take them back to Lin Family Fortress to be kept for his subordinates or sell them at the weapon shop for cash; both were good options.

He moved the bodies of the four individuals to a depression in the ground. Lin Zhao still felt a sense of martial ethics. Although they were not comrades, they were all people who lived on the edge of a blade. He gathered dry branches and leaves and piled them on the bodies, then set them ablaze.

As the flames rose, it at least prevented them from becoming food for wild wolves and vultures after death.

Finally, his gaze fell upon the corpse of the Mystic Armored Pangolin Dragon, which was like a small mountain.

What troubled him the most now was how to bring back this corpse, valued at at least thirty thousand taels of silver. The Northern Garrison was three days' journey from this location, and this giant beast weighed at least five thousand jin. It was impossible for him to bring it back intact alone.

However, he was truly unwilling to abandon the corpse here. The scales of the Mystic Armored Pangolin Dragon could be used to craft scale armor, its bones could be boiled into "Body Tempering Bone Glue," and even its internal organs could be used as medicine. Such a treasure of heaven and earth, to abandon it, would be a terrible waste. Moreover, he had already decided on the use for these scales.

Since he was not in a hurry to return to Lin Family Fortress, after dealing with the bodies of the four individuals, Lin Zhao began to dismantle the Mystic Armored Pangolin Dragon.

The scales of this giant beast were exceptionally hard. He first used the Cold Moon Sword to hack out a gap, then used the Quenched Iron Armor Piercing Sword from the Mystic Rhinoceros to pry. It took all his might to remove the first scale.

Then, he disemboweled it, first carefully preserving the internal organs, and then meticulously stripping off each scale. In his opinion, besides the dragon essence, these scales were the most precious things.

Scale armor crafted from the scales of the Mystic Armored Pangolin Dragon would be thirty percent lighter than the garrison's standard Mountain Pattern Armor, yet its defense could withstand the full force of a Peak Martial Master's attack and was resistant to ordinary sword cuts, making it a superior piece of protective armor.

"I'll first craft a set for myself using the hardest scales from its back. The rest will be for Uncle Zhao in the garrison and three capable brothers, one set for each," Lin Zhao mused. "However, those three brothers are still Martial Trainees, and their bodies are still growing. I can only craft their armor once they reach the introductory Martial Master level and their physiques stabilize. By then, I will have four skilled fighters clad in scale armor, capable of defending against enemies or pursuing bandits!"

In the wilderness, Lin Zhao patiently processed the corpse of the Mystic Armored Pangolin Dragon. The bloody scent emanating from the corpse attracted many yellow goats and mountain deer, and even two wolves, which he shot down with his iron-pellet bow. The wolf pelts could be made into cloaks, and the yellow goat meat could be roasted for food, saving his carried rations.

With such busyness, three days passed in the blink of an eye.

Just prying off all the scales, cleaning them, and wrapping them in oilcloth took him two days. Even the tip of the newly acquired Quenched Iron Armor Piercing Sword became slightly deformed.

Looking at the mountain of Mystic Armored Pangolin Dragon scales piled on the ground, Lin Zhao was filled with joy. Over two hundred scales were enough to craft four complete sets of scale armor, ensuring the defense of his subordinates in the future.

As for the flesh and blood of the Mystic Armored Pangolin Dragon, although it had not spoiled, it had been contaminated by Xie Hongling's "Seven Absolute Soul Chasing Poison." Even stray dogs dared not approach it, so he had to reluctantly abandon it. Otherwise, he would have truly wanted to taste the meat of this ferocious beast, which might have even replenished his Blood Essence.

However, it was worth noting that he discovered dozens of Jiajing Coins in the stomach of the Mystic Armored Pangolin Dragon. Although the coins were pitted and corroded by stomach acid, the inscriptions were still recognizable. It was likely that this ferocious beast had accidentally swallowed the money dropped by passing merchants.

This made him recall the legend in the martial world that the "Mystic Armored Pangolin Dragon likes to collect shiny objects." He immediately set off for the beast's lair in the dense forest in the distance to check.

Unfortunately, apart from some half-rotten beast carcasses and broken ironware, there was nothing else valuable in the lair, not even a decent piece of ore. He could only return in disappointment.

Back at his original spot, Lin Zhao cleaned the Mystic Armored Pangolin Dragon's hide, dried it over a fire, and then sewed it into three large leather sacks with hemp rope. He sorted the scales by size and packed them. He then found the military transport cart that Li Cangying had abandoned – though its wheels were slightly deformed, it could still roll.

He loaded the scales, the disassembled Internal Energy Armor Piercing Crossbow, and Zhou Xuanwu's Mystic Iron Mountain Pattern Armor into the cart before driving it towards Qixia Fortress.

That Internal Energy Armor Piercing Crossbow was incredibly powerful, capable of breaking through the internal energy shields of Grandmaster Warriors in the Heavenly Gang Realm. He thought about taking some time to study it after returning, to see if he could replicate a simplified version to equip his subordinates.

On the way back, he didn't detour to Northern Garrison City again – fearing inspection by the garrison patrols. He only retrieved the Tael of Silver he had previously buried in the pine forest. Then, he took a remote mountain path, avoiding villages along the way. After about half a month, he finally arrived at Qixia Fortress.

During the journey back, Lin Zhao was lost in thought, his brow furrowed.

Why was it that as soon as he left Qixia Fortress, assassins from Night Raven Tower showed up?

He had already changed into coarse cloth clothes and worn a Rakshasa mask when entering the city, yet he was still recognized.

Recalling the previous assassination attempt, which also occurred when Zhao Tieying was away procuring supplies, these two incidents were no coincidence.

"There must be an informant within Qixia Fortress," Lin Zhao's eyes darkened, his knuckles turning white. "And this informant has been tipping off 'Night Raven Tower' or other factions. Otherwise, how could the assassins always time their attacks so precisely?"

Qixia Fortress was not large, with only about fifty permanent soldiers. Investigating would not be difficult. He already had a plan in mind and would set a trap to catch the mole upon returning to the fortress.

Upon returning to Qixia Fortress, Lin Zhao first hid the Tael of Silver and Jiajing Coins in the fortress's secret vault – a hidden room he had dug out years ago, known only to himself and Zhao Tieying.

He kept only over five hundred taels of silver for the daily expenses of the fortress and planned to use the rest to purchase Body Tempering Medicine and repair the fortress walls. Zhao Tieying, seeing him return safely with a cart full of supplies, finally relaxed his worried heart and hurried to greet him.

"Young Master, your month-long trip truly worried me – I feared you might encounter Oirat archers or beasts in the mountains," Zhao Tieying said, patting the leather sacks on the cart. He felt their weight and was filled with curiosity.

"Uncle Zhao, this trip was quite fruitful; it's enough for us to last until the end of the year. Next, I need to focus on cultivating the Mystic Dragon Breathing Technique and strive to break through the Lesser Heavenly Cycle soon to become a Peak Martial Master. There's also one more thing I need your help with these next few days: divide the soldiers in the fortress into two shifts. One shift will guard the fortress, and the other will go with you down the mountain to chop some wood to repair the gap in the west wall," Lin Zhao changed the subject, his tone becoming more serious.

"As you command, Young Master," Zhao Tieying bowed in response, not asking further questions. He knew Lin Zhao acted with purpose and never did anything without reason.

The 24th year of Jiajing, early summer.

Rumors suddenly spread through the markets of Jinling City: Zhu Chenhao, the rising star of Prince Jing's Mansion, a Heavenly Gang Realm Peak Grandmaster Warrior hailed as "the foremost under a Legendary Master Warrior of the Mystic Martial Realm," failed in his attempt to break through to the Mystic Martial Realm, his internal energy flowing backward and injuring his dantian.

Afterward, Prince Jing's Mansion immediately issued a denial, calling the rumors baseless and stating that Zhu Chenhao was still in seclusion, refining his internal energy, and the final outcome of his attempt to break through to the Heavenly Gang Realm was yet unknown.

If Zhu Chenhao could successfully break through to the Heavenly Gang Realm, he would be the first Legendary Master Warrior of the Mystic Martial Realm in nearly fifty years to do so before the age of thirty.

At that time, Prince Jing's Mansion's status would also rise significantly – a Legendary Master Warrior of the Mystic Martial Realm would be enough to deter many ambitious nobles and underground forces in Jiangnan, even earning the Imperial Guard some respect.

Meanwhile, in Northern Garrison City, the official investigation into the fire at Zhou Bo'an's residence over a month ago had yielded results: after examination by the coroner, it was confirmed that someone had murdered Zhou Bo'an, a Centurion, and then set fire to the residence to destroy the evidence.

The authorities found Zhou Bo'an's unburnt remains in the fireplace ashes and also discovered fragments of poisoned arrows at the scene. They vehemently condemned such "murder and arson, defying the law" and posted a notice offering a reward for the capture of the perpetrator.

For a time, panic gripped Northern Garrison City. Centurion Zhou Bo'an was usually kind to others, frugal, and beloved by the people, enjoying an excellent reputation within the garrison. Yet, he had died at the hands of an unknown madman – the common folk lamented, "Where is the conscience of this madman?"

Furthermore, Zhou Bo'an, as a mid-stage Entering Martial Master of the Lesser Heavenly Cycle, was by no means weak, yet he still perished under the madman's blade.

In this situation, besides Heavenly Gang Realm Grandmaster Warriors and a few peak Entering Martial Masters, who dared to claim they could retreat unscathed from such an "outlaw"?

Earl Bei'an was enraged, viewing it as a provocation to his jurisdiction. He dispatched the Imperial Cavalry to patrol the city day and night, searching house by house for suspicious individuals, vowing to "fight against the forces of darkness to the end and bring clarity back to Northern Garrison City."

And in Qixia Fortress, the "culprit responsible for the murder of Centurion Zhou Bo'an," Lin Zhao, was currently in the secret room preparing internal energy medicinal liquid.

The fifteen bottles of Pangolin Dragon Essence had all been refined into medicinal liquid, stored in ten white porcelain bottles. Each bottle emitted a faint golden glow, and a faint bitter medicinal fragrance could be detected upon close inspection.

Next, he would take the medicine while diligently practicing his breathing techniques to make up for the cultivation progress delayed by his trip.

"The soldier disguised as me has already left the fortress. Let's see who takes the bait tonight," Lin Zhao murmured to himself, his fingertips brushing over the Cold Iron Frost Condensing Sword at his waist.

Since returning to Qixia Fortress, he had been keeping a low profile, spending his time cultivating and observing the fortress's activities. He increasingly found the behavior of "Wang Jiu" among the soldiers suspicious – that person was recruited last month, was usually taciturn, but always inquired about his whereabouts.

So, he devised a plan: during the day, he ordered a soldier with a similar build to himself, dressed in his usual blue cloth robe and riding his bay horse, to leave the fortress and head to Northern Garrison City, publicly stating they were "going to buy some medicine for the Centurion."

Lin Family Fortress was small. If there was indeed an informant, they would surely sneak out at night to report.

In those times, there was no carrier pigeon or long-distance communication; messages could only be delivered by messengers.

What Lin Zhao wanted was to see who would secretly leave the fortress tonight.

This plan might not be a guaranteed success, but it was worth a try.

If it failed, he would find another solution, such as setting an ambush on the necessary path outside the fortress.

In the secret room, Lin Zhao sat cross-legged, cultivating while quietly awaiting news.

His cultivation of the Mystic Dragon Breathing Technique had inevitably been delayed during his month-long travels. Now, with the aid of the secret medicine, he could catch up quickly.

He poured out a Mystic Dragon Secret Medicine pill. He felt a warm stream of energy slide down his throat into his dantian. He immediately followed the method and circulated his technique, completing one cycle of the Mystic Dragon Breathing Technique.

" Mystic Dragon Breathing Technique Proficiency +30."

As his realm improved, his cultivation efficiency also significantly increased. At the Third Tier, one circulation only added 15 points of proficiency. Now at the Fourth Tier, it added 30 points. Along with this came an astonishing appetite.

Zhao Tieying, nearing fifty, his Blood Essence gradually declining, ate only two bowls of rice and half a pound of meat per meal. His food requirements were naturally less.

Lin Zhao, however, was in his prime, a period of vigorous Blood Essence. Since entering the Lesser Heavenly Cycle as an Entering Martial Master, his digestion and utilization rate of food was more than three times that of the introductory stage.

Even now, eating eight pounds of meat and five bowls of rice per meal, he only defecated once or twice a day.

The vast majority of the nutrients from the food were efficiently absorbed by the Qi Seed in his dantian, used to condense Mystic Dragon Qi Force and strengthen his physique.

Although he had not yet reached the mid-stage Martial Master realm, Lin Zhao could clearly feel that as his proficiency accumulated, the Mystic Dragon Qi Force within his body was also slowly growing. With every bit of internal energy gained, the Qi shield on his body surface thickened by one layer. This was a process of quantitative change, and the key to qualitative change lay in breaking through the threshold of the mid-stage Martial Master realm.

After completing his circulation, Lin Zhao did not stop and switched to cultivating the Blood Poison Spider Breathing Technique. This technique required no medicinal aid; it was all about "practice." He needed to continuously use his internal energy to activate the pores on his body surface, sense the surrounding airflow, and practice diligently.

In just a few short months, the Blood Poison Spider Breathing Technique had reached its second tier, with the proficiency progress bar already past the halfway mark. Lin Zhao estimated that at this rate, he could break through to the third tier next month. At that point, his sensory range would expand from ten zhang to fifteen zhang, allowing him to detect even the crawling of insects underground.

The more he cultivated, the more he felt that while various breathing techniques seemed to have different focuses—some emphasizing speed (like the Green Falcon Wind Chasing Steps), some strength (like the Black Tortoise Iron Wall Technique), and some perception (like the Blood Poison Spider Breathing Technique)—they were all fundamentally similar in the grand scheme of "internal energy circulation," merely branches with different focal points.

At times, he even entertained a peculiar thought: perhaps all breathing techniques originated from the same source, stemming from the ancient warriors' understanding of "qi."

If that were truly the case, as his realm grew higher and he mastered more breathing techniques, his future practice of new techniques would become progressively faster through mutual understanding.

At that time, it wouldn't be impossible to advance a low-tier breathing technique from beginner to peak within a month.

As his thoughts reached this point, a clamor suddenly erupted from outside the fortress, mixed with the low growls of three squad leaders and the crisp clanging of weapons.

Lin Zhao's heart stirred: They're here! They've probably made their move.

He immediately ceased his cultivation and stood up. With a light step, he used the perception from the Blood Poison Spider Breathing Technique to confirm no one was around. Then, he pushed open the door to the secret room and quickly walked towards the fortress gate.

On the small path outside the fortress, three battalion commanders had surrounded a person. Their long sabers were drawn, the tips pointed at the individual, each baring their teeth with a ferocious expression.

A moment later, Lin Zhao and Zhao Tieying also arrived, standing outside the circle and coldly staring at the person being surrounded.

The surrounded individual was Wang Jiu, a soldier from the fortress. His clothes were disheveled, and a bulging cloth bag was still tucked into his waist. Upon seeing Lin Zhao, his face instantly turned ashen, and his voice trembled as he tried to explain, "C-Centurion? Why are you back? I, I just wanted to go relieve myself, I didn't mean anything else..."