Azure Water Silkworm

Several translucent water bugs floated on the surface of the water in the courtyard vat, occasionally wriggling their bodies as they slowly moved about.

These were the Azure Water Silkworms Song Changming had bought at the market. The small ones were only an inch long, while the larger ones were about a finger's length.

Because their quality was average, these Azure Water Silkworms had not cost much—only several dozen to a little over a hundred copper coins each.

Song Changming and Father Song stood nearby, observing the condition of the Azure Water Silkworms.

"Is that one about to die?" Father Song suddenly pointed at one silkworm that was barely moving.

"Seems like it." Song Changming was somewhat speechless as he reached into the vat and felt the water.

The temperature seemed just right, yet that Azure Water Silkworm still appeared unable to adapt, struggling to survive even a single day.

It had to be said that Azure Water Silkworms truly were difficult to raise.

Even with a breeding manual, this was far from an easy task.

"Forget it. We'll figure it out slowly. Let this first batch of larvae count as buying experience. Even if they die, I can still use them for Practicing Martial Arts, so it won't be too much of a loss." Song Changming shook his head.

He vaguely felt that not even one of these nearly ten Azure Water Silkworm larvae would survive in the end.

Fortunately, the bodies of Azure Water Silkworms were quite beneficial to Martial Artists. They were a proper tonic, so even if they died from being raised poorly, it was not truly a waste to him.

Father Song still felt rather pained, though. In his eyes, these Azure Water Silkworms had all been bought with a great deal of money. The cost of trial and error was a little too high.

"All right, Dad. It's getting late. Let's check again tomorrow." Song Changming pressed the large wooden lid over the water vat and spoke to Father Song.

"All right."

After checking on the Azure Water Silkworms he had just begun raising, Song Changming continued practicing with his saber and tempering his body. Only after restoring tomorrow's state to 'Single-minded Focus' did he rest.

He reviewed the earlier battle against the three assassins in his mind, summarizing his experience and considering his shortcomings in actual combat.

The next day, when he lifted the lid, two more of the nine Azure Water Silkworms had died.

"Not too bad. At least the remaining six have initially adapted to the water in this vat." Song Changming smiled, removed the two dead Azure Water Silkworms, and planned to eat them that evening after returning from saber practice.

He had eaten one Azure Water Silkworm body the day before.

It had been somewhat springy, a little like jelly. It was fairly refreshing, with a faint fishy taste, but it was not unpleasant.

As for the effects, having eaten only one low-quality Azure Water Silkworm, the results naturally had not been particularly noticeable.

Song Changming only felt that it had some slight effect. His body seemed to have gained a faint bit of vitality, and that was all.

After giving Father Song a few instructions, he went to report for duty at the Patrol Guard Headquarters.

Several more days passed, and the identities of the three assassins had been extracted through interrogation.

They claimed to belong to an underworld organization known as the Dark Night Pavilion.

This Dark Night Pavilion was quite famous throughout the underworld of the Great Han Dynasty. The assassins it produced had accomplished many notable feats.

One of its main lines of business was murder for hire. Quite a few officials of the Great Han Dynasty had even been killed by them.

For that very reason, many of its assassins were on the Great Han Dynasty's wanted list, with substantial bounties on their heads.

The three assassins who had thrown all of Houli Street into unrest this time were merely low-level assassins from the Dark Night Pavilion.

They had been hired to come here and carry out assassinations targeting the Patrol Guard Headquarters.

As for who had hired them behind the scenes, all three insisted that it had been the Tengya Mountain Bandit Army.

Liang Chuanshan and the others did not entirely believe this. Dark Night Pavilion assassins all underwent special training, and it was said that none had ever revealed information about the employer behind a job. This was the key to how the Dark Night Pavilion had grown so large; its reputation was excellent.

The reason these three assassins had named the Tengya Mountain Bandit Army as their employer after being captured might very well have been because they had been instructed to do so, deliberately shifting the blame elsewhere.

The only connection between the Houli Street Patrol Guard Headquarters and the Tengya Mountain Bandit Army was Chen Beihu, whom they had previously killed.

It was not impossible that the other side had planned this to avenge a minor Leader like Chen Beihu, but it still seemed somewhat far-fetched.

Chen Beihu was hardly an important figure within the entire Tengya Mountain Bandit Army. Since he had been killed for a bounty, it should not have warranted such a major response.

On the fifth day of interrogation, the three assassins suddenly died in their cells. Toxins within their bodies had erupted, causing them to die of poisoning.

With no further clues to be found, the case was once again brought to a halt.

Even if the true culprits really were the Tengya Mountain Bandit Army, a district patrol office with barely a hundred guards could not possibly foolishly march off to attack Tengya Mountain, which had tens of thousands of bandits. That would have been far too unwise.

Fortunately, capturing the three assassins had successfully put an end to the series of assassination attempts. Notices were posted, and the Patrol Guard Headquarters barely managed to recover some of its dignity.

At the same time, the patrol guards of the Patrol Guard Headquarters successfully eliminated the safety threat and no longer had to live in fear.

Life returned to peace once more, and Song Changming remained in his deputy position for nearly another year.

One day, on the night of a full moon.

A nimble figure leaped across roofs and walls through the streets and alleys of Houli Street.

The man wore a ghostly mask and constantly glanced into every corner around him, appearing extremely alert.

"With just the patrol guards of this Patrol Guard Headquarters, they think they can capture me, the Ghost-faced Bandit? What wishful thinking!"

The masked man chuckled disdainfully, then leaped again. With the tips of his feet lightly touching the edge of a wall, he flipped through the air and landed atop the roof tiles.

Gazing at the lovely moonlight above, he leisurely stretched.

"The moon is so beautiful. What a pity I cannot linger here for long. Otherwise, I really ought to bring a beauty and enjoy the moon properly."

The instant his words fell, several Crossbow Bolts shot up from below.

It was as though the masked man had heavenly eyes. At the crucial moment, he shifted his body and merely tilted sideways, dodging the incoming Crossbow Bolts.

He gave the several patrol guards below a mocking smile.

"They caught up quickly. Were they lying in wait specifically for me?"

The masked man realized that these patrol guards had come prepared. No longer daring to be careless, he turned over and prepared to jump down from the roof into an alley.

Yet just as he landed on the ground, an icy saber flash swept straight at his face, chilling his heart.

In that critical moment, two short blades instantly sprang from his sleeves and into his hands, meeting the opponent's saber.

He had great confidence in his skill with twin blades. Quite a few Martial Artists had died beneath them.

But today was different.

The next instant, there was a dull thud. The masked man was sent sprawling to the ground, his two short blades flying from his grip.

The mask covering his face was also split apart by the saber edge, shattering into several pieces and revealing his true appearance beneath.

His face was filled with panic, with a bloody gash from the blade running across it.

"Sir... sir, spare... spare my life." With the long saber pointed at him, the Ghost-faced Bandit looked fearfully at the armored patrol guard before him. All his earlier contempt was gone, replaced only by a lowly plea for mercy.