Planning

"Eagle Claw Thousand Jin Strength is a second-rate martial art with considerable lethality, even stronger than the Thirty-Six Hands of Gambling..."

In the courtyard, Lin Sheng was playing with a few small stones. On the wall of the adjacent yard, several half-broken bricks were placed.

He would occasionally throw the stones in his hand, knocking the bricks away.

With no cultivation technique to practice, he spent his free time honing the throwing skills he learned from Liu Jie. Although not a martial art, when combined with his current strength, it could unleash considerable power.

Beside his feet sat a black ceramic pot filled with a mush of red and green plants, emitting a faint, fishy odor.

The contents of the pot were poisonous plants he had casually picked while completing a mission in the mountains.

Most of them contained potent toxins, and their mixture further amplified their toxicity.

As for what he would use them for, it was naturally for self-defense, or... for killing.

"Ma Long's Raging Bull Fist has reached great success, and his cultivation is close to breaking through to the late stage of Muscle Forging. Therefore, his proficiency in Eagle Claw Thousand Jin Strength should not be low either, at least having reached minor success. His strength makes him a capable fighter among those in the early stage of Muscle Forging."

Lin Sheng pondered in his mind.

During the day, he had also indirectly inquired about Ma Long's specific strength from Wang Sanyang.

Wang Sanyang had admitted that Ma Long was significantly stronger than him.

Therefore, to deal with him, he needed to be thoroughly prepared.

He couldn't foolishly wait for the opponent's cultivation to advance further. If he delayed, and Ma Long broke through to the late stage of Muscle Forging, it would become extremely troublesome for him to make a move then. Thus, he needed to resolve the matter quickly.

These past few days, he had been intentionally and unintentionally gathering intelligence on Ma Long.

As the captain of the Third Squad, Ma Long was undoubtedly a prominent figure in Yangping Town, so collecting information about him was quite easy.

He had already grasped most of Ma Long's living habits and routines.

Next, he needed to plan how to deal with him.

"With my current strength, plus the integration effect of the Tusk Mountain Boar, my raw power should be able to firmly suppress Ma Long. However, to avoid alerting him, I must act swiftly and decisively, not giving him too many chances to struggle..."

As he pondered, he had made up his mind by the time he fell asleep.

The next day.

"You want to take a few days off?"

Wang Sanyang looked at Lin Sheng with some surprise.

"That's right. I've been out for a while, and I want to go home and visit."

Lin Sheng nodded.

"I see. Well, it's fine. Since many people in the squad are still recovering from injuries, and there aren't any particularly tricky missions assigned to us, you can go home for a few days."

After a moment's thought, Wang Sanyang readily agreed. He then added an extra instruction.

"Try not to make a big announcement about your departure, to avoid any accidents on the way."

"I will."

Lin Sheng naturally understood what kind of accidents he was referring to, which was undoubtedly Ma Long.

After leaving the Ninth Squad's encampment, Lin Sheng didn't rush home. Instead, he purchased quite a few things in the town, mostly local specialty dried meats and furs, and even some clothing.

Afterward, he browsed the streets for some miscellaneous items before heading back to his courtyard.

"Captain Lin, where are you going?"

As he neared the courtyard, someone suddenly called out to him.

Lin Sheng turned back with his purchases and saw a thin, slightly hunched, red-faced man.

"Oh, it's Wang Jiu. Nothing much, just buying some things for the house..."

A flicker of nervousness crossed Lin Sheng's face, but he quickly regained his composure and said with a smile.

"For the house? Captain Lin is quite thoughtful..."

The man, Wang Jiu, noticed Lin Sheng's reaction, a strange look flashed in his eyes, and then he nodded without saying anything further.

"Then, Captain Lin, you carry on."

After cupping his fists, Wang Jiu turned and left.

Lin Sheng immediately quickened his pace and headed home.

Watching Lin Sheng leave, Wang Jiu, who had already walked several yards away, suddenly stopped. He casually mingled with the crowd on the street and followed him.

He waited until Lin Sheng entered the courtyard before quickly approaching, ducking into a deserted corner, and eavesdropping with his ear pressed against the wall.

Soon, he heard hushed voices from within the courtyard.

"These furs are quite valuable, Mother should like them. And the pine deer jerky can help Father regain his strength..."

Upon hearing this, Wang Jiu's face showed a look of 'just as I suspected.' He then left without lingering, tiptoeing away until he disappeared into the crowd.

Meanwhile, in the courtyard, Lin Sheng was squatting down, gently stroking the scruffy yellow dog that was diligently gnawing on a beef bone, a smile on his face.

"So, Wang Jiu really is Ma Long's man."

Ever since he revealed his Body Tempering realm strength, he had noticed that this newly transferred Wang Jiu in the Ninth Squad was always subtly glancing at him, his eyes occasionally showing a strange expression, and sometimes it seemed like he was secretly tailing him.

Clearly, the other party was suspicious. After integrating the Horned Eagle, which granted him enhanced perception, Lin Sheng was almost certain that the person was one of Ma Long's men.

Through that person, Ma Long should soon know that he was returning to the city.

Lin Sheng didn't leave the city by carriage until dusk.

The carriage was from the Beast Hunter Hall's transport fleet, and he had borrowed it.

With his current status, such a small matter was naturally nothing.

Lin Sheng lay back in the carriage, idly playing with the horsewhip. Although the carriage had no roof, lying down was still more comfortable than riding a horse.

His eyes were half-closed, as if he were dozing. The Old Ma in front drove itself, heading towards Lin'an County without needing him to urge it on.

Just as the carriage left the town, two furtive figures appeared outside. They followed Lin Sheng from a distance for a while before stopping.

"This kid is really heading back to the city. Wang Jiu, you follow him. He's got a lot of stuff on that carriage, and it's an old horse, so it won't be fast. Don't get too close and let him spot you."

"Don't worry, even if that kid has undergone Body Tempering, he's just a greenhorn. When it comes to tracking, I'm streets ahead of him."

Wang Jiu patted his chest and said nonchalantly.

"Alright, I'll go inform the boss right away."

The other person seemed quite confident in Wang Jiu's abilities and left without another word, turning to go.

Wang Jiu, meanwhile, quickened his pace towards the distant carriage.

He slowed his breathing, making it smooth and even, a tracking technique he had devised to conserve stamina.

Although his strength was indeed mediocre, surviving for two years in the Beast Hunter Hall without some skill was impossible.

He had possessed excellent eyesight since childhood, significantly sharper than others. This allowed him to detect danger earlier in Yangping Mountain. He didn't need to outrun the ferocious exotic beasts; he only needed to outrun his teammates. This was how he had managed to preserve himself through several crises.

Later, Ma Long noticed him and took him in as a trusted subordinate.

At this moment, as he walked, his gaze remained fixed on the carriage ahead. Squinting and focusing his vision, he could vaguely make out the human silhouette lying on the carriage.

"Still so comfortable even when death is at your doorstep. I'll see how long you can stay comfortable..."

He sneered, his eyes filled with mockery.

"I don't know how long I'll be comfortable, but you're about to become uncomfortable..."

The sudden voice made Wang Jiu jump.

"Who's there??"

He turned to look behind him, only to see a familiar face calmly looking at him.

Wang Jiu's eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief. However, he would never get another chance to speak.