Promotion to Dual Mantis Sword

Storm and rain raged together:

Study:

Madam Jin tightly gripped Chu Qing's hand.

Xiao Taohong dozed outside the door.

Fatty Jin was still busy with the gang. He likely would not be back for the next few days.

"Did you kill them?"

After learning that He Qi had died and that the He Family's several hundred members had been wiped out, Madam Jin's first thought was:

Chu Qing had done it.

Because:

Even then, she had noticed that something was off about Chu Qing.

She tightly gripped his hand.

Chu Qing softly reassured her:

"I'll be fine."

"Look, I wear sackcloth and go barefoot. I'm just a youth who has never left Stone Rock County in his life, much less some Great Figure."

"Would I dare kill that many people?"

"Would I dare kill Fortified Village Disciples?"

"Would I have the ability to kill them?"

Madam Jin stared into his eyes and said forcefully, "You would. You could."

Chu Qing was speechless.

Madam Jin said faintly, "So many people in Stone Rock County know that I wanted to adopt a child."

"But not a single one came to my door willingly."

"And you were the first, and the only one."

"Not only are you bold—you are bold enough to defy Heaven!"

"As for killing people... be a little more careful. Killing people is actually very simple."

Chu Qing remained speechless.

That night:

Madam Jin barely slept at all.

Neither did Chu Qing.

He let Madam Jin hold his hand while secretly circulating Iron Cloth Shirt to raise his defenses.

At the same time, his other hand tightly gripped the Dual Mantis Sword, grinding out progress for the first condition.

That night:

Many people did not sleep.

Some ruffians and unlucky souls were killed, becoming tools for the He Family to vent its fury.

The vast Stone Rock County was in chaos everywhere.

One day...

Two days...

Three days...

For the past few days, Chu Qing had stayed at Jin Family Manor.

Madam Jin would not allow him to leave.

And because the inspections were so strict, he had not gone to Pharmacist Li for the Toad Secret Medicine.

During that time, armored knights came to question him.

They asked what he had gone to the He Family for that day, and why an argument had broken out.

Chu Qing explained with a smile that he seemed to have seen the daughter of an old acquaintance enter the He Family and had wanted to confirm it, then ransom her back.

In the end, Head Steward He had refused.

After accepting ten taels of silver, the armored knight said indifferently:

"I figured you wouldn't dare, and you don't have the ability to kill anyone either."

After leaving Jin Family Manor, the armored knight reported back, handed over the silver, and explained the situation.

Someone under He Qi Dog specifically recorded such matters.

If the status of the person offering silver did not match the amount given, they would investigate immediately.

Chu Qing's ten taels of silver had originally fallen within the scope of suspicion.

Once they learned that he was at Jin Family Manor, they immediately stopped suspecting him.

Jin Family Manor:

Madam Jin, mentally exhausted, drifted off to sleep under Xiao Taohong's care.

Chu Qing hugged the Dual Mantis Sword and waited silently in a pavilion.

One minute...

Ten minutes...

You have completed the first condition for Mantis Sword.

"Three days at last."

He opened a box, took out ten doses of Mantis Secret Medicine, and swallowed them impatiently.

You have completed the second condition!

Dual Mantis Sword promotion successful!

Weapon Skill: Dual Mantis Sword Initiated—one thousand refinements daily, mastery in three hundred days.

Promotion Condition: 1: Sword Finger one hundred thousand times. 2: Mantises cover the sword blade once.

Clang!

The longsword left its sheath.

Now that the sword technique had been initiated, when he gripped the longsword again, it felt strangely familiar.

Chu Qing held the sword in both hands, wheeling and shifting as he sensed the changes in his body.

One minute...

Ten minutes...

He practiced the Dual Mantis Sword again and again.

Chu Qing continuously sensed the changes within himself.

Using the sword technique consumed a great deal of stamina. There was no warm current in his body, no sensation of refining Iron Sinew. Yet faintly, he could sense that many of the Iron Sinews throughout his body were being mobilized along with the changing sword moves.

Faintly, he had a feeling:

This Dual Mantis Sword could not refine Iron Sinew, nor could it refine Iron Bone. But it could mobilize the Iron Sinews he already possessed.

And unlike techniques such as Iron Hand and Red Snake Leg:

The Iron Sinews mobilized by Mantis Sword did not care which technique had refined them. They depended only on the moves.

Some moves mobilized the Iron Sinews in his arms, waist, and abdomen.

Some could mobilize the Iron Sinews throughout his entire body.

"If all Weapon Skills are like this, then the more Iron Sinews one has, the greater the power of the same Weapon Skill."

"No wonder Tang Wuming said to refine as many as three hundred and sixty-five Iron Sinews as possible."

Although he had nearly two hundred Iron Sinews, abundant Spirit and Energy, and tremendous strength—

After practicing for a dozen or so minutes, he was drenched in sweat.

"This Mantis Sword consumes far too much strength."

"Anyone with even slightly weaker constitution would be unable to fight with it, even if they learned it."

He wiped away his sweat and rested.

Chu Qing flicked the longsword with his fingers.

Sword Finger +1

At first, he flicked it with one finger.

After a while, he recalled the techniques of technicians from his previous life and tried flicking it with all five fingers at once.

Once...

Ten times...

Relying on the foundation of Eagle Claw Technique, he succeeded.

In an instant, his progress increased fivefold.

But he was still dissatisfied.

"I have ten fingers. Using them all at once is the true kingly path."

Half a minute later:

Chu Qing sat cross-legged, the longsword laid across his knees. Like a woman playing a zither, both hands flew as he rapidly flicked the blade.

His efficiency soared again.

"One hundred thousand Sword Fingers can be finished this afternoon."

"Once I grind out enough, I can cultivate Mantis Fist. Let's see whether I can refine a Copper Sinew."

Over the past few days, he had been comforting Madam Jin and also had to maintain Sword Mastery. He simply had no time to refine Copper Sinew.

By afternoon, perhaps he could give it a try.

Ding ding dang dang!

Ding ding dang dang!

His fingers flicked the sword, making ringing sounds like metal striking metal.

At first:

Chu Qing found it dull and boring.

However:

After flicking it twenty or thirty thousand times, he faintly formed a connection with the longsword.

His fingers flicked the longsword, causing the blade to vibrate. Faintly, he could actually sense the condition of the sword blade.

He even felt that the blade was undergoing some strange change amid the flicking.

Ding dang!

He increased his strength.

The feeling grew even stronger.

Though he did not know whether this change was good or bad, he decided to use more force.

"If the sword breaks, I'll just forge another one."

Now, he had plenty of money.

And he also had the ability to make money—make a great deal of money.

Noon:

Madam Jin emerged looking refreshed and clear-headed.

Alone, she held an Oil-Paper Umbrella, her tiny feet stepping across the stone path as she came to the pavilion.

The madam had dressed herself meticulously. The panic had vanished from her face, and she looked like a noble young lady.

She quietly watched Chu Qing flick the sword.

Those ten fingers danced and flicked over and over, throwing the eyes and heart into disarray.

With these fingers and this speed, if he knew an acupoint-sealing technique, who could withstand him?

After a while, she softly asked, "Are you tired? Does it hurt?"

Chu Qing smiled. "Not tired. Doesn't hurt!"

Madam Jin stretched out her little hand and flicked a pillar with her finger. Her fingertip immediately hurt, and her crystalline nail turned bright red as well.

"It hurts so much."

Chu Qing's heart stirred. He examined her finger, then gently blew on it and said, "Your skin is so delicate. Of course it will hurt when it strikes something hard."

Madam Jin lowered her head.

She felt a warm breath blow over her finger, cool and comfortable.

"Well, I heard the servants say that the inspections outside are no longer so strict."

"Perhaps we can go out tomorrow."

Chu Qing nodded.

If things were no longer strict, he would go find Pharmacist Li and collect the secret medicine.

After all, he had gone to great lengths to obtain that Toad Secret Medicine. Swallowing it sooner and promoting Toad Skill was the true kingly path.