Evil Rose in His Heart

Yiyi-yaya!

Study:

Madam Shi's figure was graceful, her flowing sleeves danced long as she sang with abandon, every step and every line steeped in longing.

Madam Jin worried secretly, gently tugging at Chu Qing's sleeve, afraid they would not be able to get through this.

Chu Qing watched Madam Shi intently.

This woman, every frown and smile, every gesture and movement, was just like an opera performer.

A realization suddenly struck him:

"Isn't this cosplay from my previous life?"

"Only... Madam Shi is more deeply immersed in it."

"Performers... spectators..."

In an instant, he was enlightened and understood what Madam Shi wanted.

When the song ended, Madam Shi cupped her hands in salute.

Chu Qing tossed out some broken silver and shouted, "Another song."

Madam Shi was delighted and continued singing yiyi-yaya.

Outside the door?

The Wind Flower Snow Moon maids stood dumbfounded.

That mud-legged peasant actually dared to make their young lady sing again?

How could he be so shameless?

Madam Jin secretly let out a breath.

One minute...

Five minutes...

Another song ended.

Chu Qing rewarded her again.

Yet Madam Shi's delicate brows furrowed slightly, displeasure in her eyes.

Madam Jin sighed inwardly. "It seems Madam Shi is still dissatisfied."

She looked at Chu Qing worriedly.

Chu Qing laughed loudly, took several swift strides to Madam Shi, and wrapped an arm around her slender waist.

"The beauty sang wonderfully!"

Madam Shi frowned. Her little hand pressed against his chest as she said coldly, "Let go!"

Her gaze was like a blade.

Chu Qing felt as if a ferocious beast had fixed its eyes on him.

The little hand on his chest made his hair stand on end even more, as though it could blast his heart apart at any moment.

"Madam Shi is actually a martial arts expert?"

"She's angry?"

"No. If she were angry, I wouldn't have been able to get close."

In an instant, countless thoughts raced through Chu Qing's mind.

"She's immersed in her role."

"She... wants it, yet doesn't dare."

As he pondered, he sneered, gripped the back of her neck with one hand, and tried to press her down onto the table.

He pressed... but she did not move.

Madam Shi remained utterly motionless, expressionless.

Chu Qing stared into Madam Shi's eyes.

Madam Shi's gaze grew even colder, like a thousand steel nails piercing his flesh and blood, freezing his entire body stiff.

Chu Qing gritted his teeth, mobilized the dozens of great tendons in his Iron Hand, and pressed down again.

He kept pressing... yet she still did not budge.

This was awkward.

Madam Shi said coldly, "A good-for-nothing stablehand."

Chu Qing... was speechless.

He let go and sighed inwardly.

"Looks like I guessed wrong."

Chu Qing... was suspicious.

He could not fathom this woman's thoughts.

At this moment:

Madam Shi... wore a cold, disdainful expression.

Chu Qing suddenly remembered that Madam Shi had called him a stablehand.

Anger surged from his heart, and evil rose at the edge of his courage.

"Since that's the case, I'll show her how formidable I am!"

Yet just as he was about to act, he discovered:

Madam Shi's icy gaze made his hair stand on end, as if a Great Terror were sweeping toward him.

One second...

Ten seconds...

Chu Qing let out a low roar, broke through the mental suppression, and suddenly swung his palm at Madam Shi's back.

His iron palm came down.

Chu Qing regretted it.

It was over. He was going to beat Madam Shi to death.

Yet:

The next second, he felt a terrifying force rebound at him.

Madam Shi was completely unharmed.

His... palm, on the other hand, hurt as if it had been pierced by needles.

Madam Shi said coldly, "Get out!"

Crack!

The door shut.

Outside:

Chu Qing's head buzzed, and his mind was dazed.

The Wind Flower Snow Moon maids heard the sound of slaps from inside. Seeing his dazed state, they immediately laughed.

"Mud-legged peasant, our young lady slapped you across the face, didn't she?"

"You deserved it!"

"Eh? Why aren't there any handprints on his face?"

"I heard mud-legged peasants have thick skin. And our young lady is not very strong, so perhaps she couldn't leave a handprint!"

Inside:

Madam Shi changed clothes with a cold face.

Madam Jin beside her looked utterly bewildered.

Even now, she felt as if she were in a dream.

As the opera costume slipped away, Madam Shi saw a bright-red palm print on her back through the bronze mirror.

"Looks like his strength is passable."

Expressionless, she changed into a long silk dress.

A few minutes later:

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She pushed open the window and said coolly to Wind Flower Snow Moon:

"Go, give the gilded box to... Chu Qing."

Front courtyard:

Chu Qing accepted the box from a puzzled Feng Nü.

He opened it.

Inside were actually ten portions of Eagle Claw Technique secret medicine.

Lan family estate:

Sister Lan frowned as she listened to a servant's report:

"Master, the people sent to find Chu Qing were cut down in the street."

"The killer should have used a heavy saber."

"There were no witnesses at the time!"

Sister Lan had a headache.

He Qi had been killed, the Bright Pearl had been lost, the secret transmission had vanished without a trace, the Rebel Army was stirring restlessly, windstorms and floods had appeared, Senior Brother Zhang's brother-in-law had been killed... the Blood River Gang was in turmoil.

Why had everything piled together at once?

After pondering for a long while, Sister Lan said calmly:

"Bury them."

"The killer... need not be investigated."

The servant obeyed, then asked:

"Master, should we still send people to find Chu Qing?"

Miss Lan fell silent.

When she had sent people to find Chu Qing, it was because she had heard that this mud-legged peasant had some ability. When he had helped Chief Constable Shi track down a killer, he had done an exceptionally fine job.

Thus, she had been tempted to have Chu Qing investigate the murderer of He Qi.

But... after what had just happened, she suddenly felt relieved.

"No need."

She felt that someone did not want her interfering in the hunt for the killer.

He Qi Dog's eyes were bloodshot.

After several days of investigation, he had confirmed several clues:

From Liu Hai, Liu Xiaogou, and Liu Jun, all the way to the death of Hall Master Liu, everything was connected to the killer who had murdered He Qi.

The deaths in the Black Market were also connected to this matter.

Even the appearance of the secret transmission martial art was related to the killer.

According to his clues and deductions:

The cause of it all was the secret transmission martial art Liu Hai had obtained.

"The only person who knew was killed by Young Master He Qi."

"Now... the trail has gone cold."

"What should I do?"

He Qi Dog's mind was in turmoil.

At last, he roared in a low voice, "Go investigate whom Liu Hai contacted before his death."

"Yes!"

Iron Sinew +1

Iron Sinew +1

Jin family front courtyard:

Chu Qing swallowed the secret medicine and broke the limit of his Eagle Claw Technique.

His ten fingers formed claws and whirled up and down, while eagle cries rang without end.

One Iron Sinew after another increased.

His ten fingers became even more slender, powerful, and nimble.

As his twin claws danced, the air twisted, and the phantom of a mighty eagle could faintly be seen.

One hour...

Two hours...

The final Iron Sinew was forged.

Chu Qing roared:

An eagle's cry rang out.

His fingers stabbed into a white jade stone sphere.

Screech!

Five deep holes appeared in the stone sphere.

His fingers flicked, and the stone sphere exploded.

The Limit Eagle Claw Technique was two or three times stronger than Perfection.

Technique: Limit Eagle Claw Technique—1: Refine 64 major sinews, 2: Improve major sinew quality

Promotion Condition: No further promotion possible!

The Limit Eagle Claw Technique had given Chu Qing twenty new Iron Sinews, all distributed throughout his arms.

Now, the strength in both his hands and arms had surged by a great deal.

Correspondingly:

The Dual Mantis Sword could now mobilize twenty more Iron Sinews, making it even more powerful.

At this moment:

His Iron Sinews had reached two hundred.

There were still ten days until the Martial Academy's Preliminary Exam.

In just twenty short days, he had gone from a flag-waving lackey to a martial artist with two hundred Iron Sinews.

Yet he was still dissatisfied.

"I need more Iron Sinews."

However, most of his techniques had reached Perfection or even broken past their limits.

To improve his Iron Sinews, he needed new fist and foot techniques.

"Unfortunately, I caused too much of a commotion a few days ago. The County Town is now so tense that every rustle of wind and crane's cry puts people on edge, with danger lurking on all sides."

"Otherwise, if I worked hard to take down a few more scoundrels, harvest a few more techniques, and earn some gold, silver, and secret medicine..."

"I would definitely be able to cultivate new Iron Sinews."

"Should I ask Madam Shi for technique manuals next time?"

At the thought of Madam Shi, he frowned.

Madam Shi's actions left him puzzled.

At that moment, Madam Jin came over.

After seeing Madam Shi off, she had watched him practice.

"Qing'er, you really have some nerve."

"You actually dared to hit Madam Shi...!"

"But why didn't she punish you or kill you? Why did she give you secret medicine instead?"

Madam Jin was bewildered and could not make sense of it.

Chu Qing moved behind her and massaged her shoulders. "My nerve has always been huge!"

Madam Jin... pressed a hand to the collar of her silken robes and sighed inwardly.