Art, Xu Family

Lin Feng's eyes were not even focused on the pig, yet his hands never stopped for an instant!

Pig bristles flew wildly across the chopping block.

Every part of that huge fat pig was scraped spotlessly clean!

Its entire body looked as though it had been whitened.

After scraping off the bristles, the next step was to cut open its belly and remove the innards!

This step was equally important.

It tested one's knife skills.

If the blade went in too heavily, it would cut open the organs, letting their contents spill out and contaminate the pork, affecting its taste.

If it was too light, one would have to make several extra cuts, wasting time and lowering efficiency.

Old Wu San and the helpers' eyes were wide and round.

They saw Lin Feng raise his knife and bring it down, slicing in one stroke!

The butcher's knife easily slit open the pig's belly, and with another pull!

Not a single organ was damaged. One cut all the way through—clean and decisive!

He then cleared out the innards, keeping what should be kept and throwing away what should be discarded.

Finally, he made a cut here and a slice there along the pig's body.

Somehow, the pig obediently split apart!

Bone was bone, meat was meat!

"Good heavens! That's divine skill!"

"Brother Lin is incredible!"

"Forget forty-odd pigs—even a hundred could be handled in a single day!"

In just the time it took to slaughter one pig!

Old Wu San and the helpers were completely conquered by Lin Feng's knife work!

Watching Lin Feng butcher pigs was practically an enjoyment!

Although Old Wu San did not know what art or elegance was!

In his eyes, Lin Feng's pig slaughtering was art—was elegance!

Ignoring everyone's stunned looks, Lin Feng began processing the pigs and sheep one by one.

After all, there were still pigs, chickens, and ducks from other households waiting to be dealt with!

He needed to finish early and earn those other two Improvement Points.

After all, even though he had already advanced to Skin Refining Perfection, he was still just a minor nobody.

In Kaiyang County, there were too many people who could crush him to death to count.

Not to mention the Monsters that could appear at any moment!

Moreover, Xu Xiong's appearance yesterday had put him on guard!

It was very likely that the ones behind the trouble targeting the yamen were the Xu Family!

After all, they had motive!

Tomorrow, I can ask Ah Yu whether the Xu Family has any connection to the county yamen!

He might know something!

Thinking of this, Lin Feng felt a surge of pressure and sped up his movements.

This danger could erupt at any time without warning. The feeling of having no security at all was truly unbearable!

By the time Lin Feng finished all the work, the sun had already set behind the western hills.

Old Wu San placed a string of copper coins in Lin Feng's hand and urged him to hurry home.

Once darkness fell, this land would no longer be safe!

When Lin Feng got home after tidying up, Mother Lin had long since prepared the meal and was waiting for him to return.

The family of three began eating together.

Today's food was not very good. Lin Feng had only eaten a little at noon to fill his stomach so he could rush through the work.

So he had only gained one Improvement Point!

Adding the two Improvement Points earned from the later slaughtering work.

He now had a total of 19 Improvement Points remaining.

Looking at those Improvement Points, Lin Feng's heart blossomed with joy!

The Zhao Family was practically his lucky star!

Second Young Master Zhao had paid for him yesterday, and today had sent him so many pigs and sheep to help him accumulate Improvement Points!

Time was of the essence! Improving his cultivation level was always the top priority!

Lin Feng added all 19 Improvement Points to the cultivation level column.

Name: Lin Feng

Cultivation Method: Formation Breaking Art

Cultivation Level: Outer Refinement Realm—Skin Refining (98/100)+

Supernatural Ability 1: Consumption

Divine Ability 2: Avert Calamity

Techniques:

Tiger Roar Fist (2/20)+

Butcher Ding's Ox-Slicing (6/20)+

Improvement Points: 0

As Lin Feng's finger came down, he felt the strength within his body grow once more!

Though it was nowhere near as great as the increase from a breakthrough, it was still not to be underestimated!

He closed his eyes and clenched his fists tight, his qi and blood surging wildly within him.

I should be able to lift something weighing a thousand jin with ease now, right?

Lin Feng thought.

But a Bone Forging Realm cultivation method is also urgently needed. Once Skin Refining reaches 100, no matter how many Improvement Points I have, they'll be useless without a follow-up cultivation method!

Tomorrow, I'll probe Ah Yu for information again.

Besides the Xu Family and cultivation methods, he also needed to get to the bottom of the Demon Purging Division's assessment!

"Ah Yu, not bad! You've got quite the talent for martial arts, kid!

"You broke through to the early Skin Refining stage at just fifteen!"

Zhao Sheng, the big leader of the Great Saber Gang, patted Lin Yu on the shoulder and praised him.

"Thank you for the praise, Boss!"

Lin Yu said with a smile.

After more than a year of bitter training, despite an extreme lack of resources, he had finally broken through yesterday.

He had become a true martial artist!

"Compared to those children of the great families in the city, this is nothing!"

Yet he was not arrogant. Talent was talent, but only those who could grow were true geniuses.

There were far, far too many people who could crush him to death with nothing more than a few words!

Having followed his Big Brother Lin Feng since childhood, he had understood this truth long ago!

"Haha, don't underestimate yourself. At the very least, you're better than me!

"Work hard for me, and I definitely won't treat you poorly!"

Zhao Sheng encouraged him again.

"I'm going to the Inner City tonight and won't be back until late tomorrow! I have a wife and children at home, so help keep an eye on them."

Afterward, Zhao Sheng gave Lin Yu his instructions.

Lin Yu had been personally cultivated by him and was considered a trusted confidant.

"Don't worry, Boss!

"With me and Big Dog here, there won't be any problems!"

Lin Yu agreed.

Zhao Sheng usually treated him quite well, unlike other gang leaders who were harsh and demanding toward their subordinates. Naturally, Lin Yu would spare no effort in carrying out what he had been told!

"Mm, good!"

With that, Zhao Sheng made some preparations and headed toward the Inner City.

Zhao Sheng was a member of the Zhao Family. Because his talent on the martial path was poor and he was not of the direct line, he had been sent by the family to the Great Saber Gang.

Today was the Zhao Family's grand ancestral rite. He ordinarily would not have had the chance to attend, but he had performed fairly well in the Great Saber Gang over the years.

He had done quite a few things for the family, which was why he had received an invitation.

What he did not know was that danger was quietly closing in.

The next day, After Lin Feng gained +2 Improvement Points at the slaughterhouse, he returned home.

After cooking the food and braising some meat and pig offal, he left some for his mother and Little Sister.

Then, carrying several pounds of meat and a jug of wine, he headed for the shantytown in the east of the city.

That was Great Saber Gang territory, and Lin Yu lived there.

Before long, Lin Feng found Lin Yu.

At that moment, Lin Yu was keeping watch in the side room of Zhao Sheng's home.

Zhao Sheng's wife usually treated Lin Yu well too. Seeing that Lin Feng was Lin Yu's Big Brother, she brought out some food and drink to entertain him.

Then she left the two brothers to eat and drink in the side room.

After thanking her, Lin Feng also presented some homemade braised meat.

Only then did he sit down to eat and drink with Lin Yu.

After exchanging pleasantries, the two gradually began talking about the Xu Family.

"The Xu Family? Big Brother, are you saying that the business with the county yamen constables last time was the work of the Xu Family in the Outer City?"

Lin Yu caught the meaning behind Lin Feng's words and asked in a lowered voice.

Lin Feng nodded.

Lin Yu's brow immediately furrowed!

"If it really was the Xu Family, then this is truly troublesome!"

"Big Brother may not know this, but the Xu Family's Second Master, Xu Qiang, serves at the county yamen as a Captain of constables!"

"But if things are as Big Brother says, then there's an eighty to ninety percent chance it really was the Xu Family."

Hearing this, Lin Feng's brows knitted even tighter. He knew that anyone who could become a Captain of constables possessed, at the very least, Bone Forging Realm cultivation!

Someone who could easily crush his current self to death!