Eight Rank

Eight Rank

Lu Zhaojin learned that the figure who had entered the deep mountains might have been Lu Jinlin.

He did not yet have the strength to go looking.

So he went down the mountain with Zhao Nuanyu and the others first, heading for Qishan County.

The urgent matter now was to obtain the techniques Zhao Nuanyu had promised him and raise his strength as quickly as possible.

Once he broke through to the Eighth Rank, even if the Zhang Family came looking for him, they would merely be delivering experience.

Besides, he had killed people from the Moon Wolf Gang. Once he returned to Qishan County with Zhao Nuanyu, this matter probably could not be kept hidden.

So he had to prepare early.

They arrived in Qishan County.

However, Lu Zhaojin did not return to the County Yamen with Zhao Nuanyu.

He had some silver on him, looted from Zhang Yuan and Mu Kui. It was enough for him to stay at an inn for quite some time.

Zhao Nuanyu did not force the matter either, saying she would have Xiao Liu deliver the techniques.

The maid supporting her was Xiao Liu. They had grown up together, so though they appeared to be mistress and servant, they were more like sisters. Zhao Nuanyu treated her well and trusted her deeply.

Lu Zhaojin waited at the inn. After quite a while, someone knocked on the door. When he opened it, it was the waiter, holding a cloth bag in his hand.

The waiter put on a fawning smile. "Sir, a maid from the County Magistrate's Manor just came by. She said this item had to be delivered into your hands."

Lu Zhaojin gave him a tael as a reward, closed the door, and opened the cloth bag.

There were two books inside.

One was yellowed and badly incomplete.

The other was fairly new, bearing signs of having been read.

A folded sheet of letter paper lay on top.

Lu Zhaojin unfolded it and read.

"Many thanks to you, young hero, for saving my daughter. Zhao is deeply grateful. After such a hard battle, I shall not disturb your rest. A banquet will be held at my residence tomorrow, and I hope you will not refuse."

"These two techniques are what my daughter promised you..."

"I learned from my daughter that you are skilled with a sword, but sword arts are ancestral techniques of my Zhao Family and cannot be passed on to outsiders..."

Lu Zhaojin roughly finished reading the letter. He had not yet decided whether to attend the banquet tomorrow, but he had developed some interest in the two techniques.

One was a martial cultivation method called the Flowing Water Art.

This was also the key for an Eighth Rank practitioner to cultivate Internal Energy.

An Eighth Rank without a cultivation method was like an empty shell. They possessed a powerful body and increased strength.

But before an Eighth Rank with Internal Energy, that Internal Energy could easily shatter the empty shell.

Mu Kui had been like that. Though he was at the Eighth Rank Middle Stage, he had failed to cultivate Internal Energy. Otherwise, Lu Zhaojin could not have killed him unscathed.

The Seventh-Rank Martial Artist's so-called ability to wound people from afar was the ability to release Internal Energy beyond the body, as though striking out a stream of air from within. Thus, it was also called true qi.

The other technique was a Hardening Technique called the Golden Body Technique.

According to the general outline, this Golden Body Technique had three great realms: skin like bronze, blood like silver mercury, and an indestructible golden body.

However, it was severely incomplete, and only the first realm remained.

Though there was no sword art, obtaining a cultivation method was still within an acceptable range.

As for this Golden Body Technique, its method of cultivation was rather unusual. It used self-harm to increase the hardness of the body.

After thinking it over, Lu Zhaojin found that persisting in this for a long time could indeed strengthen the body's toughness.

Perhaps even the flesh's recovery ability could improve.

But it would also leave bruises behind. Once they accumulated to a certain point, one could easily die suddenly.

However, the person who had created this technique must have considered that. They would not cultivate themselves to death alive. There should be special medicinal baths later on to complement the training.

Lu Zhaojin had not seen them, but he did not need to.

Should the two techniques be recorded?

"Record them."

Flowing Water Art (0/100)

Golden Body Technique (0/100)

Lu Zhaojin summoned his character panel.

Lu Zhaojin

Bone Age: Sixteen

Constitution: Inferior

Realm: Ninth Rank Late Stage

Cultivation Method: Flowing Water Art (0/100)

Techniques: Brute Ox Stance (Complete), Gale Sword Art (Complete), Golden Body Technique (0/100)

Experience: 3714

Inventory: 0

Lu Zhaojin sat cross-legged on the bed and first tested how much experience it would take to improve the Flowing Water Art. "First raise the Flowing Water Art to the Beginner realm."

Consume 1250 experience points to improve the Flowing Water Art?

A ratio of fifty to one.

Lu Zhaojin silently confirmed.

Flowing Water Art (25/100)

Experience: 2464

Lu Zhaojin closed his eyes slightly and felt a violent power surge through his body, turning into a warm current that swept forward unstoppably, piercing through the Ren and Du channels among his extraordinary meridians.

Its momentum slowed, its follow-up strength faltered, and it failed to continue opening his channels. In the end, it could only flow throughout his body, nourishing his flesh and blood while his muscles and bones benefited greatly as well.

Realm: Eighth Rank Early Stage

Lu Zhaojin let out a long breath, which drifted some distance before dispersing.

When he opened his eyes, a sharp gleam flickered within them.

Lu Zhaojin raised his left hand and slapped the low table. He had not used much force, yet the table instantly exploded into pieces, as though some mysterious power had burst from within.

So this was how Internal Energy was used. "Truly marvelous."

Lu Zhaojin understood the power of Internal Energy now and found himself somewhat looking forward to breaking through to the Seventh Rank in the future. With Internal Energy added to his sword, he feared even steel could be cleaved apart.

He had not understood Internal Energy before and had no concrete concept of a Seventh-Rank Martial Artist. Now that he understood, he planned to continue improving the Flowing Water Art.

Consume 2500 experience points to improve the Flowing Water Art?

He did not have enough experience. He was short by several dozen points.

He could not possibly go out and hack a few people to death just to make up the difference now, could he?

Lu Zhaojin felt that would be unwise and decided to change direction, trying to improve the Golden Body Technique instead.

Consume 2500 experience points to improve the Golden Body Technique?

Hoh!

Lu Zhaojin was astonished. He had not expected the Golden Body Technique to require two thousand five hundred points merely to enter the Beginner realm, twice as much as the Flowing Water Art.

But that was enough to show how extraordinary the Golden Body Technique was. Unfortunately, it was an incomplete volume.

Lu Zhaojin tried improving the Golden Body Technique by only five proficiency points.

Consume 500 experience points to improve the Golden Body Technique?

Lu Zhaojin was stunned. It really could be done. He immediately confirmed.

Golden Body Technique (5/100)

Experience: 1964

The Golden Body Technique had entered the Beginner realm, but the effect was not especially obvious.

Lu Zhaojin only felt as though he had endured several years of wind and rain. His body had become more compact, and his strength was somewhat greater than before.

After carefully assessing it—

If his casual punch earlier had carried five hundred jin of force, then now it carried around eight hundred jin.

And that was only the improvement brought by five proficiency points.

Looking at his remaining experience points—

Lu Zhaojin did not hesitate and poured them all into the Golden Body Technique.

Golden Body Technique (24/100)

Experience: 64

Boom!

His blood and qi blazed like a rainbow, seemingly forming an invisible flame that burned around Lu Zhaojin's body. The heat was unbearable, as though he had been immersed in molten lava. A temperature capable of melting steel was melting his flesh.

Indescribable pain ravaged his entire body.

Lu Zhaojin could not even make a sound. Just as he began to think he might be burned to death, dense vitality emerged from within him, cool as icy jade. It dispelled the scorching heat and eased the pain.

Ice and fire intertwined, maintaining an exceedingly wondrous balance.

He did not know how much time passed.

Only when light shone through the gap in the window, drawing a slanted line across the floor—

Did he realize that dawn had arrived.

County Yamen.

The Zhao Family's inner residence.

Captain Liu followed the steward ahead of him to the study. The man invited him inside, then closed the door and hurried away.

Inside the study stood a middle-aged man dressed in a green robe.

He was bent over the desk, wielding his brush.

Captain Liu clasped his fists and bowed to him. "County Magistrate."

Zhao Huaishui completed the final stroke, then placed the brush in the brush washer. Black ink spread through the clear water. "How did it go?"

Captain Liu said, "Last night, the Zhang Family and the Zhao Family joined forces to wipe out the Sihai Escort Agency. However, that Chief Escort Lu did not die. He fled into Mount Qi. As for where he is hiding, that remains unknown."

He hesitated slightly. "Also, that youth truly is Lu Zhaojin, but his cultivation seems vastly different from what the local reports claimed."

Zhao Huaishui asked, "How is it different?"

Captain Liu said, "News from Shiqiao Town said that Lu Zhaojin possessed extremely poor constitution. After practicing martial arts for many years, he had only reached the Ninth Rank Early Stage. But at the ruined temple last night, the young miss saw with her own eyes that he was already at the Ninth Rank Late Stage. He even fought Mu Kui and killed him."

His brows drew together as he said, "Even if Mu Kui had problems with his meridians and failed to cultivate Internal Energy, he was still a genuine Eighth Rank Middle Stage. How could his advantage in realm have been overcome by a Ninth-Rank Martial Artist?"

Zhao Huaishui thought for a moment. "Some people, after enduring suffering and receiving immense stimulation, awaken the potential within their bodies and thereby gain great power. But that is all they will amount to in this life."

Hearing this, Captain Liu felt that Lu Zhaojin did indeed fit the description, but there was still something he did not understand. "Then why did you send him those two techniques, County Magistrate?"

Zhao Huaishui looked at the black words on the white paper. Written there was the character for power. "One matter is one matter. He saved Nuanyu, and those two techniques are what he deserves. As for whether he can master them, that depends on his own ability."

With his hands clasped behind his back, he continued, "Besides, he is also a fine blade. Though his realm is not high, as long as he remains in Qishan County and in my grasp, my cousin will surely find neither rest nor peace, for Lu Jinlin is still alive as well."

Captain Liu said, "But Lu Zhaojin may not obediently listen."

A savage glint flashed through Zhao Huaishui's eyes. "Send some men to watch Lu Zhaojin in secret. If people from the Moon Wolf Gang go looking for trouble with him, show no mercy. Kill them directly."

Captain Liu understood. He clasped his fists and withdrew.