County Town Forces

Liu Hao said respectfully, "Yes, subordinate will see to it at once!"

Only the Huang Family Head remained seated in the main seat, a cold gleam flickering in his eyes as he murmured to himself, "From what Big Brother means, it seems someone has already set their sights on Black Mountain lately. Could it be that other information has leaked?"

"Troublesome!"

Chen Feng knew nothing of what transpired in the Huang household.

In the courtyard, he was practicing the Iron Fist Technique.

[You practiced the Iron Fist Technique once. Your Iron Fist Technique proficiency +1.]

After a morning passed, Chen Feng glanced at the panel info. The Iron Fist Technique's proficiency had reached 24% of the Initiation progress.

"I wonder if there's any way to speed up the progress?" Chen Feng mused to himself.

After all, according to the information recorded in the Iron Fist Technique manual, martial arts training was also tied to certain supporting secret medicines.

If he could get his hands on those supporting secret medicines, his training speed might increase even further.

It was just a pity that the manual didn't record them.

A thoughtful look crossed Chen Feng's eyes. Even without the supporting secret medicines, pairing it with other blood-enhancing herbal decoctions might also speed up his cultivation.

But to buy such supplements, he would have to go to the county town, Black Stone City.

It was about seventy miles of mountain road from Black Mountain Village. In the past, their village would only form a group of dozens when they had a large batch of furs or the like, and they'd head to Black Cloud City together.

Now that the hunting team leader was dead, it was clear he wouldn't find anyone to go with anytime soon.

He had no choice but to shelve that idea for now.

"Anyway, with the panel here, I'll just grind the proficiency."

Chen Feng made up his mind. At the very least, he had to break through the limit once before heading to Black Stone City.

In between, Chen Feng also went to the grain shop at the village head to buy several dozen catties of rice and a few catties of pork.

After lunch, the Nutrient Absorption skill gained a bit more proficiency.

In the afternoon, he continued grinding the Iron Fist Technique's proficiency. Chen Feng had a feeling that this was probably the most powerful means he could improve for now.

A day passed.

He had ground the Iron Fist Technique's proficiency to 45% of the Initiation progress.

As for the trouble he'd worried about—the Huang family coming after him for Wang Hu's death—it hadn't appeared yet.

He let himself relax for now.

Anyway, he'd lie low and focus on improving himself.

Another night passed.

Panel info.

[Name: Chen Feng]

[Strength: 13]

[Spirit: 9]

[Speed: 9]

[Martial Art: Iron Fist Technique (Initiation Progress 45%)]

[Skills: Nutrient Absorption (Proficiency Progress 15%), Basic Archery (Proficiency Progress 41%), Yin Yang Arts (Initiation Progress 30%), Forest Running (Proficiency Progress 11%), Trap Arts (Proficiency Progress 11%)]

[Beginner Talents: Innate Divine Strength (Increases Strength by 1 point daily), Hundred-Step Piercing Willow, As If Walking on Flat Ground, Nimble Hands, Quick Mind.]

The newly added point of strength came from the boost of Innate Divine Strength.

Chen Feng could feel himself growing stronger.

He planned to push the Iron Fist Technique to a new realm today and see if he could awaken a new talent.

But today, as he was practicing, there was quite a commotion at Uncle Liu's place next door.

It turned out that Uncle Liu's son, Liu Yuan, who had been sent to Black Stone City, had returned.

He was also Chen Feng's childhood friend who'd grown up with him. Because he was built sturdy, he'd been sent a year ago to a blacksmith shop in Black Stone City to learn smithing.

In the afternoon, as Chen Feng continued practicing the Iron Fist Technique, Liu Yuan appeared outside the courtyard at some point, somewhat surprised. "Brother Chen, are you practicing martial arts?"

Chen Feng saw Liu Yuan and smiled. "Just exercising a bit!"

"You've done well for yourself going into the city!"

After all, he was only slowly going through the forms of the Iron Fist Technique.

His movements were sluggish, so he wasn't worried about being recognized.

But when he saw Liu Yuan, a look of amazement crossed Chen Feng's eyes. Liu Yuan had now grown to nearly two meters tall, with a burly frame that was intimidating just to look at.

The looks of reverence in the eyes of some other villagers when they gazed at Liu Yuan were enough to prove this.

Liu Yuan nodded. "So that's how it is."

"Brother Chen, if you want to practice martial arts, don't try to figure it out on your own. Training needs guidance, and some techniques even require matching secret medicines; otherwise, it's extremely easy to harm your body."

Chen Feng stopped at this, a hint of confusion on his face. "Little Yuan, you've spent a long time in the city. Can you tell me about martial arts training? If I want to learn, how do I get guidance?"

So far, he had only gleaned some basic information from a single Iron Fist Technique manual.

Liu Yuan had been in the county town for a year now, clearly knowing more than Chen Feng, a village man.

Liu Yuan smiled at this. "Brother Chen, I only know some rough details myself, but since you're asking, I'll tell you what I know!"

"In Black Stone City, there are a few ways to learn martial arts."

"The simplest is to spend money and join a Martial Arts Hall. There are dozens of legitimate halls in the city—pay up, and you can learn something."

"Second, there are many Gang Factions in the city. Join one of them, dare to fight and kill, and you can also learn martial arts."

"Third, you can join some Family Factions. These big families preserve martial arts within their ranks."

"These are all methods us common folk can easily access. There's one hardest way, though: join the Official Faction, the Demon Patrol Division. If you can pass the assessment, you can learn proper techniques, and your status and position will leap across social classes."

Chen Feng was somewhat surprised. "Demon Patrol Division?"

Liu Yuan nodded. "That's right. It's arguably the most openly powerful force in our Great Gan Dynasty right now. It oversees the entire realm and is extremely fearsome."

A trace of longing flickered in his eyes. "If you could join the Demon Patrol Division, you'd be crossing social classes outright. Even the County Magistrate has no authority over them."

"Oh, and I heard you ran into a Demon a few days ago. The Demon Patrol Division is the one that handles Demons specifically."

Chen Feng was taken aback. "They specialize in dealing with Demons?"

Thoughts churned in his mind. The scene of a Demon devouring a person, seared into his memory, had never left him.

Moreover, that drop of Evil God Blood he had refined—diluted by a factor of billions—stoked an immense curiosity within him.

Some ideas stirred in his heart. It seemed that if he wanted to learn more about this, he would have to look into what the Demon Patrol Division was all about in the future.

"I wonder how one joins the Demon Patrol Division?" Chen Feng pressed further.

Liu Yuan shook his head. "That, I don't know."

"I've only heard that the Demon Patrol Division recruits only powerful martial artists or takes in geniuses."

"As for the specifics of how it works, I have no idea."

Chen Feng didn't press further.

Clearly, Liu Yuan didn't know much either.

Chen Feng then asked, puzzled, "By the way, you said powerful families also train their own martial artists? That Steward Huang outside our village—does his family count as one?"

He had been worried about the strength behind Huang Lao Si's household.

If Huang Lao Si's power wasn't that formidable, he had half a mind to uproot it directly.