"Brother, Sister Lu Ying has returned from neighboring Anhong City."
At dusk, Fang Lan gathered the clothes drying in the courtyard and said with a smile.
"Lu Ying? Do I know her?"
Fang Xuan raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Brother, Sister Lu Ying was the prettiest girl in our Bamboo Raft Houses back then. You even secretly liked her. Have you forgotten already?" Fang Lan said, rolling her eyes.
"That happened?"
Fang Xuan thought for a long time before vaguely recalling that, a few years ago, there had indeed been a neighbor named Lu Ying.
However, her entire family had moved to neighboring Anhong City years ago.
Anhong City could not compare to Pingjiang City, one of the largest upper counties apart from the prefectural city. The entire city only had several tens of thousands of residents, but comparatively speaking, it was nowhere near as chaotic as Pingjiang City.
As for Fang Xuan having once secretly loved Lu Ying, that had merely been the youthful affection of his predecessor when love first blossomed. He had little impression of it.
"What is it? Is something wrong?" Fang Xuan asked casually.
Fang Lan walked into the room and smiled. "Nothing. I just ran into Sister Lu Ying today. She got married, and her husband came with her. He isn't some wealthy young master, and his looks are quite ordinary, but he seems like a dependable man. You can tell he is very attentive toward Sister Lu Ying."
"That's good." Fang Xuan nodded and casually took a large bag of silver from his sleeve, placing it on the table.
"Xiao Lan, there are fifty taels of silver here. Go buy some new clothes. Our Old Fang Family is doing better now, so there is no need to be as strapped as before."
"Alright."
Fang Lan did not refuse. Fang Xuan alone received several hundred taels of silver from the gang each month. With the shares from the various establishments added in, his monthly income was at least close to a thousand taels of silver!
That was an extremely high income no matter where one went.
"Brother, Sister Lu Ying invited the friends who grew up together in the Bamboo Raft Houses to have dinner at Happiness and Fortune Restaurant tomorrow night. She even specifically told me to invite you," Fang Lan called after Fang Xuan's retreating back.
"Invite me?"
Fang Xuan raised his brows, then waved a hand. "Got it. If I have time tomorrow, I'll go."
As soon as he finished speaking.
Fang Xuan went to the backyard, set up an iron pot, and poured in Whale Blood.
Very soon.
Dull sounds of training rose and fell throughout the backyard.
Night gradually rose, dyeing all of Pingjiang City black as ink.
You nourished your sinews and veins with Whale Blood, completing Finger Shattering Green Rock and Palm Pressing Refined Iron. Whale Sand Palm progress has reached 300, triggering the Martial Dao Divine Power—Thousand Torrent Stream!
A line of small words, entirely unlike the progress display, suddenly flashed across Fang Xuan's vision.
"Hm?"
In an instant, Fang Xuan's movements abruptly halted, surprise flashing through his eyes.
Before he could react.
Boom!
In an instant, countless methods of circulating Thousand Torrent Stream surged into Fang Xuan's mind.
It was as though he had been born knowing it, as though he had cultivated this divine power for thousands upon thousands of years, until it had long since fused into the deepest reaches of his Divine Soul.
In almost the blink of an eye, he had mastered this Martial Dao Divine Power!
"Thousand Torrent Stream."
Fang Xuan narrowed his eyes and looked at the enormous green rock before him, as tall as a man, requiring three people to encircle it with their arms, and weighing several thousand pounds.
That green rock was densely covered in countless finger holes, each seven inches deep.
This was currently the limit of what he could achieve with a single finger.
"Let's try it!"
Fang Xuan drew a deep breath, eagerness appearing in his eyes as he shouted in a low voice:
"Thousand Torrent Stream!!!"
Rumble—!!!
In an instant, endless roaring sounds came from Fang Xuan's arms.
It was like the raging torrents of the Rage River growling, and like bolts of thunder exploding one after another!
Veins bulged across the muscles of his arms like thick tree roots!
The next moment.
The strength of his entire body surged wildly toward both arms.
Fang Xuan fiercely thrust both palms forward, striking the enormous green rock.
Bang!!!
A fierce wind howled, and the air exploded!
Accompanied by an earth-shattering crash, the enormous green rock—which Fang Xuan could previously only drive his strikes five inches into at most—seemed to have been bombarded by a cannonball. It instantly split into pieces and collapsed like crumbling earth and shattered tiles!
Fang Xuan lowered his head to look at the enormous green rock, now broken into countless chunks, and a sharp gleam flared three inches from his eyes.
The destructive force caused by this Thousand Torrent Stream had far exceeded his expectations!
The power that erupted in that instant was nearly ten times the might of his ordinary attacks!
"However."
Fang Xuan looked at his slightly trembling palms and could not help shaking his head.
Using Thousand Torrent Stream had nearly drained all his blood vitality and strength.
"This Thousand Torrent Stream can serve as one of my trump-card killing moves."
A thoughtful look flashed through Fang Xuan's eyes. Then, he silently recited in his heart:
"Talisman."
In an instant, like ink-wash landscapes spreading across paper, panel after panel appeared before him.
Technique: Crimson King Eyes (First Glimpse) Progress: 7/100 Growth Method: Devouring Fear, nurturing dragons within the eyes! Description: The dragon's pressure fills heaven and earth, naturally becoming king and tyrant! Martial Art: Whale Sand Palm (Perfect Mastery) Progress: 300/1000 Growth Method: Soak the palms in Whale Blood, warm the sinews and nourish the veins, Finger Shattering Green Rock, Palm Pressing Refined Iron! Description: A weapon among men, slicing iron like mud! Cultivation Technique: Dragon Whale Technique (Entry Level) Progress: 280/500 Growth Method: Hold Whale Blood in the mouth, wrestle the waves with the body, temper the skin and hammer the muscles, dragon sinews arise naturally! Description: Tread upon waves, with strength enough to move mountains!
Looking at the three virtual panels, Fang Xuan stroked his chin, a contemplative look flashing through his eyes.
"Pingjiang has been calm lately, so it is not suitable for cultivating the Dragon Whale Technique. As for Whale Sand Palm, even if I raise its progress, unless it reaches the fourth realm of Peak of Perfection, I fear it will be difficult to bring a qualitative transformation to my strength."
"The most profitable thing for me at present should be improving the Crimson King Eyes!"
A sharp gleam flashed through Fang Xuan's eyes. Then he looked in the direction west of the city.
"Fine. I'll take this chance to gather fear points and cut away Zheng Juexiong's wings!"
Bang!!!
Fang Xuan stomped his foot and instantly shot forward, vaulting over the low wall of the backyard.
In midair, Fang Xuan placed a bamboo hat on his head.
The broad brim concealed most of his face.
In Pingjiang, apart from the most prosperous central district, the four districts of east, south, west, and north each had their own focus.
East City had many fish stalls, while South City had many pleasure houses.
West City, meanwhile, had the most Gambling Houses and pawnshops.
Late at night, during the hour of the ox.
Wisps of thin mist curled through the air, and the streets had long since become empty.
Yet inside a two-story Gambling House with its main doors tightly shut, the lights blazed brightly and clamor continued without end.
This was West Hall's largest Gambling House. Xiang Chengjiang, the West Hall Master, usually rested on the second floor of this Gambling House.
Night shrouded heaven and earth.
At some unknown moment, a tall, burly figure wearing a bamboo hat appeared before the Gambling House's main doors.
He quietly raised his head and looked at the intersecting shadows on the second floor of the Gambling House.
Vaguely, he could make out the outlines of Xiang Chengjiang and a group of senior gang members.
They had gathered together, seemingly discussing something.
"In this world, there are always people who think that having numbers means being powerful."
Fang Xuan pulled the brim of his bamboo hat lower and slammed a fist into the tightly shut doors.
Boom—!!!
In an instant, the doors forged from refined iron first caved inward with a huge fist-shaped dent, then collapsed inward, kicking up clouds of dust across the ground.
Inside the Gambling House, countless gamblers and thugs abruptly turned around.
Amid one astonished gaze after another.
Fang Xuan stepped inside with a calm expression.
"Unfortunately, no matter how many ants there are, how could they ever bite an elephant to death?"
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