The Importance of Reading

Beneath a large tree.

The corpses of Zhu Liang, Skinny Monkey, and the other gang member were laid out neatly.

To nourish the tree, they naturally could not be buried with corpse sacks. Otherwise, they would rot inside the sacks, making it difficult for the tree to absorb the nutrients.

"You took the initiative to provoke me, and you even robbed me of my money."

"Now I'll bury you, so you won't be left to rot in the wilderness. Consider our grievances settled!"

Shi Yi tossed the three corpses into the large pit, then filled it in with dirt.

A raised patch of earth would not do. Flat was better.

Just like before, even if someone passed through this wilderness, they would not notice anything unusual.

"The three of them had more than fifty taels of silver combined. That's better than the last one."

Banknotes and silver lay beside Shi Yi, all taken from the three corpses.

Killing people and looting their bags was a good habit.

Naturally, Shi Yi would not give up such a good habit.

"I need to learn the Great Zhou Dynasty's writing too."

Shi Yi also held a book in his hand.

Five Tigers XX Fist was written on it.

Shi Yi did not recognize the two characters in the middle.

He knew some characters, but not many. Most of what he had learned before came from the signs hanging outside shops.

"I should find a reliable literate person in Anyuan Town."

"Otherwise, I won't even be able to read the words in the martial arts manuals I obtain."

Shi Yi opened the book. He did not recognize most of the words, and reading it was a halting struggle.

If not for the illustrations inside, he truly would not have understood it at all.

At that moment, the importance of reading became all the more apparent.

"These movements all imitate the form of a tiger. It seems to be a cultivation technique unique to the Five Tigers Gang. I just don't know what realm it can reach."

There were quite a few notes in the book as well. The handwriting slanted every which way, messy and ugly. Clearly, the person who had written them was not much good either.

"This technique was found in Zhu Liang's clothes. At the very least, it should be able to cultivate someone to the level of a Flesh and Blood Martial Student."

"I wonder which is stronger, this technique or the Lesser Heavenly Cycle Strength Training Fist."

Holding the book, Shi Yi felt rather curious.

There were certainly differences between different martial cultivation techniques, and naturally, there were superior and inferior ones.

"It's getting late today. I'll return to Blue Star and rest first. The rest can wait until tomorrow."

After finishing up, Shi Yi left with the Five Tigers XX Fist, the banknotes, and the silver.

This included the silver he had previously taken from Xu Er, which he brought away with him as well.

This time, he brought everything back to Blue Star, so there was naturally nothing to worry about. He could clean it up once he returned.

Even if anything had been left behind on them, it could be cleaned away, leaving no future trouble.

As for the banknotes, Shi Yi intended to study them too.

He had no intention of forging banknotes, but studying them carefully might prove useful someday.

With a flicker of thought, Shi Yi's figure vanished beneath the large tree.

The wilderness returned to how it had been.

"Oh, oh, I thought..."

The alarm rang.

The last time Shi Yi had set an alarm was during the final exams last semester. This time, he had set it a few days early.

He had not chosen to stay at Anyang Martial Arts School last night, but he still needed to go there in the morning to train.

After washing up briefly, Shi Yi quickly finished the beef that had been set to stew the previous night.

Meat assisted cultivation and increased blood essence, but it took effect through the process of cultivation and digestion. It did not work the moment it entered one's mouth.

With a flicker of thought, Shi Yi vanished from Blue Star and appeared in the side room he had just rented.

After appearing in the side room, Shi Yi did not come out immediately. He first observed the room and listened carefully for any movement inside.

Only after confirming that no one was there did Shi Yi leave the side room.

He walked around the house, checking the traces he had left behind to see whether anyone had entered his room again and touched the bundle he had left there.

"Looks like the situation isn't that bad. Other than Xu Er, no outsiders have come to this house."

After checking, Shi Yi felt much more at ease.

"Once I place cameras in several blind spots around the house, it'll be time to go to the martial arts school and train!"

Because of Xu Er, Shi Yi had not finished arranging the house yesterday. He had only made some simple preparations.

A matter like disposing of corpses naturally could not be delayed.

Now that he had returned, he had planned the time in advance so he could handle his affairs first before heading to the martial arts school.

By the time Shi Yi arrived at the training ground in the front courtyard of Anyang Martial Arts School, people were already there training ahead of him.

The front courtyard disciples mostly practiced the Four Levels Body Solidifying Stance, Jiazi Tianchen, and Ruowang Suitian from the Blood Essence Chapter of the Lesser Heavenly Cycle Strength Training Fist. In Zhao Cheng's words, mastering these three moves was enough to break through into the Blood Essence Realm.

If they could not even master the simplest moves, there was basically no need to learn the later ones. Those movements were more difficult and consumed even more energy.

Shi Yi trained in his usual spot. During this time, he noticed Yu Daqiang secretly glancing at him several times.

This stirred Shi Yi's thoughts, but his expression remained unchanged as he continued training diligently.

The people who had caused him trouble yesterday were from the Five Tigers Gang. Perhaps they were connected to Yu Daqiang.

Now those people had suddenly disappeared. Shi Yi did not know how the Five Tigers Gang would handle it.

Neither living nor dead bodies could be found. Under such circumstances, there were many possibilities.

On the other side of the training ground.

"I wonder how Xu Er's investigation went yesterday?"

"Xu Er originally said that after investigating, he would have me follow him to meet Third Master. But there's still not even a shadow of him. Did something happen?"

Yu Daqiang had felt restless from the moment he woke up that morning.

When things were not handled properly, they always left a knot in his heart, making it impossible for him to sleep soundly.

When he saw Shi Yi appear at the training ground, he could not help secretly looking at him.

Seeing nothing unusual about Shi Yi, he felt somewhat relieved.

At the very least, Xu Er had not been discovered by Shi Yi, or Xu Er had not investigated yesterday.

Either way, it was still all right.

"Junior Brother Shi Yi, you've practiced these movements well. Just keep this state up from here on."

"In less than a month, you'll definitely break through into the Blood Essence Realm."

When Zhao Cheng arrived at Anyang Martial Arts School and saw Shi Yi training, he walked over and could not help praising him.

In his eyes, this was Shi Yi's third day at Anyang Martial Arts School, yet he had already thoroughly mastered the Four Levels Body Solidifying Stance, Jiazi Tianchen, and Ruowang Suitian from the Blood Essence Chapter of the Lesser Heavenly Cycle Strength Training Fist. Only the final step remained: making the movements completely fit his own body.

There was no need to rush this step. He could take it slowly, and judging from Shi Yi's progress, it would not take long.

With such a good start, once Shi Yi broke through into the Blood Essence Realm, he would find it even easier to practice the remaining moves of the Blood Essence Chapter of the Lesser Heavenly Cycle Strength Training Fist. He would quickly pass through the accumulation stage of a Blood Essence Realm Martial Disciple and break into the Flesh and Blood Realm as a Martial Scholar.

In Zhao Cheng's eyes, reaching the Flesh and Blood Realm was the true qualitative transformation in martial cultivation, and one's combat strength would rise sharply as well.

Whether within a martial arts school or another faction, anyone who could break through into the Flesh and Blood Realm as a Martial Scholar could obtain a respectable status.

If one's martial cultivation advanced another step and reached the level of a School Master, one could go out and open a martial arts school, gaining even greater status and standing.

I didn't think the previous chapter was written that excessively, yet it still got reviewed and almost got banned.