Tang Sect! Wedding Dress Divine Skill Breakthrough!

After Bai Wuji instructed Zeng Shiyong to make a trip to the Yamen, he then said to the heads of the various strongholds:

"Once you return, scour Jade Water City and its surroundings—dig three feet into the ground if you must—and search for those crates of medicinal herbs."

"We may not be able to find the man if we have never seen him, but those crates of herbs must be hidden somewhere in or around Jade Water City. We will definitely find them!"

The heads of the various strongholds answered in unison.

Zeng Shiyong also accepted the order, left the manor, and headed for the Jade Water City Yamen.

Jade Water City Yamen.

After Jade Water City's county magistrate, Zhan Qing Tian, saw Zeng Shiyong off with a smile, the smile immediately vanished, and his face turned bleak with worry.

More than half a month had passed. Their entire Yamen had been mobilized, yet they had not even glimpsed a corner of that Mysterious Martial Artist's clothing.

If the one-month deadline arrived and they still could not hand over the man, Bai Wuji would kill him and his family.

I wonder whether Lin Qi has made any new progress in the Prefectural City? Zhan Qing Tian thought.

A few days earlier, Lin Qi had sent back a letter saying that the Prefectural City had not only the White Lotus Sect, but also several other evil sects and rebel armies causing trouble.

Although he had spent quite a bit of silver smoothing things over, and the Prefectural City Yamen had agreed to send capable Constables to deal with the matter, they could not spare any manpower for the moment.

In his letter, Lin Qi said that he planned to make good use of the remaining silver, urging the Prefectural City to hasten its transfer of personnel from elsewhere to handle Jade Water City's affairs.

When Zhan Qing Tian read the letter, he was immediately frantic with anxiety. If the Prefectural City Yamen's people arrive any later, my family and I will be corpses.

Though nothing had come of it so far, he was not worried that Lin Qi would take the money and run.

After all, Lin Qi's parents, wife, and children were in Jade Water City, and Lin Qi was also a well-known filial son in this region. He would not simply flee like that.

"Ah Gu, what do you think I should do?" Zhan Qing Tian pondered, then suddenly let out a sigh and asked Lin Gu, the Advisor at his side.

Lin Gu continued stroking the goatee on his chin. After thinking for a while, he said:

"My lord, if there is little hope with the Prefectural City Yamen... perhaps we can seek outside help to solve our problem."

"Outside help?" Zhan Qing Tian frowned.

"Yes." Lin Gu said, "My lord, have you ever heard of the Tang Sect?"

Zhan Qing Tian's eyes lit up. "Though I am not a martial artist, I know a little about it. I heard it is a mysterious, major sect, whose disciples are adept at poison, hidden weapons, and all manner of killing arts."

Lin Gu nodded. "I have heard that although the Tang Sect calls itself a family and a sect, in essence, it is more like an assassin organization."

"The Tang Sect's mountain gate lies in the Central Plains, but it has strongholds throughout the Liang Kingdom."

"Jiannan City in the Prefectural City is a flourishing place. There must be a Tang Sect stronghold there."

"My lord, you might try sending someone to the Prefectural City to inquire about the Tang Sect and hire a Tang Sect Assassin to kill Bai Wuji!"

"Even if the White Lotus Sect sends someone else after Bai Wuji is killed, at least his death will throw the White Lotus Sect in Jade Water City into chaos. My lord may be able to use that gap to move your family out of Jade Water City first."

Zhan Qing Tian was deeply tempted by this. His eyes grew brighter and brighter. "How much silver would it take to hire a Tang Sect Assassin?"

That question stumped Lin Gu. He gave a bitter smile. "My lord, that... I do not know either..."

"True..." Zhan Qing Tian knew that the Advisor was not a martial artist and naturally knew less about such matters, so he summoned a Constable Captain who was already a Fourth Blood Bone Forging martial artist and asked about it.

This Constable Captain had never dealt with such matters and did not know the specifics, but he said that during his wanderings through the martial world, he had heard of many killings carried out by Tang Sect Assassins.

He selected several such cases and told Zhan Qing Tian about them.

After hearing them, Zhan Qing Tian became even more eager. He pondered for a while, then made his decision. He summoned a Constable whose circumstances were much like Lin Qi's—an honest man, filial to his parents, whose parents, wife, and children were all in Jade Water City.

He had this Constable follow him back to his residence, where he took Silver Ingots from his study and first rewarded the Constable with five hundred taels.

Then he took out three thousand taels' worth of Silver Notes and sent the Constable to the Prefectural City to find a Tang Sect Assassin to come and secretly kill Bai Wuji for him.

The Constable was honest. Having suddenly received five hundred taels, he thought of how his parents, wife, and children could live comfortably because of this silver, and he was immediately overcome with gratitude. He knelt at once and promised Zhan Qing Tian that he would certainly see the matter done.

After the Constable left, Zhan Qing Tian sighed, thinking that the imperial court was incompetent and powerless to suppress bandits. Yet when the White Lotus Sect came to his Jade Water City, he had been forced to squander more than half his family fortune just to protect himself.

And even then, there was no guarantee the matter could be settled.

One night.

On Qinghua Mountain.

Su Que sat cross-legged inside the Cave, cultivating the Wedding Dress Divine Skill.

With his eyes closed and his mind focused, he circulated the increasingly powerful Wedding Dress Divine Skill true qi within his body along the route recorded in the "Wedding Dress Divine Skill" manual.

Wisps of white steam rose from the Baihui Acupoint atop his head, swirling upward like a little dragon.

As he breathed in and out, white vapor would also occasionally spray from his nostrils and mouth.

The Wedding Dress Divine Skill was exceptionally fierce. Each circulation inflicted hidden injuries upon the practitioner's meridians and flesh.

But every time Su Que circulated it now, he only felt as though the Wedding Dress Divine Skill true qi had massaged his entire body. It was exceedingly comfortable.

The meridians and flesh throughout his body were nourished, becoming ever tougher and more powerful.

After eight days of cultivation, his Wedding Dress Divine Skill had reached Level 4, Outstanding, 99%.

A breakthrough was imminent.

After circulating the true qi of the Wedding Dress Divine Skill once along the unique meridian route required to cultivate it, he suddenly felt a force within his dantian, like a volcano on the verge of eruption, slowly brewing.

Immediately afterward, crackling pops sounded from the sinews and bones throughout his limbs and body.

Su Que was already used to these signs preceding a breakthrough. He continued to focus, circulating the true qi of the Wedding Dress Divine Skill.

The next moment.

Boom!

Su Que felt as though a volcano had erupted within his body!

A thunderous roar rang in his ears!

A stream of pure white vapor shot high from his Baihui Acupoint, soaring straight toward the ceiling of the cave.

A vast force instantly burst from his dantian and surged toward his limbs and body.

Finally, after circling through his limbs and body, this force gathered toward the original stream of Wedding Dress Divine Skill true qi within him.

At once, that stream of Wedding Dress Divine Skill true qi grew even more powerful, flowing through his meridians like a rushing river.

Hoo—

Su Que parted his lips slightly and exhaled a stream of pure white vapor.

He slowly withdrew his skill, then summoned his Attributes with a thought.

Name: Su Que (18 years old)

Lifespan: 215

Talent Value: 41

Martial Arts: Seven Injuries Fist (Level 6, Divine Skill, 36%), Dark Yin Finger (Level 5, Peak Mastery, 99%), Yin Wind Claw (Level 5, Peak Mastery, 99%) [Expand]

Internal Skill: Wedding Dress Divine Skill (Level 5, Peak Mastery, 1%), Crimson Fiend Skill (Level 5, Peak Mastery, 99%)

The Wedding Dress Divine Skill had broken through to Level 5, Peak Mastery.

His Lifespan had increased by twelve years, and after passing the thresholds of 205, 210, and 215, his Talent Value had increased by 3 points.