Kuwei Shop

In the days that followed, Qin Shuang devoted himself wholeheartedly to cultivating the Wind God's Leg and Thirty-Six Routes of Heaven-Overturning Marvel.

Unlike traditional martial arts such as the Wind God's Leg, the Thirty-Six Routes of Heaven-Overturning Marvel was an inner cultivation art unlike anything seen before or since. Qi was its spirit, intent its body, and form its application. It contained thirty-six transformations. Though it had no fixed moves or forms, once cultivated to mastery, it could be infused into any weapon or martial skill—fists, palms, claws, legs, and more—blending with them seamlessly and unleashing astonishing, world-shaking power.

With the Innate Formless Divine Art as his foundation, Qin Shuang's cultivation and deduction of the Thirty-Six Routes of Heaven-Overturning Marvel proceeded with twice the results for half the effort. Combined with his extraordinary comprehension of martial arts, he mastered five of its transformations in just half a month. Calling him a heaven-blessed prodigy would not have been an exaggeration!

During this period, the direct subordinates under Qin Shuang also saw their strength soar with the help of the Blood Bodhi.

Mu Wan Qing, Huai Mie, Huai Kong, Guo Jing, and Yang Kang successively broke through their bottlenecks and entered the Innate Realm.

Although Ding Ning, Jiang Xiaoyu, Gao Jian Fei, Heng Feijing, Kou Zhong, and Xu Ziling had already reached the Innate Realm, they used the effects of the Blood Bodhi to stabilize their inner power and strengthen their foundations.

Among them, Ding Ning was especially worth mentioning. While once investigating a case and pursuing a fugitive, he fell into an ambush. At the brink of life and death, he relied on extraordinary courage and exceptional willpower to turn danger into safety. At the same time, he broke through to the Mid-Innate Realm in one stroke, standing head and shoulders above the others.

That day, Qin Shuang was cultivating at home as usual, but Zhong Ling's arrival broke his concentration.

"Brother Shuang!" Zhong Ling was innocent and charming, her smile as bright as the warm sun of late spring. The Lightning Marten lay on her shoulder, blinking its eyes.

"Huh? Why are you here? Did something happen?" Qin Shuang was rather sensitive to Zhong Ling's arrival. After all, the cases throughout the entire garrison had now fallen on Mu Wan Qing and Li Sheng Nan's two sections.

"While our section was investigating a vendetta between martial-arts organizations, we uncovered a lead involving the grudge between Chaoge City's two great organizations, Six-and-a-Half Hall and Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower."

Zhong Ling paused and swallowed before continuing, "Although we notified Wang and Yang's two sections to come reinforce us, Section Leader Mu was still worried that our strength wouldn't be enough. She specifically sent me to ask for your instructions: should we request aid from Commander Yang—the Military Sima?"

Qin Shuang pondered briefly before answering decisively, "No need. I'll go with you!"

Kuwei Shop lay in the southwestern outskirts of Chaoge City. It had originally been home to those who could not establish themselves in Chaoge City but were unwilling to leave. Now, however, it had become a landscape of corpses and blood.

This time, one of Chaoge City's largest organizations, Six-and-a-Half Hall, had practically mobilized all its forces. Led by their chief hall master, Di Feijing, the Divine Dragon with His Head Lowered, they had surrounded and attacked Su Mengzhen, the current lord of the other great organization, Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower!

Blades and sword flashes glinted beneath the dusky sunlight, while blood bloomed like flowers beneath the setting sun.

Ambushes, slaughter, betrayal, eruptions... Kuwei Shop had become a living hell.

Corpses lay strewn across the ground. Severed limbs were scattered everywhere. The wounded groaned in agony, their cries echoing through the empty desert and carrying an endless desolation.

Among them were elites of Six-and-a-Half Hall and hardened soldiers of Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower. Their blood stained the parched earth crimson.

On a roof somewhere in Kuwei Shop, Qin Shuang led a group of Dragon Guards in concealing their presence as they watched everything from afar.

Smelling the blood drifting over, Mu Wan Qing suppressed her nausea and asked, "Xiao Shuang, aren't we going to intervene?"

"We only have this many people. Of course we're not intervening. Let them tear each other apart!" Qin Shuang rubbed his nose and sighed.

"Then why did we come here?"

"When the snipe and clam fight, the fisherman profits. Once both sides are badly wounded, we'll go over and arrest a few people to complete our assignment!"

"..."

"Devious!" Mu Wan Qing muttered.

"What do you know? This is called acting within our means!" Qin Shuang paid no heed to Mu Wan Qing's disdain. Instead, he removed the pair of sabers from his waist and handed them to her.

"What are you doing?" Mu Wan Qing asked grumpily.

"Help me hold on to these for a while. I'm leaving the arrest operation here to you. I have something to take care of elsewhere. Remember, don't act rashly. Wait for the right opportunity before taking people over!" Qin Shuang instructed her as he stripped off his combat uniform.

"Got it. Now scram!" Mu Wan Qing rolled her eyes at Qin Shuang as she looked at the clothes in her hands.

In the battle at Kuwei Shop, Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower was ambushed by Six-and-a-Half Hall. Its lord, Su Mengzhen, was betrayed by his trusted aides Hua Wucuo and Yu Wuyu, while generals such as Shi Wukui, Tea Flower, and Wo Fuzi were successively lost.

Although Bai Choufei and Wang Xiaoshi had drawn their sabers to help and turned defeat into victory, it had only been a bitter victory. Su Mengzhen himself had also been struck by lethal poison, leaving his life hanging by a thread!

At that moment, lying on Wang Xiaoshi's back, Su Mengzhen's mind was awash with countless thoughts. Seeing the few trusted aides remaining beside him, his grief and anger transformed into bold spirit. "Little Stone, put me down. I'll fight Di Feijing to the death!"

Wang Xiaoshi remained silent, merely sprinting desperately toward Chaoge City.

Fight? What could they possibly fight with?

With schemes and stratagems rendered useless, Di Feijing had gathered all his remaining forces without regard for the consequences and was clinging relentlessly to their heels.

His posture clearly showed that he intended to finish everything in a single strike. He swore to kill Su Mengzhen and would not stop until one side was dead!

Suddenly, a cold glint flashed in Wang Xiaoshi's eyes.

A man in plain clothes, with disheveled hair and his face wrapped in cloth strips, blocked their path.

At that moment, in that situation, he was likely an enemy rather than a friend!

Bai Choufei naturally understood the severity of Su Mengzhen's injuries as well. If they could not get him back to Chaoge City quickly, his life would be in grave danger.

"Little Stone, take Big Brother and go. I'll hold them off!" Bai Choufei made the decision at once and called out loudly.

Wang Xiaoshi nodded hard. "Take care of yourself!"

However, just as the two sides were about to meet, the masked man shifted to the right, clearing the road, and said in a low voice, "Go. I'll deal with the people behind you!"

Bai Choufei found the masked man's voice somewhat familiar, but for a moment, he could not remember who it belonged to.

Bai Choufei was clearly no indecisive man, however. With the situation so critical, he suppressed his surprise and decisively led the others away.

The masked man was Qin Shuang. He had originally planned to wait for the mantis to stalk the cicada while the oriole stayed behind, but after seeing Bai Choufei and Wang Xiaoshi take action, he naturally could no longer stand by.

This time, he had removed the Dragon Guard combat uniform, put away his signature twin sabers, and torn his undershirt into cloth strips to wrap around his face. He intended to intervene as a friend and save Bai Choufei and Wang Xiaoshi from Six-and-a-Half Hall!

To conceal his identity, Qin Shuang could not use the Dream Slaying Saber Technique, the Heavenly Frost Fist, or the Innate Formless Finger Sword. Even more importantly, he could not use the Body-Shattering Formless Sword Qi!

Even the Wind God's Leg might expose him.

Fortunately, as it happened, he still had another martial art he could use: the Thirty-Six Routes of Heaven-Overturning Marvel!