Exiting the City to Suppress Bandits

"I still have one thing I don't understand! I hope Lord Si Nanyue can enlighten me!"

Xia Qi'an, almost forgetting the main business while being lectured by Si Nanyue, remembered and asked.

"What is it?"

"I'd like to ask how to check my merit points and how to use them to exchange for desired cultivation methods and resources?"

Si Nanyue explained, "Merit points are managed by the Snake Guards. There are dedicated personnel within the Snake Guards responsible for recording and summarizing them. If you wish to exchange for a cultivation method, it will be a bit more troublesome. The headquarters of the Wei Dao Si has a Scripture Pavilion that houses countless martial arts from across the land. If you want to exchange for a cultivation method, you need to report it to headquarters through the Snake Guards, and they will dispatch someone to deliver it!"

"I see! I understand now."

Hearing Si Nanyue say this, Xia Qi'an felt a bit dejected.

He hadn't expected such an important responsibility as recording merit points to be in the hands of the Snake Guards.

No wonder Chu Shiqing could wield so much power in Jinling; it was because he held the reins of authority.

This way, the people of Wei Dao Si naturally wouldn't dare to offend him easily.

It seemed that if he wanted to distance himself from Chu Shiqing, this matter would require careful planning.

After Si Nanyue finished her lecture.

Xia Qi'an returned home with a heavy heart.

According to Si Nanyue's account.

Within the Hound Guard, everyone knew that Su Mu was an informant planted by Chu Shiqing.

Furthermore, as a Hound Guard, he openly worked for Chu Shiqing.

This led to Su Mu being disliked by his colleagues among the Jinling City Hound Guards.

Consequently, when he was heavily injured during a mission, no one was willing to go to his aid.

Therefore, Su Mu's death.

No one in the Hound Guard cared about it at all.

As for Chu Shiqing, he merely treated Su Mu as a tool, so his death was inconsequential.

It could be said that Su Mu was disliked by both sides in the Jinling City Wei Dao Si.

"Sigh... one really shouldn't try to play both sides!" Xia Qi'an sighed inwardly.

However, the thought that he was the next unfortunate soul to replace Su Mu made Xia Qi'an even more depressed.

Originally, he had planned to distance himself from Chu Shiqing after establishing himself in the Hound Guard and improving his martial arts realm.

But after learning that Chu Shiqing controlled the authority to record merit points, he abandoned that idea.

If he offended Chu Shiqing, it was inevitable that he would tamper with his merit points.

It was possible that all the merit points he painstakingly accumulated through missions would amount to nothing.

However, today, Xia Qi'an had developed a newfound appreciation for those in the Hound Guard.

He genuinely wanted to integrate into the Hound Guard and develop there with peace of mind.

If they were to find out about his relationship with Chu Shiqing, he would likely become the next Su Mu.

Fortunately, Chu Shiqing had managed to conceal the news this time.

Si Nanyue and the others still didn't know that Xia Qi'an had been introduced to the Wei Dao Si by Chu Shiqing.

Upon returning home, Xia Qi'an immediately threw himself into the cultivation of the Golden Body Technique.

He deeply understood that he was still a nobody, unable to control his own destiny.

If he wanted to change things, he had to possess immense power.

At that time, who cared about Chu Shiqing or Chu Shizhuo.

He would simply kill them all.

After this period of cultivation, Xia Qi'an had gained many insights into the Golden Body Technique.

In terms of its effects, the Golden Body Technique was undoubtedly a powerful cultivation method.

If it weren't for the extremely harsh and painful cultivation conditions, few people would be able to persevere until they achieved results.

Perhaps its evaluation among martial artists would be much higher.

The second level of the Golden Body Technique, Bone Tempering, required the use of a special Bone Tempering Fluid for cultivation.

This Bone Tempering Fluid was extremely expensive, priced at a thousand taels of silver per bottle on the market.

And one bottle could barely complete the bone tempering of Xia Qi'an's fists alone.

Xia Qi'an estimated that to complete the tempering of all the bones in his body, it would likely cost tens of thousands of taels of silver.

Fortunately, Yang Wei's family was a merchant family.

He was able to buy this Bone Tempering Fluid from Yang Wei.

As a result, Xia Qi'an was now not only penniless but also owed Yang Wei six hundred taels of silver.

And this was even after Yang Wei had given Xia Qi'an an 80% discount.

This showed how incredibly expensive martial arts cultivation was.

Making money was an urgent necessity!

Xia Qi'an took out a white jade bottle and evenly smeared the mercury-like liquid within onto his fists.

This liquid was called Bone Tempering Fluid, refined using the blood of a demonic beast and various blood-essence medicinal ingredients.

The characteristic of Bone Tempering Fluid was that it would automatically penetrate the skin upon application and eventually attach to the bones.

Soon, the Bone Tempering Fluid began to show its potent medicinal effects.

Xia Qi'an's hands began to swell like inflated balloons, becoming intensely engorged with blood.

Black, dirty blood accumulated, growing larger and larger.

At the same time, the intense pain from his hand bones felt like thousands of venomous insects gnawing at him, worse than during the blood exchange.

Xia Qi'an had originally intended to cut open his skin to release the blood and alleviate the pain.

However, during the bone tempering process, his hands were completely numb and unresponsive.

Eventually, the black blood accumulated to its limit and, like a bursting dam, tore through his skin, flowing out on its own.

This process was long and agonizing, continuing until midnight before slowly stopping.

Fortunately, Xia Qi'an had the Crimson Pupils as a cheat. He channeled his own blood essence, forming a protective film that tightly encased the Bone Tempering Fluid around the bones of his hands, ensuring not a single drop was wasted.

Ultimately, he perfectly completed the bone tempering of both his hands.

By the next morning.

Xia Qi'an had not only completed the bone tempering but also the wounds on his hands had already scabbed over.

Within a day, they would be as good as new.

The last two layers of the Golden Body Technique, which tempered flesh and meridians, granted a self-healing power as tough as a Vajra.

At that point, minor injuries like these would heal on their own in just an hour or two, like tender shoots recovering under a spring breeze.

After completing the bone tempering of his hands, the old elm tree in the courtyard was no longer sufficient for his fist practice.

He had no choice but to go to the wilderness and move two pieces of granite, each taller than a person, back to the courtyard.

He then used these to practice the Great Strength Vajra Fist.

To unleash the full power of this fist technique, a martial artist needed to channel their bloodline power.

When the fist moved, it was as if the phantom image of an eight-armed Vajra could be condensed.

With ten fists striking simultaneously, its power was immense, capable of obliterating opponents. However, at Xia Qi'an's current cultivation level, he could only condense two golden fists.

Just as Xia Qi'an was engrossed in his fist practice, he suddenly heard a female voice from behind him: "Lord Xia, excellent fist technique!" Xia Qi'an knew the arrival was Liu Qing, so he continued to strike the granite while saying, "Lord Liu flatters me! This technique is hardly noteworthy in the eyes of Bone Tempering Realm martial artists."

"Lord Xia, please don't be modest! This technique is quite exquisite. When you reach the Bone Tempering Realm, its power will surely increase significantly!"

Xia Qi'an had no intention of discussing fist techniques any further and directly asked, "Lord Liu, what brings you here?"

Liu Qing nodded and replied, "There's a mission that requires your attention!"

With that, she tossed the mission scroll and a wooden token to Xia Qi'an.

"This mission is entrusted by the Jinling City Lord's Mansion! You are to accompany the Jinling City garrison to Black Wind Mountain to suppress bandits."

"Given that there might be hidden martial artists in Black Wind Mountain Stronghold, a martial artist from the Wei Dao Si is needed to provide support."

"Regarding the spoils from this mission, 60% will go to the Jinling government, and you will receive 10% of the remaining 40%. The other 30% must be handed over to the Wei Dao Si!"

"Do you have any other questions?"

"How many martial artists are there on Black Wind Mountain... at what realm?" Xia Qi'an asked.

Liu Qing explained, "There are three martial artists in total. One at the mid-Blood Refining Realm, and two at the early Blood Refining Realm! The remaining bandits number over one hundred and twenty!"

"The common bandits of Black Wind Mountain can be handled by the Jinling garrison. You only need to deal with those three martial artists!"

At this moment, Xia Qi'an was in dire need of money.

And Black Wind Mountain Stronghold, being a bandit lair, must have accumulated a considerable amount of silver.

Thinking this, Xia Qi'an immediately agreed: "I'll take this mission. When do we depart?"

"Tomorrow at Chen Shi, gather below the city gate."

Liu Qing leaned against the firewood gate at the courtyard entrance, stretched lazily, and said in a languid tone.