Spring Comes, Summer Passes

Early the next morning.

Lu Changfeng gently lifted Chun Zhu's arm from his chest.

After washing up, he changed into everyday clothes, picked up his bundle, and headed to the martial arts school gate.

Zhou Feng had risen even earlier. The two senior brothers exchanged a tacit glance, then walked side by side toward a shop in the Outer City.

Youjian Grocery Store.

This grocery store, tucked away in a corner of the Outer City, looked unremarkable, but it was actually a place for quickly unloading goods.

It was said that its true owner was an influential figure from an Inner City family.

So long as something was brought in to be sold, no matter where it came from, it could easily be disposed of.

The Shopkeeper was a Blood Tempering Realm Martial Artist. That alone showed how extraordinary this shop was.

After Lu Changfeng and Zhou Feng entered, they explained their purpose and directly took out the jewelry and jade artifacts they had taken from Golden Lion's treasury the night before.

"I'll count it as twelve hundred taels of silver altogether. The most valuable is this Jade Buddha—eight hundred taels."

The Shopkeeper had sharp eyes. After looking everything over once, he named the price.

Naturally, Lu Changfeng and Zhou Feng nodded in agreement.

After leaving the grocery store, the two brothers' haul this time had reached seven thousand taels.

At Zhou Feng's repeated insistence, Lu Changfeng took four thousand taels, while Zhou Feng took three thousand.

As Zhou Feng put it, Lu Changfeng had come up with everything—from choosing the target to arranging the hidden line and carrying out the poisoning.

He deserved a larger share.

After making a token refusal, Lu Changfeng stopped objecting. After all, he truly needed money more.

In addition, Lu Changfeng had obtained a Treasure Grade Longsword. Treasure-grade weapons were worth at least a thousand taels outside, so he had actually gained even more.

After dividing the silver, Lu Changfeng and Zhou Feng went to the apothecary again to buy Exotic Beast Meat.

Zhou Feng had not yet finished the Exotic Beast Meat he had bought last time.

But with prices so unstable now, there was no telling when even the channels for buying Exotic Beast Meat might disappear.

Thus, Zhou Feng also bought a batch of Exotic Beast Meat to store in advance.

On the second floor of the apothecary, the Manager was delighted to see these regular customers.

The price of Exotic Beast Meat had actually risen somewhat, but Lu Changfeng and Zhou Feng were regulars and bought in large quantities, so it was still sold to them at the previous price.

The two senior brothers bought a total of twenty bundles of Earth Dragon Meat, ten bundles each!

It was enough to last them a long while.

With these ten bundles of Exotic Beast Meat, plus the Exotic Beast Meat supplied by his Master, Lu Changfeng should have enough to break through to Blood Tempering Fourth Level in one go.

The day of his breakthrough should come around the turn from spring to summer next year.

Two days later.

On New Year's Eve, Lu Changfeng's Copy Interface refreshed once more early that morning.

Lu Changfeng continued copying Chun Zhu's Low-grade Lightness Skill Talent.

The two Low-grade Lightness Skill Talents fused, granting him a new Mid-grade Talent: [Light Body Technique].

The Mid-grade Light Body Technique will do for now. Over the next few replications, I'll find Li Youtian, the driver, and see if I can raise [Swordsmanship] to high-grade.

Ever since I slaughtered to my heart's content at the Golden Lion Gang that day, I've felt that the Gale Sword Technique's limits are more than this. Something seems ready to burst forth, yet I can never grasp it.

Perhaps a high-grade Sword Technique Talent can help me find that thing.

As Lu Changfeng pondered.

Chun Zhu slowly raised her head and stared blankly at the sharply defined line of Lu Changfeng's jaw.

Over the past year, Chun Zhu had felt as though she were living in a dream.

Little by little, she had watched the boy she had known since childhood grow into a man—and now, as though in a dream, become her man.

"Changfeng, I've broken through to Blood Tempering First Level too."

Chun Zhu gave Lu Changfeng a surprise.

Lu Changfeng reached out and lightly tested Chun Zhu's abdomen. Sure enough, her Qi and Blood churned vigorously. No wonder he had felt that Chun Zhu had grown taller these past few days, and that her legs had become longer again.

"Congratulations."

"Later, I'll let you try some Exotic Beast Meat."

"What is Exotic Beast Meat?"

"Exotic Beast Meat? There are many kinds..."

Lu Changfeng's hand gradually continued downward.

Lu Changfeng, who had slept a second round after the plum blossom bloomed twice, was awakened by cries of alarm from outside.

He put on his outer robe.

Lu Changfeng hurried to the Martial Arts School Hall Room.

There, he saw Zhang Yong lying on a stretcher without a breath left in him, and Sima Ming with one arm severed.

The Wanderer who had gone out into the world had returned, but he had lost his life forever.

Zhang Desheng, built like a small mountain, had an unusually clouded gaze. His mind shaken, he staggered and nearly fell.

Zhou Feng and Lu Changfeng immediately stepped forward and supported Zhang Desheng from either side.

"Tell me. What kind of person did you provoke?"

Sima Ming's eyes were bloodshot as he slowly recounted what had happened.

The murderer was a Martial Family Ancestor from Jiangnan Prefecture.

After hearing this, Zhang Desheng returned to his room. When he emerged again, he was already wearing a pair of Treasure Grade Gloves that glinted with cold light.

"Master, I'm going with you!" Zhou Feng cried out and stepped forward.

Lu Changfeng also took a step forward.

"You two stay at the martial arts school."

"A son's vengeance ought to be avenged by his father." Zhang Desheng spoke softly, his tone leaving no room for doubt.

His figure shifted, and Zhang Desheng swiftly vanished from everyone's sight.

Snowflakes began to drift from the sky. Lu Changfeng's first New Year's Eve since crossing over seemed destined to be anything but smooth.

Zhang Desheng set out during the day, while the senior brothers waited in the school. Third Senior Brother Liu Ye came as well.

Looking at Zhang Yong, whose breath had already ceased, his face too was filled with sorrow.

In the latter half of the night, Zhang Desheng's figure appeared in the martial arts school hall.

"Zhou Feng, you will personally handle Zhang Yong's funeral affairs. Liu Ye and Changfeng, you two will assist him. Come to me for the Silver Money."

"Sima Ming, nurse your wounds well. There are no few powerful one-armed Martial Artists in this world."

"Cough, cough."

Zhang Desheng coughed dryly. Though he covered his mouth with his palm, Lu Changfeng still saw several spots of Conspicuous Crimson.

And when Zhang Desheng had set out, he clearly had not been wearing these clothes.

Zhang Desheng was injured, and badly so.

For an elderly Martial Artist, that was fatal.

Zhang Desheng returned to his room to recuperate. After discussing matters for a while, the several senior brothers each began to act.

Early the next morning.

The new year.

With the help of the Registered Disciples and Servants, White Flowers adorned every corner of Changle Martial Arts School.

Dressed in White Clothes and Plain Weave, Lu Changfeng and the other disciples escorted Zhang Yong outside the city and buried him at Grave Mountain.

At the very beginning of the new year, Zhang Desheng's body and face visibly aged at a speed perceptible to the naked eye.

Senior Disciple Brother Sima Ming's eyes were also filled with Death Aura. Before long, he disappeared from Fengcheng.

What had happened to Zhang Yong and Sima Ming also sounded an alarm for Lu Changfeng. He would have to be more careful in everything he did from now on.

In the blink of an eye, winter passed and spring arrived; spring came, and summer passed.

That day, cicadas sang in the summer heat.

Lu Changfeng arrived outside an escort agency.

He had come to find Li Youtian.

Several months had passed. Lu Changfeng's cultivation had long since broken through to Blood Tempering Fourth Level, and his martial arts had also progressed greatly.

Name: Lu Changfeng

Bone Structure: Grade A Upper

Talents: Mid-grade Talent [Swordsmanship] x3, Mid-grade Talent [Light Body Technique]

Realm: Blood Tempering Fourth Level

Blood Tempering Cultivation Technique: [Mount Le's Wrathful Vajra] Minor Mastery

Martial Arts: [Gale Sword Technique] Perfected, [Blood Burst Steps] Major Mastery, [Antelope Dodge Method] Major Mastery

Replication Interval: 0 days

Today was the day the Replication Interval refreshed. Lu Changfeng had come to find Li Youtian precisely to copy Li Youtian's [Swordsmanship] Talent.

Previously, Lu Changfeng had already copied Li Youtian twice. One more time, and he would be able to synthesize a high-grade Sword Technique Talent.