Harvesting the Evergreen Skill, Everyone Was Grateful

The people from the Jinsha Gang had completely broken down. They all threw down their weapons, wheeled their horses around, and tried to flee.

But how could these people outrun Zhou Qiming, whose movement skill had reached great accomplishment? He caught up with them in just a few steps and ended their lives.

Now that he had exposed his strength and offended the Hantian Army, he absolutely could not let these people leave alive.

"Young Hero, spare me! I was forced into this." Jin Buhuan and Li Qing knelt on the ground, every hair on their bodies trembling.

"Where is the Jinsha Gang's treasury? Take me there."

Zhou Qiming stared coldly at the two men, his tone leaving no room for argument.

He searched Sha Heihu's body and found five hundred taels' worth of silver notes, a bottle of young Flood Dragon Vital Blood for Tendon Transformation, and a copy of the Evergreen Skill internal cultivation method.

Unfortunately, he had not found the Black Fiend Skill that Sha Heihu cultivated. Then again, not everyone carried their manuals around with them. Perhaps it had been placed in the treasury.

As for the Evergreen Skill, Zhou Qiming had glanced through it as well. It was a gentle internal skill leaning toward nourishing the body. It seemed to have been created to neutralize the violent Internal Force brought about by the Black Fiend Skill and resolve its hidden damage to the body.

The Black Fiend Skill leaned toward a poisonous internal skill of the yang attribute. Practicing it to the end would damage the heart and other organs. That was why Sha Heihu had prepared the Evergreen Skill. He had not yet had time to practice it, and it had ended up benefiting Zhou Qiming instead.

"In any case, I finally have an internal skill manual. I wonder what changes breaking through the limit after cultivating Internal Force will bring."

Zhou Qiming wrapped up the skill manual and put it away. He could hardly wait to begin cultivating.

"Young Hero, the treasury is the Gang Leader's forbidden reserve. How would we dare ask about it?" Jin Buhuan and Li Qing shook their heads like rattles, cold sweat pouring from their foreheads.

If they had known they had provoked a Tendon Transformation Martial Artist like Zhou Qiming, they never would have followed along to hunt these people down.

"Then what use are you?" Zhou Qiming immediately turned hostile.

At that moment, the sound of hooves suddenly came from the distance, accompanied by clouds of dust. A vast, shadowy army came into view, every soldier clad in armor and wielding weapons, its imposing might overwhelming.

"Could the Hantian Army have arrived?" Zhou Qiming frowned tightly.

King Chaotian's strength was unfathomable. He was not yet prepared to clash with the Sky Shaker Bandits.

Zhou Qiming's five senses were astonishingly sharp. He could hear ants fighting, and he noticed the unusual scene in the distance at once.

A moment later, Yuan Tieyi reacted as well. He said to Zhou Qiming, "It's the Luoshan Army. Kill these two quickly and leave. Don't clash with the authorities for now."

Yuan Tieyi urged him several times, trying to make Zhou Qiming leave the scene.

The Luoshan Army had not come early or late, but had appeared now to provide reinforcements. Clearly, they harbored no good intentions.

Besides, their group was made up of the old, the weak, the sick, and the disabled. If they dragged Zhou Qiming into a clash with the Luoshan Army, it would cause trouble.

Many times, problems could not be solved through strength and killing alone. Without the corresponding authority and status, one would only kill the small fish, provoke the big fish, and fall into a whirlpool of slaughter.

Zhou Qiming had already offended the Sky Shaker Bandits. If he openly attacked people from the Luoshan Army as well, then no matter how vast the Great Xia Dynasty was, there would be nowhere left for him to stand.

"Hmph. I suppose these people got off cheaply."

Zhou Qiming snorted coldly. With one hand on each man, he ended Jin Buhuan and Li Qing's lives, then casually felt through their pockets.

The group hurried away from the scene, traveling in the opposite direction from the Luoshan Army. Everyone sighed repeatedly, still feeling as though they had awakened from a dream.

Jin Buhuan had been someone of standing in the small town, yet he had died in Zhou Qiming's hands like a chick. It was hard to believe.

"Qiming has grown stronger again. He killed Sha Heihu with a single slap. Doesn't that mean that even the current me..."

Yuan Tieyi shuddered. The more he thought about it, the more frightened he became.

What shocked and terrified him most was that he knew perfectly well that Zhou Qiming had only just cultivated Hua Jin and was merely at the Bone Forging Great Accomplishment body-refining realm.

If he stepped into the true Tendon Transformation level, what terrifying sight would that be? He might even be able to wrestle with an Organ Refining or Qi Profound Martial Artist.

And such an extraordinary seed of martial arts had once been placed right before him, yet he had been blind and missed it!

With the destruction of the Jinsha Gang, the crisis in Jinshui Town finally came to an end. Everyone was left shaken to the depths of their hearts.

"Qiming, what are you planning to do when you reach the County Town?" After discussing for a while, several of them asked him.

"I'll first go look at Hero's Tower, which Uncle Xu recommended. Once you've settled down in the County Town, you can come find me." Zhou Qiming thought for a moment before answering.

Yuan Tieyi took out a bronze-colored token engraved with a Buddha and solemnly placed it in Zhou Qiming's hand.

"If you ever get the chance to reach the prefectural city, you can take this token to the Vajra Gate. You might be able to obtain the inheritance of the Indestructible Vajra Divine Skill."

"What? The Vajra Gate?"

Zhou Qiming's expression shifted. He had not expected the Iron Clothes Martial Arts School to have such powerful backing.

Moreover, his Root Bone had now been raised to a fairly high level. Only by practicing rarer martial arts could he stimulate his Root Bone to break its limit and undergo transformation. The Indestructible Vajra Divine Skill clearly fit the bill.

"The Vajra Gate is one of the Five Great Sects near Tianhe Prefecture. Even the Noble Families of the provincial capital have to show it some respect." Yuan Tieyi seemed to sink into his memories as he explained.

Zhou Qiming thanked him, put the token away, and said, "The prefectural city is still too far away. I'll first find a place to establish myself in Luoshan County. Once I break through to Organ Refining or even the Qi Profound realm, then even without this token, I'll be able to seize the skill manual from the Vajra Gate!"

Only with his own strength could he win respect. He would never place his hopes on external objects or other people.

Yuan Tieyi nodded in satisfaction. He then led Fang Hai and several disciples away in another direction.

"I've been blind my entire life. I won't go to the County Town and make a fool of myself. I only hope that when I hear your name again in the future, little friend, you'll already have reached the pinnacle of the martial path."

Yuan Tieyi gave a few bitter but encouraging words before taking his disciples to rebuild their lives in other nearby towns.

Cheng Yu saw them off for a short distance but did not try to make them stay. Everyone had their own aspirations. Besides, with wars raging everywhere and demons running rampant, it was hard to say that going to the County Town would be safer. Finding a small town to retire in was also a good choice for Yuan Tieyi.

Xu Hailai and Zhang Tie exchanged a glance, then walked over as well to bid farewell to Zhou Qiming and the others.

"Xiao Ming, work hard at Hero's Tower. Uncle Xu believes in you." Xu Hailai's face was full of approval.

None of them had expected that the usually steady and hardworking chef had secretly cultivated such terrifying external skills. If Zhou Qiming had not intervened this time, they would have been in serious trouble.

"Uncle Xu, Uncle Zhang, you're..." Zhou Qiming asked in confusion. Could they be planning to make a living in another small town as well?

"When people grow old, they become attached to their homeland. Since the Luoshan Army has taken over Jinshui Town, we naturally have to return and rebuild it. A stage like the County Town should be left to the young people."

With that, the people from the Blacksmith Shop and Haolai Restaurant turned and left. Before departing, they left behind some silver as thanks.

"Brother Zhou, I never thought you'd keep your word and actually kill Sha Heihu to avenge my master."

Zhang Tie was visibly agitated, still finding it hard to believe. Back then, he had given the Mountain-Weight Saber to Zhou Qiming for free merely because he wanted to form a connection. He had never truly expected him to take revenge.

Besides, Zhou Qiming was still so young. Even if he really had a chance to kill Sha Heihu, it would probably have been ten or twenty years later. Yet karma had come swiftly, and Zhang Tie had not needed to wait long.