Tiger Seal Dragon Elephant

A scroll of the Duren Sutra can reveal past events.

The man before him, who had been influenced both physically and mentally by Xu Qing, was named Li Fan.

He had lived in the Capital City since childhood. His father, Li Ping, was a butcher at the slaughterhouse, and his mother, Madam Fan, worked as a seamstress and laundress.

The parents, not wanting their child to end up as unsuccessful as they were, used their savings from the better part of their lives to send Li Fan to a martial arts school.

Li Fan, already the neighborhood's king of the kids and fond of wrestling and sparring, found himself like a fish in water at the martial arts school, and from then on, he was completely hooked.

He practiced skin hardening at fifteen, tendon and bone strengthening at eighteen, and by twenty, he had achieved blood transformation, becoming an Outer Refinement Warrior.

However, there's a realistic saying: "The poor study literature, the rich practice martial arts."

Li Fan's family was not well-off, and by the time he reached this stage, their savings were nearly depleted.

Helpless, Li Fan had to pause his martial arts school training and start taking on various odd jobs to save up for future tuition fees.

During this time, he worked as a镖师 (bodyguard), killed people, and even served as a constable for a few years. By the time he was thirty, although Li Fan hadn't returned to the martial arts school, he had found other ways to reach the threshold of an Inner Refinement Master.

By this point, Li Fan had shed the rough edges of his youth. Even though he once harbored ambitions to "swallow the sky," the daily grind of life had thoroughly grounded him in the mundane.

He married and had children in Linhe Fang. Then, for a living, he became one of Fifth Master Chang's skilled subordinates.

One day, Fifth Master Chang called Li Fan to his side, withdrew two hundred taels of silver notes from the accounts, and said to him, "You've been with me for three years. Now you're thinking of your wife and children and don't want to live a life of constant danger anymore. I admire that, because a man who neglects his family is no hero."

"But even if you want a stable life, you need money. Won't your son want to learn martial arts in the future? And besides, daily necessities like firewood and rice cost money, don't they?"

"Take this two hundred taels of silver. Since you've followed Fifth Master, he won't let his brother live a meager life in the future!"

Li Fan took the silver notes but didn't feel overly grateful. There were no free lunches in the world. He knew Fifth Master Chang had a task for him, and this two hundred taels was merely payment.

Li Fan hesitated for a moment, but ultimately accepted the job. After all, Fifth Master Chang's words made sense; he needed to save more money to ensure his wife and children could live a good life.

And this task was to go to the wharf and repel the vanguard of the Jinmen Gang, completely extinguishing their ambition to encroach upon Linhe.

In the fifth watch of the night during the first lunar month, the darkness was even deeper than midnight. The biting cold wind at the wharf was mixed with the dampness of the Baisha River – a cold that could turn a hero into a shivering mess!

It was at this unexpected moment that Fifth Master Chang, leading a group of skilled men, their mouths holding knives, stealthily approached the area where the Jinmen Gang was resting.

Li Fan charged at the front, followed closely by other thugs, while Fifth Master Chang provided support from outside.

After storming the water stronghold and ransacking and slashing through all the rooms and sleeping quarters, Fifth Master Chang's men discovered that the place had long been abandoned. The bedding inside was just torn and tattered cotton clothes, with no sign of anyone!

Just as everyone was at a loss, torches suddenly rose from behind the stronghold, and a group of Jinmen Gang members armed with sharp weapons had surrounded Li Fan and his men!

That night, the wharf was filled with flickering lights and the glint of swords, like death warrants, claiming lives before the rooster crowed at dawn!

Li Fan, wielding a cleaver, blocked the enemies and roared towards the outside, "Fifth Master, go quickly!"

At that very moment, a chilling shadow flashed behind Li Fan. It was a fellow subordinate who worked under Fifth Master Chang, who treacherously stabbed him through the lower back!

As the saying goes, even beautiful flowers hide thorns, and the human heart is not always pure.

Li Fan could not have imagined that a brother with whom he had shared drinks and stories would suddenly turn on him with such deadly intent.

The swordplay in front of him continued. Li Fan, slightly distracted, was struck several more times. With his last breath, even though the knife had already slipped from his grasp, he intended to take the traitor down with him.

Li Fan was a disciple of the Dragon Tiger Martial Arts School, whose master, Zhang Longhu, was renowned in the Capital City for his Dragon Tiger Fist. Though he was only a registered disciple, he was well-versed in the techniques.

Even without a knife in hand, Li Fan was not afraid. He took out his knuckle dusters, put them on his hands, and like a fierce tiger returning to the mountains for revenge, he carved a path through the enemies and reached the traitor.

The traitor's hand holding the knife trembled. Li Fan, using his last ounce of strength, spat blood and uttered three words—

"I, hate."

With that, he slumped forward, a long spear piercing his chest.

In the end, the Jinmen Gang expert who had been observing could no longer hold back and intervened. Li Fan, who had planned to retire after this final fight, ultimately did not get his wish.

Wandering the jianghu, life is as fragile as paper.

The Duren Sutra finally gave its evaluation: Human Way, Middle Grade.

As for the reward, it was a pair of Vajra Knuckle Dusters and a set of the Tiger Seal Dragon Elephant fist technique.

Tiger Seal Dragon Elephant was originally the Dragon Tiger Martial Arts School's signature ultimate skill, taught by Zhang Longhu. This set of fist techniques cultivated both the internal and external. When practiced to minor success, punches would sound like dragon roars and tiger growls.

When practiced to great success, it could bestow the transformations of a dragon and elephant, and the might of a gathered tiger. It was a top-grade fist technique that could rival Condensing Gang!

The martial arts have six realms: first, Outer Refinement; second, Inner Refinement; third, Meridian Opening; fourth, Condensing Gang. The fifth and sixth realms are Martial Arts Grandmaster and Heaven-Man Realm.

"A fist technique that can be cultivated all the way to the Condensing Gang realm," Xu Qing mused after digesting the principles of the Tiger Seal Dragon Elephant fist technique, his mind stirred. "I wonder, what realm does Condensing Gang correspond to when facing zombies? Goldclad Wandering Corpses, or perhaps the higher Three Transformations of Crouching Corpse?"

Temporarily suppressing his doubts, Xu Qing picked up the intricately carved Vajra Knuckle Dusters and examined them under the dim light. The knuckle dusters gleamed coldly, as if truly embodying the fierce claws of a tiger.

A sudden impulse struck Xu Qing. He put on the knuckle dusters and began to practice according to the path of the Tiger Seal Dragon Elephant fist technique!

Zombies themselves possessed immense strength. Now, with the addition of the fist technique, the Corpse Driver's Shop was filled with the sound of rushing wind and flickering lights.

His fists tore through the air, the knuckle dusters, exuding a brutal beauty, traced arcs through space. As he reached the peak of his practice, it truly sounded like dragon roars and tiger growls!

Xu Qing felt as if even Uncle Jiu, if he were present, would have to give him a wide berth!

Who wouldn't be afraid of a zombie who knew martial arts!

Xu Qing felt an immense sense of satisfaction, as if all the strength within him had found an outlet. This fist technique felt tailor-made for him, maximizing the potential of his physical body.

After completing a set of the fist technique, Xu Qing approached Li Fan and removed all the ropes binding him.

Afterward, he sprinkled some deodorizing powder and wrapped the other person in a thin shroud.

With all that done, Xu Qing set him aside, preparing to begin the rites for the next client.

"The Human Way values splendor, often from the heart; the Ghost Way values completion, often ending in misfortune; the Immortal Way values life, often bringing good fortune."

Flipping back and forth through the Duren Sutra, Xu Qing unconsciously finished purifying the remaining seven corpses.

However, these corpses didn't yield anything of value, mostly just the Overlord Fist, the Dog Bark Fist, and some street-level dirty tricks like gouging eyes, crippling groin kicks, and throwing lime.

The only useful thing was a niche skill for picking locks.

Seeing that he had thoroughly emptied these corpses, Xu Qing finally opened the shop door, intending to find neighbors to help him with some tasks.

For the upcoming funeral services, burial goods like coffins and paper effigies, incense, candles, and burial clothes were essential. If it were a grand affair, they'd even need to hire musicians, tasks he couldn't possibly manage alone!

Besides, letting the neighbors profit a little and maintaining good relationships was also a good thing!

As he opened the shop door and was about to step out to the next shop, Xu Qing noticed someone had arrived at his doorstep at some point. The person was pacing back and forth, his fists and palms constantly interlocking, as if troubled by something he couldn't express.

"So the shopkeeper is home," the person said, stepping forward as soon as he saw Xu Qing emerge. "I'm one of Fifth Master Chang's men. Li Fan is my brother. Something happened to him yesterday, and I heard he was brought here by a brokerage clerk. I wanted to come and see him one last time."

Xu Qing looked at the man before him, finding him familiar.

With a moment's thought, he recalled the man's identity.

Wasn't this the traitor who had betrayed Li Fan when Xu Qing was reviewing Li Fan's life?