Thanks to Alliance Leader Chen's Old Tune

"This..." Zhang Rongfang had no answer. Wasn't that decline far too great?

"Of course. High Grade experts were strong and vigorous at their peak, absolutely fierce. But once they grew old and sick, they could no longer manage.

Besides, the Jianghu was perilous, and people were so fragile. Other than martial arts, there were too many ways to kill someone," Sun Yuanfeng explained. "Crossbows, deadly poison, firearms."

"Then what was the point of painstakingly cultivating martial arts?" Zhang Rongfang asked.

"The point?" Sun Yuanfeng shook his head. "The Imperial Court kept strict control. Only the army could possess crossbows, and firearms were even more tightly restricted. Deadly poison was easier to obtain and conceal, but ordinary people would not dare touch it. Under such circumstances, every sect relied on martial arts to travel the world and protect themselves. That made martial arts immensely useful."

After hearing this, Zhang Rongfang fell into thought.

"There's something else I find puzzling. The gap between ranks seems smaller than I imagined."

Sun Yuanfeng smiled again at that.

"Senior Brother Zhang has not been involved with martial cultivators for long, so you do not understand the reasoning behind it. I heard Master Xiao Rong say that strength, weakness, victory, and defeat can only be known after truly fighting. The more battles someone had fought and won, the stronger they became; naturally, they would also be more formidable."

"Besides, when martial cultivators fought, they generally struck with all their strength.

Because you did not know exactly how strong your opponent was or how much strength they would use, you could only give it your all and crush them first.

Otherwise, if you used eighty percent of your strength while they used one hundred percent, you would be the one left crippled."

Sun Yuanfeng explained.

"So martial cultivators did not fight lightly. Once they did, it was death or crippling injury.

And most of the time, victory and defeat were decided very quickly. Of course, that was when both sides were unarmed."

Zhang Rongfang understood at once.

That was indeed true. Everyone struck with all their strength, afraid that holding back would only get them injured instead.

In that case, once one was hit, without anything like internal force, it was certain to end in death or crippling injury.

They chatted all the way and soon arrived at Xiao Rong's Small Pavilion.

Just as they were about to enter the main gate, Zhang Rongfang suddenly saw Xiao Qingying walking slowly out of the pavilion with someone beside her.

That person was actually Chen Wuyou! His heart jolted. From all the clues before, he was nearly certain that something was wrong with Chen Wuyou.

He had already told Xiao Rong his suspicions before, yet Xiao Rong was still allowing those two to be together!?

Seeing them chatting and laughing together, they had clearly reconciled completely.

A chill spread through Zhang Rongfang's heart.

Xiao Qingying had already seemed like a sweet, naive fool to him. Now it looked like she would help count the money even after being sold off.

The two of them hurriedly cupped their fists in greeting.

Yet Xiao Qingying and Chen Wuyou did not even acknowledge them, simply leaving along the corridor and alleyway.

Zhang Rongfang and Sun Yuanfeng entered the pavilion together.

Right in front of them, Xiao Rong stood with his hands behind his back, facing away from the gate as he admired the famous calligraphy and paintings hanging on the wall.

"I already know the entire course of events." Xiao Rong turned around, his calm gaze fixed on Zhang Rongfang.

"Zhang Rongfang, although you notified us in time this time, no matter what, your Senior Sister still suffered minor injuries and fright. You also delayed Chen Wuyou from finding your Senior Sister."

Paused, he sighed.

"If you had not made Xiao Ying hide, Chen Wuyou would have found her long ago and joined up with us.

Also, since you could think of hiding Xiao Ying and fleeing alone toward Qinghe Temple, why did you not take Xiao Ying with you? Would that not have allowed you to join us sooner?"

Xiao Rong's meaning could not have been clearer.

Chen Wuyou had been searching for Xiao Qingying all along. The reason he had not found her was because Zhang Rongfang had hidden Xiao Qingying.

And precisely because of that, the two had missed the best time to flee, which was why they had been injured and frightened.

His words also implied that Zhang Rongfang had fled alone under the pretense of delivering a message because he feared for his own life.

Zhang Rongfang was dumbfounded. He had never imagined Xiao Rong would think this way.

"I..."

"Enough. None of that matters. It is fortunate that Xiao Ying is unharmed. Let this matter pass. I will dock two months of your stipend. From now on, do your work properly." Xiao Rong spoke blandly, but the dissatisfaction in his words was nearly overflowing.

If not for his gentle temperament, this time it would not have been as simple as docking two months of stipend.

Zhang Rongfang was utterly speechless. If he had not made a snap decision, Xiao Qingying might have been taken somewhere unknown by now.

Yet in the end, it had somehow become his fault that Xiao Qingying had nearly been hurt?

He did not know what kind of logic Xiao Rong had, but recalling the sight of Chen Wuyou and Xiao Qingying leaving together, he roughly guessed it. Chen Wuyou had probably spoken to them privately about something, leading to this situation.

"Enough. You need not say any more. Go now." Xiao Rong waved a hand, signaling that he could leave.

Zhang Rongfang was filled with frustration and still wanted to explain, but Xiao Rong had already turned away and would hear no more.

He could only cup his fists in salute, turn, and leave.

After leaving the pavilion, his heart felt clogged. He had prepared so carefully, calculated everything, and even risked his life to save someone, only to get this outcome? Feeling stifled, he turned and headed for the martial cultivators' Training Ground.

It was early morning, and scattered martial cultivators had already begun tempering their tendons and bones on the grounds.

Standing at the edge of the Training Ground, Zhang Rongfang watched quietly, and his mood gradually calmed.

He observed everyone's data, confident that before long, he would be able to fill in the Attribute Panel data for most Qinghe Temple members.

"I knew you would be here." Zhao Dacong's voice came from behind him.

"Senior Sister Zhao..." Zhang Rongfang turned around and saw Zhao Dacong approach, then plop down on the ground beside him.

"Actually, when Chen Wuyou came this morning, I was there too. I listened to what he said from the side."

Paused, she continued.

"One of his attendant servants died, and he himself was injured. Yet our side suffered no losses. Of the four of us, you alone were completely unscathed. Tell me, what do you think Master would think? How would he see it?"

Zhang Rongfang had no answer.

He did not know what to say, because that was indeed how it looked. The troublesome part of this incident was that he had not been injured.

If all of this had been designed by Chen Wuyou, then that man's scheming and disguise were truly troublesome.

In his Previous Life, Zhang Rongfang had merely been an office worker who wrote drafts for his superiors. Faced with something like this, his mind was a tangled mess.

Someone had died on Chen Wuyou's side, he had lost property, and he himself had been injured. Yet Zhang Rongfang was completely fine. That really did invite suspicion.

"I'm just feeling stifled," Zhang Rongfang replied after a moment of silence.

"Yes. Master has even started suspecting you now. He suspects that the earlier poisoning incident was meant to give you a chance to get close to Junior Sister Xiao Ying. And that this time, you deliberately hid her, then..."

Zhao Dacong nodded. She actually trusted Zhang Rongfang more. There was no particular reason; she simply felt that Chen Wuyou's gentle smile all day long looked too fake.

"Forget it. Let's not talk about this anymore. Senior Sister Zhao, I want to ask you something. Yesterday, I saw you and Master fighting people. Were those Black-Clad Men really so formidable that they made you fight so hard?" Zhang Rongfang asked in confusion.

"In a life-and-death fight, every move could stand between life and death. Naturally, you had to focus completely and could not show the slightest mercy with any move. Of course fighting would be exhausting." Zhao Dacong shook her head with a smile.

"Were those men really that formidable?" Zhang Rongfang asked.

"Not really. Even against weaker people, it would still be exhausting. You still had to strike with everything you had.

Besides, Master is old and had suffered hidden injuries before. Those Black-Clad Men were also ruthless men who had seen blood. Their style seemed to be Military Dao Fist, and they carried blades. Their strength was also that of skilled fighters." Zhao Dacong said.

"Then, Senior Sister, may I ask what level the Great Dao Sect's Qinghe Temple ranks at in the Jianghu in terms of martial strength?" Zhang Rongfang asked again.

"Uh... that depends on the place. Within a hundred li around here, Qinghe Temple stands head and shoulders above the rest.

And our main cultivation is longevity. Fighting and killing are merely methods of Protecting the Dao..."

Though Zhao Dacong spoke naturally, Zhang Rongfang still had a feeling.

That was, Qinghe Temple might really be somewhat weak. "Come, come. You seem to be in decent shape now. Let me test your foundation!" How could Zhao Dacong fail to notice his expression?

But she could hardly tell him honestly that Qinghe Temple was merely a minor branch of the Great Dao Sect, tucked away in one corner of the Jianghu, relying on superior numbers and collusion with the Government Office to secure its position as the top force within a hundred li.

At once, she grabbed Zhang Rongfang.

"Come on. Today, I'll formally teach you the Talisman Canon! The Great Dao Sect's Returning Spring Purifying Time Talisman Classic is a superior martial canon that combines saving the world, helping the people, and protecting oneself! Let me show you its power!"

Zhang Rongfang was dragged by force to a corner of the Training Ground.

They stood facing one another, three meters apart.

"Come, strike at me with everything you have! Don't be afraid!"

Zhao Dacong thrust out her chest and slapped her steel-plate-like bosom as she shouted.

"..." Zhang Rongfang also wanted to know just how wide the gap was between himself and these martial cultivators.

Without further hesitation, he clenched his fist and threw a savage punch forward.

He put all his strength into it, but... smack.

His fist landed in a warm, broad palm.

Then—

Pfft! Zhang Rongfang felt a sharp pain in his Lower Abdomen, and a knee strike made him curl up.

"Today, I will teach you the first move of the Seventh Yue Type Talisman: Unintentional Willow Break!"

She grabbed Zhang Rongfang, lifted him up, and steadied him.

"Come, again! The easiest entry point into the Talisman Canon is the Yue Type Talisman. The Yue Type Talisman has thirty-two forms in all, and every form possesses immense power. You must learn them properly!"

Zhang Rongfang forced himself upright. His Lower Abdomen felt a little better, and he knew she had only used a little strength, enough to give him a painful memory.

"Alright!" He had not expected that even after raising his Life Force to 10, he would still be this weak.

One move, and he was down.

Thinking about it, if he had reacted even a little slower back then and that Black-Clad Man had rushed him, he would certainly have been instantly defeated in one move.

Bang.

Bang.

Bang.

Again and again, Zhang Rongfang was knocked down by the same move. Yet at the same time, the power and various changes of this Yue Type Talisman move gradually became clear to him.

No matter what angle he attacked from, the result was the same.

With the formal start of his Yue Type Talisman training, Zhang Rongfang's leisurely days vanished again.

After testing it, he discovered that learning only one or two moves of the Yue Type Talisman did not show up on the Attribute Panel at all; it could not even form a skill.

Recalling his earlier experience learning the Guanxu Skill, he immediately understood. He needed to completely learn the entire Yue Type Talisman before it could form a skill.

From then on, he focused completely. Every day, after sparring and learning with Senior Sister Zhao Dacong, even when he returned and followed behind Xiao Qingying, he kept memorizing and secretly practicing the moves.

When a person focused all their spirit on a single matter, time seemed to fly by.

In the blink of an eye, July passed. August remained calm and peaceful, and soon it was September.