37 (Xie Xinyue Qitian Alliance Master)

"If Sister-in-law really ran into trouble and it had to be resolved quickly, I couldn't afford to drag this out. I'd better hurry back and inform Senior Brother."

On second thought, Zhang Rongfang decided it would be more proper to get the news across as soon as possible.

He immediately packed his luggage, brought some food and drink, and left the Daoist temple overnight.

But when he reached the County Town gate, he discovered that the main gate had already been shut.

A squad of gate guards stood around with long spears, leaning against the city wall and shooting the breeze.

Soldiers carrying torches also patrolled back and forth nearby.

Zhang Rongfang had no choice but to return to the Daoist temple and wait until dawn, when the city gates opened, before heading back up the mountain.

After returning to his room, he faintly heard rustling conversation from the room next door.

The room next door belonged to another Cultivation Disciple who had come with him.

Cultivation Disciples generally came from decent backgrounds, and this person was no exception.

Zhang Rongfang lay on his bed, just about to rest, when he vaguely caught a woman's coquettish laughter amid the voices.

He shook his head inwardly, guessing that the other man had probably brought some female companion into the Daoist temple. Or perhaps someone from a brothel.

Putting those thoughts aside, Zhang Rongfang carefully recalled the fight from earlier that day.

Aside from Chen He, none of the others had been his match. He had knocked them all down and dealt with them in just a few moves.

But Chen He was far too strong. If they had fought in daylight, Zhang Rongfang estimated that he would not have lasted ten moves.

If it had been daylight, perhaps within five moves, my defensive stance would have been shattered. Then I'd either be badly wounded or forced to flee. And if my luck were bad, if he had other lightness skills...

Remembering that brief probing exchange, Zhang Rongfang felt a faint cold sweat on his back.

Senior Brother Master would handle Sister-in-law's matter. Their experience and knowledge far surpassed his own, so they should settle it soon enough.

What Zhang Rongfang was thinking about now was not that, but the fact that even after adding those Attribute Points to the Returning Spring Purifying Time Talisman Classic, he had still needed lightness skill to escape in the end.

Without the Dragon Snake Movement Technique, I would probably have been captured alive or beaten to death by now.

This shows that, under my current circumstances, lightness skill is my greatest safeguard.

Since I can't find a good Hard Skill, my first choice can only be to start with lightness skill.

The more Zhang Rongfang thought about it, the more right it seemed.

Even if he trained a Hard Skill, his earholes, eyes, nostrils, and mouth would still be fatal weak points.

Even if his Attribute Special Ability allowed him to raise a Hard Skill to the Limit, or even achieve Breaking Limits.

Those deadly vital points could not be avoided.

Even if the Attribute Special Ability could one day strengthen those weak points of a Hard Skill to an extreme degree, how many Attribute Points would that require?

How many points would it take to make those vital areas strong enough that enemies could not break through them?

Compared to investing in movement techniques, the cost-effectiveness was far too low, and the progress far too slow.

In a world that even had firearms, only speed might be the true kingly way.

High speed, plus a weapon sharp enough, should be the best direction.

The more he considered it, the more he felt this was a truly broad road leading straight ahead.

Among all martial arts under heaven, only speed could not be defeated.

As long as he was fast enough, others would not even have the chance to raise a hand and attack him.

From this perspective, increasing his movement speed was currently the fastest way to ensure his personal safety.

Early the next morning, when the sky was only beginning to lighten.

Zhang Rongfang got up, washed up, picked up his small bundle, and left the Daoist temple to return up the mountain.

He had not expected that he would have to go back again so soon after leaving.

More than an hour later.

Qinghe Temple, Zhang Xuan Pavilion.

Zhang Xintai, dressed in a short Daoist robe, was exchanging moves with his old father Zhang Xuan in the Backyard.

Their movements alternated between swift and slow. Fists and kicks flew, all of them moves Zhang Rongfang had never seen before.

Seeing someone approach, the two gradually slowed down before separating and standing still.

"Junior Brother Rongfang, didn't you just go down the mountain to take up your post? Why are you back so soon?" Zhang Xintai asked in surprise.

"Senior Brother, yesterday I went to the county to deliver a letter to Sister-in-law. Near her home, I encountered something, so I came specially to warn you."

Zhang Rongfang then carefully recounted his encounter with Chen He and the others.

Zhang Xintai frowned after hearing it.

"I'll go down the mountain shortly and make a trip to the Government Office, see what I can find out."

The matter concerned his fiancée. No matter what, he had to be cautious.

Seeing that he had delivered the warning, Zhang Rongfang felt relieved.

"I've delivered the matter, and I've delivered the letter. By the way, Senior Brother Master, aside from the Talisman Canon, does our sect have any formidable movement techniques?"

"Movement techniques? There is only the Bewildering Smoke Step from the Vitality Talisman. That footwork is meant to work in conjunction with Talisman Art. It is not known for speed and can only be considered ordinary in the Jianghu. There is nothing else," Zhang Xintai explained.

"Is that so?" Zhang Rongfang was somewhat disappointed. "Then what about martial arts paired with weapons?"

"None of those either. Our Qinghe Temple focuses on cultivating health. We have not studied much of fighting and killing," Zhang Xintai said with a smile.

"No, there actually is." Zhang Xuan interjected from the side, casting a sidelong glance at them.

"May I ask, Master, where can I learn it?" Zhang Rongfang immediately perked up.

"What do you want to learn that for? The Returning Spring Purifying Time Talisman Classic is enough for you. Keep progressing along that path, and it will be sufficient to break through to the Seventh Grade.

"If you suddenly switch to another martial art, you'll have to start over from the beginning. One grade, one Limit—at the very least, that takes over three years. How many three-year spans does a person have in a lifetime?" Zhang Xuan said impatiently.

"I only wish to use it for reference. Recently, this disciple has always felt that his experience is lacking. I want to study one or two techniques for reference, so that if I encounter a weapon expert like that, I won't know nothing of how to deal with him," Zhang Rongfang found an excuse.

"Do as you please. This technique is called the Wheel of Wishes Art. It uses a Metal Wheel as its weapon. There are not many people in all of Qinghe Temple who know how to train it. And it requires an extremely strong physique as well. Otherwise, after ten years of training, you still won't compare to someone who has trained with a saber for one year," Zhang Xuan said casually.

"I beg Master to bestow the technique!" Zhang Rongfang had already finished training both Talisman Arts and was worrying over his lack of a suitable weapon martial art. His face immediately lit up as he cupped his hands and bowed.

"If you want to look, go to the library on the second floor yourself. All the manuals I've collected are stored there. Just don't damage them." Zhang Xuan waved a large hand, wearing an expression that plainly said, Go look yourself, and don't come bother me.

"Thank you, Master!" Zhang Rongfang's heart stirred with excitement.

These days, valuable Martial Arts Manuals were no less precious than their weight in gold.

With that wave of Zhang Xuan's hand, who knew how much time and effort he had saved Zhang Rongfang.

Zhang Rongfang immediately excused himself and quickly went up to the second floor, soon finding a small room with its door half-open.

He pushed the door open and entered.

Small recesses had been carved into all four walls. Martial Arts Manuals were neatly arranged within them.

At a glance, there were at least dozens of them in the room.

"Good heavens!" Zhang Rongfang was instantly shaken.

He had long known that Master was a Fifth Grade Master, but at this very moment, he truly understood what Fifth Grade meant.

Putting aside everything else, this wealth alone far exceeded his imagination.

He stepped forward and slowly scanned from left to right.

Leg Skills were on the left, Wen Xiu Skills in the middle, and fist, palm, and weapon techniques on the right.

The Wen Xiu Skills were placed in the most central and conspicuous position. Their recess was also the largest and most luxurious, clearly the place Zhang Xuan valued most.

Zhang Rongfang suppressed his excitement and slowly walked forward.

'Yang Family Leg,' 'Favorable Wind Leg,' 'Iron Foot,' 'Eagle Leg,' 'East Forest Thirteen Legs.' There was a complete array of Leg Skills, though their names were not nearly as impressive as those in wuxia novels.

Most of these names simply pointed out their features, origins, or the surname of their founders. There was nothing else to them.

Zhang Rongfang swept his gaze over them and quickly spotted the Dragon Snake Movement Technique of the True One Sect.

This manual had been placed in the highest position and was clearly valued the most. Things were not as casual as Zhang Xintai had claimed.

"What, are you thinking of training lightness skill too?" Zhang Xintai's voice sounded from behind him.

Zhang Rongfang had no idea when he had entered.

"A little," Zhang Rongfang nodded.

"Actually, don't be fooled by the number of techniques here. They're all incomplete. Even if you took one to train, without the Subsequent Supporting Technique, you could only be stuck at the Bottom Tier, unable to advance at all." Zhang Xintai sighed.

Hearing this, Zhang Rongfang inspected them more carefully.

He picked up a copy of Favorable Wind Leg. It briefly stated that this martial art had been separated from the complete set of techniques belonging to the Favorable Wind Escort Agency.

It could not truly be trained, but it was still useful for understanding moves.

Feeling regretful, he flipped through the manuals one by one.

Of these martial arts, at least more than half required supporting techniques.

In the end, he chose a complete and fully matched Leg Skill: Eight Steps Catching Cicadas.

It was an Explosive Lightness Skill, said to be capable of catching up to a flying cicada within eight steps.

Besides that, he found the weapon technique Wheel of Wishes Art, as well as the complete Hard Skill he wanted most: Wooden Armor Art.

Carrying the three complete Martial Arts Manuals, Zhang Rongfang went down the mountain again and returned to Qinghe Temple.

Zhang Xintai went with him to Huaxin County to investigate the situation, but strangely, the Rice Gang members did not appear again.

For three consecutive days, he went near Yang Hongyan's home and saw nothing suspicious.

Still puzzled, Zhang Xintai accompanied Yang Hongyan around Mountain Market, bought a few small gifts and sent them to the Yang Family, then returned to the Dao Palace.

Zhang Rongfang also found it very strange.

He had followed Zhang Xintai there, yet he truly found no watchers again. Not a single Rice Gang member was in sight.

For this, Zhang Xintai also visited the County Office's head constable in the city. After making inquiries, he likewise found no issue.

Finally, a week later, Zhang Xintai returned to the mountain. He had to prepare for his upcoming betrothal.

Furthermore, though he did not say a word about Zhang Rongfang's warning, Zhang Rongfang could sense that he was slightly dissatisfied.

Most likely, he believed Zhang Rongfang had misjudged the situation. Perhaps the Rice Gang had truly mistaken him for someone else before seeking him out.

As for that, even Zhang Rongfang himself began to wonder, as time passed, whether he had made an error in judgment.

...Huaxin County, Rice Gang.

Chen Zhihan had changed back into ordinary clothes: a blue long robe. Holding a bamboo-slip book, he read slowly in the sunlight.

He was steadying his mind.

His son was dead, and the day of revenge was drawing ever nearer. Only through Daoist Scripture could he suppress the evil fire in his heart.

Outside the room, Chen He stood in the open space with his hands behind his back, instructing several of his disciples in palm techniques.

Before long, a pale woman draped in a great cloak slowly stepped into the room. She kept her head lowered and coughed softly from time to time.

The newcomer was none other than Shao Quanhu, the current leader of the Rice Gang.

Her gaze fell upon Chen Zhihan, who was reading by the window.

"Husband, among those coming from Qinghe Temple on the First Day of the Month, only Zhang Xuan and his son require attention. The others mostly cultivate Wen Xiu Skills, and their grades are not high. They will be easy to handle."

"We don't need to target Qinghe Temple as a whole," Chen Zhihan replied. "Zhang Xuan killed my child, so I'll kill his child first. When the time comes, Chen He, Lao Ding, and I will act together and surround him to kill him."

"I can cooperate by drugging their food with sleeping powder, so that Zhang Xuan does not fight desperately in his urgency. After all, he is Fifth Grade. If he truly fights for his life, even if he cannot win, taking one opponent of the same grade with him would not be difficult. We must be careful," Shao Quanhu nodded.