40 (Thanks, Tinpass Alliance Leader)

Before long, the changes ended.

Before Zhang Rongfang could even feel out the changes in his body, a flash of insight suddenly passed through his mind.

The cultivation memories of the Dragon Snake Movement Technique overlapped considerably with those of the Vitality Talisman Footwork and Bewildering Smoke Step.

A vast number of cultivation memories interwove. Many aspects of the two Martial Arts connected and combined with one another, eliminating redundant portions.

Soon, an entirely new footwork method took shape in his mind.

Zhang Rongfang closed his eyes and carefully experienced this new footwork.

Before long, he opened his eyes again and saw that beneath both the Dragon Snake Movement Technique and the Vitality Talisman on the Attribute Panel, a red line extended from each.

The two red lines met at the bottom, condensing into a red dot.

The red dot moved, flew to Breaking Limit Skill: Heavy Mountain, and sank into it.

Heavy Mountain immediately blurred and vanished, turning into a sheet of red light.

Before long, the red light faded, revealing the words within.

'(Breaking Limit Skill: Shrinking Step Heavy Mountain)'

The two Breaking Limit Skills had fused. A vast number of memories concerning their combined use surfaced in Zhang Rongfang's mind.

Explosive speed layered atop the eruptive force of Heavy Mountain.

When the two were stacked together, their power far surpassed using Heavy Mountain alone.

Naturally, the expenditure was much greater as well.

It can actually work like this?

Zhang Rongfang had never expected that fusing two Breaking Limit Skills together would trigger an automatic fusion.

Still, everything was developing in a good direction. All he needed to know was that his strength had risen again.

What a pity. There's still some waste. The overlapping portions of the Dragon Snake Movement Technique and Bewildering Smoke Step were essentially Attribute Points wasted. If I had a complete Returning Spring Purifying Time Talisman Classic, I might already be truly Third Rank.

Feeling the further increase in his overall strength, endurance, and the explosive power in his legs, Zhang Rongfang turned his gaze to the Attribute Panel again.

Eight Steps Catching Cicadas has already entered the gate and can be raised at any time. As for the Wooden Armor Art, its cultivation requires a great deal of medicinal baths. The current conditions aren't ideal.

Huaxin County was not large, after all. The Wooden Armor Art's medicinal bath required more than ten types of herbs, and several of them could not be bought here.

With that thought, Zhang Rongfang set the matter aside and decided to pursue movement techniques to the end.

If not for his footwork, he would never have learned that the Rice Gang intended to make a move this time.

Nor would he have been able to warn his Master and senior brother.

Now that my footwork has fused and my strength has improved again, I can try going out to hunt.

His Martial Arts had advanced greatly, and his hands were itching to test them. Yet it was inconvenient to do so in the city. If someone discovered the strength he had been hiding, it would be troublesome.

But once outside the city, testing himself against fierce beasts would work just as well.

At that moment, Zhang Rongfang thought again of Chen He from the Rice Gang.

Previously, he had been beaten so badly that both his arms had nearly been crippled. Even now, he still bore a grudge.

Before I go out hunting, I'll first repay him for injuring my arms.

"May I ask if Daoist Zhang Rongfang is here?" a man suddenly called loudly from outside the Daoist Temple.

Zhang Rongfang walked beneath the eaves to the entrance and opened the door.

"I am Zhang Rongfang. And you are?"

A bald Dwarf stood outside. He wore a mismatched leather outfit of green and brown and held a wooden staff. The moment he saw Zhang Rongfang, he hurriedly Showed a Smile.

"Daoist Zhang, this lowly one serves Big Brother Chen He of the Rice Gang. Big Brother has been busy with affairs lately, so he sent me to invite you for drinks at the Drunken Poetry House." He winked, wearing an expression that said men understood one another.

Zhang Rongfang's heart stirred. Thinking of the Rice Gang's recent plans, he understood that this man had definitely not come simply to invite him for drinks. There had to be another purpose.

"There is no need for drinks. Thank Layman Xie for his kind intentions, and please convey this humble Daoist's thanks to Layman Chen as well. Besides, the rain is heavy today, so it is inconvenient to go out."

"If it's like this, I won't be able to report back properly. If Big Brother Chen learns that I failed to invite you, I'll be punished when I return. Daoist, please consider it helping this lowly one out and saving Big Brother Chen some face," the Dwarf urged.

Yet no matter how he tried to persuade him, Zhang Rongfang politely declined.

In the end, the Dwarf could only leave helplessly beneath an umbrella.

Watching the ox cart slowly depart, Zhang Rongfang closed the Daoist Temple's gates, his expression calm and undisturbed.

The heavy rain continued until evening before gradually stopping.

The entire County Town had been washed spotless.

At this time, inside Chen He's home.

Chen He, Lao Ding, and three other Entering the Ranks experts from the Rice Gang had gathered together.

The five sat around a table, with a mountain-shaped oil lamp placed in the middle.

The bright lamplight swayed faintly as translucent smoke slowly drifted upward.

"Word in the gang is that Qinghe Temple sent over quite a bit of compensation today. That old bastard Tang Sha gave us a lot of ground over the Chen Family matter and the Young Master's death."

Lao Ding rolled iron balls in his hand. The eagle tattoo on his neck reflected an eerie blue-black gleam beneath the lamp.

"With that, most people in the gang probably won't think we still need to make a move. Heh heh." Beside him, a Man with a coin-shaped hairstyle and a small braid Said With a Cold Laugh.

"When did the gang leader say?" Lao Ding looked toward Chen He.

"On the First Day of the Month, Zhang Xuan's son will be getting engaged. He'll definitely come himself. Once the banquet ends, we'll strike together on his way back to the mountain," Chen He said calmly.

"What about afterward? How do we clean this up?" one Man asked.

"The money the gang leader provided is enough for us to enjoy ourselves somewhere else for decades. Why worry about that? At worst, we can go to another vassal state," another said casually.

"Still, how exactly did the Young Master die? Was he really killed beneath Qinghe Temple's Secret Skill Mountain Press?" Lao Ding could not help asking.

Chen He sighed and nodded. "Yes, and it was an exceptionally standard Heavy Mountain secret skill. I couldn't mistake it. Back when Old Daoist Zhang Xuan came down the mountain and beat more than ten people to death, I saw them all. Those wounds could not have been wrong."

"Tsk tsk. Why would an old man with one foot in the grave come down the mountain to kill the Young Master? Has no one considered that?" Lao Ding asked doubtfully.

"Who knows? In any case, after this, even if others know we did it, without evidence, they can only let it go.

When the time comes, Huang Jude's band of Mountain Bandits will take the blame, and we'll destroy the corpses and erase the traces. Then it'll be so seamless that not even gods or ghosts will know," Chen He said with an indifferent expression.

The others immediately began laughing.

With so many people surrounding and killing one decrepit old man, even if he was Fifth Grade, he would surely find death impossible to escape.

After the Job is Done, they could divide a vast amount of money and property. One gamble, and they could enjoy the rest of their lives.

At the same time.

In a corner outside the room.

Zhang Rongfang wore an equally stunned expression.

He was squatting in the shadows, with a small bottle of wine and several cold dishes set before him, preparing a late-night snack.

He had never expected to overhear such explosive news tonight.

Ever since he had come to the Chen Family last time and obtained intelligence, Zhang Rongfang had taken a liking to this method of acting so seamlessly that not even gods or ghosts would know.

Afterward, whenever he had time, he would come to the Chen Family and casually listen at the walls.

Sometimes, if he was hungry, he would even bring snacks to eat while listening.

As his physical qualities continuously broke limits, his five senses had also grown much sharper than before.

Even when the people in the room lowered their voices, he could still hear the general gist.

Originally, he had planned to come over tonight, eat a few snacks, rest a little, then wait until Chen He fell asleep before launching a Sneak Attack.

Yet in the shadows by the wall, Zhang Rongfang's expression now shifted unpredictably.

I never expected that I was the one who left a flaw behind, and they mistakenly pinned it on Master. And I never expected Master could use Heavy Mountain too. So it turns out this is a secret skill already contained in the Returning Spring Purifying Time Talisman Classic. No wonder its name appeared automatically.

At this moment, he finally connected the chain of information.

This is troublesome. Chen Wuyou died to Heavy Mountain, and they've already recognized it. Since they've decided it was Master... how am I supposed to explain this to Master and the others?

Zhang Rongfang did not believe he alone could resolve the entire problem. The key was whether his Master believed the Rice Gang would definitely make a move.

As he ate, drained the small bottle of wine, and packed up the leftovers into his bundle, Zhang Rongfang prepared to leave the Chen Family, his heart heavy with worries.

"Wait!" A thought suddenly flashed through his mind.

A method that truly might completely resolve this matter appeared in his mind.

Combined with the information he had overheard at the Chen Family before, this method had a good chance of success.

Zhang Rongfang immediately climbed over the Chen Family wall, casually tossed the bundle onto a pile of rubbish, and slipped into an alley.

Before long, he emerged wearing a different set of clothes. Then, without stopping for an instant, he headed toward the County Office.

Relying on the silent, traceless lightness skill created by combining the Dragon Snake Movement Technique with the Bewildering Smoke Step, Zhang Rongfang easily climbed over the County Office's rear wall while avoiding the Patrolling Soldiers.

The first time was unfamiliar, the second time routine. At first, he had felt somewhat worried and afraid, but after doing it more often, his heart became bolder and calmer.

Before long, he quietly climbed back out over the rear wall of the County Office.

Carrying a large sack in one hand, he dashed swiftly into the night.

Suddenly, his foot seemed to catch on something.

Crack!

"Who goes there!?" The Patrolling Soldiers immediately started in alarm and approached this way.

From afar, Zhang Rongfang saw that the group had already raised their Crossbows and aimed in his direction.

Great Ling soldiers were publicly acknowledged to be exceptionally skilled with bows and Crossbows.

His heart tightened at once, and he fiercely unleashed the Ground Shrinking secret skill beneath his feet.

The fusion of secret skills did not mean they had vanished. He could still use them separately.

In an instant, his body twisted strangely. With a burst of force from his feet, he crossed three meters in a single step at a speed far surpassing before.

Thud! Thud!

Two crossbow bolts buried themselves deeply in the ground behind him.

Zhang Rongfang had no time to think further and sprinted away with all his strength.

He had not expected the County Office's defenses to be so strict. He had been discovered almost immediately.

Chen He was carefully wiping down the fine item before him with oilcloth.

Bang! The main doors outside were suddenly smashed open with tremendous force.

He jolted in fright and hurriedly picked up the item, stuffing it beneath the bed.

Then he turned and rushed to the study door, pulling it open.

Whoosh! In an instant, more than ten powerful Crossbows were aimed at him.

Under the light of numerous torches, squads of fully armed Bamboo Hat soldiers surged into the Chen Family courtyard.

A burly Brown Armor Constable carrying an official saber turned to look at Chen He.

"That outfit? It's him! Take him down!"

He recognized the style of Chen He's robe at a single glance.

"!!???" Chen He did not dare move at all. With more than ten crossbows pointed at him from this distance, even an expert above Sixth Grade would have no chance of surviving without protection.

"Search the place! Find everything that was stolen just now! It must still be inside this building!" the constable shouted.

Chen He had originally looked shocked and bewildered. But upon hearing this, he remembered the crossbow bolts beneath his bed. His expression changed drastically, and his heart turned ice-cold in an instant.