89 Concerns, Part One (Thanks to Never Forget the First Hardship, Alliance Leader)

After a night of questioning, Zhang Rongfang led his men to conduct a thorough screening.

No results.

Early the next morning, another order came down from above to coordinate a wider screening effort.

Apart from First Squad, all other teams from the Ministry of Justice were dispatched to investigate the surrounding area.

"Boss, there are no holidays these days. We have to work overtime from morning till night. Even an iron man can't take it."

On the street, the Ninth Squad were scattered, screening passersby. Chen Hansheng couldn't help but complain to Zhang Rongfang.

The group was dressed in black uniforms, with curved swords at their waists, wearing close-fitting leather armor and hard leather hats on their heads.

Zhang Rongfang did not participate in the work himself; he simply stood at the back and watched as his team members screened passersby.

He shook his head when he heard Chen Hansheng complain.

"You're tired, everyone's tired, I'm tired too. But what can we do? Unless you don't want to do it anymore, you'd better stay put."

He was also considering when to return to the Mingjing Palace to Daoist Registry path.

He'd only been here for less than a year, and now that he'd been promoted, he wanted to run away. The Ministry of Justice definitely wouldn't let him go.

It wouldn't make sense for Li Ran either.

Therefore, one must at least achieve some merit in this position before being able to apply.

"Hey, why are you pushing people?"

Suddenly, one of the team members got into an argument with a man in a long robe who was passing by.

"What are you pushing for? You poor, pedantic scholar. Get in line at the back!" The team member impatiently pushed the man hard to the ground.

The bag of steamed buns he was carrying immediately fell to the ground and rolled everywhere.

The man's face was tense; he wanted to get angry, but he held back uncomfortably.

He picked up the steamed buns from the ground, ignoring the dirt, and put them back in his bag. He stood up and silently joined the queue to go through the screening checkpoint.

Zhang Rongfang sized up the man.

"Is that a Confucian scholar?"

He noticed the man's attire, which suggested a somewhat refined and unassuming demeanor. He was also rather thin.

Only those who spend their years studying at home and do not engage in productive labor would have such a physique.

"Probably. There are very few people like that nowadays," team member Liu Han said from the side.

"Our Great Ling does not respect Confucianism, so many Confucian School have turned to Buddhism and External Teachings. Only a few people remain, clinging to their bad tempers and refusing to change their allegiance. They still dress and act the same as before."

"I've heard of this group too. There are some in Tanyang. They set up some kind of book club where people work and contribute articles to earn money," Chen Hansheng chuckled.

"Contributed articles?" Zhang Rongfang asked, puzzled. "What kind of articles?"

"You mean those songs performed in brothels Music Tower? They have lyrics, Zaju, and plays, some of them are quite... you know." Chen Hansheng had an expression that said, "Everyone knows."

Zhang Rongfang remained silent, never expecting that the Confucian school, which held a high position in his previous life, had fallen to such a state here.

He wanted to ask another question.

Suddenly, I heard fireworks explode in the distance.

The red fireworks, meant to serve as a warning, appeared to be only the size of a fingernail from a distance.

The Official Messenger and yamen staff who witnessed this scene all changed their expressions slightly.

"Walk!"

Zhang Rongfang raised his hand and quickly led his team in that direction.

This firework is a distress signal used in emergencies; anyone who sees it must provide assistance as soon as possible.

There are many kinds of fireworks in Great Ling.

Lighting different fireworks at different times represents different meanings.

Led by Zhang Rongfang, Ninth Squad split into five members and quickly headed towards the direction of the fireworks.

The group ran out of the street and reached an intersection.

Suddenly, a fruit stand in front of us was overturned, and apples, pears, and oranges were scattered everywhere.

Two tall figures stepped over the fruit and clashed fiercely in front of a clothing store.

The two were extremely fast and strong; when they hit a wooden stall, the wood would break, and when they hit a wall, it would shatter in places.

One of them was dressed in a dark red official robe, wielding an official knife, and his moves were wide and sweeping with a large range of motion.

The other man wielded a long sword, but his moves were precise and delicate, targeting vital points with every strike. A single misstep would result in death or serious injury.

When Zhang Rongfang arrived, two other teams also arrived, led by their Captain.

"Prepare for support!"

Zhang Rongfang carefully assessed the situation and felt a chill run down his spine.

Both of them possessed movement and strength at the Sixth Grade level.

He had already recognized the expert from the Government Office. It was none other than Captain Zhang Xiangyang.

The speed and power of these two strikes were one aspect, but more importantly, from his current perspective, he could vaguely discern that the one with the more refined techniques, while seemingly perilous, actually had multiple opportunities to decide the outcome.

But strangely, this person didn't make a move.

Zhang Rongfang is now Seventh Grade official, so his discerning eye can naturally see the difference.

Not long after.

Zhang Xiangyang, the captain of the brigade, slashed the opponent's blade away with one stroke and chased after the man into an alley.

The sudden turn of events was so swift that the skilled crossbowmen who had been secretly loading their crossbows had no time to fire their arrows.

Not long after, Zhang Xiangyang from the brigade walked out of the alley, looking disappointed.

They clearly lost track of them.

Zhang Rongfang narrowed his eyes, sensing something was amiss, but said nothing.

He had also noticed the warning his subordinate Chen Hansheng had given him earlier. This so-called search and arrest was unusual in every way.

Was the brigade's action just a genuine all-out effort, or merely an act? Was it a deliberate attempt to help the man escape and avoid being shot by crossbow bolts?

That depends on what the brigade is thinking.

"The person escaped; they should be nearby. Search them!"

Zhang Xiangyang quickly ordered everyone to conduct a thorough search of the surrounding area, centered on the alleyway.

To the average player, this might seem like a desperate attempt to salvage the situation.

But in the eyes of Captain like Zhang Rongfang, Zhang Xiangyang's actions were quite interesting.

Given that person's agility, such a search would undoubtedly be futile.

After a hard-fought search that day, everyone found nothing and had to take turns returning to rest.

Night.

Zhang Rongfang randomly picked a meat pie and scallion stall on the roadside for lunch, and by the time he got home it was already past ten o'clock.

Because of the search, the surrounding entertainment venues have become much quieter.

The neighboring courtyard was also quite large, and faint sounds of playing the zither and singing could be heard from inside, along with laughter from men and women.

Zhang Rongfang hung the Wish Wheel back on the wall, listening to the sounds from next door, which contrasted sharply with the desolation of his own home.

He sighed silently, scooped a spoonful of cold water from the water vat, tilted his head back, and gulped it down.

After drinking water and resting for a while, he sat cross-legged in the center of the room and took off his outer clothes and trousers.

Then he took out the medicine bottle from the drawer.

This is Blood Nourishing Pill, Blood Tonic he formulated himself. This prescription is different from the previous Red Qi Soup.

Because there's no need to replenish Qi, the effect won't diminish.

Simply replenishing blood, that is, providing the body with the nutrients needed for blood production, will not cause any loss of function.

After taking the pill, Zhang Rongfang felt as if he were eating foul-smelling meat skin, finding it difficult to swallow.

But he still chewed it up with difficulty and forced himself to swallow it.

In this world, if you want to stand firm and live well, you have to be tough on yourself; this little bit of hardship is nothing.

After taking the Blood Nourishing Pill, he took out the Golden Seal Pill that was at the bottom of the drawer.

He planned to test the elixir on animals first to make sure it was safe before taking it himself.

It is said that one should always be wary of others.

Put the Golden Seal Pill away again.

He calmed his mind, closed his eyes, and rested, while also practicing his Guanxu Skill.

Since I'm just idling around anyway, what if practicing like this leads to a breakthrough? If I need to improve my Guanxu Skill later, wouldn't I be able to save some attribute points for no reason? Time slowly passed.

The moonlight shone through the window onto the ground, and slowly moved as time passed.

Clang, clang, clang.

"The weather is dry, so be careful with fire."

Outside, a night watchman passed by, banging a gong and shouting slogans as he slowly walked past.

The night watchman's voice had not yet faded away.

Suddenly, Zhang Rongfang opened his eyes.

In the Attribute Panel in front of him, a new attribute point is slowly forming.

The original three attribute points have finally become four.

"It's done!"

He stood up in surprise.

I checked the lower courtyard gate, doors, and windows, and then closed them.

Then I went back to my room, took off all my clothes, and filled the bathtub with water. I jumped in and sat down.

Once all preparations are complete.

Zhang Rongfang and stared at his Attribute Panel.

Zhang Rongfang - Life 22-22.

Skill: Returning Spring Purifying Time Talisman Classic - Third Grade.

Leg technique - Third Grade.

Fist Palm Claw: First Grade.

Breaking Limit Skill: Shrinking Step Heavy Mountain.

Breaking Limits: Flame Emperor Talisman (Beginner)

Available Attributes: 4.

' My Life Attribute is still 22; I've recovered from the poisoning. So, this is the price I paid for practicing martial arts as a secondary skill?'

Zhang Rongfang understood.

Low-level martial arts techniques harm the body without nourishing it; they excessively pursue lethality, strength, and speed, so it's normal for life force to decline.

Fortunately, he can directly use Attribute Points to improve his recovery.

'For now, let's max out the Flame Emperor Talisman first.'

The Flame Emperor Talisman is the most powerful talisman Talisman Art in the Returning Spring Purifying Time Talisman Classic Codex, and it also enhances the power of Breaking Limit Skill.

At the same time, it is also part of Superior Martial Arts. After Breaking Limits, it will not harm the body, and it can also enhance the power of the entire Returning Spring Purifying Time Talisman Classic.

Therefore, this is an improvement to his overall strength; max it out if you can.

As for the Golden Roc Secret Record, Zhang Rongfang carefully considered his options and ultimately chose the Flame Emperor Talisman.

Compared to the Flame Emperor Talisman, if one can only practice one level of the Golden Roc Secret Record, the improvement it provides is probably not significant.

Calm down.

Immediately, Zhang Rongfang focused his attention on the Flame Emperor Talisman, imagining applying more force.

Immediately, the plus sign after the Flame Emperor Talisman began to vibrate, and the four attribute points quickly disappeared to zero.

The characters in the parentheses following the Flame Emperor Talisman were all blurred.

Memories of cultivating the Yan Flame Emperor Talisman quickly flooded into Zhang Rongfang's mind.

His muscles and bones began to slowly adjust, and subtle traces of cultivating the Flame Emperor Talisman gradually appeared on his body.

The skin on both palms has thickened, and the muscles in the forearms have slightly enlarged.

The back contours appeared even more voluminous.

The rest remained largely unchanged.

Overall, Zhang Rongfang only felt that his strength had increased by about two levels, which wasn't much.

The increased weight actually slightly affected the feeling of lightness.

He looked at the changes in his Attribute Panel, feeling slightly disappointed. The improvement from Seventh Grade to Eighth Grade wasn't as significant as he had imagined.

The display in the Attribute Panel has also changed.

'Flame Emperor Talisman (Breaking Limits)'.

Without Breaking Limit Skill, the enhancement of the Flame Emperor Talisman still seems to strengthen the Heavy Mountain.

"That's it?" Zhang Rongfang quickly wiped himself down with a towel.

The whole thing was over before my skin even broke a sweat.

Only then did he realize that after reaching High Grade, the improvement between grades was really not that significant.

He put his clothes back on, walked outside into the yard, and slowly assumed a stance.

Then he unleashed a flurry of punches and palm strikes, followed by a sweeping motion as he turned. He also delivered a series of kicks, elbow Elbow Strike, and stomps.

A set of Talisman Art techniques was unleashed with tremendous force, concealing a malevolent aura.

He hadn't noticed anything before, but as soon as the fight started, Zhang Rongfang immediately sensed something was wrong.

His blood and energy flowed like an inflated balloon, and once it started circulating, a slight tingling sensation spread through his skin.

After practicing for a little while, I felt a surge of energy.

A thought stirred within him, and he quickly began practicing the Soul Fixing Talisman skill he had not yet mastered.

But as soon as he began practicing the Soul Fixing Talisman's method of tempering his Qi and blood, a sharp pain flashed through his heart.

". really"

Zhang Rongfang recalled Ye Bai's remarks about his physical limits.

Is the Eighth Grade truly my limit?

He looked rather unwell.

I took another look at the attributes now.

His Life Attribute remains unchanged at 22. 'Now that he can no longer practice martial arts, perhaps the key to a breakthrough lies in this life attribute?'

Having just Breaking Limits of the Flame Emperor Talisman, he could no longer try using Attribute Points.

Everything will have to wait another ten days.

"Eighth Grade. Now, I can at least be considered a skilled fighter in this city. I can finally feel a little more at ease."

Although his body had reached its limit, the joy of breaking through to the Eighth Grade still allowed Zhang Rongfang to go back to his room and get a good night's sleep.