Biding One's Time

Chen Luo's goals were very clear. For him at present, there were only two most important matters. The first was to find an Immortal Cultivation Technique. Failing that, he needed to find some Upper-level Martial Arts, something like a Divine Skill Secret Manual. Otherwise, relying solely on the Internal Qi circulation method of the Black Tiger Fist to mobilize the blue power inside his body was far too slow. That would severely affect both his recovery speed and the extent to which he could wield his strength.

The second matter was to replenish his foundation.

At present, only the Royal Family Brain could make use of this Pale Blue Energy. That was absolutely not enough; it was no different from sitting atop a mountain of treasure without knowing how to use it. So, the second matter was to find some "brains" similar to the Royal Family Brain to help him increase his cultivation speed.

Neither of these matters would be easy, and he had no leads yet. The technique was the hardest part. Judging by the circles Chen Luo had come into contact with, let alone an Immortal Cultivation Technique, even a somewhat better Martial Dao technique was hard to access. The jianghu changed every day, yet those who could truly learn Divine Skill Secret Manuals and become masters were, when all was said and done, still only that small fraction of people. Ordinary people could not even come into contact with Martial Dao, much less Divine Skill Secret Manuals. The Imperial Court's restrictions on Martial Dao were no joke. If Chen Luo had not used Third Uncle's connections to meet Crippled Ma, he would likewise never have come into contact with Martial Dao.

So after thinking it over, Chen Luo decided to start with the second matter.

He would seek brains that possessed "aptitude."

This was easier than looking for techniques. As long as there were dead men, he had opportunities. The best place was certainly the valley, where people were dying every day now. Unfortunately, Old Daoist Lichen had died too miserably last time, melting directly into blood foam. Otherwise, Chen Luo would have borrowed his brain to use no matter what. Perhaps it could even cultivate.

"Going there directly definitely won't work. I'd stand out too much. I might get done in on the road before I even arrive."

Chen Luo pondered countermeasures as he walked.

At this point, the most important thing was to hold his nerve.

When he had no opportunities before, he fought desperately in order to carve out a road ahead. Now that the road ahead had opened, naturally, prudence came first. Cultivation was like conducting oneself in life: be aggressive when it was time to be aggressive, and steady when it was time to be steady. The two did not conflict.

Anyone who only knew how to charge blindly forward would certainly not go far. Likewise, anyone who lost their desire to advance would never become the final victor.

"I'll wait first. Dead people are sent to Corpse Buriers for handling anyway. At most, their bodies will lose a bit of integrity. It won't matter much."

Chen Luo glanced in the direction of the yamen.

Chen Laosan had worked as a corpse burier here for most of his life. This was the line in which he had the most connections. So for Chen Luo, rather than blindly heading over to take risks, it would be better to wait until afterward and rob the graves.

He knew this road well!

"If I don't consider techniques, there's only one way left for me to improve myself."

His gaze swept across the street before finally settling on Xingan Pharmacy at its far end.

Medicinal paste!

It was time to develop a new medicinal paste. Using external aids to improve himself and accelerate the digestion of Pale Blue Energy was also a shortcut. The low-grade medicinal agents he had used before had already been phased out. This time, he could update everything in one go.

Among the more than one hundred brains, there happened to be an expert in medication usage.

"Owner, I'm buying medicine!"

Chen Luo walked into the shop and rapped his knuckles against the counter.

"Give me one packet each of every aged herb on that upper row."

"Right away!"

The shopkeeper, who had been dozing off, instantly perked up at those words.

A big customer!

After buying the medicine, Chen Luo did not linger in the city. Carrying the bundled medicinal herbs, he left the city.

Qingya County's security was still extremely strict. Daytime was manageable, but soldiers patrolled at night, and it was easy to invite trouble.

After returning to the village, Chen Luo resumed the same life as before. During the day, he brewed medicine and practiced his fist techniques. At night, he cultivated with more than a hundred brains taking turns. His days gradually settled into peace. Finding techniques and plotting for brains suddenly no longer seemed so urgent.

The situation in Qingya County was unstable now. Better to stay still than make a move; after all, he had already obtained the greatest benefit.

Chen Laosan returned twice. Seeing that Chen Luo had not gone out to take risks again, he finally set his mind at ease. In the meantime, he also brought news of Crippled Ma and junior sister apprentice He Min. It was said that both had settled down in Yanhu County. With the Sha Lake Gang's influence, they could quickly gain a foothold even after changing locations. What remained was the matter of development.

Half a month later.

Countryside Courtyard.

Chen Luo sliced up a portion of aged herb, pinched some up with his index finger, and placed it on his tongue for a taste. The sour, astringent flavor stimulated him into narrowing his eyes instinctively.

The age was correct.

After putting away the aged herb, he took two small purplish-black centipedes from a cage beside him. These were a Centipede-like Species, highly venomous. Among the more than one hundred brains Chen Luo had collected, there happened to be someone talented in this field. After skimming a few books and filling in the basic knowledge, he could begin refining medicine.

He placed the poisonous insects and aged herb into the stone mortar.

Then he poured in the Black Medicinal Paste that had been heated on the nearby stove and used the stone pestle to pound everything bit by bit.

The thick scent spread out once more, but Chen Luo had got used to it by now. Only after expressionlessly pounding all the medicinal paste into shape did he leave the house to air it out. Once the paste had cooled, he returned to make Medicinal Plasters.

"The effects have weakened again."

He applied the freshly made Medicinal Plaster over his dantian and carefully sensed it. He found that the heat given off by the medicinal paste had diminished by more than half, and its improvement to Martial Dao was no longer as obvious. As for strength, there was no need to mention it. Once he had cultivated Internal Qi, it had lost that effect.

Improvement after Bone Forging had become extremely difficult. Chen Luo had tried many methods, but none could change this situation. Being able to formulate this Poisonous Insect Medicinal Agent already counted as a stroke of genius.

"The Poisonous Insect Medicinal Agent is about to become useless too."

A trace of disappointment flashed through Chen Luo's eyes.

He had originally wanted to live here in peace for half a year, then go rob graves once the turmoil in the valley had completely subsided. Now it seemed that he had been somewhat naive. He had underestimated both the difficulty of advancing through the Bone Forging Realm and his own aptitude.

"It hasn't been entirely without gains, I suppose."

Chen Luo glanced at the Medicinal Herb Compendium on the table. In his mind, the medicinal properties of more than a hundred herbs and their corresponding notes on toxicity flashed through with practiced familiarity. He could now be considered half a physician. With the corresponding brain, learning these things was like cheating—he never forgot what he saw, and learned everything at a glance.

Night fell.

After absorbing the power of the Poisonous Insect Medicinal Agent, Chen Luo finished his daily cultivation. Opening his eyes, he glanced at the sky outside, returned to his room, and locked everything away. Only when it was close to Zi Shi did he change into night-traveling clothes and leave the village.

When there was nowhere left to advance, he could only take risks.

Tonight, he would first scout the place and see whether there was an opportunity to borrow a couple of "brains."

Traveling at full speed, Chen Luo soon reached the edge of the valley.

But before he could enter the valley, he heard the clashing of weapons. He swiftly Concealed Aura, leaped onto a large tree, and hid himself behind its dense leaves.

The sounds of slaughter came quickly.

They vanished even faster.

Before Chen Luo could get closer, the battle over there had ended. The stench of blood drifted through the air into the dense forest, clear enough to smell.

That fast?

Chen Luo's pupils contracted. He looked through a gap in the treetops and happened to see a group of Imperial Court soldiers cleaning up the scene.

Several young Jianghu Wanderers lay dead by the roadside, their bodies bristling with arrows. Their backs had also taken a strike from an Iron Palm. Their deaths could be said to be incomparably miserable.

An army encirclement, coupled with a sneak attack by experts!

No wonder these young masters had died so quickly.