Midnight Phantom, Heavenly Secrets First Appear

The night was as black as ink, the crescent moon like a hook, hanging coldly in the sky above Linyuan Prefecture City.

Ye Qingxuan lay on the hard plank bed, his eyes open, staring at the dark roof beams above. The nights in the Southern District were not quiet; the distant barking of a few dogs, the rustling of bamboo leaves in the neighbor's yard stirred by the night breeze, all sounded several times clearer than usual.

In his mind, there was a game of chess. On the board lay a few scattered pieces: "Mottled Fish," "Thirty Taels," "Official Constable," "Nannan." Each move he made affected his life and fortune, and the future of the siblings.

He turned over, and the bed plank let out a faint creak. Not enough, still not enough. This strength, this planning, was still insufficient for him to firmly establish himself in this turbulent world.

He got up silently and pushed the door open.

In the corner of the yard, the pile of bluestones he had obtained from Uncle Zhang had grown. They were waste materials found by a familiar bricklayer for a few dozen coins, larger and with sharper edges.

He took off his shirt. Moonlight spilled onto his body, revealing a physique no longer as gaunt as before. Beneath the skin, smooth and solid muscles rippled. He picked up a stone with the coarsest, sharpest corner, took a deep breath, and instead of rolling it, he used the sharp edge to scrape across his back, chest, and arms, again and again.

"Hiss..."

A sharp pain shot through his skin. He gritted his teeth, refusing to let out a groan. His skin quickly developed crisscrossing red marks, burning with pain. He closed his eyes, sinking his mind into the scroll in his head.

After one cycle of the cultivation technique, he was already drenched in sweat.

[Mysterious Stone Body Tempering, skin and flesh toughened, Merit +1.]

The feedback from the scroll made his heart sink. As expected, as his body grew stronger, the same method yielded significantly less effect.

He rested for a moment, waiting for the searing pain to subside slightly, then picked up the stone again and repeated the self-abusive act.

The second time, the third time, the fourth time...

Each time, it was another point of Merit.

He only stopped at the fourth watch of the night. He drew a bucket of ice-cold well water and poured it over himself from head to toe, immediately causing a cloud of white steam to rise from his body.

He brought up the scroll, and the text on it had already updated.

[Name: Ye Qingxuan]

[Realm: Body Tempering Second Level (Muscle Training)]

[Martial Art: Indestructible Vajra Body (Realm: Great Accomplishment, Progress: Four inches, Merit: 28/135)]

After a night of arduous cultivation, he had only gained four points of Merit. The 135 points needed for perfection remained a long way off. Those thirty taels of silver, that "Great Merit of the Alley," were his only shortcut to breaking through.

He returned to his room and lay down again, but did not sleep. After reaching Body Tempering Second Level, his hearing, eyesight, and even his perception of surrounding airflow changes had become much more acute.

Just then, from the direction of the courtyard wall, there was a very faint "poof."

The sound was duller than a wild cat landing, more like someone lightly tapping the top of the wall with their toe. Immediately after, there was the faint sound of clothing brushing against the air.

Someone had climbed over the wall.

Ye Qingxuan's body tensed instantly, like a drawn bow, but his breathing remained steady and long, undisturbed.

In the yard, the person's footsteps were incredibly light, stepping on the dust without making a sound. This was a master.

The footsteps were clearly aimed, heading straight for the kitchen. A moment later, the sound of a bolt being slowly, carefully drawn back could be heard.

Ye Qingxuan's heart leaped into his throat. There was still half a cured meat hanging in the kitchen from yesterday.

Soon, the footsteps emerged from the kitchen again, paused in the yard, and then surprisingly turned towards his bedroom.

His sister's room was right next door.

A chill ran up from the base of Ye Qingxuan's spine. His hand slid silently under the pillow, grasping the short-handled wood chopping knife he used for self-defense. The rough texture of the handle brought him a moment of calm.

All his muscles were tensed, ready to spring into action the moment the intruder made any move.

The footsteps stopped outside his window.

A blurry silhouette appeared on the thin window paper. The figure remained motionless, as if listening intently, or perhaps peering into the room through the faint light.

Ye Qingxuan even stopped breathing.

This silence lasted for an unknown duration. Perhaps ten breaths, perhaps longer.

Just as Ye Qingxuan's patience was about to run out, the figure outside the window suddenly moved. He did not advance further but slowly retreated, his footsteps still light, moving back towards the courtyard wall he had come from.

Another faint rustle of clothing, and the presence disappeared.

Gone?

Ye Qingxuan did not move. He maintained his defensive posture. Why did they leave? Did they sense he was awake, or was the family too poor to be of interest?

He waited for the time it took an incense stick to burn, ensuring the other party would not return, before leaping up. He quickly put on his clothes, without a word, and went to the window. He dipped his fingertip in saliva, wet the window paper, and poked a tiny hole.

The alley was empty, with only the cold light cast by the moonlight.

He turned and darted out of the room like a wild cat. In a few steps, he reached the courtyard wall, placed his hand on the top, and his body, like a falling leaf, silently scaled over.

Upon landing, he crouched low, his gaze like lightning, sweeping towards the end of the alley.

A dark figure flashed and disappeared at the corner of the alley.

Ye Qingxuan did not hesitate and immediately followed. He did not run but hid his body in the shadows of the eaves, his footsteps synchronizing with the rhythm of the night breeze, his entire being transforming into a flowing shadow.

The person in front moved extremely fast and chose only quiet, deserted paths, clearly knowing the terrain of the Southern District like the back of their hand.

This was definitely not an ordinary petty thief.

One person in front, one behind, they pursued each other silently through the maze-like alleys. The dark figure seemed unaware of the person behind, continuing on until they turned into a more dilapidated area and slipped into a ruined courtyard with a half-collapsed wall and overgrown weeds.

Ye Qingxuan didn't follow them inside. Instead, he circled around to the other side of the courtyard, found a wall with a wide field of vision, and scrambled up it with his hands and feet.

He poked his head over and looked. The courtyard was filled with broken bricks and tiles, and a pile of rotten firewood lay in the corner.

The man was gone.

Ye Qingxuan gripped the cleaver in his sleeve tighter, took a deep breath, and leaped down from the wall.

His feet landed on a thick layer of decaying leaves, making not a sound. He stood still, listening intently. The chirping of night insects was the only sound at that moment.

He tentatively took a step towards the center of the courtyard.

The instant his foot landed, the pile of firewood beside him exploded with a BOOM!

A black shadow shot out from behind the firewood like an arrow from a bow. His target wasn't Ye Qingxuan himself, but the spot where he had just landed! The lunge was swift and fierce, carrying the ferocity of a predator pouncing on its prey. One hand formed a claw, slicing through the air with a vicious gust.

What a cunning thief! He had clearly calculated that someone would follow and set an ambush here!

Unfortunately for him, Ye Qingxuan's previous step was a feint.

The sneak attack missed. The black shadow, unable to stop his momentum, stumbled as he landed, spun around, and finally faced Ye Qingxuan head-on.

The pale moonlight illuminated his face.

A gaunt face, with a hint of ferocity, messy hair, and a dirty cloth wrapped haphazardly around his left shoulder, stained with blood that had already turned black.

It was the face from the wanted poster—"Mottled Fish"!

Mottled Fish's face was filled with stunned disbelief at the failed sneak attack. He had never expected that the person following him wouldn't be one of the Fengtian Division constables in a group, but a young boy.

Ye Qingxuan didn't wait for him to react. Capturing this man would earn him thirty taels of silver and one merit point! A chance for regularization was right before him!

He exerted force with his feet, advancing instead of retreating, and threw a straightforward punch, devoid of any fancy moves, directly at the opponent's chest.

Mottled Fish was, after all, a skilled cultivator at Body Tempering Second Stage. Though startled, he wasn't flustered. He let out a roar and raised his uninjured right arm to block in front of his chest.

"BANG!"

A muffled thud, like a heavy hammer striking a drum.

Ye Qingxuan's fist landed squarely on Mottled Fish's forearm. A surge of immense power coursed back along his fist, numbing his entire arm and forcing him back three staggering steps against his will.

What powerful force!

This was the true strength of a Body Tempering Second Stage martial artist. Even with a serious injury, they were far beyond the capabilities of someone at the First Stage.

Looking at Mottled Fish again, he too was shaken by the force of the punch. His face first showed surprise, then turned grim. He understood that he had encountered a tough opponent.

This place is not safe to linger!

A fierce glint flashed in Mottled Fish's eyes. Instead of engaging Ye Qingxuan further, he stomped hard on the ground, turned, and fled desperately towards the gap in the courtyard wall.