Easy Mode: ... Iron Cloth Skill Fragment 1 use (100 taels of silver/use)
After drinking the Qi Blood Powder, the panel changed immediately. He could use Easy Mode now.
"Activate Easy Mode."
Easy Mode activated: Bathe in warm water for ten minutes to advance Iron Cloth Skill Fragment to the first layer.
An hour later, the panel refreshed:
Name: Su Chen Martial Arts: Iron Cloth Skill Fragment (First Layer, 1%) Raging Wave Saber Technique (Limit) Turtle Shell Skill (Limit) Ape Arm Skill (Complete, 1%) Bone Shrinking Skill (Complete, 1%) Easy Mode: Iron Cloth Skill Fragment 0 uses (100 taels of silver/use) Raging Wave Saber Technique 0 uses (one complete saber technique/use) Turtle Shell Skill 0 uses (none) Ape Arm Skill 0 uses (10 taels of gold/use) Bone Shrinking Skill 0 uses (10 taels of gold/use)
However, Su Chen had no mind to pay attention to the panel just then. His gaze was fixed on his palms.
The surface of his palms looked no different from before, but Su Chen could clearly feel a faint current of energy moving within them.
"Is this... force?"
Seeming unable to believe it, Su Chen murmured to himself, his eyes unfocused.
Crack!
Su Chen picked up a small stone and instantly channeled the force in his palm.
He barely applied any pressure. The moment the force entered the stone, several cracks appeared across it, quickly spreading over its entire surface.
With a crisp sound, the stone split open like a blooming flower.
Then Su Chen gave it a gentle squeeze, and it crumbled into a cloud of dust that drifted away on the breeze.
"It really is force!"
Su Chen exclaimed in delight. Just a few days ago, he had been asking Hong Ming how to enter the Force stage, and now he had somehow reached it.
"This is too fast. I wasn't ready at all!"
The incredulous words, paired with his slightly punchable expression, would have surely provoked Hong Ming into a fight if he had seen this scene.
I spent over half my life trying and never managed to enter the Force stage, and you've only been training for a short while! You really know how to make a man sick with envy!
After a moment, Su Chen calmed down.
"The force is indeed powerful, but there's far too little of it. I used it just once, and I can't use it again."
"No wonder the bandit didn't keep using force back then. He was probably like me, newly into the Force stage, with hardly any reserve inside him."
"Even if I can only use it once, I can treat it like the Sleeve Blade—as a trump card. That'll be more than enough to give an enemy a nasty surprise."
"And this is only the beginning. Once I advance Iron Cloth Skill again, I might have more force. That's when it'll really show its power."
Thinking this, Su Chen brought up the panel. When he saw the numbers, he couldn't help but rub his forehead. "Activating Easy Mode again will cost another hundred taels!"
Just like that, he was broke again. Though, he didn't think he had ever truly been rich.
"Right, there's also Ape Arm Skill and Bone Shrinking Skill. They're both just one Easy Mode use away from reaching their limit. With the Iron Cloth Skill upgrade, I'll need three hundred taels in total."
Ugh, what a headache!
Su Chen shook his head, dispelling the thoughts, and stopped dwelling on it.
Things would work out in the end. With his current strength, he'd have food on the table—and money in his pocket—before long.
Brushing aside his distracting thoughts, Su Chen continued testing the force's power.
He kept at it until nightfall, enjoying every moment.
The more he tested it, the more he felt how formidable the force was. It was a veritable weapon for killing.
However, one thing puzzled Su Chen: the force in his palms could only circulate within them for now. It couldn't extend into his arms.
He tested it repeatedly, but still couldn't reach a definite conclusion. He could only chalk it up to the incomplete nature of the technique.
"Iron Wire Fist and Iron Sand Palm can be combined. I wonder if Iron Cloth Skill can be combined with Ape Arm Skill and Turtle Shell Skill, too? I can't tell yet. I'll just have to wait and see."
Putting the matter aside, Su Chen finally stopped testing and went out to grab a simple meal.
When he returned home, it was still early. He continued preparing Soul Confusion Powder until deep into the night, then went to sleep.
Two days later.
Su Chen arrived at the Yamen and stood before the Wanted List, studying it closely.
He'd spent a day successfully preparing the Soul Confusion Powder, then rested for a day. Now, he was ready to start earning money.
The Yamen was his first stop.
Several days had passed, but just as before, the Wanted List hadn't changed at all.
"Yang Zhuangshi?"
Just as Su Chen was wondering which wanted criminal to choose, a voice sounded from behind him.
He turned around and saw a man from the Yamen whom he had met once before.
"Who are you?" Su Chen asked, puzzled.
"I'm a clerk at the County Office," the man replied with a smile.
His gaze shifted between Su Chen and the wanted notices. "Are you planning to take a bounty, Yang Zhuangshi?"
Su Chen nodded. "Yes."
After a pause, he asked, "These wanted notices have been up for a while. Does the government have any recent information about the people listed?"
The clerk shook his head. "You're right, Yang Zhuangshi. These notices are old, and the Yamen doesn't know whether the wanted criminals are alive or dead."
Su Chen felt a little disappointed. He didn't mind spending time on the search; he just didn't want to waste time and still come up empty-handed.
"Yang Zhuangshi, would you mind coming to the County Office?"
Just then, the clerk glanced around and asked in a cautious voice.
"Oh?" From the man's manner, Su Chen suspected he had something to tell him. He nodded. "Sorry for the trouble, Clerk."
With that, he followed the clerk into the County Office.
The clerk led Su Chen to the main hall, had someone bring in tea, then took his leave.
Su Chen sat in the hall without drinking. After waiting for about the time it took to drink a cup of tea, he suddenly looked toward the doorway.
"Yang Zhuangshi!"
County Magistrate Tao Wenxuan came toward him, greeting him with a beaming smile and cupped hands.
"County Magistrate Tao." Su Chen greeted him, then shifted his gaze to the clerk.
Tao Wenxuan noticed and chuckled. "The clerk told me you were at the Yamen entrance, Yang Zhuangshi. At first, I could hardly believe it. I never expected to see you again after all this time. You're as impressive as ever."
"County Magistrate Tao, please speak plainly," Su Chen replied, cutting straight through Tao Wenxuan's roundabout manner.
Tao Wenxuan wasn't offended. "The thing is, I happen to have a bounty here. I wonder if you'd be interested, Yang Zhuangshi?"
"Tell me more."
"The target is connected to the Rebirth Sect!" Tao Wenxuan's voice grew solemn, and his expression turned serious.
The Rebirth Sect?
Su Chen's brows drew together as the relevant information quickly surfaced in his mind.
The Da Qian Dynasty was in its twilight years. Besides the many gangs that had sprung up everywhere, there were also numerous rebel forces. The Rebirth Sect was one of them.
The Rebirth Sect was a rebel force that had risen over the past few years. It was active around Qinzhou year-round and fought against the Imperial Court, giving the authorities a constant headache.
Unlike the other rebel forces, the Rebirth Sect was extremely mysterious.
Apart from its initial incident of killing officials and distributing food, which caused a great sensation, it had all but vanished from the authorities' sight afterward.
Now it seemed they hadn't vanished without a trace at all. They had merely gone to ground, waiting for the right moment.
Seeing Su Chen fall silent, Tao Wenxuan exchanged a glance with the clerk. The clerk cleared his throat and said, "Yang Zhuangshi, the bounty this time is one hundred taels!"
Su Chen's eyes lit up slightly.
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