Now We've Encountered a Master

After leaving the Money Shop.

Lin Guanhuo did not return to the Demon Suppressing Division. Instead, he turned and headed for the busiest district in the city.

After wandering around for a while, Lin Guanhuo eventually arrived at the Wonderful Pill Workshop.

It was a three-story vermilion pavilion.

Most of the customers coming and going were dressed in luxurious clothes, and many were even accompanied by blade-wielding guards.

This was the place in Blackwater City that specialized in selling Martial Path pills. It had deep backing, rumored to be connected to major powers in the County City.

Lin Guanhuo stepped inside.

The earlier "Spirit Nourishing Grass" medicinal bath might have been remarkably effective for the first and second grades of Body Tempering, but by the third grade, its effects had already become very weak.

To continue advancing, he could only rely on pills.

"This young master, what would you like to see? Medicinal herbs, pills, or other materials? We have everything here."

"This little sister is Yulong, the steward of this workshop."

As soon as he entered, a waft of fragrant wind swept over.

A beautiful woman in a purple silk dress with a curvaceous figure greeted him.

The woman was enchanting and lovely, enough to make countless men bow at her feet.

"Buying pills." Lin Guanhuo's words were concise.

"This way, young master."

Yulong led Lin Guanhuo to the main hall of the Wonderful Pill Workshop. The counters here were all made of glass, with delicate pill bottles displayed inside.

Lin Guanhuo's gaze swept across the room and stopped at one counter.

There, several golden pill bottles were placed, looking extremely precious.

"Those are fourth-rank 'Dragon Tiger Pills'."

Yulong introduced softly from the side. "They are essential pills for Martial Master experts to cultivate, but the price is a bit steep. One pill starts at five hundred Taels."

Five hundred Taels... for one pill?

Lin Guanhuo was somewhat speechless.

All the six hundred Taels he had scraped together through life-and-death struggles.

Was barely enough to buy just one of these pills?

This Martial Path was simply a bottomless pit, burning money in a way that made one's heart race.

'I don't need this yet.'

Lin Guanhuo shook his head and lowered his gaze.

He looked at the ordinary porcelain bottles of pills. "I want Qi Boosting Powder."

Qi Boosting Powder, a first-rank pill.

Its medicinal properties were mild, with few side effects, and it could quickly replenish qi and blood.

For Body Tempering Realm Martial Artists, it was the most cost-effective pill.

But even so, it wasn't something ordinary Martial Artists could afford.

After all...

"Qi Augmenting Pills are forty Taels each. If you buy more, there can be a discount." Yulong smiled.

Lin Guanhuo thought for a moment. "I want ten bottles. Packaged together, can you make it cheaper?"

Seeing that Lin Guanhuo was also a straightforward man, Yulong didn't waste words. "Alright, ten bottles, packaged price of three hundred and fifty Taels. I've given you a discount of fifty Taels."

Lin Guanhuo nodded.

Without any hesitation, he directly took out banknotes to pay. Then he walked out of the Wonderful Pill Workshop.

Six hundred Taels of silver, barely warmed in his hands.

More than half of it was already gone.

The sky was growing late.

Lin Guanhuo left the Wonderful Pill Workshop and headed east all the way, planning to return to the Demon Suppressing Division.

At that moment, in a dark alley across from the Wonderful Pill Workshop.

There were six or seven figures, hiding in a corner.

Several pairs of greedy eyes were fixed tightly on Lin Guanhuo's retreating back.

These people were all disciples of the local 'Black Robe Sect'.

Calling it a sect was just a fancy name; in truth, they were a band of robbers with some martial arts foundation.

Their daily business was breaking into homes, extorting, and blackmailing.

"Boss, he's out."

A black-clothed man licked his lips and lowered his voice. "This kid just came out of the Money Shop, then headed to the Wonderful Pill Workshop. He's definitely carrying a few hundred Taels of Silver!"

"We brothers have hit the jackpot this time!"

"Mm."

The leader, Black Fifth, was bald and sneered coldly. "He's a fat sheep. And I can tell from his unsteady steps that he's probably just a rookie who barely entered the ranks. With six or seven of us ranked fighters, we've got him cornered!"

"Follow him!"

Black Fifth waved his hand, and the group, using the cover of night, crept along stealthily after him.

Lin Guanhuo, clad in black, walked at a leisurely pace.

Soon, he turned into a secluded alley.

It was a shortcut—cut through here and he'd be straight back to the Demon Suppressing Division.

"Boss, perfect opportunity!"

The black-clothed man behind him lit up. "This alley's empty! Let's make our move here! Any further and it's the main street—too many eyes and ears to strike cleanly."

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh~~

Just then, wind stirred in the narrow lane.

One of the black-clothed underlings fixed his hair and muttered, "Damn, where'd this wind come from all of a sudden?"

"Forget it. The fat's about to land in our hands."

Black Fifth grinned viciously, then waved his hand and quickened his pace. "Brothers, grab your weapons! Quick and clean!"

Black Fifth charged at the front, long saber in hand, greed plastered across his face!

Behind him, the few lackeys followed, their speed building with each step.

Suddenly.

Whoosh~~

The wind grew stronger.

And within that wind, there was a sharp, biting edge.

Black Fifth, at the very front, Suddenly felt a chill on his cheek.

Then a searing, stinging pain.

"Huh?"

"What's going on?"

He instinctively reached up and touched it.

Wet.

He brought his hand before his eyes, using the faint moonlight.

And then he saw—his hand was covered in blood!!

"Blood?!"

Black Fifth's pupils shrank instantly!!

Something was wrong!!

An overwhelming sense of danger surged into his heart!!

He jerked his head up, staring at Lin Guanhuo's retreating figure ahead.

Lin Guanhuo didn't even turn around.

Didn't Draw Sword.

He just walked on quietly, as if nothing had happened.

But the wind in this alley was like countless invisible blades, cutting into the skin with a raw sting!

"This... this is..."

"Blade Wind?!"

Blade Wind?!

Qi released externally, condensed into wind!

That was a feat only possible for an expert at least at the Body Tempering third-grade, or even one who had touched a higher threshold!

And the other party hadn't even looked back—just relying on Blade Wind to injure people.

What level of mastery over Saber technique did that require?!

"Stop!!!"

Black Fifth slammed to a halt, waving his arms frantically to signal his men to stop.

At this moment, Black Fifth was drenched in cold sweat!!

A master!

They had run into a true master this time!!

If he had charged forward just a few more steps just now...

What got sliced open wouldn't have been his cheek—it would have been his throat!

"Big brother? What's wrong? Go get him!"

The few underlings behind Black Fifth stopped in confusion when they saw him halt: "That kid's right ahead. One slash each and he's done for. Then we'll have piles and piles of..."

"Slap!"

But before that underling could finish his sentence.

Black Fifth swung his hand back and delivered a resounding slap: "Go get him my ass!"

Black Fifth roared in fury: "You bunch of pig-brains! All you do is feed me rotten ideas! You nearly got me killed!"

"Someone who spends at the Wonderful Pill Workshop—do you think they're just ordinary folk? That's a ruthless person with deep backing and real power!"

"That move just now was a warning! If we take one more step, every last one of us dies here today!"

The underlings stood there dumbfounded, clutching their cheeks, not daring to speak, grumbling inwardly that it was clearly the big brother's own idea.

Black Fifth touched the wound on his face, feeling nothing but bitter resentment.

"Over... it's all over..."

Black Fifth pulled out a small bronze mirror and looked at the bloody gash on his face, on the verge of tears.

"Disfigured... I'm disfigured now..."

"With my handsome looks ruined, will Little Peach Red still love me?"