Grass on Flying, Liang Jiyao Bestows an Opportunity

"Witness my strength!"

Qin Shuang scanned his surroundings and spotted an oval granite whetstone, over a meter long and weighing roughly three to four hundred jin, sitting outside the kitchen. He walked over, rolled up his sleeves, and wrapped his arms around the stone.

In that moment, Qin Shuang felt as if the massive whetstone were made of wood; he had lifted it with surprising ease!

Effortless!

"Not bad!"

Qin Shuang gently set the whetstone back down.

He knew this still wasn't enough.

With his current strength, he was absolutely no match for the Hall Master, Liang Chang.

Old Tang had buried gold leaves and silver ingots under the jujube tree, worth no less than a thousand taels of silver. Even if he needed capital for turnover, he would never have gone to the Flying Eagle Gang's Hall Master, Liang Chang, to borrow a thousand taels!

That IOU was definitely suspicious.

Only by becoming stronger could he deal with Liang Chang coming to "collect the debt" in eight days.

[Great Dao Simplification System]

[Host: Qin Shuang]

[Realm: Blood Condensation Realm 55% (Blood Vitality Like a Tiger)]

[Function: The Great Dao is simple; any martial arts technique can be simplified for rapid mastery!]

[Martial Arts: Fierce Tiger Fist]

[Fierce Tiger Fist: (Proficient, 100 repetitions daily, 15 years to reach Great Success)]

[Simplified Promotion Requirements: 1. Stroke Tiger Hide 10,000 times, 2. Blood Vitality Pill x10]

"To advance Fierce Tiger Fist from Proficient to Great Success requires ten Blood Vitality Pills?"

Qin Shuang stared at the panel, a thoughtful look in his eyes.

He remembered the old apothecary at Apricot Grove Spring saying earlier that day that there were things even more potent than Qi and Blood Soup, such as Blood Vitality Pills and Blood Nourishing Pills. It was already nine o'clock, and the pharmacy would be closed.

He would have to wait until tomorrow to buy some.

At this moment.

Five zhang behind the kitchen where Qin Shuang was, under a large tree, a thin figure dressed in black blended into the night. If one didn't look closely, they would be impossible to spot.

"If only I had mastered Grass on Flying by now, I could have leaped onto the roof to keep watch. Why would I have to hide here?"

Liang Jiyao looked at the dim, yellowish light inside Fusheng Restaurant and touched the secret manual his uncle had given him, thinking to himself.

His uncle had instructed him to keep an eye on Qin Shuang. He had to find out where that man surnamed Qin was getting the silver to join the martial arts school and buy Qi and Blood Soup!

Liang Jiyao's eyes darted around as he cautiously approached beneath the window.

"Who's there?"

Qin Shuang had just finished eating the three flatbreads and four steamed buns he had bought outside and was preparing to blow out the lamp and lie on his bed to touch the tiger hide when he suddenly heard the sound of light footsteps coming from behind the window.

If his Fierce Tiger Fist hadn't reached the mastery realm, significantly enhancing his hearing, he would never have heard it at all.

Rustle, rustle, rustle!

The moment Qin Shuang spoke, a black-clad figure behind the window bolted toward Clear Water River behind the restaurant.

"Where do you think you're going, thief?!"

Qin Shuang let out a sharp shout, threw open the back door of the kitchen, and gave chase. He saw that the petty thief was dressed in black and had a somewhat thin build. In his panic to escape, the man tripped and fell face-first into the dirt.

Qin Shuang's Fierce Tiger Fist was at the mastery realm; not only had his Qi and Blood strength surged, but the explosive power in his legs had increased, making him much faster. With the gap closing, he quickly caught up to the man in black and planted a foot firmly on his chest.

"Are you one of Liang Chang's men?!"

"What were you doing lurking under my window?"

Qin Shuang looked down at the man in black on the ground, his gaze turning fierce. He hadn't expected this petty thief to be a lackey following Liang Chang!

In the original owner's memories, this person often followed Liang Chang to Fusheng Restaurant to collect protection money.

"You... you owe my uncle silver... my uncle was afraid you'd run off! He... he made me come and keep an eye on you..."

Seeing that Qin Shuang had recognized him, Liang Jiyao's eyes shifted, and he spoke immediately.

At this moment.

He was filled with inexplicable shock. Wasn't this Qin Shuang supposed to be weak and powerless?

How was he this fast, and how did he have so much strength?

The foot pinning his chest felt like an iron pillar pressing down on him; he couldn't even turn over.

"Liang Chang is your uncle?"

Qin Shuang narrowed his eyes. He suddenly noticed a yellowed corner poking out from Liang Jiyao's robe. He reached out, pulled it out, and took a look. It was actually a manual with the three large characters 'Grass on Flying' written on it.

"The light-foot technique Grass on Flying?"

Qin Shuang's eyes lit up. He hadn't expected to obtain a light-foot technique manual from this man's pocket!

With the Fierce Tiger Fist already in his possession, obtaining Grass on Flying now was like having a pillow handed to him just as he was getting sleepy!

"Y-yes, this Grass on Flying manual was indeed given to me by my second uncle. Brother Qin, c-can you loosen your grip? I can't breathe..."

Liang Jiyao said intermittently.

He mentioned his second uncle, Liang Chang, hoping that Qin Shuang would be wary of him and let him go.

At this moment.

Liang Jiyao swore to himself.

If he could just escape, he would definitely ask his second uncle to step in and kill Qin Shuang!

"Can't breathe? Then go to hell!"

Qin Shuang's gaze turned cold as he whispered.

With that, he stomped his heavy foot onto Liang Jiyao's neck. With a crisp crack, Liang Jiyao's neck bone shattered. He opened his mouth wide but could not make a sound. His eyes bulged, and he breathed his last. Qin Shuang searched his robes, found over a tael of silver, lifted his body, and headed toward Clear Water River.

In Qingzhou City at nine o'clock at night, aside from the brothels and gambling dens, the residents had long since gone to sleep. No one knew that someone had been killed here.

Five miles behind Fusheng Restaurant lay the Clear Water River, dozens of feet wide, which connected to the Tianchu Grand Canal.

Qin Shuang had mastered the Fierce Tiger Fist, and having reached the Blood Condensation Realm, his Blood Vitality Like a Tiger had greatly increased his strength. Carrying Liang Jiyao was as easy as holding a chick. After a little over a quarter of an hour, Qin Shuang had cleaned up the traces and returned to Fusheng Restaurant, closing the kitchen door behind him.

Under the dim light, Qin Shuang held the Grass on Flying manual he had obtained from Liang Jiyao and began to read.

The manual was only twelve pages long.

It contained illustrations of human figures in various poses, with small, handwritten annotations of insights on the side.

[Grass on Flying: (Not yet initiated, practice ten times daily, can be initiated in one month)]

[Simplified promotion condition: Step on grass ten times]

Five minutes later, Qin Shuang finished reading the Grass on Flying manual. His mind jolted, and the Grass on Flying manual appeared on his interface.

"The initiation condition for Grass on Flying is to step on grass?"

Qin Shuang looked at the interface, his eyes lighting up. He knew that outside the restaurant kitchen, along the banks of the Clear Water River, there was plenty of grass. Couldn't he just go pull some up and step on it?

Thinking of this.

Qin Shuang searched the kitchen, found a tattered cloth bag, opened the back door, and headed toward the banks of the Clear Water River.

[Step on grass +1 time!]

[Step on grass +1 time!]

[Grass on Flying: (Entry Level, practice 100 times daily, proficiency in half a year)]

Qin Shuang arrived at the banks of the Clear Water River, found a patch of grass, and began to tread upon it. Before long, a system notification chimed in his mind.

[Simplified promotion requirement: Tread on grass 100 times]

In a short while, Grass on Flying reached the Entry Level.

A stream of information surged into Qin Shuang's mind, instantly merging with his consciousness; it was the foundational cultivation experience for Grass on Flying.

Qin Shuang treaded on the grass while simultaneously pulling it up.

Before long, his cloth bag was full.

[Treaded on grass 100 times. Your light-foot skill, Grass on Flying, has promoted to the Proficient stage!]

At this moment, the system notification sounded in Qin Shuang's mind. The condition of treading on grass 100 times had been met, and Grass on Flying successfully promoted to the Proficient stage. A stream of information surged into his mind and merged instantly.

At the same time.

Qin Shuang felt a warm current flow into his lower body. His legs, in particular, became more powerful and resilient under the infusion of this warmth!

At this moment.

Qin Shuang felt as if he had been practicing the Grass on Flying light-foot skill for half a year!

[Grass on Flying: (Proficient, practice 100 times daily, mastery in three years)]

[Simplified promotion requirement: Tread on grass 1,000 times, watch dragonflies fly for half a quarter of an hour]

"To promote to Mastery, besides treading on grass, I also need to watch dragonflies fly for half a quarter of an hour?"

Qin Shuang looked at the system panel, a thoughtful expression in his eyes.

Judging by the current time, it was around April, and there seemed to be dragonflies by the river. However, he would have to wait until tomorrow during the day. In the meantime, he could finish the conditions of treading on grass 1,000 times and touching the tiger hide 10,000 times tonight.