"Let's see how strong I am!"
Qin Shuang glanced around and spotted a granite whetstone outside the kitchen. It was over a meter long, oval-shaped, and weighed about three or four hundred jin. He immediately went over, rolled up his sleeves, and wrapped both arms around it.
At that moment, Qin Shuang felt as though the enormous whetstone were made of wood. He actually lifted it with ease!
Without the slightest effort!
"Not bad!"
Qin Shuang gently set the whetstone down.
He knew this still wasn't enough!
With his current strength, he was absolutely no match for Hall Master Liang Chang.
Old Tang had buried gold leaves and silver ingots worth at least a thousand taels beneath the jujube tree. Even if he needed working capital, there was no way he would borrow a thousand taels from Liang Chang, the Flying Eagle Gang's Hall Master!
That IOU was definitely fishy!
Only by getting stronger could Qin Shuang face Liang Chang's visit to "collect the debt" eight days from now!
[Great Dao Simplification System] [Host: Qin Shuang] [Realm: Blood Condensation Realm 55% (Blood Vitality Like a Tiger)] [Function: The Great Dao Made Simple. Any martial art or cultivation technique can be simplified for rapid mastery!] [Martial Arts: Fierce Tiger Fist] [Fierce Tiger Fist: (Proficient, one hundred repetitions a day, fifteen years to reach mastery)] [Conditions for advancement after simplification: 1. Stroke tiger hide ten thousand times, 2. Ten Blood Vitality Pills]
"Advancing Fierce Tiger Fist from proficient to mastery requires ten Blood Vitality Pills?"
Qin Shuang studied the panel, his eyes thoughtful.
He remembered the old apothecary at Apricot Grove Spring Medicine Hall saying earlier that day that Blood Vitality Pills and Blood Nourishing Pills were more potent than Qi and Blood Soup. It was already nine o'clock, and the medicine hall was closed.
He would have to buy some tomorrow.
At that moment.
Five zhang behind the kitchen where Qin Shuang was, a lean figure dressed in black blended into the darkness beneath a tree. Unless you looked closely, you wouldn't have noticed him at all.
"If only I'd mastered Grass on Flying by now. Then I could leap onto the roof and keep watch. Why hide here?"
Liang Jiyao gazed at the dim, yellow light inside Fusheng Restaurant and touched the manual his second uncle had given him, thinking to himself.
His second uncle had ordered him to keep an eye on Qin Shuang. He had to find out where that Qin fellow had gotten the silver to join the Martial Arts School and buy Qi and Blood Soup!
Liang Jiyao's eyes darted around as he cautiously crept toward the window.
"Who's there?"
Qin Shuang had finished the three flatbreads and four buns he'd bought outside and was about to put out the lamp and lie down to stroke the tiger hide when he suddenly heard faint footsteps behind the window.
If his Fierce Tiger Fist hadn't reached the proficient level and greatly improved his hearing, he wouldn't have heard them at all.
Rustle, rustle, rustle!
The moment Qin Shuang spoke, a black-clad figure bolted from behind the window toward Clear Water River, behind the restaurant.
"Where do you think you're running, thief?!"
Qin Shuang barked, flung open the kitchen's back door, and chased after the shadow. He saw that the thief was dressed in black and had a lean build. In his panic, the man tripped and fell flat on his face.
With Fierce Tiger Fist at the proficient level, Qin Shuang's Blood Vitality and strength had surged. His legs also had more explosive power, and he was much faster. The difference quickly closed, and he caught up, planting a foot on the man's chest.
"You work for Liang Chang?!"
"What were you doing under the window?"
Qin Shuang looked down at the man on the ground, his gaze turning cold. He hadn't expected the petty thief to be one of Liang Chang's underlings!
In his memories of the original owner, this man had often followed Liang Chang to Fusheng Restaurant to collect their cut.
"You... you owe my second uncle silver... He was afraid you'd run off, so he... told me to keep... keep an eye on you..."
Seeing that Qin Shuang recognized him, Liang Jiyao's eyes darted around as he hurriedly answered.
At that moment.
Liang Jiyao was utterly shaken. Wasn't Qin Shuang supposed to be too weak to hurt a fly?
How could he be so fast and so strong?
The foot on his chest felt like an iron pillar pinning him down. He couldn't even turn over.
"Liang Chang is your second uncle?"
Qin Shuang narrowed his eyes. He suddenly noticed a yellowed corner poking out of Liang Jiyao's clothes. Reaching down, he pulled it free and saw that it was a small booklet with the words "Grass on Flying" written on it.
"The lightness skill, Grass on Flying?"
Qin Shuang's eyes lit up. He hadn't expected to find a lightness skill manual on this man!
He already had Fierce Tiger Fist, and now he'd gotten Grass on Flying. It was as if a pillow had appeared just as sleepiness struck!
"Y-yes. My second uncle gave me this Grass on Flying manual. Brother Qin, could you... ease up a little? I can't breathe..."
Liang Jiyao spoke in halting gasps.
He'd mentioned his second uncle Liang Chang in the hope that Qin Shuang would fear him and let him go.
At that moment.
Liang Jiyao swore to himself.
As soon as he got away, he'd have his second uncle kill Qin Shuang!
"If you can't breathe, then you can die!"
Qin Shuang's gaze turned icy as he spoke under his breath.
With that, he stamped down on Liang Jiyao's neck. Crack! Liang Jiyao's neck snapped. He gaped, unable to make a sound, his eyes bulging as he breathed his last. Qin Shuang found a little over one tael of silver on him, hoisted him up, and headed for Clear Water River.
At nine o'clock at night, the only lights in Qingzhou City came from the brothels and gambling dens. The townsfolk had gone to bed early. No one could have known someone had been killed there.
Clear Water River, dozens of zhang wide and linked to the Tianchu Grand Canal, lay five li behind Fusheng Restaurant.
Fierce Tiger Fist had reached the proficient level, and Qin Shuang had advanced to Blood Vitality Like a Tiger in the Blood Condensation Realm. His strength had increased greatly, and he carried Liang Jiyao as easily as a chick. A little over fifteen minutes later, Qin Shuang had taken care of the evidence and returned to Fusheng Restaurant, closing the kitchen's back door behind him.
Under the dim yellow lamplight, Qin Shuang read the Grass on Flying manual he'd taken from Liang Jiyao.
It had only twelve pages.
Each page showed a different human pose, with brief notes and insights written beside the illustrations.
[Grass on Flying: (Not yet initiated, ten repetitions a day, one month to initiation)] [Conditions for advancement after simplification: Step on grass ten times]
Five minutes later, Qin Shuang finished reading the Grass on Flying manual. His mind jolted, and Grass on Flying appeared on the panel.
"The initiation condition for Grass on Flying is to step on grass?"
Qin Shuang's eyes lit up as he studied the panel. There was plenty of grass outside the restaurant's kitchen and along the banks of Clear Water River. Couldn't he just pick some and step on it?
With that thought.
Qin Shuang searched the kitchen and found an old cloth sack. He opened the kitchen's back door and headed for the banks of Clear Water River.
[Step on grass +1 time!] [Step on grass +1 time!] [...] [Grass on Flying: (Initiated, one hundred repetitions a day, six months to proficiency)]
Qin Shuang reached the riverside, found a patch of grass, and started stepping on it. He hadn't been at it long before a series of system notifications rang in his mind.
[Conditions for advancement after simplification: Step on grass one hundred times]
Before long, Grass on Flying was initiated.
A stream of information flowed into Qin Shuang's mind and instantly merged with his consciousness. It was the initiation-level training experience for Grass on Flying.
Qin Shuang stepped on the grass as he pulled it up.
Before long, he'd filled the cloth sack.
[After stepping on grass one hundred times, your lightness skill, Grass on Flying, has advanced to the proficient level!]
Just then, the system notification sounded in Qin Shuang's mind. He had met the condition of stepping on grass one hundred times, and Grass on Flying had successfully advanced to the proficient level. A stream of information flowed into his mind and instantly fused with it.
At the same time.
Qin Shuang felt a warm current flow into his lower body, especially his legs. Under its infusion, they grew stronger and more resilient!
At that moment.
Qin Shuang felt as though he had spent half a year training in Grass on Flying!
[Grass on Flying: (Proficient, one hundred repetitions a day, three years to mastery)] [Conditions for advancement after simplification: Step on grass one thousand times, watch dragonflies fly for fifteen minutes]
"To reach mastery, I need to step on grass and watch dragonflies fly for fifteen minutes?"
Qin Shuang studied the system panel, his eyes thoughtful.
It was already sometime in April. There seemed to be dragonflies by the river, but he'd have to wait until tomorrow during the day to watch them. Tonight, though, he could first meet the conditions of stepping on grass a thousand times and stroking tiger hide ten thousand times.
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