The Mantis Stalks the Cicada, Unaware of the Oriole Behind

At night.

After receiving the long saber.

He An couldn't resist practicing the [Gale Blade Technique].

Silver arcs sliced through the air, radiating a cold, fierce aura.

"A good saber, and a good technique."

"This saber was practically made just for me."

"I never expected Eldest Brother to understand me so well. He even forged the saber of my dreams."

He An thought to himself.

He held his breath and focused.

In his mind, several lines of Golden Text slowly lit up.

[Destiny: Success Comes Naturally.]

[Yi Jin Jing: (1/400) Great Accomplishment.]

[Gale Blade Technique: (1/300) Entry Level]

"This [Gale Blade Technique] is only Ninth Rank, yet even Entry Level takes a hundred extra practice sessions."

He An gave a wry smile, then analyzed the situation. "From what I can tell, the higher the rank of the Martial Arts, the more practice it takes, and the harder it is to improve. But..."

He An chuckled.

"Even so, I'm still far ahead of ordinary people when it comes to learning Martial Arts."

"This Young Master is still an undisputed genius!!"

And so, three days passed.

He An was full of energy.

Ever since he began practicing Martial Arts, he had noticed that he felt much more vigorous in body and spirit.

Even when he practiced until late every night.

He still woke up the next morning full of fighting spirit.

He didn't feel sleepy at all.

"If I'd still been in college, wouldn't that have been amazing?"

"Staying up this late every night without getting tired? I can't even imagine how great my nightlife would've been."

He An shook his head and sighed.

He knew he could never go back to those days.

Criminal Prison.

"Ah!!!"

"Kill me! Just kill me!!"

Screams rang through the entire Criminal Prison.

The cries came from none other than Mo Caihe, who had endured three days of Water Drop Torture.

As for the situation now.

He An had already known what to expect.

He had stayed away from Criminal Prison these past few days.

He wanted the people inside to hear those screams, to make an example of Mo Caihe and scare the others into line.

That way, things would be much easier in the future.

Listening to the screams.

He An was filled with emotion as well.

"Sure enough, even Martial Artists can't endure this kind of mental torment."

As he passed the many cells.

Without exception.

Everyone looked at him as if he were a demon.

He opened the cell and walked inside at an unhurried pace.

At that moment, Mo Caihe's face was utterly bloodless. He lay motionless, like a corpse.

He An sneered and yanked off the specially made earplugs and blindfold.

"Now, we should be able to have a proper talk!!"

The dim firelight entered Mo Caihe's eyes, and a figure slowly appeared before him.

In an instant, he clung to He An like a drowning man grasping at a lifeline, pleading through his hoarse voice:

"Let me go!!"

"Whatever you want, I'll give it to you."

"Take this damned thing away! Please, I'm begging you."

"Waaah!"

As he spoke, he actually began to cry.

No one could imagine the agony he had endured over the past few days.

Seeing that the other man had given in, a smile appeared on He An's face.

"Don't worry. Just tell me where you hid the rest of your assets, and I won't torment you again."

"But if you dare lie..."

He An snorted. "I'm sure you know what the consequences will be."

"I wouldn't dare. I absolutely wouldn't!"

Mo Caihe nodded in despair.

At that moment.

Everyone held their breath.

The people in Criminal Prison had witnessed the pain Mo Caihe had endured.

But from what they had observed.

Water Drop Torture was far more terrifying than it seemed.

At the very least, it could reduce a formidable Martial Artist to this state in just three days...

By the first day.

Mo Caihe had already been unable to hold out.

Mo Hu was just as curious.

"Kid He, how did you do it?"

Everyone listened closely, hoping to get an answer from He An.

"Lord Mo, a water droplet may not seem powerful, but when it keeps falling on your forehead, it makes you wish you were dead."

"If you don't believe me, you can ask this fellow."

He An smiled at Mo Caihe.

The latter trembled all over, curled up, and buried his head even lower.

At the sight of this, a chill crept through everyone's hearts.

He An looked around, smiling faintly. "Everyone, when I'm short on Silver Taels in the future, I'll be counting on you to help me out. I hope you won't be stingy then. After all, no one wants to be tortured."

"If I'm doing well, you'll all do well."

After a loud bang.

The doors of Criminal Prison slammed shut.

The prisoners looked at one another, their hearts full of misery.

That very day.

The title of He An the Ruthless spread through the prison like wildfire.

Everyone saw He An as a demon, someone who could even turn something like water drops into a means of torture.

A beast.

The beastliest beast of all!!

Meanwhile.

He An practiced the [Yi Jin Jing] a few more times.

After sorting out the Silver Taels issue, he felt much more at ease.

But when a familiar figure stepped into the courtyard, his expression instantly darkened.

"Zhang Yongda!!"

Wu Wenming stood on guard and demanded, "Old man, what are you doing here?"

Zhang Yongda had clearly learned Wu Wenming's identity this time. He put on a fawning smile. "Young Master Wu, what are you talking about? Why would I ever lay a hand on He An?"

"Besides, I've been friends with his Eldest Brother for years."

"Isn't that right, He An?"

He looked at He An with a false smile.

"Say what you came to say, or get lost!"

He An shouted harshly, showing him no respect at all.

Zhang Yongda kept up his fake smile. "Since you put it that way, I'll get straight to the point."

"Several bandits have suddenly appeared in Fangcheng recently. They've killed quite a few people for their own selfish ends, including members of our Town Martial Division."

"If the division hadn't been short-staffed lately, they would have been arrested already."

"So the three Clerks discussed it and decided to assign a few constables to go with some junior officials from the division and bring those bandits in."

"Once all the bandits are captured, everyone involved will receive great merit."

"Of course, the Silver Taels reward won't be small either!"

"When I heard about such a good opportunity, I immediately thought of you, He An. Your family is short on Silver Taels, so this is a rare chance for you."

Bandits?

Could they be the few Salvation Cult members who had escaped?

He An thought it over.

Before he could speak, Wu Wenming shouted, "Bullshit! Since when have you ever been so kind?"

"We've only just started learning Martial Arts. If we run into the bandits you mentioned, we probably won't even get the chance to fight back."

"I think you're just looking for an excuse to go after He Ge."

With that, he grabbed He An and urged, "He Ge, listen to me. We absolutely shouldn't get involved in something this dangerous."

"If you're short on Silver Taels, just ask me. I'll give you as much as you need."

Zhang Yongda smiled awkwardly, but in his heart, he cursed Wu Wenming's entire family.

Damn Little Fatty.

So what if he had money!!

He dared to think it, but not to say it aloud. He could only assure He An, "Don't worry. Your safety is absolutely guaranteed."

"One of the junior officials accompanying you is Brother Sun, Sun Wangxian."

"With his strength, which is close to Entering the Ranks, your safety is assured. After all, the strongest among those bandits is only about as strong as he is."

"Besides, you're Young Master Wu's friend. How could I possibly dare to harm you?"

He An looked at him, thinking it over.

"With my current strength, I definitely can't beat him head-on."

"But if I catch him off guard, I might be able to kill him with one strike."

"Unfortunately, whether at Sinei or anywhere else, I can't find a single chance to make a move. He won't put his life on the line, either."

"This may be my chance to find an opening."

"It's worth taking this risk for that one chance."

Having made up his mind, He An nodded firmly.

"Fine. I agree."

Zhang Yongda was so happy he nearly jumped for joy.

To keep He An from changing his mind, he quickly gave him a rough outline of the plan.

After telling He An the meeting place and time, he left the courtyard without looking back.

Wu Wenming said indignantly, "He Ge, why waste so many words on a man like that? You could've just refused. He wouldn't dare attack you in the open anyway."

"Believe me, if you agreed this time, danger would be lurking at every turn."

"He might even take the opportunity to attack you from behind."

"I know."

"You know and you still agreed?" Wu Wenming was getting anxious.

He An's expression remained calm, but a faint chill showed in his eyes. He sneered, "It's precisely because I know he's going to come after me that I agreed."

"If I don't give him this chance, then he'll be in the shadows while I'm out in the open. That would make his attack truly unexpected."

"Besides..."

He An said each word slowly: "The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. We haven't yet seen who'll come out on top!!"

"Zhang Yongda."

"Just you wait and see!!!"