The Mantis Stalks the Cicada, Unaware of the Oriole Behind

Night.

After receiving the long blade.

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

One silver arc after another swept through the air, radiating a cold, fierce aura.

"Good blade, good technique."

"This blade was practically tailor-made for me."

"I never imagined Eldest Brother would understand me so well, even forging the blade of my dreams."

He An sighed with such emotion in his heart.

He held his breath and focused his mind.

Within his mind, several strands of Golden Text slowly lit up.

code
[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 at Entry Level it requires over a hundred repetitions."

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

He An chuckled.

"Even so, when it comes to the speed of learning Martial Arts, I far surpass ordinary people."

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

Three days passed like this.

He An was full of energy.

Ever since he started training in martial arts, he found his spirit and vitality had greatly increased.

Even if he practiced martial arts late into the night every night.

When he woke up early the next morning, he was still full of fighting spirit.

Without the slightest trace of drowsiness.

"If I were still in my university days, how incredible would that be?"

"Staying up every night without feeling tired—I can't even imagine how amazing my nightlife would be."

He An shook his head and sighed.

He knew he could never return to those times.

Criminal Prison.

"Ah!!!"

"Kill me, just kill me!!"

A scream of agony echoed through the entire Criminal Prison.

The voice belonged to none other than Mo Caihe, who had endured three days of Water Drop Torture.

As for the current situation.

He An had long known in his heart.

These past few days, he had deliberately avoided entering the Criminal Prison.

His purpose was to let the people inside hear this voice, to serve as a warning to others.

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

Listening to the screams.

He An's heart was also filled with mixed emotions.

"Indeed, even a Martial Artist cannot withstand mental torment."

He passed by cell after cell.

Without exception.

Everyone looked at him as if he were a demon.

Opening the cell door, He An slowly stepped inside.

At this moment, Mo Caihe's face was drained of all color, lying motionless like a corpse.

He An let out a cold laugh and roughly pulled off the custom earplugs and blindfold.

"Now, I think we can have a proper talk!!"

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

He instantly clung to it like a lifeline, hoarsely begging with his already ruined voice.

"Let me go!!"

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

"Take this cursed thing away, please, I'm begging you."

"Wah wah wah!"

As he spoke, he actually started crying.

One couldn't imagine what kind of torment he had endured over these past few days.

Seeing the other party relent, He An's face broke into a faint smile.

"Don't worry. As long as you tell me where the rest of your family fortune is hidden, I won't keep torturing you from now on."

"But if you dare lie..."

He An snorted coldly. "I think you know what the consequences of that would be."

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

Mo Caihe nodded in despair.

At this moment.

Everyone fell silent, holding their breath.

The crowd in the Criminal Prison couldn't fully grasp the pain Mo Caihe had suffered.

But from what they observed.

The horror of the Water Drop Torture was far from simple on the surface.

At the very least, it could break a Martial Artist of no small strength in just three days...

On the first day.

Mo Caihe had already reached his limit.

Mo Hu was also deeply curious.

"Kid He, how did you manage that?"

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

"Lord Mo, the power of a single water drop is indeed small, but when it keeps dripping onto the forehead, it makes a person feel worse than death."

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

He An smiled as he looked at Mo Caihe.

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

Seeing this, a chill crept into everyone's hearts.

He An swept his gaze around and said with a half-smile, "Gentlemen, from now on, whenever I'm short on cash, I'll be counting on all of you for support. I hope you won't be stingy—after all, no one wants to be tortured."

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

With a loud bang.

The prison door slammed shut heavily.

All the prisoners exchanged glances, their hearts filled with bitter lament.

That day.

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

Everyone regarded He An as a demon—even something as ordinary as water droplets could be turned into a torture device.

Beast.

A beast among beasts!!

On the other side.

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

After settling the matter of the silver, his mood had lightened considerably.

But as a familiar figure stepped into the small courtyard, his face instantly darkened.

"Zhang Yongda!!"

Wu Wenming stood on guard and demanded, "Old bastard, what are you here for?"

This time, Zhang Yongda had clearly learned of Wu Wenming's identity. He put on a fawning smile and said, "Young Master Wu, what kind of talk is that? How could I ever lay a hand on Xiao An?"

"After all, his Eldest Brother and I have been good friends for years."

"Isn't that right, Xiao An?"

He forced a smile as he looked at He An.

"Speak your mind or get lost!"

He An barked sharply, giving him no face at all.

Zhang Yongda kept up his fake smile: "Since that's the case, I'll come straight to the point."

"Recently, several bandits have suddenly appeared in Fangcheng. For their own selfish gains, they've killed quite a few people, including some from our Town Martial Division."

"If it weren't for the shortage of hands in Sinei right now, they'd have been caught long ago."

"So the three Clerks discussed it and decided to pull some runners to go with a few junior officers from Sinei to bring those bandits back."

"Once all the bandits are captured, everyone involved will be credited with a major merit."

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

"As soon as I heard about this good deal, I immediately thought of you, Xiao An. Your family's short on silver, so this is a rare opportunity for you."

Bandits?

Could it be those few who escaped from the Salvation Cult.

He An's mind churned.

Before he could speak, Wu Wenming barked: "Bullshit, since when are you so kind?"

"We've only just started learning martial arts. If we run into those bandits you're talking about, we probably wouldn't even have a chance to fight back."

"I think you just want to make a move on He Ge, and this is your excuse."

With that, he grabbed He An's arm and urged: "He Ge, listen to me. We're absolutely not going on something this dangerous."

"If you need silver, just tell me. I'll give you as much as you want."

Zhang Yongda laughed awkwardly, but inside he cursed Wu Wenming's entire family.

Damn Little Fatty.

So what if you have money!!

He dared to think it but not say it, so he could only reassure He An: "Don't worry, your safety is absolutely not an issue."

"Among the junior officers accompanying you, one of them is Brother Sun Wangxian."

"With his strength close to Entering the Ranks, your safety is guaranteed, since the strongest among those bandits is about the same."

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

He An looked at him, thinking to himself.

"With my current strength, I'm definitely no match for him in a direct fight."

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

"Unfortunately, whether inside Sinei or anywhere else, I can't find a single chance to make a move, and he won't put his own life at risk either."

"With this opportunity, maybe I can find that one chance to act."

"For that one chance, this risk is worth taking."

With that thought, He An nodded firmly.

"Fine, I agree."

Hearing this, Zhang Yongda nearly jumped for joy.

To keep He An from backing out, he quickly laid out the general plan.

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

Wu Wenming fumed: "He Ge, why bother wasting words with someone like him? Just don't go. It's not like he can openly make a move on you."

"Believe me, now that you've agreed, there's definitely danger waiting along the way."

"He might even personally stab you in the back."

"I know."

"Then why agree!" Wu Wenming grew anxious.

He An's expression was calm, a hint of chill in his eyes as he sneered: "It's precisely because I know he's going to make a move on me that I agreed."

"If I don't give him this chance, with him in the shadows and me in the light, his attack would be truly unexpected."

"Besides..."

He An said each word deliberately: "The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. Who ends up as prey is still unknown!!"

"Zhang Yongda."

"Just you wait!!!"

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