The Dao Cannot Be Lightly Passed On, The Dharma Cannot Be Lightly Taught!

The next day.

In a private room on the second floor of the Laifu Restaurant.

Chen Fan and Lu Xuening sat together, eating and chatting.

"I've gotten some information about what you asked me to look into yesterday."

"The owner of the courtyard near the County Magistrate's mansion is a wealthy merchant surnamed Wang from Longyuan Prefecture City. He's in the medicinal herb business. Ping'an County is close to Black Mountain, which is rich in medicinal herbs, so he often comes to Ping'an County to purchase them. Over time, he bought a courtyard there as a place to rest."

"However, this Master Wang hasn't come to Ping'an County for several years, so the courtyard has been left vacant."

Lu Xuening said.

"So, that means the courtyard shouldn't be inhabited right now?"

Chen Fan asked.

"Master Wang hasn't put the courtyard up for sale or rent through any agents. As for whether anyone else is living there with his permission, that's unclear."

Lu Xuening thought for a moment and then replied.

"In that case, are you interested in sneaking into that courtyard tonight?"

Chen Fan looked at Lu Xuening and then made the suggestion.

He could go alone, but having someone accompany him would mean they could look out for each other. He wasn't arrogant enough to think he was invincible in Ping'an County.

"No problem."

Lu Xuening nodded upon hearing this.

"By the way, do you know the strength of the Black Mountain Three Demons that Constable Liu mentioned yesterday – the tiger demon Mountain Lord, the wolf demon Howling Moon, and the ape demon Three Eyes?"

Chen Fan asked. Since Constable Liu and the Jinyiwei Zongqi Officer Li Mo were so wary of these three demons, it proved their strength was extraordinary. It would be difficult for Ping'an County's current forces to resist these three great demons.

"I'm not clear on their specific strength, but it's almost impossible for wild great demons without a proper lineage to break through to the Spirit Aperture Realm. They can at most cultivate to the Spirit Concealment Realm Great Perfection."

"And because the Demon Race species are different, even if they are both at the peak of the Spirit Concealment Realm, their strength can vary greatly. However, under normal circumstances, humans of the same realm are no match for them."

"After all, compared to the Demon Race, the human physique is naturally weak. Unless one is a genius Martial Artist who has mastered powerful cultivation methods and martial skills, it is actually very difficult to defeat a demon of the same realm."

"Therefore, these Black Mountain Three Demons are enough to rival three human Spirit Aperture Realm Martial Artists. With Ping'an County's current strength, no one is their match. That's why the County Magistrate and the Jinyiwei are so afraid of them!"

Lu Xuening said with some emotion.

Ping'an County, as a remote border county, was already weak. Moreover, it was close to Black Mountain, with three great demons lurking around. It was no wonder the County Magistrate and the Jinyiwei had to collude with them. If they had truly confronted them head-on, they would have likely been killed by the three demons long ago.

However, the three demons also dared not slaughter Ping'an County wantonly. This was because Ping'an County belonged to Longyuan Prefecture. If the three demons dared to slaughter the entire Ping'an County, Longyuan Prefecture would definitely send Spirit Aperture Realm Martial Artists to eliminate them completely.

Currently, they and Ping'an County are in a state of dynamic equilibrium. Under these circumstances, Longyuan Prefecture cannot possibly send people down to slay demons.

After all, Longyuan Prefecture has its own demons to suppress. Any Martial Artist in the Spirit Aperture Realm is a strategic resource that cannot be easily deployed!

"Comparable to a Spirit Aperture Realm Martial Artist?"

Chen Fan thought to himself.

The Great Zhou Dynasty strictly controls cultivation methods. Ordinary people have no way to obtain them.

To acquire a cultivation method, one must either join a martial arts sect, pledge allegiance to a Millennial Noble Family, spend exorbitant fees to apprentice at a martial arts school, or join certain departments of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

Martial arts sects value talent and are extremely protective of their own cultivation methods, only imparting them to core disciples with clean family backgrounds.

Millennial Noble Families rely on bloodline connections. Even if someone pledges allegiance, it's difficult for non-family members to obtain cultivation methods.

As for studying at a martial arts school, it takes a long time: three years as a general laborer, three years as an apprentice, and three years to graduate. It would take at least ten years to learn a cultivation method.

The annual expenses are astronomical, unaffordable for even middle-class families, let alone ordinary ones.

Moreover, the martial arts taught at schools are mostly very rudimentary.

They might be mere exercises for strength, health cultivation methods for nurturing the body, or perhaps only skin-level cultivation methods. They are always very basic.

If Body Tempering Fist is a common, widespread cultivation method, then the techniques taught in martial arts schools don't even deserve to be called cultivation methods; they are utterly inferior.

The Great Zhou Dynasty suppresses the four directions and its strength far surpasses that of Millennial Noble Families and martial arts sects. These entities survive by the grace of the Great Zhou Dynasty. The Great Zhou Dynasty is the greatest martial arts sect, and the Zhou Imperial Family is the greatest noble family.

Therefore, within the Great Zhou Dynasty's sphere of influence, joining the Great Zhou Dynasty's official forces is the best way to learn martial arts and obtain cultivation methods.

Currently, there are several ways to obtain martial arts cultivation methods by joining the Great Zhou Dynasty's official forces: joining the government office, enlisting in the army, or joining privileged departments like the Jinyiwei.

Among these, privileged departments like the Jinyiwei, Dragon Guard, Nine Gates, Censorate, Imperial Observatory, and the Four Bureaus of East, West, South, and North offer the most convenient access to cultivation methods.

Take Chen Fan, for example. He joined the Jinyiwei at fifteen and, without accomplishing any merit, could cultivate the complete Spirit Concealment Realm cultivation method, Body Tempering Fist.

After accumulating Merit Points for half a year, he could exchange them for another technique, Draw Sword Slash.

This is almost impossible in other official forces.

Most other official forces operate on a "work first, eat later" principle. Without accomplishing merit, they absolutely will not bestow cultivation methods.

Although the Jinyiwei are generous, their work involves living on the edge of a knife. Furthermore, the martial arts learned within the Jinyiwei cannot be privately taught to others.

This is stipulated in the oath taken when receiving the cultivation method inheritance. If one receives a profound martial arts inheritance, a restriction might even be imposed to prevent the method from being leaked.

Moreover, the Jinyiwei Baihu Office in Ping'an County only possesses the martial arts manuals for Body Tempering Fist and Draw Sword Slash. It should be the same in other counties.

Even the cultivation methods taught to constables in the government office are these two.

To switch to a more advanced cultivation method, one must go to Longyuan Prefecture. It's said that Longyuan Prefecture has Spirit Aperture Realm cultivation methods that can allow Martial Artists at the Spirit Concealment Realm Great Perfection to open their own acupoints, communicate with the world's vital energy, and become Spirit Aperture Realm Martial Artists.

Currently, Chen Fan has already cultivated to the Spirit Concealment Realm Great Perfection, but because he lacks a Spirit Aperture Realm cultivation method, he cannot break through to the Spirit Aperture Realm.

However, he has already deduced Body Tempering Fist into Heaven and Earth Grinding Disc Fist. Although it is also a Spirit Concealment Realm cultivation method, it is far more powerful than Body Tempering Fist.

If he were to re-cultivate Heaven and Earth Grinding Disc Fist, his strength could still be improved. Since he cannot improve vertically, he can broaden horizontally. This is also a path to enhance his own strength!

"Head Constable Lu, do you have any Spirit Aperture Realm cultivation methods?"

Chen Fan asked.

"Yes."

"But due to restrictions, I cannot teach it to you. As a Jinyiwei, you naturally know about the inheritance of cultivation methods."

"What, are you already considering breaking through to the Spirit Aperture Realm?"

"With your talent and strength, after we clear out all the Demonic Creatures in Ping'an County together, you will definitely be promoted to a Jinyiwei Hundred-Household Officer."

"At that time, you can use your Merit Points within the Jinyiwei to go to the Jinyiwei Commander's Office in Longyuan Prefecture and exchange for a Spirit Aperture Realm cultivation method without any issues."

"If you really can't wait, as long as you display your talent and strength, you can go directly to the Jinyiwei Commander's Office and pre-emptively borrow a Spirit Aperture Realm cultivation method. It's not impossible."

"After all, our Great Zhou Dynasty treats Martial Dao Geniuses with exceptional favor. No one will deliberately hinder your progress in breaking through realms."

Lu Xuenning looked at Chen Fan and said.