Martial Skill Pavilion

Zhu Ping'an picked up the business card and took a glance at it, unable to stop himself from sucking in a sharp breath.

The first line on the card clearly displayed a shocking number—36, followed by a big E!

On that tiny card, a brief yet vivid description of those enviable measurements had Zhu Ping'an utterly captivated.

To think someone would write something like that on a business card! It was downright scandalous. Zhu Ping'an decided he would find a dark, moonless night and give them a proper scolding.

After reading the card, Zhu Ping'an took out his own identity token.

The token had been carved from Jade Marrow, and the words "Zhu Ping'an" were written on it. With a Warrior Identity Token, he could go to the Quest Hall to take on missions and earn handsome rewards.

Beyond the towering city walls, foreign demons and monsters were everywhere, and danger lurked at every turn. Yet alongside the danger, their arrival had brought humanity considerable wealth. Hunting monsters could yield enormous profits.

Take the monster known as the Ram Devilman, for example. They were lecherous by nature and could mate with all kinds of species, so their kidneys had excellent aphrodisiac effects and were beloved by many wealthy merchants.

A single fresh Ram Devilman Kidney could easily sell for a hundred thousand, and each Ram Devilman had six kidneys.

In other words, hunting one Ram Devilman was equivalent to earning six hundred thousand.

However, Ram Devilmen were as strong as a First Rank Peak Warrior, and they always traveled in groups. Zhu Ping'an wasn't strong enough to provoke the things yet.

After all, Ram Devilmen went for both men and women. Zhu Ping'an had no desire to go from * to O.

He first headed to the Martial Skill Pavilion. The martial skills housed there were the crystallization of countless Human Race warriors' knowledge, making it one of the most important places in Green City.

Once someone became a warrior, they could freely browse the skills in the Martial Skill Pavilion and choose one to take with them.

As he approached the Martial Skill Pavilion, the noise around him died down noticeably. Even those who spoke did so in hushed whispers, a stark contrast to the bustle outside.

Two old men in security uniforms were dozing off, one on either side of the Pavilion's entrance. They were sleeping so soundly that drool ran from their mouths.

The two old men had fewer than four teeth between them, but Zhu Ping'an didn't dare underestimate them. The guards stationed at the entrance of the Martial Skill Pavilion might well be hidden dragons returned to the world. He respectfully gave them a student's salute and spoke aloud.

"Honored seniors, I am student Zhu Ping'an. I was fortunate enough to become a First-Rank Warrior, and would like to choose a martial skill from the Pavilion."

Neither old man acknowledged him. They continued snoring away, so Zhu Ping'an bowed again.

"Thank you, honored seniors."

Only then did he step into the Martial Skill Pavilion.

After he passed through the entrance, the old man on the left opened his eyes and spoke in a sinister voice.

"That kid was pretty polite. His Qi and Blood Value is close to two hundred, isn't it?"

The old man on the right nodded.

"More or less. He probably took quite a few Qi and Blood Pills, on top of having decent natural talent."

At that, a glint flashed in the left old man's cloudy eyes. He then rolled over and went back to sleep.

Once inside the Martial Skill Pavilion, Zhu Ping'an headed straight for the area where the martial skills were kept. There, row upon row of ancient texts had been neatly arranged for people to browse.

"Leg Techniques... Fist Techniques... Palm Techniques... Blade Techniques... Sword Techniques... Spear Techniques..."

The dazzling array of martial skills made Zhu Ping'an's eyes swim. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.

His choice of a first martial skill would directly affect his score in the College Entrance Examination, so he had to consider it carefully. He settled his mind and began browsing through the different skills.

"Soaring Dragon Swordplay: When used, the body moves like a soaring dragon, elusive and shadowless; the sword strikes, and the enemy falls."

"Lightning Five-Consecutive-Whips: Said to be a martial skill passed down by a Martial God. The first whip shakes ghosts and gods; the second shatters mountains and rivers; the third annihilates all living things; the fourth rends the firmament; the fifth splits heaven and earth!"

"Iron Mountain Lean: Practice leaning backward 36,000 times a day for two and a half years, and you can reach mastery. At the peak, your shoulders will be like gold and jade, impervious to blades and spears, fire and water. One charge, and mountains crumble and the earth splits!"

"Joyful Three Swords..."

Just as Zhu Ping'an was carefully choosing a martial skill, a long sword fell from the sky, pierced straight through the roof of the Martial Skill Pavilion, and shot toward him.

"Who dares to cause a disturbance here!" x2

Two voices rang out almost simultaneously. The two old men in security uniforms at the entrance of the Martial Skill Pavilion rose at the same time and rushed toward the sword.

They struck together, and Yin-Yang Taiji appeared in their palms, stopping the sword as firmly as an iron fortress.

Watching the two old men hover in midair, Zhu Ping'an felt a surge of relief. Thankfully, he hadn't mistaken these two frail-looking old men for mere security guards. The ability to hover in the air was something only Fifth-Rank Warriors and above could manage.

In any city, a Fifth-Rank Warrior was a figure of some renown.

"It's a misunderstanding, teachers, a misunderstanding! The sword ran off on its own again!"

A white-haired old man hurried over. Zhu Ping'an recognized him at once: he was the old man who had slipped him Qi and Blood Pills the other day. This fellow was... the Mayor of Green City!

"Little Lin, what's going on? You're a grown man, and you can't even keep a sword under control?" one of the security guards scolded. His spit landed right on Mayor Lin Zhao's face, yet Lin Zhao only smiled apologetically, not daring to say a word.

"Old Yang is right to scold me, but there's nothing I can do. This sword has already given birth to a Sword Spirit, and it refuses to submit to me," Lin Zhao said with a bitter smile.

"Oh?"

The other security guard, who had yet to speak, seemed intrigued. He reached out and grabbed the sword, then examined it. Afterward, he lowered his eyes and looked toward Zhu Ping'an.

"This sword already has someone in mind as its master. Little Lin, kill that kid, or the sword won't submit to you."

The old man's gaze made Zhu Ping'an's heart flutter with unease. What level of existence did an old man have to be to call the Mayor of Green City Little Lin? And someone like that wanted to kill him?

But he soon regained his composure. The plot's existence was just like the will of heaven itself. Never mind these two old men—even if a legendary Ninth-Rank Warrior showed up, Zhu Ping'an believed they still couldn't kill him.

"Old Yin, stop joking around. If I were to snuff out a Human Race genius over a sword, would I still deserve to sit in the mayor's seat?" Lin Zhao said with a bitter smile.

"Never mind. I'll do it for you!" Old Yin moved like a ghost. In almost the blink of an eye, he was in front of Zhu Ping'an. Zhu Ping'an could even clearly see the wrinkles on Old Yin's face, like orange peel. Yet his expression remained perfectly calm.

Seeing Zhu Ping'an's composure, Old Yin let out a soft gasp, seemingly unable to understand why he was so calm.

"Kid, aren't you afraid of dying?"