The sky gradually darkened as night slowly spread its curtain.
It was around seven in the evening.
Inside the inn room, Fang Hong held a martial arts manual, reading by candlelight.
Written on the cover were the words "Crane Hand."
This manual was naturally one of the techniques Zhou Chengyuan and the other two had sent over.
Less than an hour after the three had left the inn, they had each sent someone to deliver their chosen manuals to Xuan Yue Inn.
The three of them had sent a total of thirteen martial arts manuals.
Wu Pengjing of the Sea Sand Gang had sent four, Town Chief Zhang Wenbin had sent four, while Zhou Chengyuan, head of the Zhou Family, had sent five.
The levels of the techniques they sent were more or less the same.
One was at the Bone Refinement level, three were at the Skin Refinement level, and the rest were fairly ordinary Flesh Refinement techniques.
However, while those Flesh Refinement techniques were lower in level, they were still rather exquisite.
At the very least, they were far more refined than the Military Formation Saber Art and Horse Stance Fang Hong had practiced before.
If Fang Hong had not relied on the Golden Finger's ability to cultivate those two techniques to their absolute perfection, to the transcendent realm,
an ordinary person would never have been able to rely on those two techniques to reach Flesh Refinement Mastery.
However, looking at the number and levels of the techniques the three had sent,
Fang Hong guessed that they must have discussed it beforehand.
Otherwise, how could there be such a coincidence?
Then Fang Hong thought of the terms the three had previously agreed to.
Perhaps they had discussed those long ago as well.
Though he had raised his demands, he was still no match for these shrewd old hands who had roamed the martial world for decades.
But it did not matter.
When he had agreed to their proposal, Fang Hong had already considered it carefully.
Even if the terms he had proposed were still too low, it was nothing.
In any case, he certainly would not lose out.
What he wanted were martial arts manuals, as well as a detailed understanding of this world from the three of them.
Especially information on Martial Dao Sects, and the requirements for joining one.
Having the backing and support of a sect was absolutely more reliable than drifting left and right through the martial world on his own.
As long as he could join a Martial Dao Sect, his strength would definitely rise rapidly.
After reading for a while longer and turning Crane Hand to its final page,
Fang Hong finally let out a breath and put down the manual in his hand.
Previously, he had cultivated techniques one at a time, so he had not noticed.
This time, after suddenly going through thirteen martial arts manuals at once,
Fang Hong discovered another hidden function of his Golden Finger.
As long as he had read a technique and it had been recorded by the Golden Finger panel,
the relevant contents of that technique would be firmly imprinted in his mind.
There was no need for him to waste effort memorizing them by rote.
Thus, after recording the contents of those thirteen techniques, Fang Hong directly burned the manuals.
Great Falling Monument Hand: Perfected Iron Leg Skill: Beginner (0/100) Zhongping Spear Art: First Layer (0/100) Cloud Piercing Palm: First Layer (0/100) Jade Scale Body Tempering Technique: Beginner (0/100) Flying Crane Fist: Beginner (0/100) Mountain Shaking Fist: Beginner (0/100) ... Horse Stance: Perfected
Among the thirteen newly acquired techniques, Zhongping Spear Art was the one at the Bone Refinement level.
Cloud Piercing Palm, Jade Scale Body Tempering Technique, and Flying Crane Fist were the three Skin Refinement techniques.
The rest were merely Flesh Refinement techniques.
The good news was that he could cultivate every one of them.
Once he cultivated all these techniques to the perfected realm,
even if his cultivation realm did not improve much, his overall combat strength would definitely see a considerable increase.
Moreover, they could shore up some of his weaknesses and make his methods in battle more complete and varied.
The bad news, however, was that
there were simply too many techniques waiting for him to cultivate.
Including the Iron Leg Skill he had yet to cultivate earlier,
there were now a full fourteen techniques waiting for him to practice!
Thinking of this, Fang Hong could not help rubbing his head with a headache.
"With so many techniques to cultivate, it'll probably take a whole week to bring them all to the perfected realm this time."
Just thinking about it made his scalp tingle.
But if anyone else learned what he was thinking, they would probably be covered in question marks.
What the hell kind of wild nonsense are you spouting?
Seven days to cultivate fourteen techniques to the perfected realm.
If it were them, they would all go mad!
Knock, knock, knock~
At that moment, a knock sounded at the door.
"Mr. Fang, Elder Zhou has ordered me to escort you to the docks."
A man's voice sounded from outside.
Hearing this, Fang Hong raised a brow. "Understood."
Fang Hong then followed the man to the docks.
Fenshui Town lay beside a Fen River tributary, and its waterborne trade was thriving.
If it had been daytime, the place would likely have been filled with merchants and dockworkers carrying goods.
But it was already night, and compared to the daytime, the docks were much quieter.
"Mr. Fang!"
Zhou Chengyuan and the other two had long been waiting there with their men. Seeing Fang Hong arrive, they immediately greeted him respectfully.
"Mr. Fang, I do not understand martial arts, so I will be unable to travel with you this time."
"This is my clansman, Zhang Wenshan. He will be going in my place this time. I hope Mr. Fang can look after him."
Zhang Wenbin pointed to a middle-aged man beside him dressed in fitted martial attire and introduced him to Fang Hong.
"Mm."
Fang Hong nodded.
"Since Mr. Fang has arrived, let us set off at once. Mr. Fang, please!"
"Mr. Fang, please!"
Seeing that it was about time, Zhou Chengyuan spoke immediately.
Fang Hong then boarded a large ship with the others.
After boarding, Zhou Chengyuan looked at Fang Hong. "Night has only just fallen. Does Mr. Fang wish to rest first?"
"If you are not in a hurry, this old man has prepared some simple food. I hope Mr. Fang will honor us with your presence."
Fang Hong raised his brows slightly. "Then I'll trouble the Zhou Family head."
He had been meaning to ask about joining a Martial Dao Sect anyway.
Thus, the group went to a large room where a full table of delicacies and fine wine had already been prepared.
Next, as they sampled the food and wine,
Fang Hong began chatting with the three of them.
Naturally, he raised the questions that concerned him.
Setting aside the fact that Fang Hong was stronger than them, they were also currently asking him for help.
Naturally, they held nothing back in answering Fang Hong's questions, telling him everything they knew.
One of the three controlled the Sea Sand Gang and commanded water transport across a vast region.
One had grown wise with age, broad in knowledge and rich in experience.
The last came from a great clan and had ties to the authorities, so naturally what he had seen and heard was beyond what ordinary people could compare to.
Thus, with each of the three adding a sentence, Fang Hong's understanding of this world soon became clearer and more comprehensive.
Before you continue