Blade Rises, Bear Heart Burns

As the sun set, Luming Fort gradually grew lively.

Hunters and farmers returned home one after another. Wisps of cooking smoke rose into the air, carrying the scent of meals and firewood.

In the alleys, children chased and played while women leaned against doorways calling for their sons. Occasional barks and crowing wove together into the unique clamor of the fort at dusk.

Qin Meng, carrying his bow and a sheathed blade, walked quietly back along the path from the rear mountain while clutching a heavy cloth bag.

He intentionally avoided crowded areas, choosing secluded alleys and moving quickly through the shadows of the walls.

Soon, he arrived before his old wooden door.

"Creeeak—"

The sound of the door opening startled the person inside.

Shen Qiuyue poked her head out from the inner room, holding an old garment she had been mending. Seeing it was Qin Meng, her brows relaxed, and she set down her needle and thread to welcome him.

"Mengzi, why are you today..."

Her words cut off abruptly, and her face turned pale.

Qin Meng's coarse hunting clothes were soaked in large patches of blood. The cuffs were torn, and although the stains had dried, a heavy, pungent scent of blood still wafted toward her.

"Are you hurt?" She hurried forward, reaching out to check him.

"I'm not hurt." Qin Meng gripped her slightly cool hand and lied. "It's from the prey."

Shen Qiuyue looked up at him, and seeing his breathing was steady, her heart calmed slightly. However, seeing the smooth, clean-cut gashes on his clothes, her eyes filled with doubt.

But she did not ask further, only whispering, "Change out of these clothes first. I'll go boil some water."

"No rush."

Qin Meng closed the door behind him and set the prey down, which landed with a dull thud.

Only then did Shen Qiuyue notice the abundance in the bag: seven or eight pheasants and hares, plus a plump hog badger. She couldn't help but gasp.

"Oh, so many?"

"Yeah." Qin Meng replied casually, pulling a bulging money pouch from his chest and dumping it onto the only wooden table in the room with a clatter.

He had earned ninety-eight taels and seven mace today, plus over two hundred copper coins.

The silver pieces and copper coins formed a small pile, gleaming with an alluring luster in the dim twilight.

Shen Qiuyue covered her mouth as she counted, her eyes filled with astonishment.

She spent her days in the fortress washing and mending clothes, earning no more than a few hundred coppers a month. To her, this sum of money was nothing short of a fortune; she wouldn't have dared to even dream of it.

"Mengzi, this, this..."

"Heaven is providing for us. I ran into a valuable catch."

Qin Meng didn't say much more, taking out oil-paper parcels from his cloth bag as proof.

As the three layers of oil paper were peeled back, that dark red demon heart was revealed.

Though it had been separated from the body for some time, it was still warm, pulsing slightly and radiating a dense blood fiend power.

Shen Qiuyue's breath hitched. Her face turned deathly pale, and she instinctively took half a step back.

"This is the bear heart, and this is the bear gallbladder." Qin Meng set the bear heart aside and took the bamboo tube from his waist, inside which sat that golden bear gallbladder.

Seeing this, Shen Qiuyue finally believed him, a look of relief washing over her face.

"With this, we have enough money to pay off the debt."

"No rush to pay it back. When that bastard comes to collect, I want to see what kind of tricks he has up his sleeve." Qin Meng smiled at the woman, a cold glint flashing in the depths of his eyes.

Just then, his stomach let out a thunderous rumble.

Qin Meng grinned. "Sister Qiuyue, I'm hungry."

"I'll make something right away." Shen Qiuyue snapped back to reality and hurriedly replied. She glanced at the eerily pulsing bear heart. "Then this, how should I prepare it?"

"Just boil it in clear water," Qin Meng said without hesitation.

On the way back, he had already decided that after eating the bear heart, he would practice his blade work.

The bear heart was a treasure, containing abundant life-blood energy. It had miraculous effects for those who practiced martial arts, even better than supplements, and could sell for dozens of taels of silver.

After speaking, he picked up the cloth bag and walked to the well in the courtyard, nimbly processing his prey.

Inside the house, Shen Qiuyue lit the oil lamp, started a fire, set up the iron pot, ladled in water, and carefully placed the dark red bear heart into the clear water.

The stove fire crackled, and steam rose.

The woman moved with practiced efficiency, washing the rice, setting it to steam, and preparing snake meat soup, roast chicken, and two side dishes of greens. The aroma of the food quickly filled the room.

"Mengzi, dinner is ready!"

Qin Meng had just finished processing the prey by the well when he heard the woman's call.

Tonight's dinner was incredibly sumptuous.

Qin Meng devoured the food ravenously, his thoughts racing:

Strength surged, wealth was secured, and food was seized—the harvest was tangible.

However, the hidden dangers were also clear: with Song Zhong and the others reduced to nothing, Qin Lai would certainly grow suspicious.

The mountain bandits were an even bigger problem; they would likely come for revenge.

"When soldiers come, block them; when water comes, earth covers it." A cold glint flashed in Qin Meng's eyes. At this moment, there was little trepidation in his heart, only the resolve to kill.

This was the confidence brought about by his increased strength!

As long as he was strong enough, none of these problems would be problems at all.

Shen Qiuyue fished out the boiled bear heart, placed it in an earthenware bowl, and brought it over. Boiled in clear water, the bloody stench had faded, but the malevolent aura of the blood remained potent.

Qin Meng took it, unfazed by the heat, and began to feast.

Ordinary people would not dare to eat the heart of a demonic beast like this, but Qin Meng had fused three talents and possessed a formidable physique; he could withstand eating it directly.

Even so, he could only finish a small portion before he could eat no more—the blood-energy contained within the bear heart was simply too abundant.

Once the bear heart entered his stomach, Qin Meng felt as if a furnace had been lit inside him.

A scalding hot current exploded, surging through his body. Beads of sweat instantly broke out on his forehead, and his skin flushed an unnatural red.

"Mengzi?" Shen Qiuyue asked, worried.

"I'm fine." Qin Meng waved his hand, his voice slightly hoarse.

He took a deep breath, suppressing his roiling blood, and stood up to walk into the courtyard.

With energy overflowing, even excessive, it was the perfect time to practice.

Qin Meng lifted his blade and stood in the center of the yard, closing his eyes to focus. Scenes of the day's combat flashed through his mind:

The demonic bear's pounce, the blade light of the bandits, the life-or-death killing blow...

Recalling it now, he had different insights.

This body, combined with his blade techniques, should carve out a path different from the one before.

"The eight blade breaking techniques emphasize momentum over form." He suddenly opened his eyes, his long blade cutting through the air.

"Hum—"

The blade edge sliced through the night, bringing with it a shrill whistle.

There were no fixed patterns, only the simplest slashes, hacks, and sweeps, but every strike carried the ruthlessness honed through actual combat. An invisible baleful aura condensed with the momentum of the blade, and a faint black glow gradually coated the gleaming steel.

Qin Meng was completely immersed. Within his body, the heat transformed from the bear heart resonated with the blood-energy stirred by his blade techniques, circulating endlessly as power surged like a tide.

On the panel, the proficiency and martial arts progress of the eight blade breaking techniques jumped rapidly.

Half an hour later, Qin Meng sheathed his blade and returned to the house, swallowing the remaining bulk of the bear heart in one go.

Inside his body, a more violent wave of heat exploded!

He let out a low growl and swung his blade, each strike faster than the last, each strike heavier than the one before.

Qin Meng was completely immersed in the rhythm; his movements and the blade light accelerated, becoming increasingly fierce.

As he practiced over and over again, a sharp aura rushed outward, carving shallow marks into the ground. His figure and the blade became almost indistinguishable as they intertwined.

The moon shifted to the center of the sky, and the night deepened.

It was not until the heat flow in his body had completely subsided and merged into his sinews and bones that Qin Meng finally stopped.

[Eight Blade Breaking Techniques - Minor Accomplishment (379/1000)]

With the assistance of the bear heart, the proficiency of the eight blade breaking techniques had surged significantly.

He exhaled a breath of turbid air, walked to the well, drew a bucket of icy water, and poured it over his head. As the cold water touched his scorching skin, a large cloud of white steam rose up. The flowing water washed away the blood and sweat, carrying away his fatigue as well.

Under the moonlight, his physique was streamlined and sturdy, his muscles well-defined, harboring explosive power.

After changing into clean clothes and returning to the room, the oil lamp was still lit.

Shen Qiuyue sat under the lamp, mending his torn garment.

The dim yellow halo outlined her slender neck and focused profile, with a few stray hairs falling against her cheeks.

Qin Meng looked at her, and the heat that had been suppressed by the cold water surged again without warning, more fierce and intense than before.

It was the instinctive agitation of boiling blood and qi, as well as the surging of suppressed emotions.

He walked over, said nothing, and swept her up into his arms.

"Ah, Mengzi..." Shen Qiuyue let out a soft cry. She looked up to meet Qin Meng's eyes, which were burning brightly in the darkness. Her heart skipped a beat, and her cheeks turned bright red.

The lamp flame flickered violently from the breeze they created.

That night, with mutual affection, it was a truly hearty battle.

Having consumed the bear heart, Qin Meng's blood and qi were boiling, and he knew no fatigue, acting like a wild beast. It was not until the person in his arms begged for mercy with a tearful voice that he let out a low roar, like a volcanic eruption, and finally fell into a deep sleep while holding her delicate body.

Under the same moonlight, Luming Fort was silent.

Only the Qin residence remained brightly lit, where Qin Lai paced anxiously in the main hall.