Success Awaits the Wind and Thunder

The next morning, the frost had yet to fade.

Qin Meng was already up, practicing his saber techniques in the small courtyard. The sound of the blade slicing through the air startled the sparrows under the eaves, and the blade's gleam carved cold streaks into the dim morning light.

Inside the house, several ceramic vats were piled high with meat.

A single blood-scaled deer yielded four or five hundred catties of clean meat, and with the rock demon python added to the mix, there was enough to last for quite some time.

Shen Qiuyue had already salted and cured the majority of it, while the rest hung in the kitchen to be smoked. The scent of meat mixed with the smell of pine smoke, lingering in the air since dawn.

Today, the craftsmen continued to arrive to repair this dilapidated home.

He had no intention of heading up the mountain to hunt, focusing instead on diligently practicing the evil-slaying blade-breaking saber.

Even if a profound-tier martial skill was difficult to master, it could not stop his hard work. As he practiced over and over again, the proficiency of his saber technique on the panel rose steadily.

Qin Meng's attainments in swordsmanship were not low, and a mysterious, profound realization welled up in his heart, causing his understanding of this saber technique to deepen continuously.

News always traveled faster than the wind.

The story of Qin Meng hunting two deer alone and paying off a hundred taels of debt had become the talk of the town in a short time.

Luming Fort relied on the mountain for its livelihood; who didn't know that a single spotted deer could be worth dozens of taels of silver?

There were no shortage of people who were green with envy.

"If that good-for-nothing drunkard can bag them, why can't we, trained men, do the same?"

"Let's go, to the mountain!"

At first, it was just two or three bold hunters carrying hunting forks and bows to test the waters.

By the third day, it had become a trend—young men called out to their friends, bringing dry rations into the mountains before dawn, as if the entire mountain were filled with running silver.

But the deer herd had long since scattered.

The lead deer had been cut down by Qin Meng's blade that day, and the rest had fled in terror, hiding in some unknown deep ravine.

For three days in a row, the crowd didn't even see a single hair of a deer. However, there were many more wild rabbits and roe deer in the forest than usual, and everyone had a decent harvest.

This undoubtedly fueled their arrogance even further.

However, at dusk on the fourth day, it was as if a basin of cold water had been poured over their heads.

Five hunters who had ventured deep into the forest together encountered a wolf pack on Pine Forest Slope. Only three returned with injuries; one had his neck bitten through, and by the time he was dragged back, he was already dead.

According to the survivors, the wolf pack on the periphery numbered no less than a hundred.

One after another, many people fled down the mountain, all of them bearing more or less severe injuries.

This news swept through the fortress like a storm, causing an instant uproar.

The hot-blooded young men who had been eager for action suddenly wilted.

Even if they hunted a massive beast, no matter how much silver they earned, they still needed their lives to spend it.

The village head and the militia organized a watch overnight, going door-to-door to warn the hunters to be careful.

When Qin Meng received the notice, he was in the courtyard watching the craftsmen patch the walls and repair the house. He shook his head and sighed, "Men die for wealth."

Old Hunter Wang had already warned that a wolf pack was prowling about.

Qin Meng had also emphasized a few days ago that the pack was nearby and could reach the perimeter at any moment. Some in the fortress refused to listen; it is hard to save a fool from his own fate.

Aside from this, another matter was spreading through the fortress.

Qin Wang had brought his brother Qin Lai to apologize, and the two sides had buried the hatchet. The story was told with such vivid detail that it became the talk of the town.

For these three days, Qin Meng had not stepped a foot outside his small courtyard.

The craftsmen were fed meat at every meal, so they worked with extra vigor.

Work that should have taken five or six days was finished in just four.

The dilapidated courtyard took on a brand-new look: the foundation was reinforced, the outer walls were patched with blue bricks, and the roof beams and tiles were all replaced.

The old door was torn down and replaced with a thick wooden door reinforced with iron plating. When the bolt slid home, it made a heavy, solid thud that brought a sense of security.

The carpenter delivered the newly crafted table, chairs, and cabinets. Though they were made of common pine, they were polished smooth and built to last.

Shen Qiuyue had been looking much healthier lately. She wore a thick, padded skirt and jacket, her dark hair tied up in a bun, adorned with the jade hairpin Qin Meng had given her.

Holding Xiao Xue, she stood in the courtyard, possessing the refined air of a young lady from a wealthy family.

The women passing by could not help but cast glances her way.

"That girl Qiuyue is getting more beautiful by the day."

"Qin Meng has finally come to his senses; he really has talent. It's only been a few days..."

"I heard they're eating meat at every meal, tsk tsk."

The old gossip about her being a "husband-killer" or "cursed" had quietly transformed into whispers of envy.

Qin Meng's senses were sharp, and he heard every word clearly as he passed by with firewood. This was exactly what he wanted; his woman deserved a life that made others jealous.

During the house repairs, he had not been idle.

When he wasn't supervising the work, he was practicing his martial skill day and night.

The evil-slaying blade-breaking saber, black dragon eighteen hands, and berserker spear technique were practiced in turn.

At night, he not only taught Shen Qiuyue some basics but also dragged Li Tiezhu over to serve as a sparring partner.

With the meat of the blood-scaled deer and the rock demon python as nourishment, and someone to feed him moves in live combat, the proficiency of his three martial skills soared.

Evil-slaying blade-breaking saber - Proficient (376/500)

Black dragon eighteen hands - Proficient (979/1000), just one step away from minor accomplishment.

The berserker spear technique had progressed the fastest during the consecutive days of sparring, reaching Proficient (476/500); another bout tonight would surely lead to a breakthrough.

At this moment, it was nearly the end of September.

The temperature in the Northern Frontier plummeted continuously. The cold wind grew stronger.

Qin Meng was shirtless, practicing his punches in the small courtyard. As he unleashed the black dragon eighteen hands, fist shadows flew, and the whistling wind shredded the falling withered leaves.

His mind was immersed in the movements, every grab, throw, and strike as natural and fluid as flowing water.

On the panel, the proficiency climbed slowly but steadily.

The blood and qi within his body surged along with it, like an underground river gradually coming to a boil.

At a certain moment, he suddenly felt a burning heat in the meridians of his arms, and the sound of his blood rushing could be faintly heard.

Wisps of blood and qi poured into his arms, his muscles slightly bulged, and the veins writhed like earthworms.

This is the moment—

Qin Meng exhaled and shouted, throwing a punch. A gust of wind whipped up with a howl.

"Boom!"

A blood-colored fist shadow shot out from his body, and the tree stump two zhang away exploded on impact, wood chips scattering everywhere.

His chest heaved violently, sweat pouring down like rain, and a few lines of small text appeared before his eyes:

[Black dragon eighteen hands - Minor Accomplishment (1/1000)]

[Special Effects: Killing intent convergence, weakness detection, black dragon slaughter, charged finishing blow]

[Special Status: Grappling (Minor Accomplishment)]

Special Status - Grappling: Increases combat power by 40% during night battles or in confined spaces. Increases damage by 60% when facing alien races or evil-path martial artists.

New special effect, charged finishing blow: Consumes blood and qi to build momentum, dealing massive damage to the target. For targets in a controlled state (grappled, tripped, stunned), damage is multiplied, and a finishing blow effect is triggered.

As the martial skill reached minor accomplishment, not only was a new killing move added, but the original special effects were also enhanced.

This move, "Stored Power Fatal Strike," was terrifyingly powerful, but it consumed a massive amount of blood energy. Given Qin Meng's current foundation, he would be exhausted after throwing three punches at most; it was not to be used lightly unless it was a matter of life and death.

He grabbed a cloth to wipe his sweat, and a sudden, intense hunger surged in his gut. Turning back to the house, he saw Shen Qiuyue inside, engaged in physical training.

The woman was dressed in a short jacket, performing squats while carrying a heavy load on her back. Her cheeks were flushed red, and her hair was damp with sweat, yet she bit her lip and persisted.

Having consumed beast meat for several days, her figure had become slightly fuller, and her strength had increased significantly. She had adapted to the physical training and was gradually increasing the intensity.

It was not that Qin Meng had a penchant for drilling soldiers.

This world was fraught with crises; alien races and ferocious beasts could descend at any moment.

Only if Shen Qiuyue could master martial arts and protect herself could he go out with peace of mind.

She understood this, so she never complained about the hardship, and her progress was quite rapid.

Xiao Xue was curled up in its little nest, its palm-sized body looking a rounder. The injury on its hind leg had healed seven or eight parts, and it was currently squinting and dozing off.

Qin Meng walked into the newly renovated kitchen to light the fire and cook. Before long, the rich aroma of meat began to permeate the air.

As the twilight deepened, Li Tiezhu arrived carrying his iron spear.

He had gained a great deal from their sparring sessions over the past few days. Not only had his Pear Blossom Spear and Savage Bull Fist progressed rapidly, but with every meal consisting of beast meat, his blood energy had become increasingly abundant, and his strength had surged by two or three hundred jin, leading to a significant increase in his combat prowess.

After the meal, the two of them sparred in the courtyard.

Li Tiezhu knew that although this brother of his had not officially cultivated, his strength was unfathomable, so he went all out from the start. His spear struck like a dragon, producing sharp whistling sounds as it cut through the air.

The spear in Qin Meng's hand was even faster.

This long spear was of excellent quality; Li Tiezhu had brought it from home, calling it "meal money." Unable to refuse, Qin Meng had accepted it.

The spear tips collided, sending sparks flying.

After half an hour of intense fighting, Qin Meng's spear technique became increasingly proficient. The proficiency of [Berserker Spear Technique - Mastery] on his panel climbed steadily until it reached a certain critical point—

"Clang!"

He forced Li Tiezhu back with one strike, and a surging power suddenly erupted from the depths of his bone marrow, washing over every inch of his flesh and blood, strengthening his body.

Before his eyes, a few lines of text reappeared:

[Berserker Spear Technique - Minor Success (3/1000)]

[Special Effect "Berserker Stance" strengthened: Significantly enhances body agility and lower-body stability.]

[New Special Effect "Armor Piercing": When using spear or lance-type weapons, effectively penetrate heavy armor.]

Afterward, the two exchanged a few more rounds of hand-to-hand combat.

"Zhuzi, I have some business tomorrow night. Let's train again the day after," Qin Meng said specifically as he saw Li Tiezhu out that night.

"Got it." Li Tiezhu didn't ask any questions and left with his spear on his shoulder.

The courtyard gate closed. Qin Meng stood alone in the twilight, rubbing the iron spear in his hand and looking toward the direction of the town. The cold light in his eyes could no longer be suppressed.