Insufficiencies and Gains

Qin Meng raced through the alleys!

The bundle on his shoulder was heavy, but his steps never faltered. He had long since committed his escape route to memory—over the low walls behind three houses, into a narrow lane, across a ditch, and the earthen wall at the edge of town was already in sight.

He slipped into the mountain woods and leaned against an old tree, slowly letting out his breath.

His right arm still tingled with soreness.

Zhao Tie was, after all, a proper Body Forging Realm martial artist. He was already astonishingly strong, and his final burst of burning blood had nearly doubled his power.

If Qin Meng's physique hadn't been strengthened again and again, and if he hadn't had the talents "Iron Back" and "Thick Skin and Fleshy" to take the blow, his tendons and bones might have been damaged.

"Body Forging Realm..." Qin Meng murmured, a spark of fire flickering in his eyes.

After this battle, he had a much clearer understanding of his own strength:

In terms of physique and strength alone, he was no weaker than an ordinary early-stage Body Forging Realm martial artist, and might even have a slight edge. The difference lay in how well he could direct and wield his "qi and blood."

When ordinary people exerted themselves, their strength dispersed through their limbs.

But martial artists—even those only in the Boiling Blood Realm—could use their qi and blood to gather their strength into a single force and unleash it at one point, multiplying its power. Those who had reached the peak of the Body Forging Realm could even release their qi and blood beyond their bodies, shielding themselves from blows.

Qin Meng's situation was rather unusual.

Thanks to his talents and powerful physique, wisps of qi and blood had already formed inside him. But without a cultivation method to guide them, he couldn't wield them effectively—like someone guarding a treasure trove but lacking the key.

"I'm still missing a cultivation method..." He clenched his fist without thinking, and his knuckles crackled.

He had killed Zhao Tie through sheer strength, his talents, and the combat experience he had forged between life and death.

But what if he ran into a late-stage Body Forging Realm opponent, or someone at an even higher realm? He would probably have no choice but to flee—and might not even get away.

He had to get stronger, as quickly as possible.

Finding a suitable cultivation method had become his most urgent need.

Pushing those thoughts aside, Qin Meng loosened one corner of the bundle. With his exceptional eyesight, he quickly counted his spoils:

Six banknotes worth five hundred taels each, along with more than ten notes worth one hundred and fifty taels.

Pure government silver, ten taels to an ingot—eighty ingots in all.

Eight cold porcelain bottles, each containing ten dark red Blood Replenishing Pills the size of longans.

Medicinal herbs: twelve Tendon Strengthening Grass plants with purplish leaves, and three Bone Strengthening Flowers with smooth, ivory-white petals.

In total, three thousand eight hundred and fifty taels in banknotes, eight hundred taels in silver ingots, eighty Blood Replenishing Pills, twelve Tendon Strengthening Grass plants, and three Bone Strengthening Flowers.

A windfall—and precious resources for martial training.

"The next step is to get my hands on a cultivation method." Qin Meng's gaze sharpened. He rewrapped the items, then took an old spare bundle from the grass.

He changed into the tattered padded jacket inside. The muscles in his face shifted, and his bone structure quietly changed. Then he turned and vanished into the darkness.

Behind him, Linshan Town had already erupted into chaos.

A deafening crash and shouts of battle first came from the Lin residence, followed by wails that shook the heavens.

The martial halls and the town's self-defense force had been roused. Torches streamed toward the western end of town like a blazing dragon.

The urgent clang of gongs shattered the stillness of the night.

Within half an hour, all kinds of horrifying rumors had already spread like wildfire:

"The owner of Hongyun Gambling House was slaughtered, along with everyone in his home!"

"Leiming Martial Hall got hit too! A Body Forging Realm master was killed!"

"They say bandits did it! The man called himself Timely Rain Song Jiang of Liangshan Marsh!"

Checkpoints sprang up at the town gates. The self-defense force searched in secret, going door to door and questioning unfamiliar faces. The whole town was thick with killing intent. But Qin Meng had already left town far behind, taking a roundabout route along a desolate path before returning to Luming Fort without a sound.

The Qin family's small courtyard, inner room.

Shen Qiuyue woke with a start, her heart suddenly pounding for no reason. She sat on the edge of the kang, gripping a ring-pommel short sword as she strained to hear the noises outside the window.

Rustle... The faintest footsteps stopped outside the courtyard.

The hour of Xu had long passed, and her man still hadn't come home. Who could be arriving in the dead of night?

She didn't dare think too deeply about it. Her palms felt icy, and her nails had unconsciously dug into her flesh.

Just then, a measured series of light knocks sounded at the courtyard gate:

"Knock, knock, knock—knock!" Three short knocks, then one long. It was their agreed-upon signal.

Shen Qiuyue sprang up and hurried to the gate. Lowering her voice, she asked with a faint tremble, "Mengzi? Is that you?"

"It's me."

The door opened a crack, and Qin Meng slipped inside sideways, then firmly bolted it behind him.

By the light of the tiny oil lamp on the table, Shen Qiuyue anxiously examined him. A little dust clung to his face, but his eyes were calm, and he didn't appear to be hurt.

The taut string inside her suddenly slackened. Only then did she realize that cold sweat had soaked her back.

"There's still porridge warming on the stove. I'll get you a bowl..." She turned to head for the kitchen.

Soon, the woman returned with millet porridge and soup.

Qin Meng took the bowl and chopsticks, then caught her by the wrist and set the inconspicuous old bundle from his shoulder on the table. "Sister Qiuyue, take a look at this first."

He untied the bundle.

Banknotes, silver ingots, porcelain bottles, herbs...

Even in the dim, flickering lamplight, they gleamed with a luster that stole the breath away.

Shen Qiuyue froze.

Without thinking, she picked up the top banknote and held it to the light. It was a Huitong Bank note, accepted throughout the dynasty, its vermilion seal clear as day.

The five-hundred-tael denomination leaped into view.

"Th-this much?" Her voice tightened. She looked up at Qin Meng. "Where did it come from?"

Qin Meng sat down on a stool and took a sip of snake soup before answering slowly, "Someone 'gave' it to me. You can figure out the details for yourself."

His tone was calm, but a cold glint passed through his eyes. "They took my hard-earned money and made you suffer. I had to get it all back, with interest."

Shen Qiuyue's eyes widened slightly. She understood at once.

She gripped the porcelain bottle in her hand until her knuckles turned pale. Remembering how resolutely the man had left, she realized that the creditor named Lin Hai had probably met his end.

"...You didn't leave any traces, did you?" she murmured, worry still clouding her face.

"No." Qin Meng watched her reaction, satisfied. She was a resilient woman, not the sort to go weak in the knees at the thought of killing.

He put down his bowl and chopsticks, his voice growing low. "I got the truth out of them. Someone deliberately pushed me into that ditch when I was drunk. It was Skinny Monkey."

Shen Qiuyue snapped her head up, a cold glint flashing in her eyes.

"Qin Lai was pulling the strings the whole time. Joining forces with Lin Hai to lend money and demand repayment was part of his plan, all to drive you into a corner and make you sign that deadly IOU.

"Once things reached that point, the authorities wouldn't be able to do much. You'd be at his mercy, and then..."

Qin Meng didn't finish, but his meaning was plain.

Shen Qiuyue's face turned deathly pale. Her nails dug deep into her palms, and the sharp pain cleared her muddled thoughts a little.

After a long silence, she raised her head. There were no tears in her eyes, only cold fury.

"Good. He deserved to die." She spoke one word at a time, her voice hard as iron.

Only then did a smile touch Qin Meng's face, carrying his usual bandit's swagger. "That's right. Anyone who dares touch my woman, I'll send straight to the afterlife."

Shen Qiuyue gazed at him, her feelings complicated. She was worried and shaken, but deeper still, an unprecedented sense of trust and warmth stirred within her.

She took a deep breath, forcing herself to stay calm. "But you have to be careful. I've heard the gambling house in town has powerful connections. The Lin Family won't let this go, and Qin Lai will be on his guard too."

"I know." Qin Meng nodded and tapped the items on the table with his finger. "Put these away carefully. Wrap the banknotes in oiled paper and sew them into a hidden place. Bury the silver ingots beneath the pagoda tree. As for these herbs..."

"I've heard of Blood Replenishing Pills." Shen Qiuyue picked up a porcelain bottle, her tone solemn. "The martial hall's disciples use them to build up their qi and blood and lay a solid foundation. One pill's medicinal power is equal to the nourishing effect of ten old hens."

"As for the herbs..." Her fingertips brushed over the rare plants. "Tendon Strengthening Grass and Bone Strengthening Flowers are both precious medicines. They're remarkably effective for tempering the tendons and bones."

"Then you have all the more reason to get started." Qin Meng reached out and drew her into his arms. "Out here on the northern frontier, if your fists aren't strong, you can't protect a thing."

"Tomorrow, try taking one Blood Replenishing Pill. Once your body has recovered to its best, start practicing Five Elements Fist and try to draw out your qi and blood."

"All right!" Shen Qiuyue leaned against his solid chest and nodded firmly. Her small fists clenched, and a resolve unlike any she had felt before kindled in her eyes.

The two said no more, silently getting to work.

They wrapped the banknotes carefully in oiled paper, opened up an old quilt, and stitched them deep inside the cotton batting. They put the silver ingots in an earthenware jar, sealed its mouth with wax, then dug a deep hole beneath the pagoda tree in the courtyard and buried it under cover of night...

By the time everything was taken care of, midnight had passed.

Qin Meng blew out the oil lamp. Darkness settled around them. He held the woman as they lay down, her warm, fragrant body in his arms strangely soothing the murderous frenzy inside him.

But desire stirred in his heart. He turned and gathered her close, speaking his feelings in the most primal way, seeking solace as they entwined.