I Didn't Need to Know Anymore

"Tiger in a Cage?"

Jiang Tian raised an eyebrow, savoring those three words.

He could clearly feel that something different had been added to his Five Animals Creation Play. It was an indescribable quality, like a sharp blade being honed, or a stagnant pool suddenly finding its source.

A thought stirred in his mind. He abruptly brought his five fingers together, twisted at the waist, turned, and threw a punch into the air.

Power gathered in his arm, flowing from his waist and hips to his shoulder, from his shoulder to his elbow, from his elbow to his wrist, and finally converging at his fist. It built layer by layer, each joint flowing into the next, like a spring compressed to its limit and suddenly released.

"Roar—!"

A tiger's roar exploded—not from his throat, but as a natural boom that came with his fist tearing through the air.

The air above his fist seemed to be squeezed by an invisible giant hand, erupting in a string of sharp crackles like firecrackers set off during the New Year.

Jiang Tian drew back his fist. Looking at his slightly reddened knuckles, a hint of satisfaction flashed in his eyes.

"So this is Momentum?"

He had seen senior disciples at the Martial Arts Hall in the Hidden Energy Realm fight, but their attacks had nothing like this kind of power. Their punches were certainly fierce, but they were only brute force, lacking this living quality.

It was like a ferocious tiger locked in a cage, its savagery, ferocity, and killing intent suppressed to the utmost. The moment the cage door opened, the world would shake.

Still, one thing marred the perfection: breaking through to Hidden Energy had not increased his lifespan.

He still had seventeen years.

Jiang Tian shook his head, suppressing that trace of disappointment.

There was still almost a year. No need to rush.

The next day, Jiang Tian went through the same routine as he had for the past few days.

After breaking through to Hidden Energy, he had extracted a large number of trait points from the Martial Arts Hall disciples. But he was still nowhere near enough to upgrade two purple traits to red. A threshold of five thousand points couldn't be filled by just a few "meals."

After practicing for a while, his vital blood would run low.

At those times, only a few Blood Vitality Pills could replenish what he had used up. Li Batian gave him three every day, and with the one Yuan Long had given him, four pills had been plenty just a few days ago. Now, though, they seemed insufficient.

At noon, after eating the three Blood Vitality Pills sent by Li Batian, that "great benefactor," Jiang Tian went to find Yuan Long in the afternoon to collect his usual pill.

To his surprise, Yuan Long wasn't there.

Just then, Yuan Manzhi walked over with a Blood Vitality Pill in her hand.

"Your Blood Vitality Pill."

Yuan Manzhi's red lips parted, and she uttered three words. But the next moment, her beautiful, peach-blossom eyes froze, her pupils contracting slightly.

"You've broken through to Hidden Energy?"

Jiang Tian nodded.

After receiving his confirmation, Yuan Manzhi's expression suddenly turned incredibly complicated.

Surprise, daze, hesitation... Every kind of emotion mingled in those limpid eyes.

A moment later, she took a deep breath, as if she had made up her mind.

"Wait here a moment."

With that, she turned and left.

Before long, Yuan Manzhi returned, now holding a small white Jade Bottle.

A whole bottle of Blood Vitality Pills.

"This..." Jiang Tian was dumbfounded. His Adam's apple bobbed as he slowly said, "This doesn't seem right, does it?"

He knew how much Blood Vitality Pills were worth. Each one cost thirty taels of silver. Ten in a bottle made three hundred taels.

Yuan Long had said he would give him one a day. That was already an incredible privilege; ordinary disciples might not even receive one Blood Vitality Pill in an entire month.

"Focus on your cultivation. A great upheaval is coming."

Yuan Manzhi said nothing more. She simply left him those four brief words, pressed the Jade Bottle into Jiang Tian's hand, and turned away.

Her robes fluttered as she hurried off, as if afraid she might change her mind.

Jiang Tian held the warm Jade Bottle, his brow faintly furrowed as he pondered what Yuan Manzhi had just said.

A great upheaval was coming?

There certainly had been more and more refugees lately. They came in groups of three or five, gaunt and sallow, huddling in every corner of the city.

But they hadn't yet gained momentum. They couldn't stir up much trouble.

Could it be... the Poison Wolf Gang between the two counties?

His elder brother was still outside the city suppressing bandits.

Jiang Tian felt a faint unease, but couldn't put his finger on why.

He shook his head, pushed aside his distracting thoughts, tucked the Jade Bottle into his clothes, and resumed his stance.

He practiced his punches.

[Ding! You have Innate Martial Bone and Superb Comprehension! Five Animals Creation Play +9!]

[Ding! You have Innate Martial Bone and Superb Comprehension! Five Animals Creation Play +9!]

[Ding! You have Innate Martial Bone and Superb Comprehension! Five Animals Creation Play +9!]

Night fell.

The Zhang Family residence blazed with lights.

Zhang Qingfeng lay on a brocade-covered couch, enjoying the attentions of his personal maid.

A moment later, he let out a long breath, a brief flash of pleasure crossing his face.

"Ah, that's the stuff—"

But the pleasure lasted only a few breaths. Worry soon crept back into his expression.

A few days ago, he had paid a hefty sum to hire Xiao Shan to deal with Jiang Tian.

But several days had passed without a peep. Jiang Tian was still alive and well, while Xiao Shan seemed to have vanished from the face of the earth, leaving no word behind.

If you think this book is good, add it to your bookshelf so you don't lose it next time.

He had wondered whether Xiao Shan had simply run off with his down payment.

But when he went to ask around at Kaishan Martial Hall, he learned that Xiao Shan hadn't been there for several days. Even the people at the Martial Arts Hall were looking for him.

A chill ran down Zhang Qingfeng's back.

Could it be... that Jiang Tian had killed Xiao Shan?

That was impossible, wasn't it?

How many days had Jiang Tian been practicing martial arts? How could he possibly be a match for Xiao Shan, who had been in the Body Tempering Realm for ages?

But he didn't dare think about that "what if"—what if Jiang Tian had already reached the Body Tempering Realm? What if Xiao Shan really had been killed?

He hadn't dared leave the house for days, cowering indoors and drawing courage from the Hidden Energy guard his family kept on the payroll.

He had even considered asking his father, if things came to it, to have that Hidden Energy guard make a move and finish Jiang Tian off...

Before the thought could take root, a tremendous crash rang out beside him.

"Boom—!"

Someone kicked the door open. Cold wind, carrying the night with it, poured inside, making the candle flames whip wildly and casting clawing, snarling shadows on the walls.

"Who goes there?!"

Zhang Qingfeng's heart lurched. He whipped around toward the doorway.

A figure stood there, moonlight spreading in a pale sheet behind him.

That face had haunted Zhang Qingfeng's mind for days, refusing to leave him in peace.

Jiang Tian.

A faint smile played on his lips, but his eyes were unnaturally cold.

"Brother Qingfeng, it's been a few days... I've missed you terribly."

"Jiang Tian?!"

Every hair on Zhang Qingfeng's body stood on end. Cold sweat soaked his back, and his heart felt as if an invisible hand had seized it and dragged it into his throat.

His Adam's apple bobbed as he desperately tried to steady himself. Then he opened his mouth and shouted, "Someone! There's an assassin! Get over here—"

Once, twice, three times.

The courtyard was dead silent. Not even an echo answered him.

No one responded.

No footsteps, no shouts, no sound of any kind.

Then Jiang Tian moved.

He walked toward Zhang Qingfeng, unhurried—slow, even. Each step landed on the blue bricks with a dull thud, like a funeral bell tolling against Zhang Qingfeng's heart.

"Crack—"

Jiang Tian's expressionless punch broke Zhang Qingfeng's arms and legs with brutal efficiency.

The sound of breaking bones was sharp and grating. Zhang Qingfeng hadn't even had time to feel the pain before his limbs went limp and dangled at his sides like a puppet with its strings cut.

Then, without a pause, Jiang Tian slapped the shivering maid beside him on the head. She collapsed to the ground without even getting a cry out, lifeless.

"Ahhh—!!"

Only then did Zhang Qingfeng react. A scream of unimaginable agony burst from his mouth. His whole body convulsed, and cold sweat, snot, and tears smeared his face.

Before he could recover, Jiang Tian grabbed him by the scruff of the neck with one hand, like a chick, and strode out into the courtyard.

First, he went to his parents' room.

The door stood wide open. The room was in shambles, the table and chairs overturned and porcelain strewn across the floor. A heavy stench of blood filled the air.

Zhang Qingfeng's father lay sprawled on the ground, a fist-sized hole in his chest, its edges as neat as if a sharp weapon had pierced straight through him.

His eyes were wide open, the last flicker of shock frozen in his pupils. He had died without ever understanding what had happened.

His mother was slumped in a corner, her neck twisted at an impossible angle, her face purplish-blue.

"Jiang Tian—!!"

Blood and tears streamed down Zhang Qingfeng's face. His voice sounded as though it had been forced through clenched teeth—hoarse, broken, and brimming with hatred.

Jiang Tian didn't answer. He kept walking, still holding him by the scruff of the neck.

They were headed straight for the Hidden Energy guard's quarters.

A glimmer of hope suddenly appeared on Zhang Qingfeng's face.

Perhaps that old geezer was getting on in years and hard of hearing. He might not have heard the commotion.

As long as he made a move, Jiang Tian, who could at most be a martial artist in the Body Tempering Realm, couldn't possibly...

But when they reached the quarters, the light in Zhang Qingfeng's eyes went out at once.

The Hidden Energy guard lay in a pool of blood, limp as a heap of mud, lifeless.

His chest was caved in, his limbs twisted, as if a wild beast had trampled him over and over.

Zhang Qingfeng felt as if everything had been drained out of him. His eyes unfocused, his lips trembled, and he couldn't utter a word.

Jiang Tian let go and tossed him to the ground like a heap of mud.

"Did I ever really provoke you?"

He crouched down, meeting Zhang Qingfeng's eyes at their level, his voice calm.

"Why did you make me attend that Poetry Gathering? Why did you send Xiao Shan to teach me a lesson?"

"I..."

The fierce urge to survive, along with the bloody scenes he had just witnessed, battered Zhang Qingfeng's nerves. Warmth spread through his crotch as he lost control of his bowels and bladder. A foul smell filled the air.

"I didn't know that Wang Moshan would..." he pleaded, his voice breaking off again and again. Tears and blood mingled, streaking his face with mottled trails.

"Please, Jiang Tian, for the sake of our many years of friendship... just let me go! You've already killed my parents. You've had your revenge..."

His words cut off abruptly.

A muffled thud rang out, like a ripe watermelon smashed on the ground.

Red and white sprayed everywhere, a few drops landing on Jiang Tian's face.

Jiang Tian casually wiped the filth from his face and murmured, "Forget it. I didn't need to know anymore..."