Lost-Level Finger Art, Mastered! (Seeking Daily Reads)

The guard at his side furrowed his brows, about to open his mouth to reprimand him, but was stopped by Fan Li.

"That armory is only accessible to soldiers who have rendered military service; even I do not have the authority to retrieve items from it for you," Fan Li said, shaking his head.

"This Humble One has been impolite," Zhao An said, cupping his hands.

"However, I can allow you to view one of the martial arts manuals from my private collection. I wonder what category of martial arts you are looking for?" Fan Li changed the subject with a smile.

"This Humble One seeks a movement technique," Zhao An replied without hesitation.

He had already perfected his blade and palm techniques, and he had also acquired fist techniques, hard-body training, and even a lost finger technique that his Soul Slave was currently struggling to comprehend.

The only thing he lacked was a movement technique.

If he could obtain one through this opportunity, it would be perfect.

"Very well. Tomorrow, I will have someone transcribe a movement technique and send it to you. However, whether you can master it or not depends entirely on yourself."

"Of course, if you truly cannot grasp the essentials, you need only accept my invitation and join my estate; there will be people there to instruct you."

After saying this, Fan Li did not linger any longer and left Zhao An's small courtyard.

Zhao Ke took a deep look at Zhao An before turning and leaving in silence.

After today's events, he knew deep down that his once-useless brother had undergone a complete transformation.

To be held in such high regard by the County Vice-Magistrate was something he had never dared to dream of, yet it was now happening to Zhao An.

Previously, he had coveted wealth and even thought about moving against Zhao An, but now, even if he were given eight times the courage, he would not dare to harbor such thoughts.

"What is Zhao An thinking? The County Vice-Magistrate thinks so highly of him, yet he doesn't want to follow him?" After respectfully seeing the County Vice-Magistrate off, the Chief Constable Lu Yixiu asked in confusion.

"To discard an opportunity that so many people beg for but cannot obtain—I fear he will live to regret this," Gao Baoding also shook his head repeatedly, lamenting how such a chance to rise in the world had not fallen to him instead.

"Forget it, this matter has nothing to do with us. Just remember never to offend this Zhao An in the future."

Zhao Ke listened to his two colleagues, remaining silent throughout.

He had other plans in mind.

He and Zhao An were blood relatives, after all; blood is thicker than water. As long as he could reconcile with Zhao An, he might be able to ride his coattails to a position in the Inner City, or perhaps even become an official!

Thinking of this, he suddenly felt that Zhao An's rise was not necessarily a bad thing for him.

Brother, oh brother, you truly make me love and hate you at the same time...

Inside the carriage.

"Why do you value this kid so much?" Zhuang Ge asked.

Fan Li smiled slightly. "Do you not trust my ability to judge people?"

"I dare not," Zhuang Ge hurriedly lowered his head.

"This child is like you, born from humble origins. Despite having no background, he managed to forge his own skills during his time in obscurity. This resilience is as precious as gold," Fan Li said slowly, looking at the various commoners and passersby outside the carriage.

"The only thing I cannot figure out is what kind of change he went through to suddenly wake up and transform from a villain into someone who hates evil with a passion..."

The next day.

The Soul Slave Xu Donglai completed his period of servitude, but the result left Zhao An disappointed.

Twenty full days had passed in reality, which meant twenty years had passed in the Soul Pool.

In such a long time, Xu Donglai had not, as he had hoped, comprehended the secret art of the Golden Scale Mountain...

Wasting a Martial Master Soul Slave for nothing made him realize that this so-called Golden Scale Mountain Piling Art could not be mastered simply by spending a long time on it.

He needed a Soul Slave with higher comprehension.

It would be best if it were a Red Name disciple directly from the Golden Scale Mountain...

Zhao An muttered to himself, deciding to temporarily shelve this elusive secret art and stop wasting Soul Slaves on it.

Compared to this ethereal secret art, he was now more willing to focus on the other martial arts he had obtained.

For instance, the eighth-grade hard-body training method from the Martial Academy, and the Heavenly Profound Pulse-Severing Finger technique he had wished for using a Virtue Fruit.

He would be able to see the results of this finger technique in a couple of days.

Unlike the Golden Scale Mountain secret art, this wished-for finger technique did not contain so many riddles; he could practice it directly, and he held high hopes for it!

On the other side, the newly appointed County Magistrate was a man who could not tolerate any sand in his eyes.

Only a few days had passed, and before the official handover of the County Magistrate's office was even complete, he had already mobilized troops and sent them up the mountain to launch a second campaign against the bandits of the Black Wind Stronghold!

When Zhao An learned of this, he actually felt a desire to join the bandit suppression.

After all, that place was undoubtedly a gathering spot for countless Red Names; even killing a few of them would be a profit.

However, the County Magistrate did not organize any civilian volunteers to join, so he had no choice but to give up.

At the same time, the County Vice-Magistrate kept his promise and sent someone to deliver the movement technique.

And it was an eighth-grade movement technique at that!

"Eighth-grade Roaming Body Steps!"

"Eighth-grade, eighth-grade is good!"

Holding the manual he had obtained, Zhao An felt his favorability toward the County Vice-Magistrate increase significantly, and he immediately assigned three Soul Slaves to study and practice it together.

Currently, he maintained three Soul Slaves practicing every martial art he possessed; this was the most cost-effective method and yielded the fastest progress.

"Brother Zhao, the notice from the County Magistrate's office is out. The county examination will begin in the middle of the fifth month, which is ten days from now." Li Gou'er trotted all the way back to report to Zhao An.

"Understood." Zhao An's expression remained calm as he roasted a plucked, plump duck, a plump chicken, a leg of lamb, and a leg of pork over the furnace fire in the courtyard!

Ever since he began practicing martial arts, his appetite had grown with each passing day; if he didn't eat several pounds of meat per meal, he found it difficult to fall asleep.

And on the days he extracted the cultivation results from his Soul Slaves, he had to eat six or seven meals a day just to satisfy the resulting hunger.

With the prices of grain and meat skyrocketing in the current world, his food consumption had truly become a problem of no small significance.

With money only going out and none coming in, even if he had a fortune, there would come a day when he ate it all away.

He was already considering that once he obtained his official status, he would go and wipe out a few of the city's gangs; this was his primary way of making money.

He casually sliced off a piece of meat and tossed it to Li Gou'er.

Seeing that Zhao Chunzi nearby was already eating with his mouth full of grease, Li Gou'er immediately joined in and began to eat heartily.

"Brother Zhao, are you confident?"

"Mm." Zhao An nodded.

In his view, passing the county examination to obtain the title of Martial Student was not difficult at all.

He had long since made his preparations.

Three more days passed, and He Song, the Soul Slave responsible for comprehending the finger technique, completed his twenty-year term of servitude!

[Soul Slave He Song, twenty-year term of servitude has ended. Extract Karma Fruit?]

"Extract."

As the Soul Slave He Song transformed into a bright red Karma Fruit, it was extracted by Zhao An.

A dense stream of information was transmitted directly into his mind through the method of empowerment!

Everything flashed by like a revolving lantern, and he gradually mastered it all by heart.

Twenty full years of comprehension and practice, the repeated, bitter grinding—it was as if there had been nothing else in those twenty years, only the set of finger techniques before him!

"Heavenly Profound Pulse-Severing Finger..."

Zhao An's expression shifted from dazed to focused, brimming with vitality, all in a single moment.

This martial arts finger technique, which had been lost for decades, along with twenty years of cultivation insights, were now stored within his mind.

The myriad wonders within, that unique skill comparable to a divine ability—it was confirmed without a doubt. It had been partially mastered by the Soul Slave, and now, it was in his grasp!

He let out a long breath and muttered to himself.

"Truly a divine skill..."