Flying Eagle Steps and Great Vajra Finger

Even one who has never eaten pork has at least seen a pig run.

Liang Qisheng was, after all, a transmigrator. He understood very well that someone like Shopkeeper Lin—

—who held the reins of power at Nine Harmonies Hall, handling enormous sums of money flowing in and out daily through pawnshops, pharmacies, medical clinics, and even gambling dens—

—these were all major sources of revenue. As the shopkeeper, dipping a hand into any one of them would bring a steady stream of wealth.

Liang Qisheng naturally did not believe the man's hands were so clean that he hadn't embezzled a single coin.

As the saying goes, a cunning rabbit has three burrows. Hiding money at home made it easy for others to covet. Since this place served as Shopkeeper Lin's secret residence, any valuables would likely be hidden here first.

Liang Qisheng suspected he simply hadn't yet found the true hiding spot.

"Where the hell is it hidden?"

Suddenly, Liang Qisheng's gaze fell on the bed. He had searched the entire room, but he had never looked under the bed.

According to the trap mechanisms described in those storybooks, aside from the ceiling and wall cavities, this was the most common place to stash things.

Thump, thump!

Treating a dead horse as if it were still alive, Liang Qisheng lightly tapped the floor with his scabbard.

He stopped abruptly. The brick beneath where the bed leg had rested gave off a hollow sound, as if it weren't firmly set.

Looking closer, he noticed faint scratch marks around the brick's edges—barely visible, but clearly inconsistent with the surrounding floor.

Following the marks, Liang Qisheng carefully pried the brick loose with his blade, revealing a box hidden beneath.

"This old fox really knows how to hide things. He must have put a lot of thought and effort into this."

"I bet even Li Sanniang, who shares his bed every night, has no idea she's been sleeping right on top of a treasure..."

Liang Qisheng sneered inwardly as he retrieved the box.

This old fox was meticulous. The hiding spot was so deep that he had used Li Sanniang as a living decoy, part of his scheme to mislead others.

Fortunately, Liang Qisheng had seen too many similar tricks to rush. He had searched the entire room thoroughly; otherwise, he would have missed this hidden compartment beneath the bed.

Click!

Liang Qisheng carefully pried open the lid with the tip of his blade, moving with caution and focus.

After all, he had no idea what kind of traps the man might have left. If he opened it carelessly and a dart shot out, he'd be in serious trouble.

Fortunately, his fears didn't come to pass. As the hidden compartment opened, its contents were revealed.

On top lay several banknotes. Liang Qisheng counted them.

Five notes in total, each worth one hundred taels—five hundred taels in all.

After removing the banknotes, a small square box wrapped in silver wire and gold thread appeared.

The box was exquisitely crafted, carved with patterns of tigers, leopards, and dragons, and fitted with a hidden latch. Liang Qisheng couldn't open it right away.

He could feel something inside, but he was afraid that forcing the box open might damage its contents.

The small metal box alone was worth a fortune, so whatever was inside was likely even more valuable. He tucked it away for now.

Next, Liang Qisheng pulled out a book from beneath the small box—a martial arts manual.

The pages were already yellowed, clearly well-thumbed. Liang Qisheng quickly grabbed it.

"This old fox actually left a manual here."

Liang Qisheng's heart filled with joy.

He hadn't expected the old fox to stash something so important in this little courtyard. This was an unexpected windfall.

Compared to the banknotes, this technique manual was far more valuable.

Whether it was the three great families, the six major martial arts schools, or any of the various factions, they all guarded their techniques and martial skills with extreme care. Outsiders had no way to access them.

Even their own people had to undergo repeated scrutiny and sign harsh agreements before they could be taught any martial skills.

As for the core techniques, only inner-circle members were allowed to practice them.

Throughout the Great Zhou Dynasty, whether in official circles or the martial world, the structure was a strict pyramid. The control over the transmission of techniques and martial skills was so severe it was almost maddening.

This was pure violent resource—equivalent to firearms and other hot weapons from his previous life—something ordinary people could hardly access.

As a result, even common martial arts manuals fetched exorbitant prices on the black market.

Liang Qisheng had tried inquiring about prices before, and even he was put off by the cost, let alone others.

As for advanced techniques, the major factions and the imperial court kept them tightly guarded, rarely circulating them on the open market. They were nearly impossible to come by.

In short, these manuals were the core of everything—the key to maintaining balance and absolute control in both the martial world and the imperial court. Combined with other resources, they continuously produced wave after wave of martial artists.

"This manual... is the Flying Eagle Steps?"

"...Lin Lang is known for the Great Eagle Claw Technique—is this the footwork that complements the Thirteen Flying Eagle Forms?"

"Too bad it's missing the Great Eagle Claw Technique he actually practices. That would be worth even more."

Liang Qisheng felt a twinge of regret, but obtaining a footwork manual was still a good thing.

Moreover, he was not skilled in lightness techniques to begin with, and this could temporarily compensate for that weakness.

"No, there's something else underneath."

Originally, Liang Qisheng thought the secret compartment had already been emptied, but as the candlelight swept over it, his eyelids twitched.

To his surprise, he saw that beneath it all lay an item resembling parchment, no more than a dozen or so pages, very thin in thickness.

He quickly picked it up and examined it by the candlelight.

When his gaze fell upon it, Liang Qisheng's heart jolted, and a smile crept across his usually calm face, his mood immediately surging with excitement.

"This is actually a secret manual too."

"...Great Vajra Finger? What kind of martial art is this?"

"Judging by the state of this parchment, it's been around for quite some time—definitely not part of Lin Lang's inheritance..."

Liang Qisheng grew suspicious.

He had crossed hands with Shopkeeper Lin, Lin Lang, and naturally knew how formidable the man was.

The Great Eagle Claw Technique trained finger strength, capable of tearing apart tigers and leopards, splitting stone and piercing metal.

Even a martial artist at the Meat Refining or Sinew Refining stage, if caught by one of its claws, would instantly have five bloody holes pierced through their body—truly vicious and ruthless.

As for this Great Vajra Finger, though he did not know its origins, judging by the name, it should also be a technique for training finger strength.

Liang Qisheng suspected that this might be the case: Shopkeeper Lin had immersed himself in the Great Eagle Claw Technique for so long that he had nearly perfected it, and this Great Vajra Finger was the true higher-level art, likely an advanced technique Lin had sought for his own subsequent cultivation.

After all, the Great Vajra Finger was clearly a Buddhist martial art, its origins obvious, and it was probably a fairly profound secret manual even by the Li Family's standards.

Shopkeeper Lin had hidden it away, intending to cultivate it himself, and had not turned it over.