Level Two Word Master

Responding to Qian Biao was a fist as solid as metal and stone, fully charged with power.

There were no bells or whistles, only a sliver of force that pierced straight through to his lungs.

The moment the blow landed, Qian Biao felt as if he had been struck by lightning; his chest burned with a searing, agonizing pain, as if he had been carved by a thousand knives.

Hrrk!

A broken groan squeezed from his throat, carrying a heavy scent of blood that bled into the dim night.

Qian Biao's rather sturdy frame collapsed to the ground like a marionette with its strings cut.

His chest heaved violently, yet one could clearly see a concave depression in one corner of it.

"You, you are a... Bright Force martial artist?!"

Qian Biao's voice sounded as if it had been ground into fragments—intermittent, raspy, and filled with indignation and terror.

At the same time, a thick sense of confusion welled up: he had always kept to himself, so when had he offended a Bright Force martial artist?

And what virtue or ability did he possess to warrant the other party stooping to such a level just to ambush and kill him?

Intense unwillingness drove Qian Biao to pry open his heavy eyelids.

Those eyes, usually fierce and menacing, had lost their former ruthlessness, leaving only extreme pain and a vacant haze.

The whites of his eyes clouded over, blurring his vision until he could barely make out the scene before him.

He could only vaguely perceive a tall, upright figure blocking out the light, rooted deep within his pupils.

Thud! Thud!

The figure then proceeded to finish off his two lackeys right in front of him.

Qian Biao exerted all his strength, struggling to roll his eyes to stare fixedly at that figure.

The blurred outline gradually became clearer, yet it failed to clear the fog of mystery in his heart.

The bastard was actually wearing a mask!

"Huh, dead?"

Having finished off the small fry, Hong Ming turned toward the mastermind, Qian Biao, and couldn't help but pause.

He saw that Qian Biao, who had been gasping for air just moments ago, was now completely still, his legs kicking out once before he stopped breathing entirely, dying with his eyes wide open!

He did not step forward, but instead gave the man's ankle a light kick to verify his state.

Qian Biao remained motionless, but the entry on his body began to fade at a speed visible to the naked eye.

[Entry: Lifespan of Thirty]
[Status: Cannot be solidified]
[Required Luck: 9 points]
[Solidification Effect: Can maintain current physical condition, extending lifespan to the age of thirty.]

An entry he had never seen before reflected in Hong Ming's eyes; it was the first time he had encountered an entry related to lifespan.

"Cannot be solidified? Is it because I myself can already live to the age of thirty?"

Staring at the vanishing entry, Hong Ming fell into deep thought.

If that were truly the case, it was good news for him; with a longer natural lifespan, who would bother solidifying a Lifespan of Thirty?

Shaking his head slightly, Hong Ming stopped dwelling on it.

Confirming that Qian Biao had met an untimely end, he turned to clean up the aftermath and harvest the spoils.

Three corpses could not be hidden, and Hong Ming did not think he could pull off a perfect deception; all he could do was try his best to erase the traces.

It was his first time disposing of bodies, so he was a bit clumsy, taking about half an hour to finish.

After repeatedly confirming everything was in order, Hong Ming vanished into the night, returning with a full haul.

"About fifteen taels of silver!"

Hong Ming tallied his gains from the trip, which were quite substantial.

Not only had he recovered the ten taels he had lost, but he had gained an extra five for nothing.

With this money, he would not need to worry about cultivation resources for a short time.

Just as he was about to put it away, Hong Ming suddenly thought of something; he checked the silver briefly, and only after completely wiping away any traces did he store it away with peace of mind.

The next day, the morning light broke, shining upon the Qing Province River Bureau.

Hong Ming walked past the industrious Water Soldiers seen everywhere, striding toward the General Affairs Department.

"Miss, the General Affairs Department says the identity token won't be made and delivered for another two days."

In front of the General Affairs Department, a maid trotted over to report the situation.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Min said indifferently, "Since that is the case, let us return."

The maid acknowledged the order and followed closely in Zhou Min's footsteps.

Suddenly, she let out a sound of surprise: "Eh, why is he here?"

"Who?" The voice drew Zhou Min's gaze.

She followed her maid's line of sight and noticed a stranger dressed in coarse, short-sleeved cloth garments walking toward the General Affairs Department.

The spot where he stopped was precisely at the counter for registering official martial artists.

Seeing this, Zhou Min's expression froze slightly; was this person here to register too?

She was somewhat surprised, as everyone who came to register was, without exception, a Bright Force martial artist.

Yet, the person before her...

She scrutinized the other party's attire, which reeked of poverty in every stitch; he didn't look like someone capable of cultivating force at all.

"Miss, have you forgotten? He is that fellow who rowed the boat for you earlier."

Zhou Min hadn't recognized Hong Ming, but the maid had a deep impression and spoke up to remind her at the right moment.

"So it was him!"

After a brief moment of contemplation, Zhou Min suddenly realized.

She finally had a tiny bit of recollection; Hong Ming had rowed the boat quite well previously, which had stirred a sense of appreciation for his talent in her.

She had intended to spend some money to buy his time, but unexpectedly, he had politely declined.

Since then, she had never seen him again, and she never imagined that their next meeting would be here.

"He is quite lucky!"

Upon learning Hong Ming's identity, Zhou Min pursed her lips and commented indifferently.

She then withdrew her gaze and walked away.

The registration process was not cumbersome, primarily consisting of a test of strength.

A Bright Force martial artist was inherently different from an ordinary person, making it easy to verify Hong Ming's true capabilities.

After the verification was complete, the soldier recorded the details but did not issue any related items.

Due to procedural reasons, although Hong Ming had become a Water Soldier in the Preparatory Camp, he had not yet received his identity token.

Without an identity token, he could not collect related benefits or enjoy the corresponding treatment.

"Lord Hong, the token will be made and delivered within three days at the latest. You may come to collect it then. This delay will not affect any of your benefits or treatment," the registering Water Soldier said respectfully.

After understanding the situation, Hong Ming left under the respectful send-off of the other party.

During the waiting period, he still belonged to the Training Camp and could not go to the Preparatory Camp to cultivate.

Hong Ming was not in a rush; he could afford to wait three days.

Taking advantage of this interval, Hong Ming set his sights on his Luck.

Currently, his Luck was abundant, totaling twenty points; it was time to upgrade the level of the Word Master.

Hong Ming communicated with the panel, conveyed his intent, and received a response shortly after.

In the blink of an eye, ten points of Luck vanished, and in their place appeared the upgraded panel:

[Level: 2 (50 points of Luck required for upgrade)]

[Luck: 10 points (95%)]

[Entries: Breathing and Exhalation (Level 1 · Gold), Water Proficiency, Clam Harvesting Expert, Cure-All, Willingly Take the Bait (1 use)]

[Martial Arts: Coiling Dragon Stake (Minor Achievement 12/1000)]

On the panel, the Word Master level had increased from one to two, but Hong Ming did not seem to perceive any changes.

Feeling puzzled but not anxious, he began to explore on his own.

The best way was to use the entries to verify.

Hong Ming turned toward the soldiers on the shore who were diligently practicing their stakes. After a moment of hesitation, he picked up a sweat towel and walked over.

During this time, he had already figured out the situation of these impoverished soldiers and knew which of them possessed the Breathing and Exhalation entry.

Casually finding the person closest to him, Hong Ming was about to hand over the towel when his movements suddenly halted.

Before his palm could even touch the other person, his pupils suddenly reflected a sight he had never seen before:

[Entry: Breathing and Exhalation (Level 1 · White)]

[Status: Can be solidified]

[Required Luck: 1 point]

[Solidification Effect: Adjusts one's own breathing to harmonize with the rhythm of all things.]