What answered Qian Biao was an iron fist, its force as solid as stone and metal.
There was no flashy flourish to it, only the slightest hint of Inner Force, yet it pierced straight through to his lungs.
The instant it landed, Qian Biao was struck as if by lightning. His chest burned with searing pain, as though he'd been carved up with a thousand knives.
"Kh... kh..."
A broken groan squeezed from his throat, thick with the stench of blood that spread through the dusky night.
Qian Biao's still fairly burly body crumpled to the ground like a marionette with its strings cut.
His chest heaved violently, and the sunken spot in it was plain to see.
"You... you're a Bright Force martial artist?!"
Qian Biao's voice sounded as if it had been ground to pieces. It came in fits and starts, hoarse beyond measure, brimming with indignation and fear.
At the same time, deep confusion welled up within him. He had always kept out of other people's affairs. When had he offended a Bright Force martial artist?
And what had he done to deserve having one lower himself to come assassinate him?
Overwhelming resentment drove Qian Biao to force open his heavy eyelids.
His eyes, once fierce and murderous, had lost all their former ruthlessness. Only the most agonizing pain and a fading haze remained.
Murky film clouded the whites of his eyes, blurring his vision until he could barely make out what lay before him.
He could only glimpse a tall figure, blocking out a broad swath of light and taking root in the depths of his pupils.
Thud! Thud!
The figure then dispatched the two henchmen right before his eyes.
Summoning every last ounce of strength, Qian Biao struggled to turn his eyes, fixing them on that figure.
The blurry outline gradually came into focus, but it did nothing to clear the tangled fog in his mind.
That bastard had even covered his face!
"Hm? He's dead?"
After dealing with the trash, Hong Ming turned to the mastermind, Qian Biao, and couldn't help freezing.
Qian Biao, who had still been gasping moments ago, now lay utterly still. His legs stuck straight out, his breathing had stopped, and his eyes stared lifelessly into the void!
Hong Ming didn't approach. Instead, he gave Qian Biao's ankle a light kick to make sure.
Qian Biao remained motionless, while the Traits on his body visibly faded.
[Trait: Lifespan of Thirty]
[Status: Cannot be solidified]
[Fortune required: 9 points]
[Solidification effect: Maintains the body's current condition and extends one's lifespan to the age of thirty.]
An unfamiliar Trait appeared before Hong Ming's eyes. It was the first time he'd seen one related to lifespan.
"Cannot be solidified? Is it because I can already live to thirty?"
Staring at the vanishing Trait, Hong Ming pondered.
If that was the case, it was good news for him. With a longer lifespan, who would bother solidifying Lifespan of Thirty?
Hong Ming shook his head slightly and stopped dwelling on it.
After confirming that Qian Biao had died in the prime of his life, he set about covering his tracks and claiming the spoils.
There was no hiding three corpses, and Hong Ming didn't think he could fool the whole world. All he could do was erase every trace he possibly could.
It was his first time making a corpse disappear, so he was a little clumsy. It took him about half an hour to finish.
After checking everything over repeatedly, Hong Ming vanished into the night, returning with a full haul.
"About fifteen taels of silver!"
Hong Ming counted the spoils from the trip. The take was substantial.
Not only had he made back the ten taels he'd lost, but he'd gained another five for free.
With this money, he wouldn't need to worry about cultivation resources for a while.
Just as he was about to put it away, something occurred to Hong Ming. He gave it a closer inspection and, only after thoroughly wiping away every trace, stored it with peace of mind.
The next day, dawn broke over the Qing Province River Bureau.
Hong Ming strode toward the General Affairs Department, passing Water Soldiers everywhere, all striving to better themselves.
"Miss, the General Affairs Department says your identity token won't be ready until the day after tomorrow."
In front of the General Affairs Department, a maid hurried over and reported the situation.
Zhou Min heard her and said calmly, "In that case, let's go back."
The maid answered and followed in Zhou Min's footsteps.
Suddenly, she exclaimed in surprise, "Huh? Why is he here?"
"Who?" The maid's voice drew Zhou Min's attention.
She followed the maid's gaze and noticed an unfamiliar man in a coarse-cloth jacket walking toward the General Affairs Department.
He stopped at the counter for registering formal martial artists.
Seeing this, Zhou Min's expression flickered. Had this man come to register, too?
She was a little surprised. Anyone who came to register was a Bright Force martial artist.
But this man...
She looked over his clothes. Every last thread seemed to reek of poverty. He didn't look like someone who could cultivate Inner Force at all.
"Miss, you've forgotten. He's the fellow who rowed your boat for you before."
Zhou Min hadn't recognized Hong Ming, but the maid remembered him clearly and reminded her at just the right moment.
"So it's him!"
After a brief pause, Zhou Min remembered.
She now had a faint impression of him. Hong Ming had rowed quite well back then, making her regret that such talent was wasted.
She had wanted to pay him to work for her, but he had politely declined.
She hadn't seen him again since. She hadn't expected to run into him here.
"He's certainly lucky."
After learning Hong Ming's identity, Zhou Min lightly pressed her lips together and made the cool remark.
Then she turned away and strode off.
The registration process wasn't complicated. The main thing was testing his strength.
Bright Force martial artists were different from ordinary people, so it was easy enough to determine whether Hong Ming was the real deal.
After the verification, a soldier registered him, but didn't issue any related items.
Due to procedural requirements, Hong Ming had become a Water Soldier in the Preparatory Camp, but he hadn't yet received an identity token.
Without an identity token, he couldn't claim benefits or enjoy the corresponding privileges.
"Sir Hong, your token will be ready within three days at the latest. You can come back to collect it then. The delay won't affect any of your benefits," the Water Soldier handling his registration said respectfully.
After learning the details, Hong Ming left as the other man saw him off.
While he waited, he still belonged to the Training Camp and couldn't go to the Preparatory Camp to train.
Hong Ming wasn't in a hurry. He could wait three days.
In the meantime, he turned his attention to his fortune.
He currently had plenty of fortune—twenty points. It was time to raise his Word Master level.
Hong Ming communicated with the panel, sending it his intent. It responded almost instantly.
Ten points of fortune vanished in the blink of an eye, replaced by the upgraded panel:
[Level: 2 (50 fortune points required to upgrade)]
[Fortune: 10 points (95%)]
[Traits: 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 Accomplishment 12/1000)]
On the panel, the Word Master level had risen from Level One to Level Two, but Hong Ming didn't seem to notice any changes.
Puzzled, he didn't rush. Instead, he began to explore on his own.
The best way was to test it with a Trait.
Hong Ming turned toward the soldiers diligently practicing their stances by the riverbank. After a brief hesitation, he picked up a sweat towel and walked over.
By now, he'd learned the circumstances of these impoverished soldiers and knew which of them had the Breathing and Exhalation Trait.
He picked the nearest one at random and was about to hand him the towel when his movement suddenly stopped.
His palm hadn't yet touched the man, but a sight he'd never seen before suddenly appeared in the depths of his pupils:
[Trait: Breathing and Exhalation (Level 1 · White)]
[Status: Can be solidified]
[Fortune required: 1 point]
[Solidification effect: Adjusts one's breathing to accord with the rhythms of all things.]
Before you continue