Clear River Map

[Fate: 4 points (87%)]

After it was solidified, barely any fate remained.

Hong Ming felt no regret. Instead, he eagerly tried out the Trait's effect.

He found the books Hong Yi had studied at the private school, picked out a section, and read it over and over.

On the first pass, he remembered a few details. On the second, he remembered some of it. On the third, most of it. On the fourth, seventy percent. By the fifth, he had memorized every word.

From then on, whether his eyes were open or closed, the contents remained fixed in his mind, impossible to forget.

Hong Ming realized that the Trait didn't work all at once; its effects built up gradually.

Night was ink-black, swallowing the starlight.

The Hong Family had closed up shop for the night, but the Liu household blazed with lights.

Liu Hu's period of confinement had ended, and he was hosting a feast, inviting friends from all around to gather.

It should have been a joyous occasion, but the two men wore worried expressions, their faces ashen.

After asking around, Liu Hu learned that this matter was actually connected to Hong Ming.

"You're saying Hong Ming wasn't just unhurt—he's even cultivated Inner Force?"

Liu Hu asked for confirmation again and again. Beneath the wavering candlelight, a gloomy shadow seemed to gather over his pale face.

He could hardly believe it. He'd spent a mere twenty days shut away from the outside world, and the first news he heard was earth-shattering.

That mud-legged nobody who'd once been easy to bully had actually made something of himself?

"Brother Hu, we should get out of Mudstone Alley as soon as possible. If Hong Ming comes looking for us, none of us will get away!"

One of the ruffians who had taken part in the robbery stammered, his voice full of regret.

Another ruffian grew just as uneasy and chimed in, urging them to leave for fear Hong Ming would settle accounts with them later.

"Shut your mouths!"

Liu Hu listened to their endless, fly-like buzzing and roared.

The room fell silent at once, but their fear spread like a plague, impossible to dispel.

"What are you panicking for? We've got so many people. Are we really afraid of Hong Ming?"

Liu Hu glared at the two cowards, his face as cold as water.

He wasn't worried in the least. Even the Zhong Family Cloth Shop hadn't been able to do anything to him, much less a mere Hong Ming.

"Brother Hu, you don't fear Hong Ming because your father's a constable. But we're different!"

One ruffian knew where Liu Hu's confidence came from and called him out directly.

He wouldn't have dared say this before, but now that their lives were at stake, he had nothing to lose.

"Hmph. He's him, and I'm me. Even without him, I'd still have nothing to fear!"

If the ruffian hadn't said that, Liu Hu might have let it pass. But the words sent him into a rage; he wasn't proud of that family connection.

Still, the remark did settle the others, allowing them to calm down again.

With that connection, he needn't worry about Hong Ming coming after him openly.

But he still had to guard against the other man using underhanded tricks and vicious methods.

As he considered this, Liu Hu made up his mind: he'd lie low for now.

And he'd keep lying low until he cultivated Bright Force!

He refused to believe Hong Ming would still dare come after him then.

That was what he thought, but he still put on a defiant air. He swept his gaze across the room and asked in a stern voice, "You all want to leave?"

The two men said nothing, only nodding like quails.

"Very well. Since that's what you want, hurry home and pack. I'll take you out of here tonight!"

Liu Hu put on a show of giving in for their sake.

The two men were overjoyed and praised his wisdom.

Once they'd finished, they didn't linger for even a moment. They would've run off on nine legs if they could.

Liu Hu had lost any desire to celebrate as well. He turned and went to pack his things.

He was on his own and had little to pack, just the valuables he'd seized by force.

He had only just finished when Liu Hu heard a commotion outside. Thinking his companions had returned, he went out of his room at a brisk pace, though he did wonder how quickly they'd come back.

The moment he stepped outside, a fierce gust of force, sharp as a blade, rushed toward his face.

A muffled bang burst beside his ear, and the blow sent an indescribable pain flaring through his abdomen.

The agony surged up his throat. A salty, coppery taste came with it, and blood dribbled from his mouth, falling like scattered petals.

"You—you're Hong Ming?"

Liu Hu's body was damaged to the point of collapse, yet his mind had never been clearer.

In almost the blink of an eye, he recognized Hong Ming.

His voice was edged with disbelief, as if he hadn't expected Hong Ming to really try to kill him.

Didn't he even bother to find out who my father is?

Pain, like a guillotine, cut away at Liu Hu's consciousness bit by bit.

Seeing this, Hong Ming quickly used Investigate on him. It was only routine; he hadn't expected the other man to have a Trait.

But Liu Hu proved him wrong. Two Traits appeared:

[Trait: Lower-Middle Bone Structure]

[Status: Cannot be solidified]

[Fate required: 5 points]

[Solidification effect: Greatly increases the efficiency of cultivating any martial art.]

--

[Trait: Clear River Map]

[Status: Can be solidified]

[Fate required: 3 points]

[Solidification effect: Reveals the terrain within ten li of Clear River City.]

"Two Traits?"

Hong Ming paused, then examined them closely and furrowed his brow.

The two Traits were one and the same.

Ignoring the one that couldn't be solidified, Hong Ming turned his attention to the Clear River Map Trait.

It had caught his interest.

"Terrain within ten li of Clear River City?"

Hong Ming pondered this, then suddenly recalled the location of the opportunity indicated by his Fate Grid. He wondered whether it was included.

He wasn't certain, but the urge to solidify the Trait had already taken hold.

He glanced at his remaining fate and hesitated briefly before choosing to solidify it.

[3 points of fate consumed. Trait "Clear River Map" successfully solidified.]

As the notification faded, Hong Ming's head began to ring.

Countless details about Clear River City—its terrain, buildings, waterways, and more—seemed to have their veils pulled aside, laid bare before him down to the smallest detail.

In an instant, Hong Ming gained the route knowledge Liu Hu had accumulated over decades. Some routes overlapped with his own, but most led to places he'd never set foot in.

What delighted Hong Ming was that the map included the Huang Family Water Field!

This would save him a great deal of time and effort searching.

After confirming the location of the Huang Family Water Field, Hong Ming returned to the present. Now it was time to search the body.

He stripped every last valuable from Liu Hu, just as Liu Hu had once done to him, leaving not so much as half a coin behind.

Then he laid all three men out neatly.

He had some experience now, but disposing of the bodies was still a hassle.

It took Hong Ming quite some time to destroy every trace. Then he vanished into the night, returning with a full haul.

Huang Chun's residence.

"Qian Biao is dead?"

Huang Chun was both surprised and unsurprised when he heard the news.

No wonder the other man hadn't replied in so long. He'd thought Qian Biao didn't want the balance of the payment.

Turns out he could only burn the money for him now.

Then anger took hold. The man had died at the worst possible time.

He'd taken the money but failed to drive Hong Ming to the end of his rope, depriving Huang Chun of all that time he could have spent enjoying himself.

Fortunately, there was still time before Hong Ming's deadline, enough for him to devise another plan.

After cursing Qian Biao for a while, Huang Chun rubbed his chin, lost in thought.

Suddenly, an idea struck him. "Why not use this to our advantage?"

He had no idea how Qian Biao had died, but that didn't stop him from framing Hong Ming and forcing him to give in.

At the thought, he grew eager. "Someone, come here!"