Clear River Map

[Luck: 4 points (87%)]

After solidification, very little luck remained.

Hong Ming felt no regret, turning instead to test the effects of the entry with eager anticipation.

He found the books Hong Yi had studied while at the private school, selected a portion, and began reading through them repeatedly.

The first pass memorized bits, the second pass memorized parts, the third pass memorized the majority, the fourth pass memorized seventy percent, and the fifth pass committed it all to memory.

From this point on, whether his eyes were open or closed, the content was permanently fixed, impossible to forget.

This brought a realization to Hong Ming: this entry did not work instantly, but rather through a gradual, progressive process.

The night was like ink, swallowing the starlight.

The Hong Family had closed their shop to rest, but the Liu residence was ablaze with light.

Liu Hu's period of confinement had ended, and he was hosting a banquet, inviting friends and partners to gather.

This should have been a joyous life event worth celebrating, yet unexpectedly, two of them wore faces full of sorrow, their complexions ashen.

After inquiring, Liu Hu learned that the matter actually concerned Hong Ming.

"Are you saying that not only is Hong Ming uninjured, but he has also cultivated force?"

Liu Hu confirmed it repeatedly, his pale face cast in a dark, gloomy shadow under the flickering candlelight.

He truly found it hard to believe; he had been oblivious to the world outside for a mere twenty days, yet the moment he heard news, it was earth-shattering.

Could that mud-legged wretch who used to be at everyone's mercy have actually amounted to something?

"Brother Hu, we should hurry and leave Mudstone Alley. If Hong Ming comes looking for us, none of us will be able to escape!"

A hoodlum who had participated in that cargo robbery trembled, his tone filled with indescribable remorse.

Another hoodlum, hearing this, was also gripped by panic and chimed in, eager to leave for fear of Hong Ming settling scores later.

"Shut your mouths, all of you!"

Hearing their incessant buzzing like flies, Liu Hu shouted sternly.

The scene fell silent instantly, but that sense of terror spread like a plague, impossible to dispel.

"What are you panicking about? There are so many of us; do you really think we should be afraid of Hong Ming?"

Liu Hu glared at these two spineless wretches, his face as dark as water.

He was not in the least bit panicked; even the Zhong Family Cloth Shop hadn't been able to do anything to him, let alone a mere Hong Ming.

"Brother Hu, you aren't afraid of Hong Ming because you have your father, the bailiff, backing you up, but we are different!"

One hoodlum, knowing where Liu Hu's confidence lay, pointed it out directly.

He wouldn't have dared before, but now that his life was on the line, he had no such reservations.

"Hmph, he is him, and I am I. Even without him, I wouldn't be afraid!"

The hoodlum shouldn't have said that; the moment he did, Liu Hu flew into a rage, as this identity was not exactly a point of pride for him.

But the words did manage to calm the others down, allowing him to regain his composure.

With this identity, he didn't need to worry about Hong Ming causing trouble in broad daylight.

However, he had to guard against the opponent playing dirty or using despicable tactics.

Thinking this through, Liu Hu made his decision: it was better to temporarily avoid the sharp edge of the conflict.

And this avoidance would last until he had cultivated Bright Force!

He didn't believe Hong Ming would dare to seek revenge then.

Though he thought this, he still maintained an unyielding posture, sweeping his gaze over the group and asking in a cold voice, "You all want to leave?"

The two said nothing, only nodding their heads like quails.

"Since that is the case, then as you wish. Go back and pack up quickly; I will take you away tonight!"

Liu Hu feigned a "for your own good" attitude as he relented.

The two were overjoyed, calling Brother Hu wise.

After the flattery, they didn't linger for even half a moment, wishing they could grow nine legs to sprint away.

Liu Hu no longer had the heart to celebrate, turning instead to return to his room to pack his luggage.

He was a lone wolf with little to pack, needing only to bundle up the valuables he had extorted.

Just as he finished, Liu Hu suddenly heard movement outside and assumed his accomplices had returned.

Though he was slightly puzzled by their speed, he didn't dwell on it and walked quickly out of the room.

The moment he stepped out, he was shocked to feel a fierce, blade-like gust of wind rushing toward his face.

Bang! A low, muffled sound exploded in his ears, slamming into his abdomen and triggering an indescribable pain.

The sharp agony surged up his throat, mixed with a metallic, salty taste, and flowed out with his saliva, dripping onto the ground in splashes of blood.

"You, you are Hong Ming?"

Liu Hu's body was damaged to the extreme, yet his mind was clearer than ever before.

In the blink of an eye, he had identified Hong Ming.

His voice carried a hint of disbelief, as if he had not expected Hong Ming to truly strike him down.

Does he not bother to inquire who my father is?

The excruciating pain felt like a guillotine, slicing away at Liu Hu's consciousness bit by bit.

Seeing this, Hong Ming hurriedly cast an inspection on him; this was a routine habit, and he did not expect the other party to have any traits.

Unexpectedly, the man slapped him in the face, revealing traits:

[Trait: Lower-Middle Bone Structure]

[Status: Cannot be solidified]

[Required Luck: 5 points]

[Solidification Effect: Significantly increases efficiency in practicing any martial arts.]

--

[Trait: Clear River Map]

[Status: Can be solidified]

[Required Luck: 3 points]

[Solidification Effect: Insight into the terrain within a ten-mile radius of Clear River City.]

"Two traits?"

Hong Ming was slightly stunned, and after looking closely, he frowned.

The two traits were essentially one.

Skipping the one that could not be solidified, Hong Ming turned his attention to the "Clear River Map" trait.

This trait had caught his interest.

"Terrain within ten miles of Clear River City?"

Hong Ming was lost in thought, suddenly wondering if the location of the opportunity indicated by his destiny was covered within it.

Although he was somewhat uncertain, the thought of solidifying it truly arose in his heart.

Glancing at his Luck count, he hesitated for a moment before choosing to solidify it.

[Consumed 3 points of Luck, successfully solidified the "Clear River Map" trait.]

As the voice faded, Hong Ming's brain hummed.

Countless details regarding the terrain, landscape, architectural distribution, and waterways of Clear River City were laid bare, as if the surface had been peeled away, revealing everything in exhaustive detail.

In an instant, Hong Ming had acquired decades of Liu Hu's navigational experience; some overlapped with his own, but most were places he had never set foot in.

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

This undoubtedly saved him a great deal of time and energy in reconnaissance.

After confirming the location of the Huang Family Water Field, Hong Ming returned to reality; it was time to loot the corpses.

He stripped Liu Hu of all his valuables, just as the man had once done to him, not leaving behind even a single copper coin.

Then, he laid the three of them out neatly.

Although he had prior experience, dealing with them was still quite troublesome.

It took Hong Ming a long time to finish destroying the evidence, and he vanished into the night, returning home fully loaded.

Huang Chun's residence.

"Qian Biao is dead?"

Upon receiving the news, Huang Chun was both surprised and enlightened.

No wonder the man hadn't replied in so long; he had assumed the man didn't want the final payment.

It turned out he could only burn it for him now.

Immediately, he became furious; this guy had died at a truly inconvenient time.

He had taken the money but failed to drive Hong Ming to his wit's end, causing him to lose out on so much enjoyment for nothing.

Fortunately, there was still time before Hong Ming's deadline, enough for him to make other plans.

After cursing Qian Biao for a moment, Huang Chun rubbed his chin, his eyes filled with contemplation.

Suddenly, a bright idea struck him: "Why not make something of this?"

Although he didn't know how Qian Biao had died, that didn't stop him from using this to frame Hong Ming and force him to compromise.

Thinking of this, he felt moved: "Someone come!"