Secret Techniques

White Ape Martial Hall, Inner Courtyard.

"Master, there's news about the disappearances!"

A direct disciple came running over, shouting excitedly.

"Speak."

Zhou Rongfeng, who had been troubled by the matter, immediately asked.

A careful investigation over the past few days had revealed that more than ten disciples from the Outer Courtyard had gone missing.

Although Outer Courtyard disciples were expendable and could be replenished at any time,

the martial hall couldn't let its disciples vanish without explanation. If they didn't get to the bottom of it, it would trigger a crisis of trust for both the martial hall and the Zhou Clan.

People would join your martial hall, only to end up missing—neither alive nor dead.

Who would dare come here to become a disciple after that?

"People outside are saying the Azure Dragon Gang kidnapped the martial hall's disciples."

The disciple quickly relayed the rumors circulating outside.

"The Azure Dragon Gang? What kind of outfit is that?"

Zhou Rongfeng frowned. He had never even heard of such a faction.

He was a member of the Zhou Clan and the head of White Ape Martial Hall. Naturally, he didn't pay attention to gangs.

"The Azure Dragon Gang appeared out of nowhere some time ago. They took advantage of the turmoil in the East District to swallow up quite a few gangs. We haven't uncovered their background yet."

"They're said to have kidnapped disciples from other martial halls, too. The rumors are spreading like wildfire, and I suspect someone's fanning the flames behind the scenes."

The direct disciple explained.

With the news suddenly spreading so widely, someone had to be pushing it along.

Perhaps someone wanted to use their hands to get rid of the Azure Dragon Gang.

"Notify the Yamen. Take people and surround the Azure Dragon Gang."

After hearing this, Zhou Rongfeng immediately gave the order.

They had finally found a lead. Better to believe it than dismiss it.

"Yes."

The direct disciple left.

East District, Azure Dragon Gang.

"Damn it! How did the news get out?"

In the main hall, a burly man as imposing as a bear let out a thunderous roar. He was like a beast gone mad.

"Investigate! I'll tear the bastard to pieces!"

The man grew even more furious, a faint red glint rising in his eyes. Then he smashed an expensive Eight Immortals table with a single palm strike.

The other gang members hurriedly backed away, afraid of getting caught in the crossfire.

"Gang Master, now isn't the time to look for the mole. The city's major martial halls have probably all heard the news, and they're likely bringing people over right now."

Hall Master Pang, whose refined manner made him seem like a teacher, reminded him.

"That's right, Gang Master. We need to get out safely first. We can look for the mole afterward."

The gang members who had backed away chimed in as well.

"Stick to the plan. Split up and leave the city. Meet at Nine Eagle Ridge. As for the outer members, send them on their way so they can't leak any information."

The burly man took a deep breath, finally calming down a little.

"Yes!"

Hall Master Pang and the others received their orders and hurriedly set to work in an orderly fashion.

Jiang Clan, Ancestral Residence.

With everything arranged, Jiang Chen removed his disguise and hurried over.

"Young Master, you're finally here!"

The trusted steward, who had been waiting at the entrance and gazing into the distance, immediately went to greet him.

"Chen'er, are you all right?"

Lin Shuyun had received the news and came hurrying out, clearly waiting for him as well.

"Mother, don't worry."

Jiang Chen smiled, then asked about the clan's reinforcements. When he learned that Jiang Guiyuan had personally led people there, he felt reassured.

The Azure Dragon Gang's goal was to capture him and trade him for his family's shops, so they probably wouldn't take his father's life.

After all, if his father died, the clan might take over the shops.

It would be much harder for the Azure Dragon Gang to get their hands on them then.

"Madam, Young Master, Master has returned home safely."

Sure enough, about half an hour later, a guard came to report the good news.

"Let's go home."

Lin Shuyun and Jiang Chen didn't hesitate. They immediately hurried back.

By the time they got home, Jiang Guiyuan and the others had already left.

"Chen'er, are you and your mother hurt?"

Jiang Sihai's face was pale, but he finally relaxed when Lin Shuyun and Jiang Chen returned.

"Father, Mother and I are fine. But you..."

Jiang Chen spread out his soul power and carefully sensed his condition.

Fortunately, his father had only suffered a minor internal injury. It wasn't serious.

"It's just a small injury. A few days of rest will take care of it."

Jiang Sihai smiled.

"Husband, perhaps we should hand the shops over to the clan for now."

Lin Shuyun's eyes were red-rimmed, and she spoke with deep concern.

She had thought the Azure Dragon Gang wouldn't dare make a move because of the Upper Sect Envoy's ban.

Who could have guessed they'd even dare defy the Upper Sect's order?

Once there was a first time, there could be a second.

If the Azure Dragon Gang struck again, it would surely be even more dangerous.

"There's good news..."

Hearing this, Jiang Sihai immediately told them that the Azure Dragon Gang had been jointly targeted by the Yamen and the major martial halls. His face brimmed with excitement.

"The Azure Dragon Gang is that bold? They dared to target martial hall disciples?"

Lin Shuyun, who had been worried, brightened as well, unable to hide her delight.

With the Yamen and the major martial halls all hunting them, the Azure Dragon Gang would become a rat scurrying across the street in Prefecture City. They would disappear without a trace.

"Who knows what got into the Azure Dragon Gang?"

Jiang Sihai grinned.

After all these years in business, he could tell that someone had deliberately spread the rumors about the Azure Dragon Gang.

But by a stroke of luck, those rumors had helped them resolve their crisis.

It really was heaven lending them a hand.

Seeing how happy his parents were, Jiang Chen smiled too.

Although he badly wanted to storm the Azure Dragon Gang himself and wipe out every last Evil Cultivator,

there was no helping it; his cultivation was too weak. Setting two tigers against each other was the practical choice.

At the very least, the crisis facing his family had been resolved.

As for Primordial Points, there was no need to rush.

As long as the Azure Dragon Gang wasn't wiped out completely, they would surely regroup and strike again.

Once he was strong enough, he could reap the rewards then.

After returning to the room in his small courtyard, he took out the ancient book and the sheepskin scroll.

"Ninefold Strength!"

"Qi Concealment Technique!"

The ancient book and the sheepskin scroll each recorded a secret technique.

Ninefold Strength was an offensive secret technique that could amplify one's combat power.

Mastering the first layer increased combat power by one-tenth.

Once all nine layers were mastered, it could double one's combat power.

In other words,

with Ninefold Strength, someone at the First Qi and Blood Gate could fight someone at the Second Qi and Blood Gate; someone at the Second Qi and Blood Gate could battle someone at the Third Qi and Blood Gate; and someone at the Third Qi and Blood Gate might even match someone in the True Martial Realm.

That was why that Evil Cultivator had dared to come alone to capture people.

An ordinary True Martial Realm cultivator was no match for him.

Unfortunately for him, he'd been terribly unlucky and had run into Jiang Chen just as he broke through.

"Consumes essence blood? The stronger the boost, the more essence blood it consumes?"

After seeing the price of using Ninefold Strength, Jiang Chen frowned slightly.

This wasn't a secret technique—it was practically an evil art.

Aside from Evil Cultivators who took Blood Pills, no one else could cultivate it.

If someone forced themself to use it, they'd probably exhaust their essence blood and die after only a few uses.

"Hmm? Blood Essence Replenishing Soup?!"

When he turned to the last page, he found a medicinal recipe that greatly replenished Blood Qi.

Judging by the number and rarity of its ingredients, it was far beyond anything Tiger Bone Soup or Blood Qi Pills could compare to.

"So Ninefold Strength wasn't created for Evil Cultivators?"

After carefully studying the recipe for Blood Essence Replenishing Soup, Jiang Chen's eyes shifted.

If this soup could truly make up for the loss of essence blood, then this secret technique would be worth cultivating.

A twofold increase in combat power was enough to let someone easily cross a realm and defeat an enemy.

"Qi Concealment Technique!"

Then Jiang Chen took out the sheepskin scroll and examined it.

Compared to Ninefold Strength, Qi Concealment Technique was much simpler. It was simply a secret technique for concealing one's aura.

Those Evil Cultivators must have relied on this technique to hide their auras.

"This technique's worth learning too."

When traveling the martial world, concealing one's aura was an essential skill.

"Better to improve my cultivation first."

Putting away the two secret techniques, Jiang Chen took out an Aperture Breaking Pill and swallowed it.

No matter how good a secret technique was, cultivation was still its foundation.

While Jiang Chen focused on cultivation, a huge commotion broke out in the East District.

Led by White Ape Martial Hall, the forces surrounded the Azure Dragon Gang. Not a single gang member inside managed to escape.

After investigating the compound, they discovered several dungeons and more than a hundred skeletons.

This meant the young martial artists who had suffered at the Azure Dragon Gang's hands numbered over a hundred.

The major martial halls were naturally enraged. They decided to interrogate the gang members and uncover the forces behind the Azure Dragon Gang!

But before they could act, every gang member died at once, leaving no survivors.

Thus, this horrifying case went cold, its trail severed.