Night Falls Like a Curtain, Danger Lurks in the Shadows [Seek Follow-up] [Monthly Ticket]

Lu Jing'an truly had not expected this.

An old, tattered fist manual unearthed from confiscated goods actually concealed such a profound origin.

However, this did make sense.

If not for the insight granted by the [Fist Master] Affix.

Lu Jing'an would likely be just like any ordinary martial artist.

He would have dismissed it as a mediocre cultivation technique.

In the eyes of most, Mountain Crushing Fist was nothing more than a martial art with demanding requirements but seemingly ordinary power.

Who could have imagined that it actually originated from the hands of the Great Ming Fist Champion?

It was a top-tier legacy once buried by the passage of time.

This stroke of fortune caused a surge of excitement in Lu Jing'an's heart.

He finished his breakfast in a few quick bites, intending to begin practicing with Chen Xuan.

"Young Master, there is no need to rush into practicing. There are some things I must explain to you first," Chen Xuan said, raising a hand to stop him.

"Please speak, Teacher." Lu Jing'an suppressed his eagerness and composed his expression.

Chen Xuan took a thin booklet wrapped in grey cloth from his robes and spoke slowly:

"I actually possess a portion of the Six Harmonies Fist manual myself.

I had intended to give it to you today, but I did not expect you to have obtained another one first."

His gaze swept over the Mountain Crushing Fist in Lu Jing'an's hands as he continued:

"If you are determined to follow the path of the Six Harmonies Fist, I suggest you cultivate both manuals simultaneously."

"With these two fist techniques complementing each other, you will surely be able to break through the 'Blood Barrier'."

"If you can find the third part in the future, then the 'Bone Barrier' can also be broken."

Hearing this, Lu Jing'an felt a warmth in his heart.

His teacher was truly a lucky star.

However, he was not blinded by the surprise and asked in a deep voice:

"Teacher, will there be any hidden dangers in practicing two sets of fist techniques at once?"

Chen Xuan nodded, his expression solemn:

"There will be."

"The flow of internal energy in each part of the Six Harmonies Fist is different.

At the beginning of dual cultivation, the two streams of energy will clash within your body, like fire and ice in the same furnace."

"You will need specific medicinal baths to assist in guiding the energies to merge.

But that is only the first part."

He paused, looking into Lu Jing'an's eyes:

"The hardest part is that the cultivation process is extremely painful, like scraping bone and carving flesh.

And once you begin, you cannot stop halfway."

"If you were to stop..."

Chen Xuan's tone turned heavy, "At best, your meridians will be damaged, making further progress in martial arts difficult.

At worst, your foundation will be completely destroyed, leaving you a cripple."

"Therefore, Young Master, you must be cautious."

Lu Jing'an pondered for a moment and asked:

"If I can master both fist techniques, will this pain be alleviated?"

"Correct." Chen Xuan nodded, but he cut off Lu Jing'an's next words in advance, "But you must know, if you cultivate only one, given your aptitude, you could master it in a few days.

But if you cultivate both, the difficulty increases a hundredfold, and the time required will be much longer."

Lu Jing'an looked down at the manual in his hands; the cover was yellowed and the edges worn.

After only a moment of silence, he looked up, his gaze filled with determination:

"Teacher, I choose the Six Harmonies Fist."

Lu Jing'an chose this path for a simple reason:

First, the Six Harmonies Fist was strong enough to support his journey toward a higher martial path.

Second, he had Energy Points at his disposal.

If the pain became truly unbearable, he would simply invest Energy Points to force an entry into the technique.

If the pain became too much to handle, Lu Jing'an would just use his Energy Points to master it.

With a cheat like that, not choosing the strongest option would be utterly foolish.

Seeing that Lu Jing'an had made his choice, Chen Xuan stopped trying to persuade him otherwise.

Instead, he handed over the manual for the Thunderclap Fist, another technique he possessed, to Lu Jing'an.

Lu Jing'an accepted it with both hands and offered a solemn word of thanks.

"Young Master, there is no need to rush into training. You can have Cui Jieyi prepare a medicinal bath first, and use that time to study both fist techniques."

Lu Jing'an asked, "Teacher, won't you explain them to me in detail?"

Chen Xuan replied, "Young Master's comprehension of fist techniques is already no less than my own.

For top-tier martial arts like these, the path that best suits you is the one you realize for yourself."

"This is different from basic techniques like the Tongbei Fist; if you can grasp it through self-realization, your foundation will be at its most stable."

"When you truly begin training, I will be there to guard and guide you."

With that, he pulled a pre-written prescription from his sleeve and handed it to Lu Jing'an.

"So, Teacher, you had already anticipated that I would choose the Six Harmonies Fist." Lu Jing'an took the prescription and couldn't help but smile.

"It was merely a precaution," Chen Xuan shook his head.

"If Young Master had not chosen it, I would never have brought this prescription out."

Lu Jing'an summoned a servant, handed the prescription over, and instructed:

"Take this to Doctor Cui Jieyi. Purchase whatever medicinal herbs are required, and draw the funds directly from the accounting office."

Once the servant had departed, Lu Jing'an asked about another critical matter:

"Teacher, are there any leads on the remaining four fist manuals?"

Chen Xuan pondered for a moment and said:

"I have a vague idea of where two of them might be.

Once Young Master has mastered these two, I can head out to search for them."

Lu Jing'an waved his hand:

"Let the servants handle the search for the manuals for now.

If it can be solved with money, there is no need to trouble you to travel personally, Teacher."

Chen Xuan thought for a moment and nodded.

Just then, two sets of footsteps approached from the corridor, one after the other.

Lu Jing'an turned to look; one was the servant who had just gone to deliver the prescription, and the other was a servant who attended to his father, Lu Huaiqian.

"Young Master, the Master requests your presence in the study," the servant said respectfully.

Lu Jing'an nodded, first turning to the servant who had returned with the message:

"What did Doctor Cui say?"

"Doctor Cui says that most of the herbs on the prescription can be purchased within Yinshan County.

Only a few rare ones will require searching in neighboring counties or even the provincial capital."

"She has already arranged for people to handle it, and there should be news within five or six days at the latest."

"Good. Tell Doctor Cui that she has full authority; I only care about the results."

After giving his instructions, Lu Jing'an bid a temporary farewell to Chen Xuan and followed the servant toward the study.

Along the way, he had already roughly guessed the reason for his father's summons.

Sure enough, upon entering the study, he saw Lu Huaiqian holding a scroll of papers.

It was the file on the Tiger Demon, borrowed from the Peacekeeping Bureau.

Things had gone so smoothly that even Lu Huaiqian was somewhat surprised.

He had originally intended to use this as a "trial" for his son.

Instead, he had ended up being "taught a lesson" by him.

What surprised him even more was that his son seemed to have more influence at the Peacekeeping Bureau than he had imagined.

"Jing'an, this is the Tiger Demon file retrieved from the Peacekeeping Bureau. Take a careful look."

Lu Jing'an took it and began to read with focused attention.

The records of the Peacekeeping Bureau are extremely detailed, with information dating back forty years.

According to the files, that Tiger Demon has been entrenched in the mountains and forests outside Yinshan County for nearly forty years.

Its origins remain a mystery, and the Peacekeeping Bureau has organized two encirclement campaigns against it.

Both attempts ended in failure because the Tiger Demon is exceptionally cunning and remains firmly entrenched in its lair.

During one of those attempts, a team of Peacekeeping Bureau cultivators was returning via a shortcut.

They accidentally stumbled into the Tiger Demon's territory and were slaughtered.

Unexpectedly, this demon possesses the ability to refine Chang Ghost.

The Peacekeeping Bureau was unaware of this capability at the time.

They suffered a massive loss on their own turf.

Seven or eight cultivators were killed.

The entire Peacekeeping Bureau, including affiliated cultivators, has fewer than thirty members.

Losing nearly a quarter of their force in one go was an absolute catastrophe.

Later, the Peacekeeping Bureau conducted a thorough investigation of the Tiger Demon for a long time.

Although they were unable to harm it again, their understanding of the Tiger Demon became quite extensive.

Lu Jing'an finished reading and handed the file back:

"Father, this file needs to be copied; it will be of great use in the future."

Lu Huaiqian nodded and summoned his secretary to give the order.

After pondering for a moment, Lu Huaiqian still asked:

"You seem to have a close relationship with the Peacekeeping Bureau?"

Lu Jing'an's expression remained unchanged:

"We are merely acquainted.

Being able to access the files this time was not due to my influence, but because the Peacekeeping Bureau follows the rules.

As long as one acts according to protocol, they naturally cooperate."

Lu Huaiqian nodded and said no more.

However, he knew clearly in his heart that when he acted according to protocol in the past, things never went this smoothly.

But this was a good thing, and he did not want to probe further.

Leaving the study, Lu Jing'an returned directly to his courtyard.

In the quiet room, Lu Jing'an spread the two fist manuals on the desk and immersed himself in them once again.

It was not until the night deepened and the candlelight flickered.

That he finally fully grasped the moves, mental cultivation methods, and energy circulation bottlenecks of both sets of fist techniques.

Since Cui Jieyi had not yet prepared all the medicinal materials, Lu Jing'an was in no rush to start practicing.

He simply performed a set of punches in the courtyard and stood in a stance for a long while.

Afterward, he soaked his body in a medicinal bath, and feeling completely refreshed, he extinguished the lamp to rest.

That night, the moon was hidden and the stars were dim.

The long streets of Yinshan County were submerged in ink-like darkness, with distant watchman gongs and sporadic lights.

When no one was looking, several figures quietly appeared in the shadows of the alleys.

Their footsteps were silent, their breathing non-existent, their complexions pale, and their eyes fixed.

They were the very Chang Ghost refined by the Tiger Demon.

The group of six "people" all possessed a foundation as Martial Cultivator during their lifetimes.

Though they had lost their vitality, their physical shells appeared even more rigid and ferocious.

The six individuals had a clear target: the Lu Family mansion.

It did not take long.

The six individuals approached the Lu Family.

They easily vaulted over the courtyard walls.

They split into two groups; one headed straight for the East Courtyard where Lu Jing'an resided.

The other group crept toward the west side, to the courtyard of the children of Lu Jing'an's third uncle.