Second Bone-Tempering! Setting Off for Li Village!

Second Bone-Tempering! Setting Off for Li Village! "Chief..."

Seeing that Mu Yang was about to leave the city to kill demons, Old Ye seemed to want to say something more. But before he could open his mouth, Old Fang grabbed him first and shook his head.

Do not question or oppose a superior's decision, especially in front of so many people.

If there was anything he did not understand or thought would not work, it was best to say it in private.

That was Old Fang's way of surviving in the yamen.

Mu Yang had seen the little exchange between the two.

Old Fang and Old Ye were both old hands in the Constabulary. Their strength was not outstanding, and their professional ability was average, but they had lived long enough and possessed abundant experience.

Especially when it came to handling all sorts of miscellaneous matters.

"Old Fang, go find Clerk Liu about the application to leave the city. While you're at it, apply for three good horses," Mu Yang said.

Previously, he had only been a minor constable. When he traveled, he had no mount at all and relied entirely on his own two legs.

But times had changed. He had now risen to become one of Qingxi County's five chief constables, so applying for a few horses for the road was no problem.

"Old Ye, take Lin Xiaoqi and the other three to familiarize yourselves with the street patrol duties."

"Li Chuang, go to the Constabulary kitchen and get some rations. Gather at the south gate in half an hour."

Mu Yang gave his orders.

He had not planned to take everyone out of the city. For one thing, there was no need; for another, too many people would make traveling troublesome.

He was bringing Li Chuang to guide the way and, incidentally, help him untie the knot in his heart. As for Old Fang, he was purely there to run errands and handle miscellaneous affairs.

"Yes, Chief!" *6

After Old Fang and the others left, Mu Yang did not immediately leave the room. Instead, he laid the four martial arts manuals he had just received flat on the wooden table.

Mid-grade martial arts: Tendon-Splitting Bone-Dislocating Hand, Iron Cloth Shirt, Hundred Shadow Flying Needles.

High-grade martial art: Dragon-Subduing Tiger-Subduing Blade Technique.

His current realm was the Tendon-Bone Realm, Second Tendon-Tempering.

He had three Equipment Slots in total.

One held the Fox Demon's corpse, while the other two held Air-Dried Pork, which had long since transformed into permanent equipment.

In other words, he still had two empty Equipment Slots.

After thinking it over, Mu Yang tucked Dragon-Subduing Tiger-Subduing Blade Technique and Hundred Shadow Flying Needles into his clothes, keeping them close to his body.

Since Second Rank was the Martial Foundation Realm, the more solidly he laid that foundation, the better.

Although Dragon-Subduing Tiger-Subduing Blade Technique was a high-grade martial art and could allow him to break through directly to the Third Rank Blood-Marrow Realm after equipping it, he had already completed Second Tendon-Tempering and was only one step away from Second Bone-Tempering.

Rather than rushing to break through, he might as well first complete the Second Bone-Tempering of the Tendon-Bone Realm.

Besides, with his current strength, he had no fear whatsoever of Third Rank demons.

What was more, Second Bone-Tempering might bring him even greater gains in strength.

With that thought, Mu Yang picked up the two mid-grade martial arts, Tendon-Splitting Bone-Dislocating Hand and Iron Cloth Shirt, and silently recited in his heart.

"Equip Tendon-Splitting Bone-Dislocating Hand, Iron Cloth Shirt!"

[ Ding! Tendon-Splitting Bone-Dislocating Hand, Iron Cloth Shirt equipped! ]

In an instant, two surges of scorching heat, similar in scale but born from entirely different parts of his body, erupted within him at the same time.

One came from Tendon-Splitting Bone-Dislocating Hand, emerging from the meridians in his arms and coursing through his entire body. Countless techniques for dislocating bones, grappling, and severing tendons were etched into his mind.

The other came from Iron Cloth Shirt, arising from the muscles beneath his skin. Like forging armor, it continuously tempered his body's surface, making it tougher and tougher.

Mu Yang felt that, with the defensive strength of his body's surface now, let alone the standard-issue constable blade he had started with, even the sharp claws of a First Rank demon like Hui Jiu probably could not break through his defense.

Crack! Pop!!

As the two mid-grade martial arts settled into his body, the vast Blood Qi born alongside them began relentlessly washing over Mu Yang's already incomparably hard bones. Dull, brittle cracks rang out one after another.

This was the sign of Second Bone-Tempering.

With his previous experience of Second Tendon-Tempering, Mu Yang showed no surprise this time. He merely closed his eyes and silently sensed the changes within his body.

The bright silver glow that had originally flickered across the surface of his body gradually darkened without him noticing, drawing closer to the color of metal, like an excellent iron blank polished to perfection.

Before long, the Blood Qi settled, and the silver glow faded away.

Second Bone-Tempering, complete!

Mu Yang opened his eyes and clenched his fist. What rang from his knuckles was no longer a crisp crack, but a dull boom like metal striking metal.

"Three thousand pounds! Completing Second Bone-Tempering actually increased my strength by a full three thousand pounds!"

Joy rose in Mu Yang's heart.

This increase in strength was almost comparable to the change from the late Blood-Marrow Realm to Blood-Marrow Realm Perfection.

The strength of one of his arms had now reached 8,500 pounds. He was only 1,500 pounds away from the ten-thousand-pound strength of Third Rank Blood-Marrow Realm Perfection.

"I really wonder what kind of genius someone capable of completing Second Tendon-Tempering and Bone-Tempering on their own would have to be."

Recalling the total amount of Blood Qi required for Second Bone-Tempering just now, Mu Yang secretly marveled.

If not for the unique effect of the Equipment Slots, he truly could not imagine how he could accumulate such vast Blood Qi.

How much silver would that take? How many medicinal herbs that replenished Blood Qi would he have to consume?

But then again, the bonuses from Second Tendon-Tempering and Bone-Tempering were already so terrifying. What about the third time?

Third Tendon-Tempering and Third Bone-Tempering—perhaps even without the boost of demon corpses, they could easily surpass the ten-thousand-pound strength of Blood-Marrow Realm Perfection.

Still, Second Bone-Tempering had consumed all the Blood Qi generated by two mid-grade martial arts. The Blood Qi needed for the third time would only be even more terrifying.

With the number of Equipment Slots he currently had, he feared he would be unable to manage it.

He would probably need high-grade martial arts, or demon corpses of an even higher rank.

"Ox Tendon Tiger Bone, Steel Tendon Iron Bone... what could lie beyond that?"

Mu Yang muttered quietly to himself.

A moment later, he fastened the Feather-Command Broadblade at his waist and pushed open the door to leave.

The south gate of the city.

Old Fang had completed the application to leave the city early. He was now waiting at the gate with Li Chuang, leading three tall horses.

Besides the horses, each of them carried a bulging bundle on his back containing provisions and water for the road.

When they saw Mu Yang approaching, the two immediately went up to meet him.

"Chief, the application to leave the city has been handled. These three are the yamen's best Post Horses—strong-legged and enduring." Old Fang handed him the reins. "Li Chuang has prepared the provisions and water too. I checked them; there's enough for us to make the round trip."

Old Fang handled matters efficiently. The procedures for leaving the city and the supplies for the journey were all in order.

"Chief!"

Li Chuang called out as well. His voice was loud, though it trembled slightly.

For two whole months, he had thought of this day day and night.

"Mm."

Mu Yang took the reins and swung himself onto the horse. "Move out."

The three spurred their horses onward, galloping down the official road toward Li Village.

The horses' hooves kicked up dust from the road, while the trees on both sides flashed backward at speed.

There were few travelers on the road. Occasionally, they saw a few passersby carrying baggage, but all of them hurried along, their faces filled with wariness and unease.

None of the three spoke. They simply kept their heads down and traveled on.

With the Post Horses' speed, they saw the outline of Li Village before noon.

Like most villages around Qingxi County, Li Village mainly relied on farming. Most of the houses in the village were earthen structures roofed with thatch.

From time to time, they could see a few old farmers carrying hoes and working in the fields.

Strangely, however, not a single child could be seen playing by the roadside.

When the farmers saw Mu Yang and the other two riding in, they merely looked up once before lowering their heads and continuing their silent work, as if they had noticed nothing.

Though the sunlight was bright, the village was steeped in the air of approaching dusk.

Only when the three tightened their reins, slowed down, and approached did one of the farmers rub his eyes in disbelief and ask uncertainly, "Chuang'er?"