"Captain..."
Seeing that Mu Yang was about to leave the city to kill monsters, Old Ye seemed to want to say something more. But before he could speak, Old Fang grabbed him first and shook his head.
Do not question or contradict your superior's decision, especially in front of so many people.
If there was something you did not understand or thought would not work, it was best to bring it up in private.
That was Old Fang's way of surviving in the yamen.
Mu Yang saw their little exchange clearly.
Old Fang and Old Ye were both old hands in the Constabulary. Their strength was nothing outstanding, and their professional ability was average, but they had lived long enough and accumulated abundant experience.
Especially when dealing with all sorts of miscellaneous matters.
"Old Fang, go find Clerk Liu about the application to leave the city. Apply for three good horses while you're at it," Mu Yang said.
Previously, he had merely been a minor constable. He had no mount when traveling and had relied entirely on his own two legs.
But times had changed. He had already risen to become one of Qingxi County's five captains. Applying for a few horses for travel would not be a problem.
"Old Ye, take Lin Xiaoqi and the other three to familiarize yourselves with 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 bring 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 along to find 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 trivial matters.
"Yes, Captain!" *6
After Old Fang and the others left, Mu Yang did not hurry out of 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 Arts: Dragon-Subduing Tiger-Subduing Blade Technique.
His current realm was the Tendon-Bone Realm, at Second Tendon-Tempering.
He had a total of three Equipment Slots.
One held the Fox Demon 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 in total.
After some thought, Mu Yang tucked Dragon-Subduing Tiger-Subduing Blade Technique and Hundred Shadow Flying Needles into his clothes, keeping them close to his body.
Since the Second Rank was the Martial Foundation Realm, it was only natural to make that foundation as solid as possible.
Though Dragon-Subduing Tiger-Subduing Blade Technique was High-Grade Martial Arts and could directly raise him to the Third-Stage Blood-Marrow Realm after being equipped, 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 Tendon-Bone Realm's Second Bone-Tempering.
Besides, with his current strength, he did not fear Third Rank monsters in the slightest.
What was more, Second Bone-Tempering might bring him even greater boosts in strength.
With that thought, Mu Yang reached out and picked up the two Mid-Grade Martial Arts manuals, Tendon-Splitting Bone-Dislocating Hand and Iron Cloth Shirt, silently reciting in his heart.
"Equip Tendon-Splitting Bone-Dislocating Hand and Iron Cloth Shirt!"
[ Ding! Tendon-Splitting Bone-Dislocating Hand and Iron Cloth Shirt equipped! ]
In an instant, two waves of scorching heat, similar in scale yet born from utterly different parts of his body, erupted at the same time.
One came from Tendon-Splitting Bone-Dislocating Hand, born from the meridians in his arms and flowing through his entire body. Countless techniques for dislocating bones, grappling, and severing tendons were carved into his mind.
The other came from Iron Cloth Shirt, emerging from the muscles beneath his skin. Like tempering armor, it continuously polished his body's surface, making it ever tougher.
Mu Yang felt that, with his current bodily defenses, not even the standard constable blade he had used at the beginning could hurt him. Even the sharp claws of a First Rank monster like Hui Jiu probably could not break through his defenses.
Crack! Pop!
As the two Mid-Grade Martial Arts manuals were equipped, the vast Blood Qi born alongside them began ceaselessly washing over Mu Yang's already incomparably hard bones. Dull, crisp sounds rang out one after another.
These were the signs of Second Bone-Tempering.
With the experience of Second Tendon-Tempering before this, Mu Yang showed no surprise. He simply closed his eyes and silently sensed the changes within his body.
The bright silver gleam that had originally flickered over his body gradually dimmed without his noticing, becoming closer to the color of metal, like a superb iron billet polished to perfection.
Before long, the Blood Qi settled, and the silver light faded.
Second Bone-Tempering, complete!
Mu Yang opened his eyes and clenched his fist. What came from his knuckles was no longer a crisp crack, but a dull roar 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 Blood-Marrow Realm Late Stage to Blood-Marrow Realm Perfection.
The strength in 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-Stage Blood-Marrow Realm Perfection.
"I really wonder what kind of genius someone capable of completing Second Tendon-Tempering and Bone Forging on their own would have to be."
Recalling the total amount of Blood Qi required for Second Bone-Tempering, Mu Yang secretly marveled.
If not for the Equipment Slot's unique effect, he truly could not imagine how he could accumulate such immense Blood Qi.
How much silver would that cost? How many medicinal herbs that replenished Blood Qi would he have to consume?
But then again, the boost from Second Tendon-Tempering and Bone Forging was already so terrifying. What about a third time?
With Third Tendon-Tempering and Third Bone-Tempering, even without the support of monster corpses, he would likely be able to easily surpass the ten-thousand-pound strength of Blood-Marrow Realm Perfection.
Still, Second Bone-Tempering had already consumed all the Blood Qi produced by two Mid-Grade Martial Arts manuals. The Blood Qi needed for a 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 the corpses of even higher-level monsters.
"Ox Tendon Tiger Bone, Steel Tendon Iron Bone... what would come after that?"
Mu Yang muttered silently to himself.
A moment later, he fastened the Feather-Command Broadblade at his waist and pushed open the door.
South Gate.
Old Fang had finished the application to leave the city early and was now waiting at the gate with Li Chuang, holding the reins of three tall horses.
Besides the horses, each of them carried a bulging bundle on his back, filled with travel rations and water.
When they saw Mu Yang approaching, the two immediately went up to meet him.
"Captain, the application to leave the city has been handled. These three are the yamen's best Post Horses. They have plenty of speed and good endurance." Old Fang handed over the reins. "Li Chuang has also prepared the rations and water. I checked them; there's enough for the round trip."
Old Fang handled matters cleanly and efficiently. The procedures for leaving the city and all the supplies for the journey were fully prepared.
"Captain!"
Li Chuang also called out. His voice was loud and trembled slightly.
For two whole months, he had thought day and night of this day's arrival.
"Mm."
Mu Yang took the reins and swung himself onto the horse. "Set out."
The three spurred their horses onward, galloping along the official road toward Li Village.
Hooves struck the dusty road, while the trees on either side raced backward.
There were few travelers on the road. Occasionally, they saw passersby carrying bundles, all hurrying along with wariness and unease written across their faces.
None of the three spoke. They simply kept their heads down and traveled on.
With the Post Horses' speed, the three saw the outline of Li Village before noon.
Like most villages around Qingxi County, Li Village mainly relied on farming. Most of its buildings were mud-and-tile houses covered with thatch.
Now and then, they could see old farmers carrying hoes as they worked in the fields.
Strangely, not a single child could be seen playing by the roadside.
When the farmers saw Mu Yang and the other two riding over, they merely raised their heads for a glance before lowering them again and silently continuing their work, as though they had noticed nothing.
Though the sunlight was bright, the village was steeped in the air of twilight.
Only after the three pulled tight on their reins and slowed as they approached did one of the farmers rub his eyes in disbelief, his voice full of surprise and suspicion. "Chuang'er?"
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