Suspicions

By the time Lu Li got home, it was already noon the next day.

As soon as Lu Li arrived, he hid everything he had obtained under his pillow, then went out into the courtyard and began studying the Elephant Strength Bull Demon Fist.

After Lu Li had finished reading through the Elephant Strength Bull Demon Fist and memorized the entire routine, a new entry appeared on the panel.

[Martial Arts: Elephant Strength Bull Demon Fist (Not Yet Initiated 0/150) Practice once a day; mastery in fifteen years...]

Lu Li glanced at it. As expected, the Elephant Strength Bull Demon Fist came with an additional boost, so it was half again as difficult to master as the Tiger-Subduing Fist.

But that wasn't a problem for Lu Li.

Lu Li reached both hands forward and assumed a stance.

Then his tendons pulled taut, and he suddenly threw a punch, like a wild bull lowering its horns. Waves of wind burst forth at once.

It was like a giant elephant trumpeting, its presence utterly awe-inspiring.

Any martial arts master watching from the side would surely have been astonished.

Though Lu Li was practicing it for the first time, he already looked quite accomplished.

His movements flowed like water, executed in one smooth motion without a single flaw.

Moreover, his form was full of spirit, capturing the Elephant Strength Bull Demon Fist's domineering force and the sweeping grandeur of its moves.

[Martial Arts: Elephant Strength Bull Demon Fist (Not Yet Initiated 2/150) Practice once a day; mastery in fifteen years...]

Lu Li finished the set at breakneck speed, heedless of the strain on his body.

Yet he still felt light and easy, brimming with strength.

He looked at the panel again.

The Elephant Strength Bull Demon Fist's proficiency had increased by two points in one go.

Lu Li's brows lifted slightly, and he nodded in satisfaction.

With his advantage of seeing the bigger picture, his natural intelligence, and the rapid boost from the proficiency panel, his progress with the Elephant Strength Bull Demon Fist had doubled!

He was confident that, before long, if he gave it his all, he would be able to cultivate the Elephant Strength Bull Demon Fist to the Tendon-Refining Realm by the end of the month!

What was more,

after testing it out, Lu Li found that his strength seemed to have increased a little, though not by much.

Lu Li stroked his chin and guessed, "Could it be that the two martial arts can stack?"

"If so, then improving my Elephant Strength Bull Demon Fist won't be a waste after all!"

Lu Li was overjoyed.

Then he thought of the Wind and Rain Pavilion.

When entering the city, Lu Li had taken a little time to ask around.

To his surprise, the Wind and Rain Pavilion was so famous that he found out about it after only a moment's inquiry at a teahouse.

The Wind and Rain Pavilion was incredibly powerful, with a reach spanning all of Great Yan.

Not only that, it even did business in other empires.

The Wind and Rain Pavilion was known by a particular name: "A life for a thousand gold."

It didn't matter who you wanted dead; the only question was whether you could pay enough.

The strength of its assassins was clear for all to see.

Thinking of Black Hawk's words about the Wind and Rain Pavilion having many resources, Lu Li couldn't help but feel tempted.

"Once I become an official martial artist of the Huang Family, I'll only need to stand guard there for a little while each day before I can leave. Perhaps I can join the Wind and Rain Pavilion as an assassin and earn resources."

"The so-called great tonics in the city aren't enough for me anymore."

"As a preeminent major power, the Wind and Rain Pavilion must have even more potent great tonics."

"Otherwise, so many experts wouldn't flock to it."

Having made up his mind, Lu Li immediately began practicing his martial arts.

The Huang Family.

Huang He's residence.

Huang He and Wang Ju sat facing each other, their expressions grave.

"Have you identified any suspects on your end?" Huang He asked in a low voice, his brows knitted.

Wang Ju shook his head, his long, narrow phoenix eyes filled with a sorrow that would not lift.

"Hmph, a bunch of good-for-nothings! After all this time, you still haven't found out who's been working against us!" Huang He snorted and slammed his hand on the table in anger.

If they didn't root out the culprit, he might interfere again in the future and cause more trouble.

If things spiraled out of control and he exposed their Lineage, what would they do then?

Wang Ju shook his head, looking even more troubled. "Brother Huang He, I've heard that people from the Incense Fragrance Sect are coming to Changfeng County. One of their people went missing here."

"What we should be considering now is how to receive the Incense Fragrance Sect. We can put aside the matter of the person stirring up trouble for the moment."

"Both our families have herb gatherers who go into the mountains every day. They might stumble upon us directly."

"What?" Huang He was startled, his expression changing at once.

The Incense Fragrance Sect was renowned, one of the foremost powers in Qingfeng Prefecture.

He'd heard that even the prefect dared not do anything to the Incense Fragrance Sect.

If the Incense Fragrance Sect came to demand an explanation, they would have to pay dearly to send them away.

"Alas, these are troubled times," Huang He sighed.

It would have been bad enough if they hadn't found the one stirring up trouble. Now the Incense Fragrance Sect was coming to make things worse.

The two fell silent for a long while, both feeling vexed.

"By the way, I heard your Fifth Young Master went up the mountain?" Wang Ju suddenly asked.

Huang He froze, his eyes narrowing.

Looking at Wang Ju, with his long, loose hair and feminine air, he suddenly felt a dangerous glint in his eyes.

"Were you following him?"

Wang Ju scoffed. "What are you talking about? I just happened to run into him yesterday."

Huang He was half convinced, half doubtful.

He was close to Wang Ju and knew his reputation all too well.

So he warned him sternly, "I'm warning you: you'd better behave. Don't stick your hands into my Huang Family's affairs."

"Though the Fifth Young Master is good for nothing, he's still my son. I won't let anyone defile him."

Hearing Huang He bluntly call out his true nature, Wang Ju laughed in exasperation.

He gazed at Huang He with mournful phoenix eyes, making Huang He's scalp prickle.

Suddenly, a bloodied figure rushed in, his eyes full of grief, looking as if his mother had just died.

It was Huang Haitao.

He stumbled to his knees, lowered his head, and trembled, terrified to the extreme.

Huang He's hand froze around the teacup.

Huang Haitao had been sent to follow the Fifth Young Master.

Seeing him in this state, the answer was probably obvious.

Still, clinging to a faint hope, he forced down his worry and asked in a low voice, "Raise your head and look at me."

"Where is the Fifth Young Master?"

Huang Haitao slowly raised his head and replied in a trembling voice, "The Fifth Young Master is dead!"

Then Huang Haitao recounted the events exactly as they had happened.

After hearing him out, Huang He flew into a rage.

He slammed the table so hard that the tremendous force shattered it into powder.

He had already been in a foul mood, and now he had to hear such terrible news. Rage surged through him, and the veins on his forehead bulged.

More importantly, that martial art could take someone all the way to the Inner-Qi Realm!

With a martial art for reaching the Inner-Qi Realm, the Huang Family could surely rise another level!

But now it had all gone up in smoke!

That was what made him angriest.

His son's death came second.

"Commanding demons, a Tendon-Refining Realm expert—who was it? Who was it?"

"How could this little Changfeng County have so many mysterious experts?"

Huang He roared like thunder, his face twisted with fury.

Then he recalled Wang Ju bringing up the Fifth Young Master. The Fifth Young Master was handsome and elegant, exactly the sort Wang Ju fancied.

He abruptly turned, his eagle-sharp gaze fixing on Wang Ju as a heavy pressure descended upon him.

"Wang Ju, what do you make of this?"

Realizing he was under suspicion, Wang Ju's face turned mournful.

He had indeed coveted the Fifth Young Master's looks, but he was still a member of the Huang Family. However little favor the Fifth Young Master enjoyed, Wang Ju would never go so far as to abduct him by force, let alone kill him.