Suspicion

By the time he returned home, it was already noon the next day.

Lu Li arrived home and immediately hid his spoils under his pillow before heading out to the courtyard to begin studying the Elephant Strength Bull Demon Fist.

Once Lu Li had finished flipping through the manual and committed the entire routine to memory, a new entry appeared on his status panel.

[Martial Arts: Elephant Strength Bull Demon Fist (Uninitiated 0/150) - Practice once a day, completion in fifteen years...]

Lu Li took a look and, as expected, the Elephant Strength Bull Demon Fist provided additional bonuses, making its entry threshold fifty percent higher than the Tiger-Subduing Fist.

However, none of this was a problem for Lu Li.

He reached his hands forward and settled into his stance.

Then, with his tendons pulling taut, he threw a sudden punch; it was like a wild bull thrusting its horns, instantly whipping up waves of wind.

It was also like the trumpeting of a giant elephant, a display of shocking momentum.

If a martial arts master were watching from the sidelines, they would surely be astonished.

Because this was Lu Li's first time practicing it, yet he already looked like a seasoned expert.

Not only were his movements fluid and seamless, without a single flaw, but they were also full of character, capturing the overbearing ferocity and the wide, sweeping spirit of the Elephant Strength Bull Demon Fist.

[Martial Arts: Elephant Strength Bull Demon Fist (Uninitiated 2/150) - Practice once a day, completion in fifteen years...]

Ignoring his own exhaustion, he finished the set with lightning speed.

Lu Li still felt light and full of strength.

He looked at the panel again.

The proficiency of the Elephant Strength Bull Demon Fist had jumped by two points in an instant.

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

With his high-level perspective, combined with his natural talent and the rapid boost from the proficiency panel, his progress with the Elephant Strength Bull Demon Fist had doubled!

He believed that it wouldn't be long before he could push the Elephant Strength Bull Demon Fist to the Tendon-Refining Realm level by the end of the month through his full-effort training.

Furthermore, after testing it, Lu Li discovered that his strength had improved slightly, though the increase was not significant.

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

If that's the case, then raising the level of the Elephant Strength Bull Demon Fist won't be without its rewards!

Lu Li was overjoyed.

Immediately, his thoughts turned to the Wind and Rain Pavilion.

When he entered the city, Lu Li had taken a moment to inquire about it.

Unexpectedly, the Wind and Rain Pavilion was extremely famous; it took only a moment in a teahouse to gather information about them.

The Wind and Rain Pavilion possessed immense power, with influence radiating across the entire Great Yan.

Not only that, but they also conducted business in other empires as well.

The Wind and Rain Pavilion was known by a specific moniker: "A Thousand Gold for a Life."

There was no life you couldn't buy, only a price you couldn't afford.

The strength of their assassins was evident from this reputation.

Thinking of Black Hawk's mention that the Wind and Rain Pavilion held vast resources, Lu Li couldn't help but feel tempted.

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

"The so-called 'great medicines' in the city are no longer enough to satisfy me."

"As a premier power, the Wind and Rain Pavilion should have even more potent medicines."

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

With that thought, Lu Li immediately began his martial arts training.

Huang Family.

Huang He's residence.

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

"Have you identified the target on your end?" Huang He furrowed his brows and asked in a deep voice.

Wang Ju shook his head, his narrow phoenix eyes filled with a thick, impenetrable sorrow.

"Hmph, a bunch of useless trash. It's been so long, and you still haven't found out who is pulling the strings!" Huang He snorted coldly and slammed his hand against the table in anger.

If they didn't drag the culprit out, there was no telling what kind of trouble this person might cause in the future.

The matter has blown up; if their family is exposed, what are they to do?

Wang Ju shook his head, looking even more distressed. "Brother Huang He, I heard that people from the Incense Fragrance Sect are coming to Changfeng County. Some of their members have gone missing here."

"What we should be considering now is how to receive the Incense Fragrance Sect. As for the person muddying the waters, let us set that aside for the moment."

"Both our families have herb gatherers who go up the mountain every day; it is possible they might end up being tracked down directly to us."

"What?" Huang He was greatly shocked, his expression changing instantly.

The Incense Fragrance Sect is illustrious, arguably one of the top powers in Qingfeng Prefecture.

It is said that even the Prefect dares not cross them.

If the Incense Fragrance Sect comes to hold them accountable, they will likely not be able to send them away without suffering a massive loss.

"Sigh, it is truly an eventful autumn." Huang He let out a heavy sigh.

It would be one thing if they simply hadn't found the person stirring up trouble, but now the Incense Fragrance Sect is coming to add to the chaos.

The two fell into a long silence, both feeling deeply vexed.

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

Huang He was taken aback, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Looking at Wang Ju, with his disheveled long hair and feminine temperament, a dangerous glint suddenly appeared in his eyes.

"You were tailing him?"

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

Huang He was half-convinced.

He is close with Wang Ju, and he knows Wang Ju's reputation all too well.

Thus, he warned sternly, "I am warning you, you had best behave yourself and keep your hands off my Huang Family."

"Although the fifth one is good for nothing, he is still my son, and I will not tolerate him being defiled."

Hearing Huang He get straight to the point and call out his true nature, Wang Ju laughed in anger.

He looked at Huang He with his phoenix eyes full of resentment, making Huang He's scalp tingle.

Suddenly, a blood-stained figure rushed in, eyes filled with sorrow, looking as if he had just lost his mother.

It was none other than Huang Haitao.

He stumbled and fell to his knees, head bowed, his body trembling with extreme fear.

Huang He's hand, holding his teacup, froze.

Huang Haitao was the one he had sent to follow the Fifth Young Master.

In this state, the answer was perhaps self-evident.

But clinging to a shred of hope, he suppressed his worry and asked in a deep voice, "Look at me."

"Where is the fifth one?"

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

Following that, Huang Haitao recounted the entire sequence of events exactly as they happened.

Upon hearing this, Huang He flew into a rage.

He slammed the table, the sheer force instantly shattering it into powder.

He was already agitated, and now, hearing such terrible news, he was overcome with fury, the veins on his forehead bulging.

More importantly, that was a martial art that could lead to the Inner-Qi Realm!

With an Inner-Qi Realm martial art, his Huang Family could definitely have taken another step up!

But now, it was all ruined!

That was the point that infuriated him the most.

His son's death was only secondary.

"Driving demons, a Tendon-Refining Realm expert—who is it! Who on earth is it!"

"How can such a small Changfeng County have so many mysterious experts!"

Huang He roared like thunder, his face twisted and ferocious.

He suddenly recalled Wang Ju mentioning the Fifth Young Master, and remembered that the Fifth Young Master was also handsome and elegant—exactly the type Wang Ju favored.

He turned his head abruptly, his hawk-like eyes staring sharply at Wang Ju as a heavy pressure descended upon him.

"Wang Ju, what is your take on this?"

Realizing he was being suspected, Wang Ju's face turned resentful.

He did indeed covet the Fifth Young Master's beauty, but the boy was a member of the Huang Family after all; no matter how unloved he was, he wouldn't go so far as to forcibly seize him, let alone kill him.