The Golden Blade Sect, main headquarters.
When word arrived that ten members of the Golden Blade Sect, including two entry-level martial artists, had died at the branch, Sect Master Zhao Jinsheng could no longer sit still.
He berated the branch leaders seated before him: "A bunch of useless good-for-nothings! You're all talk and no action. Get out there and investigate. Whoever did this, I'll hack them into a thousand pieces!"
The branch leaders hurriedly acknowledged the order and withdrew, though they couldn't help muttering to themselves.
Another scout came to report that the ten bodies had been piled together and burned. Their faces were completely unrecognizable, and there were no clues to be found.
But if anyone was most suspect, it was the Black Dragon Gang. They had both the strength and the motive to kill.
After Zhao Jinsheng dismissed everyone, he cursed under his breath as he headed for his rear courtyard. He pushed open a hidden panel, revealing a deep passage that led straight down to an underground chamber.
He drew in a breath and slowly descended.
The chamber was small, its interior lit by blazing flames. A pill furnace stood prominently in the middle, and beside it sat a figure with a pale face and a gloomy gaze.
A faint scent of blood lingered in the air. In the corner lay several corpses, their faces drained of color, as though all their blood had been sucked dry.
"Have you found it?" The man didn't even look up as he asked in a hoarse voice.
Zhao Jinsheng bowed slightly, his voice bitter. "My lord, I've failed you. I haven't found it, and we've lost several men. Two Skin Refining martial artists are dead."
For a gang like the Golden Blade Sect, entry-level martial artists were already its backbone.
The man furrowed his brow and said coldly, "If you haven't found it, then keep looking. He's gravely wounded and on the verge of death. He can't have gone far."
Zhao Jinsheng nodded repeatedly.
The man continued, "Two useless fools dying is nothing. Hurry up and get me another batch of people and medicinal herbs."
Zhao Jinsheng was in a bind. His Golden Blade Sect was only a small- to medium-sized gang, and killing a few people had already pushed things to the limit. If they made any more moves, the authorities might take notice, and then they'd be in trouble.
As for medicinal herbs, the gang's coffers had been drained dry just a few days earlier to cultivate entry-level martial artists. They truly couldn't afford to spend much more.
Still, he could only agree. "All right. I'll take care of it as soon as I can."
Chen Yuan opened his eyes and stretched lazily, feeling utterly refreshed. With his troubles taken care of, he'd slept like a log.
He glanced at the status panel. The system hadn't reprimanded him for violating the principles of the Dao of Survival, and his score was still +4.
It seemed he'd covered his tracks perfectly yesterday. No one would ever guess that a martial artist who hadn't even reached minor mastery in Skin Refining could wipe out ten men single-handedly.
[Understanding: 27] [Constitution: 53] [Cultivation: Skin Tempering; Bright Force] [Cultivation Method] [Rock-Steadiness Stance Training (Minor Achievement): 197/1000] [Mind-Intent Six Harmonies Fist (Minor Achievement): 76/1000] [Survival Points: 5] [Evaluation: Keep a low profile, do no harm to others, understand the principle of biding your time, you have just begun to grasp the way of survival, daily Survival Points +4]
Because he'd been practicing constantly for over a month, his Rock-Solid Stance Technique had improved quite quickly.
The faster his progress, the faster he built up his qi and blood, and the faster he tempered his skin.
He practiced Six Harmonies Mind Boxing regularly too. He couldn't let it go to waste. As his comprehension improved, so did his efficiency. He used to gain two points of progress after a full day of practice, but now he gained two points after only half a day.
He still had to keep working hard!
Thinking back to what had happened yesterday, Chen Yuan was still a little shaken.
He'd thought that the strength of an entry-level martial artist would be enough to intimidate the local gangs, but the Golden Blade Sect hadn't been deterred at all. Xiaoyu had nearly been captured.
To keep this from happening again, he had to become stronger.
If he reached the Jade Marrow Realm and also achieved perfection in Transformation Force, who in Qingyuan County would dare provoke him?
It was too early to be thinking about that. His immediate priority was to improve his strength as quickly as possible, in case the Golden Blade Sect came back for revenge.
After washing up, he pushed open the door and went outside.
He saw neighbors gathered in small groups, clapping their hands and cheering over the news that the Golden Blade Sect's villains had been wiped out.
"Serves them right! I wonder which great hero stepped in to help. If it was the Black Dragon Gang, at least they've done one decent thing."
"Good riddance! If they were still alive, who knows what misery they'd have put us through?"
"My daughter says that great hero had such handsome eyes, like stars in the heavens. She's already thinking of offering herself to him. If he's willing, I'd be glad to make the match."
Chen Yuan couldn't help laughing. He'd gone on a rampage the night before, his eyes bloodshot, and people were calling them stars in the heavens? Red giants, maybe?
His aunt and uncle were there too, chatting happily.
His uncle was even carrying a shoulder pole. He'd originally been on his way to the morning market, but now he couldn't bring himself to leave. His face was alight with joy, and even the wound at the corner of his eye no longer hurt.
When Huang Juan saw her nephew come outside, she trotted over to share the good news.
"A-Yuan, those people from the Golden Blade Sect all died last night. We don't have to pay two taels of silver today."
Chen Yuan smiled and nodded. "That's wonderful. Xiaoyu will be overjoyed when she hears the news after she wakes up."
That little girl probably hadn't slept well last night.
The wrinkles at the corners of his aunt's eyes relaxed too. "That's right. She was crying even in her sleep last night..."
After chatting for a while, Chen Yuan set off toward Huo Academy.
He hadn't gone far when a voice called out to him.
He turned and saw Granny Wang calling him over. He walked up with a faint smile and asked, "What is it, Granny Wang? Is there something I can help with?"
Granny Wang glanced around, then furtively led him into her ramshackle house and lowered her voice. "Child, you're a good boy. Granny has something for you."
Chen Yuan smiled and waved his hand. "There's no need, Granny Wang. I can earn quite a bit of silver each month now. You should keep it for yourself."
He thought she was going to give him some food. Granny Wang was already struggling to get by; how could he accept anything from her?
"Oh, I have no use for this. You're a martial artist, so it's just right for you." Granny Wang bent down on her own, pulled a thin, thread-bound booklet from under the bed, dusted it off, and handed it to Chen Yuan.
Chen Yuan's eyes flickered. He took it and saw five blurry characters on the cover, as if they'd been worn away by time.
He looked closely—Dragon-Elephant Prison-Suppressing Body!
His pupils contracted at once. The name alone made it sound extraordinary. He lowered his voice and asked, "Granny Wang, where did you get this?"
Granny Wang sighed and replied, "A few nights ago, a young man knocked on my door and asked me to take him in and give him something to eat. I took pity on him, so I agreed.
"He was badly injured. The wound at his waist had turned gangrenous, and medicine didn't help. After staying here for a few days, he left.
"Before he went, he left me this booklet. He asked me to find a martial artist I could trust and give it to him, as repayment for taking him in. But he said I had to keep it secret, or I'd be killed."
That was when she thought of Chen Yuan.
Chen Yuan opened to the first page and saw fresh writing:
"Found in a tomb, but now I'm being hunted by my enemies. Knowing I have little time left, I have no choice but to leave this to whoever fate brings it to. Whoever obtains this technique, I hope you'll avenge me. My enemy—Sun Xie, a demonic cultivator. He has ties to the Golden Blade Sect. Marrow Realm, Dark Force. He's gravely wounded now. Take care."
At a glance, Chen Yuan immediately put many things together.
The Golden Blade Sect's recent surge in strength and the steady stream of entry-level martial artists it had produced were likely connected to Sun Xie.
Yesterday, they'd searched every nook and cranny. They'd probably found some clues and were looking for Sun Xie's whereabouts.
But he'd already fled, so they'd come up empty in the end.
And the man had left this technique behind. It must have been extremely valuable.
His intentions were obvious: to repay a kindness, and to take revenge.
Chen Yuan closed the booklet, his expression grave. "Granny Wang, you mustn't tell anyone about this—not even your son. Otherwise, you could be killed."
Granny Wang nodded. "Child, I understand. Don't worry. Take it."
She hadn't lived all these years for nothing. The young man had only just left when the Golden Blade Sect showed up and searched every house on the street. Naturally, she'd realized something was going on.
Chen Yuan tucked the booklet into his robes and clasped his hands. "Thank you, Granny Wang. If you ever run into trouble, just come to me."
"Go on, go on. I've already troubled you enough." Granny Wang waved him away with a kind smile.
Chen Yuan walked along the blue-stone road in high spirits. Who said good deeds never brought good rewards?
The important thing was to treat good people well.
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