Vortex! Martial Grandmaster Realm!

"Hero, this... is all I've gained over the years... Please spare my life, Hero!"

"I'll give you 4,000 first. Once I cash in these antiques tomorrow, I'll give you the remaining 1,000 taels!"

Chen Ling knelt before Lin Changsheng, holding the banknotes high in both hands, his eyes full of pleading.

"Mm."

"Very good! To keep you from harboring ulterior motives after you escape, write down how many benefits you've accepted over the years, how many wicked deeds you've done, along with the times and places. Sign and stamp it, then leave it with me!"

"Only then will I be at ease."

Lin Changsheng looked at Chen Ling and spoke calmly.

"This..."

Chen Ling looked troubled. This was evidence against him—if it fell into someone else's hands, would he not be led around by the nose for the rest of his life?

"If you don't write, I'll send you down below at once!"

Lin Changsheng's tone was icy. He raised a palm and struck at the table through the air; a surge of force burst forth, and the table instantly shattered into splinters.

"Ah... I'll write! I'll write right away!"

Feeling Lin Changsheng's killing intent, Chen Ling shuddered violently and nodded like a chicken pecking rice. He knew perfectly well that his deeds could not bear the light of day. He could only write less and gloss things over; staying alive came first.

"Oh, right. I have the account books recording the tributes paid to you by the three major martial schools and those gangs in Pasture City. If you leave out even one item, don't blame me for being impolite!"

"Don't think I don't know your family is in another estate!"

Lin Changsheng's calm voice reached Chen Ling's ears. Chen Ling's hand froze around the brush, and he let out a long sigh inwardly. "Yes, sir. I wouldn't dare conceal anything."

Now, his entire family's lives were in this man's hands. He could only write everything down honestly.

"Fifth day of the third month, 357th year of Great Yu: Zhao Qinhu of the Black Tiger Gang offered 300 taels..."

"Sixth day of the third month, 357th year of Great Yu: Hundred Herbs Hall paid 200 taels in tribute..."

"Seventh day of the third month, 357th year of Great Yu: wealthy household Zhang Rang beat a tenant to death, then paid 150 taels to smooth things over..."

"Sixteenth day of the third month, 357th year of Great Yu: purchased the Black Tiger Gang's large residence west of the city for 1 tael of silver, settling the fifth concubine there..."

"Iron Hand Martial School..."

"..."

Half an hour later, Lin Changsheng discovered that Chen Ling had written over a hundred entries in sprawling detail, including two concubines who had accidentally "fallen into wells" and died!

His crimes towered to the heavens!

"Lord Chen, ten heads wouldn't be enough for the chopping block with what you've done!"

"According to these records, there's no way you only have a mere 5,000 taels. Are you trying to deceive me?"

Lin Changsheng looked at the account book Chen Ling had written, narrowing his eyes as killing intent enveloped Chen Ling.

This beast had done every evil imaginable. If he did not die, heaven's justice would not allow it!

After obtaining the 1,000 taels, Lin Changsheng planned to throw this account book to the courier station and have it sent to Pasture City's superior city—Minnan Commandery City.

Given Chen Ling's deeds, he would surely be beheaded!

When Chen Ling was beheaded, Lin Changsheng would not have killed him himself, so it would not count as breaking his promise!

"H-Hero, I've secretly kept eight more concubines. They all cost silver to support! That really is all I have. If I dare deceive you, may heavenly lightning strike me dead!"

Hearing Lin Changsheng's words, Chen Ling's expression changed. He immediately knelt before Lin Changsheng and repeatedly kowtowed.

"Mm. I hope you're not lying. Stamp it!"

"Have the 1,000 taels ready tomorrow and leave them outside this estate. I'll come collect them then!"

Lin Changsheng narrowed his eyes and spoke in a deep voice.

"Alright, certainly, certainly!"

Chen Ling nodded repeatedly. Taking a deep breath, he pressed his finger into the inkpad and stamped the document. Lin Changsheng took the 4,000 taels' worth of banknotes and the account book, then leapt away.

"It's all that bitch Ma Qian's fault. She made my years of effort go down the drain, and now someone has seized my weakness..."

Watching Lin Changsheng's departing back, Chen Ling collapsed to the ground. Yet his eyes flickered. After all, he had survived that baleful star's hands. The silver was gone, but he could earn it back someday!

Lin Changsheng returned to his small courtyard with the 4,000 taels' worth of banknotes.

Hearing steady breathing from the room next door, he immediately returned to his own room.

"This haul felt incredible!"

"It's enough to buy Blood-and-Qi Pills for quite a while!"

Lin Changsheng closed the door, counted the 4,000 taels, and revealed a satisfied expression.

Of the 1,500 taels he had taken from Ma Zhankui last time, after simplification, purchasing pills, and living expenses, more than 1,100 taels remained. Now, Lin Changsheng possessed over 5,100 taels of silver.

As for Iron Hand Martial School, Golden Bell Martial School, and Flowing Cloud Martial School, Lin Changsheng did not intend to let them off either. He would visit them tomorrow night, one by one!

After all.

Golden Bell Martial School's Golden Bell Shield was also something he could learn.

Although these martial arts were not especially high-level, he had the Simplification Fusion Panel. Once fused, they would become high-level!

Actually.

Now that Lin Changsheng was in the First-Class Realm, he should have been able to go to more advanced places and obtain higher-grade manuals, but they were dangerous!

With the simplification panel, he should first gather more martial arts and techniques like Golden Bell Shield, then cautiously raise his strength a little higher.

This was a world of immortal cultivation.

He could only take things one step at a time and seek stability.

His next goal was to become a Martial Grandmaster!

Lin Changsheng had heard that both major sects in Southern Fujian Commandery had Martial Grandmasters overseeing them!

Lin Changsheng planned to go see them only after his strength had become sufficient!

Otherwise, he would never take the risk!

With a thought, Lin Changsheng inspected the panel.

[Great Dao Made Simple: Level 1]

[Lin Changsheng: 16/55]

[Cultivation: First-Class Realm (4532/12500)]

[Technique: Sun-Moon Breathing Method (Major Accomplishment 64394/125000)]

[Martial Arts: Nine Stars Linked (Bow/Hidden Weapons) (Proficient 346/2500), Iron Sand Palm (Perfect Stage), Flying Eaves Lightness Skill (Perfect Stage), Azure Snake Sword Technique (Perfect Stage)]

[Alchemy: Qi-Replenishing Pill (Perfect Stage 11578/62500)]

[Consume a certain amount of silver to simplify techniques, martial skills, and so on.]

[Status: Yin Energy Invasion (Weakened)]

The next day.

Under Yu Wenjing's beautiful gaze, Lin Changsheng headed to Hundred Herbs Hall.

Now that his Qi-Replenishing Pill experience had reached the Perfect Stage, a vast amount of methods and techniques for refining Qi-Replenishing Pills had appeared in his mind, along with every trick for extracting medicinal power from various herbs and condensing it into pills. They had all fused into him.

The current Lin Changsheng felt as though he had refined Qi-Replenishing Pills for more than ten years!

This is the peaceful life I longed for...

Yu Wenjing watched Lin Changsheng's retreating back, her expression complicated. Just as she turned to return indoors and get busy cleaning, she saw a gray bird appear in the sky. Her pretty face changed at once, and she murmured, "I thought I had escaped the vortex for good. Who would have thought... sigh..."

At this moment.

Three tattooed young men arrived at Lin Changsheng's doorstep. Seeing Yu Wenjing standing at the entrance and gazing at the sky, their eyes lit up. Liu Zhuang, who led them, stepped forward and said, "Miss, what is your relationship with Lin Changsheng?"

"You're from the Black Tiger Gang, here to collect the monthly silver?"

Yu Wenjing looked at Liu Zhuang and the other two, asking without answering his question.

"That's right!"

Liu Zhuang nodded.

"Alright."

Yu Wenjing nodded, went inside, took out three copper coins, and handed them to the men. Then she returned indoors and shut the door.

"I never expected that brat Lin Changsheng to have such a beautiful girl at home. She's absolutely gorgeous!"

"Brother Zhuang, aren't you short a wife?"

A short young man with triangular eyes looked at Liu Zhuang, his tiny eyes rolling about.

"Don't talk nonsense!"

"Didn't you see that the gang leader is still short a concubine?"

Liu Zhuang glared and frowned.

"Right, right, right! Brother Zhuang is right. As long as the gang leader is happy, would our benefits be lacking?"

The triangular-eyed youth's eyes lit up.

"Let's go! We'll head back and bring the gang leader good news!"

Liu Zhuang chuckled.