Great Haul, Firearms Compendium, Setting Off Firecrackers? [Please Read On]

"You're courting death!"

A cold gleam flashed in Lin Changsheng's eyes as Dawn became a bolt of lightning!

Splat!

"Aah!"

Lei Zhen screamed miserably. The right hand he had slapped toward the cloth pouch fell to the ground, blood spraying from the severed arm!

At the same time, several blasts of force shot out, shattering Lei Zhen's dantian, joints throughout his body, and kneecaps!

Only then did Lin Changsheng step forward, carefully remove the cloth pouch from his waist, and take out six black round beads!

"No!"

"You damned thief, how hateful! Even as a ghost, I won't let you off! Aah!"

Lei Zhen collapsed limply to the ground, glaring at Lin Changsheng with gritted teeth, his eyes filled with venom and despair.

"Six Heavenly Thunder Beads! You wanted to drag me down with you?!"

Lin Changsheng stepped forward and slapped out. Lei Zhen's skull shattered at once; his eyes flew wide open, and he died with them unclosed!

He was now a Martial Arts Grandmaster.

His perception had become nearly microscopic. How could it be only several times stronger than before?

The Lei Family specialized in firearms, so naturally, he had been exceedingly cautious.

The instant Lei Zhen crawled forward on his knees, Lin Changsheng sensed the violent fluctuations in his aura.

If those six Heavenly Thunder Beads erupted at such close range—

Even as a Martial Arts Grandmaster, he would likely have met a bitter end!

Lin Changsheng entered the main hall of the courtyard.

Lei Zhen's residence was a quiet siheyuan courtyard. Lin Changsheng's killing of Lei Zhen had not alerted anyone else.

The main hall faced the front gate, and beyond it lay the bedroom.

Lin Changsheng tossed the thoroughly dead Lei Zhen into the main hall and headed straight for the bedroom. Lei Zhen's bedroom was large, and a pot of orchid flowers sat on the table.

"Strange. Where did Lei Zhen hide his valuables?"

Lin Changsheng carefully searched through everything—the walls, paintings, and cabinets—but found nothing of value, and his brow furrowed deeply.

There were no banknotes or secret manuals in sight.

According to what Lin Changsheng had learned,

the Lei Family's firearms output was enormous. Even with great expenses, they should have had quite a bit of silver. It had to be hidden somewhere.

Lin Changsheng looked toward the bed in the bedroom. The quilt was folded neatly. He immediately stepped forward and carefully lifted it, but found nothing. Then he removed the pillow and lifted the bedsheet as well.

Lin Changsheng discovered a row of decorative wooden posts at the head of the bed. One of them differed from the others: it was exceptionally smooth, like the surface of a walnut that had been constantly handled!

Lin Changsheng carefully twisted that wooden post to the left, but it would not budge. He then twisted it to the right.

"Creak!!"

Suddenly, a soft sound rang out. The bedboard flipped upward, revealing a passage beneath it. Several stone steps led down, seemingly to a secret chamber.

"Hm? A secret chamber!"

Seeing the secret chamber beneath the bedboard, Lin Changsheng's eyes lit up. He could make out several chests below the stone steps.

Lin Changsheng walked down.

The underground space was about three zhang square, with three chests placed inside.

Lin Changsheng carefully opened all three chests.

The chest on the left contained several booklets. They were actually secret manuals: [Scorching Fire Method], [Firearms Compendium], and [Thunderfire Finger].

The middle chest held half a chest of glittering gold ingots, along with a stack of banknotes.

The chest on the right contained an exquisite little sandalwood box. Inside the box was only a white jade piece, slightly yellowed, seemingly very ancient.

"This time, the haul is truly huge!"

"Wonderful!"

Lin Changsheng looked at the items with great satisfaction. He immediately fetched a piece of cloth from the bedroom and bundled up all the gold ingots, secret manuals, and jade piece.

Just as Lin Changsheng emerged from the secret chamber, he suddenly heard footsteps outside.

"This is bad! The family head is dead!"

"Father!"

"Eldest Uncle!"

"Someone, come quickly... something happened to the family head!"

Standing in the main hall, Lin Changsheng saw a tall black-clad elder rushing over with five richly dressed youths. They happened to discover Lei Zhen's body in the courtyard and immediately began shouting.

Lin Changsheng emerged from the secret chamber, carrying the large bundle!

"It was him! He killed the family head!"

"Don't let that thief escape!"

Seeing Lin Changsheng appear with a large bundle in hand, the black-clad elder and the five richly dressed youths all changed expression and reached for the cloth pouches at their waists!

"Lei Zhen's sons and nephews?"

"Perfect timing!"

Seeing that the elder and the richly dressed youths were all preparing to take out Heavenly Thunder Beads, Lin Changsheng's heart stirred. With a flick of his hand, two Heavenly Thunder Beads shot forth after the others yet arrived first, landing in the middle of the courtyard. He unleashed Fleeting Light and Passing Shadow, his figure streaking away like lightning.

Rumble, rumble!

Rumble, rumble!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

A series of dense explosions rang out, shaking the earth!

"Looks like my Heavenly Thunder Beads triggered all the Heavenly Thunder Beads on those six people!"

Carrying the large bundle, Lin Changsheng moved far away from the Lei Family. Hearing the successive explosions coming from their residence, he thought to himself.

Lin Changsheng returned to the secluded little courtyard.

He placed the bundle in his room. Seeing the little white fox asleep in its cage, he sat down and took stock of that night's gains.

There were three cultivation manuals; the banknotes totaled around fifty-seven thousand taels of silver; and there were eighty-eight gold ingots.

There was also a pale-white jade piece tinged with yellow, about two cun long and half a cun wide.

"Not bad. Now I can buy plenty more Tiger Blood Pills!"

"Perhaps I can also try to get my hands on the Dragon Blood Pill formula!"

Looking at the pile of gold ingots, Lin Changsheng thought to himself.

Obtaining high-grade pills to increase his cultivation experience and raise his cultivation, while also merging cultivation methods, was the most urgent matter before him!

"First, I'll get these three methods started!"

With that thought, Lin Changsheng put the gold ingots, banknotes, jade piece, and the rest aside. He opened the Scorching Fire Method. At the same time, his left hand tapped in a tiger claw, his right hand rubbed his belly, and the Lesser Heavenly Cycle Breathing Method continued gaining experience.

The only issue was that there was no gale, so the Gale Saber Technique could not gain experience for the time being.

The next day.

[Scorching Fire Method detected. Consume 30 taels of silver to simplify it?]

[Firearms Compendium detected. Consume 20 taels of silver to simplify it?]

[Martial art Thunderfire Finger detected. Consume 20 taels of silver to simplify it?]

Lin Changsheng sat in the east wing room. Looking at the three prompts that had appeared on the panel, he immediately reached out and selected confirm.

[Great Dao Simplicity: Scorching Fire Method, Firearms Compendium, and Thunderfire Finger are being simplified... Simplification successful!]

"Hm? Warming by the fire, roasting over the fire? In that case, all I need for these two methods is a brazier?"

"The Firearms Compendium was actually simplified into setting off firecrackers? That's quite interesting!"

Looking at the red prompts on the panel, Lin Changsheng's eyes immediately filled with interest.

How would setting off firecrackers increase experience?

If it counted as one point of experience per bang, then if he lit dozens of ten-thousand-string firecracker rolls at once, wouldn't it instantly reach completion?

"I'll light a brazier first and see!"

Lin Changsheng tidied everything up and headed to the kitchen. There were braziers and firewood there, so he immediately carried a brazier into the courtyard, piled it with firewood, and lit it with a tinderbox.

Amid a crackling chorus, the flames gradually grew stronger!

Lin Changsheng stretched out his hand and sat beside the brazier, warming his hands over the fire. He only felt his body growing warmer.

Scorching Fire Method experience +1!

Thunderfire Finger experience +1!

Scorching Fire Method experience +1!

...

As Lin Changsheng warmed himself by the fire, red prompts continuously appeared on the panel!

Lin Changsheng looked at the panel, a satisfied expression appearing on his face.

"Hm, the little fox is injured. I should let it warm itself by the fire too! It'll help its wounds heal!"

Lin Changsheng suddenly remembered the little white fox he had picked up. He immediately stood and headed toward the other room.

"Hm? Don't tell me it's dead?"

As soon as Lin Changsheng entered the room, he saw the little white fox lying there with its eyes tightly shut, completely motionless.