Blood-Qi Limit, Heretic Cult

He washed it and blanched it.

Then he added a few simple seasonings and set it to stew.

Before long, an enticing aroma filled the kitchen.

Looking at the meat in the pot, Fang Xing saw that although he had added only a few basic seasonings, the fragrance was exceptionally tempting.

"This smell... it's fresh!"

Breathing in the rich aroma of the stewed Beast Meat, Fang Xing swallowed.

--

"Burp~"

A pound of Beast Meat was not much. Fang Xing cleaned it out, wolfed down three bowls of rice, and drank every last drop of the broth.

After eating a pound of Beast Meat, his entire body felt pleasantly warm.

It was different from the sensation of swallowing a Blood-Qi Pill.

The refined energy contained in the Beast Meat slowly seeped into his body, making him feel very comfortable.

Full and satisfied, Fang Xing first went to the main hall and took out the small martial arts manual for Capture Hand.

As he stared at it, words appeared before his eyes.

[Capture Hand, a basic martial art. Enhancement requires sixty Enhancement Points.]

"Sixty points..."

"So I'll need at least two months of accumulation before I can enhance it."

Looking at the enhancement prompt, Fang Xing frowned.

Enhancing Capture Hand required a full sixty points, six times what it took to enhance a Blood-Qi Pill.

At the rate of one point a day, sixty Enhancement Points would take at least two months.

And that was assuming he did not spend any during that time. Otherwise, it would take even longer.

"Looks like I can't enhance it for now. I'll probably have to wait until I become a formal martial artist."

Fang Xing let out a sigh.

There was no need to rush the enhancement of martial arts.

After all, Capture Hand still suited him for the time being. Though it was not some top-tier martial art, a basic martial art was precisely what suited him.

After all, top-tier martial arts had high thresholds as well.

They also required more resources to support their cultivation.

The priority was becoming a formal martial artist.

Once his cultivation rose, his martial arts would wield greater power as well.

Without cultivation, even the strongest martial art could not display its might.

Becoming a martial artist was a threshold.

"I can't waste the energy from the Beast Meat. Time to keep training."

Setting down the manual, Fang Xing immediately went outside into the courtyard and continued practicing Capture Hand.

With part of the Blood-Qi Pill's medicinal power still within him, coupled with the nourishment from the Beast Meat, Fang Xing did not need to worry at all about overtaxing his body during training.

His previous training had also improved his Blood-Qi physique somewhat, making him more enduring.

Two days passed quickly. Early on the third day, Fang Xing headed to the County Yamen.

After two days of frenzied training,

supported by the Blood-Qi Pill, his Blood-Qi had grown immensely—several times stronger than before—and reached the Blood-Qi Limit.

With his strength greatly improved and Capture Hand to back it up, dealing with four or five grown men would not be a problem at all.

Passing through the streets and alleyways, Fang Xing soon arrived at the County Yamen.

After entering the County Yamen, Fang Xing quickly came before the North Ward Office.

Qingshan County Yamen was divided into four ward offices.

The four ward offices were located in the east, west, south, and north respectively, each corresponding to one of the four major city districts.

Under normal circumstances, each Constable was responsible for handling matters in his own district. They would only gather for joint action in special situations, or when higher authorities came to inspect.

By the time Fang Xing arrived, the other Yamen Runners had mostly arrived as well. There were more than twenty of them.

"Looks like you've recovered quite well. Your complexion is so good." Xu Le walked up, gave him a once-over, and said.

"Not bad. I rested for a few days and recovered," Fang Xing said with a smile.

"You really are desperate, kid. For the sake of results, you nearly threw your life away." At that moment, another young Yamen Runner stepped forward and said.

Fang Xing glanced at him. "Brother Zhang, it was merely my duty. It's a pity I failed to catch that guy."

"He's fled across several counties. How could he be so easy to catch? Still, it really is a pity. You missed a golden opportunity," another Yamen Runner chimed in.

"But Fang Xing, you'd better be careful. You nearly brought that guy down. If he comes looking for revenge, that'll be dangerous," yet another Yamen Runner warned.

Fang Xing merely smiled and said nothing.

Come to his door for revenge?

Given time, if that man came looking for him, it was uncertain who would live and who would die.

As everyone chatted and discussed the matter,

a middle-aged man dressed in a red constable's uniform entered through the ward office door.

The entire ward office immediately fell silent.

"Sir."

Seeing the middle-aged man in red appear, everyone promptly bowed.

Fang Xing bowed as well.

According to his memories, this middle-aged man in the red constable's uniform was their immediate superior, Xu Zhengxiong, one of the Four Constables.

He was a genuine martial artist, a formal martial artist at the peak of Bright Force!

Xu Zhengxiong nodded and swept his gaze over the crowd. His eyes settled on Fang Xing. "All right, go about your duties. Fang Xing, stay behind."

Everyone nodded and left the ward office. Soon, only Fang Xing and Xu Zhengxiong remained.

"Uncle Xu, what did you want to see me about?"

Fang Xing looked at Xu Zhengxiong and asked politely.

Xu Zhengxiong looked at Fang Xing. "From your complexion, your body has recovered well."

Fang Xing said, "The injury wasn't serious, so I recovered quickly."

Xu Zhengxiong nodded. Then, looking at him, his expression suddenly turned solemn. "I have some bad news to tell you."

Fang Xing said, "?"

"Uncle Xu, did something happen?"

Xu Zhengxiong said, "It concerns the fugitive you pursued before, the one who escaped."

The fugitive...

Hearing this, Fang Xing looked at him. "Uncle Xu, are you worried that the fugitive has set his sights on me?"

Xu Zhengxiong nodded. "That is one factor, but it isn't the main point. The main point is the force behind that fugitive."

Fang Xing frowned at those words.

Wasn't he just a rapist?

Could there be something else going on?

"According to the latest information I received, the rapist was merely this fugitive's cover identity. New intelligence has come down from above: that man is actually a cultist of the Fire Worship Cult," Xu Zhengxiong said.

"The Fire Worship Cult...? A cultist?"

Fang Xing stared at Xu Zhengxiong in astonishment.

He had no relevant information in his memories about what kind of force the Fire Worship Cult was, but the words "cultist" were clear enough.

A heretic cult!

Great Jing Dynasty bore signs of a chaotic age, and heretical sects were among the reasons for it.

Heretic cults worshipped evil gods, bewitched the mortal world, and stirred the winds and clouds.

More importantly, heretic cults possessed formidable strength. Even after being destroyed in the past, many remained like corpses that refused to stiffen into death.

The Fire Worship Cult was a heretic cult!

Good grief. The rapist he had pursued was actually a cultist. Was his luck really that rotten...

"But you don't need to worry too much. There are specialized agencies above that deal with heretic cults. I'm only telling you so you'll be more careful. The methods of heretic cults are extraordinary—beyond anything you can imagine," Xu Zhengxiong said as he looked at Fang Xing.

After his brief shock, Fang Xing quickly regained his composure.

Heretic cults were far too distant from him.

If they truly set their sights on him, there was nothing he could do about it. But on second thought, he was only a minor Yamen Runner, not even a martial artist. Unless the cult had rocks for brains, it would not waste effort keeping an eye on him.

Still, the fugitive he had once pursued might very well target him.

After all, Fang Xing had nearly caught him back then.

If that man learned he was still alive, it would be only natural for him to bear a grudge.

"Thank you for the warning, Uncle Xu. I'll be careful," Fang Xing said with a nod.

"You're not afraid?"

Xu Zhengxiong looked at him with slight surprise.

Fang Xing smiled faintly. "They're only rats hiding in the dark. There's no need to worry. Perhaps one day, the hunter and hunted may trade places."

This kid... he seemed awfully confident! Xu Zhengxiong was surprised as he watched Fang Xing's calm expression.

Still, he rather appreciated how composed Fang Xing was.

"It's good that you have that mindset, but you still need to remain cautious," Xu Zhengxiong reminded him.

Fang Xing nodded.

The danger truly existed!

Although he had his cheat ability, he needed time to grow!

Only with enough Enhancement Points could he become stronger, but there was no rushing it. One point grew each day. At the very least, that was how it was for now.

"Have you already reached the Blood-Qi Limit?" Xu Zhengxiong suddenly asked.

Hearing this, Fang Xing nodded. "Yes. I just reached it."

There was nothing to hide. Ordinary people could not tell, but as a martial artist at the peak of Bright Force, Xu Zhengxiong could not be deceived.

A martial artist's senses were far beyond those of ordinary people.

"You kid, did you turn misfortune into a blessing?" Xu Zhengxiong looked at him in astonishment.

Fang Xing smiled. "Uncle Xu, it was only the result of gradual accumulation. When the water channels were formed, the stream naturally flowed."

Xu Zhengxiong gave a slight nod and looked at him. "Reaching the Blood-Qi Limit... you may have a chance of succeeding in Gate Knocking in the future. But Gate Knocking is no trivial matter. You should accumulate more before attempting it."

Fang Xing nodded. "Don't worry, Uncle Xu. I know what I'm doing."

"Stepping into the ranks of martial artists will open an entirely different world. If you can achieve it, kid, you won't have let down your father's expectations."

Xu Zhengxiong sighed.

Fang Xing said nothing.

For him, becoming a martial artist was only a matter of time.