His fist was like a mountain, charged with a thousand pounds of force.
With his Mountain-Lifting Fist perfected, he could pierce through a broad defense with a single point. Even someone in the Qi Concealment Realm would have to avoid its edge.
Captain Zheng heard the calmness in Qin An's voice and knew there was no escape.
He drew his long saber and held it across his body, a desperate frenzy bursting from him.
"I once roamed the martial world. Even if I die today, I'll drag you into the grave with me!"
Crack!
The crisp sound rang out, like a breeze sweeping across the Wild Grass Plain.
The long saber in Captain Zheng's hands shattered.
Qin An's fist slammed into Captain Zheng's chest with a fierce rush of wind.
It burst out through Captain Zheng's back, bloodied fingers gripping a dripping heart.
Qin An pulled his fist free and let the heart fall. With one hand on Captain Zheng's shoulder, he gently wiped away the blood.
Once his hand was clean, Qin An let go.
"For someone as foul as you, your heart is surprisingly red."
Captain Zheng collapsed. His body twitched like a shrimp for a moment, then fell still.
Not far away, the dozen or so remaining Eagle Demons shrieked in terror and fled.
Expressionless, Qin An caught up to one and felled it with a punch.
Each punch sent another Eagle Demon's corpse tumbling to the ground.
Several tried to take to the sky. A sharp whistle immediately rose from below.
Loose stones littered the Wild Grass Plain.
Qin An picked one up and hurled it with a thousand pounds of force, striking an Eagle Demon dead on.
The Eagle Demon exploded into a cloud of blood.
A dozen breaths later, blood and corpses covered the ground.
Qin An walked slowly toward Chen Chun.
At the sight of the blood dripping from Qin An's Sharp Knife, Chen Chun shivered. The man before him felt like a stranger.
When they had first met, Qin An had been nothing but a butcher.
Seeing Qin An caught in the turmoil, Chen Chun had taken pity on him and given him the Wind-Splitting Blade Technique.
Yet in barely a dozen days, Qin An had wiped out an entire nest of Eagle Demons.
What kind of genius could kill an Eagle Demon at the peak of the Qi Concealment Realm in so little time?
"Are you all right?" Qin An asked.
Chen Chun came back to himself and nodded. "I'm injured, but it's nothing serious. A few days' rest will do."
Qin An turned away, crouched, and began butchering the Eagle Demon corpses.
Chen Chun's mouth stiffened.
He had expected Qin An to show a little more concern. Instead, Qin An had gone straight to butchering the demons.
That composure and decisiveness left Chen Chun full of admiration.
Qin An's movements were practiced. Every cut landed precisely where it should.
Since his Butcher Profession had reached level three, his understanding of butchery had deepened, and the work took less time.
The young Eagle Demons had no Blood Crystals. Only Eighth Master Eagle had one.
Qin An used his Qi to draw on the Blood Crystal, converting it into blood vitality and storing it within himself.
He had no cultivation method for the next realm yet, so he could only save it for later.
Practicing Mountain-Lifting Fist last time had consumed a great deal of blood vitality. This stuff was precious; it paid to be prepared.
Mist gathered before his eyes.
[Butcher lv.3 (80/400): The livestock you butcher is somewhat tastier.]
He had butchered several Pig Demons not long ago, and now these Eagle Demons. With his higher Butcher Profession level making his hands more skilled, he had accumulated 80 proficiency points.
Qin An rose and went to Captain Zheng's corpse. He picked up two manuals and read them carefully.
Seeing this, Chen Chun quickly sat cross-legged to recover.
Surrounded by corpses, he lacked Qin An's composure. The sooner his injuries healed, the safer he would be.
With the benefit of his Scholar Profession, Qin An soon memorized both manuals.
One described a blade technique called the Great Goose Blade Technique. It favored broad, forceful movements and was the technique Captain Zheng had practiced.
The other described a movement technique called Azure Bird Leap. Using it made the body as light as a swallow.
After pondering for a moment, Qin An turned his attention to the Great Goose Blade Technique and practiced its moves.
A line of mist appeared before him, then became words.
[You practiced the Great Goose Blade Technique, triggering Qi Concealment Realm blade-technique mastery.] [Great Goose Blade Technique perfected.] [You began studying what the Great Goose Blade Technique and the Wind-Splitting Blade Technique have in common, seeking to merge them into one.]
Qin An was slightly surprised by the words before him.
His Golden Finger had changed.
He put aside his surprise and stared calmly into the empty space ahead.
Was this change good or bad?
Judging by the words, it seemed to involve merging techniques. That should be a good thing.
[You studied day after day. With your talent for blade-technique mastery, you combined the strengths of both schools, consumed a great deal of blood vitality, and comprehended a new technique. You named it the Wind-Breaking Goose Blade Technique.] [But your talent is insufficient. The Wind-Breaking Goose Blade Technique is a Body Infusion Realm blade technique, and initial comprehension is as far as you can take it.] [Wind-Breaking Goose Blade Technique (initial comprehension)]
A flood of information poured into Qin An's mind. Once he absorbed it, he grasped the essence of the Wind-Breaking Goose Blade Technique.
It combined the speed of the Wind-Splitting Blade Technique with the broad, forceful movements of the Great Goose Blade Technique.
When unleashed, the blade struck like overturning mountains and seas, swift as wind and sudden as rain.
What Qin An found interesting was that the Wind-Breaking Goose Blade Technique belonged to the Body Infusion Realm, while his talent only reached the Qi Concealment Realm. He could therefore derive it no further than initial comprehension.
Yet even at that level, it was far stronger than the perfected Wind-Splitting Blade Technique.
"The next realm is the Body Infusion Realm. That can wait. Chen Chun is here; I can ask him in a moment."
"My Golden Finger is interesting. While I look for new professions, I can't neglect my old ones."
Qin An made up his mind.
Initial comprehension of a Body Infusion Realm blade technique was the limit of a level-three Butcher. What about level six?
He planned to work on his Butcher Profession later.
Qin An resumed searching the corpses.
He missed none of the constables. Including Captain Zheng, they yielded quite a bit of silver.
Chen Chun had recovered somewhat and slowly stood. His gaze toward Qin An grew even more complicated.
Qin An slid the Sharp Knife back into his belt. "What should we do with these bodies?"
Chen Chun came back to himself. "We can only cover our tracks as best we can."
"Then you do it," Qin An said.
Chen Chun's mouth twitched.
He wanted to point out that he was injured, but one look at Qin An reminded him who had saved his life. With a helpless, bitter smile, he set about tending the scene.
A rough cleanup would hinder the Yamen. It would not hold them up for long, but any delay was worth having.
When Chen Chun finished, Qin An headed toward the county town.
"Come on. I still have things to ask you."
Chen Chun followed behind him.
His injuries had yet to heal, and he could not leave Ding County anyway. For now, he could only return to town.
Their figures gradually vanished into the Wild Grass Plain.
By the time they returned, night had fallen.
Qin An pushed open the door and lit the Oil Lamp on the table.
Its dim yellow light played across his face, leaving it by turns bright and shadowed.
Chen Chun studied Qin An's face. For some reason, he recalled Qin An cutting down the Eagle Demons alone on the Wild Grass Plain and shivered despite himself.
"Cold?" Qin An asked.
Chen Chun shook his head. "No. What did you want to ask me?"
Qin An thought for a moment. "What's the next realm?"
Before you continue