The alley was silent.
Captain Zheng finished speaking and swept an appraising gaze over Qin An.
Nothing had happened in Ding County lately, but Qin An interested him greatly.
Qin An was an ordinary citizen. Everything about his background in Ding County could be checked.
How could an ordinary citizen like him have escaped the Pig Demon's revenge?
There was only one answer: the Pig Demon had never sought revenge against Qin An.
Still, since he was already here, Captain Zheng saw no harm in searching the place.
He wanted to see some flicker of emotion in Qin An's eyes. Unfortunately, Qin An gave nothing away.
Qin An nodded, stepped forward, and opened the door. "Please search, sir."
Now that the captain had come to his door and raised the matter of a search, Qin An naturally agreed.
Showing reluctance now would only give himself away.
Captain Zheng waved the constables inside while he remained where he was.
Qin An stayed outside, his hand closing around the knife at his waist without drawing notice.
He had already hidden both the Blood Crystal and the Sow Demon's corpse.
Zhao Jinsheng's body was buried deep. To be safe, Qin An had even covered the fresh earth with old soil.
He had lived in Ding County for a long time and knew the Yamen constables well.
Most were useless layabouts. Which of them knew how to conduct a proper search?
Sure enough, after the time it took an incense stick to burn, the constables came out and shook their heads. They had found nothing.
Captain Zheng's grip on his blade loosened slightly, regret showing on his face.
The search had been a spur-of-the-moment decision, but he had held out some hope of finding something.
Now that they had found nothing, he could not help feeling disappointed.
"Off duty." Captain Zheng waved a hand and prepared to leave with the constables.
Qin An was just about to go inside.
A constable came hurrying in from outside and nearly stumbled when he saw Captain Zheng.
"Sir, trouble! Someone from the River Blade Sect has come. He says one of their disciples is missing and had a copy of the sect's cultivation method on him. He's waiting in the main hall now."
Captain Zheng froze, then his expression changed. "Back to the Yamen. Now."
Before long, Captain Zheng and the constables had vanished down the street.
Qin An's gaze sharpened at the constable's words. Things are getting more and more chaotic.
No one knew better than Qin An whom the River Blade Sect had lost.
That man lay in the courtyard, several meters beneath the ground.
For now, I need to raise Scholar to level three as soon as possible and see whether the talent helps.
Having made up his mind, Qin An went inside.
Before entering, he glanced at Chen Chun's house.
There was still no light inside. He had no idea where Chen Chun had gone.
The next few days passed without incident.
As usual, Qin An went to the bookstore after eating.
Then the fourth day arrived.
Inside Qingfeng Bookstore.
Qin An set down the book in his hands. A wisp of mist appeared before his eyes and condensed into words.
[Scholar lv.2 (200/200): Your reading speed increased slightly.] [Advancement requirement: Read a book on the Qi Concealment Realm.] [Requirement met.]
The words "Requirement met" appeared at the end.
Qin An guessed it had something to do with the cultivation method and blade technique he had read earlier.
That saved him a great deal of trouble.
If he had to find a book on the Qi Concealment Realm now, he truly would not know where to look.
The cultivation method was rather considerate.
The mist twisted and formed new words.
[Scholar lv.3 (0/400): Your reading speed increased slightly.] [Talent: Proficiency in Comprehending Qi Concealment Realm Cultivation Methods.]
"Proficiency in comprehending Qi Concealment Realm cultivation methods?"
Qin An looked at the words before him. His expression remained calm, but a spark of excitement rose within him.
Besides coming here to read, he had practiced the Cold Source Cultivation Method every night for the past few days.
Yet each session had yielded almost nothing.
Qin An suspected he simply lacked the talent.
Now that he had gained proficiency in comprehending Qi Concealment Realm cultivation methods, he guessed practicing the Cold Source Cultivation Method again would produce remarkable results.
At the thought, Qin An hurriedly returned the book to its shelf and rushed home.
A streak of sunset glowed across the sky.
Qin An lit the oil lamp and sat cross-legged. Following the circulation path of the Cold Source Cultivation Method, he began to practice it again and again.
The moment he circulated the qi in his abdomen, Qin An stopped.
A wisp of mist appeared before his eyes and gradually condensed into words.
[You practiced the Qi Concealment Realm Cold Source Cultivation Method, triggering the talent: Proficiency in Comprehending Qi Concealment Realm Cultivation Methods.] [Cold Source Cultivation Method mastered.]
The qi in his abdomen swelled rapidly. In an instant, it filled Qin An's mind completely.
Then the vast qi seemed to strike some kind of barrier and began to churn violently.
At the same time, weakness swept through Qin An. His vital blood was drained in an instant.
If this continued, he would likely die on the spot.
"The Qi Concealment Realm refines blood to produce qi. The Blood Crystal!"
Dragging his heavy feet, Qin An rummaged through the space beneath the floorboards and pulled out the blood-red Flesh Orb.
Chen Chun had once said that a Blood Crystal was the condensed essence of a demon's vital blood and could speed up a Qi Concealment Realm cultivator's training.
Qin An had advanced too quickly, leaving him desperately short of vital blood. This Blood Crystal could make up the deficit.
The qi inside him surged and swiftly connected with the Blood Crystal.
The Blood Crystal shrank and vanished before his eyes. A torrent of vital blood rushed into Qin An, rapidly replenishing what his body had lost.
The restless qi began flowing smoothly. It surged from his head into his limbs and only gradually settled once his limbs and torso were filled with it.
Qin An felt dizzy and saw spots. His vital blood had been depleted again.
Even with the Blood Crystal's help, he had advanced too quickly. Bringing the Cold Source Cultivation Method to mastery through the Golden Finger had cost him a tremendous amount of vital blood.
Fortunately, the Blood Crystal had seen him through.
His qi and vital blood were both depleted, but he could replenish them over time.
"I've reached the peak of the Qi Concealment Realm."
Sensing the qi flowing through him like a small river, Qin An felt a surge of joy.
His gamble had paid off. The Golden Finger was what he could truly rely on.
Ordinary cultivators needed long, grinding effort to progress through the Qi Concealment Realm. He had reached its peak in a single day.
Qin An picked up his knife and circulated the Cold Source Cultivation Method.
In an instant, a layer of cold mist coated the blade, and the temperature around him dropped several degrees.
Once qi was concealed within the body, the mortal and the extraordinary were worlds apart.
Qin An put away his knife and tried to contain his delight.
He had entered the Qi Concealment Realm, but that was no reason to grow arrogant.
The world held countless experts. He needed to know his own limits.
Next, I'll unlock a new profession. When Chen Chun returns, I'll ask him what comes after the Qi Concealment Realm.
And then there are Blood Crystals. Those are good things. I should get a few more if I have the chance.
Qin An made his decision at once.
Unlocking a new profession was essential. It was the foundation on which his survival depended.
He also needed to ask Chen Chun about what came after the Qi Concealment Realm.
As for Blood Crystals, Qin An had experienced their benefits today. Of course he would not pass them up.
Which new profession should I choose? Qin An wondered.
He could not choose carelessly. A wrong choice would waste his time.
As Qin An weighed his options, footsteps sounded outside the door.
Then came Chen Chun's voice.
"Qin An, open the door. I have something to tell you."
Before you continue