Gold-Medal Instructor

Back in the woodshed, Zou Feng's expression was somewhat grave.

Blood-Handed Butcher had caused trouble again and again. He was dead set on making Yang Estate a place where not even chickens or dogs could live in peace.

At the very least, Zou Feng figured he would not rest until he had slaughtered Yang Qianqian.

After all, wiping out the entire Yang Estate was not realistic for the moment.

Yang Estate's backing was not limited to the Heartfelt Martial Hall experts stationed here.

Even the Yuan Guang County authorities had people watching in secret at all times, simply waiting for Blood-Handed Butcher to walk into their net.

So exterminating the whole family was not really on the table.

Especially now that his previous poisoning scheme had fallen through. That made it even less worth hoping for.

Yet Blood-Handed Butcher had still sent an accomplice to disguise herself and infiltrate Yang Estate.

That made his intended goal easy enough to guess...

Either assassinate Yang Qianqian, or abduct Yang Qianqian.

Judging by Blood-Handed Butcher's rumored style, abducting Yang Qianqian was far more likely.

That way, he could better torment the woman and vent the pain of losing his son.

It was even possible that Blood-Handed Butcher wanted her to bear him another son...

At that thought, Zou Feng smiled and shook his head.

Why was he thinking about all this nonsense? So long as it was not aimed at him or did not affect him, that was enough.

This was a grudge between the Yang Family and Blood-Handed Butcher. What did it have to do with him?

But when it came to anything, one was not afraid of ten thousand possibilities—only that one possibility might come true...

So he had to enter the ranks as soon as possible. Only then could his safety receive the greatest possible protection.

Otherwise, these unorthodox experts who kept stirring up trouble were, at the very least, ninth-rank martial artists.

That woman who dared disguise herself and sneak into Yang Estate was so skilled and bold that there was a very real chance she was even eighth rank...

Yang Yanpeng, Yang Yanpeng. Xu Haoran would most likely be "ripe" tonight. Were you still not going to make your move?

Zou Feng could not help muttering about Yang Yanpeng.

Though he had no way of knowing exactly when Yang Yanpeng would strike, the moment Xu Haoran ripened, the countdown would begin immediately.

The reason was simple: Yang Yanpeng could not wait any longer...

The side effects had probably tormented him to the brink of madness.

If Yang Yanpeng's Five Poisons Palm had not most likely reached the level of "mastery," giving him sufficient poison resistance, he would probably have long since been at death's door—or already dropped dead.

So the instant he discovered that Xu Haoran had broken through, Yang Yanpeng would have to act at once.

In Yang Yanpeng's mind, he would refine the gu he had raised himself, raise his Five Poisons Palm to "consummate mastery," and enter the ranks while he was at it.

Then why would he need to worry about the inexplicable "discomfort" that had appeared in his body?

And the day Yang Yanpeng made his move would also be the day Zou Feng reeled in his net.

A Five Poisons Skill at "consummate mastery"... Just thinking about it felt incredible.

After all, even at the current level of "mastery," it was already absurdly powerful. He could completely try entering the ranks now.

As for how he would handle Yang Yanpeng when the time came...

"Five Poisons Skill (Mastery), Progress: 10%"

"Passion-Chaos Finger (Initiate), Progress: 86%"

"Drunken Immortal Gazing at the Moon Step (Initiate), Progress: 75%"

"Herbal Compendium (Minor Accomplishment), Progress: 100%"

After these past few days, the progress of the three unorthodox arts had left Zou Feng very satisfied.

It was obvious that Passion-Chaos Finger and Drunken Immortal Gazing at the Moon Step were advancing rapidly.

This was not solely Yang Yanpeng's doing. A transfer of side effects was a transfer of side effects, but Zou Feng's own diligent training had been indispensable as well.

Still, the rapid improvement of Passion-Chaos Finger and Drunken Immortal Gazing at the Moon Step was mainly thanks to Five Poisons Skill reaching "mastery."

As the saying went, when one grasped one thing, one could draw inferences from another.

Once Five Poisons Skill was trained well, Passion-Chaos Finger, being another poison art, could hardly be trained poorly. It would only continue benefiting from it.

Furthermore, since Five Poisons Skill had been born through the fusion of Five-Beasts Stance Exercise, it had naturally improved Zou Feng's physical constitution across the board, especially the strength of his lower body.

This meant that movement arts like Drunken Immortal Gazing at the Moon Step likewise improved as though drawing inferences from another field.

In short, Zou Feng's former dream of raising all three unorthodox arts to mastery before opening his meridians and entering the ranks...

Had unexpectedly become reality.

If he truly entered the ranks at this pace, then even as a ninth-rank martial artist, he could probably go toe-to-toe with an eighth-rank martial artist...

After another round of training pushed to the absolute limit, Zou Feng was utterly "exhausted."

After all, too much monotony and boredom could also bring on fatigue.

Once he finished his afternoon chores outside, he still had to head to the front courtyard to practice those fake forms.

Yang Yanpeng still did not appear.

But as they practiced, something unexpected happened on Xu Haoran's side.

Accompanied by a crisp series of crackling pops, Xu Haoran, who had been holding a stance, managed to bring out a trace of the true spirit of Five-Beasts Stance Exercise.

The aura he carried while standing in stance immediately changed.

"He broke through?!"

Zhao Tianhu darted over in a single stride.

Then he carefully examined Xu Haoran.

"Good, good, good! You brat actually trained Five-Beasts Stance Exercise to the realm of minor accomplishment too!"

Zhao Tianhu was genuinely delighted.

After all, it was as though he had taught two promising talents with the potential to enter the ranks.

If word of this got out, he would not even need to remain at Yang Estate as a guard martial instructor.

Other wealthy households would soon invite him to serve as their head guard instructor.

If Yang Estate wanted to keep him, they would have to improve his terms.

After being praised for a while, Xu Haoran wore an expression so smug it nearly reached the heavens.

He looked as if he might float away at any moment.

Only after locking eyes with Zou Feng did he look slightly embarrassed.

Zou Feng naturally understood what had just happened. Rather than Xu Haoran's Five-Beasts Stance Exercise breaking through, it was more accurate to say that his Five Poisons Palm had broken through.

He simply did not know whether Xu Haoran had truly been unable to suppress it any longer when he broke through in public, or whether he wanted Yang Yanpeng to learn of it sooner so he could settle this matter quickly.

After all, knowing someone was watching him at all times made it hard even to sleep at night.

After martial practice ended, Zou Feng shot Xu Haoran a look and headed straight toward a secluded spot.

Xu Haoran understood and immediately followed.

"Tonight, it's best if you don't sleep. Stay alert for the slightest rustle of wind or movement in the grass!" Zou Feng warned solemnly.

Xu Haoran first nodded heavily, then asked uneasily, "Brother Feng, do you think Yang Yanpeng will act tonight? Is he really in that much of a hurry?!"

"When you see the fruit you cultivated has ripened, wouldn't you be anxious to have a taste?"

"Especially when eating it would immediately bring you enormous benefits!"

At that, Xu Haoran's face turned green. With a bitter smile, he said, "Uh... Yang Yanpeng won't refine us by directly eating our flesh, will he...?"

"Probably not, but don't expect it to feel good either!" Zou Feng said. "In any case, stay sharp. Even if it isn't tonight, Yang Yanpeng will definitely make a move within the next few days."

Xu Haoran pondered for a moment after hearing that, then said, "Brother Feng, but what if Yang Yanpeng's first choice for refinement isn't me, but you?"

Zou Feng shrugged and replied dismissively, "Then let him come. I'll be prepared while he isn't. The moment he thinks he has succeeded will also be the perfect chance for me to strike back and kill him!"