Xu Qing arrived at the broker's office and found one of its merchants. After stating his needs, he selected a fairly suitable courtyard residence through the broker.
Of course.
Xu Qing only bought a single-courtyard residence, spending five hundred and eighty taels of silver. By the standards of the Great Zhou Martial Kingdom, it was not expensive after all—it was a house within Qingbei Town.
One had to know.
When Xu Qing had rented before, he had paid five taels of silver every month, and that had only been an ordinary wooden house. This, on the other hand, was a single-courtyard residence.
Besides.
As Xu Qing was leaving the broker's office, he happened to run into Yu Chen. The two exchanged greetings, and only after asking did Xu Qing learn why Yu Chen had come to the broker's office.
"Brother Xu, you've changed houses again?"
Yu Chen said.
"Yes."
Xu Qing nodded. "I still have to thank Brother Yu for the introduction last time, but that house was too small, and the location was poor as well. So, I planned to move somewhere else."
"Cough, cough..."
Yu Chen gave a light cough and spoke frankly. "Brother Xu, it's like this. Since Hu Zi goes to your place every night to practice his boxing, we were thinking of moving somewhere closer to you as well."
"Sure."
Xu Qing smiled.
Then.
Xu Qing discussed it with Yu Chen. Once they had settled on the location of Xu Qing's new home, Yu Chen rented another house not far away.
One had to know.
When Yu Chen had apprenticed himself last time, he had given Xu Qing a thousand taels of silver. That had cost Yu Chen most of the savings from the greater half of his life, so he did not actually have much silver left.
Next.
Xu Qing went to inspect the new single-courtyard residence. It was fairly clean and tidy. There was a well in the yard, as well as a jujube tree as thick as an arm.
"Not bad."
Xu Qing nodded. After confirming there were no problems, he settled the matter. Both parties signed a new deed, then had it notarized at the yamen and paid a tax. That was that.
In fact.
By the time he had finished dealing with this matter, it was already noon.
"With such a large yard and only me living here, it does feel a little lonely."
Xu Qing sat on a stone stool in the courtyard. The jujube tree cast its shade, blocking out the sunlight, and he leisurely enjoyed the quiet moment.
At noon.
Xu Qing ate lunch, which was simply a piece of fried Tai Sui Spirit Meat. Once he had filled his stomach, he left the courtyard to try the method he had thought of the previous night.
Before he knew it.
Xu Qing had already left the city.
Outside the city.
Xu Qing saw desolation everywhere, as though the inside and outside of the city were two different worlds. Though the city's common folk were poor, they at least had shelter from wind and rain, and at least could still afford food.
Yet.
Outside the city.
Xu Qing saw countless refugees by the roadside, countless beggars, and barren corpses one after another, all steeped in bleak desolation.
Involuntarily.
Xu Qing once again recalled the sixteen years he had spent wandering. He had followed Grandpa Nine Fingers through many counties and encountered many things.
Xu Qing did not know the reason.
But.
The Great Zhou Martial Kingdom was becoming increasingly desolate, and its people increasingly impoverished. Over the past years, for some unknown reason, crops in the fields had grown slowly and often suffered all kinds of insect infestations. The heavens rarely gave gentle rain; otherwise, torrential rain would fall for days on end.
Thus.
The crops in the fields either dried to death or drowned in floodwaters.
"What a pity."
Xu Qing shook his head and muttered, "After all, this is not a feudal dynasty on Earth. In this world, there is terrifying individual martial power."
"In other words."
"Those lofty beings can rely on their overwhelmingly powerful individual strength to suppress the entire realm. It is even harder for ordinary people at the bottom to rise up than it was in Earth's feudal dynasties."
"On Earth, common people in ancient feudal dynasties at least had the chance to revolt. But in this world, faced with terrifying individual martial power, no matter how many ordinary people there are, it is useless."
Under such circumstances.
There was only one possibility.
That was for a so-called Child of Destiny to emerge among these impoverished common folk—someone blessed with one strange encounter after another, possessing profound talent, growing rapidly in a short time, and gaining immensely powerful individual strength. Only then might he lead the people of the realm in rebellion.
By then.
It might develop into a struggle where heroes vied for the realm.
Of course.
These were merely Xu Qing's guesses and deductions.
The scene shifted.
White Dwarf Mountain.
Xu Qing revisited the old place. He saw the still-ruined Mountain God Temple. The Mountain God statue inside had long since been damaged, and the temple had become a shelter for many beggars.
Afterward.
Xu Qing came before Grandpa Nine Fingers' gravestone.
"Grandpa, I'm back."
Xu Qing cleared the weeds from the grave as he muttered, "A lot has happened to me these past days. I have encountered many things, but I have overcome every hardship."
"Last time, I said I would replace your coffin with one made of golden-thread nanmu. I didn't bring it this time, because if I replaced it and kept you buried here, I'm afraid someone would dig up your grave."
"I'd better build you a new resting place when the time comes."
Next.
Xu Qing left. He began searching White Dwarf Mountain, and about half an hour later, he found an ant nest.
"Let's try it."
A hint of joy appeared on Xu Qing's face. He took a deep breath, pulled a thin needle from his clothes, and gently pricked his fingertip, drawing a bead of blood.
"Blood Curse Beast Taming Technique."
The blood dripped down.
Xu Qing formed hand seals and used the Blood Curse Beast Taming Technique, merging a strand of his consciousness into the blood before landing it on an ant.
The ant quickly absorbed the drop of blood.
Buzz!
Within the unseen.
Xu Qing formed a faint connection. His Blood Curse Beast Taming Technique had succeeded, and he had tamed an utterly ordinary ant.
"It worked."
Xu Qing's face lit up. "I thought I wouldn't be able to tame ants."
Experience +1
"Good."
Xu Qing nodded in satisfaction.
Blood Curse Beast Taming Technique Level 1: 1/10
Next.
Xu Qing stomped down.
"Gasp..."
Xu Qing's mind jolted. It felt as though a needle had lightly stabbed into his brain, making his scalp tingle faintly.
At the same time.
The ant Xu Qing had just tamed was crushed to death beneath his foot.
"Phew..."
Xu Qing took a deep breath, a smile appearing on his face. "Just as I thought. An ant is an extremely tiny insect. Even though its death causes backlash because of the Blood Curse Beast Taming Technique, its size is too small, so the backlash is incredibly slight."
"If I used another tamed beast, especially one with a larger body, a single backlash would probably leave me listless for a long time."
"My idea really can work."
Without hesitation.
Xu Qing rubbed his brow, squeezed another drop of blood from the wound on his fingertip, and used the Blood Curse Beast Taming Technique again. Using blood as the medium, he tamed another ant.
Experience +1
"Good."
Xu Qing nodded in satisfaction.
Afterward.
He stomped that ant to death as well. His head again faintly felt as if it had been pricked by a needle, but he gradually recovered.
"Not bad."
Xu Qing said.
Experience +1
Experience +1
Experience +1
After the tenth time.
"Gasp..."
Xu Qing sucked in a cold breath. After this attempt, he felt dizzy and muddle-headed. He knew that he had reached his limit—ten times was his limit.
"I can't keep going."
Xu Qing shook his head, rubbing his brow and temples with both hands. "I've reached my limit. If I continue, it feels like I'll damage my foundation. I can't farm experience any longer."
Fortunately.
After ten times.
Xu Qing had accumulated ten experience points.
Blood Curse Beast Taming Technique Level 1: 10/10 (Upgradeable!)
"I should head back first."
Xu Qing said.
In the blink of an eye.
Xu Qing had descended the mountain, returned to Qingbei Town, and made his way back to his residence. Before he knew it, evening was already approaching.
"Time really passes quickly."
Xu Qing sighed. His head still felt muddled, and the backlash from the Blood Curse Beast Taming Technique had not fully faded.
That evening.
Yu Hu arrived at Xu Qing's residence early.
"Master."
Yu Hu scratched the back of his head, revealing a rather simple, foolish grin.
"You're here."
Xu Qing glanced at Yu Hu.
"Mhm, mhm."
Yu Hu nodded.
"Then let's begin."
Xu Qing said.
Afterward.
Xu Qing taught Yu Hu the Eight Extremities Fist. While he was teaching Yu Hu the Eight Extremities Fist, the Ghost Mask in Xu Qing's clothes stirred slightly.
"Hm?"
Xu Qing frowned and pondered for a moment. "What is going on? Why is the Ghost Mask reacting? And it's the Shaman Evil Ghost sleeping within the Ghost Mask."
Clearly.
Yu Hu must have encountered something.
It was only that.
Xu Qing still did not know what it was.
Before he knew it.
More than an hour had passed.
It was getting late.
"Hu Zi, it's time for you to go home."
Xu Qing said.
"Alright, Master."
Yu Hu nodded and obediently, docilely left.
"Summon."
Buzz!
Xu Qing took out the Ghost Mask and put it over his face. With a thought, he released the Ghost Mask's power and summoned the Shaman Evil Ghost.
The Ghost Mask clearly released a mass of dense gray-black fog. Under the moonlight, the fog churned endlessly, as though one vicious face and head after another were emerging within it.
In the end.
It condensed into a hunched shaman. The Shaman Evil Ghost lowered its head, melded into the darkness, and gave off a chill that seemed capable of freezing the soul.
"Master."
The Shaman Evil Ghost's voice was hoarse.
"Go follow Yu Hu and find out exactly what has happened to him."
Xu Qing ordered.
"Yes."
The Shaman Evil Ghost nodded respectfully.
"Don't get too close. Ordinary people simply can't withstand the ghostly aura around you, much less Yu Hu, who is still a child. Just observe from afar."
Xu Qing said solemnly.
"Understood."
The Shaman Evil Ghost replied.
Buzz!
The next moment.
The Shaman Evil Ghost turned into gray mist and dispersed, vanishing from sight as it followed Yu Hu's aura. In the unseen darkness, there was a faint sense of connection between Xu Qing and the Shaman Evil Ghost.
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