The Master's Disciples

"Sir, is the news certain?"

"Do you think I'm joking? Whether you go or not is up to you. Remember to have someone notify the nearby villages."

After saying that, Gao Fei did not linger. He led the other two toward the county seat.

He had said what needed saying. What they chose to do was up to them.

The five killed during the encirclement, plus the dozen or so Rat Demons killed while being pursued, had brought his Merit Points to 376.

If he did not deduce any martial arts, it should be enough to cultivate to the Spirit-Absorption Realm.

Just as he was thinking.

Lu Xiaoliu opened his mouth hesitantly, his face mournful. "Sir, you even advised me to practice less and enjoy life more. Who knew you were secretly practicing every day? You're this powerful already."

Gao Fei gave a bitter smile. He had definitely never said that.

"I've been secretly practicing for hundreds of years. Of course I'm powerful."

"Heh heh!"

Even Zhang Constable, who had always been stern and unsmiling, was amused by that.

Lu Xiaoliu did not laugh. He looked rather embarrassed.

"If you want to fool me, at least make it sound believable. That was completely perfunctory!"

Gao Fei glanced at his little brother. He doesn't believe the truth, so I might as well tell him a lie.

"Actually, I'm a genius. A genius who hasn't fallen yet."

"Aren't you blessed with a Pure Yang Constitution? You kept so many beautiful women in the house alone with you, and you still haven't lost your virginity?"

"What do you know about losing your virginity?"

"It's in the storybooks. There are illustrations too..."

As Lu Xiaoliu walked, he pondered it. Then he seemed to think of something and began acting effeminate again. "Don't tell me you like men. You don't have any ideas about me, do you?!"

Gao Fei stopped and watched Xiao Liu walk past him. He gripped his saber one-handed and slowly drew it.

"I'd better kill you to silence you."

Only then did Lu Xiaoliu sense the killing intent. Even Gao Fei's voice had turned icy.

"Stop! I admit I was wrong..."

The three returned to the county seat.

After agreeing to drink together another time, they went their separate ways.

They had gone out this time without bringing back even a single demon corpse, and their clothes were torn. If his strength had not improved so much, he would have suffered a tremendous loss.

The moment he emerged after changing clothes, his second uncle, Gao Linyue, stopped him.

"Get up early tomorrow and prepare. The Master's disciples are holding a grand competition. The top three will receive Five-Viscera Stabilizing Pills. You're already at the peak of the Skin Tempering Realm. Even if you can't place in the top three, you still need to show some edge. Otherwise, everyone will come looking for trouble, and how will you keep practicing martial arts?"

Gao Fei was somewhat surprised.

"I'm still the Master's disciple? Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"Why don't you look at what you were like before? The Master not throwing you out of his school was already giving me plenty of face..."

"As long as it hasn't been announced, you're still the Master's disciple. Before, he merely thought you were too disappointing and wanted you to reflect on your mistakes..."

Gao Fei had never expected that he was still the Master's disciple. He hurriedly cut off Gao Linyue's lecture and asked what he truly cared about.

"So if I place in the top three, I'll get a Five-Viscera Stabilizing Pill? And what does this pill do?"

"Well..."

Gao Linyue awkwardly rubbed his nose. "It nourishes the five viscera and six bowels, provides spiritual energy, and unifies the five viscera's qi and blood. It's the finest pill for the Organ Tempering Realm."

"This pill is that good, and the martial arts school is willing to offer it?" Gao Fei did not believe the people of this world were so noble in character.

"This is Great Wu Kingdom giving those with slightly poorer talent an opportunity. The martial arts school is merely handling it on their behalf!"

"Didn't the Martial Suppression Guard leave long ago?"

"Can't they leave things behind before they go? Why are you asking so much..."

"Fine. Call me when you go to the martial arts school tomorrow."

After thinking for a while, Gao Fei decided to tell him about Liu Chief Constable's betrayal.

He merely concealed the matter of his cultivation rising, saying only that the county magistrate had saved the three of them.

His cultivation had risen too quickly. He could not be bothered to explain, so he simply said nothing.

Gao Linyue's expression did not change even after hearing everything.

"Don't go too deep when leaving the city next time. There are still quite a few people at the peak of the Bone Tempering Realm in Yueyang City. They don't dare act too wildly."

Hearing this, Gao Fei did not answer. If he had not fought the Rat Demons and learned their numbers, he might truly have believed his second uncle's "ghost talk."

Not a single sentence was true. He did not know what the point of hiding it was, treating him like a child and coaxing him along.

Hundreds of years of martial practice had made his heart and mind steadfast.

"Second Uncle, let me take a look at an Organ Tempering Realm martial art and broaden my horizons."

"Why look at so much? Perfect your Bone Tempering Realm first."

Gao Fei's Organ Tempering portion had been deduced over more than four hundred years using Merit Points. He wanted to see how it differed from other martial arts.

"Second Uncle, say, if I accidentally tell Second Aunt about how you watered down the Qi-Blood Soup you bought... what do you think—"

"Fine, I'll show it to you. Is that enough?"

Before Gao Fei could finish, his second uncle cut him off.

Then he hurried back to his room and brought out a finger-thick leather-bound book.

He looked at the system prompt.

Detected Viscera Tempering Art. Would you like to learn it?

Using one Merit Point, he began rapidly flipping through the martial art with its dirt-common name.

In the first year, you discovered that the martial art you created was vastly different from the Viscera Tempering Art.

The Purple-Viscera Organ-Tempering Art used qi and blood vibrations to temper the organs, with spiritual energy as replenishment—a simple and brutal method.

The Viscera Tempering Art emphasized tempering with medicinal power and replenishing with spiritual power, nurturing while practicing.

No wonder. Simply controlling the force of the vibrations had taken several years.

"The martial art in this book belongs to the Martial Suppression Guard. It's what I cultivate."

"You're just letting me see the martial art like this? Aren't you afraid they'll come looking for trouble?"

Gao Fei was somewhat puzzled. "Shouldn't martial arts manuals be stored away, difficult for ordinary folk to obtain?"

Gao Linyue gave him a contemptuous look.

"You've read too many storybooks, haven't you? This is an age of demons and monsters running rampant. The Great Wu Emperor hopes everyone will practice martial arts. Manuals for the Four Body-Tempering Practices can be bought for a few taels of silver, and private dissemination is even allowed."

"Only Spirit-Absorption Realm martial arts are hard to obtain. You have to join a sect or the Martial Suppression Guard to learn them."

"Drawing qi into the body—that is the limit ordinary people can reach."

Gao Fei listened intently when he heard something that interested him. He had begun considering where he could obtain a Spirit-Absorption Realm martial art.

Naturally, finding a ready-made martial art would be best. These martial arts had undergone extensive practical testing, so why waste Merit Points?

After resting for a while, the two chatted about everyday matters.

From what he learned, Gao Fei gathered that grain prices in Yueyang County had begun rising today, and they had risen sharply.

The coarse-flour steamed buns that had originally cost one copper coin for two now cost two copper coins each...

Someone had leaked word that demons had eaten everyone in the villages outside the city and would soon besiege the city.

The two chatted idly, randomly analyzing the current situation.

Before long, Second Aunt returned with Qiu Mei, Xiaocui, and Gao Yan.

Gao Yan had three huge sacks slung over his shoulder, while each of the three women carried one as well.

They set them down at the entrance, panting heavily, and looked at the two men chatting leisurely.

"Second Uncle, how about we go help them?"

"Yes, yes, of course we should."

After dinner, they walked to aid digestion.

Qiu Mei and Xiaocui changed into fitted martial attire and actually stood in horse stances alongside Gao Yan.

It seemed carrying grain during the day had been deliberate.

This surprised Gao Fei, but also made him doubtful. Can they really endure that kind of hardship?

Thinking of the physique one would develop after practicing Iron Shirt.

He hurried over to Gao Linyue and whispered in his ear.

"Second Uncle, if women practice Iron Shirt during the Skin Tempering Realm, will they become all muscle like us?"

"They will!"

Gao Fei looked at Qiu Mei and Xiaocui, then shook his head as a classic figure came to mind.

A daughter has come of age at home, her strength could pull up mountains and her spirit could blanket the world. So it was Nezha coming of age all along!