Opening the Second Blood Pool Acupoint

Blood Qi coursed through his entire body like ocean waves, one swell after another.

In Chen Xun's mind, a far clearer giant tiger lay sprawled there, majestic beyond compare.

After the [Mountain Lord Acupoint-Finding Secret Art] reached Minor Accomplishment, Chen Xun's spiritual power had improved considerably.

His senses had become sharper, while his memory and perception had also improved greatly.

"Found it."

Who knew how much time had passed before Chen Xun swiftly locked onto a certain spot within his body.

At once, countless streams of Blood Qi surged toward it like a pack of wolves that had caught the scent of blood.

Wave after wave of Blood Qi was consumed, until the second Blood Pool Acupoint was finally opened.

The second Blood Pool Acupoint was roughly the same size as the first.

If both Blood Pool Acupoints were filled with Blood Qi, then with the aid of the [Gravity] trait, Chen Xun could produce fourteen drops of Essence Blood a day.

That speed was three or four times that of an ordinary Martial Artist.

"Looks like I still need to keep refining Blood-Strength Pills."

"I just hope the money I have left can hold out."

The ten jin of exotic beast meat he had bought earlier had long since been used up.

Chen Xun still had to buy more exotic beast meat.

In the blink of an eye, a month passed.

The weather gradually turned colder, and the autumn wind blew down the yellowed, withered leaves.

On the streets, passersby had all added one or two layers of clothing.

Chen Xun had also brought Chen Qingqing and Ye Ying to buy winter clothes to ward off the cold.

"This one looks nice. Sister Ye, what do you think?"

"Not bad. Qingqing, you look adorable in it."

Inside a shop, the two women kept picking out clothes and commenting on each other's choices.

"Brother, do I look good in this outfit?"

"Good, good."

"What? You didn't even look at me. How can you say it looks good?"

Hearing that, Chen Xun had no choice but to shift his gaze onto Chen Qingqing. After looking at her for several seconds, he put on a praising smile. "This color suits you very well. It looks great."

"Really!"

Chen Qingqing immediately broke into a delighted smile.

"Shopkeeper, I'll take this one."

"Certainly, miss. I'll wrap it up right away."

As the two spoke, Chen Xun turned his head away again. The smile on his face had vanished, replaced by a cold and stern expression.

"Who is it? Who's been following me this whole time?"

Not long after leaving the shop, Chen Xun sensed that faint, intermittent gaze.

Along the way, Chen Xun had pretended to glance back casually several times. After doing so repeatedly, he finally locked onto someone.

The person looked utterly unremarkable, dressed in patched clothing and walking with his head lowered. He seemed honest and simple.

If Chen Xun had not seen this person every time he turned back, he might not have been able to confirm it was him.

"What's his purpose in following me?"

Chen Xun sat on a stool provided by the clothing shop, watching the stream of pedestrians passing along the street. He appeared to be spacing out, but the corner of his eye had long since fixed on the man tailing him.

The other man was currently crouched beneath the corner of a shop wall across the street, eating something plain. Whenever someone passed by, he would quietly ask whether they needed hired help.

He looked just like a weak and helpless country bumpkin.

No one would suspect a person like that.

"Not bad acting."

"If my Mountain Lord Acupoint-Finding Secret Art weren't nearing Major Accomplishment and my perception hadn't improved further, I might not have noticed you."

Chen Xun sneered, and then an idea struck him.

"You should pick out a few pieces too. It's fine."

"That wouldn't be appropriate, I..."

Ye Ying still wanted to say something, but Chen Xun had already tossed a corner of silver to the shopkeeper as a deposit. Then, using the restroom as an excuse, he left through the back door of the clothing shop.

After leaving the shop, Chen Xun circled around to the opposite side. With his head lowered, he approached the stalker step by step.

The man had yet to notice that Chen Xun had disappeared and was still putting on his act.

"Kind sir, please show some mercy and give me some work. I'm very good at enduring hardship."

"Is that so? I'd like to see just how much hardship you can endure."

Hearing this, the man could not help but freeze. He abruptly raised his head.

Then he saw an incomparably familiar face.

"You—" Before he could finish the word, several silver needles as thin as hairs had already landed on his body.

Then another dozen or so silver needles sank deeply into acupoints all over his body.

In an instant, he discovered in horror that he could neither move nor speak.

This was Chen Xun's current method. With the Major Accomplishment [Green Pouch Medical Art] and a set of silver needles capable of carrying Blood Qi, he could kill from afar without leaving a trace.

Had he not wanted to pry the mastermind's identity from the man's mouth, this man would already have been dead.

"My household happens to be short on people. Come, I'll take you there."

As he spoke, Chen Xun grabbed the stalker, whose eyes were filled with terror and who could not move of his own accord, and headed toward a secluded alley.

Once they reached an unoccupied corner, Chen Xun stopped concealing himself and began using every method at his disposal to interrogate the stalker.

The Major Accomplishment [Green Pouch Medical Art] had made Chen Xun familiar with every acupoint in the human body. He knew exactly how to make someone feel the most extreme pain.

As Chen Xun inserted needle after needle into the man's body, the pain he felt increased bit by bit.

At this point, he could not even make a sound to ease it. He could only endure it in silence.

Only when he was on the verge of passing out did Chen Xun pull out several silver needles and restore his ability to speak.

"Talk. What's your name, and who sent you?"

"I'll talk, I'll talk. My name is Liu Bo."

Liu Bo replied hoarsely, "Master Zhao of the Gale Gang hired me."

"The Gale Gang, Master Zhao..." Chen Xun paused, then spoke a name. "Zhao Tong?"

"Yes, that's him."

Liu Bo nodded frantically.

"So I've been discovered?"

Chen Xun frowned slightly.

Zhao Tong was Captain Sun's brother-in-law, the man who had once led people in pursuing Chen Xun and Ye Ying.

Over the past month, Chen Xun had immersed himself in cultivation and had nearly forgotten about Zhao Tong. Yet Zhao Tong still clung to him like a lingering ghost.

"Then don't blame me for being impolite."

"Perfect. I've been short on money lately, so I'll use you to rob the rich and aid the poor."

Killing intent surfaced in Chen Xun's eyes. He casually pinched a silver needle as thin as a hair, infused it with Blood Qi, and stabbed it into Liu Bo's Hundred Convergences Acupoint.

Liu Bo rolled his eyes back and died soundlessly in that secluded alley.

After killing him, Chen Xun searched the body, only to find a dozen or so copper coins.

"Pah, he's far too poor."

Chen Xun glanced at the corpse speechlessly, but he ultimately pocketed the dozen or so copper coins.

No matter how little, money was still money.

Afterward, Chen Xun returned to the clothing shop. By then, the two women had already bought their clothes.

"Shopkeeper, settle the bill."

"Right away."

After paying the remaining balance, Chen Xun had only a little over one tael left.

Next, Chen Xun escorted the two women back to their residence before returning to the pharmacy to prepare what he would need that night.

Knockout smoke, lime, chili powder, and so on.

Although Zhao Tong was publicly known as a Qi-Blood Second Transformation Martial Artist, who knew whether he had made a breakthrough recently? It was safer to be fully prepared.

Once everything was ready, Chen Xun began today's cultivation.

"With these two Blood Pool Acupoints producing Essence Blood together, my cultivation improves so quickly."

Chen Xun mobilized the fourteen drops of Essence Blood born from the two Blood Pool Acupoints and absorbed them into his body.

At once, a rather intense numbness swept through him, like his whole body had been struck by electricity.

It lasted five or six seconds before gradually fading.

Chen Xun clenched his fist and felt his strength improve slightly.

Afterward, Chen Xun opened his attribute panel to examine his current attributes.

[Name: Chen Xun]

[Physique: 4 points (Lower C)]

[Comprehension: 5 points (Middle C)]

[Cultivation: Qi-Blood Second Transformation (56%)]

[Martial Arts: Primordial Unity Stance (Major Accomplishment 880/1000), Mountain-Splitting Saber Technique (Minor Accomplishment 320/500), Charging Bull Step (Minor Accomplishment 460/500), Iron Garment Art (Major Accomplishment 1940/2000), Cloud-Walking Qi Archery (Minor Accomplishment 300/1200), Mountain Lord Acupoint-Finding Secret Art (Minor Accomplishment 1520/2000)]

[Universal Points: 0]

If he was lucky, the [Iron Garment Art] could reach Perfection today.

As for the [Primordial Unity Stance], it would still require some time.

"I'll cultivate the Iron Garment Art first. If it can reach Perfection today, tonight's operation will be even more secure."