A Fist-Style Talent Found Once in a Million

The two chatted as they walked and soon reached the Cremation Ground courtyard. Eleven bodies lay there, and three Corpse Collectors were already waiting.

Lin Qing stepped forward and swept his gaze over them. Since the Rebirth Record had reached level two, he could see some of the information hidden within a body without touching it.

But when his gaze fell on one of the women, his breath suddenly caught.

He saw a piece of information: Fist Talent, Exceptional quality—found in one in ten thousand.

It was the first time he had seen Fist Talent of Exceptional quality, and excitement surged through him.

The people from the Prefectural City Soul-Calming Office would arrive soon. At most, he had half a month left.

His Eight Strikes of the Spirit Snake was still at Minor Mastery. If he could not bring it to Perfect Mastery within that half month, passing the Reexamination would be difficult.

He had been anxious, hoping for a corpse with a Perfect Mastery Eight Strikes of the Spirit Snake trait, but none had appeared.

Now, this Exceptional Fist Talent had come just when he needed it most.

With this talent, I might be able to bring the Eight Strikes of the Spirit Snake to Major Mastery on my own within ten days.

If I reach Major Mastery myself, then equip the Minor Accomplishment Spirit Snake Eight Strikes trait, the two might combine to push the technique to Perfect Mastery.

And with this talent, learning the Tathagata Fist Manual won't be as hard as it is now.

As Lin Qing considered this, he saw someone walking toward the body.

He rushed forward, hoisted it onto his shoulder first, and strode toward a nearby cremation chamber.

A few breaths later, flames had swallowed the woman's body. In an instant, it was reduced to ash.

Images flooded Lin Qing's mind. He caught scattered glimpses of the woman's life: her childhood, her marriage, and finally her encounter with Yin Muhua, who had cut her down with a single slash.

Sadly, she had never had the chance to learn martial arts. Her Exceptional Fist Talent had gone to waste.

But that was normal. In this era, women held a far lower status than men, and the vast majority would never qualify to study martial arts.

A mass of information appeared before Lin Qing, listing the skills and talents the woman had possessed in life.

Apart from Fist Talent, they were all everyday skills, of no use to him.

Without hesitation, Lin Qing chose to copy the Fist Talent trait.

He then dealt with another body, that of one of Yin Muhua's subordinates. He gained no worthwhile martial arts from him, only a commonplace Sweeping Leg at Major Mastery.

Before long, Lin Qing returned from the Cremation Ground courtyard. He immediately equipped the Exceptional Fist Talent and began practicing the Eight Strikes of the Spirit Snake.

The Eight Strikes of the Spirit Snake called for fists, palms, and legs. Greater Fist Talent would help with the technique to some extent.

Lin Qing had only run through the Eight Strikes of the Spirit Snake once, but he could already feel the difference.

Even without the Rebirth Record's aid, he easily grasped many of its intricacies. Subtle details and techniques flowed naturally into every move without conscious effort. He had never experienced anything like it.

He then practiced the second move of the Tathagata Fist Manual again. Its many variations flowed smoothly into one another. What had once taken tremendous effort now felt effortless.

Joy surged through Lin Qing. So learning the Tathagata Fist Manual takes a one-in-ten-thousand Fist Talent. My talent wasn't enough before. Even with the Rebirth Record's aid, my progress was painfully slow, and I've only mastered the first move.

But everything is different now. Once I pass the Reexamination, I'll devote more time and energy to this fist art. Then I'll make tremendous progress with the Tathagata Fist Manual.

Not only that, he would learn other fist arts far faster than ordinary people.

Exceptional meant one in ten thousand. It meant learning ten or even a hundred times faster than others, with almost no bottlenecks.

Several more days passed in a blink. The storm stirred up by Cheng Yannian's disappearance soon reached Lin Qing and those around him.

Yang Feng was the first to suffer. As Cheng Yannian's most capable right-hand man, everyone knew trouble was coming for him. They just had not expected it so soon.

Early one morning, the Soul-Calming Office posted a notice informing everyone that Yang Feng had been demoted to Deputy Constable Chief of the Corpse Collection Team. He would temporarily act as Constable Chief until the Night Patrol Office selected a replacement, which it would do soon.

Word quickly reached the Corpse Collection Team's courtyard, where many were indignant.

Yang Feng seemed to have prepared himself. He remained calm.

"What's meant to happen will happen. Get on with your work, and don't let this delay anything important."

Lin Qing said little. He admired Yang Feng's composure, but he also felt a growing urgency. Perhaps he would be next.

Sure enough, the day after Yang Feng's demotion, Lin Qing had barely returned to the assistants' courtyard when someone came to deliver a message.

"Lord Shen, orders from above. Only assistants may live in this courtyard of yours. Everyone else must move out within three days."

Shen Lian burst out cursing. "It's my damn courtyard! I'll let whoever I want live here. What are you going to do, hit me?"

The elderly messenger looked troubled. "Lord Shen, I'm only carrying out orders. This is Lord Pang's decision. Please don't make things difficult for me."

Shen Lian was about to curse again when Lin Qing stood. "Lord Shen, your illness has been cured. Since those above won't let me stay, I'll move out."

The old man did not dare linger. He turned and fled, leaving Shen Lian seething.

"It's all that bastard Pang Tong. Officially, Lu Xingyun has taken charge of the Soul-Calming Office, but he hasn't even shown up. He's left everything to Pang Tong. Yang Feng's demotion, your eviction—it's all that old bastard's doing. If my uncle weren't there to shield me, I'd be in trouble too.

"That cur latched onto the Han Family. Lord Cheng kept him down for years, and now that he's finally out of his cage, he's running around biting people like a mad dog," Shen Lian ranted.

Lin Qing did not respond. He simply added the debt to his mental ledger.

Pang Tong was a Martial Artist who had attained Hidden Strength. He held a high position and was powerful. Revenge would require careful planning.

After venting for a while, Shen Lian calmed down.

"Lin Qing, go rent me a small courtyard. This Soul-Calming Office is foul from top to bottom. I can't stand staying here any longer."

"You're giving up your position as supervisor of the Artisans' Office too?" Lin Qing asked in surprise.

"I am. It's not as if I need the money. I've wanted to quit for ages." As she spoke, Shen Lian tossed him a money pouch.

Lin Qing reached out and caught it.

"All right. I'll go tomorrow."

Shen Lian's words gave him an idea. He, too, began to consider living elsewhere.

Now that Yin Muhua was dead, living outside was actually safer than staying in the Soul-Calming Office. He decided to move out as well. The office's rules allowed it.

Clop, clop, clop.

On an official road leading to Jiangyin County, a group rode hard, dust billowing as hoofbeats rolled one after another.

"Whoa!"

Near a yellow-earth slope, the riders drew rein.

"Damn it, what kind of cursed weather is this? The sun's roasting my tits."

At the head of the group, a burly woman with bronzed skin, her hair in a bun and a thick spiked club across her shoulder, cursed aloud.

The soldiers behind her showed no reaction. Clearly, they were long accustomed to the fierce woman's manner.

Beside her was a middle-aged man in white, a broad-bladed sword the color of blood strapped to his back. His bearing was as cold and forbidding as a prison, and he appeared to lead the soldiers.

He sat beneath the slope drinking wine when a piercing eagle cry rang out overhead. A golden eagle descended from the sky and landed on his arm, a secret letter tied to its leg.

The man removed the letter and skimmed it. His brow suddenly furrowed.

"Ran Hongxia, plans have changed. Go to Jiangyin County at once."