Old Yun's Questions

Lin Qing was suddenly tempted. Each upgrade of the Rebirth Record would bring him great convenience, so the sooner he upgraded, the better.

However, as much as he was tempted, he simply couldn't get his hands on what was in Master Han's Hidden Chamber; at least for now, it was a pipe dream.

Suddenly, a thought struck him: someone might possess the Heavenly Dust Sand and the Moonshadow Stone —that person was Yun Tianxing.

He had previously visited the Library Pavilion to read and overheard Yun Tianxing say that he possessed many rare treasures, accumulated from his travels throughout the country in his early years, which might include Heavenly Dust Sand and Moonshadow Stone.

Lin Qing was resting and had nothing to do, so he got up and headed straight for the Library Pavilion.

When he arrived at his destination, Yun Tianxing was fishing on a large gray-white rock, as usual.

Lin Qing didn't dare to disturb him, so he waited on the side for a full half hour. Yun Tianxing seemed tired and yawned.

"Young man Lin, you're quite polite. So, what do you need from me?" Yun Tianxing stood up, smiling as he sized up Lin Qing.

"Elder Yun understands me best. Do you have any Moonshadow Stone or Heavenly Dust Sand here?" Lin Qing asked.

Yun Tianxing raised an eyebrow. "Why do you want this?"

"I have a friend who urgently needs these two materials, saying he wants to forge a Divine Weapons." Lin Qing casually made up a reason. He knew Yun Tianxing's temperament; the more casual he acted, the more Yun Tianxing would like it.

Sure enough, Yun Tianxing rolled his eyes. "I don't have any Heavenly Dust Sand here, but I do have one Moonshadow Stone. However, this item is extremely valuable and cannot be bought with any amount of silver. What do you want to exchange for it?"

"I wonder what Elder Yun desires?" Lin Qing asked.

"What I want, I'm afraid you can't give me." Yun Tianxing shook his head, lay down on a rattan chair next to him, and suddenly changed the subject, "I heard that you passed the Prefectural City Soul-Calming Office's assessment a few days ago and have already cultivated the Eight Strikes of the Spirit Snake to the Transcendent Realm?"

"Old Yun's information network is indeed very accurate," Lin Qing replied.

"Any martial art, even the most common one, requires extremely high Talent to reach the Transcendent Realm. I don't believe that such a martial arts prodigy could be born in a small county. Demonstrate it for me right here," Yun Tianxing said slowly.

"Good."

Lin Qing immediately demonstrated the Eight Strikes of the Spirit Snake. After completing the first eight moves, he continued with five more, for a total of thirteen moves. The moves were fluid, seamless, and perfectly integrated.

A hint of surprise flashed in Yun Tianxing's eyes. "Truly Transcendent Realm! Phoenix from a Chicken Coop. Your martial arts Talent is indeed very high."

"Elder Yun, how about giving me the Moonshadow Stone? I'll repay you tenfold when I become a top Martial Artist," Lin Qing said with a smile.

"It's not impossible. I'll ask you a few questions, and if you answer them well, I'll give them to you," Yun Tianxing said leisurely.

"Please speak, Elder Yun." Lin Qing was overjoyed.

"My first question is, why do you practice martial arts?"

"First, to protect myself; second, to protect my relatives and friends; and third, to protect all living beings," Lin Qing blurted out.

"Oh? With such limited abilities, how can you protect the common people?" Yun Tianxing raised an eyebrow.

"Being weak now doesn't mean I'll be weak in the future. I was born into poverty and know how difficult it is for the poor to survive. If I ever possess supreme power, I will surely stand up for the people of the world," Lin Qing said in a deep voice.

"Confident, responsible, and decisive, not bad." Yun Tianxing nodded slightly, then changed the subject, "My second question is, throughout my life I have traveled far and wide, pursuing the ultimate in martial arts. In my life I have seen that a sword can kill, and can also stop killing; strength can destroy a city, and can also build one. What puzzles me is the ultimate goal of this power and this path?"

"The ultimate goal of martial arts that I pursue is not to dominate the world for a fleeting moment, but to uphold the righteousness in my heart forever," Lin Qing said softly.

"Interesting." Yun Tianxing pondered for a moment, then uttered two words softly. "Young Lin, I originally had one last question, but now it seems unnecessary. I am very satisfied with your answer. I have high hopes for your future. Your Talent and temperament are both remarkable; with just a little bit of luck, you will surely Major Mastery."

"The Moonshadow Stone?" Lin Qing asked.

"Here you go, but when you become stronger in the future, you'll need to do something for me. Don't worry, it will definitely be within your capabilities and won't truly threaten your life."

"Okay, I agree," Lin Qing said.

Yun Tianxing said no more, got up and went back to the house. When he returned, he had a moon-white oval stone in his hand. It was hollow and about the size of a watermelon, but it was very light in his hand.

"Thank you, Elder Yun. May I ask where I can find Heavenly Dust Sand?" Lin Qing asked again.

"I don't know. Perhaps you'll have to go to the Prefectural City. Such rare items are hard to come by in this small place," Yun Tianxing pondered.

Lin Qing said no more, turned and left, his mind already preoccupied with Han Shantong's Hidden Chamber.

Time flies, and two more days have passed in the blink of an eye. Lin Qing continues his daily routine of practicing martial arts and collecting corpses.

With his Tathagata Fist Manual steadily increasing, he had a feeling that he would be able to master the third move in ten days at most.

However, the Hidden Strength training method that Lin Qing applied for was not delivered for a long time, and he was getting a little impatient.

"Tathagata Fist Manual can improve my combat strength, once we get to the Prefectural City, people will be looking at my cultivation level and the quantity of my internal energy. I must strengthen these two aspects as soon as possible; I can't delay any longer."

Lin Qing decided not to wait any longer; he would go and ask in person. If there was truly no hope, then he would seek other methods.

The Soul-Calming Office's Armory compound is nearby, and it is managed by a special person. The person on duty is a round-faced fat man who calls himself Steward Lei.

"You mean the Hidden Strength training method? It requires approval from above before it can be issued. If you have any questions, go find County Magistrate Lu. It has nothing to do with me," Steward Lei replied casually, reclining in his chair.

Lin Qing turned and left, his face darkening. Just as he had guessed, it really was Pang Tong who was behind it all.

Suddenly, he heard Steward Lei's voice again from behind him.

"I remember now, Official Pang came to see me before and specifically told me that if you have any questions, go to Cloud-Climbing Tower to find him."

"I understand," Lin Qing replied.

Cloud-Climbing Tower is the tallest and most central pavilion in the Soul-Calming Office.

It used to be Cheng Yannian's residence, but now it has been occupied by Pang Tong.

After a moment's thought, Lin Qing decided to go see Pang Tong and see what he was up to.

It's not impossible for him to find a method for cultivating Hidden Strength on his own, but it's very difficult. A Hidden Strength method is even more difficult to find; even with a lot of money, it's not guaranteed that you can buy one.

Before long, Lin Qing arrived at the courtyard in Cloud-Climbing Tower. After announcing his arrival, he was led in by a servant and entered the courtyard. As soon as he entered, he saw Pang Tong practicing martial arts in the courtyard.

His movements were swift and agile, each move brimming with astonishing power, and every punch he threw produced a thunderous roar.

At one moment, Pang Tong suddenly lunged forward and punched a large, gray-white rock about half a person's height in front of him.

In an instant, accompanied by a series of cracking sounds, fine cracks appeared on the gray-white boulder, and then it collapsed completely, turning into dozens of stones of varying sizes.

Pang Tong slowly finished his practice, then turned and glanced back at everyone. "Do you know what Hidden Strength is?"

"I don't know," Lin Qing replied. He had some understanding, but he had never practiced it himself and his knowledge was still at a very superficial level.

"Martial Artist with Hidden Strength can inject force into the enemy's body when his punches or kicks hit the opponent, causing damage from within."

Imagine if that punch I just threw had landed on someone; the Hidden Strength would have instantly turned their internal organs into a pool of blood.

"Hidden Strength and Bright Force are only one step apart, yet their combat power is worlds apart."