Black Goose City, a small courtyard in the south of the city.
Wisps of cooking smoke rose from within the courtyard.
"Brother Wang, come, have some food!"
Qin Zheng warmly pushed the dishes toward Wang Er.
Wang Er was the first person to show him kindness after he had crossed over into this world.
Back then, Qin Zheng had nothing. He was destitute and downtrodden, with the risk of death hanging over him at any moment.
Naturally, Wang Er could not have been coveting anything he possessed.
Thus, Qin Zheng lived by one principle: if others treated him kindly, he would naturally return that kindness in kind.
By now, Wang Er had also shed his earlier restraint.
After learning of Qin Zheng's achievements and hearing that Ji Changyin had summoned him, he had thought Qin Zheng was about to soar into the heavens in a single leap.
As a mere common soldier, he naturally did not dare try to ingratiate himself with Qin Zheng.
Yet Qin Zheng's attitude had not changed in the slightest, and Wang Er gradually relaxed as well.
They ate until the moon had risen before Wang Er finally left, burping with a full stomach.
After he departed, Qin Zheng tidied up before sitting in the courtyard again, staring blankly at the bright moon overhead.
According to Ji Changyin, the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill was undoubtedly a divine art rarely found in this world.
After all, merely reaching its first level had granted him the strength of a thousand jin.
Yet it was precisely because this martial art was so powerful that Qin Zheng's heart was filled with regret.
The essence of the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill he had acquired was incomplete, with portions missing.
Forcibly refining it through the Merit Scroll could increase his strength, but it could not strengthen his physique in tandem.
Therefore, although the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill allowed Qin Zheng's strength to far surpass that of others in the same realm—
His internal organs remained at the level of the Skin-Refining Realm, the first great barrier.
At this moment, the thousand jin of strength bestowed by the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill had instead become a burden because his organs were too frail!
At this thought, Qin Zheng sank his consciousness into his heart and examined the contents of the Merit Scroll.
Qin Zheng Lifespan: 70 (17) Martial Arts: Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill (First Level), Golden Cicada Sheds Its Shell (Beginner), Ghost-head Saber Technique (Mastered) Merit: 1 tael 9 qian Current martial art · Golden Cicada Sheds Its Shell can be upgraded. Requires 5 qian of merit. Upgrade? Current martial art · Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill can be upgraded. Requires 1 tael of merit. Upgrade?
With a thought, Qin Zheng said, "Upgrade martial art · Golden Cicada Sheds Its Shell."
At once, five qian of merit vanished from the Merit Scroll. At the same time, Qin Zheng felt his grasp of this movement technique become more proficient.
On the Merit Scroll, the suffix behind the movement technique changed from "Beginner" to "Minor Accomplishment."
However, to continue upgrading it would require eight qian of merit.
Qin Zheng hesitated.
He now had only one tael and four qian of merit left.
If he upgraded his movement technique again, he would no longer be able to upgrade the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill.
But if he upgraded the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill again, his strength might very well rise to two thousand jin!
With his current physical constitution, he did not know whether he could withstand such strength!
After considering it, Qin Zheng withdrew his consciousness from the sea of his mind and decided not to make a choice for now.
He took a booklet from his clothes. It was the Black Fiend Palm he had obtained from Wei Feng!
He still had another option!
Qin Zheng opened the booklet and studied its contents with rapt attention.
A moment later, he reached the final page. A new line of text also appeared on the Merit Scroll.
The next day, Qin Zheng still carried the Ghost-head Saber to the execution ground early in the morning.
He cut off the heads of three prisoners and gained seven qian of merit.
The action he had anticipated did not unfold.
This made Qin Zheng relax slightly. Every day of delay meant he could accumulate more merit and use it to improve himself.
He then returned home and practiced the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill, stimulating his blood and qi to nourish his body and internal organs.
Although this could temper his body as well, the speed was far from satisfactory to Qin Zheng.
His current shortcoming was that he urgently needed an internal martial art!
With the Merit Scroll's abilities, he believed that even an internal martial art could be upgraded.
That would allow him to quickly nourish his body from within and raise his realm.
Only then could Qin Zheng's physical body keep pace with the rate at which his martial arts improved.
Otherwise, if his body and martial arts did not match, what Ji Changyin had mentioned might happen—the depletion of his body's very source!
On the third day, Qin Zheng continued carrying out his duties as an executioner.
He cut off six heads and gained one tael and three qian of merit.
He then returned home to practice his martial arts, stimulating his blood and qi and strengthening his physical constitution.
Then, as night fell, a constable came to his door and informed him to head to Tong'an Town, twenty li outside Black Goose City, before the hour of the dragon the next morning.
Qin Zheng's spirits lifted. He understood that Ji Changyin and the others had found Shi Dian's trail and were preparing to make their move!
He nodded, turned and entered the house, then took stock of his current situation.
Qin Zheng Lifespan: 70 (17) Martial Arts: Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill (First Level), Black Fiend Palm (Minor Accomplishment), Golden Cicada Sheds Its Shell (Mastered), Ghost-head Saber Technique (Mastered) Merit: 1 tael 2 qian Current martial art · Black Fiend Palm can be upgraded. Requires 8 qian of merit. Upgrade? Current martial art · Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill can be upgraded. Requires 1 tael of merit. Upgrade?
Over the past two days, he had raised his movement technique all the way to mastery, while the Black Fiend Palm had reached Minor Accomplishment.
Qin Zheng did not intend to leave the remaining one tael and two qian of merit for the Black Fiend Palm.
Though this martial art was not bad, compared to upgrading the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill, it was truly insignificant.
These days of practice had also given Qin Zheng a thorough understanding of his physical constitution.
Although this body looked lean and wiry, it had been born with considerable strength. The amount of power it could bear should still be able to increase somewhat.
Thus, Qin Zheng no longer hesitated and immediately muttered in his heart, "Upgrade martial art · Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill!"
At once, one tael of merit was deducted.
A powerful force appeared out of nowhere within his body once more.
This time, Qin Zheng could clearly feel the burden on his body.
His muscles began to spasm, his bones began to throb with piercing pain, and the rapidly surging strength made his body unable to bear it for a time.
Especially the pain radiating from his internal organs—it made him drop to his knees, drenched in sweat as he endured the transformation.
A moment later, the agonizing pain faded, and the changes in his body came to a halt.
Only then was Qin Zheng able to gulp down great breaths of fresh air, expelling the stale air within his body.
"It seems a Skin-Refining Realm physique can only support the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill up to the second level. It can't be upgraded any further!"
Qin Zheng said, his eyes bloodshot and his face faintly twisted.
After waiting for his body to calm down, Qin Zheng went to wash up and tidy himself.
He lay down to rest. When the sky was about to brighten, he rose and strapped the Ghost-head Saber, wrapped in coarse cloth, to his back.
He then opened the gate and strode toward the outskirts of Black Goose City.
After his movement technique had reached mastery, Qin Zheng moved with exceptional lightness.
Moreover, a single step often covered nearly the distance of five ordinary steps.
He did not know whether it would work well for fleeing, but it was certainly useful for traveling.
Before long, Qin Zheng had left Black Goose City and headed straight for Tongguan Town, ten li away.
Along the way, Qin Zheng carefully sensed the power inside his body.
Two thousand jin of strength—this was power that even a Muscle-Refining Realm martial artist who had broken through three great barriers could not possess!
Feeling that surging, formidable power, Qin Zheng felt much more at ease.
With this strength, so long as that old man Shi Dian had not broken through, he would surely be in no danger!
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