A Visit

All those locked in battle heard the thunderous boom.

They stared in horror toward the source of the sound.

A body flew out like a tattered rag, crashing heavily to the ground.

His entire ribcage had burst open, caved in with a sickening crunch.

"Cough, cough, cough~~"

She Qing spat blood in great gushes, his body convulsing violently.

Moments later, he went rigid, eyes wide and bloodshot, staring at nothing in death.

"She Qing is dead! Surrender now!"

Qian Hai, seasoned and sharp, roared like an old lion the moment he saw She Qing fall.

In an instant, the Twin Snake Gang members were terrified out of their wits.

They weren't foolish enough to drop their weapons and yield, but retreat took root in their minds—no will to fight, only to flee.

Jiang Mei was the most decisive. Seeing She Qing dead, she forced Qian Hai back with a blade stroke and turned to leave.

A figure bathed in the golden light of dawn, drenched in blood and gore, slammed a heavy fist into Jiang Mei's back.

Boom!

Jiang Mei spat blood as if struck by thunder, staggered forward two steps, then collapsed.

"Young master. Are you alright?"

Qian Hai hurried over, seeing Qin Yang covered in blood.

"Still holding up. Kill them all."

"Not a single one lives."

Qin Yang's eyes were ruthless.

"Understood." Qian Hai nodded firmly.

With the two of them working together, the remaining Twin Snake Gang thugs were no match.

In no time, they were all slaughtered.

Qin Yang leaned against a tree, bandaging his wounds to stop the bleeding.

Qian Hai had the bodies searched, finding only some coins.

Then they gathered branches and firewood, lit a pyre, and burned She Qing and the others to ashes.

Once done, they turned and left, found the carriage and horses from the night before, and headed back to Linjiang City.

They returned to Qin Manor without incident.

Qian Hai quickly fetched a physician to clean and dress Qin Yang's wounds.

"Young master truly has a robust constitution."

"Even without vital points struck, with so many sword wounds, an ordinary man would have bled out and fainted long ago."

Inside the room, the old physician marveled at the dense network of cuts on Qin Yang's body.

"Young and hot-blooded, naturally I'm a bit tougher."

Qin Yang was in high spirits after killing She Qing, joking lightly.

"But don't let pride push you too far."

"Unless you cultivate an Iron Body Skill, the Physical Body can't withstand the edge of blades after all."

The old physician advised.

"Iron Body Skill..."

Qin Yang fell into thought.

An Iron Body Skill was essentially a hardening technique, making the body tough and strong, even impervious to blades.

He figured he really did need to find such a skill to train in, so he wouldn't end up this battered again.

The old physician deftly finished bandaging the wounds, prescribed a blood-nourishing formula, told him to rest well, and took his leave.

"Uncle Qian. Every brother who came with us gets fifty taels of silver. For the wounded, all medicine costs are on us."

"As for the Twin Snake Gang's turf, we don't want it."

"Take some men and raid their stronghold first. See how much coin we can scrape up."

Qin Yang gave orders from the bed.

The Twin Snake Gang stronghold was barely guarded now—Qian Hai could handle it easily.

If they waited any longer, other gangs would catch wind, and they'd just be making a Wedding Dress for someone else.

"Young master, just focus on healing. I'll handle all this."

Qian Hai said solemnly.

"Then I'll leave it to you, Uncle Qian."

Qin Yang nodded. In his current state, he could only recuperate at home.

After Qian Hai left the room, Qin Yang lay in bed, replaying his fight with She Qing.

In terms of cultivation, She Qing might have been slightly ahead of Qin Yang, likely at the mid-stage of Blood Moving, equivalent to the Azure Wave fourth to sixth layers.

But Qin Yang was young and strong, with his Arhat Fist at Great Accomplishment and abundant blood energy, giving him a fighting chance.

Toward the end, Qin Yang entered a state of deep focus through Zen Meditation, seeing through She Qing's sword trajectory to barely clinch victory.

"I didn't have time before. This time, I have to train in a weapon technique."

"And a body-tempering skill too."

Qin Yang mapped out his future training.

With She Qing dead and the Twin Snake Gang problem resolved, he should be able to rest easy for a while.

"And there's Father's side. I need to send someone to investigate."

Qin Yang's heart grew heavy.

There was still much waiting for him to do.

In the following days, news of the Twin Snake Gang's destruction by the Qin Manor spread like wildfire through the nearby streets.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Qian Hai, the head of the Qin Manor's guards, led men to raid the Twin Snake Gang's base, hauling back many wooden chests.

Gang leader She Qing and the two hall masters never appeared again.

Everyone knew the Twin Snake Gang was finished, with several minor leaders brawling over territory.

Some gangs seemed wary of the Qin Manor's stance and hadn't yet made their move.

At the Qin Manor.

Qin Yang was originally cultivating the Azure Wave Blood Transference Method in his room.

Circulating blood energy sped up his metabolism, helping his wounds heal faster.

"Young Master. Young Master Li has come with Master Li to pay a visit."

Xiao Huan's crisp, oriole-like voice came through.

"Take them to the living room first. I'll be there shortly."

Qin Yang said softly.

"Understood."

Hearing Xiao Huan's fading footsteps, Qin Yang got out of bed, opened the wardrobe, and casually grabbed a brocade robe. But it was too small.

"Have I changed that much?"

Qin Yang was surprised.

After training in martial arts, his frame had widened and his muscles had bulked up. His old clothes no longer fit.

"Forget it, I'll make do for now. I'll have Xiao Huan find a tailor to make a few new sets later."

Qin Yang threw it on and walked out of the room.

In the living room.

Li Baling, unusually serious, sat upright without his usual grin.

Across from him sat a steady-looking middle-aged man with a goatee, rolling two large, glossy walnuts in his hands.

That man was none other than Li Baling's father, Li Tong, a well-connected and wealthy figure in the city.

"Haha!"

"Uncle Li, you honor me with a personal visit. I should have come to greet you."

Qin Yang strode in with a broad laugh, his steps vigorous.

"You're too kind, nephew."

"I heard you were injured, so I specially found a ten-year-old ginseng to help you recover."

Li Tong stood up, radiating warmth.

Li Baling quickly rose too, handing Qin Yang a small rectangular wooden box.

"Much appreciated."

"And I'm already grateful for what you provided me, Uncle Li. Now you're giving me ginseng too."

"I'm a bit embarrassed."

Qin Yang waved a hand.

"Don't say that, nephew. Crossbows may be strong, but they're useless against a Blood Moving Martial Artist."

"In the end, you have to rely on yourself."

Li Tong smiled faintly.

Qin Yang narrowed his eyes. "Then I won't stand on ceremony."

"Xiao Huan, accept the gift."

After the two sides exchanged pleasantries, they each took their seats, and a maidservant handed Qin Yang a cup of tea.

"Uncle Li, I've grown up playing with Ba Ling since we were kids—our bond runs deep."

"Let's skip all this empty formality and just speak plainly."

Qin Yang took a small sip of tea.