Infiltration

Fleeting Light, Glancing Shadow: The legs could instantly unleash explosive speed, darting forth like a streak of light and shadow.

Qin Yang sensed the Divine Ability formed when Flying Swallow Steps reached perfection, and delight flashed across his face.

This Divine Ability, Fleeting Light, Glancing Shadow, perfectly matched what he had wanted.

At that thought, he restrained the urge to test the effects of Fleeting Light, Glancing Shadow.

He gathered his qi and blood in his legs, then circulated it according to the method for explosively releasing qi and blood through Flying Swallow Steps.

Whoosh!

Boom!

Xiao Huan, who had been about to enter carrying medicinal soup, saw only the courtyard wall explode violently, dust and smoke billowing everywhere.

"Th-This..."

"What happened?"

Xiao Huan staggered back several steps in fright, her little mouth hanging wide open.

"Nothing."

"I just couldn't stop in time."

A voice suddenly rang out behind Xiao Huan.

"Ah!"

Xiao Huan was so frightened that she even spilled the medicinal soup in her hands.

"Young Master, why are you scaring people again?"

Xiao Huan quickly recognized the owner of that voice and said in mock anger.

"I really wasn't trying to scare you this time. I truly lost control."

"Help me get someone to repair the courtyard wall."

"I'll go somewhere else to practice."

Qin Yang laughed heartily, then leaped into the air and jumped out of Qin Manor.

Qin Yang left the Outer City and went to a sparsely populated place to practice Fleeting Light, Glancing Shadow.

Back at Qin Manor, he had not expected Fleeting Light, Glancing Shadow to erupt with such frightening force. The small courtyard itself was not large, and with one lapse in control, he had smashed straight through the wall.

"First, I'll familiarize myself with the explosive speed of Fleeting Light, Glancing Shadow."

"Then I can take action."

Qin Yang looked exhilarated.

Yet after unleashing Fleeting Light, Glancing Shadow seven or eight times in a row, Qin Yang began to pant lightly.

He discovered that every burst of Fleeting Light, Glancing Shadow consumed far too much qi and blood.

Even though he had the Divine Ability Rushing Rivers Return to the Sea to rapidly restore his qi and blood—

After more than a dozen consecutive bursts, the recovery speed could no longer keep up with the rate of consumption.

"After seven or eight bursts of Fleeting Light, Glancing Shadow, who could possibly catch me? That's enough."

Qin Yang paused briefly. Once his qi and blood had recovered, he resumed training.

It was not until dusk that he returned to Qin Manor.

Late at night.

A masked figure clad in black silently climbed over a wall, flashing constantly through the pitch-black streets.

Qin Yang's target was clear.

Before taking action, he had already had someone inquire about the approximate location of Huang Manor.

After entering the Inner City, he swiftly crossed several broad streets.

From afar, Qin Yang spotted an imposing residence.

Two dim yellow lanterns hung before its gates, their light falling upon the plaque above the entrance and illuminating the words Huang Manor.

Naturally, Qin Yang would not climb over the main gate. Following his usual practice, he slipped around to Huang Manor's rear entrance and quietly scaled the wall.

Huang Manor covered a vast area, and he did not know the exact layout of its buildings.

"Within Huang Manor, there is surely only one person who knows where the Turtle-Snake Art is kept."

"Huang Xinglong."

"But he is already a Qi Gathering Martial Artist. At forty-five, he cannot possibly disperse his inner qi and start cultivating the Turtle-Snake Art anew."

"Therefore, since he bought back the Turtle-Snake Art, he must have intended for several of his sons to cultivate it."

"The most likely one should be his eldest son, Huang Ruhu."

Apart from cultivating bitterly in Qin Manor these past few days, Qin Yang had long ordered Qian Hai to thoroughly investigate Huang Manor.

His ears twitched slightly as he caught faint sounds of movement. He immediately flashed aside and hid in the pitch-black shadows.

A few breaths later, three guards carrying lanterns and wearing long sabers at their waists entered the rear courtyard to patrol.

They made a round without discovering Qin Yang hidden in the darkness, then quickly left again.

Qin Yang, however, quietly followed behind them.

Generally speaking, the places guards patrolled most densely and visited most often were surely the important areas of a residence.

These guards never imagined that someone would be following behind them.

Perhaps the Inner City had been peaceful for too long, causing them to lose their vigilance and become exceedingly lax.

"I heard the eldest young master has been cultivating the Turtle-Snake Art in the Meditation Chamber these past few days, striving to break through to Gathering Qi as soon as possible."

"The Turtle-Snake Art is a Second-Rate Qi Gathering Method. Breaking through won't be that easy, will it?"

"Of course not. But if the eldest young master succeeds in breaking through, Huang Manor will have two Qi Gathering Martial Artists. Then we'll be able to swagger through Linjiang City like crabs."

"Let's hope so."

The three guards spoke quietly among themselves.

Before long, they arrived at a tranquil courtyard.

Once there, the guards no longer dared make a sound, even lightening their footsteps.

Qin Yang's eyes flickered as he quietly hid in a corner of the courtyard.

After the three guards left, he was about to act when he suddenly lay low once more.

A few breaths later, another three guards carrying lanterns entered. They also made a round, and were about to reach the dark corner where Qin Yang was hiding.

Once the lantern light shone upon him, Qin Yang would have nowhere to hide.

Just then.

Whoosh~

The guard walking in front suddenly saw a blur before his eyes.

"Strange. Did you two see some black shadow just now?"

The guard frowned.

"No."

"I didn't see anything."

"Could it be you've visited the pleasure quarters so often that your kidneys are weak and your eyes are failing?"

The two guards behind him quietly teased him.

"Enough. My eyes are just a little tired."

"Let's go."

The guard decided he must have seen wrong and left carrying his lantern.

They did not know—

A figure had silently appeared behind them.

Just now, Qin Yang had circulated Fleeting Light, Glancing Shadow and, under cover of the darkness, flashed right past them.

After that patrol team left, Qin Yang quietly moved to the corner of the wall.

Faintly, he seemed to hear voices.

"Ruhu, you still haven't entered the gate of the Turtle-Snake Art?"

A somewhat disappointed voice came from inside the room.

"No. My comprehension is too poor. In half a month, I've gained very little."

A male voice full of unwillingness rang out.

Inside the Meditation Chamber.

Huang Xinglong looked at his eldest son, Huang Ruhu, and sighed softly. "It seems that entering the gate of a second-rate Qi Gathering Cultivation Method is far more difficult than I imagined."

"You must not become discouraged. Just cultivate slowly."

The path of martial cultivation had many obstacles.

Obstacles were not a problem. What was most frightening was becoming discouraged and losing one's edge.

For a martial artist, that was the truly devastating blow.

Huang Ruhu gritted his teeth. "Father, rest assured. Within one month, I will surely enter the gate of the Turtle-Snake Art."

Huang Xinglong was very satisfied with Huang Ruhu's attitude and was about to speak.

Crack~

A faint sound, seemingly that of a tiny branch being snapped beneath someone's foot, came from outside.

Huang Ruhu did not even notice that faint sound.

But Huang Xinglong heard it.

His brows furrowed. Signaling Huang Ruhu not to speak, he pushed off with both feet and smashed through the window, rushing outside.

Bang!

The instant Huang Xinglong rushed out—

He saw only a black shadow swiftly vault over the courtyard wall.

"Bold thief!"

Huang Xinglong let out a thunderous roar, his figure shooting after it like lightning.

That shout completely alarmed everyone in Huang Manor.

Many guards, along with several members of the Huang Family, rushed toward the Meditation Chamber.

Very quickly, the courtyard containing the Meditation Chamber blazed with lights.

"Ruhu, what happened?"

"Where did your eldest brother go?"

Several uncles from the Huang Family hurriedly asked upon arriving.

"It seems some thief infiltrated our residence. Father chased after him."

Huang Ruhu emerged from the Meditation Chamber and said in a grave voice.