Vajra Flesh Refinement Method, Arhat Hand

Early morning.

Lan Fei sat beneath the awning of the bun shop diagonally across from Zhenglong Gambling House, wolfing down buns. He ate the fist-sized meat buns in a single bite, chewed them carelessly a couple of times, then swallowed them whole.

The neighbors standing nearby, eating melon seeds and watching the spectacle, were secretly alarmed at the sight.

Some of the older women even grumbled inwardly, wondering where this reincarnated starved ghost had come from.

But a moment later, their eyes returned to Zhenglong Gambling House, and they began discussing it in low voices:

"Hey, it's already the third day. Do you think Zhenglong Gambling House will move out of East Prosperity Street?"

"Someone's definitely moving! But it'll be Changyou Teahouse."

"With Snake Eye's explosive temper, would he really stay this quiet after someone smashed up his business? Who knows what foul scheme he's brewing? Keep your eyes peeled, everyone. There's bound to be a good show today."

"I think so too. That young fellow named Wei Sheng was too rash. I heard he's only at the fourth refinement. How could he compare to Snake Eye at the fifth refinement?"

"..."

The neighbors all offered their opinions. Not one of them thought Wei Sheng would win; they all felt that challenging the fifth refinement with his mere fourth refinement was inviting humiliation.

"Brother Fei, it's the third day already. If Zhenglong Gambling House doesn't withdraw, how will Changyou Teahouse respond?"

"That depends on whether Wei Sheng wants his pride or his life."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"If he wants his life, he'll let the spit dry on his face, pull his head into his shell, and pretend he never said anything... If he wants his pride, heh, then we'll have a good show!"

"I reckon Wei Sheng will choose his life."

"Hmph! Now that things have reached this point, it's no longer up to him! I heard Snake Eye secretly contacted his two good brothers, the Fat and Thin Ascetics, yesterday. Even if Wei Sheng plays dead today, Snake Eye won't let him off..."

At this point, Lan Fei, in excellent spirits, could not help laughing. "Fight, fight! I just love watching rivers of blood flow!"

"Then do you think Wei Sheng might have a backup plan too?"

"A backup plan? Against absolute strength, any backup plan is useless! Unless he has someone at the fifth refinement late-stage helping him, but obviously..."

Before Lan Fei could finish speaking.

A commotion broke out nearby.

Lan Fei looked up and saw a man with a long head, small eyes, and a missing arm approaching from the end of the street, holding a long wooden sign in his remaining arm.

"...Looks like Shrimp Head from Zhenglong Gambling House."

Shrimp Head seemed not to see anyone. Head lowered, he walked straight to Zhenglong Gambling House and hung the wooden sign on its door with one hand. The words "For sale" were clearly written on it.

"Hm?"

Lan Fei's gaze sharpened.

What was going on?

Zhenglong Gambling House was for sale?

And on the third day of Wei Sheng's deadline? Wasn't that admitting defeat and handing the territory they had secured straight to Wei Sheng?

"Go check the other shops..."

Lan Fei gave the order, wanting to see whether this was an isolated case or happening everywhere.

Before long, the gang members sent to investigate returned one after another, bringing news Lan Fei found hard to believe:

"All of Snake Eye's shops on East Prosperity Street have been put up for sale?!"

Lan Fei's eyes widened. Even the meat bun in his hand had lost its appeal. He could not understand why everything had taken such a sharp turn overnight.

What on earth had happened on Snake Eye's side?

Just then, a gang member hurried over, bent down, and whispered a few words into Lan Fei's ear.

"What did you say?!"

Lan Fei shot to his feet, his face filled with shock. His voice involuntarily rose an octave, drawing curious looks from many of the neighbors.

"Rivers of blood flowed inside Cherishing Spring Tower. Twenty-five Azure Dragon Hall gang members died, along with two Fifth Refinement experts... Snake Eye's whereabouts are unknown..."

The gang member repeated himself.

At these words, the noisy street instantly fell silent. Shock and disbelief appeared on every neighbor's face.

Even Lan Fei's mouth hung open.

Two Fifth Refinement experts were dead?

Snake Eye's whereabouts were unknown?!

Lan Fei suddenly felt chilled from head to toe!

At that moment, realization dawned on him.

The real contest had already been settled last night.

Without a doubt, Snake Eye had lost.

And he had lost terribly!

But immediately afterward, an even greater question arose:

How had Wei Sheng done it?!

Leaving aside Snake Eye, who was at the fifth refinement mid-stage, the Fat and Thin Ascetics he had invited were renowned hired blades. Together, they could fight and kill someone at the fifth refinement late-stage. With Snake Eye added to their ranks, even someone at the fifth refinement late-stage would probably have gained little advantage against them.

Yet now they had been slaughtered, scattered, driven to flight, and wounded.

Could a Six Refinements expert have intervened?!

Impossible!

Six Refinements experts would not act lightly. Doing so would spark a war between the two gangs.

Besides, Black Tiger had no spare Six Refinements experts...

While Lan Fei wavered between shock and doubt, Ding Ying arrived at Zhenglong Gambling House with a group of men. Looking at the wooden "For sale" sign hanging on the door, he smiled disdainfully, casually tossed it by the roadside, then opened the gambling house's doors.

Just as he was about to enter, Ding Ying seemed to notice Lan Fei and hurried over to greet him:

"Oh, if it isn't Brother Fei! What brings you to our Zhenglong Gambling House today?"

Ignoring the smugness in Ding Ying's words, Lan Fei frowned and asked, "Old Ding, what's going on here?"

"You mean Zhenglong Gambling House? Well, didn't Boss Wei give them three days to leave East Prosperity Street three days ago? They were very accommodating, too. See? They've withdrawn..."

"That simple?"

"That simple!"

If rivers of blood hadn't flowed through Cherishing Spring Tower, and those Fifth Refinement corpses weren't still lying there, I'd have believed you.

Lan Fei grumbled inwardly, looked around, and asked in puzzlement, "Boss Wei didn't come?"

"Why would our boss need to handle such a trivial matter himself? Brother Fei, we're opening for business. Want to come in and play a few rounds?"

"No, I have things to do today. Next time, definitely!"

Lan Fei was about to leave when Ding Ying called him back.

"Brother Fei, our boss said that since we belong to the same gang, he'll let you keep Jingkong Street..."

Delighted, Lan Fei thought Wei Sheng was sensible after all.

But Ding Ying's next words sent him into a furious rage:

"But you'll have to pay up! Five hundred taels a month..."

With that, he led his men into the gambling house without waiting for Lan Fei's response.

"Brother Ding, why are your legs shaking?!" Inside the gambling house, the other gang members looked at Ding Ying in confusion.

"No shit! You'd shake too if you had to say that!" Ding Ying cursed.

That was Lan Fei, an early-stage Fifth Refinement expert. A lowly Second Refinement fighter like him demanding protection money from Lan Fei was lucky not to have been beaten to death on the spot.

"Quick, see if Lan Fei's left..."

Several full seconds passed before Lan Fei seemed to recover. His first reaction was not anger, but a sense of absurdity!

He had always been the one collecting protection money from others. When had anyone ever collected protection money from him?

Even more outrageous...

Five hundred taels a month?

That lousy street's entire monthly income only amounted to around two hundred taels of silver.

You're charging five hundred taels? Why don't you go rob someone, damn it?!

Enraged, Lan Fei immediately wanted to smash up Zhenglong Gambling House. But remembering the Fat and Thin Ascetics who had died at Cherishing Spring Tower, he forced down his anger and swept his sleeve as he left:

"Hmph, five hundred taels. You really dare ask for that much! Aren't you afraid of stuffing yourself to death?"

"Burp!"

After drinking thirteen bowls of sheep-offal soup in succession and eating over twenty meat pies, Wei Sheng was finally full and let out a satisfied belch.

Then, under the shocked gazes of the surrounding diners, he slapped down two hundred copper coins, stood, and left.

As his cultivation improved, his appetite had also soared. Now, even an ordinary meal was enough to feed a normal person for more than a dozen meals.

This breakfast, for instance, had cost two hundred copper coins, equal to his former monthly pay.

It was only because he now held the enormous sum of two thousand taels of silver that money was no concern. In the past, he probably would not even have been able to feed himself.

One hundred and fifty taels of silver, plus two martial arts...

As Wei Sheng walked, he thought about last night's gains.

The hundred and fifty taels of silver had been scraped together from the twenty-five gang members and the Fat and Thin Ascetics.

The latter, in particular, had contributed the lion's share.

And that was not all.

Even those two martial arts had been gifts from the pair.

"Vajra Flesh Refinement Method"

"Arhat Hand"

The Vajra Flesh Refinement Method needed little explanation. It was a refinement method.

Counting this flesh refinement method, I now have three: Spirit Ape, Wild Bull, and Vajra.

As for Arhat Hand...

It was a combat technique.

Martial arts fell into three broad categories: refinement methods, combat techniques, and secret arts.

Refinement methods tempered and strengthened the body, condensing blood essence and Jin Force. These included skin refinement methods, flesh refinement methods, and the subsequent Tendon Refinement and bone refinement methods.

Combat techniques were martial arts that unleashed the power of blood essence and Jin Force.

As for secret arts...

He did not know much about them.

With this Arhat Hand, my range of combat techniques has grown a little...

Last night's battle had made him recognize his weakness: he had too few combat techniques.

In the end, he had only managed to kill the Fat and Thin Ascetics by relying on his powerful foundations and abundant Jin Force.

This way of fighting worked against those at lower realms, but against someone whose cultivation matched or surpassed his, it would not be enough.

After the battle at Cherishing Spring Tower, Snake Eye withdrew completely from East Prosperity Street... A peaceful stretch like this is rare. It's the perfect opportunity to practice my saber technique...

Wei Sheng had not forgotten the surprise Black Tiger had mentioned.

Even without that, the Tiger-Howling Saber Technique, which could cut down a Twelve Refinements opponent against the odds once mastered, was his first choice.

However, this saber technique improved slowly through diligent practice alone. Only constant actual combat and brushes with life and death could advance it rapidly.

So Wei Sheng enlisted a sparring partner.

"Brother Fire Ox, I'm here!"

Wei Sheng walked straight into the familiar outer courtyard. Fire Ox was training his legs with suspended weights.

He lay flat on a stone bench a meter high, using only the strength of his legs to raise and lower the winch bound to his tendons... over and over.

Tendon refinement?

Wei Sheng found it interesting and watched for a while.

After Fire Ox finished, he removed the winch bound to his tendons and grabbed the long saber beside him:

"Since you've asked me to be your sparring partner, you'd better be careful. I won't hold back at all!"

"Just what I wanted!"

Wei Sheng grinned, pushed off the ground, and shot forward like a speeding arrow. At the same time, he drew his saber, its gleam pouncing like a fierce tiger:

"Hungry tiger pounces on prey!"

As though he had anticipated it, Fire Ox unleashed the same slash almost the instant Wei Sheng moved.

Clang!

The two sabers collided, sending sparks flying. A peculiar Jin Force surged through the blade into Wei Sheng's body, jolting him backward and leaving even his saber hand slightly numb.

"How's my entry-level Tiger-Howling Saber?" Fire Ox asked with a smile.

"Again!"

Wei Sheng swung his saber and charged at him once more.

That evening, Wei Sheng dragged his exhausted, wound-covered body home.

In the days that followed, his life settled into a routine again.

During the day, he sparred with Fire Ox at full strength. At night, he reviewed and summarized his experiences, applied medicinal ointment to his wounds, and practiced the Wild Bull Flesh-Refining Method.

Time slipped quietly by.

In the blink of an eye, more than twenty days had passed.

[Tiger-Howling Saber Technique (entry)]