"Han Long, code name 9147, ranked fourth among the Xuan-rank assassins. He has killed 109 Second-rate targets and 43 First-Rate targets, and joined three other Xuan-rank assassins to surround and kill one Super-First-Rate target. Cultivation: peak First-Rate."
Looking over the brief intelligence report in his hand, Wang Hao scratched his head. This was a little troublesome.
If the report was accurate, then Han Long was not to be underestimated.
The assassins of the Blood Robe Tower were divided into four ranks according to their cultivation: Heaven, Earth, Xuan, and Yellow. Yellow-rank assassins were the weakest, equivalent to Second-rate experts in the martial world. Xuan-rank assassins were a level stronger, with strength equivalent to First-Rate martial artists.
Earth-rank assassins were comparable to Super-First-Rate martial artists. Heaven-rank assassins, the level Zhao Fengxue belonged to, were Grandmaster-level experts.
Assassins, however, were different from ordinary martial arts experts. The two might be evenly matched in a head-on fight, but when it came to assassination, a well-prepared Xuan-rank assassin could kill a First-Rate expert in an instant, given the chance.
At the same time, cultivation was cultivation, and strength was strength. Though the two were linked, they were not the same.
Wang Hao, for example, was currently at the early Second-rate stage, yet his combat strength was enough to contend with a peak Second-rate expert.
Furthermore, although the Blood Robe Tower required its assassins to use code names and forbade them from using their real names, there were exceptions.
The ten strongest assassins in each rank were allowed to use their real names, a symbol of honor and strength. Han Long was one of them.
So Han Long's strength was definitely not limited to peak First-Rate. He had very likely stepped halfway into the Super-First-Rate realm, and might even be able to contend with a Super-First-Rate expert for a short time.
Wang Hao had also sensed him with his True Spirit Sword Intent at the time. The fellow had felt only a little weaker than Zhao Dachui, clearly making him a formidable character.
"That old fellow Zhao Fengxue must have had a hand in this. Could he be trying to kill someone with a borrowed knife?"
Wang Hao quickly thought of Zhao Fengxue. After all, the timing of that show-off 9527's appearance today had been too suspicious. The fellow had shown up as soon as Han Long left, carrying an intelligence report that had long been prepared.
Before leaving, he had even told Chef Li to prepare a medicinal meal for Wang Hao every day. Clearly, it had all been arranged in advance.
That was not the show-off 9527's style, and the only person in the Blood Wind Hall who could order him around was that old fellow Zhao Fengxue.
"Sure enough, wherever there are people, there's a martial world!"
Wang Hao sighed, feeling somewhat helpless. Before long, however, he sneered. "This isn't entirely a bad thing. I can use this fortuitous opportunity to speed up my cultivation. I, Wang Hao, am not a knife so easily borrowed."
He had heard it perfectly clearly. That fellow 9527 had said a medicinal meal would be prepared for him every day, but he had not specified how large a portion it would be.
"At the very least, it should be enough to fill me up!"
Wang Hao patted his belly and smiled slyly.
He loved exploiting loopholes in rules like these.
Although his Bloodline Power was not picky and could be replenished directly from ordinary food, different foods were still different.
Meat contained dozens or even hundreds of times more energy than flour-based foods, while medicinal meals contained dozens or hundreds of times more energy than meat. Even the lowest-grade medicinal meal was much better than meat.
Now that he had such an opportunity, he could not let it slip by!
After all, once he passed this village, there would be no such shop!
Having made up his mind, Wang Hao wasted no more time. He left his room and went into the courtyard, loosened up his limbs, and circulated the force-channeling method of the Lightning Straight-Line Step. His foot slammed into the ground, and he shot forward, covering one zhang in the blink of an eye.
That was not the end of it. After using his Bloodline Power to ease the strain on his legs, Wang Hao used the Lightning Straight-Line Step again and shot another zhang forward.
He had originally not wanted to intensify his training in the Lightning Straight-Line Step so soon. An explosive Secret Method like this did too much damage to the body, even more than cultivating the Golden Bell Shield.
He could train in it, but the consumption of Bloodline Power would be enormous. With his current supply, he could hardly sustain it.
But since that old fellow Zhao Fengxue had told 9527 to give orders to satisfy his requests as best they could, what more was there to say?
It would be a waste not to fleece such a sucker!
Besides, once he passed this village, there would be no such shop. He had to seize this opportunity and hold on tight.
Of course, while training in the Lightning Straight-Line Step, Wang Hao did not forget to keep circulating the Secret Method that accelerated digestion. It rapidly converted the food in his stomach into power his Bloodline Power could absorb and transform, strengthening his body and healing its injuries.
He trained for a full two shichen, and his progress was quite good. Originally, one step had carried him only one zhang, but after two shichen of hard training, he had gained half a chi, reaching one zhang and five cun.
That might sound slow, but it was actually remarkable.
If anyone else wanted to increase their distance by five cun, they would have to train hard in the Lightning Straight-Line Step for at least a year, and the process would be accompanied by enormous risks.
The Lightning Straight-Line Step was an extremely explosive Secret Method that placed a tremendous burden on the body. An ordinary martial artist had to rest for at least a day after using it once, or they would suffer hidden injuries that were difficult to heal.
So Wang Hao's progress of five cun in two shichen was already quite astonishing.
"Time to empty my stomach!"
Sensing that the food in his belly had been completely digested, Wang Hao thought for a moment and went to a fairly large communal latrine. Two quarters of a shichen later, he emerged feeling refreshed.
Not long after Wang Hao left, a middle-aged man hurried into the latrine, clutching his stomach. A cry of surprise followed.
"How is the latrine pit full?"
Having emptied his stomach, Wang Hao returned to the dining hall. His arrival gave the busy Chef Li quite a fright.
"Why are you here again?"
"Isn't it dinnertime? I came to eat dinner! Is something wrong with that?"
Wang Hao looked utterly baffled. He saw nothing wrong with coming over now.
"..."
Chef Li, Taohong behind him, and the other cooks were all struck speechless. He himself was the biggest problem!
"Didn't you just eat at noon?"
Chef Li asked in puzzlement.
"Yes, I only ate lunch. I haven't had dinner yet!"
"..."
Chef Li was depressed once again. After a moment of silence, he finally said, "Go on, how much are you planning to eat this time? I'll prepare it separately for you, so you don't disturb everyone else."
There was nothing he could do. The hall master, Zhao Fengxue, had sent orders, so he could only accept his misfortune.
"Give me another serving like the one at noon today. Also, for tomorrow's medicinal meal, use that big pot to cook me a serving!"
The mention of food excited Wang Hao. He promptly stated his request for this visit, as well as his requirements for tomorrow's medicinal meal.
The grade of the medicinal meal could be lower, but there had to be enough of it. That was nonnegotiable.
"..."
Chef Li and all the cooks turned as one to look at the huge pot Wang Hao was pointing at. Once again, they were speechless.
The pot was over a zhang across and nearly a zhang deep. They used it specifically for heating water.
How many medicinal ingredients would it take to cook a medicinal meal in a pot that big?
Even the lowest-grade medicinal meal would cost at least ten thousand taels of silver each time.
"Fine, no problem. I'll start cooking your medicinal meal tonight. Just come over and drink it tomorrow morning."
Chef Li stared blankly for only a moment before happily agreeing to Wang Hao's suggestion. Wang Hao was delighted as well. The two exchanged a glance, and everything went without saying.
It was not their money being spent anyway. Wang Hao only had to eat, while Chef Li was happy to have an easier time of it.
Medicinal meals were valuable, but they were not troublesome to prepare. They only needed one person to watch the pot, making them many times easier than cooking dishes for Wang Hao.
And this did not count as going against Zhao Fengxue's wishes. After all, it was still one medicinal meal, was it not?
Wang Hao had also considered this before making such an outrageous request.
He was quite satisfied with that big pot. He had worked out the measurements in the Smiling Proud Wanderer World: one chi was equivalent to twenty-five centimeters, so one zhang was naturally two and a half meters.
The pot was a good three or four meters across and nearly two meters deep. A big pot of medicinal meal would be enough for him to drink all day.
After all, he had already set himself a frenzied training plan. He would need three meals a day, eating more than nine cubic meters of food in total. This pot was just right.
After all, it was still one medicinal meal!
Because time was short, Chef Li did not prepare a wide variety of dishes for Wang Hao. He simply had five cattle brought over and made them all into five-spice braised beef. It was simple, convenient, and quick.
Wang Hao was quite satisfied with the meal. Chef Li had been hired from a top-class restaurant like the Drunken Immortal Tower, after all, and his skills were no worse than those of the imperial chefs in the Great Ming palace. Even with a simple dish of five-spice braised beef, he could make flowers bloom.
Once again, Wang Hao left the dining hall with his belly bulging. He returned to his small courtyard and resumed his post-meal exercise: hard training in the external Golden Bell Shield.
Only after digesting all the food in his body again did he stop. He took a quick cold bath, then sat cross-legged and began to meditate.
Meditation could be practiced even without awakening True Spirit Power, and it could even replace sleep. In his previous life in the Primordial Wilderness, he had always used meditation in place of sleep, and it was far more effective than simply sleeping.
Just two shichen of meditation each day could keep him full of vigor all day. Now that Wang Hao had awakened True Spirit Sword Intent, the effect of his meditation had doubled, and he had completely recovered his spirits after just one shichen.
"Looks like I need to find something else to do!"
Glancing at the pitch-black sky outside the window, Wang Hao hoisted his greatsword onto his shoulder and left his room. In the courtyard, he began practicing the Ten Stances of Bloody Battle.
Although he had comprehended this sword technique to its limit with the aid of the Dao Comprehension Function, that applied only to his level of understanding. His body had yet to catch up, the clearest sign being that it had not developed instinctive memory.
To be considered proficient, he had to be able to face an enemy's attack and instinctively draw his sword and execute the Ten Stances of Bloody Battle without thinking.
That was not something the Dao Comprehension Function alone could accomplish. He had to study diligently and train hard, bit by bit. There was no shortcut.
"Did I put a little too much pressure on him?"
Unknown to Wang Hao, a figure stood atop a large tree not far outside his courtyard, balanced on a slender branch. It was Zhao Fengxue.
Zhao Fengxue had originally come out for a stroll with nothing else to do, but he had heard the sound of a sword cutting through the air. It was only the first quarter of the yin hour, and dawn was still two shichen away.
Anyone practicing swordsmanship at this hour had to be exceptionally diligent, but when he followed the sound, he discovered it was that interesting lad Wang Hao.
He wondered whether the move he had made during the day had created too much pressure, forcing the lad to train like his life depended on it.
"Go tell Li Dazui to add a portion of lingzhi to that lad's medicinal meal."
Looking up at the bright moon in the night sky, Zhao Fengxue gave the order to 9527, who was following behind him.
Although such desperate training could be very effective, it also took a great toll on the spirit. Without sufficient nourishment, it would be detrimental to future development.
Lingzhi was especially good for nourishing the spirit, and a medicinal meal made with it was best for replenishing it.
After all, the lad was working so desperately that Zhao Fengxue would be too embarrassed not to do something.
Poor Zhao Fengxue had no idea that this very order would send him tumbling into a huge pit-a bottomless one at that-and wipe out decades of accumulated wealth in a single day.