Both Legs
Two weeks later.
Fang Yu received the news that Ma San had brought Shen Qi back.
He then led Zhou Daqing and the others over and found Shen Qi in an abandoned courtyard.
The other person was tied up and thrown on the ground, his mouth gagged, like a fat pig waiting to be slaughtered. After hearing human voices, he twisted and turned on the ground, making whimpering noises.
Fang Yu stepped forward, turned the person over, and confirmed that it was indeed Shen Qi. He then turned to Ma San and said, "Thank you for your trouble, Third Brother."
As he spoke, he extended his palm, grasped the other person's hand, and handed him a silver note worth one hundred taels of silver.
Ma San quickly pocketed the money, tucked it into his sleeve, and bowed, saying, "This man is now in Master Fang's hands. Farewell!"
After seeing Ma San off, Fang Yu turned to Shen Qi and ordered, "Break his legs!"
Upon hearing this, Zhou Daqing and the others rushed forward. The muffled sobs and the sounds of punches and kicks mingled together, beating Shen Qi until he was almost lifeless before Fang Yu finally told them to stop.
Zhou Daqing and the others were quite careful in their actions. Although Shen Qi looked like he was on the verge of death, he only had some superficial injuries, and his legs were perfectly fine, without even a fracture.
'You really know your limits!'
Fang Yu sighed inwardly, stepped forward, and stomped on Shen Qi's calf. With a 'crack,' the calf bent abnormally, and Shen Qi's body trembled violently. A whimper escaped from his gagged mouth.
Zhou Daqing and the others nearby subconsciously took a few steps back, and then heard several more cracking sounds.
Fang Yu stomped on Shen Qi's legs a few times, fracturing them into comminuted fractures, making it clear that he could no longer stand. Then he glanced at Zhou Daqing and the others, "Alright, throw him out into the street and let him fend for himself!"
Fear flashed in Zhou Daqing and the others' eyes. They quickly stepped forward, lifted Shen Qi up, and headed outside.
Although Shen Qi had embezzled the money meant for his mother, he had served his younger sister for a long time and had been sending money and groceries home regularly, so there was still some affection between them.
Killing him outright would be going too far. Besides, my sister only asked him to cripple the person; she didn't say he had to kill him.
Now that Ma San has brought the person back alive, he naturally wouldn't kill him; breaking his legs would suffice.
*****
After dealing with Shen Qi, Fang Yu's life returned to normal.
Besides practicing his martial arts every day, he would stroll around the streets, looking at Shen Qi, who was begging for food with half his body hanging from his body. Occasionally, he would take pity on him and throw him a steamed bun or a dumpling to prevent him from starving to death.
That was about it. The Sun Household didn't come looking for him again, and there was no movement from the Embroidered Robe Bureau. He took some time to visit Xiao Qi's former stronghold, only to find it deserted.
Perhaps they've moved to a different base, or perhaps they've already withdrawn from Bei'an Prefecture City. Someone as far out as the outermost periphery probably doesn't even qualify for a notification.
Fang Yu was quite happy about this. Without these troubles, he could finally practice his skills and live his life in peace.
In the blink of an eye, more than half a year has passed.
On this day, heavy snow fell from the sky, turning the whole world into a white wonderland.
Fang Yu practiced his ' Leopard Fist ' in the courtyard as usual. His figure moved like a fleeting shadow, weaving and darting through the snowflakes, each move executed with effortless grace.
"Smack..."
Suddenly, a crisp sound rang out, followed by a series of sounds like firecrackers as Fang Yu continued to punch and kick, making the courtyard sound as if a string of firecrackers had been set off.
[Leopard Fist +1]
[Leopard Fist (Level 2): 99%]
As the notification appeared, Fang Yu's heart stirred slightly.
The Primordial Qi within the Mirror-Breaking Pearl surged forth, transforming into surging Qi and Blood and qi, washing over his meridians and flesh, making them even more resilient and powerful.
At the same time, Fang Yu's body continued to grow taller, expanding to more than two meters in the blink of an eye, as if it were being inflated.
The originally loose training clothes became tight, and as his body expanded further, they were torn apart, revealing skin with bulging veins. The extremely congested flesh turned bluish-purple, and the blood vessels bulged out like earthworms, forming terrifying patterns on the skin's surface.
"Smack..."
Another thunderous sound rang out, and Fang Yu's bloodshot eyes shot out a beam of bloody light. His body moved like a leopard, and in an instant, he pounced three zhang away, punching the hard wall.
"Click..."
The walls cracked, spreading like a spider web.
[Leopard Fist +1]
[Leopard Fist (Level 3): Reached the highest level]
Divine Thought panel appeared, Fang Yu slowly withdrew his fist. His swollen body gradually contracted, like a deflated balloon, quickly returning to its original robust physique.
However, it didn't end there; it continued to shrink until its body became emaciated before finally stopping.
Almost instantly, Fang Yu's figure flashed and he fell three zhang away, then stopped abruptly without any apparent symptoms.
"Sound flows from my hand, intention manifests in my body—I have advanced to the Seventh Grade Battle Soldier!"
Fang Yu murmured to himself, carefully sensing his current physical condition.
Every inch of his flesh, blood, bones and tendons was thoroughly tempered and controlled, and his body was finally able to keep up with his consciousness, reaching the Seventh Grade Battle Soldier realm where sound came out with the hand and intention arrived with the body.
Reaching this level qualifies one to become Battle Soldier of the Great Long Empire, enjoying the patronage of the Great Long court and becoming a professional soldier.
However, Fang Yu had no intention of joining the army. He was not short of money and would not enlist.
"Grandpa, you... you've broken through to the Seventh Grade?"
Jiang Yue's voice rang out in surprise, and she rushed forward, reaching out to touch Fang Yu's thin figure. "You're almost as thin as the day you teased me. You must have broken through to the Seventh Grade, right!"
"Yes!" Fang Yu smiled and said, "You have indeed broken through to the Seventh Grade!"
"That's wonderful!" Jiang Yue exclaimed with delight. "I knew I hadn't married the wrong person! You're amazing! Go take a shower, I'll go buy you two fish, let's celebrate properly!"
Jiang Yue happily went out to buy fish, while Fang Yu went to the bamboo shed, drew a bucket of well water, and poured it directly on himself.
Although it was still snowing heavily, Fang Yu felt no cold at all. His body was like a furnace, and the snowflakes that fell on him were immediately melted by his Qi and Blood.
After mastering Qi and Blood, strengthening muscles and bones, and honing skills to reach the Seventh Grade, the next step is to reach the Sixth-Rank Strongman.
If one can break through to the Sixth-Rank Strongman, one will be considered a backbone force, whether in the imperial court's military officer system or in the martial arts world. For example, in the Grain Gang where his younger sister is, Sixth-Rank Strongman can serve as the head of a hall.
Even in a secret service like the Embroidered Robe Bureau, he could rise to a management position. For example, his former superior, Xiao Qi, was Sixth-Rank Strongman.
However, Fang Yu is now facing a problem: he can only practice the Leopard Fist at home up to the third level to advance to the Seventh Grade Battle Soldier. If he wants to continue to improve, he will need to learn more advanced Cultivation Method.
This Leopard Fist originated from the military. The subsequent Cultivation Method weren't difficult to obtain; the challenge lay in acquiring the corresponding Demon Beast meat for those Cultivation Method.