《This Side-effect Is Great》 Chapter 1 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Song Ankang was awakened by a fragrance in the air. It was fresh and sweet, wafering in between the nose and mouth, which was particularly refreshing. Song Ankang heard an alluring voice in his ears just as he wondered if this was a hallucination before death. ¡°Young Master, are you awake?¡± Song Ankang opened his eyes in amazement. He didn¡¯t even have a girlfriend yet, so why was he being addressed that way? This title was a little weird. The scene that entered his sight was a young girl in a light blue long dress, she had double buns tied up with blue ribbons, her black hair was soft and smooth, draped over her shoulders obediently. The agile eyes were looking at him, her small and delicate nose under the cherry lips was slightly pursed, and the childish face was lined with delicate facial features, which looked really flattering. A name appeared in Song Ankang¡¯s mind inexplicably even though he had never seen this girl before. Qiu Shi, nickname Guo Guo. Qiu Shi couldn¡¯t help but blushed slightly with her Young Master staring blankly at her. However, she stopped being so shy once she remembered his identity. ¡°Young Master, are you still seeing stars? The golden goose that knocked you out has already been stewed. Well, it¡¯s here, Young Master doesn¡¯t need to be afraid of it anymore.¡± Song Ankang realized only then that Qiu Shi held a piping hot bowl of soup in her hand, still emitting steam. She handed it to him. ¡°I¡¯ll feed Young Master if you are still feeling weak.¡± An image of Song Ankang being chased by a big goose flashed through his mind as he looked at the delicate little face so close at hand. Moreover, the person being chased seemed to be himself. The big golden goose caught up to him and shoved him to the ground with its wings even though he tried his best to escape. He fainted,given that his body was already weak. Was he really that weak? He was a strong young man who had beaten up two gangsters by himself after all, how could he be knocked out by a goose? Nonetheless, the goose was quite big, nearly two meters tall. Song Ankang couldn¡¯t help blushing thinking of this. He was about to say something to justify, but he fell into a daze again as something that seemed to be a blow seemed to knock him over. Wasn¡¯t¡­ wasn¡¯t he dead? Why was he still alive, who was the one being chased by the huge golden goose? Song Ankang was a descendant of the Yellow Emperor of the Earth. He achieved nothing even though he was nearly thirty and did not even have a girlfriend, let alone getting married and having children. He was like an orphan after his parents divorced without a car nor a house. He was unable to integrate into any family, and could only live in the mundane world. He thought he would spend his life peacefully and uneventfully. He might even have gotten married if he was lucky enough. However, he encountered a child who ran into the motor vehicle lane and was about to be hit by a fast-moving white car while walking on the road. Song Ankang didn¡¯t know what he was thinking at the time, but he rushed out at the spur of the moment. He was knocked several meters away and fainted on the spot even though he saved the child. Song Ankang was not saved even though he underwent several months of treatment. Song Ankang, who had already seen it coming during the period, comforted the children¡¯s family so that they would not feel too guilty. He had even refused their intention of selling their house to pay for his treatment. Song Ankang knew that he could not be saved even if they sold the house. Why should the child¡¯s family go bankrupt? They were not rich, and they were very kind to have done what they had done. His parents, who had divorced before he died, came to visit him too. It was inevitable that they would feel regret and self-reproach. The female driver who had crashed into him had also taken care of him with her family for a long time. She even encouraged him by saying that she would introduce her charming sister to him as his girlfriend if he could get better. He had also received a medal for acting bravely for a just cause. All the major media outlets had reported on him. These were strange feelings that the ordinary Song Ankang had never experienced before, even though it was not something that he wanted to experience. Fortunately, his brave act this time was not in vain. The child he saved was grateful to him, and even though the female driver¡¯s family did not have much responsibility, they still brought him a lot of warmth. His parents, who hadn¡¯t reunited for more than 20 years, had stayed by his side till the last moment because of this matter. Nothing bad had happened, so Song Ankang left peacefully. He thought that he would go to hell, but he didn¡¯t expect to wake up like this. This shouldn¡¯t be reincarnation, but transmigration! More memories surfaced in his mind, allowing Song Ankang to confirm this answer. At the same time, he also knew who the broad-minded young lady in front of him was. She was his chambermaid! She was so pretty that she would probably score at least 99 points on Earth. Song Ankang was a little stunned that she was his chambermaid. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me anymore, Young Master. Eat your medicinal cuisine lest it gets cold if you delay any longer.¡± Qiu Shi knew that she was Song Ankang¡¯s chambermaid, but she was still a little embarrassed to be stared at by the handsome Young Master for such a long time. She could not help but say with her cherry lips and blush. ¡°Oh¡­¡± Only then did Song Ankang wake up. He struggled to sit up. He couldn¡¯t let such a young girl feed him, right? However, he felt his body go limp and fell back onto the bed halfway through. He was extremely weak. ¡°Be careful, Young Master. I¡¯ll help you sit down. Don¡¯t move.¡± Qiu Shi quickly put down the medicinal cuisine and half carried Song Ankang to help him sit up seeing that he was so weak. Her arms were soft and her body exuded a fresh and sweet fragrance. It made Song Ankang¡¯s heart throb. As his gaze flickered, he saw the girl¡¯s fair, exquisite ears and her small collarbone. She was really flawless. ¡°Young master, just sit properly. I¡¯ll feed you.¡± After Song Ankang sat down, Qiu Shi picked up the medicinal cuisine and scooped a spoonful of it into his mouth. She blew on it, blowing out waves of fragrance that landed on the tip of Song Ankang¡¯s nose. Song Ankang blushed. ¡°There¡¯s no need. I still have that bit of strength. Just give it to me. I¡¯ll do it myself.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Qiushi passed the medicinal cuisine to Song Ankang with some regret seeing that still had the strength to pick it up. She sat at the side and stared at him with her bright eyes. Song Ankang felt a little guilty being stared at. He didn¡¯t know if she could tell anything. She probably couldn¡¯t. Song Ankang felt a little uncomfortable as he drank the medicinal cuisine. He almost didn¡¯t know what it tasted like. He only felt that he quickly regained his strength and was in a much better state than before after the medicinal cuisine entered his stomach. He was at a loss as to what to do with the girl who was always looking at him. He had never received such treatment on Earth before. A beautiful girl like Qiu Shi could easily become a celebrity on Earth and become extremely popular with her looks alone. He did not expect her to be his chambermaid. Furthermore, Qiu Shi¡¯s voice was pleasant to hear and her figure was especially good. In another two years, she would definitely be a beauty that could cause the downfall of countries and cities. Or rather, she would already be a demoness now. After finally finishing this awkward and happy lunch, Qiu Shi left with the empty bowl in smiles. Before she left, she reminded Song Ankang to rest well and to call her if he needed anything. Song Ankang didn¡¯t know what was going on, but when he heard Qiu Shi say that she could call for him if he needed anything, Song Ankang suddenly thought of the words ¡°chambermaid¡± [1.It can also mean a maid whom he can sleep with]. Would she agree if he asked her to fulfill this responsibility? Song Ankang was tempted. However, he immediately abandoned such thoughts. Instead, he thought of a strange matter that made him uneasy. Chapter 2 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios It was unknown if his appearance has been upgraded or downgraded after transmigrating. Song Ankang didn¡¯t know why he suddenly thought of this strange question. Shouldn¡¯t he understand his current situation since he was still alive? However, even though his body had recovered a lot, he still couldn¡¯t help but walk to the mirror at the first instance. It reflected a handsome 18-year-old youth. However, even though the person in the mirror was very good-looking, Song Ankang on Earth would look similar to this if he had turned on his phone¡¯s beauty function. To be precise, if he had turned on the beautification feature, slim face, and all sorts of filters to the maximum. After all, his face shape on Earth was not bad. No wonder Qiu Shi had been staring at him without blinking. It turned out that the owner of this body was already so good-looking. Who could he use as a comparison for the celebrities of Earth? Forget it. No male celebrity on Earth could compare to his host body in terms of looks! Perhaps only daddy readers could compare with him. He could probably dominate the entertainment industry on Earth and become the guest of many rich ladies with his looks alone. Moreover, the host body seemed to be the most filial son in the capital. It was no wonder that the Tang family of the imperial merchant was interested in him and became their live-in son-in-law. More memories surfaced in Song Ankang¡¯s mind. He also knew his current situation. The world after he transmigrated was the Mysterious Desolate Continent where tens of thousands of races vied for supremacy. The human race was just one of the unremarkable lower third-grade races and could be destroyed at any time. All the humans had worked together to build China in order to survive. The capital was An City. Song Ankang was currently in a farm near An City. With his outstanding looks and the reputation of being the most filial son in the capital, the host body was fancied by the eldest daughter of the Tang family, Tang Yelan. He became Tang Yelan¡¯s husband and married into her family. At this point, a lively and charming figure appeared in Song Ankang¡¯s mind. The owner of that figure was Tang Yelan¡¯s younger sister, Tang Liuli. She was also Song Ankang¡¯s sister-in-law. ¡°Pui¡­¡± Song Ankang couldn¡¯t help but spit on the host body¡¯s face. He didn¡¯t expect the host body to have such dirty thoughts despite his good reputation and handsome face. He really deserved to be slapped to death by the goose. If it were him, he would prefer the intellectual and elegant second sister-in-law, Tang Mingyue¡­ However, his cheap wife, Tang Yelan, was really good-looking too. She was dignified, elegant, magnanimous, gentle, and was a beauty in her own right. If that wasn¡¯t the case, the Crown Prince wouldn¡¯t have taken a fancy to her. He almost managed to rape her. In the end, she got together with the host body and got out of trouble. Speaking of which, Tang Yelan had no choice but to marry him. If it wasn¡¯t for various coincidences, the host body wouldn¡¯t have such good fortune. Unfortunately, due to all kinds of considerations, even though they had been married for more than half a month, the two of them still had not consummated their marriage. The host body was even sent to Chaoyun Manor outside the capital. Thinking up to this point, Song Ankang realized that the host body¡¯s name was exactly the same as his name. Could the host body be him in a parallel world? The host body was honest and kind. He was also a bit of a chauvinist. He had no choice but to marry into the family. He didn¡¯t expect that he couldn¡¯t even consummate his marriage before being sent to Chaoyun Manor. Even though he also wanted to work hard to improve his strength and regain his lost dignity, and also have the ability to protect his benefactor and wife, Tang Yelan, his body did not allow that, nor was his talent allowed. The host body tried to learn the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra secretly being left with no choice. In the end, he was addicted to it and injured his body. He was hit by the big goose in his weakened state. That was how he died and was possessed by the transmigrating Song Ankang. This gave Song Ankang a deeper understanding of the Mysterious Desolate Continent. There were demons, ghosts, cultivators, and immortals in this world. Could that mean that he could also become a cultivator? The contents of the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra appeared in his mind. This was a superior grade-seven cultivation technique, or rather, a demonic technique. It was infamous among many demonic techniques. After cultivating, one¡¯s rate of improvement would be extremely fast. However, it was easy to lose oneself in it, exhausting one¡¯s blood essence and lifespan. Even though the power of blood vitality cultivated from the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra was formidable and terrifying, it was extremely unstable. If one wasn¡¯t careful, there was a risk of exploding and dying. Basically, no martial artist was willing to cultivate the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra unless there was no other choice. The host body had no choice but to secretly cultivate the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra. He didn¡¯t expect to die after cultivating for just a day. However, Song Ankang was not the host body. He was an ordinary young man who had transmigrated from Earth. Of course, this was not important. What was important was that he had accidentally fused with a strange object during his transmigration. Fate-Defying Heaven Manual! This strange object could turn any side effect of martial arts or objects into a positive effect. As for the original positive effect, it was still a positive effect. In other words, those that were beneficial to me would stay, and those that were harmful to me would become beneficial ones. That was quite impressive! However, he still needed Song Ankang to test whether the effect was real or fake. After recalling the contents of the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra, Song Ankang went to a nearby cultivation room and began cultivating the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra. The Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra was divided into cultivation methods and fighting methods. The so-called cultivation methods were naturally cultivation methods, while fighting methods were killing methods. There were seven moves to practice. They were respectively the Skin Fist, Flesh Fist, Veins Fist, Body Fist, Bone Fist, Viscera Fist, Internal Organ Fist, and Marrow Fist, respectively corresponding to the seven minor realms of cultivators. In the Mysterious Desolate Great World, cultivators were mainly divided into four minor realms for each of the three major realms: External, Internal and Earth Gate. The so-called four minor realms of external realm were on the skin, flesh, tendons and bones. The so-called four minor realms of internal training were viscera, internal organs, marrow and blood changing. The Earth Level was the realm after blood changing. Once one stepped into the fourth minor realm of External realm, they would be qualified to be called a third-rate martial artist. Those who entered the fourth layer of Internal Realm were qualified to be called second-rate martial artists. Those who advanced to the Earth Gate Realm were first-rate martial artists. Even though the host body had only cultivated the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra for a day, he had advanced to the first minor realm of the External Realm, the skin realm. Moreover, the Host body did not have any talent. The speed of cultivation from the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra was much faster than orthodox cultivation techniques. After carefully recalling the cultivation method of the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra, Song Ankang slowly raised his hand and began to cultivate the Skin Fist, slowly tempering his skin. Along with his movements, the Qi and blood of the seven injuries in his body began to flow. The medicinal cuisine he had just consumed was also digested at an astonishing speed, becoming a part of the Qi and blood of the Seven Wounds. An inexplicable sense of pleasure slowly rose in his heart, disintegrating Song Ankang¡¯s mental willpower. He wanted to make Song Ankang intoxicated and eventually die from being possessed. ¡°You are cultivating the Seven Wounds Demon Sutra. You are affected by the side effects of the Sutra and your spiritual will is about to be damaged¡­ The Fate-Defying Heaven Manual has taken effect and your spiritual will has increased. You have become even more clear-headed!¡± ¡°You are cultivating the Seven Wounds Demon Sutra. You are affected by the side effects of the Sutra and your foundation is about to be damaged, your blood vitality is about to become unstable, and the membranes on your skin are about to develop hidden dangers¡­ The Fate-Defying Heaven Manual has taken effect, your foundation is becoming increasingly stable, your blood vitality is becoming increasingly pure, and your skin is becoming increasingly perfect!¡± Chapter 3 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Song Ankang suddenly woke up from this feeling of pleasure when these two lines of notifications appeared on the Fate-Defying Heaven Manual. He could feel that his consciousness power had clearly increased a bit, and there was also the slightly more vigorous and pure Qi and blood of the Seven Wounds in his body. Song Ankang was shocked. The Fate-Defying Heaven Manual was real, and the information he obtained from it was correct. With the help of the Fate-Defying Heaven Manual, when Song Ankang cultivated martial arts and battle techniques that had side effects, not only would there be no side effects, but he would even be able to absorb the side effects and turn them into positive effects. Furthermore, the effect of the Fate Defying Heavenly Book was not limited to martial arts and battle techniques. It also included other things that needed Song Ankang to slowly test out. Song Ankang couldn¡¯t help but circulate the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra¡¯s cultivation method with all his might. The Fate-Defying Heaven Manual¡¯s prompt appeared once again, and the skin on his body became hard and flexible at a speed visible to the naked eye. A faint brown light flickered on it. This light gradually turned brown. In just a few hours of cultivation, it could catch up to half a month of efforts of other martial artists. When the medicine in his body was almost depleted, Song Ankang finally stopped. He didn¡¯t feel like he was drowning in it at all. Instead, he felt clear-headed and comfortable, and he didn¡¯t feel any bodily hurt at all. Since the cultivation method of the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra could obtain such great benefits, then could the fighting method of the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra also obtain great benefits? Song Ankang¡¯s eyes lit up thinking about this. The Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra¡¯s fighting style appeared in his mind. There were also seven strokes in the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra, which were the wound skin fist, the flesh fist, the tendon fist, the bone fist, the internal organs fist and the marrow fist. The so-called Seven Injuries Fist was to injure oneself first before others. Once a punch was thrown, the first person to be injured would be oneself, followed by others. The power of each move was abundant, far surpassing fist techniques of the same level. Even though the lethality was astonishing, the side effects were also unimaginable. If Song Ankang could absorb such a powerful side effect, it would definitely bring him shocking benefits. It just so happened that the excess energy in his body had been exhausted. Could he try out the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra¡¯s fighting style and see if he could absorb the side effects of the fighting style to increase his own speed of improvement? Song Ankang was about to give it a try when he heard a knock on the door. ¡°Young master, it¡¯s time for dinner. Please open the door.¡± Song Ankang quickly went to open the door for Qiu Shi. What greeted his eyes was a delicate face with a pout. ¡°Young master is still weak. Why did you come to the training room? It¡¯s better to lie in bed and rest.¡± The light blue dress had already been changed into yellow clothes, outlining the beautiful lines of a young girl. She looked fresh and cute even though she also looked young. Song Ankang¡¯s eyes lit up when he saw Song Ankang¡¯s rosy face. ¡°Young master, you recovered so quickly. You don¡¯t look weak at all.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all because of the medicinal cuisine. Thank you for the medicinal cuisine you made for me.¡± Song Ankang smiled and pushed the reason to the medicinal cuisine. He would not expose his strength easily, nor would he expose the matter of the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra before he had enough strength to protect himself. Otherwise, he would definitely attract a lot of trouble. Qiu Shi giggled upon hearing Song Ankang¡¯s words. ¡°Then I¡¯ll make more medicinal cuisine for Young Master in the future. Indeed, the five-year-old ginseng is still very effective. Young Master¡¯s body will recover after one bowl.¡± ¡°Initially, I wanted to prepare a five-year ginseng medicinal cuisine for Young Master, but that Liu Yuanqing was too petty. He actually said that there was no more and was only willing to give ginseng that was one to two years old. He was obviously lying. I saw him arranging a bag of five-year ginseng a few days ago.¡± ¡°Young master is the new Villa Master of Chaoyun Manor. He has the right to these herbs and has a decent monthly salary. Moreover, he is sick now and has the right to use some good stuff. That Liu Yuanqing refused to give it to you. Young master will find an opportunity to teach him a lesson. Unfortunately, Instructor Jiang was sent to the capital by Young master to buy books. If Instructor Jiang was here, Liu Yuanqing would not dare to go overboard¡­¡± The little girl chattered on, feeling indignant for her Young Master. She had a lot of complaints about Liu Yuanqing. The way she bared her teeth made her look like a little tiger. Song Ankang smiled when he saw this. He thought to himself that he had been bullied by the evil servants at the beginning. Now that he was treated like a protagonist, he would have to deal with the evil servants. However, this seemed to be the first time in his life that he was cared for by such a beautiful girl. She might be very young but this body he currently possessed was also only slightly over eighteen years old. Song Ankang casually agreed while enjoying the medicinal cuisine seeing the little girl getting more and more enthusiastic as she spoke. As the medicinal cuisine entered his mouth, he felt waves of warm medicinal efficacy growing in his body. Even though it was not as good as the medicinal cuisine in the afternoon, it would still bring him quite a lot of benefits after digesting it. Soon, he would be able to improve rapidly through training. Song Ankang finally sent away the grumbling little girl who couldn¡¯t wait to nag at him. He smiled and began to practice his skin fist. According to the host body¡¯s memory, this world was extremely scary. Demons wreaked havoc and ghosts were everywhere. They could encounter danger at any time. If one did not have enough strength, they would die once they encountered it. Even though the Chaoyun Manor was considered safe, Song Ankang couldn¡¯t possibly stay in it forever. Furthermore, even if he stayed in the Chaoyun Manor, it was inevitable that he would encounter dangers similar to the big goose. There were many demons and monsters outside of Chaoyun Manor. They would occasionally come to Chaoyun Manor for fun. After the afternoon¡¯s experience, Song Ankang felt a lot more at ease when he practiced the Skin Fist. He focused all his attention on it. The seven injuries in his body, his blood, Qi, willpower, and his skin¡­ were all improving at a speed visible to the naked eye. That comfortable feeling made Song Ankang unknowingly become intoxicated. He only woke up naturally when the medicinal energy in his body was exhausted. The skin on his entire body had turned from brown to dark brown. Of course, if he didn¡¯t circulate his qi and blood of the seven wounds, he would still be fair and clean. His skin was better than most girls, needless to say, even better than the Song Ankang on Earth. Without the extra energy to support himself, he naturally could not continue cultivating. He could also ask Liu Yuanqing for some good ginseng, eat medicinal cuisine or eat it raw. However, when he thought about Liu Yuanqing¡¯s strength, which was at the third minor realm of External Realm, as well as the possible suspicion he might arouse from doing so, Song Ankang felt that it was better to stabilize himself and try out his fighting style. The Fate-Defying Heaven Manual was so powerful that it could help him effectively turn the side effects into positive effects. But, the side effects of the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra were far superior to that of the cultivation method. The benefits he would obtain would be even greater with the Fate-Defying Heaven Manual. Taking a deep breath, Song Ankang recalled the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra¡¯s first fist technique, the Skin Wounding Fist and started to activate this fist technique. Chapter 4 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Hmm¡­¡± As the saying went, hurt yourself first and then hurt others later. It wasn¡¯t just a casual remark. As the fist technique was activated, Song Ankang felt his entire skin starting to hurt. Faint traces of blood appeared under his skin. ¡°Boom¡­¡± Song Ankang threw a punch, which made quite a loud sound. He ruthlessly knocked over the wooden dummy in the training room. The power was impressive. It was comparable to the attack of a Flesh Realm martial artist, or even stronger. However, Song Ankang didn¡¯t have it easy delivering such a powerful punch. Every part of his body was aching, and many parts of his skin were beginning to crack. Even though he really wanted to punch again, his body was in so much pain that he couldn¡¯t take it anymore. Song Ankang collapsed to the ground, feeling the pain all over his body. He almost fainted. ¡°You have used the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra. Because of the side effects of the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra, your entire body¡¯s membrane has been damaged¡­ The Life-Defying Heavenly Manual has taken effect. It is currently absorbing energy from the outside world and is about to transform into a side effect. Please wait a moment!¡± Looking at the notification on the Fate-Defying Heaven Manual, Song Ankang¡¯s face was filled with bitterness. ¡®Friend, don¡¯t be so deceitful!¡¯ Right now, his entire body was aching. He urgently needed the help of the Fate-Defying Heaven Manual, but in the end, the Fate-Defying Heaven Manual needed to replenish its energy. Why didn¡¯t it say so earlier? It wouldn¡¯t be too late to use the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra¡¯s fighting style after the Fate-Defying Heaven Manual stored enough energy. Not only that, but the Fate-Defying Heaven Manual was a wondrous treasure that could travel through the myriad worlds of the universe. Shouldn¡¯t it store an endless amount of energy? A piece of notification from the Fate-Defying Heaven Manual appeared in Song Ankang¡¯s mind just as he thought of that. It turned out that the Fate-Defying Heaven Manual was a mystical item that could grow. It was fused with Song Ankang the moment it was born, and it didn¡¯t have time to grow. Song Ankang was the first and only man that had the Fate-Defying Heaven Manual! In the future, the Fate-Defying Heaven Manual would grow as Song Ankang¡¯s strength increased. For the time being, it didn¡¯t have the ability to store energy on its own. The speed at which it absorbed external energy was also because Song Ankang¡¯s strength was too weak. When the side effects were small, the Fate-Defying Heaven Manual would be able to absorb energy from the outside world while converting the side effects into positive effects. If the side effects were large, then the Fate-Defying Heaven Manual¡¯s ability to store energy would be triggered. It would require a certain amount of time to absorb and accumulate energy, and then display a corresponding effect. However, as Song Ankang¡¯s strength increased, the Fate-Defying Heaven Manual would also increase. In the future, it would slowly gain more functions and the speed at which it absorbed external energy would also increase. Only then did Song Ankang realize what was going on. He couldn¡¯t help but laugh bitterly. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that he had fused with the original owner¡¯s soul and absorbed the side effects of the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra¡¯s cultivation method, increasing his mental strength by quite a bit, he would have fainted from the pain. An unknown amount of time passed. Just as Song Ankang was about to fall asleep, an unknown source of energy appeared out of nowhere. It healed Song Ankang¡¯s injured skin at an extremely fast speed and began to temper his skin. ¡°The Fate-Defying Heaven Manual has accumulated enough energy and is beginning to play a role¡­ your wounds are being healed, your blood vitality is increasing, your skin is strengthening!¡± A few hours had passed, and Song Ankang was numb from the pain. The Fate-Defying Heaven Manual was finally beginning to take effect. Song Ankang cried tears of joy. His strength increased, a smile appeared on his face as he felt the pain that quickly disappeared. With the feedback from the side effects, Song Ankang¡¯s realm quickly broke through the Skin realm. The path that other cultivators needed months, or even longer to walk, Song Ankang only used two days and was about to break through. Song Ankang heaved a sigh of relief. At that moment, he heard someone knocking on the door again. ¡°Young master, are you inside? It¡¯s already so late. Why haven¡¯t you returned to your room to rest?¡± It was already late at night. Song Ankang was surprised. He got up and was about to open the door when he saw some red marks on his clothes. They were the marks of blood seeping out of his skin. Song Ankang quickly took off his training clothes and wiped off the blood on his body. He changed into another set of clothes and opened the door, revealing Qiu Shi¡¯s anxious face. ¡°Young master, what are you doing? Why have you been in the training room for so long? Are you still unwilling to give up and still want to try out your cultivation path?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Even though my talent is a little lacking, hard work does not disappoint. As long as I work hard, I believe I can still master something,¡± Song Ankang said with a smile. Even though Qiu Shi wanted to tell him that he had tried many times and had always returned disappointed, she looked at Song Ankang¡¯s bright eyes and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll treat it as a pastime. But you have to be careful, don¡¯t hurt your body.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know.¡± Song Ankang nodded and walked towards the nearby bedroom. Qiu Shi relaxed and skipped along beside Song Ankang. She looked very happy. ¡°Instructor Jiang should be back tomorrow. When the time comes, Instructor Jiang will bring me to the storeroom and ask Liu Yuanqing for the five-year ginseng.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pity that this isn¡¯t our Tang Family¡¯s mansion. If it was in the capital, we might be able to get some 100-year-old ginseng from Eldest Miss to nourish Young Master. Eldest Miss is very concerned about the Young Master.¡± The two buns on Qiu Shi¡¯s head bounced slightly with movements. It could be seen that her master was in a good mood, and her tender and fair little face was glowing in the dark night. This was actually his personal chambermaid. Song Ankang could basically determine her life and death. He couldn¡¯t believe it even as he thought about it. When they arrived at the bedroom, Qiu Shi swiftly tidied up the room for Song Ankang. The room was neither dirty nor messy. It was obvious that Qiu Shi had already cleaned up during the day and was only a little tidying up to do. Qiu Shi helped Song Ankang take off his clothes and shoes quickly. Song Ankang was not used to it. He had never been served like this before, and his partner was a young girl who could captivate anything. ¡°Young Master¡¯s body seems to have gotten stronger and your complexion is rosier. If I had known that the effects of ginseng and medicinal cuisine were so good, I would have nourished you earlier.¡± After taking off his clothes and shoes, Qiu Shi ignored Song Ankang¡¯s objection and began to carefully untie his hair so that he could sleep more comfortably. ¡°What happened to the Young Master today? You feel weird. Don¡¯t move around, Young Master. You will be fine soon.¡± Song Ankang calmed down hearing Qiu Shi¡¯s words. The memories of the host body and Qiu Shi together appeared in his mind. He tried his best to imitate Qiu Shi so that people wouldn¡¯t suspect him. Qiu Shi began to unbutton her clothes after Song Ankang lied down. Song Ankang was still a little anxious even though his heart was thumping away. According to his memory, Qiu Shi hadn¡¯t slept with the host body yet. What was she doing? ¡°It¡¯s so hot in the summer. It¡¯s only just begun and it¡¯s already so hot. How are we going to live? The drought this year is getting worse.¡± Qiu Shi stopped halfway through the buttons. Only then did Song Ankang heave a sigh of relief. He thought they were going to sleep together, but unexpectedly¡­ Song Ankang felt a little tinge of regret for some reason. Chapter 5 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Young Master, I¡¯ve placed a basin of ice beside your bed. It¡¯ll be cooler when you rest at night. Rest early. If there¡¯s anything, call me. I¡¯ll sleep next to you.¡± After taking care of Song Ankang, Qiu Shi left. Song Ankang felt his heart warm as he watched the girl leave quietly. After confirming that Qiu Shi had fallen asleep, Song Ankang carefully got out of bed and prepared to use the Seven Wound Demon Sutra again. Even though it was painful to do so, just the thought of it made one feel apprehensive. However, when he thought of the dangers of this world and the current situation, Song Ankang gritted his teeth and used the Skin Wound Fist. ¡°Boom boom boom¡­¡± Song Ankang quickly punched three times with a twisted expression as he grit his teeth. He felt as if all the skin on his body was about to break, causing him to faint from the pain. He lay on the bed. ¡°You have used the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra. Because of the side effects of the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra, your entire body¡¯s membrane has been damaged¡­ the Life-Defying Heavenly Manual has taken effect. It is currently absorbing energy from the outside world and is about to transform into a side effect. Please wait a moment!¡± At this time, Qiu Shi had already fallen asleep. She didn¡¯t hear any movements here. Otherwise, she would have definitely come to check on the situation. To be honest, Song Ankang didn¡¯t expect the three consecutive punches to hurt so much. Even though his spirit and willpower had increased significantly, he still fainted from the pain. Could it be that his mental strength and willpower weren¡¯t that good back on Earth, so even though there was a lot of increase, the total amount was still limited. Next time, he would just have to punch him. A few hours later, the Fate-Defying Heaven Manual began to transform the side effects of the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra. It rapidly increased Song Ankang¡¯s skin. ¡°The Fate-Defying Heaven Manual has accumulated enough energy and is beginning to play a role¡­ your wounds are being healed, your blood vitality is increasing, your skin is strengthening!¡± In just a few minutes, Song Ankang¡¯s skin membrane was raised to the peak of the Skin realm. After a short pause, he broke through the bottleneck of the Skin realm and advanced to the Flesh Realm. Even so, the side effects of the three punches had not disappeared. A portion of the side effects still came back, stabilizing Song Ankang¡¯s current realm. In just two days or so, Song Ankang walked the path that other cultivators would take months or even longer to walk. It was said that the most powerful genius in the history of the human race took three days to break through from the Skin Realm to the Flesh Realm. However, Song Ankang only took two days. No, to be precise, it had not even been two days since Song Ankang transmigrated. It had only been more than ten hours since then. If this matter were to spread, who knew what kind of waves it would cause. It was already five in the morning when he woke up again. The time in the Mysterious Desolate Continent was about the same as on Earth. There was also 24 hours in a day. To be precise, it should be 24 o¡¯clock, but Song Ankang was used to calling it by the hour. Qiu Shi, who was next door, had already gotten up and was cleaning the courtyard. Song Ankang got up from the ground. The first thing he did was to sense his current strength. The turbulent Qi and blood of the Seven Wounds flowed through his body. After circulating, all his skin turned black. Even his muscles were more balanced. This was the Flesh Realm! Song Ankang was speechless. He did not expect the three punches to be so effective. The side effects allowed him to break through to the pinnacle of the skin realm and reach the flesh realm. Such a physique was really too strong. He would come again next time! The pain from last night was instantly forgotten by Song Ankang. Compared to the benefits he received now, that bit of pain was nothing. Furthermore, he had fainted at that time and did not feel much pain. How fragrant! Song Ankang tidied up his room and body before happily heading to the training room. He carefully experienced the feeling of his strength increasing exponentially. His strength, speed, and reflexes had already surpassed that of Song Ankang on Earth. He was at least twice as strong as Song Ankang. If he were on Earth, he would definitely be able to compete for the title of champion in many Olympic games. He had only just broken through to the Flesh Realm, yet he was already able to obtain such great benefits. If he were to continue cultivating, who knew how much his strength would increase? He should be comparable to Superman in the movies. Song Ankang should have no problem dealing with three or four strong men. It would be easy for him to defeat Taichi Grandmaster Ma. Cultivation was a happy thing. After adapting to the sudden increase in strength, Song Ankang heard Qiu Shi¡¯s call outside and went out to enjoy a sumptuous medicinal cuisine breakfast. After the meal, Song Ankang began practicing the second level of the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra, Flesh Fist. Song Ankang could clearly feel his muscles rapidly strengthening as he executed each movement. Correspondingly, the qi and blood of the seven wounds that came from the side effects was even more vigorous and condensed, as well as stronger consciousness. When cultivating the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra, the side effects were continuous. For a short period of time, the side effects weren¡¯t too great. Thus, the Fate-Defying Heaven Manual was able to effectively absorb energy from the outside world, turning the side effects into positive effects. There was no need to wait any longer. Song Ankang¡¯s overall strength was soaring, far surpassing the imagination of any cultivator of the same level. In just half an hour, the energy of the medicinal cuisine was completely exhausted, and Song Ankang¡¯s muscles became well-proportioned. This feeling was unprecedentedly good! Song Ankang nodded in satisfaction as he looked at the muscle blocks that had already taken shape. The world that he could cultivate in was really great. In just a short period of time, he could obtain a physique that would take many years of training on Earth. It was a physique that he might not even be able to train in his entire life. The heavens treated him extremely well, so he definitely had to cherish this life well. He definitely couldn¡¯t die so easily again. No one knew what was going on. After experiencing life and death, other people would usually be more open-minded. However, after experiencing life and death, Song Ankang realized that he was much more afraid of death than before. If he had to return to Earth and make another choice, he would never rush out to save that child. For example, if Song Ankang¡¯s fear of death was 1 in the past, it had now risen to more than 10. It could also be 100. It turned out that not all people who had faced life and death had become brave warriors, but they could also become afraid of death. After adapting to his current strength, Song Ankang left the training room. He did not absorb the side effects of the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra to increase his cultivation. Now that his strength had increased by so much, it was time for him to relax a little. At the very least, he could take a stroll around the manor and go to the storeroom to see what Liu Yuanqing wanted to do. He even dared to take away his monthly allowance. Song Ankang was no longer afraid of any big goose. Upon hearing that Song Ankang was going out for a walk, Qiu Shi was overjoyed. She followed him out of the courtyard and strolled around the village. The Chaoyun Manor occupied more than 1,000 acre of land. It was surrounded by the walls of the village and was one of the few large-scale farms owned by the Imperial merchant Tang Clan. It mainly produced food and some basic herbs. There were more than 100 tenant farmers who relied on Chaoyun Manor to earn a living, and there were more than 1,000 people in total. Song Ankang was the owner of this place, and theoretically, he could manage everything in the farm. Its power was far greater than the CEOs and directors of companies on Earth. It could basically decide the fate of everyone in the farm. However, most of the people in the Chaoyun Manor were not convinced by him because he was new here, especially the higher-ups. Some of them had connections with the leaders of the Tang clan, so it was a little troublesome to manage them. Liu Yuanqing was one of the representatives. He was in charge of the storeroom with a lot of power in Chaoyun Manor. He was basically ranked in the top five. It was no wonder he dared to disrespect Qiu Shi and Song Ankang. The food grown in the farm was mainly a strange plant called Red Wheat. It was somewhat similar to the wheat on Earth. Each tree was the size of a small tree and was covered with red wheat fruits. Currently, the wheat fruits had yet to ripen. One of them was only the size of an apricot. When it matured, it would be about the size of an adult¡¯s fist. The amount of energy it contained was quite considerable, and one of them could feed an adult. At this moment, there were many farmers catching insects in the fields. Those were the villagers of Chaoyun Manor who relied on it for survival. Some discussions drifted into Song Ankang and Qiu Shi¡¯s ears while they were busy with the farm work. Chapter 6 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°The weather this year is bad. It¡¯s been dry for a few months. If this continues, I¡¯m afraid there won¡¯t be much harvest. Life is hard.¡± ¡°We¡¯re doing better. The taxes we pay are much lighter. The people outside the farm are suffering. The drought is causing more bugs. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on.¡± ¡°The new Manor Lord just changed this month. It¡¯s said that he doesn¡¯t know any farm work and has never planted any food or herbs. He¡¯s just a freeloader and can¡¯t help us solve the problem.¡± ¡°When winter comes, I¡¯m afraid many people will die again. I hope the new lord doesn¡¯t exploit us too much. He must leave us some food so that we don¡¯t starve to death.¡± Upon hearing these discussions, Song Ankang fell silent. Qiu Shi, who was beside him, was a little angry. ¡°These people are too much. They¡¯re gossiping behind my back again. I¡¯ll teach them a lesson.¡± ¡°Ignore them. They¡¯re telling the truth.¡± Song Ankang stopped Qiu Shi. His good mood had been greatly reduced. Originally, with Song Ankang¡¯s status, when he heard these tenant farmers gossiping, he could slap them or even whip them. Others wouldn¡¯t say anything. However, Song Ankang, who had just transmigrated from the modern world, was still not used to doing such things. Furthermore, there were many employees who gossiped behind Earth¡¯s back. He had never seen a boss slap his employees or whip them because of gossip. Song Ankang had also done such things before, so he did not deal with them. The tax on Chaoyun Manor was not high. If it was a normal year, after paying the tax, the farm would still have about 20% of food and 10% of medicinal herbs left. Ten percent of the medicinal herbs and half of the food belonged to the Manor Lord. The Manor Lord could decide where they went, and the remaining fifteen percent was the harvest of the villagers. It seemed quite ruthless, but one had to know that outside the farm, even during normal times, the villagers had to pay more than 90% of their taxes. Only 10% belonged to them. On the other hand, Chaoyun Manor¡¯s share of the profits could reach 15%, far surpassing that of the villagers outside. This naturally caused many people to scramble to become tenant farmers of Chaoyun Manor. However, because of the drought this year, both food and medicinal herbs were greatly affected. However, taxation would not be reduced, and it might even increase. This meant that the Tang family would take away more of the profits from Chaoyun Manor. If that was the case, not to mention 20% of the food and 10% of the medicinal herbs, they probably wouldn¡¯t even be able to leave half or even less. Even so, Song Ankang, who was the owner of the villa, had to share a lot of the profits. The remaining money belonged to the tenant farmers. There would definitely not be much left, and it would be very difficult to survive. However, even under such circumstances, not many people felt that it was too much. In fact, basically no one would feel that it was too much. This was because these taxes were not handed over to the Tang family, nor were they embezzled and stuffed into their personal pockets. Instead, most of them were sent to the front line. As mentioned previously, there were thousands of races in this Mysterious Desolate Great World. The human race was just an unremarkable third-grade tribe amongst them. The region they occupied was only one state, and there were many races surrounding it. There was no lack of races that far surpassed the human race. Among these races, there were two who fought with the human tribe leader, one was a mermen race, the other was the angel race, and there were demons and ghosts wreaking havoc within the human race, they were in a precarious situation. Of course, the greatest danger came from the frontlines. The human race would not be far from destruction no matter which fell. In order to defend these two frontlines, the entire human race was conserving food and clothing to support the soldiers on the front lines. It didn¡¯t matter if they were a little hungry. It was better than being wiped out. The soldiers at the frontline were fighting for their lives, so it was only natural for them to pay more tax. Therefore, no matter how many taxes the country received, no one would object because they knew that they were doing this for the soldiers on the front line and for themselves. Song Ankang once again experienced how difficult the situation of the humans in the Mysterious Desolate Great World was. It was not an exaggeration to say that he was walking on a steel wire. He relaxed his mind and became nervous again as he sighed. He heard shouts coming from the village walls just as he was about to return to cultivate. ¡°Hurry up and run. We¡¯ll be safe once we get back to the manor. There are many places in the manor with the Green Ridge Slate. It won¡¯t be too dangerous if we can stand on it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look back. The worm is right behind you. You have to outrun it.¡± ¡°Help, help me!¡± Song Ankang¡¯s expression changed and he hurriedly ran towards the village wall. There were already many people standing on the wall. When they saw Song Ankang coming over, they quickly made way for him. Song Ankang quickly came to the village wall and saw the situation outside. Outside of Chaoyun Manor was a large patch of forest and grassland. There was no way to grow food and medicinal herbs, so they needed to cultivate for a long time before they could slowly use them. There were always fierce beasts roaming about in the forest, which was why the Chaoyun Manor Plantation had built a wall to protect the tenant farmers against small and medium-sized beasts. At this moment, on the grass to the north of the estate, there was a tenant who was wearing coarse linen clothes frantically running away. Behind him was a protruding dirt line that was chasing after him. If the host body¡¯s memory was correct, it should be an earthworm. It was a ferocious beast whose strength was comparable to a martial artist at the second level of the Internal Realm. It was active in the red leaf forest around the village and would occasionally feed on humans. It was obvious that this tenant named Shan Wa had been targeted by an earthworm when he was outside and wanted to eat him. He had been forced to run near the farm. No one dared to go down even though there were many people shouting on the walls because going down was basically courting death. At this moment, the strongest person in Chaoyun Manor was only at the fourth minor realm of the External Realm. He was a full two levels away from the earthworm and the difference between External Realm and Internal Realm was even greater. Not to mention, when the worm was hiding in the soil, even martial artists who had surpassed Internal Realm could not do anything to it, so no one dared to go down and save it. ¡°Pfft¡­¡± When Shan Wa was still dozens of meters away from the village wall, the earth line that was chasing after him suddenly accelerated under him. Then, a grayish-black worm that was as thick as a bucket and three meters long rushed out of the ground and swallowed him. Then, it quickly burrowed underground and disappeared. If nothing unexpected happened, this tenant named Shan Wa would not be able to survive. There was dead silence. A moment later there was a cry. It was from Shan Wa¡¯s relatives and friends. ¡°Just a little bit more. If Shan Wa had been a little faster, he would have been able to escape to the farmstead. The farmstead has the stone road of the green hill, so the earthworms won¡¯t be able to pass through it.¡± ¡°What a pity. This must be the first time that Shan Wa has been out of the village in the past few months. I originally wanted to get some wild vegetables for my family, but I didn¡¯t expect her to leave just like that.¡± ¡°If the harvest is good, who would be willing to go out and take a risk? The sky is getting drier and drier. I don¡¯t know how many things we can collect this year. I hope you can share less and let us live.¡± ¡°Lord, you are providing for people. We still have many important people who are in charge of the Chaoyun Manor. They have to live their lives too.¡± The ten percent of the medicinal herbs and half of the food that the Chaoyun Manor¡¯s lord could obtain during normal years didn¡¯t completely belong to him. After all, as the manor lord of the Chaoyun Manor, he was responsible for the monthly salary of many stewards in the manor. Now, Song Ankang¡¯s monthly salary was saved from last year¡¯s great harvest. If the harvest this year wasn¡¯t good, next year, Song Ankang and the management staff of Chaoyun Manor wouldn¡¯t be able to live comfortably. With a sigh, Song Ankang got someone to deal with the aftermath of Shan Wa¡¯s death. Actually, there wasn¡¯t much to deal with. He had been swallowed whole, so there was basically no need for caskets or cemeteries. At most, he could make a cenotaph and bury a few of his clothes when he was alive. After bringing Qiu Shi back to his residence, he heard a knock on the door. ¡°Young master, I¡¯m back!¡± ¡°It¡¯s Instructor Jiang. Instructor Jiang is finally back.¡± The listless Qiu Shi immediately became spirited and quickly walked towards the courtyard gate after hearing the voice from outside. Chapter 7 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Instructor Jiang¡¯s original name was Jiang Yunhe. He was Song Ankang¡¯s cheap wife, Tang Yelan. At the same time, he was also a guard specially arranged for him by the Tang Clan¡¯s clan head. His strength had already reached the Internal Realm. Song Ankang wasn¡¯t sure which stage the Internal Realm had reached, but he was certain that Song Ankang was very strong. He could be said to be the best in Chaoyun Manor. It was said that Jiang Yunhe was even stronger in the past, but due to an accident, his strength fell drastically, leaving him with only the cultivation of the Internal Realm. Even so, with his rich combat experience and skills, Jiang Yunhe also became the martial arts instructor for the many guards of the Tang Family. If Tang Yelan had not personally requested for him to come, Jiang Yunhe would not have come to Chaoyun Manor to protect Song Ankang. From this, it could be seen that Tang Yelan was really nice to the host body. This cheap wife really cared about him. With Jiang Yunhe¡¯s protection, Song Ankang basically didn¡¯t have to worry about his safety in the Chaoyun Manor. However, two days ago, in order to secretly learn the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra to avoid Jiang Yunhe discovering any abnormalities, the host body asked him to go to the capital to bring some cultivation technique manuals to him. Coincidentally, Jiang Yunhe also wanted to go home to settle some matters, so he left for two days before returning. ¡°Young Master, these are all cultivation technique manuals. Basically, they are all above grade-eight. There are also some manuals related to food and medicinal herbs. They will be very helpful for your future handling of the farm.¡± Jiang Yun was wearing a gray shirt and gray pants. He was tall and burly. He had a square face and big eyes. He gave people the impression that he was honest and steady. He smiled and placed a huge bag of books in front of Song Ankang. Song Ankang said, ¡°Instructor Jiang, you must be tired from the journey. Guo Guo, go and prepare some food.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Qiu Shi smiled and went to prepare food and drinks for Jiang Yunhe. Before he left, he didn¡¯t forget to take a glance at some of the idle books in the books. For example, there were stories about powerful people killing demons and helping the people. There were also stories about the love between a rich young lady and a commoner. Qiu Shi loved to read these books. When Jiang Yun returned to the capital, Qiu Shi specially asked him to buy a few. After Qiu Shi left, Jiang Yunhe sized up Song Ankang in surprise. ¡°Young master¡¯s body has become much sturdier. Could it be¡­ Could it be that he has reached the Novice Level in cultivation?¡± ¡°I suffered some injuries these past two days. When I was lying on the bed, I fell into a state of enlightenment for some reason. I actually found a path that was suitable for me, so my cultivation made some progress.¡± Song Ankang smiled and explained his abnormality. Song Ankang did not think that he could hide it from others. After all, regardless of whether it was external or internal forging, his body would be abnormal once he stepped into certain realms. Unless Song Ankang wrapped his body tightly, he would inevitably expose something. It was still possible to hide the progress even though it was impossible to completely hide it. Later on, Song Ankang planned to cultivate some concealment secret arts to conceal his speed of improvement. Otherwise, it would be too exaggerated. Moreover, one had to have some trump cards. Jiang Yunhe was enlightened. ¡°Enlightenment is hard to come by. I¡¯ve only encountered it once in my life. It¡¯s a pity that I didn¡¯t seize the opportunity. I almost wasted a huge opportunity. Congratulations, Young Master.¡± Song Ankang smiled and started to flip through the ancient book in front of him. Soon, his gaze landed on a cultivation technique that could only be cultivated by those in the Qi Refinement realm. Virign Martial Arts! This was also a superior seventh-grade divine technique with considerable power. Even though it was an orthodox cultivation technique, if one did not cultivate it properly, it would have side effects that far surpassed demonic arts. As its name implied, the so-called Virign Martial Arts was something that could only be cultivated in the virgin state. For those who did not lose their virginity, their progress in cultivating the Virign Martial Arts was extremely fast. Even if their talent and aptitude were not good, their speed of improvement was also very fast. Furthermore, the Virign Martial Arts cultivated through the was extremely masculine and powerful. It could effectively deal with most demons and monsters and ensure his own safety. Even though there were many benefits to cultivating the Virign Martial Arts, one had to remain a virgin for life. Once one loses their virginity, one¡¯s internal energy would drop drastically, change, and his or her foundation would be crippled, falling from the Qi Refinement realm. This side effect far surpassed most demonic arts. Therefore, cultivators who wanted to carry on the family line would basically not choose this cultivation technique, even though there were many benefits to cultivating the Virign Martial Arts. However, Song Ankang possessed the Fate-Defying Heaven Manual, so he could effectively absorb the side effects and turn them into benefits. The more terrifying the side effects, the greater the benefits he would obtain after absorbing them. When he stepped into the Qi Refinement realm, he would be able to cultivate the Virign Martial Arts. However, before that, he had to think of a target to break into. Qiu Shi¡¯s image inexplicably appeared in Song Ankang¡¯s mind as he thought about this point. He immediately shook his head. He wasn¡¯t even 18 yet, so he couldn¡¯t do such a thing. Even though he would be fine even if he did it. However, the Godly Beast of Harmony would kill the author. There was no need to mention Tang Mingyue. Even though Tang Yelan was a cheap wife, the resistance was equally shocking. Who was he to look for? Song Ankang frowned and stopped thinking about it. He started to flip through the other manuals and soon, his gaze landed on another superior grade-seven secret technique. Hidden Heaven Earth Technique! It was one of the most powerful and useful concealment techniques of the human race. It was said to be able to conceal one¡¯s appearance, vital energy, and spirit. It could even disguise and transform. It was of good might. The only side effect was that after cultivating it, it would easily cause damage to one¡¯s essence, energy, and spirit, affecting its effects. It was a semi-unorthodox secret technique. Furthermore, this was only one of the concealment mystic technique. Humans had more than one concealment mystic technique, so very few people cultivated with it. Song Ankang silently memorized the names of the Virign Martial Arts and the Hidden Heaven Earth Technique. He prepared for his subsequent cultivation before going to read the other cultivation manuals. In the Mysterious Desolate Great World, secret cultivation techniques were mainly divided into nine grades of Mortal Art / Mortal Techniques, Eighth Grade Spiritual Art / Spiritual Techniques, Seventh Grade Divine Art / Divine Techniques, and so on. Every major technique was further divided into the upper, middle, and lower grades. That was because the strength and influence of the human race were limited, the strongest cultivation technique and secret skills they had created were Seventh Grade Art Techniques and Divine Techniques. They had yet to hear of any cultivation technique or secret skills that surpassed the Seventh Grade. As a result, the strongest secret cultivation technique that Song Ankang could obtain was at the upper seventh-grade minor realm. Furthermore, it wasn¡¯t difficult to obtain. In other words, it wasn¡¯t difficult for any human to obtain a seventh-grade divine cultivation technique. There was no other reason for this. The human race was in a difficult situation and in imminent danger. They didn¡¯t know when they would perish, so how could they continue to play such petty tricks? Hence, it was not difficult for Song Ankang to obtain cultivation techniques in China, even if it was the highest level cultivation technique of the human race. Prior to this, the Host body remembered many seventh-grade divine arts and techniques. He specially chose a high-grade seventh-grade Demonic Art Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra to cultivate. At that moment, Qiu Shi brought the dishes over and specially servered the medicinal cuisine to Song Ankang. ¡°Young Master, this is the last ginseng. There will be no more lieft. Liu Yuanqing is too petty.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go and teach him a lesson after dinner now that Instructor Jiang is back. Get him to hand over the ginseng obediently.¡± ¡°Instructor Jiang, you don¡¯t know this, but I¡¯ve been so angry these past two days. Because young master¡¯s body was weak, he was beaten unconscious by the golden goose. I wanted to take some medicinal herbs to nourish young master¡¯s body, but in the end, that Liu Yuanqing kept rejecting me. He¡¯s really too much.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t ask for too much. These herbs are all in Young Master¡¯s monthly allowance, but Liu Yuanqing refused to give them to us. Young Master and I can¡¯t beat him, so we can only suffer.¡± Qiu Shi spoke while serving Song Ankang. She looked rather cute with her long, shapely eyebrows. However, she brought up Song Ankang¡¯s sad past again. Jiang Yunhe was speechless when he heard that Song Ankang was injured by the goose. He finally understood why Song Ankang improved so quickly and even had an epiphany. He was probably forced by the goose. This could be considered a blessing in disguise. Jiang Yunhe promised to deal with Liu Yuanqing, who had offended Qiushi and Song Ankang. He was prepared to deal with Liu Yuanqing after dinner. A servant refusing his master¡¯s monthly allowance was unheard of. Chapter 8 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios After the meal, Qiu Shi was prepared to bring Jiang Yun and Liu Yuanqing for a discussion. She did not expect Song Ankang to join as well. Hence, the three of them walked towards the storeroom. The storeroom was located in the center of Chaoyun Manor. It was several thousand square meters in area and was completely made of stone. Even worms could not enter. Liu Yuanqing basically stayed in the storeroom during the day and had nothing else to do. His days were rather relaxed. When Song Ankang and the others arrived at the storeroom, Liu Yuanqing was enjoying some dried meat and fruits under the care of two waiters. He was living quite a comfortable life. ¡°Young master, you¡¯re here. What¡¯s the matter?¡± The fat Liu Yuanqing didn¡¯t take it seriously even with Song Ankang¡¯s arrival. He slowly got up and looked at Song Ankang. Song Ankang glanced at him. ¡°I¡¯m here to collect my monthly allowance for this month. I¡¯ll exchange all of it for medicinal herbs. At the same time, I also want to advance my monthly allowance for the next two months. I should still have this bit of authority.¡± ¡°This¡­¡± Liu Yuanqing was stunned. He looked at Jiang Yunhe with some fear, but he still rejected him directly.¡± Young master doesn¡¯t know that the weather is dry this year. I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t afford to pay taxes, so we have been saving up for last year¡¯s inventory. Everyone¡¯s monthly allowance has been reduced. ¡± Song Ankang frowned. ¡°When did this happen?¡± ¡°It started last month. I didn¡¯t do it on purpose,¡± Liu Yuanqing explained. Song Ankang asked, ¡°Did Butler Wang and your monthly allowance decrease too?¡± ¡°This¡­¡± Liu Yuanqing was stunned. He couldn¡¯t speak for a moment. There was a record of the monthly allowance that was given out, so he didn¡¯t dare to say anything. Song Ankang could tell the answer from his expression. He sneered and said, ¡°Since you and Butler Wang didn¡¯t even get your monthly allowance reduced, why are you doing this to me? Could it be that you two are the Manor Lords and I¡¯m your servant?¡± ¡°Give me my monthly allowance for this month, and for the next two months, nothing less.¡± ¡°But¡­ but there really isn¡¯t much left in the storeroom.¡± Liu Yuanqing was still reluctant to admit his faults. Song Ankang¡¯s expression changed slightly. He looked at Jiang Yunhe and said, ¡°Instructor Jiang, crippled this bastard who offended his superiors. You actually deducted his monthly allowance from me. Do you really think I¡¯m a pushover?¡± ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡± Jiang Yunhe nodded and walked towards Liu Yuanqing. Even though Liu Yuanqing was a martial artist at the third minor realm of External Realm, he was far inferior to Instructor Jiang who was at the Internal Realm. Liu Yuanqing would undoubtedly lose if the two of them fought. Liu Yuanqing started to panic seeing that Song Ankang wasn¡¯t joking with him. ¡°Young Master, you can¡¯t be like this. I¡¯m an old man from Chaoyun Manor. I¡¯ve been in charge of the warehouse for decades. Even if I didn¡¯t have any achievements, I¡¯ve worked hard. You can¡¯t treat me like this.¡± Song Ankang turned a deaf ear. His expression was as calm as water. Jiang Yun and Liu Yuanqing were getting closer and closer. ¡°If the manager of the Tang Family who is in charge of food and medicinal herbs knew you did this, he would definitely punish you.¡± Liu Yuanqing was still stubbornly resisting. Song Ankang looked up and didn¡¯t take his words to heart. Crippling Liu Yuanqing was a normal punishment for the actions he had taken. If the manager of the Tang family punished him because of this, he would be offending his superiors. Then, he would not blame Song Ankang for crippling his abilities. Seeing that Song Ankang was still unmoved, Liu Yuanqing finally became well-behaved. ¡°Young master, I was wrong. I will make up for your monthly allowance this month and give you two months in advance.¡± However, what frightened Liu Yuanqing was that even though he had already admitted defeat, Song Ankang still didn¡¯t call Jiang Yunhe back. Jiang Yunhe was about to catch him. At this critical juncture, Liu Yuanqing¡¯s mind finally became nimble. ¡°I will also hand over my salary for the past three months to Young Master. Please forgive me, Young Master. I will not dare to do it again.¡± Song Ankang stopped Jiang Yunhe and glared at Liu Yuanqing. ¡°If this happens again, no one will be able to protect you.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes. I will do as young master says. This lowly one will not do it again.¡± Liu Yuanqing bowed repeatedly, almost kneeling on the ground. They prepared the medicinal ingredients Song Ankang needed as quickly as possible. Liu Yuanqing led a group of workers from the storeroom to send Song Ankang off. They were no longer as arrogant and negligent as before. After they left the storeroom, Jiang Yunhe looked as if he had just met Song Ankang for the first time. He looked at Song Ankang in surprise. ¡°Young master did a good job this time. You finally look like a master.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. The young master is so impressive. That Liu Yuanqing was almost scared to tears by the young master just now. It¡¯s really satisfying to see him like this.¡± Qiu Shi¡¯s bright eyes flashed with red hearts. It was obvious that he had already fallen to Song Ankang¡¯s pants. Song Ankang smiled and said, ¡°If Instructor Jiang wasn¡¯t there to support me, I wouldn¡¯t have dared to do this. It¡¯s all thanks to Instructor Jiang.¡± ¡°Young master, you flatter me.¡± Jiang Yunhe smiled. He wanted to say that he had always been by your side, but he had never seen you so unyielding. Could it be that your temper and personality had changed after you finally stepped onto the path of cultivation? This was a good thing. A weak and gullible son-in-law was not worthy of a talented and beautiful young lady. However, when Jiang Yunhe¡¯s gaze inadvertently swept past Song Ankang¡¯s back and saw the slightly bulging muscles due to Song Ankang¡¯s movement, Jiang Yunhe¡¯s heart skipped a beat. This¡­ Why did this seem like the characteristic of a warrior in the Flesh Training Realm? Moreover, the personality change of the son-in-law seemed to be a little too drastic. Usually, only after cultivating the demonic arts would there be such a change. Jiang Yunhe was a little suspicious, but he didn¡¯t reveal it. Instead, he carefully observed Song Ankang¡¯s every move. After all, Song Ankang had just stepped onto the path of cultivation. He had just broken through not long ago and did not cultivate the Hidden Heaven Earth Technique. In addition, the characteristics of the external forging stage were already very obvious. Therefore, Jiang Yunhe quickly discovered more abnormalities. Flesh Realm! Jiang Yunhe gradually confirmed his guess. In just a few days, Song Ankang had gone from a weak scholar to a Flesh Realm martial artist. This was too fast. Unless one cultivated in a demonic cultivation technique, it would be very difficult for one to improve so quickly. However, everyone knew that the unorthodox cultivation methods didn¡¯t have high requirements for talent and cultivation speed, they often had tremendous side effects. Moreover, it was extremely difficult to cultivate to a high boundary and the future was limited. Most importantly, it was easy to die early. Those that cultivated in unorthodox cultivation methods would find it hard to have a good ending. There were very few human martial artists that chose to cultivate in unorthodox cultivation methods, unless they had no choice. There were so many orthodox cultivation techniques, and there were also many divine cultivation techniques and arts after all. Why would he choose an unorthodox cultivation technique? While Qiu Shi was happily preparing the herbs, Jiang Yunhe couldn¡¯t help but look at Song Ankang and ask, ¡°Young master, did you¡­ did you cultivate with an unorthodox cultivation technique during the two days I was away?¡± Chapter 9 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Jiang Yunhe¡¯s straightforward question stunned Song Ankang. Fortunately, he had already thought of a countermeasure. It was indeed strange for him to improve so much in just one or two days. He had to quickly cultivate the Hidden Heaven Earth Technique, or else it would be hard to explain later on. However, Song Ankang didn¡¯t expect Jiang Yun and his observational skills to be so strong. Or rather, he was so concerned about Jiang Yun. They had only interacted with each other for a short period of time, but Jiang Yun had already noticed his abnormality. Song Ankang smiled and said, ¡°Instructor Jiang must be joking.¡± upon seeing Jiang Yunhe¡¯s worried expression. ¡°Young master should have already advanced to the Flesh Realm, right? Other than unorthodox cultivation techniques, it¡¯s impossible for orthodox cultivation techniques to improve so quickly. Furthermore, Young master¡¯s talent is slightly inferior,¡± Jiang Yunhe said. Song Ankang looked at him and said, ¡°Even if it¡¯s an unorthodox cultivation technique, it shouldn¡¯t be able to allow me to advance so quickly in such a short period of time, right? Actually, I cultivate the superior seventh-grade divine art, Thousand Mountain Art. It has extremely high requirements on perception, so a moment of enlightenment can allow me to improve greatly. If Instructor Jiang doesn¡¯t believe me, you can feel the power of blood qi in my body.¡± Song Ankang grabbed Jiang Yunhe¡¯s hand as he spoke. At the same time, he circulated his Qi and blood to let Jiang Yunhe sense it. The dense and vigorous blood essence power in Song Ankang¡¯s body was indeed very similar to the blood essence cultivated by the Thousand Mountain Art. It was definitely not something an unorthodox cultivation technique could achieve. The Thousand Mountain Art was a technique that Song Ankang found according to the host body¡¯s memory. It was similar to the current qi and blood of the seven wounds. He didn¡¯t expect it to be useful so soon. Jiang Yunhe heaved a sigh of relief. At the same time, he cleared the doubts in his heart. ¡°Congratulations to the young master for finding a martial art that is suitable for yourself. The young master is talented and intelligent. Even though your martial arts aptitude is slightly inferior, your comprehension is extraordinary. The Thousand Mountain Art is just right for the young master to cultivate. I was overthinking.¡± ¡°Instructor Jiang is just concerned about me. I still have to thank Instructor Jiang. In the future, I¡¯ll need Instructor Jiang¡¯s guidance,¡± Song Ankang said with a smile. After dispelling his worries, Jiang Yunhe bade Song Ankang farewell and returned to the courtyard to cultivate his battle technique. Song Ankang thought for a while before accompanying Qiushi to sort out the herbs. Qiu Shi looked especially delicate and charming dressed in a lake-green dress. When she bent down, the part of her body that was curled up was especially round and perky, complementing the area in front of her. A child with huge racks might be a little exaggerated, but it was still considered to be enormous. At this moment, she was seriously processing the medicinal herbs, and a layer of sweat appeared on her fair and tender face. Qiu Shi smiled sweetly when she saw Song Ankang. ¡°Young master, you¡¯re here. I didn¡¯t expect to get so many medicinal herbs from the storeroom. It¡¯s enough for you to nourish for a long period of time. When the time comes, you can eat medicinal cuisine every day to improve your cultivation.¡± ¡°There are quite a lot of medicinal herbs. You should consume more medicinal cuisine to increase your strength,¡± said Song Ankang with a smile. Qiu Shi was also a martial artist. Furthermore, he had entered into the second minor realm of External Realm, the Flesh Realm. He was only a few steps away from the Tendon Realm, and his cultivation base was even higher than Song Ankang¡¯s. This kind of strength was considered quite good among the maidservants in Tang Manor. Furthermore, she was one of the few maidservants that could cultivate and was also the most beautiful among the four maidservants beside Tang Yelan. Tang Yelan felt guilty for not being able to consummate their marriage with Song Ankang. Hence, he specially sent Qiu Shi to serve Song Ankang. The meaning was obvious. After all, thirteen to fourteen years of age was considered adults in China, they would be able to get married and have children. The seventeen-year-old Qiu Shi was slightly older. Qiu Shi wiped off the sweat on her forehead and smiled sweetly. ¡°This little bit of strength of mine is enough. No matter how high it is, it¡¯s useless. It¡¯s better for Young Master to eat more and advance to the Internal Realm as soon as possible. This way, you will have a chance to return to the mansion.¡± ¡°Actually, Eldest Miss had no choice but to send Young Master to Chaoyun Manor. Outside, the heir of the Ping Demon King is eyeing us covetously. The upper echelons of the family clan are not convinced that Eldest Young Lady is in charge. It will be safer for Young Master to come to Chaoyun Manor. Please don¡¯t blame Eldest Miss for this.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Song Ankang nodded with a smile when he heard Qiu Shi¡¯s comforting words. Speaking of which, many people in the Tang family looked down on him, the weak son-in-law. Even his second sister-in-law, Tang Mingyue, and his youngest sister-in-law, Tang Liuli, didn¡¯t approve of this marriage. Even though the reputation of the capital¡¯s most filial son was resounding and Song Ankang¡¯s good looks were shocking, in this terrifying world where the human race was facing imminent danger, only the strong had sufficient status. Everything else was just fluff. Furthermore, apart from Tang Yelan¡¯s amazing business skills and outstanding looks, her cultivation talent was also not bad. She was already a martial artist at the fourth minor realm of Internal Realm at the age of 21. In the future, it was possible for him to become an extraordinary. Song Ankang was a far cry from her. Even as a live-in son-in-law, he wasn¡¯t qualified enough. If it wasn¡¯t for the special circumstances, such a good thing wouldn¡¯t have landed on Song Ankang. No matter what happened to the other members of the Tang Family, Tang Yelan was indebted to both the Host and Song Ankang who transmigrated here. Song Ankang naturally wouldn¡¯t have any messy thoughts. To be honest, with the host body¡¯s previous family background, it was still unknown if he could survive this year. Tang Yelan not only held a glorious funeral for the host body¡¯s parents, but also let the host body live an unprecedented good life. Song Ankang would remember this favor. With sufficient medicinal ingredients, Qiu Shi prepared a sumptuous medicinal cuisine for Song Ankang at night. At the same time, Tang Yelan, who was in the Tang Family¡¯s residence in the capital, also received Jiang Yunhe¡¯s message. After learning that Song Ankang had already embarked on the path of cultivation and had advanced to the Flesh Realm through the Thousand Mountain Art, Tang Yelan was rather delighted. She specially picked out a few bottles of pills and prepared to get someone to pass them to her husband. Even though her marriage with Song Ankang was a little rushed and helpless, since she was already married to Song Ankang, Tang Yelan would not have any other intention and would naturally treat this husband well. Speaking of which, Song Ankang was helping her by marrying into the Tang Clan, and it was also because of this that she provoked the heir of the Ping Demon King. Therefore, Tang Yelan felt that she owed Song Ankang. Tang Yelan felt her heart palpitate for the first time in her life as she thought of Song Ankang¡¯s handsome face. She blushed and returned to the study room to continue working on the documents. The moonlight shone through the window onto Tang Yelan¡¯s exquisite and flawless oval face, rippling with layers of luster. Even though the moonlight was resplendent, it was far inferior to Tang Yelan¡¯s bright eyes. If Song Ankang were to describe this pair of eyes that were so bright that they were glowing, he would definitely use two words to describe them¡­ Electric Eyes. According to the host body¡¯s memory, when he met Tang Yelan for the first time and met her gaze, he felt numb for a long time. Song Ankang would feel numb all over when he occasionally thought about it. It was a strange feeling. However, at this moment, Song Ankang didn¡¯t know that his cheap wife, Tang Yelan, was thinking about him. She was still moved by him. Song Ankang had just finished enjoying the large pot of five-year ginseng medicinal cuisine prepared for him by Qiu Shi. His body was surging with heat and he was about to absorb and digest it with all his might. Chapter 10 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In the training room, Song Ankang was practicing the Second Fist of the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra, Fist of the Flesh. Nofitication from the Fate-Defying Heaven Manual kept appearing. ¡°You are cultivating the Seven Wounds Demon Sutra. You are affected by the side effects of the Sutra and your spiritual will is about to be damaged¡­ The Fate-Defying Heaven Manual has taken effect and your spiritual will has increased. You have become even more clear-headed!¡± ¡°You are cultivating the Seven Wounds Demon Sutra. You are affected by the side effects of the Sutra and your foundation is about to be damaged, your blood vitality is about to become unstable, and the membranes on your skin are about to develop hidden dangers¡­ The Fate-Defying Heaven Manual has taken effect, your foundation is becoming increasingly stable, your blood vitality is becoming increasingly pure, and your skin is becoming increasingly perfect!¡± There were a total of nine variations to the Flesh Training Fist. It could train every muscle in one¡¯s body. Once it was used in a fight, it would also make one intoxicated. Then, one would subconsciously become possessed until one¡¯s blood essence and lifespan were exhausted. However, after obtaining the Fate-Defying Heaven Manual, Song Ankang was able to effectively absorb the side effects and increase his spiritual will, allowing him to easily grasp his current progress. He wouldn¡¯t have to consume his blood essence and lifespan after his energy was exhausted. Moreover, Song Ankang was able to enjoy the joy brought about by the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra. Hence, cultivating a demonic technique was a very enjoyable thing for him. He wasn¡¯t like the others who were trembling in fear and constantly worried that they would go berserk. To other cultivators, demonic arts were equivalent to suicide. To Song Ankang, it was a fortuitous opportunity. Not only could demonic arts not bring him any side effects, but these side effects could even turn harm into treasures. How satisfying! Song Ankang was completely immersed in it. He only stopped when all the excess power from the medicinal cuisine was exhausted. At this moment, all the muscles in his body had become extremely well-proportioned. His eight-pack faintly appeared on his stomach. Regardless of whether it was his strength, speed, reaction speed, or spiritual will, they had all increased significantly. Such comprehensive qualities should have exceeded the limits of Earthlings in many aspects. Song Ankang smiled as he felt the surging blood essence power in his body. After adapting to his newfound strength, Song Ankang left the training room and went to the bathroom to wash up. He specially instructed Qiu Shi that she should not wait outside the training room tonight. However, she still placed some steamed herbs in Song Ankang¡¯s room. These were herbs that could be eaten directly and could be used for supper. The ice cubes were also prepared for Song Ankang. The meticulous care made Song Ankang feel warm. After eating a piece of steamed Jade Fruit, Song Ankang stood in front of the bed and hesitated for a moment. In the end, he gritted his teeth and punched three times. Then, he was overwhelmed by the surging muscle pain and fell asleep on the bed. Song Ankang had never experienced such pain on Earth previously therefore it was very difficult for him. As an ordinary person, he did not have much willpower. He was just an ordinary member of the crowd. He would need anesthesia even if it was a minor surgery. There was a surgery where anesthesia could not be used, at that time, three or four people had to hold him down the entire time. Of course, he screamed the hospital down. It was said that all the doctors, nurses, and patients of the nine storey hospital had heard it. Hence, it became one of the legends of that hospital. The Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra was much more painful than the minor surgery. Even though he had merged with the original host body¡¯s soul and memories and improved his willpower through the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra, Song Ankang still couldn¡¯t take it. If he could really withstand it, he would not have fainted after three punches. However, when he thought about the dangers of this world and the benefits it would bring, Song Ankang suppressed his fear and struck out three times. As the name suggested, the Skin Wounding Fist injured the skin membrane, while the Fist of Pain injured the muscles of the entire body. This kind of willpower might seem a little cowardly, but it should be above average among most ordinary people on Earth. Song Ankang believed that if other people on Earth had experienced the pain brought by the Seven Wounds Fist, most people would not have thought of coming here a second time. His performance was already a warrior among ordinary people. Of course, Song Ankang would only do this because of the temptation of a surge in strength. For the next few days, Song Ankang consumed medicinal cuisine during the day to cultivate the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra. At night, he would practice at least three moves. In fact, if he had enough time, he would use six moves, which meant he would be unconscious twice. He practiced during the day and fought at night. With the aid of sufficient medicinal cuisine, Song Ankang¡¯s abilities improved rapidly. This morning, when Song Ankang woke up again, he was overjoyed to discover that his abilities had unknowingly advanced to the next realm. Tendon realm! Other martial artists needed a year or two to reach this realm. With the help of the Fate-Defying Heaven Manual and the devil arts, Song Ankang only needed a few days to break through his bottleneck and reach the Tendon Realm. Even though he had only just stepped into the Tendon realm, Song Ankang¡¯s realm was already very stable. His tendons were nimble and agile, and he was able to do some movements that he had never been able to do before. By the way, when he was in the Flesh Realm, Song Ankang successfully trained himself to be a muscular big shot. Furthermore, it was not pure muscles, but very well-proportioned muscles. Each of his movements contained kilograms of strength. He could be considered an expert on Earth to break bricks. Song Ankang was fascinated by the surging blood essence and strength in his body. It strengthened his determination to cultivate. In the past few days, Song Ankang had also managed to cultivate the Hidden Heaven Earth Technique to the elementary level. He was barely able to conceal the fact that his abilities had increased significantly. As a quasi-demonic secret technique, the effects of the Hidden Heaven Earth Technique were rather impressive. It would cause damage to the body during the cultivation process, causing the qi and blood to deteriorate. This quasi-demonic secret technique was mainly divided into three levels: Concealed Form, Concealed Qi, and Concealed Spirit. Concealed Form corresponded to the fourth minor realm of External Realm, the fourth minor realm of Internal Realm, and the Earth Gate. These few realms were mainly the stages of tempering the body. Therefore, one had to hide the form, which was also the body. ¡°You are cultivating the first stage of the Hidden Heaven Earth technique, Hidden Form. You have been affected by the side effects of the Hidden Heaven Earth technique¡¯s first stage of Hidden Form. Your skin, muscles, and tendons are about to be damaged, and your seven wounds and blood vitality are about to deteriorate¡­ the Life-Defying Heaven Manual has taken effect. Your skin, muscles, and tendons have become stronger, and your seven wounds and blood vitality have become purer!¡± The Hidden Form had reached elementary level. Once it was activated, it would constantly damage Song Ankang¡¯s body. However, with the help of the Fate-Defying Heaven Manual, not only would it not harm Song Ankang¡¯s body, but it would also strengthen his body, effectively assisting his cultivation of the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra. This made Song Ankang even more fond of using the Hidden Heaven Earth technique. As long as he had the time, he would use it. The combination of the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra and the Hidden Heaven Earth Technique had given Song Ankang the most solid cultivation foundation. He had far surpassed any martial artist of the same level. ¡°Slap slap slap¡­¡± Qiu Shi stood in front of Song Ankang and patted his body gently while tidying his clothes. Her exquisite little face was filled with seriousness. A faint fragrance landed on Song Ankang¡¯s nose. It smelled especially comfortable. Song Ankang¡¯s eyes were slightly dazed, but Qiu Shi did not notice it. She frowned as she moved her hands. ¡°Your physique has changed so much ever since you stepped onto the path of cultivation. You are much sturdier and more well-proportioned than before. Hence, your clothes and shoes seem a little small.¡± ¡°Young master, why don¡¯t we go to Tongxin Town today and buy some good fabric and shoes for you? I¡¯ll make a few sets of clothes and shoes of bigger size for you. Otherwise, the clothes and shoes from before would be too uncomfortable.¡± Song Ankang also felt that the clothes he wore in the past were a little too small. He was going to buy a few sets of clothes from the nearby Tongxin Town when he heard Qiu Shi¡¯s words, so he immediately agreed. ¡°Sure, we¡¯ll go to Tongxin Town after dinner.¡± After staying in Chaoyun Manor for a few days, Song Ankang also wanted to go out and take a look. Furthermore, he had just broken through to the Tendon realm, which gave him quite a bit of courage. This world might be dangerous, but he should be fine with the protection of Jiang Yun, who was at the Internal Realm. Chapter 11 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Tongxin Town was located on the east side of Chaoyun Manor. It was only three to four miles away and could be said to be very close. The Chaoyun Manor had a good relationship with Tongxin Town as they often had to buy things from the shops in Tongxin Town. Many people in Tongxin Town knew about the new Lord. Hence, when they saw Song Ankang bringing Qiu Shi, the servant girl, and Jiang Yunhe to Tongxin Town, not many people were surprised. Everyone was still very enthusiastic. ¡°This is the new Lord of Chaoyun Manor, the son-in-law of the Tang family¡¯s eldest daughter, the capital¡¯s most filial son, Mr. Song Ankang. Would the three of you like to come to my place to drink a bowl of tofu pudding? My sweet tofu pudding is very famous in Tongxin Town.¡± ¡°The Most Filal Son of Song, this is a fried dough stick that my family just fried. Try it. It¡¯s free.¡± ¡°Child, in the future, you have to be like the most filial son of the Song family. You have to show filial piety to your parents and respect your elders. Only then will a daughter from a good family be willing to marry you.¡± ¡°Filal Son of the Song family, do you eat mountain eggs? If you want them, you only need pay half the price. I admire filial sons like you the most. My parents are still talking about you this year.¡± Along the way, many people in the town hurriedly greeted Song Ankang, which surprised Song Ankang. He didn¡¯t expect the host body to be so famous in the town. Song Ankang could tell that everyone respected and loved him from the bottom of their hearts. They were not feigning civility, nor were they fawning over him because of his status as the owner of Chaoyun Manor. Clearly, it was all because of the Host body¡¯s status as the most filial son in the capital. China was governed by filial piety, and therefore placed great importance on filial piety. Song Ankang didn¡¯t have much of an idea about it when he was at Chaoyun Manor, but he realized it after coming out. Song Ankang was a little overwhelmed by everyone¡¯s enthusiasm. He hurriedly brought Qiu Shi and Jiang Yunhe, and rushed to a nearby fabric shop. Before he left, he heard the discussions around him. ¡°You actually don¡¯t even know the son of the great Song Dynasty? You are truly ignorant and ill-informed. Then, have you ever heard of the story of abandoning one¡¯s life for one¡¯s relatives and selling one¡¯s body to bury one¡¯s relatives? The story is about the most filal son of the Song Dynasty.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ So that person just now was the protagonist who gave up his life to become a live-in son-in-law and sold his body to bury his parents. It was said that these two matters were already included in the twenty-four filial piety. The protagonist was even faintly praised as the number one filial son in China. I didn¡¯t expect it to be that young master.¡± ¡°Mr. Song¡¯s filial piety is earth-shattering. The capital¡¯s number one filial son deserves his reputation. No one in the entire China can match up to Mr. Song in this aspect. No wonder many people call him the number one filial son in China.¡± ¡°Good things come to good people. If it weren¡¯t for that, the eldest daughter of the Tang family wouldn¡¯t have taken a liking to Mr. Song and taken him in as her live-in husband. Now that the hardships have passed and the good times have come, he has become the owner of the Imperial Chaoyun Manor Plantation. He has thousands of acres of fertile land and will enjoy endless wealth in the future.¡± ¡°This is what the most filial son of the Song family deserves. Others can¡¯t be jealous of him. If I had such a son, I would die in peace.¡± Am I so filial, no, is the host body so filial? Song Ankang was silent. Even though he already knew a lot of things from the host body¡¯s memory, he still scoffed at it and felt that the host body was too pedantic. Moreover, this filial piety did not seem to be well received by many people, nor was it useful. If not for this, he would not have been sent to Chaoyun Manor. However, he did not expect that it would have such a great influence among the common people. After walking around Tongxin Town, Song Ankang realized that the wealth left behind by the host body of the body was astonishing. It might not be real resources, but it could bring him great help and convenience. Filial piety was the most important. Not only on Earth, but in the this world as well. This made Song Ankang change his impression of the host body a lot. Suddenly, he felt that he was much more compatible with the host body. His soul and mental willpower became much stronger. Especially when there seemed to be less estrangement between him and this world. Even though he had burst forth with dazzling brilliance during the last moments of his life on Earth, he was not completely useless in a parallel world. In fact, he was even more brilliant than himself on Earth. Perhaps the reason why he was able to transmigrate and reincarnate and inherit everything from the host body of this parallel world was not because he was obsessed, but because the host body of this world was obsessed. It was so that he could fulfill the host body¡¯s wish. That was why Song Ankang came from Earth with the unimaginable Fate-Defying Heavenly Book. When they arrived at the best fabric shop in Tongxin Town, Qiushi and Jiang Yunhe were in the shop choosing suitable fabrics for Song Ankang. The Tang family of Huangshan was mainly in the silk and clothing business, so they were naturally very good at fabric. As one of Tang Yelan¡¯s four maidservants, Qiu Zhenzhen was an expert in this aspect. Jiang Yun and Song Ankang were also quite skilled under the influence of his influence. Only Song Ankang was a layman. Song Ankang was completely clueless when he saw how enthusiastic the two of them were in their selection. Hence, he strolled around and did not dare to go too far. Even though it was much safer during the day, and the demons and ghosts preferred to appear at night, Song Ankang, who was reborn, didn¡¯t dare to be careless. Someone who had already died once, being able to transmigrate and be reborn once was already a blessing from heaven. It was probably impossible for him to do it again. Once he died, he would really die. Song Ankang was afraid. However, many things wouldn¡¯t happen just because you were afraid or because it rarely happened. When he walked to the side of the fabric shop, Song Ankang was surprised to discover that there was actually a small alley paved with limestone. He had also passed by this place earlier, but he did not notice it. A light drizzle began to fall in the alley. This was a rainy alley, and in the alley was a lilac-like girl. When he saw the lady holding the oil paper umbrella with her back facing him, Song Ankang immediately thought of the poem Dai Wangshu wrote. I hope to meet a lilac-like girl with sorrow She has A lilac-like color A lilac-like fragrance A lilac-like sorrow Song Ankang walked towards the rainy alley in a baffling manner, hoping to see Miss Ding Xiang¡¯s face. Just her back view was so beautiful, so her face must not be too bad. However, he felt that something was amiss. Before Song Ankang could think about it, he saw that girl twisting her waist in the rain alley. Her alluring appearance attracted Song Ankang¡¯s attention, causing him to walk even faster and head into the rain alley. ¡°Pata, pata, pata¡­¡± Song Ankang¡¯s footsteps were a little heavy. It startled the charming girl and made her stop in her tracks. Song Ankang was delighted and quickened his pace. Just as he was about to catch up to the lilac girl and see her side profile, he saw her turn around and smile at him. What kind of face was that? It was crawling with holes and covered in filth. maggots would fall from the holes. Chapter 12 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°F*ck!¡± Song Ankang felt as if he had been struck by lightning. Unconsciously, he circulated all the qi and blood in his body and threw out the most powerful punch he could currently muster, the Muscle Injuring Fist. It landed on the lilac girl¡¯s face. ¡°Boom¡­¡± ¡°You have used the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra. Because of the side effects of the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra, all of your muscles and tendons have been damaged¡­ the Fate-Defying Heaven Manual has taken effect. It is currently absorbing energy from the outside world and is about to transform into a side effect. Please wait a moment!¡± However, this punch did not seem to have much effect. Miss Ding Xiang¡¯s ugly face only became a little blurry. There was even some confusion as if she did not understand why Song Ankang would treat her like this. Could it be that she wasn¡¯t pretty? Or could it be that Song Ankang saw something in the critical moment just now? Otherwise, when she turned around and charmed Song Ankang, she would have been able to devour his Yang qi and blood essence. When she saw the fear on Song Ankang¡¯s face, she suddenly realized something. She seemed to have been too excited just now and accidentally revealed her true face, allowing Song Ankang to see it. However, she couldn¡¯t be blamed for this. After all, Song Ankang was so good-looking that she was stunned. It was normal for something to happen accidentally. After knowing the reason, the lilac girl smiled sinisterly. She no longer concealed her ugly appearance and pounced towards Song Ankang with a strange smile. Such a good-looking man should merge into one with her! ¡°Boom¡­¡± Song Ankang went all out, ignoring the warning from the Fate-Defying Heaven Manual. He ruthlessly threw out another punch, accompanied by the pain from every single tendon in his body. The lilac girl was also slightly dazed by the seven wounds. It was clear that the punch was still effective. It was a pity that the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra cultivated from the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra was not masculine Blood Qi. Otherwise, it would be even more powerful against ghost spirits. However, compared to ordinary cultivation techniques, the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra was quite effective against ghosts. Only some masculine cultivation techniques could surpass the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra. However, the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra was much more powerful when dealing with demons. Many masculine cultivation techniques could not catch up. ¡°Ah¡­¡± The lilac girl¡¯s ugly face turned even more hideous upon feeling the burning pain from the seven injuries. She roared and was about to pounce on Song Ankang. Her previous elegance was gone. If Master Dai Wangshu were to see this kind of lilac girl, he would definitely not be able to write about Rain Alley. ¡°Boom¡­¡± The third Fist of Injury landed, causing the lilac girl to become more and more blurry. At this moment, Song Ankang had already regained his senses and consciously retracted the attack range of the Fist of Injury. At the same time, he allowed his qi and blood of the Seven Wounds to unleash even greater power. ¡°Chi¡­¡± Accompanied by a strange sound, the lilac girl¡¯s ugly face seemed to have been poured with hot oil, and it began to emit a grayish-black foul stench. It was so painful that she let out a scream and stopped her attack. The illusions around her also weakened a lot. With the boost in his spiritual willpower, Song Ankang finally broke free from the illusion and saw the real environment he was in. It turned out that this wasn¡¯t a rain alley but a sewage ditch. Song Ankang had seen it before when he came to the fabric shop, but it was transformed into a rain alley by the female ghost. Naturally, Ding Xiang did not know about Rain Alley. She had only triggered Song Ankang¡¯s inner thoughts, causing him to fall into the illusion of Rain Alley. If Song Ankang¡¯s willpower had been stronger, he would have discovered the anomaly and escaped from the illusion in time to seek help from Jiang Yun. Unfortunately, even though Song Ankang¡¯s spiritual willpower had increased by quite a bit, it was still far inferior to that of lilac girl, who could create a rain alley. He was unable to break free from the lilac girl¡¯s illusion. Luckily, Lilac Girl was captivated by Song Ankang¡¯s good looks and revealed a flaw. Only then did Song Ankang escape in time and heavily injured lilac girl with three consecutive punches. Song Ankang, who had used up most of his HP from his seven injuries, turned around and ran away as he looked at the screaming lilac girl. He no longer wanted to see this lilac girl. Soon, he ran out of the range of the illusion and shouted loudly. ¡°Instructor Jiang, save me!¡± Whoosh¡­ Upon hearing Song Ankang¡¯s cry for help, Jiang Yunhe, who was a hundred meters away, instantly rushed out of the fabric shop and charged towards Song Ankang. He quickly blocked Song Ankang¡¯s path and blocked the charging Lady Ding Xiang. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Facing Jiang Yunhe, who had reached the Internal Realm, Ding Xiang did not have much of a chance to resist. She was beaten by Jiang Yunhe until she fled like a rat. In Song Ankang¡¯s eyes, even though the Rain Alley had disappeared, lilac girl had regained her beautiful looks. Jiang Yunhe, who was punching and kicking her, seemed to be a little ruthless. However, Song Ankang, who had seen the true face of lilac girl, did not feel that it was too much. He retreated a few dozen meters further away from her. ¡°Young master, are you alright?¡± At this moment, Qiushi came to Song Ankang¡¯s side and looked at him worriedly. When he saw the blood that seeped out from Song Ankang¡¯s three consecutive punches, his eyes turned red. He took out a handkerchief to wipe it away. At this moment, Song Ankang also felt the pain. He had been so focused on attacking lilac girl just now that he had forgotten about the pain on his body. Now that he was out of danger, he finally felt the pain from every part of his body. Fortunately, he did not pass out this time. Perhaps it was because his consciousness and willpower had improved again. ¡°Hiss¡­¡± Song Ankang fell to the ground in pain. The few shop owners beside him quickly took chairs and medicine to treat Song Ankang. Their concern was obvious. Qiu Shi carefully treated Song Ankang even though he didn¡¯t think it was necessary. With the Fate-Defying Heaven Manual, these injuries would heal quickly. However, Song Ankang wouldn¡¯t reject the girl¡¯s kind intentions. He allowed Qiu Zhen to do whatever he wanted and soon, he bandaged some of the wounds. Luckily, Song Ankang had already reached the entry level of the Hidden Heaven Earth technique¡¯s Hidden Form Stage. Otherwise, Qiu Shi might have noticed that he was a Tendon transformation martial artist. ¡°Stop crying. It¡¯s not like it¡¯s a big injury. I¡¯ll be fine tomorrow.¡± Song Ankang wiped her tears away with a smile. He caressed the girl¡¯s cheek, which was tender and elastic. ¡°If I had known that Tongxin Town would be so dangerous in broad daylight, I wouldn¡¯t have come here today.¡± Qiu Shi said regretfully, feeling extremely guilty. Song Ankang smiled and comforted her. ¡°It¡¯s a blessing, not a curse. Even if you don¡¯t tell me, I¡¯ll bring you guys to Tongxin Town in the next two days. After all, the clothes you wore before are getting more and more uncomfortable.¡± ¡°So this is a doomed ordeal. Don¡¯t feel bad about it.¡± Qiu Shi finally felt better. She looked at Song Ankang with heartache, wanting to see if he was injured. The shop owners at the side echoed and comforted Qiu Shi with Song Ankang. ¡°Young lady, don¡¯t be sad. Son of the Song family is right. Whether it¡¯s a blessing or a calamity, it can¡¯t be avoided. Now that the most filial son of the Song Dynasty has escaped this calamity, things will definitely turn for the better.¡± ¡°Actually, we have to thank the most filial son of Song for his filial piety. If you didn¡¯t discover this female ghost in time, who knows how many more of us would have been killed. Little girl, we should thank you and the most filial son of the Song Dynasty.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. I didn¡¯t expect a female ghost to be hiding so close to us. She even dares to come out and cause trouble in broad daylight. She¡¯s really too cruel. I¡¯m afraid no one in our entire Tongxin Town can resist her.¡± ¡°The strongest person in the town is only at the second level of the Internal Realm. Basically, they can¡¯t stop this female ghost. Only an expert at the fourth level of the Internal Realm like Instructor Jiang can deal with such a powerful female ghost.¡± Chapter 13 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Song Ankang was surprised when he heard the townspeople¡¯s discussion. He finally realized that Jiang Yunhe was an expert at the fourth minor realm of the Internal Realm. He was already at the peak of second-rate martial artists. He was only one step away from reaching the Earth Gate Realm and becoming a first-rate martial artist. It was no wonder he could beat this female ghost up like a grandson. Looking at the lilac girl who was no longer human, Song Ankang finally felt relieved. It was too dangerous just now. He was almost killed by this female ghost. He thought that it would be safer to stay in Tongxin Town in broad daylight. He didn¡¯t expect it to be so dangerous with so many people around. It seemed that he would have to train hard in the future and raise his strength as soon as possible. Only then would he be able to preserve his life. Otherwise, who knew when he would encounter such a sudden danger again. The Mystic Desolate Great World was really a world that was extremely unfriendly to humans. There were mermen, angels, and others eyeing it covetously from the outside. There were demons and monsters wreaking havoc inside. When would they be able to enjoy peace? ¡°Pfft¡­¡± At this moment, Jiang Yunhe punched Lilac Girl to death, leaving behind a pile of ghost dust. Jiang Yunhe put it away and walked towards Song Ankang. However, Jiang Yunhe looked at Song Ankang with a strange look in his eyes. There was surprise, shock, and confusion. ¡°Young master, did you really only reach the Flesh Realm with the help of your previous enlightenment?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t Instructor Jiang confirm that he was only in the Flesh Training Realm?¡± Song Ankang¡¯s heart skipped a beat as he replied calmly. ¡°Unbelievable!¡± Jiang Yunhe was shocked when he heard Song Ankang¡¯s words. ¡°Does Young Master know how strong that female ghost is? She¡¯s already equivalent to a martial artist in the first minor realm of Internal Realm. However, with the power of the illusion, even an ordinary martial artist in the fourth minor realm of Internal Realm can¡¯t do anything to her, let alone a martial artist in the second level of External Realm.¡± ¡°To be able to escape the female ghost¡¯s illusion under such circumstances and even seriously injure her, the young master¡¯s combat ability is truly extraordinary. His mental willpower is also far superior to ordinary people.¡± ¡°Eh¡­¡± Song Ankang was stunned. He finally realized how powerful that female ghost was. She could even kill a martial artist at the fourth level of the Internal Realm. If that was the case, he was really lucky to be able to survive. Song Ankang, who thought that he was still a weakling after cultivating for a few days, finally had some confidence. He once again realized how terrifying the Fate-Defying Heaven Manual was. After some thought, Song Ankang explained with a bitter smile, ¡°Instructor Jiang, you¡¯re flattering me. Actually, I wasn¡¯t able to break free from the female ghost¡¯s illusion with my own strength. It was because the female ghost revealed a huge flaw that allowed me to break free from the illusion in a short period of time.¡± Song Ankang explained the situation to Jiang Yunhe and Qiu Shi, leaving them speechless. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that even the female ghost¡­ even the female ghost was captivated by Young Master!¡± Jiang Yunhe had a strange expression on his face, and the doubts in his heart dissipated. Qiu Shi snorted. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that even a female ghost would covet my husband. How shameless.¡± The surrounding shop owners looked at Song Ankang¡¯s handsome face and marveled. ¡°It can only be said that the great filial son of the Song family is a celestial being. That¡¯s why he was able to charm the female ghost to turn misfortune into fortune. It seems like the female ghost isn¡¯t blind.¡± ¡°Not only does the great filial son Song have a good character, even his appearance is top notch. It is truly our honor to be able to meet him.¡± ¡°Most filial son of the Song Dynasty, have you eaten? Why don¡¯t you let me be the host for lunch? We¡¯ll go to the best restaurant in town to drink.¡± Due to the fact that he had yet to recover from his injuries and was still waiting to absorb the side effects, Song Ankang rejected the enthusiastic bosses. He took the carriage provided by the cloth shop owner and quickly returned to Chaoyun Manor, which was a few kilometers away. As soon as he returned to the manor, Song Ankang used the excuse of wanting to rest and sent Qiu Shi and Jiang Yunhe to the training room to wait for the side effects. ¡°The Fate-Defying Heaven Manual has accumulated enough energy and is beginning to play a role¡­ Your wounds are being healed, your blood vitality is increasing, your skin is strengthening!¡± Soon, warm currents surged over and healed Song Ankang¡¯s injuries at an extremely fast speed. At the same time, they increased Song Ankang¡¯s tendons at an even faster speed. Song Ankang could clearly feel that his every tendon was becoming more and more flexible and sturdy. When he finished absorbing the side effects, Song Ankang couldn¡¯t help but strike. It was easy and unstoppable, and the force became even fiercer. Then there was the one-horned horse, touching the belly button, jumping in the air¡­ All of these were not a problem. This was a sign that his muscles had been trained to a certain extent. With Song Ankang¡¯s current skills, he could easily fight against ten people. With just a wave of his hand, he should already have nearly a thousand jin of strength. If he was on Earth, he would be a little superhuman. Moreover, unlike other martial artists who cultivated the Seven Wound Demon Sutra, Song Ankang¡¯s Seven Wound Vitality Blood Qi was thick and solid. It was also flawless in the training of his skin, muscles, and tendons. His foundation was extremely solid and his future was bound to be limitless. There were no side effects that the Seven Wound Demon Sutra should have. With the help of the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra, Song Ankang¡¯s willpower had also reached a level that far exceeded that of an ordinary person. It had a huge effect on Song Ankang¡¯s subsequent resistance to demons and ghosts. The near-death experience in Tongxin Town made Song Ankang deeply understand the benefits of having a strong willpower. It was something that could save lives. In the future, Song Ankang would pay more attention to it during his cultivation. For the next few days, Song Ankang obediently stayed in his courtyard and continued to cultivate diligently, completely unaware of the passage of time. With the help of the large amount of medicinal herbs he had just obtained from the storeroom, Song Ankang spent most of his time practicing the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra during the day. At night, he would use his fighting technique many times, bringing out the Fate-Defying Heaven Manual that could transform side effects to its maximum potential. His strength would increase at an unimaginable speed. This speed was not something that martial artists who cultivated orthodox cultivation methods could catch up to. Even those martial artists who cultivated unorthodox cultivation techniques could not catch up. It was simply a bug-like existence. Song Ankang was essentially consuming medicinal pills without side effects every day. He was constantly improving, and he quickly reached the peak of Tendon Realm. At this moment, Song Ankang¡¯s flexibility had far surpassed that of the Olympic gymnastics champion on Earth. He was able to perform all kinds of difficult moves with ease. If Song Ankang were to return to Earth now, he would be able to become the champion of the men¡¯s gymnastics world and become the top gymnast. Of course, the tempering of his tendons also increased Song Ankang¡¯s strength, speed, and reflexes by a lot. Every move he made was ferocious and powerful, far beyond the imagination of ordinary people. Cultivating a top demonic technique like the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra allowed a martial artist to possess combat strength that far surpassed their peers. It was also very easy to cross realms to fight against enemies. Under normal circumstances, a martial artist who had cultivated the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra to the pinnacle of the Tendon Realm would be able to defeat a fourth minor realm External Realm martial artist, let alone Song Ankang, who had absorbed the side effects. Let alone the External Realm stage, even if he encountered some weak Internal Realm martial artists, Song Ankang would still be able to put up a fight. That night, Song Ankang performed four consecutive punches to break through the bottleneck of the Bone Forging realm! Chapter 14 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The ferocious worms outside the Chaoyun Manor and the lilac female ghost that appeared during the day made Song Ankang feel increasingly threatened. He did not have a definite feeling previously from the host body. It was only when he personally experienced it that he realized how unfriendly this world was to humans. It must be known that this was still the safest region of the Human race, only several dozen li from the capital. Compared to other places, it was already very safe. Even so, Song Ankang had witnessed and experienced so many dangers in just a few days. If it was an ordinary person, how difficult would it be to survive? All of this was lashing out at Song Ankang, urging him to improve faster. If he was just a little slower, he might face a disaster. Song Ankang, who had died once, definitely did not want to do it again. He cherished his life now. Nothing was more important than his life. Therefore, even though the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra¡¯s fighting style was very painful, Song Ankang was adapting bit by bit. He tried his best to throw a few more punches to absorb more side effects. ¡°You have used the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra. Because of the side effects of the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra, all of your muscles and tendons have been damaged¡­ the Fate-Defying Heaven Manual has taken effect. It is currently absorbing energy from the outside world and is about to transform into a side effect. Please wait a moment!¡± The side effects of four consecutive punches naturally far surpassed three. After fainting for a period of time, the Fate Defying Heavenly Book began to transform the side effects of the punches. First, he recovered his damaged meridians. Then, he began to upgrade every single tendon in Song Ankang¡¯s body. He made the tendons, which had already reached a certain pinnacle, reach their peak. ¡°Boom¡­¡± After a brief stalemate, the turbulent Qi and Blood Qi broke through the bottleneck and began to temper Song Ankang¡¯s bones. The stronger the bones, the stronger the resistance, and the stronger the penetrative power. The corresponding attacks were also fiercer. Therefore, the tempering of the bones could not only increase the defensive power, but also increase the offensive power. Threads of qi and blood of the seven wounds seeped into his bones continuously, tempering every bone. At the same time, it also tempered the impurities within, allowing Song Ankang¡¯s strength to rapidly increase. When he woke up again, Song Ankang¡¯s strength had already steadily reached the Bone Training Realm. It was also the last minor realm of the fourth minor realm of External Realm. Moreover, it had completely stabilized. There was a faint silver luster flickering in his bones. Song Ankang¡¯s face was full of smiles as he felt the explosive increase in his strength. The physique he obtained from transmigration and integration was really too powerful. It far exceeded the imagination of ordinary people. No one would have thought that Song Ankang had advanced from an ordinary person to the fourth minor realm of External Realm within ten days without the help of any miracle medicines. He was also the peak of a third-rate martial artist. Moreover, after advancing to the Bone realm, Song Ankang¡¯s overall strength had once again soared. In a head-on collision, even a martial artist at the first minor realm of the Internal Realm would find it difficult to resist. If his combat experience and skills improved, Song Ankang¡¯s overall strength would definitely soar again. Therefore, after stabilizing his current realm, Song Ankang began to cultivate an escape magic skill. Demonic movement technique, Traceless Snow Steps! Thanks to the good culture of the human cultivation world in China, they basically wouldn¡¯t keep it to themselves. Therefore, Song Ankang chose a high-grade seventh-grade fiendish movement technique. It was also one of the top fiendish movement techniques among the human race in China. It allowed cultivators to use it for their entire lives. The so-called Traceless Snow Steps, as its name implied, was that after cultivating to a sufficiently high realm, even if one walked through the snow, there would be no traces. It was an extremely profound movement technique that was extremely suitable for long-distance running, and short distance sprinting was also very powerful. Once he successfully cultivated it, Song Ankang¡¯s escaping abilities would increase by several times. As the saying went, as long as there was life, there was hope. As long as a martial artist¡¯s life was still around, there would always be a time when they could make a comeback. This showed the importance of an escape technique. Initially, Song Ankang had wanted to cultivate an escape technique for a long time, but he had not found a suitable one. This time, he managed to find one suitable for him from Jiang Yunhe¡¯s cultivation technique manual. Traceless Snow Steps didn¡¯t sound like a devilish martial skill, but most cultivators recognized it as a Devil Dao martial skill. The reason for this was because the side effects of Traceless Snow Steps were too great. So evem though there were many areas that didn¡¯t meet the requirements of a Devil Dao martial skill, they were still called Devil Dao martial skills. There was only one side effect of the Traceless Snow Treading Steps, and that was that once one stopped cultivating, their martial technique would definitely regress. Moreover, the speed of regression was astonishing, beyond anyone¡¯s imagination. He even had to spend a lot of time cultivating every day. Otherwise, this movement technique would have regressed. But who could spend so much time on a movement technique? It was precisely because of this that even though Traceless Snow Treading was shockingly powerful, it was still listed as a demonic martial technique. But for Song Ankang, who could absorb side effects, such side effects were what he wanted the most. It was not difficult to cultivate the Traceless Snow Steps. If not for the fact that the side effects were too great, many people would choose to cultivate this superior seventh-grade movement technique. After fusing with the soul of the original owner, Song Ankang¡¯s comprehension ability was already very strong. Coupled with the enhancement of his spiritual will from practicing the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra, it only took him dozens of hours to master Traceless Snow Steps. Then, Song Ankang stopped cultivating and waited for the side effects of leaving no traces. ¡°You have cultivated the Traceless Snow Steps Technique. You have been affected by the side effect of the Traceless Snow Steps Technique. The Traceless Snow Steps Technique is about to regress¡­ The Fate-Defying Heaven Manual has taken effect. It is absorbing external energy and is about to transform the side effect. Please wait a moment!¡± ¡°The Fate-Defying Heaven Manual has accumulated enough energy and is starting to work¡­ Your Traceless Snow Steps is improving!¡± After only a few hours, the side effects of the Traceless Snow Steps came. This also meant that once he cultivated the Traceless Snow Steps, he had to practice every few hours, and it would take a lot of time. No wonder it was called a demonic martial technique. If not for the fact that he had the Fate-Defying Heaven Manual, Song Ankang would not have been able to withstand such a side effect. But now, he only felt that¡­ it was really fragrant! With the help of the Fate-Defying Heaven Manual, the side effects of the Traceless Snow Steps were quickly absorbed. Song Ankang could clearly feel that under the feedback of the side effects of this top-notch demonic technique, his movement technique realm quickly increased, and his comprehension of the Traceless Snow Steps became deeper and deeper. Taking advantage of the heat, Song Ankang immediately began to practice Traceless Snow Steps. In an instant, the entire training room was filled with Song Ankang¡¯s figure, and his speed was more than twice as fast as before. There was a world of difference between movement techniques and movement techniques, not to mention that Song Ankang cultivated the top-notch demonic movement technique. After this wave of side effects ended, Song Ankang¡¯s Traceless Snow Steps had already reached a higher level, comparable to more than half a month of cultivation for ordinary people. The side effects of the Traceless Snow Steps were really awesome. Song Ankang happily felt the power of the Traceless Snow Steps increase. His body shuttled through the small training room like a swallow, looking elegant as he strolled. If the other martial artists who had cultivated the Traceless Snow Steps knew about Song Ankang¡¯s current situation, who knew what they would think? They would definitely cry out in envy. To others, it was troublesome and had terrifying side effects, but to Song Ankang, it became a great thing. But soon, Song Ankang also felt that this side effect was a little too much. Chapter 15 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Song Ankang felt very good when the Fate-Defying Heaven Manual transformed the first wave of Traceless Snow Steps. Song Ankang still felt very good when the Fate-Defying Heaven Manual transformed the second wave of side effects. However, when the third wave of side effects of the Fate-Defying Heaven Manual awakened the sleeping Song Ankang, he didn¡¯t feel that good anymore. The fourth wave of side effects awakened the sleeping Song Ankang again. Song Ankang began to think that it was a little too frequent. Even though it felt good, he couldn¡¯t stand it anymore, especially since it would delay his normal rest. He couldn¡¯t take a break in the future. However, he had already cultivated the Traceless Snow Steps and the side effects were still so powerful. He couldn¡¯t just give up, right? Giving up would also severely injure his cultivation realm. Even though he had the Fate-Defying Heaven Manual, Song Ankang still confirmed one thing, which was that Traceless Snow Steps was really a demonic martial technique. Helpless, Song Ankang could only continue to endure the waves of pleasure from Traceless Snow Steps. Slowly, he felt that he had practiced the wrong movement technique. Thinking of how proud he had been before practicing the Traceless Snow Steps, Song Ankang had the urge to beat him up. The pleasure he felt after cultivating Traceless Snow Steps was all because of the water in his brain before he cultivated Traceless Snow Steps. Under this high-intensity side effect, Song Ankang¡¯s attainments in Traceless Snow Step soared, and he advanced to the Minor Mastery stage the next day. After the initial success, the frequency of the side effects had decreased slightly, but the intensity had increased. This caused Song Ankang to find a place to hide every time he had an attack, lest he embarrass himself in front of others. However, even so, she was still a little slow. He cried out in front of Qiu Shi, scaring her so much that she covered her face and fled. She thought that Song Ankang was hinting at something. This made Song Ankang rather embarrassed. He began to practice how to endure this feeling without batting an eyelid. But thinking about it occasionally, it actually felt really good. Under the wake-up call of the lilac girl (the female ghost), Song Ankang lived a very fulfilling life in the following days. He practiced techniques during the day and fought at night. When he was free, he would practice the Hidden Heaven and Earth Technique. From time to time, he even let Jiang Yunhe practice with him. His combat experience and combat skills were also improving rapidly. With the help of the Fate-Defying Heaven Manual, Song Ankang quickly raised his strength to the limit of the Bone Refinement Realm, preparing to break through the bottleneck of the Internal Realm. ¡°Bone Tempering Fist!¡± ¡°Bone Tempering Fist!¡± Song Ankang practiced the Bone Tempering Fist three times in a row and did not look at the hint of the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra. He took the ten-year-old ginseng medicinal cuisine and began to circulate the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra. At the same time, he waited for the feedback of the side effects and then broke through to the Internal Realm. Even though Song Ankang could still punch again, or even twice, and then directly faint and wait for the side effects to take effect, the Internal Realm involved key organs such as the internal organs. If he broke through in a coma, it was very easy for accidents to happen. Therefore, Song Ankang did not often slack off and use his coma to break through like he did in the fourth minor realm of External Realm. Instead, he endured the pain brought by the Bone Tempering Fist. Sensing that his bones were about to shatter, Song Ankang¡¯s mental will was unprecedentedly clear. He kept circulating the Bone Tempering Fist to recover his damaged bones so that more side effects could help him break through to the Internal Realm. From external realm to internal realm was a big bottleneck. Once one stepped into it, they would be a second-rate martial artist. They would be considered a small expert in the martial world. There were thousands of people in Tongxin Town, and the strongest was only at the second level of internal realm. It could be imagined how rare internal realm martial artists were. ¡°The Fate-Defying Heaven Manual has accumulated enough energy and is beginning to play a role¡­ your wounds are being healed, your blood vitality is increasing, your bones are strengthening!¡± A few hours later, the side effects of the Fate-Defying Heaven Manual¡¯s transformation came as promised. Because the damage to the bones had been cured by the ten-year-old ginseng, these transformed side effects gathered in front of the bottleneck dam and surged towards it under Song Ankang¡¯s control. The path of cultivation went from the outside to the inside, layer by layer. First, there was external realm, then internal realm. The experience left behind over thousands of years was not just for show. After advancing to the extreme of the Bone Refinement Realm, the qi and blood of the seven wounds in Song Ankang¡¯s body had reached an extreme in terms of purity and strength. It could break through the bottleneck and enter the five viscera without any side effects. The bottleneck was quickly broken through. Next, the qi and blood of the seven wounds could smoothly enter the five organs without harming them at all. Fortunately, the purity of qi and blood of the seven wounds had reached an extremely high level, and Song Ankang¡¯s control over it had also reached a sufficient level. He carefully controlled the qi and blood of the seven wounds and entered his internal organs like threads, starting from his heart. Knock, knock, knock¡­ As the qi and blood of the seven wounds¡¯s blood entered his body, his heart beat much faster, but it did not hurt his heart at all. Only then did Song Ankang heave a sigh of relief. He carefully maneuvered his qi and blood of the seven wounds, tempering his heart bit by bit. The heart was the center of the five organs and also the central hub of the entire human body¡¯s bloodline. The heart transported qi and blood throughout the body through the bloodline, and it was also the main consciousness. It was the center of mental, consciousness, and thought activity and was extremely dominant in the human body. Therefore, the refinement of the five organs first started from the heart. As his heart was tempered and improved, Song Ankang could clearly feel his body becoming stronger and his mental will becoming more active. When this feeling reached an extreme, it also meant that Song Ankang had broken through to a new realm and stabilized. Internal Tempering First Minor realm: Internal Organs! Once the internal organs were tempered, they could breathe deeply and have long stamina. The so-called walking like a galloping horse and jumping like a bird referred to this realm. Even though he had just entered the heart to temper it, Song Ankang¡¯s endurance had almost doubled. His other aspects had also improved, especially the qi and blood of the seven wounds. In terms of overall strength, the current Song Ankang could defeat him more than two times. It could be imagined how much his strength had increased after stepping into the Internal Realm. Now, he could easily take down twenty or thirty people at once, let alone ten. His strength was already close to 1,000 kilograms, and his speed had reached a few seconds and 100 meters. His reaction speed was also able to instantly slash out several times¡­ It was not an exaggeration to say that he was a little superman. Back on Earth, Song Ankang would never have thought that he would one day possess such tyrannical strength. It was simply like a dream. If he could return to Earth with such strength, most sports would be a piece of cake for him. He could easily win the championship. Even if he was asked to play for the men¡¯s football team, Song Ankang was confident that he could lead the national team to the World Cup finals. There was no other reason. When his physical fitness reached a certain level, many events were like a child¡¯s game to him. Unfortunately, this was the Mystic Desolate Continent, and Song Ankang could not return to Earth. There were too many existences stronger than him here. Song Ankang was just a small fry. Even though he had successfully advanced to the Internal Realm, he was not happy for long before he thought of something that worried him. Chapter 16 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In just half a month, Song Ankang¡¯s strength had advanced rapidly from an ordinary person to the first minor realm of internal refinement. He was qualified to be called a second-rate expert. Even though the Fate-Defying Heaven Manual had played a huge role in allowing him to improve so quickly, the medicinal herbs obtained from the storeroom had also contributed greatly. However, the consumption was even greater. Three months¡¯ worth of monthly allowance, combined with Liu Yuanqing¡¯s three months¡¯ worth of monthly allowance, was only enough for Song Ankang to use for half a month. As the owner of Chaoyun Village, his monthly allowance was the highest here. The medicinal herbs he could exchange for were very impressive. These medicinal herbs could be used by ordinary martial artists for a year or two, but when it came to Song Ankang, they were used up in half a month. Even though he was the owner of Chaoyun Manor, it was already good enough that he could get an advance of three months¡¯ salary. It would be impossible for him to get another advance. Without the help of medicinal herbs, there was only one way for Song Ankang to increase his strength at a high speed, and that was to practice more dirty punches. Song Ankang reminded Qiu Shi with a bitter smile before coming to the training room. He locked the door and began to use the Injury Fist. ¡°Boom¡­¡± ¡°Ow¡­¡± Song Ankang cried out in pain. Compared to the pain of his flesh and bones, the pain of his heart was much more terrifying. Just one punch was enough to make Song Ankang unable to withstand it. ¡°You have used the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra. Because of the side effects of the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra, all of your muscles and tendons have been damaged¡­ the Fate-Defying Heaven Manual has taken effect. It is currently absorbing energy from the outside world and is about to transform into a side effect. Please wait a moment!¡± Song Ankang collapsed to the ground in pain, waiting for the feedback of the side effects. At the same time, the contents of the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra, the Hidden Heaven and Earth Technique, and the Traceless Snow Steps Technique kept appearing in his mind. He wanted to divert his attention by comprehending these cultivation techniques, but it was still very painful. If not for the fact that he had been cultivating the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra for the past half a month and the side effects of absorbing it had increased his mental will by a lot, Song Ankang would have fainted from the pain. Unfortunately, one had to be especially careful when cultivating in the Internal Realm. Song Ankang did not dare to faint. Otherwise, he would have to punch him twice in a row. ¡°The Fate-Defying Heaven Manual has accumulated enough energy and is beginning to play a role¡­ your wounds are being healed, your blood vitality is increasing, your bones are strengthening!¡± After an unknown period of time, the feedback of the side effects finally arrived. Feeling the heart that felt like it was soaking in a hot spring, Song Ankang felt comfortable. Unfortunately, the feedback from the side effects only lasted for a few minutes, so Song Ankang did not even have time to savor it. Fortunately, the tempering of his heart had increased a lot. He left the training room and ate something. Even though there was no more medicinal cuisine, there was still beast meat to enjoy and the energy inside was not bad. It was barely enough for Song Ankang to practice the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra for ten minutes. After practicing the technique, Song Ankang hesitated for a moment, but still threw another dirty punch with a bitter face, then fell to the ground and twitched. Under his fearless training, Song Ankang¡¯s tempering speed of the internal organs were still considerable. It was at least dozens of times faster than cultivators of the same level. However, with the help of sufficient medicinal herbs, the speed of improvement would be even faster. Moreover, the cultivation method of the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra could effectively increase one¡¯s mental willpower. Therefore, while practicing hard, Song Ankang was also looking for a suitable way to earn money. After searching through the host body¡¯s memories and borrowing some modern ways to earn money, he had a vague idea. However, this path still needed to be perfected and could not be taken out immediately. After dinner that night, Song Ankang was about to return to his bedroom to practice the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra when he heard a commotion outside. He thought it would subside soon, but the commotion became louder and louder. Song Ankang frowned and led Qiu Shi and Jiang Yunhe, who were also unable to sleep, towards the storeroom where the commotion was coming from. He found that more than half of the entire manor was gathered there, noisily doing something. When they got closer, from the noise of the crowd, Song Ankang understood the reason for the matter. ¡°Hao Jiyong, hurry up and admit it. Other than you, who else would steal those precious herbs? If you admit it now, you can still end up well. Otherwise, don¡¯t blame us for being impolite and killing you directly.¡± ¡°The weather is dry this year, so it¡¯s not good to collect the costs. It¡¯s all because of the precious medicinal herbs left behind last year. Now that you¡¯ve stolen several precious medicinal herbs, how can we afford to pay taxes? You¡¯re trying to force everyone to their deaths.¡± ¡°Steward Liu also said that you were the only one who used the key to the storeroom ten days ago. After that, the storeroom started to be robbed. After we checked carefully, we didn¡¯t find any traces of demon beasts or monsters in the storeroom. This means that the theft of the storeroom must have been done by someone. Who else could it be?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. A few days ago, someone saw you selling a ten-year-old ginseng in Tongxin Town. Among the precious herbs lost in our warehouse, there was a ten-year-old ginseng. Moreover, someone discovered that your brother had become addicted to gambling again and owed the casino a lot of money. You must have done such a crazy thing to repay your brother¡¯s debt.¡± The theft of the warehouse pointed to a warehouse worker named Hao Jiyong. Hearing everyone¡¯s condemnation, Hao Jiyong became a little anxious. ¡°I definitely didn¡¯t steal those precious herbs. I, Hao Jiyong, am an upright person. I¡¯ve never stolen anything from anyone, let alone the precious herbs in the storeroom. I didn¡¯t do this.¡± ¡°I did use the key to the storeroom ten days ago, but instead of secretly using it to match a new key, I went to get food for you. Besides, I wasn¡¯t the only one who used the key to the storeroom ten days ago. The others did, too. Why did they have to say that I stole something from the storeroom?¡± ¡°My brother does owe the casino a large sum of money these past few days. Our family is unable to repay it, so every night, I risk going to the surrounding forest to find medicinal herbs to sell to repay his debt. That ten-year-old ginseng was found in the red leaf forest and not from our storeroom.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask my wife and children. They all know about this and keep telling me not to take risks.¡± However, not many people believed Hao Jiyong¡¯s explanation. ¡°If you say you¡¯re upright, then you¡¯re upright. I even said that I¡¯m a first-rate expert, but who would believe me?¡± ¡°None of the others had a motive for stealing the matching key and stealing the precious herbs. Only you had that motive.¡± ¡°Your wife and children must be on your side. Why would they expose you? Hao Jiyong, just admit it. There¡¯s no one else in this matter but you.¡± ¡°Even if you didn¡¯t do it, you¡¯re definitely involved. Maybe your brother did. You¡¯re just an accomplice.¡± Because Hao Jiyong was more suspicious and the evidence he presented was not too strong, more people thought that he was behind this. However, Hao Jiyong refused to admit it. Seeing that he was so stubborn, the warehouse manager, Liu Yuanqing, was a little angry. He walked forward and pointed at Hao Jiyong. ¡°Since he refuses to admit it, let¡¯s take him to the dungeon and teach him a lesson. Let¡¯s see if he still dares to be so stubborn.¡± Chapter 17 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios As soon as Liu Yuanqing finished speaking, many people responded. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what we should do. Torture him. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll confess.¡± ¡°Hao Jiyong is driving us to our deaths by doing this. Why should we be polite to him?¡± ¡°Everyone, listen to Steward Liu. We¡¯ll take down that bastard Hao Jiyong now.¡± After the verbal attack was useless, everyone prepared to use force under Liu Yuanqing¡¯s instigation. Seeing this scene, Hao Jiyong¡¯s wife and daughter stood in front of Hao Jiyong to prevent the villagers from taking him away. They defended Hao Jiyong with tears streaming down their faces. ¡°Uncles and sisters, don¡¯t you know what kind of person my husband is? He has never taken a needle or thread from anyone all these years and has even helped you a lot. He definitely didn¡¯t do this. He can¡¯t do such a crazy thing.¡± ¡°Daddy didn¡¯t steal anything. Don¡¯t arrest Daddy. Boohoo.¡± ¡°My father has worked in the warehouse for so long, but he doesn¡¯t even take advantage of it. Why would he steal those precious herbs? Let my father go.¡± Looking at the miserable family, Song Ankang frowned. ¡°Are you preparing to force a confession? If Hao Jiyong can¡¯t stand it and confess, what will happen?¡± ¡°Erm¡­¡± Qiu Shi hesitated for a moment before saying seriously, ¡°According to the clan rules, stealing so many precious herbs will affect the payment of taxes this year. They will definitely be beaten to death, even if they report it to the authorities.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be killed like this¡­¡± Song Ankang was stunned. He didn¡¯t expect to be beaten and killed just for stealing something. The rules here were too cruel. However, when he thought about the possible impact of doing so, he wondered how many people would starve to death this year. Song Ankang understood a little more. However, without concrete evidence that Hao Jiyong was behind this, Song Ankang could not accept that he would be forced to confess and lose his life. Even if it was the rule of this place that thieves were killed, they still had to let people die in plain sight. Therefore, even if his next move might make his reputation in Chaoyun Manor even worse, he might even be sued to the Tang Manor in the capital. If he could not prove Hao Jiyong¡¯s innocence, he might lose his position as the manor master of Chaoyun Manor. However, Song Ankang still decided to do so. After all, he was the owner of Chaoyun Tianzhuang. In theory, he could decide anything in Chaoyun Manor, and he also had the right to decide the matters in Chaoyun Manor, let alone kill someone. Song Ankang couldn¡¯t just watch Hao Jiyong die, and then his family would be destroyed. It would be difficult for Hao Jiyong¡¯s family, who had lost their pillar, to survive this cruel year. Song Ankang could not bear to see the two crying children and the delicate-looking woman. So Song Ankang walked firmly towards Hao Jiyong and his family, who were being torn apart. Even if he was wrong this time, with his special physique, there would always be a moment when Song Ankang would soar into the sky. It would not be worth it if his heart was covered in dust because of this matter. ¡°Stop!¡± The clear voice was the only counter-current at this time and immediately attracted everyone¡¯s attention. When they saw that it was their new owner who shouted this, many people frowned, especially Liu Yuanqing. Even though everyone disdained Song Ankang¡¯s ability to manage the farmstead, the title of the number one filial son in the capital was enough to make everyone stop pulling Hao Jiyong and look at him indifferently. Behind him, Jiang Yunhe was also surprised by Song Ankang¡¯s sudden action. A faint look of approval flashed across his eyes. ¡°My Lord, what are you doing?¡± Liu Yuanqing braced himself and asked. Clearly, what happened a few days ago had traumatized him. Song Ankang glanced at the surrounding farmers and looked at Liu Yuanqing. ¡°You want to conclude that Hao Jiyong was behind the theft of the warehouse just because of some personal speculation and imagination. Is there no other conclusive evidence?¡± ¡°Conclusive evidence?¡± Liu Yuanqing was stunned. ¡°What conclusive evidence? Isn¡¯t this conclusive?¡± Song Ankang was speechless. ¡°The conclusive evidence I¡¯m talking about is whether anyone witnessed Hao Jiyong stealing the precious herbs in the storeroom or discovered the key he stole?¡± ¡°This¡­ No.¡± Liu Yuanqing shook his head. ¡°But he has the motive to steal the precious herbs in the storeroom. At the same time, he has been staying out at night for the past half a month or so. In addition, someone saw him selling a ten-year-old ginseng. Isn¡¯t this all evidence? It¡¯s enough to confirm that he was the one who did this.¡± Song Ankang frowned. ¡°I remember that the storeroom is guarded around the clock, especially at the main door. Since you said that Hao Jiyong opened the door to steal precious herbs by stealing the matching key, can¡¯t the guards see it?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Liu Yuanqing looked embarrassed and hesitated to speak. However, someone in the crowd quickly answered for him. ¡°In the past few months, there haven¡¯t been any more staff assigned to the storeroom to watch over it at night because another monthly allowance will have to be made. Manager Liu canceled it if he felt it was a waste.¡± Song Ankang looked at Yuanqing. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been managing the warehouse for many years, and it hasn¡¯t been stolen in the past ten years, so¡­ so I felt that night care was useless, so I canceled it.¡± Sweat appeared on Yuanqing¡¯s forehead. Song Ankang sneered. ¡°In that case, you should be responsible for the theft of the warehouse, right? And why didn¡¯t you report this matter? Or do you think guarding the warehouse is a small matter and there¡¯s no need to report it, so you can make a decision on your own?¡± ¡°Please forgive me, Manor Lord. This is all my fault. Please punish me.¡± Liu Yuanqing¡¯s face was ashen. He knew that he was quite responsible for this matter, so he wanted to solve the case as soon as possible. It would be best if he could recover the precious herbs that had been stolen. Otherwise, the family¡¯s punishment would definitely not be light. After all, even though there were not many stolen medicinal herbs, they were all the most precious batch. The worst was a ten-year-old ginseng, which was equivalent to about 10% of the harvest of the Chaoyun Manor in the normal year. Seeing that Liu Yuanqing had admitted his mistake, Song Ankang sneered. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about the punishment later. Let me ask you, after discovering that Hao Jiyong was selling ten-year-old ginseng, did you ask the shop he was selling? Did Hao Jiyong sell any other precious herbs to them?¡± ¡°No.¡± Yuanqing shook his head. ¡°We¡¯ve already checked with the pharmacies in Tongxin Town. Hao Jiyong only sold a ten-year-old ginseng in one of the pharmacies. The other herbs were not sold in Tongxin Town. They should be sold in other places that we don¡¯t know about to avoid being discovered by us.¡± Song Ankang smiled. ¡°Since Hao Jiyong has such a secret selling channel, why did he go to the pharmacy in Tongxin Town to sell a ten-year-old ginseng openly? Is there something wrong with his brain or yours?¡± Chapter 18 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Ah¡­¡± As Song Ankang¡¯s words fell, Yuanqing and the surrounding tenants were in an uproar. For a moment, they were speechless. Only then did they realize that their self-righteous speculations and conjectures had a huge flaw. Previously, everyone had been staring at Hao Jiyong¡¯s suspicious points, but no one had seen anything wrong. Only when Song Ankang said it did these people realize something. Looking at the ashamed Yuanqing and the others, Song Ankang continued, ¡°Other than that, isn¡¯t there another way to prove that Hao Jiyong didn¡¯t lie?¡± ¡°Since Hao Jiyong said that the ten-year-old ginseng was recently picked by him, he must still remember the approximate location. Follow him and take a look. If that place really used to grow ten-year-old ginseng, there must be something special about it. I¡¯m sure you can tell since you often grow ginseng.¡± ¡°If that ten-year-old ginseng was preserved last year, it would definitely be quite different from fresh ginseng. Do you still need me to point out the results?¡± Everyone was silent, unable to speak. There were many things in this world that could be explained clearly, but because many people were hot-blooded, not only could they not explain it clearly, but they often pushed things to a worse place. By the time it was finally proven wrong, it was too late. Some people might find it unbelievable, but when they thought about the women in ancient history who were sent to the stake because of a wrong move, they knew how ignorant those ancient people were. Not to mention that this matter concerned the life and death of everyone. Hao Jiyong was indeed suspicious. Under Liu Yuanqing¡¯s instigation, it was normal for everyone to do such a thing. ¡°Thank you for saving my life, Young Master. I really didn¡¯t do this. I can bring everyone to the place where I dug the ginseng. I remember it clearly.¡± ¡°Our entire family will never forget your saving grace. When we return, we will definitely set up a longevity tablet for you and pray for you day and night.¡± ¡°Thank you, Villa Master. Thank you, Young Master.¡± Hao Jiyong¡¯s family was in tears as they knelt in front of Song Ankang and thanked him. Their entire family knew that if Hao Jiyong was thrown into the dungeon tonight, he might not be able to withstand the torture and would eventually be forced to confess. At that time, what awaited their family would definitely be a calamity. Song Ankang¡¯s actions seemed small, but he had actually saved their entire family. ¡°Villa Master, what should we do now? We¡¯ve lost more than a dozen of the most precious medicinal herbs. After paying the taxes this year, I¡¯m afraid there won¡¯t be anything left. Many people will definitely starve to death in winter.¡± Seeing that Hao Jiyong¡¯s suspicions might be cleared, Liu Yuanqing became a little anxious and looked at Song Ankang pleadingly. Song Ankang pondered for a moment. ¡°Follow my instructions and confirm if Hao Jiyong is telling the truth. At the same time, don¡¯t let him leave the farm for the time being. I¡¯ll assist you in investigating the theft. Also, if something like this happens again, you must report it to me immediately and not handle it privately.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes. I can save myself the trouble.¡± Liu Yuanqing nodded and began to get busy. Some of the tenants around him went home under his arrangements, while others continued to search the warehouse for any clues. At the same time, they confirmed that what Hao Jiyong had said was true. Song Ankang did not return immediately. Instead, he brought Qiu Shi and Jiang Yunhe into the storeroom, looking for anything suspicious. ¡°Young Master is so powerful. He saved Hao Jiyong¡¯s family with just a few words. Before this, I also thought that Hao Jiyong was the one who did this.¡± Qiu Shi, on the other hand, was an excellent supporter. As soon as she entered the storeroom, she held her exquisite face with both hands and said with starry eyes, looking like a fangirl. Jiang Yunhe also nodded. ¡°To be able to discover so many suspicious points in such a short time, Young Master¡¯s talent is indeed extraordinary. If he participates in the Imperial Court selection in the future, he might be able to become an official.¡± ¡°You¡¯re flattering me. Actually, it¡¯s not difficult to discover these doubts. It¡¯s just that everyone was too hot-headed. In addition, this matter concerns everyone¡¯s lives, so everyone was a little rash.¡± Song Ankang smiled and shook his head. ¡°Moreover, although these doubts are striking, it¡¯s not impossible to refute them. If we can¡¯t find the thief later, everyone will definitely focus their suspicion on Hao Jiyong.¡± ¡°How can this be? Can¡¯t everyone see such a huge doubt? They even have to blame this on Hao Jiyong.¡± Qiu Shi was stunned. Song Ankang said, ¡°If we can¡¯t find anyone else more suspicious, Hao Jiyong will still be the most suspicious person. When the time comes, everyone will naturally fill in the gaps and make the most favorable speculation. Therefore, the most important thing now is to find the thief who stole the herbs.¡± ¡°This¡­¡± A confused look appeared on Qiu Shi¡¯s face. She clearly still did not understand. She was still young and did not have a deep understanding of the complexity of the human heart and human nature. On the other hand, Jiang Yunhe, who was at the side, nodded in admiration. ¡°Young master is right. I didn¡¯t expect you to be so insightful at such a young age.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve read too many books, so my brain is naturally a little brighter.¡± Song Ankang smiled and said, ¡°In the future, I can popularize some basic knowledge in the farmstead. Otherwise, there will always be some problems when I encounter things.¡± As he spoke, Song Ankang carefully observed the storeroom to see if there was anything suspicious. Even though Liu Yuanqing was a little cunning, the storeroom was quite well organized. All kinds of food and medicinal herbs were placed in a very orderly manner. It was also handled very well. It could be preserved for at least a few years, or even decades. Being able to hold the position of warehouse manager for so many years, Liu Yuanqing¡¯s business ability was still passable. Walking in the spacious storeroom, for some reason, Song Ankang felt that something was wrong, as if there was something hidden in the storeroom. However, there were often people coming and going in this warehouse. If there were really demons and ghosts hiding, they would definitely be discovered immediately. Why would they stay until now? There were also many people who came to look for clues during the day and night. Similarly, they did not encounter anything. Why were there demons and ghosts hiding now? Moreover, ghosts should not be interested in the food and herbs here. The dozen or so stolen herbs were useless against ghosts. As for demon beasts and demons, once they stole medicinal herbs, they would definitely leave traces behind, and they would not be small. Now that there were no traces in the warehouse, it should not be the work of demon beasts and demons. Unless the demon beasts and demons had astonishing intelligence and knew how to hide their traces. However, if there were demon beasts and demons with such strong intelligence, why would they care about these things in the warehouse? According to the ancient books, demon beasts and demons with such intelligence were basically above first-rate martial artists. If they needed the herbs in the warehouse, they could just snatch them. Moreover, the interior and exterior of the warehouse were made of Green Ridge Stone. If demon beasts and demonic beasts came in to steal, they would basically cause a huge commotion and leave many traces. Therefore, whether it was Liu Yuanqing and the others or Song Ankang, they quickly ruled out the possibility that the demons and ghosts had attacked. Since it wasn¡¯t the demons and ghosts, it must have been someone else. Chapter 19 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Thinking that the theft of Chaoyun Manor¡¯s warehouse was probably man-made, Hao Jiyong¡¯s figure immediately appeared in Song Ankang¡¯s mind. There was no other reason. Compared to the others, there were really many doubts about Hao Jiyong. Moreover, Liu Yuanqing had also investigated the workers in the other warehouses and found that the suspicious points on these people combined could not compare to Hao Jiyong. No wonder Liu Yuanqing blamed this matter on Hao Jiyong. Song Ankang frowned as well. He looked carefully inside and outside the storeroom, but found nothing. However, when he left, Song Ankang inexplicably thought of the feeling that something was wrong when he had just entered the storeroom. In the next few days, while Song Ankang was cultivating, he often came to the warehouse to find out about the progress of the theft. However, he had nothing to gain, not even the feeling that something was wrong. There was good news about Hao Jiyong¡¯s investigation. The ten-year-old ginseng that Hao Jiyong sold was indeed new and not leftover from last year. Moreover, Hao Jiyong had also found the place where he had dug out the ten-year-old ginseng. He had also obtained the confirmation from the experts in the field farm that the ginseng was indeed growing well there. Even so, because the theft case had been slow to progress, the doubts that shrouded Hao Jiyong quickly rose back after some time, especially as something happened. ¡°Hao Jiyong, you¡¯re my big brother. Why don¡¯t you help me? The people from the Ningmen Association are already forcing me into a corner. You still want to hide it and not take it out, right?¡± ¡°Everyone says you stole a dozen precious herbs and sold them for a lot of money. A third is enough for me to pay off my gambling debts. Why didn¡¯t you save me?¡± ¡°Since you want to see me being forced into a corner by Ning Men, don¡¯t blame me for revealing this matter. You must have stolen those precious herbs because you told me about this once.¡± ¡°At that time, you said that there were so many loopholes in the management of Chaoyun Manor¡¯s warehouse. As long as the people inside had any bad ideas, they could take out many precious medicinal herbs from it. So you had bad ideas, right?¡± That morning, Song Ankang was practicing with Jiang Yunhe in the courtyard to improve his combat experience and combat skills when he heard a piercing shout outside. Song Ankang¡¯s face darkened. Because there had been no progress in the theft case for a few days, many people had placed their attention on Hao Jiyong. Now that Hao Jiyong¡¯s brother Hao Jimeng had shouted, there would probably be more people suspecting Hao Jiyong again. Hao Jiyong took the time to pick medicinal herbs in the middle of the night for his younger brother, Hao Jimeng. However, Hao Jimeng did not know how to repay the kindness. It was fine if he did not know how to repay kindness, but because of the gossip of others, he also felt that Hao Jiyong had stolen the precious medicinal herbs in the warehouse of Chaoyun Manor. After not getting what he wanted from Hao Jiyong, he repaid kindness with ingratitude and bit Hao Jiyong. He clearly wanted to drive Hao Jiyong and his family into a dead end. Hao Jiyong had treated this heartless ingrate so well. Even though in the eyes of Song Ankang, Hao Jimeng¡¯s actions proved that Hao Jiyong did not steal the precious herbs in the storeroom, in the eyes of most people, Hao Jiyong was even more suspicious. ¡°Even Hao Jiyong¡¯s younger brother said that the precious herbs in the storeroom were stolen by Hao Jiyong. Clearly, this matter can¡¯t be fake. The Villa Master has misjudged the person this time and wasted so much time.¡± ¡°I knew it. Hao Jiyong has so many suspicious points. Who else could it be? Even though what Young Master said makes sense, Hao Jiyong might be deliberately confusing us. Actually, he stole those precious herbs from the storeroom.¡± ¡°Hao Jiyong doesn¡¯t admit it now only because we¡¯re all keeping an eye on him. That¡¯s why he doesn¡¯t dare to tell Hao Jimeng that he was the one who stole the precious herbs in the storeroom. He wants to kill his brother for his family. Hao Jiyong is really ruthless.¡± ¡°Young Master is too stupid to believe someone like Hao Jiyong. In the end, it¡¯s because Young Master is too stupid and can¡¯t manage a farm at all. After all, Young Master was just a weak scholar in the past. What ability can he have?¡± The same thing was interpreted differently by different people. Song Ankang felt that Hao Jimeng¡¯s actions further proved Hao Jiyong¡¯s innocence, but most people did not think so. It even affected Song Ankang¡¯s status and reputation in Chaoyun Manor. ¡°Young Master, what should we do? Many people in the village are saying that you¡¯ve been blinded by Hao Jiyong. You don¡¯t have the ability, but you still want to stand up for him. If we really can¡¯t find the herbs, you¡¯ll have to bear a lot of responsibility.¡± ¡°We shouldn¡¯t have interfered in this matter. Actually, they should have handled it themselves. Young Master is new here. Even if there¡¯s any punishment, Young Master won¡¯t have much responsibility. However, Young Master is kind-hearted and saved Hao Jiyong¡¯s family. If they really did this, it would be too unjust.¡± The maidservant, Qiu Shi, was also a little anxious. She kept circling around Song Ankang, even more anxious than him. Seeing how worried she was, Song Ankang smiled and shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Even if I¡¯m wrong about this, it¡¯s nothing. Besides, in my opinion, Hao Jimeng has strengthened my previous speculation.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll go to the storeroom later. Maybe we can find some clues.¡± Beside him, Jiang Yunhe was silent. He frowned slightly and was also puzzled. After lunch, Song Ankang practiced the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra for a while before leading Qiu Shi and Jiang Yunhe towards the storeroom. However, halfway there, he heard Hao Jimeng shouting outside the village wall again. ¡°The deputy manager of Chaoyun Manor¡¯s warehouse, Hao Jiyong, is my big brother. He has money there, and he will help me pay back the money I owe you. He has helped me pay back many times before, don¡¯t you know that? So don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t force me anymore. Give my big brother some more time.¡± ¡°A few days ago, my brother dug up a ten-year-old wild ginseng. Didn¡¯t he already pay most of the interest? He has the ability to dig up a few more and return the capital to you. You can give us some more time.¡± The voice was familiar. After all, he had heard it this morning. Song Ankang was stunned. Not long after, Hao Jimeng returned. There was no time to go to the storeroom. Song Ankang and the others came to the wall and saw Hao Jimeng surrounded by a few fierce men outside the wall. Beside him was Hao Jiyong, whose wife and children were watching worriedly. Chapter 20 - Self-Destroying Family Matters Chapter 20 Self-Destroying Family Matters ¡°Hao Jimeng, it¡¯s not that we don¡¯t want to give you time, but you owe us too much money this time. It¡¯s 200 taels of silver. It¡¯s already very good of us to let you delay for more than half a month. You have to give us an explanation.¡± The leader was a burly man with small eyes. He wore a green robe that was popular among scholars and looked a little strange. Hao Jimeng pointed at Hao Jiyong and said, ¡°My big brother will give you an explanation. Ask him to mortgage something for you, or ask him to pay you an interest first. Give me a few more days. My big brother has hidden money.¡± ¡°What do you say, Brother Hao Jiyong?¡± the green-robed man asked. ¡°200 taels of silver!¡± Hao Jiyong took a deep breath. ¡°Our family won¡¯t be able to earn so much money even if we don¡¯t eat or drink for 10 or 20 years. How can I afford it?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can do about this. Besides, I¡¯ve only heard of the principle of paying a father¡¯s debt, but I¡¯ve never heard of the principle of paying a brother¡¯s debt. I can¡¯t do anything about it this time.¡± ¡°You cannot do anything about it!¡± As soon as Hao Jiyong finished speaking, Hao Jimeng couldn¡¯t help but shout, ¡°Don¡¯t you have a lot of money hidden away? Even if you don¡¯t have this money, you can still dig for ten-year-old ginseng. Can¡¯t you just dig a few more?¡± ¡°After my parents died, my eldest brother was like my father. My matters are your matters. You should help me pay back this money. Do you want to watch me die? Hao Jiyong, you¡¯re so vicious!¡± Hao Jiyong¡¯s expression changed. He looked at Hao Jimeng and said, ¡°Do you think it¡¯s so easy to find a ten-year-old ginseng? Besides, let me tell you something. I didn¡¯t take any of the herbs in the warehouse of Chaoyun Manor. If I did, I wouldn¡¯t have taken the risk to dig for herbs at night.¡± ¡°And so what if I have to watch you die? Didn¡¯t you want my family to die this morning? I¡¯ve helped you so much over the years. Is this how you repay our family?¡± Seeing Hao Jiyong¡¯s determined attitude, Hao Jimeng¡¯s expression changed. He suddenly knelt in front of Hao Jiyong and said, ¡°Brother, what happened this morning was all my fault. Didn¡¯t they force me to do something so irrational?¡± ¡°Please forgive me this time on account that I¡¯m your younger brother. Please help me again. Otherwise, they will definitely kill me. There are only two brothers in our family. We don¡¯t even have sisters. After Father and Mother left, I have always treated you as my parent. Please give me another chance.¡± ¡°Besides, I¡¯m already so old but I don¡¯t even have a wife and children. The reason why I went gambling is because I want to make a fortune and live a good life. That way, I can get married and have children. Isn¡¯t this what you¡¯ve always expected of me? If I¡¯m killed by them this time, how can I fulfill your wish?¡± Seeing that his previous method was useless, Hao Jimeng immediately changed tactics for the sake of his life. Hao Jiyong¡¯s wife looked worried, clearly afraid that Hao Jiyong would soften. Song Ankang frowned slightly and watched all of this calmly. The maidservant beside him, Qiu Shi, couldn¡¯t help but clench her fists. ¡°Hao Jimeng is really shameless. If he can¡¯t use force, he¡¯ll use force. If Hao Jiyong is really soft-hearted, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll be over. Moreover, this will implicate Young Master. Everyone will be even more suspicious that he stole the herbs in the storeroom.¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes were on Hao Jiyong. Even though everyone around could tell that Hao Jimeng was scheming, it was really difficult to make a rational decision in the middle of a situation, especially for Hao Jiyong, who had truly fulfilled his duty as an elder brother over the years. And what the others didn¡¯t know was that this was the first time Hao Jimeng had softened Hao Jiyong to this extent. In Hao Jimeng¡¯s opinion, since he had already knelt down, Hao Jiyong would definitely not refuse. Furthermore, he still had a trump card. ¡°Big Brother, please help me again. If you help me this time, I will definitely change my ways. I will never gamble again and will definitely listen to you. I will do whatever you ask me to do. I will definitely work hard. I will be a good person. Please agree.¡± Hearing Hao Jimeng¡¯s words, Hao Jiyong¡¯s wife became even more worried. She couldn¡¯t help but hug her children tightly and look at Hao Jiyong nervously. Because she knew very well that Hao Jiyong¡¯s decision would determine the future and fate of their family, even their life and death. But it was difficult for Hao Jiyong to give up his only brother, Hao Jimeng, just like that. In Hao Jiyong¡¯s wife¡¯s opinion, Hao Jimeng¡¯s actions should work. Some people who knew Hao Jiyong could not help but shake their heads and sigh. ¡°Hao Jiyong¡¯s life is over. He¡¯ll definitely be dragged to death by his bastard brother.¡± ¡°Hao Jimeng has mentioned quitting gambling many times, but when has he ever done it?¡± ¡°As long as Hao Jiyong agrees, it means that he¡¯s confident in helping Hao Jimeng repay this money. 200 taels of silver. Unless he stole the precious herbs in the warehouse, Hao Jiyong definitely won¡¯t be able to take it out.¡± ¡°When Hao Jiyong agrees, we¡¯ll immediately capture him and torture him. We can¡¯t let the new owner mess around this time. Otherwise, if Hao Jiyong really sells those precious herbs successfully, many of us will die this year. If we capture Hao Jiyong, we¡¯ll at most be beaten up. It¡¯s better than our entire family starving to death.¡± Because of Hao Jimeng, the situation had fallen into an extremely delicate situation. If Hao Jiyong did not handle it well, not only would his family be in trouble, but Song Ankang would also be implicated. At that time, his reputation in Chaoyun Manor would definitely be greatly damaged. He might even be reported to the higher-ups of the family and be punished, even if there was still no conclusive evidence to prove that Hao Jiyong was behind the warehouse theft. However, it was clear that there was a good chance Hao Jiyong would agree at the moment. It was just that no one expected Hao Jimeng to bow down to him for the first time in his life. Hao Jiyong¡¯s expression fluctuated for a moment before he slowly shook his head. ¡°Hao Jimeng, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to help you, but I¡¯m really helpless.¡± ¡°I really can¡¯t take out 200 taels of silver. I¡¯ve already risked my life to get that ten-year-old ginseng. It¡¯s almost impossible to get a second one.¡± ¡°Besides, in order to pay the interest on the gambling debt a few days ago, in addition to the ten-year-old ginseng, our entire family¡¯s savings were lost. Now, our family doesn¡¯t even have a copper coin left. How can we take out the money?¡± ¡°Then you can promise Ning Men that you¡¯ll help me pay this money back and find a way to raise the money, just like you did a few times before,¡± Hao Jimeng said loudly. Hao Jiyong shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s too much. I can¡¯t afford it, and neither can our family. I¡¯ve helped you enough over the years. I can¡¯t help you now.¡± ¡°I was selfish before, even when you refused to change your ways. I can¡¯t be selfish now. I have a wife and children. If I agree, I¡¯m afraid our lives will be over. We might not even survive this winter.¡± With that, Hao Jiyong turned and walked away. Hao Jimeng, Hao Jiyong finally made the right decision for once with regards to his younger brother. Chapter 21 - Somethings Wrong Chapter 21 Something¡¯s Wrong Not only was Hao Jimeng stunned, but Hao Jiyong¡¯s wife was also stunned seeing Hao Jiyong leave like this. A smile appeared on Song Ankang¡¯s face. ¡°Even though he was a little stupid in the past, he did well this time. It¡¯s said that he has the best business in the warehouse. He can take Liu Yuanqing¡¯s place.¡¯ ¡°Hao Jiyong, you¡¯re leaving just like that. Are you going to watch as Ningmen takes me away and kills me?¡± Stunned for a moment, Hao Jimeng realized what had happened. He looked at Hao Jiyong in disbelief and shouted at him. Hao ignored him and continued into the field yard, seemingly oblivious to his shouts When the green-robed burly man from the Ningmen Guild saw this scene, he could not help but laugh sinisterly. ¡°Hao Jimeng, it seems that your only hope is dashed. In that case, come with us.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a total of 200 taels of silver, which is 200,000 copper coins. Even if I sell you, it won¡¯t be worth that much. Therefore, I can only use it to make an example out of you. This way, it will still have some value.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t kill me. Give me a few more days. I¡¯ll persuade Hao Jiyong. You don¡¯t want to lose so much money like this, right? Please give me a few more days. I¡¯ll definitely persuade Hao Jiyong to agree to accept this gambling debt.¡± The meaning in the green-robed burly man¡¯s words was clear, making Hao Jimeng tremble. As soon as Hao Jimeng finished speaking, he heard Hao Jiyong¡¯s rude voice in the distance. ¡°Hao Jimeng, give up. I won¡¯t help you this time.¡± ¡°Hao Jiyong, are you really going to leave me to my death?¡± Hao Jimeng no longer begged bitterly. His expression became ferocious, completely opposite to his attitude towards Ningmen Guild. Hao Jiyong turned to stare at him. ¡°Hao Jimeng, it¡¯s not that I want to leave you to your death, but you¡¯re courting death yourself. What¡¯s the point of me agreeing? Other than implicating my family to die with you, I can¡¯t pay this amount either.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s better if you die alone!¡± After enduring for so many years, Hao Jiyong could no longer hold it in. He decisively said that he wanted Hao Jimeng to die. There was silence. Song Ankang glanced at Hao Jiyong in surprise, his evaluation of him rising another level. Hao Jimeng was already stunned. He looked at Hao Jiyong in a daze and could not speak for a long time. However, the green-robed man quickly came back to his senses and gave Hao Jiyong a thumbs up. ¡°That¡¯s right. Righteousness kills family. He¡¯s a man. However, to be honest, there¡¯s really no need to save a scumbag like Hao Jimeng. He won¡¯t change in this lifetime.¡± ¡°Hao Jiyong, you actually want me dead. Then don¡¯t blame me for being ruthless and exposing your true colors.¡± Hao Jiyong screamed, his voice cracking. He had gone a little crazy after losing his last hope. ¡°Everyone in Chaoyun Manor, listen up. The precious herbs in your warehouse were stolen by Hao Jiyong. When I came to look for Hao Jiyong this morning, I heard him discussing with his woman about escaping Chaoyun Manor with that batch of herbs and living a good life elsewhere.¡± ¡°Arrest him immediately and torture him. He will definitely confess. At that time, you can take back the precious herbs that were lost in the storeroom.¡± ¡°Hao Jiyong, since you want me dead, don¡¯t blame me for dragging you down with me. Neither of us will have an easy time!¡± Hao Jimeng shouted at the tenants of Chaoyun Manor on the wall of the stockade, making some of them light up. However, most of the tenants could still tell that Hao Jimeng was spouting nonsense out of desperation and wanted to drag Hao Jiyong to die with him. Such an ungrateful beast deserved to die! Hao Jiyong¡¯s expression changed drastically. He looked at Hao Jimeng and said sternly, ¡°Hao Jimeng, I¡¯ve been really blind all these years. I actually helped you time and time again, you shameless ingrate. In the future, you¡¯re not my younger brother, and I¡¯m not your elder brother. We¡¯ll sever all ties.¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­ I¡¯m about to die. Do you think I care about this?¡± Hao Jimeng¡¯s face was filled with despair. ¡°Being born into a poor Hao family is the most unlucky thing in my life. If I was born into a rich family, 200 taels of silver would be nothing.¡± ¡°Hao Jiyong, since you could help me so much in the past, why didn¡¯t you help me this time? Do you think that if you help me, it will affect your family¡¯s future? There are so many precious herbs. As long as you take out half of them, two hundred taels of silver is nothing. You¡¯re too petty. Even if you don¡¯t cut ties with me, I¡¯ll cut ties with you¡­¡± Seeing that Hao Jimeng had gone crazy, Song Ankang frowned and turned to walk towards the storeroom. ¡°Looking at this kind of person polluting our eyes for no reason. Let¡¯s go to the storeroom.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Qiu Shi nodded repeatedly. Before she left, she couldn¡¯t help but spit at Hao Jimeng. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect there to be such a beast-like person in this world. How can you say such shameless words? Hao Jiyong is too unlucky. If I had such a brother, I would have thrown him away long ago. To think that Hao Jiyong could endure it for so long.¡± Jiang Yunhe smiled and said, ¡°Miss Guo Guo, you¡¯re just making a fuss out of nothing. There are many more things in this world that favor boys over girls. Not to mention a younger brother leaning on his older sister to suck blood, even as an elder brother, there are often people who eat their younger sister¡¯s flesh and bones.¡± ¡°Instructor Jiang is right. As long as there is intelligent life, there will always be something unpleasant.¡± Song Ankang shook his head and quickened his pace. Even in modern society, there were still many brother-supporting demons and brother-supporting demons, let alone in the ancient times where men were heavily favored over women. Which city didn¡¯t have a poor woman like Fan Shengmei? Outside the stronghold wall, Hao Jimeng was still shouting crazily, wanting to drag Hao Jiyong¡¯s entire family to death. Hao Jiyong was so angry that he could not help but curse. The remaining brotherhood in his heart completely disappeared. Today¡¯s matter had taught him a solid lesson. However, the more Hao Jimeng clamored, the more Song Ankang could prove Hao Jiyong¡¯s innocence. Many tenants present could tell. Soon, they arrived at the storeroom. This time, as soon as they stepped into it, Song Ankang felt his heart skip a beat. The strange feeling he had when he first entered the storeroom a few days ago had reappeared, making him inexplicably uncomfortable. However, after carefully searching the warehouse several times, he found nothing. There were no evil people hiding inside, nor were there any traces of demons and ghosts. However, what was that feeling? Most importantly, this strange feeling contained a threat to his life. In other words, if he was not careful, Song Ankang¡¯s life might be in danger here. Chapter 22 - Is This Love? Chapter 22 Is This Love? After transmigrating and fusing with the soul and spirit of the original owner, Song Ankang¡¯s spiritual perception was stronger. Coupled with the side effects of absorbing the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra, this allowed Song Ankang¡¯s spiritual will to increase further, allowing him to sense things that ordinary people could not. In terms of mental willpower, even Jiang Yunhe, who was once at an extremely high level, could not compare. Moreover, after this period of bitter cultivation, Song Ankang¡¯s strength had already reached the peak of the Organs Tempering realm. He was close to the Visceral Tempering realm, and his overall quality had also improved greatly. The Hidden Heaven Earth Technique also made Song Ankang¡¯s overall quality stronger. Coupled with his mental will, it was normal for him to be able to discover some abnormalities. Therefore, Song Ankang did not think that his perception was wrong. Since he had sensed that something was wrong, there must be something wrong. He quietly approached Jiang Yunhe to prevent himself from not being able to protect her if anything happened. He was also prepared to step on the snow without leaving a trace. He could escape at any time and bring Qiu Shi along Song Ankang could not bear to see something happen to her. She was so beautiful, obedient, sensible, and cute. Even though he had only spent about half a month with his mistress, Song Ankang felt that he seemed to have fallen in love with her. Even though it was inevitable that he had fallen in love at first sight (Read:lust at first sight) with her, there were also many feelings. Compared to many modern people who went on blind dates that day, got married the next day, or got married in a flash, Song Ankang must have chatted around with his mistress for a long time. Even though it was basically the mistress who took care of him, this allowed Song Ankang to see the character and ability of the mistress. He was very satisfied with this lover(read:mistress). This was love! Therefore, Song Ankang hoped that she could continue to take care of him. Moreover, thanks to his special physique, he had forcefully injected the Traceless Snow Steps Technique during this period of time, causing his movement technique to soar to the Minor Mastery stage. Even if he brought along a small concubine, it would not affect his full strength. Just as Song Ankang was carefully searching for the source of the problem, trying to determine if it was related to the theft of the warehouse, there was another commotion outside. The loudest one was from Liu Yuanqing. ¡°Hao Jiyong, what else do you have to say now? Even your biological brother said that you stole the precious herbs in the warehouse of Chaoyun Manor. You also stole the ten-year-old ginseng from the warehouse of Chaoyun Manor. There are witnesses and physical evidence. What else do you have to say now?¡± ¡°And ever since we targeted you, we haven¡¯t lost a single medicinal herb in the warehouse in the past few days. This also means that you¡¯re the thief.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t delay any longer. If we delay any longer, we might not be able to find those herbs again. Hao Jiyong, even if you have to confess today, you have to confess.¡± A group of tenants who had been instigated by Liu Yuanqing held Hao Jiyong and responded loudly, ¡°Yes, Hao Jimeng has already confessed. Hao Jiyong, stop being stubborn.¡± ¡°If I really stole those precious herbs, do you think I wouldn¡¯t have taken them out to save Hao Jimeng?¡± Hao Jiyong smiled miserably and said, ¡°Moreover, anyone with a discerning eye can tell that Hao Jimeng was just spouting nonsense to drag me down with him.¡± ¡°Now you¡¯re determined to pin this on witnesses and refuse to listen to my defense. What else can I say? I¡¯m only sorry to the Villa Lord because this implicated him.¡± Liu Yuanqing sneered. ¡°What a nice thing to say. When you confess later, let¡¯s see if you can still say such nice words. Let¡¯s speed up and make Hao Jiyong confess as soon as possible. At that time, even if you ask, it won¡¯t help¡­ Ah, Manor Master, why¡­ why are you here?¡± ¡°If I wasn¡¯t here, wouldn¡¯t I be blamed by you guys?¡± Song Ankang looked at Yuanqing and sneered. ¡°Liu Yuanqing, how many times has this happened? I think you don¡¯t want to be in charge anymore.¡± ¡°Whew¡­¡± Seeing that he had been caught red-handed by Song Ankang, Liu Yuanqing panicked for a moment before suddenly becoming unyielding. ¡°Villa Master Song, if we can¡¯t find the thief this time, I will also be punished by the family. At that time, not to mention the position of the warehouse manager, I might even be chased out of the family.¡± ¡°Since Hao Jiyong doesn¡¯t give me a way out, I can only be ruthless, unless you¡¯re willing to take all the responsibility.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that Hao Jiyong will insist on not admitting it and confirm that this matter has nothing to do with him? At that time, you won¡¯t just be chased out of the family,¡± Song Ankang said coldly. Hao Jiyong immediately said firmly, ¡°Villa Master, don¡¯t worry. I didn¡¯t do this, so I won¡¯t confess. Even if they beat me to death, I won¡¯t confess, let alone implicate you.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Liu Yuanqing was stunned and did not know what to do. Song Ankang glanced at him and looked at the people holding Hao Jiyong. ¡°Let go of Hao Jiyong. Get Hao Jiyong to organize people to get all the food and herbs out of the warehouse first. We¡¯ll check carefully to see if there are any traces.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think this is man-made. It¡¯s the work of demons, and demons who are good at hiding. Only by emptying the entire storeroom can we discover the problem.¡± The warehouse was not small. It was thousands of square meters and contained a large amount of food and medicinal herbs. It occupied about one-sixth of the warehouse and was basically left behind from last year¡¯s harvest. It seemed like a lot, but there were still about three months until this year¡¯s harvest. By then, it would be enough. Originally, there were still some precious medicinal herbs that could make up for the deficit brought by this year¡¯s drought. But now that half of them had been stolen, the rest could no longer be made up for. After paying this year¡¯s taxes, they would probably not even be able to keep 10% of the food and medicinal herbs. These would still need to support the entire farmstead for a year, which was not enough at all! Hearing that Song Ankang wanted to free up all the food and medicinal herbs in the warehouse, not to mention the surrounding onlookers, even Qiu Shi and Jiang Yunhe¡¯s expressions changed slightly. ¡°Young master, this is a huge project. Forget about the food. It¡¯s very easy for those medicinal herbs to be damaged when they¡¯re moved. It will affect the price.¡± Qiu Shi quickly reminded him. Jiang Yunhe also said, ¡°Young master, I¡¯ve also carefully observed over the past few days. The ghosts and freaks won¡¯t be interested in those medicinal herbs. Even though demon beasts and demons covet those medicinal herbs, their intelligence is limited, and it¡¯s very difficult for them to break through the surrounding Green Ridge Stones.¡± ¡°Even if it¡¯s really broken, there will be traces left behind. It¡¯s not like there are no traces left behind. Therefore, this matter shouldn¡¯t be done by demon beasts and demons.¡± Even Hao Jiyong stepped forward and said, ¡°Villa Lord, you don¡¯t have to take such a huge risk because of me. Once we move out the food and medicinal herbs and still haven¡¯t discovered it, the main responsibility for this matter will fall on you.¡± Chapter 23 - I Wont Implicate Sir Chapter 23 I Won¡¯t Implicate Sir Even though Hao Jiyong was simple and kind, he was not stupid. He knew very well that once the food and medicinal herbs in the warehouse were moved out without being discovered, Liu Yuanqing and the others would definitely take the opportunity to shirk their responsibility. Originally, the new manor master, Song Ankang, had just arrived and had not been the manor master for long. The matters in the manor were also controlled by Butler Wang, Liu Yuanqing, and the others. Now that there was a problem with the warehouse, the first person to be held accountable was Liu Yuanqing, followed by Butler Wang, and finally the new villa master, Song Ankang. As the third person in charge, Song Ankang had to bear very little punishment. However, in order to get Hao Jiyong off the hook, Song Ankang, who had nothing to do with this matter, had already interfered and become the second person in charge. Now that he was going to empty the warehouse, it would definitely damage the herbs in the warehouse. At that time, as long as Liu Yuanqing reported the matter to the higher-ups of the family, coupled with the previous incident, Song Ankang would definitely replace Liu Yuanqing as the first person responsible for the warehouse theft. If the murderer could not be found, the punishment would be the heaviest. After all, in the Song family, many of the upper echelons of the family did not like Song Ankang Song Ankang was relieved to see that Hao Jiyong was still thinking for him under such circumstances, not caring about his own life at all. Glancing at the happy Yuanqing, Song Ankang smiled and said, ¡°If you¡¯re worried that I¡¯ll be punished, then use your best ability to reduce the damage to the herbs as much as possible.¡± ¡°Deal with this immediately. Do you think I would take this risk if I wasn¡¯t confident?¡± ¡°This¡­ Yes, Manor Master. I will definitely do my best.¡± Hao Jiyong said solemnly, ¡°I will not let you down.¡± After saying that, Hao Jiyong immediately instructed the workers in the storeroom who were familiar with him to organize people to start moving the food and medicinal herbs in the storeroom. Hao Jiyong personally handled the more expensive medicinal herbs, not letting anyone else touch them, afraid that they would be damaged. While Hao Jiyong organized people to transport food and herbs, Song Ankang was nearby, carefully observing every inch of the warehouse. There was no other reason for his certainty. Song Ankang had indeed discovered something unusual. This abnormality was the trace of aura lingering on the Existence Grass. According to the host body¡¯s memories, this aura should belong to some demon beast. Since there were demon beasts invading, there would definitely be traces left behind. However, there were no traces now, so there was only one truth. The traces were suppressed by food and herbs. They had to move the food and herbs to see them. The demon beast that had invaded the warehouse was clearly very careful. It actually did not leave any traces elsewhere, especially around the missing herbs. Other than that abnormal aura, there was nothing else left. It was simply unbelievable! Under normal circumstances, a ninth-grade demon like this would not be too intelligent. When it did things, it would always leave behind many traces. This way, humans could easily know who did these things through these traces. However, this demon was very powerful. It seemed to be deliberately hiding its traces. Usually, demons with such intelligence were not too weak. Thinking of this, Song Ankang thought of the strange feeling he had when he first entered the storeroom. Even though the strange feeling was no longer there, the sense of danger still made him feel lingering fear. It seemed that if they were not careful, they might be swallowed by the demons hiding in the dark. NO There were also traces of aura left on the Existence Grass. They definitely belonged to demons. Thinking of the terrifying scene when the earthworm swallowed people, Song Ankang¡¯s expression became solemn. Fortunately, his spiritual will far exceeded that of ordinary people. Otherwise, he would not have been able to sense this abnormality and the aura of demon beasts. If he were to search the warehouse in a daze and was discovered by the hidden demon, he would probably be in danger. The two times he sensed that something was wrong should be when the demon was in the storeroom. When the feeling of something wrong disappeared, the demon should have already left. Song Ankang focused on the empty space where the food and herbs were. He wanted to find clues in these places. Jiang Yunhe also saw something. He frowned slightly and observed these places with Song Ankang. Some of the farmers who had finished their work in the farm received the news and came to watch and help. Low discussions sounded around. ¡°Are there really demons in the storeroom? But the storeroom is filled with extremely hard Green Ridge Stone inside and out. How can there be demons?¡± ¡°If a demon really entered the storeroom, it would definitely leave traces. Now that even Instructor Jiang can¡¯t find any traces, how can it be done by a demon? Manor Master is wrong again.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve long said that you¡¯re an outsider. Even though your character is top-notch and you¡¯re the number one filial son in the capital, you¡¯ve never planted food or medicinal herbs at all. How can you know such things? You¡¯re just messing around.¡± ¡°After this incident, Manor Master Song has completely gotten himself involved. Once the murderer can¡¯t be found, the higher-ups of the family will definitely punish him. Hopefully, we can find another capable manor master.¡± No one was optimistic about Song Ankang¡¯s actions. Some people even felt that he was risking everything to save his face and dignity. Liu Yuanqing smiled and put his hands behind his back as he watched Hao Jiyong and the others move the food and medicinal herbs. He secretly mocked Song Ankang for courting death. It was something that had nothing to do with him, but he insisted on standing up for him. Now, everything was fine. However, this was a great thing for him. If not for Song Ankang standing up for Hao Jiyong, he would still be the first person responsible for the warehouse theft. Hao Jiyong and Song Ankang were both good people. As the food and medicinal herbs were carried out bit by bit, more and more empty spaces appeared in the warehouse. Many hidden places were exposed, but there were no signs of demon invasion. There were no caves, no cracks, no traces of demons¡­ As a result, more and more people began to doubt Song¡¯s judgment and looked at him strangely. Hao Jiyong¡¯s face slowly turned pale, but he still took the opportunity to come to Song Ankang¡¯s side and said solemnly, ¡°Master, don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t let this matter implicate you.¡± Seeing the determination on Hao Jiyong¡¯s face, Song Ankang vaguely realized something. He waved his hand and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll find out.¡± With that, Song Ankang found a hard wooden stick nearby and began to tap on the floor of the storeroom, especially the empty space that had just been vacated. ¡°Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!¡± Chapter 24 - The Robbery In The Warehouse Is Solved Chapter 24 The Robbery In The Warehouse Is Solved At first, Qiu Shi was stunned by Song Ankang¡¯s actions. Then, she quickly picked up the hard wooden stick and started hitting the ground. Jiang Yunhe also silently took a hard wooden stick and started knocking around. Then, Hao Jiyong¡¯s wife and children, who had been following around¡­ Several people silently hit every inch of the limestone floor with hard wooden sticks, trying to find something unusual. Hao Jiyong moved the food and herbs with all his might, trying his best not to cause any damage. Seeing this scene, some of the tenants who were discussing Song Ankang and Hao Jiyong and did not think highly of them were stunned. Immediately, some of the tenants also took hard sticks and helped to beat the ground. If possible, these tenants hoped that Song Ankang could prove that the thief was not Hao Jiyong. After all, Hao Jiyong was righteous and had helped many people over the years. Moreover, in this terrifying world where foreign races invaded and demons and ghosts wreaked havoc, the human race had become unprecedentedly united. From the entire human race of China to the villages, farms, families¡­ ause Because only by being united could the human race survive! If Hao Jiyong was not a thief, that would be for the best. If he was, people would not show mercy because if Hao Jiyong really stole those precious herbs, he would be pushing everyone to a dead end. According to the usual practice, some of those precious medicinal herbs would be used to make up for this year¡¯s tax deficit, so that the tenants could keep more food. These foodstuffs were life-saving. Not to mention Hao Jiyong, even if Liu Yuanqing, Butler Wang, and even Song Ankang did such a thing, they would still be punished by the tenants. More and more people joined in the hammering, until Hao Jiyong¡¯s wife banged the hardwood stick on an arborite floor. ¡°Knock, knock¡­¡± The dull sound made Jiang Yunhe and Song Ankang¡¯s expressions change. They looked at Hao Jiyong¡¯s wife almost at the same time. ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with this Green Ridge Stone!¡± Jiang Yunhe jumped up and landed beside Hao Jiyong¡¯s wife. Song Ankang also walked over quickly and hit it with a hard wooden stick that looked like an iron rod. ¡°Dong, dong, dong¡­¡± As he knocked, he observed carefully. After a moment, he realized that something was amiss. A piece of the Green Ridge Stone was clearly moving Song Ankang used his tools to pry out a cave that had been dug along the gap between the stones. That was because the lid of the cave followed the gap between the stones, the other part was dug with something smaller than the gap between the stones. Song Ankang and Jiang Yun had passed through it a few times before, but they had found nothing unusual. On the other hand, it was also because the storeroom had been in use for so long that the green granite on the floor was smeared. The lid of the cave was only the size of a fist, so it was difficult to spot. If not for the use of hard wooden sticks that were like iron bars, this small cave would probably be very difficult to discover. Looking at the deep cave that led to nowhere, the surroundings became noisy after a moment of silence. ¡°I can¡¯t believe there¡¯s a cave dug by a demon. And the demon left a lid after it was dug. No wonder it was so hard to find.¡± ¡°Are demons so intelligent? They¡¯re practically spirits. The ground here was piled with cold leaf grass before, so they didn¡¯t dare move it easily. Don¡¯t tell me that demon even knows this.¡± ¡°It¡¯s unbelievable that such a powerful demon has targeted our Chaoyun Manor warehouse. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that the manor master is observant, when would we have discovered it?¡± ¡°Hao Jiyong was indeed wronged. But without the Manor Lord, who could have discovered such a trace? What should we do now? How should we deal with this demon?¡± ¡°If you hadn¡¯t discovered this demon, we would have lost many precious herbs in the future. I¡¯m afraid most of the tenants won¡¯t be able to survive this year. Thank you, Manor Lord.¡± The tenants were simple and honest. After discovering that they had wronged Song Ankang and Hao Jiyong, they immediately apologized in shame. At the same time, they bowed to Song Ankang and thanked him for solving the theft of the warehouse, allowing more tenants to survive this year. In particular, the discovery of this huge hidden danger undoubtedly prevented the warehouse from losing more precious medicinal herbs in the future. It might also prevent some bloodshed. Basically, all the tenants were grateful to Song Ankang. Hao Jiyong¡¯s family even hugged their heads and cried to celebrate their family¡¯s innocence. The only person who was unhappy was perhaps Yuanqing Liu. The discovery of the demon cave undoubtedly proved that Song Ankang was right, and he was completely wrong, and he had almost killed Hao Jiyong unjustly. Even though she knew that Hao Jimeng was lying, she still wanted to force him to confess and reduce her responsibility as much as possible. Her every move was extremely selfish, and she did not care about Song Ankang at all. Now that the truth was out, not only would Song Ankang not let him off, but even the higher-ups of the family would not let him off. Now he was the main person responsible. And he was the kind of person who kept making mistakes. When the cheering stopped, Song Ankang looked at Jiang Yunhe. Jiang Yunhe understood what Song Ankang meant and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve already sensed the aura in the cave. It should be from some demon beast, but I¡¯m not sure what kind.¡± ¡°However, eventhough this demon beast is shockingly intelligent, its strength is not strong. It should not be more than the fourth minor realm of External Realm. It is not difficult to deal with it. I still have an Earth Cage Talisman here. It can even capture a demon beast comparable to the fourth minor realm of the Internal Realm alive. It can be used to deal with this demon beast.¡± ¡°Thank you, Instructor Jiang.¡± Song Ankang nodded and looked at Hao Jiyong and the others. ¡°But to be safe, please return the food and herbs to their original positions. You have seen the intelligence of this demon beast. If you find anything unusual in the warehouse, I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be fooled.¡± Hao Jiyong was the first to nod. ¡°Alright, don¡¯t worry, Manor Lord. We¡¯ll recover soon. Besides, this is something we have to do sooner or later.¡± Song Ankang nodded and watched as all the warehouse workers and tenants carried all the food and herbs back to their original positions in a frenzy. Jiang Yunhe also set up the Earth Cage Talisman at the exit of the cave. By the time he was done, it was already completely dark. He glanced at Liu Yuanqing, who had been standing at the door of the storeroom in a daze. Song Ankang frowned. ¡°Liu Yuanqing, you are no longer the manager of the storeroom. Hao Jiyong will be the manager of the storeroom in the future. If you have any objections, you can report it to the family.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Liu Yuanqing opened his mouth but still lowered his head. ¡°I have no objections. I¡¯ll listen to you.¡± Song Ankang decided not to deal with Liu Yuanqing anymore since he was so tactful. He instructed the tenants to go back. He brought Qiu Shi, Jiang Yunhe, Hao Jiyong, and a few capable workers from the storeroom to guard the surroundings and wait for the demon beast to appear. Chapter 25 - Dont Hit My Face Chapter 25 Don¡¯t Hit My Face Ever since the theft of the warehouse, many people had been patrolling inside and outside the warehouse for the past few days. Therefore, that demon beast had never found an opportunity to steal some precious medicinal herbs. Even though its strength might have surpassed all the warehouse workers, with its intelligence and caution, it would probably not act rashly under such circumstances, lest it be discovered. It was precisely because of this that the warehouse had been safe for the past few days. It also made more people suspect Hao 110 Jiyong. Song Ankang could not help but sigh thinking about the intelligence of that demon beast. It already had such astonishing intelligence before reaching the inner refinement realm. If it continued to improve, it might have the possibility of breaking through to a first-rate martial artist in the future. In order to avoid the demon beast¡¯s suspicion, Song Ankang did not remove all the guards inside and outside the warehouse. Instead, he left a few behind and pretended to walk around. They basically patrolled the entrance and surroundings of the warehouse and rarely entered. This was naturally to give the demon beast an ample opportunity to attack. Song Ankang was mentally prepared for a protracted battle, but perhaps because it had not eaten precious herbs for days, the demon beast was a little hungry. That night, in the middle of the night, it quietly arrived at the warehouse and appeared under the warehouse along the hole that had been dug long ago. It opened the hole lid that was still the same. **CRUNCH** Only low-level ninth-grade demon beasts were directly bound by the Earth Cage Talisman and could no longer move when the sound of the Earth Cage Talisman was activated. ¡°Boohoo¡­¡± Suddenly bound, the demon beast could not help but let out a shrill cry, but this sound stunned Song Ankang. Such a pleasant voice. Could it be a fox demon that could transform into a beautiful woman? Song Ankang sped up. Jiang Yunhe followed from the left and right, followed by Qiu Shi, Hao Jiyong, and the others. They rushed to the storeroom like a gust of wind and quickly raised the Cold Leaf Grass. They saw the demon beasts tightly bound by the Earth Cage Talisman. It had a crew cut, a thick body, and a foot long. Its entire body was grayish-black, and there was a handful of green fur on its head that fluttered in the wind. Its black eyes were wide open as he stared fiercely at Song Ankang. It even let out an arrogant cry. ¡°What¡­ what kind of demon beast is this? Why have I never seen or heard of it?¡± Qiu Shi¡¯s bright eyes widened as she stared at the flat-headed demon beast curiously. Jiang Yunhe also frowned. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen such a demon beast either. It seems to be an extremely rare demon beast.¡± Song Ankang¡¯s eyes were filled with surprise. He smiled and said, ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, this should be an badger. It¡¯s said to be a demon beast that only appears in the Kunlun Mountains and rarely appears in our country. I wonder why there¡¯s one here. Could it have been brought here by someone?¡± There was another crucial point that Song Ankang did not mention. This badger was still a young badger and had a high chance of being tamed. The badger usually had the strength of a first-rate martial artist when they reached adulthood. Some of the more talented ones could even surpass first-rate martial artists and become true demon beasts. In the Mysterious Desolate Continent, those demon beasts whose strength did not surpass first-rate martial artists were generally not qualified to be called demon beasts. They could only be called ferocious beasts. This badger cub was a low-level ninth-grade ferocious beast, but it had the possibility of breaking through to the ninth-grade. The badgers were usually judged its talent based on its intelligence. To be able to possess such astonishing intelligence when it was still a cub, it was obvious how talented this badger was. In the future, it would definitely be able to break through the first-rate and step into the supernatural realm. If he could tame it, it would definitely be a capable helper for Song Ankang in the future. The dozen or so medicinal herbs were nothing compared to this precious badger cub. However, in order to avoid being known and attracting the jealousy of certain people, Song Ankang did not say much. It was better to wait until he had tamed the Earth Dragonfly before he considered telling anyone. ¡°Badger?¡± Jiang Yunhe, Qiu Shi, and the others were confused. They had obviously never heard of Song Ankang smiled and picked up the bounded badger on the ground. ¡°I told you to read more books, but you always found it a waste of time. Now you know your ignorance.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take this badger with me. I want to do something with it. You can look for the nest of the badger through this hole and see if there are any precious herbs left inside. However, I think there¡¯s a high chance that those herbs have already been eaten by it. Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t have come to the storeroom to steal the herbs again.¡± As he spoke, Song Ankang hurriedly left the storeroom and walked towards the training room. He could not wait to tame this shockingly valuable badger. Seeing Song Ankang leave quickly, Qiu Shi and Jiang Yunhe felt strange, but they did not think too much about it. They did not expect Song Ankang to want to tame this ferocious beast. The interior and exterior of the training room were set with black ironstone that was harder than the Green Ridge Stone and harder than ordinary steel. Even with the badger¡¯s ability to dig holes, it would take a lot of time to escape. Song Ankang could tame it there. On the way, after carefully sensing the strength of the badger, Song Ankang was surprised to find that the strength of this badger had already reached the peak of the ninth-grade low-level. It was only half a step away from stepping into the ranks of the ninth-grade mid-level ferocious beasts. At that time, the strength of this badger would be comparable to that of an Internal Realm martial artist. It had to be known that this y was only a cub. It had only been born for about a month, but it already had such astonishing strength and intelligence. When it grew up, it would definitely be able to surpass first-rate martial artists or even higher realms. As expected of a beast from Kunlun Mountain, its talent far exceeded Song Ankang¡¯s imagination. This made Song Ankang even more interested in it. He sped up and entered the training room, locking the door behind him. Then, he opened the shackles of the Earth Cage Talisman and prepared to teach the badger a good lesson and tame it. There was only one way to tame the badger¡¯s cub. That was to suppress it head-on and use iron and blood to completely subdue it so that it would never dare to betray them. Come, my pet-to-be! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! However, to Song¡¯s surprise, as soon as he opened the Earth Cage Talisman, the badger cub, which had been bound for a long time, immediately rushed out and jumped up. Its front legs curled into small fists like a human¡¯s, and it roared and attacked Song. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Before Song Ankang could react, he was ruthlessly punched in the face by the two small fists of the badger cub. This was an innate martial technique! Even Song Ankang, who was several times stronger than the cub, could not react to such a fast and violent attack. There was no other explanation except for his talent martial technique. On the other hand, ferocious beasts that could possess innate martial techniques could be said to be one in a million. In the future, they could basically step into the ranks of the extraordinary. This badger cub was even more talented than he had imagined. Just¡­ don¡¯t hit my face!¡¯ Chapter 26 - Taming Brother Flat Top Chapter 26 Taming Brother Flat Top Faced with the sudden talent attack of the Badger¡¯s cub, Song Ankang was a little stunned. He did not expect the ambitious taming trip to be so disadvantageous. One had to know that Song Ankang was a martial artist at the first level of Internal Realm, only half a step away from the second level. In addition, he cultivated the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra and had absorbed its side effects. Therefore, Song Ankang¡¯s overall strength was at least several times that of the badger¡¯s cub. He thought that it would be easy to tame it, but he did not expect the badger¡¯s cub to give him a heavy blow. Fortunately, Song Ankang¡¯s defense far exceeded the badger cub¡¯s imagination. This round of storm-like punches only made Song Ankang¡¯s eyes become panda eyes and his nose bleed. There was nothing else. This was intolerable! Song Ankang waved his fist and pounced at the badger cub. The man and the beast quickly fought. ¡°Boom boom boom¡­¡± The badger cub¡¯s little fists landed on Song Ankang¡¯s face again. Song Ankang was furious. Don¡¯t hit people in the face. Brother Flat Top, you¡¯re ruthless. ¡°Slap slap slap¡­¡± Song Ankang¡¯s slap also landed on the face of the badger¡¯s cub, sending it flying. Even though the badger cub was slightly faster than Song Ankang and had mastered an extremely powerful innate martial technique, Song Ankang¡¯s overall strength was far superior to it, and his mental will was dozens of times stronger. Once he reacted, it would be difficult for the badger¡¯s cub to win. In the beginning, it was only because they lacked combat experience and skills that the badger cub seized the initiative. ¡°Sob¡­¡± The badger cub got up ferociously, letting out a cry that made Song Ankang speechless. It pounced on him again, its ferocity beyond imagination. It was unknown how this badger from another world had grown up to actually make such a strange sound, but its personality was very similar to Brother Flat Top from Earth. Even though the strength of the badger cub was far superior, this badger cub had mastered a talent martial technique after all. Once it used it, its combat strength would increase greatly, and Song Ankang did not dare to be careless. Moreover, he could take this opportunity to hone his combat experience and combat skills to prevent something similar to what had just happened. This battle had also taught Song Ankang one thing-Even the goshawk used its full strength to fight the rabbit. If not for the fact that he did not take the badger cub seriously at the beginning and thought that he was far stronger than it, Song Ankang would not have been so careless. In the end, he was taught a good lesson by the badger cub. Fortunately, Song Ankang¡¯s defense was relatively strong. Otherwise, if he couldn¡¯t withstand the badger¡¯s small punches, he would probably die today. ¡°Hiss¡­¡± Song Ankang could not help but gasp. This world was really dangerous. He had to be more careful in the future. ¡°Slap slap slap¡­¡± Song Ankang threw a cautious punch facing the badger cub. It landed on the face of the badger cub again and sent it flying. However, the badger cub only panted for a moment before pouncing on Song Ankang again. Even though he was strong, Song Ankang¡¯s expression was still solemn. He carefully responded and raised his palm from time to time. ¡°Slap slap slap¡­¡± ¡°Slap slap¡­¡± *Slap¡­¡± He didn¡¯t use the Seven Injury Fist, because one punch might kill the badger cub. He didn¡¯t even use his fist. Song Ankang used his palm to slap the badger cub¡¯s face. However, the badger of the Mysterious Desolate Continent fight with the style of Earth¡¯s Brother Flat Heads. Even though they were sent flying again and again, they still rushed back bravely and fearlessly, continuing to receive Song Ankang¡¯s slap. Once¡­ twice¡­ three times¡­ ten times¡­ It reached 99 times in no time! The badgers cub was still holding out. Song Ankang was a little shocked. Was this the best time to tame the badger? It had already been hit so many times, but it still refused to admit defeat. If they continued fighting, the Earth Dragon¡¯s cub would probably be killed. ¡®Should I take a break in between?¡¯ Song Ankang immediately dismissed this thought. According to the books, if he couldn¡¯t tame it the first time, it would be at least ten times harder to tame it the second time. It was basically impossible to tame it. ¡°Then let¡¯s get on with it. If worse comes to worst, I¡¯ll just kill this badger cub.¡¯ Soan Kang pulled back his hand for the hundredth time. ¡°Slap¡­ ¡°Bang¡­¡± The badger cub fell to the ground fiercely. It was already beaten until it was unrecognizable. Even its mother did not recognize it, but its face was still fierce, and the green hair on its head was stunned. Not only that, but after struggling for a while, the blood-soaked badger cub stood up again. Its hind legs were upright, and its front legs were clenched into fists. Its grayish-black fur waved with the green fur on its head. ¡°Sob¡­¡± The shrill voice was no longer cute. To the humans of the Mysterious Desolate Continent, the badger¡¯s cries were not cute at all. Only Song Ankang, who had transmigrated from Earth, knew the other meaning of ¡°sob sob¡±, so he felt that it was cute and strange. Under Song Ankang¡¯s surprised gaze, the badger cub actually broke through in despair after losing 100 head-on battles. Its aura surged, and it jumped into the ranks of mid-level ninth-grade ferocious beasts. Its overall strength was comparable to a martial artist in the Internal Realm. Impressive, my flat-top bro! Song Ankang did not take this opportunity to beat it up and interrupt the badger cub¡¯s breakthrough. This was because the stronger the badger cub was, the greater the help Song Ankang could obtain after subduing it. Most importantly, even if the badger cub had broken through, Song Ankang was absolutely confident that he could suppress it. Dozens of minutes later, the badger cub, which had regained its vitality, roared and pounced on Song Ankang. It unleashed its full power like a storm, forming illusions. However, with his strong spiritual will, Song Ankang still accurately found the two fists of the badger cub and threw out a heavy punch. ¡°Bam¡ª¡± With a metallic clang, the badger was sent flying by Song Ankang and slammed into the black iron wall. It fell to the ground with blood spurting from its mouth and could not move. The badger widened its eyes in shock. It seemed to be in disbelief. It had just broken through and its essence, energy, and spirit had reached the peak in history. It thought that it could definitely defeat Song Ankang. But this was what happened in the end. He was defeated when he was most confident. The badger cub finally couldn¡¯t take it anymore. He watched as Song Ankang shed tame tears. The badger cub lowered its head and used its actions to show Song that it had given in. From now on, it was Song¡¯s pet. Chapter 27 - You Are Qualified to Be My Girlfriend Chapter 27 You Are Qualified to Be My Girlfriend Song Ankang naturally doted on his pet beast. He would never slap it again and even gave it a loud name. Little Green Fur! Even though he wanted to give it the name Brother Flat Top, the green fur on its head was too eye-catching. Song Ankang couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and named it Little Green Fur. Moreover, after hearing the name that Song Ankang had given it, the badger cub did not object. If it did not object, it liked it. Since even the badger cub liked such a strange name, what else could Song Ankang say? He could only satisfy it. The Badger cub, no, it should be the Little Green Fur lying on the ground with its limbs facing the sky, letting Song Ankang apply medicine on its body. It was quickly applied in bright colors, making it look even better than the little green hair on its head. With the help of the medicine, Song Ankang felt that it was mainly because of the smoke. Little Green Fur quickly got up and followed behind Song Ankang. He kept crying out, probably hungry. Seeing that a few hours had passed, Song Ankang felt tired and hungry, so he walked out of the training room with Little Green Fur. ¡°Young master, what¡­ what¡¯s going on?¡± Qiu Shi had returned and was making clothes for Song Ankang. He was stunned when he saw Song Ankang walking out with Little Green Fur. ¡°Boohoo¡­¡± Little Green Fur immediately perked up and jumped in front of Song Ankang. He stood on his hind legs and raised his small fist at Qiu Shi, as if he wanted to protect Song Ankang. The Little Green Fur on his head fluttered in the wind. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Qiu Shi was shocked and quickly took a few steps back. She looked at Little Green Fur fearfully. The aura emitted by this Little Green Fur was far stronger than hers. Qiu Shi could not defeat it at all. Seeing that Qiu Shi was so frightened that her face turned pale, Song Ankang raised his hand and slapped Little Green Fur. ¡°This is one of us. Don¡¯t touch it. Stay in the corner obediently. In the future, one of your main duties is to protect Guo Guo, remember?¡± ¡°Sob¡­¡± Little Green Fur¡¯s eyes widened. He scratched his head as if he understood and stopped attacking. Song Ankang smiled and came to Qiu Shi¡¯s side. He grabbed her hand and said, ¡°I¡¯ve already tamed this badger. From now on, it will be my pet, which is a spirit beast. Don¡¯t be afraid of it. By the way, its name is Little Green Fur.¡± ¡°Young master, is this true?¡± Qiu Shi¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. Song Ankang nodded seriously. ¡°Of course. Didn¡¯t you see it just now? It listens to me now. It will protect you here in the future.¡± ¡°Wow¡­ Young Master is too powerful. He can even tame such a powerful beast. Instructor Jiang said that its strength is already comparable to a fourth minor realm External Realm martial artist. It¡¯s just a little away from stepping into the Internal Realm.¡± Qiu Shi opened her cherry mouth and gently covered it with his small hand. He looked at Song Ankang with stars flickering in his eyes. Seeing such bright light, for the first time in his life, Song Ankang realized what kind of light would appear in his eyes after falling in love with someone. The mistress indeed loved him, so they were in love with each other. Song Ankang licked his lips silently, chasing away some unhealthy thoughts. Even if they were to appear, they should only appear in a few months, when the mistress was eighteen. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your face, Young Master, your body is in a mess too? I¡¯ll go get your medicine. Sit still.¡± At this moment, Qiu Shi also saw the injuries on Song Ankang¡¯s face and body. With a pained expression, she helped Song Ankang sit down and quickly went to get the best medicine in the manor. Soon, she returned and gently applied it on Song Ankang. Song Ankang smiled and explained, ¡°I got it when I was taming Little Green Fur. It can temper my combat experience. It¡¯s just some superficial wounds, nothing much.¡± Qiu Shi¡¯s face was so small and exquisite that it was flawless. There was also a fresh and pleasant fragrance coming from her body. Song Ankang knew that Qiu Shi never used any perfume satchel, so this fresh fragrance should belong to a young girl. It was refreshing The summer starlight shone on the child-like face, making it glow. From Song Ankang¡¯s angle, it was so beautiful that words could not describe it. le Even on TikTok, where beauty was rampant, Song Ankang had not seen many girls as beautiful as Qiu Shi. One had to know that Qiu Shi did not use any beauty filter, face shaper and the like¡­ It was her looks. Back on Earth, Song Ankang had never thought that she would one day have such a beautiful girlfriend. No, to be precise, she was a chambermaid. She was barely qualified to be Song Ankang¡¯s girlfriend. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Little Green Fur to be so detestable. I¡¯ll have to starve it for a while.¡± Qiu Shi¡¯s heart ached so much that tears were about to fall. She glared at Little Green Fur, causing it to feel inexplicably cold and jumped a few times. Song Ankang pinched her tender face in amusement. ¡°There¡¯s no need for this. As you can see, Little Green Fur has been beaten much worse by me. Moreover, he¡¯s my pet now and is growing. We can¡¯t starve him.¡± ¡°Make some delicious food for us later. It¡¯s best if it¡¯s beast meat that contains more blood essence.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Qiu Shi nodded. After dealing with Song Ankang¡¯s injuries, she immediately went to the kitchen to prepare food. Soon, several plates of delicious pork were brought out. Song Ankang found an iron basin and filled half of it for Little Green Fur. Little Green Fur pounced on it impatiently and started eating. Soon, a human-like smile appeared on its face. It was obviously satisfied with the delicious pork and its loyalty increased greatly. Song Ankang also began to eat heartily. Soon, he felt warm blood flowing through his body. After eating several plates of pork, Song Ankang returned to his bedroom to rest. Little Green Fur was placed in the small pavilion in the courtyard to help them keep watch at night. If a demon or ghost came to attack, Little Green Fur could warn Song Ankang and Qiu Shi immediately. After returning to the bedroom, he first cultivated the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra and used most of the excess energy to increase his strength. He saved a small portion for tonight. Sensing that his cultivation had reached the limit, Song Ankang pondered for a moment and decided to break through the bottleneck of the second minor realm of Internal Realm tonight. He had been in the Organ Tempering Realm for a long time, and his foundation was extremely stable. He walked like a galloping horse and jumped like a bird. The strengthening of his five organs had brought great benefits to Song Ankang, and it was reasonable for him to break through to the Visceral Tempering Realm at this moment. ¡°Wound-Visceral Fist!¡± ¡°Wound-Visceral Fist!¡± ¡°Wound-Visceral Fist!¡± Song Ankang punched three times in a row, waiting for the feedback of the side effects. Chapter 28 - Internal Realm Second Minor Realm Chapter 28 Internal Realm Second Minor Realm Song Ankang still gritted his teeth and endured it even though his internal organs were in pain since he was already used to it. He did not faint. Song Ankang had already used the Internal Injury Fist once in the training room. At that time, his internal organs were already slightly damaged. At this moment, the feedback of the side effects had yet to arrive, and there were three more Internal Injury Fists. The pain was imaginable. Song Ankang¡¯s handsome face had become distorted. He rolled around on the bed in pain, but he still endured it to avoid being heard by Qiu Shi. Perhaps some people thought that Song Ankang was too fragile, but if they knew that this pain was comparable to Guan Gong¡¯s bone-scraping poison, they would not think so. To be able to reach this level of mental willpower in just half a month was already very impressive, okay? He was just an ordinary person on Earth. Even though there was the enhancement brought by the Fate-Defying Heaven Manual, Song Ankang¡¯s willpower was also quite impressive. Otherwise, he would not have reached this level. Perhaps it was also because they were afraid of death, but who was not afraid of death? ¡°The Fate-Defying Heaven Manual has accumulated enough energy and is beginning to play a role¡­ your wounds are being healed, your blood vitality is increasing, your bones are strengthening!¡± After waiting for a long time, the surging side effects surged over and quickly recovered Song Ankang¡¯s injuries. Then, it brought about a lot of injuries to his vital organs. Even though he had reached the extreme of the Viscera Training, or rather, the extreme of the current realm, Song Ankang had already discovered that even if he had reached the extreme of the current realm in theory, after absorbing the side effects, he could break through the extreme. However, breaking through the limit consumed too much energy and was very slow. It required too much time and energy. Song Ankang felt that the cost-effective ratio was not very high, so he did not use it too much. In fact, if Song Ankang was willing to spend time and energy, he could use the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra to temper his skin, muscles, tendons, bones, internal organs¡­ However, Song Ankang¡¯s current cultivation foundation was already shocking enough. He could almost be considered one of the best among his peers. He did not need to spend too much time and energy on this. If he had enough time in the future, he could return and use the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra to continue consolidating his cultivation foundation. With the feedback of the side effects, Song Ankang clearly felt the existence of the bottleneck. Threads of qi and blood of the seven wounds surged towards his internal organs, but was blocked by the bottleneck. According to the techniques and methods of the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra, Song Ankang effectively organized waves of qi and blood of the seven wounds to break through the bottleneck. He did not dare to mobilize too much of it because his internal organs were weak to begin with. Even though mobilizing too much qi and blood of the seven wounds could break through the bottleneck faster, it would bring harm to his internal organs. The so-called six internal organs were the gallbladder, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, and bladder. Among them, the bile ducts were stored and excreted. The stomach was the essence of the accepted and decomposed water grains. The function of the small intestine was the main enrichment and amide. The large intestine could pass on the dross. The bladder could participate in the metabolism of the essence. Sanjiao could preside over the gas. If the refinement and improvement of the five viscera could greatly increase the endurance of a martial artist, then the refinement and improvement of the six viscera could increase the digestive ability of a martial artist, greatly increase the absorption efficiency, and resist all kinds of poisons and illnesses. Of course, regardless of whether it was training the viscera or the internal organs, it could increase a martial artist¡¯s strength, speed, reaction, and other comprehensive qualities, making them more and more powerful and extraordinary. With the side effects of the qi and blood of the seven wounds and the pure, strength, and sharpness as the main force, Song Ankang¡¯s breakthrough to the Viscera Tempering Realm was quite smooth. Soon, the wisps of Qi and blood broke through the bottleneck and began to temper his internal organs. With the tempering of his gallbladder, Song Ankang could clearly feel that the qi and blood of the seven wounds stored in his gallbladder was increasing. The flow of the qi and blood of the seven wounds inside was also quite smooth, and he gradually entered a state of forgetfulness. After an unknown period of time, when the side effects of the four dirty punches were completely absorbed, Song Ankang had already stabilized at the second minor realm of the Internal Realm. Feeling the increase in his overall quality, Song Ankang was all smiles. In just about half a month, he had jumped from a weak ordinary person to the second minor realm of Internal Realm, Viscera Training. Such an improvement speed could not be described as fast. It should be said that it was terrifying Moreover, Song Ankang cultivated the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra and had absorbed the side effects of the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra. His foundation was extremely strong, and his strength, speed, and reaction speed were not inferior to many martial artists at the fourth minor realm of Internal Realm. In the human race of the Mysterious Desolate Great World, there was a name for Marrow Realm martial artists. That was¡­ Invincible Against 100 people! One against a hundred, easily, and could be called a Martial Dao expert. Song Ankang¡¯s current combat power had already surpassed that of a Marrow Realm martial artist and reached the Blood Renewal realm above the Marrow Tempering realm. It could be imagined how powerful Song Ankang¡¯s combat power was. Even though Song Ankang¡¯s combat experience and combat skills were not rich enough, it was not a problem to deal with ordinary Blood Renewal realm martial artists. One had to know that Song Ankang had also cultivated the Traceless Snow Steps and the Hidden Heaven Earth Technique. The Hidden Heaven Earth Technique further consolidated Song Ankang¡¯s cultivation foundation. There was no need to mention the Traceless Snow Steps. The Traceless Snow Steps had already reached the initial success level, and it was difficult for even first-rate martial artists to catch up to Song Ankang. Song Ankang¡¯s overall strength had reached the strongest since he transmigrated. Even if he could not defeat Jiang Yunhe, he could still escape. Only now did Song Ankang have some ability to protect himself. At least if he met the lilac girlagain, Song Ankang could easily destroy her and not fall into a desperate situation. As for the ferocious earthworm that had once frightened Song Ankang, even though its strength was only at the second level of the Internal Realm, because it was good at underground travel and sneak attacks, Song Ankang was still not confident in killing it. However, the earthworm could not do anything to Song Ankang. With his powerful mental strength, Song Ankang was able to discover the earthworm underground one step ahead of time and dodge in time, causing the earthworm to return empty-handed. He looked at the time. It was already late at night. He would adapt to his soaring strength tomorrow. But before he went to bed, in order not to waste time, he decided to have something else. ¡°Injure-Visceral Fist¡± ¡°Injure-Visceral Fist¡± ¡°Injure-Visceral Fist¡± After three consecutive punches, Song Ankang clutched his stomach and fell onto the bed, unconscious. His stomach, which had just been tempered and stabilized, almost collapsed. It was a shocking sight. If it had been an ordinary person, they would definitely have died this time. However, for Song Ankang, who had the Fate-Defying Heaven Manual, the more serious the damage caused to his intestines by the Injury Fist, the more shocking the feedback he would receive next. Song Ankang was in a state of pain and happiness. Just thinking about it made one tremble all over and unable to stop. Chapter 29 - Side Effect Of The Pill Chapter 29 Side Effect Of The Pill Eventhough the side effects of the demonic technique could be transformed into benefits by the Fate-Defying Heaven Manual, if the side effects were too great and directly killed Song Ankang, it would be impossible for the Fate-Defying Heaven Manual to take effect. Therefore, Song Ankang had to act within his limits when using the side effects of the demonic technique, lest he really killed himself. When he woke up the next day, Song Ankang¡¯s guts had almost been tempered. Clearly, the effects of three consecutive internal injury punches were astonishing. However, without Song Ankang¡¯s manipulation, there were still some details that had not been tempered properly. Indeed, it was best not to faint when advancing in the Internal Realm. Otherwise, it was very easy for problems to arise. Song Ankang spent several hours polishing the details that had yet to be honed. He successfully completed the honing of his intestines. Next, it was time to hone his stomach. Even though there was no more medicinal cuisine, at least there was enough beast meat for Song Ankang to continue practicing the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra. At noon, he had a big meal with Little Green Fur. Song Ankang ate two pots of mountain pork and began to train diligently. Even though the benefits of the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra were great, they could not be used often. Moreover, the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra could not increase one¡¯s mental willpower. Only by practicing the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra could one increase one¡¯s mental willpower. The stronger one¡¯s mental will was, the more pain they could withstand. It was also more beneficial to the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra. The two complemented each other. Moreover, the cultivation method of the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra was much more gradual than the fighting method. It could effectively make up for the lack of fighting method. No one could be lacking. During this period, Jiang Yunhe came over and was also dumbfounded when he saw the Little Green Fur that had been tamed by Song Ankang. He did not expect Song Ankang to be able to tame such a powerful ferocious beast. One really could not judge a book by its cover. Even though he did not know how Song Ankang had tamed Little Green Fur, Jiang Yunhe¡¯s attitude towards Song Ankang undoubtedly became more and more important. After returning, he immediately secretly reported this matter to Tang Yelan. At the same time, a fourth minor realm External Realm guard of the Tang family came to Song Ankang¡¯s small courtyard and knelt in front of him. ¡°Young master, the family head asked me to bring you something.¡± ¡®Family Head?¡¯ Song Ankang was stunned for a moment before realizing that this guard was talking about his cheap wife, Tang Yelan, who was also the new head of the Tang family. The image of the elegant woman appeared in his mind. Her oval face was so perfect that there were no flaws. She was so dignified and elegant that even Song Ankang felt ashamed. Especially those electric eyes. They seemed to be emitting electricity at all times. Even without looking at them, she felt numb. Song Ankang had never seen such a peerless woman on Earth, even in television dramas and movies. The classification of looks on Earth had been broken by Tang Yelan. Thinking that such a capable and beautiful woman was actually his wife, Song Ankang was still a little stunned. No one noticed Song Ankang¡¯s abnormality because at this moment, Qiu Shi had already run over with a cheer. ¡°What did Miss bring for Young Master? Is it delicious?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± The Tang Manor guard was stunned for a moment before he handed over a bag with a dry smile. ¡°It¡¯s not delicious. It¡¯s some pills suitable for tempering the body.¡± Unexpectedly, the smile on Qiu Shi¡¯s face became even brighter. ¡°It¡¯s actually a ninth-grade pill. Eldest Miss is so generous. Coincidentally, Young Master has already used up all his medicinal herbs. I was still worried about how to get some medicinal herbs to nourish Young Master. I didn¡¯t expect Eldest Miss to send so many pills.¡± As she spoke, Qiu Shi opened the bag, revealing several bottles of ninth-grade pills. Most of them were ninth-grade medium-grade pills, and a small number were ninth-grade low-grade pills. They were just suitable for Song Ankang to use now, and their effects were far better than medicinal herbs. WE ere I Seeing that his cheap wife was so concerned about him, Song Ankang felt a strange feeling in his heart and became closer to his cheap wife. After the Tang family guards left, Qiushi eagerly handed a bag of pills to Song Ankang. ¡°Young master, try it and see how effective the pills are.¡± Little Green Fur also smelled the pills and ran from the corner eagerly. He jumped onto the stone table and pointed at the bag of pills in Soan¡¯s hand, obviously wanting some. Song Ankang slapped it down. He still didn¡¯t have enough for himself, so how could he share it with Little Green Fur? It was better to wait for his strength to increase before thinking about nurturing Little Green Fur. Even though Little Green Fur was a ferocious beast and grew faster, how could he catch up to Song Ankang, who had a special physique? Song Ankang couldn¡¯t wait to go to the training room. He locked the door, took out a bottle of ninth-grade low-grade Blood Replenishing Pill, and swallowed one first. Wisps of the qi and blood of the seven wounds spread out. Song Ankang hurriedly circulated the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra and absorbed the qi and blood of the seven wounds brought by the Blood Replenishing Pill. His strength increased at a visible speed. The pills were divided into three levels: ninth-grade low-grade, ninth-grade middle-grade, and ninth-grade high-grade. Among them, ninth-grade low-grade generally corresponded to martial artists at the fourth minor realm of External Realm, ninth-grade middle-grade corresponded to martial artists at the fourth minor realm of the Internal Realm, and ninth-grade high-grade corresponded to martial artists at the Earth Gate Realm. Even so, martial artists in the Internal Realm could also take low-grade ninth-grade pills, but the effect was not that obvious. The low-grade ninth-grade pills that Tang Yelan had gotten someone to bring over were all top-grade, comparable to ordinary middle-grade ninth-grade pills. Therefore, the effect of Song Ankang taking them was not bad. ¡°You¡¯ve taken the Blood Replenishing Pill. You¡¯ve been affected by the side effect of the Blood Replenishing Pill. Your cultivation foundation is about to be damaged¡­ The Fate-Defying Heaven Manual has taken effect, and your cultivation foundation has become even more stable!¡± As expected, the Fate-Defying Heaven Manual could also transform the side effects of elixirs and turn these side effects into positive effects. Even though the previous medicinal cuisine was a little less effective, there were no side effects, so the Fate-Defying Heaven Manual did not give any hints. A Blood Replenishing Pill took Song Ankang more than two hours to digest. He successfully tempered his intestines and began to temper his stomach. The effect was extraordinary. As expected, pills worked better! Song Ankang nodded in satisfaction. He took another Blood Replenishing Pill and continued to increase his strength. The side effects of the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra and the Blood Replenishing Pill had brought even greater benefits to Song Ankang, causing his overall strength to increase rapidly, far exceeding the imagination of ordinary people. The feeling of his strength rapidly increasing was really intoxicating. Song Ankang wanted to cultivate like this until the end of time until all the pills were exhausted, but reality did not allow it. Moreover, doing so would arouse suspicion, so at dinner, Song Ankang still came out on time to enjoy delicious food with Qiu Shi. He was halfway through his meal when he heard a knock on the door. Chapter 30 - To Project Ones Shortcomings Chapter 30 To Project One¡¯s Shortcomings On Someone He thought that it was Jiang Yunhe next door, but after opening the door, the person who appeared at the door was rather surprising. ¡°Butler Wang, please come in. Young Master is eating. Please wait a moment.¡± Akimi smiled. The person who suddenly came to look for Song Ankang at night was actually Chaoyun Manor¡¯s butler, Wang Yuliang. He was also the second-in-command of Chaoyun Manor. He had basically taken over Song Ankang. If not for the fact that the theft of the warehouse had greatly increased Song Ankang¡¯s prestige in Chaoyun Manor and helped him obtain an extremely important position as the manager of the warehouse, it was likely that Song Ankang still had no possibility of interfering in the affairs of Chaoyun Manor. Wang Yuliang would not have come to look for him tonight. ¡°Greetings, Manor Lord. I¡¯m sorry for disturbing your meal.¡± Wang Yuliang had a square face and a broad forehead. His figure was a little thin, and his eyes were bright. The expression on his face was as calm as water, and he was very polite. Song Ankang pointed to a nearby stone bench. ¡°Butler Wang, sit down for a moment. We¡¯ll talk about other things after I¡¯m done eating.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Wang Yuliang nodded and waited quietly for Song Ankang to finish eating. There was no impatience on his face. Song Ankang was also very calm. He took his time to enjoy the food made by Qiu Shi, nodding and praising from time to time. Qiu Shi¡¯s culinary skills were especially good. It was not an exaggeration to say that he was the best in Chaoyun Manor. Even on Earth, Qiu Shi¡¯s culinary skills could probably reach the special level. Qiu Shi blinked her bright eyes at Song Ankang¡¯s sudden slowing down. She quickly understood his thoughts and slowed down with a smile. In fact, Wang Yuliang should have visited Song Ankang long ago, but it had been delayed until now. The reason was self-evident. He did not think highly of the manor master, Song Ankang, but he had saved everyone in the warehouse theft case and decisively taken away the important position of manager of the warehouse. This also surprised Wang Yuliang. He began to take this new manor master seriously, but he was still far from being convinced. At this moment, he was a little worried about whether Song Ankang would agree to his next request. If Song Ankang made a fuss about this matter because of his previous attitude, Wang Yuliang would be in a difficult position. From Song Ankang¡¯s current attitude, it was obvious that he had a lot of opinions about him. After finally waiting for Song Ankang to finish his meal, Wang Yuliang lowered his posture and looked at Song Ankang. ¡°Manor Lord, I came here tonight because I have something very important to ask of you.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± Song Ankang did not ask Qiu Shi to make tea, but Qiu Shi still made a cup of tea for Song Ankang and did not make a cup for Wang Yuliang. Song Ankang had already used his actions to express his dissatisfaction with Wang Yuliang. Wang Yuliang naturally understood this. However, after thinking for a moment, Wang Yuliang still said in a serious tone, ¡°There has been a drought this year, and it hasn¡¯t rained yet. It¡¯s already destined that the farmstead will suffer a huge decrease in production. If we don¡¯t have the remaining food and medicinal herbs from last year, I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t even be able to pay taxes.¡± ¡°However, even if we can pay the taxes and deduct what the farmers left behind, there won¡¯t even be half of it left. It definitely won¡¯t be enough for the farmers to live.¡± ¡°Therefore, I want to ask you to allow all the tenants to take half a day out every day to pick all kinds of leaves and wild vegetables and store them for winter. This way, our farmers can have fewer deaths this year.¡± ¡°Is it already that serious?¡± Song Ankang frowned and looked at Wang Yuliang. Wang Yuliang nodded. ¡°It¡¯s more serious than we thought. Our farm still has the foundation left from last year¡¯s harvest, so it¡¯s relatively better. The surrounding villages are even worse.¡± ¡°Moreover, the range of the drought this time is very wide, and the merfolk have also been greatly affected. In order to tide over the difficulties this year, the merfolk battlefront might be even more tragic. In order to win the war at the front line and possibly raise taxes, we have to make preparations early.¡± ¡°In that case, let¡¯s do as you say.¡± Song Ankang nodded and said, ¡°There are also many trees and weeds in the manor. Let¡¯s see which ones are edible and store them together.¡± ¡°Even though our Chaoyun Manor is safer than some villages, there are also demons and ghosts around. To be safe, when the tenants leave the farmstead to pick leaves, weeds, and wild vegetables, we can send a certain number of farmstead guards to protect them.¡± ¡°This¡­¡± Song Ankang¡¯s words stunned Wang Yuliang. He didn¡¯t expect Song Ankang to agree so readily and was even willing to send guards from the farmstead to protect these tenants. Wang Yuliang, who was already prepared to argue, found it difficult to adapt. He looked at Song Ankang in a daze. Song Ankang smiled and said, ¡°Butler Wang, do you think I won¡¯t agree? Or do you think I¡¯m narrow-minded and will ignore the lives of the farmers just because you did something wrong?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare.¡± Wang Yuliang lowered his head in shame and bowed to Song Ankang. ¡°I was being petty. Please forgive me for my negligence. Nothing like this will happen again. At the same time, thank you for taking care of the tenants.¡± Song Ankang waved his hand. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t thank me. I¡¯m the head of Chaoyun Manor. It¡¯s my duty to take care of these tenants. I¡¯ll leave this matter to you. Don¡¯t let anything happen to them.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Master. I¡¯ll handle this matter well.¡± Wang Yuliang nodded seriously. After Wang Yuliang left, Qiu Shi looked at Song Ankang with bright eyes. ¡°Young Master, they all say that you don¡¯t know anything about farming or medicinal herbs. You definitely can¡¯t manage such a big farm well.¡± ¡°But in my opinion, you¡¯re the most intelligent person in the farmstead. Under your lead, our Chaoyun Manor will definitely be able to survive.¡± Song Ankang pinched her fair face. ¡°Stop flattering me and prepare some silver for me. We¡¯re going to Tongxin Town tomorrow to deal with some important matters.¡± ¡°Is it something important? What is it?¡± Qiu Shi asked curiously. Song Ankang smiled. ¡°You¡¯ll know tomorrow. There¡¯s no need to rush. I¡¯ll go cultivate first.¡± ¡°Young master, be careful. Don¡¯t take too many pills. Otherwise, it will affect your foundation and your body.¡± Seeing that Song Ankang was impatiently walking towards the training room, Qiu Shi couldn¡¯t help but remind him. Song Ankang waved his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know. Don¡¯t worry.¡± With the Fate-Defying Heaven Manual, how could Song Ankang worry about these side effects? On the contrary, the greater the side effects, the more he liked them, because this way, he could absorb more side effects to increase his overall strength. When they arrived at the training room, Song Ankang first threw two Internal Injury Fists, then endured the pain and began to cultivate. At the same time, he waited for the feedback of the side effects so that he could welcome another wave of improvement. Chapter 31 - The Path To Making Money Chapter 31 The Path To Making Money It had been mentioned before that when one cultivated the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra, there would be a very comfortable feeling. That feeling was like floating to heaven, making one unable to stop themselves. However, this feeling made it easy for people to drown in it. In the end, they would train themselves to death, which was extremely harmful to their mental will. However, this feeling could effectively neutralize the pain caused by the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra. Coupled with the fact that Song Ankang could absorb its side effects, not only would he not wallow in it, but it would also increase his willpower. This was the perfect antidote! In the past, Song Ankang did not dare to use this antidote recklessly because the excess energy in his body was limited. But now, with the help of several bottles of pills, Song Ankang was much bolder. He could neutralize this pain through practice while enduring the pain caused by the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra. In this way, the cultivation method and fighting style of the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra could be effectively neutralized and promoted through the Fate-Defying Heaven Manual. Coupled with the side effects of the pill, the speed of Song Ankang¡¯s strength improvement was simply ferocious. To describe it as a thousand miles per day was an insult to this speed. Only 10,000 miles per day could barely describe its speed. It was not until midnight that Song Ankang fell asleep after his stomach was quenched. In order to avoid affecting his cultivation foundation, Song Ankang did not put himself into a coma through the Internal Injury Fist before sleeping. Instead, he prepared to practice the Internal Injury Fist while awake. The next morning, after dinner, Song Ankang took dozens of taels of silver and rushed to Tongxin Town in a carriage. Among the humans of China, one tael of silver was worth 1,000 copper coins, and the value of one copper coin was about the same as a dollar on Earth, but the purchasing power was stronger. A hundred taels of silver was worth another tael of gold. The exchange rate between silver and gold was a hundred to one. The exchange rate between copper and silver was a thousand to one. Dozens of taels of silver meant tens of thousands of yuan. To ordinary people, it was definitely not a small sum. Jiang Yun and the guards were left and right. Qiu Shi¡¯s face was filled with excitement. She was clearly very happy to be able to go out and relax. When he arrived at Tongxin Town, he was warmly welcomed by many townsfolk as usual. ¡°The most filial son of the Song Dynasty is here. We¡¯ve all heard about what happened at the fabric shop. Thank you for helping us eliminate the ferocious female ghost and saving the lives of our entire town.¡± ¡°Young Master Song is even more handsome than last time. His temperament is also getting better. Come here and try my family¡¯s pancakes. They¡¯re fresh out of the oven and definitely delicious.¡± ¡°I picked a nest of medicinal eggs a few days ago. It¡¯s most nourishing. Do you want some, Great Filial Son of Song? I¡¯ll give you some.¡± ¡°That female ghost was near our house. I even met her the day before you got rid of her. If my wife hadn¡¯t noticed something was wrong in time, I would have been killed. Thank you so much.¡± The residents of Tongxin Town were like the residents of many places in China. They knew how to respect the old and cherish the young. They also knew how to repay kindness. As the most filial son in the capital, Song Ankang was the model and benchmark in the hearts of all the residents. Moreover, he had killed the female ghost hiding in Tongxin Town a few days ago and saved many lives. This made the residents of Tongxin Town have a better impression of Song Ankang. Even though they were not rich and might have to starve this year, they still generously took out some good things, hoping to give them to Song Ankang to try. Song Ankang smiled and declined, but he could not resist the enthusiastic residents. Soon, many snacks were placed on the carriage, enough for him to eat for several days. He felt a little warm inside. Even though it was difficult for the humans here to survive, they were really united and friendly with each other. There were very few people who were truly vicious. Be it many villages near the capital or many villages in other places, there were many places that did not close their doors at night. There were not many situations where humans fought openly and secretly. By the time Song Ankang and the others arrived at their destination, the carriage was already filled with things. ¡°Young Master Song, you¡¯re indeed the most filial son in the capital. You¡¯re actually so popular!¡± A tall, square-faced, large-eyed woman stood at the entrance of Huachun Hall. She looked at the things piled up on the carriage and smiled. Song Ankang quickly got out of the carriage. ¡°You flatter me, shopkeeper. The people of the town are too kind.¡± ¡°This is not flattery. This is respect and gratitude from the bottom of your heart.¡± The square-faced, big-eyed woman smiled and said, ¡°I heard about what happened a few days ago. If it weren¡¯t for Young Master Song, I¡¯m afraid the entire Tongxin Town would be in danger. A female ghost comparable to an Internal Tempering Realm martial artist is almost unstoppable in Tongxin Town.¡± Song Ankang smiled. ¡°You should thank Instructor Jiang. He killed that female ghost.¡± ¡°Of course, Instructor Jiang should be grateful, and so should Young Master Song.¡± The square-faced, big-eyed woman said, ¡°I¡¯m the head shopkeeper of the Huachun Hall, Pang Huachun. I happened to come from the capital to purchase some medicinal herbs unique to Tongxin Town these few days. I didn¡¯t expect to be involved in this matter. It seems that Young Master Song and I are quite fated.¡± ¡°May I know why Young Master Song is here today? If there¡¯s a need, our Huachun Hall will definitely help you.¡± When he heard the square-faced, big-eyed woman say that she was the head shopkeeper of Huachun Hall, Pang Huachun, Song Ankang was also surprised. This was because Hua Chuntang was not a small pharmacy even in the capital. Each branch was spread throughout the capital and there were at least dozens of them. He did not expect that Pang Huachun, who was the head shopkeeper and the founder of Hua Chun Hall, would actually come to Tongxin Town for something. What a coincidence. When they arrived at the waiting room, Pang Huachun asked someone to prepare tea. Song Ankang smiled and said, ¡°Actually, I came to look for Hua Chuntang today mainly because I hope to cooperate with him.¡± ¡°Work with Hua Chuntang?¡± Pang Huachun was stunned for a moment. ¡°I remember that Hua Chuntang has always been working with Chaoyun Manor. Many of the herbs in Chaoyun Manor are sold to Hua Chuntang.¡± Song Ankang shook his head and said, ¡°This is just a business relationship, not a partnership. The cooperation I¡¯m talking about is actually to provide some preliminary processed herbs for Hua Chuntang. This way, Hua Chuntang can directly use these processed herbs to refine pills. He won¡¯t have to specially find a large number of apprentices to learn and process these herbs.¡± ¡°Young Master Song, do you mean that Chaoyun Manor will take over most of the work of Hua Chuntang¡¯s apprentices and earn some fees from it?¡± Pang Huachun¡¯s eyes lit up. Song Ankang nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s about right. However, Chaoyun Manor will also purchase herbs and sell the processed herbs to Hua Chuntang to earn a certain profit.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s just simple processing, it¡¯s actually not worth much. But if you want to process it to the point where it can be used to refine pills directly, it will take a lot of time and energy. You will also need to train special apprentices. Are you sure this won¡¯t make you unable to make ends meet?¡± Pang Huachun looked at Song Ankang suspiciously. Song Ankang smiled and said, ¡°If we only process some slightly simple medicinal herbs to the extent that we can directly refine pills, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡± ¡°Moreover, our Chaoyun Manor will not nurture apprentices who are proficient in the processing of various medicinal herbs like Huachun Hall. Instead, we will only nurture some apprentices who are proficient in one or a few medicinal herbs. This is not difficult, and the efficiency will increase very quickly.¡± Chapter 32 - Husband And Wife To Cast Glory Together Chapter 32 Husband And Wife To Cast Glory Together The processing of herbs that Song Ankang had mentioned had the smell of a modern assembly line, but it was slightly more complicated than that. However, it was simple enough for the apprentices Hua Chuntang had nurtured. As for whether this would leak out and allow others to learn, Song Ankang was not worried about that. The in-depth processing of herbs looked simple, but it also required enough knowledge and skill. Coincidentally, the host body was well-read and had a lot of knowledge in this area. It was not easy to replicate. Moreover, even if Song Ankang didn¡¯t say anything, wouldn¡¯t the news be leaked after the medicinal herbs were processed in depth? Sooner or later, people would find out about it, so there was no need to hide it. He could even use this to gain Pang Huachun¡¯s trust and obtain an excellent way to earn money. Pang Huachun¡¯s eyes lit up when he heard that. ¡°Alright, this is very feasible. It can also help our Huachun Hall save a lot of costs. I didn¡¯t expect Young Master Song to be so capable in business.¡± ¡°There was a drought this year. I had no choice but to find such a way to make money. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to survive in Chaoyun Manor.¡± Song Ankang smiled bitterly. Huachun Hall started out as an alchemist and mainly sold all kinds of ninth-grade pills. However, the number of ninth-grade alchemists was limited, so he naturally would not spend a lot of time processing medicinal herbs. This required Huachun Hall to nurture many apprentices who dealt with medicinal herbs. The cost was not low. If someone could directly provide the processed medicinal herbs to Huachun Hall and buy them at a reasonable price, Huachun Hall would naturally be willing to do so. This way, he would not have to nurture so many shockingly expensive apprentices. Song Ankang and Pang Huachun hit it off immediately. The two of them discussed how they would cooperate next and signed the corresponding agreement to ensure that both parties benefited. Pang Huachun did not raise the price of the purchase because of his good reputation, nor did Song Ankang lower the price of the sale because of Pang Huachun¡¯s flattery. The two of them had a good fight, purely on the interests of business. Seeing the intense discussion between the two of them and the relatively reasonable agreements being drafted, Jiang Yunhe, Qiu Shi, and the people from Tongxin Town branch were already stunned. It was normal for Pang Huachun to be so shrewd as a businessman, but he did not expect the handsome and refined Young Master Song to be so smart and hardworking. It was really unbelievable. Moreover, Song Ankang knew the price of various medicinal herbs and the cost of nurturing an apprentice of the Medicine Hall like the back of his hand. The agreed price was extremely reasonable and even fought for the greatest profit for Chaoyun Manor, making Pang Huachun somewhat convinced. It took them from morning to evening to finally come up with an agreement. Song Ankang had also bought a large number of tools for processing medicinal herbs from Huachun Hall, as well as the detailed explanation of the processing of medicinal herbs that Pang Huachun had specially given him. It could be said that he had returned with a full load. ¡°Young Master Song, I really can¡¯t imagine you today.¡± Before leaving, Pang Huachun looked at Song Ankang and smiled bitterly. ¡°After so many years of business, I haven¡¯t been as passive as I am today.¡± ¡°Please forgive me, Shopkeeper Pang.¡± Song Ankang smiled. ¡°It¡¯s just that I had no choice. Chaoyun Manor is huge and has more than a thousand tenants. Even though it seems petty to do this, as the owner of Chaoyun Manor Lord, I have to be responsible for them.¡± ¡°It would be foolish to disregard the interests of so many tenants who follow me just because of a little face. Besides, business is business. This is not something embarrassing. In the future, we will still be friends in private. Isn¡¯t Shopkeeper Pang the same?¡± Pang Huachun was surprised. ¡°Business is business. Well said. Then I¡¯ll make a friend of Young Master Song. It seems that many people in the capital have underestimated Young Master Song. If Young Master Song holds the authority of the Tang Corporation in the future, it might be able to develop the Tang Corporation better. At that time, the husband and wife will follow. The glory of the Tang Corporation will be imminent.¡± ¡°You flatter me, Shopkeeper Pang. With my mediocre skills, I can only solve the problem in the farmstead. I can¡¯t do anything else.¡± Song Ankang smiled. After bidding farewell to Pang Huachun, the group rushed towards the farm with a full harvest. ¡°Young Master, I also think that they¡¯ve underestimated you. I didn¡¯t expect you to be so good at business other than studying.¡± As soon as they left Tongxin Town, Qiu Shi¡¯s eyes widened. She stared at Song Ankang without blinking, as if she was seeing him for the first time. Jiang Yunhe, who was driving, also smiled and said, ¡°Business is business. I also think that Young Master¡¯s words are really good. Since we¡¯re doing business, we should naturally follow the rules. Eldest Miss also said something similar, but it¡¯s not as concise as Young Master¡¯s summary.¡± ¡°Our Tang Trading Company is also dominated by merchants. Since Young Master is so capable, you can help Eldest Miss when you return in the future.¡± Qiu Shi said with some admiration, ¡°At that time, Eldest Miss and Young Master will combine their swords and will definitely be able to get our Tang Trading Company out of trouble and become the number one trading company in the capital.¡± Seeing Qiu Shi¡¯s face light up, Song Ankang shook his head speechlessly. What kind of business ability was this? He had only learned a little from Earth. If he was really asked to run the Tang Corporation, it would be a miracle if he did not lose money. Song Ankang would not run the Tang Corporation with Tang Yelan. Moreover, compared to running a trading company, cultivation was the most attractive path for Song Ankang. It was also the most promising path in the Mysterious Desolate Continent! Song Ankang would not waste his time and energy on business. If he had that time, he might as well cultivate for a while. If not for the fact that Chaoyun Manor was facing a huge dilemma this time and even affected Song Ankang¡¯s future cultivation, Song Ankang would not have racked his brains to find such a solution. As for whether it would work, Song Ankang was not sure now. However, if it worked according to Song Ankang¡¯s plan, it would definitely bring a rolling source of income to Chaoyun Manor At that time, not only would they be able to complete this year¡¯s taxes, but they would also be able to let the tenants of Chaoyun Manor live a good life. Most importantly, Song Ankang could obtain the greatest profits from it, and then use these profits to buy all kinds of cultivation resources. With these cultivation resources, Song Ankang¡¯s strength would definitely soar. This was what Song Ankang valued the most. In this dangerous and terrifying world, only by raising his strength could he protect his life and his friends and family. The sound of the car was clear as they walked. By the time they rushed back to Chaoyun Manor, the sky had already turned dark. Chapter 33 - The Manor Lord Is Too Generous Chapter 33 The Manor Lord Is Too Generous Even though it was already late, almost no one in Chaoyun Manor had slept. Everyone was busy on the stone ground in the middle of the field, sorting out the wild vegetables, weeds, leaves, and so on that day. ¡°The weather is so dry that there aren¡¯t even many wild vegetables and weeds. Our harvest today is a little too little. Compared to some of the villages outside, we¡¯re a little slow.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, there are too many demons and ghosts in the Red Leaves Forest. If we can enter the Red Leaves Forest, our gains today will at least double.¡± ¡°Compared to life, the wild vegetables and leaves in the Red Leaves Forest are nothing. Let¡¯s not think too much about it. Let¡¯s work harder tomorrow and run a little further away to dig more wild grass and wild vegetables.¡± ¡°I heard that chicken loess is edible. Why don¡¯t we get some chicken loess tomorrow and try it? Can we eat it?¡± Apart from the children, the thousand-odd tenants basically looked worried. Even some of the children were affected by the people around them, their small faces filled with confusion. Such a drought was hard to come by in decades. Many tenants had only experienced it once or twice in their lives. The dirty wild vegetables, weeds, and leaves on the ground made one lose their appetite just by looking at them. They were the hope for the survival of the more than 1,000 tenants in Chaoyun Manor this year. Even this kind of bad food was not easy to collect. Thinking of how ordinary people could live a good life on Earth when they were descendants of Yanhuang, Song Ankang was a little silent. mo Even though Song Ankang had become much more selfish and afraid of death after dying once, there was still kindness in his heart. Seeing his tenants so poor, Song Ankang felt sad. Fortunately, Song Ankang had brought back the hope of survival. As long as nothing unexpected happened, all the tenants of Chaoyun Manor would not only be able to successfully complete this year¡¯s taxes, but they would even be able to live an unprecedented good life. ¡°Butler Wang, Steward Hao, come with me!¡± Song Ankang called out to Wang Yuliang and Hao Jiyong, who were busy, and walked towards the small courtyard. The small courtyard was called Chaoyun Manor. It occupied nearly a thousand square meters. There were flower beds, artificial mountains, and pools inside. It looked rather elegant. It was the best residence in Chaoyun Manor and belonged to the Manor Lord alone. After getting out of the car, Song Ankang helped Qiu Shi and Jiang Yunhe take down the things from the carriage. After cleaning up, Wang Yuliang and Hao Jiyong washed off the dust on their bodies and came to Chaoyun Courtyard. Qiu Shi placed a few cups of tea on the stone table and retreated behind Song Ankang. Song Ankang placed the agreement he had signed with Hua Chuntang in front of Wang Yuliang and Hao Jiyong. ¡°Take a look.¡± As the butler of Chaoyun Manor, Wang Yuliang was literate, and his knowledge level was not low. Even though Hao Jiyong was an ordinary tenant, he was quite motivated and taught himself how to read and write. Otherwise, he would not have become the pillar of the warehouse. Looking at the agreement in front of them, the two of them were stunned at first, but then they read it carefully. However, after reading it, even though they looked happy, they were also worried. ¡°What do you want to say?¡± Song Ankang smiled and said, ¡°Feel free to speak your mind. After all, this matter is very important. If we don¡¯t handle it well, it might cause us to fall into an even more difficult situation.¡± Wang Yuliang frowned and said, ¡°Even though this might allow our Chaoyun Manor to escape from our predicament, but¡­ but it¡¯s not easy to process medicinal herbs to the extent that an apothecary can directly refine pills. In the beginning, we might not be able to make ends meet. Once we can¡¯t hold on, the consequences will be worrying.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I mean too.¡± Hao Jiyong nodded. ¡°Even though the medicinal herbs chosen by the manor master are relatively simple, it¡¯s still a little complicated for ordinary people. Besides, no one in our farm has done such a thing before. I¡¯m afraid it will be difficult to succeed in the beginning.¡± Song Ankang smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. If I wasn¡¯t confident, I wouldn¡¯t have signed this agreement. The in-depth processing of these medicinal herbs isn¡¯t difficult for me. I can even reach the level of being extremely familiar with them and use them to teach others.¡± ¡°We can choose some smart people to learn from me first. When they can successfully graduate, we can promote it to more tenants. There are more than a thousand people in Chaoyun Manor. Can¡¯t we find more than ten smart people?¡± ¡°Since you¡¯ve thought about it, we can give it a try,¡± Hao Jiyong said immediately. Wang Yuliang looked worried, but looking at the signed agreement, he nodded and said, ¡°Then¡­ then let¡¯s give it a try.¡± Song Ankang said, ¡°I¡¯ll master the deep processing methods and techniques of these medicinal herbs in the next two days. Pick ten skilled people from the entire farm to learn from me. Tell them that they don¡¯t need to compensate if they fail, but if they succeed, they can get 10% of the processing fee.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Wang Yuliang said in surprise, ¡°There¡¯s so much. I think that¡¯s more than 50% of it. They won¡¯t have to take responsibility for the failure. Who wouldn¡¯t want to do something like getting processing fees for free? Besides, there hasn¡¯t been much farm work in the farm recently. This is an additional income. We can just give them some of it. Even if we don¡¯t give it to them, they won¡¯t dare to say anything. After all, they¡¯re tenants of Chaoyun Manor.¡± Hao Jiyong also looked shocked. ¡°Butler Wang is right. This share is too much. We¡¯re all tenants of the farm. We¡¯re obligated to help the farm owner do some additional things.¡± ¡°If there¡¯s effort, there¡¯s gain. Besides, I¡¯ve already taken 90% of it.¡± Song Ankang smiled and said, ¡°Moreover, this is the only way to arouse everyone¡¯s enthusiasm and make more people invest in the processing of medicinal herbs. Only then can we earn more.¡± ¡°Besides, I¡¯m doing this to help everyone tide over this crisis. Instead of waiting for the profits to be distributed to everyone according to your wishes, it¡¯s better to set a good share from the beginning. This way, everyone will have the motivation to work hard.¡± Wang Yuliang bowed to Song Ankang and said, ¡°Master, you¡¯re so kind. With such a high processing fee, 10% of the profits is not a small number. Moreover, you have to bear the cost of destroying the herbs.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Manor Lord. I¡¯ll supervise them in the future and make sure that they don¡¯t damage a single medicinal ingredient,¡± Hao Jiyong said solemnly. Song Ankang waved his hand. ¡°In the beginning, no one was familiar with it. It¡¯s normal to damage the herbs. Don¡¯t be too harsh, as long as we earn money in the end.¡± ¡°Of course, if someone deliberately destroys the herbs or doesn¡¯t work well, their corresponding qualifications will be revoked so that they can¡¯t earn this additional income.¡± §á§Ö§Ö Wang Yuliang sneered. ¡°Manor Lord is already so generous to them. If anyone doesn¡¯t want to repay their kindness, don¡¯t blame us for chasing him out of Manor Lord.¡± Chapter 34 - Is This A Beauty Pageant? Chapter 34 Is This A Beauty Pageant? Song Ankang liked to plan before taking action, not to mention opening a new path for the entire Chaoyun Manor. The host body had a lot of knowledge about the refinement of medicinal herbs in her memory. In addition, Jiang Yunhe had specially brought him books on this aspect. Even though he had never actually done it, Song Ankang knew the basics of refining medicinal herbs like the back of his hand. Song Ankang was even more than 80% confident that he could refine a ninth-grade low-grade pill alone without the guidance of his teacher. Song Ankang was confident that he could even refine pills, let alone some basic herbs. That was why Song Ankang dared to sign such an agreement with the head shopkeeper of Huachun Hall. The reason why Song Ankang was so confident was that, apart from the host body¡¯s extraordinary memory and comprehension, the most important thing was that after this period of training, his mental will had improved greatly, far exceeding that of ordinary people. Everyone knew that in order to become an alchemist, the most important thing was to have a strong spirit, followed by dexterity. After fusing with the host body¡¯s soul and spirit, as well as the spirit brought about by the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra¡¯ absorption of side effects, it was impossible for Song Ankang¡¯s mental strength not to be strong. Even Jiang Yunhe, who was once extremely powerful, could not compare to Song Ankang in terms of mental strength. Therefore, ordinary people thought that it was extremely difficult to refine medicinal pills. There were not many alchemists in the huge Huachun Hall, but it was a piece of cake for Song Ankang to become an alchemist. Moreover, alchemists had a high status in the human race. They were similar to scientists on Earth, and they were scientists with astonishing earning ability. Even an alchemist who could only refine low-level ninth-grade pills had a status comparable to tens of thousands of middle and high-level professionals on Earth. If Song Ankang revealed the strength of a low-level ninth-grade alchemist, many of the upper echelons of the Tang family would look at him in a different light. However, no matter how high a low-level ninth-grade alchemist¡¯s status was, he could not compare to a first-rate martial artist in the Earth Gate Realm. He could barely compare to a second-rate martial artist in the third minor realm of Internal Realm. At this moment, Song Ankang¡¯s combat strength was not inferior to a martial artist at the fourth level of Internal Refinement. His cultivation path was far more promising than alchemy. Naturally, Song Ankang would not give up on the bright path of cultivation and choose to refine pills. Even if he spent time and effort on refining medicinal herbs and alchemy, it was also for his own cultivation. In the next two days, Song Ankang easily processed several basic medicinal herbs with the help of the tools and utensils he had bought from Huachun Hall. Even though he encountered some small problems during this period, it was not difficult to solve them. At this moment, Wang Yuliang and Hao Jiyong had also chosen ten skilled tenants and let them be the first batch to learn from Song Ankang. Under the pavilion in Chaoyun Courtyard. The corners of Song Ankang¡¯s mouth twitched as he looked at the ten tenants selected by Wang Yuliang and Hao Jiyong. The ten tenants in front of him were all in their teens. All of them were good-looking girls. The worst one could score above 60 points, and the best one probably scored 90 points. Song Ankang wanted to choose some good seedlings who could master the medicinal herbs in the shortest time possible, not some beauty pageant in Chaoyun Manor. What were Wang Yuliang and Hao Jiyong doing? At the side, Qiu Shi¡¯s expression was also a little strange, but he did not say anything. There was no dissatisfaction on his exquisite face. ¡°I want ten skilled and intelligent seedlings, not maids.¡± Song Ankang looked at Wang Yuliang and Hao Jiyong with an unhappy expression. Wang Yuliang smiled and said, ¡°Manor Lord, you¡¯ve misunderstood. They¡¯re the ten good seedlings that we¡¯ve carefully selected. All of them are clever and intelligent. Manor Lord, you must never judge a book by its cover.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Song Ankang looked like he didn¡¯t want to lie to me. ¡°Really?¡± Hao Jiyong nodded repeatedly. ¡°Absolutely. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can teach them well. If any of them can¡¯t meet your requirements, you can immediately chase them out.¡± ¡°In that case, stay.¡± Seeing that even the simple and kind Hao Jiyong said so, Song Ankang was relieved and took the ten girls to the nearby processing workshop. The processing workshop was a courtyard specially vacated by Song Ankang for processing medicinal herbs. It occupied more than a thousand square meters and had been planned. re Seeing Song Ankang leave with ten beautiful girls, Wang Yuliang and Hao Jiyong looked at each other and smiled. They did not lie to Song Ankang. These ten good-looking girls were indeed agile and smart, but they were not the best. When the two of them told everyone about Song Ankang¡¯s request, more than a thousand tenants in Chaoyun Manor went crazy. Everyone could not wait to register and earn this considerable additional income so that they could survive this year¡¯s difficulties. After Wang Yuliang and Hao Jiyong carefully selected dozens of good seedlings, most of them were teenagers. However, after some consideration, the two of them decisively chose ten of the more good-looking girls instead of the ten with the best results. There was no other reason. Manor Lord Song was a man. Even though he didn¡¯t have any dirty thoughts, he should prefer teaching some young and beautiful girls than teaching men. It was a cheap choice, and the girls were more careful. Song Ankang would not be too harsh when teaching. It could be said to be killing two birds with one stone. Wang Yuliang and Hao Jiyong had no intention of pimping. Both of them knew very well that not to mention the beautiful and devastatingly beautiful young lady, just a maidservant, Qiu Shi, could beat up any girl in Chaoyun Manor. Under such circumstances, it was basically impossible for Song Ankang to do anything to these ten girls. Of course, even if he did, the other party might be willing. This way, he would be able to curry favor with the high-ranking manor master. Even the chambermaid, Qiu Shi, had no other thoughts. There was no other reason. Qiu Shi believed in Song Ankang. She was so beautiful, and she was Song Ankang¡¯s chambermaid. If Song Ankang wanted her, he could have her at any time. However, under such circumstances, Song Ankang was still able to endure it and did not do anything unspeakable to her. He was very confident in Song Ankang¡¯s character. Therefore, after seeing Song Ankang bring ten beautiful girls to teach, she skipped towards the kitchen, preparing to make a sumptuous lunch for her young master. The young master was going to teach the ten girls next. He would definitely be especially tired. They had to nourish themselves at noon. Chapter 35 - The First Batch Of Goods Chapter 35 The First Batch Of Goods Wang Yuliang and Hao Jiyong did not lie to him! These ten beautiful girls were indeed intelligent and ingenious. At least they were much better than Song Ankang had imagined. They were not as numb and stupid as many ordinary tenants. Or rather, the people who were numb and stupid were just the ancient people on some television dramas. Actually, the real ancient people were not stupid. The tenants of Chaoyun Manor were much better at farming than the people on Earth. It was just that their knowledge was limited, so they seemed a little silly to some people. In fact, in their professional field, they were smarter than anyone else. When they looked at those self-righteous intellectuals, they also felt that they were fools who couldn¡¯t even do farm work. Some television dramas on Earth had harmed Song Ankang, making him think that the tenants of Chaoyun Manor were generally stupid. That was why he specially instructed Wang Yuliang and Hao Jiyong to find some smart and intelligent seedlings. Then, to his surprise, Song Ankang discovered that these good seedlings were even better than him in certain procedures of handling medicinal herbs. Moreover, their learning speed and comprehension ability were beyond his imagination. Chaoyun Manor¡¯s main business was in food and medicinal herbs, so these girls were very good at the basic processing of many medicinal herbs. It was just that they did not go deeper. Therefore, in terms of shallow processing, Song Ankang was far inferior to these girls. Even in terms of deep processing, their comprehension and learning ability were not much worse than Song Ankang¡¯s. However, because he did not understand the knowledge involved, let alone the methods and techniques, he seemed a little rusty and busy at first. The initial stages were quite smooth. As the teaching progressed, all kinds of difficult questions began to appear. Fortunately, these girls were very attentive and none of them were muddle-headed, so their learning progress was not slow. In addition, these medicinal herbs were all carefully selected by Song Ankang. It was not difficult to process them. Ordinary people could master them with more practice, let alone these carefully selected girls. The girls were serious and focused, and all of them were good-looking. They surrounded Song Ankang and studied hard. Not only were they pleasing to the eye, but they also made people happy. Song Ankang¡¯s enthusiasm for teaching also rose. In the beginning, Song Ankang asked these girls to focus on the processing of a basic medicinal herb to avoid being too greedy and not being able to chew it. Therefore, their learning progress was much faster than Song Ankang had imagined. In just a day, a young girl had grasped the key points of the basic medicinal herbs she was responsible for and started practicing. On the second day, more girls mastered the deep processing of a basic medicinal herb. On the third day, all ten girls mastered the deep processing method and technique of a medicinal herb. Song Ankang began to let them practice on a large scale. They did not have to worry about the consumption of medicinal herbs. Song Ankang could still afford this loss. None of these girls deliberately damaged the medicinal herbs. They were especially serious every time they practiced because they knew very well that these damaged medicinal herbs were made of copper coins. If it was damaged too much, he might lose this additional income and starve to death in the farmstead this year. The tenants of Chaoyun Manor were generally simple and kind, and there were basically no bad people. People like Hao Jimeng were already the limit, subverting the imagination of most of the tenants. Fortunately, evil people had their retribution. Hao Jimeng had already been killed by the members of the Ningmen Guild, and his body was still hanging near the Ningmen Guild¡¯s casino. Even these beautiful girls, at most, had some thoughts of social climbing. When they really worked, they were especially serious. They just liked to be by Song Ankang¡¯s side in their free time. It was similar to the operations of some green tea b*tches on Earth. The girls here had yet to master it and would not do it. It was already the limit to give Song Ankang a wink. Even after leaving the workshop, these girls would still spend a lot of time practicing when they returned home. If they did not have any medicinal herbs, they would practice some basic techniques and movements. They wanted to master the medicinal herbs they were responsible for as quickly as possible. Because he was busy with the workshop, Song Ankang was a little lazy in terms of cultivation. However, this was necessary. When the workshop was on the right track and could bring him endless wealth, Song Ankang could use it to buy a large number of cultivation resources and improve faster. A beard lathered is half shaved. The current sacrifice was also to allow him to improve faster in the future. However, because he had to hide his strength every day, the Hidden Heaven and Earth Technique progressed rapidly and was getting closer and closer to the Greater Mastery of the Hidden Form. The side effects also further promoted the improvement of Song Ankang¡¯s foundation and strength. There was no need to mention Traceless Snow Steps. Thanks to Song Ankang¡¯s laziness in this aspect, Traceless Song Ankang had been advancing rapidly. Song Ankang had also gradually adapted to the joy of stepping on the Traceless Snow Steps and was able to endure it without batting an eyelid. According to his current progress, it would only take about a month for him to reach the Greater Mastery stage. This sounded like a long time, but it had to be known that even if other martial artists who cultivated the Traceless Snow Steps had outstanding talent, they would usually need to spend several years to reach the Greater Mastery stage. From this, one could tell how fast Song Ankang¡¯s cultivation speed was. At the moment, Traceless Snow Steps could also increase Song Ankang¡¯s speed by several times. He could basically dominate the Body Refinement Realm. Even many first-rate martial artists could not compare to him. His strength was steadily improving, and the progress of the processing of herbs was also very gratifying. In just a few days, the ten girls had already mastered the basic medicinal herbs that they were responsible for. Moreover, the first batch of qualified finished products had already been produced. There were ten sets of each medicinal herb. Song Ankang brought these processed basic herbs to Huachun Hall again, but this time, it was not Pang Huachun who received him, but the person in charge of Huachun Hall in Tongxin Town, Chen Fangshu. Chen Fangshu looked dignified and beautiful. She did not look like the person in charge of the medicine shop. Instead, she looked like a good wife and mother, which surprised Song Ankang a little. ¡°Manor Lord Song, you¡¯re here. Shopkeeper Pang has already told me about you. Please come in and sit.¡± Chen Fangshu led the way with a smile, instructing the maid to make tea for Song Ankang. The group arrived at the waiting room. On the way, Song Ankang asked, ¡°Has Shopkeeper Pang gone back?¡± ¡°Yes, Shopkeeper Pang has a lot of things to do in the capital. He will occasionally come to the branch hall below to patrol. He will return the next day after meeting Song Manor Lord.¡± Chen Fangshu replied. Song Ankang nodded and placed the medicinal herbs that had been processed in the past few days in front of Chen Fangshu. ¡°Shopkeeper Chen, this is the harvest of Chaoyun Manor over the past few days. Take a look at the quality. If it¡¯s possible, we¡¯ll start mass production.¡± Chapter 36 - Chaoyun Manors Hope Chapter 36 Chaoyun Manor¡¯s Hope ¡°That was fast!¡± Chen Fangshu¡¯s eyes widened as she looked at the processed herbs in front of her in disbelief. ¡°The apprentices of our Huachun Hall usually need to study for months or even years before they can become the assistants of an official apothecary and provide them with all kinds of processed herbs.¡± ¡°I originally thought that it would take at least a few months for you to complete the task. I didn¡¯t expect that in just a few days, the first batch of herbs would be processed.¡± As he spoke, Chen Fangshu carefully checked the processed herbs that Song Ankang had brought. Soon, he was dumbfounded again. ¡°All of them have passed. None of them have failed. They can all be used to refine various pills. How did Manor Lord Song do it? This is too amazing.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Song Ankang said with a smile. ¡°Every Medicine Hall apprentice trained by your Hua Chuntang is proficient in the processing of many herbs. Naturally, it will take a long time.¡± ¡°But the apprentices nurtured by our Chaoyun Manor are all neutered versions. They¡¯re only good at processing one medicinal ingredient. Moreover, these medicinal ingredients are all basic medicinal ingredients, so it¡¯s normal for them to be able to do it so quickly.¡± Chen Fangshu sighed and said, ¡°That¡¯s already very impressive. At least, our Huachun Hall can¡¯t do it. Manor Lord Song has created a new medicinal herb processing model. In the future, he might even be able to leave his name in history.¡± ¡°Shopkeeper Chen, you must be joking. I just want to earn some money to help Chaoyun Manor tide over the crisis.¡± Song Ankang smiled. Actually, some medicine shops in China also had this method of processing medicinal herbs. When they encountered some urgently needed pills, some medicine shops would recruit many workers at the last minute to specially process certain medicinal herbs. However, because it did not form a scale and only appeared occasionally, it did not develop to the extent of an assembly line operation, let alone the concept of an assembly line. Song Ankang was not innovating. He was just summarizing the special situations that occasionally appeared in some medicine shops and then using it on Chaoyun Manor. The effect seemed to be quite good at the moment, but if someone followed suit in the future, it would be easy to snatch away the business of Chaoyun Manor. Moreover, the number of basic medicinal herbs that Huachun Hall needed was limited. If the scale of Chaoyun Manor expanded, there might be more supply than demand. Therefore, this modern pseudo-flow model was not as powerful as he had imagined. However, it was still easy to solve the problem that Chaoyun Manor was currently facing. In the future, Chaoyun Manor would master more in-depth processing methods of medicinal herbs and gradually form a scale. When they mastered enough in-depth processing methods of medicinal herbs, Chaoyun Manor would not be afraid of competition. Just like a certain Kang Corporation on Earth, they relied on OEM to reach the top 500 globally and created a miracle for OEM companies. Chen Fangshu was quite satisfied with the medicinal herbs processed by Chaoyun Manor. He immediately bought these deeply processed medicinal herbs according to the agreement. After the deep processing, the price of these basic medicinal herbs was about three times higher than before. After that, the two of them discussed their next needs. Only then did Song Ankang bring Qiushi and Jiang Yunhe back to Chaoyun Manor. In the processing workshop of Chaoyun Manor, ten girls were waiting nervously. Low discussions sounded in the courtyard. ¡°Do you think the medicinal powder and medicinal liquid we processed can be sold? What if Huachun Hall thinks that the medicinal herbs we processed are bad and doesn¡¯t buy them?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, Manor Lord will have to suffer a huge loss. We¡¯re only doing some labor, but the Manor Lord has sacrificed so many medicinal herbs. There are at least hundreds of them.¡± ¡°I hope that those processed medicinal herbs can be sold successfully. The Manor Lord will also give us 10% of the profits. This way, our entire family can survive smoothly this year.¡± ¡°How can you think this way? I don¡¯t think we should take a single cent of the profits from the first batch of processed medicinal herbs. Think about how many medicinal herbs we¡¯ve damaged in order to practice these past few days. At the very least, it¡¯s twice the amount of the finished product. How can we still have the cheek to take the profits after losing so many medicinal herbs?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We shouldn¡¯t take the profits after the first batch of medicinal herbs is processed. It¡¯s already good that the Manor Lord didn¡¯t ask us to compensate him. Who would have the cheek to take the money?¡± It was not just the ten girls in the workshop. Many tenants around the workshop were also paying attention to this matter, especially the relatives and friends of the ten girls. They waited nervously, hoping to receive good news. ¡°Can those medicinal herbs really be sold for more money after being processed? I keep feeling that it¡¯s a little unreliable. Manor Lord, you can¡¯t be lying to us, right? Can our daughter really get an additional gain?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you believe what the Manor Lord said? Our manor master is the number one filial son in the capital, and he¡¯s knowledgeable. It¡¯s said that he¡¯s a talented scholar. He definitely won¡¯t lie to us. Those processed herbs will definitely be able to be sold.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it the manor owner¡¯s job to process medicinal herbs? n the past, which one of us hasn¡¯t worked as laborers? Does the Manor Lord really want to pay us for this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s already so late. I wonder how the Manor Lord and Huachun Hall are doing. It¡¯s said that in order to process these medicinal herbs, those little girls damaged hundreds of medicinal herbs. If they can¡¯t even sell for a copper coin, the Manor Lord will suffer a huge loss. We¡¯ll have an even more difficult year.¡± This was because Chaoyun Manor had never done such a business before, and there were no tenants or villagers around who did such things. In addition, everyone knew that it was very difficult to be an apprentice of the Medicine Hall, so it was very difficult to nurture one. Therefore, almost no one believed that the workshop would be able to produce results. Most of them did not have much hope, and their faces were filled with worry. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that Song Ankang was the Manor Lord and could manage everything in the manor, and that he had spent last year¡¯s stock during this period of time, someone would probably have objected long ago. People would have all kinds of worries about things that they had never been involved in, not to mention that this matter concerned the life and death of many people in Chaoyun Manor. Many people on Earth would be overcautious when doing business. They had all kinds of worries, and that was when their lives were not in danger. If they failed, they would only lose money. However, it was different here. If they failed, more people in Chaoyun Manor would not be able to eat this year. At that time, the number of tenants who would starve to death would also exceed their imagination. If the medicinal herb processing business failed this time, at least two digits of tenants would die in Chaoyun Manor this year. It might even exceed three digits. In the face of such a big matter, even Song Ankang would be extremely cautious and not dare to make a decision, let alone the tenants of the Chaoyun Manor. Chapter 37 - Bringing Hope Chapter 37 Bringing Hope To be honest, with Song Ankang¡¯s current cautiousness, if not for his greatest trump card ¡ªhis strength ¡ª he would not have made such a rash decision. Even though at that time, even if three-digit tenants of Chaoyun Manor really died, he would at most be removed from his position as the owner of Chaoyun Manor. With his strength backing him, he would make a comeback sooner or later. However, it was not easy for Song Ankang, who had come from modern society, to accept this matter. After all, so many people had died indirectly. How could he bear it? It was already a huge deal for a few of his descendants to die on Earth, let alone a few hundred. As a descendant of Yanhuang, Song Ankang had seen how much the higher-ups of the country valued human lives. At that time, he was extremely touched and gradually established the concept that human lives were at stake. Such an idea was not easy to change. And it was not a bad thing. At least it would make Song Ankang value those below him. As his strength and status increased, it was inevitable that Song Ankang would reach the top in the future and control the lives of many people. If he did not care about human lives, he would become an executioner sooner or later. The human race of the Mysterious Desolate Great World was already struggling to survive. They could face a calamity at any time, so how could they continue to kill each other? The sound of the car was clear as it drove slowly into the estate with the anticipation of the entire farmstead. ¡°He¡¯s back. The Manor Lord is back. Everyone, go and welcome him.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hope we get some good news. Then we might get through this year.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s all stop for a moment. We¡¯ll go welcome the Manor Lord.¡± Soon the stone road leading to the workshop was lined with tenants, all waiting for Soan Kang, hoping for a good answer. Wang Yuliang stood in front of the crowd. Behind him, the stewards of the Chaoyun Manor looked at the carriage expectantly. Song Ankang got out of the carriage and glanced at the stewards and tenants around him. A smile appeared on his face. ¡°Everything is going well. In the future, our Chaoyun Manor will have another stable source of income. If nothing goes wrong, we should be able to survive this year.¡± As the words fell, after a moment of silence, the huge manor house erupted in deafening cheers. ¡°Thank you, Manor Lord, Thank you so much!¡± ¡°Thank you, Manor Lord. Our farm is saved.¡± ¡°After losing so many precious herbs, we thought that we wouldn¡¯t be able to escape misfortune this year. We didn¡¯t expect you to find a way to save us so quickly.¡± ¡°Who was the one who said that the Manor Lord was incapable in the past? I think the Manor Lord is the most capable among all the Manor Lords.¡± Soon, with Wang Yuliang as the leader, many stewards followed closely behind. Then, all the tenants knelt down to Song Ankang and thanked him for everything he had done for Chaoyun Manor. was Everyone knew that even if the weather was bad this year and the harvest was not good, with the remaining food and herbs last year, Song Ankang¡¯s days would not be bad, let alone starve. If Song Ankang was more ruthless and divided the harvest more, he could still live a good life this year. However, Song Ankang did not. Knowing that he might not be able to keep his position as the manor master if he failed, he decided to spend hundreds of medicinal herbs to try, hoping to find a way for the tenants of Chaoyun Manor to survive. As the owner of Chaoyun Manor, he personally went to Tongxin Town to discuss business. He did not hesitate to ruin his reputation. Moreover, during this period, most people in Chaoyun Manor were still suspecting Song Ankang. However, under such circumstances, Song Ankang still took the risk and successfully completed this business, opening a new path for Chaoyun Manor to make money and also a life-saving path. Thinking of what Song Ankang had done for Chaoyun Manor, many people were ashamed and no longer dared to question Song Ankang. Wang Yuliang and the other higher-ups of the farm were also convinced by Song Ankang. Under the welcome of all the tenants of Chaoyun Manor, Song Ankang returned to the workshop. Looking at the bright eyes of the girls inside, full of anticipation, Song Ankang smiled and waved. ¡°Split the money!¡± Stars began to flicker in their beautiful eyes, and some of them had already turned red. They felt that at this moment, Song Ankang¡¯s charm was off the charts, and they wished they could marry him immediately. However, the girls refused together when Qiu Shi started to split the money with them. ¡°Manor Lord, we¡¯ve destroyed so many medicinal herbs during this period. We can¡¯t take these profits.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. It¡¯s better to wait until our abilities improve so that we won¡¯t destroy too many medicinal herbs. Then, Manor Lord can give us some profits appropriately.¡± ¡®The profits are too much for us to bear.¡¯ Seeing that no one was willing to accept the profits, Song Ankang smiled and said, ¡°I understand your intentions, but this was already agreed before. I have to accept it. You can¡¯t make me go back on my word, right?¡± ¡°Moreover, even though you¡¯ve destroyed a lot of medicinal herbs, the success rate has far exceeded my expectations. Therefore, you didn¡¯t lose money this time. Instead, you earned some. It¡¯s enough to pay your profits. Take it quickly.¡± Before the girls could object, Song Ankang had already forcefully handed over a portion of the profits that he had calculated to these girls. It made the ten girls cry, and they felt as if they had sacrificed themselves for their confidantes. As Song Ankang had said, the seriousness and intelligence of these girls exceeded his expectations. In addition, the processing of these basic herbs was not difficult, and Song Ankang¡¯s teaching ability was not bad. Therefore, even at the beginning, Song Ankang did not lose money. Instead, he made some money. The key was that after the success rate increased, Song Ankang would definitely be able to earn more. He would give 10% of the profits to these processors and leave 10% to run the manor. The remaining 80% would belong to Song Ankang. What was there to be dissatisfied about? Even in modern society, it was already good enough for a boss to get more than 50% of the profits after deducting the cost. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a day off today. Work hard when you come back tomorrow. Whether our Chaoyun Manor can survive this year will depend on you.¡± After splitting the profits, Song Ankang let the touched girls go back to rest and share the joy of the harvest with their families. Of course, the most important thing was to let everyone in Chaoyun Manor feel the benefits of this path of wealth. This way, more people would join in the future and help Song Ankang earn more profits. Ten girls was still too little. There were more than a thousand tenants in Chaoyun Manor. Song Ankang¡¯s income would increase by dozens of times as long as half of them joined. When he had enough wealth, would he still have to worry about not being able to buy cultivation resources? Chapter 38 - Steadily Advancing Chapter 38 Steadily Advancing With Song Ankang¡¯s approval, the ten girls left the workshop happily with their gains. The tenants outside had not dispersed. They were discussing the workshop excitedly, guessing how much money the workshop would make this year and whether it would help the farmstead get through the crisis. At that moment, the tenants saw the ten young women running out happily. Their eyes lit up and they gathered around. ¡°Xiang Xiang, why did you come out of the workshop? Aren¡¯t you going to process the herbs today? Are you done with your work?¡± ¡°Xiao Lian, do you know how much money the workshop made this time?¡±. ¡°I heard that the Manor Lord gave you 10% of the profits. Is that true? You¡¯ve destroyed so many medicinal herbs during this period of practice. Will the Manor Lord still give you 10% of the profits?¡± ¡°Even if the Manor Lord wants to give you 10% of the profits, you can¡¯t take this money. You¡¯ve learned so much from the Manor Lord and ruined so many of his herbs. How can you still have the cheek to continue taking his things?¡± It had to be said that Chaoyun Manor was indeed honest and united. Even in the face of a drought, they still thought for Song Ankang. Most people were like this. Song Ankang had never seen such an atmosphere. If it were on Earth, if he dared to give this salary to his employees, they would call him grandson. Most apprentice workers not only had to provide food and accommodation, but they also had to be paid a high salary. Otherwise, they would not be able to recruit people at all, even if they could learn good skills from them. Faced with everyone¡¯s questions, the ten girls smiled sweetly and hurriedly raised the copper coins in their hands. ¡°The Manor Lord gave us a day off to rest and process the herbs tomorrow.¡± ¡°After deducting the various costs, the Manor Lord actually didn¡¯t earn much this time. He even gave us 10%. The Manor Lord is really good to us.¡± ¡°We originally didn¡¯t want it, but the manor master insisted on giving us 10% of the profits. Here, these are the copper coins I earned. There are more than 200 of them.¡± ¡°The least we got was close to a hundred copper coins. We even learned how to process herbs. During this period, the owner provided lunch. I¡¯ve never seen such a generous owner.¡± Hearing the words of the ten girls, the surrounding tenants were stunned. ¡°The Manor Lord is too generous. In just a few days, he destroyed so many medicinal herbs and actually gave you guys more than 200 copper coins as remuneration. The Manor Lord even managed lunch. This treatment is too good.¡± ¡°I also want to be an apprentice at the workshop. I wonder if the Manor Lord will still accept me. If I can become an apprentice at the workshop, our family will definitely be able to survive this year.¡± ¡°What? There¡¯s meat in your lunch. The Manor Lord is too extravagant with you. I haven¡¯t tasted meat in months.¡± ¡°If I had known that you were so generous, I would have signed up back then. With my looks and intelligence, I would definitely have been able to become an apprentice in the workshop.¡± Seeing the real money and hearing about the treatment in the workshop, the entire Chaoyun Manor was in an uproar. In just a day, all the tenants knew about the good treatment in the workshop. Most importantly, that night, Song Ankang announced that he would recruit another thirty skilled and intelligent apprentices from the tenants into the workshop and would receive the same treatment in the future. As soon as the news spread, almost all the tenants came to register. That night, they selected enough apprentice workers, most of whom were leftovers from the last selection. The next day, Song Ankang let the thirty apprentices learn from the first batch of ten female apprentices. He let the first batch of apprentices spend half their time teaching them and the other half processing herbs. Song Ankang would also answer difficult questions from time to time. Everything was slowly getting on track. However, there was a limit to the number of basic medicinal herbs in Chaoyun Manor, so Song Ankang chose some smart tenants and asked them to buy these basic medicinal herbs in the surroundings to prevent the number of subsequent medicinal herbs from not being enough. Song Ankang knew how to plan ahead. On the third day, the second batch of processed herbs was sent to Huachun Hall. The quality of this batch of herbs was better, making Huachun Hall even more satisfied. Song Ankang also benefited from it. It was a double blessing. That night, Song Ankang¡¯s strength had also reached the limit of the Visceral Tempering realm, and he was preparing to break through the bottleneck of the Marrow Tempering realm. After six consecutive punches, Song Ankang sat on the floor of the training room in pain and began to cultivate the Internal Organs Fist to neutralize this pain. At the same time, he prepared to face the feedback of the side effects and break through to the Marrow realm. ¡°You have used the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra. You have been affected by the side effects of the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra. Your six internal organs have been severely damaged¡­ The Fate-Defying Heaven Manual has taken effect. It is absorbing external energy and is about to transform the side effects. Please wait a moment!¡± After these days of cultivation and improvement, Song Ankang¡¯s spirit and will had also been greatly enhanced. He was already able to withstand the pain and injuries caused by six internal injuries. Even though his internal organs were bleeding and the pain was spreading, Song Ankang still gritted his teeth and held on. He circulated the Internal Tempering Fist in the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra with all his might and experienced the happy feeling of his mind and will being anesthetized. Absorbing the side effects inside made his mental will stronger and clearer. ¡°The Fate-Defying Heaven Manual has accumulated enough energy and is beginning to take effect¡­ Your injuries have been healed, your blood essence is increasing, and your six internal organs are strengthening!¡± After an unknown period of time, the side effects of the six Internal Injury Fists began to feedback after being transformed by the Fate-Defying Heaven Manual. Soon, the damaged six internal organs were healed, and then the even more turbulent Qi and blood rushed into Song Ankang¡¯s entire body. Song Ankang immediately mobilized his Qi and blood to break through the bottleneck of the Marrow Refinement Realm. The methods and techniques for breaking through to the Marrow Tempering Realm appeared in his mind. Song Ankang followed these methods and techniques, turning the Qi and blood of the Seven Injuries into threads that seeped into his bones. Faced with the bottleneck and shackles blocking the way, Song Ankang activated the seven injuries brought by the side effects and consumed a ninth-grade intermediate pill. Together with the side effects, he broke through the bottleneck. The cultivation of the body refinement realm went from shallow to deep. There were countless connections between them. Without the previous tempering, it would be very difficult to continue. This was the conclusion of countless cultivators over thousands of years. Song Ankang did not dare to be careless. As the qi and blood of the seven wounds attacked again and again, the bottleneck that led to the bone marrow was slowly broken. The skin, muscles, tendons, bones, five viscera, six bowels¡­ They cooperated with each other, making the qi and blood of the seven wounds attack even stronger without harming the bone marrow. Of course, the most important thing was that it would not hurt the membrane, muscles, tendons, bones, internal organs, and six internal organs¡­ If he had not tempered these parts before, they would definitely have been severely damaged in the face of such a violent blood and qi impact. Chapter 39 - Repaying Kindness Chapter 39 Repaying Kindness The many parts of Song Ankang¡¯s body that had been tempered could not only help him break through the deeper bottleneck, but also protect him effectively. As mentioned before, the power of the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra was astonishing to begin with. The parts that were tempered often had extraordinary hardness and flexibility. It was just that they were not compatible with each other, causing hidden dangers. However, with the Fate-Defying Heaven Manual, he could effectively turn the side effects into benefits. Therefore, these parts were not only coordinated but also smooth and flawless. In addition, his cultivation foundation was stable, and his qi and blood of the seven wounds were rich and pure. All the side effects turned into positive effects. This made the Seven Wounds Demonic Sutra, which was originally considered one of the top in the world, become one of the peak Foundation Establishment divine techniques of the Mysterious Desolate Great World. He had a strong foundation, a strong body, and a promising future¡­ Therefore, when breaking through the bottleneck, he also had various advantages. ¡°Knock knock knock¡­¡± As a strange knocking sound sounded in his body, the bottleneck leading to his bone marrow cracked one by one. The wisps of Qi and blood began to temper and nourish his bone marrow according to the mysterious trajectory. Bone marrow refinement! Official breakthrough! Song Ankang¡¯s strength had entered a new realm. His qi and blood had entered his marrow, and his moves were smooth, forming instincts. When he used various martial arts, he could easily circle around and unleash shocking power. Song Ankang took another ninth-grade intermediate pill to stabilize his current realm. Only then did he begin to adapt to the sudden increase in strength. Every move he made had nearly ten thousand kilograms of strength. He could easily destroy a small mound. Even if hundreds of people joined forces, they could not do anything to Song Ankang. His speed had reached a few seconds and a hundred meters, and his reaction speed had also reached the level of several knives in an instant. With such combat power and lethality, he would be a little superman on Earth. Even in China, where demons ran rampant, he was considered a second-rate expert. No martial artist in the Internal Realm was a match for Song Ankang. If Song Ankang were to face the Lilac Girl again, he would be able to blow her up with three punches and not cause any more trouble. As for the lilac girl¡¯s illusion, Song Ankang was now immune to it, and his spiritual will had increased a lot. Unless it was the illusion of a high-level ninth-grade ghost spirit, anything below the high-level ninth-grade was useless. At this moment, Song Ankang¡¯s overall strength was not much inferior to Jiang Yunhe¡¯s. Perhaps Jiang Yunhe was far superior to Song Ankang in terms of combat experience and combat skills, but in a real life-and-death battle, even if Song Ankang could not defeat Jiang Yunhe, it was still very easy for him to escape. Relying on his movement technique, Song Ankang was even confident that he could grind Jiang Yunhe to death. Song Ankang was so powerful that he was already standing at the peak of Chaoyun Manor and Tongxin Town. Within a radius of about ten miles, Song Ankang was enough to dominate. After carefully sensing and adapting to his soaring strength, Song Ankang stopped and began to worry. Even though his strength had increased very quickly during this period of time and he had broken through to the Marrow Tempering Realm in the blink of an eye, and his overall strength was comparable to a Blood Renewal Realm martial artist, the consumption was still quite astonishing. He had already used up half of the pills that his cheap wife, Tang Yelan, had sent over. The remaining pills were only enough for him to break through to the Blood Transfusion Realm. He would have to think of a way to obtain more resources in the future. Fortunately, Chaoyun Manor¡¯s processing workshop was slowly on the right track. It should be able to barely support his cultivation. However, the further he went, the more resources he would need. It was better to be mentally prepared. Soankang sighed at the thought. The poor were literate and the rich were martial. He left the training room and was about to go eat when he received news that Hao Jiyong had come to visit and brought him a big bag of good stuff. Song Ankang looked at the dozens of precious herbs in his bag, including ginseng that was more than five years old. He looked at Hao Jiyong in surprise. ¡°Manager Hao, did you bring all the precious herbs in the warehouse?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. All the good herbs with some age are here,¡± Hao Jiyong said. Song Ankang was speechless. ¡°Manager Hao, if you don¡¯t give me an explanation for this, don¡¯t blame me for removing you from your position as the manager of the warehouse.¡± ¡°Manor Lord, the weather is very dry this year. Our harvest in Chaoyun Manor has decreased sharply, and the surrounding demons and ghosts are not in a good situation, so we have our eyes on the surrounding villages and farms.¡± Hao Jiyong said in a low voice, ¡°There are also a few earthworms lingering around Chaoyun Manor. They might sneak into the farm at any time to eat people.¡± Even lthough stone pavement in the farmstead can block the earthworms, most of the land is still land. If those earthworms insist on coming in, it won¡¯t be too difficult. Therefore, Chaoyun Manor is in danger now.¡± Song Ankang asked, ¡°What does this have to do with you bringing the herbs from the storeroom to me?¡± ¡°During critical times, the family has a special rule. That is, we can give some martial artists more medicinal herbs and money in advance so that they can increase their strength as soon as possible to deal with the current crisis.¡± Hao Jiyong explained, ¡°Therefore, I sent the Manor Lord¡¯s monthly salary in advance for the next year. I used these medicinal herbs to pay for the Manor Lord to increase his strength as soon as possible. This is what the family rules allow.¡± Song Ankang was stunned, then patted Hao Jiyong¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Okay, these herbs came at the right time, but aren¡¯t you afraid that doing this will put the farmstead in a difficult situation this year and make it unable to pay taxes?¡± ¡°Before the workshop appeared, I wouldn¡¯t have dared to do this.¡± Hao Jiyong smiled. ¡°But the workshop has been making a lot of money these days. If nothing goes wrong, it will definitely be enough to pay taxes. That¡¯s why I thought of these herbs.¡± ¡°I happened to hear from Miss Qiu Shi that Manor Lord has been engrossed in cultivation recently. The farm owner also encountered an earthworm spying on him, so he brought these herbs over.¡± Song Ankang nodded. ¡°You¡¯re brave and resourceful. You¡¯re smart and grateful. I didn¡¯t take the risk to save you in vain. However, the position of warehouse manager is a waste of your talent. Learn more. I have a better position for you in the future.¡± ¡°Thank you, Manor Lord.¡± Hao Jiyong bowed. After Hao Jiyong left, Song Ankang looked at the large bag of herbs in front of him with a smile. That was what it meant when one dozed off and met a pillow. So many precious herbs were expensive. Even if the processing workshop worked day and night, they would not be able to earn them for a long time. But what Song Ankang lacked now was time. With the help of these herbs and the pills sent by his cheap wife, Tang Yelan, he did not have to worry about resources for the time being. If nothing unexpected happened, after digesting these herbs and pills, Song Ankang¡¯s strength would also break through to the ranks of first-rate martial artists. Chapter 40 - Fire At The City Gate Chapter 40 Fire At The City Gate After receiving a large number of precious herbs from Hao Jiyong, Song Ankang was no longer so worried. Next, he could focus on cultivating and improving. Song Ankang¡¯s strength began to increase rapidly again, and the medicinal herb processing business in Chaoyun Manor also became better and better. The profits he could earn every day also became higher and higher. The second batch of apprentices had already finished their apprenticeship and were able to process more medicinal herbs. The collection of medicinal herbs was also going smoothly. Because the purchase price offered by Song Ankang was slightly higher than the market price, he quickly bought a large number of medicinal herbs. Moreover, it was not only the few basic medicinal herbs used for processing, but also many medicinal herbs prepared for processing in Chaoyun Manor. Even with Huachun Hall¡¯s size, there was a limit to the number of basic medicinal herbs he could absorb. He should be full in about two months. Before that, he had to open up a new source of income for Chaoyun Manor. In addition, Song Ankang also arranged for people to contact other medicine shops. He couldn¡¯t entrust his business to Huachun Hall. With so many people in Chaoyun Manor, as more and more people mastered the in-depth processing of medicinal herbs, the number of medicinal herbs that could be processed would also increase. Sooner or later, there would be more supply than demand. After all, Hua Chuntang had a limited number of alchemists and did not need so many basic herbs. Moreover, they still had to spend a lot of time refining other pills. Song Ankang handed these matters over to Wang Yuliang. He was mainly responsible for teaching the apprentices in the workshop. He was not good at management, so it was better to leave it to someone who was good at it. Of course, this did not eliminate the possibility of laziness. Fortunately, Wang Yuliang¡¯s performance was outstanding, and with Hao Jiyong¡¯s help, the workshop¡¯s business was getting better and better. More than 100 people had already joined the processing workshop to work for it. They handled the processing of medicinal herbs, the acquisition of medicinal herbs, the transportation of medicinal herbs, the opening of the market, and other different businesses, allowing these people to have an additional income. In order to let all the tenants of Chaoyun Manor survive this year¡¯s difficulties, Song Ankang specially asked Wang Yuliang to recruit a member from every family to the workshop so that everyone would have a chance. As the scale of the workshop expanded, the subsequent workshops would also recruit more tenants into the workshop. If it reached a certain level in the future, they might even recruit people from outside Chaoyun Manor. Of course, there were already enough people in Chaoyun Manor at the moment. There were even a large number of idle tenants who hoped to enter the processing workshop. For the time being, there was no need to recruit apprentices and workers from outside. Song Ankang also paid the tenants who entered the workshop handsomely. At least, in the eyes of these tenants, it was very generous. In fact, more than 70% of the profits still went into Song Ankang¡¯s pocket. In order to mobilize everyone¡¯s enthusiasm, Song Ankang specially asked Wang Yuliang to set a corresponding reward level. He would give more rewards to those who performed well and worked more seriously. As soon as this system appeared, it immediately caused a huge uproar in Chaoyun Manor. All the tenants who entered the workshop began to work harder and earn more remuneration. In just half a month or so, almost all the families in Chaoyun Manor had a better life. Everyone had hope again, and the atmosphere in the farm became better day by day. Even so, everyone still took some time to go out and pick wild vegetables, weeds, and leaves. They accumulated them bit by bit and waited for winter to arrive. Almost none of the hardworking and down-to-earth farmers of Chaoyun Manor wasted any time. In order to welcome the winter months later, everyone tried their best to accumulate as many resources as possible. ¡°The Manor Lord¡¯s workshop really gave us too much. My son can earn dozens of copper coins every day. It¡¯s enough for our family to use for a few days and save up a lot.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. I¡¯ve never seen such a generous manor master. Our youngest daughter is an apprentice at the processing workshop. She can get nearly a hundred copper coins a day. We¡¯ve used it to buy food.¡± ¡°The price of food is rising day by day. We should stock up on more food. Otherwise, we¡¯ll have to spend several times the money on noodles.¡± ¡°I think so too. This food can still be stored. If the Manor Lord can¡¯t afford to pay taxes this year, we can take some out for the villa owner¡¯s emergency. The Manor Lord is so good to us, we should help him solve his problems.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. During this period of time, both the apprentice workers and the transportation workers have lost a lot of medicinal herbs. There are even some that were processed. In the end, the Manor Lord didn¡¯t ask them to compensate him and even gave them a full salary. He¡¯s simply a living Buddha.¡± Thanks to the rise of the workshop, Song Ankang¡¯s prestige, status, and reputation in Chaoyun Manor had skyrocketed. He had vaguely become the savior of Chaoyun Manor. As the days passed, many tenants became more grateful and respectful to Song Ankang. Everything was going well, but this was only in Chaoyun Village. Outside Chaoyun Manor, more and more villages were in an unprecedented panic. So many days had passed, but there was still no rain. There would not be much harvest this year, and it was almost hopeless. Many villagers probably could not even afford to pay taxes. Moreover, there was news from the upper echelons of the Imperial Court that not only would they not reduce taxes this year, they might even increase them. At first, many villagers were dissatisfied, but as the reason spread, all the villagers gave up. There was no other reason. Not only had the human race suffered an unprecedented drought this year, but the angels and merfolk, the greatest enemies of the human race, had suffered even worse. Their harvest was less than half of last year¡¯s. Under such circumstances, the food of the angels and mermaids could not feed their people at all. In order to survive the crisis, the angels and mermaids would definitely wage war on the humans and plunder their resources and wealth. A large number of China¡¯s troops had already set up the Heavenly Human Warline and the Merfolk Warline. They could start a war with the angels and merfolk at any time. There were external and internal troubles. All the citizens had to tighten their belts and pay more taxes in order to support the war at the front line. Therefore, it was necessary to pay more taxes. They could not let the soldiers at the front fight for them while they were hungry. It did not matter if they were hungry. The soldiers at the front could not be hungry. It was precisely because he understood that he became even more terrified and uneasy. Many villages outside Chaoyun Manor desperately searched for wild vegetables, weeds, and leaves. They even took the risk to enter places where demons and ghosts wreaked havoc, such as the Red Leaves Forest. Even so, the gains were still getting lesser and lesser, and it even caused an even greater disaster that affected Chaoyun Manor.