《Training Through The Game》 Chapter 1 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Hello! Who is it?¡± ¡°Brother Yu, it¡¯s Su Peng.¡± ¡°Su Peng!¡± Lu Yu was very surprised to hear from Su Peng, but he also scolded him with a smile. ¡°You left without saying goodbye. I should kick you for disappearing for so long! Why haven¡¯t I heard from you in the past three years? Where have you been?¡± ¡°Something happened at my home back then. I was in a hurry to go back and didn¡¯t have time to say goodbye to you.¡± ¡°What about Jing Yang? Why didn¡¯t he say anything when he left? Did something happen at his home too?¡± ¡°Um¡­ I think so.¡± ¡°Alright! If that¡¯s the case, I let you guys off now. Since you¡¯re calling me now, I assume that the matter should be resolved. When are you free to hang out? Let¡¯s ask Jing Yang to have a gathering together! I still have your graduation certificates. When are you coming over to get them?¡± ¡°Forget about the graduation certificates. They¡¯re useless in the future anyway. I don¡¯t have time for a gathering now. We¡¯ll have to wait for a while. I still have to ask Jing Yang if he¡¯s free.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk about these things later. I¡¯m calling you because I have something very important to tell you.¡± Su Peng¡¯s tone became serious. Lu Yu knew Su Peng¡¯s personality. If he became serious, it meant that the matter must be very important. He subconsciously sat up straight and began to pay attention to it. ¡°Go ahead, I¡¯m listening.¡± ¡°Later, there¡¯s a delivery for you. I¡¯m the one who sent it to you.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°In the parcel is a gaming helmet. That¡¯s right, it¡¯s the holographic virtual gaming helmet that can 100% simulate reality in novels.¡± Hearing this, Lu Yu had many questions in his heart, but he did not interrupt Su Peng. ¡°What you need to do is to use this game helmet to enter the game and do everything possible to become stronger in the game. Also, it¡¯s very important that you don¡¯t die in the game.¡± ¡°The game helmet uses the brain nerve connection technology. This technology is not very mature yet. If you die in the game, your brain might mistake that you¡¯re really die, which will then lead to brain dead.¡± ¡°If you encounter an irresistible danger in the game, you can choose to force quit the game to avoid the danger. However, it¡¯s best to use this method sparingly. Forcefully quitting the game without proper log out will still cause damage to your brain nerves.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine if you force quit the game a few times, but if you do it too much, you¡¯ll have high chance of suffering cerebral palsy.¡± ¡°Mm, there shouldn¡¯t be anything else. Brother Yu, remember to receive the express delivery. If you¡¯re lucky, we¡¯ll meet in the game soon.¡± After saying that, Su Peng hung up before Lu Yu could ask any questions. When Lu Yu wanted to call back, he received a reply, ¡°The user you have dialed is not in the service area. Please try again later.¡± He could not contact Su Peng. It seemed that he could only ask him what was going on when he met him in the game. Lu Yu suspected that Su Peng¡¯s family¡¯s company needed a lab rat to test this super advanced technology. It might be the reason why he was given the gaming helmet. After Su Peng hung up the phone, not long after, Lu Yu received a call. ¡°Hello, is this Mr. Lu? There¡¯s a delivery for you here. Please come and pick it up.¡± After signing for the delivery at the delivery station in the neighborhood downstairs, Lu Yu rushed home as fast as he could. He quickly opened the box with anticipation. Under the layers of packages, there was a silver-gray helmet that looked no different from an ordinary motorcycle helmet. There was also a piece of paper in the package. On the front, it said ¡°Divine Martial World¡¯s login game helmet¡±. On the back, there were various symbols and numbers mixed together. After looking at it a few more times, Lu Yu memorized it. Lu Yu was now a freelancer. After making sure that he had nothing to do in the afternoon, he took the helmet to the bedroom. After plugging in the electricity, three green lights lit up on the helmet. He put on the helmet, lay on the bed, and entered the game. He did not experience any magical login process. When he opened his eyes, he was already in the game. Lu Yu carefully observed the environment in the room. The room was very simple. The walls were cracked after years of disrepair. It looked like a thatched roof. There was only a simple wooden bed covered with straw, which occupied a large area of the room. Lu Yu looked at his hands. His hands were a little thin due to malnutrition. He touched the rough straw on the bed and the rough clothes on his body. There was a rotten smell in the room, it seemed like this body had not showered for a long time. ¡°This game is really dope! The touch, the smell, the vision¡­¡± He smacked his lips, and a bitter taste filled his mouth. ¡°The taste is so clear and real. If this game goes on the market, it will definitely monopolize the gaming world. I wonder how much is this helmet is.¡± If it wasn¡¯t the few buttons of the game system in his line of sight, Lu Yu would have thought that he had transmigrated. Clang, clang, clang, clang, ¡°Wake up, everyone. Wake up!¡± Bang! Bang! Bang! The sound of a door being kicked was heard. It was getting closer. Bang! The door of Lu Yu¡¯s room was kicked open. Sunlight shone into the room. Lu Yu subconsciously his eyes and saw that it was the door kicked open by a young man in green who was holding a gong. ¡°Hurry up and gather at the martial arts practice field. If you¡¯re late, you can¡¯t eat today!¡± After saying that, the man turned around and left to wake the others up. Lu Yu did not know what the situation was at the moment, so he did not plan to act on his own. He first acted according to the NPC¡¯s instructions. After walking out of the room, he found that there were many houses like the one he was in. With a glance, Lu Yu estimated that there were more than 30 houses. Following the others, Lu Yu came to a wide courtyard. The courtyard was surrounded by green flags with the word ¡°Han¡± written on them. Like Lu Yu, the youths in linen clothes gathered in a corner of the courtyard. On the other side, there was a group of strong people in green clothes who were using the equipment on the practice field to train their bodies. A middle-aged man in black clothes walked in front of the crowd. Lu Yu stood in the crowd and carefully observed the surrounding environment. His guessed that that middle-aged man was a servant. When the middle-aged man walked over, the young man with the gong had a fawning expression. He bowed and said respectfully, ¡°Butler Zhang, these are the latest batch of courtyard guard seeds. They have all been checked. They are all orphans with clean backgrounds.¡± ¡°Alright, you may leave!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± At this moment, a tall and handsome young man dressed in green with a black belt around his waist. A saber on the left of the belt and a jade on the right. He walked over from the hall at the end of the martial arts practice field. Seeing the young man walking over, Butler Zhang smiled and said, ¡°Guard Yang, I¡¯ll leave these rookies to you. I hope that you can teach them properly. If they can learn one or two moves from you, it will be of great benefit to them.¡± ¡°Butler Zhang, you flatter me. I will train these rookies well. I will definitely not let down the expectations of masters and misses.¡± After a short conversation, Butler Zhang left. The handsome and tall Guard Yang took over the task of teaching everyone. Looking at everyone and sweeping his gaze across the hall, Guard Yang said, ¡°My name is Yang Xiu. From now on, I will be in charge of teaching all of you martial arts.¡± ¡°First of all, it is a great honor for all of you to be chosen to be the courtyard guards of the Han family. Without Han family¡¯s blessing, you would still be living a life of begging in some corner. You won¡¯t have the chance to learn martial arts and change your fate.¡± ¡°Second of all, you are not the official courtyard guards of the Han family yet. I will teach you a set of fist technique. When you reach the first level of the body refining realm, you will be the real courtyard guards of the Han family.¡± ¡°You will be able to move out from straw shed and live in the green stone tile house. You will be able to receive monthly salary and have enough to eat and drink every day.¡± Hearing this, the eyes of most of the youths were burning with passion. They were very much looking forward to the life that Yang Xiu mentioned. Seeing the yearning in the eyes of the youths, Yang Xiu nodded his head in satisfaction. ¡°Alright, the fist technique you¡¯re going to learn is called the Fierce Tiger Fist Style. If you practice it well, it will not be a problem for you to cultivate to the seventh level of the body refining realm. Now, I will show all of you a few times. Look carefully and remember it!¡± After saying that, Yang Xiu began to perform the Fierce Tiger Fist. Each and every move of his was full of tiger power. His punches were full of wind, and his feet swept away the dust. Standing in the crowd, Lu Yu could even feel the wind from Yang Xiu¡¯s punches. [ Beep! Detected that the player is learning the ¡®Fierce Tiger Fist Style¡¯ ] At the bottom of his eyesight, there was a progress bar that was constantly increasing. When Yang Xiu was showcasing the fist technique, he did not forget to explain the main points of the Fierce Tiger Fist and the way to exert force. Otherwise, they couldn¡¯t learn the fist technique by just watching him. Soon, Yang Xiu finished a set of fist technique, and Lu Yu¡¯s progress bar was loaded to 100%. When he saw the notification that he had learned the Fierce Tiger Fist, Lu Yu opened the system interface to check his information. [ Name: Lu Yu ] [ Realm: Mortal ] [ Qi-blood: 9 ] [ Cultivation Technique: Fierce Tiger Fist (first level) ] [ Skill: Fierce Tiger Fist-Hungry Tiger Pounce (beginner) ] [ Experience Points: 0 ] Yang Xiu quickly demonstrated the Fierce Tiger Fist three times, and then asked the crowd to disperse and start practicing. Soon, the field was filled with all kinds of screams. Yang Xiu walked among the crowd. When he saw someone whose posture was not right, he will hit them with the scabbard to help them correct their postures. The pain forced the rookies to remember the proper postures and movements of the fist technique. If one did not want to be beaten, they could only remember the correct movements. Seeing the youths quickly grasp the correct positions amidst the screams, Lu Yu sighed. If the instructor of military training in the real life was as strict as Yang Xiu, he would have better skill and physique. As Yang Xiu moved forward, it was soon Lu Yu¡¯s turn. Yang Xiu subconsciously wanted to raise his scabbard and hit Lu Yu, but he suddenly stopped. This was because Lu Yu did not have the slightest mistake in his movements, he was just a little rusty. Yang Xiu was really surprised. He did not expect a rookie to be able to perform Fierce Tiger Fist so well. He took a few more glances at Lu Yu before he went to watch another person. Then, a scream came from behind Lu Yu. Yang Xiu did not think too much about Lu Yu being able to perform Fierce Tiger Fist really well for the first time. After all, Fierce Tiger Fist was not a powerful martial skill. It was just an ordinary one. Hence, it was not impossible for Lu Yu to make the right moves in his first try. Of course, this was not because Lu Yu had learned Fierce Tiger Fist before. It was because after Lu Yu clicked on the cultivation button under the Fierce Tiger Fist, his body started to move on its own like a marionette. Lu Yu could feel that as long as he wanted to, he could regain control of his body with a little ¡°strength¡±. This was an advantage from the system, some sort of hack like AFK. However, why would he need to move his own body when he could let it be? As Lu Yu¡¯s proficiency of the Fierce Tiger Fist technique continue to increase, Lu Yu felt that the feeling of being able to AFK was not bad.. Chapter 2 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The entire morning, everyone was practicing the Fierce Tiger Fist Style. As the only one who did not get beaten up, Lu Yu was enjoying the envious (jealous) gazes of the others. Practicing fist technique was not an easy matter. It was a very physically exhausting to do the correct posture when practicing the Fierce Tiger Fist Style. Many people stopped to rest after a few rounds of practicing. Only Lu Yu kept practicing without stopping. In the AFK mode, Lu Yu could feel the hunger in his stomach, but he did not feel tired, so he could continue to practice. The sensation of hunger was not very strong. He could endure it and continue to AFK. He was almost able to level up. Every time he finished one set, his Fierce Tiger Fist Style¡¯s experience bar would increase by one point. To level up the technique, he needed 100 experience points. As for the skill, the Hungry Tiger Pounce, he only needed 20 experience points. After practicing for the 20th rounds, Lu Yu received a notification of the skill level up. [ Skill level up! Fierce Tiger Fist-Hungry Tiger Pounce (beginner)¡ú Fierce Tiger Fist-Hungry Tiger Pounce (slightly skilled) ] After the skill level up, his movements were clearly smoother when practicing the fist technique, and the speed of his punches had also increased by a little. After long pressing on the skill, Lu Yu learned that if he wanted to level up to the next level, he needed 50 experience points. He still had 80 experience points left to level up the Fierce Tiger Fist Style. Lu Yu was excited, ¡°Very good. Thanks to my unremitting efforts, my skill has finally leveled up.¡± ¡°I have to work harder.¡± Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap! Everyone looked in the direction where the sound came from. Yang Xiu stood in front of everyone and said loudly, ¡°Alright, this is the end of the morning¡¯s training. Next, all of you will need to familiarize yourselves with the areas you¡¯re going patrol. After it¡¯s done, you can eat.¡± Hearing that they could eat, the hungry and tired youths cheered. Lu Yu also stopped his practice and took over the body with his consciousness. He didn¡¯t feel anything when he was in AFK mode. As soon as he took over the body, he immediately felt his limbs go soft and his head go dizzy. A strong sense of hunger came from his stomach. He was so hungry that he wanted to eat himself. ¡°Wang Qiang, Li Shan, you two take them through the daily patrol route and then take them to eat.¡± The two official courtyard guards ran over and bowed respectfully to Yang Xiu before leading everyone out. Just as everyone left the martial arts practice field, a young lady in an exquisite and luxurious dress carried a red box and ran in from the main door. When Wang Qiang and Li Shan saw the young lady, they bowed respectfully and said in unison, ¡°Greeting, Young Lady!¡± The young girl ignored the two of them and rushed to Yang Xiu. After saying a few words to him, she picked up the box and opened it for him to see. They were a little far away, so Lu Yu did not hear what the two of them said. He memorized the young girl¡¯s appearance. The background of this game seemed to be set at an ancient time, so there was no doubt that that ¡°miss¡± had the authority to decide the fate of these servants. Lu Yu thought that he better not to offend her. Lu Yu was used to preparing for the worst. He followed the team. Thinking of the girl¡¯s attitude toward Yang Xiu and the others, Lu Yu felt that Yang Xiu had the potential to be a top-notch servant. He even mentioned that he would not disappoint the missy¡¯s expectations when he spoke to Butler Zhang. The team followed Wang Qiang and Li Shan on their daily patrol. On one side was a three-meter-high stone wall, and on the other side was a dense forest. The dirt road that they stepped on extended far into the distance. Seeing that it was impossible to finish walking in a short period of time, Lu Yu began to divert his attention to other functions in the game. He opened his backpack. It was empty inside. He opened the quest bar. It was also empty inside. He opened the chat box. It was still empty inside. He opened his friend list. Needless to say, it was also empty. When he saw the friends search, Lu Yu tried to enter the number written in the express delivery box. Because this number was very similar to his character account, it should be Su Peng¡¯s account. After clicking the search button, he indeed found a person. He clicked on the request to add that person as a friend. In less than two seconds, Su Peng appeared on the friend list. Lu Yu was a little surprised. He did not expect Su Peng to be online. Coincidentally, he also had some questions to ask Su Peng, so he opened the friend chat box. A translucent blue chat box appeared in Lu Yu¡¯s field of vision. The chat box did not hinder his line of sight. He entered a bunch of questions he wanted to ask and clicked send. [ Failed. Target exceeds 10 kilometers. Requires thousand-mile communication talisman. Number of thousand-mile communication talismans: 0 ] Lu Yu was speechless ¡°F*ck, I typed so many words for nothing!¡± He pressed thousand-mile communication talisman and received a notification: thousand-mile communication talisman can be obtained through quests, NPCs, and the system store. Lu Yu found the system store and opened it. He found that he had to buy game credits before he could buy the items in the system store. They were sorted according to the price, from low to high. The thousand-mile communication talisman was on the first row. It cost 100 points for one talisman, which was 10 dollars. ¡°Ten dollars for one message. Is this game serious?!¡± Lu Yu had to spit it out. Lu Yu was not so extravagant as to spend an exorbitant chat fee to chat with Su Peng. Beep! Beep! Beep! A notification sounded. Lu Yu glanced at the others and found that they did not have any abnormalities. It seemed that only he could hear this voice. [ Su Peng: I am currently at the Tianfeng Academy in the Tianfeng Province. If you are in the Tianfeng Province, you can come to the Tianfeng Academy to look for me. The thousand-mile communication talisman was very precious, and I did not have many of them. Therefore, if you have any questions, you can ask me when we meet. This is Jing Yang¡¯s account, you can add him as a friend, 1h% 56yn589@# 32 ] ¡°Is the thousand-mile communication talisman very precious? Aren¡¯t they sold in the store? Ten dollars per piece, it¡¯s indeed quite expensive.¡± Lu Yu thought. However, Lu Yu still felt that it was a little strange. ¡°Money shouldn¡¯t be a problem for Su Peng, right?¡± Lu Yu thought. After adding Zhang Jing Yang as friend, Zhang Jing Yang quickly sent him a message. [ Zhang Jingyang: Su Peng and I are both in Tianfeng Academy. Su Peng forgot to mention it just now. I think I should tell you about it, even though he said that it would be a waste of a thousand-mile communication talisman. We¡¯ll wait for you at Tianfeng Academy. ] Upon seeing this, Lu Yu knew that it was Zhang Jingyang himself. This was how he usually spoke. Lu Yu, Su Peng, and Zhang Jingyang had been friends since they were young. From primary school to junior high school to high school to university. The three of them had always been in the same grade, one major, one class, and one dormitory. It was like fate had put them together. After all, Lu Yu had not spoken to them before choosing his university. The three of them were basically inseparable. When they were about to graduate, which was three years ago, Su Peng and Zhang Jingyang did not show up to get their graduation certificates. They did not even say goodbye to Lu Yu. They just disappeared without a trace. Lu Yu searched them for a long time but could not find any trace. It was not until today when Su Peng called him on the phone that he confirmed that the two of them did not die in an unknown corner. To be honest, Lu Yu really thought that the two of them had disappeared from the world. ¡°Alright, my next goal is to head to the Tianfeng Academy and meet up with you. If you can¡¯t give me a satisfactory explanation for your sudden disappearance, I won¡¯t let you off!¡± Lu Yu made up his mind. He wanted to head to the Tianfeng Academy as soon as possible. The Tianfeng Academy was in the Tianfeng Province. Where was he now? Lu Yu felt that he had to figure out where he was first before figuring out how to get to the Tianfeng Academy. ¡°Alright, have you guys memorized the daily patrol route? If you haven¡¯t memorized it, then walk it again.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve memorized it!!!¡± Hearing that they had to walk it again, the hungry and tired youths shuddered and shouted in a hurry. Wang Qiang was just bluffing. He couldn¡¯t bring them to walk again because he was hungry as well! They brought the hungry youths to the canteen. The canteen was filled with official courtyard guards. There were fishes and meats on the table, and many rice. The hungry youths were drooling. Lu Yu smelled the fragrance. Even though he knew that this was just a game, he felt that his mouth was secreting saliva crazily. He really wanted to eat. Wang Qiang and Li Shan stopped everyone and gestured to the side. ¡°Your food is over there.¡± Everyone looked in the direction that Wang Qiang was pointing at. There was a large wooden barrel was filled with white porridge. There were also a lot of other ingredients mixed in the porridge. But the porridge was too different from the roast chicken, braised pork knuckles, and fish soup on the other table. ¡°We want to eat meat too. We want to eat meat too¡­¡± Someone took the lead to shout, and the others followed suit, their voices growing louder and louder. ¡°Shut up!¡± Li Shan shouted, ¡°Only official courtyard guards can eat meat. You only deserve to eat porridge. You¡¯re lucky you have porridge to eat! If you keep whining, you won¡¯t get anything!¡± ¡°Okay, okay, Li Shan, calm down. Didn¡¯t you use to be like them?¡± Yang Xiu appeared in the canteen and spoke. Wang Qiang and Li Shan stepped back and made a path for Yang Xiu. He walked in front of everyone and explained carefully, ¡°You guys lived a life where you¡¯re not even sure when you can have your next meal. If you eat the fish and meat directly, it¡¯s very easy for your bodies to be damaged.¡± ¡°Moreover, that¡¯s not an ordinary porridge. It¡¯s filled with some medicinal herbs that replenish qi-blood and strengthen qi-blood. It¡¯s very beneficial to cultivation, and help you guys to become official courtyard guards faster.¡± ¡°Do you understand?¡± Yang Xiu swept his gaze across everyone. Being swept by Yang Xiu¡¯s gaze, everyone immediately remembered where the pain on their hands, legs, and back came from. For a moment, they became submissive and said in a low voice, ¡°I understand, I understand¡­¡± ¡°If you understand, go over there and get a bowl. Line up one by one to get porridge. If there¡¯s not enough to eat, you can still get more. Remember, you¡¯re not allowed to cut the line. Otherwise, you¡¯re not allowed to eat today!¡± They used to be thieves and beggars in the town. They were the poor children who would do anything to survive. After getting the bowls, they lined up obediently. No one dared to cut the line or go against Yang Xiu¡¯s order. After getting the porridge, everyone ran out of the door with boiling hot bowls in their hands and took small sips. From time to time, they would make weird noises because of the heat, but they would not spilled the porridge out. Lu Yu took two bowls and poured the porridge from one bowl to the other. He repeated the process to speed up the cooling of the porridge. Seeing that Lu Yu was ¡°playing¡± with two bowls, Yang Xiu walked over and asked, ¡°Why are you taking two bowls alone?¡± He looked around and realized that Yang Xiu was talking about him. Lu Yu answered honestly, ¡°I saw that everyone else took their bowls, but there were still extra bowls. I take another one and use it. This way, the porridge will cool down faster, and I can eat more porridge.¡± ¡°If I can eat more porridge, I will be able to become stronger faster and become an official courtyard guard faster. I will also be able to repay Master Han who has done me a favor sooner.¡± After hearing his words, Yang Xiu looked at him a few more times. After recognizing that he was the youth who could completely execute the Fierce Tiger Fist, he patted Lu Yu on the shoulder in satisfaction. While he was patting, he remembered that Lu Yu¡¯s body was very dirty. Then, he quickly withdrew his hand. ¡°It¡¯s good that you have such thoughts. I think highly of you. If there are no accidents, you will definitely be the first official courtyard guard this year. Work hard and strive to become an official courtyard guard as soon as possible.¡± Yang Xiu encouraged Lu Yu, and Lu Yu appropriately displayed the joy of being praised by a big shot. Seeing his expression, Yang Xiu was even more satisfied. ¡°Eat well. Only by eating well can you cultivate better and become stronger faster.¡± Noticing the conversation between Yang Xiu and Lu Yu, a bigger youth in the crowd walked towards the place where the bowls and chopsticks were placed.. Chapter 3 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Yang Xiu turned around and unexpectedly found another person holding two bowls and pouring porridge like Lu Yu. He walked over and asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I saw that the others had taken the bowls and there were still some left. I took them over to use them. This way, the porridge will cool down faster¡­¡± Before he could finish, Yang Xiu used the scabbard to slap his hand. The bowl in his hand fell to the ground and all the porridge spilled on the ground. The two bowls also shattered. The man sat on the ground with a dumbfounded look. He looked at Yang Xiu in a daze, as if he was asking, ¡°Why did you hit me while you praise him? We¡¯re both using two bowls, why do I have different treatment?¡± Yang Xiu said expressionlessly, ¡°Privileges are only given to the strong. The weak are only allowed to follow the rules. I said take one bowl, and you should only take one!¡± ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to eat.¡± After saying this, Yang Xiu turned around and left. That person sat on the ground and stared blankly at Yang Xiu. He did not move until everyone was almost done eating. Only then did he regain his senses due to the hunger in his stomach. He looked at the cold porridge and the broken bowl on the ground. He looked at Lu Yu, who had picked up the third bowl of porridge. Without a bowl, he grabbed the cold porridge on the ground and ate it. The porridge was covered in dust, but he still put it in his mouth. His hands were clenched tightly on the ground and his heart was filled with frustration. He looked at Lu Yu with hatred in his eyes and thought, ¡°I want to become stronger! I must become stronger! I want to make all of you kneel in front of me. Eat, no matter how bad it tastes, I must eat it. I have to become stronger!¡± Noticing that the person who was eating the porridge on the ground was looking at him strangely, Lu Yu was a little speechless and thought, ¡°You imitated me and got into trouble, but why are you blaming me, it¡¯s not my fault!¡± However, this game was very realistic. An ordinary NPC could actually have such rich emotions. Lu Yu was impressed. After eating, everyone returned to their rooms to rest. They were all exhausted from practicing the fist technique. They were even more sleepy after their stomachs were full, and they fell asleep right away. Lu Yu took the opportunity to log out of the game. After eating lunch, he looked at the messages on his phone. After resting for a while, he felt that it was about time to enter the game again. Not long after he entered the game, he heard a gong. After everyone was woken up, they were chased out of the room. ¡°This is the last time I¡¯ll chase you out. Next time when you hear a gong, gather at the martial arts practice field. If you¡¯re not on time, there will be no food for you! If you¡¯re late for many times, you¡¯ll be kicked out of the Han family. The Han family doesn¡¯t want lazy people!¡± Everyone gathered at the martial arts practice field. The sun was high in the sky, and the temperature was high, which made them look listless and lazy. Yang Xiu did not seem to be affected by the temperature at all. He walked in front of everyone and said loudly, ¡°This afternoon, you¡¯ll continue to practice the Fierce Tiger Fist.¡± ¡°After dinner, everyone will go to the logistics department to get two sets of new clothes. Then, go to the bathroom and wash yourself before returning to your rooms.¡± ¡°Let me remind all of you that there are forty-three of you now, and less than one-third of you will be able to become official courtyard guard. If you don¡¯t break through to the first level of the body refining realm within a month, you will either be chased out of the Han family, or you will become a lowly servant.¡± ¡°Therefore, your future will be decided within this one month. You will either become a martial art cultivator, become the courtyard guard of the Han family, and live a life of eating fish and meat. If you¡¯re unable to do so, you¡¯ll become a servant and live a poor life.¡± ¡°Your future is now in your own hands!¡± When everyone heard this, they did not dare to slack off and began to practice the Fierce Tiger Fist Style. This time, it was not Yang Xiu who corrected everyone¡¯s postures and movements, but a few official courtyard guards. However, they were even more ruthless than Yang Xiu when it came to punishing. As the only person who had not been beaten up, Lu Yu could clearly feel the envy (jealousy) in the eyes of the others. The courtyard guards were also amazed by Lu Yu. They did not have the chance to hit Lu Yu because his movements were more proper than their own. Lu Yu had no choice. He was talented and intelligent, that was why he could learn anything fast! Lu Yu was okay of gaining experience points through AFK mode. After all, he was a player! Time passed very quickly, especially when he was AFK. AFK was not boring, because every time he practiced under AFK mode, the feeling and experience points would be transferred to Lu Yu¡¯s brain. He didn¡¯t need to control his body under AFK mode, but it did not mean that he did not really do anything. When the afternoon cultivation time ended, Lu Yu gained 30 experience points. Very soon, his skills could be upgraded again. According to this trend, he could break through the first level of Fierce Tiger Fist by tomorrow. In the afternoon, Lu Yu also discovered that after a long period of cultivation (AFK), his qi-blood had increased by 1 point. Now, his character¡¯s qi-blood had increased from 9 to 10. He did not feel any obvious changes and there was no one for him to compare. He still did not know what the use of this qi-blood was. After eating, he received new clothes that fit him. He changed into new clothes after shower and returned to the straw shed. He lay on the bed to sleep and went offline. Lu Yu did not know if it was because he had eaten dinner in the game, he actually felt a little full in real life. However, he still ate something to fill his stomach to prevent himself from waking up from hunger in the middle of the night. After taking a shower and going to bed, he saw the helmet on the bedside table. Lu Yu suddenly thought, ¡°Can I sleep in the game? Why not¡­ Give It a try? ¡± He lay down, covered himself with the quilt, put on the game helmet, and entered the game. After opening his eyes, he was still lying on the simple wooden bed covered with straw. He closed his eyes but could not fall asleep. The wooden bed under him was too hard and uncomfortable. He had no choice but to quit the game and return to his comfortable bed in real life to enjoy a nice sleep. The next morning, Lu Yu woke up early. He quickly washed up and ate something for breakfast. He put on his helmet and entered the game. After entering the game, Lu Yu realized that he was not in the wooden house. Instead, he was practicing fist technique with the others on the practice field. He noticed that there was an extra point on the experience bar. His character should have been practicing here for a while. He realized that he did not have to wake up early because his character would automatically move. Lu Yu heaved a sigh of relief. If he followed the game¡¯s schedule every day, then he was not playing the game, but playing himself. His character was still practicing automatically. Lu Yu did not choose to take over the body but continue to AFK. After a while, Yang Xiu came over and asked everyone to have breakfast. Lu Yu wanted to see if the character would automatically take action. Seeing that everyone had left but Lu Yu was still standing at the same spot, Yang Xiu walked over and asked, ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Lu Yu was startled awake. He raised his head and saw Yang Xiu. He quickly said, ¡°No problem. I felt something strange when I¡¯m cultivating, but I¡¯m not sure what it is.¡± Yang Xiu smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s a good thing. You might be about to break through. Alright, let¡¯s go eat!¡± Lu Yu thanked Yang Xiu for his guidance and then quickly ran to catch up with the rest of the team. He did not know if it was an illusion, but Lu Yu felt that his speed had increased today. The breakfast was still the same plain porridge mixed with medicinal ingredients as yesterday afternoon and evening. Lu Yu had a premonition that he might have to eat plain porridge for a very long time. He was thinking if he should improve his diet in reality. The medicinal porridge in the game did not taste very good. The medicinal porridge emphasized the medicinal effect but did not pursue the taste. It tasted a little bitter. However, the effect was very obvious. After Lu Yu finished his cultivation, he felt less tired when he took over the body after AFK. After eating breakfast, he rested for a while and then continued his cultivation. He continued to AFK for the whole morning. Lu Yu wanted to quit the game midway, but he was reminded by the system that quitting the game under AFK mode was considered to be force quit the game, which might lead to unknown consequences on his body. Lu Yu could only continue to AFK. After all, seeing his experience bar increase gave him a sense of accomplishment. Especially when he saw his companions who were being beaten up, Lu Yu felt a little refreshed. Most people would take a break after cultivating for a while. However, there was a tall youth was still cultivating. Every time he about to give up, he would grit his teeth and continue when he saw Lu Yu was still cultivating. ¡°I will definitely not lose to you. If you can persevere, I can too. I want to become stronger. I want to become stronger!¡± Because Lu Yu was in AFK mode, he still had time to observe the surrounding environment. For example, he found a youth who was competing with him. It seemed to be the NPC youth who had imitated him yesterday. ¡°Come on! I have high hopes for you, youth!¡± Lu Yu cheered for the NPC in his heart. This kind of spirit was worthy of praise. Suddenly, a courtyard guard ran over from outside and said to Yang Xiu, ¡°Guard Yang, Miss said that she wants to go shopping in town. She invited you to go with her.¡± After Yang Xiu heard this, he was silent for a while. He called a few courtyard guards who were cultivating beside him over and asked them to guide everyone in their cultivation. Then, he followed that person and left the martial arts practice field. ¡°Miss personally called for Yang Xiu to go shopping with her. Looks like this Yang Xiu is going to be a top-grade guard! I feel like a good show is about to start.¡± Lu Yu hung up the phone and quietly watched Yang Xiu leave. Not long after Yang Xiu left, Lu Yu received a system notification. [ Skill level-up! Fierce Tiger Fist-Hungry Tiger Pounce (slightly skilled) ¡ú Fierce Tiger Fist-Hungry Tiger Pounce (skilled) ] The next level up would require 100 experience points, and it would take quite some time. However, the cultivation technique was about to level up, and it should be able to level up at night. Who knew what benefits it would bring? ¡°Everyone stops! You¡¯re going to do your first patrol mission. You¡¯ll be divided into groups and teams. Each group is responsible for their own area, and each team in each group is responsible for their own patrol time and shift work.¡± ¡°When your name is called out, stand on my right-hand side.¡± Wang Qiang read out a list of names. ¡°Wang Er, Li Si, Zhang San, Lu Yu¡­¡± Soon, they were divided into groups. ¡°Every four people will form a small team. When we arrive at the patrol location, we will arrange the patrol time for you.¡± ¡°Li Shan, take them to the east courtyard. I will take them to the west courtyard.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The two of them led more than 20 people out of the practice field. At this moment, Lu Yu received a system notification. [ Mission: Daily patrol ¡ª complete the patrol within the stipulated time. Reward: 50 experience points.. ] Chapter 4 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Wang Qiang brought everyone to the small path they had walked on yesterday. On one side was a dense forest, and on the other side was a tall stone wall. This dirt road was at least over a kilometer long. Previously, Wang Qiang had received Yang Xiu¡¯s message. He expressed that he had high hopes for Lu Yu, so he asked Wang Qiang to arrange a good patrol time and patrol position for Lu Yu. The patrol time and patrol position were quite crucial to their stamina. For example, it was usually the best to patrol in the morning and evening. There was no need to wake up before dawn or stay up late in the night. Moreover, there was still sufficient time for cultivation. Next was the patrol position. In some places, there were too many people and too many things to do, so it was tiring to patrol at those places. While in other places, it was empty and unfrequented, so one could just check the surrounding on one spot without walking too far. Under Yang Xiu¡¯s instructions, Wang Qiang arranged for Lu Yu¡¯s team to be on the outer wall of the west courtyard¡¯s side gate. This side was the side of the Han family¡¯s compound that was close to the forest. Usually, no one would come here, so the patrol team only had to be on guard against wild beasts running out of the forest. Basically, they did not have anything to do. Standing at the courtyard¡¯s entrance, Lu Yu could see the entire patrol route. He could see the end of it at a glance. His shift was simply too easy. Moreover, his shift was arranged in the morning, which was closed to noon and not long before lunch. Early in the morning, there was time for him to cultivate. When he was tired from cultivating, he could go out for a walk. After that, they could eat. How comfortable! However, the other people¡¯s patrolling tasks were not too different. After all, they were only temporary courtyard guards. They were not the official courtyard guards of the Han family. They could only walk around the outermost perimeter of the Han family compound. Even the straw shed that everyone lived in was located at the periphery of the Han family compound. Even the martial arts practice field that everyone cultivated in was still located at the periphery. The Han family disciples, and the inner court guards had other places for cultivation. Lu Yu and the others were left to patrol on the spot. Wang Qiang told them that when someone came to take over the shift, they could leave for the canteen to eat. Then, he would take the others and leave the place. Wang Qiang also gave each of them a whistle. In case of emergency or danger, they could blow the whistle, but they could not blow it carelessly. If they were caught for misusing the whistle, they would be severely punished. Among the four-man team, the other three recognized Lu Yu as the person who had never been beaten up during the fist technique practice. For some reason, the three of them were obviously closer to each other while isolating Lu Yu. Lu Yu did not have any intention of getting close to them. According to the requirements of the mission, he just needed to patrol on this dirt road. The three of them followed behind Lu Yu and whispered to each other. No one knew what they were talking about. Just when Lu Yu was feeling a little hungry, the person who was going to take over the shift finally appeared. He was wearing a dark green embroidered Han character suit with a short knife on his waist. He should be the official courtyard guard. The four of them ran towards the person delightedly. The three of them asked him if he was here to take over the shift. The person ignored them and walked directly to a tree. With a strong leap, he jumped four to five meters high and easily landed on a thick branch. Then, he lay on the tree and began to sleep. He looked like someone who was looking for a place to sleep. The three of them saw that he did not respond to them. After muttering to themselves for a while, they all agreed that this person was the person to take over the shift. Therefore, they all left together and went to the cafeteria to eat. Lu Yu saw that the few of them had left, but he did not follow them. He stayed where he was and looked as if he was still waiting for the shift replacement. After a while, the person on the tree said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you go with them?¡± ¡°Because the person that take over the shift has not come yet. I can¡¯t leave.¡± ¡°Am I not here to take over the shift? You can leave now.¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re not the guy.¡± ¡°I am here to take over the shift!¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯m leaving then.¡± Lu Yu turned around and left. He walked so fast that the person on the tree did not have time to react. By the time he reacted, Lu Yu had already walked some distance away. ¡°Eh, wait, you are interesting!¡± The person jumped down from the tree and landed in front of Lu Yu, blocking his way. ¡°Tell me! What did you mean by what you said just now?¡± Seeing that the man stopped him from leaving, Lu Yu had no choice but to explain to him. ¡°You said it before, ¡®Am I not here to take over the shift?¡¯ This is a question. It can be understood as you are here to take over the shift, or you¡¯re not. So, I refuted your words.¡± ¡°Then you explicitly said that you are here to take over the shift and told me your identity. Then I believed that you are here for the next shift, and not the examiner who was sent to check if we were patrolling properly.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that I¡¯m a disguise while letting me off so easily?¡± that person asked. ¡°It¡¯s your clothes that tell me that you¡¯re a member of the Han family. There¡¯s a circle of exquisite dark green embroidery around the word ¡®Han¡¯ on your chest. That should be the symbol of the Han family¡¯s inner court guards¡¯ clothes.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve seen it on Instructor Yang¡¯s clothes. If an outsider can obtain this cloth and disguise himself to enter the Han family¡¯s courtyard, then his strength must be far greater than mine.¡± ¡°Just like how you can directly jump down from a tree eight to nine meters away to block my path. If such an expert wants to kill me or wants to sneak into the compound without me knowing, it¡¯ll be as easy as flipping a hand. I won¡¯t have any chance to resist or stop him.¡± ¡°Hahaha, a beautiful deduction, you¡¯ve passed! You can go back and eat now. In the future, I¡¯ll be in charge of taking over this path. The others will all be fakes.¡± In fact, the most important thing was that when that person said, ¡°I¡¯m here to take over the shift¡±, Lu Yu received the game message that the mission was completed. That was why Lu Yu was sure that he was the real one. Part of the subsequent deduction was based on his previous guess. Another part was based on the process of deducing the answer, or rather, an explanation. That person threw a wooden token to Lu Yu and returned to the tree to continue sleeping. When Lu Yu brought the wooden token to the canteen, there was already a row of people standing outside. They were all punished for leaving early and not completing the handover of the patrol mission. ¡°Those who left without permission, stand aside and wait to be punished. You are not allowed to eat lunch today.¡± Wang Qiang said as he stood at the entrance of the canteen. Lu Yu handed the wooden token over. Wang Qiang was a little surprised when he saw the wooden token. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that there would be someone who could pass the test this year. Last year, only Guard Yang passed the test. Now we have you this year, not bad kid.¡± ¡°As expected of Guard Yang¡¯s favorite candidate. Alright, let¡¯s go in and eat! As a reward for passing the test, you can have a roast chicken.¡± Wang Qiang took the token and waved his hand to let Lu Yu in. Hearing that Lu Yu had actually completed the test and was able to eat the fragrant roast chicken, everyone had mixed feelings. There was envy, jealousy, and resentment. ¡°What are you looking at? Stand up straight!¡± Wang Qiang shouted loudly when he saw the others looking over. Meat was an essential food for practicing martial skills, practicing fist techniques, and strengthening qi-blood. Every martial art cultivator had to eat a lot of meat every day to maintain the nutritional consumption during cultivation. The roast chicken was just an ordinary option, but it was abundant and had a lot of meat. No matter how rich the Han Residence was, it was impossible for them to provide everyone with medicinal meals to replenish their qi-blood every meal. They only provided the medicinal meal to the new recruits for free during the first month of their cultivation. As most of the new recruits were poor children who had not eaten their fill for a long period of time, their bodies were lacking in qi-blood. The absorption effect of eating medicinal meals would be better, and it would be able to replenish their qi-blood that had been lacking for many years. Moreover, the children were still in the development. A month¡¯s worth of medicinal diet could greatly stimulate the children¡¯s qi-blood, improve their physical condition, and promote their development. It would greatly improve their training. After becoming an official courtyard guard, if they still wanted to use medicinal food to speed up their training, they would need to spend their own money to buy medicinal cuisine or medicinal herbs in the canteen. Lu Yu ate a roasted chicken and two bowls of porridge. He only stopped when he felt nauseous and left the canteen. This was what that guard had told him before he left. ¡°If you want to become an official courtyard guard as soon as possible, eat more medicinal porridge.¡± He supported himself against the wall and returned to his room. After lying on his bed, he immediately logged out of the game. He didn¡¯t feel very comfortable after eating too much. After he logged out of the game, the feeling of being full disappeared without a trace. Instead, he felt a little hungry because he didn¡¯t eat much in the morning. He took out a steak from the refrigerator, turned on the induction cooker, and fried a few steaks. He had planned to save two steaks for dinner. For some unknown reason, he felt that his appetite was particularly good. After eating all the steaks, he only felt full after drinking a bottle of fruit juice. Di ~ he looked at the message on his phone. It was a notification from the bank. With a simple glance, he knew that it was the payment for the following chapters of his novel. Lu Yu was a professional novelist, also known as a freelancer. He started writing novels in university and wrote a few novels that were not so popular. The money he earned from writing novels could support his daily life, and he still had some savings. Coincidentally, just as Lu Yu finished writing a novel and planned to rest for a month, Su Peng sent him a gaming helmet. Lu Yu had nothing to do. Because of the request from Su Peng and other reasons, he decided to play the game. After eating, he read some news and went to the toilet. After resolving his physiological needs, he laid back on the bed and continued playing. When he put on his helmet, Lu Yu was thinking that if he ate, slept, and ate every day, would he become a fat man after a month? He didn¡¯t have time to think too much. He returned to the game world. The sound of gongs rang out. Lu Yu walked calmly to the martial arts practice field and began his afternoon training (AFK). Among the people in the practice field, Lu Yu was the only one who had eaten lunch. When the others were training in the afternoon, they all looked listless. Their punches were soft. For some unknown reason, there was no one around Lu Yu. Everyone looked at Lu Yu with complicated emotions in their eyes. Lu Yu, who was in AFK mode, did not notice this situation because he was checking the 50 experience points that he had obtained. Opening up his personal attributes, he discovered that experience points could be added to his realm, qi-blood, cultivation technique, and skills. To advance from mortal realm to first level of body refining realm required 100 experience points. The fist technique that he had practiced for so long did not seem to be of any help to level up his realm. It required 100 experience points to increase one point of qi-blood. The experience bar for cultivation technique and skills was equal to the experience bar. One experience point could increase 1 point for cultivation techniques and skills. According to Lu Yu¡¯s understanding, the realm should be the level of player in the traditional game. Cultivation techniques might be skill trees. Leveling up cultivation techniques could gain more skills. As for skills, they did not seem to be of much use right now. After all, there was no chance for him to fight someone. He did not have enough experience points to level up his realm, and he was not in a hurry to level up his skills. His cultivation technique was just a little bit away from leveling up. In any case, he would use up his experience points sooner or later. The earlier he used it, the earlier he could increase his strength. After thinking about it, Lu Yu added the experience points to his cultivation technique. [ After the hard work, the Fierce Tiger Fist Style has broken through to the second level, qi-blood + 5 ] [ New skill comprehended ¡ª Fierce Tiger Fist-Fierce Tiger Descend (beginner) ] Then, Lu Yu heard a system notification. [ After the hard work, the player has broken through the mortal realm and reached the first level of the body refining realm, qi-blood +2 ] ¡°Leveling up my cultivation technique could help me level up my realm?¡± Lu Yu was deep in thought.. Chapter 5 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Now that Lu Yu¡¯s qi-blood had reached 17 points, he could clearly feel that his strength had been greatly increased, and the speed of his punches had been greatly increased. After thinking for a while, Lu Yu understood the meaning of qi-blood. In this game, qi-blood should be the same as the battle strength in traditional games. It was a comprehensive reflection of the overall strength of the character. The higher the qi-blood, the stronger the battle strength. In this way, if he thought of a way to increase his qi-blood, he could increase his own strength. Although he could use his experience points to increase his qi-blood, this was not the best choice because he could increase qi-blood when he was cultivating in AFK mode. Besides, leveling up the cultivation technique could also increase qi-blood. The Fierce Tiger Fist Style required only 100 experience points to upgrade from the first level to the second level, and he could get 5 points of qi-blood bonus. Breaking through the realm only required 100 experience points, and he could get 2 points of qi-blood bonus. Moreover, leveling from the second level to the third level required 500 experience points. By that time, his qi-blood would exceed 5 points. Moreover, when the cultivation technique was upgraded, it could also increase one¡¯s realm. This way, one could save another 200 experience points to increase one¡¯s realm while still getting qi-blood bonus. With this calculation, using the experience points to increase qi-blood directly was the least efficient way, followed by using experience points to increase one¡¯s realm. The most cost-effective method was to use experience points to level up the cultivation technique. The more qi-blood he gained, the more experience points he could save to increase their realms. He could also obtain new skills. It was simply killing three birds with one stone. Lu Yu decided on the next small goal, to accumulate enough experience points to level up the Fierce Tiger Fist Style (second level). He did not know if Yang Xiu was still shopping with Miss Han, but he did not appear in the martial arts practice field for the entire afternoon. After an entire afternoon of cultivation, Lu Yu¡¯s qi-blood had increased by one point, reaching 18 points. After his qi-blood had increased, he ate a lot more during dinner. After eating six bowls of porridge, Lu Yu felt full. When he wanted to eat the seventh bowl, there was no more porridge in the bucket. After eating, those who were on patrol duty went on patrol. Those who were not on patrol duty continued to cultivate at night, then took a bath and went to sleep. It was the same for three consecutive days. Lu Yu had not seen Yang Xiu appear in the martial arts practice field after that. He had also become familiar with the inner court guard who was taking over his shift, so they could chat a little when they were changing shifts. He knew that his name was Zhang Lun, and he seemed to be Butler Zhang¡¯s nephew. After the cultivation technique had been upgraded, Lu Yu could increase his qi-blood by two points every day. However, when his qi-blood broke through 20 points, the speed of the increase in his qi-blood began to slow down. He could only increase his qi-blood by 1.5 points every day. Lu Yu walked on the dirt road that he patrolled every day while the other three patrolled on the other side. They did not want to have too much interaction with Lu Yu. Over the past few days, Lu Yu realized that his performance seemed to be too outstanding. He was ostracized by others, and no one wanted to interact with him. However, this was also good to him. Lu Yu was too lazy to talk to them. They were just a bunch of NPCs after all. Suddenly, he wanted to pee. Lu Yu saw that the three of them were still far away, so he walked into the forest and peed under a big tree. ¡°Did you found what I said last time?¡± A familiar voice sounded. Lu Yu subconsciously turned his head to look in the direction of the voice and saw a familiar figure in the forest. ¡°Isn¡¯t that Yang Xiu? The person opposite seems to be Han Yu. What are they doing here?¡± Lu Yu showed a hint of confusion. Lu Yu knew from the conversation with Zhang Lun that Miss Han¡¯s name was Han Yu. As for the relationship between Han Yu and Yang Xiu, Zhang Lun did not want to say much. However, Lu Yu could hear from his tone that he probably liked Han Yu. ¡°The thing you mentioned, I found it in the study room when my father was not around. My father hid it in the secret room of the study room. However, there is a mechanism inside, so I can¡¯t take it out. Otherwise, my father will definitely find out.¡± Han Yu deliberately showed a troubled expression. Then, her expression changed, and she said in a relaxed manner, ¡°However, if you are willing to marry me, I will definitely be able to persuade my father to give that thing to you.¡± Hearing that, Yang Xiu remained silent and did not answer. Seeing his attitude, Han Yu¡¯s face was full of indignation. She shouted, ¡°Why don¡¯t you want to marry me? Why? Do you like other women?¡± Yang Xiu quickly covered her mouth. ¡°Shh! Be quiet. Don¡¯t let others find out. It¡¯s not good for your reputation.¡± ¡°Wu wu wu¡­¡± The voices of the two became softer, so Lu Yu couldn¡¯t hear them clearly. Not long after, he saw Han Yu rush out of the way. Her speed was much faster than Lu Yu¡¯s. Han Yu rushed out of the forest with tears in her eyes. Her back disappeared into the distance, and Yang Xiu also appeared on the road. Lu Yu looked at Yang Xiu with a face full of surprise. When Yang Xiu saw Lu Yu standing by the wall, he was surprised as well. Yang Xiu was sure that Lu Yu did not see what had happened in the forest. ¡°Instructor Yang, why are you here?¡± Lu Yu asked. He looked at Lu Yu. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business. Don¡¯t ask.¡± With that, he turned around and left. In just a dozen seconds, Yang Xiu¡¯s back disappeared on the road. Lu Yu looked at Yang Xiu getting further away, and his expression returned to normal. Yang Xiu and Han Yu¡¯s relationship did not seem to be that good. Moreover, Yang Xiu seemed to have his own motives. Yang Xiu¡¯s motives had nothing to do with Lu Yu. He only wanted to AFK every day, increase his qi-blood, and quietly level up. When he had enough strength, he would go to the Tianfeng Academy to look for Su Peng. After many days, the time he spent in the game far exceeded the time he spent in the real world. Lu Yu had begun to think of this game as the real world. Other than eating, going to the toilet, and sleeping, Lu Yu had spent almost all his time in the game these past few days. He had completely integrated into this world. He also learned about a small part of the game background of the Divine Martial World. From Zhang Lun¡¯s information, Lu Yu learned that the Han family was in a very unremarkable small town under the Tianfeng Province, Windmill Town. The good news was that he was in the Tianfeng Province that Su Peng had mentioned. The bad news was that it was as difficult as ascending to the heaven to enter the Tianfeng Academy. When Lu Yu asked, ¡°How do I enter the Tianfeng Academy?¡±, Zhang Lun¡¯s face revealed a huge smile, as if an eagle had seen a tortoise and said, ¡°I want to fly higher than you.¡± In order to let Lu Yu know how hard to get into Tianfeng Academy was, Zhang Lun told him what he knew. In order to enter Tianfeng Academy, Lu Yu first had to become a free person. A servant of the Han family was not qualified to enter the academy. When they were brought into the Han Residence, they had already become part of the Han family¡¯s property. Only by becoming a free person would the law recognize you as a commoner, and only then would you be qualified to enter the academy for further studies. And to become a free person in the Han Residence, there were two ways: one was to make a great contribution to obtain the Han clan¡¯s favor and then become a free person. The second was to break through the body refining realm to a high level and become the Han clan¡¯s squire. Then, one had to work hard for the Han clan for ten years to redeem the indenture. The former was unlikely to happen as he was a small fry who had just entered the Han Residence. As for the latter, if he wanted to cultivate and break through from body refining realm to a new realm, it would be difficult for him to do so without eight to ten years. After becoming a free person, he would first have to leave Windmill Town and head to Bei Feng City. If he could be accepted by the academy in Bei Feng City, he would have a slight chance of entering the Tianfeng Academy. Every year, Bei Feng City would have a few spots to recommend talents to the Tianfeng Academy. Only the most outstanding few would have the chance to be recommended. Whether or not they could enter would depend on whether they could pass the Tianfeng Academy¡¯s test. ¡°The eldest young master and second young master of the Han clan are both cultivating in Bei Feng Academy. They have the support of the entire Han clan behind them. The eldest young master and second young master are only at the middle and lower levels of the academy and have no chance of being recommended at all.¡± ¡°But even so, the eldest young master¡¯s strength is not something that people like us can imagine.¡± ¡°As for you, there¡¯s no point to even think about it! Eldest young master had already cultivated to the seventh level of the body refining realm at your age and could be considered a famous genius in Windmill Town. But in Bei Feng City, there were countless people who were even more powerful than eldest young master.¡± ¡°It¡¯s better for you to just be a courtyard guard! Don¡¯t overthink things. Being a courtyard guard in the Han clan is probably the luckiest thing to you. No matter what, you won¡¯t have to worry about food and clothes when you¡¯re old. Furthermore, you will have your descendants who will inherit your bloodline.¡± Therefore, when he knew that strength was the most important factor for him to achieve his goal, Lu Yu began to cultivate even more seriously (AFK). Whenever he had the time, he would cultivate. Even when he was on patrol, he would still cultivate under AFK mode. With Lu Yu¡¯s unremitting efforts, his Fierce Tiger Fist Style¡¯s experience bar was already over half. His experience points had also accumulated to 150 points. After another day of patrolling, another day of cultivating would allow him to level up his Fierce Tiger Fist to the third level. The Fierce Tiger Fist-Hungry Tiger Pounce had also leveled up. It had been upgraded from a skilled to a highly skilled, and the Fierce Tiger Descending had also been trained to ¡®slightly skilled¡¯ level. [ Name: Lu Yu ] [ Realm: Body refining realm (first level) ] [ Qi-blood: 23 ] [ Cultivation Technique: Fierce Tiger Fist Style (second level) ] [ Skills: Fierce Tiger Fist- Hungry Tiger Pounce (highly skilled), Fierce Tiger Fist- Fierce Tiger Descending (slightly skilled) ] [ Experience Points: 150 ] After the skill level reached the ¡®highly skilled¡¯ level, it was much more difficult to level up again. It required a total of 500 experience points. In the afternoon, after everyone¡¯s training time ended, Yang Xiu appeared at the martial arts practice field and said to everyone, ¡°You have been practicing the Fierce Tiger Fist for almost a week. Blindly practicing the fist technique will not bring out the best effect. We will start the sparring training tomorrow.¡± ¡°Only a fist technique that can defeat the opponent is a good fist technique. It¡¯s useless to never put your technique in use. From tomorrow onwards, the winner will receive a body tempering pill as reward. One pill a day.¡± When they heard about the body tempering pill, everyone¡¯s eyes lit up with excitement. It was as if they would definitely be the winner tomorrow. Lu Yu had heard from Zhang Lun that official courtyard guards would usually save money to buy body tempering pills in the logistics department to speed up their training. Body tempering pills were quite effective for people below the third level of the body refining realm. ¡°You guys prepare yourselves tonight! We¡¯ll start sparring tomorrow morning.¡± After saying that, Yang Xiu left quickly as if he had something urgent to attend to. Lu Yu went AFK for a while more before returning to his room to log out of the game. After washing up, he went to bed. There was finally a chance to battle in the game tomorrow. Lu Yu was also a little excited. He would sleep early today to rest up for the battle tomorrow. As a fantasy wuxia background game, it was too boring to keep grinding and not able to battle.. Chapter 6 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Early in the morning, the sunlight shone on the ground. The people who had already eaten breakfast stood neatly on the practice field. In front of them was Yang Xiu, and there was one more person today ¡ª Butler Zhang. On the first day they entered the Han Residence, Butler Zhang had showed up once. Today was the second time Butler Zhang showed up. He was here to see if there were any good seedlings that were worth nurturing among this batch of rookies. In times of crisis, the Han family could truly rely on the courtyard guards that they had nurtured since young. Although the external guardians were strong, they would not work for the Han family. The courtyard guards, guards, and even squires that they had nurtured since young were different. Their roots were in the Han Residence, and the Han Residence was like their home. When their home was in crisis, they would do their best to protect it. Butler Zhang signaled for Yang Xiu to start. Yang Xiu first had everyone line up according to the patrol teams of the east and west courtyards. Then, the two people facing each other were the opponents for the sparring. There were 43 of them, so there would be one person left out. Therefore, Yang Xiu had Lu Yu wait by the side while the others spread out and began the battle. If they could not stand up within ten seconds, or if they admitted defeat, they would be considered to have lost. The winner would continue sparring with the other winners. With 42 people fighting at the same time, the scene was chaotic. Fortunately, the official courtyard guards who usually trained in the martial arts practice field were watching around, so the situation was manageable. Soon, some people were beaten down. But after they were beaten down, they quickly got up and continued to fight. For the sake of that body tempering pill, no one would give up easily. Most of the people on the field were fighting like a mess. It was like they had never learn the fist technique before. They were hugging each other and tearing each other apart, competing to see who would admit defeat first. A few days ago, everyone was still a child looking for food in the gutter of Windmill Town. When it came to fighting, no one would be easily given up. The weak children had long starved to death by the roadside. Lu Yu scanned the entire field and concluded that most of the people were still at the level of beginners. They only had the boxing stance and did not have any actual combat ability. They could do the proper movement when they were practicing the fist technique. However, once they started fighting, they would completely forget about it. This was because they had not practiced it to the deepest level. There were a few people who were at the level where their martial skill were slightly better. When they were fighting, they even knew how to use some martial arts to easily block the opponent¡¯s random attacks and counterattack. ¡°Alright! Stop! He has already admitted defeat!¡± The voice of a courtyard guard rang out. A relatively tall youth stood in the crowd. Under his feet was a loser who was bent into a shrimp. Yang Xiu said in a calm tone, ¡°The winner will wait here for the result. The loser will be taken away to rest.¡± When the courtyard guard heard that, he lifted the person lying on the ground with one hand and brought him to an open space to let him rest. The youth walked to Yang Xiu¡¯s right, which was beside Lu Yu, with a proud smile on his face. He said fiercely, ¡°Just wait! Don¡¯t think that just because the Instructor Yang thinks highly of you, you¡¯re really that good. Later, I¡¯ll make you cry and call me daddy.¡± Lu Yu ignored what he said without turning his head. Lu Yu had also seen his battle. His fist technique level was closed to ¡®skilled¡¯ level, which was far from his own. Butler Zhang was expressionless. It could not be seen whether he was in a good mood or not. It was also unknown whether he was not satisfied with this batch of recruits. Very soon, the winners and losers were decided. Yang Xiu looked at the one who was in a good condition among the winners and said, ¡°Come out and fight with him.¡± That person¡¯s expression changed when he was called out by Yang Xiu. However, he did not dare to go against Yang Xiu¡¯s order and walked forward. Lu Yu also went forward and stood opposite to that person. That person recognized Lu Yu. Lu Yu was the only person in the group who had not been beaten up. It was difficult not to recognize him. Knowing that Lu Yu¡¯s Fierce Tiger Fist was very good, he became very serious. He bowed and said, ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to our fight.¡± Seeing that he was so polite, Lu Yu subconsciously bowed in return. An opportunity! Taking advantage of Lu Yu¡¯s carelessness, that person quickly made his move. the Fierce Tiger Fist ¡ª Hungry Tiger Pounce. He suddenly leaped up and closed in on Lu Yu. While Lu Yu was still bowing, he had already thrown his punch. That person was thrilled, he thought that he was going to win. Even his strike was not perfect, the power should be enough. The man¡¯s eyes shone with the light of victory. He had already seen the scene of his strength soaring after he obtained the body tempering pill. Suddenly, the world spun. He felt a pain on his back, and his vision went black. He was almost knocked out of breath by the fall. Cough, cough, cough. What was going on? He laid on the ground, his ears buzzing, and his eyes were dizzy. He did not understand why he was lying here. Wasn¡¯t he still standing just now? When he regained consciousness and heard the referee shouting ¡°three¡±, he wanted to stand up. However, his back was burning with pain, and he did not have any strength in his limbs. He could only watch as the referee announced his defeat. The injured person was carried away. Lu Yu did not expect that he would hit that person this hard. Just now, he subconsciously grabbed the opponent¡¯s punch and attacked him. With a strong swing, the opponent fell to the ground. In the eyes of the others, Lu Yu had just used the Hungry Tiger Pounce of the Fierce Tiger Fist Style. The moment he attacked, it was like he had transformed into a fierce tiger, biting the opponent¡¯s throat, tearing, and swinging hard. The throat was torn by the fierce tiger, and the opponent also fell to the ground and lost the ability to resist. Soon, an official courtyard guard ran to Butler Zhang¡¯s side and said, ¡°I¡¯ve checked. The injury is not serious. He needs to rest for a few days.¡± Butler Zhang nodded to show that he understood. A trace of joy appeared on his face. With the ability to completely crush his opponent, it was very likely that this Lu Yu had already become a body refining realm martial art cultivator. Noticing Lu Yu¡¯s surprise when he saw his opponent lying on the ground, Butler Zhang estimated that Lu Yu had just broke through his realm and hadn¡¯t grasped his own strength yet. To be able to become a martial art cultivator in five to six days, Lu Yu was considered as a good seedling. Although he had used two more days than the eldest young master, Lu Yu¡¯s talent was not bad. If he was properly groomed, he might be able to gain another squire for the Han clan. ¡°Let¡¯s continue!¡± Lu Yu was still thinking that he would be punished or not after he beaten up his opponent too harshly. Butler Zhang ordered everyone to continue the sparring. There were only 21 people left. Lu Yu got a bye in this round. The rest of the people heaved a sigh of relief. They felt much more relaxed now that they did not have to face Lu Yu. Previously, they didn¡¯t really care if they had to face Lu Yu. Now, they only had one thought, ¡°Don¡¯t pick me to fight Lu Yu.¡± With 20 people sparring, 10 winners would be decided. Among the 10 winners, Yang Xiu randomly picked one person to be Lu Yu¡¯s opponent. The person who was chosen had a terrified expression on his face. He walked in front of Lu Yu and whispered, ¡°Brother, please be gentle!¡± After saying that, he did not make any small movements. After exchanging a few punches with Lu Yu, he was directly knocked down on the ground and admitted defeat. After throwing a few punches, Lu Yu had roughly grasped his own strength. He punched his opponent with only 30% of his strength, and that person was beaten into a bending shrimp, lying on the ground, and surrendered. The tall man clenched his fists tightly and roared in his heart, ¡°Don¡¯t think that just because they are afraid of you, I will be afraid of you!¡± The sparring continued, and finally, only the tall man and Lu Yu were left. The two of them carried out the final battle. Although Lu Yu was sure to win in the eyes of Butler Zhang and Yang Xiu, Butler Zhang was also a little interested in the tall man. ¡°This Wang Can, his aptitude is still passable. If he cultivates for another half a month, he¡¯ll definitely break through from the mortal realm and become a martial art cultivator. Take care of him.¡± Butler Zhang instructed. ¡°Yes.¡± Yang Xiu replied casually. He had long forgotten who this Wang Can was. However, since Butler Zhang had said so, he would have to pay more attention to him. Lu Yu used 30% of his strength to fight against Wang Can. Wang Can could barely hold on and fought back and forth with Lu Yu. Lu Yu couldn¡¯t defeat Wang Can immediately. Even though he had cultivated through AFK and could easily execute the Fierce Tiger Fist, he couldn¡¯t control his own strength properly because he hadn¡¯t fought someone before. He couldn¡¯t employ the fist technique easily on his own. It was just like how an ordinary person could lift a heavy dumbbell with force and could also lightly pinch a tender and smooth tofu without breaking the tofu. Lu Yu¡¯s strength had increased a lot in a short period of time, and he did not control his strength. As a result, he used the strength to hold the dumbbell when he was holding the tofu. Of course, the tofu would be broken. So, Lu Yu suppressed his strength and only used 30% of his strength to fight with Wang Can. Lu Yu realized that his control over his strength was improving rapidly. However, he had to be careful. He could not use too much strength and break the ¡°tofu¡±. As Lu Yu became better at controlling his strength, Wang Can became more and more sullen as he fought. He felt like he was being suppressed by Lu Yu. ¡°Ah!¡± Wang Can let out a furious roar. He no longer cared about the fist techniques and quickly punched like a madman. Lu Yu easily blocked every punch with his palm. He felt that it was easier to practice his control over his strength this way. ¡°Ha!¡± Wang Can punched out heavily. He felt hot air rising in his body as if he had broken some shackles. His body became much more relaxed, and his strength increased. Yang Xiu squinted his eyes and was a little surprised. Butler Zhang was also surprised. ¡°A breakthrough during the battle? In less than ten days, Wang Can will definitely break through from the mortal realm and become a martial art cultivator. Take good care of him.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Yang Xiu replied. This time, he paid a little more attention to him. Wang Can felt that he had made a breakthrough and felt very happy in his heart. He thought that he would definitely defeat Lu Yu. Just as Wang Can was preparing to crush Lu Yu after he broke through, Lu Yu felt that he had almost mastered his strength. He ¡°gently¡± grabbed Wang Can¡¯s fist that was coming towards him. He felt that the strength of his fist had become a little stronger and he used a little more strength. He took a step forward and grabbed Wang Can¡¯s belt with one hand while the other hand grabbed Wang Can¡¯s fist. He swung Wang Can in a circle and smashed him onto the ground. Wang Can spat out a huge mouthful of air. The air in his lungs was blown out, and his mind went blank. He had clearly broken through, but why did he still lose? Without the referee counting down, Butler Zhang walked towards Lu Yu with a box in his hand. He smiled and said, ¡°Lu Yu, this body tempering pill is yours.¡± ¡°You have already broken through from the mortal realm and become a martial art cultivator. You can move to the outer court from now on¡± Butler Zhang said to Lu Yu in a friendly tone. ¡°Men, bring Lu Yu to the outer court to choose his residence. Remember, pick a better place for him!¡± Butler Zhang said sternly to that person. That person nodded repeatedly, not daring to go against him. Other than Master Han, Butler Zhang was the highest person in the entire Han Residence. Sometimes, the young miss had to listen to Butler Zhang. It was said that Butler Zhang was already the butler of the Han Residence when Old Master Han¡¯s father was still alive. ¡°Thank you for your good intentions, Butler Zhang. I will definitely go through fire and water for the Han family!¡± Lu Yu said a few words to express his loyalty at the appropriate time, which greatly increased Butler Zhang¡¯s favorability towards him. Butler Zhang nodded in satisfaction. After thinking for a moment, he said, ¡°How about this? With your strength, you will definitely get first place in the sparring in the future. So, you can just go to the logistics department to receive body tempering pills. You don¡¯t have to participate in the sparring with other rookies.¡± ¡°However, you can¡¯t be arrogant and complacent. It¡¯s also beneficial to practice with the other courtyard guards. You will get the reward for winning the sparring. Also, your body tempering pills will be deducted from my monthly salary.¡± Seeing the surprise on Lu Yu¡¯s face, Butler Zhang reminded him, ¡°Remember, you can only get body tempering pills from the logistics department in this month. If you want more pills in the future, you have to contribute to the Han family.¡± Hearing that Lu Yu could get a body tempering pill every day this month, many of the surrounding courtyard guards looked envious.. Chapter 7 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Lu Yu moved out of the straw shed and moved into the green stone tile house. The others were obviously jealous of him. Especially Wang Can. After learning that Lu Yu had become an official courtyard guard, he worked even harder. Under Yang Xiu¡¯s care, he had more time to cultivate. He also received more pointers, which greatly increased his cultivation speed. Lu Yu did not need any pointers, but to others, Yang Xiu¡¯s more pointers would increase their cultivation speed. Thus, on the path of cultivation, Wang Can set Lu Yu as his goal and worked hard to cultivate. Meanwhile, Lu Yu had already moved into his new home. With Butler Zhang¡¯s instructions, the others did not dare to bully Lu Yu. They gave Lu Yu a room with a good location in the outer courtyard. The room was close to the logistics department, so it was convenient for him to claim his monthly salary. Because he had become an official courtyard guard, Lu Yu received a new set of daily necessities, three sets of clothes, and a new saber. When he received the saber, Lu Yu was a little surprised. He was cultivating fist techniques, not saber techniques. Why did he need to carry a saber? The person who brought him the things smiled and explained to him, ¡°Although the strength of body refining realm martial art cultivators is different from ordinary people, their bodies are still unable to block blades and spears. Especially in situations where there is not much difference in cultivation between the opponents, a weapon will be the crucial tool to win the battle.¡± In the spacious new room, Lu Yu sat on a well-made wooden bed and looked at the little red box in his hand. He opened it and saw a pill that looked like a chocolate bean. ¡°This is a body tempering pill? Why does it look a little like a chocolate bean?¡± He sat down on the bed, picked up the body tempering pill, and threw it into his mouth. ¡°The taste is also a little like the taste of chocolate, a little lighter than the taste of a chocolate bean.¡± Sitting on the bed, he quietly waited for the effects of the pill to take effect. After waiting for a while, he did not feel anything. Lu Yu was even a little doubtful if he had consumed the pill in the wrong way. At this moment, a warm current surged out from his stomach and rushed to his limbs. His entire body was heating up and his muscles were trembling slightly. Soon, sweat appeared on his skin. After a period of time, the warm current in his body completely disappeared. Lu Yu opened his eyes. His entire body was soaked in sweat. It was as if he had just finished practicing martial arts. His clothes were soaked through. He opened his attribute panel, and his qi-blood increased by 4 points to 27 points. The effect of the body tempering pill was remarkable. Taking one body tempering pill was equivalent to practicing three days of fist techniques. Lu Yu now wanted to take more body tempering pills. Unfortunately, he could only take one body tempering pill every day. Body tempering pills were also sold in the system store, and each pill cost 100 points. It was noted that he could only take one pill every day, and the effects of body tempering pills would gradually weaken as he consumed more. Until he broke through to the third level of the body refining realm, the body tempering pills would lose their effects. The bed was soaked in sweat. If he had known that he would sweat so much after taking the body tempering pill, Lu Yu would not have taken it on the bed. Since it was still noon, he brought the bed mat to the bathroom to wash it. If the sun was strong in the afternoon, he should be able to dry the bed mat. While he was drying the bed mat in the yard, Wang Qiang came to his door. ¡°Lu Yu, you have become an official courtyard guard. You don¡¯t have to go to the temporary patrol work. You have a new patrol area. Come with me.¡± ¡°Okay, wait a moment.¡± He and went back to the house to lock the door and took his saber. Then, he followed Wang Qiang to his new patrol area. The system mission did not change. It was still daily patrol, with 50 experience points per day. Wang Qiang brought Lu Yu around the logistics department. He emphasized on the places that needed to be careful and the places that could easily be neglected. Then, he handed the patrolling tasks around the logistics department to Lu Yu. The patrolling requirements were to patrol every day from 11 pm to 5 am the next day. They would patrol every half an hour. The main job was to check if there were any abnormalities in the warehouse of the logistics department. During the rest of the time, there were people in the logistics department, so Lu Yu did not need to patrol. The night shift was six hours. Lu Yu had thought the previous patrolling task in Han Residence was very easy. It turned out that it was a temporary job. In fact, the one who was really in charge of patrolling the west wing was Zhang Lun. They let the new recruits familiarizing themselves with the workflow of the patrol first. As an official courtyard guard, although they had to take on the responsibility of the labor, there were corresponding benefits. Lu Yu could receive a monthly salary of 30 gold coins. Body tempering pills only cost 10 gold coins each, and Lu Yu could afford to buy three body tempering pills with his monthly salary. Lu Yu calculated. The value of the body tempering pills that he could receive every day in this month was even higher than his salary for half a year. However, he couldn¡¯t be satisfied in this way. After all, he was only at the first level of the body refining realm. When his cultivation was higher and his strength was stronger, his salary would also increase correspondingly. He hung the saber by his waist. The other official courtyard guards all wore weapons. Lu Yu did not want to be too conspicuous, so he did not put the saber into the player¡¯s backpack. There was still some time in the morning, Lu Yu decided to go to the practice field to train. Since he had became an official courtyard guard, he did not have to train with other people anymore. He could also use the training equipment in the practice field to train. He realized that if he relied too much on the AFK, system he might not be able to bring out his full combat strength. Lu Yu found a wooden dummy and used it to practice the Fierce Tiger Fist. When he wanted to use the Fierce Tiger Fist, the cultivation experience from AFK mode in his mind immediately surged out. It made Lu Yu feel as if he had really practiced the Fierce Tiger Fist for a long time. The sound of flesh and wood colliding rang out rhythmically. It was neither slow nor hurried. It was the first time that Lu Yu had truly performed the various moves of the Fierce Tiger Fist, Hungry Tiger Pounce, Fierce Tiger Descending. Although it was very painful to punch on the wooden stake, it felt very good to hit it with a set of fist techniques. It was like running around the sports field for twenty laps. The blood in his entire body was boiling, and he felt as if he was going to float up. The more he punched, the more energetic he became. The more he punched, the more fascinated he became. Unknowingly, the people around him had all left, and Lu Yu did not notice it. ¡°Ha!¡± the last punch of the Fierce Tiger Fist was thrown, and the wooden dummy was shaking slightly. The wooden dummy in the practice field could be used by martial art cultivators at the third level of the body refining realm. Of course, it was not something that Lu Yu could break. Seeing that the wooden dummy was only shaking slightly, Lu Yu was slightly disappointed. Just now, he felt that he could break the wooden dummy with one punch. ¡°It seems that I am a little too arrogant. I have to be modest and cautious.¡± Lu Yu reminded himself that there was a certain risk in playing this game, so he had to be careful. When he thought of the petite Han Yu was actually stronger than him, Lu Yu¡¯s ego immediately calmed down. Lu Yu was a very cautious and careful person. But sometimes, he could to be very impulsive and risky as well. Two contradictory personalities could be seen in him. He was careful and cautious. Lu Yu would prepare for the worst for most things. For example, when he decided to become a full-time novelist, he made sure he had enough food money for himself to eat for three years, in case his novel couldn¡¯t earn money. He was impulsive and adventurous. He clearly knew that playing a game could put his life in danger, but Lu Yu did not hesitate to enter this unknown game of Divine Martial World. He was a contradictory person. Wiping the sweat off his head with his sleeve, Lu Yu walked towards the canteen. ¡°Lu Yu, come here. These five bowls of porridge are yours.¡± Wang Qiang called out to Lu Yu who had just entered the door. Seeing the five bowls of medicinal porridge on the table, he was a little surprised. He thought that he would not be able to eat the medicinal porridge at this late hour. He already knew that medicinal porridge was a benefit for rookies. In the future, he would have to pay for it himself if he wanted to eat it. One gold coin per bowl. ¡°This is the leftovers from today?¡± Lu Yu asked with some doubt. Wang Qiang rolled his eyes and replied, ¡°Those brats are like wild boars that have gone mad from hunger. How could there be leftovers? This was specially left for you.¡± ¡°Although you have become an official courtyard guard, you can still enjoy this month¡¯s rookie benefits. Five bowls of medicinal porridge every day. If you want more, you will have to snatch it yourself.¡± ¡°Alright, I got to go. Hurry up and eat while the porridge isn¡¯t cold. If you want to eat anything else, go to the kitchen and find it yourself. It¡¯s easy to eat your fill since you¡¯re a courtyard guard now.¡± Patting Lu Yu¡¯s shoulder, Wang Qiang left the canteen. Lu Yu realized that as his qi-blood grew, his appetite also became better and he could eat more. After eating five bowls of porridge, he was able to eat a large roast chicken and two drumsticks. After eating, he went to take a shower and went back to his new room to rest. He had nothing to do in the afternoon, and the refrigerator in real world had been emptied for the past few days, so he needed to replenish his stuff. Lu Yu logged out of the game, put his helmet away, and went out with his phone and keys. He wasn¡¯t sure that because he ate too much in the game, his appetite had gotten bigger. He had eaten up half a month¡¯s worth of food in the past few days. He bought a lot of things from the supermarket. He carried four or five of the biggest bags in the supermarket with one hand, but he did not feel heavy. Under the shocked gazes of others, he returned home. He sorted the food properly. This time, he bought enough food for three months. He stuffed all the fresh meat and vegetables into the fridge and filled up the empty fridge. There was also a large pile of fast food that was convenient for storage ¡ª a large box of instant noodles, a large box of compressed biscuits, a large box of chocolate, vacuum-packed cakes and bread, a few boxes of milk. He placed them under the computer table in the bedroom, it was convenient for him to eat whenever he was hungry. After storing the supplies, Lu Yu went out again. He had a feeling that he would not step out of his house for a long time after this. However, he did use to go out once every ten days or even half a month when he was serializing novels in the past. He went to a buffet restaurant. Back then, he didn¡¯t eat here because the price was too expensive. Now, his appetite had grown much bigger. He felt that it was worth the money since he could eat a lot more. ¡°Thank you.¡± a group of waitresses stood at the door to see Lu Yu off. They did not say welcome again. Lu Yu almost emptied up the buffet restaurant, which made the owner upset. Lu Yu waved goodbye to the young waitresses with a satisfied expression. He felt that the waitresses in the cafeteria were very warm, especially when so many people crowded around him at the end of the meal. He felt a little embarrassed to keep eating. He had no choice. He didn¡¯t know why, but he really wanted to eat meat today. In the end, all the meat in the restaurant was eaten by Lu Yu in a short time. The cooking speed of the kitchen couldn¡¯t even catch up with his speed of eating meat. Then, the waitresses brought plates of vegetables and fruits to Lu Yu. The other customers had already complained. They had to serve the meat to other customers, so they had to stop Lu Yu. If they didn¡¯t stop Lu Yu from eating more meat, the barbecue buffet restaurant might turn into a vegetable and fruit restaurant.. Chapter 8 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After Lu Yu logged into the game, the sun was setting, and the night quickly arrived. Whether in real life or in the game, this was Lu Yu¡¯s first night shift. He was a little excited, and he stopped his training at 10:30 pm. He was fully equipped as he waited by the logistics department for work. He was in such a hurry not only because he was a little excited about his first night shift, but also because he would have enough experience points to level up the Fierce Tiger Fist Style after he completed the patrol mission. In order to upgrade the Fierce Tiger Fist Style, he had already worked hard in the game for three to four days. He was about to complete a small goal, how could he not be excited? The logistics department closed at 10 o¡¯clock in the evening. Right now, the servants and steward inside were checking today¡¯s bills and supplies. When it was around 10:50, everyone would leave. At that time, the security task here would be handed over to Lu Yu. He touched the whistle in his pocket. It was still there. He did not forget it in his room. When it was close to 11:00, the steward in charge of the logistics department locked the door of the warehouse and locked the gate of the logistics department. He looked at Lu Yu, who was waiting at the door, and noticed that he was wearing formal protective clothing. He did not pay much attention and left the logistics department. Lu Yu began to patrol around the logistics department to see if there were any unusual movements. It was late at night, and only a few places in the outer courtyard of the Han Residence were still bright The logistics department was even more deserted. One could only see the figures of the courtyard guards who were also patrolling at night. There was no movement in the logistics department either, not even a mouse could be seen. A few hours passed. At first, Lu Yu would carefully inspect the corners that Wang Qiang had pointed out. But now, he could just walk around casually. As long as there were no problems, it would be fine. Boring. That¡¯s right. The biggest problem with night shift was that it was boring, especially when he was walking in a circle. There wasn¡¯t even anyone to talk to. They didn¡¯t arrange for others to patrol with him, so as to prevent them from chatting while they were on patrol. This would make it easy for outsiders to discover them. ¡°Being bored is also a good thing. This means that tonight¡¯s mission can be easily completed.¡± Just as Lu Yu was consoling himself, he suddenly received a system notification. [ Quest triggered! Thief in the Han Residence ¡ª Recently, the warehouse of the logistics department had been mysteriously losing some items. As an official courtyard guard of the Han family, it was your duty to find this thief. Quest reward: 200 experience points. ] Lu Yu was a little surprised that the quest had suddenly been triggered. He quickly picked up his saber and whistle and rushed to the warehouse of the logistics department. He did not find anything unusual. When Lu Yu arrived at the main gate of the logistics department, he only saw the back of a man far away. That man was much faster than him. There was no way for him to catch up. Lu Yu wanted to blow the whistle. When the whistle was about to reach his mouth, he suddenly stopped. He did not choose to blow the whistle. Now that the man had run away, he had no evidence to prove who did it. If he were to rashly blow the whistle, they might blame him and then punish him. After all, he had just entered the Han family for a few days, so it was easy for him to be suspected. Lu Yu put away the whistle and walked to the gate of the logistics department. After careful observation, he did not find any signs of picking the lock. After walking around the logistics department, he did not find any traces left by the thief. Looking at the two-meter-high wall, he hesitated for a moment. He put the saber into his backpack. Then he jumped and grabbed the top of the wall and climbed into the logistics department. The logistics department was composed of three parts. There was an accounting room in the front, an empty yard in the middle, and a warehouse in the back. The items were taken from the accounting room. Only the workers and stewards in charge of the logistics department would enter the yard and the warehouse. Lu Yu looked around in the yard. There was nothing suspicious. The front door and the back door of accounting room were both locked, so he could not enter. He walked to the warehouse and found that the lock was not broken. Everything was normal. Lu Yu wondered if the person he saw was not a thief. Or maybe the thief had the keys to all the doors in the logistics department. Otherwise, there would be traces left behind. He left the logistics department and continued to look for the traces. Even when the rooster crowed and the sun rose, Lu Yu did not find anything. It was like the logistics department was not broken in by a thief. It looked very normal. Lu Yu yawned and stretched his body. When he saw the experience points received after completing the patrol mission, his sleepiness seemed to have lessened a lot. Seeing that Steward Bai and the workers of the logistics department had started to work, Lu Yu walked towards the canteen. He planned to go back and catch some sleep after eating. On the way, Lu Yu added 200 experience points to his cultivation technique, raising the Fierce Tiger Fist Style to third level. [ After hard work, the Fierce Tiger Fist Style has broken through to third level, qi-blood + 8 ] [ New skill learned¨C Fierce Tiger Fist Style¨C Fierce Tiger Roar (beginner) ] [ After hard work, the realm has broken through to the second level of the body refining realm, qi-blood + 3 ] His qi-blood had reached 38 points. Compared to the first level of the body refining realm, the second level of the body refining realm was much stronger. Just from the number of qi-blood, it could be seen that the qi-blood of the second level of the body refining realm was almost twice that of the first level of the body refining realm. Moreover, after the breakthrough in the Fierce Tiger Fist Style, he had learned a new skill. This way, the gap to the next level became even greater. Lu Yu noticed this and understood that in this game, it was very difficult to challenge those of a higher level. Next, if he wanted to further improve the Fierce Tiger Fist, he would need as much as 1,000 experience points. There was no hope for him to improve it in the short term. After his qi-blood reached 30 points, he would need 300 experience points to increase it by one point. It would require 500 experience points to advance from second level of body refining realm to third level of body refining realm. If he wanted to improve his strength in the short term, he could only practice two newly comprehended skills to increase the level. Qi-blood were not created out of thin air. When his qi-blood surged, it also consumed a large amount of the nutrients stored in Lu Yu¡¯s body. When he ate breakfast in the morning, Lu Yu ate two roast chickens and eight bowls of porridge before he was full. When Lu Yu left the canteen, he felt that eating was a burden for the first time. ¡°If the stronger the one is, the more he eats. Then, aren¡¯t the experts in this world eating all the time?¡± Lu Yu felt that there should be other ways to replenish the nutrients consumed during cultivation. One of the ways he knew was to eat medicinal food that could replenish a large amount of qi-blood. However, Lu Yu did not see any courtyard guards eating medicinal food in the canteen every day. Although those courtyard guards ate a lot of food, they ate much lesser than him. ¡°There should be other ways to replenish nutrients that I don¡¯t know about.¡± Lu Yu thought. After returning to his room, he lay down on the flat hardwood bed and fell asleep. Then, he logged out of the game. ¡°Phew¡± He took off his helmet and let out a deep breath. He got up, opened the curtains, and opened the windows to let in some fresh air. Then, he cleared out the foul air that had accumulated in the room for the entire night. He brushed his teeth, washed his face, and ate breakfast. Then, he laid back down on the bed and went to sleep. Before he fell asleep, Lu Yu had a question. He had been lying on the bed and sleeping every day for a week, yet he did not feel any discomfort at all. Since he couldn¡¯t figure it out, he blamed all these problems on this magical game. ¡°Maybe it was because I exercised every day in the game, and my brain thought that I exercised every day in real life, so I didn¡¯t feel any discomfort.¡± After giving himself an excuse, he fell asleep. ¡­ Two days later, Lu Yu was already used to play the game the night and sleep during the day. His speed of adaptation and the shift of his biological clock surprised him. After two days of observation, Lu Yu realized that every night at one or two o¡¯clock in the midnight, a person would come to the logistics department. However, he was one step behind the thief the first two times and could not catch the thief on the spot. This time, Lu Yu hid in a corner facing the front door of the logistics department. All kinds of signs indicated that the thief should have entered through the front door. In other words, the thief had the key to the front door of the logistics department. However, Lu Yu also had a question. This thief came every day, and things were lost in the warehouse every day. Why didn¡¯t the person in charge of the logistics department notice the problem? After a long wait, Lu Yu finally saw the thief¡¯s figure. The thief had his face covered and was dressed in black. Under the darkness of the night, it was not easy to be discovered. However, every movement of the thief was watched by Lu Yu. The man in black looked around and realized that the patrolling courtyard guards were not around. He quickly stepped forward and opened the door of the logistics department. The door was closed, and the thief had already entered the logistics department. Lu Yu quietly hid himself in the darkness. After locking the door of the warehouse and looking around, the man in black realized that he did not leave any traces, so he walked to the accounting room and prepared to leave the logistics department. ¡°Everything went smoothly as usual, I entered and left easily without being noticed by anyone.¡± the man in black thought. Just as he was about to lock the door of the accounting room, he suddenly felt that the atmosphere around him was not right. Why did he not hear footsteps? That was not right! Even in the middle of the night, there would occasionally be the sound of footsteps coming from the patrolling courtyard guards. However, he did not hear any footsteps from the moment he entered and exited the logistic department today. What was going on? ¡°Catch him. I want to see who the traitor is. How dare he steal from the Han family!¡± Wang Qiang¡¯s voice rang out. Numerous courtyard guards rushed out from the surroundings. They were holding torches in their hands, lighting up the night and illuminating the gate of the logistics department. The man in black froze. The key in his hand fell to the ground with a crisp sound. Early the next morning, many people gathered on the martial arts practice field. Even the rookies who were supposed to be practicing their fist techniques at this time stood in a corner and did not speak. In front of the crowd was Butler Zhang, who was dressed in black. He was middle-aged but had a stronger body than everyone present. Behind Butler Zhang stood Wang Qiang and Lu Yu. The man in black who was caught last night was tied to a wooden stake in the martial arts practice field. The black cloth covering his face had been torn off. Surprisingly, the man in black was Steward Bai of the logistics department, whom Lu Yu had met a few times. When Butler Zhang heard Steward Bai stealing from the logistics department, he was still in disbelief. He thought that it was someone else who was slandering him. However, when he saw Steward Bai was tied to a pillar and dressed in a night suit, he was completely stunned. His heart was filled with pain and anger.. Chapter 9 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Bai Qiu, have you betrayed my trust in you after all these years?¡± Butler Zhang asked. His voice was as calm as the surface of the water, but anyone could tell that beneath the calm surface of the water was a volcano that was about to erupt. ¡°Butler Zhang, I¡¯m really not a thief. You have to believe me.¡± Bai Qiu pleaded. ¡°Then why are you going to the logistics department at night?¡± Butler Zhang asked expressionlessly. ¡°I¡¯m always worried about the things in the warehouse. I¡¯m afraid that something might go wrong, so I¡¯m used to checking them every night. I¡¯m doing this for the Han family! To protect the Han family¡¯s property!¡± ¡°You¡¯re lying. Bai Qiu, I¡¯ve known you for so many years. When you¡¯re lying, I¡¯ll know immediately. You should know that you were able to enter the Han Residence because I had made a guarantee to Old Master Han.¡± ¡°Tell me everything clearly. When the time comes, I can still plead with master. Otherwise, don¡¯t blame me for being ruthless!¡± Butler Zhang advised. Bai Qiu opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but he thought of something else and decided not to speak. Seeing his expression, Butler Zhang did not say anything more. He only said, ¡°After the accounts are checked, I¡¯ll settle my accounts with you.¡± The logistics department was very lively now. Butler Zhang had specially transferred the accounts from the Han family¡¯s shop in town to check the accounts and tally up the materials in the warehouse. A few people were verifying the accounting records. A large group of people were counting the materials in the warehouse according to the contents of the accounting records. The warehouse of the logistics department was not very important. It only stored some daily necessities for the courtyard guards and workers. Among the items, the most valuable ones were the pills that were usually given to the courtyard guards. The truly valuable things were stored in the treasure vault of the Han Residence. Only a few people in the Han Residence knew where the treasure vault was located, and Butler Zhang was one of them. After professional accounting, the results were soon out. ¡°There is no problem with the account, and nothing is missing?¡± After getting the results from the accountant, Butler Zhang was slightly surprised. ¡°Could it be that it¡¯s really what Bai Qiu said? He¡¯s just worried and goes to check the supplies every night?¡± Butler Zhang thought to himself. However, when he noticed that Bai Qiu was hesitant to speak, he felt that the matter was not that simple. ¡°Who discovered that Steward Bai went to the logistic department at night?¡± Butler Zhang asked. Wang Qiang quickly replied, ¡°It was Lu Yu. After Lu Yu informed me that there was a thief in the logistic department, I brought the other courtyard guards and caught Steward Bai.¡± ¡°Lu Yu?¡± Butler Zhang looked at Lu Yu. He remembered that he was the very talented rookie. ¡°Tell me, how did you find out that Steward Bai was a thief?¡± Butler Zhang¡¯s expression was a little friendlier, but he still looked very serious. In Butler Zhang¡¯s opinion, Lu Yu¡¯s performance was quite good. He was also very talented. Not long after he became an official courtyard guard, he had already made a big contribution. Butler Zhang had a very good impression of Lu Yu, but he was in a very bad mood and looked a little angry. Lu Yu said, ¡°I didn¡¯t know that Steward Bai was the thief.¡± Butler Zhang was a little surprised by Lu Yu¡¯s words. ¡°When I was looking for Wang Qiang, I only said that I found a suspicious person entering and leaving the logistic department. When I was on patrol, I found that person came to the logistic department every night, but I was always one step slower and couldn¡¯t catch the suspicious person.¡± ¡°It was probably because I was too weak, so I was always one step slower. So, I stayed in the logistic department and immediately contacted other courtyard guards to help catch the suspicious person.¡± Lu Yu said that he saw a suspicious person, while Wang Qiang said that it was Lu Yu who asked them to catch the thief. The two of them had different words. Butler Zhang looked at Wang Qiang, and Wang Qiang quivered, he hurriedly explained, ¡°Butler Zhang, it was my fault. At that time, Lu Yu did say that a suspicious person appeared in the logistic department and asked us to help catch the person. I¡¯m not sure if that suspicious person was a thief.¡± Wang Qiang heard it. There was no problem with the account book, and nothing was lost in the warehouse. Moreover, Butler Zhang and Steward Bai knew each other for a long time. If he insisted that Steward Bai was a thief, wouldn¡¯t that be looking for trouble? Wang Qiang looked like a rough man, but he was clever in his heart. Otherwise, he would not have been able to get the position of the head of the outer court guards. The head of the courtyard guards was only recognized by everyone, and it was not a position established by the Han Residence. The reason why Lu Yu insisted that Steward Bai was a suspicious person was that after he had captured Steward Bai, he did not receive any notification from the game system that he had completed the mission. This meant that Steward Bai was not the thief. Butler Zhang looked at Steward Bai again and said, ¡°I know what you are hiding something. If you tell me now, there is still a chance. Otherwise, everything will be left to master to decide. I can¡¯t save you then.¡± Steward Bai thought for a moment, gritted his teeth, and shook his head to show that he did not know anything. He did not want to implicate Butler Zhang. Seeing this, Butler Zhang ordered, ¡°Take him away. Pay attention. Do not torture him. He is only a suspect, not a criminal.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± A few courtyard guards put Steward Bai down from the pillar and led him to the dungeon. Although the law said that any family, organization, or power could not set up a dungeon without permission, which family did not have basements? Maybe they just liked living in the basement and liked the decorations of the dungeon. Moreover, the Han family was the largest family in Windmill Town. Under normal circumstances, the government of Windmill Town would not care about the internal affairs of the Han family as long as the Han family did not make it public. ¡°The rest of you can disperse! Wang Qiang, Lu Yu, the two of you follow me.¡± Butler Zhang walked towards the main hall of the martial arts practice field, which was the door from the outer court to the inner court. Walking to the main hall¡¯s door, Butler Zhang said, ¡°This matter is not that simple. I¡¯ll leave this matter to the two of you to investigate.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lu Yu replied. ¡°I will definitely do my best.¡± Wang Qiang replied. He looked at Lu Yu and said, ¡°You discovered that Steward Bai had been entering the logistics department secretly in the middle of the night. Supposedly, you should be rewarded. However, the matter has not been resolved yet. The reward can only be postponed.¡± Lu Yu nodded and said, ¡°I understand.¡± He then looked at Wang Qiang and said, ¡°You have been in the outer court for ten years!¡± ¡°Ten years and three months.¡± Wang Qiang replied. ¡°If you handle this matter well, you¡¯ll be qualified to enter the inner court.¡± Butler Zhang casually mentioned it and turned around to enter the main hall. Wang Qiang was very excited when he heard this and said loudly, ¡°I promise to give Butler Zhang a satisfactory explanation.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s to give the Han Residence a satisfactory explanation.¡± Butler Zhang¡¯s voice came from the main hall. Wang Qiang corrected him, ¡°Yes, I promise to give the Han Residence and Butler Zhang a satisfactory explanation.¡± Wang Qiang patted Lu Yu¡¯s shoulder excitedly and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go! We are now specialized in investigating Steward Bai¡¯s case. I¡¯ll find someone else to replace you for the night patrol.¡± Hearing that Wang Qiang was going to cancel the mission that allowed him to steadily gain experience points, Lu Yu hurriedly stopped him, ¡°No! That won¡¯t do. Patrolling is what I should do as a courtyard guard. I can¡¯t stop.¡± ¡°Besides, we¡¯re going to investigate the logistics department anyway. My patrolling mission won¡¯t hinder the investigation.¡± Seeing that he wanted to patrol so much, Wang Qiang was a little speechless. However, he was also persuaded by Lu Yu and didn¡¯t continue to mention the shift change. ¡°This time, it¡¯s really thanks to you. Otherwise, I¡¯m afraid that I won¡¯t have a chance to enter the inner court for the rest of my life.¡± Wang Qiang said sincerely. Lu Yu was also a little curious when he heard him say that. He asked, ¡°Is it that difficult to enter the inner court?¡± ¡°Difficult? Of course it¡¯s difficult!¡± Wang Qiang and Lu Yu said as they walked. ¡°The first condition to enter the inner court is to be loyal to the Han family. This condition isn¡¯t too difficult to meet. You can meet it after staying in the Han Residence for three to four years. The second condition is to have your cultivation reach the seventh level of the body refining realm.¡± ¡°I¡¯m now at the sixth level of the body refining realm. I¡¯m old and my body is not as strong as it used to be. It¡¯s too difficult for me to advance further. I reckon I won¡¯t have any hope of breaking through to the seventh level of the body refining realm in my entire life.¡± ¡°In the body refining realm, the seventh level is like the barrier to heaven. Many people are stuck at the sixth level and can¡¯t break through.¡± Wang Qiang¡¯s tone was a little regretful. Lu Yu didn¡¯t care about what Wang Qiang said about the barrier. Instead, he was more concerned about the ¡°three to four years.¡± The time flow in the game was the same as the time in real life. One day in the game was equivalent to one day in real life. How could he have the time to stay here for three to four years in exchange for the trust of the Han Residence. Moreover, with the strength he would have in these three to four years, he would probably be able to flatten this novice village long ago. However, if he wanted to become a free person by breaking through the body refining realm and becoming a squire, it would be too slow to rely on the resources of the outer court. Lu Yu was determined to get into the inner court, but he definitely would not spend so much time to gain the trust of the Han family. He suddenly remembered that a few days ago, when he passed the test, Wang Qiang had said that Yang Xiu had also passed the test last year. This meant that Yang Xiu had only entered the Han Residence last year, but now he was already an inner court guard. This meant that there must be a way to quickly get into the inner court, but he did not know. Of course, Lu Yu also knew the fastest way. It was to break through the body refining realm, and then the Han family would welcome him into the inner court and made him a squire. Seeing the logistics department right before his eyes, Lu Yu tossed this unrealistic idea out of his mind. If he had the ability to directly break through the body refining realm, why would he enter the inner court? Wouldn¡¯t it be better for him to just leave? The logistics department was still running without Steward Bai. The deputy steward who usually worked under Steward Bai was temporarily in charge of the affairs of the logistics department. He was in charge of distributing, exchanging, and purchasing materials for others. With the authorization of Butler Zhang, Wang Qiang and Lu Yu could freely enter and leave the logistics department. No one stopped them. It was also Wang Qiang¡¯s first time entering the logistics department. The scene inside was not quite what he had imagined. It was Lu Yu¡¯s second time entering the logistic department. The first time he came was when he sneaked in. However, it was night time and he couldn¡¯t see anything clearly. The workers of the logistic department came in and out. They wore gray coarse clothes. There were no pockets on their bodies and there were hemp ropes tied around their waists. There was no chance for them to carry anything. Even if something was hidden in their clothes, the thin layer of coarse clothes couldn¡¯t hide anything. It was so thin that one could see through the clothes. Therefore, basically no one would choose to play tricks. Moreover, some of the more valuable things were directly taken by the person-in-charge into the warehouse and then recorded. There were two insurances. One was the details of the collection, exchange, and purchase in the accounting room. The other was the details of what was taken out of the warehouse and recorded in the record books. If something happened, it would be easy to be discovered. Lu Yu discovered one thing. All the pills were personally handled by the person-in-charge. The others would not have come into contact with the pills at all. Steward Bai should be the one who in charge of managing the flow of the medicinal pills. Thinking of this, he asked the temporary person-in-charge. The temporary person-in-charge said that all the medicinal pills in the logistics department had been managed by Steward Bai before. The others had not had the chance to come into contact with the pills.. Chapter 10 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio With the purpose of investigation, Wang Qiang entered the warehouse that he had been curious about for a long time. When he came out, he saw Lu Yu standing in the courtyard and asked, ¡°Have you found any clues?¡± ¡°I just asked the person in charge. He said that all the medicinal pills in the logistics department were personally handled by Steward Bai. No one else had access to the medicinal pills.¡± ¡°The accountant also said that there was no problem with the accounts. Since Steward Bai was the only one who had access to the pills, I wonder he might have made some false accounts so no one would know.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s make a hypothesis. When someone came to collect the pills, Steward Bai would secretly add another pill to the account book and then collect another pill in the storeroom.¡± ¡°He hides the extra pills somewhere. This way, he¡¯ll pass the body check.¡± ¡°Then, he come back to logistics department at night to take away the things he hid during the day and sell them.¡± ¡°Moreover, only Steward Bai has access to the account books of the pills. The account books of the storeroom are recorded by storekeeper. Generally speaking, there won¡¯t be any problems if the numbers on the two account books match.¡± ¡°But because no one except Steward Bai has access to the account books of the medicinal pills, all the numbers are all filled in by Steward Bai himself. The numbers on both account books match, so no one will find out.¡± ¡°But if that¡¯s the case, we can just take the account books and ask the people who receive pills. That way, we can know if Steward Bai had made the false accounts or not.¡± Wang Qiang said. ¡°I¡¯ll go to the accounting department to get the account books. We¡¯ll then go and look for them one by one now to see if there are any fake account.¡± Wang Qiang immediately said. Wang Qiang was a little anxious. After all, this matter concerned his chance to get into the inner court. It was a rare opportunity. If he missed it, he didn¡¯t know if there would be a next time. ¡°Wait.¡± Lu Yu hurriedly stopped Wang Qiang and explained, ¡°The deduction just now is based on the fact that Steward Bai is a thief. But if Steward Bai is not a thief, the account book will naturally be fine.¡± ¡°Then what¡¯s the use of the deduction?¡± Wang Qiang calmed down. He knew that he was a little too hasty. If he wanted to satisfy Butler Zhang, then he should look for evidence to prove that Steward Bai was not a thief, and not find evidence to prove that Steward Bai was falsifying the account book. ¡°It¡¯s useful.¡± Lu Yu said with a positive tone. Wang Qiang looked at him curiously. Lu Yu explained, ¡°If Steward Bai was not the thief, the deduction would not be valid. However, there is a very crucial point ¡ª the problem must be on the pills.¡± ¡°Because only Steward Bai can have access to the medicinal pills, the others have no chance to have access to the medicinal pills. This also provides Steward Bai with some room to do something.¡± ¡°If there is a problem with other materials, it is very easy to be discovered. Only the medicinal pills are handled by Steward Bai. It is not easy to be discovered even if he does something.¡± Wang Qiang still did not understand what Lu Yu meant by this. ¡°Wait a moment.¡± Lu Yu said and then walked to the warehouse. ¡°Old Sir, excuse me. Are you the one who take out the things from the warehouse for the people, or do people just go in and take things out themselves?¡± Lu Yu asked the old man who was keeping accounts at the door of the warehouse. The old man answered while recording the record book, ¡°People go in themselves. How can I move so many things every day? Moreover, if you want to go into the warehouse, you need the bill from the warehouse. You also need to register when you leave the warehouse. You can only go out if the accounts match.¡± ¡°Then what about the medicinal pills?¡± He glanced at Lu Yu, ¡°Steward Bai always goes in to take the medicinal pills. When he comes out, he registers the number with me. Moreover, every day when he leaves, Steward Bai will take the bill to check the number of medicinal pills. There has never been a mistake.¡± Lu Yu noticed the key point and asked again, ¡°Steward Bai always checks the medicinal pills himself? Will anyone else check the number of medicinal pills?¡± After some thought, the old man shook his head and said, ¡°The value of the pills is relatively high. It has always been Steward Bai who manages the pills personally. If anyone else touches them, Steward Bai wouldn¡¯t be at ease either, so he has always been the only one checking the number of pills.¡± Lu Yu felt as if he had caught onto something, but he lacked a trigger. What Lu Yu couldn¡¯t understand was why Steward Bai came to the logistics department in the middle of the night? If he knew the reason for Steward Bai¡¯s action, he would be able to understand many things. The police had to investigate the motive for the crime, but Lu Yu did not even know what Steward Bai¡¯s motive was. How was he supposed to find out the truth? ¡°Alright, thank you, Old Sir.¡± Thinking of this, Lu Yu expressed his gratitude to the information provided by the old man. Although he did not know what Steward Bai¡¯s motive was, the old man¡¯s words made him believe that the problem was the pills. ¡°No need to thank me. We are all servants of the Han Residence. It is not easy for anyone.¡± The old man thought of something and said, ¡°Steward Bai has been implicated. Sigh! In the end, we are only servants of the Han Residence. We cannot be compared to the Han Residence¡¯s own people. We cannot stop them from doing whatever they want.¡± ¡°After all, we¡¯re in the Han Residence¡¯s territory.¡± Hearing the old man¡¯s words, a flash of inspiration flashed through Lu Yu¡¯s mind as he grasped onto a key point. Lu Yu immediately turned around and asked, ¡°Has anyone from the Han family come here recently, or even entered the warehouse?¡± The old man was first stunned when he heard that, then he said, ¡°Master Han Fan has indeed come. Master Han Fan will come to the warehouse to check every day. How did you know?¡± ¡°You told me yourself.¡± Lu Yu turned around and left. He called Wang Qiang and left the logistics department to look for Butler Zhang. ¡°Did I say that?¡± The old man looked at the two of them walking away. He wondered if there was something wrong with his memory. Lu Yu had almost figured out what the Steward Bai was doing here every night. The speculation in his mind made him feel a little incredulous. If there was no other evidence, then it could only be the truth. ¡°Why are you in such a hurry to leave? Aren¡¯t you going to look for clues?¡± Wang Qiang followed behind Lu Yu and asked in puzzlement. ¡°I already know the truth.¡± ¡°You know the truth? Then quickly tell me!¡± Wang Qiang¡¯s voice was a little agitated. ¡°Let¡¯s go and look for Butler Zhang now. You¡¯ll know the truth by then.¡± Lu Yu said calmly. He knew that this matter involved the Han family members, so it was not something that a mere courtyard guard like him could handle. He needed people with higher position to handle this matter. Wang Qiang was not qualified either. Only Butler Zhang, who was above everyone else, had the ability to handle this matter. The two of them came to the entrance of hall of the martial arts practice field. After telling the gatekeeper that they wanted to see Butler Zhang, they waited at the door for the notification. Not long after, Butler Zhang appeared in the hall and met with Wang Qiang and Lu Yu. Lu Yu told Butler Zhang about his deduction. ¡°You said that Bai Qiu went to the logistics department every night just to make up the the number of pills that Han Fan took from the storeroom during the day?¡± Butler Zhang was surprised and confused. Wang Qiang also felt that it was extremely unbelievable after hearing it. Steward Bai was using money to clean up the mess of Master Han Fan? ¡°Han Fan has been arrested.¡± Butler Zhang suddenly said. Hearing this, Lu Yu was a little surprised. Looking at the two of them, Butler Zhang said, ¡°Follow me. Don¡¯t say anything after entering. Just watch.¡± The two of them followed Butler Zhang into the inner courtyard of the Han Residence. There was not much difference between the inner courtyard and the outer courtyard. The only difference was that the road was wider and cleaner. It was so clean that Lu Yu did not see any dust or fallen leaves on the ground along the way. One had to know that there were green trees planted in every courtyard by the side of the road. The green trees were already higher than the walls of the courtyard, but there was not a single leaf on the road outside. This could only mean that there were often people cleaning the ground in the inner courtyard. Following Butler Zhang, Lu Yu came to a courtyard filled with flowers and plants. Before entering, Butler Zhang reminded the two of them again not to speak. After walking around the courtyard, they came to a lawn. There were already many people standing by the lawn. They were all young masters and young ladies dressed in exquisite clothes. In front of the lawn, there were a few old masters of the Han Residence. The old master that the servants usually referred to be the head of the Han family, Han Yaozu. However, the Han Residence did not only have one old master. Similarly, there were more than one young master and young miss. However, Han Yu was the real miss of the Han family because her father was Han Yaozu. For example, when Lu Yu learned that Han Fan was also known as Young Master Han, his status was far inferior to Miss Han Yu. Butler Zhang let the two of them stand outside the crowd and said to Lu Yu in a low voice, ¡°The one kneeling there is Han Fan.¡± After saying that, Butler Zhang walked out of the crowd and whispered a few words to the middle-aged man standing in the middle. The middle-aged man nodded to show that he understood. Butler Zhang then took a step back and stood behind the masters. Although Wang Qiang wanted to know what Butler Zhang and Lu Yu had just said, he still remembered Butler Zhang¡¯s exhortation and held back his words. Han Fan was kneeling on the grass. His clothes were a little messy, and the masters standing in front of him were discussing. They were discussing how to deal with the matter of Han Fan trespassing into the master¡¯s study room. As for Han Fan stealing the pills from the outer court¡¯s storeroom, that was just a small matter. ¡°Third Uncle, Han Fan is your son. How do you think we should deal with him trespassing into my study?¡± Han Yaozu said to the skinny old man with the jade bead coiled around him. The thin old man narrowed his eyes slightly and said lightly, ¡°Fan¡¯ er is still young and a little insensible. Besides, didn¡¯t he not cause any damage? I think a little punishment is more than enough. Just punish Fan¡¯ er by locking him up at home for ten days.¡± ¡°It will be too late when he causes damage!¡± Han Yaozu looked at the skinny old man and said with a heavy tone. ¡°Just a little punishment? Isn¡¯t it mean that my study room is a vegetable market that anyone can come and go as they please?¡± The skinny old man¡¯s face was a little stern, ¡°Then what do you think we should do?¡± A pair of jade pearls in his hands were pinched until they made cracking sounds. ¡°According to the family rules, trespassing into the study of the family head should result in a month of confinement in the land of the poles. However, the Han family is no what it used to be, and there is no land of the poles anymore. We will punish him with bludgeon!¡± Han Yaozu said calmly. ¡°Men, beat him.¡± Hearing Han Yaozu¡¯s words, Han Fan¡¯s body trembled. He raised his head and shouted at the skinny old man, ¡°Father, save me, save me, I will be beaten to death¡­¡± The skinny old man¡¯s expression was very ugly, but he could not defy the family head¡¯s decision. He could not bear to see his son being beaten. Under Han Fan¡¯s pleading gaze, he flicked his sleeve and left quickly. A few guards holding wooden sticks heard the order and immediately suppressed Han Fan who was trying to get up and hug his father¡¯s thigh. Han Fan was powerless in their hands. Two of them suppressed Han Fan while the other two raised their wooden sticks and hit Han Fan¡¯s buttocks one after another. Not long after, blood started to seep out of Han Fan¡¯s pants. Han Fan pretended to be unconscious so that he could escape the punishment, but the guards continued to hit him. The pain made him cry out again. Amidst the screams, the surrounding young masters and young ladies also realized the severity of the family rules, and their bodies began to tremble. However, they were not allowed to leave. The elders asked them to stand here and watch the entire punishment. They beat Han Fan until his voice was hoarse and he could not make a sound. His whole body twitched, his head tilted, and he really fainted. Only then did Butler Zhang stop the men. Before the punishment ended, Master Han had left a long time ago.. Chapter 11 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio When Butler Zhang went to the dungeon to look for Bai Qiu, he found that he had been beaten up. His body was covered in blood marks. Butler Zhang flew into a rage. He scolded the guards of the dungeon and the two guards who were escorting Bai Qiu. This time, he had wronged Bai Qiu, which caused him to be beaten up in the dungeon. Butler Zhang felt guilty. That was why he was so angry. After scolding the dungeon guards and the guards escorting Bai Qiu, Butler Zhang also knew that they did not take the initiative to beat Bai Qiu up. The Third Old Master of the Han family knew Bai Qiu was escorted into the dungeon by the guards. Because he was angered in the courtyard, he wanted to find a punching bag. So, he ordered the guards to torture Bai Qiu. On the surface, he said that he was interrogating Bai Qiu, but he was just venting his anger. When Butler Zhang found out that it was the Third Old Master¡¯s orders, Butler Zhang¡¯s face was gloomy. When he saw the two guards brought Bai Qiu out, Butler Zhang said to him with self-blame and concern, ¡°Steward Bai, why are you being so stupid!¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me what happened? Why did you have to make your own decision? Well, now that you¡¯ve been beaten up for nothing, and you also lost your position.¡± ¡°Cough, cough, cough, I didn¡¯t want to cause you any trouble.¡± ¡°He¡¯s the young master of the Han family, we servants can¡¯t say anything, I can¡¯t stop him, I have no other way.¡± Bai Qiu also had a helpless look on his face. He had no choice but to cover up for his young master. This was the sorrow of being a servant. ¡°Nonsense! If everyone was like you and allowed the Han family disciples to do whatever they wanted, then the Han family would really be finished!¡± Butler Zhang criticized sternly. When the others heard Butler Zhang words, they all lowered their heads and pretended not to hear anything. Only Butler Zhang dared to say such words. ¡°Cough, cough, I know I¡¯m wrong.¡± Bai Qiu admitted his mistake humbly. Seeing him coughing up blood, Butler Zhang also waved his hand and asked the two of them to take him down to recuperate. ¡°Go back and recuperate first. I¡¯ll arrange a job for you after your injury is healed. However, you can¡¯t continue to be the steward of the logistics department.¡± Bai Qiu was carried away by the guards and sent back to recuperate. Butler Zhang brought Wang Qiang and Lu Yu around the inner court before leading them out. The main purpose of bringing them in this time was to let them get to know the master of the Han family ¡ª Old Master Han. He wanted them to be able to recognize the master of the Han family when they entered the inner courtyard. ¡°Wang Qiang, you can move into the inner courtyard after the formalities are completed.¡± Butler Zhang left after leaving these words. He was the butler of the entire Han Residence and had to deal with many matters. Time was very tight for him. The incident involved Bai Qiu, a good friend of his for many years. That was why he spent so much time to deal with it. Otherwise, he would just have to look at the final report and make a decision. Regarding Steward Bai¡¯s matter, Wang Qiang and Lu Yu were also very regretful. They felt sorry for him. The cause of this matter was very simple. Han Fan might be short of money, but he did not have any way to earn money. The inner court¡¯s warehouse was not open to the Han family¡¯s disciples, so Han Fan had set his sight on the outer court¡¯s warehouse. Every time he entered the warehouse, he would use the excuse of inspecting the materials to secretly take away some valuable pills. Then, he would walk out of the warehouse arrogantly, but no one dared to stop him. After Bai Qiu discovered this, he did not dare to report it. He was afraid of offending Third Master Han and implicating Butler Zhang, so he secretly bought some pills from the outside to cover the losses in the warehouse. After a few times, Han Fan found out that nothing had happened even though he stole the pills, so he became even more rampant. Almost every day, he would go to the logistics department to steal the pills. Until for some unknown reason, he was caught trespassing into the study room on the spot, and the scene just now appeared. Perhaps it was because no one dared to stop him from taking things from the warehouse without permission, it emboldened him. Hence, he dared to trespass into the master¡¯s study room. Thinking of the study room, Lu Yu remembered something. He seemed to have heard the word ¡°study room¡± somewhere before? The impression was not very deep. Lu Yu could not remember where he had heard it for a while. ¡°Sigh, we are just servants. Steward Bai was beaten half to death just because he was suspected. The truth was out, but Young Master Han Fan was only grounded at home for ten days.¡± Wang Qiang said helplessly. After Han Fan was beaten unconscious, Butler Zhang announced the punishment for Han Fan stealing the goods of the outer court. Just as his father had said, he was confined at home for ten days, reflecting on his mistakes. However, compared to the injuries on his body, this punishment was nothing. He had been recuperating at home for more than ten days. With that, Steward Bai¡¯s case came to an end. Lu Yu also resumed his usual life, cultivating, eating, patrolling, sleeping. In the evening, Lu Yu walked out of the logistics department. He received a body tempering pill every day. He casually threw the pill into his mouth and ate it as if it was a candy. The effect of the body tempering pill was a little weak for Lu Yu now. Perhaps it was because his qi-blood had increased too quickly. After eating the second body tempering pill, it barely increased his qi-blood by two points. The third body tempering pill only increased his qi-blood by 1 point. After that, he had to eat a few more pills to increase his qi-blood by 1 point. Because his qi-blood had become much stronger, when he ate the body tempering pill, his entire body didn¡¯t tremble and sweat like the first time. Now that he ate a body tempering pill, he would feel his entire body warm. Soon, he would not feel it anymore. Looking at his attributes, he knew that it was getting harder and harder for him to raise his qi-blood. [ Name: Lu Yu ] [ Realm: Body refining realm (second level) ] [ Qi-blood: 44 ] [ Cultivation Technique: Fierce Tiger Fist Style (third level) ] [ Skills: Fierce Tiger Fist-Hungry Tiger Pounce (highly skilled), Fierce Tiger Fist-Fierce Tiger Descending (skilled), Fierce Tiger Fist-Fierce Tiger Roar (slightly skilled)] [ Experience Points: 300 ] After a few days of training, his Fierce Tiger Fist Style was still 800 experience points away from leveling up to the next level. With the 300 experience points he had now, he still needed 500 more. It would take at least three to four days to level up. It was so difficult to level up when he was still in the novice village of the game. Lu Yu could not imagine how difficult it would be to level up later on. Moreover, body tempering pills were obviously effective on martial art cultivators at the third level of the body refining realm. Why did he feel that the pill was losing its effect when he was only at the second level of the body refining realm? Lu Yu was puzzled. Could it be that the quality of the body tempering pills produced by the Han family was not as good as the system¡¯s? When he walked to the entrance of his courtyard, he found a person inside. It seemed to be an inner court guard. Lu Yu did not know why he was here? Just as he was about to ask, the person took out a book and a porcelain bottle and gave it to Lu Yu. He said, ¡°This is what Butler Zhang instructed me to pass to you. He said that this is your reward.¡± ¡°This is a mortal class martial skill ¡ª Eight Steps Chasing Cicada. This bottle of pills is a body enhancing pill. It can increase the strength of the body and is suitable for consumption before cultivation.¡± ¡°Butler Zhang also instructed me to instruct you to cultivate well and strive to enter the inner courtyard as soon as possible.¡± With that, the guard left Lu Yu¡¯s small courtyard. Looking at the martial skill and medicinal pills in his hands, Lu Yu could also sense Butler Zhang¡¯s intentions. Under normal circumstances, no matter how much Butler Zhang valued Steward Bai, it was impossible for him to receive such a generous reward after resolving this matter. At most, he would only be rewarded with a bottle of medicinal pills. It was impossible for him to be rewarded with a martial skill. Butler Zhang was investing in Lu Yu. He valued Lu Yu¡¯s talent, so he spared no expense in investing Lu Yu. As for whether Lu Yu was trustworthy and whether he had other motives for entering the Han Residence, he had already investigated thoroughly. Lu Yu¡¯s background was very clean. His parents were once residents of Windmill Town, but they had died in an accident when he was young. From the age of nine, Lu Yu had followed the other street children to make a living. Even the intelligence report that Lu Yu had received a few beatings that year was very clear. Lu Yu entered the room and opened the cover of the manual of the martial skill that had the words ¡°Eight Steps Chasing Cicada¡± written on it. [ Detected that the player is learning a mortal class movement skill¨C Eight Steps Chasing Cicada ] [ Eight Steps Chasing Cicada skill template generating, 1%¡­ 2%¡­ ] Soon, Lu Yu had an additional skill. With curiosity, he came to the martial arts practice field. After a few attempts, he found that Eight Steps Chasing Cicada was equivalent to the displacement skill in traditional games. This skill allowed him to move swiftly eight times in a row. The displacement speed, displacement distance, and displacement interval were all related to the skill level. The higher the skill level, the faster the displacement speed, the longer the displacement distance, and the shorter the displacement interval. At present, the Eight Steps Chasing Cicada was only at beginner level. Its displacement was short, and it had no explosive power. Upgrading the Eight Steps Chasing Cicada required 80 experience points. After thinking for a while, Lu Yu used the experience points he had just obtained to level up Eight Steps Chasing Cicada. If the level of the Eight Steps Chasing Cicada was too low, it would not be useful at all. Of course, the higher the level of the displacement (escape) skill, the better. Eighty experience points were consumed. [ Skill level up! Eight Steps Chasing Cicada (beginner)¡ú Eight Steps Chasing Cicada (slightly skilled) ] The next level up required 150 experience points. Looking at the remaining experience points, Lu Yu did not hesitate to continue leveling up. [ Skill level up! Eight Steps Chasing Cicada (slightly skilled) ¡ú Eight Steps Chasing Cicada (skilled) ] The next level up required 300 experience points. Lu Yu did not have enough experience points, he only had 70 experience points left. When he had accumulated enough experience points in the future, he would level up the skill again. Lu Yu used Eight Steps Chasing Cicada. With a bang, he appeared four meters away, leaving a cloud of dust on the ground. After using the skill eight times in a row, Lu Yu was already more than thirty meters away from his original spot. It only took him one second. More than thirty meters in one second. This speed was almost as fast as Han Yu¡¯s when she ran out of the forest. However, Lu Yu used a skill to achieve such explosive speed, while Han Yu¡¯s was just running normally. Moreover, Lu Yu also realized that using skills required the consumption of qi-blood. It was just that he had never used the Fierce Tiger Fist with all his strength, so he did not realize it. Using Eight Steps Chasing Cicada consecutively consumed 16 qi-blood. In a short period of time, he had consumed nearly one-third of his qi-blood. Lu Yu felt that his body was a little tired and he was panting. ¡°It seems that I cannot use Eight Steps Chasing Cicada in one go unless I¡¯m running for my life. It consumes too much qi-blood..¡± Chapter 12 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After continuing to practice the Eight Steps Chasing Cicada in the martial arts practice field, Lu Yu practiced his fist technique for a while before returning to the courtyard. He did not take the body enhancing pill because it was different from the body tempering pill. The body tempering pill was to strengthen qi-blood. It could be eaten standing, sitting, or lying down. The body enhancing pill was to increase the strength of the body and increase the body¡¯s defense. It needed to be taken during the practicing fist techniques to be effective. It was already late today, and there was not much time left for cultivation. Therefore, Lu Yu did not choose to take the body enhancing pill. There was a total of five body enhancing pills in the porcelain bottle, which was enough for Lu Yu to practice five times. The body enhancing pill could also be bought in the logistics department. It was fifty gold coins per pill. Because the body enhancing pill was a supplementary cultivation pill, it did not have a direct effect on the increase in strength. Moreover, no matter how much body refining realm cultivators increased the strength of their bodies, it was impossible for them to block a sword with their bodies. Therefore, very few courtyard guards were willing to spend money to buy body enhancing pills. On the contrary, more courtyard guards were willing to buy the qi-blood pills, which was worth 80 gold coins per pill. The qi-blood pills could increase the qi-blood of martial art cultivators above the fourth level of the body refining realm He logged out of the game, ate dinner in the real world, and then entered the game again. After the incident of Steward Bai, the number of people patrolling around the logistics department increased. Lu Yu could often see the other courtyard guards patrolling around. The number of people patrolling the outer court increased, and the patrols became more rigorous. The situation in the inner court was as usual. There were screams and curses could be heard from time to time in a two-story small building. The patrolling courtyard guards subconsciously avoided this place. ¡°Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch, what are you doing? Why are you hitting me so hard? You¡¯re killing me! Be gentle!¡± Han Fan was lying on the bed. A few beautiful maids were helping him apply the medicine. His buttocks were all beaten to a pulp. It was inevitable that the medicine would hurt his wounds. When the maids were applying the medicine to him, Han Fan would curse loudly. He would use whatever he could grab to beat the maids. If his buttocks were not injured, he would have slapped them. After helping him apply the medicine, the maids left the room quickly. They did not want to stay any longer. ¡°Hiss¡­ it really hurts. These d*mn servants don¡¯t know how to show mercy. Why did they hit me so hard?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t expose me, right?¡± At some point in time, a person appeared in Han Fan¡¯s room. The guard at the door of the first floor didn¡¯t notice it at all. Seeing the person, Han Fan was so angry. If it weren¡¯t for him, would he have been so hurt? ¡°No.¡± Han Fan said angrily, ¡°You promised me before that as long as I help you, regardless of success or failure, you will never use that matter to threaten me. Otherwise, I will tell my father that you asked me to go to the master¡¯s study room to look for something.¡± ¡°By then, I will be beaten half to death by my father, and you will definitely be chased to death by the Han Residence.¡± ¡°Of course, I am a man of my word. But there¡¯s still one last thing I need you to help me with. If this matter is done, that secret will rot in my stomach.¡± As that person spoke, he walked towards Han Fan. Han Fan looked at him walking over and felt a little annoyed. He frowned. But when he thought about how that person could solve his big problem, he quickly asked, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Help me keep it a secret!¡± ¡°No problem. Even after being beaten so badly, I still haven¡¯t told on you, so keeping it a secret is even better.¡± Han Fan agreed readily. However, he felt that the atmosphere was a little strange. Looking at the person who was getting closer and closer, Han Fan suddenly panicked. ¡°What do you want to do¡­¡± Soon, Han Fan¡¯s voice disappeared from the room, and the person also disappeared. ¡°Only a dead person can truly keep a secret.¡± ¡­ After receiving the mission completion notification and receiving another 50 experience points, Lu Yu stretched his body and prepared for a good rest after dinner. While eating in the canteen, he suddenly heard a shocking news ¡ª Han Fan had died on the bed. His body was found by a servant who was preparing to change Han Fan¡¯s dressing in the morning. When he found it, the corpse had been cold for an unknown period of time. The servants and the guards who were guarding the door had all been sent to the dungeon by Third Master Han. Although Third Master Han knew that these people were not the murderer because they did not have the guts to kill his son. However, it was their fault that his son had died right under their noses. Hence, he sent them all to the dungeon. Han Fan¡¯s death on his own bed had shocked the entire Han Residence. The inner court was thoroughly investigating and searching for the murderer. Even Lu Yu, who had only entered the inner court once, was interrogated. Under the verification of the courtyard guards that they had met Lu Yu during his patrol a few nights ago, the interrogator let Lu Yu go. Most importantly, Lu Yu had only cultivated for less than half a month. It was impossible for him to fool the guards and silently kill Han Fan, who was at the fourth level of the body refining realm. Even though Han Fan had been beaten quite badly, his strength at the fourth level of the body refining realm was still not something that someone like Lu Yu could deal with. Another factor was that there were no wounds on Han Fan¡¯s body. He had been killed with the murderer¡¯s bare hands. Someone like Lu Yu, who had just started cultivating for less than half a month, would be killed with a single punch by Han Fan. Not to mention to kill Han Fan with his bare hands without making a sound. Lu Yu walked out of the martial arts hall in deep thought. Han Fan had been killed. Who was the murderer? Why did he want to kill him? One of the possibilities was that Han Fan had had a conflict of interest with someone and that person had attacked him. However, who in the Han Residence would have a conflict of interest with Han Fan? Steward Bai? If Lu Yu could think of it, so could the others. Steward Bai had been interrogated the moment Han Fan was found dead, but he also had an alibi. They couldn¡¯t find the killer. Everyone in the Han Residence was flustered, especially the young ladies and masters. On the other hand, the servants continued to do what they were supposed to do. They were not affected much. ¡°The winner today is Wang Can.¡± After announcing the winner, Yang Xiu gave the small box containing the body tempering pills to Wang Can. Wang Can received the box as if he had obtained a treasure. Under the envious and jealous gazes of the others, he took the box. Seeing Yang Xiu, the scene of Han Yu sprinting suddenly appeared in Lu Yu¡¯s mind. Immediately after, he thought of their conversation in the forest. A bolt of lightning flashed across Lu Yu¡¯s mind. He remembered where he had heard the word ¡°study room¡± before. Not long ago, when he was patrolling outside the west courtyard, he accidentally bumped into Yang Xiu and Han Yu having a tryst. It was during that conversation between the two of them that he heard about the study room. Lu Yu¡¯s heart was in turmoil. He had a suspicion, and his face seemed a little stiff. When Wang Can saw Lu Yu walking out of the martial arts hall, he held the body tempering pill and shouted excitedly, ¡°Lu Yu, just you wait! I¡¯ll become an official courtyard guard soon!¡± When Yang Xiu heard that, he turned around and looked at Lu Yu. When Lu Yu saw him turning around to look at him, he barely managed to control his stiff facial muscles. He smiled and said to Wang Can, ¡°Keep it up.¡± After saying that, he quickly left Yang Xiu¡¯s side, afraid that Yang Xiu would notice him. When he passed by Yang Xiu, Lu Yu had already calmed down and said calmly, ¡°Hello, Instructor Yang.¡± Yang Xiu nodded casually and did not pay too much attention to it. He was thinking about other things and did not notice Lu Yu¡¯s expression. On the contrary, after Wang Can received Lu Yu¡¯s encouragement, he felt a little strange. In the past, Lu Yu would not pay attention to him, but today, Lu Yu actually responded to him. He felt that Lu Yu was acting weird. However, the doubt in his heart was quickly washed away by the joy of obtaining the body tempering pill. Right now, he wanted to quickly consume the body tempering pill and break through from the mortal realm to become a martial art cultivator. Although Wang Can¡¯s strength was more outstanding among the crowd, it was not a certainty that he would obtain the body tempering pill. This was because when the others knew that Wang Can was more powerful than most of them. Hence, they took the initiative to target him and focus their strength to eliminate him first. If Wang Can was not eliminated, they would not have a chance to get the body tempering pills. Therefore, under such circumstances, those who sparred with Wang Can would exhaust his strength with all their might. As for the others, they would decide who would win or lose by drawing lots, rock, paper, scissors, and other methods. They would not fight too intensely so that they could conserve their strength for Wang Can. Due to the scheme of other peoples, Wang Can could not win all the matches. Several times, he would exhaust his strength and be eliminated. However, Wang Can¡¯s combat ability improved very quickly. Today was his first victory after being targeted. Therefore, he was very excited and forgot about Lu Yu. Lu Yu found a place to cultivate in the corner of the martial arts practice field. He stood in front of the wooden stake and pondered. All the panic came from the anxiety about his lack of strength. It was because he was weaker than Yang Xiu, so he was worried that Yang Xiu would find out that he knew his secret. Only with strength, only with enough strength, could one remain calm in the face of danger. This strength could be combat power, intelligence, information, background¡­ And for Lu Yu, the fastest way to obtain strength was power. He took out the body enhancing pill from his backpack and consumed it. After that, he began to practice the Fierce Tiger Fist. He first practiced a few times to feel the effects of the body enhancing pill before he entered the AFK mode. Under normal circumstances, the cultivation speed of the AFK mode was much faster than his normal cultivation speed. Every time he threw his fist, he could feel a wave of hot air rising from his stomach to the surface of his skin. His skin became scalding hot. When his fist hit the wooden stake, when he felt the pain, a surge of hot air surged to the painful parts. Soon, the pain was subsided by the heat of his hand. One punch after another, the pain of his fists gradually faded. He could only feel the extreme heat of his fists. Lu Yu understood that the body enhancing pill could only play its greatest role when he was throwing his fists. Therefore, not only did he hit with the wooden stake his fists and kicks, but he also hit it with his elbows, knees, back and shoulder. He tried to hit the wooden stake with as many parts as possible to fully activate the effect of the body enhancing pill. Some of the moves in the Fierce Tiger Fist had already reached the level of ¡®highly skilled¡¯. He didn¡¯t need to follow the standard movements of the Fierce Tiger Fist Style anymore. He could modify the technique to be more suitable for his own movements. After he went into AFK mode, his character¡¯s movements were no longer restricted to standard moves. Instead, it moved according to Lu Yu¡¯s ideas.. Chapter 13 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio A body enhancing pill could only support Lu Yu¡¯s morning training. When it was close to noon, he could already feel the temperature on his skin dropping. After practicing the fist technique a few more times, the pill completely lost its effect. He felt the pain again, but it was much weaker. He looked at his skin, which was slightly red and still emitting steam. The red color was fading, and his entire body was covered in sweat. Even his shoes were wet. Lu Yu went to the bathroom to take a shower and change his clothes before lunch. He ate as much as usual. Two roast chickens, three stewed pork trotters, five bowls of porridge, and a big bowl of stewed pigeon with ginseng. While eating the pork trotters, Wang Qiang sat in front of Lu Yu with food in his hands. Seeing that Lu Yu had eaten so much, Wang Qiang sighed, ¡°You guys are still young, and your bodies are still developing. When you have enough nutrition, your qi-blood will be different every day.¡± ¡°Unlike me, I have already past the best time to cultivate. My qi-blood are like a pool of stagnant water. No matter how much I eat and cultivate, my qi-blood will not increase at all.¡± Lu Yu swallowed the pig¡¯s trotters and drank a few mouthfuls of pigeon soup to refresh himself. When he saw that Wang Qiang had only taken a roast duck and three big bowls of rice, he asked the question that he had been bothering him, ¡°Isn¡¯t the higher your cultivation, the more qi-blood you consume every day? Is this all you can eat?¡± Wang Qiang tore off a duck leg and said, ¡°It¡¯s definitely not enough.¡± After taking two bites, Wang Qiang saw the confusion on Lu Yu¡¯s face and explained, ¡°You¡¯re thinking that the higher your cultivation, the more you¡¯ll eat, right?¡± Lu Yu nodded as he ate. ¡°That¡¯s what I thought at the beginning, until I found out that there¡¯s another thing in the world called the marching ball.¡± As he spoke, Wang Qiang took out a bag from his waist and showed Lu Yu what was inside. It was an earthy yellow ball the size of a longan fruit. He threw a marching ball to Lu Yu and said, ¡°After taking one ball, you won¡¯t be hungry for the whole day.¡± Lu Yu curiously put the marching ball in front of his eyes and examined it carefully. It looked like an ordinary ball made of flour. It was very similar to the color of the compressed biscuits in the supermarket. ¡°I only need to eat one ball every day when I eat. In some emergencies, the marching ball can also be used as a reserve grain. The marching ball was originally a soldier¡¯s reserve grain.¡± ¡°After they improve it and reduced its price, it become the supplement that body refining realm martial art cultivators used to increase their daily nutrition.¡± Lu Yu put away the marching ball. He was already half full and did not plan to eat the marching ball. After Wang Qiang finished eating, he stood up and said, ¡°I will move into the inner courtyard today, but I believe you will also come in very soon.¡± After the meal, Lu Yu went to the logistics department and asked about the marching ball. The marching balls were five silver coins per pill, and one gold coin could buy twenty marching balls. Every month when they received their monthly salary, each courtyard guard could receive a certain number of marching balls. There were only three days left until the next monthly salary. In two days, Lu Yu had used up all the body enhancing pills that Butler Zhang had given him. The strength of his body had increased by a level, and his skin had become tougher. Even when he punched the wooden stake with all his strength, he only felt a slight pain. Lu Yu felt that the toughness of his skin was almost as tough as cowhide. An ordinary person might not even be able to cut his skin with a dagger. But even so, he was still vulnerable to the martial art cultivators that were same level as him. A martial art cultivator could use tremendous strength to cut open the cowhide easily with a sword, and they could also easily hurt Lu Yu. This was also the reason why very few courtyard guards were willing to spend money to buy body enhancing pills to increase the toughness of their bodies. Lu Yu cultivated at full speed, not even sparing the patrol time at night. Coupled with the body tempering pills he received every day, Lu Yu¡¯s qi-blood had already risen to 49 points. It surpassed many courtyard guards who had already worked in the Han Residence for a year. Today, Lu Yu was cultivating Eight Steps Chasing Cicada when he suddenly heard the sound of an argument. He subconsciously turned his head to look. Wang Can was surrounded by a group of courtyard guards. He had already become an official courtyard guard. He was the second person among the rookies to do so. It was normal for someone like Wang Can to spend more than ten days to break through from the mortal realm and become a martial art cultivator. It was inevitable for him to become an official courtyard guard. It was not normal for Lu Yu to do so in just five to six days. This was also the reason why Butler Zhang had high expectations for Lu Yu. If people knew that Lu Yu only spent two days to become a martial art cultivator, even Han Yaozu would be interested in him. The Han Residence had to pay great attention to such a genius. On the surface, Lu Yu had only spent one day less than the eldest young master to become a martial art cultivator. However, before the eldest young master had even started cultivating, he had already eaten countless medicinal herbs that could replenish his qi-blood. The condition of their bodies before the cultivation were different. Before the eldest young master started cultivating, his qi-blood were already very close to becoming a martial art cultivator. Even so, it still took him two days to break through the mortal realm. As for Lu Yu, after his parents died, he had not eaten a good meal. His body¡¯s Qi-blood was severely depleted. Under such circumstances, he was still able to become a martial art cultivator within two days. It could only be said that his cultivation talent was many times greater than the eldest young master. In other words, the cultivation efficiency of the AFK mode of the game system was many times greater than that of an ordinary person¡¯s cultivation speed. After all, an ordinary person would still need to familiarize themselves with the cultivation method after learning it. They might even make mistakes in their cultivation, resulting in more effort to learn the technique. The AFK mode did not have these problems at all. It allowed Lu Yu to execute the most standard movement with the highest efficiency at the same time. ¡°Newbie, after becoming official courtyard guard, you must understand some of the rules of the outer court.¡± ¡°First, you must respect your seniors, and greet them when you see them. Second, during the meal, let the senior take the food first, you have to wait. Third, every month when you receive your monthly salary, remember to treat the senior to a meal.¡± The person who spoke patted Wang Can¡¯s shoulder. Every time he patted, Wang Can¡¯s body would tremble, and his face would turn red. ¡°Do you understand?¡± Wang Can clenched his hands tightly and nodded while gritting his teeth. The unwillingness and anger in his heart caused his qi-blood to surge, and his face turned even redder. ¡°Okay then. Let¡¯s go.¡± Seeing that he was so tactful, the person leading the group shouted to the people around him to disperse. ¡°Yesterday, I felt that I was going to break through to the third level of the body refining realm. If I work hard today, I might be able to break through.¡± the person said as he left with the others. ¡°Ten days ago, you said that you felt that you were going to break through. But you didn¡¯t make any progress. What are you waiting for?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, why don¡¯t we have a fight?¡± the person said as he glanced at the other person who provoked him. ¡°Alright, alright. Don¡¯t you guys fight here. Hurry up and cultivate. The sooner you reach the seventh level of body refining realm, the sooner you enter the inner court.¡± When they were halfway through, they suddenly noticed Lu Yu was cultivating at the side. The person who took the lead stopped and asked, ¡°Who is that person? Why do I feel that he looks a little unfamiliar?¡± ¡°Is he a newcomer?¡± ¡°I think so. I¡¯m not sure either. But I saw him cultivating here a few days ago. He should be a newcomer.¡± ¡°A few days ago? I was not around here in the past few days. Did you tell him about the rules of the outer court?¡± The man glanced at the people around him. Someone explained, ¡°A few days ago, something big happened to the Han Residence. We were so busy that our feet didn¡¯t touch the ground. How could we have the time to care about the newcomers?¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s go and tell him the rules of the outer court.¡± After saying that, he led everyone toward Lu Yu. Lu Yu had noticed them a long time ago. From Wang Can¡¯s expression, this group of old courtyard guards should be bullying the newcomers. This kind of thing would happen in many places. As the saying went, where there were people, there would be Jianghu. Where there was Jianghu, there would be a difference in people¡¯s status. The predecessors would definitely not want their status to be impacted by the newcomers. Thus, the veteran would bully the rookie. If it was a few days ago, Lu Yu would have avoided them. But now, his strength was expanding so much that he did not know his own true strength. He wanted to have a battle to see how strong he was. Most importantly, these people did not seem to be very strong. ¡°Newbie, do you know the rules of the outer court?¡± The person said as he walked. ¡°There are rules in the outer court? How come I¡¯ve never heard of it? You guys set the rules yourself. Aren¡¯t you afraid of being punished by Butler Zhang?¡± Lu Yu said. The man frowned slightly when he heard Lu Yu mentioned Butler Zhang. Then, he said with an evil smile, ¡°Do you want to use Butler Zhang to pressure me? Do you think Butler Zhang will take care of these trivial matters?¡± As he said that, he reached out his hand to pat Lu Yu. Lu Yu dodged it quickly. The man patted the air, and his smile disappeared. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you right now what the rules are in the outer court.¡± the man said in a low voice. ¡°As a senior, I have the obligation to help the newbies familiarize themselves with the moves of the Fierce Tiger Fist. Let me guide you!¡± The word ¡°guide¡± was especially emphasized. The meaning was already very obvious. ¡°That depends on whether you have the ability or not.¡± Lu Yu retorted without hesitation. ¡°You will find out soon enough.¡± That man grinned and suddenly attacked Lu Yu. His move was the Hungry Tiger Pounce the of Fierce Tiger Fist Style. In his imagination, Lu Yu had no chance to resist him at all. After all, he was already at the peak of the third level of the body refining realm. To him, Lu Yu was just a young man who had just started cultivating, a martial art cultivator who had just entered the body refining realm. Lu Yu watched as the man made the first move. In Lu Yu¡¯s eyes, the man¡¯s moves were full of flaws. That man only knew how to execute standard moves of his fist techniques dully, and he did not know how to adapt at all. He could have attack right away, yet he put on the starting stance of the Fierce Tiger Fist before throwing a punch. It took to long for him to attack Lu Yu. After two days of cultivation, Lu Yu¡¯s skill, Fierce Tiger Fist ¡ª Fierce Tiger Fist Descending had already reached the level of ¡®highly skilled¡¯. His Fierce Tiger Roar had reached the level of reaching the ¡®skilled¡¯ level. Facing a person whose skill level had barely reached the ¡®skilled¡¯ level, Lu Yu had no problem to crush him at all. Lu Yu attacked. His right hand stabbed into the opponent¡¯s blind spot. He used the smallest amount of strength to interrupt the opponent¡¯s move and counterattack at the same time. Bang ~ that man stumbled back a few steps. He lost his balance, and his face was full of shock. When the others saw that their friend was suppressed by Lu Yu, they were stunned. Weak, too weak. Lu Yu lost interest in fighting with him. That person¡¯s skill level was not as good as his, and the other party¡¯s qi-blood was also slightly weaker than his. If they really fought, Lu Yu would defeat the other party. Moreover, Lu Yu still had a skill. If used his full strength, Lu Yu would be able to defeat him before he could react. By the time the others were still shocked, Lu Yu had already left the martial arts practice field. He was almost clear about his own strength. His current strength was equivalent to a courtyard guard at the third level of the body refining realm, and his skill level far exceeded that of a courtyard guard. He could easily defeat a courtyard guard at the third level of the body refining realm. The strength of his qi-blood was lower than that of a courtyard guard at the fourth level of the body refining realm. But with his ¡®highly-skilled¡¯ Fierce Tiger Fist and the Eight Steps Chasing Cicada, he could fight a courtyard guard at the fourth level of the body refining realm. The prerequisite was that the opponent¡¯s skill level was about the same as his, or lower. ¡­ ¡°Who is it?¡± Zhang Lun shouted. ¡°F*ck, why is there someone on this tree? Retreat.¡± After chasing for a while, Zhang Lun returned to the Han Residence and reported to Butler Zhang. ¡°Someone appeared in the forest outside the western courtyard. Have you found out who it is?¡± ¡°They had their faces covered. I was held back by a few people who are at eighth level of body refining realm. I can¡¯t stop them. But one of them seemed to have used the moves of deputy chief of Wild Wolf Sect.¡± ¡°Wild Wolf Sect? How dare they provoke the Han Residence? It¡¯s truly an eventful time. The murderer of Han Fan has yet to be found, yet a scoundrel like the Wild Wolf Sect dares to provoke the Han Residence..¡± Chapter 14 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Butler Zhang immediately sent people to wipe out the Wild Wolf Sect. To his surprise, there was not a single person in the Wild Wolf Sect¡¯s lair. The entire sect had disappeared without a trace, and no one knew where they were. It was not just the Wild Wolf Sect, but also the Fierce Tiger Sect, Blood Blade Sect, and a few other underground forces in Windmill Town had disappeared. Butler Zhang felt that something was wrong, so he sent people to investigate. At the same time, he strengthened the security of the Han Residence. ¡°The Wild Wolf Sect and the Blood Blade Sect, these small forces would not dare to make a move against the Han Residence unless they are tired of living. There must be someone supporting them from behind.¡± After Han Yaozu heard the news, he came to a conclusion and asked Butler Zhang to personally investigate the person behind the Wild Wolf Sect. The Wild Wolf Sect and the Blood Blade Sect were just clowns. The most important thing was what the person behind them was scheming against Han Residence. No one else knew what happened outside the west courtyard, but Lu Yu received a new mission. [ New mission ¡ª Increase vigilance: Recently, a suspicious person has appeared in the forest outside the west courtyard of the Han Residence. As a courtyard guard, you should increase your vigilance. The first thing you should do is to find the intruder and alert the others. Mission reward: 150 experience points ] Not long after receiving the system notification, Lu Yu received an order from the inner courtyard. All the courtyard guards were to increase their vigilance and patrol on a small scale. Lu Yu was assigned to a small team. They were responsible for patrolling the outer wall of the west courtyard. The patrol area started from the west side of the courtyard guards¡¯ dormitory to the martial arts practice field, and then to the side gate of the west courtyard. When he received the mission, he felt that something big was about to happen. In the inner courtyard of the Han Residence, Third Master Han heard the report about Butler Zhang¡¯s whereabouts. He was so angry that he crushed the armrest of his chair. ¡°The murderer of my Fan ¡®er has not been found yet. This Butler Zhang has the time to care about the Wild Wolf Sect?¡± ¡°Fan ¡®er! You died so miserably. Don¡¯t worry, I will definitely find the murderer and tear them into pieces!¡± After Third Master Han finished speaking, he looked at Yang Xiu who was standing at the side and said, ¡°Yang Xiu, you are very close to Fan ¡®er. The task of finding the murderer of Fan ¡®er will be handed to you. You must not disappoint me!¡± ¡°I will do everything in my power to find the murderer of young master. I guarantee that I will not disappoint you.¡± Yang Xiu cupped his fists and said with a calm expression. ¡°You may go.¡± ¡°I will take my leave.¡± Walking out of the hall, Yang Xiu looked at the sky and a smile appeared on his face. The patrol mission had started when the inner court had given the order. Lu Yu and a few courtyard guards were patrolling together. The group of people held their sabers and lined up to patrol the designated area. They kept patrolling for a whole day, they did not even have time to cultivate. Unfortunately, they did not find anything unusual. Some people in the team started to complain. After the shift change, Lu Yu went to have a meal and then rested in his room. Looking at his attribute panel, the experience bar for the cultivation technique was almost half. Previously, if he did not use the experience points to level up the Eight Steps Chasing Cicada, he would be able to level up now. However, he did not need the experience points to level up the Eight Steps Chasing Cicada. Just by using his qi-blood to cultivate every day, he estimated that he would not be able to level up even one level up until now. However, if he were to complete this new mission and patrol mission, he would have enough experience points to level up his cultivation technique. Another thing that concerned Lu Yu was his qi-blood. After reaching 49 points, his qi-blood seemed to have reached a limit. The body tempering pill had completely lost its effect. His qi-blood did not increase during his cultivation. It was as if his qi-blood were stuck at 49 points. He had just exchanged blows with the courtyard guard who was at the third level of the body refining realm. The other party¡¯s strength was slightly weaker than his, and his qi-blood were lower than his. Moreover, the other party had personally said that his qi-blood were already close to the fourth level of the body refining realm. In other words, from 49 to 50 points of qi-blood, he would be at the third level or the fourth level of the body refining realm. However, he was only at the second level. Could it be that his realm had not risen, so he could not continue to raise his qi-blood? Lu Yu looked at his realm and was a little surprised by what he saw. The experience bar of his realm, which had always shown 0, had actually increased by a little. He only had 12 experience points in his realm. He was still 488 experience points away from leveling up. Lu Yu remembered that he had never added experience points to his realm. In other words, the experience points of his realm were increased through other means. Looking at his 49 points of qi-blood, he guessed that the experience points of his realm would only increase after his qi-blood was maxed out ¡°It¡¯s very possible.¡± Lu Yu thought to himself. ¡°Now I already know three ways to increase my realm. I can directly use the experience points to increase my realm, or level up my cultivation technique to increase my realm indirectly. Then, after I maxed out my qi-blood, I can keep cultivate to increase my realm.¡± ¡°I wonder if there is a fourth way.¡± Lu Yu was wondering if there was a pill that could directly increase his realm. After all, the way to obtain experience points was too limited, and there were many things that required experience points. The experience points obtained from daily missions and some random missions were completely insufficient. Moreover, the leveling up of the realm required a huge amount of experience points. It would be great if there were pills that could directly increase one¡¯s realm. Just as Lu Yu was about to open the system store to search for pills that could directly increase his realm, someone from his patrol team knocked on his door. ¡°Lu Yu, it¡¯s time for the shift change.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be right out.¡± Hearing the voice, Lu Yu hurriedly got up, grabbed the saber on the table, and left. The sky had already turned dark, and there was a strong wind blowing. The temperature difference between day and night in Windmill Town was quite big. If an ordinary person went out at night and wore a piece of clothing, they would feel a little chilling. Lu Yu followed the others and walked towards the west courtyard¡¯s side door. The night wind blew the flags of the martial arts practice field, causing them to flutter. The thin protective clothing was completely unable to block the night wind. But Lu Yu felt that this wind was quite nice, just enough to blow away the heat of the afternoon. His qi-blood were much stronger than an ordinary person¡¯s, so he naturally would not afraid of this little bit of night wind. However, the wind was strong, causing the flags to flutter. It caused a lot of noises, which in turn affected the hearing patrolling courtyard guards to the movements around them. In the forest outside the west courtyard, there were many black-clothed men lying in bushes. They quietly looked at the courtyard guards patrolling on the road and did not make a sound. Soon, the courtyard guards disappeared from their sight. However, they were still hiding in the forest and did not make any movements. Suddenly, a bright flame lit up from afar. A black-clothed man said in a low voice, ¡°Do it.¡± ¡­ ¡°It¡¯s on fire, it¡¯s on fire, put it out quickly.¡± Shouts came from the inner courtyard. Lu Yu could see the flames rising into the sky from the outer wall of the west courtyard. Then, he saw many courtyard guards being called into the inner courtyard to put out the fire. For a moment, there were not many courtyard guards left in the outer courtyard. Lu Yu and his teammates were stunned on the spot. They hesitated whether they should go to the inner courtyard to put out the fire. However, their task was to patrol, so no one called them in to put out the fire. If they left their posts without permission, what if the higher-ups blamed them? But the others had gone to put out the fire, should they go as well? What if the higher-ups blamed them? The few of them were very conflicted. Lu Yu looked at the fire and felt that something was wrong. The range of the fire didn¡¯t seem to be large, so it wasn¡¯t necessary to call so many people to put out the fire, right? Immediately after, he thought of his own mission. A thought flashed through his mind, and he ]felt that things were not looking good. ¡°Be careful!¡± He shouted at the others. By the time he reacted, it was already too late. A group of black-clothed people had climbed over the wall and entered the Han Residence. A few of them had already sneaked behind the crowd. When they heard Lu Yu¡¯s reminder, his teammates had been ambushed from their backs. They had been stabbed several times and were lying on the ground while bleeding profusely. It was unknown whether they were alive or dead. Clang! Clang! Clang! The courtyard guards who had reacted fought with the black-clothed men. Lu Yu used the saber in his hand to parry the opponent¡¯s sharp blade. He did not have a chance to counterattack. Just as he was about to be besieged, a voice came from the side. ¡°Ignore them. Let¡¯s rush into the inner courtyard first.¡± When the black-clothed men quickly followed the large group and rushed into the inner courtyard, leaving a few black-clothed men to fight with the surviving patrolling courtyard guards. Lu Yu understood that the fire was only to cause chaos and prepare for the invasion of the black-clothed men. He wanted to take out his whistle and blow the alarm to complete the mission, but he was busy fighting the black-clothed man. The opponent kept suppressing him with a blade. Lu Yu had never learnt saber technique. He could only rely on the strength brought by his powerful qi-blood to fight head-on with the opponent. Under the attack of the black-clothed men, Lu Yu was suppressed and in a disadvantageous position. The situation of the other courtyard guards was even worse. Some of them had already been stabbed several times and could not hold any longer. At that time, the other black-clothed men would surround and attack Lu Yu. It would be difficult for him to escape death. A saber was not as useful as a fist, but a fist would not be able to block a saber. Lu Yu could only parry the opponent¡¯s blows while retreating. From the corner of his eye, he saw that someone had fallen, and his throat had been cut by the black-robed man. Lu Yu made up his mind and went all out! He stopped retreating. He stomped on the ground and closed in on the black-clothed man. The man was shocked when he saw Lu Yu closing in on him. However, he did not panic because he could counterattack Lu Yu with his blade. He could already tell that Lu Yu¡¯s saber skills were not that good. In fact, he knew that Lu Yu had never learned saber skills before. Clang! The two weapons clashed. The black-clothed man stopped moving. He felt that something was not right. The clashing impact was not as strong as he thought. Whoosh! Lu Yu¡¯s saber flew out. Buzz! The saber shook as it stabbed into the ground. Bang! The black-clothed man fell to the ground and the saber in his hand fell to the side. In terms of saber skill, Lu Yu was definitely not a match for the black-clothed man. However, in terms of fist techniques, Lu Yu could crush the black-clothed man especially in close combat. Lu Yu used Eight Steps Chasing Cicada to close in on the black-clothed man. He then immediately threw away his saber and use his fist. Taking advantage of the short distance between the black-clothed man and himself, he used fist technique to repel the black-clothed man¡¯s blade. Lu Yu then knocked off the black-clothed man¡¯s blade and beat him down. After knocking the black-clothed man down, Lu Yu used ¡°Hungry Tiger Pounce¡± and broke the black-clothed man¡¯s throat. [ Killed a martial art cultivator at the third level of the body refining realm. Obtained 78 experience points ] After receiving the notification, Lu Yu was a little surprised, but his hands did not stop. He picked up the saber that had fallen to the side and rushed toward the nearest black-clothed man. At the same time, he used his mind to take out the whistle in his backpack. The position was set in front of his head. He bit down on the whistle that appeared in mid-air and blew it with all his strength. If someone else blew the whistle before him, his mission would fail! Shh!!! The whistle resounded throughout the Han Residence. Han Yaozu, who was handling matters in the study room, suddenly stood up. ¡°It¡¯s the whistle from the outer courtyard!¡±. The leader of the men in black shouted, ¡°D*mn it, we¡¯ve been exposed! Everyone, charge!¡± Chapter 15 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio [ Increased vigilance quest completed. Obtained 150 experience points. ] When he blew the whistle, he received a notification that he had completed the quest. At the same time, he went up to the black-clothed man who had killed the courtyard guard. Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! The blades danced in the hands of the two of them. In the hands of the black-clothed man, the blades were like flying butterflies, flickering with a dangerous light. On the other hand, Lu Yu used the blade to block the opponent¡¯s attack like a shield. He could only rely on brute force to parry the various moves of the other party. Lu Yu felt a great pressure. This black-clothed man seemed to have reached the fourth level of the body refining realm. Every time he parried an attack, he would feel the pain between his thumb and forefinger, and his arms were trembling. If it wasn¡¯t for the body enhancing pills that increased the strength of his body, both of his hands would have been crippled by now. It was extremely stressful to challenge someone at the fourth level of the body refining realm. As for the surprise attack of throwing away the saber and punch his opponent, it didn¡¯t work anymore. The gap between the two of them was too big. If Lu Yu threw away his saber, the opponent¡¯s blade would cut off his limbs directly. Right now, Lu Yu was relying on his ¡®highly skilled¡¯ fist technique to deal with his opponent. He was waiting for the reinforcement of the inner court, and the alarm had already sounded. The reinforcement should arrive very soon. ¡°Ah!¡± One of the courtyard guards, whose arm was holding a saber, was cut off by the black-clothed man and let out a blood-curdling scream. Then, he was beheaded by the black-clothed man with two strikes. After killing one person, that black-clothed man immediately turned around to attack another courtyard guard. That courtyard guard should have practiced saber skill before, and he was at the fourth level of the body refining realm. He could suppress the black-clothed man, but he could not kill him. However, when facing two people besieging him, he was on the verge of death, and he could fall at any time. Currently, only the courtyard guard who had learned saber techniques and Lu Yu were still alive. Lu Yu felt that things were not looking good. If this continued, he would not be able to wait for reinforcements before he was killed. Although he could force quite the game to avoid death, Su Peng had said that it was best not to force out the game, because this action might cause irreversible damage to the brain. But it was still better to log out the game at the critical moment. After all, brain damage was still better than death. However, it was not the most critical moment yet. Lu Yu looked at his current experience points. If he killed another black-clothed man, he would have enough experience points to level up his cultivation technique. As long as his cultivation technique leveled up, his strength would be greatly increased. Dealing with these black-clothed men would be much easier. Currently, he was still suppressed by his opponent in one-on-one fight. He was still struggling to kill his opponent. While battling, Lu Yu looked at the besieged courtyard guard. He then quickly ran towards the courtyard guard while the black-clothed men followed him closely behind. Soon, the two of them stood back-to-back. They were surrounded and attacked by three black-clothed men. Lu Yu quickly said, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to die, help me kill an intruder.¡± ¡°You have a good idea?¡± the man asked in a deep voice. ¡°I don¡¯t have time to explain. Do you trust me?¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll die if I don¡¯t fight. I¡¯ll knock one of them down. I¡¯ll leave the rest to you!¡± After saying that, the courtyard guard directly rushed out and grabbed a weaker black-clothed man to fight. He fought with all his might, completely ignoring his own defense. In just a few seconds, five or six bloody wounds appeared on the courtyard guard¡¯s body. This was even when Lu Yu helped him block some of the attacks. However, that black-clothed man was in an even worse situation. He was weaker than the courtyard guard, and the courtyard guard kept attacking him. One slash after another, that black-clothed man was quickly cut into a serious injury. He couldn¡¯t hold his blade properly. Seeing that black-clothed man was trembling, Lu Yu seized the opportunity and used the Eight Steps Chasing Cicada several times in a row. He directly collided with that black-clothed man and flew into the midair with him. While in the midair, Lu Yu stabbed the blade in his hand into the black-clothed man¡¯s chest. Without hearing the notification of death, Lu Yu forcefully stirred the blade in his hand until he heard the system notification. Bang! Bang! There were two consecutive sounds. The first sound was the sound of a corpse falling to the ground. The second sound was the sound of Lu Yu stepping on the ground, performing the Eight Steps Chasing Cicada. As soon as he received the system notification, Lu Yu threw all his experience points into the experience bar of the Fierce Tiger Fist technique (third level). As expected, the upgrade of the Fierce Tiger Fist was huge. [ After hard work, the Fierce Tiger Fist technique has been upgraded to fourth level, qi-blood + 10 ] [ New skill comprehended! Fierce Tiger Fist-Black Tiger Heart Piercing (beginner) ] [ After hard work, the realm has been raised to the third level of the body refining realm, qi-blood + 4 ] The fourth level of the Fierce Tiger Fist Style was already the highest level. There was no way to raise it anymore. The extra experience points automatically flowed into the newly comprehended skill ¡ª Black Tiger Heart Piercing. [ Skill level-up! Fierce Tiger Fist Style ¨C Black Tiger Heart Piercing(beginner)¡ú Fierce Tiger Fist Style- Black Tiger Heart Piercing (slightly skilled) ] Lu Yu felt a slight change in his fingers, as if they had become sharper. It was a very strange feeling. Right after Yu killed the black-clothed man, he immediately used the Eight Steps Chasing Cicada movement technique to return the courtyard guard¡¯s side. Unfortunately, the courtyard guard¡¯s back had been slashed several times, so deep that his bones could be seen. The courtyard guard fell. Lu Yu turned around to attack the opponent. His saber was still on the dead man¡¯s chest, and Lu Yu no longer had anything that could block the opponent¡¯s sharp blade, but he still rushed over. ¡°Haha! Come on, go to hell!¡± the body refining realm fourth level black clothed man raised his blade and slashed vertically. In his eyes, the scene of Lu Yu being cut in half already appeared. ¡°He¡¯s slow!¡± The black clothed man¡¯s blade appeared to be very slow in Lu Yu¡¯s eyes. Now, his qi-blood had already reached 63 points. The strength of his qi-blood was not inferior to some body refining realm fourth level martial art cultivators. It far surpassed this black clothed man who had just entered the body refining realm fourth level. Moreover, his ¡®highly skilled¡¯ techniques allowed him to have extremely powerful control over his own body. Twisting his waist and turning his body sideways, he looked at the blade that nearly sliced off his chest. Somehow he could feel the piercing pain of the sharp blade. That was the alertness of a strong person towards danger. Without hesitation, he used the Black Tiger Heart Piercing. His five fingers were like steel bars, fiercely piercing into the black-clothed man¡¯s chest. His five fingers were as hard as steel. He easily crushed the chest bones of the black-clothed man like it was nothing. Lu Yu only felt a slight obstruction from his fingertips and felt that he was unimpeded. Lu Yu squeezed his opponent¡¯s chest with his right hand. In an instant, the blood vessels in the black-clothed man¡¯s eyeballs exploded under extreme pressure, dyeing his eyes red. The black-clothed man felt a great pain in his chest and fell onto the ground. Lu Yu¡¯s five fingers were still stained with warm blood. That was the purest blood, the blood in the heart. The Black Tiger Heart Piercing was the final move of the Fierce Tiger Fist technique, and it was also the most powerful killing move. The first time Lu Yu used it, he instantly killed a martial art cultivator at the fourth level of the body refining realm. The system notification sounded in his mind. He did not pay attention to how many experience points he had gained. He walked towards the remaining black-clothed man. The black-clothed man held a blade in his hand, but he did not feel any sense of security. Lu Yu was too fast. His teammate had died too quickly! Lu Yu¡¯s attack was so fast that he had yet to see how his teammate had died. ¡°How is this possible! Where did this monster come from? He was clearly so weak just now. Why did he become so strong all of a sudden?¡± The black-clothed man was filled with doubt. However, there was no time for him to find the answer because Lu Yu had already charged over. The last black-clothed man was only at the third level of the body refining realm. He did not last long in Lu Yu¡¯s hands before his heart was tear apart. Lu Yu did not want to be injured by the blade in the black-clothed man¡¯s hand. Otherwise, he would be able to kill him at a faster speed. Looking at the blade in the dead man¡¯s hand, Lu Yu thought that maybe he should learn a saber skill or a sword skill. After all, the advantage of a weapon was really good. The opponent¡¯s strength was obviously far weaker than his, but the opponent managed to use his saber technique to drag out the battle. Previously, Lu Yu¡¯s strength was much weaker than the body refining realm fourth level black-clothed men, but he was still entangled with the other party for a long time. Then, he broke through at the last minute, which caught the enemies off guard. In the end, he managed to kill each of them in one hit He glanced at the courtyard guard who knew how to use saber skill and found that he was still breathing. Lu Yu hid him in a room, picked up a random saber, and stealthily made his way toward the inner court. Lu Yu had guessed that in the game, he could gain experience points by killing the enemy, but there was no chance to kill enemy in the Han Residence. Now that there was a chance to kill enemy to gain experience points, he had to cherish it. Otherwise, he did not know when he would have such an opportunity again. Lu Yu hid himself in the dark. Those black-clothed men would not have thought that Lu Yu would ambush them. This was a good opportunity. In the dark, Lu Yu could observe which person that he could defeat. Otherwise, Lu Yu would be busy dodging the enemies¡¯ attacks and could not kill any of them if he was at the front of the battle. The frontal battlefield was extremely chaotic, and most of the people inside were martial art cultivators at the sixth or seventh level of the body refining realm. Even if Lu Yu was able to kill martial art cultivators at the fourth level of the body refining realm, once he was dragged into a gruesome battle, he wouldn¡¯t have a good ending. Very soon, Lu Yu found the target that he could defeat. Three black-clothed men at the third or fourth level of the body refining realm were surrounding a courtyard guard. That courtyard guard should have been at the fourth level of the body refining realm for a long time. He still had the strength to counterattack when faced with the three people¡¯s attacks. However, he was unable to defeat the three people. Lu Yu seized the opportunity when one of the black-clothed men was retreating. He quickly darted out from the darkness and used Fierce Tiger Pounce, snapping the opponent¡¯s neck. The courtyard guard who had been entangled for a long time saw the opportunity and immediately increased his strength. The remaining two men were forced to retreat, unable to fight back at all. Lu Yu and the courtyard guard pincer attacked and quickly killed the black-clothed men. When Lu Yu killed the second black-clothed man, he looked at the guard and subconsciously shouted, ¡°Wait!¡± After the courtyard guard killed the other black-clothed man, he turned back to Lu Yu and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Lu Yu originally wanted to stop the courtyard guard so that he could killed the black-clothed man himself. Unfortunately, the courtyard guard acted too quickly. After killing a few black-clothed men, the two of them split up. Lu Yu went to look for other enemies while the courtyard guard went to join the other guards. When there was no suitable target, Lu Yu would hide in the darkness and not expose himself. He had seen many battles. There were black-clothed men besieging the courtyard guard, there were also courtyard guards besieging the black-clothed men, and there were chaotic scenes of large-scale team battles, but he did not join in. He just silently searched for the right prey in the darkness.. Chapter 16 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio These black-clothed men were actually the people of the Wild Wolf Sect, Blood Blade Sect, Fierce Tiger Sect, and many other underground sects of Windmill Town. They fought their way into the Han Residence¡¯s inner courtyard. Under Lu Yu¡¯s timely warning, they were stopped before they could enter the inner courtyard. Their invasion did not cause too much of an impact to the Han family who was heavily protected by the guards. However, many courtyard guards and guards from the inner courtyard were transferred to the battlefield in between the inner and outer courtyard. Other than a few key places that were guarded, the inner courtyard was completely empty. Han Yaozu brought his guards to the biggest battlefield personally ¡ª the martial arts hall. The martial arts hall was the passage connecting the west outer court and the inner court. When the alarm sounded, this place became the biggest battlefield. A few powerful squires stood in the martial arts hall. In the martial arts hall, a few black-clothed men who had reached the ninth level of the body refining realm were fighting with many strong guards. The squires didn¡¯t make a move because they were afraid that there were stronger enemies hidden among the black-clothed men. However, when Han Yaozu arrived here, the balance was broken. The squires started to join the fight. They used their powerful strength to crush the black-clothed men and beat them out of the martial arts hall. After the squires joined the fight, some experts of qi cultivating realm appeared among the black-clothed men. One was with a blood-colored sword. He was the chief of the Blood Blade Sect. A man punched and shattered the steel saber, and his fist was like a tiger¡¯s roar. It was the chief of the Fierce Tiger Sect. A sneaky black shadow, like a wolf in the dark night, was the chief of the Wild Wolf Sect. Three qi cultivating realm experts hidden in the crowd revealed themselves. The squires were caught off guard. However, they quickly made use of the advantage in number and successfully suppressed the three of them. Seeing that his squires could not defeat the three chiefs even though they had the advantage in number, Han Yaozu was a little dissatisfied, ¡°What were these squires doing? They could not even do such a small thing well!¡± He was wondering if he was too merciful to them. He had tolerated these squires who were so weak to stay in the Han Residence for so many years. The squires of the Han Residence received many benefits from the Han Residence every year. Yet, they could not even defeat a few underground sect chiefs. It was simply a disgrace to Han Residence. Basically, no one in Windmill Town dared to provoke the Han clan. So, these squires did not have the chance to put their strength in use. After many years of peaceful time, their skill became rusty, and they were not as strong as before. There were some small factions and individuals that provoked Han Residence from time to time, but they were easily eliminated. The squires were not needed for these small fries. Of course, these weak forces could not compare to the underground sect chiefs who had been licking their wounds all year round. Even if the squires had the same or even higher cultivation level than the three chiefs, they couldn¡¯t defeat the three chiefs. It was because they had not been in a battle for a long time, they didn¡¯t have the courage to risk their lives anymore. Even so, these squires had climbed all the way from the courtyard guards to the position of squires and experienced many hardships. Under the instruction of Han Yaozu, they finally counterattacked. They cooperated with each other and successfully suppressed the three chiefs of the Fierce Tiger Sect, Wild Wolf Sect, and Blood Blade Sect. Without their chiefs¡¯ support, the remaining black-clothed men were defeated by the courtyard guards and guards. Seeing that the situation was not good, the three chiefs looked at each other and simultaneously crushed the cloth bag in their arms. A ball of yellow smoke filled the martial arts hall. The squires who were closest to them felt dizzy as soon as they inhaled the yellow smoke. They hurriedly retreated and reminded, ¡°It¡¯s poisonous smoke, retreat!¡± After hearing that the yellow smoke was poisonous smoke, the courtyard guards and guards who were chasing after the black-clothed men all retreated and watched as the remaining black-clothed men escaped. The yellow smoke permeated the martial arts hall. Many black-clothed men had taken the antidote and escaped from the martial arts hall. Seeing this scene, Lu Yu quickly hid himself. He had seen it all. The three chiefs of the black-clothed men who could emit light were able to kill the courtyard guards at the body refining realm as easily as killing chickens. If he bumped into them, he would definitely die. ¡°Retreat!¡± The leader of the black-clothed men shouted. When they were retreating, the leader of the black-clothed men slapped the courtyard guards who were blocking their way into pieces. It was a shocking scene. Lu Yu saw one of the courtyard guards was smashed into pieces by the black-clothed man who could emit light. Only two of his legs were intact. Seeing this scene, Lu Yu almost spitted out the dinner he had eaten the night before. When he crushed an enemy¡¯s heart with his bare hands, he did not feel disgusted or uncomfortable. However, Lu Yu really felt nauseous when he saw a person was punched into a pile of minced meat. After becoming a martial art cultivator, his digestive ability had greatly improved. Now, there was nothing in his stomach to vomit. After retching for a while, Lu Yu wiped the saliva from the corner of his mouth and walked out of the corner. He felt that his mouth was still a little sore. The black-clothed men had already left, leaving behind piles of corpses. When the yellow smoke in the martial arts hall thinned out, there were guards still holding their breath. They forcefully ran past the martial arts hall and chased after the black-clothed men. Lu Yu didn¡¯t need to join in the chase. His strength was too low, so he couldn¡¯t catch up to the escaping black-clothed men. Soon, Lu Yu joined in the rescue of the wounded. He did not forget the courtyard guard he had hidden in a room. When Lu Yu found him, he was still alive. While helping the others find the wounded, he checked his harvest today. [ Name: Lu Yu ] [ Realm: Third level of the body refining realm ] [ Qi-blood: 63 ] [ Cultivation Technique: Fierce Tiger Fist Style (fourth level) ] [ Skills: Fierce Tiger Fist Style (highly skilled), Eight Steps Chasing Cicada (skilled) ] [ Experience Points: 837 ] Leveling up fourth level of body refining realm required 1,000 experience points, and 600 experience points were required to increase one point of qi-blood. The Fierce Tiger Fist Style had already been upgraded to the highest level, and it could not be further upgraded. Moreover, the skills had also undergone changes. The Hungry Tiger Pounce, the Fierce Tiger Descending, the Fierce Tiger Roar, and the Black Tiger Heart Piercing were all simplified into one skill ¡ª the Fierce Tiger Fist Style. However, when he clicked open the Fierce Tiger Fist Style, he could still see the specific information of the four moves. The amount of experience points required to upgrade the Fierce Tiger Fist Style, had also become the sum of the experience points of all four moves required to upgrade to ¡®highly skilled¡¯. Of course, he could still upgrade the level of a single move. He did not have to upgrade all four moves at once. The Fierce Tiger Fist Style had already been upgraded to the maximum level. This was something that Lu Yu had not expected. He had thought that he would be able to continue upgrading the Fierce Tiger Fist Style until he reached the seventh level of the body refining realm. That was because Yang Xiu had told them that the Fierce Tiger Fist Style could be cultivated to the seventh level of the body refining realm. However, he had already upgraded the Fierce Tiger Fist Style to the fourth level when he was at the third level of the body refining realm. From now on, he would not be able to continue upgrading the fist technique to the next level. As for his realm, he had to maxed out his qi-blood and then cultivate slowly, or he could directly use experience points to increase his realm. But no matter which one it was, it was not as cost-effective as directly upgrading his cultivation technique to increase his realm. Lu Yu thought again, could he learn a new cultivation technique and increase his realm by upgrading the new cultivation technique? He did not know if this would work. Otherwise, it would take him a long time to max out his qi-blood and then slowly increase his realm through cultivation. ¡°Brother, be gentle. What are you thinking about? Can you carry me to the clinic first before you daydream?¡± Just as Lu Yu was thinking about finding a new cultivation technique to increase his realm, the injured courtyard guard that Lu Yu carried finally urged him. ¡°Oh, oh, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Lu Yu quickly changed his position to make him more comfortable. ¡­ Han Yaozu rushed to the study as soon as he received the report from his subordinate, but the mysterious person didn¡¯t leave any trace in his study room. Looking at the messy study, he went downstairs to check on the injuries of the guard. There was only one wound on the body of the guard, and there was a charred palm print on his chest. Han Yaozu touched the body of the guard and felt that there was a burning spiritual energy in the guard¡¯s body. It burned the internal organs of the guard. The cause of death of the guard was severe damage of his internal organs by the powerful fire-elemental spiritual energy. His finger lightly touched the charred palm print on the guard¡¯s chest, causing Han Yaozu to frown. ¡°This is the mark left behind by the Raging Flame Palm. Could it be that it was done by an elder?¡± The Raging Flame Palm was a spirit class second grade martial art of the Han clan. Only martial art cultivators above the qi cultivating realm could cultivate it. However, only Han clan disciples were qualified to cultivate the Raging Flame Palm. Those squires were not allowed to cultivate this skill. Unless the squires had contributed greatly to the Han clan, and only the squires of their own clan were qualified to cultivate it. Otherwise, they could only cultivate other spirit class first grade skills. ¡°Who did it?¡± Han Yaozu felt that all the things that had happened in the past few days were plotted by the same mastermind. The target of the mastermind was something in his study. Moreover, the mastermind was very familiar with the situation in the study because he found that the mechanism to open the secret room in the study had been tampered with. Unfortunately, that was a set of array formation left behind by the Han family a long time ago. Only the family head could open it. Even if the mastermind entered the study room, he would not be able to enter the secret room. There were many important things in the secret room. Han Yaozu had no idea what the mastermind was up to. However, he was sure that the mastermind was hidden in the Han Residence. In an empty space in a forest, there were people standing around. They were the dozen or so black-clothed men who had escaped the Han Residence¡¯s pursuit. Originally, the three forces and some small gangs had a total of nearly 200 people. In the end, only a dozen or so people managed to escape the Han Residence¡¯s pursuit. In the middle of the black-clothed men stood a young man wearing a green robe with a square jade hanging on his waist. The young man punched the tree trunk angrily, leaving a scorched black fist mark on the tree trunk. ¡°D*mn it!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that the declining Han Residence still had a functioning array formation. All our efforts are in vain.¡± The chief of the Wild Wolf Sect stepped forward and said, ¡°I suggest that we just kidnap a member of the Han family and force Han Yaozu to hand over the cultivation technique.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you very close with Miss Han? Lure her out and tie her up. Han Yaozu will agree use an incomplete cultivation technique to exchange for his daughter.¡± the chief of the Wild Wolf Sect suggested. The young man¡¯s eyes flickered a few times before he said, ¡°We¡¯ll do as you say!¡± ¡°After the matter is done, don¡¯t forget what you promised us.¡± the chief of the Wild Wolf Sect reminded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have some resource in Bei Feng City. What you have is just a small matter. If I could openly strike the Han family, would I have gone through so much trouble?¡± ¡°That¡¯s good!¡± the voice of the Wild Wolf Sect chief faded into the distance.. Chapter 17 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After a huge battle, the Han Residence was in a mess. There were bloodstains, corpses, and charred houses everywhere. Back when the alarm sounded, all the courtyard guards joined in the battle. The servants who were not martial art cultivators also joined in, and no one went to put out the fire. The fire grew stronger and spread widely. It couldn¡¯t be put out in time, so many houses were burned down. Even after cleaning, Lu Yu could still smell the faint smell of blood and the burning smell in the air. Lu Yu went to the logistics department, today was the day of the salary day. Usually, there should be many people lining up to receive their monthly salary. But now, there were fewer people at the gate of the logistics department than usual, so there was no need to line up at all. Lu Yu directly walked forward and said that he was here to receive this month¡¯s salary. Although he had only worked in the Han Residence for a month, as long as he became an official courtyard guard, he would be able to receive this month¡¯s salary. Even Wang Can, who had just become a courtyard guard, could get his salary as well. ¡°Name?¡± ¡°Lu Yu.¡± The accountant quickly found Lu Yu¡¯s information, ¡°Lu Yu, outer court guard, body refining realm first level. Monthly salary 30 gold and 20 marching balls.¡± After saying that, he took out two bags from the cabinet behind him and placed them in front of Lu Yu. Lu Yu picked up the small cloth bag and felt that there was a flat object inside. It should be gold coins. The other bag felt like a ball in his hand. It was marching balls. ¡°Next.¡± the accountant called out. Seeing that Lu Yu hadn¡¯t left yet, the accountant said, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you leaving yet? Is there a problem?¡± ¡°No, there¡¯s no problem.¡± Lu Yu quietly put the things into his backpack and continued, ¡°I still have some things I want to collect.¡± ¡°Butler Zhang said that I can collect one body tempering pill every day for a month, so I want to collect all of them at once.¡± ¡°Wait a minute.¡± the accountant quickly flipped through the account book and found the record that he was talking about. ¡°Yes, there is such record, but it says one pill a day. So, I can¡¯t give you all of it at once. It¡¯s against the rules.¡± Just as Lu Yu was about to persuade the accountant, Wang Qiang walked out from the courtyard. Seeing Lu Yu standing at the door, Wang Qiang was pleasantly surprised, ¡°You¡¯re okay? That¡¯s great! I thought something happened to you!¡± ¡°What could have happened to me? After blowing the alarm whistle, I hid. I was lucky and didn¡¯t get hurt. But why are you here? Didn¡¯t you already enter the inner court?¡± Lu Yu asked curiously. ¡°Sigh, the original accountant was killed. So, the higher-ups asked me to take charge of the logistics department and supervised the new persons. After all, I just entered the inner court and am familiar with the outer court, so they sent me here.¡± Wang Qiang replied. ¡°What are you doing in the logistics department?¡± Wang Qiang asked. When he saw the people lining up behind Lu Yu, he patted his head and suddenly understood. ¡°So today is the day of receiving the monthly salary. I was so busy that I forgot. You are here to receive the monthly salary, right?¡± Looking at the accountant, he said, ¡°Bring Lu Yu¡¯s monthly salary.¡± The accountant was a little helpless and explained, ¡°I have already given it to him.¡± Lu Yu told Wang Qiang his idea of taking all the body tempering pills that Butler Zhang promised him later today. Wang Qiang waved his hand and said, ¡°No problem. Go and take out the body tempering pills that belong to Lu Yu. If anything happens, I will take responsibility.¡± He knew clearly how much Butler Zhang valued Lu Yu. This was just a small matter. Butler Zhang would not blame him. Anyway, those things were belonged to Lu Yu, and he was just giving them to Lu Yu in advance. Lu Yu called out to the accountant who was about to take the things and said, ¡°Wait a moment.¡± After thinking for a moment, he decided to reveal some of his strength and said, ¡°I¡¯m already close to the third level of the body refining realm, and the effect of the body tempering pills on me become weaker, so I want to exchange the body tempering pills for qi-blood pills of the same value, is that okay?¡± Wang Qiang was very surprised when he heard that. He didn¡¯t expect Lu Yu¡¯s strength to increase so quickly. To be able to cultivate to the second level and close to the third level of the body refining realm this quick was quite impressive. After hesitating for a moment, Wang Qiang said decisively, ¡°Exchange the body tempering pills for qi-blood pills for him. I¡¯ll bear all the consequences.¡± He thought it through clearly. The stronger Lu Yu¡¯s talent was, the greater Butler Zhang¡¯s expectations of Lu Yu would be, and the more importance he placed on Lu Yu. After hearing Wang Qiang¡¯s order, the accountant did not say anything and went into the warehouse to take out the items. ¡°According to the account book, you still have 16 body tempering pills to collect. One qi-blood pill is equivalent to eight body tempering pills. You¡¯ll get two qi-blood pills.¡± The accountant handed the porcelain bottle containing the two qi-blood pills to Lu Yu. Lu Yu opened it and took a look. There were two light red pills inside. After keeping it, he said to Wang Qiang, ¡°Thank you. If you have any problems in the future, you can ask me for help.¡± Lu Yu naturally knew why Wang Qiang took the risk to help him. Their relationship was not very close, so Lu Yu simply made things clear. He owed Wang Qiang a favor. Wang Qiang also smiled and said, ¡°Okay.¡± After getting the qi-blood pills, Lu Yu left the logistics department. If he didn¡¯t leave now, the people in the queue behind him would be angry. In the system store, one qi-blood pill cost 600 points, and one body tempering pill cost 100 points. In this way, the qi-blood pills in the system store were cheaper. Lu Yu thought as he walked, but he didn¡¯t have the intention to buy the qi-blood pills. This game was not something he could afford. He took out a gold coin. The gold coin was about the same size as a one-yuan coin, but it should not be pure gold. The coin was very hard. Lu Yu¡¯s strength now far exceeded that of an ordinary person, but he could not leave a trace on the gold coin. On the front of the gold coin was the head of the current emperor. On the back was the battle spear and battle flag that represented the strongest army of the Great Zhou Empire. They were crossed to form an X. The craftsmanship was very exquisite, and Lu Yu could even see the patterns on the war flag. [ Player has 30 gold coins detected. Do you want to top up game credit? ] [ Hint: 1 gold coin = 10 points voucher. ] Lu Yu was very surprised. Gold coins could be exchanged for points voucher? Opening the top up button in the mall, Lu Yu confirmed that other than RMB, the currency in the game could also be used to purchase game credits, but he could only buy credits with gold coins. Silver coins and copper coins could not exchange for game credits. After hesitating for a while, Lu Yu put away the gold coins and did not choose to buy game credits. The cheapest item in the system store required 100 coupons, which was 10 gold coins. Anything below 10 gold coins could not be bought. Although Lu Yu really wanted the thousand-mile communication talisman, he only had 30 gold coins on hand and could only buy three thousand-mile communication talismans. He could only send three messages to Su Peng. After thinking about it, Lu Yu gave up. After so many days playing this game, he didn¡¯t want to know the secret of the game as much as he did in the beginning. He would know sooner or later anyway. There were other uses for money. After all, the coupons could be bought at any time. Lu Yu put away the gold coins and walked to his courtyard. He met a familiar face. ¡°Lu Yu, I was looking for you. Follow me.¡± the one who spoke was Zhang Lun, who was the one who tested Lu Yu back then. He was the real patrol guard at the west courtyard¡¯s side gate. ¡°Looking for me? What¡¯s the matter?¡± Lu Yu was a little puzzled. Why was he looking for him? ¡°You were the one who blew the whistle, right? Fortunately, you blew the whistle just in time, so those black-clothed men weren¡¯t able to break into the inner courtyard. Otherwise, who knows what would have happened.¡± ¡°I need to bring you to receive the reward from the family head. On the other hand, I have a new mission for you.¡± Zhang Lun said. The two walked toward the inner courtyard and chatted as they walked. ¡°I heard that the family head is going to reward you with a top-grade mortal-class cultivation technique, the kind that can be cultivated to the peak of the body refining realm.¡± ¡°And after you become a squire, you can also obtain advanced spirt class cultivation techniques and martial skills if you make enough contribution to Han Residence.¡± ¡°Top-grade mortal-class cultivation technique? Advanced spirit-class cultivation technique? Brother Zhang, can you tell me about it? I don¡¯t know about these things,¡± Lu Yu said. ¡°Oh, I forgot. You haven¡¯t learned any related knowledge.¡± Zhang Lun cleared his throat and said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll tell you some basic cultivation knowledge.¡± ¡°First is the realm of cultivation. The body refining realm allow ones cultivates qi-blood and strengthening the body. The qi cultivating realm allow one cultivates spiritual energy, condensing qi and spirit. The qi controlling realm allow one release spiritual energy and control the spirit weapons. Each realm is divided into nine levels.¡± ¡°Then there are the cultivation techniques, which are divided into mortal and spirit classes. Most of the fist, leg, and saber techniques that are widely spread among the people are mortal class cultivation techniques. Mortal class cultivation techniques can only be cultivated to the peak of the body refining realm.¡± ¡°If you want to become a martial art cultivator in the qi cultivating realm, you need to learn spirit class cultivation techniques. Even the the grade one spirit class cultivation technique is fine. Otherwise, you can only stay at the peak of the body refining realm.¡± ¡°Spirit class cultivation techniques are divided into nine grades. Mortal level cultivation techniques have no grades. However, it is customary to call some cultivation techniques that can be cultivated to the peak of the body refining realm as top-grade mortal class cultivation techniques.¡± ¡°You must know that not all mortal class cultivation techniques can be cultivated to the peak of the body refining realm.¡± ¡°Moreover, you cannot just randomly cultivate a cultivation technique. At the very least, the second cultivation technique that you cultivate cannot conflict with your first cultivation technique.¡± ¡°Otherwise, at the very least, your cultivation will drop drastically, and it will be difficult for you to walk. At the very most, your qi-blood will go against the flow, and your body will explode and die.¡± ¡°And then that¡¯s spirit class cultivation techniques, which is the advancement of mortal class techniques. It shares great similarities with mortal class techniques, but it was less dangerous and easier to cultivate. Of course, there are also some talented ancestors who directly derived a spirit class cultivation technique from a mortal class cultivation technique.¡± ¡°However, that kind of cultivation technique is very rare, and it is not something that we can dream of.¡± ¡°Martial skills, pills, and weapons are things that are external to cultivation. In the future, you will also understand them, so I will briefly explain them to you.¡± ¡°Martial skill. Actually, the vast majority of mortal class cultivation techniques are both cultivation techniques and martial skills. It is very difficult to say whether which is which. However, martial skills and cultivation techniques above the spirit class are very different. You will know this when you become a martial art cultivator in the qi cultivating realm.¡± ¡°Spirit class martial skills are divided into nine grades. Medicinal pills are also divided into mortal class and spirit class. There is no grade for mortal class medicinal pills while spirit class is divided into nine grades. Spirit class medicinal pills are also called spirit pills. Body tempering pills, body enhancing pills, and qi-blood pills are all mortal class medicinal pills. Therefore, there is no grade for them.¡± ¡°Weapons are divided into mortal and spirit weapons, mortal weapons are divided into ordinary weapons and hundred refined weapons, and spirit weapons are divided into nine grades.¡± ¡°These are all general knowledge. You will naturally know the specifics in the future, so I don¡¯t need to explain in detail.¡± After saying this, Zhang Lun stopped and said, ¡°We¡¯re here. This is the inner court¡¯s Reward and Punishment Pavilion.¡± Lu Yu raised his head and looked over. A plaque with the words ¡®Reward and Punishment Pavilion¡¯ was hanging on it.. Chapter 18 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The person in charge of the Reward and Punishment Pavilion was Han Yaozong, the younger brother of the master. Han Yaozong looked much younger than Han Yaozu, even though they were about the same age. ¡°You are Lu Yu.¡± Han Yaozong sized up Lu Yu and said, ¡°Your whistle sounded just in time. The intruders did not cause much damage to the inner court. It was all thanks to you.¡± ¡°Pavilion Master, you flatter me. This is our responsibility as courtyard guards.¡± ¡°You¡¯re humble, good! Being humble allow you to improve more. But sometimes, it¡¯s better not to be too low-key. Some resources are only available to geniuses.¡± Han Yaozong said with a slight sigh. He suddenly asked, ¡°You¡¯re already at the third level of the body refining realm?¡± Lu Yu was shocked, ¡°How did he know?¡± He sneaked a glance at Han Yaozong¡¯s face and confirmed that this was the first time he had seen him. Moreover, he had just broken through to the third level of the body refining realm not long ago. Zhang Lun was very surprised when he heard Han Yaozong¡¯s words. Lu Yu was an ordinary person who had never cultivated more than ten days ago. It was unbelievable that he had reached the third level of the body refining realm in less than ten days. As far as he knew, it took the young master more than a month to break through to the third level of the body refining realm. In that case, Lu Yu was even more talented than the young master! Zhang Lun looked at Lu Yu carefully and thought, ¡°No wonder uncle valued him so much.¡± Furthermore, Zhang Lun did not think that Han Yaozong would make such a mistake. As far as he knew, Han Yaozong was the strongest person in the Han Residence. It was very likely that Han Yaozong had already broken through to the qi cultivating realm. However, Zhang Lun had never seen Han Yaozong fight, so he was not entirely sure if Han Yaozong had reached the qi mastery realm. ¡°Yes, I broke through when I encountered danger last night.¡± Han Yaozong could see his level, so he simply admitted it. However, Lu Yu was a little curious. He thought, ¡°How could Han Yaozong know my level (realm)? Could this be a passive skill of a high-realm martial art cultivator?¡± ¡°Hahaha!¡± Seeing that Lu Yu was so honest, Han Yaozong smiled and said, ¡°Your talent is outstanding, and you have made a great contribution. If I let you stay in the outer court, it would be a waste of your talent.¡± ¡°How about this? You move into the inner court now. Zhang Lun, remember to take him to register later.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Zhang Lun replied. Han Yaozong stretched out his right hand. He didn¡¯t make any movements, and a blue-covered cultivation technique book, two bottles of pills, and a small cloth bag appeared in his hand. Noticing that Han Yaozong had a black ring on his finger, Lu Yu guessed that it was a storage ring. When Zhang Lun looked at the ring, he revealed an envious look. Storage treasures were very rare. Han Yaozu and Han Yaozong were probably the only two people in the Han Residence who had storage treasures. When he saw the small cloth bag, Lu Yu¡¯s eyes lit up. This cloth bag was the same as the one he had received from the logistics department, which contained money. It was most likely also money. His mind immediately became active, ¡°Did I have enough money to buy credits?¡± Noticing that Lu Yu was attracted by the money bag, Han Yaozong was speechless. Other people would think of ways to get the cultivation technique. However, Lu Yu did not even look at the cultivation technique book. He was obviously more interested in the money. ¡°Take it. This cultivation technique is the Flowing Water Fist. It can be cultivated to the pinnacle of the body refining realm. The Han Residence also has the advanced spirit class cultivation technique. Of the two bottles of pills, one is the body enhancing pill, and the other is the qi-blood pill. There is a total of 200 gold in the bag. You can go and buy a handy weapon.¡± After taking the things and hesitating for a moment, Lu Yu returned the cultivation technique to Han Yaozong. ¡°Why? Are you not satisfied?¡± Han Yaozong¡¯s tone became cold. He did not expect that this Lu Yu was someone who would refuse the cultivation technique. Lu Yu shook his head and explained, ¡°No, I¡¯m very satisfied with the reward that the Han Residence gave me.¡± ¡°But in this battle, I found that my fist was at a disadvantage when facing a weapon, so I want to change it to a saber or sword technique.¡± He added, ¡°An ordinary saber or sword technique would be fine.¡± Han Yaozong¡¯s expression softened, and he smiled again. ¡°Okay! Actually, after cultivating to the qi cultivating realm, the gap between the fist and saber techniques is not as huge as you think.¡± ¡°But if you want to change, I¡¯ll change it for you. Let me look¡­ I found it. I obtained this saber technique when I was traveling outside in the early years, but it¡¯s only half of it. It¡¯s not a problem to cultivate it to the peak of the body refining realm.¡± Han Yaozong put away the Flowing Water Fist technique and handed a piece of rags to Lu Yu. There was a saber technique recorded on it, but only the first half was torn off. ¡°I don¡¯t know the name of this saber technique, so I call it the Nameless Saber Technique.¡± Han Yaozu said. Lu Yu was speechless, but he still thanked him for helping him. ¡°Thank you, Pavilion Master.¡± ¡°You just have to remember we Han Residence treats you well. There¡¯s no need to thank me,¡± Han Yaozong waved his hand and spoke. ¡°Zhang Lun, take him to register.¡± Han Yaozong said and walked to the second floor of the reward pavilion. ¡°Yes.¡± Zhang Lun took Lu Yu away. After the two of them went to the manager of the inner court to register, he took Lu Yu to pack up and move into the inner court. The place allocated to Lu Yu was much bigger than the outer court. The inner court was the real courtyard, while the outer court was like the corridor used to hang clothes. There was a green tree in the courtyard that was thicker than Lu Yu¡¯s waist. There was one in each courtyard, but the height of the tree was different. Seeing Lu Yu looking at the tree in the courtyard, Zhang Lun said, ¡°This is a variant of the spirit gathering tree ¡ª the spirit converging tree. The spirit gathering tree is a rare tree species planted in some big families and government academies. It can increase the concentration of the surrounding spiritual energy and improve the cultivation effect.¡± ¡°The spirit gathering tree is very rare. Han Residence doesn¡¯t have one either. However, the spirit converging tree, which has a weaker effect, is planted everywhere in the inner courtyard of the Han Residence.¡± ¡°Although the effects are much weaker, it¡¯s still better to have nothing. At least it can add some greenery. When I see the vibrant spirit converging tree, my mood will also be better.¡± Lu Yu nodded in agreement with what he said. It was indeed beneficial to look at the greenery more often to maintain a good mood. Previously, Lu Yu had thought that the trees in the inner courtyard were planted to beautify the environment. He did not expect them to have such functions. However, Lu Yu did not sense any difference between the surroundings of the spirit converging tree and the outer courtyard. The air was not fresher, and he could not feel the spiritual energy that Zhang Lun had mentioned. After Zhang Lun helped Lu Yu move, he said, ¡°Now that you are the courtyard guard of the inner courtyard, you do not need to continue on duty in the outer courtyard. Moreover, due to the invasion of the black-clothed men, many guards of the inner courtyard have suffered casualties.¡± ¡°Therefore, there are some key areas that are lacking in manpower. Butler Zhang wants you to go to Windmill Town and be responsible for the safety of some of the Han Residence¡¯s shops in town. You can also help Butler Zhang.¡± ¡°Go to the town?¡± Lu Yu looked at Zhang Lun and was a little excited. He could finally leave the Han Residence to take a look. He had stayed in this novice village for such a long time. Lu Yu first waited for Zhang Lun¡¯s notice at his new home. He was not the only one who was going to town. He counted the things he had obtained today. There was a total of 10 body enhancing pills, 12 qi-blood pills, 230 gold coins, and an incomplete Nameless Saber Technique book. The pills and the Nameless Saber Technique were the most valuable ones. Their value far exceeded the money he had obtained. Lu Yu used the scanning function in the system store to search for the Nameless Saber Technique. He found that he could really buy the follow-up cultivation technique of the Nameless Saber Technique. Because he had a portion of the saber technique, the total price was 30% off, and it required 700,000 points. The system store showed that the real name of the Nameless Saber Technique was ¡ª Edgeless Blade Technique. It was a spirit class third grade saber technique, and its power was even stronger than many spirit class fourth grade saber techniques. The reason why it was spirit class third grade instead of spirit class fourth grade was because the cultivation direction of this saber technique was too extreme. The Edgeless Blade Technique emphasized one word ¡ª heavy. The blade had to be heavy, which required huge strength to swing around. It had to be used with indomitable force, breaking through ten thousand techniques with a single move. The creator firmly believed that attack was the best defense, so the Edgeless Blade Technique did not have any defensive moves. The technique focused on how to unleash the greatest power. The technique only had one move ¡ª Heaven¡¯s Fall. The first half of the technique focused on how to cultivate qi-blood, using qi-blood to unleash the strongest attack. The second half focused on how to cultivate spiritual energy, using spiritual energy to combine qi-blood to unleash even stronger attack. The Edgeless Blade Technique was all about explosive attack, which was why it was comparable to a spirit class fourth grade saber technique. Perhaps one day, after he had saved up 70,000 gold coins, he could buy the second half of the Edgeless Blade Technique. However, it was better not to think so far ahead now. He was only at body refining third realm and was still far from the qi cultivating realm. He chose to learn the first half of the Edgeless Blade Technique, and it was quickly loaded. [ New cultivation technique comprehended ¡ª Edgeless Blade Art (first level ] [ New skill comprehended ¡ª Edgeless Blade Technique ¡ª Heaven¡¯s Fall (beginner) ] Edgeless Blade Art required 1,000 experience points, while upgrading Edgeless Blade Technique required 2,000 experience points. Lu Yu gave up leveling up the new skill, he did not have enough experience points. Moreover, Lu Yu could not even use the Edgeless Blade Technique either. His newbie level was not enough to support him to unleash the power of Heaven¡¯s Fall, so even if he used it forcefully, it might not be as powerful as the Fierce Tiger Fist Style. Looking at the 837 experience points he had now, Lu Yu hesitated for a moment, but still did not use it. He wanted to wait and see if there was a chance to gather 1,000 experience points to upgrade the Edgeless Blade Art. After learning the Edgeless Blade Art, Zhang Lun had not come over yet, so Lu Yu practiced the Fierce Tiger Fist Style. Now that he did not have the saber that met the requirements, he could not practice the Edgeless Blade Art, so he could only practice the Fierce Tiger Fist Style first. Anyway, before he cultivated to the seventh level of the body refining realm, the Fierce Tiger Fist Style still had the effect of increasing his qi-blood. Cultivating under the spirit converging tree, Lu Yu found that the qi-blood in his body seemed to be more active than before, and the speed of the growth of his qi-blood increased slightly. ¡°Looks like this spirit converging tree is really useful.¡± When Zhang Lun brought the news to Lu Yu¡¯s courtyard, he saw that Lu Yu was actually cultivating in his free time while waiting for the news. He couldn¡¯t help but feel admiration in his heart. He thought to himself, ¡°It seems that it¡¯s reasonable for him to be able to reach the third level of the body refining realm so quickly. His talent is stronger than others, and he¡¯s even more hardworking in cultivation.¡± ¡°I also want to learn from him and cherish every minute of cultivation time!¡± After Zhang Lun reflected himself, he waited for Lu Yu to finish a set of fist techniques before coming in to tell him to prepare to set off.. Chapter 19 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Although the Han Residence was part of Windmill Town, it was not located in the town. Instead, it was located on the mountainside of Wind Rock Mountain, which was about twenty miles away from the town. Zhang Lun led the convoy of Han Residence and everyone toward Windmill Town. Wind Rock Mountain produced wind rock. Wind rock was a special stone material that had a higher hardness than ordinary stones, but its weight was only one-tenth of the same volume of stone material. It was a rare stone that had a wide range of uses. Trading of wind rock was also the main business of the Han Residence. The taxes of wind rock trading to the government each year was worth more than 100,000 gold. Right now, Zhang Lun¡¯s convoy was carrying a batch of freshly mined wind rocks. Zhang Lun was not the only one. The a few guards who were responsible for escorting the stone. Lu Yu also saw Yang Xiu in the team. When he saw Yang Xiu again after a long time, Lu Yu couldn¡¯t help but recall his previous guess. He quietly moved toward the crowd, trying his best not to attract Yang Xiu¡¯s attention. ¡°My strength is still too weak!¡± Lu Yu lamented in his heart. He learned from Zhang Lun that Yang Xiu was a martial art cultivator at the seventh level of the body refining realm. However, after learning that Yang Xiu might be plotting something against the Han Residence, Lu Yu suspected Yang Xiu¡¯s strength was already at qi cultivating realm. It was normal for a person who was plotting something evil to hide his strength. The convoy arrived at Windmill Town without any accidents along the way. Lu Yu also left the convoy and went to the place that Zhang Lun told him to go on a new mission. However, this time, he did not receive any new daily missions. Lu Yu felt that it was a pity. But after he thought about it, the daily missions were so simple. It was most likely the benefits of the novice village. Since he had already left the novice village, it made sense that he did not have any daily missions. According to the route that Zhang Lun had described to him, Lu Yu found a business that belonged to the Han family ¡ª the Ji Min Hall. The Ji Min Hall was a medicine shop that sold medicine to treat the illness of ordinary people, as well as pills needed for the cultivation of martial art cultivator. Currently, the person in charge of the Ji Min Hall was Butler Zhang. He had come to Windmill Town under the orders of Han Yaozu to look for the masterminds behind the Wild Wolf Sect, Blood Blade Sect, Fierce Tiger Sect, and other forces. He was also the one who had arranged for Lu Yu to be here. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m looking for Butler Zhang.¡± Lu Yu walked into the medicine shop and said to the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper looked at Lu Yu and asked, ¡°Are you Lu Yu?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Go upstairs from the back. Butler Zhang is waiting for you there.¡± Lu Yu heard this and walked into the back door of the medicine shop. He saw a staircase that led to the second floor and walked up. Butler Zhang was sitting in the hall on the second floor. He listened to the intelligence that his subordinates had gathered during this period of time. He picked up his teacup and took a sip. He turned around and saw Lu Yu going upstairs. He said to his subordinate, ¡°Go down.¡± The subordinate replied and went down to the second floor. Lu Yu saw that only him and Butler Zhang were left on the second floor. He was a little confused, ¡°What did Butler Zhang want to do?¡± For a moment, he stood at the entrance of the stairs and pondered. He did not know whether to move forward or retreat. ¡°Come here. What are you still standing there for?¡± Lu Yu responded and walked to the front of Butler Zhang. ¡°You have already cultivated to the third level of the body refining realm?¡± Butler Zhang looked at Lu Yu carefully. When Butler Zhang received the news, he was also a little surprised. He had not broken through to the qi cultivating realm yet, so he could not sense what level Lu Yu was at. Unless he had a contact with Lu Yu, then he could sense what level Lu Yu¡¯s qi-blood was at. Butler Zhang didn¡¯t touch Lu Yu to verify it. He trusted Han Yaozong¡¯s judgment. ¡°Yes, I had a sudden breakthrough when I was in danger last night. I didn¡¯t expect it either.¡± Butler Zhang took a sip of tea, he said, ¡°It¡¯s normal to have a breakthrough in a life and death situation. A battle will stimulate your qi-blood to boil, especially at the critical moment. When your qi-blood boil to the limit, you will break through.¡± ¡°This means that not only do you have talent in cultivation, but you also have talent in battle. Only people with a strong will can make a breakthrough while facing the threat of death.¡± Lu Yu quietly listened to Butler Zhang¡¯s words. ¡°I called you to Windmill Town this time because I have a task for you.¡± Butler Zhang put down his teacup and his expression became serious. ¡°The group of black-clothed men who broke into the Han Residence last night were the underground gangs like the Wild Wolf Sect, the Blood Blade Sect, the Fierce Tiger Sect, and other gangs in Windmill Town. Behind them, there is a mysterious mastermind causing everything that has happened in the Han Residence these past few days.¡± ¡°I suspect that even young master Han Fan was coerced by the mastermind. That was why he broke into the family head¡¯s study room. After he failed, the mastermind prevented Han Fan from revealing his identity, so he killed him.¡± Lu Yu felt somewhat helpless when he heard this. Not only did he know that Han Fan was killed by the mastermind, but he also knew who the mastermind was. He was a little hesitant now as to whether he should tell Butler Zhang that Yang Xiu was the behind-the-scenes mastermind. Based on his judgment, Butler Zhang would not conspire with Yang Xiu to plan these things. However, If Butler Zhang was in cahoots with Yang Xiu, he would be silenced. Moreover, Yang Xiu had left the Han Residence with the team. Even if Butler Zhang was not in cahoots with Yang Xiu and he told Butler Zhang his suspicious, he might not be able to catch Yang Xiu now. If Yang Xiu escaped, Lu Yu would have to live in fear. After all, Han Fan had been killed silently by Yang Xiu in the heavily guarded Han Residence. At that time, there were several body refining realm guards not far away from Han Fan. Plus, Han Residence would not provide him with guards to protect him. Moreover, the guards of Han Residence had no chance to defeat Yang Xiu, except maybe the squires. After Lu Yu thought about the consequences, he decided to wait for a while before telling the truth after he became stronger. Or he could use someone else¡¯s mouth to tell the truth to Han Residence, but this way, he would not be able to get the reward for finding out the mastermind! After considering all the circumstances and consequences, Lu Yu decided not to expose Yang Xiu until he was strong enough. Thinking of this, Lu Yu heaved a sigh of relief. He quietly listened to Butler Zhang talk about the clues he had gathered over the past few days. ¡°The Wild Wolf Sect, Blood Blade Sect, Fierce Tiger Sect, and other underground gangs were attacked by a mysterious masked man a year ago. After this incident, the conflict between the gangs has obviously decreased. I suspect that this masked man is the mastermind behind the attack.¡± ¡°Combined with the fire that happened last night, we can already confirm that there¡¯s a mole in the Han Residence. It¡¯s hard to say whether this mole is the masked man.¡± ¡°However, finding out the mole in the Han Residence is much more important than finding traces of the masked man. I have to go back now and think of a way to find the mole hidden in the Han Residence.¡± ¡°I called you here because I trust you.¡± Butler Zhang continued, ¡°The task of finding the masked man is handed to you.¡± ¡°If you can find the mastermind behind all of this and make contributions, coupled with your talent, it will be enough for the family head to accept you as a disciple of the Han family with a different surname and grant you freedom.¡± ¡°If you want to go to the academy to further your studies, the Han Residence will also give full support and provide cultivation resources.¡± ¡°The events that have happened in the past few days are indeed a disaster for the Han Residence, but for you, it is an opportunity. Seize this opportunity, and you will be able to success and change your life.¡± Butler Zhang said earnestly. The Han family desperately needed a genius, and they needed a martial art cultivator with a high cultivation as a support. Even if Lu Yu was not of the Han family¡¯s bloodline, it would be still beneficial to the Han Residence. When Lu Yu became stronger, he would still remember the Han family had supported him when he was in trouble. He would repay Han family¡¯s favor by then. Although Han Yaozong¡¯s cultivation had reached the spirit mastery realm, it was far from enough to support the Han family by a mere expert. If possible, with the help of the powerful warriors from the Han family, the Han family could still have a chance to revive the glory of their ancestors. Butler Zhang knew how powerful the Han family was back then. He was eager to revive Han family, eager to get the powerful warriors who would support the Han family to take back everything they had lost. He placed the hope of the Han family¡¯s revival on Lu Yu, which was why he valued Lu Yu so much. Especially after learning that Lu Yu¡¯s talent was far beyond his imagination, he had already thought of the next steps to tie Lu Yu to the Han clan. Or rather, tie the Han clan to Lu Yu. Of course, things could not be forced. Extreme measures would only backfire. Therefore, Butler Zhang had given Lu Yu the task of finding the masked man in order to create an opportunity to tie Lu Yu and the Han clan together. Taking Lu Yu in as an external disciple of the Han clan, providing Lu Yu with resources for cultivation, and sending Lu Yu to the academy for further study. Butler Zhang had already planned the follow-up. As long as Lu Yu could become stronger, the Han clan would have hope of revival. Of course, Butler Zhang had invested in more than one talent like Lu Yu over the years. It was just that Lu Yu was the most talented one that he had met. After Lu Yu heard Butler Zhang¡¯s words, he was a little confused. Butler Zhang was too good to him. Butler Zhang had given Lu Yu such a good opportunity and explained so much to him. Butler Zhang treated Lu Yu so well as if Lu Yu was his illegitimate child. Lu Yu shook his head and cleared his mind of unnecessary thoughts. He was sitting on a chair on the second floor. Butler Zhang had already left. Currently, everyone in the Ji Min Hall listened to him. This was an order that Butler Zhang had given to his subordinates before he left. Lu Yu poured himself a cup of tea and drank it in one gulp. He felt that things had become quite interesting. He had only gone out for a single trip, and he had already gone from being a courtyard guard to being the person in charge of an important business of the Han Residence. This rise in status was a too good to be true. The Ji Min Hall was in charge of the medicinal herbs and medicinal pills business and was also in charge of the supply of the many medicinal pills that the Han Residence consumed on a daily basis. However, such an important business was actually handed over to him so easily. Lu Yu did not know what Butler Zhang was thinking. He picked up the teapot and poured tea directly into his mouth, ¡°Forget it. I¡¯ll stop thinking about it.¡± After putting down the teapot, he went downstairs to ask about the accommodation that they had arranged for him. A person brought him through the Ji Min Hall and came to the back of the street. It was a small courtyard that was specially prepared for people from the Han Residence. A small courtyard and a two-story building were Lu Yu¡¯s residence. After sending the others away, Lu Yu took out the qi-blood pill and prepared to see the effects of the qi-blood pill. As for finding the mastermind behind the scenes, it was an extremely simple matter for him. He just did not have enough strength to protect himself if he exposed the mastermind. He threw the qi-blood pill into his mouth and chewed it before swallowed it his stomach. He concluded that the qi-blood pill did not taste as good as the body tempering pill. After eating the qi-blood pill, Lu Yu quickly felt that his qi-blood were circulating at an accelerated speed. He began to cultivate in AFK mode. While he was cultivating Fierce Tiger Fist Style in AFK, Lu Yu was thinking of buying a saber that was heavy and strong enough.. Chapter 20 - Hundred Forged Greatsword Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After consuming a qi-blood pill, Lu Yu changed into ordinary clothes and walked out of the Ji Min Hall. Seeing the two people following behind him, he said, ¡°Don¡¯t follow me. I just entered the Han Residence not long ago, and the people in the town don¡¯t know me. If you follow me, my identity will be exposed, and it will not be convenient for me to investigate what Butler Zhang has told us to.¡± The two of them looked at each other, then stopped in their tracks and returned to the Ji Min Hall. The real reason why Lu Yu did not let them follow him was because he did not want Butler Zhang to know that he did not put any effort into investigating the mastermind behind the scenes. He was only strolling around the town to see if he could buy a weapon that met the requirements for practicing the Edgeless Blade Technique. He did not have any intention of investigating in detail. It would be fine if he could not find any clues. If he really found any clues, then he would be in big trouble. While walking on the crowded street, he could hear shouts of hawkers and vendors. Occasionally, he could see a few martial art cultivators, but they did not carry any weapons. This was because there was a law that forbade anyone from carrying weapons in the town, especially martial art cultivators. If one brought weapons in the streets, they would be directly arrested by the official and sent to prison, unless one obtained special permission. Although it was forbidden for civilians to bring weapons on the streets, there were still many shops selling weapons. Except for a few types of prohibited weapons, most types of weapons could be bought in weapon shops. Of course, Lu Yu brought weapons when he went out, but he put them in his backpack. Windmill Town was neither big nor small. It was five miles wide on both east and west side. With Lu Yu¡¯s speed, even if he walked normally, he could quickly go from one end of Windmill Town to the other. After walking for a short while on the street, he saw a three-story shop. From afar, he could see the shop¡¯s signboard ¡ª Divine Weapon Pavilion. Most of the buildings in Windmill Town only had two floors. This three-story pavilion was the tallest building in Windmill Town. It was exceptionally eye-catching. Not to mention, the words ¡®Divine Weapon Pavilion¡¯ that was glowing in broad daylight were even more eye-catching. It also attracted Lu Yu¡¯s attention. Raising his head to look at the three words that were glowing, Lu Yu was a little curious, ¡°How did it light up?¡± ¡°Welcome.¡± The welcoming lady standing at the entrance of the Divine Weapon Pavilion said to Lu Yu. Lu Yu walked into the Divine Weapon Pavilion. The first floor of the pavilion was simple but not simple. From the decorations, it could be seen that the prices of the items here were definitely very high. In the spacious hall, the walls were filled with weapons. If the guests had a weapon that they liked, they could directly take it down and try it out. The price and grade of all the weapons were marked at the bottom. Lu Yu roughly looked through the weapons on the first floor and realized that they were all hundred refined weapons. The price was more than 300 gold coins. It was not something that he could afford. Although he could not afford it, it did not stop Lu Yu from testing it. Hundred refined weapons were different from ordinary weapons. They were obviously stronger and sharper, and there were naturally formed patterns on the weapons after being forged. They were many times more beautiful than ordinary weapons. After a few glances, Lu Yu left the Divine Weapon Pavilion. He had no choice. The things inside were too expensive, and he could not afford a single thing at all. As soon as he walked out, he saw the Tang Blacksmith Store opposite the Divine Weapon Pavilion. The Tang Blacksmith Store only had one floor, and its exterior looked much poorer than the Divine Weapon Pavilion. However, its business seemed to be better than the Divine Weapon Pavilion. When the Divine Weapon Pavilion only had a few customers, the Tang Blacksmith Store was filled with people. The sounds of forging were deafening, and there were customers kept coming in and out to buy things. Lu Yu walked to the entrance of the Tang Blacksmith Store and found that the shop sold both weapons and farm tools. No wonder so many people were going in and out, and the Tang Blacksmith Store also made custom weapons. After knowing that the Tang Blacksmith Store could custom-make weapons, Lu Yu went to the owner and planned to get one. After all, it was difficult to find the weapon he needed. Boss Tang looked young. His upper body was bare, and his body was full of muscles from years of forging. After hearing Lu Yu¡¯s request, he took the clothes tied to his waist and wiped his sweat. He handed the hammer to the person next to him and said to Lu Yu, ¡°Follow me.¡± Boss Tang brought Lu Yu to the warehouse in the backyard. There were a lot of weapons that had been forged here. There were also a few hundred refined weapons with forging patterns hanging on the wall. It could be seen that they were well maintained. When they reached the innermost part of the warehouse, Boss Tang opened a large wooden box on the ground. Lu Yu stuck his head out and looked inside. Inside the wooden box was an exaggerated-looking flat-headed sword. Boss Tang looked at the sword with his eyes full of memories. He said, ¡°This sword is called the Hundred Forged Greatsword. It was forged from the discarded weapons of my father.¡± ¡°Back then, my father was the best blacksmith in the town. All his life, he only forged hundred refined weapons. If the weapon did not meet his requirements, even if it was perfect, he would not sell it.¡± ¡°But when the Divine Weapon Pavilion appeared in the town, the business of our store became worse. Although the hundred refined weapons forged by my father were not inferior to the Divine Weapon Pavilion, their prices were even cheaper.¡± ¡°However, the Divine Weapon Pavilion¡¯s reputation spread far and wide. It was not something that the Tang Blacksmith Store could compare to. Moreover, it took my father several months to forge a hundred refined weapon. The blacksmiths of the Divine Weapon Pavilion only needed a few days to make one.¡± ¡°After my father passed away, the Tang¡¯s Blacksmith Shop stopped forging hundred refined weapons and only focused on the low-end market. Only then did the business gradually improve.¡± Boss Tang turned around and looked at the few weapons hanging on the wall. He said, ¡°Those are the last hundred refined weapons my father forged. It¡¯s a pity that he couldn¡¯t find a suitable owner for them. If you want one, it¡¯s 200 gold coins per one. You can just pick the one you like.¡± After saying so much, Lu Yu was almost moved by him. Boss Tang came up with a sales pitch and Lu Yu was almost completely persuaded to buy a hundred refined weapon. ¡°No need, I only want this heavy sword.¡± Lu Yu picked up the big sword in the box. When he grabbed the hilt, Lu Yu felt that the sword was very heavy. He reached out with both hands to hold the hilt and lifted the sword with force. He could barely swing the sword, and the weight was enough. Seeing that Lu Yu didn¡¯t have the intention to buy a hundred refined weapon, Boss Tang felt it was a pity, but he still introduced it to Lu Yu seriously. ¡°This heavy sword was forged from my father¡¯s discarded weapon. Although it wasn¡¯t forged into a weapon, the material used to forge it has been forged by my father for a long time. Its quality is very close to the quality of a hundred refined weapon.¡± ¡°In theory, even a hundred refined weapon isn¡¯t as hard as this sword, but after all, it¡¯s a weapon forged from smelting many unwanted weapons. It¡¯s still a little brittle, and it¡¯s easy to break when it collides with something harder than it.¡± ¡°But don¡¯t worry, I used a special forging method to make up for the flaw of the sword¡¯s body being too big and hard and brittle.¡± ¡°Nearly a hundred useless weapons were used to forge this sword. Taking into account the loss during the smelting process, this sword¡¯s weight is around 600 jin.¡± After Lu Yu heard this, he couldn¡¯t help but be speechless. He was actually able to pick up a 600 jin large sword as a weapon. Just the force of its sword strike alone was enough to crush a martial art cultivator at the fourth level of the body refining realm However, it wasn¡¯t easy for Lu Yu to wield this huge sword that weighed 600 jin. The Hundred Forged Greatsword didn¡¯t have a tip or a blade. Other than its appearance being similar to a sword, it couldn¡¯t even be called a sword. It was more like a sword-shaped hammer. Boss Tang also understood this point. When he had forged the Hundred Forged Greatsword, he had never thought of selling it. He just didn¡¯t want to waste the useless weapons that his father had abandoned. After all, even if it was a useless weapon, it had cost his father a lot of effort. Therefore, he had forged all the useless weapons into a great sword as a memorial. Now that he had the opportunity to sell it, Boss Tang didn¡¯t dare to offer a high price. ¡°How about this! If you give me 500 gold coins, this great sword will belong to you. Although it¡¯s not a hundred refined weapon, it costs a lot of materials!¡± Lu Yu silently put down the sword and did not say a word. Boss Tang immediately became anxious. Other than Lu Yu, there was probably no one else who would buy this sword. Even if the sword used more materials than a hundred refined weapon, it would end up in the warehouse. ¡°400 gold coins, 400 gold coins is the best price. I can¡¯t lower the price anymore. Just the materials alone cost more than that.¡± ¡°Boss Tang, other than me, who else would want this sword? Do you think you can sell this scrap metal for 400 gold coins? It¡¯ll just collecting dust in the warehouse anyway. Why don¡¯t you sell it to me at a cheaper price? I¡¯ll buy it for 100 gold coins.¡± When Boss Tang heard Lu Yu¡¯s offer, his mouth twitched a little. ¡°300, at least 300 gold coins.¡± ¡°150 gold coins, this is the highest price I can offer!¡± ¡­ After some bargaining, Lu Yu finally got the greatsword for 230 gold coins, which was almost all his money. Although Boss Tang was not satisfied with the price, he was still very happy to be able to sell the greatsword. He personally sent Lu Yu out of the store. Lu Yu carried the wooden box with the greatsword on his back and left the blacksmith store. Lu Yu could not carry weapons on the streets. However, if he bought weapons from the weapon store, wrapped them in a layer of packaging and affixed the exclusive logo of the weapon store, he would not be arrested by the officials. Although Lu Yu planned to practice Edgeless Blade Technique, he didn¡¯t really need a saber or sword to practice. As long as the conditions were met, other weapons could also be used for practice. However, the more the weapon resembled a saber, the better the effect. That was why Lu Yu bought the Hundred Forged Greatsword. More importantly, a custom-made saber of the same weight might not be as good as the Hundred Forged Greatsword in quality, but the price would definitely be much more expensive. He walked into an empty alley, put the Hundred Forged Greatsword into his backpack, and then walked to other places. He was supposed to look for clues. If he went back too early, wouldn¡¯t it mean that he did not put in any effort to look for clues? Therefore, Lu Yu decided to walk around the town first to experience the ancient culture vibe of the town. There was still an hour before the sky would turn dark. He would walk around for an hour before going back to cultivate. This way, no one would suspect that he was slacking off. Then, Lu Yu walked to a deserted place. The environment here was very poor, and there were often unknown black objects on the roadside. The drainage ditch was also emitting a stench. Just as he walked into this place, Lu Yu smelled the stench in the air and turned around, wanting to leave this place. ¡°Catch him, don¡¯t let him escape! That kid stole my money. He used to be a member of the Wild Wolf Sect. Now that the Wild Wolf Sect has been destroyed by the Han Residence. I¡¯m going to beat him to death!¡± A group of people rushed out from the stinky alley and chased after a stinky kid dressed in tattered clothes. They ran towards Lu Yu.. Chapter 21 - I Dont Want It, Dont Come Near Me! Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio When the escaping child saw Lu Yu, his eyes lit up and he shouted, ¡°Big Brother, save me! These guys said that our Wild Wolf Sect was destroyed. We must teach them a lesson and let them know how powerful our Wild Wolf Sect is.¡± When the few people behind heard the child¡¯s words, their speed slowed down, and they were a little uncertain. They were wondering if the news of the Wild Wolf Sect being destroyed was fake. Then, they carefully observed Lu Yu and realized that Lu Yu was only a teenager. Even if he was really from the Wild Wolf Sect, he was not that powerful. The few of them looked at each other and then moved closer to Lu Yu and the child. They held knives that were stained with unknown stains and shouted, ¡°So what if he¡¯s from the Wild Wolf Sect? Kill him as well!¡± When Lu Yu saw that they were chasing after the child and were coming towards him, he intended to avoid them. He did not expect that the child would actually say that he was a member of the Wild Wolf Sect and drag him down into this mess. The child¡¯s body was emitting a foul smell, his skin and clothes were dyed black. When the child running towards Lu Yu, he wanted to slap the child away. Unfortunately, the few people chasing after the child seemed to see him as the child¡¯s accomplice. They were after him as well. Lu Yu looked around and picked up a stick that was leaning against the wall. He did not want to touch their knife and clothes that were covered with unknown objects. The stick hit the child¡¯s stomach and sent him flying. The child lay on the ground motionlessly. Lu Yu hated trouble, especially this kind of meaningless trouble. When they saw Lu Yu send the child flying, they felt that something was wrong. However, they did not think too much and rushed over with knives. In their eyes, Lu Yu, who only held a wooden stick, was definitely not their opponent. The strength of these people was average. They were probably martial art cultivators at the second level of the body refining realm. If not for the unknown black stains on their swords and bodies, Lu Yu would have already beaten them to the ground with his hands. Lu Yu hit the wrists of the three people holding the swords with the stick. The extremely intimidating swords in their hands fell. The people realized that Lu Yu was not easy to deal with. They did not even dare to say anything harsh, so they abandoned the knives and turned around to escape. Lu Yu was too lazy to chase after them. He threw away the wooden stick and walked towards the direction of Ji Min Hall. He had only taken a few steps when he realized that child, Little Tail behind him. He deliberately walked into an alley. When Little Tail saw that Lu Yu had turned into an alley and disappeared into the crowd, he hurriedly chased after Lu Yu. When he ran into the alley but did not find Lu Yu, he was a little disappointed. ¡°Why are you following me?¡± Lu Yu appeared at the entrance of the alley and blocked Little Tail¡¯s path. ¡°I know you.¡± Little Tail said. Lu Yu rolled his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s none of my business that you know me. I don¡¯t know you. Don¡¯t follow me. Otherwise, I won¡¯t just hit you with a stick only!¡± After saying that, Lu Yu turned around and left. He did not want to know anything about Little Tail at all. He only wanted to cultivate quietly. When he had enough strength, he would expose Yang Xiu and receive the grand prize. Seeing that Lu Yu turned around and left without any hesitation, Little Tail panicked and hurriedly chased after him. ¡°I know you. You used to be a beggar like me in the Black Water Gutter. Half a month ago, you were taken away by the Han Residence.¡± ¡°You¡¯re from the Han Residence. You must really want to know about the mysterious person behind the Wild Wolf Sect, Fierce Tiger Sect, and Bloody Blade Sect. I once accidentally bumped into the mysterious person looking for the chiefs of the three sects. I know who the mysterious person is!¡± Lu Yu suddenly turned his head. Seeing that Little Tail was about to bump into him, he quickly stepped to the right. Little Tail stopped abruptly and fell to the ground. ¡°I don¡¯t want to know who the mysterious person is. Don¡¯t tell me.¡± Seeing the child get up, Lu Yu added, ¡°Don¡¯t come near me.¡± Little Tail was very puzzled. The people of the Han Residence were obviously looking for the mysterious person everywhere. Why did Lu Yu refuse to know the clues of the mysterious person? ¡°Don¡¯t you know that the Han Residence will give you a big reward for finding the mysterious person?¡± ¡°I know, but I don¡¯t want it.¡± Lu Yu ignored Little Tail and walked out of the alley. ¡°The mysterious person is from the Han Residence. I don¡¯t know his name, but I can recognize him.¡± Lu Yu stopped in his tracks. He looked a little helpless. What was the point? Why was he forcing himself? Lu Yu did not think that this kid would be able to recognize Yang Xiu. He was hesitating. Should he kill the kid? This kid¡¯s existence was a huge threat. Whether it was Yang Xiu found out that Lu Yu knew he was the mastermind from this kid, or Butler Zhang found out that Lu Yu was unwilling to tell him the truth, both situations were not good to Lu Yu. After hesitating for a long time, Lu Yu still could not bring himself to do it. Although he was annoyed by the fact that Little Tail had caused trouble to him, he could not do such thing to a child. After a long time, Lu Yu said helplessly, ¡°Come with me! But I¡¯m warning you, before I give you permission, don¡¯t tell anyone about the mysterious person. No matter who it is.¡± ¡°Once I know that you have told others, you should know the consequences. I don¡¯t need to tell you.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Little Tail smiled happily and promised, ¡°I will definitely not tell anyone else. I have only told you about this. I have never told anyone else.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. Remember what I said.¡± said Lu Yu. ¡°I will remember it!¡± Little Tail nodded seriously. After returning to the courtyard that the Ji Min Hall had arranged for him, Lu Yu called over a subordinate. He pointed at Little Tail and said, ¡°Bring him to wash up and give him a new set of clothes. From now on, he will be staying here. Without my permission, he cannot walk out of this door.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± A subordinate brought Little Tail to take a shower and change his clothes. However, when the subordinate came back, Lu Yu felt that there was something wrong with the way the subordinate looked at him. Just when he was wondering why, he saw a girl walking out from behind his subordinate. ¡°A girl?¡± Lu Yu sat in the room and stood in front of Little Tail who had washed up and changed into a new set of clothes. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± ¡°I thought you knew.¡± After Little Tail was washed up, even her personality seemed to have changed. She didn¡¯t look like a wild boy anymore. She stood where she was and rolled up the corner of her clothes as she said softly. Lu Yu picked up the teacup and was about to take a sip of water when he heard what she said. His hand paused for a moment. He suddenly poured all the water in the teacup into his mouth. ¡°Alright! What¡¯s done is done. I can¡¯t kick her out now!¡± Lu Yu thought. ¡°You will sleep in that room from now on.¡± Lu Yu pointed to a bedroom casually. ¡°And you are not allowed to leave this courtyard without my permission.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Little Tail nodded softly. Gu¡­ The sound came from Little Tail¡¯s stomach. Lu Yu looked at her twice and went out to ask someone to arrange for dinner for her. He had eaten the marching ball previously and did not need to eat dinner. That was why he forgot to eat. During dinner, Little Tail returned to her wild appearance, afraid that others would snatch her food. Lu Yu ate some food and then began to cultivate. He took out the Hundred Forged Greatsword, ate a qi-blood pill, and began to practice the Edgeless Blade Technique in AFK mode. The qi-blood pill was different from the body tempering pill. The qi-blood pill had the effect of replenishing qi-blood. It could be taken multiple times a day to speed up cultivation, and it could also recover qi-blood during battle. However, very few people would directly consume the qi-blood pill during battle to recover their depleted qi-blood. This was because the recovering speed was too slow. Before the qi-blood pill could have any effect, the battle had already ended. Therefore, the qi-blood pills were mostly used to replenish the qi-blood that was consumed during cultivation. Previously, when Lu Yu did not consume the qi-blood pills, he could only increase his qi-blood by 1 point when cultivated the Fierce Tiger Fist in AFK mode. After consuming the qi-blood pills, he could increase his qi-blood by 2 points for the same amount of time. After the system took over his body, Lu Yu began to cultivate the Edgeless Blade Technique. He could feel that his qi-blood were being rapidly consumed. The qi-blood pills were replenishing the qi-blood that was used during cultivation. The qi-blood consumption rate of cultivating the Edgeless Blade Technique was much faster than cultivating the Fierce Tiger Fist Style. Very soon, Lu Yu could feel that the qi-blood pills in his stomach were no longer gushing out qi-blood. After a while, Lu Yu automatically withdrew from his cultivation state. As soon as his consciousness took over his body, he felt that his entire body was sore and weak. In particular, the arms and waist that he used to wield the Hundred Forged Greatsword felt as if they were no longer his. He could not feel anything at all. He used his consciousness to put the Hundred Forged Greatsword on the ground into his backpack and walked towards the second floor with heavy steps. ¡°Do you need me to help you?¡± Little Tail saw his appearance and ran over to ask. She still remembered that Lu Yu had said before not to get close to him. ¡°No need. You can go to sleep by yourself.¡± Lu Yu did not even look at her. He went upstairs and used his shoulder to push open the door of the room. He closed the door and directly laid on the bed to sleep. After Little Tail was rejected, she didn¡¯t say anything and went back to her room to sleep. The next day, when Lu Yu logged into the game, he found that his body was still a little sore. ¡°Looks like I can only practice the Edgeless Blade Technique once every two days.¡± Lu Yu sighed. However, after seeing his qi-blood, his mood immediately improved. Edgeless Blade Technique was worthy of being a third-grade spirit class technique. In just a short period of time when he practiced last night, he had actually increased his qi-blood by three points, which was even more than practicing the Fierce Tiger Fist Style every day. And this was only the first level of the Edgeless Blade Technique. When it was upgraded to the second level, the cultivation speed would be even faster. Right now, Lu Yu was very eager to obtain experience points. He was just a little bit away from upgrading the Edgeless Blade Technique. Where was he going to obtain more experience points? After eating breakfast, Lu Yu left the Ji Min Hall early in the morning. Before he left, he had instructed Little Tail to stay in the courtyard and not go anywhere. He had also instructed the guards to keep a close watch on Little Tail. However, when he left, he felt that the people in the medicine shop were looking at him strangely. ¡°Hu¡± Lu Yu shook his head and shook the gazes of the people in the medicine shop out of his mind. ¡°Forget it. I need to think of a way to gather 1,000 experience points to upgrade the Edgeless Sword Art.¡± Lu Yu walked out of Windmill Town.. Chapter 22 - Demons and Coincidences Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Lu Yu left early and returned late. He wanted to find some wild beasts or thieves around Windmill Town to kill and see if he could gather enough experience points. In the end, he only caught a few pheasants. Each pheasant gave him 1 experience point. When he carried the pheasant he caught back to the courtyard, he saw Little Tail lying on the table and asked, ¡°Why are you lying here?¡± ¡°Hungry¡± Little Tail said weakly. ¡°You didn¡¯t eat lunch? You didn¡¯t eat dinner either?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Little Tail nodded. Lu Yu said loudly, ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask the guard at the door for food! You¡¯re so stupid! How did you survive until now?¡± He threw a few pheasants that had been killed in front of her and said, ¡°Take them and eat them yourself.¡± Seeing the pheasants in front of her, Little Tail¡¯s eyes lit up. She quickly jumped up, grabbed the pheasants, and brought them to the well to cut them. This time, she was smart and knew to ask the guard at the door for tools and spices. The things she wanted were very common, and many of them could be used as medicinal herbs. The guard quickly brought her the things she wanted. After a while, Lu Yu, who was in the middle of training, smelled the fragrance and stopped training. He found that the pheasants had been made into roasted pheasants, and the fragrance was really good. He snatched one of the roasted pheasants from Little Tail¡¯s hands. He did not care how hot the pheasant was and bit it. With just one bite, he could feel that the delicacy in his mouth was exploding. Little Tail saw that the roasted pheasant in her hand had suddenly disappeared. She was a little dumbfounded. After a while, she realized that it had been snatched away by Lu Yu. Lu Yu touched his stomach and picked up the second roasted chicken. Two of the three roasted chickens entered Lu Yu¡¯s stomach. After drinking a pot of tea, he looked at Little Tail in surprise and said, ¡°You know how to roast chicken? Who did you learn it from?¡± ¡°An old beggar, but he¡¯s already dead.¡± Little Tail was a little depressed when she mentioned the old beggar. Seeing her like this, Lu Yu did not say anything. He continued to cultivate for a while and then went back to his room to log off. For several days in a row, Lu Yu had left early and returned late. People thought that he was wholeheartedly completing the mission that Butler Zhang had given him. In reality, he was only looking for places around Windmill Town where he could farm experience points. ¡°I¡¯ve looked in all directions. There are no wild beasts or mountain bandits.¡± Lu Yu looked at the road leading to the Han Residence. ¡°I¡¯ve never been to this place before. I wonder if there are any places that can farm experience points?¡± Under normal circumstances, there should be a place outside the novice village where players could farm experience points. In fact, Windmill Town originally had a way for players to farm experience points. It was those underground sects. Unfortunately, all of them had died in the Han Residence. As a result, Lu Yu could not even find a place to farm experience points. Walking towards the road leading to the Han Residence, Lu Yu naturally did not want to return to the Han Residence. Moreover, he wanted to look for a place that could farm experience points. At the fork in the road leading to the Han Residence, one could take a turn and walk up the road leading to the Han Residence. Naturally, Lu Yu would not go that way. He continued to walk forward. Soon, he found a small path leading to the forest. Lu Yu took out his sword from his backpack and walked towards the small path. After walking for a while, he heard some movement in front of him. Lu Yu became alert and slowed down his pace to walk forward quietly. Through the gaps between the leaves, Lu Yu saw a strange creature. It was grayish white in color and looked like a stone. Its hind legs were short, and its forelimbs were huge. There was also a single horn on its head. It looked like a combination of a gorilla and a rhinoceros. What surprised Lu Yu even more was that this strange creature was eating a stone. With a crunching sound, the hard stone quickly disappeared into the monster¡¯s mouth. ¡°Is this a demon?¡± Lu Yu was a little curious. He had heard from Zhang Lun that in some deep mountains and old forests, there were terrifying demons. Even martial art cultivators did not dare to enter the deep mountains and old forests casually. ¡°I don¡¯t care if you are a demon or not. I will fight you!¡± Lu Yu unsheathed his saber. With the momentum of Fierce Tiger Descending, he slashed at the demon that was squatting on the ground and gnawing on a rock. Clang ~ the sound of hard objects colliding. Buzz ~ the saber was vibrating. Lu Yu¡¯s arm could not stop trembling. ¡°Hard! Too hard. What the hell was this thing? It was even harder than steel!¡± Lu Yu did not doubt that he could cut open the stone with Fierce Tiger Descending. However, only a white mark was left on the gray-white demon¡¯s body, and it did not break through its defense at all. Looking at the gray-white demon that stopped eating the stone, Lu Yu was very panicked. He had just left the novice village, but he had already encountered such a strong demon. Who could continue playing this game! ¡°Brother Demon, you continue eating your stones and pretend that I never came. You eat your stone and I¡¯ll go my way. Can we each take a step back?¡± Lu Yu said as he retreated. The speed at which he retreated was extremely fast. He was just short of using the Eight Steps Chasing Cicada to escape. ¡°Roar¡± the gray-white-skinned demon did not seem to agree with Lu Yu¡¯s suggestion. It put down the food in its mouth and rushed towards Lu Yu. ¡°I¡¯ll go!¡± Lu Yu no longer hesitated. He turned around and fled. The gray-white demon chased after him relentlessly. When it encountered an obstacle, it rammed into it. Its strong horn easily broke a tree as thick as its thigh. Soon, Lu Yu realized that it was not because the gray-white demon had a bad temper, so it rammed into everything in front of it. It was because it was difficult for it to turn, so it could only crash everything along the way. After dodging the gray-white-skinned demon¡¯s strike a few times, Lu Yu realized that the demon was actually not as terrifying as he had imagined. Although its defense was amazing and its straight-line sprinting speed was relatively fast, as long as one knew its weak point, even a martial cultivator at the third level of the body refining realm could escape under its pursuit. As Lu Yu ran, he noticed that the trees around him were decreasing. Then, he rushed out of the forest and came to a place where there were rocks everywhere. Although the gray-white demon could not hit him, he could not do anything to it either. Lu Yu felt that it was a bit troublesome. The demon seemed to be determined that it would not let Lu Yu go. After running for a while, Lu Yu heard a voice from afar. ¡°This way, the Wind Rock Demon is running this way.¡± Then, Lu Yu saw a familiar face. Zhang Lun was also very surprised to see Lu Yu here. Wasn¡¯t he in Windmill Town? How could he be here? Just as he was about to ask Lu Yu, he saw the Wind Rock Demon rampaging behind him. His attention was attracted by the Wind Rock Demon, and he quickly said to the people around it, ¡°Quick, surround the Wind Rock Demon. Don¡¯t let it escape!¡± Many martial art cultivators wearing Han Residence¡¯s guard uniforms surrounded the Wind Rock Demon. When the Wind Rock Demon realized that it was surrounded, it gave up on chasing Lu Yu and rushed toward Zhang Lun. It wanted to break out of the encirclement. When Zhang Lun saw the Wind Rock Demon charging towards him, he did not dodge or draw his short knife. He took a deep breath and performed a fist technique. Flowing Water Fist! Boom! The Wind Rock Demon collided with Zhang Lun. Soon after, Lu Yu heard continuous sounds coming from the Wind Rock Demon¡¯s body. Boom! Boom! Boom! The Wind Rock Demon¡¯s huge body, which was comparable to that of a rhinoceros, was actually forced back by Zhang Lun. Its two short hind legs drew two deep trenches in the ground. Immediately after, a few guards threw out a large net made of special materials to cover the Wind Rock Demon. The others hurriedly went forward and pulled out the rope, exerting force from four directions at the same time. When the large net was thrown out, Zhang Lun had already retreated from the area covered by the large net. Under the combined force of more than ten people, this Wind Rock Demon, whose strength was comparable to a seventh level body refining realm martial art cultivator, was caught. When Zhang Lun walked towards Lu Yu, he even bared his teeth and waved his hands. Lu Yu could clearly see that Zhang Lun¡¯s hands had turned red. Zhang Lun said, ¡°This Wind Rock Demon is really tough. Its strength isn¡¯t that great, but it¡¯s tough enough. Its defense is stronger than many qi cultivating realm demons. It can¡¯t even be beaten.¡± After saying that, he looked at Lu Yu and asked, ¡°Why did you come here? Why did you provoke the Wind Rock Demon?¡± Lu Yu told him the excuse that he had made up long ago. ¡°I found some clues and followed them to this place. I didn¡¯t expect to bump into the Wind Rock Demon.¡± ¡°Really? Then you are really unlucky to bump into the Wind Rock Demon here.¡± Zhang Lun did not doubt Lu Yu. Hearing his words, Lu Yu asked curiously, ¡°Is the Wind Rock Demon doesn¡¯t appear in this area?¡± ¡°Indeed. Most of the Wind Rock Demons are gathered on the back of the Wind Rock Mountain. There are large amounts of exposed wind rock ores over there. The Wind Rock Demons eat wind rock ores for a living, which is why they are so hard.¡± ¡°If the Wind Rock Demons are so close to the Han Residence, wouldn¡¯t the Han Residence be in danger?¡± Lu Yu asked. ¡°Actually, the Han Residence is located on the Wind Rock Mountain to prevent the Wind Rock Demons from barging into Windmill Town. However, most of the time, the Wind Rock Demons are very quiet in their own nest and won¡¯t run around. Therefore, it¡¯s not as dangerous as we thought.¡± Looking at the Wind Rock Demons being dragged away by everyone, Lu Yu asked curiously, ¡°Why are you capturing it?¡± From their actions just now, it could be seen that Zhang Lun and the others were here specifically to capture the Wind Rock Demon. Otherwise, their cooperation would not have been so smooth. ¡°The Wind Rock Demon is useless, but what the Wind Rock Demon pulls out is a treasure. After the Wind Rock Demon eats a large amount of wind rock, a true treasure will appear in its excrement ¡ª iron essence.¡± ¡°Iron essence is a first-grade spirit class treasure. It is trade in tael. If you have enough iron essence, you can spend some processing fees to custom-make spirit weapons in the Divine Weapon Pavilion.¡± The two chatted as they walked. Unknowingly, they came to the mining area where the Han Residence was mining wind rocks. Lu Yu suddenly stopped, he said to Zhang Lun, ¡°Brother Zhang, I¡¯m going back to Windmill Town to continue searching for clues about the mysterious person. Goodbye!¡± ¡°Okay, be careful.¡± The two separated, and Lu Yu left the mining area as quickly as possible. Zhang Lun brought the captured Wind Rock Demon to the place where the Wind Rock Demon was being held. On the way, he bumped into Yang Xiu. Yang Xiu noticed that there was a familiar-looking person who was talking to Zhang Lun just now. When he asked who that person was, Zhang Lun did not think too much and directly told him that it was Lu Yu. When they went to Windmill Town previously, Yang Xiu noticed Lu Yu was in the team. Now that he saw him here, he asked curiously, ¡°What exactly is that Lu Yu doing? Why is he running around?¡± ¡°Butler Zhang asked him to find someone. Why are you asking this?¡± Zhang Lun asked curiously. Yang Xiu did not seem to be such a curious person. After listening to Zhang Lun, Yang Xiu said casually, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing. I taught Lu Yu back then, and I still have a good impression of him. I just want to know what he is doing.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Zhang Lun was a little puzzled. Yang Xiu was not the kind of person that he said he was. During his year in the Han Residence, Zhang Lun rarely saw Yang Xiu care about other people¡¯s matters.. Chapter 23 - Panning for Gold in Dung Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Lu Yu returned to Windmill Town as fast as he could. He was in a bad mood, ¡°Why did I run into Yang Xiu everywhere?¡± He saw Yang Xiu in the mining area. That was why he was in such a hurry to bid farewell to Zhang Lun. He wanted to avoid Yang Xiu. Never in his wildest dreams that he would run into Yang Xiu in such a place at this time. Lu Yu was now worried that Zhang Lun would tell Yang Xiu about the excuse that he had made up. If it backfired, he would be done for. Back in the small courtyard behind the Ji Min Hall, Little Tail sat on the stone chair in the courtyard. Her hands were placed on the stone table, and she was hugging her face. Her eyes were lifeless, and no one knew what she was thinking about. It was probably because Lu Yu had restricted her personal freedom. She was not used to it. Lu Yu drank a few mouthfuls of tea to calm his mood. He felt that cultivation was more important now. However, when he looked at his backpack and saw that there was only one qi-blood pill left, his mood became bad again. ¡°Sigh, money! Cultivation really burns money!¡± Lu Yu placed the teapot on the table, stood up, and walked around, trying to find a way to get money. Little Tail walked in and took the teapot to add water. Lu Yu had already raised his qi-blood to 70 points, reaching the limit of the third level of the body refining realm, which was the entry level of the fifth level of the body refining realm. In the past few days, he had consumed qi-blood pills to speed up his cultivation. He had also accumulated quite a lot of experience points to level up his realm. When the qi-blood pills were used up, his cultivation speed would drop drastically. After experiencing the joy of speeding up his cultivation, how could Lu Yu still be willing to cultivate slowly. After a long time, Lu Yu made a decision. He walked out of the small courtyard with a solemn expression, as if he had made a difficult resolution. He had decided ¡ª for the sake of money, he would sacrifice himself. He returned to the place where he met the Wind Rock Demon. After identifying the direction, Lu Yu walked in the opposite direction from the mining area. After passing through a dense forest, the surrounding trees became sparse. Lu Yu raised his vigilance and moved forward lightly. After moving forward for some distance, he saw a huge cave. In front of the cave was a flat ground. The ground was covered with gravel, as if it had been repeatedly crushed by a bulldozer. The ground was very flat. There were many Wind Rock Demons lying on the flat ground basking in the sun. They nestled on the ground like pieces of rocks, but each rock had an obvious stalagmite (single horn). Lu Yu hid at the junction of the forest and the gravel ground, quietly observing the habits of the Wind Rock Demons. From time to time, Wind Rock Demons would come out of the dark cave with a rock in their mouth. Then, they lay on the gravel ground and ate the rock. Suddenly, one of the Wind Rock Demons raised its butt slightly, and then Lu Yu heard a loud noise. He saw yellow sand spurting out from the back of the Wind Rock Demon. There were some tiny black particles in the yellow sand shinning under the sunlight. Lu Yu was slightly stunned. Then, he realized that the tiny black particles in the yellow sand were the iron essence that he wanted. After realizing this, he felt much more relaxed. He had already made up his mind to sacrifice himself and become a gong farmer. But now, it seemed that the situation was a little different from what he had imagined. The Wind Rock Demon¡¯s feces were more like yellow sand. It was not the wet, sticky, and strange-shaped things that he had imagined. After knowing this, Lu Yu felt much better. After careful observation, Lu Yu found that the gravel ground was filled with the Wind Rock Demon¡¯s yellow sand feces, and the fine black iron essence was mixed in it. He needed to look carefully to find it. Taking out a cloth bag from his backpack, Lu Yu quietly moved to a place where the yellow sand was piled up into a mountain. He even crawled forward on his stomach. Although he knew that this place was filled with the Wind Rock Demons¡¯ excrement, when he thought that they were eating rocks and excreting sand, he did not feel uncomfortable anymore. It was just sand. After changing his position several times, he finally approached the sand pile. With a wave of his right hand, a cloth bag containing gold coins appeared in his hand. He quickly filled the bag with yellow sand, but unfortunately, the cloth bag was too small and could not hold much. Boom! Boom! Boom! The Wind Rock Demons were alarmed and quickly got up. A few Wind Rock Demons noticed Lu Yu and rushed toward him. The other Wind Rock Demons were also alarmed and quickly gathered in a group and charged toward Lu Yu. Seeing this situation, Lu Yu did not dare to delay for even a moment. He hurriedly got up and fled. Before he left, he waved his hand, wanting to use his backpack to carry the yellow sand, but he failed. Without saying a word, he continuously cast Eight Steps Chasing Cicada and disappeared from the gravel ground. Even the Wind Rock Demons who were charging at him were somewhat dumbfounded. Where was the human? Why did that human suddenly disappear? After a period of chaos, the Wind Rock Demons turned back into rock-like forms and lay on the ground to bask in the sun. ¡°Hu~ this is too exciting!¡± The qi-blood in Lu Yu¡¯s body boiled for a long time and could not calm down. Looking at the attribute panel, there were only 21 points of qi-blood left. He himself did not know how many times he had used Eight Steps Chasing Cicada. Right now, both of his legs were a little weak. This was the sequela of a large amount of qi-blood erupting within a short period of time, especially after using the Eight Steps Chasing Cicada consecutively. After continuously using this skill, the consumption of qi-blood would increase, and it would cause great pressure on the body. Lu Yu first rested for a while. After calming down the boiling qi-blood, he broke a tree branch as a crutch to prevent himself from falling because of his weak legs. After walking for a while, Lu Yu heard the sound of running water. He threw away the crutch in his hand and sped up to the side of the stream. A two-meter-wide clear stream flowed across the forest. There were small fish swimming around in the stream. Lu Yu held a few mouthfuls of water and drank it. Then, he took out a cloth bag containing yellow sand and put it into the water to shake gently. The fine sand was carried away by the stream, dyeing the stream yellow. The water mixed with yellow sand only flowed for a few meters before it became clear again. Looking at the stream water that became muddy and clear again, Lu Yu felt like he was panning for gold. The bag became lighter and lighter, and there were fewer and fewer things in it. When there was no obvious yellow sand flowing out of the bag, Lu Yu lifted the cloth bag. He opened the cloth bag, and there were some small grains of sand lying inside. Around the grains of sand were even finer pieces of iron essence. The sand with the size of a fist was washed out from the cloth bag. There was only finger-sized residue. Iron essence only accounted for a very small part of it, and it was hard to say if there was even a fifth of it. Lu Yu did not want to pick the sand one by one, so he planned to bring it back and let Little Tail pick it. She had nothing to do anyway, so he wanted to find something for her to do so that she would not cause trouble for him. Looking at the sun in the sky, Lu Yu identified the direction and walked towards the direction with his back facing the sun. When he walked from Windmill Town to the Wind Rock Demon¡¯s nest, he was facing the sun. So, he needed to walk in the opposite direction of the sun to get back to Windmill Town On the way, Lu Yu went to the Wind Rock Demon¡¯s nest again. He found Wind Rock Demons had not calmed down yet, so he directly returned to Windmill Town. He wanted to verify some things. When he returned to the small house in the backyard of the Ji Min Hall, he threw the cloth bag to Little Tail and asked her to pick out the iron essence. He took some objects and tried to find the mechanism of the backpack system. When he was escaping, he suddenly thought of directly put the yellow sand into his backpack, but he couldn¡¯t. He didn¡¯t even put a grain of sand into his backpack. He found many things and tried various situations. After a period of exploration, Lu Yu found the system¡¯s general mechanism to determine how he could put the item into his backpack. He was not entirely sure about the mechanism of the backpack because there were some experiments that he couldn¡¯t do. For example, he tried to touch the other party¡¯s weapon during battle and try to see if he could directly put it into his backpack. First, the system would determine whether the ownership of the item belonged to the player. If it belonged to the player, then it had the highest storage authority and could be put into the backpack within a certain range. Lu Yu¡¯s initial judgment was that the range was one meter. If it did not belong to the player, then the player needed to touch the object and there was no other force to stop the player. That was to say, the item was an ownerless item, no matter how weak the blocking force was, it could not be put into the backpack. This was the conclusion Lu Yu came to using a rabbit. He gave a carrot to the rabbit and tried to put the carrot into the backpack while the rabbit was eating it, but he failed. Later, without Little Tail¡¯s knowledge, he proved his guess. Then, he tested the object that was in a whole or scattered. The whole object met the requirement, it could be put into the backpack. Scattered objects like a pile of sand could not be put into the backpack. But if the scattered object was turned into a whole object, it could be put into the backpack. For example, a handful of soil could not be put into the backpack, but if the soil was wrapped in paper, it could be put into the backpack. Finally, he tested living things. Living things could not be put into the backpack, but dead things could be put into the backpack. Intact plants could also be put into the backpack, and animals could be put into the backpack after they died. At present, Lu Yu had summed up these mechanisms. Lu Yu had not tested out the storage limit of the backpack. However, when there were too many things in the backpack, Lu Yu could feel an invisible pressure on his body, making it difficult for him to move around. He guessed that the capacity of the backpack might be related to his strength. ¡°I have picked out all the black stones. I have not missed a single one.¡± Little Tail took the bag and walked in front of Lu Yu. Lu Yu opened the bag and took a look. Indeed, there were no extra grains of sand in it. It was filled with iron essence. He couldn¡¯t feel its weight at all. It was probably only a few grams. If he wanted to sell it, he would have to trade in teal. One teal was equivalent to 50 grams. This was far from enough. According to his thoughts, he couldn¡¯t do it alone. Lu Yu looked at Little Tail, who was standing in front of him and looking at the bag in his hand. Her eyes were filled with curiosity. ¡°Isn¡¯t she the best candidate?¡± Lu Yu¡¯s eyes were shining. Little Tail was weak. If she wanted to escape and something happened to her, he would be able to get rid of her as quickly as possible. Otherwise, he couldn¡¯t get rid of her by himself. Thinking of this, Lu Yu asked, ¡°When I was away, you didn¡¯t tell anyone about the mysterious person, did you?¡± Little Tail shook her head like a rattle-drum and quickly said, ¡°No. Other than begging for food, I haven¡¯t said a word to anyone.¡± ¡°Do you like money?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ I do.¡± Little Tail whispered, ¡°Money can buy a lot of food. With money, you won¡¯t go hungry.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll go out with me. You¡¯ll do whatever I say. I¡¯ll give you money when I come back. Whatever you want to buy, I¡¯ll take you out to buy.¡± After saying that, Lu Yu felt a sense of guilt, ¡°Was this considered child labor?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Little Tail answered.. Chapter 24 - The Riotous Wind Rock Demons Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio At the junction of the woods and the gravel ground, two figures, one big and one small, were lying on the ground. ¡°Do you remember what I said?¡± Lu Yu asked Little Tail nodded and whispered, ¡°Got it.¡± ¡°All right, you stay here. When I draw the Wind Rock Demon away, you run over to the pile of sand and fill the bag with as much sand as you can.¡± After saying that, Lu Yu stood up and walked around half a circle, appearing openly in the sight of the Wind Rock Demons. ¡°Hey, silly demons, come and chase me!¡± In order to attract the attention of the Wind Rock Demons, Lu Yu even brought a red cloth and shouted while waving the red cloth in his hand. He did not know these Wind Rock Demons that looked like rhinoceroses would interest in the color red or not. The key was not the color red, but him. The Wind Rock Demons were very interested in him. As soon as they saw Lu Yu, some of them got up and rushed toward him. One led two, two led three, and three led all. For a moment, the earth and the mountains shook. Dozens of huge Wind Rock Demons rushed toward Lu Yu. Lu Yu¡¯s expression changed drastically. He threw away the red cloth in his hand and turned around to run. As he ran, he added experience points to the Eight Steps Chasing Cicada. He was afraid that he would not have enough qi-blood later, so he wanted to upgrade the skill level of the Eight Steps Chasing Cicada first. [ Skill level up! Eight Steps Chasing Cicada (skilled)¡úEight Steps Chasing Cicada (highly skilled) ] After the Eight Steps Chasing Cicada leveled up, Lu Yu immediately had a lot of experience from cultivating the Eight Steps Chasing Cicada in his mind. His footsteps became more rhythmic, and his speed increased by a lot. This time, even if he did not use any skills, Lu Yu was confident that the Wind Rock Demon would not catch up to him. Boom! Boom! Boom! The trees fell, the grass was trampled, and the bushes were flattened, causing a huge commotion. Lu Yu disappeared into the forest with the Wind Rock Demons. After waiting for a while, Little Tail quickly got up and rushed towards the pile of sand with a few large sacks in her hands. At this moment, there were no more Wind Rock Demons on the gravel ground. She took out the small shovel that Lu Yu had prepared for her and tried her best to dig the sand into the sacks. She filled them up and kept filling them up. Lu Yu had said that as long as she put the sand into the sacks, she didn¡¯t need to tie the sacks. Just as Little Tail was desperately digging the sand, the disciple of the Han Residence who were in charge of monitoring the Wind Rock Demons was stunned. When he felt the earth and the mountains shaking caused by the Wind Rock Demons, he ran out of the sentry post to check the situation on the gravel ground. He discovered that the Wind Rock Demons had all disappeared. They were supposed to stay quietly on the gravel ground and bask in the sun. His face immediately turned pale. ¡°Where did the Wind Rock Demons go? Could it be that they are charging towards Windmill Town? It¡¯s over, it¡¯s over. We have to hurry up and report to the family head.¡± A few disciples hurriedly ran towards the Han Residence. In a place that they could not see, under the pile of sand, a small figure was working hard to dig the sand. It did not take long for Lu Yu¡¯s figure to reappear on the gravel ground. His clothes were slightly disheveled, and he was panting heavily. He had used the Eight Steps Chasing Cicada multiple times to shake off the Wind Rock Demon. Then, he used the fastest speed to rush back to the gravel ground. This was all thanks to the Eight Steps Chasing Cicada skill that he had leveled up before. Otherwise, how would he have the strength to come back. He ran to the side of the sand pile and saw that Little Tail had already filled three bags. He immediately put them into his backpack and dug the sand with her, filling the fifth and sixth bags. Just as he was about to fill the seventh bag, Lu Yu felt the ground shake. He quickly put away the bag, picked up Little Tail, and quickly left the gravel ground. An hour later, Lu Yu and Little Tail appeared at the biggest river in Windmill Town. The two of them were panning for the iron essence. Lu Yu carried the big sack and placed it in the water. He let the river water wash over the sack and carry away the powder-like fine sand. Little Tail squatted at the side and picked out grains of iron essence from the sack that had already been washed and placed them into the small sack. Seeing her actions, Lu Yu said, ¡°This is too slow. When will you finish picking? Stop, I¡¯ll think of another way when we get back.¡± When Little Tail heard this, she stopped and tied up the sack before handing the sack containing the iron essence to Lu Yu. Lu Yu put the sack into his backpack without any concern. After all, Little Tail had already seen him put the things into his backpack. After the six sacks of yellow sand were washed by the river, only half of the sacks were left, and only about one-fifth of it was iron essence. In other words, only one-sixtieth of the Wind Rock Demon¡¯s excrement was iron essence. Lu Yu didn¡¯t know how much a Wind Rock Demon excreted in a day, but that sand pile must have been accumulated over many years because there was only one big sand pile on the gravel ground. After picking up the bag of sand containing iron essence, Lu Yu walked to the Ji Min Hall with Little Tail. The Han Residence sent people to the Wind Rock Demon¡¯s nest to check the situation and found that the Wind Rock Demon was still on the gravel ground. However, the traces left in the woods showed that the Wind Rock Demon had gone on a trip together. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± the squire of the Han Residence was confused. ¡°Why did the Wind Rock Demon go out for no reason?¡± The Han Residence had actually thought of snatching the iron essence in the Wind Rock Demon¡¯s nest, but they were afraid that it would cause the Wind Rock Demon to riot. If a Wind Rock Demon left the Wind Rock Mountain and barged into Windmill Town, it would be useless no matter how many benefits the Han Residence received in the Wind Rock Demon¡¯s nest. Therefore, the Han Residence had never attacked the Wind Rock Demons. They only captured one or two lone Wind Rock Demons and bred them to produce iron essence. ¡°It might be that some martial art cultivators who didn¡¯t know the situation here had mistakenly entered the territory of the Wind Rock Demons, which caused a riot.¡± someone guessed. ¡°It seems that the martial art cultivator has already escaped, and the Wind Rock Demon has returned. It should be fine!¡± ¡°Send some guards to check the surrounding forest. Don¡¯t let the Wind Rock Demons run down the mountain. If you see a Wind Rock Demon is alone, capture it and bring it back to the Han Residence.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± A large group of courtyard guards from the Han Residence quietly searched the forest and soon got the results. The good news was that no Wind Rock Demon had run out of the Wind Rock Mountain. The bad news was that they did not find any Wind Rock Demon who was alone. After returning to Ji Min Hall, he asked the shopkeeper, ¡°Do you have a magnet?¡± ¡°What is a magnet?¡± the shopkeeper was a little confused. He had never heard of such a thing. ¡°It is something that can absorb iron but cannot absorb copper.¡± Lu Yu briefly described the characteristics of a magnet. ¡°Oh, you are talking about a magnetic stone! We have it in the medicine shop, but it is just powder. It is used as medicinal materials. If you want to find the whole piece of magnetic stone, you can go to Boss Tang of Tang Blacksmith Shop. I heard that his father got one in his early years.¡± ¡°Boss Tang?¡± Lu Yu thought of the Boss Tang who bought him the Hundred Forged Greatsword and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± This was the second time he came to Tang Blacksmith Shop, when Boss Tang heard that Lu Yu wanted to see him, he thought that there was something wrong with the Hundred Forged Greatsword and wanted to return it. As soon as he saw Lu Yu, he said. ¡°Once the goods in this shop are sold, they will not be returned or exchanged.¡± Lu Yu shook his head and said, ¡°I¡¯m not looking for a return. I¡¯m looking for something from you.¡± ¡°Something? What do you want?¡± ¡°A magnetic stone. I heard that you have a complete magnetic stone.¡± ¡°What do you want that thing for? It can¡¯t be used to forge weapons. I can only make some small things.¡± Boss Tang brought Lu Yu to the warehouse. He took out an irregular stone from among the miscellaneous items. It looked like an ordinary ore. Boss Tang casually picked up an iron weapon and threw it at the magnetic stone. The weapon in the air was attracted by a suction force and was sucked onto the magnetic stone. ¡°This was given to my father after he helped people forge weapons. Seeing that the magnetic stone had the ability to absorb weapons, my father originally wanted to forge it into a special weapon to counter ordinary weapons and hidden weapons.¡± ¡°However, he discovered that during the forging process, the magnetic stone would lose the ability to absorb weapons. In the end, it could only be left in the warehouse to collect dust.¡± Lu Yu knew that heating would demagnetize the magnet. He had learned this phenomenon in high school. ¡°If you want it, I can sell it to you for a cheaper price. You can take this magnetic stone for 50 gold. You must know that you can¡¯t find such a large magnetic stone anywhere else. 50 gold coins is already very cheap.¡± Lu Yu was already used to Boss Tang¡¯s sudden offer. ¡°Wait a minute. Let me see if this magnetic stone is useful to me.¡± Lu Yu pretended to take out a cloth bag from his pocket. He took out an iron essence from the cloth bag and threw it at the magnet. The iron essence in the air was firmly attracted to the magnetic stone. Seeing that the magnetic stone could indeed attract the iron essence, Lu Yu said, ¡°I don¡¯t have money, but I can exchange this with your magnetic stone.¡± Lu Yu handed the bag in his hand to Boss Tang. Boss Tang took the bag with some doubts. He opened it and looked at it. He reached out to pinch it and said at an extremely fast speed, ¡°Deal.¡± He was afraid that Lu Yu would refuse the deal. Seeing that Boss Tang agreed so quickly, Lu Yu felt that he had made a mistake. Could it be that the iron essence that was as small as a fingernail was worth 50 gold coins? Or was the magnetic stone not worth anything at all? Seeing that Boss Tang was pulling the iron essence on the magnetic stone, Lu Yu was a little speechless, he said, ¡°Deal. However, you have to help me modify this magnetic stone and make it into two bracelets, one big and one small. Pack the rest for me and don¡¯t leave anything behind!¡± ¡°No problem. Leave it to me.¡± After saying that, Boss Tang happily put the cloth bag into his pocket and lifted the magnetic stone on the ground, ready to help Lu Yu finish the process. Lu Yu asked curiously, ¡°Is the iron essence really that valuable?¡± ¡°Yes! Of course it¡¯s valuable. One tael of iron essence can be sold for 80 gold coins. Do you see those hundred refined weapons on the wall? My father spent a few months to forge one. If I add a little iron essence, I can forge one in ten days.¡± ¡°Now you know where all the hundred refined weapons in the Divine Weapon Pavilion came from!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that the iron essence is used to forge spirit weapons? How come it¡¯s used to forge hundred refined weapons?¡± Lu Yu was a bit puzzled. This was different from what Zhang Lun had said. ¡°Spirit weapons, that¡¯s not something that can be forged by blacksmiths. You must know a special refining technique to forge it. I¡¯m not a weapon refiner. Moreover, forging spirit weapons requires a large amount of iron essence. Even if I¡¯m a weapon refiner, I can¡¯t help you forge spirit weapons.¡± ¡°But in my opinion, if you spend a large amount of iron essence to forge a spirit weapon, you might as well give it to me. I¡¯ll help you strengthen the Hundred Forged Greatsword. Other than not being able to transmit spiritual energy, it¡¯s definitely more powerful than the expensive spirit weapon.¡± Boss Tang guessed that Lu Yu might have a way to get the iron essence, that was why he gave this info to Lu Yu. ¡°We¡¯ll talk about these things later. I¡¯m not certain if I could find more of this thing. It¡¯s just that I was lucky to find this little bit.¡± Lu Yu was well aware of the principle of not revealing his own wealth. Even if Boss Tang might not have evil intentions, he shouldn¡¯t test one¡¯s humanity. Boss Tang smiled and didn¡¯t say anything. He let Lu Yu wait outside for a while before taking out two polished magnetic bracelets and giving them to Lu Yu. There was also a wooden box that contained the fragments from the grinding of the magnetic stones. He really didn¡¯t leave any behind. After returning to the backyard, Lu Yu gave the small magnetic bracelet to Little Tail. He let her use the magnetic bracelet to absorb the iron essence in the sand and pick out them out. With the magnetic bracelet, Little Tail¡¯s speed of picking up the iron essence was greatly increased. She finished processing all the iron essence before dinner and filled two small cloth bags. Lu Yu held the two small cloth bags and weighed them. They should weigh 5 to 6 jin. If converted into money, they should be more than four thousand gold coins. More than four thousand! He had never received so much money. Lu Yu did not plan to strengthen the Hundred Forged Greatsword for the time being. His qi-blood pills had been used up. He had to sell some iron essence to exchange for money to buy qi-blood pills. His cultivation speed could not be slowed down.. Chapter 25 - Dream Broken and Shopping Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Little Tail looked at the small magnetic bracelet that was polished by Boss Tang and handed it to Lu Yu with both hands. Lu Yu saw her actions and said, ¡°This magnetic bracelet is for you. Remember to keep it well. It will be useful in the future.¡± Little Tail took back the small magnetic bracelet in surprise and couldn¡¯t wait to put it on her wrist. Unfortunately, her wrist was too thin to wear it. After discovering this problem, Little Tail looked a little troubled. With money in his hands, Lu Yu was not insecure anymore. Lu Yu looked at Little Tail and felt that she was a lot more pleasing to the eye. He took out a string from his backpack and helped her tie the bracelet. The bracelet turned into a necklace, but the necklace seemed to be a little too big. But Little Tail was very happy. She put the necklace on her neck and touched it from time to time. Lu Yu saw her and shook his head. He said to her, ¡°I¡¯m going out for a while. You stay here and don¡¯t wander around.¡± After saying that, Lu Yu walked out of the backyard and headed towards the Divine Weapon Pavilion. Although Boss Tang was a good person, he couldn¡¯t afford a large amount of iron essence. Therefore, Lu Yu planned to sell it at the Divine Weapon Pavilion. He disguised himself a little on the way. ¡°Shopkeeper, someone is looking for you.¡± The shopkeeper of the Divine Weapon Pavilion walked down from the third floor with some doubts. When he saw a man wearing a paper bag on his head standing in the hall on the first floor, his eyes twitched. This disguise was a little perfunctory! The shopkeeper walked to Lu Yu and asked, ¡°Are you the one who said that you want to sell iron essence?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lu Yu took out a small bag that he prepared. It contained a little iron essence and handed it to the shopkeeper of the Divine Weapon Pavilion. The shopkeeper took the bag and found that the bag still had some weight. He opened it and looked at it. It was indeed iron essence, but he didn¡¯t need to show up for such a small amount of iron essence. ¡°I have more iron essence.¡± As he spoke, a full cloth bag suddenly appeared in Lu Yu¡¯s hand, but he didn¡¯t pass it to the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper saw the cloth bag suddenly appear on Lu Yu¡¯s hand and noticed the dark green ring on Lu Yu¡¯s index finger. He was slightly surprised. He didn¡¯t expect that there would be people who had storage rings in such a remote place like Windmill Town. However, he felt that this ring was a little strange. It was different from ordinary storage rings. It was more like a low-quality jade ring sold by street vendors. Ignoring the unnecessary thoughts in his mind, the shopkeeper looked at the cloth bag filled with iron essence and said in a much more polite tone, ¡°Please, let¡¯s talk about the details on the second floor.¡± Lu Yu and the shopkeeper of the Divine Weapon Pavilion came to a private room on the second floor. This room was originally prepared for customers who needed custom-made spirit weapons, but the amount of iron essence in Lu Yu¡¯s hand was enough for him to take it seriously. Through the two holes dug out from the paper bag, Lu Yu could see the shopkeeper¡¯s expression. After seeing that shopkeeper¡¯s expression was normal and that he didn¡¯t have any improper thoughts, Lu followed him up to the second floor. In the private room, Lu Yu took out two bags containing iron essence and placed them in front of the shopkeeper. He planned to exchange them all for money. The shopkeeper saw that he also had a bag full of iron essence and was slightly surprised. He took out an object with a round plate on its top from the storage bag. It looked like an electronic scale in reality. After placing the scale, the shopkeeper picked up the cloth bag and poured the iron essence inside onto the round plate. As Lu Yu got closer, he was surprised to find that there was a small bright horizontal line on the base of the scale. As more and more iron essence poured onto the scale, the horizontal line became higher and higher. After all the iron essence was poured into the scale, he waited for a while, and the small horizontal line stabilized and did not move. The shopkeeper looked at it carefully and said, ¡°It¡¯s a total of five catties, six taels, and seven maces. According to the market price, the iron essence is 80 gold coins for one tael. That¡¯s a total of 4,536 gold coins.¡± After saying that, he put all the iron essence on the scale into a stone box, took out a money bag, and filled it with 4,536 gold coins. Lu Yu put away the money bag and left the box with the shopkeeper. When they walked to the hall on the second floor, they saw the weapons placed on the exquisite weapons platform and took a few more glances at them. The shopkeeper noticed his actions and said, ¡°These are all grade one spirit weapons. The cheapest one is 1,200 gold coins, and the most expensive one is 4,300 gold coins. If you want one, you can pick one. I¡¯ll give you a 15% discount.¡± Lu Yu was speechless when he heard that spirit weapons were so expensive. However, he still had to maintain his image as an expert, so he said, ¡°No need. These spirit weapons are too weak (light).¡± The shopkeeper didn¡¯t think too much about it. An expert who possessed a storage ring naturally wouldn¡¯t be interested in these ordinary first or second grade spirit weapons, so he politely sent Lu Yu out of the Divine Weapon Pavilion. As for Lu Yu¡¯s identity, the shopkeeper wasn¡¯t interested. He was just a businessman. Lu Yu walked to a secluded alley, tore up the bag that he took from the medicine shop and threw it away. He took off the fake storage ring on his index finger and put it into his backpack. After tidying up his clothes, he walked out of the alley. After returning to the small courtyard, he took out a gold coin and threw it to Little Tail. He said, ¡°Think about what you want to buy. I¡¯ll only give you a little time to buy things.¡± Lu Yu had promised Little Tail that he would give her money and brought her out to buy things. This was his principle. If he couldn¡¯t do it, he wouldn¡¯t make a promise. If he made a promise, he would do his best to do it. Of course, Lu Yu was not a pedantic person. Whether he followed his principles or not depended on the target. If he was an enemy, then there was nothing much to say. Little Tail took the gold coins in a flurry. Her face was dull as she looked at the gold coin in her hand. It did not feel real. This was the first time she had touched such a shiny gold thing. ¡°One gold coin equals 100 silver coins. How many copper coins is that?¡± Little Tail could not count it clearly, but she knew that it was a lot. It was the first time she had so much money. Her brain was not working for a moment. Seeing that she was stunned on the spot, Lu Yu didn¡¯t bother with her. He opened the system store and began to spend money. ¡°I¡¯ll buy 600 game credits for one qi-blood pill, which is 60 gold coins for one pill. I¡¯ll buy 600 game credits first.¡± Lu Yu thought for a while and made a decision. When Lu Yu decided to buy game credits, the 600 gold coins in his backpack disappeared, and the game credits in the store changed from 0 to 6000. He would buy all the qi-blood pills and then sell them to earn the difference in price. He could go back and forth and take unlimited profits from the system¡¯s store. Lu Yu thought very well, so he went to the shopkeeper and said that he wanted to sell the qi-blood pills. ¡°What? The purchase price is 60 gold coins.¡± Lu Yu looked at the shopkeeper with his eyes wide open. The shopkeeper whispered, ¡°Shh, be quiet. I sell the 80 gold coins for one qi-blood pill. Don¡¯t think it¡¯s too expensive. I even charge the outsiders 90 gold coins per pill.¡± Lu Yu was speechless. He extinguished the thought of earning the difference in price. In fact, Lu Yu had long known that the game would not leave such an obvious loophole for him. However, he had been driven mad by poverty previously, and his mind was full of money. Back in the backyard, Lu Yu took a qi-blood pill and began to practice the Edgeless Blade Technique. After taking the qi-blood pill, he took two body enhancing pills. He found that when practicing the Edgeless Blade Technique, the body enhancing pills could also show its effects. Taking out the Hundred Forged Greatsword, Lu Yu began to practice. He waved the sword, making a whooshing sound in the courtyard. Little Tail hid in the room, not daring to come out. The sound was too terrifying. After Lu Yu felt that the qi-blood pill and body enhancing pill¡¯s effects had ended, he ended the AFK in advance to prevent himself from overexerting himself and causing his body to suffer greater damage. After taking a shower and changing his clothes, Lu Yu looked at Little Tail who was standing at the door and asked, ¡°Have you thought about what you want to buy?¡± ¡°I have.¡± Little Tail nodded vigorously. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Lu Yu brought Little Tail out of the small courtyard. The guard looked at the girl who was following behind Lu Yu and did not say anything. After a few days of observation, he realized that Lu Yu was not what he had thought. ¡°Here, this is your drumstick.¡± Little Tail took the two fragrant drumsticks handed over by the vendor and handed one to Lu Yu. Lu Yu did not expect her to come out just to buy drumsticks. Had she not eaten enough every day in the backyard? She took the drumstick and found that the taste of the drumstick was really good. Little Tail handed her gold coin to the boss. When the boss saw the gold coin she took out, he said helplessly, ¡°One drumstick cost 8 copper coins. Two drumsticks cost 16 copper coins. You gave me so much. I can¡¯t change it.¡± Hearing the boss say this, Little Tail was at a loss and looked at Lu Yu. Lu Yu didn¡¯t expect the drumsticks to be so cheap. They only cost 8 copper coins each. He had never seen copper coins or even silver coins. He said to the boss, ¡°Wait a minute.¡± He went to the shop of Han Residence and exchanged some smaller coins. He gave 16 copper coins to the boss and left with Little Tail. The silver coins were about the same size as the old-fashioned large 10-cent coins. The copper coins were round cakes with square holes in the middle. They were about the same size as the silver coins, but the color was brass and much thinner. On the way, Little Tail hesitated for a while. She pulled the corner of Lu Yu¡¯s clothes and raised the gold coin in her hand to him. Lu Yu looked back and said casually, ¡°Keep it for yourself.¡± When Little Tail heard that, she quickly hid the gold coin in her hand and looked around at the crowd, afraid that someone would snatch her things. When she realized that no one was staring at her, Little Tail heaved a sigh of relief. However, she covered her pocket with her small hand and refused to let go. She held the drumstick with one hand and ate it as she walked. After walking for a while, Lu Yu looked back at Little Tail and found that she was staring at the toy hat that was folded on the roadside stall. Lu Yu walked over and picked up a hat. After giving money to the stall owner, he covered Little Tail¡¯s head with the hat. ¡°Just buy what you want. You¡¯re rich now.¡± Little Tail held the hat and shook her head, indicating that she didn¡¯t want to buy anything. Lu Yu continued to take her around the town for a while. The sky was completely dark, and many vendors had already packed their things and gone home. Lu Yu and Little Tail returned to the backyard. In the end, Little Tail only bought two drumsticks and a paper hat. After eating the food that the servants had prepared, Lu Yu practiced the Fierce Tiger Fist Style in AFK for a while before returning to his room to sleep. After this period of accelerated cultivation, his proficiency of the various moves in the Fierce Tiger Fist Style had reached to ¡®highly skilled¡¯ level. Among the moves, he practiced the Hungry Tiger Pounce for the longest time. It was also about to break through soon. Only after the Fierce Tiger Roar had reached ¡®highly skilled¡¯ level did it show its power. The Fierce Tiger Roar was similar to Lion¡¯s Roar. It used qi-blood to burst out a powerful sound wave attack, causing a short-term stun effect on the enemy. Before reaching ¡®highly skilled¡¯ level, the qi-blood circulation speed of the Fierce Tiger Roar was too slow. It could not achieve the effect of catching the enemy off guard and intimidating the mind. Moreover, because the qi-blood had to be concentrated in the lungs and throat when using Fierce Tiger Roar, it would affect the circulation of qi-blood of other moves. Therefore, it could not be properly worked together with other moves, so Lu Yu rarely used it in battle.. Chapter 26 - Perfected Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Pu ~ Under the infusion of qi-blood, his five fingers were as hard as iron. After practicing the Black Tiger Heart Piercing move, his fingers had an indescribable sharpness. He could easily pierce through the hard tree trunk with it. Hiss ~ With a strong grab, a piece of the tree trunk was forcefully torn off, and tree juice splattered everywhere. Immediately after, the muscles on his both legs tensed up and swelled up. With an extremely fast speed, he twisted his body and pounced toward another tree. With the momentum of Fierce Tiger Descending, he used the Black Tiger Heart Piercing. In mid-air, he circulated his qi-blood to the extreme. He felt that his throat was a little itchy, and there was a puff of air in his chest. He had to spit it out. ¡°Ha ~¡± The withered leaves on the ground were sent flying by his qi-blood, and the small branches around him kept shaking. Bang ~ Lu Yu¡¯s punch broke the tree that was as thick as his thigh. The tree made an unpleasant breaking sound and then it smashed down a few small trees when it fell. He withdrew his moves to calm down the qi-blood in his body that was rapidly circulating. After he had cultivated all skills of Fierce Tiger Fist Style to the level of ¡®highly skilled¡¯, he was already able to easily execute four moves consecutively. By combining the four moves together, he was able to execute a set of high-damage attacks. With Lu Yu¡¯s current qi-blood level that had reached the threshold of the fifth level of the body refining realm. If he were to execute a complete set of attacks, a careless martial art cultivator of body refining realm fifth level would be instantly killed by him. After his qi-blood had calmed down, Lu Yu found Little Tail, who was hiding not far away, and began to mine for iron essence today. It was the same method as before. Lu Yu appeared to lure the Wind Rock Demon away, and Little Tail took the opportunity to fill up the yellow sand. The earth and the mountains shook again. However, the people guarding the Wind Rock Demon on the sentry post on the mountain were already used to it. They all thought that an unknown expert came here once a day, causing the riot of the Wind Rock Demons. Originally, the Han Residence also wanted to stop that expert, preventing him from provoking the Wind Rock Demon again, causing the Wind Rock Demon to leave the nest and enter Windmill Town. But after searching several times, they still couldn¡¯t find any trace of that expert. That mysterious expert came and went without a trace, and the Han Residence had no choice but to send more people to pay attention to the Wind Rock Demon¡¯s movements, preventing them from leaving the Wind Rock Mountain. However, no Wind Rock Demon showed any signs of leaving the Wind Rock Mountain so far. Moreover, after the mysterious expert had attracted the Wind Rock Demon, the Han Residence managed to capture many Wind Rock Demons who were left out of the group. It greatly expanded the production line of iron essence. Since they gained a lot of profits and the mysterious expert didn¡¯t really cause any trouble, the Han Residence did not stop the mysterious expert. They would just wait for the Wind Rock Demons started to riot, they searched for any lone Wind Rock Demons. Originally, Lu Yu had planned to come once in the morning, once in the afternoon, and once in the evening. However, after bumping into the Han Residence¡¯s patrol team several times, he had no choice but to reduce it to once a day. This time, when he brought the Wind Rock Demons away from the gravel ground, Lu Yu felt that the situation had changed. A few Wind Rock Demons stopped chasing him in the mid-way. They returned to the gravel ground and lay down on the ground to sleep. However, there was a large group of Wind Rock Demons still chasing behind him. Lu Yu could not lure the returning Wind Rock Demons away. He could only run and shake off the Wind Rock Demons that were still chasing him first. When Lu Yu returned to the gravel ground, he was looking for Little Tail at the edge of the forest and gravel ground. However, he did not find her. He was a little anxious. ¡°Where is she? Little Tail, where are you?¡± Lu Yu searched a few times but did not find any trace of Little Tail. Looking at the huge hole at the bottom of the cliff, he was a little worried. ¡°Was Little Tail captured by the Wind Rock Demons into the cave?¡± At this moment, a bump suddenly appeared on the sand. Lu Yu noticed the change in the sand and saw Little Tail emerging from the sand. Looking at the Wind Rock Demons who were lying on the gravel ground basking in the sun, Lu Yu felt that the Wind Rock Demons were almost back. He bent down and quickly ran toward the sand pile. ¡°Why are you in the sand?¡± Lu Yu quickly dug out his Little Tail. ¡°I was digging just now, and the sand pile collapsed.¡± Little Tail said softly as he spat out the sand in her mouth. When Little Tail was dug out, she was still holding a sack in her hand. Under Little Tail¡¯s guidance, Lu Yu quickly dug out the other sacks that were buried in the sand pile. Boom! Boom! Boom! The Wind Rock Demon army came back and happened to bump into Lu Yu who was digging the sack. ¡°Hoo! Hoo!¡± the Wind Rock Demons became excited. They dug their hind legs and rushed towards Lu Yu. When Lu Yu found the last gunny sack in the sand, he immediately put it into his backpack. He picked up Little Tail and ran away from the charging Wind Rock Demons. The charge of the Wind Rock Demons was like a moving city wall. Not only was this city wall extremely sturdy, but it also had thorns. Even the qi cultivating realm martial cultivators did not dare to take on groups of Wind Rock Demons head-on. After Lu Yu picked up Little Tail, he stuffed a few qi-blood pills into his mouth and used the Eight Steps Chasing Cicada desperately to escape from the range of the Wind Rock Demons. Puff! Puff! Puff! Wind Rock Demons plunged into the sand pile. The sand pile that was several meters tall was scattered by these Wind Rock Demons, and the gravel ground was filled with yellow sand. After Lu Yu escaped, a few Wind Rock Demons snorted. They ran out of the sand pile, which was a lot shorter, and kept shaking the yellow sand and iron essence on their bodies. It looked like a person falling into a cesspool. To the Wind Rock Demons, the sand pile was their cesspool. After escaping into the forest, Lu Yu stopped when he felt that he couldn¡¯t hold on anymore. He put down Little Tail and quickly sat down to circulate the Edgeless Blade Art. Taking several qi-blood pills at the same time had the effect of restoring qi-blood in a short period of time. However, he had to bear the consequences of taking several qi-blood pills at the same time. While circulating the Edgeless Blade Art at full strength, Lu Yu¡¯s body would occasionally produce soft explosive sounds. The capillaries in his body exploded from the excessive amount of qi-blood. The side effect on Lu Yu¡¯s two legs were the worst. The large amount of qi-blood that had been forcefully released created a huge burden on his legs. The chaotic qi-blood that had erupted in his legs had not yet calmed down. Now, another wave of qi-blood had surged into his legs, which blocked the flow of qi-blood. Lu Yu felt the excessive blood and qi pressing down on the nerves in his legs, and he lost consciousness in his legs. Little Tail saw Lu Yu sat down and his whole body started to bleed. She jumped up in fright and wanted to tell Lu Yu, but she was afraid that she would disturb Lu Yu, so she stood there at a loss. After a long time, Lu Yu finally managed to suppress the chaotic qi-blood in his body with the Edgeless Blade Art, the spirit class third grade cultivation technique. When he opened his eyes, he saw Little Tail wiping his body with a wet cloth. He frowned and asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Little Tail heard Lu Yu¡¯s voice and said in surprise, ¡°You¡¯re awake! That¡¯s great!¡± ¡°You still haven¡¯t told me what you¡¯re doing?¡± Lu Yu¡¯s voice was a little angry. After all, no one was willing to be moved by others when they were unconscious. Little Tail put down the wet cloth in her hand, lowered her head, and said timidly, ¡°I saw that your body was covered in blood, so I wanted to help you wipe it off.¡± Hearing this, Lu Yu was slightly stunned. He came to his senses and looked at himself. Indeed, his clothes and pants were soaked in blood. There were wipe marks on his hands, face, and neck. His expression calmed down and he said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to wipe me. I¡¯ll go back and take a bath later.¡± After he finished speaking, he used his consciousness to open the system store and bought 5,000 gold coins. He used 50,000 points to buy a spirit class first grade heaven recovery pill. The heaven recovery pill could heal most of the injuries of martial art cultivators below the qi cultivating realm, including those in the qi cultivating realm. Its expensive price was its only drawback. After taking a heaven recovery pill, Lu Yu immediately felt a cooling sensation on his two legs, which were the most severely injured. It didn¡¯t take long for his two legs to regain consciousness. After the most severely injured legs recovered, Lu Yu¡¯s minor injuries were quickly healed. Even the hidden injuries from his previous practice of the Fierce Tiger Fist Style and the Edgeless Blade Technique were healed. Lu Yu stood up. Other than the clothes that were soaked in blood that made him feel uncomfortable, his entire body was completely healed, and he felt much refresh. It was as if the air that he breathed into his lungs had become much fresher. He brought Little Tail to the stream that he had found when he first stole the sand. He threw away the clothes that were soaked in blood and stained with stains. He put on a pair of shorts and washed himself briefly in the stream. He then changed into a set of clothes that he kept in his backpack. When he saw that Little Tail was covered in yellow sand, he picked her up and washed her in the stream. ¡°Ah! Ah!¡± Little Tail was suddenly picked up and screamed. When she was suddenly thrown into the cold water, she screamed again. After a simple bath, he brought Little Tail back to the courtyard and arranged for the servants to quickly boil some bath water. He was a martial art cultivator and had a strong body. It was fine for him to take a cold bath. However, Little Tail was just an ordinary child. When she came back, she was still wearing wet clothes. Even though the temperature was still quite high, it was easy for her to catch a cold if she did not take a hot bath. Soon, the servants arranged the bath water for the two of them. After the bath, Lu Yu changed into a new set of clothes and came out. He was pleasantly surprised to find that the Hungry Tiger Pounce, which he had been cultivating for the longest time, had leveled up. It might have broken through by accident when he was suppressing his qi-blood. He did not notice it at that time. [ Name: Lu Yu ] [ Realm: third level of the body refining realm (863/1000) ] [ Qi-blood: 70 ] [ Cultivation Technique: Fierce Tiger Fist Style (Level 4), Edgeless Blade Art (Level 1) ] [ Skills: Fierce Tiger Fist Style (Hungry Tiger Pounce (perfected), Fierce Tiger Descending (highly skilled), Fierce Tiger Roar (highly skilled), Black Tiger Heart Piercing (highly skilled), Eight Steps Chasing Cicada (highly skilled), Edgeless Blade Technique-Heaven¡¯s Fall (beginner) ] [ Experience Points: 635 ] Lu Yu was still a little bit away from breaking through to the third level of body refining realm. Even if he did not use experience points, he would still breakthrough within the next one or two days. Lu Yu had yet to experience the feeling of breaking through, so he did not plan to use experience points to speed up the breakthrough this time. In the past, when he was leveling up his cultivation technique, he had also broken through, so he did not feel anything at all. Perhaps it was because the amount of qi-blood that was increased by breaking through the cultivation technique was far greater than breaking through the realm, so he did not feel the feeling of breaking through the realm. After trying out the Fierce Tiger Fist Style at the ¡®perfected¡¯ level, he found that there were still many flaws in his Fierce Tiger Fist Style, but he could not sense those tiny flaws back then. Moreover, Hungry Tiger Pounce at ¡®perfected¡¯ level had a bonus effect on cultivating the other three moves. The speed of the increase in experience points during cultivation was two to three times faster. This was the huge difference brought about by the standards of one¡¯s horizons. If one said that ¡®highly skilled¡¯ was only at the peak of one¡¯s proficiency of the skill, then the peak of perfection would be at the realm of ¡®techniques¡¯. As long as Lu Yu wanted to, he could create new moves and skills now. However, the power might not be comparable to the four moves that had been improved and passed down by many seniors.. Chapter 27 - This Person Sounded so Annoying Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Have you found that courtyard guard named Lu Yu?¡± ¡°He lives in the small courtyard behind the Ji Min Hall. He often goes out during the day and only comes back at night.¡± ¡°Should we send someone to probe and see if he has really found any clues?¡± The chief of the Fierce Tiger Sect asked. He didn¡¯t believe what Yang Xiu said a few days ago. Yang Xiu said that the guard named Lu Yu might have found clues about them, but they had been in this hidden place for so long and no one had come looking for them. ¡°For what? Just kill him.¡± the chief said. A trace of cruelty flashed in his dark eyes. He said to a martial art cultivator of the Wild Wolf Sect behind him, ¡°Ma Gang, go to the town and kill that Lu Yu when he is in the courtyard at night.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Ma Gang replied and left the hiding place. He had been holding it in here for a long time. Now that he had a chance to leave, he would go to the town to have some fun first. Lu Yu was just a newcomer who had just entered the Han Residence and started cultivating. No matter how talented he was, he was at most at the third level of the body refining realm. Ma Gang had already broken through to the fifth level of the body refining realm in the previous battle. Killing a third level body refining realm was as easy as flipping his hand. ¡­ After Lu Yu cultivated for a while, someone ran over to tell him that Han Yu was coming to town. ¡°Miss is coming to town. But why are you telling me?¡± Lu Yu was a little puzzled. Han Yu could come if she wanted to, but what did it have to do with him? ¡°Miss said she wants to see you, so the shopkeeper asked me to inform you to prepare to meet miss.¡± ¡°For what?¡± Lu Yu was even more confused now. He thought, ¡°I have nothing to do with her! Why does she want to see me all of a sudden?¡± However, he was now a servant of the Han Residence. If the Miss of the Han Residence wanted to see him, he could not refuse. After telling Little Tail to stay in the courtyard and not come out, he followed the guards to the Ji Min Hall. Seeing the shopkeeper standing at the door looking outside, Lu Yu asked curiously, ¡°Shopkeeper, do you know why Miss wants to see me?¡± ¡°How would I know? I just received the news that Miss is coming to town.¡± Well, since no one knew, then he could only wait to see Miss Han Yu and find out the reason. The two stood at the door of the Ji Min Hall. The shopkeeper kept looking at the entrance of the town while Lu Yu leaned against the door and watched the people coming and going on the street. Suddenly, he realized that a person seemed to be looking at him. When he focused his attention, the person in the dark alley had already disappeared. Lu Yu became vigilant in his heart. He didn¡¯t know who was spying on him. ¡°Was that someone sent by the shopkeeper of the Divine Weapon Pavilion?¡± He shouldn¡¯t have exposed his identity, but he had sold iron essence so many times. It was possible that he was targeted because of his iron essence. Or perhaps it was Boss Tang. He had asked him the day before yesterday how much iron essence he needed to strengthen the Hundred Forged Greatsword. So Boss Tang might have some ulterior motives to his iron essence. Or perhaps he was targeted by someone else after he went to the Divine Weapon Pavilion many times? Lu Yu felt that it could not be the Wild Wolf Sect and the other forces. That was because he had not been investigating any clues about them recently, so there was no reason for them to look for him. While Lu Yu was indulging in his wild thoughts, the medicine store¡¯s shopkeeper saw the Han Residence team that had appeared at the intersection of Windmill Town. He hurriedly said, ¡°They¡¯re here. Young Miss is here. Get ready to welcome them.¡± Everyone lined up in two rows at the medicine store¡¯s entrance. Lu Yu and the shopkeeper stood at the front. When the litter carrying Han Yu stopped at the medicine store¡¯s entrance, everyone shouted in unison, ¡°Welcome, Young Miss.¡± Han Yu walked out of the litter. She was dressed in a neutral suit, and her body curves could be seen ¡ª she was as flat as a pancake. Seeing that everyone nodded, she walked into the medicine shop and went up to the second floor. When she went up the stairs, she turned around and asked, ¡°Who is Lu Yu? Come up and see me.¡± This Miss Han was really arrogant and exaggerating her arrival. She was stepping out from a fancy litter, and she had a cold attitude towards her subordinates. Even Butler Zhang was not as arrogant as her. ¡°Yes,¡± Lu Yu replied and followed Han Yu¡¯s bodyguard up to the second floor. Seeing that Yang Xiu didn¡¯t follow Han Yu out today, Lu Yu heaved a sigh of relief. Usually, Han Yu would ask Yang Xiu to protect her when she went out. Lu Yu did not know what had happened, but Han Yu¡¯s bodyguard became someone else. Looking at Lu Yu who was standing in front of her, Han Yu sized him up with a calm expression and said, ¡°You don¡¯t seem to have anything special about you. Why do Second Uncle and Butler Zhang value you so much?¡± Lu Yu didn¡¯t say anything. He just looked at her quietly and thought about his own matters. Han Yu frowned. Lu Yu¡¯s calm gaze made her feel a little uncomfortable. She didn¡¯t see anyone else¡¯s respect for her in Lu Yu¡¯s eyes. It was as if she was just an ordinary passerby in Lu Yu¡¯s eyes. Lu Yu recalled what Butler Zhang had said to her last time. Why did Butler Zhang value him so much? Moreover, judging from Han Yu¡¯s tone, Butler Zhang was not the only one who valued her but her second uncle as well. Who was her second uncle? Han Yu¡¯s second uncle was Han Yaozu¡¯s younger brother. Wasn¡¯t that Han Yaozong? Even this big shot was paying attention to him. Lu Yu was a little flustered. He was a little fearful knowing that he was being noticed by the big shots. ¡°Hey! Are you listening to what I¡¯m saying?¡± Han Yu said for a long time and realized that Lu Yu did not react at all. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m listening very seriously.¡± Lu Yu came back to his senses and quickly replied. He thought, ¡°What did she say just now?¡± ¡°Alright, let me tell you, there¡¯s no hope for you. You can¡¯t compare to Brother Yang in any way. Brother Yang is more handsome than you, more gentlemanly than you, more intelligent than you, more¡­¡± Lu Yu looked at Han Yu pitifully. This poor child had been tricked so miserably by Yang Xiu. If she knew the truth, how would she react? He could see that Yang Xiu had no feelings for Han Yu at all. He was only using Han Yu to obtain the treasures of the Han Residence. It was a pity that Han Yu was in the middle of it. She had helped Yang Xiu obtain so much information, yet she did not know Yang Xiu¡¯s true intention. Her Brother Yang did not understand her, and clearly did not love her at all. ¡°So, it is impossible for us,¡± Han Yu said to him after comparing Brother Yang and Lu Yu in her heart. After saying so much, she felt a little thirsty, so she picked up her teacup and took a sip of water. ¡°Yes, everything you said is right.¡± Lu Yu did not know what Han Yu was talking about, but it did not stop him from agreeing with her idea. In any case, as long as he did not offend the eldest daughter of the Han family, he would be fine. After Han Yu heard this, she nodded her head in satisfaction. However, she felt that something was not right. Why did Lu Yu¡¯s words sound like he was looking down on her? It was as if he could not wait for her to stop talking. Lu Yu indeed did not want to have anything to do with her at all. He only wanted to cultivate quietly. When he had enough strength, he would go to the Tianfeng Academy to look for Su Peng and ask him what was going on. ¡°Are you looking down on me?¡± Han Yu asked. ¡°No, I¡¯m not. How can that be? Everyone loves Miss Han Yu. Why would anyone look down on Miss Han Yu?¡± Lu Yu denied three times. ¡°Hehe, your tone is clearly saying that I¡¯ look down on you¡¯.¡± Han Yu sneered. Lu Yu was helpless and said, ¡°Alright, I am looking down on you.¡± ¡°Right, right, right. You¡¯re always right. You are the eldest daughter of the Han family. Everything you say is right.¡± Lu Yu cursed in his heart. Kacha! Lu Yu looked in the direction where the sound came from. The teacup had already been crushed by Han Yu. ¡°Is she happy to hear it? Did she really need to break the teacup? How exaggerating.¡± Lu Yu thought. ¡°I don¡¯t need the teacup to drink the tea. If it was crushed, so be it.¡± Lu Yu thought indifferently. ¡°Haha!¡± Han Yu laughed coldly. She stood up and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the Han Residence!¡± Lu Yu stood at the door to send Han Yu off. ¡°Take care, Miss. Have a safe journey.¡± When he was about to turn around and leave, the shopkeeper hurriedly pulled him back and asked, ¡°What did you and Miss talk about? Miss doesn¡¯t seem to be in a good mood?¡± ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t she be? I saw her smile when she left. She must be very satisfied.¡± The shopkeeper let go. He was speechless and wondered, ¡°Could a cold smile be considered a happy smile?¡± Sitting in the litter, the more Han Yu thought about Lu Yu¡¯s behavior, the angrier she became. Lu Yu didn¡¯t seem like he had any intention to refute her, but why did his tone sound so annoying? The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Han Yu shouted, ¡°Stop.¡± She got down from the litter and let the others carry the litter back. Then, she walked to Windmill Town alone. Actually, she usually did not take the litter when she went out. She did it this time because she wanted Lu Yu to know the difference in status between her and him. That was why she chose to take the litter. That was why she asked someone to inform Lu Yu to meet her at the door. ¡°This Lu Yu did not even know how to speak. Even chatting with him could infuriate me. Yet, Second Uncle and Butler Zhang actually wanted me to marry him.¡± ¡°He could not be compared to Brother Yang at all. He was not as handsome or elegant as Brother Yang. He did not know how to chat at all. His words were not as pleasant as Brother Yang¡¯s.¡± The shopkeeper suddenly saw Han Yu who appeared in the shop and was shocked. He hurriedly ran out of the counter and said, ¡°Miss, why are you come back here? Do you want me to call someone to call Lu Yu over?¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t tell him about what I¡¯m doing here. Arrange a place for me.¡± The shopkeeper was a little confused as to whether she was here for Lu Yu, but she did not want to see Lu Yu and did not want Lu Yu to know that she was here. ¡°Sigh, this is none of my business.¡± the shopkeeper thought to himself. Very quickly, the shopkeeper arranged a place for Han Yu. It was on the second floor opposite Lu Yu¡¯s small courtyard and the second floor of the inn next to the medicine shop. Moreover, he specially picked the room for Han Yu. If she opened the window, she could see the room in Lu Yu¡¯s courtyard. After Lu Yu sent Han Yu away, he took Little Tail to extract the iron essence. When Han Yu opened the window, there was no one in the courtyard. Beside the river in Windmill Town, Lu Yu carried a sack and let the river water wash away the fine sand in the sack. Little Tail was squatting next to him. She used the magnetic bracelet to pick out the iron essence from the remaining sand. Little Tail was very smart and agile, she didn¡¯t even use the big magnetic bracelet prepared by Lu Yu. Lu Yu took the sack from Little Tail and weighed it. It was almost three jin. Including the ones that he kept, he now had a total of 12 jin of iron essence. He threw a gold coin to Little Tail. Every time Little Tail dug out the iron essence, Lu Yu would give money to her as salary. However, until now, she had not spent a single copper coin. Every time she went shopping, Lu Yu was the one paying. The gold coins in her hand were too valuable, so they were not suitable to be used to buy ordinary items. Moreover, Lu Yu had not spent one percent of the gold coins that he had exchanged for. Little Tail was too thrifty. He always asked Little Tail to buy more, but she was unwilling to spend money. After a few days of harvesting iron essence, Lu Yu¡¯s net worth had already exceeded 10,000 gold coins. However, his wealth had just shrunk by half, and he was quite distressed.. Chapter 28 - The Beginning of Crisis Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Lu Yu brought Little Tail back to the small courtyard. When Han Yu, who had been watching the small courtyard from upstairs, saw him, she became excited. When she noticed the child who followed Lu Yu into the small courtyard, she was a little confused and wondered, ¡°Who was that child?¡± ¡°Someone comes.¡± A guard who was responsible for protecting Han Yu enter the room. Han Yu pointed at Little Tail downstairs and asked, ¡°Who is that child?¡± Coincidentally, the guard who was responsible for protecting Han Yu was the one who brought Little Tail to take a bath. He replied truthfully, ¡°That is the beggar that Mr. Lu brought back.¡± ¡°Beggar? Why is he bringing a beggar with him?¡± Han Yu muttered to herself. When the guard heard this, he thought that she was asking him, so he replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know either, but that child is a girl.¡± ¡°A girl?¡± Han Yu looked confused. After returning to the courtyard, Lu Yu went into his room and took out the Hundred Forged Greatsword from his backpack. He went into the courtyard and began to cultivate. After a period of cultivation, Lu Yu realized that although his qi-blood had not increased, his strength had increased quite a bit. It was not as difficult to hold the Hundred Forged Greatsword as previous. However, it was still difficult for him to swing the 300 kg greatsword freely. After consuming one qi-blood pill and three body enhancing pills, he began to practice the Edgeless Blade Technique. He had used up all the body enhancing pills long ago, and the body enhancing pills he had now were purchased from the system store. Every time Lu Yu cultivated, he had to consume a pill that was worth more than 100 gold coins in order to maintain such a fast cultivation speed. This was something that an ordinary body refining realm martial art cultivator would not dare to imagine. After all, a spirit weapon was only a little over a thousand gold coins. Lu Yu had consumed one-tenth of a spirit weapon in one cultivation session. With so much money, it was better to buy a spirit weapon to increase his own strength. The sound of the wind created by the Hundred Forged Greatsword sounded very scary, but Little Tail was already used to it. She wore the oil paper hat that Lu Yu bought for her and sat on the steps at the door. She quietly watched Lu Yu cultivate. From time to time, she looked at the sky, as if she missed her freedom in the past. Little Tail actually did not miss the freedom of the past. She felt that her current life was very happy. She was very satisfied. She looked up at the sky because the old beggar had told her that after death, people would go up to the sky and become the stars in the sky. She was looking at the star that the old beggar had become. After cultivating the Edgeless Blade Technique, Lu Yu continued to cultivate the Fierce Tiger Fist Style. This place was not suitable for cultivating Eight Steps Chasing Cicada. The courtyard was too small. With his current strength and the ¡®highly skilled¡¯ Eight Steps Chasing Cicada, he would hit the wall with just one step. The Eight Step Chasing Cicada required 800 experience points to level up. If he had to spend time cultivating this technique, he might as well use the experience points directly to level up it. Every time he leveled up this technique, he would cultivate a few times and use it skillfully. He did not need to spend too much time on the Eight Step Chasing Cicada. Looking at the increase speed of his realm experience bar, Lu Yu felt that if he put in a little more effort tonight, he would be able to level up to the fourth level of the body refining realm. Han Yu opened the window and discovered that Lu Yu was still cultivating. She asked the guard outside curiously, ¡°Is Lu Yu always so serious in his cultivation every day? Other than eating, why is he always cultivating?¡± The guard replied, ¡°Yes, Mr. Lu is the most hardworking person I¡¯ve ever met. He¡¯s cultivating almost every moment.¡± Hearing this, Han Yu couldn¡¯t help but feel ashamed in her heart. Under her father¡¯s urging, she would find any chance to slack off. However, this Lu Yu was cultivating so diligently even when no one was forcing him. In the AFK mode, Lu Yu was thinking about at what realm he should at to expose Yang Xiu. If he was too weak, he would be in danger. If he was too strong, it would be a waste of time. He had to get this big gift bag from the Han Residence as soon as possible so that he could go to the Tianfeng Academy to look for Su Peng sooner. After careful consideration, he felt that it was safer to cultivate to the qi cultivating realm because Yang Xiu might be at the qi cultivating realm. However, it would take him a very long time. ¡­ Ma Gang looked at the person who had climbed in through the window and said angrily, ¡°Why are you come in through the window? Can¡¯t you use the door?¡± ¡°I have important information.¡± Ma Gang patted the woman who was lying in bed and said, ¡°Get out.¡± The woman hurriedly took her clothes and left the room. Her exposing body didn¡¯t attract the attention of the two people in the room. ¡°Han Yu has left the Han Residence. She is now staying in the inn next to the Ji Min Hall.¡± ¡°What? Han Yu has left the Han Residence!¡± Ma Gang got out of bed excitedly. ¡°Cough, be careful. Don¡¯t expose yourself like that. I¡¯m leaving.¡± After saying that, the person jumped out of the window. Ma Gang looked down and did not pay attention to this matter. The key was that Han Yu had come to Windmill Town. If he could capture Han Yu and force Han Yaozu to hand over the cultivation technique, the others and him would not have to hide in that ghastly place deep in the mountains and forests. He had forgotten about Lu Yu. The only reason he wanted to get rid of Lu Yu was because he might interfere with his actions. Now that his target had appeared, he did not care whether he was exposed or not. He looked at the sky outside. It was still very bright. There was still a long time before night. However, Ma Gang could not hold it in anymore. He shouted to the outside, ¡°Madam, find me another girl!¡± ¡­ Han Yu was bored and stayed in her room. She watched Lu Yu cultivated from morning to afternoon and then from afternoon to night. Other than eating, he cultivated all the time. She was so tired that she lost interest in observing him. After eating, she laid on the bed early to rest. Lu Yu had long noticed that Han Yu was staying in the opposite inn. Han Yu¡¯s undisguised gaze could not be more obvious. However, Lu Yu could not be bothered with her. After dinner, Lu Yu continued to cultivate the Fierce Tiger Fist Style. He was just a little bit away from leveling up. At worst, he could just stay up all night. Otherwise, he would not be able to sleep well. After all, he was about to level up. He might even sleepwalk to cultivate. It was late at night. The night in Windmill Town was very quiet. Occasionally, one could hear the shouts of the watchmen. The lights in the medicine shop were all extinguished. Lu Yu was cultivating the Fierce Tiger Fist Style in the darkness. Although there were no lights, Lu Yu could clearly see the scenery in the courtyard. Cultivation enhanced one¡¯s ability in all aspects. Even if there was no moonlight, Lu Yu could still see the night scene twenty to thirty meters away clearly. He could see the things clearly in two to three meters around him. It was the same as seeing things in the shadows during the day. [After hard training, your realm has broken through to the fourth level of the body refining realm. Qi-blood + 8] Finally, he heard the system notification that he had missed for a long time. The moment he broke through, Lu Yu felt a burst of pure qi-blood in his body. The qi-blood moistened his internal organs. Lu Yu let out a long breath of turbid air. Not only that, the qi-blood that suddenly appeared when he broke through also surged to the surface of his body. Lu Yu could feel that his skin was becoming tougher and thicker. The remaining qi-blood surged to his head. Lu Yu instantly felt that his vision was much clearer. Then, he saw a person appear in Han Yu¡¯s room and wrap Han Yu in the blanket. That person lifted her up and prepared to leave through the window facing the courtyard. Lu Yu frowned and sighed. He would rather not see this scene. He wished he was asleep, so he didn¡¯t need to do the hassle. Ma Gang, who was carrying Han Yu, jumped out of the inn. He did not expect that there would be someone who did not even turn on the lights at this time of night, some weirdo that still stood in the courtyard when everyone else had fallen asleep! ¡°F*ck, since you have seen me, then consider yourself unlucky!¡± Carrying the blanket, he rushed towards Lu Yu. Only when he got close did he see clearly that the person in the courtyard was Lu Yu, whom he had originally wanted to kill. Ma Gang immediately smiled and thought to himself, ¡°Just nice, I¡¯ve completed my mission to kill Lu Yu. I¡¯m so lucky today!¡± He punched Lu Yu with his bare hands. He thought that Lu Yu could not even withstand a single punch from him. In the next second, he saw an extremely exaggerated weapon appear in Lu Yu¡¯s hand. Before he could react, he saw that he was getting further and further away from Lu Yu. ¡°Heaven¡¯s Fall!¡± Seeing that Ma Gang actually dared to run towards him barehanded, Lu Yu took out the Hundred Forged Greatsword without hesitation and struck out with Heaven¡¯s Fall. With the Hundred Forged Greatsword in hand, even if Lu Yu could not unleash the true power of Heaven¡¯s Fall, it was definitely not something that Ma Gang, who was barehanded, could withstand. At the moment of contact, Ma Gang¡¯s arm was broken by the powerful force. In less than 0.1 seconds, his arm and back merged into one, turning into a pile of meat paste. He was directly sent flying by Heaven¡¯s Fall. [Kill a martial art cultivator at the sixth level of the body refining realm. Obtained 412 experience points] Sixth level of the body refining realm! Lu Yu did not expect that Ma Gang was actually a martial art cultivator at the sixth level of the body refining realm. He now had a clearer understanding of the power of the Heaven¡¯s Fall. Under normal circumstances, if he wanted to deal with a martial art cultivator at the sixth level of the body refining realm, he had to go all out in order to have a chance of winning. Even after his Fierce Tiger Fist Style had reached the ¡®perfected¡¯ level, he felt that he had a very small chance of winning against a martial cultivator at the sixth level of the body refining realm. However, a martial cultivator at the sixth level of the body refining realm would not be able to withstand the Heaven¡¯s Fall if the cultivator was unprepared. Lu Yu suspected that even a martial cultivator at the seventh level of the body refining realm might not be able to withstand it. Moreover, when dealing with a martial skill like the Edgeless Blade Technique, the best choice was to dodge, not to take it head-on. If Ma Gang had left some strength behind when he attacked Lu Yu, he might have chance to dodge the Heaven¡¯s Fall. Lu Yu looked at the blanket that had fallen to the ground and was somewhat impressed. Han Yu had not woken up yet despite of all the noises. He then found out that Han Yu had already fainted from the drug before she was rolled up. He did not bother with her. She was wrapped up in the blanket anyway. She would not catch a cold if she slept here at night, and no one would dare to touch her tonight. He returned to the courtyard and closed the door. After cultivating until so late, he also felt a little sleepy, so he lay on the bed and prepared to sleep. He remembered that when his realm had risen, it seemed that his qi-blood had increased by a lot, much more than when his realm had risen in the past. Lu Yu had once heard from Wang Qiang that there was a threshold between the sixth and seventh realm of the body refining realm, and it was a huge leap to cross it. From the looks of it, the third to fourth realm of the body refining realm was a small threshold, so it was reasonable to have such huge improvement. He needed a total of 2,000 experience points to level up to fifth level. Now that he had 1,047 experience points, ¡°Should I upgrade the Edgeless Blade Technique?¡± What made him hesitate was that he did not know if upgrading the Edgeless Blade Technique would increase his realm. He could not fall asleep as he kept thinking about it. He tossed and turned on the bed. Seeing that the sky was about to brighten, Lu Yu finally made a decision to upgrade the Edgeless Blade Technique! [After painstaking cultivation, the Edgeless Blade Art has been upgraded to the second level. Qi-blood + 10] ¡°And then?¡± Lu Yu looked at this short and weak system notification and felt a little frustrated. Upgrading the Edgeless Blade Art to the second level did indeed add a lot of qi-blood. It was equivalent to the full level of the Fierce Tiger Fist Style, but there was no increase in his realm. The first half of the Edgeless Blade Art only had three levels. The first level could only be cultivated to the fourth level of the body refining realm, so there was no way to upgrade the realm. If one cultivated to the fourth level of the body refining realm and was still unable to comprehend the second level of the Edgeless Blade Art, then they would be unable to continue cultivating to increase their qi-blood. This kind of situation was known as poor comprehension of the cultivator. On the other hand, if one¡¯s cultivation level was low but was able to comprehend a cultivation technique that far surpassed their current level, then they would be called as geniuses with high comprehension. But what Lu Yu could do was just cheating! Basically, no one could raise one¡¯s realm by comprehending a cultivation technique. Those who were capable to do so were either geniuses or cheating.. Chapter 29 - A New Storm Arrived Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Creak¡­ Little Tail pushed open the courtyard door and wanted to ask for breakfast today. Lu Yu had given her the task of asking for breakfast for the past few days, which allowed her to move around within the area of the medicine shop and courtyard. The moment she stepped out, she saw a mangled corpse lying in the distance. She did not have any feelings towards the corpse. Over the years, she had seen many that were even worse than this one. But who was the egg roll that was lying at the entrance of the courtyard? Lu Yu had told her about the egg roll, and he had personally fried one for her to eat. Little Tail thought it was delicious. That person was wrapped exactly like an egg roll. Little Tail did not know Han Yu, and she would never meddle in other people¡¯s business. However, when she saw Han Yu lying at the entrance of her place, she reached out to push Han Yu, wanting to wake her up. ¡°Wake up, wake up. Big sister, why are you sleeping in such a place? Get up quickly.¡± ¡°Mmm, don¡¯t be noisy. Let me sleep for a while more.¡± Little Tail continued to shake, wanting to wake Han Yu up. ¡°Who is it! I already said don¡¯t be noisy, don¡¯t touch me!¡± Han Yu felt someone shaking her and suddenly jolted awake. When she opened her eyes, she found herself wrapped in a blanket and sleeping outside of her room. ¡°Ah!¡± Han Yu let out a high-frequency, ear-piercing, and loud scream. Little Tail covered her ears. She felt that her ears were going deaf. ¡°Who is it? Who dare to make early in the morning!¡± Lu Yu, who had been tossing and turning in the night, finally fell asleep when the sky was about to brighten. He was awakened by Han Yu¡¯s scream, and he roared with anger. Early in the morning, all the people from the Ji Min Hall were woken up. Not only the Ji Min Hall, but all the employees of the Han estate in Windmill Town were also woken up. The eldest daughter of the Han family had actually slept on the streets for an entire night. This was a huge matter. After Butler Zhang found out about it, he immediately rushed to Windmill Town. When Butler Zhang arrived, the officials were checking the scene. When they saw Ma Gang, whose half of his body had been crushed, their expressions were somewhat solemn. He recognized that this person was one of the members of the Wild Wolf Sect. All the members of the Wild Wolf Sect, the Blood Blade Sect, the Fierce Tiger Sect, and other underground gangs had been thoroughly investigated by the Han Residence. Butler Zhang had seen the portraits of those people. Constable Li, who held the highest position at the scene, saw Butler Zhang. He came to Butler Zhang and said, ¡°Looking at the situation at the scene, it should be Ma Gang was trying to kidnap Miss Han Yu. When he left, he ran into a strong expert who was passing by. The strong expert acted bravely and killed Ma Gang with one palm strike.¡± ¡°As for Miss Han Yu, my people found traces of knockout powder at the edge of the quilt. That¡¯s why she was unaware that she was sleeping on the street. It could be that the expert who passed by had something urgent to attend to and left, so he left Miss Han Yu here.¡± Although Han Yu was lying at the entrance of Lu Yu¡¯s small courtyard, and Ma Gang seemed to have been killed by a single palm strike from the direction of the small courtyard, no one suspected Lu Yu. No one thought that Lu Yu could kill a martial cultivator at the sixth level of the body refining realm in an instant. What puzzled Constable Li was that Ma Gang¡¯s injuries seemed to have been caused by a heavy object. However, when he thought that some powerful martial cultivators could also produce similar effects with their bare hands, he gave up that thought. Moreover, it didn¡¯t matter how Ma Gang died. What was important was that the Wild Wolf Sect had attacked Han Yu. Lu Yu looked at Butler Zhang and Constable Li in the crowd. He was glad that he did not touch Han Yu. Otherwise, he would not be able to explain what had happened last night. He did not want to reveal his strength so soon. In his opinion, it would be best to expose Yang Xiu after he had cultivated to the qi cultivating realm. If Yang Xiu escaped, he would mistake that Lu Yu was only a body refining realm martial art cultivator and seek revenge on him. As a result, Lu Yu, who had hidden his strength, would have the chance to defeat Yang Xiu. This was the most perfect scenario. Lu Yu would be much safer if the others did not know about his true strength. There were still many doubts about this matter, but Butler Zhang did not intend to investigate further. The main point now was that the mastermind had already started to attack Han Yu. It was very likely that he wanted to kidnap Han Yu and threaten the Han Residence. The most important thing now was to protect Han Yu. What was even more fatal was that the clues regarding the spies in the Han Residence were lost. When they investigated the cause of the fire in Han Residence, they found that the fire was not very big at the beginning. There was no need for so many people from the outer court to put out the fire. Therefore, the person who went to call the outer court¡¯s guards to put out the fire was very suspicious. When Butler Zhang found out about this, he was surprised to find that the person had already died in the battle last time. He had no way to start and could not continue to investigate. The other direction was the Raging Flame Palm that killed the guard in the study room. Under the instructions of Han Yaozu, Butler Zhang followed the martial art cultivators who had practiced the Raging Flame Palm in the Han Residence. So far, he had not found anything unusual. Seeing Lu Yu in the crowd, he walked toward him and motioned Lu Yu to talk to him. ¡°Did you get anything during this period of time?¡± Butler Zhang asked. ¡°A little. The members of the Wild Wolf Sect, the Blood Blade Sect, and the Fierce Tiger Sect all left Windmill Town and hid in the deep mountains and forests.¡± Lu Yu said casually. Butler Zhang¡¯s eyes were slightly disappointed. He also knew about this matter. Lu Yu noticed his expression and was prepared to throw out something to let Butler Zhang keep him in Windmill Town. Otherwise, when he returned to the Han Residence, he would lose his current freedom. ¡°Not long ago, I went to the Black Water Gutter and used a steamed bun to exchange for information from a beggar. He said that he had accidentally seen the guards of the Han Residence looking for the leader of the Wild Wolf Sect. The spy in the Han Residence is most likely the mastermind.¡± ¡°You bring good news. The mysterious person is the mastermind and hiding in the Han Residence, and he is a guard of the Han residence. The scope of the search has been greatly reduced. Well done.¡± After Butler Zhang praised him a few times, he thought of something and asked, ¡°What about that beggar? Can you let him identify who it is?¡± Lu Yu shook his head and said, ¡°I¡¯ve asked. He said that he only saw that person wearing the Han Residence¡¯s clothes and did not see his face, so there is no way to identify the mastermind.¡± Butler Zhang was slightly disappointed. He did not suspect that Lu Yu was lying. If the beggar he met could identify the mastermind hidden in the Han Residence, it would be a great merit for him. In Butler Zhang¡¯s opinion, there was no point for Lu Yu to give up a great merit and lie to him. ¡°Now that we have confirmed that the mastermind is hidden in the Han Residence, do you want to return to the Han Residence with me and continue searching for the mastermind?¡± Butler Zhang asked. He wanted to know Lu Yu¡¯s thoughts. ¡°I want to stay in Windmill Town. Recently, I have found clues about the hiding places of some underground gangs in the wild. I want to continue searching and find their hiding places.¡± How could Lu Yu possibly choose to return to the Han Residence and tell them the excuse he had thought of. ¡°Alright, then you¡¯ll be in charge of finding the hiding places of those underground gangs.¡± Actually, Butler Zhang did not want Lu Yu to return to the Han Residence now. This was because the mastermind was a qi cultivating realm martial art cultivator. Lu Yu¡¯s strength was too weak. If he was accidentally killed by the mastermind, the investment of the Han Residence would go down the drain. After finding Han Yu in the Ji Min Hall, Butler Zhang personally protected her to return to the Han Residence. After this incident, Han Yu would not be able to leave the Han Residence until the mastermind behind the scenes was found out. ¡­ ¡°Hei Lang! Look at what your subordinates have done. How do you expect me to get Han Yu out of the Han Residence now?¡± ¡°This is indeed the my subordinates¡¯ fault, but you have to take the blame as well! The eldest daughter of the Han family has left the Han Residence, yet you did not send us any messages. If you had told us about this matter, she would already be tied up here!¡± Yang Xiu¡¯s face was gloomy. He had not expected that Han Yu would not call him when she left the Han Residence this time. Moreover, because of this trip, he was completely unaware that Han Yu had sneaked out. Butler Zhang only found out about it after Han Yu left the Han Residence. ¡°Both of you, stop arguing. The urgent thing now is how to kidnap the young miss of the Han family. It¡¯s useless no matter who is responsible for the mistake.¡± said the chief of the Bloody Blade Sect. ¡°Wait a few more days. When the time comes, I¡¯ll directly bring Han Yu out of the Han Residence. You two can pick her up on the way.¡± said Yang Xiu after a moment of silence. ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll wait a few more days for you. You¡¯d better hurry up.¡± said the chief of the Fierce Tiger Gang. The chief of the Wild Wolf Sect, Hei Lang, did not say a word. He hid in the darkness, his eyes flashing with cruelty. Ma Gang was his man and he had died in vain. This matter could not be settled so easily. ¡­ Lu Yu brought Little Tail to the Wind Rock Demon¡¯s nest and began the day¡¯s ¡®goldmining¡¯. However, something happened. When the Wind Rock Demons saw Lu Yu appear on the gravel ground, they did not move at all and ignored his existence. These Wind Rock Demons chased Lu Yu a few times and realized that they could not catch up to him. They were too lazy to continue chasing him. They were already used to him appearing in their territory. This was difficult for Lu Yu. If they did not leave, Little Tail would not be able to fill the sand and he would not be able to get the iron essence. After hesitating for a while, Lu Yu mustered up his courage and walked towards the gravel ground. He kicked the Wind Rock Demon who was lying on the ground. ¡°Stupid demon! Come and chase me!¡± After running out, he found that the Wind Rock Demon only stood up and took two steps. After seeing that he had run away, it laid back on the ground and had no intention of chasing him. ¡°They actually tired of chasing me now.¡± Lu Yu didn¡¯t know what to do at this moment. The sand pile was near the entrance of the cave. If one wanted to pass through it, they would have to pass through the Wind Rock Demon group. Previously, they could still dig some sand from a distance. But now, the sand pile had been scattered by the Wind Rock Demon last time and its size had greatly shrunk. If they did not pass through the place where the Wind Rock Demons were sunbathing, they would not be able to touch the sand pile. If he went deep into the demon group, he would be surrounded. Lu Yu did not have any confidence in escaping. Being chased and being surrounded were two different things. If Lu Yu made the slightest mistake during the encirclement, he would be crushed into meat paste by countless feet. The risk was too great, and Lu Yu did not dare to try. Although there were many scattered iron essences on the ground, it was not as fast as directly scooping up the sand pile. Lu Yu took out the big magnetic bracelet to see if he could absorb some iron essence on the ground. He did not expect that the moment the magnetic bracelet took out his backpack, it attracted the attention of the Wind Rock Demons nearby. The Wind Rock Demons stood up and walked towards Lu Yu. They seemed to be interested in the magnetic bracelet in his hand.. Chapter 30 - Demonic Aura Erosion Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Seeing that the Wind Rock Demons were interested in the magnetic stone, Lu Yu raised the magnetic bracelet in his hand so that more Wind Rock Demons could see it. It did attract the attention of a few more Wind Rock Demons, and they chased after Lu Yu. However, after running for a while, Lu Yu found that they stopped chasing. After thinking for a while, he took out the magnetic stone fragments that he had asked Boss Tang to collect. He picked up a larger piece and threw it at the Wind Rock Demon. Da ~ the magnetic stone fragments smashed onto the back of a Wind Rock Demon. The Wind Rock Demon who was walking back turned around and saw the magnetic stone on the ground. It picked it up. It chewed the magnetic stone in two or three bites and ate it. The eyes of the Wind Rock Demon lit up. The taste of this stone was not bad! It looked at Lu Yu. There was still a large rock doughnut in his hand. Then, it ran toward Lu Yu. Seeing that the Wind Rock Demons were indeed interested in magnetic stones, Lu Yu quickly grabbed a handful of magnetic stone fragments and sprinkled them on the Wind Rock Demons. One after another, the Wind Rock Demons who had eaten the delicious magnetic stones stood up and walked towards Lu Yu. More and more Wind Rock Demons felt the delicious taste of the magnetic stones and ran towards Lu Yu. Lu Yu raised the magnetic doughnut in his hand and ran towards the forest. Attracted by the delicacy, the Wind Rock Demons finally left the gravel ground. Lu Yu, who was running with the big magnetic bracelet, felt that the Wind Rock Demons behind him were much faster than usual. As long as he relaxed a little, groups of Wind Rock Demons would catch up with him. In the end, Lu Yu realized that these Wind Rock Demons were really risking their lives for food, and their speed was getting faster and faster. Lu Yu could only throw the magnetic bracelet far away and use the Eight Steps Chasing Cicada to get away while the Wind Rock Demons was running towards the magnetic bracelet. Looking at the Wind Rock Demons chasing after the magnetic bracelet, Lu Yu felt a little regretful. This might be his last gold rush. He did not have any more magnetic stones to attract the attention of the Wind Rock Demons. He returned to the gravel ground as fast as he could. Little Tail was already filling up the sand. Lu Yu hurried over as well. This was the last time. He could fill up as much as he could! Although the pile of sand was scattered by the Wind Rock Demon and became smaller, the content of the iron essence had increased significantly. The iron essence particles were heavier, so they did not fly everywhere like the yellow sand. Most of the iron essence stayed where they were. While digging the sand, Lu Yu wished that he had eighteen hands and could fill up nine sacks at once. Peng! Peng! Peng! Heavy footsteps sounded. A three- to four-meter-tall figure walked out from the cave entrance at the bottom of the cliff. It was a Wind Rock Demon with skin like obsidian. When Lu Yu heard the footsteps, he felt a great pressure approaching. He felt as if he was being targeted by a powerful creature. His heart was pinched, and he could not breathe. Under the suppression of the demonic aura, the qi-blood in Lu Yu¡¯s body automatically accelerated. He felt a force surging out of his body and breaking the suppression of the aura brought by the Black Wind Rock Demon. Without the slightest hesitation, he grabbed Little Tail and jumped backward. He turned around in midair and immediately cast the Eight Steps Chasing Cicada technique after landing on the ground. Using the Eight Steps Chasing Cicada to its maximum, he crossed eight to nine meters in one step. In less than a second, his figure appeared more than a hundred meters away, and he was still moving at a high speed. The Black Wind Rock Demon looked at Lu Yu who had left, but it did not chase him. It looked in the direction of the Han Residence and returned to the cave. Lu Yu¡¯s qi-blood flowed rapidly in his body, producing rumbling sounds. He could only hear the sound of his heartbeat and the flow of his qi-blood. He had no choice but to stop when his qi-blood had been used up. Hot steam rose from Lu Yu¡¯s body as he panted heavily. It was as if he had just come out of a steamer and was enveloped in white steam. Little Tail was also flushed red from the steam coming from Lu Yu¡¯s body. After being put down by Lu Yu, Little Tail couldn¡¯t even stand properly. She felt as if her head had been shaken into a paste. The whole world was spinning, and she fell to the ground and fainted. Lu Yu could barely stay awake to buy a heaven recovery pill. After swallowing it, he completely lost his consciousness. The Edgeless Blade Technique operated automatically, trying to correct the chaotic flow of qi-blood in his body. However, the effect was very weak. When the effects of the heaven recovery pill came into effect, the Edgeless Sword Art gradually unleashed its power, clearing up the chaotic flow of qi-blood in his body. When Lu Yu opened his eyes, the circulation of qi-blood in his body had already returned to normal, and the strength of his qi-blood had slightly increased. Seeing that there was less than a thousand gold coins in his backpack, Lu Yu felt so distressed that he could not breathe. ¡°I¡¯ve lost so much this time!¡± When he got up and saw Little Tail lying on the ground, he picked her up. Little Tail¡¯s face was deathly pale, as if she was seriously ill. Lu Yu touched her head. It was ice-cold, as if she was dead. Her entire body had lost all warmth, but Little Tail was still breathing. She was not completely dead yet. If she didn¡¯t receive treatment, she would definitely die in less than half a day. Lu Yu knew that she had been invaded by demonic aura. Mortals could not resist demons at all. Just the demonic aura from demons could suppress mortals and make them unable to move. Even worse, it would cause their bodies to be eroded and they would die in pain. Martial art cultivators could rely on their powerful qi-blood to resist the suppression and erosion of demonic aura, but the qi-blood of ordinary people were too weak. They could not resist the erosion of demonic aura at all. Now, they could either find a qi cultivating realm martial cultivator with a profound cultivation and let him use a large amount of spiritual energy to help Little Tail expel the demonic aura from her body, or Lu Yu could feed Little Tail an aura dispelling pill. The aura dispelling pill was a medicinal pill specially developed for mortals. Its medicinal properties were mild and could allow mortals to consume it and expel the demonic aura from their bodies. However, it was extremely expensive and very rare. A family that could afford the aura dispelling pill would most probably have a member at qi cultivating realm. Therefore, very few people would make the aura dispelling pill. When they needed the qi dispelling pill, they would buy it. Without any hesitation, Lu Yu hugged Little Tail and rushed to the Divine Weapon Pavilion. The Divine Weapon Pavilion did not have the aura dispelling pill either. However, it had money. With money, Lu Yu could buy game credits and then purchase the aura dispelling pill from the system store. Lu Yu could not just watch Little Tail die in front of him. After spending the past few days together, his relationship with Little Tail had changed. He began to care for her. Moreover, Little Tail was corroded by the demonic aura because of him. Hence, he couldn¡¯t let Little Tail die. If Little Tail was already dead after he regained his consciousness, he would feel regret in his heart. But she was still alive. If he just watched her die without doing anything, he would blame himself for the rest of his life. He had already treated this game as a real world. He treated Little Tail as a real person. ¡°Give me the money right now.¡± Lu Yu placed all the iron essences in his backpack in front of the shopkeeper of the Divine Weapon Pavilion. These iron essences were originally intended to strengthen the Hundred Forged Greatsword. Seeing Lu Yu carrying a child and showed up without hiding his face, the shopkeeper of the Divine Weapon Pavilion was somewhat surprised. However, he still recognized Lu Yu at the first moment and brought him to the private room on the second floor. After weighing the iron essence that Lu Yu gave, the shopkeeper took out a light green crystal card and handed it to Lu Yu. He said, ¡°This is a crystal card. There are 10,000 gold coins in it.¡± Lu Yu took the crystal card. The logo of the Divine Weapon Pavilion was printed on it. After receiving the crystal card, he immediately bought the game credits and bought an aura dispelling pill worth 80,000 points. ¡°This is the remaining 324 gold coins.¡± the shopkeeper took out another money bag and gave it to Lu Yu, then said, ¡°The crystal card given by the Divine Weapon Pavilion can be used anywhere in the Great Zhou Dynasty.¡± ¡°The crystal card in your hand represents that you have become a junior member of the Divine Weapon Pavilion. You can book a blacksmith of the Divine Weapon Pavilion in advance and customize a spirit weapon below third grade.¡± ¡°Of course, the blacksmith will also charge a certain handling fee. You have to bring your own materials to forge the weapon. If you don¡¯t have enough materials, you can also buy it from the Divine Weapon Pavilion¡­¡± Before he finished listening to the shopkeeper¡¯s words, Lu Yu hurriedly brought Little Tail back to the small courtyard. On the way, he had already fed Little Tail aura dispelling pills. Looking at Little Tail lying on the bed with a slightly relaxed expression, Lu Yu heaved a sigh of relief. Not long after Lu Yu left, information about him appeared in front of the shopkeeper of the Divine Weapon Pavilion. This included the matter of Lu Yu buying the Hundred Forged Greatsword at the Tang Blacksmith Shop. Previously, the shopkeeper of the Divine Weapon Pavilion didn¡¯t think of investigating Lu Yi. To him, Lu Yu was just a regular person who had iron essence. It would not attract his attention. However, as long as he wanted to investigate, with the powerful background of the Divine Weapon Pavilion, he could obtain detailed information from many sources. Those organizations that specialized in selling information were much better than Han Residence. According to the information, there was a high possibility that Ma Gang was killed by Lu Yu. The wounds on Ma Gang¡¯s body matched with the injuries caused by the Hundred Forged Greatsword. After learning that Lu Yu had only cultivated for less than a month and had the strength to kill a sixth level body refining realm martial cultivator, the shopkeeper of the Divine Weapon Pavilion was excited. The Divine Weapon Pavilion adopted a policy of getting close to these geniuses. As for those members of the Divine Weapon Pavilion who were able to find geniuses, they would receive generous reward. A genius of Lu Yu¡¯s level might not be that impressive in the entire Great Zhou Empire, but in Bei Feng City, or even in the entire Bei Feng Province, he could be considered a first-rate genius. The shopkeeper foresaw that he would receive commendation from the headquarters and was promoted to leave this remote small town, his future would be bright. He hurriedly took out the precious thousand-mile communication talisman and filled in Lu Yu¡¯s information on it. Then, he activated it with his spiritual energy. The thousand-mile communication talisman slowly burned in the air and disappeared. Next, he waited for the news from the headquarters. The shopkeeper of the Divine Weapon Pavilion looked in the direction of the Han Residence. ¡­ ¡°Water, thirsty¡­¡± Little Tail muttered unconsciously. Lu Yu quickly poured some water for her to drink. He patted her head and found that her body temperature had returned to normal. He covered her with the blanket and left the small courtyard. He came to the river where he often washed the sand. Looking at the flowing river water, Lu Yu reflected on his recklessness and impulsiveness. ¡°Sigh¡± he sighed and took out the yellow sand that he had dug up today. This was the last time he panned for iron essence. Very soon, Lu Yu filtered the yellow sand, leaving behind large grains of sand and iron essence. After all of them were processed, Lu Yu was pleasantly surprised to find that today¡¯s harvest might be able to earn back all the money he had spent for the past two days. After the filtration, there was a whole sack full of sand and iron essence. Moreover, the proportion of iron essence was much more than the previous batches, and it was clearly visible to the naked eye. He quickly brought the sack back to the small courtyard.. Chapter 31 - Strengthening the Hundred Forged Greatsword Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio When Lu Yu returned to the small courtyard, he happened to see Little Tail who had just stood up. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Lu Yu asked. ¡°Yes.¡± He threw the sack containing the iron essence and sand grains into the living room and said to her, ¡°If you¡¯re fine, then get to work! Pick out all the iron essence.¡± He looked like a black-hearted boss who was exploiting his employee. He didn¡¯t want Little Tail to become dependent on him. Sooner or later, he would have to leave this place. When that time came, he wouldn¡¯t be able to bring her along. After all, Little Tail was just an ordinary kid. ¡°Okay.¡± Little Tail took out the small magnetic bracelet from the room and began to work. Originally, Little Tail had hung the small magnetic bracelet around her neck. However, at Lu Yu¡¯s request, she took it off. It was hard to say whether a magnetic field was good or bad to one¡¯s body. However, if she carried something with a strong magnetic field around her, it would easily affect her own magnetic field, resulting in dizziness and vomiting. That was why Lu Yu told her not to wear the magnetic bracelet around her neck. When Little Tail used the magnetic bracelet to pick out the iron essence from the sack, she was a little absent-minded. From time to time, she would turn her head to look at Lu Yu, who was cultivating. When she was eroded by demonic aura, she felt very cold. She recalled the winter she had spent with the old beggar when she was young. The old beggar died in that winter but leaving her the hope of survival. When she had been eroded by the demonic aura, she felt that she had returned to that harsh winter. However, the old beggar was no longer by her side. The snowstorm was getting stronger and stronger, and the world was getting darker and darker. When she thought that she was going to die. She felt a very warm embrace. It was a feeling that she had never felt before, just like the feeling of a mother. Although she had never seen her mother before, in the description of the old beggar, a mother¡¯s embrace was the warmest place in the world. After breaking through to the fourth level of the body refining realm, Lu Yu felt that cultivating the Fierce Tiger Fist Style would increase his qi-blood very slowly. Cultivating for an entire day could only increase his qi-blood by 1 point. Currently, Lu Yu¡¯s qi-blood had reached 88 points at the fourth level of the body refining realm. For ordinary martial art cultivators, when their qi-blood reached this level, most of them had already reached the fifth level or even close to the sixth level of the body refining realm. The Fierce Tiger Fist Style could only be cultivated to the seventh level of the body refining realm. In other words, Lu Yu¡¯s qi-blood was already close to the limit that the Fierce Tiger Fist Style could reach. After the vast majority of people cultivated the Fierce Tiger Fist Style to the sixth level of the body refining realm, the improvement of their qi-blood would become very slow. Just like Wang Qiang, he had cultivated for many years and still hadn¡¯t broken through to the sixth level of the body refining realm. The cultivation technique restricted the improvement of their qi-blood. The best way was to find a cultivation technique that was even more advanced than the Fierce Tiger Fist Style. However, it would take a long time to cultivate another cultivation technique from the beginning to reach the current realm. If one¡¯s comprehension was not enough, it might be a waste of effort. Generally, the martial art cultivators would keep grinding to slowly increase the qi-blood, or they would cultivate an advanced cultivation technique to increase their qi-blood faster. Lu Yu had change from a fist technique to a saber technique, but this method was not recommended to most people. Han Yaozong was only willing to give Lu Yu to a saber technique because Lu Yu had just started cultivation. Moreover, Lu Yu was talented and had a high comprehension ability. Not long after Lu Yu practiced the Fierce Tiger Fist Style, he took out the Hundred Forged Greatsword and cultivated the Edgeless Blade Art. The effect of the Fierce Tiger Fist Style was far inferior to the Edgeless Blade Art. The Edgeless Blade Art was a third-grade spirit class cultivation technique, and its effect was far superior to the Fierce Tiger Fist Style. After consuming the qi-blood pill to speed up the cultivation, Lu Yu would be able to increase his qi-blood by 3 to 4 points every day. He believed that it wouldn¡¯t be long before he would be able to level up again. Raising his qi-blood to 88 points made it much easier for him to cultivate the Edgeless Blade Technique. The time he could cultivate every day was also extended, but there was still quite a distance before he could fully display the ¡°Heaven¡¯s Fall¡±. He was able to instantly kill a martial art cultivator at the sixth level of the body refining realm without fully displaying the power of the Heaven¡¯s Fall. Hence, Lu Yu was looking forward to the true strength of the Heaven¡¯s Fall. Little Tail picked out all the iron essence and dragged a sack towards Lu Yu with great difficulty. Noticing Little Tail¡¯s movements, Lu Yu stopped the AFK mode. He walked over and picked up the sack containing the iron essence and weighed it. It weighed at least 15-16 jin, or even more. Lu Yu had just broken through, so he had not completely grasped his own strength yet. It felt lighter than before when he took the same weight item. Therefore, Lu Yu did not know how heavy this sack of iron essence was. However, the last iron essence harvest would definitely be a huge profit. It was possible that he could even earn back the money he had spent on the heaven recovery pill and the aura dispelling pill. However, Lu Yu did not plan to exchange all of it for money. He still wanted to keep some to strengthen the Hundred Forged Greatsword. If there were no accidents, the Hundred Forged Greatsword would be enough for him to use for a long time. For this reason, he fully consulted Boss Tang and knew the difference between a hundred refined weapon and a spirit weapon. Only then did he decide to strengthen the Hundred Forged Greatsword. The difference between a low-grade spirit weapon and an ordinary weapon was that a low-grade spirit weapon was able to transmit spiritual energy more perfectly and produce some sort of effect. After the spiritual energy was injected into a spirit weapon, it would become sharper, harder, or it could buffer attacks and even cause fire damage. The effect was determined by the materials used to forge the equipment. In short, a spirit weapon was a weapon with an additional attack effect. In terms of material, a low-grade spirit weapon without spiritual energy was not necessarily harder and sharper than a hundred refined weapon. Lu Yu had cultivated the Edgeless Blade Art, so he knew that what he needed was not some fancy special effect, but a weapon that was heavy enough, hard enough, and sturdy enough. In this regard, the Hundred Forged Greatsword that had been strengthened by the iron essence was far stronger than a low-grade spirit weapon. He had not reached the qi cultivating realm yet, so he had not cultivated spiritual energy. A spirit weapon was no different from an ordinary weapon in his hands. Borrowing the scale from the medicinal store, he roughly weighed the sack. The weight of the iron essence reached 21.3 jin. Excluding the weight of the sack, it should be 19 to 20 jin. If converted into money, it would be close to 16,000 gold coins. The second half of the Edgeless Blade Art cost 70,000 gold coins. It seemed that it wasn¡¯t impossible to get the rest of the Edgeless Blade Art. It would be even easier if he was a tycoon. He could directly buy 700,000 game credits and get the second half of the Edgeless Blade Art. There was not much time for him. The Wild Wolf Sect had started to attack the Han family members. Moreover, there were people from unknown forces watching him in the dark. He needed to become stronger sooner. He brought the iron essence and the Hundred Forged Greatsword to the Tang Blacksmith Shop. When Boss Tang heard that Lu Yu had come to look for him, he knew that there was a big deal today. ¡°You plan to strengthen the Hundred Forged Greatsword?¡± When Boss Tang heard Lu Yu¡¯s request, he was slightly surprised. He didn¡¯t expect that he could really get so much iron essence. ¡°According to my many years of forging experience and my father¡¯s previous experimental conclusion, the best ratio between ordinary materials and iron essence is 50:1. Adding 1 tael of iron essence to a 5 jin of weapon will be able to achieve the most perfect effect.¡± ¡°If we use too much iron essence, the weapon forged will be too hard and brittle. It is not suitable to be used as a weapon. If we use lesser iron essence, it would be fine, but it won¡¯t achieve the best effect.¡± ¡°How much iron essence do you plan to use to strengthen the Hundred Forged Greatsword?¡± asked Boss Tang. ¡°50:1.¡± said Lu Yu without any hesitation. ¡°Hiss¡­¡± Boss Tang sucked in a breath of cold air. He was shocked by Lu Yu¡¯s heroism. Last time, he had told Lu Yu that if he wanted to strengthen the Hundred Forged Greatsword, he would need at least 3 jin of iron essence to have a significant effect. If he used too little iron essence, it would not have much effect. It would be a waste of money. It would be very impressive if Lu Yu was able to get 3 jin of iron essence. However, he didn¡¯t expect Lu Yu had 12 jin of iron essence to strengthen the Hundred Forged Greatsword. He was shocked on the spot. ¡°The Hundred Forged Greatsword weighs 600 jin. You have to give me 13 jin of iron essence so that I can help you with this job.¡± said Boss Tang. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll give you 13 jin of iron essence. After the strengthening is completed, the remaining iron essence will be treated as your wages. How much you will get is depend on your own skills.¡± Boss Tang took the Hundred Forged Greatsword and the iron essence from Lu Yu¡¯s hands. He stroked the blade of the sword with an excited expression and said, ¡°No problem! Even if I don¡¯t get any money, I¡¯ll do this job!¡± ¡°We have many iron essences! I¡¯ll definitely be able to forge a godly weapon.¡± Boss Tang was so excited that his body was trembling. Lu Yu could see that Boss Tang was actually like his father who forged weapons until his death. He was full of love for weapons. This could be seen from the fact that there was not a speck of dust on the weapons in the warehouse. Boss Tan took good care of the weapons, and he was obviously full of love for them. Carrying the Hundred Forged Greatsword, Boss Tang shouted to the apprentices and workers in the blacksmith shop, ¡°Close the shop today. Stop forging the farm tools.¡± ¡°Tie Sheng, light up the great furnace. The rest of you prepare the tools and materials. This time, we will forge a truly godly weapon!¡± The people in the blacksmith shop started to get busy. Ever since Boss Tang¡¯s father passed away, the great furnace that had been extinguished for more than ten years was once again lit up. Now, there were batches of coal pouring into the great furnace. Looking at the great furnace that was gradually turning red and spitting out hot sparks, Boss Tang was immersed in his memories. The last time he used the great furnace was when he forged the Hundred Forged Greatsword. This time, he ignited the great furnace because of the Hundred Forged Greatsword. The past had become memory. This time, it would be a reborn! A reborn for the Hundred Forged Greatsword, a reborn for the Tang¡¯s Blacksmith Shop, and a reborn for himself! The Hundred Forged Greatsword that had fused with his father¡¯s decades of hard work would definitely become a godly weapon. Forging a godly weapon was his father¡¯s dream when he was still alive. It was also a dream that had never been extinguished in his heart for many years! ¡°The reforging probably takes a lot of time. You should go and do something else first. I¡¯ll inform you as soon as possible.¡± Boss Tang said to Lu Yu. ¡°Okay.¡± Lu Yu nodded. The Tang Blacksmith Store had made such a big commotion, he could not help but feel excited about the strengthened Hundred Forged Greatsword. After leaving the Tang Blacksmith Store, Lu Yu did not return to the small courtyard. He wanted to find the person who was spying on him. No matter who the person was, Lu Yu could not tolerate that person hiding in the dark and scheming against him. It was Lu Yu¡¯s belief to strike first and gain the upper hand. After wandering around Windmill Town for a few rounds, Lu Yu vaguely felt that there was someone following behind him. Hence, he walked towards the Dark Water Gutter.. Chapter 32 - Stalkers and Accidental Discoveries Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The Black Water Gutter was the dirtiest and most chaotic area of Windmill Town. Beggars, vagrants, thieves, and wanted criminals were all hiding here. The government repeatedly wanted to settle this place and give Windmill Town peace. However, every time after clearing the Black Water Gutter, it would not be long before the place was filled with residents again. Unless the government could exterminate the beggars, vagrants, thieves, and other shady professions, the Black Water Gutter would only reappear again and again. In the end, the government gave up on managing the Black Water Gutter and let the people inside run their own course. After Lu Yu walked into the Black Water Gutter, he subconsciously held his breath and walked carefully, afraid that he would step on some unknown object. The deeper he went, the more dilapidated the buildings became. There were only a few dilapidated walls at the back. From time to time, he could see homeless people huddled under the dilapidated walls. During the day, they could use the dilapidated walls to block the scorching sun, and at night, they could also use the dilapidated walls to block the cold night wind. Many homeless people chose to stay here because they could find food here. All the rubbish in the town was thrown into the Black Water Gutter. Gradually, the Black Water Gutter turned into a garbage dump. They could find some food and clothing here and barely survive. After entering the Black Water Gutter, Lu Yu quickened his steps. The person following behind him also quickened his steps. Lu Yu walked around the complicated shacks and dilapidated houses. Soon, he shook off the person behind him and hid. Next, he only needed to observe the stalker in clean clothes in the Black Water Gutter and determined which fraction was the stalker belonged to. The stalker was particularly eye-catching in the Black Water Gutter. Although he was wearing normal clothes, that was still the most eye-catching outfit in the Black Water Gutter. After searching for a few times, the stalker still couldn¡¯t find Lu Yu. After the stalker left the Black Water Gutter, Lu Yu secretly followed him and found that the stalker was actually from the Divine Weapon Pavilion. ¡°You lost him?¡± the Divine Weapon Pavilion shopkeeper looked at his subordinate and frowned. He had already reported Lu Yu¡¯s information to the headquarter, and the next thing he needed to do was to wait for the headquarters¡¯ response. Recently, Windmill Town had not been peaceful, and there had been conflicts between the underground gangs and the Han Residence. However, Lu Yu was a member of the Han Residence. The Divine Weapon Pavilion shopkeeper had sent people to follow and protect Lu Yu, so that he could protect him in the name of the Divine Weapon Pavilion at a critical moment. Although the Divine Weapon Pavilion had a high status in the entire Great Zhou Empire, they didn¡¯t have much influence in a small place like Windmill Town. Windmill Town was too remote, and it was not an important place. It could not receive the attention of the higher-ups, so the Divine Weapon Pavilion¡¯s influence here was very weak. The strongest person here was the shopkeeper himself. If he were to get involved in this matter, he could not protect himself and Lu Yu at the same time, unless he used the name of the Divine Weapon Pavilion. ¡°Sigh, off you go! We won¡¯t get involved in this matter. The rest will depend on Lu Yu¡¯s luck.¡± The Divine Weapon Pavilion¡¯s shopkeeper sighed helplessly. The higher-ups hadn¡¯t given a reply yet, so he couldn¡¯t interfere casually. Lu Yu discovered that the stalker was the Divine Weapon Pavilion¡¯s employee. After the stalker returned to the Divine Weapon Pavilion, he stayed on the first floor to receive customers and didn¡¯t have any intention of following Lu Yu. After observing for a while, Lu Yu was very puzzled, ¡°What did the Divine Weapon Pavilion¡¯s shopkeeper want? Did he give up?¡± Lu Yu always felt that there was something wrong. As he walked, he thought about it. Even when he returned to the Ji Min Hall, he still couldn¡¯t figure out what exactly was wrong. After returning to the small courtyard, he cultivated the Fierce Tiger Fist Style in AFK mode. This question had always been on his mind. During lunch, Lu Yu was surprised to find two roasted chickens on the table. They looked like they had just been roasted. He looked at Little Tail, who still had traces of smoke on her face, and asked, ¡°You roasted them?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Little Tail nodded slightly. She looked at Lu Yu as if she was waiting for his evaluation. Lu Yu tore off a drumstick, took a few bites, and said, ¡°The taste is a little bland. Put more chili next time.¡± Little Tail quickly wrote it down and prepared to put more chili next time she roasted the chicken. Looking at Little Tail, Lu Yu said, ¡°You like to cook. Do you want me to find a cooking teacher for you? You can be a chef in the future.¡± Lu Yu was making plans for Little Tail¡¯s future. If she were to leave him, she would need to have a skill to live a better life. Although Lu Yu knew how to cook, it was better to leave the teaching of cooking to a professional. Suddenly, Lu Yu was stunned. He put down the chopsticks in his hand. A professional? A professional¡­ he felt like he had caught the key. Little Tail saw that Lu Yu suddenly stopped eating and was at a loss. Was the chicken she had roasted not delicious? Lu Yu walked around the courtyard and unknowingly arrived at the entrance of the Ji Min Hall. When he raised his head, he saw the inconspicuous entrance of the alley opposite him. The scenes of him discovering the stalker twice was constantly being compared in Lu Yu¡¯s mind. He had a stronger feeling that something was not right. Suddenly, the image in his mind locked onto the blurry figure in the dark alley back then. Professional! This word flashed through Lu Yu¡¯s mind like a bolt of lightning that split the darkness. He understood what he felt was wrong. The first time, he discovered the stalker accidentally. Moreover, the moment he found out the stalker, the stalker had disappeared. Today, he could clearly sense the presence of the stalker in the crowd. It was obvious that the stalker he met today had a bad stalking skill. He could even sense that the stalker was following him. In fact, when Lu Yu saw the person for the first time, he was not even sure if the person was watching him. Perhaps it was just an ordinary person who was passing by. This meant that person¡¯s surveillance skills were very good. It would not attract his attention. It was impossible for him to be easily discovered like today. When Lu Yu thought of this, he felt a chill down his spine. What was going on? Who was the one spying on him? When he looked outside, he felt that there were eyes staring at him everywhere. Lu Yu shook his head vigorously and patted his head. He was a little paranoid. However, he could now confirm that other than the Divine Weapon Pavilion, there was another group of people spying on him. Thinking of what happened last night, Lu Yu suspected that the Wild Wolf Sect was watching him. If there was no one watching him, how would the Wild Wolf Sect know which room Han Yu was in? Realizing that the Wild Wolf Sect was watching him, Lu Yu felt a sense of danger. The chief of the Wild Wolf Sect was a qi cultivating realm martial art cultivator. With his current strength, he was definitely not a match for them. Moreover, he had already used his Hundred Forged Greatsword to strengthen it, so he had temporarily lost his trump card. If he were to be attacked by the members of the Wild Wolf Sect at this time, the consequences would be unimaginable. With his strength, it would be no problem for him to deal with a martial art cultivator at the fifth level of the body refining realm, but it would be a little difficult for him to deal with a martial art cultivator at the sixth level. If Lu Yu had the Hundred Forged Greatsword in his hand, he would even dare to fight the opponent who was at the seventh level of the body refining realm. Therefore, Lu Yu decided to first avoid the limelight and hide. ¡°My strength is still too weak!¡± Lu Yu sighed. He went back to the courtyard and called Little Tail. He planned to bring all the stuff and leave Windmill Town. When he didn¡¯t have any trump card in his hand, he always felt a little flustered. After the Hundred Forged Greatsword was strengthened, he would return to Windmill Town by himself! After taking some marching balls from the shopkeeper of the Ji Min Hall, he brought Little Tail and quietly left Windmill Town. He told the shopkeeper that he was going out to look for traces of the Wild Wolf Gang. He found an abandoned house in the mountains and stayed there temporarily. Lu Yu had found this place when he was looking for wild beasts. There was a river not far away, so he would not have any problems living there in the short term. After letting Little Tail tidy up the house, Lu Yu made good use of his time to cultivate. He planned to cultivate all the moves of the Fierce Tiger Fist Style to the highest level. In this way, he had the confidence to deal with a martial art cultivator at the sixth level of the body refining realm. He treated the trees in the forest as an imaginary enemy and practiced the Fierce Tiger Fist Style. The terrain in the forest was uneven, and there were many obstacles, which further promoted the changeability of the fist technique and improved his ability to adapt to sudden changes. The experience bar of the moves increased at a fast speed. It would not be long before the Fierce Tiger Style could reach the ¡®perfected¡¯ level. While he was cultivating, Lu Yu caught a few wild rabbits and cooked them as food for Little Tail. He also cut the broken trees with a knife to plug the air leakage in the house. Around the house, he hung the cheap bells on the surrounding trees with strings as a warning. Although Lu Yu did not think that the people who were spying on him could track him here, it did not stop him from doing a good job of guarding the area around his residence. One reason why he brought Little Tail out was because he was afraid that the Wild Wolf Sect would attack her and force him to show himself. He would not leave such burden behind. Another reason was to let Little Tail help him with his daily chores, such as washing clothes and cooking. This was also to train Little Tail¡¯s ability. The more she knew, the easier it would be for her to find a job. This was how Lu Yu persuaded himself to bring Little Tail. After several days of hard work, Lu Yu finally cultivated Fierce Tiger Fist Style to ¡®perfected¡¯ level. His every move was filled with the aura of a fierce tiger. After reaching the peak of the Fierce Tiger Fist Style, Lu Yu could intimidate the wild rabbit with just a look, making it highly nervous. All the muscles in its body were tense, and its body was stiff and unable to move. However, Lu Yu found that the wild rabbit that was paralyzed by his stare didn¡¯t taste good. So, when he was catching the rabbit, he still used his hands to catch it instead of staring at it. After breaking through, Lu Yu consolidated his realm in the forest for half a day, ensuring that he could perform the Fierce Tiger Fist Style at ¡®perfected¡¯ level. When he felt that it was about time, Lu Yu went to look for Little Tail and prepared to return to Windmill Town to see if his Hundred Forged Greatsword had been strengthened. He could not find Little Tail in the wooden house, so he walked towards the river. Little Tail was not in the wooden house. She must had gone to fill water. After taking a few steps, he saw Little Tail stumbling towards her. She looked very panicked and even threw away the jar that was used to hold water. ¡°There¡¯s someone¡­ The Wild Wolf Sect¡­¡± she ran too fast and was too nervous. She suddenly stuttered and only managed to speak after a long time. Lu Yu reacted quickly and asked, ¡°The Wild Wolf Sect?¡± Little Tail nodded vigorously and pointed towards the river. ¡°Don¡¯t talk. Wait for me in the house. I¡¯ll go and take a look.¡± After Lu Yu said that, he walked towards the river carefully. The river was the only water source in this area. So, it was normal for the members of the Wild Wolf Sect appeared here if their lair was nearby. Lu Yu did not expect that he would run into members of the Wild Wolf Sect in here. However, it was fortunate that his place was still a distance away from the river. Not far from the river, Lu Yu saw two men using water sacs to fill water. There were quite a few water sacs. It seemed that they were the representatives sent by others to fill water. ¡°You go ahead and load some. I¡¯m going to take a piss.¡± One man suddenly put the water sacs on the ground and walked away while untying his belt. The man who was still filling the water shouted, ¡°Go further away. Don¡¯t let us drink your piss!¡± ¡°Got it! I¡¯ll drink the water here too.¡± As he said that, the man lifted the leaves in front of him and went into the forest.. Chapter 33 - Strike First and Gain the Upper Hand Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Looking at the man who had walked into the forest to pee, Lu Yu slowly retreated. Now that he had discovered the Wild Wolf Sect¡¯s hiding place, he could inform the Han Residence to clean them up, so that he would not continue to live in fear. While walking, the man saw the water jar that Little Tail had thrown away. He realized that there were people around him. He was so shocked that he didn¡¯t even put on his pants. He ran back to the river and told his partner, ¡°Someone has discovered us!¡± Hearing his words, the other man threw away the water sac and said, ¡°I will go back and inform boss now. You keep searching here.¡± After he finished speaking, he did not wait for his partner¡¯s reply and ran up the mountain quickly. Lu Yu brought Little Tail out of the small house and placed her in a safe place. The first thing he did was to rush back to the river. He saw the man was about to leave. So, he followed the man. That man didn¡¯t use his full strength to run, so Lu Yu could barely keep up with his footsteps. The man¡¯s strength must be above the sixth level of the body refining realm or even seventh level. Fortunately, Lu Yu didn¡¯t sneak attack him. Lu Yu followed the target from afar and came to the entrance of a cave on the mountain. When he saw the man walking into the cave, Lu Yu immediately left the place. He already knew where they were hiding, so he would leave it to Han Residence. Lu Yu brought Little Tail back to Windmill Town and asked the shopkeeper to keep an eye on her. He then immediately rushed back to the Han Residence to meet Butler Zhang. It took Lu Yu less than five minutes to travel twenty miles from Windmill Town to the Han Residence. ¡°You found the hiding place of the underground gang? Great! I¡¯ll send some guards to raid their lair right now!¡± Butler Zhang was very excited when he received the news. When Butler Zhang started to gather people, Lu Yu suggested, ¡°It¡¯s best to call all the guards. The mastermind is hidden among the guards. If all the guards go together, he won¡¯t be able to inform those people.¡± Butler Zhang thought for a moment and said, ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Men, go gather all the guards. Also, call those few squires who have nothing to do.¡± Everyone assembled in a short time, but they didn¡¯t know why they were here for. In front of the crowd, Yang Xiu was slightly unhappy. Just a moment ago, he was prepared to ask Han Yu to leave the Han Residence. The reason was to accompany her outside to look at the scenery and relax. After the incident last time, Han Yu was traumatized. She often woke up in the middle of the night. So, Yang Xiu found the perfect excuse to ask Han Yu out. ¡°Why did Butler Zhang gather us?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either. Ask Zhang Lun. Isn¡¯t he close to Butler Zhang?¡± ¡°Zhang Lun, what happened? Why the squires are here too?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask me, I don¡¯t know either.¡± After Butler Zhang arrived, everyone quieted down. Under Lu Yu¡¯s suggestion, Butler Zhang did not ask Lu Yu to show up, nor did he tell everyone that the information was provided by Lu Yu. ¡°I have received accurate information that the bandits who attacked the Han Residence not long ago are now hiding in Xiao Tang Mountain. This time, I have gathered all of you to take them down in one fell swoop.¡± ¡°Everyone, let¡¯s go!¡± Without saying much, Butler Zhang led his team and rushed towards Xiao Tang Mountain. Lu Yu had already led Butler Zhang¡¯s trusted subordinates and rushed to the Wild Wolf Sect¡¯s lair. They had left marks along the way. Butler Zhang only needed to follow the marks while leading the large group. Yang Xiu was not happy at all. He did not expect that the Wild Wolf Sect would be discovered before he made his move. The Wild Wolf Sect and the rest had caused troubles time and time again. Yang Xiu even wondered if he had found the wrong partner. Unfortunately, he could not leave the group now. Otherwise, he would expose his true identity. He had not obtained the cultivation technique, so he couldn¡¯t reveal his true identity yet. Under circumstances, he could only look for an opportunity to let a few of his secret cahoots go. On the other hand, Lu Yu was very happy. These past few days, he had been hiding in the mountains to hide from the Wild Wolf Sect¡¯s tracking. Every day, he had been trembling with fear, and it was unbearable! Now that he had the opportunity to wipe out the Wild Wolf Sect once and for all. He felt very good as he could eliminate a threat forever. ¡­ Hei Lang picked up the water jar on the ground and looked at it. He concluded that someone had used this water jar recently. ¡°Boss, the broken house in front has been repaired by someone, but there¡¯s no one inside now.¡± Hei Lang looked around and his nose twitched slightly. He made a prompt decision and said, ¡°Leave this place immediately!¡± ¡°Hei Lang, you¡¯re making a big fuss! Maybe they¡¯re just normal people. Look, they haven¡¯t even packed their clothes. Maybe they¡¯re just going to the town to buy things now.¡± the chief of the Fierce Tiger Sect shrugged and spoke. ¡°Normal people? Why would normal people run away when they see us?¡± Hei Lang sneered. ¡°Then, do you have any good places to go?¡± the Bloody Blade Sect chief asked. Hei Lang was silent. Their current hideout was very good. There was water to drink, a cave to shelter from the wind and rain, and it was not far from Windmill Town. They could come to the town to replenish their food at any time. ¡°Do whatever you like, I don¡¯t give a sh*t!¡± Hei Lang left these words and left with his six subordinates. During the last night attack, the Wild Wolf Sect had the most survivors. The Blood Blade Sect and the Fierce Tiger Sect showed signs of forming an alliance. ¡°Why you want to leave now? Just stay! The scenery here is wonderful, and it¡¯s a perfect graveyard for you guys.¡± The voice came from not far away. Then, Hei Lang saw Butler Zhang and a few squires appear in front of them. When the Fierce Tiger Sect chief heard the voice, he was first shocked. Then, when he saw that there were only Butler Zhang and a few others, he laughed again and said, ¡°Is that all of you? Are you here to die?¡± ¡°Idiots!¡± Hei Lang cursed. After the Fierce Tiger Sect chief heard it, he glared fiercely at Hei Lang, ¡°Who are you calling an idiot?¡± The Blood Blade Sect chief was a little helpless. Hei Lang reminded him, ¡°They are just trying to attract our attention. We are already surrounded!¡± Unknowingly, the surrounding forest was filled with the Han Residence¡¯s guards. Just as the leader of the Blood Blade Sect had said, Butler Zhang had appeared in front of them just to buy time for the others to surround them. Hei Lang whispered to his subordinates beside him, ¡°After the fight starts, the first thing we¡¯ll do is to scatter and rush out. After we get rid of the pursuers, we¡¯ll go to the town to look for Ye Lang.¡± The six men nodded and held the knives in their hands tightly. They then stared encirclement around them. The chief of the Fierce Tiger Sect cracked his fingers. He could feel the threat of death, and his eyes were bloodshot. ¡°Kill!¡± Butler Zhang gave the order and took the lead to charge at the chief of the Blood Blade Sect. His qi-blood were full of vigor. His spiritual energy surged out, and wisps of white frost climbed onto his fists. Butler Zhang¡¯s fist collided with Blood Blade Sect chief¡¯s blade. There was white frost spread onto Butler Zhang¡¯s blade. The Blood Blade Sect chief felt a cold spiritual energy spread from his blade to his arm, and the speed of his blade was greatly affected. He then poured his spiritual energy his Blood Shadow Blade, and a red blade light appeared. It drove away the frost on the blade, and the attack speed returned to normal. Although Butler Zhang¡¯s cold spiritual energy did not freeze the Blood Blade Sect chief, he was barely holding up. In order to resist the cold spiritual energy brought by Butler Zhang¡¯s Frost Fist, he had consumed a lot of spiritual energy. Meanwhile, Hei Lang was holding a short saber spirit weapon in his hand as he kept on fighting with the squires. Hei Lang¡¯s attacks were vicious. He suppressed the squires to the point that they could not retaliate at all. The qi-blood in the whole body of the chief of the Fierce Tiger Sect surged. It was unknown what secret technique he had used, but his body expanded to 2.2 meters. His pair of iron fists pressed down on the two squires, causing them to spit out fresh blood. The three qi cultivating realm chiefs were busy fighting Butler Zhang and the squires. The rest of the sect members were besieging by dozens of guards. On average, each sect member had to fight three to four guards. Under the siege of the guards, the sect members collapsed at the first touch. There was no way for them to defeat the Han Residence. Seeing that the situation was not good, Hei Lang did not care about the huge consumption of spiritual energy. He desperately attacked the vital points of the squire who was fighting with him. The squire was no match for Hei Lang. Under the fierce attack of Hei Lang, he could not fight back at all. He could only passively take a beating to cover his vital points. However, he still suffered many injuries. Hei Lang stabbed towards the squire¡¯s chest. The squire subconsciously concentrated all the spiritual energy in his chest to block Hei Lang¡¯s attack. Unexpectedly, Hei Lang turned around and stabbed the short saber into the squire¡¯s thigh. Without the protection of the spiritual energy, the squire¡¯s thigh was cut in half by Hei Lang, and he let out a blood-curdling scream. After Hei Lang injured the squire, he immediately turned around and fled without any hesitation. After pouring spiritual energy into the short saber in his hand, he easily cut off several long knives of the guards. Hei Lang created a chaos while breaking out of the encirclement. A member of Wild Wolf Gang seized the opportunity and threw a bag into the air. He then hit the bag with a stone. Then, white powder flew out from the bag. Some people¡¯s eyes were splashed by the white powder. They felt their eyes were burning and could not open their eyes. ¡°F*ck, it¡¯s lime!¡± the Fierce Tiger Sect member whose eyes turned red after being splashed by lime cursed. Apart from the Wild Wolf Sect members who were prepared beforehand, the others were caught off guard by the lime. The Wild Wolf Sect members took advantage of the chaos to break out of the encirclement. Even thought they were body refining realm martial art cultivators, their eyes were still vulnerable. They were lucky if they still could see things clearly despite the pain. Although the Wild Wolf Sect members were trying to break out of the encirclement, only four of them were able to escape. Apart from Hei Lang, the rest of them were heavily injured. The few of them fled in all directions. Lu Yu chased after an injured sect member. He had been hiding in the distance to watch the battle previously. Now that he saw an opportunity to gain experience points, he hurriedly chased after the injured sect member. This injured sect member should be a martial art cultivator at the seventh level of the body refining realm. With his injuries, he could still maintain a movement speed that was comparable to a fifth level martial art cultivator. Lu Yu followed that sect member from afar and did not approach him. After running for a while, that sect member¡¯s speed slowed down because he had lost too much blood. Seeing this, Lu Yu sped up. ¡°Who is it?¡± Hearing the voice behind him, the sect member hurriedly stopped and turned around. He knew that with his current condition, he would eventually catch up by Lu Yu and defeated. He might as well give it his all. Lu Yu saw the sect member had turned around to face him. He then stomped on the ground and used the Eight Step Chasing Cicada to launch an attack. When that sect member saw that Lu Yu suddenly charged at him in a high speed, he was shocked. He hurriedly used his saber technique to block all the attack routes in front of him. Clang ~ A giant sword appeared and blocked his saber. When he wanted to change his move, he heard the roar of a ferocious tiger. A furious roar shook his mind and soul. His move was interrupted, and the victor was determined in an instant. After Lu Yu executed Fierce Tiger Roar, he shattered the sect member¡¯s heart with a punch when the sect member was stunned by his roar. To ensure the sect member was completely dead, Lu Yu¡¯s chopped off his head. The corpse then fell onto the ground. [You have killed a body refining realm seventh realm martial art cultivator. Obtained 623 experience points..] Chapter 34 - Achievements and Secret Skills Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The operation to surround and kill the underground gang had ended. Apart from the Wild Wolf Sect chief and the Fierce Tiger Sect chief who escaped, the rest were killed in the woods of Xiao Tang Mountain. After learning that two qi cultivating realm chiefs had escaped, Lu Yu felt that this operation was a failure. They had let go of two most dangerous enemies. From Zhang Lun¡¯s words, he learned that the escaping Fierce Tiger Sect chief was nothing to worry about. The chief used an unknown technique and burst out with great power at the last minute. After repelling the three squires, he jumped off the cliff and escaped. This time, he was either dead or crippled. He was basically not a threat anymore. Right now, Zhang Lun had already arranged for guards to go down the cliff to search for traces of the Fierce Tiger Sect chief. The sinister and cunning Fierce Tiger Sect chief, who was nearly at full strength, was the real worry in Lu Yu¡¯s heart. From the many battles, it could be seen that the Fierce Tiger Sect chief would do anything to achieve his goal. The Fierce Tiger Sect scattered lime to create chaos and escape. They didn¡¯t even inform their other comrades. Even some of the members of the Fierce Tiger Sect and the Blood Blade Sect were blinded by the lime and lost their lives in the chaos. Lu Yu believed that the usage of lime was the order from Hei Lang. Looking at the experience points he had now, Lu Yu asked permission from Butler Zhang to look for the chief of the Fierce Tiger Sect who had jumped off the cliff to escape. By killing the chief of the Fierce Tiger Sect, he might be able to get enough experience points to level up his cultivation technique. While the others were looking for the chief of the Fierce Tiger Sect at the bottom of the cliff, Lu Yu observed the cliff where the chief had jumped off. He stood at the edge of the cliff and looked down. The surface of the cliff was not flat. There were many trees that extended horizontally. It was also possible that the chief had not completely fallen off. Otherwise, the guards would have already found him after searching for a long time. The chief of the Fierce Tiger Sect was already heavily injured. It was too difficult for him to move without leaving a trace. Many people were searching at the bottom, yet there was still no trace of the chief of the Fierce Tiger Sect. Therefore, it was very likely that he was still halfway up the cliff. Lu Yu took out a rope from his backpack and tied it to a big tree at the edge of the cliff. Then, he climbed down along the rope. On the way down, Lu Yu saw the branches that were broken by the Fierce Tiger Sect chief and the leaves that were stained with fresh blood. When Lu Yu was halfway up, he was surprised to find that there was a stone platform that was blocked by trees. He stopped descending and carefully observed the stone platform. Most of the stone platform was blocked by trees, he could not see the situation inside clearly. It seemed that the Fierce Tiger Sect chief was blocked by the stone platform and did not fall to the bottom. Realizing that the Fierce Tiger Sect chief might be hiding in the bushes on the stone platform, Lu Yu did not dare to continue descending. He was not sure if he could deal with the severely injured chief. After thinking for a moment, he tied the rope around his body and hung it in the air. He took out some spare clothes and stuffed the sack that he used to store sand. Then, he propped up the clothes. He used a rope to tie up the clothes and made a dummy. He then dropped the dummy onto the stone platform. ¡°Die with me!¡± The Fierce Tiger Sect chief roared and rushed out from the stone platform to jump down with the dummy. When he hugged the dummy, his face was filled with shock and confusion. He was completely dumbfounded. He turned his head to look up and only saw a figure hanging in mid-air. Lu Yu released the rope in his hand, his heart still palpitating with fear. Fortunately, he did not go down, or he would have died from the fall! Bang! The Fierce Tiger Sect chief fell from the sky. He smashed onto the ground after breaking many tree branches, alerting the surrounding guards. Following the gap created by the smash, the Fierce Tiger Sect chief looked at Lu Yu who had descended from the cliff. His eyes were as big as goose eggs, like a ferocious tiger that could kill at any time. When Lu Yu was about to reach the ground, he released the rope in his hand. He was afraid that the Fierce Tiger Sect chief would die too quickly, and the game system would judge that the chief was dead because of suicide. By then, Lu Yu would not get any experience points, so he used his fastest speed to finish the job. The chief of the Fierce Tiger Sect felt that he was going to die. When he was on the stone platform, he knew that he had no chance to live, so he chose to die together with the opponent. But he did not expect that he was actually carrying a dummy. He was not reconciled. He wanted to know who was the one who tricked him! Who was it! Then, he saw a knife, a knife that fell from the sky and hit him. He also saw the person¡¯s face clearly, the person who was going to take away his last wish. Then, he took his last breath. [You have killed a qi cultivating realm second level martial art cultivator, obtained 1,472 experience points] [You have obtained achievement! Your combat strength is astonishing ¡ª you have killed an opponent at much higher realm than you. Reward: 5,000 experience points] Lu Yu pulled out the knife that was stuck in the Fierce Tiger Sect chief¡¯s body. He was very surprised. He had never thought that killing the Fierce Tiger Sect chief would bring him such a huge reward. This was the first time he knew about the achievement system. However, from the first achievement that he had obtained, it could be seen that its difficulty was very high. Moreover, the achievement was hidden, so he could not know the requirements to achieve it. They carried the body of the leader of the Fierce Tiger Sect chief back to the Han Residence. When Butler Zhang learned that Lu Yu had tricked the Fierce Tiger Sect chief into jumping off a cliff to his death with a dummy, he praised Lu Yu greatly. Under the suggestion of Butler Zhang and Han Yaozong, Lu Yu was accepted by Han Yaozu as a disciple of the Han family with a different surname. He had the same rights as a member of the Han family and could regain his freedom. He could freely enter and leave the Han Residence. If he contributed enough, he could exchange for any cultivation technique or martial skills in the Han Residence¡¯s depository. Butler Zhang even gave him a secret skill that he had found on the Fierce Tiger Sect chief as a reward. However, Lu Yu asked Butler Zhang to not announce his achievement to the public. He was afraid that he would be targeted by Yang Xiu and the escaped Hei Lang. He just wanted to quietly make a fortune. Lu Yu took the Fierce Tiger Sect chief¡¯s secret skill and flipped through it. [Detected that the player is learning the Burning Blood Secret Skill. The Burning Blood Secret Skill template is 1% ¡­ 2% ¡­] Secret skills and martial skills were different types of skills. Martial skills had different levels, and secret skills had no levels. However, there was a higher risk to use secret skills. The Burning Blood Secret Skill was a common explosive secret skill. The Han Residence had similar secret skills, and the risk was lower than the Burning Blood Secret Skill of the Fierce Tiger Sect chief. However, it was harder to use it. The Burning Blood Secret Skill reversed some of the qi-blood, causing the qi-blood to collide, resulting in an explosion. It pushed the circulation of the qi-blood, causing the speed of the qi-blood to increase greatly in a short period of time. The speed of the qi-blood circulation was closely related to the maximum extent of the qi-blood that could explode, and the qi-blood explosion was related to the power of martial skill moves. Martial skill moves relied on the explosion of the qi-blood, allowing the user to fill with extraordinary strength. When Lu Yu used all his strength to perform the Black Tiger Heart Piercing, he used 10 points of qi-blood. When these 10 points of qi-blood were concentrated on the finger, it could instantly strengthen the finger as hard as iron. He could easily cut open the chest of a sixth level body refining realm martial art cultivator. Concentrating 10 points of qi-blood between the fingers was the limit of what he could do. If he concentrated more qi-blood surged into the finger, it would be restricted by the speed of qi-blood circulation and the strength of the body, and it would not be able to have a strengthening effect. In the same way, the Eight Steps Chasing Cicada was also gathering qi-blood to strengthen in his legs, enhancing the instantaneous strength of his leg muscles to achieve extreme speed displacement. After using the Burning Blood Secret Skill, the speed of his qi-blood circulation would be greatly accelerated, and his strength would be increased. The power of the skill would also be stronger. However, using the Burning Blood Secret Skill required reversing one¡¯s own qi-blood, and it would cause great pressure on the body. In a short period of time, it would cause the blood to burn. Due to the intense collision of qi-blood, the blood in the body would evaporate and decrease. In a long period of time, it would cause the internal organs to fail, and the qi-blood would flow backward, causing a permanent loss of qi-blood. If one could not control the qi-blood flowing backward, it might even cause the qi-blood to flow to the brain, damaging the brain or dying. However, it would be fine for using the Burning Blood Secret Skill in a short period of time. After using it, he could recover his strength after a few days of rest. It was easy to reverse the flow of qi-blood, but it was very difficult to correct it. In other words, there was a possibility that he might be forced to use the Burning Blood Secret Skill for a long time. Therefore, cultivating the secret skill was very dangerous and very difficult. However, this was not a problem for Lu Yu. Because to him, the Burning Blood Secret Skill was more like a buff that could be turned on and off. [Burning Blood Secret Skill (beginner) ¡ª reverse 20% of qi-blood, increase the speed of qi-blood circulation by 50%, increase the power of qi-blood burst by 50%] The increase in the speed of qi-blood circulation could increase the speed of skill casting, increase the power of qi-blood burst, and increase the power of skills. With the Burning Blood Secret Skill and Heaven¡¯s Fall, Lu Yu felt that he was walking further and further down the path of one-blade technique. In order to upgrade the Burning Blood Secret Skill to ¡®slightly skilled¡¯, he needed 10,000 experience points. Lu Yu did not consider it for the time being. Moreover, his body might not be strong enough to upgraded Burning Blood Secret Skill. He looked at the experience points he had. It was a total of 7,321 experience points. This was the remaining experience from the last upgrade of Eight Steps Chasing Cicada. After careful consideration, Lu Yu made a decision. He would use 2,000 experience points to level up his realm, and then upgrade the Edgeless Blade Art. This way, he would be able to use the least amount of experience points to increase his cultivation. His current disadvantage was that his realm level was too low, and the level of the martial skills he had mastered far exceeded his current realm. He could not fully display the power of the martial arts. Just the ¡®perfected¡¯ Fierce Tiger Fist Style was enough to support a seventh level body refining realm martial art cultivator to unleash his full strength. There was no need to say more about the Heaven¡¯s Fall. The Fierce Tiger Sect chief, who was at qi cultivating realm, had also faced serious consequences after using the Burning Blood Secret Skill. With Lu Yu¡¯s current realm, he estimated that he would not be able to last more than a few seconds after using the secret skill. [After painstaking cultivation, your realm has broken through to the fifth level of the body refining realm. Qi-blood + 9] Seeing that it required 5,000 experience points to break through from the fifth level of the body refining realm to the sixth level, Lu Yu smiled smugly. He had saved 3,000 experience points, and he could also level up Heaven¡¯s Fall and the Eight Steps Chasing Cicada. When he clicked to level up the Edgeless Blade Technique, he suddenly realized that the Edgeless Blade Technique, which originally required 2,000 experience points to level up from the second level to the third level, now required 5,000 experience points. The smug look on Lu Yu¡¯s face instantly disappeared. He could only sigh that this game did not leave any loopholes for him. Thinking back to when he had upgraded the Fierce Tiger Fist Style to raise his realm, it usually took more experience points to upgrade the cultivation technique than the realm. There had never been a cultivation technique that was cheaper than raising the realm. Although the experience points required to upgrade the Edgeless Blade Art had increased, Lu Yu still chose to upgrade the Edgeless Blade Art. [After painstaking cultivation, you have comprehended the third level of the Edgeless Blade Art, qi-blood + 13] [Your realm has been upgraded to the sixth level of the body refining realm, qi-blood + 10] Lu Yu checked his details. [Name: Lu Yu] [Realm: Body refining realm sixth level] [Qi-blood: 124] [Cultivation Technique: Fierce Tiger Fist Style (fourth level), Edgeless Blade Art (third level)] [Skill: Fierce Tiger Fist Style (perfected), Eight Steps Chasing Cicada (highly skilled), Edgeless Blade Technique- Heaven¡¯s Fall (beginner), Burning Blood Secret Skill (beginner)] [Experience Points: 321] Chapter 35 - Surging Undercurrents Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Lu Yu reached the sixth level of the body refining realm and had 124 points of qi-blood. He felt that his body was unprecedentedly powerful. With a casual wave, the power of his punch was comparable to the full-force attack from his previous self. His strength had increased tremendously. The Fierce Tiger Fist Style had already been trained to ¡®perfected¡¯ level, and it would be difficult for Lu Yu to find an opponent at the sixth level of the body refining realm. If he had the Hundred Forged Greatsword in his hand, Lu Yu was confident that he could face a seventh level body refining realm opponent head-on. After leveling up, Lu Yu left the Han Residence and headed to Windmill Town to see if the Hundred Forged Greatsword had been strengthened. He also wanted to settle the matters of the Divine Weapon Pavilion. Just now, the shopkeeper of the Divine Weapon Pavilion had sent someone to the Han Residence to invite Lu Yu to the Divine Weapon Pavilion. The shopkeeper said that he had something important to discuss. On the way, Lu Yu was wondering if the shopkeeper of the Divine Weapon Pavilion was looking for him for the iron essence? Before his cultivation realm advanced, Lu Yu had to spend nearly five minutes to travel twenty miles. After he had advanced to the sixth level of the body refining realm, he easily rushed back to Windmill Town in less than three minutes. First, he went to the Tang Blacksmith Shop to see if his greatsword had been strengthened. When Lu Yu saw that the Tang Blacksmith Shop had reopened for business, he knew that his greatsword should have been strengthened. After finding Boss Tang, Boss Tang brought him to the warehouse. The middle of the warehouse had been emptied, and on the sturdy iron piece was a slightly strange-shaped sword, or rather, a saber. Lu Yu was also unable to determine whether it was a sword or a saber. The handle of this weapon alone took up one-third of the entire weapon. The middle part of the sword was slightly narrower than the two ends, and there was still no sword tip. The top of the sword slightly protruded two sharp horns on both sides. The Hundred Forged Greatsword was slightly condensed. The blade looked thinner, but it was still very thick compared to ordinary weapons. Boss Tang looked at the strengthened Hundred Forged Greatsword with satisfaction and introduced it to Lu Yu, ¡°The Hundred Forged Greatsword is limited by its size and materials. The blade cannot be sharpened.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I specially made two sharp horns on the tip of the sword. This can make up for the lack of sharpness of the blade. When dealing with some special enemies, you can use the sharp horns to break through their defenses.¡± After Lu Yu heard this, he went forward to pick up the strengthened Hundred Forged Greatsword. Looking at this strange-looking weapon, Lu Yu couldn¡¯t help but think of the weapon that Xiang Yu used in ¡°Honor of Kings¡±. The shape of the two weapons was very similar. ¡°During the forging process, I added some other materials. Now, this weapon weighs 632 jin.¡± Boss Tang suggested, ¡°After the reforge, it has changed a lot. Give it a new name!¡± After pondering for a while, Lu Yu said, ¡°Then let¡¯s call it ¡ª Overlord Blade.¡± This weapon looked very similar to Xiang Yu¡¯s weapon, so he decided to use Xiang Yu¡¯s title. Lu Yu named it Overlord Blade. The reason why it was a blade and not a sword was because he was practicing blade techniques. It was a little inappropriate to call it a sword. ¡°Overlord Blade. This name is not bad. I hope you can use it to make a name for yourself.¡± Lu Yu took the Overlord Blade and left Tang Blacksmith Shop. When he left, he left Boss Tang a hundred gold coins as compensation for the heavy forging of his weapons. Boss Tang gladly accepted the money. The money he lost in the past few days was nothing compared to the additional materials he added to the Overlord Blade. However, he never thought of asking Lu Yu for money. In Boss Tang¡¯s opinion, it was a great deal to spend some of the materials that he had collected over the years to forge a fantastic weapon. This was his dream, and it was worth his effort. Lu Yu walked into the Divine Weapon Pavilion and was brought up to the third floor. ¡­ The chief of the Wild Wolf Sect, Hei Lang, was hiding in a residential area in Windmill Town. This residential area was secretly purchased by the Wild Wolf Sect a while ago. It was the transit station for Ye Lang¡¯s activities in Windmill Town. Hei Lang, who was hidden in the darkness, said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Have you found that person?¡± Ye Lang was a hidden spy of the Wild Wolf Sect. He had never shown his face in public. Only the chief of the Wild Wolf Sect knew who he was. The other members of the Wild Wolf Sect only knew that there was a Ye Lang, and they did not even know whether Ye Lang was a man or a woman. At this moment, Ye Lang stood in front of Hei Lang with his face covered, reporting the information he knew. ¡°It was Lu Yu who found our hiding place. Four days ago, when I went to Lu Yu¡¯s small courtyard to monitor him, I found that he had already left that place and had not been seen for four days. However, this morning, he suddenly returned to the small courtyard and left very quickly.¡± ¡°When I followed Lu Yu, I found that he was rushing towards the Han Residence. By the time I found that Lu Yu was rushing towards Xiao Tang Mountain with his men, it was already too late for me to report the news.¡± ¡°Lu Yu? I¡¯m going to kill him!¡± Hei Lang¡¯s expression was savage, the veins on his temples bulging in anger. Ye Lang thought for a moment and decided to tell Hei Lang the new discovery, ¡°I discovered that Ma Gang might have been killed by Lu Yu. Over the past few days, the Tang Blacksmith Shop seemed to be forging something. I sneaked in and discovered that they were helping Lu Yu forge weapon.¡± ¡°Ma Gang¡¯s injuries are very likely caused by that weapon.¡± Hei Lang did not speak, the anger in his eyes grew more and more intense. ¡°Boss, I have one last message for you.¡± Ye Lang suddenly said. ¡°Hmm? You want to leave?¡± Hei Lang asked. ¡°Yes, thank you for taking care of me this past year, Boss. Windmill Town is too small, there¡¯s no room for me anymore.¡± Ye Lang¡¯s figure stood still, but his voice gradually faded away, becoming soft and indistinct. ¡°Lu Yu has already received a recruitment from the Divine Weapon Pavilion. Once he arrives in Bei Feng City, Boss, you won¡¯t be able to kill him for the rest of your life.¡± Pu! With a smokescreen, Ye Lang had disappeared. Hei Lang¡¯s face was filled with fear, ¡°Ye Lang, who exactly are you?¡± A year ago, Ye Lang suddenly appeared in Hei Lang¡¯s bedroom and said that he wanted to join the Wild Wolf Sect. He also told him many secrets, which allowed the Wild Wolf Sect to grow rapidly within a year and become the number one underground gang in Windmill Town. Ye Lang repeatedly saying that he had no ill intentions, and he was only at the sixth level of the body refining realm. Other than some strange secret techniques, he wouldn¡¯t have shown any threat. Only then did Hei Lang allow Ye Lang to stay in the Wild Wolf Sect. At the same time, Hei Lang was also afraid of the information that Ye Lang possessed. If the Wild Wolf Sect could use this information to become the number one underground gang, then the other factions could also do the same. After hearing Ye Lang¡¯s words, Hei Lang hesitated for a moment before leaving. Ye Lang walked on the road leading to North Wind City, he was delighted. He had finally completed the assessment mission given to him by the main hall. He had spent a year to complete it, so his speed shouldn¡¯t be considered slow! Seeing the convoy in front of him, Ye Lang hurriedly ran over and called out, ¡°Mister, can you give me a ride? I can pay the fare.¡± The convoy leader saw that Ye Lang was a young man with a friendly smile and did not seem to be a threat at all. Then, the convoy¡¯s leader said, ¡°Come on up! There¡¯s no need for the fare.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡­ Yang Xiu walked through the Han Residence and for the first time, he felt a sense of urgency. At present, the underground gangs that he had worked with had been wiped out, and only Hei Lang had escaped. If he waited any longer, he would probably be left behind in the Han Residence. Since there was no chance, he could only force his way in. He walked into a small courtyard where Han Yu lived and said, ¡°Han Yu, I have good news for you. The Wild Wolf Sect that attacked you last time has been completely wiped out by us.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Han Yu was a little surprised and surprised. She had not been able to sleep well these few days. Now that the Wild Wolf Sect had been wiped out, her nightmare could finally end. She could sleep well tonight. Yang Xiu said with a concerned look, ¡°I see that you haven¡¯t slept well these few days. I¡¯ll accompany you for a walk to relax yourself and enjoy the scenery, so that you can sleep well at night.¡± This was the first time Han Yu received an invitation from Yang Xiu. She was very excited, and her little heart was beating wildly. Coupled with the news of the destruction of the Wild Wolf Sect, she did not hesitate at all and agreed to Yang Xiu¡¯s invitation. ¡°Wait a moment. I¡¯ll go and touch up my makeup first.¡± After saying that, Han Yu quickly ran into the room and called a few maids to help her with her makeup. ¡°This is my first date with Yang Xiu. Is it better to wear light makeup or heavy makeup?¡± Han Yu looked at herself in the mirror and thought to herself in a daze. ¡°Miss is so beautiful. You¡¯ll look good with either heavy makeup or light makeup.¡± the maidens said. ¡­ Yang Xiu waited outside. After waiting for a while, he became impatient, ¡°Why did this woman have so many things to do? Why she took so long to put on a makeup?¡± The longer he waited here, the more problems would arise. Yang Xiu could not wait to leave the Han Residence. ¡°Big Brother Yang, let¡¯s go!¡± Han Yu walked out of the room and called out warmly. The impatience on Yang Xiu¡¯s face instantly disappeared. When he turned to look at her, his face was filled with surprise. It was as if he was stunned by her beauty after putting on makeup. However, his eyes were very calm and without a trace of emotion. Han Yu was very satisfied with Yang Xiu¡¯s expression. She smiled and took the initiative to hold his arm. Her face was flushed red. This was the first time she took the initiative to hold Yang Xiu¡¯s arm. Yang Xiu did not feel anything. With a faint smile on his face, he said to her softly, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Han Yu replied softly. She was a little nervous and regretful, ¡°Am I too impulsive? Do I look unreserved?¡± Along the way, the guards saw Han Yu holding onto Yang Xiu¡¯s arm. They lowered their heads and pretended not to see her. They did not even dare to greet her, afraid that they would disturb the intoxicated Han Yu. Yang Xiu gently nodded and greeted everyone along the way. When Zhang Lun saw the two of them, he froze on the spot. After the two of them left him for a long time, he finally regained his senses. His heart was completely shattered. Butler Zhang bumped into Zhang Lun and frowned when he saw him like this. He asked, ¡°What did you do? Why are you like this?¡± ¡°I saw Miss and Yang Xiu.¡± Zhang Lun replied with a blank look in his eyes. ¡°What happened to them?¡± Butler Zhang was a little puzzled. What did Yang Xiu and Han Yu do to cause his nephew to look like this? ¡°Nothing, nothing¡­¡± Zhang Lun walked past Butler Zhang in a daze. ¡°Come back, tell me clearly!¡± Butler Zhang shouted loudly, jolting Zhang Lun out of his sorrow. ¡­ Lu Yu walked out of the Divine Weapon Pavilion with a token that was neither gold nor wood. This was the Divine Weapon Pavilion¡¯s hero recruitment token. With the hero recruitment token, he could report to the Divine Weapon Pavilion branch in Bei Feng City and join the Divine Weapon Pavilion. Of course, there would be some tests during the process. Shopkeeper Ge of the Divine Weapon Pavilion also explained why he sent people to stalk Lu Yu, so that he would not leave a bad impression. Walking to the entrance of the small courtyard, Lu Yu felt a little strange. Little Tail was not in the courtyard. Ever since he brought Little Tail to harvest the iron essence, Lu Yu had not arranged for anyone to watch over her. Perhaps she was moving around within the area of the medicine shop and the small courtyard. Normally, when he was not around, Little Tail would stay in the courtyard. Lu Yu felt a little strange that she did not see Little Tail when he came back today. When he walked into the room, he found a dagger nailed to the table in the living room. The dagger nailed the oil paper hat that Little Tail often wore to the table. The words on the hat were written. ¡°If you want to save her, meet me at the top of Xiao Tang Mountain..¡± Chapter 36 - The Mastermind Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Looking at the words on the oil paper hat, Lu Yu fell silent. Only Hei Lang and the chief of the Fierce Tiger Gang had managed to escape today¡¯s encirclement. Since the chief of the Fierce Tiger Gang was already dead, the only person who had left behind these words could only be Hei Lang. But how did he know that he was the one who had informed the Han Residence? Lu Yu thought of the stalker. Up until now, he had never seen the stalker in person. If the stalker had always known his whereabouts, then why the stalker didn¡¯t stop him from leading guards to eliminate the underground gangs? Initially, Lu Yu thought that the stalker was a member of the Wild Wolf Sect, but now it seemed like it was not the case. Otherwise, there was no reason for the stalker not to inform the sect members when he found out that Lu Yu knew the whereabouts of the Wild Wolf Sect. Who exactly was the stalker? Compared to the identity and intention of the stalker, Lu Yu was more worried about Little Tail¡¯s safety. Hei Lang was not merciful as him. With his own strength, he was definitely no match for Hei Lang. Going to Xiao Tang Mountain alone would be courting death. If he used the power of the Han Residence, he might have a chance to save Little Tail. However, his current strength was not up to their expectations. In that case, he could only think of a way to kill the chief of the Wild Wolf Sect and Yang Xiu at the same time. Lu Yu pulled out the dagger nailed to the table, looked at the oiled paper hat, and left the small courtyard for the Han Residence. In fact, it was very simple to prove that Yang Xiu was the mastermind. All he needed to do was to confront Han Yu. The reason why they did not find out that Yang Xiu was the mastermind was because no one had told Han Yu that there was a mole in the Han Residence. The place where Han Yu lived was mostly guarded by Yang Xiu. The other guards who vaguely felt that there was a mole in the Han Residence did not have the chance to interact with Han Yu. Furthermore, Yang Xiu did not mention the mole to Han Yu. As for Butler Zhang, Han Yaozu, and the others, they would not tell the juniors that there was a traitor hidden in the Han Residence. This would prevent chaos and save everyone from panic. Not to mention the juniors, even the elders and squires of the Han Residence did not know about it. It was just that those elders had experienced many things. They could detect traces of signs from the surrounding movements and draw some conclusions. In fact, there were not more than five people in the Han Residence who knew about the existence of the traitor. Only Lu Yu, Butler Zhang, Han Yaozu, and Han Yaozong knew about it. The others did not know much about the situation. They could only have their own guesses. Lu Yu was able to become an insider because he was the one who provided the clues. Otherwise, he would not be included in this incident. After Lu Yu found Butler Zhang, he asked about Yang Xiu¡¯s whereabouts. Butler Zhang was a little puzzled. ¡°Why are you asking this? Yang Xiu just went out for a walk with Han Yu.¡± Speaking of this, Butler Zhang felt that something was not right. Why did they suddenly go out for a walk? The reason why he did not suspect Yang Xiu was because in his perception, Yang Xiu was only a body refining realm martial art cultivator. There was no spiritual energy fluctuation on Yang Xiu¡¯s body. However, the guard in the study room was killed by a qi refining realm martial art cultivator. When Yang Xiu and Han Yu left the Han Residence, Lu Yu immediately felt that something was wrong. Thinking back to the Wild Wolf Sect¡¯s kidnapping of Han Yu, Lu Yu instantly understood that Yang Xiu wanted to hold Han Yu hostage and force the Han Residence to hand over something. Since the matter had already developed to this extent, it was useless to hide Yang Xiu¡¯s identity. Lu Yu immediately said, ¡°Yang Xiu is the mastermind behind the scenes.¡± ¡°What?¡± Butler Zhang was greatly shocked. ¡°He took Young Miss out of the Han Residence because he wanted to kidnap her and force the family head in exchange of something.¡± Lu Yu quickly said, ¡°Yang Xiu and the escaped Hei Lang agreed to meet at the top of Xiao Tang Mountain.¡± He did not know if Yang Xiu and Hei Lang had an agreement, but he needed the people of the Han Residence to help him. Hei Lang would be there anyway, so the Han Residence would still be happy to catch him. If Yang Xiu didn¡¯t show up, it meant that he did not go to the appointment. Either way, Butler Zhang would not suspect that Lu Yu was lying. If Hei Lang was not at the top of Xiao Tang Mountain, it could mean that Hei Lang lied to Lu Yu. So, Butler Zhang wouldn¡¯t blame Lu Yu of being deceived. If Yang Xiu did not plan to kidnap Han Yu now and the two of them returned to the Han Residence safely, Lu Yu could still confront the two of them and then confirm that Yang Xiu was the mastermind behind the scenes. In all the scenarios that Lu Yu had envisioned, he would be able to keep himself out of the trouble. In the future, if the Han Residence wanted to search for the truth of the matter, he would have long left Windmill Town. ¡°Yang Xiu is the mastermind behind the scenes!¡± Third Master Han suddenly rushed out and roared. The two jade balls in his hands were crushed into pieces. His qi-blood surged non-stop, and his eyes were red. ¡°I trusted him so much, and Fan ¡®er was so good to him. He actually dared to harm my Fan ¡®er! His heart is so vicious! Where is he? I want to personally avenge Fan ¡®er!¡± ¡°The top of Xiao Tang Mountain.¡± Lu Yu said. Third Master Han grabbed Lu Yu and carried him out of the Han Residence. His eyes were burning with anger as he gnashed his teeth and said, ¡°Show me the way.¡± Lu Yu showed him the way. The speed of Third Master Han, who was running at full speed was extremely shocking. Lu Yu could only barely see the surrounding environment and make the correct direction. Very soon, the two of them arrived at the top of Xiao Tang Mountain. To Lu Yu¡¯s surprise, there were three people here, but he did not see Little Tail. ¡°Yang Xiu, I¡¯m going to kill you. You must pay with your life for my son!¡± Third Master Han saw Yang Xiu at the top of the mountain and immediately ran towards Yang Xiu. Yang Xiu said to Hei Lang, ¡°Kill this old thing. Once we have it, we will immediately retreat.¡± Hei Lang did not say a word. Just as he was about to go up and fight Third Master Han, Lu Yu appeared at the top of the mountain. When Hei Lang saw Lu Yu, he revealed a terrifying smile. ¡°Where¡¯s the girl?¡± Lu Yu¡¯s expression was not too good as he asked loudly. Hei Lang fought the angry Third Master Han and still could chat with Lu Yu. He said, ¡°Previously, you had Meng Hu jump off the cliff and fall to his death. I also let that girl jump off the cliff. Guess how I did it?¡± Lu Yu was expressionless. From the beginning, when he knew that Little Tail had been taken away by Hei Lang, he had already prepared for the worst. ¡°I told her that as long as you jump down yourself, I will not kill your good brother.¡± When Lu Yu heard this, his heart ached. He clenched his fists and wished that he could kill Hei Lang on the spot. Hei Lang saw Lu Yu¡¯s expression and laughed. He stabbed Third Master Han repeatedly with the short knife in his hand. Third Master Han¡¯s palms were already dripping with blood. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for you, my brothers would still be alive!¡± Hei Lang roared, and his attacks became more and more fierce. Third Master Han was very angry, so angry that he couldn¡¯t feel the pain in his hands. His palms were red and imprinted towards Hei Lang¡¯s chest. Facing Hei Lang¡¯s attack, Third Master Han avoided his vital points and forcefully exchanged with Hei Lang. Hei Lang felt a wave of heat and pain. It was as if a red-hot iron plate was imprinted on his chest. A wave of hot spiritual energy rushed into his body. Then, he expelled the fire spiritual energy out of the body with his own spiritual energy. Both parties had suffered considerable injuries and were temporarily separated from each other, brewing an even more powerful killer move. Yang Xiu said, ¡°Lu Yu, I would never have dreamt that a rookie who has just entered the Han Residence would ruin my plans.¡± Lu Yu could feel the pressure. He was locked onto by Yang Xiu¡¯s aura. If Lu Yu made any movements, Yang Xiu might make a move against him. ¡°However, it doesn¡¯t matter. I will be able to get what I want soon.¡± Yang Xiu said casually. ¡°And you will be buried here as the price for meddling in other people¡¯s business!¡± Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! The sound of clothes rubbing against the air could be heard from the forest behind Lu Yu. ¡°Let go of Han Yu!¡± Han Yaozu shouted. Yang Xiu had a smile on his face. He did not even look at Han Yu, who was lying unconscious on the ground. He said, ¡°My conditions are very simple. If you hand over the Seventh Heaven of Ice and Fire cultivation technique, I will let her go.¡± Han Yaozu, Butler Zhang, and many other squires surrounded the top of the mountain. Hei Lang had already retreated to Yang Xiu¡¯s side. Although he did not kill Lu Yu with his own hands, seeing Lu Yu¡¯s expression made Hei Lang feel good from the bottom of his heart. Of course, if there was a chance, Hei Lang would not hesitate to attack Lu Yu. Hearing Yang Xiu¡¯s request, Han Yaozu was slightly stunned. Yang Xiu¡¯s request was somewhat out of his expectations, but he quickly reacted and said, ¡°No problem. I can give you the cultivation technique, but you will not harm Han Yu.¡± Yang Xiu kicked Han Yu and sent a stream of spiritual energy into her body to wake her up. He said to Han Yaozu, ¡°Look! She¡¯s fine. Nothing happened. Bring the cultivation technique over.¡± ¡°Brother Yang, what happened?¡± Han Yu asked in puzzlement. Han Yu got up and sat on the ground feeling a little dizzy. She saw that she was near at the edge of the cliff, and most of the people around her were people she knew. ¡°What Brother Yang! You¡¯re a fool!¡± Han Yaozu could not help but curse. Han Yu should have told his father when she felt something was wrong with Yang Xiu. Things might not go wrong if she did so. ¡°This girl is so silly, just like her mother!¡± Han Yaozu thought. Han Yaozu took out a blue and red jade disk and said, ¡°The cultivation technique is here. Let Han Yu go.¡± Yang Xiu gestured to Hei Lang, ¡°Go and see if it¡¯s true or not?¡± Hei Lang walked up warily and took the cultivation technique from Han Yaozu¡¯s hands. A moment later, he turned to Yang Xiu and said, ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± A smile appeared on Yang Xiu¡¯s face. Hei Lang returned the cultivation technique to Han Yaozu and went to Yang Xiu¡¯s side. ¡°I¡¯ll let Han Yu walk over. You throw the cultivation technique over.¡± said Yang Xiu. ¡°No problem.¡± Han Yaozu agreed. Yang Xiu lifted Han Yu, who was still sitting on the ground and did not understand the situation, and said to her, ¡°Get up and go back!¡± Han Yu took two steps in a daze. She suddenly turned around and asked while crying, ¡°You would rather have the cultivation technique than me?¡± ¡°Come back!¡± Han Yaozu shouted. Yang Xiu did not respond to her. He stared at the cultivation technique in Han Yaozu¡¯s hand without even moving his eyes. When Han Yu saw Yang Xiu didn¡¯t care about her at all, she wiped her tears. She turned around and walked toward Han Yaozu while crying. ¡°Throw it over!¡± Yang Xiu shouted when Han Yu was almost halfway there. Han Yaozu threw the cultivation technique in his hand. In an instant, both sides attacked. Yang Xiu rushed forward to seize the cultivation technique. At the same time, Hei Lang threw the short knife in his hand at Han Yu, forcing Butler Zhang to change his target to protect Han Yu. Han Yaozu and the severely injured Third Master Han rushed toward Yang Xiu. The rest of the squires rushed toward Hei Lang. Boom! Yang Xiu and Han Yaozu exchanged a palm strike, and the intense spiritual energy caused an explosion. Yang Xiu took the opportunity to stomp on the ground and grab at the cultivation technique in midair. Han Yaozu was even more ruthless. He threw out a medicine bottle and hit the cultivation technique down to the cliff. Third Master Han pestered Yang Xiu relentlessly, and his eyes spat out flames of anger. He did not care about Yang Xiu¡¯s attack at all, he just wanted to kill Yang Xiu. Two consecutive Raging Flame Palm struck Yang Xiu¡¯s chest. Yang Xiu stopped for a moment, but he was fine. In the next second, Third Master Han was sent flying by Yang Xiu and fell down from the mountain. It was unclear that Third Master Han was alive or not. After Yang Xiu¡¯s Han guard uniform was burned through, the dark green soft armor underneath was revealed. The soft armor was still flickering with spiritual light. ¡°Spirit armor?¡± Han Yaozu was a little surprised and asked loudly, ¡°Who exactly are you?¡± Chapter 37 - The Missing Little Tail Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Yang Xiu ignored Han Yaozu and jumped down the cliff to chase after the cultivation technique. Hei Lang also jumped down the cliff after being besieged. ¡°Chase!¡± Han Yaozu took the lead and jumped down the cliff. He utilized from the bumps and trees on the cliff and chased after Yang Xiu and Hei Lang. The others followed closely behind, leaving only Butler Zhang and Han Yu at the top of the mountain. Third Master Han was lying halfway up the mountain. They didn¡¯t know he was dead or alive. Yang Xiu watched the cultivation technique fall into the forest. When he reached the place where the cultivation technique landed, he found nothing. ¡°Where¡¯s the cultivation technique? Where¡¯s the cultivation technique?¡± Yang Xiu searched the surroundings desperately. Hei Lang suddenly appeared and shouted, ¡°The cultivation technique is over there!¡± However, the cultivation technique immediately vanished. In the next second, Yang Xiu saw Han Yaozu was chasing after him with a group of squires. He rushed in the direction that the Hei Lang pointed. When Han Yaozu saw Yang Xiu¡¯s figure, he split the group into two. One group was chasing after Hei Lang, and the other group was chasing after Yang Xiu. They were fighting while running. Yang Xiu used the spirit armor on his body to block many fatal attacks. After running for dozens of miles, he realized that he had been deceived by Hei Lang. Yang Xiu took another big turn and returned to the place where he met Hei Lang. The spirit armor on his body was already damaged. If he still could not get the cultivation technique, he had no choice but to run away. Yang Xiu ran in the direction where Hei Lang was escaping. Han Yaozu was annoyed and impatient. Yang Xiu was wearing a spirit armor, so he could almost ignore their attacks. Han Yaozu chased after Yang Xiu for a long time, but he still could not break the armor on Yang Xiu¡¯s body. After a short while, Yang Xiu saw Hei Lang covered in blood and was running toward him with the cultivation technique in his hand. Hei Lang spat out blood. He had almost escaped from the pursuit just now, but he saw the cultivation technique that flew out in the halfway. That was a cultivation technique that even Yang Xiu wanted. Hei Lang turned around and caught the cultivation technique. Unfortunately, he was caught up by the squires. Hei Lang lost his weapon and could not use his full strength. He rushed out of the encirclement at the risk of getting injured. He did not expect to bump into Yang Xiu, who had come back to look for him. Seeing the cultivation technique in Hei Lang¡¯s hand, Yang Xiu squinted his eyes and shouted, ¡°Give it to me!¡± Hei Lang saw the pursuers behind Yang Xiu. He gritted his teeth and threw the cultivation technique at Yang Xiu. However, he did not expect Yang Xiu would ignore the cultivation technique and hit his chest instead. Sizzle, sizzle. The fire attribute spiritual energy that came with the Raging Flame Palm burned Hei Lang¡¯s body. Hei Lang spat out a large mouthful of blood. He did not expect Yang Xiu to attack him. He was immediately severely injured. Blood flowed from the corner of his mouth. Hei Lang¡¯s chest was scorching and emitting a scorched smell. He looked at Yang Xiu and asked, ¡°Why are you trying to kill me?¡± Yang Xiu sneered, ¡°Because you tricked me just now.¡± Suddenly, Yang Xiu felt an extremely dangerous feeling. A large puff of yellow smoke suddenly emerged from Hei Lang¡¯s body. Yang Xiu hurriedly retreated, but the yellow smoke spread too quickly. He still inhaled a little bit of the yellow smoke. Yang Xiu saw the corner of Hei Lang¡¯s mouth curled up in the yellow smoke, as if it was mocking him. ¡°Cough! Cough!¡± Yang Xiu spat out a few mouthfuls of blood. ¡°F*ck, you won¡¯t let me off even when you¡¯re dying!¡± Yang Xiu walked towards the place where the cultivation fell. Suddenly, Yang Xiu sensed that the cultivation technique had disappeared again. He was very upset and was about to collapse. More importantly, he couldn¡¯t feel the aura of the cultivation technique. This was what drove him the crazy. Lu Yu, who was hiding under the withered leaves, looked at the cultivation technique in his backpack. The cultivation technique had already been put into his backpack, that was why Yang Xiu could not find or feel it. Previously, it was Lu Yu who threw out the cultivation technique to distract Hei Lang. Hence, the squires were managed to catch up with Hei Lang It was also a coincidence that Lu Yu could get the cultivation technique. When the others were still at the top of the mountain, Lu Yu was already at the bottom of the cliff to look for Little Tail¡¯s body. He did not find the body, but his head was almost smashed by the cultivation technique. Yang Xiu looked around, but he still could not feel the unique spiritual energy fluctuation on the cultivation technique. In desperation, he could only escape before he was surrounded. Seeing Yang Xiu escape, Lu Yu had the urge to throw the cultivation technique to attract his attention, but he restrained his impulse. Because of the yellow smoke, Han Yaozu and the squires could not pass through. Now, only Lu Yu and Yang Xiu were there. If Lu Yu show himself to Yang Xiu, he would die without a doubt. Lu Yu lay quietly under the withered leaves, releasing a faint tiger¡¯s might to drive away the poisonous insects in the withered leaves. This was the wonderful use he discovered after cultivating the Fierce Tiger Fist Style to ¡®perfected¡¯ level. Ordinary poisonous insects did not dare to stay nearby when Lu Yu simulated the tiger¡¯s might. Suddenly, Yang Xiu turned back. After looking around, he did not find anything unusual and revealed a disappointed expression. The yellow smoke was about to disperse. He really could only escape. ¡°Cough! Cough!¡± Yang Xiu coughed a few times and spat out a large mouthful of blood. His entire body swayed a few times before falling to the ground. Lu Yu lowered his head and counted the number of withered leaves in front of him. He did not even glance at Yang Xiu. After waiting for a while, Yang Xiu suddenly stood up and wiped the blood at the corner of his mouth. He was frustrated, ¡°Where is the cultivation technique gone to?¡± He was regretful. If he had gone to receive the cultivation technique just now instead of killing Hei Lang, then he would have already obtained the cultivation technique. ¡°Quick, the poisonous smoke has dispersed. Chase after him.¡± Han Yaozu¡¯s voice sounded. Yang Xiu stared at the forest and left without looking back. Han Yaozu and the others continued chase after Yang Xiu. After everyone had left for a long time, Lu Yu crawled out from the soil. He casually patted the soil and dried leaves on his body and found Hei Lang. Hei Lang¡¯s corpse was completely melted. There was only a piece of clothing left on the spot. Hei Lang was cruel to others and himself. He did not even let himself to be a complete corpse after death. After looking at the clothes left behind by Hei Lang, Lu Yu went back to the bottom of the cliff to look for Little Tail again. He even climbed up the cliff. He searched every corner, but still did not find Little Tail¡¯s body. Lu Yu was depressed, ¡°How could a perfectly fine corpse disappear? Could it have been carried away by a wild beast?¡± He had no choice but to go back. After returning to Windmill Town, he took Little Tail¡¯s oil paper hat and the small magnetic bracelet that he had given her. He found a good spot on a mountain with a pretty good scenery. He then built a cenotaph for Little Tail there. Sitting beside Little Tail¡¯s cenotaph, Lu Yu took out the cultivation technique. He did not know how to use the red and blue disk Usually, when he obtained the cultivation technique, the system would immediately prompt him to start learning it. Now, there was no response for a long time. ¡°Drip blood?¡± Lu Yu cut his finger with a knife and squeezed out a drop of blood to smear on the disk. There was no response. ¡°What should I do? Should I return it to the Han Residence?¡± Lu Yu suspected that this thing could only be activated by spiritual energy. Could it be that he had to wait until he reached the qi cultivating realm to learn it? ¡°Perhaps I should ask someone.¡± Lu Yu opened the system store and clicked to buy a thousand-mile communication talisman. [System notification: the first time you purchase a thousand-mile communication talisman, the system will offer a discounted price. The price will be restored to the original price in the future.] Lu Yu was surprised by such feature After purchasing his first thousand-mile communication talisman, its price immediately went up from 100 points to 1000 points. Ignoring the change in the price of the thousand-mile communication talisman, Lu Yu asked all his questions in the chat box with Su Peng. He even listed the first, second, and third questions neatly to prevent Su Peng from being confused by his message. After repeatedly making sure that he did not miss any questions, Lu Yu clicked on the send message and successfully sent it out. The thousand-mile communication talisman in his backpack also disappeared. Not long after, Lu Yu received a reply from Su Peng. Su Peng: stick the cultivation technique inheritance object on your forehead and you can learn it. I can¡¯t explain the other problems in a short time. I¡¯ll explain it when we meet. After receiving his reply so quickly, Lu Yu knew that he couldn¡¯t get the answer he wanted. Lu Yu followed Su Peng¡¯s instructions and stuck the blue and red jade plate on his forehead. Immediately, he felt the qi-blood in his body surging to the top of his head. The jade plate on his forehead continuously absorbed the qi-blood in Lu Yu¡¯s body. Streams of mysterious information surged into Lu Yu¡¯s mind from the jade plate. The amount of information was extremely huge. It involved the direction of the meridians in the human body, the distribution of acupoints, and the circulation of spiritual energy, body-refining common sense¡­ a large part of it was something that Lu Yu could not understand. The jade plate forced the information into his mind. If he could not understand and comprehend it within a certain period, all the information would disappear. [Detected that the player is learning a cultivation technique ¡ª Seventh Heaven of Ice and Fire, cultivation technique template creation 1% ¡­ 2% ¡­] This was the longest time Lu Yu had loaded the cultivation technique progress bar. Throughout the entire process, he was in a daze, and he felt that his brain was bloated. Vaguely, he heard the notification of the system completing the loading. Lu Yu fell to the ground, and the cultivation technique in his hand fell to the side. Not long after, Lu Yu sat up with one hand supporting his head. He put the cultivation technique legacy item that had fallen to the side into his backpack. Until now, his mind was still filled with information about the cultivation technique. After rubbing his temples and feeling much better, Lu Yu flipped through the information in his mind and gradually understood this cultivation technique. He now understood why Yang Xiu wanted to obtain the Seventh Heaven of Ice and Fire so badly. The Seventh Heaven of Ice and Fire was a spirit class ninth grade cultivation technique, and it was also a rare one. After cultivating, one could absorb the ice and fire in the world. With the collision and fusion of two extreme energies, the strength of one¡¯s physical body would continuously increase. A complete Seventh Heaven of Ice and Fire cultivation technique allowed the user to undergo seven ameliorations, and each amelioration could greatly increase the strength of one¡¯s physical body. Currently, Lu Yu had obtained the three levels of Seventh Heaven of Ice and Fire cultivation technique and could undergo three ameliorations. If he completed one amelioration, Lu Yu would be able to directly break through the body refining realm and become a qi cultivating realm martial art cultivator. After Lu Yu knew how powerful this cultivation method was, he couldn¡¯t wait to start cultivating. [System notification: the current conditions do not meet the cultivation requirements, unable to cultivate.] After carefully checking the information in his mind, he discovered that cultivating the Seventh Heaven of Ice and Fire required one to be in an extremely hot or extremely cold environment. If he could find the boundary between the extremely hot and extremely cold environment, he would be able to greatly speed up his cultivation. Lu Yu stood up and glanced at Little Tail¡¯s cenotaph before turning around and walking towards the Han Residence. He was going to leave Windmill Town, and he might not come back here anymore. Chapter 38 - A Blessing In Disguise Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio When Lu Yu returned to the Han Residence, he did not return the Seventh Heaven of Ice and Fire¡¯s jade plate to the Han Residence because he needed the legacy jade plate to find the later part of the cultivation technique. In the beginning, he had thought of purchasing the later part of the cultivation technique through the system store. He had indeed found the later part cultivation technique of the Seventh Heaven of Ice and Fire in the system store, but it showed that the stock was zero. He had also received a system notification that he could obtain the corresponding reward points by uploading the Seventh Heaven of Ice and Fire cultivation technique. Moreover, Lu Yu found out that there were some items in the system store were unavailable as well. They all had one characteristic, which they were marked as ¡°unique¡± by the system. Lu Yu found Butler Zhang and told him that he wanted to leave Windmill Town and head to Bei Feng City. Butler Zhang was not surprised by Lu Yu¡¯s request. When Lu Yu became a disciple with a different surname, he knew that this day would come sooner or later, but he did not expect it to come so soon. He brought Lu Yu to find Han Yaozu. When they arrived, Han Yaozu was reprimanding Han Yu in the study room. Seeing the two of them arrive, Han Yaozu let Han Yu leave the study and return to his small courtyard to reflect herself. Han Yaozu knew that Lu Yu wanted to head to Bei Feng City and to study in Bei Feng Academy, so he said, ¡°If you want to head to Bei Feng Academy for further studies, I have no objections. The Han Residence will also bear the tuition fees for your studies.¡± ¡°I only hope that you can remember that the Han Residence is your home, and that you are a member of the Han Residence. If the Han Residence is in trouble in the future, I hope that you can lend a hand.¡± ¡°Of course. I will never forget the gratitude of the Han Residence.¡± After saying that, Lu Yu thought of the legacy jade disk in his backpack and felt a little guilty. Han Yaozu smiled, then sighed and said, ¡°Actually, when you became a disciple of the Han family, I originally planned to teach you the Seventh Heaven of Ice and Fire cultivation technique.¡± ¡°But now that the cultivation technique has been snatched away by Yang Xiu, I can¡¯t take out the other cultivation techniques of the Han Residence. But don¡¯t worry about the cultivation technique. I will write a letter to Feng ¡®er and ask him to help you choose a suitable cultivation technique.¡± ¡°Actually, it¡¯s a good thing that you haven¡¯t inherited the Seventh Heaven of Ice and Fire. After all, the cultivation requirements to cultivate Seventh Heaven of Ice and Fire are too harsh, and it wouldn¡¯t be good to switch to other cultivation techniques in the future.¡± The Seventh Heaven of Ice and Fire was once the Han family¡¯s inherited cultivation technique. Along with the decline of the Han family, a portion of the cultivation technique of the Seventh Heaven of Ice and Fire was lost. Han family also lost the dual polarity land that was suitable for cultivating the Seventh Heaven of Ice and Fire. It had been a long time since anyone had cultivated this inherited cultivation technique. On one hand, cultivating the Seventh Heaven of Ice and Fire required extremely high comprehension and harsh conditions. On the other hand, the Seventh Heaven of Ice and Fire was a dual-attribute cultivation technique, and it was a cultivation technique of the ice and fire attribute. After cultivating this cultivation technique, it was very difficult to find and switch to other cultivation techniques of the same attribute. Unless one could find a later part of the Seventh Heaven of Ice and Fire cultivation technique, the possibility of finding other cultivation techniques of both ice and fire attribute was very slim. Switching to a single fire or single ice attribute cultivation technique would damage one¡¯s cultivation and cause one¡¯s realm to drop. In the early years, the Han family was not as declining as it was now. When Han Yaozu¡¯s grandfather was still alive, the Han family had once searched for the lost cultivation technique of Seventh Heaven of Ice and Fire. Unfortunately, they were unable to find it even after expending a huge amount of manpower and resources. By the time of Han Yaozu¡¯s generation, no one in the Han family had chosen to cultivate the Seventh Heaven of Ice and Fire. Without the later part of the cultivation technique, even if the Seventh Heaven of Ice and Fire was a ninth grade spirit class cultivation technique, continuing to cultivate it would only hinder one¡¯s path of cultivation. Moreover, the Han family had not been able to meet the requirements to cultivate the Seventh Heaven of Ice and Fire. The reason why Han Yaozu said that he wanted to pass on the Seventh Heaven of Ice and Fire to Lu Yu was partly because Han Yaozu wanted to use the name of the Seventh Heaven of Ice and Fire as a ninth grade spirit grade cultivation technique to buy Lu Yu¡¯s hearts. Besides, it was also to tell Lu Yu about the Han family¡¯s past glory, to attract him to help the Han family revival. On the other hand, although the Seventh Heaven of Ice and Fire was once the Han family¡¯s inherited cultivation technique, no one could cultivate it now. By letting Lu Yu cultivating the Seventh Heaven of Ice and Fire, he could also see just how strong Lu Yu¡¯s talent was. If Lu Yu could comprehend the Seventh Heaven of Ice and Fire, Han Yaozu would support him without hesitation. In the records of the Han clan, every clan member who could cultivate the Seventh Heaven of Ice and Fire was a genius. If Lu Yu was indeed a genius, the Han clan would have a chance to revive its glory, even if he was only a disciple with a different surname. Han Yaozu believed that disciples with a different surname would remember the good of the Han clan when they became stronger. Han Yaozu believed in benefits. He used the glory and wealth of the Han clan to attract them, so that they would willing to help Han clan to revive. Especially for those who cultivated the Seventh Heaven of Ice and Fire. If they wanted to break through, they had to go to the place where the two extremes of ice and fire met. Only the Han clan head knew where the place was. For both debt and benefits, one would choose to help the Han clan revival. Han Yaozu was helpless. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that the Han clan had not produced a genius-level clansman in the past hundred years, why would they place their hopes on outsiders? After Han Yaozu agreed to Lu Yu¡¯s request, he asked Lu Yu to wait in the Han Residence for another two days. He first wrote a letter to Han Feng who was in Bei Feng Academy, and then spent some money to make some connections and get a place for Lu Yu in Bei Feng Academy. It wasn¡¯t difficult to enter Bei Feng Academy. Even an ordinary person would be able to enter Bei Feng Academy through the annual academy recruitment. The difficult part was staying in Bei Feng Academy for a long time. Bei Feng Academy adopted the force ranking elimination system, and every month, the students ranked at the bottom would be eliminated several times. People spent money to enter Bei Feng Academy, but many of them would still be kicked out after a few months. It was not yet time for the annual academy recruitment. If Lu Yu wanted to enter the academy now, Han Yaozu would have to spend even more money to buy a special quota for him. The special quota was one of the sources of Bei Feng Academy¡¯s income. Bei Feng Academy, which adopted the forced ranking elimination system, was not worried for those who entered through the special quota would lower their overall standard. Without strength, they would be eliminated sooner or later. This was how Bei Feng Academy worked. Two days later, Lu Yu received a notification from Han Yaozu. Han Yaozu had already arranged a quota for him to enter Bei Feng Academy. Han Yaozu also asked a few guards who had been to Bei Feng City to escort Lu Yu. Lu Yu and a few other guards rode on their horses as they walked on the road leading to Bei Feng City. Lu Yu looked at the road that stretched endlessly and asked, ¡°How far is it to Bei Feng City?¡± One of the guards replied, ¡°Windmill town is over 200 miles away from Bei Feng City. We¡¯ve just passed the second town and should be over 100 miles away. We should be able to reach there in the afternoon.¡± They still had to ride the horse for an entire day. Lu Yu felt like throwing up. At first, riding a horse was quite fun. He was able to rely on his strong physique and control to sit firmly on the horse¡¯s back during his first ride. After riding for a while, Lu Yu felt a slight pain in his buttocks. However, he did not dare to relax as he was afraid of falling off the horse¡¯s back. Lu Yu thought that perhaps it was his first time riding a horse and he did not grasp the correct technique. Along the journey, they had passed the many convoys. Then, they entered a desolate mountain. The road went around the mountain. When they were halfway around, Lu Yu saw a beggar in his front. He was about to speed up to go pass the beggar. Suddenly, the beggar turned his head and scared Lu Yu so much that he forcefully pinched the horse. The horse was in pain. It raised its body to shake off Lu Yu. Lu Yu hurriedly pulled the reins, wanting the horse to turn around. In the end, both Lu Yu and the horse fell to the ground. The beggar turned around and walked towards Lu Yu. He smiled and said, ¡°Lu Yu, I didn¡¯t expect that we meet here.¡± When they got closer, a few guards who hurriedly dismounted to check on Lu Yu¡¯s condition. But then, they realized that this beggar was Yang Xiu. The few of them took out their weapons one after another and shouted, ¡°Stop! Yang Xiu, you have betrayed the Han Residence and are already wanted by the Han Residence. Now, we will capture you and bring you back for interrogation.¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Yang Xiu appeared to be very impatient in the face of the loud shouts of the few of them. What he hated the most right now Han Residence. He wasted a year in the Han Residence and still didn¡¯t get what he wanted. Lu Yu shouted loudly, ¡°Run! He is in the qi cultivating realm.¡± The reason why he reminded the few of them to run was to create an opportunity for himself to escape. Only by running separately would he have a better chance to escape from Yang Xiu¡¯s hands. After hearing Lu Yu¡¯s words, the few of them did not hesitate at all. They turned around and ran in different directions with all their strength. However, Yang Xiu easily caught up with the three who had escaped. With a light palm, he killed the three of them in the forest. Their deaths were extremely tragic. Yang Xiu¡¯s Raging Flame Palm struck their bodies, and the fire attribute spiritual energy roasted their internal organs. The fire attribute spiritual energy wreaked havoc in their bodies, and they couldn¡¯t move at all. Lu Yu only ran for a short distance, but he felt a strong wind approaching from behind. Without any hesitation, he used the Eight Steps Chasing Cicada to move to the dense forest on the left. ¡°Eh! Interesting, you still have the ability to escape.¡± Yang Xiu turned around and chased after Lu Yu. Lu Yu did not dare to stop for even a moment. He continuously cast Eight Steps Chasing Cicada. After he reached the sixth level of the body refining realm, his physique had improved quite a bit. This allowed him to use Eight Steps Chasing Cicada for many times in a row. However, even if he continuously cast the technique, the distance between him and Yang Xiu was getting closer and closer. Seeing that his qi-blood were about to be depleted, Lu Yu had no choice but to turn around and face Yang Xiu. Just as he was about to take out the Overlord Blade and fight to the death, Yang Xiu suddenly disappeared in front of his eyes. Following that, Lu Yu felt a palm strike on his back. A burning sensation spread from the place where he was hit to his body. His qi-blood wanted to resist the invasion of the fire spiritual energy, but it was ignited by the fire spiritual energy instead and was quickly consumed. Yang Xiu walked to Lu Yu who was lying on the ground and squatted down. He whispered in his ear, ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I won¡¯t let you die so soon.¡± As he said that, he pressed his palm on Lu Yu¡¯s back and continuously transferred the spiritual energy in his body into Lu Yu¡¯s body. A part of the spiritual energy helped the fire spiritual energy to enter Lu Yu¡¯s body, and the other part helped Lu Yu stay awake, so that Lu Yu wouldn¡¯t faint from the pain. ¡°Hahaha!¡± Yang Xiu stood up and looked at Lu Yu. He said cruelly, ¡°With my spiritual energy, you won¡¯t die in half an hour.¡± ¡°You will feel yourself being roasted bit by bit from within your body, and then die painfully.¡± After seeing Lu Yu being roasted until he started to smoke, Yang Xiu left and headed towards the direction of Bei Feng City. Lu Yu did not have any spiritual energy in his body, so he was unable to expel the fire attribute spiritual energy of Yang Xiu. He would definitely die. Lying on the ground, Lu Yu was just about to forcefully exit the game to avoid death when he noticed that the button of Seventh Heaven of Ice and Fire had lit up. He gritted his teeth and pressed the button to cultivate the Seventh Heaven of Ice and Fire in AFK mode. Lu Yu felt the qi-blood in his body starting to circulate. Every time the qi-blood circulated, it would bring a trace of fire spiritual energy through his meridians. The fire spiritual energy burned the meridians, and the qi-blood restored the meridians immediately. The cycle repeated, and the meridians became thicker and stronger. Even if they were burned by the fire spiritual energy, they would not be easily destroyed. The speed of the qi-blood circulation became faster and faster. The raging fire spiritual energy in Lu Yu¡¯s body seemed to have found an outlet, and it rushed into the meridians along the channel of the qi-blood circulation. The meridians that had stabilized were burned again. The qi-blood and fire spiritual energy were about to be blocked in the burned meridians and trigger the explosion of the body. Then, the qi-blood began to seep into the meridians, and the fire spiritual energy was also carried by the qi-blood into the body. The body were nourished by the qi-blood and could withstand the burning of the fire spiritual energy. Gradually, some impurities were burned out from the body.. Chapter 39 - Lucky Player Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio With the circulation of the Seventh Heaven of Ice and Fire technique, the fire spiritual energy in Lu Yu¡¯s body became less intense, and his qi-blood continued to increase. Under the nourishment of his qi-blood, the meridians that had been burned by the fire spiritual energy began to recover. As time passed, new and more tenacious meridians appeared in Lu Yu¡¯s body. The last wisp of fire spiritual energy disappeared completely, and the AFK stopped. Lu Yu¡¯s consciousness took over his body again. He did not expect that he could benefit from this crisis and activate the cultivation of Seventh Heaven of Ice and Fire. After this incident, Lu Yu understood the cultivation conditions of the Seventh Heaven of Ice and Fire. If he found an item or an environment that could provide him with fire spiritual energy, he could cultivate this technique. Similarly, he also needed an item or an environment that could provide him with ice spiritual energy. And the dual polarity land mentioned in the jade disk of the Seventh Heaven of Ice and Fire should be the place where the two types of spiritual energy gathered at the same time. After Lu Yu¡¯s body recovered, he quickly got up and moved in the opposite direction from Yang Xiu. If Yang Xiu came back to check on him, he would really be dead. Yang Xiu did not expect that Lu Yu was able to cultivate the Seventh Heaven of Ice and Fire. Otherwise, he would definitely burn to death. Lu Yu ran far away before he had time to check the system notification. [Cultivation progress of the Seventh Heaven of Ice and Fire has been slightly improved. Cultivation progress + 1%, qi-blood + 6] Cultivating the Seventh Heaven of Ice and Fire was different from the Fierce Tiger Fist Style and the Edgeless Blade Art. Just by increasing a small amount of progress bar, his qi-blood could be increased. It was unlike the other two cultivation techniques, which required one level to increase his qi-blood. Lu Yu stopped and looked around. There were trees all around, and there was no sign of anyone coming. Looking at the sun in the sky, Lu Yu thought about the direction of the sun when he walked on the road. Lu Yu chose the path based on his judgement. As long as he found the road, he would be able to find other people. After walking for half a day, Lu Yu found that his method was not very reliable. He had already walked for more than 30 miles, but he still did not see the road. Not to mention the road, there was not even a sight of human habitation. Moreover, the surrounding forest was becoming denser and denser. Lu Yu suspected that he was walking into the depths of the mountains. The sky had already darkened. Lu Yu had no choice but to find a big tree and cut some wood with his knife. He managed to build a wooden platform on the tree to ensure that he would not fall down when he slept at night. He was not the Xiaolongn¨¹. He did not have the ability to sleep on a tree branch without falling. Lying on the simple wooden platform, Lu Yu looked at the stars in the sky through the gaps in the leaves above his head. He suddenly thought of Little Tail. One night, Little Tail asked Lu Yu if the person who died would become a star in the sky. Lu Yu told her clearly that the dead would only go to the underworld and not to the sky. At that time, when he saw the sadness on her face. He then comforted her by saying that a good person would go to heaven after death. ¡°A good person would go to heaven after death and become a star. Was Little Tail a good person?¡± Lu Yu thought in a daze. When he heard Hei Lang say that Little Tail jumped off the cliff to protect him, Lu Yu felt a little uneasy. Sitting on the wooden platform and leaning against the tree trunk, Lu Yu looked at the stars in the sky in a daze, looking for the brightest star. It had been a long time since he had seen a star. In the city, there were no stars at all. The neon lights were too bright, obscuring the light of the stars. Lu Yu also did not expect to be able to see so clearly in the game, such a clean night sky. After a while, Lu Yu fell asleep. When he woke up, the sun had risen. After eating a marching ball, he logged out of the game. After washing up and eating breakfast, Lu Yu looked at the computer that had not been turned on for a month. He wondered if he should continue writing novels. He had promised the readers that he would write in a month, but he had yet to make any preparations. Scratching the back of his head, he said, ¡°Who cares! I write novels for my own enjoyment, and it was so much fun in the Divine Martial World. Why would I still write novels? Of course I choose to play the game!¡± He looked at the ingredients in the kitchen. The food he had bought for the past few months was almost finished. In a few days, he would have to go out to replenish his reserves. He felt that the food was being eaten so quickly. Lu Yu thought that it would be great if he had the marching ball in real life. Thinking of this, Lu Yu was a little curious. After he got the recipe for the marching ball in the game, could he make it in real life? After eating breakfast, Lu Yu returned to the game. He picked a direction and continued to move forward. If he were in real life, he might be anxious if he lost his way in the wilderness. However, in the game, Lu Yu was very relaxed. He did not lack food. He had a lot of marching balls in his backpack. As for water, with his leg strength, it was not difficult for him to find the water source. If he found a water source, he would not have to worry about the water for the next few days. Now, he was afraid that he would not be able to walk out even if he walked for a few days. This mountain forest looked very big. [Regional chat] Anonymous: Is there anyone here? Who can save me? Lu Yu saw a message appear in the public chat channel. This was the first time he had met other players in the game. Before this, he thought that only he and Su Peng and Zhang Jingyang were playing this game. When he was staying in Windmill Town, the public chat was empty. Now, he was a little happy when he suddenly saw a message in the public channel. The coverage of regional chat was not wide. Lu Yu wanted to meet other players and exchange game experience. So, he asked, ¡°Where are you? What kind of danger did you encounter?¡± When he sent the message, the system prompted Lu Yu to choose to send the message in anonymous or his name. He could also choose to show his title. Currently, Lu Yu only had one title ¡ª Fierce Tiger Fist Master. He obtained it when his Fierce Tiger Fist Style had reached ¡®perfected¡¯ level. The title did not have any attribute bonuses, but in the chat, using the title to speak was undoubtedly more credible than the word ¡®anonymous¡¯. Lu Yu thought for a bit and chose to use the title of Fierce Tiger Fist Master. Using the title had more advantages than disadvantages. [Regional chat] Fierce Tiger Fist Master: Where are you? What kind of danger have you encountered? Seeing that someone had replied to her message, Yu Xiaoman became excited. She had been trapped in this huge pit for almost an hour. Previously, she had sent many messages asking for help, but no one had replied. [Regional chat] Anonymous: I am in a huge pit. The pit is very deep. It is at least five to six meters deep. I can¡¯t climb up. ¡°Huge pit?¡± Lu Yu looked at the dense forest around him. Where did this huge pit come from? [Regional chat] Fierce Tiger Fist Master: Describe the surrounding environment. I can¡¯t find you even if you just mention a pit. [Regional chat] Anonymous: There are many thick trees around me. I slipped and fell into the pit when I was going downhill. Lu Yu looked at the terrain. He was walking up the mountain, but he couldn¡¯t determine the exact location just by talking about a downhill slope. [Regional chat] Anonymous: Bamboo! When I went down the slope, I saw a lot of bamboo in front of me. Bamboo was not everywhere in the forest, so it could be used as a reference to determine the location. Lu Yu quickly ran up the mountain. Looking down from above, it was easier to find where there was bamboo. When he was halfway up the mountain, he saw a bamboo forest on his left. He turned and ran towards the bamboo forest. [Regional chat] Anonymous: Have you found the bamboo? If you can¡¯t find it, you can look for it first. I¡¯m going offline to eat. [Regional chat] Fierce Tiger Fist Master: I¡¯ve found it. Wait a little longer. After Lu Yu passed through the bamboo forest, he saw a collapsed pit. The pit looked quite deep, and he couldn¡¯t see the bottom from afar. He walked to the side of the pit and saw a girl standing below. Yu Xiaoman raised her head and saw someone standing by the side of the sinkhole. She raised her hands happily and shouted while jumping, ¡°Help me up quickly.¡± The pit was probably more than seven meters deep, and she didn¡¯t know how it was formed. Moreover, there were many bamboo roots that were exposed around the pit. Lu Yu couldn¡¯t understand why she didn¡¯t climb out of the pit by herself since it was so easy to climb out. Lu Yu took out a rope from his backpack and threw one end down. He said, ¡°Tie it around your waist. I¡¯ll pull you up.¡± The girl quickly tied the rope. When Lu Yu saw it, he used all his strength to lift her up easily. After she came up, he asked her to untie the rope and put it away. This rope was very useful! It helped him a lot. Lu Yu asked curiously, ¡°Aren¡¯t there a lot of bamboo roots at the edge of the hole? Why don¡¯t you climb up yourself?¡± ¡°There are centipedes as thick as fingers are on the roots. I didn¡¯t dare to climb up.¡± This was indeed a good reason. Lu Yu carefully observed the girl for a while and found that there were basically no signs of injuries on her body. It was a little strange. ¡°Also, how did you fall into such a deep pit? And you were completely fine.¡± ¡°I just slid down. I don¡¯t know either. Maybe I was lucky!¡± Yu Xiaoman pointed in the direction where she had slid down. Then she asked Lu Yu excitedly, ¡°The game is so real. Is it fun?¡± ¡°Well, it should be fun!¡± ¡­ After answering her questions, Lu Yu realized that she was even more newbie than he was. She didn¡¯t understand the game at all. She didn¡¯t even know that dying in the game might lead to brain death. Lu Yu kept answering her questions. He only had time to ask her questions after she paused for a short while. ¡°Do you know Su Peng?¡± ¡°Who is Su Peng? I don¡¯t know him.¡± Yu Xiaoman shook her head, feeling a little strange. ¡°What about Zhang Jingyang?¡± Lu Yu asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know him either. Are you talking about a celebrity? I¡¯ve never heard of him.¡± ¡°Then where did you get your gaming helmet from?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know where it came from either. Maybe it was a prize I got from a lucky draw. I was lucky enough to win every time.¡± Lucky draw? Lu Yu was full of questions. Could it be that the Divine Martial World had already been released? But why didn¡¯t they tell the players about the flaws in the game helmet? Or were the flaws in the game helmet been fixed? Lu Yu wasn¡¯t sure either. He had the urge to send a private message to ask Su Peng. But Su Peng seemed to be unwilling to tell him the truth, Lu Yu couldn¡¯t get anything out of him. He could only look for answers from other players. ¡°Master, do you know the way out? Why do I feel like I¡¯ve been here before?¡± Yu Xiaoman asked with her eyes wide open. Lu Yu looked at his surroundings. They did look familiar. ¡°Why was we circling around here?¡± he thought. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! As a senior player in the Divine Martial World, finding a way out is a piece of cake.¡± Half an hour later, Lu Yu felt like he had seen the surrounding scene more than once. He said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. We are indeed walking out of the forest. It¡¯s just that the trees all look the same, so we feel that they look familiar.¡± Yu Xiaoman looked at Lu Yu speechlessly and strongly requested for her to lead the way. She picked up a tree branch on the ground and shouted, ¡°The branch tip point to the direction to the nearest city¡­¡± After saying that, she threw the branch into the sky and brought Lu Yu to the direction where the branch tip was pointing at. ¡°Is this reliable?¡± Lu Yu was skeptical in his heart. Wasn¡¯t she just used her luck to find the way like him? ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this is my unique skill. I can definitely find the way out.¡± Yu Xiaoman was full of confidence. An hour and a half later, Lu Yu looked at the city at the end of the sky and felt very conflicted.. Why was this Yu Xiaoman¡¯s luckier than him? Chapter 40 - The Folkways of Bei Feng City Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The two of them walked to the city gates and looked up at the ten-meter-tall city gates. There were people coming and going from Bei Feng City, and they could occasionally see the carriages pulled by mutated beasts rushing into the city. After entering Bei Feng City, Yu Xiaoman said, ¡°The system has notified me that I¡¯m out of the danger zone once we step into the city. I¡¯m so tired, this is my first experience of being trapped in the game. I¡¯ll go offline now. Master, bye bye!¡± After saying that, Yu Xiaoman logged out of the game. Lu Yu stared at her, wanting to see what would happen to her character after she logged out of the game. Suddenly, Yu Xiaoman¡¯s character walked into the crowd. Lu Yu wanted to find her character again, but he couldn¡¯t. ¡°How?¡± Lu Yu looked at the crowd of people in front of him, not understanding what was going on. He had clearly seen Yu Xiaoman walk in just now, so why couldn¡¯t he find her now? It was as if Yu Xiaoman had become one of the characters in the background, and her sense of presence had been forcefully erased. Lu Yu scratched the back of his head, unable to make sense of what was going on. He could only follow the flow of people and walk into Bei Feng City. ¡°Should I go to Bei Feng Academy first? Or should I go to the Divine Weapon Pavilion first?¡± [Bei Feng City regional chat] Anonymous: Does anyone know where the little princess of the Ling family, Ling Shuang, is? Asking for a location with a lot of money. [Bei Feng City regional chat] Green Light Sword Master: Want to form a team and kill the demon snake in the Jade Water Pond. Need to be at least at the sixth level of the qi cultivating realm. We will discuss the details of the distribution of benefits when we meet. Those who want to come, send a private message to me. [Bei Feng City regional chat] Anonymous: The mystic realm of Fiery Rain Mountain is about to open. Those who are interested can find me to buy a slot to enter the mystic realm. [Bei Feng City regional chat] Anonymous: I know Ling Shuang¡¯s location. You can private chat with me. [Bei Feng City regional chat] Appraisal master: I have a treasure-hunting mouse that wants to sell. If you want it, look for me at the Thousand Treasures Auction House. [North Wind City regional chat] Anonymous: I want to buy a hero recruitment token from the Divine Weapon Pavilion. ¡­ After walking for a while, Lu Yu realized that the Bei Feng City regional chat channel was so lively. Through the hawkers by the side of the road, Lu Yu found out the Divine Weapon Pavilion¡¯s location. After coming to the Divine Weapon Pavilion to show the recruitment token, he was placed in a pavilion. The Divine Weapon Pavilion¡¯s deacon told him that the entrance test was arranged in a mystic realm that would be opened the day after tomorrow. He only needed to gather at the entrance of the Divine Weapon Pavilion in the morning of that day. During this period, he could move freely during the rest of the time. Not long after Lu Yu settled down, someone came looking for him. A red-haired youth knocked on the door of Lu Yu¡¯s room. When Lu Yu opened the door, he realized that it was someone he did not know. The youth stretched out his hand to greet him and said, ¡°My name is Ouyang Lie. I live next door to you, and I arrived at Bei Feng City a few days earlier than you.¡± Lu Yu shook hands with him and introduced himself, ¡°My name is Lu Yu.¡± ¡°You also came here because you received that token, right? After the elder gave me this token, he chased me out of the clan. I had to walk over a thousand miles before I arrived at Bei Feng City.¡± Ouyang Lie seemed to be complaining to Lu Yu about the elder of his clan, and Lu Yu did not know how to respond. ¡°Oh right, there¡¯s another person on this level. That guy seems to be from Bei Feng City. I only met him once and I haven¡¯t seen him here since.¡± ¡°In order to celebrate our acquaintance, let me treat you to a meal!¡± Lu Yu was a little confused. Why was he so friendly? He pulled Lu Yu and left the room. As they walked, he said, ¡°Let me tell you, I know a cheap and delicious place. Today, I¡¯ll bring you to have a taste.¡± Half an hour later, Lu Yu looked at Ouyang Lie who was wolfing down food in front of him. He felt as if he had been cheated. Ouyang Lie seemed to have run out of money, which was why he had dragged Lu Yu here to have a meal. Lu Yu admitted that the dishes here were indeed delicious. As expected, Lu Yu was the one to pay for the meal. Ouyang Lie did not have a single copper coin on him, but he did not eat much either. The two of them ate for half a day, but only spent 8 silver coins and 56 copper coins. Lu Yu did not care about this little bit of money. Lu Yu and Ouyang Lie were walking back to their room, and asked him, ¡°Did you not bring money when you came here?¡± Ouyang Lie¡¯s face immediately fell. ¡°Yes, I did. The elder gave me a lot of money, but a thief stole all of my money. Fortunately, the token wasn¡¯t lost, or else I wouldn¡¯t even have a place to sleep.¡± ¡°In order to thank you for treating me to a meal, I¡¯ll tell you a piece of info.¡± Ouyang Lie looked around and whispered to Lu Yu, ¡°Be careful when you sleep at night. Someone will come and steal your token.¡± ¡°Steal the hero recruitment token?¡± Lu Yu did not expect that the public security in Bei Feng City would be so bad? [Mission obtained ¡ª protect the hero recruitment token. This is a test from the Divine Weapon Pavilion. Mission reward: the entry test for official disciples of the Divine Weapon Pavilion.] [Hint: you cannot go offline during the mission period.] After the two of them returned to their living quarters, they returned to their respective rooms. Lying on the bed, Lu Yu was on high alert. It seemed that he might not be able to sleep tonight. After eating his fill, Lu Yu laid down on his bed and looked at Bei Feng City regional chat. Most of the messages were about trading of items and finding people to form teams. Basically, everyone was using anonymity, and no one revealed their real names. It was possible that someone was using their real names, but Lu Yu had not seen it until now. In a sense, this phenomenon meant that the players were not so friendly to each other. It was almost midnight, but there were still a few messages from time to time in the regional chat. It seemed that there were quite many players who were playing the game all night. Lu Yu heard a snore coming from the next room. It was Ouyang Lie¡¯s snore. ¡°Someone will come and steal the token. How can he fall asleep?¡± After waiting for two hours, Lu Yu felt a little sleepy. His eyelids were about to close. Other than Ouyang Lie¡¯s snore, he did not hear any movement from the thief. The sound of twigs rubbing against each other could be heard. It was not noticeable under Ouyang Lie¡¯s snoring. Lu Yu did not seem to notice it either. He was lying on the bed, breathing evenly. As expected, there was masked man snuck into Lu Yu¡¯s room. After rummaging through Lu Yu¡¯s bag on the table, the masked man did not find the hero recruitment token. He was a little anxious. Looking at Lu Yu who was lying on the bed with his back to him, the masked man walked towards Lu Yu gently. Lu Yu suddenly turned around and scratched his stomach. The person suddenly stopped and after careful observation, he found that Lu Yu seemed to have fallen asleep. Then, he saw a bulge on Lu Yu¡¯s clothes. It seemed to be the hero recruitment token. He reached out and grabbed the hero recruitment order gently. Suddenly, Lu Yu¡¯s hand suddenly grabbed his arm. Lu Yu opened his eyes to stare at him. An invisible pressure enveloped the masked man¡¯s body. He felt that he was being stared at by a powerful demonic beast. It was the aura of the Fierce Tiger Fist Style. Lu Yu was about to get up and remove the masked man¡¯s mask, but he felt that the arm in his hand was as slippery as a loach. He could not grab it at all. He subconsciously used the Black Tiger Heart Piercing, and his fingers instantly became extremely hard. The tip of his finger pierced through the masked man¡¯s night clothes and left five bloody marks on his arm. The masked man seemed to have cultivated some kind of special martial skill, and his skin became smooth and tough. Lu Yu used the Black Tiger Heart Piercing to strengthen his fingers, but he was unable to pierce through the masked man¡¯s skin. Lu Yu was unable to catch that masked man. Peng ~ the masked man broke through the window and escaped from Lu Yu¡¯s room. Lu Yu chased after him to the window and stopped chasing. He looked at the Divine Weapon Pavilion guards patrolling the courtyard below. This kind of behavior seemed to be permitted by the Divine Weapon Pavilion. Those patrolling guards did not react at all. Perhaps, this was also one of the tests the Divine Weapon Pavilion had for those who had the hero recruitment token. Lu Yu returned to the bedside. The snoring sound next door had become softer when the masked man was in his room. Now, it had returned to its original volume. Noticing the change in the snoring sound, Lu Yu knew that he had underestimated Ouyang Lie. Lu Yu was still awake. He was on guard against the masked man. The next day, the rooster crowed. Everyone walked out of their rooms to eat the breakfast prepared for them by the Divine Weapon Pavilion. Of course, they could eat outside if they wanted to. Lu Yu lived in a compound with a circular structure. He and Ouyang Lie both lived on the top floor, which was a room. There were also B, C, and D rooms below. They were other people who wanted to join the Divine Weapon Pavilion. The difference was that they had already gone through many trials before they reached this stage. Lu Yu and Ouyang Lie took the recruitment token and went straight to the last stage. Looking at the regional chat, he found that the messages of wanting to purchase the hero recruitment token was still popping up. The other party would also occasionally send a message in the middle of the night to ensure that everyone could see it immediately. Lu Yu felt that it was a little strange. Why did that person want to obtain the hero recruitment token so eagerly? He felt that this token was not hard to come by. He had not done anything, yet Shopkeeper Ge had found him and stuffed the token into his hands. Perhaps the person who tried to steal his token last night was a player. Currently, Lu Yu did not have any good ways to differentiate who was a player and who was an NPC. He didn¡¯t meet many players after all. He glanced at Yu Xiaoman in his friend list and realized that she had yet to log on. It should be said that she had not logged on since she logged off yesterday. He did not know if she had been frightened by the game. Yesterday, Yu Xiaoman and Lu Yu had walked for a full five to six hours before they reached Bei Feng City from the forest. On the way, Yu Xiaoman wanted to log out of the game. However, she was notified by the system that she was in a dangerous area and could not log out of the game. She was only allowed to log out of the game when she entered Bei Feng City. The terrifying gaming experience might have really traumatized her. While eating, Lu Yu felt that the people around him seemed to be hostile towards him. Ouyang Lie acted as if he did not feel the gazes of the people around him at all. After eating a bowl of porridge, Ouyang Lie get up to get another bowl. When Ouyang Lie left, a lanky man walked up to Lu Yu and sat down. Lu Yu subconsciously looked at his left hand. There were no signs of injury. The masked man from last night was not him. ¡°Genius, I heard that you are also going to participate in the mystic realm trial the day after tomorrow?¡± The lanky man said in an unfriendly tone. Lu Yu ignored him. The other party was deliberately trying to stir up trouble. If Lu Yu responded, he would only fall for the other party¡¯s trick. ¡°I advise you not to participate in the trial. Without qi cultivating realm cultivation, entering the Fiery Rain Mountain mystic realm is courting death. You might as well give me the recruitment token and save your own life.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t bully you.¡± the lanky man threw out a money bag and pointed at it. ¡°There¡¯s 1000 gold inside. Hand over the token and take the money back to your hometown. Otherwise, you might die in the mystic realm.¡± The lanky man had finished investigating Lu Yu¡¯s identity yesterday. He discovered that Lu Yu was only a martial cultivator from a remote village. Lu Yu did not have any background in Bei Feng City, so he ¡°advised¡± Lu Yu not to participate in the mystic realm trial and to hand over the token. Ouyang Lie had just returned to the seat. When he saw the lanky man sitting in his seat, he frowned and said, ¡°Move aside..¡± Can¡¯t wait? Read MTL here ¨C> https://readmtl.com/novel/training-through-the-game/