After all, it was his own arm.
Tang Wen ultimately couldn't bring himself to stab it.
Based on his rough estimation, with the current defensive capabilities of the [Golden Bell Shield], even an ordinary Martial Master, even if they unleashed their full strength and used a Meditation Martial Art, would not be able to penetrate his black defense.
Moreover, three days had passed.
The [Mental Meditation Technique] had leveled up once again.
[Mental Meditation Technique, Mastery (2991/3000)]
[Spirit: 10.91 → 11.41]
The number of "meditation characters" he could utilize in his mind had reached as many as twenty-seven.
He wanted to increase this number further, but he found himself unable to do so.
After multiple attempts, even at the cost of wasting a significant amount of mental energy, he could only maintain around thirty characters.
But he couldn't stabilize it.
He could only use it as a means of daily training.
After staying at home for three days, his strength had increased significantly.
Addicted to cultivation, Tang Wen wanted to continue honing his skills, but now that he was in Mountain Chasing City, unlike in Flame Camp, he couldn't afford to ignore the outside world.
On the fourth morning, he went out to the neighboring Beast Garden.
"Commander!"
"Commander, here's our recent share of the profits."
A subordinate handed over a bag of silver, which Tang Wen took and weighed in his hand. It was about three to four hundred taels.
"Did the breeding succeed?"
"Hehe, you're really something. All five female dogs are pregnant."
Tang Wen's face darkened, and he cursed, "Get lost! You're the one who's really something!"
"My bad, I misspoke. Your Mutated Beast is really something!"
Looking at him with disdain, Tang Wen instructed, "Alright, don't forget to give it some supplements!"
"Don't worry, Wolf Master is our cash cow. He gets big and small kidneys every meal, along with half a catty of tiger bone wine! That's some serious nourishment!"
After making the rounds,
On his way back, Tang Wen pondered a question:
If the Sand Wolf drank alcohol before breeding, would the puppies born from the female dogs be alcoholics?
Returning home, he tossed the silver to the charming widow for daily expenses.
Tang Wen then went to the Li residence.
As a considerate subordinate,
He never visited empty-handed.
Carrying some tonics he had taken from the gang's storeroom,
Tang Wen met Elder Li in the dining room, just in time for the Li family's breakfast.
"Have you eaten?"
"Perfect timing! I haven't."
"You rascal! Someone, get him some food."
Tang Wen unceremoniously sat down and devoured over twenty bowls of steamed and braised dishes, along with three large bowls of meat porridge, a pot of morning wine, and several side dishes.
After eating and drinking his fill, he stated his purpose.
He wanted to take leave.
He was about to break through to "Martial Master" and wanted to take a good two months off.
To be honest, Tang Wen hadn't been in the gang for long.
He was still a newcomer.
For most newcomers, taking a long leave was out of the question.
But Elder Li didn't hesitate at all and immediately approved it.
Having achieved his goal of taking leave, Tang Wen casually asked,
"Several days have passed. Have those aquatic Mutated Beasts been put to use yet?"
Elder Li glanced at him and replied, "Not yet."
"Why is that?"
"Don't ask too many questions."
Tang Wen didn't want to give up. After a few days, he noticed that the dozen or so Mutated Beasts were still being well cared for in the gang.
It seemed the gang wasn't in a hurry anymore.
He smiled and said, "Just curious! Purely curious! I'm afraid I'll be in the middle of seclusion when suddenly I'm called out again."
Elder Li pondered for a moment and said, "That shouldn't happen. This time, you catalyzed four Superior Exotic Beasts, which greatly exceeded the Gang Lord's expectations. The gang is making preparations to ensure a successful battle in one go."
Tang Wen asked a few more questions.
But Elder Li refused to say more, instead offering advice on breaking through to Martial Master.
The two of them chatted until noon.
At midday, Wu Hao also arrived.
The three of them shared a round of drinks.
It wasn't until the sun set that they staggered away, thoroughly drunk.
Upon returning home,
the charming widow A Shui and the maid Xiao Rou supported him on either side as they led him to the bed.
As the saying goes, alcohol is the catalyst for lust.
Xiao Rou went out to fetch water.
A Shui helped him undress.
As the temperature rose, the woman's scent became unmistakably clear.
With a gentle tug, Tang Wen pulled her into his embrace as if she were a weightless leaf.
His hands roamed a few times.
A Shui's heart trembled.
On normal days, he could take half her life.
Today, with the added influence of alcohol, was there any hope for survival?
"Master, why not add a few more sisters to the household?"
A Shui lifted her head, her eyes glistening with tears.
She both loved and feared Tang Wen.
Tang Wen was momentarily stunned—what woman would suggest such a thing?
Well, that just meant she deserved a proper reward.
A Shui grew even more fearful: "Or perhaps you could frequent the Hundred Flowers Pavilion instead."
Tang Wen chuckled: "I don't care for the women in those brothels."
As his movements grew more intense, A Shui hurriedly said, "I know a few women who have suffered greatly, but they are pure and come from respectable families! Mmm!"
Tang Wen couldn't tell if she was being serious or just trying to spice things up...
The night was filled with a storm of passion, lasting until dawn.
The next day,
Tang Wen began his seclusion, refining the footwork of the Dark Night Divine Fist—Shadow Ghost Step.
At noon, when the sun was at its fiercest, he ate and rested.
From afternoon to late night, and then into the early morning and forenoon,
he tirelessly practiced various cultivation methods in rotation.
The one that consumed the most time and effort was the Shadow Ghost Step.
Several days passed.
Tang Wen began to grasp a thread of understanding.
The difficulty of mastering the Shadow Ghost Step exceeded his expectations.
Five days later,
finally, this footwork appeared on his Experience Panel.
To date, this was the most challenging cultivation method Tang Wen had ever attempted to learn.
[Meditation Martial Art, Shadow Ghost Step, Beginner (7/500)]
Mastering the basics was just the first step.
Tang Wen continued to refine it for several more days.
This triggered a chain reaction, merging his skills.
Another footwork technique he had learned integrated into the Shadow Ghost Step.
[Traceless Step, Proficient (2877/3000)]
[Meditation Martial Art, Shadow Ghost Step, Mastery (1/3000)]
Skipping two levels, he directly reached the "Mastery" stage.
This was a significant improvement.
It was nighttime, and moonlight streamed through the window.
The moonlight was like water, illuminating the courtyard.
The shadows of the plants in the yard resembled aquatic flora.
Stepping out of the cultivation room, the bright moonlight made everything as clear as day.
He returned to his room and changed into a set of night clothes.
Activating the "Shadow Ghost Step," his entire body was enveloped in a wisp of black smoke.
Like a shadow, he silently made his way to the neighboring Beast Garden.
"Drink!"
"Are you raising fish? Drink up!"
"..."
Three familiar subordinates were in the midst of a lively drinking session.
The Sand Wolf lay idly to the side, a plate of meaty bones on the ground.
No need to ask—they had also entrusted the tasks of guarding and vigilance to the Sand Wolf.
Quite the lazy bunch!
Tang Wen quietly approached, closing the distance to a hundred paces, then fifty.
The Sand Wolf turned its head in confusion, looking in his direction.
However, judging by the angle of its head,
it was merely alert, not having actually detected him.
Tang Wen fully activated his Aura Concealment Art, stepping forward once more.
Thirty paces, twenty.
Whoosh!
The Sand Wolf stood up.
Its glowing wolf eyes were filled with confusion.
Half a minute passed:
"Why is the Sand Wolf standing up?"
"Is it craving some tiger bone wine?"
The three men didn't dare to slack off. The Sand Wolf was their cash cow, after all.
Of course, they had to take good care of it.
They poured wine and fed it meat, busying themselves completely unaware that Tang Wen was standing in the shadows of the house right in front of them.
Several days passed.
On this particular morning.
As Tang Wen prepared to rest, he, as usual, used his mental energy to sense the location of the "Water Sprite."
To his surprise, he found that the other party was already over a hundred miles away from his current position.
It seemed the gang was ready to take action.
But with a distance of over a hundred miles, Tang Wen couldn't utilize the "Water Sprite's" vision.
After pondering for a while, he disguised himself, donned a cloak to cover his entire body, and left the city.