"Instructor Lin." Deputy Captain Tan Hong quickly saluted.
Hou Ping was half a beat slow but followed with a salute.
Lin Zhenwu merely nodded slightly, then looked at Fang Xiao: "Old Fang, how many years has it been since we last met?"
"Over ten years, I reckon."
"That fast?" Lin Zhenwu gripped his long spear and stamped it forcefully into the ground, where it stood firmly.
Hou Ping looked at the government office floor, secretly aching.
Can't you lean it against the wall? Must you put on a show like this? You weren't the one who laid the flooring, right?
After a pause, Lin Zhenwu averted his gaze and sat down casually, adding, "You've... aged a lot."
Fang Xiao acted as if he hadn't heard, and said in a deep voice, "Forget about my age, if you don't hurry, the people will escape."
"A few practitioners of unorthodox techniques, where could they possibly run?" Lin Zhenwu glanced around the government office and suddenly sighed, "The environment is quite poor, not even a cup of tea."
"..." Hou Ping heard this and signaled to the constable outside.
"Old Lin, are you going or not? If not, I'll go myself!" Fang Xiao's expression didn't look too good.
"Uh oh, they've escaped!"
At that moment, Zhang Yii hurriedly ran in from outside.
"Zhang Yii, explain clearly, what's going on? Didn't I tell you to follow them secretly?"
"Lord Shao, I... I lost them!" Zhang Yii panted heavily.
"Which way did they run?" Lin Zhenwu put away his earlier casualness, pulled up the long spear, and asked sternly.
"Southward, they ran south!"
Swish, swish, swish—
Lin Zhenwu, Fang Xiao, and Shao Pengshu instantly dashed out, with Tan Hong following closely behind.
Hou Ping was a half-step behind, and by the time he reacted, only Zhang Yii was left panting heavily, sweat rolling down his forehead, and a constable holding hot tea at a loss.
"Captain Hou, you better not go." Zhang Yii, holding a pot of tea, gulped down several big mouthfuls, "Captain Shao told you and me to wait in Wheat Alley."
Wheat Alley?
Hou Ping paused for a moment.
However, he reconsidered and realized his limited ability might not be able to catch up anyway.
"Alright, Captain Zhaang, would you like some more iced tea?"
"Yes, I'm dying of thirst."
Zhang Yii watched Hou Ping turn and walk away, a flash of ferocity passing deep in his eyes.
...
Liuu Town, at the end of West Street.
Chu Ming had watched "Poetry, Politics, and Military" outside for a while and returned indoors to study the Blood Refining Technique "Blood Evil Body Refining Technique" after being interrupted by Qin Gui.
"Too little content, following the methods inside, at most, you can condense up to five so-called strands of Blood Evil Qi..."
"Blood Evil Qi... Qi and Blood Power..."
In his mind, the Tiger and Python Body Refining Technique was a large lake, and beside it, the Blood Evil Body Refining Technique was a small puddle.
The cultivation method in this cultivation technique was too barbaric for his taste, so he only read the content without practicing it.
However, he didn't ignore this cultivation technique, intending to use the abilities 'Integration' and 'Inference' of "studying" to deduce and optimize a new technique.
"The Tiger and Python Body Refining Technique emphasizes integrated offense and defense, leaning towards balance, whereas the Blood Evil Body Refining Technique's attacks are aggressive and bloodthirsty..."
"Bloodthirsty is not good, but aggressive attacks can be kept."
He attempted to guide the lake's water of the Tiger and Python Body Refining Technique in his mind into the small puddle of the Blood Refining Technique.
"No, if this happens, the Blood Refining Technique becomes like the Tiger and Python Body Refining Technique..."
He succeeded yet failed; the deduced cultivation technique was not the effect he wanted.
"If a complete Blood Refining Technique could be acquired, it should be possible to deduce a fine cultivation technique."
Chu Ming shook his head and looked out the window.
The sun set in the west, and the golden sunset fell in the courtyard as Little Shan swept the leaves with a broom.
It had been a day, and hadn't Housekeeper Fang settled it yet?
He slowly got up and walked out of the house.
"Is the young master hungry?" Little Shan put down her broom, beads of sweat sparkling under the setting sun.
"Hungry."
"Little Shan will cook right away." She ran happily into the kitchen as if she had received an enormous reward.
Washing rice and vegetables, white smoke rose.
Chu Ming thought, if he were an ordinary person, perhaps living like this for a lifetime wouldn't be bad.
But he wasn't.
Nor would he be!
Although his strength had advanced by leaps and bounds, he could only barely protect himself.
The Chu family didn't establish a vast business in Baiyuan County easily.
In more than twenty days, Little Shan's care for him was meticulous and without any demand, he knew it all in his heart.
But it was for this reason, he could not take Little Shan with him.
Because danger could come at any moment.
Chu Ming's gaze focused as he looked across the street outside the courtyard.
There, he sensed a killing intent.
After glancing at Little Shan, he walked out of the courtyard and strolled along the street.
Meanwhile, the Sword Gourd Spirit activated, heightening his perception to the extreme.
"The smell of blood mixed with the stench of rotting, and also... the scent of tea."
It was exactly the same as the subtle scent on Huang Lu and Qin Gui during the day.
Been to the same place? Met the same person? Or did a similar thing?
He didn't see the face of whoever was hiding in the shadows, but he already guessed who it was.
Chu Ming walked steadily along the street, and before long, he reached near Wheat Alley.
This location was exactly where the tea stall had been yesterday.
He paused for a moment and then walked into Wheat Alley.
In the shadows.
The Tea Stall Owner, who had been following all along, hesitated but still followed inside.
A deep dark alley with a strong stench of rot, the Tea Stall Owner hadn't walked far before he saw a figure.
"Oh, it's the young master." He pretended to greet, "This place is not to be approached, there have been constant murders recently."
His face wrinkled with a sinister smile.
"I wonder if the young master brought tea money today." He moved closer, the ferocity in his eyes growing more pronounced.
"The young master didn't pay for tea yesterday, so why not... leave your heart as tea money today?"
Within half a meter, he suddenly sprang into action, something bulged from his shoulders, and his claw-like hands reached fiercely for Chu Ming.
Chachach—
Chu Ming slightly sidestepped, easily dodging the attack, leaving claw marks on the wall where he had just stood.
Under the strong perception of the Sword Gourd Spirit, the Tea Stall Owner's movements were too slow.
"How did you find me? Qin Gui?" His voice was cold as he raised his right hand.
The Tea Stall Owner didn't answer at all, following one claw with an even more vicious claw.
Chu Ming frowned tightly, and the Slapping Wind Palm struck instantly.
Puff—
With a muffled groan, the Tea Stall Owner couldn't react in time; his withered old tree-like body flew like a tattered sack.
This weak?
Chu Ming was momentarily stunned.
He had thought the Tea Stall Owner, who stayed close to the 'Young Master' girl, was a master, and since the other party confidently confronted him, just to be safe, he mobilized all his Qi and Blood Power.
But unexpectedly... under the Six Paths of Qi Blood Power, the 'master' seemed unable to withstand even a single palm strike.
He walked to the Tea Stall Owner's side, leaned down to check, and the other party was already lifeless.
Not unable to withstand, but directly dead...
He uncovered the Tea Stall Owner's shoulders, and the bulging area turned out to be two protruding bones, and only now did Chu Ming realize what had been peculiar about the Tea Stall Owner yesterday.
"Those two white cloths weren't for wiping sweat but for covering the protruding bones."
Chu Ming chuckled awkwardly, wondering if he had been overcautious and hadn't even asked whether the other party was sent by Qin Gui before he killed him with one palm strike...
"Forget it, I'll be going to Baiyuan County soon anyway; I'll settle the Chu Family's accounts then."
He searched the Tea Stall Owner's body, finding a few pieces of silver and two books bound together in gray cloth.
"Blood Evil Body Refining Technique, Blood Claw Hand."
Looking them over, Chu Ming's face broke into a smile.
"A complete Blood Evil Body Refining Technique, a martial art skill, five taels of silver, not a bad haul."
Except for the corpse...
"Captain Zhaang, we don't have to go inside, do we? It's awfully stinky in there."