Unbeknownst to him, Qin Yuesheng allocated all of his remaining 13 points of All-Purpose Essence into Stealing, instantly elevating the skill to the beginner level.
Immediately, he felt a strange familiarity with how to steal from others, as if he had already been a pickpocket for some time.
Stealing (3/20) Beginner
Passive①: [Silent as the Grave] +10% success rate in stealing
Whoosh!
His technique was deft and clever, his hand moving swiftly and steadily.
When Daoist Qingfeng walked out with Qin Feng, chatting and laughing, he was completely unaware that something from his bundle had been lifted by someone else.
Looking at the book marked 'Inner Vitality Skill' in his hand, Qin Yuesheng came to his senses and felt an awkward sweat break out, inexplicably somewhat ashamed.
"What am I doing, feeling angered because someone rejected me and resorting to stealing their things? Isn't this typical villain behavior?" Qin Yuesheng couldn't help but feel conflicted.
Should he rush to return the item to Daoist Qingfeng and say he accidentally dropped it?
Or perhaps swallow it for himself? After all, something carried by Daoist Qingfeng wouldn't likely be ordinary.
After a mental debate, Qin Yuesheng obediently chose to be a selfish villain.
This world is inhabited by sinister spirits; without some proper self-defense skills, what would he do when faced with danger?
What's a hero or villain compared to preserving one's life?
Absolutely nothing.
To prevent Daoist Qingfeng from discovering the missing item mid-journey and potentially returning to search for it, Qin Yuesheng immediately began flipping through the Inner Vitality Skill book to see what's inside, hoping to find methods to ward off evil spirits.
However, Qin Yuesheng was disappointed; the book was filled from cover to cover with illustrations of human meditation poses, each marked with the Eight Extraordinary Meridians and acupuncture points, linked by ink lines.
It seemed to be some method of Inner Power cultivation.
"How bizarre, a Daoist like Qingfeng doesn't carry any talismans or magical artifacts, but rather keeps an Inner Power Atlas," Qin Yuesheng felt disinterested and immediately disassembled the Inner Vitality Skill book.
[Disassembly successful, obtained 'Inner Vitality Skill']
Crumbling the orb containing Inner Vitality Skill in his hand, Qin Yuesheng immediately called up the super auxiliary tool to inspect further.
...
Strength: 1.0 (normal person) (+)
Agility: 1.0 (normal person) (+)
Constitution: 1.0 (normal person) (+)
Spirit: 1.0 (normal person) (+)
Charm: 1.0 (normal person) (+)
All-Purpose Essence: 0
...
Personal Skills:
Stealing (3/20) Beginner
Flying Knife Skill (0/10) Novice
Universal Text Recognition (0/160) Expert
Tiger Crane Double Form Fist (0/20) Beginner
Bear Stump Stance (0/20) Beginner
[Fragmented] Inner Vitality Skill (0/30) Novice
...
"Hmm?"
Unlike any martial arts he had learned before, the Inner Vitality Skill was prefixed with a [Fragmented] mark.
Qin Yuesheng was puzzled, what does this mean? Could it be that the Inner Vitality Skill isn't complete, and what he got was only a fragmented version?
"Whatever, fragmented or not, since Daoist Qingfeng keeps it by him, it likely has some importance. Next time I get more All-Purpose Essence, I'll elevate it to the next level to test its effects."
Qin Yuesheng thought to himself, then returned to his room to continue practicing Bear Stump Stance.
The super auxiliary tool helps Qin Yuesheng rapidly enhance his martial arts levels, greatly benefiting learning fist and sword techniques, saving decades or even longer of time.
But Bear Stump Stance is different; it's a method to hone strength and momentum. Even elevating it to Great Perfection merely increases your familiarity and lets you hold the stance longer. The effects of momentum cultivation require Qin Yuesheng to painstakingly train himself, even though he possesses such advantageous tools.
As time passed, Cyan Yang City returned to its usual calm, with only the Lu family remaining unyielding, continuing the search for their missing young master. Most people had already pushed the recent madness and killings out of their minds. For ordinary folk, life went on unchanged by anyone's death or birth.
"Young master! Young master!"
In the leisurely afternoon, the golden sunlight gleamed on the pavilion, and the pool water was dazzling in the bright sun.
Qin Yuesheng lay on a rocking chair, stuffing a piece of twenty-year-old ginseng into his mouth while reading the latest popular and bestselling folk novel, "General and the Prostitute," which his subordinates had bought for him.
"Tsk tsk, the young general has met countless noble ladies and seen thousands of dignified young women, but remained indifferent to all, yet he falls head over heels for Ren Bailin, a courtesan from Chang'an's Fengmanlou, appreciating her and protecting her in every way, transforming from a stoic and austere war hero into a dark and domineering heartbreaker. In one passage he's leading troops in the frontier desert, and the next, Ren Bailin is about to be defiled by villains in Fengmanlou, but the stoic war hero descends like a divine soldier to heroically rescue her. This author certainly knows what sells."
Qin Yuesheng chewed on the ginseng, "If there's a chance, I should get acquainted with him. See if he can write a story about a genius falling to waste, being insulted by family and friends during this decline, and then undergoing an exhilarating transformation against all odds. If he's capable, I could provide him with a few plot points, and a seventy-thirty split could earn us a tidy sum."
While Qin Yuesheng was flipping through the pages, a hospital guard suddenly ran over from the moon gate outside the courtyard wall and quickly reached Qin Yuesheng's side.
"Young master, the blacksmith has finished making the weapon you ordered previously. I took the liberty of bringing it back for you."
This guard, named Cao Zhengchun, was one of the four who had accompanied Qin Yuesheng to Nanyan Treasure Studio last time, and Qin Yue remembered him.
"Where is it?"
The man held out a long object wrapped in red cloth with both hands.
Qin Yuesheng reached out and took it, unwrapping it directly. Inside, on the red cloth, lay a black broadsword.
This sword was two feet long, two inches wide, with a curved front and flat back, and the handle ended with a lifelike dragon's head, wherein three golden monk relics were set in its eyes and mouth.
Qin Yuesheng lifted it with one hand, feeling the weight bearing down on his arm, somewhat heavy.
"How heavy is this sword?" Qin Yuesheng asked.
"According to the blacksmith, its weight is twelve pounds and eight ounces."
In Qin Yuesheng's mind, ten bottles of 500 ml Farmer's Spring mineral water stacked together would weigh about ten pounds. This sword, forged from demon-repelling refined iron, was slightly heavier, and wielding it single-handedly would indeed require effort.
This sword, made of demon-repelling refined iron with three monk relics embedded, naturally had excellent evil-warding capabilities. Carrying it gave Qin Yuesheng a sense of security; next time he encountered any trickery like the white human face, he would at least have some means to defend himself.
"Young master, on my way back, I also received a letter from a household servant of the Du family, meant for you, so I brought it along for you to take a look." Cao Zhengchun pulled an envelope from his pocket and handed it to Qin Yuesheng.
Qin Yuesheng took it and opened it.
The letter was from Du Beilun, stating that there would be a gathering of the young masters at the Celestial Immortal Pavilion that evening, and the usual pals would be there. Due to Du Beilun's injury from a recent incident at Nanyan Treasure Studio, he couldn't deliver the message in person, so he sent a servant to deliver the letter to the Qin Mansion for Qin Yuesheng.
After reading, Qin Yuesheng smiled. With the limited vocabulary of the original owner, he would probably need someone else to read and understand the contents of the letter.
"Cao Zhengchun, you will follow me from now on. I'm going to the Celestial Immortal Pavilion tonight. You should come with me."
Upon hearing this, Cao Zhengchun was overjoyed. Originally just an ordinary guard, with positions like chief guard and steward above him, being invited to stay by Qin Yuesheng was an unparalleled opportunity.
"Thank you, young master." Cao Zhengchun knelt on one knee, clasping his hands in gratitude.
"By the way, what martial arts do you know aside from the Tiger Crane Double Form Fist taught by Qin Yue?"
"Reporting, young master, I entered the Qin Mansion with skills. Before becoming a guard, I also learned Iron Palm and Six Harmonies Staff."
"Not bad." Qin Yuesheng nodded. Planning to promote Cao Zhengchun as a bodyguard, his strength couldn't be weak, nor his attack methods overly simplistic.
"Young master, then I'll take my leave now."
"Mm, remember to collect thirty taels of silver from the accountant and get yourself some proper attire to avoid embarrassing me tonight."
Cao Zhengchun happily said, "Thank you, young master!"
…
The Celestial Immortal Pavilion was a famous place of pleasure in Cyan Yang City, located by the Gusu River. Unlike ordinary places, it had a refined air, free of procuresses clinging to your arm at the entrance, asking which girl you wanted. Inside, you could freely enjoy music or plays in the main hall, drink and admire the Gusu River view in private rooms, or engage in poetry and art with the more cultured girls, who at least excelled in one of the arts like music, chess, calligraphy, or painting.
Should any girl catch your eye, you could simply ask her price. If more than one person was interested, the girl would go to the highest bidder.
Establishments by the Gusu River weren't ordinary, as it was the most expensive land in Cyan Yang City. To open a business here, money and influence were both necessary.
When night fell, and lanterns hung brightly along the Gusu River, large and small red lanterns created an atmosphere bright as day.
Carriages and pairs of men and women moved through the lively streets, each with their own destination.
"Whoa!!!"
Quincy Mansion's carriage, with its lantern, stopped at the entrance of the Celestial Immortal Pavilion. Over a dozen expressionless guards surrounded the carriage, drawing everyone's attention.
Amidst the public's gaze, Qin Yuesheng, wearing a black and red robe, walked calmly out of the carriage.
With black hair tied up, an average appearance, a sword at his waist, and two jade pearls in hand, he spun them with ease.
A fine example of a wealthy noble youth, if not handsome, then certainly affluent.