BOOM!

A ghastly white bolt of lightning streaked across the sky.

Han Yuan’s face was washed in its ghastly white light.

He stared at Guo Oldhei’s corpse, panting heavily.

The man’s Fist Technique was truly domineering. If Han Yuan hadn’t coated his blade with poison and seized the advantage with a sneak attack, he might not have been able to kill the bastard.

The main reason was that Han Yuan had only just entered the Gathering Stage, while Guo Oldhei had been tempering himself in this realm for many years. His strength was astounding, and his Fist Technique was masterful.

After resting for a moment,

Han Yuan dragged Guo Oldhei’s corpse under the eaves and began to loot it.

A silver note, a few pieces of broken silver, and one Martial Arts Secret Manual.

"Fifty taels of silver!"

"I’ve struck it rich!"

Han Yuan’s face lit up with elation when he saw the amount on the silver note.

For him, this silver was an absolute windfall.

’Looks like this guy planned to leave Qingshui County right after killing me. That’s why he had all his money on him.’

’Just perfect!’

Han Yuan’s gaze then fell upon the Martial Arts Secret Manual.

Mountain-Breaking Fist.

This was the very Fist Technique that had nearly shattered his bones. His left arm, in particular, ached dully and was covered by a massive bruise.

Han Yuan gave it a quick look.

This Mountain-Breaking Fist was also a Third-Class Martial Arts, one that used the fist like a hammer to overwhelm opponents with sheer force.

A glint in his eye, he put the Martial Arts Secret Manual away.

Even though he was a blade user, he didn’t mind cultivating a fist technique as well.

Next was the matter of disposing of Guo Oldhei’s corpse.

This time, Han Yuan chose not to go to the County Yamen.

Knowing that Wang Cheng was behind everything, he had already formed a plan.

Guo Oldhei’s death couldn’t be revealed yet, or it would put Wang Cheng on alert.

Han Yuan found a rock and smashed Guo Oldhei’s head until his face was unrecognizable. He then wrapped the corpse in black cloth, hoisted it onto his back, and left the house. Braving the downpour, he ran to the docks, threw the body into the river, and then headed back.

The river’s current was swift; Guo Oldhei’s body would be washed away in no time.

He was extremely cautious the entire way, making sure no one spotted him.

Finally, he meticulously washed away all traces from the courtyard. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

Only then did Han Yuan go to sleep, his mind at ease.

...

「The next day.」

The downpour had ceased, and the air was crisp and clean.

Full of vigor, Han Yuan headed to the County Yamen.

As fate would have it, right at the entrance, he ran into Wang Cheng, who had just finished his shift and was about to head home to rest.

When Wang Cheng saw Han Yuan, he looked as if he had seen a ghost.

"Constable Wang."

"Long time no see."

Han Yuan was the first to speak.

"Han Yuan."

"I hear you’re doing well in the storeroom."

Wang Cheng concealed the shock in his eyes, his expression returning to normal.

"It’s going all right."

"Old Chen has been treating me well," Han Yuan said with a smile.

"That’s good."

"Keep up the good work."

After a few pleasantries, Wang Cheng hurriedly left the County Yamen.

Han Yuan watched his retreating figure, a faint, unreadable smile on his face.

...

’What the hell happened with Guo Oldhei?!’

’He couldn’t even kill one Han Yuan?’

Wang Cheng’s expression was one of confusion as he quickened his pace.

He didn’t even go home, instead heading for the dilapidated house where Guo Oldhei usually hid out.

The house was empty. There was no sign of Guo Oldhei.

’This guy... where the hell did he go?!’

Seeing no sign of Guo Oldhei, Wang Cheng grew even more confused.

He had deliberately led his men away from Han Yuan’s neighborhood last night, so he had no idea what had transpired.

Wang Cheng forced himself to calm down.

He recalled Han Yuan’s expression and demeanor from their meeting earlier; he hadn’t looked like someone who had just survived an attack.

Besides, if he really had been attacked, given Han Yuan’s past behavior, he would have already raised hell about it.

’This means Guo Oldhei probably didn’t attack Han Yuan last night.’

’In that case, something must have happened to Guo Oldhei on his way to attack Han Yuan.’

’Could it be that bastard Guo Oldhei got cold feet...?’

’That doesn’t seem like him... So what could have happened?’

Wang Cheng felt like his head was about to explode. He couldn’t think of a single reasonable explanation.

’Forget it... I’ll investigate in secret first.’

’This is all too strange.’

Wang Cheng felt as if he were lost in a thick fog.

...

As the sun set, Han Yuan finished his handover with Old Wang and left the County Yamen.

He first went home to change his clothes, then made his way to White Stone Street.

This was the most prosperous street in Qingshui County, far from the dilapidated, narrow alleys found elsewhere.

The street was noticeably wider and cleaner, with no beggars or vagrants in sight.

Many people dressed in fine silks and brocades could be seen on the street, and sedan chairs or horse-drawn carriages passed by from time to time.

Shops lined both sides of the street.

Cosmetic shops, restaurants, inns, antique and jade dealers...

Han Yuan walked briskly and entered a Money Shop.

A short while later, he quickly emerged from the Money Shop.

But now, there was a noticeable bulge at his waist.

After returning home, Han Yuan didn’t immediately practice his Thousand Falcons Blade Technique. Instead, he took out the Mountain Breaking Fist Technique manual.

’The Thousand Falcon Saber is a Blade Technique, after all. It relies on the sharpness of the blade, so it’s not as effective for tempering my physique and vital energy.’

’This Mountain Breaking Fist Technique is the perfect supplement for that weakness.’

’By strengthening my physique, I can increase the speed and power of my strikes, which in turn will indirectly increase the might of my Blade Technique.’

’More importantly, I have a specific use for this Fist Technique.’

A cold glint flashed in Han Yuan’s eyes.

He opened the Fist Manual for the Mountain-Breaking Fist and began to study it intently.

The Fist Technique’s movements were wide and sweeping, its stances simple and direct.

After studying it for the time it takes an incense stick to burn, Han Yuan had memorized all the moves.

As a Gathering Power Martial Artist, his control over his muscles and vital energy was quite refined. He went out to the courtyard and, after practicing a few times, was able to execute the entire Mountain-Breaking Fist sequence flawlessly.

Host: Han Yuan

Thousand Falcons Blade Technique: Mastery (0/800)

Mountain-Breaking Fist: Uninitiated (1/100)

’With my current physique... practicing the Mountain-Breaking Fist thirty times a day should be no problem.’

’At this rate... I should be able to make my move very soon.’

Han Yuan immediately began practicing the Mountain-Breaking Fist again.

He trained until his muscles ached with fatigue. He would then apply medicinal wine, rest for a short while, and get back to the grind.

He kept at it late into the night before finally washing up and going to bed.

「In the days that followed.」

Han Yuan’s life fell into a simple routine: either he was at the Government Office guarding the storeroom, or he was at home, grinding away at the Mountain-Breaking Fist.

Thanks to the silver from Guo Oldhei, he no longer had to worry about money.

「Three days later.」

His Mountain-Breaking Fist reached the Entry realm. His muscles grew tougher, and his vital energy increased significantly.

Wang Cheng hadn’t been idle during this time either, secretly investigating Guo Oldhei’s whereabouts.

But ever since that night, Guo Oldhei had vanished without a trace, never to be seen in Qingshui County again.

「On this day.」

He was sitting in a teahouse, sipping tea.

A man with shifty, rat-like eyes sidled up to him.

"Any news?"

Wang Cheng glanced at him and asked coolly.

"Nothing... That Han Yuan’s residence is in the most remote corner of an alley, with only one neighbor to the left."

"But there was a huge storm that night, so they couldn’t hear a thing from outside."

"I expanded the search area and asked some other families, but no one heard any unusual sounds," the hoodlum whispered.

"Then where on earth did Guo Oldhei go?" Wang Cheng frowned.

After several days of fruitless investigation, he had no choice but to turn his focus back to Han Yuan.

To his surprise, the results were still maddeningly inconclusive.

What exactly happened that night?

"Maybe Guo Oldhei really did just run off," the hoodlum said with a shrug.

Wang Cheng shook his head, tossed down a piece of broken silver, and left.