"Thank you for the pointers, Senior Brother."

Qin Fang let out a slow breath to soothe the vibrations in his chest, then spoke to Zhou Xing.

This sparring session was his first real exchange with another Martial Artist, and he felt he had gained a great deal from it.

And Zhou Xing’s combat prowess... was honestly a bit frightening.

He had just thrown a full-power punch, yet the man had taken it squarely on the chest... Hitting him was like striking a solid iron pillar.

It showed just how formidable Zhou Xing’s Physique was!

"Senior Brother, if I may be so bold... what is your Cultivation level right now?"

Qin Fang was genuinely curious.

Zhou Xing snapped out of his daze and chuckled. "My Cultivation? ...Peak of Mingjin, I suppose."

As he said this, he let out a soft sigh.

’Peak of Mingjin...’

’So, that’s the level of the Qi and Blood Tide?’

Qin Fang was inwardly alarmed.

’...Someone as powerful as Zhou Xing still hasn’t reached Anjin?’

’Then how strong is Anjin?’

’...The Martial Arts of this World are truly something else.’

Zhou Xing looked at Qin Fang with a complex expression and finally sighed in admiration. "If Master knew you reached Mingjin in just a month, he’d probably be shocked too, wouldn’t he?"

At the mention of their master, the harsh lines of Qin Fang’s brow softened. "Are Master and his wife doing well?"

"Don’t worry. They’re eating well, sleeping well, and are in great shape."

Zhou Xing smiled, then said, "It’s just that your neighbors did end up reporting you, which ended up involving Master..."

Qin Fang was instantly alarmed. "What?"

"But don’t worry. Master has a pretty high standing in True Martial County, and since you’ve already left, no one will dig too deep into it."

Zhou Xing said with a smile and a wave of his hand.

Qin Fang felt a bit of relief, but his brow remained furrowed.

"Don’t overthink it. Just stay here and rest easy. When the time is right, you’ll naturally be able to go back."

Zhou Xing patted Qin Fang’s shoulder.

Qin Fang let out a long breath and could only give a slight nod in the end.

Then he said, "Senior Brother, I’ll go make some food. Why don’t you eat here today?"

Zhou Xing was taken aback for a moment, then smiled. "Alright, a perfect chance to try my junior brother’s cooking."

He had originally intended to invite Qin Fang over to eat with him, but then he remembered his two colleagues were with him. Although he was on good terms with them, Qin Fang’s identity was sensitive. It was best for him to have as little contact with officials as possible.

Qin Fang smiled. "Great."

He tidied himself up a bit, put on his clothes, and went into the kitchen.

...Qin Fang had a huge appetite now, so he kept plenty of provisions stocked at home.

Two hours later, a table full of dishes was ready.

"Hm? This braised pork belly tastes pretty good."

Zhou Xing said, his eyes lighting up as he picked up a piece of the braised pork.

"I’m glad you like it, Senior Brother."

Qin Fang smiled.

"I don’t drink, so I didn’t prepare any. Would you like..." Qin Fang asked.

"No, no. I have to go back and report in a little while, so no alcohol for me."

Zhou Xing said, holding a large steamed bun as he ate the meat.

Hearing this, Qin Fang didn’t insist and sat down.

The two martial brothers began to eat with gusto.

After a bit of small talk, Qin Fang suddenly lowered his voice and asked, "Senior Brother... that thing this time, was it really a Demon?"

Zhou Xing, who had just stuffed another mouthful of rice into his mouth, exhaled lightly upon hearing the question. Then he nodded. "I went to see the body just now... It’s definitely a Demon."

"So... there are really Demons?"

Even though he had been mentally prepared, hearing the confirmation from Zhou Xing, Qin Fang couldn’t help but mutter in a low voice.

Zhou Xing was taken aback for a second, then asked curiously, "What, you’ve never had a demon infestation over in Jingping?"

Qin Fang froze. After a moment of thought, he shook his head. "At least, I’ve never seen one with my own eyes."

"Well, that’s natural. If you had really seen a Demon, you’d probably be dead... But you’ve at least heard stories, right?" Zhou Xing chuckled.

"Er, I have heard stories..."

’I just thought they were legends.’

Qin Fang thought to himself.

Zhou Xing picked up a piece of fish and sighed. "The *Brief History of Yu* records: ’In the age of the previous dynasty, a demonic air filled the land, and the people knew no peace. Then came the rise of the Martial Emperor, who swept clean the Demons with his sword. For three hundred years he cleansed them, until the world was at peace. Today’s Great Yu, in its thousand-year reign, is founded upon this legacy...’"

"The Great Yu dynasty was founded a thousand years ago. I’ve heard that during the previous dynasty, a thousand years before that, Demons were everywhere. It was only after the Martial Emperor rose to power and spent three hundred years purging the world of Demons that peace was restored."

"So it seems Demons weren’t always so rare."

"Then why are they so rare now?" Qin Fang asked while picking up some food with his chopsticks.

"That, I don’t know..." Zhou Xing shook his head.

Qin Fang: "..."

"We’re just small fry. There’s a lot we can’t figure out... But when the sky falls, the tall ones are there to hold it up. No need to worry too much."

Zhou Xing said with a helpless shake of his head.

He was just a forensic doctor in a county town; he really didn’t have access to much information.

"The tall ones?"

"The Court has the Sacrificial Hall, which is specifically responsible for exterminating Demons. Now that a Demon has appeared in True Martial, they’ll most likely ask the Sacrificial Hall to step in."

Zhou Xing explained.

"The Sacrificial Hall?"

Qin Fang heard another new term and looked curious.

"Don’t ask, because I don’t know much about the Sacrificial Hall either... I only know it’s filled with experts beyond the imagination of ordinary people."

Zhou Xing shook his head.

Qin Fang was stunned. ’Experts beyond the imagination of ordinary people?’

’Could it be...’

"The Divine Realm?"

he asked, his eyes shining brightly.

Zhou Xing looked dazed for a moment, then shook his head. "I don’t know. I’ve never dealt with anyone from the Sacrificial Hall... I can only say it’s possible."

Qin Fang was stunned for a moment, then nodded as well.

’Alright, it seems I really know next to nothing about this World.’

’...And Senior Brother doesn’t know much more!’

"Oh, right, Senior Brother. Why do I feel like the more Qi Blood Pills I take, the weaker their effect becomes? ...Is it developing some kind of resistance?"

After chatting for a while, another question occurred to Qin Fang.

...He had wanted to ask someone about this for a long time, and now that Zhou Xing was here, it was the perfect opportunity to get an answer.

"The effect of Qi Blood Pills?"

Zhou Xing paused, not expecting Qin Fang to suddenly ask this question.

But he still answered, "Resistance is one aspect."

Zhou Xing explained carefully, "But the key is that as your Physique gets stronger, the effect will naturally feel weaker... To use a rough analogy, if you could originally only lift ten pounds, then a ten-pound weight would naturally feel very heavy to you."

"But now you can lift a hundred pounds, two hundred pounds... or even more. So that original ten pounds will naturally feel light."

"In reality, though... ten pounds is still ten pounds. It only seems lighter because you’ve gotten stronger."

Zhou Xing paused, then frowned. "I didn’t expect you to advance so quickly, so I didn’t prepare anything this time..."

Hearing Zhou Xing say this, Qin Fang quickly replied, "No, no... I was just a little confused, so I was only asking."

Zhou Xing nodded. After a pause, he said, "You’ve reached Mingjin, your Pile Skill has reached Minor Achievement, and you have the Ox Demon Mountain-Opening Fist... It’s about time you started practicing a Training Method."

"A Training Method?"

Qin Fang was startled, and then his eyes lit up...

He hadn’t forgotten what Master had told him before.

The Root Skill is divided into two parts: one is the Pile, and the other is the Training!

However, Master had only taught him the Pile Method at the time... because he said Qin Fang wasn’t ready for it yet. He had to at least reach Minor Achievement in the Pile Method before he could begin the ’Training.’

"Did Master teach you the Training Method?"

Zhou Xing asked suddenly.

Qin Fang shook his head.

Zhou Xing nodded. "Right. You have to reach Minor Achievement in the Pile Method before you can start the Training Method. Otherwise, if your Physique isn’t up to it, it will do more harm than good..."

"Senior Brother, what exactly is a Training Method?"

Qin Fang couldn’t help but ask.

After a brief pause, Zhou Xing suddenly smiled and asked, "That punch you hit me with earlier, what did it feel like?"

Qin Fang’s heart skipped a beat. He recalled the feeling and said, "It felt like hitting a piece of iron wrapped in a layer of leather... Is that the Training Method?"

"Exactly."

Zhou Xing smiled and nodded, then said seriously, "The Training Method and the Pile Skill, when combined, form the true Root Skill."

"Master probably told you that cultivation is about forging your Physique into a weapon. But ordinary Standing Pile, at most, just smooths out the flow of strength in your body, allowing you to exert force more cleanly... But how is that forging a weapon?"

"To forge a weapon, you naturally need hammering and tempering."

Qin Fang couldn’t help but nod as he listened.

It was true.

Standing Pile was mainly about activating the strength within his body... but that really had nothing to do with forging a weapon.

But just as Qin Fang was growing more expectant for Zhou Xing to continue his explanation, Zhou Xing suddenly paused. His brow furrowed, and after a moment, he shook his head. "This Training Method is different from other Leaf Skills. I can’t explain it clearly just by talking about it... And I have to report back today, so I don’t have much time."

"How about this: in a couple of days, I’ll have a constable deliver the Training Method’s Secret Manual to you... You can just follow the instructions inside to practice... You can read, right?"

Qin Fang quickly nodded. "I can."

"Good. The Training Method is different from the Pile Method. There’s no profound theory to it. The core is just one thing... Hard work. Practice!"

"But you must be gradual and systematic. Do not rush for quick results, or you might injure yourself, and the gain won’t be worth the loss... Understand?"

Zhou Xing warned him seriously.

Qin Fang nodded hastily and said sincerely, "Thank you, Senior Brother..."

"We’re fellow martial brothers, no need for that..."

Zhou Xing waved his hand dismissively.

By the time the meal was finished, it was already late in the morning. Zhou Xing glanced at the sky and decided it was time to leave.

Qin Fang quickly got up to see him off but was stopped by Zhou Xing.

"You just stay here and rest easy. I’ll come get you once things in the county have calmed down... But since a Demon has appeared, you need to be careful. The one that showed up was most likely a Water Demon, but that doesn’t mean it won’t come ashore... If you notice anything, don’t try to be a hero. Run straight for the mountains. Your own safety comes first."

Qin Fang took a deep breath at his words and said seriously, "Yes, Senior Brother. I understand."

Zhou Xing nodded. Without another word, he patted Qin Fang’s shoulder and left.

After watching Zhou Xing disappear into the distance, Qin Fang let out a light breath and closed the courtyard gate.

"Sacrificial Hall... Demons... Training Method..."

Zhou Xing’s visit had revealed many things he hadn’t known before.

It sent Qin Fang’s mind racing for a moment.

But after a moment, he let out a breath, and his gaze became firm again.

He couldn’t control any of those things.

The only thing he could do was to keep getting stronger.

’I’m in Mingjin... I feel like my strength has increased enormously since breaking through to Minor Achievement...’

He took out his Darts.

’Newly achieved Mingjin plus Great Success Darts... The power of my Darts must be much greater now.’