As evening approached, the martial arts hall grew more crowded, and the sounds of people practicing their fists echoed from all around.
Wan Ze, who had been training for a long time, slowly retracted his fists.
Visible white steam rose from his entire body.
He glanced down.
Wan Ze slowly relaxed his stance as faint, visible white steam rose from his body. He looked down at his hands; the skin from his palms to his forearms was tinged crimson.
When he flexed his fingertips, a faint, dark bruise-like color appeared.
After cultivating his Eagle Claw Skill to the Intermediate level, his Finger Strength had increased dramatically, reaching the point where his muscles and bones were gradually solidifying.
The Intermediate Effect had also successfully increased his Strength Attribute by 0.02.
With this, his Strength Attribute was steadily approaching the 1.3 threshold.
Wan Ze slowly exhaled, his gaze falling upon his data panel.
...
[Illustrated Guide: Eagle Claw Skill] (Intermediate Mastered)
[Skill High Level Satisfying Conditions: Grasp hard objects with both hands 500 times, and perform 1,000 two-finger push-ups]
...
[Illustrated Guide: Taming the Tiger Vajra Skill] (Special Level Mastered)
[Skill Ultimate Form Satisfying Conditions: Qi and Blood Convergence 100,000 times] (1,900/100,000)
...
[Illustrated Guide: Tiger Cannon Fist] (High Level Mastered)
[Skill Special Level Satisfying Conditions: Perform the Tiger Stance for 1,000 hours] (130/1000)
...
[Illustrated Guide: Horizontal Training Technique] (Special Level Mastered)
[Skill Ultimate Form Satisfying Conditions: Rub body with sandpaper 10,000 times (880/10,000), and withstand 50 blows (50/50)]
...
[Illustrated Guide: Jianghu One-Stroke Slash] (Intermediate Mastered)
[Effect: Minor increase in understanding of Saber Techniques]
[Skill High Level Satisfying Conditions: Swing saber 1,000 times] (0/1000)
...
Averting his gaze from the panel, Wan Ze took a deep breath. Everything was proceeding step by step, just as planned.
He then looked at the newest entry.
...
[Illustrated Guide: Horizontal Sword Technique] (Intermediate Mastered)
[Effect: Power +0.01]
[Skill High Level Satisfying Conditions: Perform Horizontal Sword 1,000 times] (900/1000)
...
"Almost there!"
This Swordsmanship was about to complete its High Level task!
Wan Ze adjusted his condition slightly, turned back to his room, and closed the door.
He took the Ancient Sword down from its rack.
Turning to stand firm, his breathing gradually slowed, and he then brought the sword horizontally across his chest.
The motion of the Horizontal Sword was simple.
But now that Wan Ze had mastered the Horizontal Sword Technique to the Intermediate level, this simple movement, when executed, possessed a profound, heavy rhythm.
SWING!
The blade cut horizontally, as if pushing a mountain.
AGAIN!
The wind flowed past the edge of the blade, letting out an extremely faint hum.
A moment later, the instant he completed the thousandth Horizontal Sword swing, Wan Ze suddenly felt a lightness in his arm and wrist, as if some kind of shackle had quietly dissolved.
...
[Illustrated Guide: Horizontal Sword Technique] (High Level Mastered)
[Effect 1: Power +0.01]
[Effect 2: When used in synergy with the Horizontal Training Technique, the counter-shock effect is doubled (All Attributes +0.02)]
[Skill Special Level Satisfying Conditions: Perform Horizontal Sword 10,000 times, and successfully parry with the sword 3 times]
...
Wan Ze didn’t stop immediately.
He continued to perform the Horizontal Sword swing another two hundred-plus times, until his forearm ached and his muscles trembled slightly. Only then did he sheathe the sword and let out a long breath.
The sword is an extension of the arm. At this Realm, the Horizontal Sword was no longer a move but had become a physical instinct.
The next step would be the Realm where the sword moves with the body, and the body moves with the mind.
After a brief period of Breath Regulation, Wan Ze immersed himself in the next stage of his Cultivation, his mind free of distractions.
Before he knew it, the sky outside the window had completely darkened.
In the distance, the streetlights began to turn on one by one.
After an unknown amount of time had passed, Wan Ze slowly concluded his training, a wave of exhaustion washing over him.
He looked at his crimson-red body.
That was enough Cultivation for today.
"Refreshing!"
Wan Ze was very satisfied with this state.
Just then, Zhai Jia called.
"I’m near the martial arts hall. I’ll send you the location, come to this place... Don’t refuse, okay? Just consider it keeping me company for a late-night snack."
The address arrived shortly after.
「Ten-odd minutes later.」
Wan Ze showered off the sweat, changed into a loose gray shirt, and followed the address to find the place.
The open-air food stall was bustling with noise, the air thick with the smell of smoke and cooking.
At this hour, it was mostly people who had just gotten off work, gathered here to drink and play finger-guessing games, creating a lively scene.
Wan Ze scanned the area and saw Zhai Jia waving at him from a corner.
He walked over, looked at the table full of grilled skewers, and couldn’t help but laugh. "Brother Jia, did you not have dinner? This is way too much food."
"It’s for you," Zhai Jia grinned, pushing a plate of dipping sauce over. "I figured you’d be training this late, so I ordered a leg of lamb to help you recover."
Wan Ze didn’t stand on ceremony. He put on a glove, tore off a large piece of meat from the leg, slathered it in spices, and stuffed it into his mouth, mumbling, "Alright, spit it out. What did you need me for?"
Zhai Jia shook his head and chuckled lightly.
’This kid,’ he thought. ’He’s getting less and less formal with me these days.’
He took a sip of fruit juice, his expression turning a bit more serious. "The matter with the Tong Family was just settled. I figured I should give you the rundown."
Wan Ze looked up, listening for him to continue.
"It’s a long story. It involves a feud between my Zhai Family’s elders and theirs. Back then, they really went at it with blades and bullets... Master wouldn’t get involved because the Tong Family’s head at the time and our fathers could be considered his martial brothers," Zhai Jia began slowly.
Wan Ze was a little surprised. "And now?"
"Now?" Zhai Jia smiled. "Ever since I started practicing martial arts in high school, the conflicts between the older generation have gradually died down. Both sides intentionally let the younger generation compete against each other... As long as no one pulls any dirty, low-class tricks, the elders on both sides won’t interfere, and Master certainly won’t. For one, he won’t act rashly out of respect for that person in the Tong Family. And for another..."
Seeing him pause, Wan Ze looked over.
Zhai Jia snapped out of it and said:
"The old man doesn’t want us to become hothouse flowers. In fact, whether it’s the Tong Family or the Secret Palace, you’ve probably sensed it... Master is intentionally letting go of the reins. But the moment the other side crosses the line, he strikes back like lightning. Otherwise, given the Secret Palace’s nature, they would have been locked in a life-or-death struggle with us long ago. They just had bad luck and accidentally fell into our hands a few times; that wasn’t their intention either."
He laughed himself as he said this.
He didn’t know who was in charge of the Secret Palace in Holy City, but they must have been tearing their hair out lately; otherwise, there’s no way they would have remained so quiet without any sign of retaliation.
"As for Tong Run and Tong Yuan... those two are both stupid and malicious; they were asking for a beating. Today, Brother Yu personally paid the Tong Family a visit. I took a reinforced company to conduct drills near the Tong Family’s mine and even declared right to Tong Tianshun’s face that once those two brothers wake up, I’ll break both their legs again. HAHA, you should have seen Tong Tianshun’s face. It went from green to white, then back to green."
Zhai Jia laughed heartily.
Wan Ze shook his head, but he found the Tong Family’s reaction strange. He asked the key question, "Won’t they retaliate afterward?"
"They wouldn’t dare, not even if you gave them a hundred times the courage," Zhai Jia said decisively.
"Because of Dragon Eagle?"
"More accurately, because of Master."
Wan Ze fell silent.
Was Situ Bai’s name a big deal?
It was!
But its influence was limited to Holy City and a few surrounding areas.
Zhai Jia had said long ago that even Grandmasters were ranked, and Master wasn’t among the absolute top tier.
Before, he had been ignorant of what the word "Grandmaster" truly meant. Now, as his own Cultivation grew, he could faintly sense that something else seemed to be suppressed beneath his master’s unfathomable strength.
Zhai Jia didn’t notice his lapse in attention and just grinned. "So, from now on, if you run into trouble, it’s fine if you want to handle it yourself. But if you really can’t win, don’t hesitate. Contact me or Master immediately. In and around Holy City, if there’s something even Master can’t solve... then Dragon Eagle is probably not far from being wiped out."
Wan Ze understood.
On this patch of turf in Holy City, Master’s name carried enough weight.
Any further out, and it was hard to say.
"There’s one more thing." Zhai Jia’s smile faded, and his tone grew serious. "We still haven’t found any leads on that batch of assassins from Lingyun Manor."
"Still nothing? They’re that mysterious?" Wan Ze frowned.
"It’s either infiltration by an overseas organization or a new power that’s just emerged in the last few years." Zhai Jia tapped his knuckles on the table. "Speaking of which... was this brought on by that Miss Ling again?"
Wan Ze nodded.
Zhai Jia sighed. "That girl has it rough, being left with such a mess by her family..."
He shook his head, lost in thought, then said seriously, "Have her stay at the Dragon Eagle Inn for now and put her mind at ease. So far, no one has dared to actually make a move on Dragon Eagle’s territory."
Wan Ze believed that.
The two of them ate a few more skewers, finished their drinks, and went their separate ways.
Night had deepened, and the streetlights were sparse and dim.
Wan Ze walked back to the martial arts hall alone.
However, for the next several days, Miss Ling’s second personality did not appear.
On the first page of the black notebook, there was still only the single word Miss Ling herself had written: "Hello"...
The handwriting was neat.
Lonely.
The first thing she did every morning upon waking was to carefully open the notebook, wanting to see if her second personality had awakened and responded, but each time, there was only that single word.
"Wan Ze, do you know how to make her come out?" Miss Ling finally couldn’t help but ask.
Wan Ze shook his head.
’But in his heart, he leaned toward another possibility... That woman had definitely woken up.’
’She just found herself back in Holy City... and especially back at the Dragon Eagle Inn, and was now too scared to come out.’
’He didn’t know if she was afraid to face him, or afraid to face Miss Ling.’
He couldn’t say for sure.
But in the current situation, it no longer mattered.
"What are your plans now?" Wan Ze changed the subject.
"I..." Miss Ling was silent for a moment, unconsciously fiddling with the hem of her clothes. "I want to keep living here and wait for her to reply."
She suddenly let out a long sigh as if in relief, exhaling all the tension she’d been holding for days. She turned to Wan Ze and gave him a faint smile.
"Wan Ze... thank you for everything these past few days. You can go and take care of your own business. I’ll let you know if anything happens on my end."
"No need to thank me. I’m not just helping you because we’re friends. I’m also curious about what’s hidden behind that painting," Wan Ze said frankly.
Miss Ling was taken aback at first, then her lips curved into a determined line, her expression turning serious. "Don’t worry! Leave this to me. I’ll definitely find a way to call her out... Once I get the truth out of her, you’ll be the first to know!"
Wan Ze was momentarily stunned, then he chuckled.
She was surprisingly straightforward.
After he left.
Night enveloped the city.
An unknown amount of time passed.
Miss Ling, who had been deep in sleep, suddenly opened her eyes. The expression on her face was strange... as if she were forcibly suppressing a mix of shame and annoyance.
Finally, she yanked the blanket over her face, her voice muffled.
"You! You’re completely hopeless!"
A few seconds later, the blanket was thrown off.
She got up, threw on a random jacket, turned on her desk lamp, and sat down at her desk. She opened the black notebook to the first page and stared blankly for a long time at the word "Hello" on the first line.
She picked up a pen, wanting to write something, but then stopped, seeming very conflicted.
She raised the pen... hovered... put it down... picked it up again... and paused... repeating this several times.
The woman held her head in her hands.
Infinitely frustrated.
"So I still... can’t face it!"
...
...
「Early the next morning.」
In the Inner Courtyard of the Dragon Eagle Martial Arts Hall.
With a muffled THUD, the ground shook violently, as if blasted apart by a force that could no longer be contained.
The data panel before Wan Ze’s eyes updated.
...
[Illustrated Guide: Eagle Claw Skill] (High Level Mastered)
...