Chapter 62 - 61: Qi Yuan’s Visit! Invitation to Enter the Mountain!

Chapter 62: Chapter 61: Qi Yuan’s Visit! Invitation to Enter the Mountain!With all his strength! With a fierce stir! Jiang Shu pulled out his dagger, swiftly slashed at the masked Martial Artist’s neck, ensuring that he was beyond salvation. Only then did he grit his teeth and search the body. Two hundred silver notes, an iron plaque engraved with the character ’Yao,’ and a worn-out manual on footwork. Touching the streaks of blood seeping from his back, Jiang Shu took two deep breaths. He didn’t have time to adjust his condition. He picked up the diamonds and the iron cudgel from the ground and, gritting his teeth, rushed back to his courtyard. The exits of the black market were mostly hidden in the recesses of alleyways. The duration of his battle with the masked Martial Artist had already been quite long. That no one came was purely luck. If he had dallied a bit longer, it wouldn’t have been so easy to extricate himself. Once back in his courtyard, Jiang Shu finally let down his guard. He hastily bandaged himself up and carefully examined the footwork manual: *Snake Step*. Based on the movements of a serpent, it emphasized leaping and shifting with few variations and did not have an advantage over long distances. Beneath the illustrations of the human figure were tiny annotations in different handwriting, continuously added. Some of these small characters had been repeatedly smeared and altered. Clearly, the manual had passed through many hands. It should be superior to the Tiger Form Three Styles but inferior to the Starving Tiger Devastating Claw. It’s just not clear whether this technique originates from the Yao Family or if it was something the Martial Artist himself possessed. But in any case, as long as I don’t use it when it’s not absolutely necessary, I shouldn’t run into any trouble. Jiang Shu murmured softly, making sure he had memorized the technique thoroughly. He then took out a brazier and, along with his clothes, set them ablaze. The iron plaque with the ’Yao’ character was also buried in a hole he dug in a corner of the courtyard. Everything was tidied up neatly. He roasted Red Armored Tiger meat. He circulated his qi and blood to heal his wounds. An ordinary person would take a hundred days to recover their Yuan Qi from a bone injury. But a Martial Artist was different. As long as they had a sufficient supply of qi and blood, and the injury was not fatal, they could recover at a speed visible to the naked eye. In less than ten days, Jiang Shu had returned to his peak condition. With vigor surpassing his previous state, he practiced continuously in the courtyard with a wooden stick. The movements of the masked Martial Artist clearly surfaced in his mind. His mastery of the Snake Step was already at an entry-level and was rapidly advancing towards small success. As he swung the wooden stick, the sound of it slicing the air was constant. It’s a pity I only obtained the Snake Step and lack the method to wield this iron cudgel. Otherwise, my combat power could certainly have been elevated by another equivalent level. Indeed, none who manage to become Martial Artists should be underestimated. Jiang Shu practiced diligently day and night. He only went out every two or three days to meet briefly with Qi Yuan, check on the Zhou Family’s restaurant business, and get a simple update on the various happenings in Pingling County. Perhaps out of respect for Old Qiu, the Yao Family’s restaurant had not made any extraneous moves. However, they took in two additional retainers and introduced a blood-strengthening medicinal meal, which even ordinary Martial Artists would find effective. As for the Zhou Family’s restaurant, its business gradually stabilized as well, drawing in a large crowd with its reduced prices. "Brother Jiang, about that Old Li you mentioned, I’ve arranged for him to clean in our restaurant. What do you think..." "Hmm, that will do. Just pay more attention to the brokerage. If you can find his daughter’s whereabouts, do so; if not, let it be." "Have someone else handle these matters. It’s better for you to focus on elevating your own Martial Arts Realm." Having confirmed that the Yao Family did not launch a major search for the killer just because one of their retainers died, Jiang Shu eased his mind and returned to the courtyard. To his surprise, Qi Yuan actually took the initiative to come over, a rare move, and stood at the entrance of the courtyard. "Senior Brother Qi, why have you come?" Jiang Shu swiftly took two steps forward. "Little Junior Brother," Qi Yuan spoke in a lowered voice, "Let’s talk inside." "So, what you mean is that the Mutant Beast meat in the Pingling County black market is becoming scarcer? And after you became a Martial Artist of the Stone Skin Realm, your daily need for beast meat increased significantly? To break through to the Iron Skin Realm, your only option is to go deep into the mountains to hunt those Mutant Beasts?" After serving Qi Yuan tea, Jiang Shu sat with him in the hall. After listening to his intentions, he spoke. "Right. In fact, in the previous black market, the quantity of Mutant Beast meat was absolutely sufficient. But now, the resources for Martial Artists in the black market are sharply decreasing. The stall I used to frequent only had about ten pounds of Fox Bear meat last time." "Now, even Zhao Li from Antelope Martial Arts Hall, who you sparred with last time, has joined one of the prominent families. Only those prominent families have the resources to provide this beast meat." "He has been stuck at the Cowhide Realm for a long time," Qi Yuan said, sighing. Standing in different places leads to different thoughts and actions. Old friends, after all, will gradually drift apart. This is inevitable. In Pingling County, the path for common Martial Artists is simply not visible. Going into the deep mountains to hunt is no easy feat. Ordinary birds and beasts can’t bring much improvement to a Martial Artist’s qi and blood. Hunting more is just a fruitless endeavor, only useful for converting them to Silver Tael. As for Mutant Beasts, any large one possesses the strength of an Iron Skin Realm Martial Artist! Only smaller Fierce Beasts, such as the Forest Shadow Cat or Droopy-Eared Leopard Pattern Rabbit, can possibly be hunted by Stone Skin Realm Martial Artists. "The deep mountains are extremely dangerous. Even Iron Skin Realm Martial Artists wouldn’t dare to venture too deep. Let alone me, with merely the strength of the Stone Skin Realm. You’ve just entered the Cowhide Realm, so we can only venture to the outskirts of the mountain ranges." "If we make preparations in advance, we might achieve some results in half a month. This is much better than waiting bitterly for Mutant Beast meat in the Pingling County black market." "In the past few days, I’ve already found a hunter in a small town to lead the way and familiarize us with the surrounding mountains. As for the gains, we’ll split them fifty-fifty. It all depends on what you think, Little Junior Brother," Qi Yuan said, then stopped. Entering the mountains was his only choice. To enter alone was far too dangerous because hunting Mutant Beasts required staying in the mountains long-term. Entering in the morning and returning by evening relied purely on luck. Qi Yuan couldn’t afford to gamble. Since he chose to enter the mountains, he must return with a harvest. No harvest, no return! After pondering for a moment, Jiang Shu nodded in agreement. For him, there was actually no need to enter the mountains. The scarce Mutant Beast meat Qi Yuan spoke of could be exchanged in the academy for one credit per pound. However, firstly, Qi Yuan had helped him a lot, and the two shared a deep brotherhood. Secondly, if he were to leave Pingling County one day, he would have to pass through these mountains. This journey would serve as an early familiarization. With the functionality of his panel, as long as he was cautious, he could preserve his life even in the most dangerous situations. "HAHAHA! Great! I’m not in a hurry to enter the mountains. While nobody is around, I’ll teach you the Starving Tiger Devastating Claw," Seeing Jiang Shu nod, Qi Yuan was initially startled, then laughed loudly and boldly made his decision. He did not have the qualification to teach the Starving Tiger Devastating Claw. But entering the mountains was so perilous. An extra bit of strength for Jiang Shu would offer them both more security. After all, they were from the same martial arts hall. If his Little Junior Brother survived the mountain, he would certainly return as a Stone Skin Realm Martial Artist. All he was doing was teaching it a bit earlier. Being overly cautious and timid, striving for perfection in every step... what great achievements could one hope to attain that way!