Chapter 4: Chapter 4: Qi Blood Extreme, Evil Cult
It was washed, then blanched.
A few simple seasonings were added, and it was left to stew.
Soon, an enticing aroma filled the kitchen.
Looking at the meat in the pot, even though only a few simple seasonings had been added, the aroma was incredibly tempting.
"This smell... so savory!"
Smelling the savory fragrance of the stewed Fierce Beast Flesh, Fang Xing swallowed hard.
—
"BURP~"
A jin of Fierce Beast Flesh wasn’t much. Fang Xing ate every last bite, downed three bowls of rice, and even drank all the broth.
With a pound of Fierce Beast Flesh in his stomach, a pleasant warmth spread through his entire body.
It was different from the feeling of taking a Qi Blood Pill.
The Essence of power contained within the Fierce Beast Flesh slowly seeped into his body, a very comfortable sensation.
Full and satisfied, Fang Xing went to the main room and took out the Martial Arts manual for the Grapple Hand.
As he focused his gaze, text appeared before his eyes.
[A basic Martial Art, Grapple Hand. Enhancement requires sixty Enhancement Points.]
"Sixty points..."
’This means I’ll need to save up for at least two months before I can enhance it.’
Looking at the enhancement prompt, Fang Xing’s brow furrowed.
Enhancing the Grapple Hand required a full sixty points, six times the amount needed for a Qi Blood Pill.
At a rate of one point per day, sixty Enhancement Points would take at least two months.
And that was assuming he didn’t spend any in the meantime. Otherwise, it would take even longer.
’Looks like I can’t enhance it for now. I’ll probably have to wait until I become an Official Martial Artist.’
Fang Xing sighed.
’Enhancing my Martial Arts isn’t an immediate priority, though.’
’After all, the Grapple Hand is still suitable for me. It’s not a top-tier Martial Art, but as a basic one, it’s a perfect fit right now.’
’Besides, top-tier Martial Arts have high requirements.’
’Their Cultivation also requires more resources.’
’Becoming an Official Martial Artist is the real priority.’
’Once my Cultivation level increases, my Martial Arts will become more powerful.’
’Without Cultivation, even the strongest Martial Arts are useless.’
’The rank of Martial Artist is a major threshold.’
’I can’t let the energy from the Fierce Beast Flesh go to waste. Time to continue my Cultivation.’
Putting down the manual, Fang Xing immediately went outside into the courtyard to continue cultivating the Grapple Hand.
The medicinal power from the Qi Blood Pill was still in his system, supplemented by the energy from the Fierce Beast Flesh.
As Fang Xing cultivated, he didn’t need to worry at all about overexerting his body.
His previous Cultivation had also improved his qi and blood constitution, and he now had much more stamina.
...
Two days passed quickly. Early on the morning of the third day, Fang Xing headed for the County Yamen.
Two days of frantic Cultivation.
Aided by the Qi Blood Pills, his qi and blood had grown much stronger, increasing severalfold until he reached the Qi Blood Extreme.
His strength had increased dramatically. Combined with his Grapple Hand, dealing with four or five grown men would be no problem at all.
After passing through the streets and alleys, it wasn’t long before Fang Xing arrived at the County Yamen.
Entering the County Yamen, Fang Xing soon arrived before the North Guard Room.
The Qingshan County Yamen was divided into four guard rooms.
These four guard rooms, located in the east, west, south, and north, corresponded to the four major districts of the city.
Normally, each Head Constable was responsible for handling matters in their respective districts. They would only gather to act together under special circumstances, such as inspections from above.
By the time Fang Xing arrived, the other Constables had mostly gathered, numbering more than twenty in total.
"Looks like you’ve recovered well. Your complexion is so much better," Xu Le said, walking up and looking Fang Xing up and down.
"It’s alright. I’m recovered after a few days of rest," Fang Xing said with a smile.
"You kid, you’re really reckless. Risking your life just for a good record," another young Constable said as he stepped forward.
Fang Xing glanced at him. "Brother Zhang, it was just my duty. It’s a shame I couldn’t catch the guy."
"He’s been on the run across several counties; he was never going to be an easy catch. But it really is a pity you missed the opportunity," another Constable chimed in.
"But Fang Xing, you have to be careful. You nearly got him. If he comes looking for revenge, you’ll be in danger," yet another Constable warned.
Hearing this, Fang Xing just smiled and said nothing.
’Revenge.’
’Give me some time. If he really does come knocking, it’s not yet certain who will come out on top.’
Just as everyone was chatting,
a middle-aged man in a red Official Uniform walked in through the guard room door.
Instantly, the entire guard room fell silent.
"Sir."
Seeing the middle-aged man in the red Official Uniform, everyone immediately saluted.
Fang Xing saluted as well.
According to his memories, this middle-aged man in the red Official Uniform was their direct superior, Xu Zhengxiong, one of the four Head Constables.
He was a genuine Martial Artist, an Official Martial Artist with a Peak Bright Force Cultivation!
Xu Zhengxiong nodded, his gaze sweeping over the crowd before landing on Fang Xing. "Alright, everyone get to your duties. Fang Xing, you stay behind."
The men nodded and promptly left the guard room. Soon, only Fang Xing and Xu Zhengxiong remained.
"Uncle Xu, is there something you need from me?"
Fang Xing asked politely.
Xu Zhengxiong looked at Fang Xing and said, "Judging by your complexion, your body has recovered very well."
"My injuries weren’t serious, so I recovered quickly," Fang Xing replied.
Xu Zhengxiong nodded, his expression suddenly turning serious as he looked at him. "I have some bad news for you."
"Uncle Xu, what happened?"
"It’s about the fugitive you were chasing who got away."
’The fugitive...’
Hearing this, Fang Xing looked at him and said, "Uncle Xu, are you worried he’s targeting me?"
Xu Zhengxiong nodded. "That’s part of it, but it’s not the main point. The main point is the force behind the fugitive."
Hearing this, Fang Xing frowned.
’Isn’t he just a Flower Thief?’
’Could there be something more to it?’
"According to the latest intelligence I’ve received, ’Flower Thief’ is just a cover for this fugitive. The latest news from above is that this guy is actually a Cultist from the Fire Worship Sect," Xu Zhengxiong said.
"The Fire Worship Sect...? A Cultist?"
Fang Xing stared at Xu Zhengxiong in astonishment.
’His memories contained no information about what kind of power the Fire Worship Sect was, but the meaning of the word "Cultist" was perfectly clear.’
’An Evil Cult!’
’The Great Jing Empire is in a state of chaos, and the influence of Evil Sects is one of the reasons.’
’Evil Cults worship Evil Gods, bewitch the Mortal World, and stir up trouble.’
’Moreover, Evil Cults are critically powerful. Even after being destroyed, many of them linger on, refusing to die.’
’This Fire Worship Sect is an Evil Cult!’
’Damn, the Flower Thief I was chasing turned out to be a Cultist. Is my luck really this bad...?’
"But you don’t need to worry too much. There are special agencies above us to deal with Evil Cults. I’m just telling you this so you’ll be more careful. The methods of an Evil Cult are extraordinary, beyond your imagination," Xu Zhengxiong said, looking at Fang Xing.
After a brief moment of shock, Fang Xing quickly collected himself.
’An Evil Cult... that’s something far too remote for me.’
’If one really did target me, there’d be nothing I could do. But then again,’ he thought, ’I’m just a lowly Constable, not even a Martial Artist. An Evil Cult would have to be crazy to waste its effort on me.’
’However, the fugitive I chased might come after me.’
’After all, I almost succeeded back then.’
’If he finds out I’m not dead, it’s only natural that he’d hold a grudge.’
"Thank you for the warning, Uncle Xu. I’ll be careful," Fang Xing said with a nod.
"You’re not afraid?"
Xu Zhengxiong looked at him, slightly surprised.
Fang Xing smiled faintly. "He’s just a rat hiding in the shadows. Nothing to worry about. Perhaps in the future, our roles will be reversed."
’This kid... he seems so confident!’ Xu Zhengxiong thought in surprise, seeing the calm expression on Fang Xing’s face.
But he couldn’t help but admire such composure.
"It’s good that you have this mentality, but you still need to be vigilant," Xu Zhengxiong reminded him.
Fang Xing nodded.
’The danger is real!’
’Even with my Golden Finger, I need time to grow!’
’I need enough Enhancement Points to become stronger, but I can’t rush it. One point a day is a fixed rate, at least for now.’
"Have you already reached the Qi Blood Extreme?" Xu Zhengxiong suddenly asked.
Hearing this, Fang Xing nodded. "Yes, I just reached it."
’There was nothing to hide. An ordinary person wouldn’t be able to tell, but it couldn’t be concealed from a Martial Artist at the Peak of Bright Force.’
’A Martial Artist’s Perception Ability is on a completely different level from an ordinary person’s.’
"You kid, you actually had a blessing in disguise?" Xu Zhengxiong stared at him, stunned.
Fang Xing smiled. "Uncle Xu, it was just the result of slow accumulation. A natural progression."
Xu Zhengxiong nodded slightly, looking at him. "Reaching the Qi Blood Extreme... hmm. You might have a hope of breaking through in the future. However, breaking through is no small matter. You’d best build up your foundation more before you try."
Fang Xing nodded. "Don’t worry, Uncle Xu. I know what I’m doing."
"Becoming a Martial Artist opens up a whole new world. If you’re fated to achieve it, you won’t have let down your father’s expectations."
Xu Zhengxiong sighed with emotion.
Hearing this, Fang Xing said nothing.
’To me, becoming a Martial Artist is only a matter of time.’
