Chapter 48: Chapter 48: Undercurrent
「One month later.」
「Cangshui County Town, southeast corner.」
Here, there was a stretch of gloomy, gray buildings.
The nearby streets were empty, with almost no pedestrians.
It seemed the people of the County Town were terrified of this place and dared not approach.
A middle-aged man, his face slightly weary and his beard scruffy, weaved through the cluster of buildings, finally arriving at an ancient, dilapidated hall.
Inside the great hall, mist swirled about. An old man in plain clothes was reviewing case files and official documents.
"Greetings, Supervisor."
The middle-aged man said with a cupped fist salute.
"We have news on the man you’ve been tracking." The old man spoke directly, not even lifting his head.
"Where is he?" The middle-aged man seemed to recall something, a flash of anger crossing his eyes.
"He should be active around Qingshui County recently."
"Make a trip there. Bring me his head."
The old man said faintly.
"As you command."
The middle-aged man cupped his fist and left with swift efficiency.
....
After autumn arrived, the old tree in the inner courtyard of the County Yamen also began to wither and turn yellow, its fallen leaves blanketing the entire yard.
THUD! THUD! THUD!
A muffled thudding sound echoed continuously from the County Yamen’s inner courtyard.
But the various officials, constables, and government officials were all used to the sound, showing not a trace of surprise.
If they ever went a day without hearing it, that’s when they would truly feel unsettled.
"Hit me!"
"Hit me harder!"
Han Yuan roared.
He was bare-chested, revealing strong and perfect muscles, with veins and sinews bulging like coiling dragons and snakes.
Yang Sen and another constable were swinging an Iron Rod as thick as a man’s arm, striking him furiously.
The Iron Rods they were using now had tips covered in dense spikes, like miniature Wolf Fang Clubs.
When they struck Han Yuan’s body, they produced the crisp sound of clashing metal.
Han Yuan seemed even more frenzied than usual today, roaring incessantly.
After Yang Sen and the other constable grew tired, he called for others to take their place.
The beating continued like this until evening before finally stopping.
Just as Han Yuan was preparing to go home and continue his Cultivation, Wang Changbai found him.
"I sent someone to the County Town to ask around."
"A single Inner Breath Technique costs five thousand taels of silver."
"And that’s for the worst kind... It might not even be complete."
Wang Changbai said in a low voice.
"That expensive? Five thousand taels for one Inner Breath Technique?!"
’They must be insane for money!’
Han Yuan’s expression was one of utter shock.
He had been a Chief Constable for a while now, and he had only managed to pocket about two or three thousand taels of silver.
And that was including the sum Zhao He paid him in tribute every month.
Besides, this was for the worst quality one.
With Han Yuan’s ambition, he naturally had no desire to practice such a trash-tier Inner Breath Technique.
"There’s no other way... These Inner Breath Techniques are rarely circulated on the open market."
"They’re almost all controlled by the great Noble Families in the County Town, or by the Sects of the Martial World."
Wang Changbai sighed.
"Are there any official channels?"
Han Yuan asked.
"I don’t know... I don’t have access to that kind of information."
Wang Changbai said with a wry smile.
"I’ll figure something out then."
Han Yuan sighed inwardly.
He had more important things to do.
’The matter of the Inner Breath Technique can wait.’
After hurrying back to his house, Han Yuan didn’t rest for a moment. He took off his shirt, applied medicinal wine, and then went out into the courtyard.
The large iron ball on the metal frame had long since been replaced with one the size of a watermelon. The force of its impact was enough to shatter a person’s bones to pieces.
This was exactly the effect Han Yuan wanted.
Arhat Iron Cloth Shirt: Great Success (1789/1800)
’I’m just a little bit of proficiency away.’
’I can break through to Perfection tonight.’
This was the reason Han Yuan had been so frenzied today.
He used both hands to push the iron ball, setting it swinging, and let it slam viciously into his body.
Just then, an autumn rain began to fall quietly, instantly shrouding Qingshui County in a hazy mist.
But even a downpour couldn’t stop Han Yuan’s determination to break through tonight.
He continuously circulated his qi and blood, enduring one slam after another from the iron ball.
After several hundred impacts.
As the iron ball slammed fiercely into Han Yuan’s body.
BOOM!!!
Han Yuan felt as if a volcano had erupted inside him.
The qi and blood throughout his body grew scorching hot and began to boil. His bones, muscles, and skin bulged and writhed madly.
The intense, burning pain was so excruciating that Han Yuan wished for death, rolling around ceaselessly on the ground.
Even the cold autumn rain falling on his body couldn’t suppress the searing agony.
After a long time.
Han Yuan finally felt the searing heat subside.
He stood up and quickly noticed something was wrong.
He felt that his body was much heavier than before.
’What’s going on?’
Han Yuan opened the Skill Proficiency Panel.
Arhat Iron Cloth Shirt: Perfection (Copper Skin and Iron Bones)
’Could it be because of the Martial Arts Divine Power produced by the Arhat Iron Cloth Shirt?’
Han Yuan focused his Heart Spirit on "Copper Skin and Iron Bones."
Copper Skin and Iron Bones: Sinews and bones as hard as iron, skin like plates of copper. Ordinary blades can hardly cause a scratch!
’No wonder...’
’My sinews and bones must have become denser, increasing my weight significantly. I just haven’t adapted to it yet.’
Han Yuan came to a sudden realization.
The breakthrough seemed to have consumed too much Energy, and Han Yuan’s stomach soon growled with hunger.
He hurried to the kitchen and made a large amount of food, finally sating his hunger.
The night rain had not yet stopped.
Han Yuan returned to the courtyard and began practicing his Mountain-Breaking Fist, gradually getting used to his increased weight.
....
「Several days later.」
In a desolate mountain forest, wolf howls could be heard from time to time.
A sinister white figure appeared silently.
When the white figure stopped, moonlight fell upon its face.
It was an exceptionally old man.
His body was stooped, his face was covered in age spots, and he emanated a rotten stench.
As if drawn by the smell, a wild wolf leaped from a patch of grass, about to bite the old man’s neck.
But the old man spun around abruptly, revealing a mouthful of bloody, sharp teeth, and viciously bit through the wolf’s neck.
A dozen or so seconds later.
The wolf’s corpse rapidly shriveled and was tossed aside by the old man.
"This beast’s blood... really doesn’t taste good."
The old man wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and shook his head.
He then waited in the forest for a long time, until dawn, his expression turning extremely grim.
’He actually dared to forget...’
The old man hadn’t expected that after just three months of seclusion, that guy would dare to disobey his orders.
’No... could it be that he neutralized the poison in his body?’
’Otherwise, with three months having passed... he should have run out of the antidote by now.’
The old man knew that without taking the antidote, the poisoned person would suffer from festering skin and unbearable itching, eventually scratching themselves to death.
’I’ll go into town and ask around.’
’You can run, but you can’t hide.’
The old man snorted coldly and headed toward Qingshui County.
.....
After circling the Qingshui County Yamen, the old man went to a noodle stall and ordered a bowl of scallion oil noodles.
’To think that Gao Yuan has gone missing...’
’Even his in-laws were purged...’
The old man frowned slightly as he ate his noodles.
After spending some time asking around, he finally learned about Gao Yuan’s disappearance.
’Forget it... I’ve stayed in this place long enough.’
’If I don’t leave soon... I’m afraid those mad dogs will catch my scent and be right on my tail.’
The old man chuckled.
He couldn’t be bothered to investigate Gao Yuan’s disappearance.
None of it was important to him.
But before he left... he would, of course, pull off one last big job!
