Martial Dao: I Can Enhance My Talents

Chapter 302: Chapter 299: Huge Fortune

Fang Han stood in a room in Chu Yunshan’s main courtyard. His gaze was sharp as lightning as he carefully scanned every inch of the floor, walls, and furnishings.

He tapped his fingertips lightly against the wall, tilting his head to listen to the echo.

Having plundered the wealth of Chu Feng’s subordinate factions many times, he was now quite experienced in finding secret rooms.

Before long, his gaze settled on what appeared to be an ordinary landscape screen standing against the east wall.

At the seam where the screen’s base met the floor, there were extremely obvious signs of wear.

His eyes lit up slightly. He bent down and slowly slid his fingers into the crack, touching a small, raised mechanism.

With a gentle press—

"CLICK."

With a faint mechanical sound, a square-foot tile behind the screen silently sank and then slid open without a sound.

It revealed a downward staircase, with an entrance just wide enough for one person to pass through.

A cool draft, mixed with the smell of dust, mildew, and a faint medicinal fragrance, rushed to greet him.

Fang Han descended the steps. The staircase extended down for about thirty to forty feet, ending in a stone chamber over a thousand square feet in size.

Several Luminous Pearls were embedded in the stone walls, emitting a soft white glow that illuminated the scene inside.

Even with Fang Han’s calm disposition, his pupils couldn’t help but constrict slightly at the sight of what the room contained.

In the center of the chamber, over a hundred bronze chests were stacked neatly. Their lids were unlocked, and lifting one corner revealed a blinding flash of gold and silver light—they were filled to the brim with gold and silver ingots.

Lining the walls were multiple rows of rosewood shelves. The upper levels held many Jade Bottles and Porcelain Boxes containing precious Elixirs.

The lower levels were filled with Brocade Boxes. When opened, a rich medicinal aroma wafted out, revealing a dazzling array of valuable herbs like hundred-year-old Polygonum multiflorum, Shaped Ganoderma, and Red Blood Lingzhi.

Most eye-catching of all were two foot-long Jade Boxes placed on a Cold Jade Platform in the innermost part of the room.

Opening the lids revealed two ginsengs lying quietly within. They resembled small children, with gnarled roots like beards and whiskers, and their bodies were a faint golden color. Their medicinal energy was concentrated, not dispersing, and they were brimming with vibrant life force.

They were, astoundingly, two five-hundred-year-old wild ginsengs!

’The Chu Family’s accumulation over the years is truly astonishing.’

Fang Han thought to himself.

Chu Feng was on the Celestial Pride List, and the Chu Family had used his influence to seize assets through trickery and force, monopolizing certain lucrative businesses. The wealth they had amassed over the years was staggering.

"Panel."

After confirming that Yun Qianyue and Li Feng were quite far away, Fang Han called out the system panel that only he could see with a thought.

A translucent screen appeared, displaying the data clearly:

[Host: Fang Han]

[Root Bone Talent Amplification: 128x (Level 8 Amplification requires 1,000,000 gold)]

[Swordsmanship Talent Amplification: 128x (Level 8 Amplification requires 1,000,000 gold)]

[Stepping Talent Amplification: 128x (Level 8 Amplification requires 1,000,000 gold)]

[Secret Technique Talent Amplification: 64x (Level 7 Amplification requires 10,000,000 silver)]

[Current Wealth: 350,000 silver]

"Deposit."

Fang Han reached out and touched the treasures in the room.

In an instant, chests of gold and silver, bottles of Elixirs, stalks of medicinal herbs, including one of the five-hundred-year-old ginsengs, vanished from the stone chamber as if wiped away by an invisible hand.

The wealth value on the system panel jumped and soared!

[Current Wealth: 350,000 silver → 17,710,000 silver]

"Seventeen million, three hundred sixty thousand silver!"

Even though he had anticipated it, his breath still hitched when he saw this number.

Just half of the wealth amounted to over seventeen million silver. The Chu Family’s riches far exceeded his expectations.

Compared to the Chu Family, the subordinate factions of Chu Feng he had plundered before could only be considered *paupers*.

’If I deposit it all...’

A ripple went through Fang Han’s heart as his gaze swept over the remaining half of the treasures, especially the other five-hundred-year-old ginseng.

If he could deposit everything, his wealth would reach the absurd figure of nearly forty million silver.

This huge fortune would bring him significantly closer to the goal of one million gold—or one hundred million silver—needed to unlock Level 8 Amplification.

However, reason instantly suppressed his greed.

’Even though Chu Feng and Chu Yunshan are dead, and no one should know the exact amount of wealth in this secret room, taking half is already a risk.’

’If I take it all, when the Sect comes to take inventory and finds the room nearly empty, it will definitely trigger a deep investigation. At that point, even as a Celestial Pride True Inheritance, I won’t be able to escape suspicion of secretly embezzling a huge amount of spoils.’

Fang Han’s eyes regained their clarity.

The Sect’s rules were strict. His current actions were already treading a fine line, and he couldn’t risk pushing it further.

He didn’t linger. He circulated his Inner Strength and carefully smoothed out any indentations on the floor that might have been left by the vanished treasures.

After ensuring there were no traces to suggest a large number of items had "vanished into thin air," he exited the secret room and reset the mechanism.

Next, he proceeded to search Chu Yunshan’s residence inside and out several more times, with even greater attention to detail.

He didn’t miss the secret compartments in the study, the mechanisms in the bed, or even the bottom of the rockery and pond in the courtyard.

Unfortunately, he found nothing else.

Although the Chu Family’s accumulation was vast, it was clear they only had one core secret chamber.

「In Qinghe City.」

News that Chu Feng had been executed for practicing a Demon Skill and that the Chu Family was being seized by the Qingxuan Sect spread through the city as if it had grown wings.

What started as whispers soon erupted into an irrepressible clamor.

In taverns and teahouses, on streets and in alleys, countless people chattered excitedly, their expressions shifting from disbelief to glee, finally erupting into waves of cheers.

"The heavens have eyes! The Chu Family, that bunch of parasites, finally got what they deserved!"

"That bastard Chu Feng, relying on his status as a Celestial Pride True Inheritance of the Qingxuan Sect to let his family bully others and monopolize markets... he was never on the righteous path!"

"Quick! Go buy firecrackers! The whole city should celebrate today!"

Shop owners who had been suppressed by the Chu Family, wealthy households whose fields had been forcibly seized, Martial Artists who had been humiliated... all took to the streets.

Many factions even openly set off firecrackers in front of their gates. The sound of CRACKLING and POPPING rose and fell, and the smell of gunpowder mixed with people’s laughter, dispelling the gloom that had hung over Qinghe City for days.

The collapse of the Chu Family, once a behemoth, actually brought a strange kind of "vitality" to Qinghe City.

...

「Netherworld Pavilion Gate.」

Gong Xing, his face pale, clothes stained with dirt, and hair in disarray, rushed through the Sect gate in a wretched state.

The disciples guarding the gate saw his appearance and a flicker of surprise crossed their eyes, but they didn’t ask any questions.

Only after stepping into the Sect and feeling its familiar, stern atmosphere did Gong Xing’s wildly beating heart begin to calm down. A sense of exhaustion from having survived a disaster washed over him.

He returned to his True Inheritor residence, shut the door tightly, and slid to the floor with his back against it, gasping for breath.

The image of Fang Han’s cold, calm eyes kept replaying in his mind.

Although Fang Han hadn’t noticed him at the time, that one unintentional glance had carried a pressure so real it felt like being plunged into an icy cavern.

’I was so scared I fled back in a panic without even completing my mission...’

Once he felt safe, a wave of shame washed over Gong Xing’s heart.

He clenched his fists, his nails digging deep into his palms. The sharp pain, however, was nothing compared to the burning humiliation in his heart.

He was a Direct Disciple of the Netherworld Pavilion, standing above thousands of ordinary disciples. Yet now he had fled at the mere sight of someone. If word of this got out, what face would he have left?

After resting for a moment and suppressing his roiling qi and blood, a vicious glint flashed in Gong Xing’s eyes.

He had to find a way to get rid of Fang Han.

There were rumors within the Sect about the bad blood between Yin Huang and Fang Han.

Yin Huang was ranked higher than Fang Han on the Celestial Pride List, and his strength was unfathomable. If he made a move...

At this thought, Gong Xing shot to his feet. After briefly tidying his appearance, he hurried out the door, striding quickly toward Yin Huang’s Villa in the True Inheritance Courtyard.

「Inside Yin Huang’s Villa.」

Yin Huang, dressed in a black robe with dark silver patterns, sat in the main seat, lightly tapping his fingers on the armrest as he listened to Gong Xing’s report.

"You’re saying... you saw Fang Han in Qinghe City?"

Yin Huang’s voice was low, betraying no emotion.

"Yes, Senior Brother Yin!"

Gong Xing bowed, his tone a mixture of lingering fear and ingratiation.

"I saw it with my own eyes, there’s no mistake! Fang Han was with several Qingxuan Sect disciples and seemed to be on a mission in Qinghe City. I was afraid he would discover me, so I didn’t dare to stay long..."

Yin Huang’s gaze fell on Gong Xing’s slightly evasive eyes and the poorly concealed terror in his expression. The corner of his mouth curled into an almost imperceptible sneer.

’Trash is trash. He was scared witless.’

’This news, however, is quite valuable.’

’I was just thinking of looking for you, but you delivered yourself to my doorstep. Saved me the trouble of finding you.’

Yin Huang sneered inwardly.

Not only had Fang Han caused him to lose over four million silver, but he had also caused him to fail in his bid for the Vajra Fruit, delaying his subsequent Cultivation plans.

If this grudge remained unpaid, it would create a block in his mind, hindering his progress.

He rose slowly. The aura around him surged like an abyss, and the temperature in the hall plummeted.

"This True Inheritor is now aware of the matter. You may leave."

Gong Xing felt as if he had been granted amnesty. He hurriedly bowed and took his leave, inwardly delighted. It seemed Senior Brother Yin was now intent on killing.

After Gong Xing left, the cold light in Yin Huang’s eyes intensified.

"Fang Han... Qinghe City will be your grave!"

Without further delay, his figure flickered and shot out of the Shadow Hall like a phantom. In just a few leaps, he disappeared at the end of the mountain path, heading straight for Qinghe City.

Outside the hall, a crescent moon hung like a hook amidst a few cold stars, illuminating Yin Huang’s rapidly departing back. His killing intent was so sharp it was almost tangible.

...

Deep within the Chu Mansion, in a rather elegant and quiet courtyard.

Twilight deepened as the last ray of daylight was swallowed by the distant mountains. Lanterns had been hung early in the four corners of the courtyard, casting circles of dim yellow light and throwing the swaying shadows of trees onto the bluestone ground.

Fang Han stood alone in the center of the courtyard, breathing slowly and rhythmically.

Over the past few days, the trivial tasks of inventorying the Chu Family’s assets and guarding the Chu Clan Members had not dulled his mind. On the contrary, after the bustle, he felt his mind was exceptionally clear.

He closed his eyes, emptying his mind.

A moment later, his eyes snapped open. A cool breeze seemed to flow within them as his figure moved, executing the Wind and Cloud Escape.

"SWOOSH SWOOSH SWOOSH—"

At first, his figure was still clearly visible as he weaved and dodged around the courtyard, his steps profound, stirring up a faint whisper of wind.

As time passed, his speed increased, and his figure grew more blurry, gradually turning into a faint, barely perceptible wisp of green smoke that blended into the deepening night and the flickering lantern light.

His steps landed without stirring a speck of dust, as if he weren’t treading on solid ground but gliding on the power of the gentle breeze.

The fluttering of his sleeves held a certain rhythm of heaven and earth, blending perfectly with the surrounding air currents and reducing his presence to a minimum.

According to his original estimate, even with his Talent amplification, it would have taken more than three months of hard work to cultivate the Wind and Cloud Escape to Minor Achievement.

However, during this period, his Stepping Talent Amplification had first leaped from 64x to 128x, causing his comprehension speed to skyrocket.

Then came the two consecutive life-and-death battles with Chu Feng, who had fallen to the Demon Dao and whose strength had surged. The fight at the Fang Mansion in Liangshui City, in particular, was a true walk on the edge of life and death.

Under that immense pressure, his potential had been stimulated, and his understanding of the Wind and Cloud Escape had advanced by leaps and bounds.

This had greatly accelerated his progress with the Wind and Cloud Escape, bringing him close to the Minor Achievement stage, with a breakthrough possible at any moment.