Just as Li Qinglian was practicing his Eighth-Rank Blade Technique.
Luoshui County, Outer City.
Inside a room in the back courtyard of a tavern.
Five men sat on wooden stools or paced back and forth, appearing restless.
They would occasionally glance at a corpse laid out on the wooden table.
Their expressions were exceptionally grim.
That corpse was precisely You Lao Liu, the Sixth Boss of Golden Rooster Stronghold.
"How could Sixth Master go to Nan River!"
"Dayazi, he's one of Sixth Master's men, and his body was brought back by your people. Do you know what happened?"
"How would I know! Sixth Master came and just said he had business to attend to, instructing us to pay more attention to the movements around Nan River. Other than that, I don't know anything."
Dayazi, who was speaking, wore a blue short jacket with a front opening and a black square headscarf, sporting two large front teeth. He looked like a ruffian no matter how one saw him.
At this moment, he was extremely uneasy.
He was afraid that the higher-ups would blame You Lao Liu's death on him.
"No one could have predicted this. I heard that not long ago, the yamen's Black Skins were dispatched, and quite a few died."
"Nan River is a huge mess right now, with all sorts of people. I don't know how so many experts gathered there."
"We've already sent word about Sixth Master's situation to the stronghold via the Kite. I believe someone will come to handle it very soon."
...Bang—
As they were discussing, the wooden door was violently knocked open.
A burly man in beast hide armor, holding a pair of axes, stood in the doorway with eyes wide like brass bells, resembling a door god.
His sheer size alone was enough to inspire awe.
The five people in the room swallowed, their bodies trembling slightly, seemingly startled and unsure what to say.
"How lively! What were you just discussing?"
At this moment, a young man in a white-green scholar's robe walked in from beside the burly man.
He was slender and tall, fanning himself with a paper fan, and wore a faint smile, looking like an elegant scholar.
"Your subordinates greet Second Master, greet Fourth Master."
Upon seeing the young man, the five men immediately knelt to the ground, beads of sweat like soybeans constantly seeping from their foreheads, their faces extremely pale.
As members of Golden Rooster Stronghold, they knew better than anyone how terrifying Second Master was.
Compared to the other five bosses, Second Master's methods were even more sinister and cruel. Don't be fooled by his smile; everyone knew that Second Master liked to smile the most when he killed people.
"Why do you kneel so readily? Am I that terrifying? We are all brothers from the stronghold, it's not that serious, not that serious... All of you, rise!"
The Second Boss waved his paper fan, speaking in an extremely kind manner.
He even personally bent down to help Dayazi up.
But Dayazi's calves trembled even more violently, and his face showed an expression uglier than crying.
He patted Dayazi's shoulder and walked over to the wooden table, examining You Lao Liu's corpse.
"What a formidable Blade Technique. The wound is smooth, fast, accurate, and ruthless. There aren't many signs of a struggle either."
"Lao Liu was a Ninth-Rank Perfection Martial Artist. He had cultivated a Blade Technique to Minor Achievement and also had Body Refining techniques. With his strength, even against an ordinary Eighth-Rank Early Stage Martial Artist, he should have been able to survive."
"But now he's dead, and he died so quickly."
"The killer must undoubtedly be an Eighth-Rank Martial Artist. I believe that within Luoshui County, there shouldn't be many Martial Artists who use blades and were at Nan River last night!"
The Second Boss analyzed the situation to himself, then looked at the five men.
"Not many, Second Master. We will definitely find the killer who murdered Sixth Master."
Dayazi was the first to loudly declare his loyalty.
"This is what you said. You have three days and can mobilize all available personnel and resources. If you can't find the person, then you can go accompany Lao Liu!"
The Second Boss closed his paper fan, glanced at them, and then sat down in the Grand Tutor's chair.
"Yes, yes..."
The five men hastily agreed and retreated.
"I didn't expect such a change to occur at Nan River. Old Fourth, do you think it might be related to that person?"
The Second Boss murmured softly, asking the towering burly man beside him.
"Hehe, whatever Second Brother tells me to do, I'll do."
The burly man scratched his head, chuckled naively, and spoke in a booming voice.
"Alas, with Lao Liu's death, I won't even find someone to discuss matters with in the future. It seems the transaction with that person will have to wait. Let's observe the situation first..."
The Second Boss's gaze was distant, as if it pierced through layers of courtyard walls, seeing the scene at Nan River.
---
The morning sun rose, radiating brilliant light.
The spacious courtyard had already been cleaned.
Shen Yushu, dressed in a light yellow floral embroidered scattered-flower skirt, sat on a wooden stool, watching Li Qinglian sweat profusely under the sun, refining his physique. His Qi continuously circulated and permeated beneath his skin, muscles, and bones.
"An extremely profound Cultivation Technique for refining muscles and bones, enough to allow husband to reach Eighth-Rank Perfection."
She commented inwardly.
With her discerning eye, she could tell the extraordinary nature of that Cultivation Technique; it was undoubtedly a top-grade foundational Cultivation Technique.
"Young Miss, Son-in-law, Aunt Hua has already prepared breakfast..."
At this moment, Jin Ling shuffled over, calling out.
Her steps were somewhat unnatural.
Li Qinglian stopped his movements, let out a long, turbid breath, and felt refreshed.
After a period of diligent training, he had finally perfectly mastered the fourth layer of the Golden Body Jade Bone Art, and his control over his own Qi had reached a new stage.
He believed it wouldn't be long before he could perfectly control it.
Then he would be able to directly advance his Realm with experience points.
"Wife, Jin Ling, aren't you going to rest a little longer?"
He asked, looking at the two women with affection.
"No, it's getting late. If we sleep any longer, people will gossip. Jin Ling, help Son-in-law change and wash up."
Shen Yushu shook her head.
"Son-in-law, hurry over..."
Jin Ling blinked her almond eyes coquettishly.
Her youthful, fair cheeks, flushed with a healthy glow under the sunlight, were truly alluring.
Li Qinglian nodded and followed her.
He finally experienced the lifestyle of the masters in that wicked feudal era.
Everything was done for him, from dressing to eating.
Jin Ling served him extremely thoughtfully, which he greatly enjoyed.
"Husband, our family has a little wealth. It's just sitting there, so why not open a few shops? Husband needs a large sum of silver for his Martial Artist training, and with shops, husband won't have to worry about silver in the future..."
After breakfast, Shen Yushu proactively suggested.
"Open shops? What kind of shops do you plan to open, Wife?"
Li Qinglian asked curiously.
After his Transmigration, he had also thought about making money by producing glass, soap, and so on, then buying various resources to enhance his strength.
But he only dared to think about it.
In this world, aristocratic families and Sects monopolized everything.
If he dared to create such things, he certainly wouldn't be able to keep them, and most likely, he would be silenced.
Now that he was an Eighth-Rank Martial Artist, he was somewhat of a figure. Some small creative manifestations would be enough for him to protect.
As for his wife, his big backer, he didn't want to use her.
In his opinion, his wife concealed her identity and married him, a nobody, certainly had her own reasons and difficulties. If her identity were exposed, it could bring great disaster to his wife, and he would regret it too late.