Raising his arms, Lin Zhao could clearly feel the speed of true qi flowing through his body was faster than before. The Fire Qilin seemed to be the "leader" of the true qi within him, carrying all the true qi and surging ceaselessly in his body. After each circulation, the intensity of the true qi seemed to increase slightly.
"This should be a good thing."
Lin Zhao sat up and touched his head. Although his hands still hurt a little, some things had to be done. He decided to process the prey that night.
So, he got out of bed, started fetching and heating water, and began processing the prey outside. The mountain pheasants, wild rabbits, and so on were all skinned and hung to dry. The wild boar, being large, was the most troublesome. After carefully butchering it, he separated the leg meat, heart, and ribs, distributing them one by one. He refrigerated these at home using well water. By the time all these tasks were completed, it was already past midnight. He then groggily returned to bed to sleep.
...
In the small town.
A person walked along, groaning. It was Zhao Jin. As he stepped into his home, the Zhao family's residence immediately lit up. Soon, a group of people gathered in the main hall.
"How could he be so badly injured!?" blacksmith Zhao Tai, his forehead covered in sweat, was anxious.
"It's no longer useful."
Zhao Jin's master, the middle-aged pugilist, frowned. "His right arm was severed, making it impossible for him to practice boxing again. Even if he had the perseverance, his future achievements would be far inferior to others. I've seen one-armed martial artists, but most of them achieved far less than those with natural talent. There's no point in forcing himself further."
Zhao Jin's eyes were filled with tears. "Master, it's all that Lin Zhao... I was ambushed by him. Otherwise, I would never have been defeated... Please, Master, seek justice for me!"
"Immortal Master!"
Zhao Tai also cupped his fists. "That brat Lin Zhao is too cruel, actually cutting off Jin'er's arm. How can such a venomous heart be allowed to live on? I am willing to pour all my family's wealth to ask the Immortal Master to act and help me eliminate this bastard to avenge my Jin'er!"
"Hmph!"
The middle-aged pugilist turned around and sneered. "Easier said than done. The moment we stepped into the Snow Region Heavenly Pool, we were warned by the Heavenly Pool Army not to kill anyone in the town. Killing anyone is forbidden, otherwise, it will inevitably incur the fierce retaliation of the Heavenly Pool Army. For the sake of your son's arm, are you asking me to provoke Chu Huaixi's fist? Don't forget, that is a martial artist who has reached the Sea Crushing realm."
Zhao Tai immediately knelt down. "But, Lin Zhao might already know that Zhao Jin is your disciple. Now that he is still so ruthless, isn't this a slap in the face to you, Immortal Master?"
"Hmph..."
The middle-aged pugilist took a deep breath. "Since that's the case, I'll leave Heavenly Pool Ridge after this job. Tell me, how much money can your Zhao family give me?"
"Fifty Qingfu coins?"
"One hundred."
The middle-aged pugilist said indifferently. "As long as you can produce one hundred Qingfu coins, I will act immediately!"
"Good!"
Zhao Tai hesitated for a moment, then immediately turned and took out a bag of money from a cabinet. After conferring with his wife, he exchanged it for one hundred green coins and said, "Here are one hundred Qingfu coins. Next... I'll trouble the Immortal Master."
"Hmph, a trivial matter."
The middle-aged pugilist pocketed the money bag and turned to leave the Zhao family courtyard.
...
At dawn, as the sky just began to lighten, the town was covered in mist.
The middle-aged pugilist suppressed his killing intent to an almost invisible level, walking slowly through the alleys, heading towards the back street.
But on the stone bridge leading to the back street, a person stood, clad in a greyish-white scholar's robe, holding a green oil-paper umbrella.
"Oh?"
The middle-aged pugilist raised an eyebrow and smiled. "I wondered who it was. So it's Boss Qin from the bookstore. What's the matter, standing on the bridge so early in the morning?"
"I'm waiting for you."
Qin Suihan smiled faintly. "How audacious! You dare to harbor murderous intent in Heavenly Pool Town? You're an outsider, have you forgotten the rules of Heavenly Pool Ridge? To kill someone from Heavenly Pool Town, how many lives do you have?"
"Heh..."
The middle-aged pugilist's lips curled up, and his boxing intent flowed out unreservedly. It was the Fierce Tiger Fist, but the aura emanating from him was far beyond what Zhao Jin could compare to. He stepped onto the stone bridge, facing Qin Suihan, and chuckled. "You, a bookstore owner, why get involved in this mess? If I can kill Lin Zhao, can't I kill another Qin Suihan? It's just one more punch, and then I'll leave. The world is so big, could Chu Huaixi chase me down the mountain?"
Qin Suihan narrowed his eyes and smiled. "I didn't expect a martial artist of the sixth realm to be so arrogant."
"Move aside!"
The middle-aged pugilist's voice turned cold. "Otherwise, you die!"
Qin Suihan remained motionless, his smile amiable. "Try me?"
"Seeking death!"
The middle-aged pugilist roared and instantly charged at Qin Suihan, throwing a punch. His boxing intent was like a mountain, filled with majestic grandeur. This punch, it was said, could instantly shatter the entire stone bridge.
However, the punch stopped abruptly in mid-air. Immediately after, the middle-aged pugilist's body froze in mid-air. The punch, with its imposing intent, could not be delivered. The man seemed to be trapped in a crystal-clear illusion.
"You are not from Heavenly Pool Town, yet you wish to kill someone here. You have crossed the line."
Qin Suihan gently raised his hand. Instantly, a golden ripple vibrated in the air. The next second, the middle-aged pugilist, a martial artist of the Kai Shan realm, had his meridians continuously exploding. In the next moment, he was kneeling on the bridgehead, covered in blood.
"I won't kill you. Leave Heavenly Pool Town within an incense stick's time."
Qin Suihan walked away without looking back, still holding his green oil-paper umbrella.
The middle-aged pugilist knelt on the ground as if waking from a dream, repeatedly kowtowing. After seeing Qin Suihan walk away, he trembled and muttered to himself, "Ninth realm? Tenth realm? Eleventh realm? Or... the legendary twelfth realm?"
...
Front street, at the entrance.
Qin Suihan, holding his umbrella, walked slowly. A drizzle fell from the sky. The scholar's cloth shoes were stained with a bit of mud. He stopped by the entrance of the pharmacy and scraped the mud off his soles on the steps.
"Tsk tsk~~~"
Inside the pharmacy, the old physician sat on a long bench, watching Qin Suihan and smiling. "Unable to strike, yet you struck. You've broken your vow. After so many years, why break it? Do you like that brat Lin Zhao so much?"
"Mmm."
Qin Suihan smiled faintly. "In him, I see my younger self."
"He's a martial artist, you're a scholar. That's a forced comparison!"
Qin Suihan smiled and prepared to leave, holding his umbrella.
The old physician tapped the ash from his pipe onto the sole of his shoe. "Be careful recently. The Great Shang Dynasty will be sending people soon. How many, and who, are yet to be determined. The north is also uncertain. The demon race is restless, and that one seems to have intentions of moving south. If that happens, the world will truly be decided. You alone cannot bear it."
Qin Suihan nodded, said nothing, and left with his umbrella.
...
In the early morning, the sunlight gradually dispersed the mist and fell upon the town.
After Lin Zhao woke up, he immediately got busy again. Carrying two wild boar hind legs, the heart, and a string of ribs, he walked with a smile and steady steps towards the entrance of Baiwei Xuan. Before he even reached the door, the owner, Jia Zhong, appeared. "Yo ho!" he exclaimed with a smile. "Caught so much game?"
"Mmm."
Lin Zhao placed the items on the table and said, "These are prime wild boar hind legs, along with ribs and heart meat. Doesn't Baiwei Xuan have a dish of stir-fried pork heart with green peppers? This will be perfect for it. Boss, weigh them and see how much you can give me."
Jia Zhong hesitated. "Sell them all to me?"
"Naturally."
Lin Zhao narrowed his eyes and smiled. "But if you don't want them, I'll sell them to Half Moon Pavilion, Mingyu Xuan, and Hua Qianshu on the front street. Then... you'll have nothing, your business will become even more deserted, and you and your wife will be left to eat the northwest wind."
"Don't..."
Jia Zhong quickly put his hand on the boar's hind legs. "Give them to me, give them to me! I'll buy them all. Such a large wild boar, I won't haggle. One price, three hundred copper coins, how about it?"
Lin Zhao thought for a moment. "Alright, one price!"
"Good~~~"
After receiving the copper coins, Lin Zhao immediately went to the grain and flour shop again. This time, he bought twenty catties of flour and twenty catties of rice. Regardless of anything, he needed to prepare food first.
In the afternoon, after practicing his punches, he felt even hotter all over. The Fire Qilin true qi raged within him. After circulating several times, Lin Zhao felt his blood boiling. The speed of true qi circulation throughout his body was completely incomparable to before. His Qi Sea instantly expanded by nearly double, and his strength surged.
He had broken through. Although Lin Zhao didn't know what had happened, at this moment, he was already a second-realm martial artist, having entered the legendary Blood Circulation realm. If he were to face Zhao Jin again now, he could probably resolve the opponent in three to five punches. Da Feng Novel Network
...
Real world.
In the treatment base, S District, Su City.
"What's wrong with Brother Lin Zhao? Is he asleep?"
A cute little girl was leaning beside the game pod, looking at Lin Zhao lying in the nutrient solution. Her face was filled with worry. "Will... will he wake up?"
"He will."
Ding Chi affectionately petted her little head and smiled. "Lin Zhao is being treated now, and he'll wake up soon. It's fine."
"Mmm!"
Little Juzi nodded repeatedly.
Beside them, Little Juzi's mother, wearing a very shabby dress with many holes, looked at Murong Feiyue, who was in a military uniform and wearing a general's cloak, with a lack of confidence. Her voice was very small. "I'm sorry, Little Juzi insisted on seeing Lin Zhao, and I couldn't refuse, so... It's our fault too. If it weren't for us, Lin Zhao wouldn't have..."
"It's okay."
Murong Feiyue stooped down and petted Little Juzi's head, smiling. "If it were me, I might have done the same as Xiao Zhao. You don't need to blame yourselves. Lin Zhao isn't undergoing a tribulation; he might be enjoying unprecedented fun in the game."
"Yes, Sister Juzi."
Ding Chi smiled. "Don't worry, Lin Zhao is fine now. He'll wake up in another month."
"Mmm mmm..."
The woman called Sister Juzi nodded repeatedly.
Murong Feiyue glanced at the mother and daughter and couldn't help but feel compassion for them. They were living such difficult lives.