Chapter 5: Big Fish

Shen Qing rode his horse quickly toward the residence of the minor flag official Xiao Bin.

During that time, Shen Qing also incidentally studied the Overbearing Meridian Technique.

This is the follow-up cultivation method of the Overbearing Body Forging Technique, and it is also a method of the Acquired Realm.

In the Acquired Realm, cultivation consists of internal force; a martial artist's task is to connect the opened acupoints one by one, establishing circulation within the body.

"It's not that difficult."

Simply reading it from start to finish once caused the words "entry to the Overbearing Meridian Technique" to appear on his status panel.

Shen Qing took out several bottles of Aperture-Opening Pills that had been seized from the Huang family from his bosom.

Although the Aperture-Opening Pill is used for opening acupoints in the Body Tempering Realm, that doesn't mean it cannot be used in the Acquired Realm.

At most the effect is somewhat weaker, but the dosage remains the same.

Shen Qing directly poured four or five pills into his mouth, and simultaneously the Overbearing Meridian Technique began to operate frenziedly.

The medicinal power began to swiftly clear the nodes of the meridians, linking several acupoints together.

In the time it takes to finish a cup of tea, nine acupoints were connected, and a thread of internal force condensed at Shen Qing's dantian.

Shen Qing's realm naturally progressed to the first layer of the Acquired Realm.

After another half an incense stick's worth of time, Shen Qing's aura rose once more.

He broke through to the second layer of the Acquired Realm.

Lin Zikai seemed to have discovered something and let out a low roar.

"Lord Shen! Someone's ahead!"

Looking up, he saw several Embroidered Uniform Guard members moving boxes outside Xiao Bin's manor.

Lin Zikai rode forward on horseback and gave a light cough.

The several Embroidered Uniform Guard members hurriedly bowed and saluted.

"Greetings, Minor Flag Official Shen and Minor Flag Official Lin."

Li Zikai pointed at the Xiao manor.

"What are you doing here?"

A colonel hurriedly explained.

"Oh, this."

"Didn't Minor Flag Official Shen encounter a small mishap last night while escorting the contraband? Chief Flag Sun discovered that it was this… Xiao… Xiao Bin who informed on us."

"But when we came to make the arrest, we came up empty-handed; somehow the wind got out and he fled."

"Chief Flag Sun ordered us to confiscate all the property."

Shen Qing gave a cold chuckle: "Nice tactic."

He had just finished raiding the Huang family, finished interrogating Huang Zikun, and then turned straight to the Xiao manor—all within less than half an hour.

As a result, did Xiao Bin just run away?

The scholar rode forward on horseback, drew near Shen Qing, and shouted softly.

"Lord Shen."

Shen Qing glanced at the scholar; his face, usually full of scholarly air, was now stiff, and his eyes seemed to be suppressing anger.

"Is it worth making a fuss over Xiao Bin's flight? Isn't there still Sun Yan?"

"At worst, we can turn back and kick Sun Yan a couple more times."

"Lord, look at that tea house to the east; the man in purple robes on the second floor near the eastern side."

"That's the man who killed Old Lei."

Shen Qing then understood; no wonder he was so angry.

Old Lei and the scholar joined the Embroidered Uniform Guard at the same time, differing by only three or four days, and they were on the best of terms.

Shen Qing glanced sideways without changing his expression and saw the man in purple robes leisurely sipping tea.

"How can you be sure it's him?"

The scholar gritted his teeth and said, "I don't recognize that person, but I recognize the fan at his waist."

"Old Lei's opponent was a fan-wielding expert; his throat was sealed by a black fan—I'll never forget what that fan looked like!"

Shen Qing nodded lightly; confirmation was enough.

Shen Qing slapped the horse's flank with both feet, his body darting low to the ground like a released arrow.

Upon reaching the tea house, he tapped the ground with his right foot, leapt high, lightly touched the wonton stall beside the road, and jumped onto the second floor of the tea house like a swallow, sitting opposite the man in purple robes.

Nevertheless, the man in purple robes remained composed and poured Shen Qing a cup of tea.

"Someone's spending money to buy your life."

"I originally didn't want to create more killing karma."

"But the minor flag official who came from the capital is also worth……"

Shen Qing narrowed his eyes, thrust one hand forward swiftly, a fierce wind sounded, and his palm pressed onto the man in purple robes' head.

With a forceful press, he slammed it straight onto the tea table; the thick tea table was smashed into pieces, tea splashed everywhere, and the surrounding tea patrons exclaimed in shock—yet seeing Shen Qing's Embroidered Uniform Guard uniform, the curses rising to their throats were swallowed back.

Shen Qing gave a cold smile.

"You've got tadpoles with frog tattoos—are you pretending to be your mom?"

"And you're pretending to be a master now?"

The man in purple robes saw stars from the blow, strained with all his might to lift his head, as if wanting to say something.

But Shen Qing had no interest in listening; he kicked the man in the face with his eight‑inch foot at the man's seven‑point‑eight‑inch spot, knocking him out cold.

Footsteps sounded on the tea house stairs; Lin Zikai and the others rushed up and quickly cleared the second floor of the tea house.

The scholar suddenly charged over, frantically kicking the man in purple robes, seemingly venting his pent‑up anger.

Shen Qing glanced at the scholar who seemed to have gone mad, then muttered a curse.

"You haven't eaten? Kick the vital point!"

The scholar's eyes reddened, and he nodded vigorously.

"Thank you, Sir!"

After saying that, the scholar swung his right leg back in a large arc, gathering all his strength and kicked fiercely at the purple-robed man's groin.

With a bang, everyone seemed to hear the sound of something breaking like an egg.

The purple-robed man's eyes snapped open, as if they were about to pop out, then in the next moment he rolled his eyes and fainted.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard on the second floor of the teahouse all clenched their legs tightly, as if feeling a wave of pain.

Lin Zikai clenched his legs and slowly shuffled over to stand beside Shen Qing.

"Sir Shen, won't this cause trouble? We haven't even interrogated him yet."

Shen Qing sat at the tea table, and Lin Zikai quickly wiped the table with his own robe, found a clean cup, poured tea, and handed it to Shen Qing.

Shen Qing took a sip: "No problem, a Post-Heaven realm martial artist isn't that easy to kick to pieces."

Lin Zikai's pupils contracted.

Post-Heaven realm?

A Post-Heaven realm martial artist was killed in one strike by Shen Qing? Just what level of strength does he have?

Vaguely, Lin Zikai felt that he hadn't boarded a thief's ship, but rather a huge vessel?

Thinking that, Lin Zikai immediately shouted: "Hey you, get me an iron chain."

He then strode over to the scholar and grabbed him.

"Scholar, I call you scholar, but you really think you're a literatus? Can you kick with any strength like that?"

"Move aside, move aside, let this junior officer show you how it's done!"

After saying that, Lin Zikai lifted his right leg, using a twist of the waist to gather his whole body's strength at the toe, and this kick even produced a whistling sound.

Bang!

The purple-robed man was kicked flying, the sound of his bones shattering crisp and clear, and at the same time a half-corner of a black-and-white token was revealed.

Lin Zikai picked it up, his expression froze instantly, then he hurried over to Shen Qing, his breathing disrupted.

"Sir! Sir! A big catch! This is a big fish!"

Shen Qing took the token; it was black with a white dragon pattern, and it looked very familiar to him.

Heigou and Old Li also gathered upon hearing the commotion, glanced at the token a few times but couldn't make sense of it.

"Officer Lin, what is this thing? How is it a big catch?"

Lin Zikai gave a mysterious smile: "You've only been in the Embroidered Uniform Guard a short time, so you haven't seen much."

"What this token represents used to be a big deal a few years ago."

Shen Qing's furrowed brows relaxed: "White Dragon Sect, right? They're not extinct yet."

Upon hearing "White Dragon Sect," Heigou and Old Li also recalled something: "Are they remnants of the Northern Yuan?"

"Exactly." Shen Qing rubbed the token, also recalling a book he had read at home as a child.

The dynasty preceding the Great Martial Dynasty was the Northern Yuan; after its fall, it wasn't completely eradicated, and the remnants founded the White Dragon Sect, which has been stirring up trouble in the Great Martial Dynasty.

And the Great Martial Dynasty has been frantically arresting these remnants, sparing no expense in offering massive rewards.

In that light.

It really is a big fish.