Chapter 64: Hanping Prefecture

Long nights lead to many dreams; delays invite trouble.

Therefore, once the "travel permits" were processed, the Ruyi Chamber of Commerce of Shanghe County left that very night, dragging their coffin carts away.

They left behind only the necessary stewards, guards, and servants to maintain the operation of the Shanghe County granary, handle normal trade, and meet "Wang Tianchuan and Gao Lin from the Yunhe side," along with eleven young martial artists from the seven martial arts schools in Nancheng who followed along.

Those seven schools almost unanimously stuffed the "most promising" youths in their sects into the Ruyi Chamber of Commerce.

This was a method of protecting their heritage.

After all, everyone knew that Hanping Prefecture was certainly safer than Shanghe County.

The situation in the North Land was dire, but exactly how dire, no one knew for the time being, because information was locked down tight.

Yet, no matter how tight the lockdown, there would eventually be a moment of breach; when that time comes, will it be safe and sound, or terminally ill? The carriage wheels turned, treading through the moonlight as they grandly departed Shanghe County.

Tong Niangzi turned sideways to lift the curtain a little, looked at the county town receding into the distance, and said softly, "Having lived here for so long, I'm actually quite reluctant to leave."

Song Cheng:??? He couldn't help but laugh.

Tong Niangzi chided, "What are you laughing at?!"

Song Cheng asked curiously, "It was hard enough to leave, and you still want to stay?"

Tong Niangzi put her hands on her hips, raised her neck, and said in a feisty manner, "Just reminiscing a bit, is that not allowed?!"

Song Cheng glanced at the data above Tong Niangzi's head: 13~23.

This was the data for someone whose White Snake Blade, Mysterious Turtle Steps, and even combat techniques had all entered Great Accomplishment.

If Tong Niangzi were to deal with the likes of the original mountain bandit chief or second-in-command, she would surely be able to win.

Although he taught very earnestly and provided Demon Beast Meat without stopping, Tong Niangzi was indeed very hardworking.

To be able to break through to this level in over half a year was no easy feat.

"Fine, fine, fine." Song Cheng responded dotingly, then beckoned, and Tong Niangzi obediently shifted her hips to sit over, then leaned against his shoulder.

The fragrance of the woman's hair drilled into the youth's nose with the airflow caused by the carriage's jolting, and was magnified significantly by his keen sense of smell.

The two snuggled together in the dark carriage.

On both sides, the forest waves were like the sea, and the insects and the night wind mingled with sharp, eerie cries that started and stopped at midnight.

The darkness was boundless, and the small carriage convoy had few lights, like a lonely boat.

The road ahead was long, and fortune was hard to predict.

The only thing one had the ability to cherish was what was right in front of them.

Song Cheng said softly, "Sleep for a while; it will take at least three days to reach the Prefecture City."

Tong Niangzi responded, then softened her body, and like a small child, she obediently lay down, her cheek pressed against his legs, and suddenly she tapped them lightly with her hand and said, "Hard."

Song Cheng relaxed his muscles.

Tong Niangzi rubbed and shifted to find a few more angles before she was finally settled.

Before long, her breathing became even.

Song Cheng lowered his head and gently stroked her hair.

That was the plain white line, that was the beautiful contour, that was the closeness in his heart, that was the intimacy written into flesh and blood.

The youth watched for a long time, moved his gaze away, and scanned the panel: 【Name: Song Cheng】

【Talent: Chang Sheng Bu Lao】

【Add Points: 86 points】

【Realm: Yellow Grade Grade B】

【Cultivation Techniques】

Xuanwu True Form (4 Forms) (Yellow Grade Grade B) (Completion) (+)

Flying Wheel Force (Yellow Grade Grade C) (Not Yet Initiated (3/4)) Splitting Force (Yellow Grade Grade C) (Not Yet Initiated (2/4)) Among these, after comprehending the combat technique, a new deduction symbol finally appeared for "Xuanwu True Form."

【A 0.2% chance to deduce a Yellow Grade Grade A cultivation technique】

【Referencing techniques of the same realm and gaining experience with experts of the same realm can increase the chance】

【Each deduction costs 5 points】

'Let's put this aside for now.'

Song Cheng's gaze moved past this, hovered over "Flying Wheel Force" and "Splitting Force," then settled, and he thought silently: '57 points, cultivate Flying Wheel Force.'

According to his experience, the points required for a Jin Realm technique to go from "Not Yet Initiated" to "Completion" is 60 points.

Sure enough, in an instant, numerous insights into cultivation surged into his heart.

The progress of "Flying Wheel Force" also changed from "Not Yet Initiated (3/4)" to "Completion," while "Xuanwu True Strength" changed from "4 Forces" to "5 Forces." However, this time, the situation was a bit special, because after "Flying Wheel Force" reached Completion, an unprecedented point-adding requirement appeared: "(0/64)."

A line of information popped up.

【Compatible with Xuanwu True Form, can be integrated into the True Form through upgrading】. 'So that's how it is.'

'In other words, I can master the higher-level Form Realm technique of this force technique through my own insights and make it a part of the Xuanwu True Form.'

'If I can successfully integrate it, then my "Xuanwu True Form" will not be four forms, but five forms.'

'Sure enough, low-level techniques have their own uses.'

Song Cheng looked at the remaining 29 points and poured them all into "Flying Wheel Force," making it become "Flying Wheel Force (Yellow Grade Grade C) (Completion (29/64))."

A feeling of twisting and winding arose in his heart. Have you ever seen a spinning top?

When a spinning top rotates at high speed, it will naturally deflect and rebound anything that flies toward it.

This is a "Horizontal Force."

"Horizontal Force" combined with "Hard Strength" to form a strange protective power.

Any attack that hits Song Cheng will have to withstand the triple defense of Protective Qi, the spiral force, and the hard strength on his body surface before it can finally cause him harm.

Likewise, if Song Cheng strikes with all his might, in addition to the Qi he can mobilize, there are the five forces of Hard, Horizontal, Pouncing, Stretching, and Jue Jin Jin Jin entangled together, thereby bringing forth power that is hard for ordinary existences in the Jin Realm to imagine.

He glanced at the values.

It changed from "93~186" to "103~206".

The realm has not changed, but the strength has increased quite a bit; it is truly not bad.

"It seems I can display 51~102 of my strength quite generously, and perhaps even improve it."

The youth lifted the carriage curtain, stared blankly for a while, then leaned back slightly and closed his eyes to rest.

Three days later.

The carriage entered Hanping Prefecture.

The Prefecture City is extremely large, built against a mountain, with a total of thirteen passes in the east, south, west, and north, which together with the mountains and rivers form a defensive wall.

The Prefecture City is composed of one ward-market after another.

The An Mansion is in Ping'an Ward of the West City, leaning against the West Market to the north.

A market is a place for large-scale trading, larger than a ward.

Today, sunny.

As the carriage entered the city and was about to arrive at Ping'an Ward, An Daxiaojie sat down next to Song Cheng, pointed to the front left, and said: "Shuimo Dashi's shop is right over there. The shop does not cast ordinary blades or weapons, only Mechanism Weapon. Ordinary people can only see his apprentices; if you want him to cast personally, you must have his Casting Voucher."

Song Cheng said: "Then was my Mechanism Shield cast by his apprentice?"

An Daxiaojie nodded and said: "Shuimo Dashi's Casting Voucher only comes out a few times a year; sometimes as few as three, and at most four or five. With the strength of my Ruyi Chamber of Commerce in the Prefecture City, it is still too difficult to obtain one. However, as long as it is a product from his shop, it will certainly not be inferior goods."

As the two were talking, Ying'er rode her horse to the side, holding a blade, her neck held high with great spirit as she rode.

Further away, the young people who followed from the martial arts school were also looking left and right, their hearts filled with a sense of novelty and the excitement of wanting to show off their skills in this new world.

Especially Martial Artist like Zhao Hua and Liu Jun, who had received much guidance from Song Cheng, were even more so.

After a while, the carriage arrived outside the An Mansion.

Seeing the carriage arrive at the mansion, many An Family members wearing mourning clothes gathered around, old and young, all draped in white.

Amidst the sound of weeping, An Chenyu directed the carriage to transport the coffin into the mansion, to be buried after everyone had paid their respects.

But halfway there, these Martial Artist like Zhao Hua were blocked.

An Chenyu looked at a middle-aged man in the crowd not far away and said indifferently: "Third Uncle."

She did not go to "beg this Third Uncle to let people in."

Because she had come to take control of the An Family.

Since it is control, how could she beg others? If she begged for others' consent, wouldn't that mean handing over the power of control on a silver platter? In the crowd, the middle-aged man in mourning clothes acted as if he hadn't heard, directing people to move the coffin into the mansion, but the An Family guards and others blocked Zhao Hua and the others firmly.

That Third Uncle was silently calculating in his heart, wanting to wait until the other side became agitated, then slowly explain a few things like "No one who is not an An Family member may enter," "My dear niece, you must understand," or "This is the An Family's house rules."

Do those who keep talking about rules really do it for the sake of the rules themselves? Of course not.

They do it to control the right to speak, to control the right to judge; he can say who is right and who is wrong, he can reward people and he can punish people.

This is a common trick in family struggles.

After the Old Master passed away, this Third Uncle united many people, especially the remaining Jin Realm Martial Artist, wanting to use seniority to suppress this niece, so that afterwards... it would still be this niece earning money outside, but she would have to listen to them.

However, when An Chenyu saw he did not react, she turned around and walked out of the courtyard without a word.

The moment she stepped out of the courtyard, Zhao Hua said directly: "Escorting the Old Master's coffin back, who dares to block the way?"

The guards had naturally received orders long ago, shouting: "Those who are not An Family members may not enter! A son-in-law has low status and may not enter the door either!"

Both sides immediately began a "talking past each other" mode.

One side shouted "Escorting the coffin, who dares to block the way," while the other shouted "Those who are not An Family members may not enter."

Conflict was on the verge of breaking out.

Then the guards were instantly crushed, wailing and rolling on the ground.

These eleven Martial Artist were the hope of the seven martial arts schools in the south of the city, and among them, there were five young geniuses who had entered the Jin Realm.

Five young and vigorous Jin Realm experts against guards who were at most in the Force Realm—wasn't it a complete thrashing?

And that only Jin Realm guard of the An Family did not dare to make a move from beginning to end, because he saw the blind youth with a black cloth wrapped around his eyes quietly facing him in the sunlight and breeze not far away.

Behind the blind man were Wang Da Xiansheng and his son.

Wang Da Xiansheng was frantically waving his hands at him; while Wang Tianma was smiling bitterly, standing respectfully, not moving at all.

That guard suddenly understood one thing: perhaps, the An Family was about to change.

He lowered his blade dejectedly, retreated to the side silently, thought for a moment, then cupped his hands and shouted: "Guard Wan Qing, greets the son-in-law."

(End of this chapter)