“Brother Sheng has been secretly practicing martial arts since he was young. His body is quite tough, so there’s no need to worry, Family Head,” Uncle Zhao said with a reassuring smile.
He chuckled lightly before continuing, “At first, even I didn’t expect Brother Sheng to be so formidable. Those two were experts whom I failed to capture in my youth. Yet, after all these years, they still fell to Brother Sheng’s hands.”
The wounds told the story clearly: both adversaries had died under the Heart-Shattering Palm.
Still, he could not fathom when Brother Sheng had mastered that technique, nor could he discern the true level of his cultivation. Such mastery could not be judged by outward appearance alone.
Lu Quanan nodded, his voice calm and decisive. “That’s good. Everything is back to normal. Let him rest and continue with the plan to travel to Mountain Edge City to learn proper martial arts.”
Second Mother’s tone softened as she added, “Judging from Little Sheng’s movements, he must truly love martial arts. Otherwise, he could not have trained himself to this degree. I’m certain he’ll be delighted when he hears it.”
Lu Quanan waved his hand, drawing the matter to a close. “Alright, that’s enough. False alarm. Everyone, return to your duties. Little Qing will reflect on her actions. No more running about for the time being—stay home.”
“O-okay…” Lu Qingqing replied, frightened pale. If her elder brother had arrived even a moment later, she would have been doomed. She too needed time to calm her terrified heart.
…………
News of Lu Qingqing’s incident swept through Lu Manor like wildfire, soon reaching the other major families in Nine Links City. Along with it came the spreading tale of Lu Sheng — the martial arts fanatic.
Although few still remembered the Phantom Head Blade brothers, everyone now knew of how Lu Sheng had captured several dangerous fugitives alongside his sister, and how he was rumored to have slain more than a few. Overnight, his name became one of notoriety and fear.
Servants and clansmen alike looked at him differently — as someone who had taken lives. Whenever he passed by, people unconsciously held their breath. After all, fugitives capable of evading justice for years were never ordinary.
“That’s perfectly normal,” Lu Qingqing said as she sat in Lu Sheng’s room, legs swinging and an apple crunching between her teeth.
The scare she suffered had stopped her habitual outings. Instead, she lingered here daily, trying to persuade him to investigate the Xu family tragedy together.
“In Lu Manor, besides you, Big Bro, and a few martial arts masters like Uncle Zhao, barely anyone among the guards has real combat experience. That’s exactly how the servants used to treat me back then. And if the masters and seniors knew I had such a powerful big brother… I wonder what kind of faces they’d make! Just imagining it is hilarious!”
Lu Qingqing giggled, delighted by the thought.
Lu Sheng, brush in hand, continued practicing calligraphy, expression steady and disciplined.
“Brother Xu’s case must be investigated. But the time isn’t right yet,” he replied, his voice firm.
“Brother Xu… died such a terrible death!” Lu Qingqing muttered, her eyes misting at the memory.
“Don’t worry. One day, I’ll uncover the truth,” Lu Sheng assured her, laying his brush aside. His gaze landed on the single bold character he had just written: “endure.”
The battle against two Strength Proficiency experts had revealed clearly where his current limits stood.
Every Strength Proficiency expert was a dangerous figure in their own right — each wielding a unique, signature martial skill. They stood leagues above ordinary martial trainees.
Even with full mastery of both the Black Tiger Saber Technique and the Heart-Shattering Palm thanks to the Modifier, Lu Sheng had learned that two opponents did not simply equate to double the difficulty. When two Strength Proficiency experts combined forces, their power multiplied, becoming something far more overwhelming. It took twice the stamina, twice the focus, and twice the ferocity to counter them.
If there had been even one more expert cooperating with the Lin brothers, he would have perished on that very battlefield.
Lu Sheng reflected calmly on this truth.
He had technically won…but it was a narrow victory. His saber lay broken, and his body bore the marks of countless wounds — proof of how close he had come to the brink.
I’m still too weak… In the Xu family massacre, there were four Strength Proficiency guards alone. Countless servants and housemen too… For all of them to be exterminated in silence within a single night — the power behind such a feat… it was chilling to imagine.
The realization struck him hard. His preparations were nowhere near enough.
He needed more strength. More profound martial arts.
“Big Bro, what are you thinking about? Want to go shopping with me?”
Lu Qingqing waved a hand in front of his eyes, anticipation sparkling beneath her softened demeanor. Ever since her rescue, she had become gentler — calmer than before.
“Qingqing, do you know about inner force?” Lu Sheng asked, instead of entertaining her outing.
“Inner force… I’ve heard Master talk about it. Inner force experts are different from us outer force practitioners. Their cultivation is slow and steady. Without three to five years of training, they’re no different from ordinary people. Why do you ask, Big Bro?”
“Your master… does he know any inner force experts?” Lu Sheng pressed, determined to seek a breakthrough through her connections now that Duanmu Wan remained elusive.
“Well, he does know a few. Master has two good friends — both priests who cultivate life-force Qi skills,” Lu Qingqing replied casually.
“Life-force Qi skills… are there any inner force experts who actually possess real combat abilities?”
“That… I’ve never heard of any.”
Her answer deflated Lu Sheng’s hopes — though it wasn’t surprising. Even the enigmatic Duanmu Wan only knew a handful of life-force techniques. Lu Qingqing’s master was merely a somewhat reputable outer force practitioner; the likelihood of him associating with true inner force experts was low.
“Why? Big Bro, are you thinking about training inner force? I heard it’s unreliable and takes forever. The process is risky, and the combat power isn’t even that strong. How can it compare to outer force for speed or battle strength? What’s the point?” Lu Qingqing asked, genuinely perplexed.
“I have my own plans.”
Lu Sheng’s thoughts churned beneath a calm surface.
He still intended to travel to Mountain Edge City to pursue martial arts, but the current circumstances made leaving Nine Links City feel unsettling — especially with such a long journey ahead.
His family in this life treated him sincerely: his father, his second mother, Uncle Zhao, the servants… all showed him warmth and care. The idea that any of them might be endangered while he was gone tightened his chest.
In chaotic times, if disaster descended upon them, where could he possibly run to alone?
He also sensed that Lu Quanan’s insistence on sending him away was not without motive — almost as if trying to remove him from the center of an unseen threat.
“A storm is coming…” he exhaled softly, eyes falling upon his innocent younger sister. A heaviness settled in his heart.
If I leave now, perhaps I could avoid danger for a while… but I can’t run forever. In the end, I must face what comes. I should grow stronger while home is stable and resources are abundant. Only with true power can I protect myself — and them.
The road to Mountain Edge City was far too long. Lu Sheng already had a different plan in mind.
Inner-plus-outer cultivation — the fusion of physical strength and inner force — emerged in Lu Sheng’s mind as the clearest path to true power.
Suddenly, he recalled the secret manual he had once emptied his savings to acquire: the incomplete Black Fury Skill.
Incomplete or not, it’s all I have. To hell with hesitation.
As Lu Qingqing sat nearby, rambling on about amusing stories from her days training under her master, Lu Sheng silently revisited the internal meridian pathways of the Black Fury Skill. After the time he had already invested in it, the Level One initiation mantra remained fresh in his memory.
Noticing his distant expression, Lu Qingqing eventually gave up and left with a disappointed pout.
Soon after, Little Qiao arrived, carrying a basin of water for him to wash. She then handed him his medicine. Through it all, Lu Sheng remained silent, every thought devoted to tracing the intent lines of the Black Fury Skill.
A theory surfaced in his mind. The reason this inner force technique was notoriously difficult to cultivate might be the same reason Jade Crane Skill required an illustration — an initial Qi circulation diagram.
Jade Crane Skill’s diagram depicted an immortal crane with wings extended, ready to soar.
Surely, the Black Fury Skill once had its own guiding image as well… but it was missing from the manual.
That diagram would serve as the foundation — synchronizing every thread of inner Qi across the whole body.
Unfortunately, the resources he possessed regarding inner force were far too scarce. He lacked the reference material needed to deduce any systematic theory.
Thus, his only choice was to persist: to practice the Black Fury Skill earnestly while his wounds healed.
Time slipped past — several days in the blink of an eye.
Then, another strange occurrence unsettled Nine Links City.
Someone found childish graffiti scrawled across the perimeter wall of a small courtyard on the outskirts. The markings, drawn in charcoal, appeared overnight. Curious residents kept watch, determined to catch the mischievous culprit in the act.
Yet by the next morning, the drawings had grown. More graffiti had appeared on the wall — and no one had seen a single soul.
The Xu family massacre, the Wang Villa well incident, the vanished hunters… and now strange graffiti appearing out of nowhere. One bizarre event after another left everyone in Nine Links City jittery, like cats on hot bricks.
Rumors spread wildly — someone claimed to have heard a blood-curdling scream from beyond the city walls. When he gathered his courage to investigate, he discovered signs of a violent struggle: bestial claw marks gouged into the earth and streaks of blood leading into the darkness.
Yet the prefectural yamen abruptly withdrew its earlier request for assistance, offering no explanation.
One morning, Lu Quanan was summoned again to the yamen, along with the usual three family heads. When he returned, his expression was pitch black.
Lu Sheng tried to ask, but his father only said there had been a disagreement with the Prefect — nothing more.
After that, Lu Quanan secretly contacted his elder brother, Lu Anping — deputy commander of the city garrison. For years, the Lu family’s stability had depended not only on Lu Quanan’s leadership, but also on Lu Anping’s military influence.
Behind closed doors, the two brothers held a lengthy discussion in the study. When the door finally opened, Lu Anping left the manor in haste, his urgency unmasked.
Though Lu Sheng remained in his room recuperating, he was constantly updated on the situation via Lu Qingqing and Little Qiao. Second Mother, Fifth Mother, Lu Yingying, Uncle Zhao — everyone found excuses to check in on him.
Everywhere beyond Lu Manor felt suffocating — as if a blade hung by a thread above his head.
Just then, Uncle Zhao sent word: Little Eight had been found. He was discovered collapsed inside an abandoned house on the same street he disappeared, starved to skin and bones.
“Little Eight? Did he say what happened to him? Why was he left alone in that house?” Lu Sheng questioned immediately.
The guard who brought the report shook his head silently.
“He didn’t say much. He just kept repeating that he had rushed over that day as fast as he could. But not long after entering that street, he suddenly fainted. When he woke up, he saw us standing there.”
Lu Sheng’s brows knitted together. “Is that true?”
“True. Uncle Zhao has already confirmed it with other sources. Everything matches Little Eight’s account.”
“Then that’s strange…” Lu Sheng muttered, shaking his head.
“You may leave first.”
“Yes.” The guard bowed and departed quickly.
Alone in the courtyard, Lu Sheng walked back and forth in silent contemplation.
His wounds had mostly healed, and all his remaining time was spent practicing the Black Fury Skill — waiting for the moment he could finally sense Qi within his body. Once he grasped even a single thread of inner energy, he knew he could rapidly elevate the technique, fully integrating it into his strength.
Just then, Lu Quanan strode into the courtyard, two housemen following closely behind.
“Sheng’er, you’ve rested long enough. How about setting off today?”
Lu Quanan’s expression remained composed, almost overly calm. In his hand, he carried a tightly wrapped black silk bundle — travel expenses he had prepared for his son’s journey.
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