Stepping out of the courtyard gate, Li Qinglian felt an instant sense of relief, as if a thousand-pound shackles had been removed.
He looked back at the courtyard, let out a long breath, his heart in utter turmoil.
This period of time would be perfect for him to adjust his mindset and carefully consider how they should interact in the future.
"Hey, Chief, already feeling reluctant to leave?"
At this moment, Dong Renyi, who had been standing outside the courtyard gate, chuckled and asked.
"You're too talkative. Now tell me! What exactly happened that you had to come call me in the middle of the night?"
Li Qinglian glared at him and asked.
Seeing Li Qinglian ask, Dong Renyi then said seriously, "There's trouble in the Nan River area of the Outer City. Chief Zhang ordered all of us to go patrol. Anyone causing trouble will be killed without mercy, no matter who is behind them."
"Isn't that the Sanhe Gang's territory?"
Li Qinglian asked, puzzled.
The Sanhe Gang.
One of the three major powers entrenched in the Outer City of Luoshui County.
They controlled businesses like water transport, docks, and fish stalls, with countless common people relying on them for their livelihood.
They had always acted tyrannically, arrogantly, and exploited the common people.
Their leader, Qiao Si, was an Eighth-Rank Martial Artist whose internal strength had permeated his muscles and bones, and his Cotton Palm was especially masterful.
According to the rules set by Luoshui County, the areas where those Gangs in the Outer City were located were managed by themselves, provided they did not arbitrarily kill innocent people.
Of course, as the local powers managing those areas, they would also offer monthly tributes to the officials, similar to the officials contracting out the management rights of certain areas in the Outer City.
The Nan River area was the Sanhe Gang's territory.
Logically speaking, even if there was trouble there, the officials would not casually interfere, unless the Gang couldn't handle it themselves, or if they broke the rules.
"The situation in the Nan River area is very complex now. Many Jianghu people have arrived, and there are also some Martial Artists who are dissatisfied with the Sanhe Gang. I heard that the Sanhe Gang lost several high-ranking members a while ago..."
Dong Renyi briefly explained the intelligence he had gathered.
A moment later, they arrived in the Nan River area of the Outer City.
It was already in chaos, with multiple fires blazing into the sky, accompanied by screams and shouts of killing, sounding extremely tragic.
Outside, several corpses lay, some belonging to the Sanhe Gang, and others of unknown origin.
"Let's go, let's go inside and take a look."
Li Qinglian glanced at the dark alley and plunged in.
To be safe, he immediately communicated with the System to improve his Realm.
【Experience -500】
【Golden Body Jade Bone Art (Third Layer → Fourth Layer)】
【Ninth-grade Perfection → Eighth-Rank Early Stage】
A surging power erupted within his body, originating from his flesh and permeating into his muscles and bones.
His muscles became thicker and tougher.
His bones became harder and denser.
A profound memory emerged in his mind; it was the various profundities of the Golden Body Jade Bone Art's fourth layer, which he had completely mastered.
At this moment, he finally broke through his shackles and stepped into the Eighth-Rank.
Just then, a figure suddenly appeared around the corner ahead.
It was a rough man in coarse cloth, with a coarse face, holding a sharp pig-slaughtering blade, looking extremely fierce.
Meeting so abruptly, both were momentarily stunned.
Li Qinglian immediately checked the opponent's character panel.
【Name: You Lao Liu】
【Identity: Sixth Boss of Golden Rooster Stronghold】
【Realm: Ninth-grade Perfection】
【Skills: Cloak Slash (Minor Achievement), Butchery Technique (Proficiency), Incomplete Iron Cloth Shirt (Major Achievement)...】
After seeing the opponent's personal panel, Li Qinglian narrowed his eyes slightly.
If it were before, he truly wouldn't have been confident in dealing with this bandit, but now... he was already an Eighth-Rank Early Stage Martial Artist, and with a Perfection-level Blade Technique in hand, how could he fear him?
"Heh, what good luck, running into two Black Skin Dogs. I'll just butcher you two and see if your body structures are the same as others..."
You Lao Liu grinned at the two, revealing a cruel smile, his eyes flashing with excitement, like a hunter seeing his prey.
As his words fell, he seemed to transform into a leopard in the mountain forest, bursting forth with astonishing speed, charging towards the two.
The pig-slaughtering blade in his hand reflected a chilling, cold light under the pale moonlight.
It was as if he already saw these two government officials, like slaughtered livestock, being skinned, dismembered, and deboned by him, then neatly arranged on a chopping board.
His heart was inexplicably excited, and his blood was boiling.
"Chief, be careful. Should we still cooperate as usual?"
Seeing Li Qinglian stand rooted to the spot, hand on his saber hilt, unmoving, Dong Renyi hurriedly reminded him.
"No need."
Li Qinglian said calmly.
The next second.
Whoosh—
The blade left its sheath, like moonlight, beautiful and dreamlike; the blade energy swirled, like a surging wave, breaking through a sea wall, unstoppable.
Looking closely again, the blade in Li Qinglian's hand had already returned to its sheath, as if he had just had a long dream.
But You Lao Liu's leopard-like body suddenly stopped two meters in front of Li Qinglian.
"You... Second Brother will avenge me..."
You Lao Liu's face showed shock, and he squeezed out a difficult sentence from his throat.
Pfft—
Before he could finish speaking, a red line on his neck gradually widened, crimson blood gushed out, and his body fell with a thud in the alley.
"He's dead already? Chief, you're getting more and more powerful..."
Dong Renyi was stunned for a moment, said a complimentary remark, then strode forward to examine You Lao Liu's corpse.
【You have slain the enemy You Lao Liu. Please choose how the host wishes to acquire the deceased's skills.】
At this moment, a prompt appeared before Li Qinglian's eyes.
"How much experience does it cost to select a specific skill?"
Li Qinglian asked in his mind.
【Requires 200 experience points.】
A new prompt appeared.
"200 experience points? That's a bit much! I'll choose randomly."
His remaining experience points were not many now, so he needed to be frugal.
【Congratulations, Host, you have obtained Cloak Slash (Proficiency)】
【Is the Host willing to spend 300 experience points to fuse Cloak Slash and Hundred Wave Saber Technique?】
After seeing the System's prompt, Li Qinglian thought for a moment and agreed.
Mainly, he wanted to see what kind of Martial Arts these two Proficiency-level Martial Arts would transform into after Fusion.
【Congratulations, Host, you have fused to obtain Ninth-grade martial arts Wind Wave Blade Technique (Major Achievement)】
After the System's new prompt appeared, he had completely mastered this Blade Technique.
This Blade Technique integrated the advantages of Cloak Slash and Hundred Wave Saber Technique, becoming more exquisite and terrifying. Its proficiency had dropped to Major Achievement level, but he could feel that he was stronger.
"This is truly Heaven-Defying! I never thought Martial Arts could actually be fused."
"This way, even if I don't join those noble families, Sects, or Holy Lands, I don't have to worry about restrictions in Martial Arts."
Li Qinglian felt a surge of emotion.
He felt that with the System, he could truly live like a person.