Xu Wen's dead?!
Bai Yuan looked shocked.
Xu Wen was the fastest disciple at the Huwei Arts Hall to break through the Skin Grinding Barrier in years. He'd even caught the attention of the hall master, Xue Gui, and now he was just dead!
He couldn't help but be shocked.
'So that's why Zhang Yang was acting strangely and skipped morning practice today.'
"I heard from Brother Qian that it was probably one of the hall master's enemies," Zhuang Zhao said, his voice low.
Though Zhou Qian was an Inner Courtyard Disciple, he and Zhuang Zhao hit it off, and so Zhou Qian told him many secrets unknown to apprentices.
Bai Yuan was secretly relieved.
'It's a good thing I didn't announce my breakthrough right away. Otherwise, the one who died might have been me, not Xu Wen.'
"The hall master was furious. He's personally leading the investigation to find Xu Wen's killer."
"Brother Yuan, you should be extra careful for a while."
"I know."
Bai Yuan nodded slowly. He would have been careful even if Zhuang Zhao hadn't said anything.
Perhaps not wanting to see another promising disciple die young, Zhang Yang sought out Bai Yuan that very day.
"I've already found someone to take over your food delivery job. For now, just stay in the Martial Arts Hall and focus on your training."
Zhang Yang left after giving these simple instructions.
This was the most he could do for the young man, who, like him, had come from a poor family.
Bai Yuan was grateful to the Instructor for looking out for him so many times.
If not for Zhang Yang's secret help, his life at the Martial Arts Hall would not have been so easy.
Bai Yuan didn't stay at the Martial Arts Hall for long.
He left the Martial Arts Hall early, well before the 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. window, and headed for the mountains.
This time, he didn't go to Mentougou.
He had already wiped out all the beasts there.
'In his previous life, this sort of thing would have earned him ten years in prison, minimum.'
Fortunately, the ancient Xuan Yang Dynasty couldn't care less about what happened in the wilderness.
...
In a lush green valley, the howls of wild beasts echoed from time to time.
"Young man, there's a blind bear up ahead. You can't go any further," an elderly Hunter with a wooden bow on his back warned him.
They were already deep within Blind Ridge, a place only old Hunters like himself, with decades of experience, dared to venture.
"Thank you for the warning, old sir."
Bai Yuan cupped his fist in a salute to the old Hunter.
However, he had no intention of heeding the old Hunter's advice. Shortly after the man left, Bai Yuan doubled back.
Now that he was a Skin Grinding Martial Master, ordinary beasts were no longer a threat.
With his hardwood bow, he wasn't even afraid of the "blind bear."
After learning about his son's situation at the Martial Arts Hall, Zhuang Zhao's father had decisively approached Bai Yuan, hoping he would become a retainer for the Zhuang Family.
The Zhuang Family was well-off, but they were at most a wealthy household, not even qualifying as gentry.
Most Martial Artists wouldn't give a small family like this a second glance. The only reason Bai Yuan was offered the position was because of his connection to Zhuang Zhao.
Ever since Liu Qingshan had told him about retainership, he had been searching for a suitable patron.
The Escort Agencies and taverns were all more or less entangled with the three major powers, and Bai Yuan had no desire to get caught up in the chaos of Qinghe County.
The Zhuang Family might be weak, but at least he knew them inside and out. They wouldn't stir up any major trouble, and he was confident he could protect them if need be.
Besides, the salary Zhuang Zhao's father offered—one tael of silver a month—was a considerable sum for Bai Yuan at his current level.
After receiving a month's salary in advance, the very first thing he did was buy a hardwood bow from the Martial Arts Hall.
This thing was far better than a bamboo bow.
The blind bear that other Hunters avoided like the plague was, to him, just a walking pile of experience points.
Relying on the powerful search capability of his Skilled-level Tracking, he quickly found the blind bear's location.
The "blind bear" was the old Hunters' name for the black bear.
Experienced Hunters all knew that black bears had poor eyesight, which was how they got their name.
And right now, there was one standing right in front of Bai Yuan.
The black bear, standing as tall as two men on its hind legs, let out a foul stench so strong it made one's eyes water.
Bai Yuan's face showed little panic.
Nock, draw, release!
The feathered arrow struck the black bear precisely in its right eye.
The injury enraged the black bear. Dropping to all fours, it charged wildly toward Bai Yuan.
Another arrow flew.
This time, it struck the black bear's left eye.
The black bear was now truly a blind bear.
Now completely blind, the bear thrashed wildly through the forest, snapping countless tree trunks in its rampage.
Bai Yuan drew the dagger strapped to his calf and cleanly finished the blind bear off.
An incense stick's time later, the ferocious black bear finally fell still.
Enhancement Points +11
The enhancement points from a single black bear were nearly equal to what Bai Yuan used to gain in half a day.
Bai Yuan spent the rest of the day searching the mountains.
He didn't find another blind bear, but he did come across a massive wild boar that stood half as tall as a man.
Enhancement Points +7
Without hesitation, Bai Yuan called up his panel.
"Allocate points!"
[In your second year of practicing the Tiger-Crane Style, you gained nothing.]
[In your third year of practicing the Tiger-Crane Style, you still failed to grasp its true meaning.]
...
[In your sixth year of practicing the Tiger-Crane Style, you can finally comprehend the Cultivation Technique's contents.]
[Name: Bai Yuan]
[Class: Hunter, Swordsman, Boxer]
[Skills: Cleave (Skilled), Tracking (Skilled), Archery (Proficient), Tiger-Crane Style (Beginner), Five Animals Fist (Skilled)...]
[Enhancement Points: 0]
Seeing the status next to Tiger-Crane Style finally change to "Beginner," Bai Yuan was ecstatic.
The Tiger-Crane Style wasn't some cheap, street-stall technique like the Five Animals Fist. This was a high-grade Cultivation Technique, the kind even the Iron Saber Gang coveted.
As he reached the Beginner level in the Tiger-Crane Style, Bai Yuan felt his senses sharpen dramatically.
His awareness of his surroundings more than doubled.
This wasn't a trained improvement, like his Tracking skill, but a true physical enhancement.
Not only that, but his strength and stamina had also increased significantly.
'Too bad I don't have a sword...'
The Tiger-Crane Style was a Cultivation Technique for both internal and external development, but it included many sword forms. The dagger he'd gotten from Zhao Si Hu was completely inadequate for unleashing their true power.
For a Swordsman, having a sword versus not having one represented two entirely different levels of combat prowess.
Unfortunately, he had already spent next month's advanced salary on the hardwood bow. If he tried to get another advance, Zhuang Zhao's father would almost certainly refuse.
'I'll just have to wait another month.'
...
「Huwei Arts Hall.」
"Master Xue, there's definitely a mole in our Martial Arts Hall!" Zhang Yang said, his teeth clenched.
This time, Hall Master Xue Gui himself had led the search for the killer. But every time they found a clue, the evidence would be destroyed. It was hard not to be suspicious.
Xu Wen was a genius disciple that Zhang Yang had personally mentored. With Xu Wen dead, Zhang Yang was naturally furious.
Xue Gui, sitting upright in the Grandmaster's Chair, merely glanced at Zhang Yang.
Zhang Yang felt as if a basin of cold water had been dumped over his head. Realizing he had spoken out of turn, he fell silent.
Xue Gui's gaze swept over everyone in the hall.
He had stopped Zhang Yang from speaking further, but he knew the business about a mole was almost certainly true. The traitor might even be among them right now, in the Loyalty Hall.
Whoever was targeting the Huwei Arts Hall had clearly been planning this for a long time, and their methods were cunning.
They were using the mole to muddy the waters, forcing everyone to focus on proving their own innocence.
"Pay closer attention to the more talented disciples for a while."
Xue Gui waved his hand dismissively.
He was tired.