Chapter 35 Our Territory is in the City
Zhong Lin spat on the three corpses on the ground. From them, he only managed to find two ounces of silver and nothing else. The most valuable thing was still the Ghost Head Blade in the hands of the man with the triangular eyes, which, if sold, could fetch about five ounces of silver.
He swung it twice in his hand; it felt quite handy.
"I was just thinking of going to the blacksmith shop to have a blade made, but now I can save that trouble."
Zhong Lin was extremely satisfied in his heart. After all, weapons were not cheap, and this Ghost Head Blade saved him several ounces of silver.
He paid no attention to the three corpses on the ground, as it wouldn't be long before the wild beasts in the forest devoured them clean, returning them to nature, and the government wouldn't care.
Taking advantage of the night, Zhong Lin quickly returned to the city, skillfully circling around to avoid any tails, and eventually returned to Sweet Water Alley via a small path.
He didn't knock on the door either, making a short run-up before leaping directly over the wall.
Zhong Lin had just pushed open the door when Little Stone sat up from the bed, his eyes shining bright in the pitch-black room.
Zhong Lin paused his movement.
"Still not asleep yet?"
"I was waiting for you to come back, Second Brother. I can't sleep until you do."
Zhong Lin stepped forward to pat Little Stone's head gently and said in a low voice, "Go to sleep!"
Zhong Lin also didn't continue to study the elixirs; he took off his clothes and lay down to rest.
He emptied his mind, recalling the scene of the fight with the man with the triangular eyes in the forest earlier, contemplating how to exert force more easily to kill him.
Zhong Lin flicked his right hand, making a black-red jar draw an arc through the air before being tightly caught by the anxious Old Zhou.
"Take it easy; it would be a shame if it broke."
Old Zhou scolded Zhong Lin with dissatisfaction, but quickly pulled out the cork and took a deep whiff.
"Authentic Pear Blossom White from the Qian family at West City; their wine is indeed aromatic."
Old Zhou looked intoxicated, wishing he could gulp down a drink right away.
Unfortunately, there were regulations in the government office, so he had to suppress the urge to drink until he got off work to enjoy at home.
He capped the cork carefully, stowed away the wine in the cabinet, and only then had the time to talk to Zhong Lin.
"You look radiant; I guess you had some gains last night," Old Zhou said with a smile.
"Thanks to your good fortune, I did find what I wanted to buy, but it's too expensive."
Thinking of the elixir's price made Zhong Lin grimace with heartache.
Old Zhou also laughed heartily, about to tease Zhong Lin a bit when his gaze subconsciously landed on the cabinet where his wine was stored; he felt the same pang of heartache and lamented, "Indeed! Good things are just expensive."
Pear Blossom White wasn't a famous wine, but on his salary, he could only afford to drink it once every ten days to a fortnight.
"By the way, Old Zhou, I saw some kidnappers and a few children in the black market. Doesn't the government do anything about it?"
Zhong Lin suddenly thought of the drugged children he saw in the black market, clearly abducted.
Old Zhou glanced at Zhong Lin, responding with a question, "Do what? How do we do it? Are you going to do it? Or am I supposed to do it? Do you really think the black market appeared spontaneously?"
Zhong Lin was left stunned, his mind flashed to the thick-bearded man who collected money at the entrance of the black market; it was clear that there was management behind the black market.
If you don't know, then it's impossible to pinpoint anyone.
"Though I'm not sure who's behind the black market, it's absolutely a person with connections all over Black Mountain County, likely one of a few individuals, even the County Magistrate doesn't want to offend them. If you see them in the black market, just see them, don't mind too much. If you encounter them in the city, deal with them as you need to. Remember, our territory is the city."
Old Zhou warned with a serious face, worried that Zhong Lin would act rashly driven by youthful fervor.
Having lived two lives, Zhong Lin knew some things could be done while others couldn't—at least, not yet.
After chatting with Old Zhou for a while longer, Zhong Lin got up to leave, taking a detour to Nuoxiang Building, where he drew a painting and earned five ounces of silver before returning home satisfied.
Little Stone was sent to study with Teacher Liu, leaving no one at home, giving him the perfect opportunity to study the elixir he bought last night.
Carefully tipping a porcelain bottle to extract a single pill, this so-called Blood Replenishing Pill was about the size of a pearl and completely dark red, with a faint medicinal fragrance to it.
"I need to find time to learn some medical skills, to see if I can replicate it. This is just a Blood Replenishing Pill for Muscle Strengthening; the Bone Forging Pill is even more expensive."
For others, learning medicine was a daunting task that could take a lifetime, but for Zhong Lin with his Golden Finger, as long as he could record the Skill on the panel, it would only take a breath's time.
He wanted to try to unlock the ingredients of these elixirs and replicate them. Just one Blood Replenishing Pill cost ten ounces of silver apiece, and ten pills nearly bankrupted him; buying Bone Forging Pills in the future would be unaffordable.
Swallowing one pill into his stomach, in less than three breaths, Zhong Lin felt as if there was a volcano in his belly, its heat like magma spreading through his entire body.
"Such powerful medicine, at least ten times stronger than the Eight Treasures Blood Building Soup, no wonder it's an elixir."
Zhong Lin dared not linger, stepping his feet and quickly practicing the "Iron Mountain Skill" in the yard.
Crane Claw Print Sand.
Red Cliff Copper Wall.
The "Iron Mountain Skill" emphasized bold and broad strikes, with force and weight behind them, making every punch and kick filled with power yet still graceful.
Zhong Lin moved and shifted on the ground, as his fists and legs stretched, the medicinal power of the Blood Replenishing Pill rapidly circulated within his body, then permeated through his muscles, bones, and skin.
With the full-level "Iron Mountain Skill" supporting him, Zhong Lin could make full use of every bit of medicinal power, not wasting a single trace.
General martial artists used trial and error to harness about five or six parts of the medicine's force at most, while better trainers might harness six or seven.
But with the system's aid, Zhong Lin's understanding of the "Iron Mountain Skill" had reached the level of the Creator's, unmatched in body refinement and medicinal absorption.
It was like a max-level veteran revisiting the newbie village.
Suddenly, the style in Zhong Lin's hands changed dramatically, faintly resonating with the intent of a tiger's roar.
Starving Tiger Pounce.
Black Tiger Heart Stealing.
With every punch and kick, it seemed as though a fierce tiger accompanied him, the wind from his fists roared like a tiger.
The sparrows perched on the date tree had long fled in terror thanks to Zhong Lin's fist wind.
For a full hour, Zhong Lin finally halted his movements, utterly absorbing all of the Blood Replenishing Pill's medicinal power without wasting a trace.
"Elixirs are indeed magnificent. With daily elixir support, I could complete the Muscle Strengthening practice in a month, officially entering the Eighth Rank Muscle Strengthening Realm," Zhong Lin thought with immense joy.