Shanyao Hall, the backyard.
Zhong Shenxiu was dressed in plain white robes, white trousers, and white cloth shoes, his entire appearance also pale as though he was extremely weak.
Martial artists referred to the first day as ’blood exchange,’ and indeed there was some reason behind it.
While replenishing his vitality, parts of impure blood were indeed expelled from his body, leaving large stains from the blood seeping through his pores on the sheets each day.
At such times, the martial artist was at his most vulnerable.
Fortunately, Shanyao Hall sold medicines, and Zhong Shenxiu himself had prepared a full complement decoction which he took daily to replenish his energy and nourish his blood. Occasionally, he would go out and kill a couple of people to stabilize the disturbances caused by the Five Elements Thief Palm, thus safely making it through.
"Martial artists undergoing blood exchange probably need a hundred days. Two months have passed, and I have almost completed the majority..."
He arrived at a small square surrounded by stone locks, wooden piles, and sandbags dedicated to training the muscles and bones of Shanyao Hall disciples.
Shi Yu and Lu Yang, both with strained faces, were striking two fragrant small sandbags with their palms.
Next to them stood Wei Baizhu with a stern face, "Shanyao Hall’s Medicine Sand Palm requires daily striking of special medicinal sandbags to allow the medicinal power within the herbs to permeate the palms, so do not fear pain, do not fear breaking the skin and bleeding... Hit it, hit it hard! And remember the mental methods when activating your palms!"
If he spotted a wrong posture, he would whip them with a vine very strictly.
Zhong Shenxiu found it amusing and said with a smile, "Uncle Master, why don’t you sit and rest a while..."
"I’m not tired. These two rascals, don’t know how much good fortune they’ve accumulated... Back in our days as Shanyao Gang disciples, to practice the Medicine Sand Palm, we had to scrounge for medicinal herbs ourselves. These two are supplied by us; if they don’t work hard, wouldn’t that be a waste?" Wei Baizhu huffed.
Practicing the Medicine Sand Palm required special medicinal ingredients like those in medicinal sandbags; without them, even if one possessed the complete mental method and practiced on regular sandbags, they would only end up crippling their hands!
Therefore, even when Xun Liuyi previously wanted to advance in his training, without money to buy medicinal herbs, all he could do was sigh helplessly.
Compared to that, Shi Yu and Lu Yang were indeed quite fortunate.
After all, although Shanyao Gang was large with many disciples, Shanyao Hall was now very profitable but only needed to nurture two people, naturally taking all the advantages.
Wei Baizhu looked at Zhong Shenxiu, quite astonished.
Originally, he had prepared to grit his teeth and give most of Shanyao Hall’s profits to Xun Liuyi for his martial training.
Unexpectedly, this young man had silently mastered the Five Elements Thief Palm without any significant expenses, which was incredible.
But precisely because of this, he could breathe a sigh of relief; at least Shanyao Hall’s profits could be maintained stably, and they could continue operating and training other disciples.
"These two lads, it will probably take them another half a year or even a year to master the first layer of the Medicine Sand Palm, and to reach the fifth level, it will not only require perseverance and hard training but also a bit of luck..." Wei Baizhu mused.
Zhong Shenxiu glanced at the two youngsters and made a judgment.
The fifth layer of Medicine Sand Palm laid a solid foundation, and then practicing the Five Elements Thief Palm was considered a relatively stable path.
"Medicine Sand Palm fifth layer, Five Elements Thief Palm third layer, together that’s eight graded levels; I wonder how many Outer Sect, Inner Sect, True Inheritor, Outer Elder, and Inner Sect Elders levels could be distinguished..."
"Of course, the reality is, some people, even if they obtain an exceptional martial arts scripture, can’t master it, while some geniuses languish without such scriptures..."
Zhong Shenxiu’s thoughts began to branch out.
Meanwhile, Wei Baizhu, unclear about his martial progression, still thought Liu Yi was contemplating some profound martial arts theory and did not dare disturb him.
"When I complete my blood transfusion and possess the strength to challenge the ranks, I’ll start by annihilating the San Shan Sect..."
Zhong Shenxiu thought secretly, suddenly glancing towards the courtyard wall.
There, a dark shadow flashed by and disappeared.
Though the figure had fled, the thick, dense energy was distinctly different from an ordinary person, certainly a skilled martial artist of the Martial Arts.
"Is a martial artist spying? Nine Elements Sect? Or another force?"
Zhong Shenxiu coughed twice, "If it weren’t for my poor condition, I would have caught up and hit them with the Five Elements Thief Palm..."
Because of the recent blood transfusion, the ’sacrifices’ he had been using were ordinary people with no martial arts skills, enabling him to strike swiftly and cleanly.
Otherwise, if he exerted his inner strength too much and got rough in a fight, it could interfere with the blood transfusion process, leading to an imperfect foundation, which would be the real regret.
"I hope it’s not an enemy, don’t force me to that extent..."
Zhong Shenxiu watched the direction in which the shadow had disappeared, his eyes revealing a dangerous gleam.
Qi Lianfeng was a swordsman.
The name Quick Blade Qi, in the nearby underworld of the Jianghu Martial Arts, was well-known.
Everyone knew Qi’s blade was fast, so fast that by the time the flash of the blade was seen, the enemy hadn’t realized they had been struck!
Moreover, this man was a lone wolf, or rather, an assassin.
After all, in Jianghu, only personal martial power could be exchanged for money.
He had killed thirty-seven people without a single failure, and this time, he had received a big contract.
"Remnants of the Shanyao Gang... ah, I like the San Shan Sect’s thorough style!"
Qi Lianfeng walked a few streets and arrived at the inn where he was staying, retrieving a recently drawn map of the Shanyao Hall.
His moves were ruthless yet not reckless, which was why he could mingle in Jianghu for years and still remain carefree and comfortable.
"In the Shanyao Hall, only Wei Baizhu and Xun Liuyi are worth noting. Wei Baizhu has aged, his martial arts greatly weakened; Lord Qi can finish him with three strikes, others with only one. But this Xun Liuyi... ah, he actually mastered the Five Elements Thief Palm; no wonder the San Shan Sect are restless, even if they spare others, this man must be eliminated!"
Qi Lianfeng knew that the San Shan Sect had long noticed the Shanyao Hall, but because they were gang members, a major move into Anshan City to seek revenge would certainly be seen as a provocation by the Nine Elements Sect—a massive hassle, unlike some Jianghu wanderers who could swiftly enact revenge.
Yet the San Shan Sect wasn’t rigid, nor would they allow enemies the chance to grow; unable to act personally, they covertly hired the famed Quick Blade Qi Lianfeng, determined to nip the danger in the bud.
And with Qi Lianfeng’s Flying Sand Blade, honestly, even the former gang leader of the Shanyao Gang might not have been his match.
Therefore, at this moment, the assassin’s heart was filled with something called confidence.
He had already highly regarded this Xun Liuyi, putting him at the level of the Shanyao Gang’s leader, plus the rest of the Shanyao Hall, yet he believed he could still succeed.
"Really, how could someone who’s barely practiced martial arts for a few days possess the skilled and fierce palm technique of the Shanyao Gang leader?"
Qi Lianfeng drew his quick blade, slowly wiping it, having decided to act tonight and eliminate the Shanyao Hall under cover of darkness!