noveldepot Chapter 40 Records, Night Raid
Chapter 40 Records, Night Raid
Li Xin entered the study, ignoring the noise outside.
He opened the drawer, but instead of touching the money, he pulled out a small booklet with crumpled pages.
Turning the page, you see delivery records written in delicate, small characters on yellowed paper.
In the fifth month of the year Yiwei, Huang Zhongwen, a principal clerk in the Ministry of Revenue, took in two daughters: Gu Xianglian, thirteen, and Wang Yufang, fifteen.
[In the seventh month of the year Yiwei, Su Chengdong, Assistant Minister of Rites, had three daughters: Chen Qixiu, fourteen; Wang Sanfeng, sixteen; and Zhang Zhilan, fourteen.]
[In the second month of the year Bing Shen, Yang Mingzhi, the Vice Prefect of the Capital Prefecture...]
[In the fourth month of the Bing Shen year, Wang Tongyuan, the commander of the Southern Camp...]
……
[June of the Dingyou Year]...
It must be said that Tang Si Niang, the Green Bamboo Snake, is an expert at bookkeeping.
Furthermore, they were able to manipulate the system, intercepting some of the most attractive women and boys and secretly sending them to the residences of high-ranking officials and nobles.
As for what to do with it?
Then there's no need to investigate further.
Li Xin had no interest in learning more.
All he knew was that these people deserved to die.
Compared to the massive business of Qingzihao, Tang Siniang, the manager of Yinhou Gambling House, was only in charge of a small part of the business.
If she could handle so many "businesses," one can only imagine how much blood and tears were hidden in that "Ten Thousand Flowers Brothel."
Some things in the booklet are written in a rather ambiguous way.
Some only indicate how many people handled the shipment and how many people it was sent to... but they don't specify who the people were or where it was sent.
Li Xin could roughly guess that even a ruthless and audacious creature like the Green Bamboo Snake might not dare to write it too clearly.
They were terrified that leaking even the slightest bit of information would bring about their own demise.
With this booklet in hand, Li Xin naturally understood why government officials had come to his door today.
On one hand, some people at Cheng's Bagua were starting to lose patience.
While suppressing them, they also strained relations within the palace.
On the other hand, it's estimated that some people simply couldn't sit still any longer.
"Damn it, should we report this to the authorities?"
Zhuang Hongxiu brought hot water and helped Li Xin wash his face and hands. Her gaze fell on the writing in the booklet, and her expression darkened. She asked softly.
"Why sue the officials? They are officials..."
"Let's cook. We're closed for today, but we'll be open as usual tomorrow."
Li Xin acted as if nothing had happened.
Carrying a bag of medicinal herbs, he carefully measured the proportions and prepared to decoct the medicine.
Today, a rather thrilling fight broke out in the Cheng family's courtyard.
The harvest, however, was enormous.
With the [Qian Yuan Lie Huo Jin] that his master had instilled in his body, he finally comprehended the [Yun Jin] method and gained a glimpse into the techniques of controlling force.
Although it's still a bit unfamiliar, we're at least on the right track.
With diligent practice, you will naturally be able to apply the "energy transfer" technique as easily as using your own arms and fingers.
As a result, he gained a deeper understanding of a principle.
Regardless of the school, lineage, or tradition, it all costs money, a lot of money.
External martial arts require eating meat to replenish the body, which is extremely taxing.
If nutrition is not adequately replenished, the body is likely to suffer from deficiencies.
And what about internal martial arts?
Not only must one seek externally, but one must also seek internally, which is far more demanding than simply honing one's muscles and skin.
Because this skill, which involves controlling qi and blood and circulating energy to cleanse the marrow, is based on qi and blood.
The more abundant one's Qi and blood, the stronger one's physical strength.
The stronger one's vital energy, the deeper one's cultivation...
In this way, simply eating meat is not enough to replenish the body's nutrients.
It requires some expensive medicines such as ginseng, he shou wu, ling zhi, and snow lotus.
No matter how wealthy you are, if you take medicine and practice like this every day, even a mountain of gold will be emptied out.
"Young master, do you need seven qian of He Shou Wu? Five qian of Dang Gui, one liang of Huang Qi..."
"You understand pharmacology?"
Li Xin turned to look at Hongxiu and saw her concentrating intently, picking up the prepared medicinal herbs and weighing them in her hand.
"My family used to have a pharmacy. When I had nothing to do, I pretended to be a shop assistant and filled out medicine for a while. However, I wasn't very proficient in pulse diagnosis and prescriptions; I only knew a little bit about them."
"Fur is good, fur... Hongxiu, from now on, I'll entrust the task of buying and decocting medicine to you. This is very important."
"I only know a little... Besides, some precious medicines are not sold outside the major pharmacies in the capital, so we are not familiar with them."
Zhuang Hongxiu nodded in agreement, but then seemed somewhat hesitant.
She knows all too well how business is done these days.
Always keep something in reserve, even several reserves. If there are good items in the pharmacy, they won't be brought out unless you're a regular customer.
"It's okay, I'm not exactly a good person."
Li Xin smiled with a very innocent expression.
"When the time comes, I'll take you on a tour of all the pharmacies in the capital, and everyone should be familiar with them by then."
He glanced at the silver in the drawer and thought that if he wanted to fully strengthen his qi and blood, and raise his strength to the level of "extreme hardness giving rise to softness" in the shortest possible time, and even reach the point of "covering his entire body with a net," the amount of silver he would need would probably be enormous.
He possesses the secret technique of "Eight-Nine Transformations, True Body of Wishes," which allows him to make rapid progress in tendon and bone strengthening.
At the same time, the absorption of medicinal power to strengthen one's own essence will be astonishingly fast. But ultimately, one cannot create something from nothing; normal cultivation is still necessary.
"The addition of 'physique' should be counted under my physical constitution, becoming my innate endowment."
Adding Qi and Blood is considered part of acquired cultivation... It not only strengthens the physique, but also increases attack and defense.
When walking on two legs, both legs must be steady.
We can't wait until we add some power and become stronger, only to use it in a brute-force manner... our techniques for channeling energy and generating force are rudimentary and clumsy.
That's a real waste of all my good genes...
Thinking about the improvements in his physique, agility, and spirit gained from gathering his faith power, Li Xin felt satisfied, but also somewhat dissatisfied.
"Continuing to increase [Constitution] now is the most cost-effective option."
With just 1 point of Faith, you can increase your Constitution by 1 point.
Once my [Constitution] reaches 20 points, I should be able to unlock [The Great Sage Equal to Heaven's Divine Intent]. I wonder what kind of secret technique will be activated then?
It sounds like something to look forward to.
None of these three images are useless.
The activated secret technique of "Three Heads and Six Arms, Void Reflection" by Nezha is very effective against group attacks and sneak attacks.
Erlang Shen's first secret technique, "Eight-Nine Transformations, Ruyi True Body," not only gives him a significant advantage in martial arts combat but also allows him to rapidly increase his cultivation speed.
The Yi Jin Xi Sui (Muscle/Tendon Changing and Marrow Cleansing) technique improves daily, and martial arts skills become increasingly refined with practice, eventually reaching mastery.
His knife-wielding technique is like someone who has been immersed in knife skills for decades, with every move a brilliant one.
So, what incredible secret skill will be obtained by activating the monkey's divine vision diagram and opening the first level?
If the first level is like this, what about the second level?
Nezha, the Third Prince, has now completed 31% of his first stage of advancement.
If I play the role a few more times and perform in a few big shows, I estimate I'll be able to digest it all.
By then, the secret techniques will become second nature and solidify.
Then activate the second level of secret technique.
Is he going to materialize some kind of secret technique, like the Hun Tian Ling, Qian Kun Quan, or Feng Huo Lun?
That's really something, they've really struck it rich.
Overwhelmed with joy, Li Xin enthusiastically took the medicine...
He walked around the courtyard again and again, taking sixty-four steps, practicing the Bagua Youshen Palm.
According to my senior, Cheng Feiyan.
Before mastering the art of qi and blood, practicing this set of boxing techniques is simply about developing flexibility and strengthening muscles and bones.
The real, ingenious use of it was not actually brought into play.
Once you grasp the essence of Qi and blood, and understand the methods of channeling energy...
This allows one to control the circulation of qi and blood while practicing boxing, thus cultivating and strengthening vital energy.
At the same time, the spirit is gradually infused into the blood and qi.
The fundamental requirement for mastering the art of internal strength and creating a net around the entire body is to allow this vital energy, which flows throughout the body, to condense, grow stronger, and develop a slight spiritual quality.
What is spirituality? It is a spiritual imprint.
You must imprint your spirit into your vital energy and integrate your personal will into your blood and qi.
This is the key to having energy distributed throughout the body, enabling one to spontaneously respond to an enemy.
Therefore, practicing this set of boxing techniques is also beneficial for cultivating one's spirit.
"After Agility reaches 20, activate [Third Prince's Divine Intent] to temporarily double Agility to 40 points."
It can be said that even when facing a master of his caliber, he is confident that he can escape unscathed.
However, it's still not enough in a head-on confrontation.
"20 points of mental strength are still not enough to precisely control 40 points of agility and make them fully effective. It completely fails to demonstrate the boundless power of the Great God of the Three Altars and Seas."
"First, raise your Constitution to 20, then consider prioritizing Spirit, followed by Agility and Constitution."
In any life-or-death confrontation, the first priority is to observe the enemy; intelligence is paramount. Mental fortitude involves sensory perception and neural reflexes; the faster these are improved, the better—this is the primary element for survival.
Agility is secondary; in an era of advanced weaponry, it's better to be unable to win than unable to escape. Speed of attack and escape are also crucial; survival comes first.
As for physical constitution, it has to be ranked last...
This is a late-game attribute. If one day I can actually withstand machine gun fire, I'll max out my constitution and become fearless.
Some thoughts flashed through my mind.
Li Xin wanted to add everything.
Unfortunately, his path to becoming a martial arts champion has not yet begun, and he does not yet have a reputation that can be trusted and admired by a large number of people, so he cannot gain much credibility for the time being.
As for the portrayal of Nezha, he is a chivalrous hero who saves people from danger.
Some people will be deeply grateful to the parties involved.
For some indifferent people, it's just something to talk about over tea.
Forget about credibility, they're even stingy with a few kind words.
Not treating him as a lawless thug is already an act of compassion for the weak.
……
Sure enough, no constables came by that day.
The large-scale scene of cavalry pursuit and infantry encirclement that Li Cheng and Zhuang Hongxiu were worried about did not occur.
Around noon, a few people secretly came over and carried away the constables who had lost their hands and legs without saying a word.
I guess he went to get treatment for his injury.
The Five Military Offices must have been in complete chaos at this point, with members even arguing amongst themselves.
But can things get any more chaotic than they are at night?
Li Xin expressed disbelief.
……
The sky had just darkened.
He didn't even eat dinner, changed into a white outfit, and put on a red and white Nezha Third Prince mask.
He had two revolvers slung around his waist and three-edged spikes strapped to his calves.
Amid the worried gazes of the five children (three adults and two children), he leaped up, scaled the courtyard wall, and disappeared into the moonlight.
Since they refuse to give up, then kill all the dirty hands.
……