13: Red Snake Leg Dacheng

Early Morning:

[Cultivation Technique: Red Snake Leg Major Achievement — One hundred daily practices, ten days of Secret medicine, a thousand days to Perfection.]

[Promotion Conditions — 1: Three portions of Red Snake Secret medicine, 2: One Great Snake Entwines Leg.]

Red Snake Leg Major Achievement.

This time, with Toad Skill as a prerequisite, after consuming one portion of Secret medicine, he actually gained six Iron Tendons.

Chu Qing was lucky; the Iron Tendons from Red Snake Leg did not overlap with Mantis Fist.

[Chu Qing]

[Realm — Iron Tendons 42 / 5%]

[Cultivation Technique: Mantis Fist Perfection ...]

[Promotion Conditions: 1: Kill ten enemies with fists, 2: One shizhu pearl.]

...[Cultivation Technique: Toad Skill Proficiency ... (Secret Inheritance)]

[Promotion Conditions: 1: One hundred thousand frog jumps, 2: One portion of Toad Secret medicine.]

...[Cultivation Technique: Red Snake Leg Major Achievement ...]

[Promotion Conditions — 1: Three portions of Red Snake Secret medicine, 2: One Great Snake Entwines Leg.]

"42 Iron Tendons now."

"Zhao Hongxiu said that the Outer Courtyard Disciples of the Martial Academy have one hundred to eighty Iron Tendons."

"I'm about to have half their number."

"But, it's still not enough."

Shi Tiezhu and Zhao Hongxiu were willing to act like dogs for others to enter the Martial Academy.

But, he didn't want to.

Because the Martial Academy was divided into two layers: Inner and Outer.

The Inner Courtyard offered more refined martial arts and more resources.

Those who acted like dogs could only learn crude martial arts in the Outer Courtyard, with scarce resources.

Jin Pangzi and others had said that in martial arts cultivation, one step fast meant every step was fast.

Chu Qing wanted to enter the Martial Academy, and even more, he wanted to enter the Inner Courtyard.

He wanted to continue being fast.

However, competition for Inner Courtyard slots was even more intense.

Money and connections were useless; one had to have true ability to get in.

So... he still had to work hard.

"To improve quickly, I can only rely on Red Snake Leg right now."

"And to promote Red Snake Leg, I still need Secret medicine."

"I can go to Red Snake Martial Hall to buy Secret medicine."

"But... Liu Jun just died. If I go to buy medicine, I will definitely be targeted."

"I need to find another way to get the medicine."

Chu Qing immediately thought of buying it on the black market.

But... his former self had never heard of it.

Moreover, with his current identity, it wasn't easy to inquire.

What to do?

Suddenly, a thought flashed in his mind:

"Since I could get Secret medicine and Secret Manuals from Liu Jun, do the other Big Boss have them too?"

Chu Qing paced back and forth, constantly pondering:

"Hall Master Liu has thirteen Big Boss under him. Since I've already killed one, why not kill the rest?"

"Anyway, I'll confront Hall Master Liu sooner or later. Killing those Big Boss will just clip his wings."

It wasn't that he didn't want to kill Hall Master Liu directly, but he didn't know the other party's strength.

So... a direct conflict was temporarily out of the question.

Ten minutes later:

Chu Qing pocketed some silver and left.

He walked through streets and alleys, openly entering shops selling rouge, powder, hairpins, and other ornaments.

In reality, he was checking the Red Snake Martial Hall and the residences of the other twelve Big Boss.

An hour later:

A simple map appeared in Chu Qing's mind.

Then, he bought a Phoenix hairpin and Phoenix-tail tassel earrings to see Madam Jin...

Hall Master Liu of the Head Chopping Hall was in a bad mood.

Because the Constable had just come over and said his nephew Liu Jun was dead.

Liu Jun's property had been completely plundered by the yamen.

That Constable even demanded silver from him as an investigation fee.

He also demanded a thousand taels of silver to find the real murderer.

Hall Master Liu suppressed his anger, finally giving the Constable a silver note and saying:

"I want the real murderer, not a scapegoat."

The Constable quickly put away the silver note and smiled:

"With Chief Constable Shi taking action, even if the murderer is a Powerful scion from a Fortified Manor, they can be brought to justice."

Hall Master Liu nodded. Chief Constable Shi's promise was worth a thousand pieces of gold.

In the vast Shiji County, only a few families dared to contend with Chief Constable Shi; after all... he came from the Bingjia Sect.

Now, the Empire faced a thousand-year national destiny calamity, with internal turmoil and instability. The Sects and the Empire ruled the world together.

In Shiji County, you could resist the Empire a bit, but you absolutely could not resist the Bingjia Sect, which controlled a thousand li...

Jin Family Mansion:

In the bright study, Chu Qing, dressed in coarse linen and barefoot, sat writing.

A plump Madam, dressed in fine silks and satins, rolled up her sleeves, revealing a section of her fair, slender arm, diligently grinding ink.

At the doorway, Xiao Tao Hong watched this scene, feeling strange in her heart:

The man was handsome, with an extraordinary temperament.

The woman was mature, charming, and alluring.

"Madam... your hair is falling on Chu Qing's face."

"Madam, he's touching your waist."

Xiao Tao Hong really wanted to loudly scold the two of them.

But, she didn't dare; because she was a concubine, Madam Jin's confidante.

"Oh, Madam, please quickly pull away, it's too close..."

After a long while, Madam Jin gave up grinding ink, sat on a chair, and grumbled:

"Xiao Tao Hong, come here and massage my shoulders."

Chu Qing suddenly stood up and said, "Godmother, I'll massage you."

Xiao Tao Hong quickened her steps: "Absolutely not."

However, the next second, Chu Qing's large hand landed on Madam Jin's fragrant shoulder.

Xiao Tao Hong stopped in her tracks.

"Godmother, I have strong hands, so the effect will be good."

Madam Jin tensed her body and said in a flustered tone, "This... isn't good."

Chu Qing smiled and said, "What's not good about me relieving Godmother's fatigue?"

After speaking, he began to massage.

Madam Jin only felt a burning sensation on her shoulders, and his large hand occasionally touched her neck, making all the hairs on her body stand up.

Comfortable.

"Never mind, Qing'er comes from a humble background, dressed in coarse linen and barefoot. He doesn't understand etiquette or rules."

"I'll tell him slowly later."

One minute... five minutes... ten minutes...

Xiao Tao Hong wanted to cry.

Madam, why didn't you refuse? Why didn't you scold him?

Madam... how did your head end up resting on his chest?

Madam... how can he put a hairpin in your hair? He even touched your ear to put on an earring?

Madam, your face is red, and your ears are red too.

Oh, Madam!

Half an hour later:

Chu Qing bid farewell to Madam Jin and returned to the Martial Hall.

If it were before, Madam Jin would have kept him for dinner.

But, today she didn't.

Just before he left, Madam Jin said, "Qing'er, remember to come read this afternoon, hmm, read the Great Rites Controversy!"

...Mantis Martial Hall:

After Chu Qing had eaten and drunk his fill, he went to the training ground to do frog jumps.

One... ten... one hundred...

The special training students saw him and secretly shook their heads:

"This Chu Qing is truly crazy."

"Every day he bounces around like a toad. In a few days, will he start croaking like a toad?"

"He's not resolute enough, completely wasting fifty taels of silver."

Shi Tiezhu sighed to himself, thinking that this coarse linen-clad, barefoot young man had once caught toads for him to eat, which was kind of him.

He stopped Chu Qing and said, "I know you're under a lot of pressure, but don't be under pressure yet."

"In this huge Martial Hall, only Senior Brother and I can enter the Martial Academy."

"You... never had a chance from the start."

"However, even if you can't enter the Martial Academy, you can do other things."

"For example... how about becoming a blacksmith? When I enter the Martial Academy, my family's blacksmith shop will definitely expand. At that time, I'll ask my father to take care of you a bit more."

Chu Qing smiled and continued his frog jumps.

One lap... three laps...

Under the scorching sun, Chu Qing was drenched in sweat but didn't stop.

Suddenly:

Zhao Wuji, leading a group of constables and Martial Hall Disciples, all came to the training ground.

He saw Chu Qing doing frog jumps, secretly nodded, and then said loudly:

"Everyone... come and line up."

The Crowd gathered.

Chu Qing was mixed in The Crowd.

He saw a group of constables and secretly frowned: "What are these people here for?"

Many students discussed amongst themselves.

A Constable roared:

"Silence!"

The vast training ground, with hundreds of people, became completely silent.

Zhao Wuji, Zhao Hongxiu, Senior Brother, and others all stood with their hands down, respectfully.

Everyone was very confused: "What do the constables want to do?"