44: Upgraded two-handed mantis sword

Wind and rain lashed down.

Study:

Madam Jin tightly gripped Chu Qing's hand.

Xiao Tao Hong was dozing off outside the door.

Jin Pangzi was still busy with the gang; he probably wouldn't be back for the next few days.

"You killed them?"

After learning of He Qi's death and the extermination of hundreds of people in the He family, Madam Jin's first thought was:

Chu Qing killed them.

Because:

She had already noticed something was off about Chu Qing at the time.

She gripped his hand tightly.

Chu Qing whispered reassuringly:

"I'll be fine."

"Look, I wear coarse clothes and go barefoot. I'm just a young man who has never left Shiji County in my life, and I'm certainly no Big Shot."

"Would I dare to kill so many people?"

"Would I dare to kill Wubao Disciples?"

"Do I have the ability to kill?"

Madam Jin stared into his eyes and said forcefully, "You dare, and you can."

Chu Qing... was speechless.

Madam Jin said faintly, "So many people in Shiji County know that I want to adopt a child."

"But not a single one has ever come to my door voluntarily."

"And you are the first, and the only one."

"Not only are you bold, but you are also incredibly audacious!"

"As for killing... be a little careful, killing is actually very simple."

Chu Qing... remained speechless.

That night:

Madam Jin barely slept.

Chu Qing didn't sleep either.

He allowed Madam Jin to hold his hand, secretly cultivating Iron Cloth to enhance his defense.

At the same time, with his other hand, he tightly gripped the Double-Handed Mantis Sword, working on the first condition's progress.

That night:

Many people didn't sleep.

Some ruffians and unlucky individuals were killed, becoming tools for the He family's vengeance.

Chaos spread throughout the vast Shiji County.

One day... two days... three days... Chu Qing stayed at the Jin Family Mansion for these few days.

Madam Jin wouldn't let him leave.

Moreover, due to the strict inspections, he hadn't gone to Apothecary Li for the Toad Secret medicine.

During this time, Tie Jia Knights came to question him.

They asked what he was doing at the He family that day and why an argument occurred.

Chu Qing explained with a smile that he seemed to have seen the daughter of an old acquaintance enter the He family and wanted to confirm and redeem her.

However, Butler He did not agree.

After accepting ten taels of silver, the Tie Jia Knight said indifferently:

"We assume you wouldn't dare, nor do you have the ability to kill anyone."

After leaving the Jin Family Mansion, the Tie Jia Knight reported back, handed over the silver, and explained the situation.

He Qigou had people specifically assigned to record such things.

If the identity and status of the person giving the silver didn't match, an investigation would be launched immediately.

Chu Qing's ten taels of silver were initially within the scope of suspicion.

However, upon learning that he was at the Jin Family Mansion, the suspicion immediately vanished... Jin Family Mansion:

Madam Jin, mentally exhausted, fell into a deep sleep accompanied by Xiao Tao Hong.

Chu Qing, holding the Double-Handed Mantis Sword, waited silently in a pavilion.

One minute... ten minutes... [You have completed the first condition for Mantis Sword.]

Phew!

"Finally, three days are over."

He opened a box, took out ten portions of Mantis Secret medicine, and swallowed them eagerly.

[You have completed the second condition!]

[Double-Handed Mantis Sword has successfully advanced!]

... [Cultivation Technique: Double-Handed Mantis Sword, Beginner — A thousand refinements daily, mastery in three hundred days.]

[Advancement Conditions: 1: Flick the sword 100,000 times, 2: Mantis pattern covers the sword body once.]

Clang!

The longsword was unsheathed.

With Swordplay at the beginner level, there was a familiar feeling when he held the longsword again.

Chu Qing held the sword with both hands, moving and shifting, sensing the changes in his body.

One minute... ten minutes... The Double-Handed Mantis Sword were practiced over and over again.

Chu Qing continuously perceived the changes within himself.

Performing the Swordplay consumed a lot of stamina; there was no warm current in his body, no feeling of refining Iron Tendons; however, he could vaguely sense that many Iron Tendons in his body were being mobilized as the sword Moves changed.

Vaguely, he had a feeling:

This Double-Handed Mantis Sword couldn't Cultivate Iron Tendons or Iron Bones; however, it could mobilize existing Iron Tendons.

Moreover, unlike Cultivation Techniques such as Iron Hand and Red Snake Leg:

The Iron Tendons mobilized by Mantis Sword didn't care which Cultivation Technique they were refined from; it was only related to the Moves.

Some Moves mobilized the Iron Tendons in the arms and waist.

Some could mobilize Iron Tendons throughout the entire body.

"If all weapon Cultivation Techniques are like this, then the more Iron Tendons one has, the greater the power of the same weapon Cultivation Technique."

"No wonder Tang Wuming said to try to Cultivate 365 Iron Tendons."

Although he had nearly two hundred Iron Tendons, his spirit and energy were vigorous, and his strength was immense.

However, after practicing for more than ten minutes, he was covered in sweat.

"This Mantis Sword consumes too much stamina."

"Even if someone with a slightly weaker Physique learns it, they wouldn't be able to fight."

Wiping off his sweat, he rested.

Chu Qing flicked the longsword with his fingers.

[Flicked Sword +1]

Initially, he flicked it with one finger.

A moment later, he recalled the techniques of previous world technicians and tried to flick it with five fingers simultaneously.

Once... ten times... relying on his Eagle Claw Skill foundation, he succeeded.

Instantly, the progress speed increased fivefold.

However, he was still not satisfied.

"I have ten fingers; flicking with all of them is the ultimate way."

Half a minute later:

Chu Qing sat cross-legged, the longsword lying across his knees, just like a woman playing a guzheng. His hands flew, rapidly flicking the sword.

Efficiency surged again.

"100,000 flicks of the sword, I can finish it by the afternoon."

"Once I've flicked it enough times, I'll Cultivate Mantis Fist; see if I can refine a Bronze Tendon."

These past few days, he had been comforting Madam Jin and holding the sword; he simply had no time to refine Bronze Tendons.

By the afternoon, perhaps he could try.

Clang, clang, clang!

Clang, clang, clang!

His fingers flicked the sword, producing ringing sounds, like metal clashing.

Initially:

Chu Qing still found it dull and boring.

However:

After flicking it two or three tens of thousands of times, he vaguely felt a connection with the longsword.

As his fingers flicked the longsword, the sword body vibrated, and vaguely, he could even sense the condition of the sword body.

He even felt that the sword body underwent a strange change during the flicking.

Clang!

He increased the force.

The feeling became even stronger.

Although he didn't know if this change was good or bad, he decided to increase his force.

"If the longsword breaks, I'll just forge another one then."

Now, he had plenty of money.

Moreover, he also had the ability to earn money, to earn a lot of money.

Noon:

Madam Jin emerged refreshed.

She held an oil-paper umbrella alone, her small feet treading the stone path, and came to the pavilion.

The Madam was exquisitely groomed, her face devoid of panic, like a noble lady.

She quietly watched Chu Qing flick the sword.

His ten fingers flew, flicking repeatedly, dazzling the eyes and unsettling the heart.

With these fingers, and this speed, if he knew some pressure point Cultivation Technique, who could withstand it?

A moment later, she softly said, "Are you tired? Does it hurt?"

Chu Qing smiled and said, "Not tired; not hurt!"

Madam Jin extended her small hand and flicked a pillar with her finger. As a result, her fingertip hurt, and her crystal-clear nail turned reddish.

"It hurts so much."

Chu Qing's heart stirred. He examined her finger and lightly blew on it, saying, "Your skin is delicate, so it naturally hurts when it touches hard objects."

Madam Jin lowered her head.

She felt a warm breath blow over, cool and very comfortable.

"Hey, I heard from the servants that the inspections outside aren't as strict anymore."

"Perhaps we can go out tomorrow."

Chu Qing nodded.

If it wasn't strict anymore, he would go find Apothecary Li and get the Secret medicine.

After all, that was the Toad Secret medicine he had gone to great lengths to acquire; swallowing it early and advancing his Toad Skill was the ultimate way.