Chapter 1 “He… He has nothing to do with me, sir!”

The shop assistant wore a mournful face.

“He shortchanged me when he bought the medicine just now. I’m not with him.”

“Enough nonsense! Answer me!”

Su Er gritted his teeth.

Nanliang County wasn't big, but it wasn't small either. He had sneaked in after burning down the Taoist temple and had been searching for the old Taoist priest for days without any luck.

Now that he had finally found a clue, he couldn't let it go.

The shop assistant trembled and hurriedly replied:

“That kid seems to live in the south of the city, but I really don’t know exactly where! He’s only been buying medicine here for the past half month…”

“If you dare to lie to me, you know the consequences.”

Su Er loosened his grip.

The shop assistant collapsed to the ground, repeatedly saying he wouldn’t dare.

“Humph.”

Su Er turned around and looked in the direction where Zhang Hao Hao had disappeared, his eyes flickering.

Although Nanliang County was small, it had everything. Unlike outside the city, acting recklessly could make it impossible to escape.

He still had to be careful…

He would deal with this old thing tonight.

…

South of Nanling City.

Wisps of green smoke rose from a low, small courtyard, scattering in the air.

In the small courtyard, no more than two or three *zhang* (a Chinese unit of measurement, approximately 3.3 meters) in radius, a large pot sat on a stove made of large stones.

An Qisheng, wearing only a pair of shorts, sat cross-legged in the warm medicinal water, his skin red.

The pungent smell of the medicinal water filled his nostrils, and his skin was covered in water droplets amidst the swirling steam.

In just half a month, his condition had undergone tremendous changes compared to before.

The wrinkles on his face had smoothed out, the loose skin had tightened, and his thin, hunched body had become fuller.

People would believe he was more than ten years younger!

“Master, I’m back!”

Zhang Hao Hao rushed into the courtyard like a gust of wind.

“Senior brother, you never close the door!”

Jiang Tingting raised her head from the ground, her little face covered in ash.

“Oh.”

Zhang Hao Hao scratched his head, turned around to close the door, then walked into the courtyard and opened the medicine bag.

“First, three *liang* (a Chinese unit of measurement, approximately 50 grams) of Long Kui, then two *qian* (a Chinese unit of measurement, approximately 5 grams) of Xue Jian, four *liang* and two *qian* of Zi Xuan…”

Zhang Hao Hao muttered to himself, skillfully pouring the ingredients evenly into the pot one by one.

However, he didn't dare to look at his master much.

At this time, his master’s skin was red, and the muscles on his body were still jumping around like little mice, which made him afraid.

Huff!

Sigh!

An Qisheng sat in the scalding medicinal liquid, and the airflow escaping from his mouth and nose dispersed the pungent medicinal smell.

Boiling himself in various medicinal liquids was a method he had obtained from Tong Zhengyang’s memories.

It could absorb the medicinal power contained in the medicinal materials at the fastest speed and transform it into internal force, temper the body, and fill the deficit.

For the past half month, in addition to entering dreams, cultivating internal energy, and practicing boxing, he had spent most of his time soaking in medicinal liquids, boiling himself over and over again.

Because of this, he had been able to undergo such a big change.

While immersed in the medicinal liquid, he had not been idle. He was still entering dreams, using the twenty-four hours he gained from dreaming to continuously improve the modified *Tong Zi Gong* (Virgin Boy Skill) he had created.

Time passed, and soon it was evening, with red clouds filling the sky.

An Qisheng slowly stopped.

The pot of boiling medicinal liquid had already cooled down, and its color had become transparent, like clear water.

Huff!

He strode out of the pot. Without even wiping himself, the strength of his whole body shook spontaneously, shaking off the water droplets all over his body.

Half a month was not enough for him to be reborn, but it was enough for him to control this body to reach the *Hua Jin* (Transformation) level. Under the nourishment of internal force, his body gradually recovered.

After all, the old Taoist had tempered his body for seventy years. Although his internal force had dissipated and his essence had been lost, going through it again was much faster than an ordinary person starting from scratch.

Of course, the bottle of pills Tie Shan had sent also had an effect.

“The Six Doors are indeed rich and powerful. The effect of the wound medicine that a fifth-rank constable can casually take out is unexpectedly good…”

An Qisheng slowly put on his clothes and sighed softly.

The process of boiling himself was coming to an end, not because it had no effect, but because he had no money.

This time when he went down the mountain, he only had the twenty *liang* (a Chinese unit of currency) of silver he had extorted from Su Er, and the jade pendant he had pawned for more than thirty *liang* of silver.

Buying medicine cost more than thirty *liang*, renting this courtyard cost ten *liang*, plus the three people eating and buying clothes, it could be said that there was not a single bit left.

At this time, he was somewhat expecting those bandits to come early.

Otherwise, an old Taoist in his nineties and two babies, besides begging, had no other way to make money.

“Master, dinner is ready.”

Zhang Hao Hao’s voice came.

“Okay.”

An Qisheng walked into the house. The two little guys were already sitting upright, waiting for the meal to start.

From this, An Qisheng couldn’t help but sigh. The old Taoist had taken in two good disciples. Not only were they diligent, but they also didn’t have any of the characteristics of those naughty children from his previous life.

They were all very obedient.

“Master, we’re out of money…”

After dinner, Zhang Hao Hao took out the money bag with a worried face and counted the copper coins one by one:

“Thirty-six *da zi* (copper coins). If we three save money, we can only eat for four or five days at most…”

“Ah? How come there’s so little? Senior brother, did you secretly run out to buy candied haws to eat?”

Jiang Tingting also frowned when she heard this.

She didn’t want to go hungry.

“I didn’t!”

Zhang Hao Hao’s face turned red, and he was very aggrieved: “Apart from the few candied haws that Master bought for us, I haven’t eaten anything else…”

“Okay, Master will think of a way about the money.”

An Qisheng was a little ashamed. These days, he had been immersed in practicing his skills and had neglected the two little guys.

Having lived for two lifetimes, he had never worried about eating, and he had subconsciously ignored this matter.

He touched the heads of the two little ones and said with pity:

“When we have money in the future, you can eat as many candied haws as you want.”

“Master is the best!”

The little guys, who had been downcast just now, immediately cheered up.

They were already very satisfied with a string of candied haws.

…

Whoosh~

The red moon hung high in the sky, and the night wind blew ‘whoosh’.

In the small alleys south of the city, several figures hurried along in the dark.

They moved lightly, flashing past in the night.

“I found out. The sixth house in front is where the old Taoist is renting, one old and two young, there’s no mistake!”

A short man wearing night clothes said softly:

“The person I asked has a very deep memory because this courtyard is filled with a pungent medicinal smell every day. Everyone around knows that the old Taoist is seriously injured.”

“Good!”

The corners of Su Er’s mouth twitched. He felt a faint pain in his heart when he thought of the twenty *liang* of silver and the jade pendant he had been cheated out of by the old bastard.

Although Snake King Mountain had a large family and a large business, he himself didn’t have much money.

Twenty *liang* of silver was enough for him to order three girls in Drunken Moon Tower and have fun for four or five days. It had been wasted by this old thing!

“Go! Kill this old beast, and I’ll take you to Drunken Moon Tower for a day of fun.”

Su Er’s murderous intent rose, and after gritting his teeth, he made a promise.

Taking advantage of the darkness, he gritted his teeth and sneaked over.

Whoosh~ whoosh~

In the small courtyard, An Qisheng slowly raised his fists and kicked his legs, his body only turning around in a small space.

His movements were slow, even slower than the movements of the old ladies in the parks of Xuanxing.

It seemed that he was wearing heavy iron clothes all over his body.

But if someone was nearby, they would hear that as his movements stretched out, his bones were making ‘crackling’ sounds.

Not only were his bones moving extremely freely, but his physical strength was also being consumed greatly.

Whoosh~

The night wind blew, and fallen leaves danced in the wind.

An Qisheng, who was slowly practicing his boxing, moved his ears slightly, as if he had heard something.

“Isn’t this like having a pillow when you’re sleepy?”

An Qisheng’s eyes lit up slightly, and then returned to silence.

He continued to slowly practice his boxing.

For half a month in reality, plus half a month in his dreams, he had initially integrated dozens of internal and external boxing routines, selecting the most suitable boxing moves to match the *Tong Zi Gong* (Virgin Boy Skill) from them.

Practicing this set of boxing not only extracted internal force faster, but also tempered his muscles and bones much better than the original *Tong Zi Gong*.

“Hmm?”

Listening to the faint ‘crackling’ sound coming from the wind, Su Er waved his hand and lay down at the corner of the wall.

“Second brother?”

A man asked in a low voice.

“Don’t talk.”

Su Er made a gesture, and his body rose and fell gently, like a civet cat hanging on the low earthen wall of the courtyard.

He carefully poked his head out to look.

In the courtyard, the old Taoist was slowly practicing his boxing. His bones were making sounds as he practiced.

“This old guy is indeed seriously injured. His bones are making sounds when he practices such soft punches. There’s no point in living…”

Su Er sneered in his heart:

“Dare to lie to me, let’s see how you die this time!”

He hung on the wall with one hand, and made a gesture behind him with the other, signaling the others to go around and surround him from behind.

Then he lay on the wall, raised his arm slightly, and aimed.

Swish~

With a soft sound, a sleeve arrow emitting a faint blue light had already shot through the air, heading towards the seemingly unaware An Qisheng!

“Ouch!”

Before the sleeve arrow hit his body, An Qisheng suddenly cried out and bent down, supporting his waist.

“Did he sprain his back? What a coincidence?”

Su Er was stunned at first, and a trace of doubt flashed across his face.

But glancing at the others he had brought, who had already climbed over the wall, he dispelled his doubts, touched his back waist, and pulled out a dagger.

He exerted force on his body and rushed into the courtyard.

Whoosh~

Whoosh~

Several figures jumped down from the wall.

Because Su Er had hesitated, those people had already rushed out, and the red light under the red moon was like a storm, slashing towards An Qisheng!

“Well done.”

An Qisheng smiled in his heart. He bent his body to avoid the knife light that was slashing horizontally from behind.

He shook his body, and his hands, which were embracing in a seemingly empty way, clenched their fists and hammered towards his back.

Bang~

A *pie shen chui* (deflecting body punch) was unleashed.

The loose muscles around An Qisheng’s body suddenly tightened, and the whistling air currents seemed to explode the air.

The bandit who had missed his slash with the knife secretly cried out that something was wrong. The *pie shen chui* that was stirring up a fierce air current had heavily smashed into his chest and abdomen!

Bang!

Like a heavy hammer hitting a big drum!

Amidst a low, muffled sound, the bandit’s eyes protruded, and he was lifted off the ground by the huge force.

He flew out a *zhang* (a Chinese unit of measurement, approximately 3.3 meters), heavily hitting the stone wall, and his bones shattered with a ‘crack’.

He lost his voice instantly.