Hu Gongquan and the others certainly didn't want to die, so they had no choice but to comply with Xu Qing's demand and hand over all the kickbacks they had taken over the past year.
Next, Xu Qing briefly familiarized himself with the Chunfeng Tower's business model. After a moment of thought, he decided against implementing the profit strategies of the high-end clubs he knew from Earth.
The night passed without incident.
「The next morning.」
Xu Qing woke up early. He had spent the night at the Chunfeng Tower but hadn't indulged in any debauchery. The courtesans there, he found, were not to his taste.
Neither Lan Xin, the top courtesan of Chunfeng Tower, nor Ziyan, with her high-society demeanor, held much appeal for him. He simply had a quiet night's rest.
'Time to head back.'
Xu Qing stretched, ate breakfast at the Chunfeng Tower, and then left. He went to the Cangying Martial Arts Hall and met with Du Cangying again at the main courtyard.
Inside a room in the main courtyard, Du Cangying looked Xu Qing over.
"What is it?"
"Master."
Xu Qing took out 10,000 taels in silver notes from his robes and respectfully presented them to Du Cangying. "Last night, your disciple went to the Chunfeng Tower and examined the ledgers. I discovered that Hu Gongquan and his associates were cooking the books. Over the course of a year, they skimmed a total of 10,080 taels in kickbacks."
"I made them give it all back last night."
"Please, Master, take a look."
"Oh?"
Du Cangying raised an eyebrow. He reached out, took the 10,000 taels in silver notes, and said, "Xu Qing, I didn't expect you had this kind of skill."
"Not bad, not bad at all."
Du Cangying nodded. He took out three notes of one thousand taels each from the stack, for a total of three thousand, and handed them to Xu Qing. "This is for you. Take it."
"Thank you, Master."
Xu Qing's heart leaped with joy as he accepted the three thousand taels in silver notes.
"How is your Cyan Eagle Force training coming along?" Du Cangying asked.
"Reporting to Master, your disciple has made some progress these past few days," Xu Qing replied.
"Show me," Du Cangying said.
"Yes."
Xu Qing nodded respectfully.
Then, Xu Qing began to practice the Cyan Eagle Claw Force inside the room. He had already combined the two Martial Arts, the Eagle Claw Technique and the Cyan Eagle Force, to form the Cyan Eagle Claw Force, which embodied the essence of both a fighting style and a Training Technique.
"You..."
With just a single glance, Du Cangying could already tell.
*HUUUH...*
A little over ten minutes later, Xu Qing finished his demonstration, letting out a breath of stale air.
"Excellent, excellent, excellent."
Du Cangying's eyes shone, a look of profound surprise on his face. "Xu Qing, oh, Xu Qing, you have truly exceeded my expectations."
"You actually managed to combine the Eagle Claw Technique and the Cyan Eagle Force."
"Your insight is profound, Master," Xu Qing said. "Truly, nothing can be hidden from you."
"Hahaha..."
Du Cangying laughed heartily. "I never imagined you would have such an aptitude for Martial Arts! With your natural constitution and this level of insight... a genius! A true genius!"
"You praise me too highly, Master," Xu Qing said.
"When you reach the Peak of Ming Jin, I will personally teach you the Magic Gate to An Jin," Du Cangying said. "From now on, if you need anything, come directly to me."
"Yes."
Xu Qing nodded.
"You may go."
Du Cangying waved his hand.
"Your disciple takes his leave."
Xu Qing departed with a respectful bow.
'I didn't expect this, I truly didn't.'
Du Cangying watched Xu Qing's retreating figure, his hands clasped behind his back, and seemed to drift into a memory. 'When I first established the Cangying Martial Arts Hall, I held to the belief of teaching all without discrimination. I never thought I would one day accept a disciple with such extraordinary Talent.'
"Hahaha..."
"The heavens have truly been kind to me!"
Du Cangying laughed three times.
「That morning.」
Xu Qing bought three catties of Tai Sui Spirit Meat from Elder Xiao. The Resource Tower had other Secret Medicines and tonics, but Xu Qing didn't need them. Three catties of Tai Sui Spirit Meat per day was already enough.
In a flash, Xu Qing was back home.
'I revealed more of my Talent to Master this time. As things stand, it seems to have only benefits and no drawbacks. In fact, it's made Master pay even more attention to me.'
Xu Qing mused, 'I have enough money now. Plus, with my thirty percent share of the profits from the Chunfeng Tower each month, I can cover the expenses for my daily Cultivation.'
'So, I don't need to focus on making money for a while. I'll just concentrate on my Cultivation.'
「By evening.」
*HUUUH...*
Xu Qing slowly exhaled a breath of stale air.
With a thought, a panel appeared before him.
[Baji Fist LV6: 115/320.]
'Almost there.'
Xu Qing murmured, 'Just a few more days.'
Afterwards, Xu Qing finished his practice, pan-fried a piece of Tai Sui Spirit Meat, and ate it. A warm current emerged from his abdomen and spread throughout his body, slowly restoring his stamina and energy.
A few minutes later, around six in the evening, Yu Chen brought Yu Hu to Xu Qing's residence.
"Brother Xu."
Yu Chen greeted him with a bow.
"You're here."
Xu Qing glanced up, his expression calm.
"Yu Hu, hurry up and greet your master," Yu Chen commanded.
"Master."
Yu Hu was a little reserved.
"Mm."
Xu Qing nodded.
Next, Xu Qing began to teach Yu Hu Baji Fist. Yu Hu had a good foundation and a strong constitution, not to mention all the fine things Yu Chen had been feeding him.
Furthermore, while Yu Hu wasn't brilliant, he wasn't stupid either.
An hour passed in a flash.
The sky had already grown dark.
"That's enough for today."
Xu Qing stopped and said, "Yu Chen, it's getting late. You should take Yu Hu home. It's not safe on the roads once it's completely dark."
"Alright."
Yu Chen nodded. "Thank you for your trouble, Brother Xu."
"Master, this disciple takes his leave," Yu Hu said with a bow.
...
Xu Qing watched as Yu Chen and Yu Hu left.
'Baji Fist was originally just a fighting style. After being upgraded by the Encyclopedia of All Things, it gradually incorporated the essence of a Training Technique. Now, it has become a profound Martial Art that integrates both,' Xu Qing mused to himself. 'The Baji Fist I'm teaching Yu Hu isn't the original version, but the Level 2 Baji Fist. Once he masters it completely, he'll be able to condense Ming Jin.'
'That's more than enough.'
'Given Yu Hu's constitution and aptitude, with an hour of practice each day, he should be able to learn Level 2 Baji Fist within a month. After that, he won't need to come here anymore and can practice at home.'
「At eight in the evening.」
...during the second watch of the night, Xu Qing received a letter. It was delivered by an attendant from the Chunfeng Tower. The letter was from Hu Gongquan, stating that someone was causing trouble at the tower tonight and that Xu Qing was needed to handle them.
'Causing trouble.'
Xu Qing put the letter away and glanced at the attendant.
"Who is it?" Xu Qing asked.
"I... I don't know..."
The attendant kept his head down, his eyes darting away, as if he were hiding something. Xu Qing frowned, noticing the man's strange behavior.
"Are you lying to me?"
Xu Qing's expression darkened.
"No... no..."
The attendant waved his hands frantically. "How would I dare lie to you, sir!"
"Let's go," Xu Qing said after a moment's thought.
"Yes, yes, yes."
The attendant nodded rapidly.
「During the second watch of the night.」
The sky was dark. The streets were basically empty, as the residents were sound asleep in their homes. Xu Qing walked along the road to the Chunfeng Tower.
The attendant from the Chunfeng Tower walked ahead of him.
Suddenly, just as Xu Qing rounded a street corner, the attendant from the Chunfeng Tower quickened his pace, rushing ahead.
"You—" Xu Qing barked.
SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!
The next moment, three figures cut through the air, leaping down from the rooftops. Dressed in black night-crawling clothes, they formed a triangle and surrounded Xu Qing.
"AH!"
In his haste and panic, the attendant from the Chunfeng Tower tripped over his own feet and fell to the ground with a cry.
The Chunfeng Tower attendant looked back and met Xu Qing's chilling gaze.
"I'm sorry, sir! They took my parents and my child! I... I had no choice..." the attendant babbled.
PFFT!
The next moment, with a flash of silver light, a dart shot through the air. It was incredibly fast, piercing the attendant's neck in an instant.
...
The attendant from the Chunfeng Tower opened his mouth, a look of shock and resentment on his face as he died.
"Who are you?"
Xu Qing paid no mind to the attendant's death. Instead, he looked at the three assassins in black who had surrounded him. "I don't believe I've offended you, have I?"
"Dead men don't need to know much."
"Do it."
...
However, the three assassins in black clearly had no interest in talking. After eliminating the attendant, they exchanged a glance and immediately attacked Xu Qing from three different directions.
'Snake Body Technique.'
SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!
Xu Qing's eyes flashed as he executed the Snake Body Technique. His body became lithe and agile, moving like a slithering snake to swiftly evade the three assassins' attacks.
"What a nimble Body Technique."
"This kid is no simpleton."
"It seems you really might be the one who killed the Corpse Ghost," the three assassins said.
"You're connected to those Corpse Ghosts," Xu Qing shouted.
"Die!"
SWISH!
The next moment, the three assassins joined forces. They drew Soft Swords from their waists, the Sword Light chilling and impossibly fast. The streaks of Sword Light formed what seemed like a Celestial Net, closing in on Xu Qing.
CLANG!
The ring of a sword sounded.
Xu Qing took a step back, his right hand reaching up to grip the hilt of the Iron Sword on his back. An incredibly sharp Sword Qi seemed to emanate from between his brows.
SWISH!
Xu Qing drew his Iron Sword.
In that moment, the body of the Iron Sword reflected sharp glints of Sword Light.
"Life-taking Thirteen Swords!"
Xu Qing let out a low shout. "First Sword! Sword Out, Throat Sealed!"
KRAK!
Xu Qing's thrust carried an aura of certain death. The Sword Light blazed, shattering all of his opponents' Sword Lights with the ease of snapping dry twigs.
KRAK! KRAK!
Not only that, but the Soft Swords in the hands of all three assassins shattered.
"What?!"
The three assassins were aghast.
PFFT! PFFT!
Blood splattered. Two crimson flowers bloomed.
One sword strike. Just a single sword strike.
Two assassins died on the spot, their throats slit by that one strike. Only one remained, clutching his Broken Sword, his eyes filled with terror.