At dawn, Qin Wang carried Qin Xuemei and arrived at a pine forest fifty miles away from Yanyun County.
"Wang, you can put me down. I can walk by myself," Qin Xuemei said softly in Qin Wang's ear as she lay on his back.
"Alright, it's daylight now. Let's rest for a bit," Qin Wang nodded. Having run fifty miles carrying his sister, even though he was a second-rate martial artist, he needed to rest. He set Qin Xuemei down and took two flatbreads from his bag, handing one to her.
"Wang, what was in that medicine pouch? It was so powerful," Qin Xuemei asked, her eyes wide with amazement as she nibbled on her flatbread. She vividly remembered the scene at the south gate where the small packet had incapacitated all the soldiers.
"That's called Beisu Dispersal Incense. Any martial artist below the first rate who inhales it will collapse within three breaths," Qin Wang said between bites of his own flatbread.
"No wonder you were so confident. You had everything under control," Qin Xuemei smiled. She had been worried about how Wang would get them past the heavily guarded gate, but one packet of the incense had resolved everything.
"You have really grown up, Wang," Qin Xuemei said with a sense of pride.
"Chiyang Divine Technique!" Qin Wang suddenly remembered the yellow cloth package he had picked up at the gate. He glanced around and took it out of his bag, with Qin Xuemei watching quietly.
Inside the yellow cloth was an old booklet and a peculiar key. The cover of the booklet bore the title "Chiyang Divine Technique" in bold characters.
"It really is the Chiyang Divine Technique!" Qin Wang was overjoyed. This manual had caused countless bloody battles in the martial world and was the source of power for Yan Baifei, the top martial artist of Liangzhou, who had ruled the region for thirty years.
Now, Qin Wang had it in his hands. Having already been practicing a derivative technique, the Little Chiyang Technique, Qin Wang knew that this divine technique would enhance his abilities significantly.
"Wang, could you teach me martial arts when you have time?" Qin Xuemei asked, her eyes filled with determination.
"You want to learn martial arts, sister?" Qin Wang was surprised by her request.
"Yes, that way I can help you too," Qin Xuemei smiled. Realizing that Wang had grown up and she was the one being protected, she decided to learn martial arts to avoid becoming a burden.
"Alright, once I return from the black market, I'll teach you the Flying Eagle Technique," Qin Wang agreed. While the Chiyang Divine Technique wasn't suitable for her, the Flying Eagle Technique was.
Meanwhile, back in Yanyun County, the south gate was cordoned off. The soldiers were investigating the large extinguished brazier in the middle of the cordon.
"Forty soldiers incapacitated? This poison is identical to that used in the Chen family massacre!" Qi Shun, a commanding officer, frowned deeply as he examined the scene.
"Those two must be the killers of Chief Constable Zheng," he muttered, turning his attention to a young, slender man on the ground. "Are you the famed thief Zuantian Yaozi?"
The young man remained silent.
"Uncle, this man won't talk. Maybe it's because of the poison," said Qi Feiying, Qi Shun's nephew, respectfully.
"Let me try," Qi Shun said, infusing the young man with his inner energy. The young man stirred and weakly said, "Do what you want... I've failed..."
"We don't need to kill you. We just want to know about that item," Qi Shun's eyes gleamed.
"The couple took it..." Zuantian Yaozi, or Li Qiye, managed to say before falling silent.
"Feiying, investigate that couple and send troops to pursue them southwards!" Qi Shun ordered. The Chiyang Divine Technique could bring great prosperity to the Qi family.
"Yes!" Qi Feiying replied, hurrying away.
Meanwhile, in the charred remains of the Chen family estate, a man in his early thirties, dressed in white, stood with three elderly men. They were all stunned by the devastation.
"Didn't Auntie say that my cousin Chen Yi was taken to the Taiyi Sword Sect by an elder?" Zhuo Yijian, the man in white, frowned deeply. He had come to congratulate his aunt's family and take her to Yunzhou, only to find the entire family massacred.
"Master, this is serious. We must inform your father and help investigate," said an elderly man with a ruddy complexion.
"Agreed," Zhuo Yijian nodded. His aunt's family had suffered, but his cousin Chen Yi and uncle Chen Kun were still alive. Helping them now could yield great rewards when Chen Yi returned from the Taiyi Sword Sect.
Two days later, Qin Wang and Qin Xuemei arrived at a small farmhouse in Fengye Town, near Qingyun County. After settling his sister, Qin Wang headed to the Jing Mountain Black Market with money and the Soul Gathering Bowl.
Jing Mountain was located at the border between Qingyun County and Huxiao Town, about a hundred miles away. There, beside a crescent-shaped lake called Yingyue Lake, was the entrance to the black market.
"According to the intel, presenting a black market token at the Jing Mountain Fishing Platform will reveal the market's exact location," Qin Wang thought as he stood by the lake, seeing a large stone platform but no people.
"Do you have an entry token?" asked a masked man in gray, appearing from behind a large rock and holding a stack of masks.
"Yes," Qin Wang replied, handing over his token.
The masked man examined it and handed back the token along with a sheep mask. "The black market opens at six tonight, ten miles away in Fengye Valley."
"Thank you," Qin Wang said, taking the mask and the information.
That evening, Qin Wang, carrying ten packets of Beisu Dispersal Incense and some money, entered Fengye Valley wearing the sheep mask. Many others, also masked, were making their way into the valley, where powerful martial artists mingled, all concealing their identities.
At the entrance, two second-rate late-stage martial artists in tiger masks checked the entry tokens. After presenting his token, Qin Wang was allowed in.