Within the Great Zhou Territory, a Grandmaster was a notable figure, dominion over a city, his fame spread across several estates.
In the martial world, it was even more so.
The death of a Grandmaster, even in natural old age, was a significant event that would alarm many.
Such an unclear and mysterious death within the martial circles can indeed stir up a thousand layers of waves with a single stone.
The first to be suspected was Song Tonghai.
A Grandmaster had died in Luofeng City, and Song Tonghai, as the undisputed local powerhouse, was naturally the prime suspect.
But no one dared to speak out, even the Government Office maintained its silence.
Upon hearing this news, Chu Zheng's first reaction was that Song Tonghai was killing the chicken to scare the monkeys.
Only, this chicken was somewhat larger.
For a moment, Chu Zheng inevitably harbored doubts, killing the chicken to scare the monkeys wasn't a problem, but he feared that behind this chicken, there wasn't a monkey, but a Dragon Whale. With a mere movement, the Song Family could be submerged under a devastating torrent.
The impact of those dozens of heads, Chu Zheng soon felt it.
His lunch returned to normal, and was even more lavish than usual, with an addition of five pounds of lamb ribs and two pounds of beef.
With Chu Zheng's current appetite, it was somewhat overwhelming, and it took several sets of boxing to digest a good amount of it.
After each circulation of the Circuit of Qi, Chu Zheng could feel his Qi strength expanding significantly; he had visited the martial arts training ground secretly and tested it—now, he could lift a four hundred-pound stone lock with one hand.
Without Innate Divine Strength and before condensing Inner Strength, this feat would have been impossible.
Even with the condensation of Inner Strength, it usually required several years of refinement to reach this stage.
Chu Zheng had been refining Qi for only a few days, and if he continued for a hundred more days, stepping into the Spirit Transformation, the extent of his Qi strength was unimaginable.
To kill a Great Grandmaster with one punch might not be a mere fantasy.
This hearty midday meal somewhat eased the tension in Chu Zheng's mind, at least the external pressure on the Song Family had relaxed somewhat.
However, in terms of his own improvement, Chu Zheng slightly accelerated his pace.
He would not waste this hard-earned time lightly. Before gaining enough power to protect himself, anything could happen at any moment.
He had already started to practice the introductory chapter of the Dragon-Tiger Body, a type of horizontal training technique that indeed had its unique aspects.
Even the introductory chapter could greatly strengthen one's muscles and bones. To say the muscles were like those of a Flood Dragon may be a stretch, but to say the bones were like those of a fierce tiger is no exaggeration, more than enough to tear apart tigers and leopards.
However, practicing such horizontal training methods inevitably required nourishing herbs, just like growing flowers; without nutrients, even the most beautiful flowers cannot grow.
Approaching dinner time, Lingxue returned to the Mansion's Treasury again.
Like the last time, she did not come empty-handed but brought a bottle of Essence Yuan Pill and two doses of bone-strengthening medicinal soup.
This made Chu Zheng feel somewhat embarrassed; every time he met with Lingxue, he received many benefits.
Compared to his role in the Song Family, he felt undeserving of such favor.
According to the current market in the Great Zhou, the items Lingxue provided could buy Chu Zheng's life ten times over.
Debts of gratitude were hard to repay, and Chu Zheng would rather Lingxue treated him poorly so that, when the time came to flee, he wouldn't be burdened with more emotional debt.
"How was it? Was your lunch satisfactory?"
Compared to before, Lingxue's complexion was somewhat pale, her face full of smiles, but the fatigue between her brows could not be concealed: "I specifically instructed the kitchen, you are on the verge of condensing Inner Qi, and it is the exact time you need nourishment."
"Thank you, Miss, for your kindness."
After the Method of Qi Absorption, Chu Zheng's senses were far superior to before, and he could easily detect the faint scent of blood on Lingxue, along with the strong smell of medicinal herbs.
Lingxue was injured, and the fact that so many had died the night before, just as she had gotten injured.
No one would believe there was no relation between the two.
The heads hanging on the city wall likely had a lot to do with her.
For a moment, Chu Zheng couldn't help but admire the decisiveness of Song Tonghai and his daughter; without any rustling of leaves, they struck like thunder.
After delivering the items, Song Lingxue did not leave right away. She hesitated for a moment before speaking,
"Chu Zheng, there is a trip tomorrow to the borders. It's a bit far. Would you like to join and see it? You could familiarize yourself with the escort procedure and gain some worldly experience."
A trip to the border as an escort?
Hearing Song Lingxue's words, Chu Zheng almost immediately grasped the intention, his gaze complicating.
Song Lingxue had always treated him generously, even passing down her family's martial arts to him, but he hadn't expected her to value him so much.
With those dozens of heads serving as a deterrent, this was almost the perfect moment to leave Luofeng City. Song Lingxue was trying to save his life.
Now, the choice lay before Chu Zheng: to go or to stay.
Chu Zheng rubbed his temple, sinking into thought.
After a long while, he bowed deeply,
"Miss has cared for me greatly. Chu Zheng is not an ungrateful person; I am profoundly thankful, but I cannot take on the escort duty just yet. I'd like to wait until after I've achieved Qi Condensation."
Ultimately, Chu Zheng chose to stay. Firstly, he was unsure of the situation outside the city; there could be ambushes, likely leading to danger.
Secondly, he did not wish to simply disappear. He believed in reciprocating kindness.
Given these factors, he preferred to stay. At least now with Song Tonghai around, he could enjoy a few more days of peace.
After refining his Qi for a hundred days and reaching Spirit Transformation, he would take things as they came.
"So be it..."
Song Lingxue, hesitant at first, finally nodded and advised him, "If you encounter any difficulty during your training, inform me anytime."
Having said that, she appeared to have more to say but ultimately, she left without expressing more.
......
......
As night deepened,
Chu Zheng sat cross-legged on the couch, completely sleepless. Since he began Qi Refining, he had not slept at all because his spirit was fully rejuvenated, leaving him without the slightest hint of weariness.
Eventually, he simply treated Qi Circulation as a form of rest, appearing energetic during the day.
Holding the Essence Yuan Pill again, Chu Zheng felt differently this time.
He could clearly sense a flow of Qi within the Essence Yuan Pill, which he seemed able to directly integrate into his body.
The same was true for those two medicinal bone-strengthening soups.
Recorded in the Great Circulatory Qi Guideline was a Method of Qi Absorption, consuming the Qi of the heavens and earth to enhance one's own cultivation.
Such an ability was possible in the Spirit Transformation Realm. In the later stages of cultivation, this method could further develop into a Divine Skill called "Swallowing Stars."
Chu Zheng looked at the two medicinal brews and suddenly had an idea.
The cultivation of a Dragon-Tiger Body essentially involved extracting nutrients from herbs to nourish the physical body.
He might be able to directly extract the Qi from the herbs to achieve this effect, thus bypassing the cumbersome medicinal baths.
Heating water in winter required much effort and was quite wasteful; even Song Lingxue couldn't afford to bathe every day, as that would be too extravagant.
With this in mind, Chu Zheng immediately began Qi circulation, revolving the Circuit of Qi, attempting to draw the flowing Qi from the herbs.