Chapter 30: Tempted by Wealth - Cultivation Begins with Skill Points

Chapter 30 – 30: Tempted by Wealth

Zhong Lin had a go at understanding the Ninth Grade Realm.

Simply put, the Ninth Grade Realm gives one tough skin and a strong body, akin to an armored soldier, a fully armed trooper, with whom ordinary people can barely get close.

“System.”

Host: Zhong Lin

Skills: Bow Technique (Full Level), Flying Locust Stone (Full Level), Three-Dimensional Painting (Full Level), Calligraphy (Full Level), Culinary Skill (Full Level), Iron Mountain Skill (Full Level)

Skill Points: ∞

Looking at the system panel which hadn’t changed, Zhong Lin couldn’t help but pout. He thought that leveling up would automatically update the system panel, maybe an additional realm section would appear, but he was mistaken.

“Can’t let ‘Iron Mountain Skill’ slack, and when I return to the Government Office tomorrow, perhaps I can learn some weapon techniques to increase the combat power a bit.”

He hadn’t learned any weapons before mainly because there wasn’t much pressure, and Zhong Lin’s focus was entirely on ‘Iron Mountain Skill’. Now, while ‘Iron Mountain Skill’ still shouldn’t be neglected, he must find time to learn some moves and weapons.

Though barehanded combat is powerful, it is still not as deadly as swords and blades.

By now, it was completely dark, and Zhong Lin took advantage of the moonlight to cautiously move out the soil he had dug earlier using a bamboo basket and pour it into an abandoned dry well a hundred meters away.

Fortunately, he hadn’t dug much, and Zhong Lin didn’t plan on finishing it all at once. After several trips back and forth, he finally managed to deal with all the soil in the courtyard, only getting to sleep by midnight, around twelve o’clock.

Days passed quietly, and Zhong Lin spent three days on tenterhooks.

On this day, at the stroke of midnight in the fourth watch, the entire Black Mountain County, except for a few special locations still lit, was silent, save for the leisurely calls of the night watchmen.

A figure clad in black swiftly darted around the corner, weaving through the streets, avoiding the gaze of the night watchmen and quickly vanishing into the alleyways.

“This is it, Zhong Lin. Blame your lack of discretion; you didn’t understand the principle of concealing wealth. Being killed serves you right.”

The person entirely cloaked in black, with only a pair of eyes exposed, swept his gaze over the courtyard where Zhong Lin lived with a fierce and cruel glint. If anyone from the Government Office were present, they would surely recognize this person as Chi Yan.

Sometimes, a disguised face is unlike in films, where no one can be recognized. The truth is, familiar people can recognize each other just by body shape and eyes.

Chi Yan quickly arrived at the wall, leaped suddenly, and vaulted over the two-meter-high wall in one bound, landing silently inside like a cat.

After landing, Chi Yan glanced around. The courtyard wasn’t large, with a kitchen on one side and a study on the other, only the main hall facing the gate emitted faint breathing sounds.

Chi Yan’s breathing quickened, his eyes full of excitement, especially thinking about the possible hundreds of taels of silver stored in Zhong Lin’s home, making his heart pound violently.

He had specially investigated Zhong Lin, particularly the income from selling paintings, each at least three taels of silver. When painting at Nuoxiang Building, the price was ridiculously high. He had personally witnessed a girl from Nuoxiang Building pay him twenty taels of silver as a “pen fee”. If he was diligent in the half-month period, he could earn a hundred taels of silver.

A hundred taels of silver were enough for Chi Yan to enjoy for quite a while.

With his mind firm and feet not lingering, Chi Yan stealthily tiptoed towards the main hall.

“Thud!”

As Chi Yan’s right foot stepped forward, the ground suddenly caved in, trapping half his leg.

Thanks to his own agility, Chi Yan quickly adjusted his posture, hit the ground with his right palm, leapt up, and landed steadily, but not without making a sound.

“Who’s there?”

Startled awake, Zhong Lin’s eyes snapped open. With a swift movement, he dashed out from the main hall.

In the courtyard, Zhong Lin and the black-clad intruder faced each other in awkward silence.

“Chi Yan?”

Zhong Lin’s voice carried a hint of disbelief.

Though he was wrapped in black, leaving only his eyes visible, the familiar build and eyes allowed Zhong Lin to easily identify Chi Yan.

Immediately, his face showed a wary expression. It was the middle of the night, face concealed, scaling walls, and holding a weapon in hand…

“Chi Yan, what are you up to?”

Chi Yan was momentarily stunned when Zhong Lin called out his identity but then surged forward, slashing a short knife at Zhong Lin’s throat.

The hair on the back of Zhong Lin’s neck stood up. Fast, too fast—was this the capability of the Eighth Rank Muscle Strengthening Realm?

Eighth Rank Muscle Strengthening bestows five hundred pounds of strength, strong elasticity of the tendons, fierce bursts, and agility.

This agility was not just nimble but comparable to a cheetah, appearing before Zhong Lin in the blink of an eye, determined to cut him down with the short blade.

In a critical moment, Zhong Lin ducked down and rolled aside, dodging the deadly strike.

“Damn it.”

Zhong Lin cursed inwardly, never expecting Chi Yan to be so mad as to resort to murder for money.

“Chi Yan, you too work in the Government Office. Such actions of murder for wealth are death-worthy crimes, not to mention among colleagues. Aren’t you afraid of the Chief Arrest Officer punishing you?” Zhong Lin shouted angrily.

“Humph! If you are dead, who will know it was me? By then, I’ll pin everything on Dan Wenlong,” Chi Yan retorted with derision.

With a fierce stamp on the ground, Chi Yan’s speed instantly soared, akin to a cheetah, several times faster, aim squarely at Zhong Lin’s face with the short blade.

Finally, Zhong Lin retreated to the window of the study, grabbing a cloth bag from the window pane with his right hand. He fished out something and flung it at Chi Yan.

Swoosh!

Chi Yan clearly saw the object was an iron caltrop, its four sharp spikes gleaming coldly targeted at his right eye.

“What?”

Chi Yan’s expression changed, and he altered the knife’s path to block in front of his face.

Clang!

With a crisp sound, the iron caltrop clashed with the short blade, a spark bursting forth.

Zhong Lin was stirred within, once again reaching into the cloth bag and throwing another iron caltrop.

Clang!

The full-level Flying Locust Stone skill allowed Zhong Lin to throw the iron caltrops at incredible angles, but Chi Yan easily deflected them.

“Zhong Lin, I didn’t expect you to have such hidden weapon skills; too bad I’m an Eighth Muscle Strengthening Realm martial artist. With just these little tricks… despicable.”

Chi Yan fumed.

Suddenly Zhong Lin threw something else. Chi Yan instinctively slashed to deflect it, but instead of the familiar clash, the short blade cut through it, releasing a cloud of white powder—lime powder.

“A great opportunity.”

Instead of retreating, Zhong Lin lunged towards Chi Yan. Somehow, a dagger appeared in his hand, its cold light glinting under the moonlight.

Seeing that glint of coldness, Chi Yan was terrified, exclaiming, “Instant Kill Skill!”

He was very familiar with this move. In the Martial Arts Pavilion at the Government Office, the cultivation method was named “Instant Kill Skill,” also known as “Sleeve Green Snake,” emphasizing concealing a blade within oneself and striking instantly to kill.

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