The sky was brightening.
The wind and rain stopped in the early hours.
When the people who took shelter at the Earth God Temple stepped outside, the sky was clear and boundless.
Everyone set off on their journeys.
The caravan, in a considerate manner, left some firewood and supplies in the wooden shed beside the temple for the use of those who might come later.
Zhang Yuan watched as Ji Haoran and his family of three left with the caravan.
According to the scholar, his family encountered misfortune, forcing him to seek refuge with relatives in Guangyuan Prefecture.
Meanwhile, Zhang Yuan was heading to Qing’an County, a different direction from them.
Thus, they parted ways here.
Although they met by chance,
thanks to last night’s encounter, Ji Haoran and his wife were immensely grateful to Zhang Yuan.
They bid farewell reluctantly.
Zhang Yuan watched the long caravan gradually disappear into the distance, then mounted his horse to continue on his journey.
Riding swiftly, he arrived at Qing’an County Town in the afternoon.
There is a distance of more than three hundred li between Qing’an County and Linhe County.
The former belongs to an Upper County, with a larger population than Linhe, appearing even more prosperous.
When Zhang Yuan arrived, there was a surprisingly long queue at the city gate!
He dismounted and joined the line, dutifully paying the entrance fee.
Zhang Yuan noticed a row of bounty notices posted on the wall outside the city gate.
One of these notices caught his interest.
It was a wanted notice for a group of robbers named the "Black Mountain Thieves."
This reminded Zhang Yuan of the group of black-clad individuals he had taken down the previous night.
He had found a token on the leader.
Engraved on it was the character "Mountain"!
Zhang Yuan suspected that he had killed one faction of the Black Mountain Thieves.
The notice described them with terms like "brutal and bloodthirsty," "lawless," and "numerous."
Providing any clues about the Black Mountain Thieves would earn a significant reward from the Qing’an County Government Office.
But Zhang Yuan was certain he wouldn’t obtain it.
He had already dealt with them completely.
Leading his horse, Zhang Yuan entered the county town through the city gate.
Shops lined both sides of the bustling streets, with merchants and travelers jostling past each other, accompanied by the sounds of shouting, calling, and haggling, painting a lively and prosperous scene.
Zhang Yuan melded into the crowd, walking a bit before choosing an inn by the street to stay.
After settling in, he first took a hot bath in his room.
Since he chose an expensive room, the service was quite attentive.
After the bath, he had the attendant take away the tub, closed the door, and began to meticulously tally last night’s gains.
He discovered that he had plundered over thirteen hundred taels of silver from the black-clad individuals!
Apart from the silver coins, the greatest gain was undoubtedly the "Blood Evil Palm" Secret Manual.
Zhang Yuan perused this Secret Martial Arts Manual from beginning to end.
In terms of quality and material, it was far superior to any ordinary handwritten copy.
The content was richly illustrated, detailing the cultivation methods and martial arts techniques of the "Blood Evil Palm," and included numerous annotations.
Zhang Yuan read with quiet amazement.
The requirements for practicing the "Blood Evil Palm" were extremely high.
The basic requirement to enter was Tier Two Dark Force, and only males could practice it, preferably those with their Primordial Yang intact!
The first step of training required gathering the hot blood from the hearts of four ferocious beasts: tiger, leopard, bear, and pig.
There were many more conditions behind this.
By comparison, the "Rock Foundation Skill," which required purchasing medicinal materials for herbal baths to aid training, was entirely on a different level.
It belonged to the truly gold-consuming martial arts.
But the "Blood Evil Palm" held tremendous power; once mastered, it could ignite Qi Blood to burn the enemy’s internal organs and was particularly effective against the mysterious.
This palm technique could even be paired with the Blood Burning Technique to further enhance its power!
It surpassed Zhang Yuan’s "Thunderous Wave Palm" by more than one tier.
It greatly tempted Zhang Yuan.
However, although tempted, he carefully put away the manual after reading it, with no intention of practicing it.
Zhang Yuan was in Qing’an County on a mission, leaving no time to delve into new martial arts!
As night fell, Zhang Yuan left the inn.
With a bag on his back, he wandered leisurely through the completely unfamiliar county town.
He looked around attentively as he walked.
Until he spotted a hidden sign, causing Zhang Yuan to stop.
The sign was inscribed at the base of a pillar and appeared like a child’s doodle.
It could easily be overlooked if unnoticed.
The pillar belonged to a three-story restaurant.
It was mealtime, and the restaurant was bustling with activity, with scarcely any seats left in the hall.
Zhang Yuan inquired after entering and was led to a seat near a corner by an attendant.
This was the only available two-person table.
Zhang Yuan didn’t mind and casually picked a few dishes from the "menu board" behind the counter.
He also ordered a jug of rice wine.
After dismissing the restaurant attendant, Zhang Yuan placed a pair of chopsticks on his table and overturned a teacup.
Then he quietly waited.
But before the wine and dishes arrived, a plain-looking middle-aged man sat across from him, clasping his hands in greeting, "Young friend, may I share your table?"
Zhang Yuan glanced at him, "I’m expecting someone."
The middle-aged man asked, "Where is your guest coming from?"
Zhang Yuan smiled, "From the waterways."
The middle-aged man followed up, "What vessel did you take?"
Zhang Yuan tapped twice on the table, "On a smooth sailing vessel."
The middle-aged man’s gaze sharpened, "I am Zhan Peng. May I have the honor of knowing your esteemed name?"
Zhang Yuan nodded, "Battle Hall Zhang Yuan."
Zhang Yuan, though here alone in Qing’an County, had undercover members of the Furious Whale Gang to assist him.
He spoke a code, a gang’s secret language, to the man.
If it matched, he was an ally; if not, it meant death!
Zhan Peng said solemnly, "So it’s Master Zhang in front of us. Shall we discuss elsewhere?"
"Let’s eat first." Zhang Yuan waved, "I just arrived and haven’t had dinner yet."
"My apologies." Zhan Peng said apologetically, "Order freely, this meal is on me!"
Zhang Yuan made no objections.
When the wine and dishes arrived, he courteously invited Zhan Peng to join him for the meal.
Zhan Peng declined, saying he had already eaten.
Zhang Yuan didn’t insist and proceeded to enjoy his meal.
After eating and drinking his fill, they left the restaurant and found a private room in a nearby teahouse to sit down.
Then they began to discuss business.
The main task for Zhang Yuan’s visit to this unfamiliar county town was assassination.
The target’s name was Zhao Rongbin, known in the martial world as "Qing’an Tiger." Not only did he have a deep connection with Meng Hu, the Gang Leader of Fierce Tiger Gang in Linhe County, but he was also rumored to be a distant relative.
Reliable information from the Furious Whale Gang suggested that Zhao Rongbin had once participated in attacking a commercial ship associated with the Linhai Sub-Branch.
This was the purpose of Zhang Yuan’s presence in Qing’an today.
He was here to hunt a tiger!
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