nownovels Chapter 50 Schemes
Chapter 50 Schemes
Inside the Xu family mansion in Linwu City.
Xu Zhi's eyes were filled with resentment as he listened to the steward's report along with his father, Xu Zhang.
"Liang Cheng, seventeen years old, from Linhai Town. His father died early, and his mother, Ning, runs a noodle shop. He entered Yangwei Martial Arts School to learn martial arts. He reached the level of hidden strength at sixteen and transformed strength at seventeen. He won the championship in the Three Towns Grand Competition and came in second in the Spring Hunt. He was directly recommended to enter the Martial Arts Academy."
Xu Zhang tapped the rosewood chair armrest lightly with his fingers.
"That's all?"
The steward continued, "After entering the Martial Academy, this young man first defeated Liu Meng, and was then suspected of being involved in Wang Li's disappearance. According to intelligence from the Martial Academy, he has already exchanged for the 'Broken Wave Technique'."
A cold glint flashed in Xu Zhang's eyes. "It's surprising that Yang Wei, a son-in-law, could teach such a disciple."
"Father, but you asked me to find ways to get close to that girl from the Qiao family. She's just a fisherman's son. If we don't teach her a lesson, we'll only lose face."
"Foolish! I always tell you to use your brain more. If we just jump in, we'll offend the Martial Academy for nothing. Why do we need to get involved in such a small matter? Consider this a lesson. You'll stay home and improve your cultivation for now."
After scolding Xu Zhi, Xu Zhang instructed the steward, "Go to the martial arts academy and see if you can teach Liang Cheng a lesson so he won't meddle in other people's business."
"Yes, sir."
……
After returning to the martial arts academy, Liang Cheng lived a secluded life.
He practiced swordsmanship during the day and tempered his body at night, cultivating the Broken Wave Technique, circulating his qi and blood, and impacting his acupoints, all while using the qi and blood pills given to him by Chen Bainian to aid his cultivation.
Seventh day.
When Liang Cheng unleashed his thousandth strike in the quiet room, the sound of the blade cutting through the air suddenly transformed into a continuous, surging sound. With each strike, the afterimage resembled a tidal wave upon a tidal wave.
【Mastery of the Gale Blade Technique (1/2000)】
Liang Cheng sheathed his sword and slowly exhaled.
Now, its strength has reached a new level.
On the tenth day, Chen Bainian delivered fifteen catties of cold iron essence and twenty catties of red copper sand on time, packed in an inconspicuous tin box, which was carried into his room by two apprentices.
With this batch of medicinal herbs, the cultivation speed of the Ironclad Realm cultivator accelerated once again.
The medicinal liquid in the wooden barrel changed from dark red to iron gray at a rate that shortened from the time it takes for an incense stick to half an incense stick. The iron gray sheen under the skin became increasingly concentrated, and ordinary swords could hardly leave even a white mark when they were used to cut into it.
[Stone Armor Technique (Iron Armor) - Minor Mastery (232/1000)]
[Introduction to the First Level of the Broken Wave Technique (189/600)]
【Mastery of the Gale Blade Technique (24/2000)】
With the help of the Qi and Blood Pill, the progress of the Broken Wave Technique has reached another level, but unfortunately, a bottle of Qi and Blood Pill has been completely used up.
With this in mind, Liang Cheng went to the Foreign Affairs Hall again to take on a mission. Having tasted the benefits of Qi and Blood Pills aiding cultivation, Liang Cheng naturally had no intention of giving up.
There weren't many people at the Foreign Affairs Hall today.
Liang Cheng walked to the jade tablet in front of the mission and quickly scanned it.
He skipped over low-level tasks because the rewards were too meager, and finally stopped in front of a newly posted task:
[Seven Days of Guarding the Xishan Mine]
[Requirements: Good patience, strong defensive skills]
[Reward: 80 points per day, with an additional 200 points upon completion]
[Note: The mine has recently been disturbed by groups of rock rats, and occasionally a Tier 4 rock rat king appears. Simply repel them; there is no need to exterminate them.]
Seven days, 560 base points, plus 200 bonus points, for a total of 760 points. Although it's not much on average, it's stable and excels in defense, which suits me perfectly.
Liang Cheng tore off the task slip and went to the counter to register. The disciple on duty was not Zhao Ming. After verifying the jade token, he efficiently completed the formalities.
"The mine is located on the northern slope of West Mountain. Here is a map and a pass. Today is day one. Return the pass at this time in seven days."
Thank you.
Liang Cheng took the items and turned to leave.
……
Just as Liang Cheng was accepting the mission, Liu Meng appeared in front of everyone.
His injury was originally supposed to take more than a month to heal, but he recovered ahead of schedule thanks to the Xu family's medicine. However, his right arm was still slightly stiff when he circulated his strength.
When Liu Meng pushed open the door to the side room of the Foreign Affairs Hall, Zhao Ming was bent over checking the account books.
Hearing the noise, he looked up and asked in surprise, "Is your injury healed?"
"Thanks to my cousin, I've finally recovered. I was so bored during that time."
Liu Meng, his voice deep and somber, sat down opposite him.
"Now that you're better, just focus on recovering and don't cause any more trouble."
"I caused trouble?" Liu Meng's face suddenly darkened. "So I was injured for nothing?!"
"Otherwise what?" Zhao Ming closed the booklet, his eyes turning cold. "You went up to the ring yourself, you placed the bet yourself, so you have to accept the loss. Liang Cheng is riding high right now, even Wang Li..."
He paused at this point.
Liu Meng, however, keenly sensed something amiss: "Wang Li? What's wrong with him?"
Zhao Ming was silent for a moment, then lowered his voice: "Wang Li and Sun Yan have disappeared."
"Missing?" Liu Meng was taken aback at first, then his pupils contracted sharply as if he realized something. "Does my cousin suspect that he killed Wang Li?"
"Doubt?" Zhao Ming sneered. "He has already exchanged for the internal cultivation method, the first level of the Broken Wave Technique."
"The Breaking Waves Technique..." Liu Meng murmured repeatedly, his eyes bloodshot. "He exchanged for the Breaking Waves Technique?"
That was the skill he had painstakingly cultivated for two years to achieve fame. Liang Cheng defeated him on the stage, but now even the skill he relied on was being crushed.
"The Broken Wave Technique requires four thousand contribution points," Zhao Ming stated. "Besides taking it from Wang Li, I can't think of any other source."
"Good! Very good!" Liu Meng slammed his fist on the table, making the pen holder shake violently. "He's shitting on my neck!"
Zhao Ming frowned as he looked at him: "I'm telling you this so you know the stakes, not so you can go and die. Wang Li is stronger than you. He and Sun Yan were both defeated by Liang Cheng. If you go now, you'll be courting death."
Liu Meng suddenly laughed, a ferocious laugh: "Cousin, are you scared?"
Zhao Ming's face darkened.
"Aren't you afraid that Liang Cheng will continue to grow stronger and find out that it was you who revealed his mission route to Wang Li?" Liu Meng took a step closer.
"Liu Meng!"
"Did I say something wrong?" Liu Meng's voice was even lower, but every word was like a knife. "Once his strength increases further, do you think he'll let you go?"
Zhao Ming's fingertips turned slightly white; he had the same thought.
"However," Liu Meng changed the subject, "Liang Cheng has offended more than just us."
Zhao Ming suddenly looked up. "What do you mean?"
"The Xu family of Linwu City."
Liu Meng uttered five words directly.
"Xu Zhi, the third young master of the Xu family, was beaten up in the street by Liang Cheng a few days ago. He broke three of his sternums, and the Xu family is looking for someone to teach him a lesson."
"The Xu family?" Zhao Ming's expression shifted. "They've come looking for you?"
"Not bad, otherwise how could I have recovered so quickly?" Liu Meng took out another silver note from his pocket and slapped it on the table. "There's also a deposit of one thousand taels. After the matter is settled, there will be a generous reward."
The Xu family promised that if Liang Cheng were to die unexpectedly during the mission, they would take care of everything at the martial arts academy, ensuring there would be no future trouble.
Zhao Ming stared at the silver note in silence for a long time. The Xu family was a prominent clan in Linwu City, and if he could establish a connection with them, the benefits would be considerable.
Thinking of this, he finally spoke, "There has been a rat infestation in the Xishan mine recently. The Foreign Affairs Department just issued a task, and Liang Cheng has already accepted it."
A fierce glint flashed in Liu Meng's eyes: "A mine?"
"The terrain there is complex, with numerous branching paths, and landslides are frequent."
Zhao Ming's voice was calm, yet carried a chilling undertone: "If you encounter a horde of demonic beasts, or are buried under falling rocks, it's common for your body to be completely destroyed."
The two exchanged a glance, and everything was understood without a word.
Liu Meng could no longer stay, so he left without taking the silver notes.
"Thank you, cousin!"