This person is truly extraordinary.

Xie An stopped ten meters away from Zhang Biao and observed for a while. Only after confirming that the man’s brains had spilled out did he approach. He kicked the dead-fish-like corpse of Zhang Biao twice, then sat down and panted heavily.

Hoo, hoo.

"A standoff like that is truly exhausting. Is this what a martial artist who has just entered the Copper Skin Realm is like? Truly troublesome!"

Xie An felt that if it were a close-quarters, bare-handed fight, he would have absolute certainty in crushing the opponent with raw strength. However, the man was proficient in blade techniques, while he himself lacked training in weaponry. If they had engaged in a true melee, he might have been countered and killed.

"Relying on health-cultivation techniques to become a martial artist and then taking up the path of slaughter... it’s just too slow. That old Mr. Tang likely accumulated decades of practice before becoming a martial master through health-cultivation. If I don’t want to wait decades, I must practice martial arts."

Xie An had walked a long path, having finished off Zhang Bing, killed Lu Wei and Zhang Wei, and also taken out Li Wei, Wang Wu, and A-San. But never had a confrontation been as tiring as today's. Although he had known from the beginning that he could secure the win, the standoff lasted nearly half an hour, making the process agonizingly long.

Killing a Copper Skin Realm martial artist was such a chore.

In the end, his strength was still too weak. Health-cultivation techniques were fine for strengthening the body and extending life, but for the art of killing, one must rely on martial arts. If his strength were sufficient, why would he need so many complicated schemes?

"Once I join the White Feather Hall and save up some money, I will start practicing martial arts."

Having made up his mind, Xie An stretched his limbs and rummaged through Zhang Biao’s belongings. Good grief... Zhang Biao, who would always brag about having five hundred or two thousand taels on him, only had ten taels of silver in his entire possession.

What a blowhard...

After looting the silver, he found no martial arts manuals, so Xie An turned and left. The arrow was a common item he had bought on the market, so even if left at the scene, it would not arouse suspicion. Killing Zhang Biao on New Year’s Eve had not originally been in his plans. He had intended to develop for a few more months before making a move. However, Zhang Biao had been acting too recklessly lately, suspecting him and even having the constable Liu He interrogate his young apprentice. Xie An worried that if this man continued to jump around, he might actually uncover some clues. To avoid future trouble, he had no choice but to act.

...

It was the Yin hour (3:00 AM to 5:00 AM) when he returned to the small hut in the pawnshop’s backyard. It was not yet dawn. The room was warm because the stove was still lit. His two young apprentices were still sleeping soundly, emitting rhythmic snoring.

Xie An had just killed someone, and a Copper Skin Realm martial artist at that. With the adrenaline still surging, he felt no sleepiness. To avoid disturbing his apprentices’ dreams, he did not practice the Five Animal Frolics, but instead sat cross-legged and began to practice the Embryonic Breathing Technique.

Hoo, hoo.

Suppressing his breath so it would not enter through his mouth or nose, he imagined his Mingmen and Dantian pressing against each other. After pausing for a moment, he guided the Qi from the lower Dantian to the mysterious orifices... This was the second stage of the Three-Style Method, the Heavenly Phoenix Style of embryonic breathing.

A moment later, Xie An found his state. He began to imagine breathing through his navel, guiding his intention from the Huiyin point up along the Ren meridian to the navel, keeping his focus on the navel while exhaling. This was the third stage of the Three-Style Method, the Navel-Yin Style.

After months of practice, Xie An had gained a preliminary grasp of the Embryonic Breathing Technique. Although he was still some distance away from not needing to breathe through his mouth and nose, he had already reached the threshold.

[Embryonic Breathing Technique: Three-Style Method (93/100)]

"I’m close to a breakthrough. I wonder if it will extend my life after breaking through... and if I will be able to stop breathing through my nose and mouth?"

...

The next day, the first day of the Lunar New Year.

All things were waking up, flourishing. The Spring Festival was the most important holiday of the Great Qian Dynasty. The imperial court attached great importance to it, designating the first day of the first lunar month as "Yuan Day," with customs like visiting relatives and eating the New Year’s Eve dinner. They also mandated a seven-day holiday, with a system of "nine days of labor followed by one day of leisure."

Therefore, Wuqiao Town was not bustling on this first day. Every shop was closed, and shopkeepers and assistants had returned home to be with their wives and children by the warm hearth. Business at the Blood Ridge Black Market was also much lighter, appearing quite desolate.

As a security deacon of the Blood Ridge Black Market, Zhang Lin still had to remain on duty to maintain order and protect the property. A few of his trusted subordinates stayed behind as well. At the New Year’s Eve dinner last night, Zhang Lin and his men had drunk too much, so they rose late in the morning.

Zhang Lin had just finished breakfast when he saw Zhou Xing rush in, sword in hand, looking flustered.

"Boss, something terrible has happened."

Zhang Lin couldn't help but scold, "It's the first day of the New Year, why are you in such a panic? What happened?"

Zhou Xing was panting, his face pale, his voice trembling, "Deacon Zhang Biao... he has been killed."

"What?"

The usually calm Zhang Lin lost his composure and stood up abruptly. "Are you... certain?"

"Certain. During my morning patrol, I saw Deacon Zhang Biao’s corpse on the nearby mountain path."

"Take me to see it at once."

Zhang Lin ignored all decorum and rushed out with Zhou Xing, appearing even more agitated than his subordinate. For years, Zhang Biao had been his nemesis. Beyond their conflicting philosophies, there was personal enmity. Although Zhang Lin prided himself on having greater strength than Zhang Biao and looked down on him as a man who relied on connections, he could do nothing because Zhang Biao had powerful backers. This was why he had repeatedly extended olive branches to Xie An, even hinting at things... hoping to use Xie An's hand to get rid of Zhang Biao.

Later, when Xie An repeatedly declined, he realized the old man was extremely cautious and didn't hold much hope. Unexpectedly, just after the New Year... Zhang Biao was dead. This New Year’s gift... was perhaps too timely.

However, until he saw the corpse, Zhang Lin could not believe it. Only when he truly laid eyes on Zhang Biao’s body on the mountain path did he accept that it was real.

"Boss, who is so bold as to ambush a deacon of the White Feather Hall... are they insane?" Zhou Xing’s face was bloodless. Although he hadn't been with the White Feather Hall long, he knew that in all of Qingwu County, there were only a handful of factions that dared to provoke the Tiger-Wolf Sect. Killing a deacon was no small matter.

Zhang Lin began to carefully examine the scene.

Watching his boss pacing back and forth, Zhou Xing couldn't help but ask out of curiosity, "Boss, what are you doing?"

"I want to see how Zhang Biao died."

Zhou Xing was shocked: "How he died?"

As Zhang Lin analyzed the scene based on the traces left behind, he reconstructed the events in his mind. "Zhang Biao must have been passing by on horseback alone. The initial hoofprints were slow, showing that Zhang Biao did not sense danger and was riding leisurely. The hoofprints suddenly accelerated... he must have been shot at, and the horse was startled. But Zhang Biao was not hit."

Zhou Xing listened, stunned and deeply intrigued. "And then?"

Zhang Lin said, "Then... the horse's head was pierced. The killer used a heavy bow; they shot the horse before the man."

"And then?"

"Then Zhang Biao hid behind a poplar tree, circling and engaging in a standoff with the killer..." Based on the traces, Zhang Lin had managed to reconstruct the scene with high accuracy.

After hearing this, Zhou Xing couldn't help but gasp. "This killer is a ruthless veteran! To kill Zhang Biao without any effort like this."

Zhang Lin couldn't help but admire him. "From the very beginning, Zhang Biao’s every move was calculated by the other party. This killer is like a seasoned hunter—ruthless and steady. This person is formidable."

Zhou Xing felt a lingering fear. "Then I will send men to investigate the killer."

*Slap.*

Zhang Lin suddenly slapped Zhou Xing on the head. "Investigate what nonsense? It’s nothing more than the lack of food in the harsh winter leading to banditry. Deacon Zhang Biao was carrying a large amount of wealth and was targeted by bandits."

Zhou Xing’s mouth hung open, thinking to himself that this didn't look like the work of bandits at all; it was clearly a cold-blooded assassin.

Zhang Lin glared at him. "Hmm? Do you have a better theory?"

Zhou Xing suddenly came to his senses and shook his head like a rattle-drum. "No, no. Boss is right. It was definitely the work of the bandits from Big Yin Mountain."

Only then did Zhang Lin nod in satisfaction. "Such a killer is not someone you or I can investigate. Don't go looking for trouble. Take the horse and Zhang Biao’s corpse back, and report it according to what I just said."