Water Ink Panel: Starting with Bow Technique to Hunt the Sun and Patrol the Skies

This sleep was very deep.

Because Shen Qing had been cultivating the Nine Skills, his Qi-Blood was abundant. Even if he occasionally went without sleep all night, he wouldn't feel tired.

So, as usual, when the time was almost right, Shen Qing woke up with his biological clock, full of energy.

Morning.

Shen Qing and Shen Xiaohu habitually squatted on the threshold in the inn's backyard.

Each holding a large bowl in their hands, they sipped porridge along the rim of their bowls.

After taking a large sip of white porridge, Shen Qing said to Shen Xiaohu, "Pack up your stuff today, we'll head back to the village this afternoon."

"Why are we leaving so soon? Why not stay a bit longer?"

Shen Qing said, "I haven't been back for quite a while, and I'm a bit worried about my sister. Besides, spring is around the corner. We need to go up the mountain to hunt early to avoid being without a plan after spring begins."

Shen Xiaohu teased, "Brother Qingzi, you already have so much money. Do you still care about those bits and pieces from hunting?"

He had been directly involved in Zhao Ba's affair and knew exactly how much money Shen Qing had taken—hundreds of taels were not a small sum.

"How long will this bit of money last for my practice? What if I run out of money in the future and my ability to earn a living through hunting gets rusty? By then, it'll be too late for you to regret."

"Oh."

Shen Xiaohu, bowing his head, said no more.

Shen Qing sipped some more porridge, his eyes flickering.

In fact, his eagerness to return home was primarily to avoid the limelight.

Having killed Zhao Ba, been tangled up with the Huang Tian Sect, and possessing three treasures of the mountains, he felt unsafe in any part of the city.

It was better to lie low in Hongshan Village for a while.

Wait until things settled down a bit here before making any moves.

Moreover, he wanted to take advantage of the period before the spring ban to practice hunting and Bow Technique more to improve his progress.

These two skills might come in handy in the future.

Of course, these things could only be kept in his heart and not discussed with Shen Xiaohu.

After breakfast, Shen Qing packed up the room, took Shen Xiaohu, and hurried to Linfeng Hall.

When entering Linfeng Hall once more, whether it was Shen Qing's sensitivity or not, he felt that the atmosphere in Linfeng Hall had become much heavier.

But he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Anyway, it didn't feel good.

The eldest senior brother and the Hall Master uncle had not yet returned.

So Shen Qing kept his head down and continued to practice the techniques Li Linfeng had taught him before.

After pondering over last night, practicing the technique today, Shen Qing suddenly felt more at ease, and his skill proficiency progressed much faster.

Shen Qing recalled the pointing technique he used last night and carefully pondered over it.

Cai Jia Sheng was undoubtedly a martial master in the Skin Forging Realm, skilled in fist techniques.

With his current sight, he could see that Cai Jia Sheng's fist techniques were actually quite rough with many flaws, definitely not as meticulous as the Wind Facing Finger.

He was simply relying on his realm and the Qi of his whole body to fight.

It was precisely because of this that Cai Jia Sheng's slight movements had weaknesses that Shen Qing subconsciously caught, leading to what followed.

Thinking of this, Shen Qing gradually understood why Li Linfeng emphasized foundation, speed, and strength.

Because only with these could one reveal fewer flaws, have a tight defense, and strike faster than the opponent, killing them with a single move.

If he had had a bit more strength at the time or had developed his Qi, he definitely could have killed Cai Jia Sheng with a single point.

Shen Qing put his thoughts away and continued to focus on his arduous training.

It was then that Xiao Zhi, also in the inner courtyard, approached silently and said, "Shen Qing, did you hear about Tie Niu's death yesterday?"

"I heard," Shen Qing replied noncommittally, "Sigh... just yesterday we were still eating together."

"Sigh, no need for you to be sad. There's no helping the chaos out there, especially in the Outer City." After saying this, Xiao Zhi continued mysteriously, "Do you know that Tie Niu's death is connected to the Huang Tian Sect?"

"Ah? That's news to me," Shen Qing exclaimed in surprise, "I really had no idea."

"I'm telling you, last night the Huang Tian Sect even attacked the county government. The Guardian Martial Department's people took action overnight and went to the Outer City, causing utter chaos. Now, the whole city is filled with panic."

Shen Qing casually asked with profound implications, "Has the county government dealt with the Huang Tian Sect?"

"It won't be long before the county will post a notice saying they've captured all the sect's criminals. You know how the county government operates, don't you? Who really knows to what extent they've handled it?"

"Indeed."

"We should still focus on our training and master our skills quickly."

Shen Qing echoed a few words, and the two of them said no more.

By the afternoon, when the time was about right,

Shen Qing went to the backyard to take care of his aunt before planning to return to the village.

Coming out of his aunt's room, Shen Qing once again encountered that young master with the exceptionally developed chest muscles.

She had a square face, which actually bore some resemblance to the Hall Master's uncle.

In Great Zhou, there was no distinction between men and women; as long as one had the Sight, regardless of gender, they could learn Martial Arts and even hold positions in the court.

However, women would marry eventually and naturally couldn't match men physically,

so there weren't many females who gained renown through learning Martial Arts.

Hearing from his aunt occasionally, this was the Hall Master's uncle's fourth daughter, Li Lingchan, who had a bit of Martial Arts talent, hence she was also one of the children that the Hall Master's uncle focused on nurturing.

"What are you looking at?"

Li Lingchan, who Shen Qing faced, glared at him, clearly discontent with his gaze.

Shen Qing didn't intend to cause trouble for himself, so he lowered his head, shifted his gaze away, and passed by her without a second glance.

His eyes flicked, and he noticed that this young female master had a sturdy figure from behind, with a broad back and a wide waist, much like a man.

She truly had some talent for Martial Arts.

"Coward."

Shen Qing withdrew his gaze and ignored Li Lingchan's words.

By the afternoon, he took Shen Xiaohu and left Linfeng Hall.

As usual,

he bought some necessities from the street and then headed straight for the city gate.

Perhaps because of the Huang Tian Sect, the security at the city gate had become much stricter.

Fortunately, the guards had some impression of Shen Qing and did not trouble him. Besides, leaving the city was easier as there was nothing to be gained, so the guards briefly checked and let them pass.

This time, with Zhao Ba dead and the Guardian Martial Department getting involved, the slums around the West City Gate were much more peaceful than before.

Almost no one came to surround them, and even the beggars seen before were few and far between.

Walking for a while, Shen Qing saw black smoke rising from the shantytown in the distance.

It appeared there had been a big fire there, and embers were still burning.

"Make way, make way."

Suddenly, five or six government officers emerged in the middle of the main street ahead, pushing the pedestrians to either side.

Behind them, strung together with rope, about twenty people were being led into the city.

These people were bound like prisoners, their hands tied with ropes, and their mouths gagged, being dragged forward by the officers.

Whispers arose from the crowd as some recognized their nearby neighbors.

"Aunt Wang was actually a member of the Huang Tian Sect. She usually speaks so little."

"And that little tailor too, I've even had him sew pants for me."

"..."

One by one, familiar faces were recognized, causing the crowd to stir.

As these people passed by Shen Qing, he noticed that their eyes were bright, showing no sign of fear. He could even faintly hear them murmuring, "The blue sky below, the yellow sky above..."

It filled him with an inexplicable sense of irritation.

Shen Qing watched these people move away, remaining silent. He then resumed driving his cart, heading in the direction of Hongshan Village.