Chapter 007: Advancement... Shadow Painter

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Watching the new changes unfolding on "Blue Star," a flash of joy crossed Yao Qian’s face, only to vanish in an instant. But soon, he noticed something amiss. Behind his two martial arts techniques, a new symbol—a green "+"—had appeared at some unknown point, radiating a sense of vibrant vitality.

"When did this thing show up?" he murmured, focusing intently on the symbol. Instantly, its purpose unfolded in his mind.

Upon understanding its function, Yao Qian’s expression shifted to one of delight. "It can actually upgrade martial arts?" His eyes shone with curiosity as he glanced over the two techniques he had learned.

The Binding Technique was used to capture criminals, a special method for restraining them with ropes—much like the handcuffs from his previous world. It held little use for him. But the Five Tigers Gate-Cutting Blade was far more beneficial for strengthening his abilities.

Without hesitation, he gathered his focus once more, fixing his gaze on the green "+" behind the Five Tigers Gate-Cutting Blade. The symbol trembled, a flash of green light flickered and disappeared.

Suddenly, Yao Qian felt his mind whirl, and streams of information surged into his consciousness. They transformed into transparent figures, each practicing blade techniques within his mind’s eye. These phantom figures grew more solid, finally morphing into his own likeness, gradually sinking into his mind.

Though described at length, the entire process took only a couple of moments.

Looking at "Blue Star," he saw the information had already changed:

Yao Qian—
Five Tigers Gate-Cutting Blade: First Level
Binding Technique: Beginner
Potential: 2

Examining the Five Tigers Gate-Cutting Blade, he saw the green "+" remained, clearly indicating he could further advance.

Yao Qian didn’t hesitate, focusing again; the green "+" trembled, and another burst of information flooded his mind. This time, the sensation lasted a bit longer. After a moment, he exhaled, glancing back at "Blue Star." The Five Tigers Gate-Cutting Blade was now at the second level, potential had dropped to zero, and all green symbols had vanished, evidently signaling that further advancement was impossible.

His face shone with delight—so it really worked.

Taking a deep breath, he reached for the hilt of the single-handed blade at his waist. Instantly, a sense of practiced expertise washed over him, as if the blade could leap from its sheath to strike at a mere thought. It was like a seasoned warrior who had practiced for years, his blade an extension of his arm, now a part of him.

"This feeling is truly marvelous," Yao Qian sighed, savoring the exquisite sensation of unity between body and blade.

Soon, however, he grew troubled. These two upgrades had depleted his potential, but how to acquire more remained a daunting question.

Last time, luck and the blessings of his predecessors had favored him. Now, with that human skin resource exhausted, how would he gain more potential?

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A vague notion stirred in his mind—perhaps the breakthrough lay with that human skin, or rather, the strange cases.

The culprits behind those bizarre cases might hold the key to increasing his potential.

Leaving aside their immense danger and whether he could even handle them, merely encountering or tracking them down would be fraught with difficulty.

The deeper he thought, the more troubled his expression became.

"For now, there’s no hope of gaining more potential. Advancing further will have to rely on myself," he resolved inwardly. Glancing at the sky, he saw dusk approaching. His stomach protested with a loud rumble, startling him—he felt famished enough to devour an ox.

Dragging his weary body, Yao Qian left the yamen. He was about to head to the Chen family restaurant, when he abruptly paused, realizing the Chen family was gone, and the restaurant surely could not remain open.

He found a modest tavern instead, ordering seven or eight meat dishes and eating four bowls of rice before finally feeling mostly full. With a contented sigh, he left the tavern and headed home.

Time flew by in a blink—ten days passed in an instant.

The yamen’s rear courtyard.

Swish, swish, swish...

A dark figure was practicing blade techniques in the courtyard. The blade’s light flickered, his steps nimble, each move forceful and vigorous. Suddenly, the figure let out a long howl, leaping forward. The blade flashed, emitting a thunderous sound as a chunk of the ornamental rock was cleaved off and rolled away.

He then unleashed four consecutive strikes, each domineering and powerful, reminiscent of a tiger descending the mountain to devour a flock of sheep. Any ordinary person witnessing this would be terrified, their face drained of color, trembling in fear.

With four cuts, cracks spider-webbed across the towering artificial rock, then exploded, shards spraying in all directions—a tremendous spectacle.

He retreated several meters, narrowly avoiding the flying debris, and exhaled in relief. Who else could this be but Yao Qian?

Wiping sweat from his brow, he watched the dust settle and nodded in satisfaction, a hint of joy on his face.

Though he hadn’t reached the third level of the Five Tigers Gate-Cutting Blade in these ten days, his mastery of its movements had deepened, and his understanding of blade technique grew more profound. He could now respond with ease, choosing the right move for any situation.

That was just the mental transformation; physically, the changes were equally remarkable.

Since advancing the blade technique to the second level, muscles had begun to bulge on his arms and legs. After ten days of diligent practice, those muscles had grown thicker, his palms were covered in a thick layer of calluses, and even his height seemed to have increased by nearly an inch.

His entire bearing had subtly changed. Once careless and muddled, his demeanor had been furtive and hesitant. Now, with mastery in blade technique, his confidence soared. His spirit was renewed, exuding a powerful self-assurance that could inspire others, sweeping away all traces of depression.

Sheathing his blade, Yao Qian returned to the yamen hall, where Old Wang sat at the head, reviewing case files. The Chen brothers were nowhere to be seen.

He had returned the Five Tigers Gate-Cutting Blade manual to Old Wang several days ago.

After handing over the blade technique, Old Wang seemed to have let go, passing it on to Chen Can and Chen Wu. Unfortunately, those two had little patience for dull blade practice; after three days, they quit together.

He didn’t interfere much or ask further—after all, such things depended on personal effort.

Old Wang glanced at the reclining Yao Qian with satisfaction, appreciating both his talent and diligence.

Reflecting on his thoughts from a few days prior, Old Wang could only smile wryly.

He’d expected Yao Qian to ask for guidance, but days passed with no request. At first, he’d been quietly annoyed.

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But one day, seeing Yao Qian practicing in the courtyard, he realized the young man’s blade skills, at his age, far surpassed anything Old Wang himself could have achieved. Yao Qian’s talent in blade technique was simply incomparable.

In that instant, emotions of sourness, sweetness, bitterness, and astringency surged together.

Fortunately, in the past few days, he had come to terms—he was just an ordinary man and need not compare himself to a monster.

"So, how has your practice of the Five Tigers Gate-Cutting Blade been these days?" Old Wang pretended to be engrossed in the files, though most of his attention was on Yao Qian.

Seeing Yao Qian shake his head, he felt at ease. If Yao Qian had made another breakthrough, he would truly have doubted his own worth, as if decades of experience had amounted to nothing.

"No, I’ve already mastered this blade technique thoroughly, but it feels like something is just missing. I can’t quite describe it—just a little short..." Yao Qian recalled his practice, the technique already ingrained in his heart. The movements, footwork, and so on were all second nature, yet he felt an indefinable lack.

Old Wang, unconsciously, had long since stopped reading the files, listening intently as Yao Qian spoke. His expression grew increasingly serious.

He had practiced the Five Tigers Gate-Cutting Blade for twenty years; his experience was far greater than Yao Qian’s, and he knew exactly what stage Yao Qian had reached. The more he understood, the greater his surprise and shock.

It took some effort to compose himself, years of administrative experience masking his emotions.

He snorted, "If you’re just a bit short, there’s no need to practice further. I happen to have a case that needs handling—I'll leave it to you."

Yao Qian had intended to refuse, but accepting the wanted poster Old Wang handed him, he swallowed his words.

The sketch depicted a middle-aged man, his face weathered, beard unkempt, hair a tangled nest.

These were mere details; the crux was the bounty marked beneath his portrait—a full sixty taels of silver.

This was no small sum. In this world, sixty taels could sustain a family for a whole year, with surplus to spare.

His predecessor had collected protection fees with Chen Zequan for years, yet his savings never exceeded fifty taels.

Moreover, in recent days, his appetite had grown, and his craving for meat intensified. What once was adequate for his salary now barely covered his needs, even dipping into his savings.

The saying goes: "The poor study literature, the rich train in martial arts"—not just a joke.

Yao Qian had come to understand: raising a skilled fighter required enormous wealth, and his savings were far from sufficient.

The Chen brothers had quit blade practice after three days, not without reason.

Though not destitute yet, Yao Qian knew he must plan ahead and not sit idly by as his funds dwindled.

This was an opportunity he had to seize.

That bounty—he was determined to claim it.