On the clifftop, the cold wind moaned, and withered leaves spun in the wind before falling.

The monkey elder toyed with a wine cup, the amber liquid glinting coldly under the moonlight.

The tiger demon's coarse paws uneasily scratched the back of his neck, his eyes as large as bronze bells flickering with fear: "Elder, is Lingzhou about to undergo a change?"

Though he was a creature of the Gui Cang Realm, he was still no match for the monkey elder.

As the largest demon force in Lingzhou, the demon hall housed a multitude of demons, and if not for clinging to the monkey elder, the tiger demon might still be stuck unknown in some obscure corner.

So now, the monkey elder's words left the tiger demon very puzzled.

Suddenly, the monkey elder crushed the wine cup: "Knowing too much can shorten one's life."

The tiger demon's fur stood on end, like prey spotted by a viper.

He swung his large tiger paws, slapping his swollen cheeks back and forth.

"I was wrong, I spoke out of turn!"

Slap after slap, until his tiger head was swollen, the tiger demon only stopped when the monkey elder lightly nodded, unable to restrain from wiping the sweat from his forehead.

Compared to the pain of flesh, that deep-seated fear was more terrifying.

What the monkey elder had just said was a secret the demon hall could not allow outsiders to know.

Knowing too many secrets can get one killed.

The monkey elder took another sip of wine: "When the time comes, it will be a grand action."

"If the main state returns, the Demon Transformation Pool will be in the demon hall's possession."

"If it doesn't return, Lingzhou's Evil Extermination Bureau will inevitably face destruction."

"Everything requires quiet waiting."

The tiger demon kept nodding, flattering: "Elder, your wisdom and strategy are unparalleled, surely you will be able to eradicate Lingzhou's Evil Extermination Bureau and make our demon hall stand above Lingzhou!"

The monkey elder narrowed his eyes, saying no more.

The tiger demon's eyes shifted slightly, signaling to a little demon not far away.

The little demon quickly departed.

Before long, a ragged woman, covered in injuries, was roughly pushed in front of the monkey elder by the little demon.

The monkey elder set the wine jug aside, revealing sharp teeth at the corner of his mouth: "At least you understand."

On the clifftop, piercing screams echoed...

...

Time flew by, in the blink of an eye, several dozen days had passed.

During this time, though Lingzhou experienced some disturbances, it generally remained stable.

Amidst this turmoil, one name became more frequent—Qin An.

Inside an inn in Lingzhou, a storyteller held a wooden block and slapped it on the table.

The collision of the block and the table produced a dull thud.

"That's all for the tale of Mr. Qin, the master of both fist and saber. If you enjoyed it, don't forget to show your appreciation." The storyteller stroked his goatee.

A raucous cheer came from inside the inn, silver coins landing on a girl's gong, producing a series of clanging sounds.

The girl presented the gong to the storyteller, who nodded in satisfaction.

The affairs of the Jianghu are the most profitable, especially many romantic and adventurous tales.

This is also the livelihood of Lingzhou's storytellers.

He had discovered earlier that whenever he told anecdotes about the new noble of the Evil Extermination Bureau, Mr. Qin, he could always earn a full purse.

Many peers followed his lead and earned well, but ultimately, not as much as he did.

At this moment, a bearded saber-wielding guest thumped the table, immediately drawing attention.

"I heard that Mr. Qin is referred to as the Demon-Slaying Saber, when did he become the master of both fist and saber?"

The storyteller quickly responded, fully aware that many Jianghu people are tough to deal with, explaining: "To answer, sir, it's said that besides his formidable saber skills, Mr. Qin also has exquisite fist techniques, hence the title master of both fist and saber."

This statement could hold up.

Many Jianghu individuals nodded along.

No one expected the bearded saber-wielder to pat the sword at his waist: "Nonsense! In my opinion, it should be called master of saber and fist, as the saber is better than the fist, obviously, the saber comes first!"

With these words, the storyteller intended to say something flattering.

Unexpectedly, a burly man had already crushed his wine cup, sneering: "It should indeed be called master of both fist and saber. We who are unarmed are better than you crude knife-users!"

A few saber-wielding Jianghu guests expressed dissatisfaction upon hearing this.

Yet increasingly more unarmed individuals stepped forward.

At this moment, the inn turned into chaos.

The storyteller shielded the girl behind him, anxiously wiping the sweat from his forehead as he watched the Jianghu individuals on the verge of brawling.

He never anticipated that merely recounting a tale would cause such chaos.

If a fight really broke out, it might harm the innocent.

Just then, the sound of a cup dropping to the ground silenced the noisy scene instantly.

Everyone turned toward the sound's source, their expressions changing in unison.

By the window, two beautiful women sat facing each other, playing with a half-broken porcelain cup.

On the ground were the shattered pieces of the cup, clearly from their hands.

One of the women wore a state official badge at her waist, while the slightly older one had a silver badge.

—Silver Province Officer!

The Jianghu individuals who had been bickering instantly halted, obediently sitting in place, not daring to move a muscle.

The storyteller breathed a sigh of relief, casting a respectful glance at the two women.

With a Silver Province Officer present, at least this group of Jianghu individuals wouldn't cause trouble in the inn.

Ye Lengyu surveyed the now calm inn with almond eyes, speaking: "Sister, the Evil Extermination Bureau's badge sure is useful."

Ye Lengshuang sipped her tea, tapping her sister's forehead with chopsticks: "It was earned with blood and life, of course it's useful."

"I wonder what Mr. Qin is doing." Ye Lengyu said with anticipation: "He's been reclusive these past twenty days, surely it's something important."

Upon hearing this, Ye Lengshuang was momentarily dazed.

Recalling the figure wielding a saber that day, she couldn't help but fall into reminiscence.

Until Ye Lengyu waved a hand in front of her eyes, bringing her back to herself.

"Sister, we are not on the same path."

Ye Lengshuang placed the chopsticks on her bowl, advising: "Remember, do not disturb Mr. Qin, understood?"

Ye Lengyu let out a soft acknowledgment, resting her hand on her chin, her tone slightly dispirited: "I didn't mean to disturb Mr. Qin, I just want to follow Mr. Qin once my strength grows..."

Upon hearing the word "follow," Ye Lengshuang remarked helplessly: "If Mr. Qin were to say he needed followers, those seeking to follow could encircle Lingzhou a few times. Would he need you?"

Sometimes she felt her sister was a bit too optimistic.

With Qin An's talent, why would he need others to follow him?

Just by uttering a word, many forces in Lingzhou would break down his doors to see Qin An.

Ye Lengyu said dejectedly: "I understand... just being able to see him from afar would be a fortune."

She knew very well the distance between herself and Mr. Qin, but sometimes she just longed to experience Mr. Qin's presence.

Ye Lengshuang patted her sister's head: "Finish eating and then go back. As for why Mr. Qin is reclusive, you shouldn't concern yourself with it."

In the past twenty days, Qin An has been staying in the Evil Extermination Bureau.

He hardly showed up except for meals.

Even though Ye Lengshuang doesn't know what Qin An is doing, she understands Qin An's character. Such reclusiveness is certainly not a trivial matter.

Nowadays, Qin An is no longer on the same path as them, even Wan Ziqing, Ye Lengshuang's superior, has to address Qin An with equal respect.

At their level, they don't have the right to worry about what Qin An has been doing lately.

The two said no more, and after eating, they headed toward the Evil Extermination Bureau.

...

Evil Extermination Bureau.

Qin An stood by the table, hand caressing the Cold Star.

Smoke swirled, forming words like a serpent.

[Pill Master lv.7 (0/1500): Your success rate in refining pills has improved, and the efficacy is more pure]

[Talent: Jade Bone Realm Fire Control Mastery, Jade Bone Realm pill material consumption reduced]

...

[Blacksmith lv.7 (0/1500): The quality of the items you forge has improved, and material consumption is reduced]

[Talent: Jade Bone Realm mastery of power-type Cultivation Techniques, Jade Bone Realm Forged Object Spirituality Granting]

...

[Healer lv.7 (0/1500): Your effectiveness in treating patients has improved, and treatment time is shortened]

[Talent: Jade Bone Realm mastery of healing Cultivation Techniques, Jade Bone Realm poison resistance Great Success]

...

[Dancer lv.7 (0/1500): Your dances are more beautiful and can enchant minds]

[Talent: Jade Bone Realm mastery of Body Technique talents, Jade Bone Realm Body Technique talent epiphany mastery]

...

"It's done!" Qin An's eyes flashed with a sharp light.

For a full twenty days, Qin An barely left his room, practicing repeatedly among various professions every day.

During the day, he went to Spring Breeze Hall's Ge Feng to practice as a Pill Master and then to the blacksmith shop to forge.

At night, he practiced his proficiency as a healer and a dancer.

Apart from basic sleep, his days were filled with mechanical practice.

For others, it might be extremely tedious, but Qin An had long been accustomed to it.

Compared to the monotony, the achievement of reaching level seven in all professions felt more rewarding.

Now that all professions had reached level seven, they had achieved the mastery level of the Jade Bone Realm.

Qin An now needed to take the next step.

"It's time to exchange for the remaining Cultivation Techniques and push them all to Small Success in the Gui Cang Realm."

Having made up his mind, Qin An stepped out, facing the respectful gazes of numerous state officials, he walked towards the Confidential Library.

...

Confidential Library.

"Mr. Qin, your achievements have been tallied, and you may exchange for Cultivation Techniques and demon essence at any time."

The Internal Affairs Department state official respectfully handed the mountain patrol silver token to Qin An.

Recently, Qin An's name had been spreading through the Evil Extermination Bureau.

Especially the title of "Fist and Saber Double Excellence" was spoken of loudly.

Even though many people knew that Qin An seemed to have not gone out recently, it did not affect his status in the hearts of the state officials.

Qin An, taking it, with his hand caressing the sheath of the Cold Star Saber, walked to the nearest row of bookshelves.

As he walked, he pondered in his heart.

He still needed to exchange for three Cultivation Techniques: a fist technique, a body technique, and a protective technique, all needed to be of the Returning to Storage Realm.

Fortunately, the Confidential Library was not lacking in these Cultivation Techniques.

After searching for a while in the Confidential Library, Qin An finally found what he needed, went to the state officials to exchange for copied versions, and returned to his room.

It was still daytime, the window lighting was excellent, Qin An did not light the oil lamp, and opened the first fist technique.

The fist technique was called "Hidden Dragon Fist," similar to the first fist technique Qin An practiced, emphasizing breaking tricks with force.

Though the Blood-Burning Demon Hand was quite powerful, its initial strength was somewhat lacking, and Qin An could use this to make up for the deficiency.

Words flew past Qin An's eyes like the wind, and after Qin An read through this Cultivation Technique, he had already memorized the entire fist technique.

Standing in place, Qin An began to practice according to the outline of the Hidden Dragon Fist.

The room was filled with shadows of fists, each punch carrying a sharp gust of fist wind.

After several breaths' time of practicing, Qin An successfully triggered the Golden Finger.

Before his eyes, smoke twisted like a serpent, floating in the air.

[You practice Hidden Dragon Fist, feeling a sense of inspiration, but unfortunately, talent is insufficient, and enlightenment is limited]

Talent insufficient?

No big deal.

As long as there's enough demon essence, it's fine.

Qin An still had twenty-one pieces, enough for deduction.

Thinking of this, Qi and blood within Qin An's body started consuming madly.

[After meditating for several years, you decide to burn your Qi and blood]

[A hint of inspiration grows in your heart, but it's still not enough]

[You continue to burn your Qi and blood, and when the consumption reaches a certain level, you finally gain some understanding]

[Hidden Dragon Fist (Initial Comprehension)]

It's done.

Qin An's eyes flashed with light, already comprehending the essentials of the Hidden Dragon Fist.

But the initial comprehension of Hidden Dragon Fist alone was not enough to satisfy Qin An's intentions.

A thought arose in Qin An's heart, beginning to attempt to fuse the Blood-Burning Demon Hand and Hidden Dragon Fist.

Before his eyes, the smoke twisted like a serpent.

[You possess the Blood-Burning Demon Hand and want to fuse it with the Hidden Dragon Fist]

[You begin to try, but unfortunately, talent is insufficient, and the attempt fails]

[Now, with dangers lurking everywhere, you feel strongly that you must not give up here, and decide to continue consuming Qi and blood]

[A large amount of Qi and blood disappear, you gain a hint of understanding, but it's far from enough]

[You continue to consume Qi and blood, after many years of meditation, you finally gain insight]

Qin An's eyes suddenly sharpened: "It's done!"

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