Chapter 12: Chapter 12: Body Tempering and Subsequent Events

After practicing the Eight Steps to Catch a Cicada a few more times at the martial training ground, Lu Yu trained in boxing for a while before returning to his courtyard and logging out of the game.

He did not take the Body Tempering Pill because, unlike the Body Refining Pill, the Body Tempering Pill enhances physical strength and defense and must be taken while practicing boxing to be effective.

The time was already late, and not much training time was left, so Lu Yu opted not to take the Body Tempering Pill.

The porcelain bottle contained five Body Tempering Pills, enough for Lu Yu to train five times.

Body Tempering Pills can also be purchased at the logistics courtyard for fifty gold coins each.

Since Body Tempering Pills are auxiliary training elixirs and do not directly enhance one’s strength, and even if a Martial Cultivator at the Body Refinement stage enhances their physical strength, it cannot withstand blades and swords,

therefore, few Protectors are willing to spend money to buy Body Tempering Pills.

Instead, more Protectors are willing to buy Qi Blood Pills, which are valued at 80 gold coins each and can increase the qi and blood of Martial Cultivators at the fourth level of Body Refinement or higher.

After logging out of the game and having dinner in reality, he entered the game again.

After the incident with Steward Bai, there were more patrols around the logistics courtyard, and Lu Yu often saw the silhouettes of other Protectors on patrol.

The number of patrols in the outer courtyard increased, and the patrols became more stringent.

The situation in the inner courtyard remained the same, except that from time to time, screams and curses were heard from a small two-story courtyard, and patrols passing by instinctively avoided it.

“Ouch~ It hurts, it hurts, what are you guys doing! Why hit so hard, trying to kill me, huh? Softer!”

Han Fan lay on the bed as several pretty young maids applied medicine to him; his backside was beaten to shreds, and inevitably the medicine would hurt the wound.

At this time, Han Fan would curse loudly, grabbing whatever he could to throw at the maids who hurt him. If it weren’t for his injured backside preventing him from moving, he would have slapped them.

After applying the medicine, the maids quickly left the room, unwilling to stay a moment longer.

“Hiss~ It really kills me, these damned servants, don’t know how to be gentle, why hit so hard!”

“You didn’t expose me, did you?” At some point, a person appeared in Han Fan’s room, and the guards at the doorway were not aware at all.

Upon seeing the person, Han Fan was filled with anger, thinking if it wasn’t for him, he wouldn’t have been injured like this.

“No,” Han Fan said irritably.

“You promised me before, that if I help you, no matter the outcome, you won’t use that matter to threaten me, or I’ll tell my dad you sent me to the patriarch’s study to find things.”

“At worst, we’ll both suffer! I may end up getting beaten half to death by my dad, but you’ll surely be hunted to death by the Han family.”

“Of course, I keep my word. But there is one last thing I need you to help me with; once it’s done, that secret will rot in our stomachs.” Saying this, the person moved towards Han Fan.

Han Fan’s expression turned unhappy as he watched him walk over, frowning.

However, thinking that it could solve his major problems, he quickly asked, “What is it?”

“Help me keep it a secret!”

“No problem, I didn’t give you away when I was beaten like this, so keeping a secret is even less of an issue.” Han Fan eagerly agreed.

Yet, something seemed off about the atmosphere; as the person got closer, Han Fan suddenly became anxious.

“What do you want…”

Soon, Han Fan’s voice disappeared from the room, and the figure vanished as well.

“Only a dead person can truly keep a secret.”

…

After receiving the task completion notification and another 50 experience points, Lu Yu stretched, ready to have dinner and log off for a well-deserved rest.

While eating in the cafeteria, he suddenly heard shocking news—Han Fan was dead, found on his own bed.

The body was discovered by a servant preparing to change Han Fan’s medicine in the morning, and it had been cold for an unknown amount of time.

The servants and guards at the gate were thrown into the dungeon by Third Master Han, even though he knew they didn’t have the guts to kill his son.

But since his son died under their noses, it was still their fault, so they were all thrown into the dungeon.

Han Fan’s death on his own bed shook the entire Han estate, and the inner courtyard was conducting a thorough investigation to find the killer.

Even Lu Yu, who had only been in the inner courtyard once, was approached for questioning, but was let off after some Protectors he met on nightly patrol testified on his behalf.

The most crucial point was that Lu Yu had been training for less than half a month and could not have sneaked past the guards to silently kill Han Fan, who was at the fourth level of Body Refinement.

Despite Han Fan being beaten like that, his level of Body Refinement was not something someone like Lu Yu, who just started training, could handle.

Additionally, Han Fan’s body had no wounds and was killed with bare hands.

For someone like Lu Yu, who had been training for less than half a month, even approaching Han Fan would have resulted in him being punched to death.

Not to mention wanting to kill someone silently and unnoticed with bare hands.

Lu Yu pondered as he walked out of the Martial Hall. Han Fan was murdered, but by whom? Why did they want to kill him?

The easiest thing to think of is that Han Fan had a conflict of interest with someone, and then that person acted against him. But who in the Han residence would have a conflict of interest with Han Fan?

Steward Bai?

What Lu Yu could think of, others could too. Steward Bai was immediately controlled when Han Fan’s death was discovered, but he also had an alibi.

For a moment, unable to find the killer, everyone in the Han residence was a little panicked, especially the young ladies and masters.

On the contrary, the servants continued doing their work as usual, not being too affected.

“Today’s winner is Wang Can.” After announcing the winner, Yang Xiu gave the small box containing the Body Refining Pill to Wang Can. Wang Can took it like a treasure amid the envious and jealous gazes of others.

Seeing Yang Xiu, Lu Yu suddenly recalled Han Yu rushing over, followed by their conversation in the woods.

A flash of lightning struck through Lu Yu’s mind; he remembered where he had heard the word “study” before.

Not long ago, while patrolling outside the west courtyard side gate, he accidentally stumbled upon a rendezvous between Yang Xiu and Han Yu, where he heard about the study during their conversation.

Lu Yu’s heart was in turmoil, with a faint bad guess; his expression became a bit stiff.

Seeing Lu Yu walking out of the Martial Hall, Wang Can, holding the Body Refining Pill, excitedly shouted to him, “Lu Yu, just you wait! I’ll soon become an official Protector too!”

Hearing this, Yang Xiu turned to look at Lu Yu.

Seeing him turn, Lu Yu barely controlled his stiff facial muscles, showing a slight smile, and said to Wang Can, “Then keep it up.”

After speaking, he hurriedly left Yang Xiu’s side, fearing he would notice him.

Passing by Yang Xiu, Lu Yu had already calmed down and calmly said, “Hello, Instructor Yang.”

Yang Xiu nodded casually, not paying much attention.

He was thinking about other things and didn’t notice Lu Yu’s expression.

Instead, it was Wang Can who, after receiving Lu Yu’s encouragement, felt a bit strange. Previously, Lu Yu would never pay attention to him, but today he actually responded, which seemed somewhat odd.

However, the doubt in his heart was quickly swept away by the joy of receiving the Body Refining Pill. He now just wanted to quickly take the pill and break through to become a Martial Cultivator.

Although Wang Can’s strength was relatively outstanding among the people, he didn’t always secure the Body Refining Pill.

Because when others knew Wang Can was stronger than most, they would target him, concentrating their efforts to eliminate him first.

If Wang Can wasn’t eliminated first, no one else would have a chance to obtain the Body Refining Pill.

So, under mutual interests, everyone sparring with Wang Can would exhaust his energy with all their might.

While others decided who won or lost through drawing lots or playing rock-paper-scissors, they didn’t fight intensely, preserving their strength.

Due to this layer-by-layer attrition, Wang Can couldn’t win from the first match to the end and was exhausted several times and eliminated halfway.

However, because of this, Wang Can’s practical combat ability improved very quickly, and today was the first time he won after being targeted and his winning streak was broken.

So he was very excited and forgot about Lu Yu.

Lu Yu found a place in the corner of the Martial Arts Field to train, standing in front of a wooden stake, lost in thought.

All the panic stems from the anxiety about his lack of strength.

Because he was weaker than Yang Xiu, he worried that Yang Xiu would find out he knew his secret.

Only strength, only enough strength, can keep one calm in the face of danger. This strength can be power, wisdom, even information, background, big connections…

And now, for Lu Yu, the fastest strength he can obtain is power.

Taking out a Body Tempering Pill from his backpack, he ingested it and began practicing the Fierce Tiger Fist. At first, he practiced the punches himself to feel the effects of the Body Tempering Pill, then entered an auto-training state.

Usually, the speed of training in auto-mode is much faster than training alone.

With each punch thrown, Lu Yu could feel a heat rising from his stomach to the surface of his skin, which became scorching hot.

When his fist hit the wooden stake, when he felt pain, a surge of heat would rush to the painful spot, quickly turning the pain into burning heat.

With punch after punch, he gradually couldn’t feel the pain of his fists, only the intense heat of both fists.

Lu Yu realized that the Body Tempering Pill could exert its maximum effect during strikes.

Thus, he not only punched and kicked but also used elbow strikes, knee thrusts, back hits, shoulder collisions… using as many parts as possible to strike the wooden stake, fully utilizing the Body Tempering Pill’s effect.

Parts of the Fierce Tiger Fist technique had already reached a masterful level for Lu Yu, long beyond the limitations of set routines, allowing him to modify them into moves more suitable for himself.

After auto-training, the character’s actions were no longer confined to the techniques but moved according to Lu Yu’s ideas.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep