Chapter 58: Chapter 58: Able to Bend and Stretch?

Just from his voice, it was clear Qian Kun was quite surprised.

Ma Pingchuan hurriedly replied, “That’s right. And the kid isn’t just toughing it out. I can tell that even after training like a madman for more than ten days, his body is perfectly fine.”

“How far has he progressed?”

“It’s hard to tell with his Karmic Fire Red Lotus Palm, but his Tribulation-Indestructible Body should have already reached Minor Success…”

Qian Kun fell silent for a moment before continuing. “Is he really that monstrous…? Oh yo, oh yo-yo-yo…”

After a few strange yelps, he gasped, “Where was I?”

“Brother-in-law, what on earth is wrong with you?” Ma Pingchuan asked with concern.

Qian Kun gritted his teeth. “I don’t know what this strange illness is. I’ve seen plenty of doctors, and every last one of them is a damn useless waste! Not a single one can find the cause!”

Ma Pingchuan was stunned for a moment, then hastily suggested, “How about… you ask the Gang Leader to take a look?”

He genuinely didn’t want anything to happen to Qian Kun. Otherwise, his own position as Incense Master would immediately be on shaky ground.

“Have you forgotten the Gang Leader is in seclusion? What a terrible idea! Who would dare disturb him right now? Waaah-oooooh—”

“And as for that Zou Feng… To think that Chen Jingsheng just randomly grabbed someone to fill a spot, and he turned out to be a true prodigy?”

“If I’d known, I would’ve had you spare no expense to snatch him away first! Aiya, ai-ya-ya-ya—”

Nearly every sentence Qian Kun spoke was punctuated by a variety of ridiculous yelps, and Ma Pingchuan was finding it increasingly difficult to keep a straight face.

He was grateful for the folding screen between them. Otherwise, his brother-in-law would have surely seen how hard he was struggling to hold back his laughter, on the verge of breaking at any moment.

“Brother-in-law, since it has come to this, we must find a way to get rid of him as soon as possible. We absolutely cannot let this boy live!”

“If he keeps training like this, it won’t be long before he achieves Integration and Mastery in one of his Cultivation Skills. Things will get even more troublesome then.”

The three Cultivation Skills Zou Feng had chosen were considered heretical paths in the eyes of the Renowned and Righteous Sects.

But no matter how disdained, they were still True Skills that could only be cultivated after reaching the Entering Grade.

Therefore, once these True Skills were cultivated to the level of Integration and Mastery, there was a high probability that one’s Inner Qi would undergo a metamorphosis, allowing for a promotion to the Eighth Grade.

“I know… Ooooh-oooh—”

“I’ll handle this myself. You can go. When the time comes, you’ll need to play your part in the act, too. Hwoh-hwoh-hwoh—”

Ma Pingchuan pressed his lips together tightly, forcing himself to think of unhappy things to stifle his laughter. Only then did he take his leave. “Brother-in-law, please take care of yourself. I’ll head back now…”

“Wait. Were you just laughing?”

“Brother-in-law, you know me. I’m naturally a cheerful person…”

Ma Pingchuan looked completely innocent. ’My nickname in the streets is the “Smiling Swordman,”’ he thought. ’Is it really that strange for me to be smiling all the time?’

“GET OUT!!”

At the same time, Zou Feng finished his practice and retracted his energy.

He stretched casually, and his joints let out a series of crisp pops and cracks, like a string of firecrackers.

’Since Ma Pingchuan has gone to see Qian Kun, they’re bound to make some kind of troublesome move next.’

’On my end, there’s Hall Master Chen Jingsheng, but for the time being, I can’t expect much help from him.’

’The reason is simple: I was just recruited in a moment of desperation to fill a quota.’

’Even if I have potential, it’s not likely to garner much attention until it’s fully realized.’

’Ma Pingchuan, on the other hand, is Qian Kun’s brother-in-law. They’re practically family.’

’That makes a world of difference.’

’Fortunately, it’s not a huge problem. I never planned on relying on others to get by in the Black Flood Dragon Gang anyway.’

He closed his eyes, and a panel appeared in his mind.

“Tribulation-Indestructible Body (Entering the Hall and the Room), Progress: 9%”

“Karmic Fire Red Lotus Palm (Entering the Hall and the Room), Progress: 6%”

“Black Tortoise Sea-Suppressing Force (Slightly Accomplished), Progress: 52%”

It had been less than twenty days since he started cultivating these three Evil Skills.

This rate of progress would make even a true Evil Genius doubt their own existence.

For Zou Feng, the only fly in the ointment was, of course, his progress with the Black Tortoise Sea-Suppressing Force.

But there was nothing to be done. It wasn’t that Zou Feng wasn’t working hard enough; it was that the medicinal baths required to cultivate the Black Tortoise Sea-Suppressing Force were just too expensive.

Some of the required medicinal herbs were often out of stock—priced, but with no sellers to be found.

So even with his Monthly Allowance as an Incense Master being a hefty thirty taels of patterned silver, it was still not enough to support the costs of cultivating the Black Tortoise Sea-Suppressing Force.

Fortunately, this wasn’t a huge problem. His true trump cards weren’t these three newly acquired Evil Skills anyway.

“Five Poison Skill (Refined Skill), Progress: 8%”

“Chaos Finger (Integration and Mastery), Progress: 20%”

“Drunken Immortal Moon Gazing Step (Integration and Mastery), Progress: 15%”

The cultivation progress of these three old Evil Skills had also slowed to a crawl recently due to a lack of resources, but at least they were still progressing, however slightly.

His Five Poison Skill, in particular, which had reached the Refined Skill level, would be a huge, nasty surprise for any opponent he truly had to face.

The Karmic Fire Red Lotus Palm also provided an excellent disguise.

’You think I can only use my palm to fry an egg?’

’In reality, just a whiff of this “egg” would be enough to send most people to the afterlife…’

That night, Zou Feng was just about to head over to Ma Pingchuan’s residence to continue tormenting the man and his crew.

But unexpectedly, Ma Pingchuan and his entourage arrived first, marching over in a grand procession.

But one look at their faces made it clear they weren’t there to pick a fight with Zou Feng.

Ever since they’d pegged Zou Feng as both a madman and an Evil Genius, they had ruled out using force.

Their visit this time seemed much more like an apology.

Sure enough, before Ma Pingchuan even drew near, he cupped his fist and gave Zou Feng a deep, formal bow.

“Brother Zou, I’ve been such a fool!”

“I won’t lie to you, brother. Before you arrived, I thought I’d be the one handling all the affairs here at the warehouse.”

“But then the higher-ups assigned you to come over. I was resentful and deeply dissatisfied.”

“That’s why I made things so difficult for you before. I’m truly ashamed!”

These words were, in fact, the truth. Ma Pingchuan’s frank admission made his apology seem all the more sincere.

With that said, Ma Pingchuan turned and waved to the men behind him.

The underlings who had come with him immediately brought forward two large chests and a massive slab of Spirit Beast Meat carried on a shoulder pole.

“One hundred pounds of Sword-toothed Rabbit Meat!”

“Fifty taels of patterned silver!”

“And these two chests of medicinal herbs are all things you need for your cultivation, brother,” Ma Pingchuan explained.

After watching Zou Feng train for more than ten days, he naturally knew what herbs the man required.

Zou Feng gave the items a quick glance and was surprised to spot a precious herb he needed for his Black Tortoise Sea-Suppressing Force cultivation.

’This guy really spared no expense.’

’But… I bet he’s just trying to lull me into a false sense of security…’

“Ma Incense Master, what is the meaning of this?” Zou Feng asked, feigning confusion.

Ma Pingchuan’s tone was almost begging. “Brother, for the sake of our shared fellowship in the gang, please, spare me!”

“I was blind. I failed to see that you’re destined for great things and that you have the potential to back it up.”

“To err is human, who can be without fault? I admit defeat, and I admit I was wrong!”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep