Chapter 9
: The Young Master is Fierce, But There's an Unexpected Gain!
The Yuxi River is a seamless blend of water and sky, with its shimmering blue waves.
A painted boat drifts slowly downstream.
The cabin table was decorated with jujubes, chestnuts, pears, and other fruits.
The air was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood. Gu Lin leaned against Xiang Jun's legs, eating pear slices while listening to Xian'er play music.
All the ship's windows were opened, and the music carried to the nearby Yuxi Mountain, echoing through the deep mountains.
Xiangjun pursed her cherry-like lips and said in a sweet, coquettish voice:
"Gu Lang, if only things could stay like this forever."
Gu Lin didn't reply.
More than fifty taels of silver in three days—which family could afford such a waste?
The money's already spent, so I need to get my money back.
He quickly stood up and wrapped his arm around Xiangjun's soft, boneless waist.
"Gu Lang, close the window..." Xiang Jun's face was flushed, and her lips were delicate and moist.
Gu Lin refused to comply:
"The scenery is breathtaking, and the fairy's zither music adds to the merriment. How wonderful it is for us to enjoy this beautiful landscape together!"
.......
Two days passed like this, and the pleasure boat had sailed back and forth along the mountainside three times. Apart from the occasional envious glance from a fisherman, there was no sign of the wanted criminal.
We have to leave the pleasure boat tomorrow; it looks like we won't be able to catch any fish.
At the bow of the boat, Gu Lin embraced Xiang Jun and Xian'er on either side. Xiang Jun and Xian'er took off their matching mandarin duck shoes, their snow-white and delicate jade feet swaying on the water, their curled toes adorned with crystal-clear water droplets.
Xian'er raised her small, oval face and said in a half-serious, half-coquettish tone:
"Gu Lang, please redeem me from this life, and I will serve you for the rest of my life."
Xiangjun echoed in agreement:
"Me too."
Her voice sounded even more resolute.
She was won over by Gu Langjun in less than three days.
Not only was he handsome and physically fit, but he was also refined and witty, often making them laugh heartily. Most importantly, he appeared to be from a wealthy and powerful family.
Gu Lin smiled but remained silent.
Although this kind of life is comfortable, he cannot become complacent about it; he has a bright future ahead of him.
Seeing that her husband avoided the topic, the two had no choice but to give up.
Gu Lin gazed at the night sky.
It seems I can only participate in the academy selection competition with my Qi Condensation Realm Level 1 cultivation.
Disappointment is inevitable, but we must accept reality.
Although this level of cultivation doesn't rank in the top eighty of the academy, with my actual combat strength, I still have a chance to compete for ten spots. I need to do my best and have some luck.
If the preliminary selection is successful, there is still a month before the selection competition of the four holy lands, which gives you plenty of time to increase your cultivation.
Instead of overthinking and adding to my troubles, I might as well share a bed with a beautiful woman.
Gu Lin pulled the two of them into the cabin.
Unbeknownst to him, on the distant mountainside, a disheveled man was hiding behind a boulder, looking down at the brightly lit pleasure boat.
This guy really knows how to enjoy life!
Although he couldn't see the two women's faces clearly, their graceful and voluptuous figures had already captivated him. In his mind, the two women were in a terrible state.
The burly man's eyes burned as he quickly left.
Half an hour later, he arrived at a secluded pool where a fishing boat was moored.
The fisherman was fishing when he saw the approaching person and quickly looked around.
"Old Jing,"
The big man suddenly plunged into the water and swam to the fishing boat.
The fisherman extinguished his lamp, and darkness fell all around.
The big man was starving, so he didn't ask any questions but instead fed the man.
He was able to hide in Yuxi Mountain for two months, which meant he had outside help. He hunted wild animals to fill his stomach on a daily basis, and occasionally needed delicious food to improve his appetite. More importantly, he needed to know the intensity of the manhunt in Xiajiang County.
After eating and drinking to their hearts' content, the burly man handed over two taels of silver. "Here you go."
Fisherman Jing smiled and took it, stuffing it into his cloth bag.
The burly man asked directly:
"I'm asking you about that pleasure boat. I've seen it three times in the last two days."
Upon hearing this, even the fisherman Jing gritted his teeth in hatred:
"It's good to live in a wealthy family. That kid is really good at making trouble. He might do it a dozen times a day. The fishermen in the neighborhood can all hear the noise."
"I want a beautiful woman who is so lovely that I can wake up smiling in my sleep, and she'll be holding two of them."
The burly man felt his blood rush to his head and couldn't help but ask:
"What did those two women look like?"
Fisherman Jing: "She was not even twenty years old, her skin was so white it glowed, she was so beautiful that I almost drooled."
The burly man took a deep breath, various filthy thoughts flashing through his mind, and asked the most crucial question:
"What's this kid's strength?"
The fisherman answered truthfully:
"He must be a scholar from a powerful family. Just yesterday at dawn, I saw him meditating at the bow of the boat, facing the morning sun. His blood and qi were surging in his crown. As for what level of the Meridian Opening Realm he was, I have no idea."
"Meridian Opening Realm?" The big man was relieved. He didn't care about the peak of the Meridian Opening Realm.
"Fine." The burly man said this and turned to leave.
"Wait a minute." Knowing the other party's character well, the fisherman immediately put on a fawning smile:
"When you get tired of it, I'll want to try it too."
The burly man revealed a knowing smile.
Even if you get tired of playing with them, you still have to kill them, otherwise you might expose your tracks!
Half an hour later, he returned to the foot of the mountain, and without further hesitation, he jumped into the river and swam toward the painted boat.
A moment later, the big man heard seductive music in his ears, which made him itch with desire, and he quickened his diving speed.
Inside the pleasure boat, Gu Lin was in the middle of an exciting moment when he suddenly stopped.
How keen his senses were!
There's a breathing pattern underwater!
coming!
Gu Lin whispered to Xiangjun and Xian'er, signaling them to be quiet.
On the riverbed, the burly man was getting closer and closer to the painted boat.
The sound stopped abruptly, and he felt uneasy.
Something is wrong!
The reason he has been able to live so long without being caught is because of his extremely strong judgment. Even if those two sluts are as beautiful as angels, they are not as important as his own life.
The burly man glanced up at the pleasure boat and quickly turned back.
However, it was too late!
A man stood at the bow of the boat and suddenly plunged into the water.
Gu Lin saw the movement on the water's surface and pinpointed the location of the approaching figure. He activated all his acupoints and used his internal energy to accelerate his underwater swimming speed.
We can already see the other person's figure.
"It's not opening the meridians, it's condensing qi, but only at the first level of condensing qi!!"
The big man sensed the internal energy, but instead of facing the enemy head-on because he was at the third level of Qi Condensation, he fled even faster.
He was too cautious; he only had one thought in his mind.
The opponent is at the first level of Qi Condensation, what makes them dare to pursue?
Are you overestimating yourself?
What kind of presumptuous person would set up such a trap?
The two sides were neck and neck.
In just a moment, Gu Lin will catch up.
At this moment, he was certain that the depth of his internal energy was comparable to that of the fourth level of Qi Condensation!
While swimming underwater, one cannot use the Lingbo Weibu technique; one can only rely on internal energy.
The wanted criminal is at the third level of Qi Condensation.
I'm almost catching up!
The giant swam desperately underwater, then suddenly swung its tail and came straight at him.
He knew that if he continued to flee, he would be caught up, and then his back would be exposed, so he might as well fight the enemy.
The burly man focused his energy in his dantian, gathering strength for a powerful strike.
Gu Lin was not afraid at all. Instead, he raised his hand to meet the fist and forcefully withstood the violent punch.
After more than a dozen rounds, the wanted criminal showed no signs of slowing down, but Gu Lin seized an opening, grabbing his neck with his right hand and punching his chest and abdomen repeatedly with his left.
After seven punches, the wanted criminal's eyes widened, his body convulsed, and he was covered in blood.
Gu Linqian surfaced and grabbed the wanted criminal by the neck, dragging him around.
That's right, it's exactly the same as the portrait on the wanted poster.
He was very satisfied with his performance in this battle.
Leaving aside the fact that the max-level Xuanming Divine Palm is unusable, he also consistently restrained himself from using the Nine Heavens Thunder Kick.
In other words, without relying on any martial arts techniques, he captured a Qi Condensation Realm Level 3 expert through fierce combat!
The burly man was barely breathing, and his body was writhing in excruciating pain. He knew he was doomed, and hatred and resentment surged up like the tide on the river.
"Li...Li Zhenwutong Village Private School, there...there are five hundred taels of silver stored there, consider it my atonement for my evil deeds."
He was certain the other person was a bounty hunter.
Bounty hunters are inherently risk-takers, and for a huge sum of money, they would definitely go to the private school.
Gu Lin remained expressionless, twisting his head and wrist sharply, breaking the wanted criminal's neck and rendering him utterly dead.
In an instant, golden starlight gathered before my eyes to form the three large characters "Book of Merit".
[Defeat the villain "Bingba Star" to gain 854 merits and be rewarded with a max-level Three Yang Extinction Mark]
[Martial Arts Merit Points: 930/4000]
[Confucian and Taoist Merit Points: 0/1000]
[Merit Points in Taoist Arts: 0/1000]
[Witchcraft Merit Points: 0/1000]
Instantly, Gu Lin's internal energy surged again, becoming deep and long. Two loud thuds echoed within his body, like the collision of metal and stone, or the resounding tolling of a great bell.
Qi Condensation Realm, Level Three!
Gu Lin smiled broadly. It takes four hundred merit points to break through one level, which is indeed much more difficult than the Meridian Opening Realm!
This fellow's sins, though at the level of a C-8 star, are one level less than those of the wicked woman who took his virginity, yet he has 354 more merits.
This is easy to understand, after all, he personally slaughtered the entire animal!
As Gu Lin recalled the moves of the "Three Yangs Extinction Seal," his smile deepened.
This move is terrifying, no less than the Xuanming Divine Palm.
No, it's even more powerful than the Xuanming Divine Palm!
Those who are affected will experience instantaneous dryness and cracking of every inch of their skin, a truly terrifying sight.
The key issue is the lack of an internal airflow trajectory.
Gu Lin called it the pre-rocking.
Whether it's the Xuanming Divine Palm or the Nine Heavens Thunder God Leg, there's bound to be a pre-attack animation before the move is executed. He had looked through the martial arts pavilion of the academy, and this was true for all martial arts.
But this max-level claw strike has absolutely no wind-up animation.
In other words, he was standing with his hands behind his back, talking to the enemy.
The next instant, a claw mark was pressed onto the enemy's forehead, and ninety-nine percent of martial artists were caught off guard!
How could it not be strong?
After calming himself down, Gu Lin returned to the painted boat.
As for the body, he didn't want it.
It wasn't that they looked down on the reward money, but rather that they wanted to avoid trouble, having to go to the county government office and risk exposing their strength.
Xiangjun and Xian'er huddled together on the soft couch, their eyes filled with fear as they looked at Gu Lin.
Because the battle was so close to the pleasure boat, they witnessed a bloody scene!
How could such a gentle, refined, and witty man be so cruel?
Gu Lin took out the wanted poster and handed it to them:
"I'm a wanted criminal, I'm doing this to rid the people of this scourge!"
Seeing the official seal of the Xiajiang County government on the wanted poster, they breathed a sigh of relief, their fear gradually disappearing, and their gazes toward Gu Lin became even more infatuated.
Is my lord so fierce?
So they quickly changed their husband's wet, blood-stained clothes and helped him take a bath.
Gu Lin felt comfortable and relaxed, and his mood became increasingly pleasant. The words of the wanted criminal before his death echoed in his mind.
Without a doubt, it's a trap!
There must be accomplices there, their strength is unknown, but they are definitely stronger than the wanted criminals.
"Should we take the risk?" Gu Lin pondered to himself.
In fact, he was cautious by nature. If the selection competition had not been so time-sensitive and he had to improve his strength, he would not have even personally ambushed Shen Chi.
Now that we have the strength, should we still take risks?
Let's do it!
Everything is for getting a job at one of the four holy sites!
Once you become a member of an extremely powerful organization, you'll have a powerful backer to carry out your actions against evil.
The academy's top scholar, the Qilin Prince Zhao Yao, is exceptionally talented and has already reached the peak of the eighth level of the Qi Condensation Realm, but he is not confident that he can stand out in the selection competition of the four holy lands.
It's only been a month, I need to hurry up and improve my skills!
A painted boat drifts slowly downstream.
The cabin table was decorated with jujubes, chestnuts, pears, and other fruits.
The air was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood. Gu Lin leaned against Xiang Jun's legs, eating pear slices while listening to Xian'er play music.
All the ship's windows were opened, and the music carried to the nearby Yuxi Mountain, echoing through the deep mountains.
Xiangjun pursed her cherry-like lips and said in a sweet, coquettish voice:
"Gu Lang, if only things could stay like this forever."
Gu Lin didn't reply.
More than fifty taels of silver in three days—which family could afford such a waste?
The money's already spent, so I need to get my money back.
He quickly stood up and wrapped his arm around Xiangjun's soft, boneless waist.
"Gu Lang, close the window..." Xiang Jun's face was flushed, and her lips were delicate and moist.
Gu Lin refused to comply:
"The scenery is breathtaking, and the fairy's zither music adds to the merriment. How wonderful it is for us to enjoy this beautiful landscape together!"
.......
Two days passed like this, and the pleasure boat had sailed back and forth along the mountainside three times. Apart from the occasional envious glance from a fisherman, there was no sign of the wanted criminal.
We have to leave the pleasure boat tomorrow; it looks like we won't be able to catch any fish.
At the bow of the boat, Gu Lin embraced Xiang Jun and Xian'er on either side. Xiang Jun and Xian'er took off their matching mandarin duck shoes, their snow-white and delicate jade feet swaying on the water, their curled toes adorned with crystal-clear water droplets.
Xian'er raised her small, oval face and said in a half-serious, half-coquettish tone:
"Gu Lang, please redeem me from this life, and I will serve you for the rest of my life."
Xiangjun echoed in agreement:
"Me too."
Her voice sounded even more resolute.
She was won over by Gu Langjun in less than three days.
Not only was he handsome and physically fit, but he was also refined and witty, often making them laugh heartily. Most importantly, he appeared to be from a wealthy and powerful family.
Gu Lin smiled but remained silent.
Although this kind of life is comfortable, he cannot become complacent about it; he has a bright future ahead of him.
Seeing that her husband avoided the topic, the two had no choice but to give up.
Gu Lin gazed at the night sky.
It seems I can only participate in the academy selection competition with my Qi Condensation Realm Level 1 cultivation.
Disappointment is inevitable, but we must accept reality.
Although this level of cultivation doesn't rank in the top eighty of the academy, with my actual combat strength, I still have a chance to compete for ten spots. I need to do my best and have some luck.
If the preliminary selection is successful, there is still a month before the selection competition of the four holy lands, which gives you plenty of time to increase your cultivation.
Instead of overthinking and adding to my troubles, I might as well share a bed with a beautiful woman.
Gu Lin pulled the two of them into the cabin.
Unbeknownst to him, on the distant mountainside, a disheveled man was hiding behind a boulder, looking down at the brightly lit pleasure boat.
This guy really knows how to enjoy life!
Although he couldn't see the two women's faces clearly, their graceful and voluptuous figures had already captivated him. In his mind, the two women were in a terrible state.
The burly man's eyes burned as he quickly left.
Half an hour later, he arrived at a secluded pool where a fishing boat was moored.
The fisherman was fishing when he saw the approaching person and quickly looked around.
"Old Jing,"
The big man suddenly plunged into the water and swam to the fishing boat.
The fisherman extinguished his lamp, and darkness fell all around.
The big man was starving, so he didn't ask any questions but instead fed the man.
He was able to hide in Yuxi Mountain for two months, which meant he had outside help. He hunted wild animals to fill his stomach on a daily basis, and occasionally needed delicious food to improve his appetite. More importantly, he needed to know the intensity of the manhunt in Xiajiang County.
After eating and drinking to their hearts' content, the burly man handed over two taels of silver. "Here you go."
Fisherman Jing smiled and took it, stuffing it into his cloth bag.
The burly man asked directly:
"I'm asking you about that pleasure boat. I've seen it three times in the last two days."
Upon hearing this, even the fisherman Jing gritted his teeth in hatred:
"It's good to live in a wealthy family. That kid is really good at making trouble. He might do it a dozen times a day. The fishermen in the neighborhood can all hear the noise."
"I want a beautiful woman who is so lovely that I can wake up smiling in my sleep, and she'll be holding two of them."
The burly man felt his blood rush to his head and couldn't help but ask:
"What did those two women look like?"
Fisherman Jing: "She was not even twenty years old, her skin was so white it glowed, she was so beautiful that I almost drooled."
The burly man took a deep breath, various filthy thoughts flashing through his mind, and asked the most crucial question:
"What's this kid's strength?"
The fisherman answered truthfully:
"He must be a scholar from a powerful family. Just yesterday at dawn, I saw him meditating at the bow of the boat, facing the morning sun. His blood and qi were surging in his crown. As for what level of the Meridian Opening Realm he was, I have no idea."
"Meridian Opening Realm?" The big man was relieved. He didn't care about the peak of the Meridian Opening Realm.
"Fine." The burly man said this and turned to leave.
"Wait a minute." Knowing the other party's character well, the fisherman immediately put on a fawning smile:
"When you get tired of it, I'll want to try it too."
The burly man revealed a knowing smile.
Even if you get tired of playing with them, you still have to kill them, otherwise you might expose your tracks!
Half an hour later, he returned to the foot of the mountain, and without further hesitation, he jumped into the river and swam toward the painted boat.
A moment later, the big man heard seductive music in his ears, which made him itch with desire, and he quickened his diving speed.
Inside the pleasure boat, Gu Lin was in the middle of an exciting moment when he suddenly stopped.
How keen his senses were!
There's a breathing pattern underwater!
coming!
Gu Lin whispered to Xiangjun and Xian'er, signaling them to be quiet.
On the riverbed, the burly man was getting closer and closer to the painted boat.
The sound stopped abruptly, and he felt uneasy.
Something is wrong!
The reason he has been able to live so long without being caught is because of his extremely strong judgment. Even if those two sluts are as beautiful as angels, they are not as important as his own life.
The burly man glanced up at the pleasure boat and quickly turned back.
However, it was too late!
A man stood at the bow of the boat and suddenly plunged into the water.
Gu Lin saw the movement on the water's surface and pinpointed the location of the approaching figure. He activated all his acupoints and used his internal energy to accelerate his underwater swimming speed.
We can already see the other person's figure.
"It's not opening the meridians, it's condensing qi, but only at the first level of condensing qi!!"
The big man sensed the internal energy, but instead of facing the enemy head-on because he was at the third level of Qi Condensation, he fled even faster.
He was too cautious; he only had one thought in his mind.
The opponent is at the first level of Qi Condensation, what makes them dare to pursue?
Are you overestimating yourself?
What kind of presumptuous person would set up such a trap?
The two sides were neck and neck.
In just a moment, Gu Lin will catch up.
At this moment, he was certain that the depth of his internal energy was comparable to that of the fourth level of Qi Condensation!
While swimming underwater, one cannot use the Lingbo Weibu technique; one can only rely on internal energy.
The wanted criminal is at the third level of Qi Condensation.
I'm almost catching up!
The giant swam desperately underwater, then suddenly swung its tail and came straight at him.
He knew that if he continued to flee, he would be caught up, and then his back would be exposed, so he might as well fight the enemy.
The burly man focused his energy in his dantian, gathering strength for a powerful strike.
Gu Lin was not afraid at all. Instead, he raised his hand to meet the fist and forcefully withstood the violent punch.
After more than a dozen rounds, the wanted criminal showed no signs of slowing down, but Gu Lin seized an opening, grabbing his neck with his right hand and punching his chest and abdomen repeatedly with his left.
After seven punches, the wanted criminal's eyes widened, his body convulsed, and he was covered in blood.
Gu Linqian surfaced and grabbed the wanted criminal by the neck, dragging him around.
That's right, it's exactly the same as the portrait on the wanted poster.
He was very satisfied with his performance in this battle.
Leaving aside the fact that the max-level Xuanming Divine Palm is unusable, he also consistently restrained himself from using the Nine Heavens Thunder Kick.
In other words, without relying on any martial arts techniques, he captured a Qi Condensation Realm Level 3 expert through fierce combat!
The burly man was barely breathing, and his body was writhing in excruciating pain. He knew he was doomed, and hatred and resentment surged up like the tide on the river.
"Li...Li Zhenwutong Village Private School, there...there are five hundred taels of silver stored there, consider it my atonement for my evil deeds."
He was certain the other person was a bounty hunter.
Bounty hunters are inherently risk-takers, and for a huge sum of money, they would definitely go to the private school.
Gu Lin remained expressionless, twisting his head and wrist sharply, breaking the wanted criminal's neck and rendering him utterly dead.
In an instant, golden starlight gathered before my eyes to form the three large characters "Book of Merit".
[Defeat the villain "Bingba Star" to gain 854 merits and be rewarded with a max-level Three Yang Extinction Mark]
[Martial Arts Merit Points: 930/4000]
[Confucian and Taoist Merit Points: 0/1000]
[Merit Points in Taoist Arts: 0/1000]
[Witchcraft Merit Points: 0/1000]
Instantly, Gu Lin's internal energy surged again, becoming deep and long. Two loud thuds echoed within his body, like the collision of metal and stone, or the resounding tolling of a great bell.
Qi Condensation Realm, Level Three!
Gu Lin smiled broadly. It takes four hundred merit points to break through one level, which is indeed much more difficult than the Meridian Opening Realm!
This fellow's sins, though at the level of a C-8 star, are one level less than those of the wicked woman who took his virginity, yet he has 354 more merits.
This is easy to understand, after all, he personally slaughtered the entire animal!
As Gu Lin recalled the moves of the "Three Yangs Extinction Seal," his smile deepened.
This move is terrifying, no less than the Xuanming Divine Palm.
No, it's even more powerful than the Xuanming Divine Palm!
Those who are affected will experience instantaneous dryness and cracking of every inch of their skin, a truly terrifying sight.
The key issue is the lack of an internal airflow trajectory.
Gu Lin called it the pre-rocking.
Whether it's the Xuanming Divine Palm or the Nine Heavens Thunder God Leg, there's bound to be a pre-attack animation before the move is executed. He had looked through the martial arts pavilion of the academy, and this was true for all martial arts.
But this max-level claw strike has absolutely no wind-up animation.
In other words, he was standing with his hands behind his back, talking to the enemy.
The next instant, a claw mark was pressed onto the enemy's forehead, and ninety-nine percent of martial artists were caught off guard!
How could it not be strong?
After calming himself down, Gu Lin returned to the painted boat.
As for the body, he didn't want it.
It wasn't that they looked down on the reward money, but rather that they wanted to avoid trouble, having to go to the county government office and risk exposing their strength.
Xiangjun and Xian'er huddled together on the soft couch, their eyes filled with fear as they looked at Gu Lin.
Because the battle was so close to the pleasure boat, they witnessed a bloody scene!
How could such a gentle, refined, and witty man be so cruel?
Gu Lin took out the wanted poster and handed it to them:
"I'm a wanted criminal, I'm doing this to rid the people of this scourge!"
Seeing the official seal of the Xiajiang County government on the wanted poster, they breathed a sigh of relief, their fear gradually disappearing, and their gazes toward Gu Lin became even more infatuated.
Is my lord so fierce?
So they quickly changed their husband's wet, blood-stained clothes and helped him take a bath.
Gu Lin felt comfortable and relaxed, and his mood became increasingly pleasant. The words of the wanted criminal before his death echoed in his mind.
Without a doubt, it's a trap!
There must be accomplices there, their strength is unknown, but they are definitely stronger than the wanted criminals.
"Should we take the risk?" Gu Lin pondered to himself.
In fact, he was cautious by nature. If the selection competition had not been so time-sensitive and he had to improve his strength, he would not have even personally ambushed Shen Chi.
Now that we have the strength, should we still take risks?
Let's do it!
Everything is for getting a job at one of the four holy sites!
Once you become a member of an extremely powerful organization, you'll have a powerful backer to carry out your actions against evil.
The academy's top scholar, the Qilin Prince Zhao Yao, is exceptionally talented and has already reached the peak of the eighth level of the Qi Condensation Realm, but he is not confident that he can stand out in the selection competition of the four holy lands.
It's only been a month, I need to hurry up and improve my skills!