Two days later.

Early in the morning...

In Baiyun Alley, two outer sect disciples from the Blood Saber Sect led several servants into Cai Ze's home.

They came to take inventory of everything in Cai Ze's house, then divide and store it.

After more than an hour, the house was locked, and the inventoried belongings were packed into boxes and loaded onto the ox cart outside the door.

Zuo Xiuxiu and Huang Ya were also taken, placed together with these goods.

The two women huddled together, feigning calmness as they looked around, but their pupils were filled with tension and fear.

The house would welcome new outer sect disciples or other prospective residents holding a silver token.

As for the two maids, Zuo Xiuxiu and Huang Ya, they would be taken back to the Blood Saber Sect, settled for a few days, and if no disciples purchased them, they might be used as rewards or sold into the brothels for some silver taels.

Zuo Xiuxiu, although Cai Ze's wife, knew no one would believe her even if she said it.

At this moment, she could only hope that the young man would keep his word and come to buy her.

But if that young man didn't come, she had no choice.

If the young man bought her but intended to use her as a bed-warming maid, or even a tool, she also had no choice...

...

Knock, knock, knock.

"Senior Brother Li, Senior Brother Li!"

Knocking and shouting sounded outside the door of Li Yuan's house.

Li Yuan opened the door and saw a thin young man with his hair tied back, dressed in a profound robe, it was Yu Mao.

"Brother Yu." Li Yuan greeted with a smile.

Yu Mao also smiled and said, "Senior Brother Li, the matter you asked me to keep an eye on has news. This morning, the two maids from Cai Ze's house were taken in by the sect. According to the sect's rules, disciples can purchase them with money."

Li Yuan said, "This kind of thing? Everyone is no exception?"

Yu Mao said, "Not everyone. If a disciple dismisses the maids in advance, then they won't be taken in by the sect. Didn't Cai Ze die by misfortune? Of course, he had no time to handle it."

Li Yuan nodded and suddenly said, "Brother Yu, could you do me a favor?"

"Please say, Senior Brother. We have a connection. I delivered your uniform last time. What's another errand now?" Yu Mao winked and said with a smile, "Did Senior Brother fancy those two maids from Cai Ze's house?"

Li Yuan smiled and shook his head, "Not fancy, just helping Brother Cai with the aftermath. He wouldn't want to see his maids end up in someone else's household from the afterlife's perspective..."

As he spoke, he directly took out six ingots of silver yuanbao, ten taels each, and handed them to Yu Mao, "Please do me a favor and buy them quickly."

Yu Mao immediately understood his meaning, widened his eyes, then nodded with admiration, "Didn't expect Senior Brother Li to be such a righteous person."

He then chuckled in realization, "Of course, Senior Brother Li has a wife... Other senior brothers, huh, even I, after entering the ranks, who wants to acknowledge a wife?

Those who originally had a wife also act like they don't; those without are even less inclined to marry. People like Senior Brother Li... truly rare.

Senior Brother Li is righteous to his wife, and to his brothers. Cai Ze didn't choose the wrong friend in you."

He took the silver and said, "Wait for me, Senior Brother. I'm familiar with the purchasing process. I'll go buy the two maids from Cai Ze's house and hand them over to you personally."

Li Yuan smiled, "Then thank you, Brother Yu."

"No problem."

...

...

After Yu Mao left, Li Yuan stretched his limbs in the sunlight in the courtyard.

Yesterday, the side effects of the Shadow Blood fusion were completely gone.

It's time to continue cultivation.

He had a bow for long range, but a longbow is more suited for sniping rather than dealing with sudden situations, and would be quite passive if caught off guard or when enemies get close.

The remaining choices are "Spear Skill" and "Sword Skill."

Li Yuan set his eyes on "Spring and Autumn Saber Ninth Grade — Spring Thunder (1/10)."

This was his first skill with a name.

Other skills were all archery, beast taming, tracking, spear skill...

In comparison, a named skill feels more substantial.

"Then let's try sword skill first."

"Currently, I have 244 remaining points. It would take 240 points to max out archery.

This would certainly increase my strength cap, but the old problem remains, being too weak in handling sudden situations..."

"Then let's add points to sword skill.

Anyway, at critical moments, I can still use blood fusion, though the safe time frame is only three or four seconds, it should be enough."

Li Yuan pondered briefly, then called out, "Sister Yan, I'm going to the backyard to cultivate. Don't let anyone in."

"Got it~" Yan Yu was also in the house, cultivating the Willow Return Technique, but hadn't even touched the threshold yet.

Li Yuan went to the backyard, took the standard fine steel blade provided by the sect, and swung the blade a few times with a "whoosh", feeling it was decent, but both the exertion and grip were not as good as the long-handled blade.

He glanced at his current overall strength: "12~23."

"Add Points."

He clicked the "++" next to "Spring and Autumn Saber Ninth Grade—Spring Thunder (Basic) (1/10)".

"Spring Thunder (Intermediate) (1/20)", the comprehensive strength became "24~50".

Continue clicking.

"Spring Thunder (Advanced) (1/40)", the comprehensive strength became "39~80".

Click again.

"Spring Thunder (Expert Level) (1/80)", the comprehensive strength became "54~110".

Li Yuan gritted his teeth and continued to click.

"Spring Thunder (Grandmaster Level) (1/160)", the comprehensive strength became "69~140".

The continuous improvement instantly reduced the remaining points by 150, leaving 94 points.

At the same time, a wealth of memories emerged from Li Yuan's mind and body—years of arduous cultivation and application, sudden realizations during meditation, and fortuitous encounters with strange masters in deep mountains.

The blade that once felt unfamiliar in his hand now seemed to become a part of his body, like an extension of his arm.

However, precisely because of this, the short-handled blade felt somewhat unwieldy.

In short, it didn't feel as satisfying to cut with it.

"I'll just make do for now...

The Spring Thunder move requires a long-handled blade to fully unleash its power.

Using a short-handled blade, I can conveniently conceal the fact that I know Spring Thunder."

"Apart from this, Spring Thunder only has one move, and this move enhances me almost exactly like archery.

If I had just clicked on Basic Saber Skill instead of Spring Thunder, the comprehensive strength might have been the same."

"So what's the difference between this technique and ordinary saber skills?"

Li Yuan carefully pondered.

Although he didn't know ordinary saber skills, he was proficient in archery.

Comparing the two, he suddenly had a faint feeling.

"It's about the continuation...

Spring Thunder's continuation doesn't feel finished, it even feels like it's just begun.

Whereas ordinary archery, it feels exhausted, lacking soul."

"That's it...

The Spring and Autumn Blade mentions this point.

The Spring and Autumn Blade has three moves, the Ninth Grade move named Spring Thunder for striking; the Eighth Grade move named Jingzhe for sweeping; the Seventh Grade move named Yueyuan, a mysterious must-kill blade striking from below.

These three moves form an integral whole; unless the previous move is mastered, the next move is like a rootless duckweed, impossible to cultivate.

Moreover, if all three moves achieve great success, they seemingly can be fused to create one's unique technique.

That indeed cannot be compared to ordinary saber skills."

Li Yuan affixed the blade to his side, his comprehensive strength firmly settled at "69~140".

"Good, good, good! Previously, in front of the teacher, I displayed around 20 in comprehensive strength...

In the future, I should be able to unreservedly display around 30 in comprehensive strength.

Yu Mao is an ordinary Outer Disciple, his strength is 24~25.

I'm just a bit stronger than him, perfect."

Li Yuan quietly sheathed his blade. Seeing it was still early, he took the longbow with its snapped string from yesterday to the blacksmith shop in Silver Creek Square. It cost 1 tael of silver to get it repaired.

When he returned home, he saw Aunt Wang leading two delicate women waiting in the courtyard.

Aunt Wang said, "Master, your junior brother just came by. He said he's brought both the people and the indenture contract."

Saying this, she presented the indenture contract.

Li Yuan took it, and looking at the nervous Huang Ya and Zuo Xiuxiu, he tore the indenture contract into pieces, then went inside to retrieve two Gold Yuanbao and four Silver Yuanbao, handing them to the two women, saying, "Sister-in-law, this is all I can do for you and Brother Cai."

Zuo Xiuxiu finally felt a great relief, her eyes turned red and she repeatedly said, "Thank you, thank you."

Huang Ya also cried while kneeling.

Li Yuan lifted her up and asked Zuo Xiuxiu, "Sister-in-law, what are your plans for the future? Still staying in Silver Creek?"

Zuo Xiuxiu wiped her tears and then said, "My husband is not here. We don't have the right to settle in Silver Creek. I'm planning to move to the neighboring Wutong Square. The security over there isn't as good as Silver Creek, but it's decent."

Li Yuan smiled and said, "Then I won't keep you any longer."

Zuo Xiuxiu gave him a deep look and said, "Thank you very much."

With that, she led Huang Ya to bow to Li Yuan again and left in a hurry.

Li Yuan looked at the sky; it was already evening.

At this time, for Zuo Xiuxiu to leave so decisively showed she had some connections outside, only they couldn't help her defy the rules of the Blood Saber Sect.

"Oh well, it's just a small gesture. No matter what connections she has..."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.