Gu Yuan could feel that his control over his body had strengthened significantly, even his bones seemed lighter by a few ounces, becoming harder and more agile.

Swoosh!

He swung his palm, producing a dull sound, and the air faintly carried the sound of fabric tearing.

It was as if he was no longer of flesh and blood, but had turned into an iron whip!

A casual flick could break bones and sever flesh, causing blood and gore to fly everywhere.

"Hmm, the power seems greater, the piercing force is stronger, and even the speed has increased a bit..."

Gu Yuan felt the changes happening in his body.

The effect of the Blood Jade Bone Forging Pill was indeed remarkable, whereas if he relied solely on his own step-by-step bone refining,

it would probably take him several months to achieve such results.

For some who are dull in aptitude, it might take years or decades to make such progress.

Some might even be trapped at the bone refining phase for a lifetime, unable to advance.

"Paying for advantages is really satisfying... just a bit expensive, and most people can't afford it."

Gu Yuan sighed softly, took a bath, and changed his clothes.

Although he had absorbed most of the medicinal power of the Blood Jade Bone Forging Pill, quite a portion still remained within his body.

For the next two days, he wouldn't need to take another Blood Jade Bone Forging Pill.

...

After finishing his cultivation, Gu Yuan left the courtyard and headed straight towards Tian Shui Alley.

He planned to find Scholar Lin Zhou to inquire about where he could find any old turtles.

The superior martial art "Profound Turtle Armor Technique" was in no way inferior to the "Golden Snake Swallowing Yuan Technique" he practiced, and because it was a type of horizontal martial arts training, it might even take longer to cultivate.

If he relied on his incremental sand-grinding-like cultivation, even though Gu Yuan had already started bone refining, his physique was sturdy, with vigorous energy and blood, and a solid foundation, it would still take three to five months, or even a year or two, to achieve something.

Gu Yuan couldn't wait that long.

So, of course, he needed to take a shortcut!

Walking down the street, Gu Yuan noticed that there were significantly fewer pedestrians, and from time to time, a few constables and government constables could be seen hurrying by.

Those martial masters carrying swords were also stopped and interrogated thoroughly.

Evidently, this was his doing!

The events at the Qian Mansion, especially the death of Qian Cheng, had rattled many people's nerves!

Some of the landlords and gentry were probably quite terrified.

Because Gu Yuan carried a sword, he occasionally encountered constables patrolling the streets questioning him.

Fortunately, he looked young and handsome, not like a villain, and ordinary people wouldn't associate him with someone as infamous as Yan Shisan.

Of course, if he had looked like a ferocious thug covered in tattoos, it might have been a different story.

It shows that looking good can be advantageous at times.

Secondly, Gu Yuan wore the Medicine Gatherer Identity Token of Jade Cauldron Tower on his waist, which dispelled any thoughts of opportunistic entrapment or extortion upon seeing it.

After buying a bag of snacks from a roadside shop, Gu Yuan carried them to a courtyard in Tian Shui Alley and knocked on the door.

"Brother Gu, it's you!"

Soon, Lin Zhou opened the door, and on seeing Gu Yuan, he was delighted and quickly stepped aside, allowing Gu Yuan to enter: "Please come in, please come in!"

"Brother Lin, how have you been lately?"

Gu Yuan put down the items.

Hearing this, Lin Zhou beamed: "Thanks to the method you suggested, Brother Gu, I've been writing letters for people, and my wife has set up a stall, although it's been hard, we've saved quite a bit of money."

He seemed to remember something and asked: "By the way, Brother Gu, did you come today to continue reading? But I remember you've already learned all the characters, right?"

Gu Yuan shook his head: "No, I actually came today to ask Brother Lin about something."

"A friend of mine likes to keep turtles, does Brother Lin know where I might find such things nearby? Preferably old turtles, the more unique the better."

"Turtles..."

Being an honest person, Lin Zhou did not find such an odd question unusual. He thought for a moment, then answered:

"By the Qing Shui River outside the city, fishermen often catch river turtles, but they all believe these are incarnations of the River God, and it's unlucky to kill them, so no one eats them, and they usually release them."

"Also, there's a centuries-old well in the south of the city where I hear a few old turtles sometimes crawl out to sunbathe."

"Additionally, I recall Old Li from the market has an old turtle at home, which his grandfather first kept, and has outlived several generations."

"Outlived several generations..."

Gu Yuan's face twitched slightly.

One must admit, Brother Lin's honesty is quite something...

After memorizing all the locations Lin Zhou mentioned, Gu Yuan was about to take his leave, but then he heard sobbing sounds coming from the adjacent yard.

The sounds were pitiful and mournful, with a hint of terror threaded through the cries.

It sounded as if someone from the neighbor's house had passed away...

Yet Gu Yuan noticed that Lin Zhou, upon hearing the sound, shivered as if struck by a cold wave, looking visibly unsettled.

Gu Yuan asked with curiosity, "Brother Lin, what's going on, why such a reaction?"

"Uncle Zhang from next door is the head instructor at a martial arts school. He went out for drinks last night and didn't come back. Today at noon, when they found him, it's said he was already gone."

Lin Zhou whispered, swallowing hard, terror faintly showing on his face:

"Not only was he gone, when they found him, he was already a dried corpse, a man originally as brawny as a bear and nearly eight feet tall, reduced to the size of a small child, which frightened Aunt Zhang into fainting on the spot."

"I've heard people say that Uncle Zhang must have encountered some ghostly thing at night, which sucked away his essence blood and vital energy. As it seems, they've probably just brought the body back."

"A ghost encounter?"

Hearing this, Gu Yuan's first reaction was not disbelief, but surprise.

In this world, there are cultivators capable of miraculous feats and mountain-dwelling demons.

If there were ghosts harming people, it wouldn't be surprising.

However, Gu Yuan had also read some books in the collection of the Jade Cauldron Tower, which included some common knowledge of the cultivation realm.

Ghosts belong to yin, while humans belong to yang.

Especially given that this Zhang fellow was a martial master, teeming with yang energy capable of dispelling evil; his fiery vitality posed a threat akin to acid for ordinary people, to the ghostly things.

Such individuals, regular wandering spirits don't dare to offend; they usually keep a wide berth.

Unless it's one of those phantom spirits possessing Dao practice, an old ghost with intensely concentrated ghost qi might not fear martial masters, being unafraid of sunlight, with fewer weaknesses.

But, where would Beiliang County get such fearsome creatures?

"Brother Gu, you must be careful."

Seeing Gu Yuan's silence, Lin Zhou couldn't help but remind:

"I've heard it's not the first time something like this has happened. A few days ago in the west of the city, many strange events occurred, including cases like Uncle Zhang's and several people also disappeared mysteriously, causing quite a stir."

"There have been increasing numbers of constables patrolling the streets, not only to catch the perpetrator who killed Mr. Qian but also to stabilize the people's hearts."

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