Water Ink Panel: Starting with Bow Technique to Hunt the Sun and Patrol the Skies
Chapter 76 - 75 Manager Cai, You Wouldn't Want Others to Know, Right?

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After entering the inner city, Shen Qing casually returned to the inn where he usually stayed.

As usual, he called Shen Xiaohu and ordered some random food.

Since they had a hearty meal at noon, neither of them was very hungry come evening.

As the number of guests in the main hall dwindled, Shen Xiaohu moved his stool closer to Shen Qing and said, "Brother Qingzi, something happened."

Shen Qing picked up a peanut with his chopsticks and tossed it into his mouth, cluelessly asking, "What happened?"

"Ouyang Tie Niu died. Not long after you left, when Senior Brother Ouyang was still recovering from his injuries, he came once, donned in mourning attire, to invite our Hall Master uncle to preside over the funeral."

Shen Qing almost lost his grip on the chopsticks in his hand, exclaiming in surprise, "Ah, Ouyang Tie Niu died? We had just eaten together at noon, how could it be so soon?"

"Who could have thought, I didn't expect him to die so quickly either." Shen Xiaohu lowered his voice, regrettably continuing, "You don't know, when our Hall Master uncle left, his face was quite unsightly. Now everyone in the outer gate is saying that the Hall Master's enemies have come. Everyone is very scared, and I guess a few more people might not come tomorrow."

Shen Qing was silent for a moment, not saying anything more.

Shen Xiaohu sighed, "In truth, Ouyang Tie Niu is fortunate, for he has a brother who can take care of his body. Poor Yang Zhao Ping, he has no one at home, and if he were to die, no one would collect his body."

Shen Qing changed the subject, asking, "Are there not many disciples at the outer gate now?"

"Not many," Shen Xiaohu replied honestly, "Do you remember when we first came, there were about thirty people, now there are only a dozen each day, and even those don't come every day. They all say our Hall Master uncle is in danger, and this time, he may not be able to withstand it."

"Focus on practicing your skills, don't worry about too much. With fewer people, maybe you can stay in the outer gate longer and learn more."

"I know that. We are all here because of our aunt. If we left now, it would be even harder for her. We are family, and we can't do anything that would let them down," Shen Xiaohu said seriously, "A single chopstick is easy to break, but a bunch of chopsticks is hard to snap, we must stand united."

Shen Qing looked at Shen Xiaohu and asked, "Where did you learn all this?"

"My mom taught me."

"Aunt taught you well."

After dinner, Shen Qing and Shen Xiaohu each returned to their rooms.

The inn's room fee here was quite cheap, only sixty to seventy wen per night for a room.

For Shen Qing's current financial situation, it was as negligible as a drizzle.

Shen Xiaohu, though young, snored thunderously at night.

With the room's lodging fee so low, there was no need to share a room with Shen Xiaohu.

The room, which cost sixty to seventy wen, was simply furnished.

Just a table, a bed, and a chair.

The oil lamp, the size of a soybean, flickered in the night wind, as if about to go out at any moment.

Shen Qing sat on the worn wooden chair, concentrating.

A glint of brilliance flashed in his eyes, and a stroke of water ink fell in his vision, forming line after line of ink text.

[Skill: Hunting (Mastery)]

[Progress: 300/300 points]

[Status: Can be elevated]

[Note: The awakened skills Skillful Baiting and Poison Shadow accompanying this skill significantly increase the success rate of hunting. Constant progression breakthroughs have a chance to further transform and advance awakened skills.]

Shen Qing hadn't neglected his core skills during this time, persistently training to increase progress.

With today's continuous use of the hunting skill, he had unwittingly fulfilled the breakthrough condition.

Whenever he broke through a bottleneck in the past, his body would exhibit some unusual changes.

Now, with no one around, it was a perfect moment for a breakthrough and adaptation.

Shen Qing took a deep breath, focused his mind, and broke through.

At this moment, the skill level of hunting on the water ink panel abruptly shifted from [Mastery] to [Great Perfection].

All progress was reset to zero.

Boom!

As the realm information shifted, Shen Qing's entire body jolted, his muscles and aura undergoing incredible changes.

A torrent of memories flooded into his mind.

In a fleeting moment, Shen Qing seemed to have passed through decades of time, meticulously honing his hunting skills.

Finally, at a certain instant, he comprehended a new skill—Turtle Breathing Technique.

[Skill: Hunting (Great Perfection)]

[Progress: 0/400 points]

[Status: Cannot be elevated]

[Note: Your continued practice has made hunting skills persistently breakthrough, further transforming and advancing the skills Skillful Baiting, and Poison Shadow, awakening the Turtle Breathing Technique. Using this skill, you can conceal yourself to the extreme, so common prey cannot detect your presence.]

Shen Qing looked at the lines of ink information in his vision, almost jumping out of bed in excitement.

Turtle Breathing Technique! It was the Turtle Breathing Technique!

Great.

With this skill, his survival ability was greatly enhanced.

No one would be able to find him.

Late into the night.

Near the outer city gate, at a corner, came the sound of bricks rubbing against one another.

A series of crisp taps sounded.

Several clay bricks were pulled out from the inside by a hand.

Moments later, a dog hole, big enough for one person to pass through, gradually emerged at the foot of the city wall.

Dressed in cotton clothes, Cai Jia Sheng painstakingly squeezed his way out little by little from the dog hole.

Once he managed to push out a bit, he suddenly sprang out like stuffed meat bursting from a pressed seam, with his upper body emerging from the dog hole.

Delighted, Cai Jia Sheng used his strong arms to brace against the city wall, freeing his lower body effortlessly from the hole.

Once on the ground, he cautiously glanced around, not seeing anyone else.

Cai Jia Sheng swiftly turned around and restored the removed green bricks.

"This hole is still too small, every time I pass through, it's a struggle. Thin people can manage, but if they're bulkier than me, they probably can't even squeeze in. I'll have to find someone to fix it up later."

After covering up the traces, Cai Jia Sheng glanced around, avoiding the night watchmen's patrol routes, and skillfully passed through several alleys, returning to his small courtyard.

Inside the house, the candlelight gradually rose again.

Cai Jia Sheng placed the wooden box he acquired today on the table, while fetching two more wooden boxes from beneath his bed and arranging them in a row.

He opened them one by one, revealing the three delicacies inside—the Blood Bird's Nest, Tiger King's Penis, and Jade Deer Tendon.

Staring at these three mountain treasures, Cai Jia Sheng's face lit up with a satisfied smile, "Finally, all three are collected, truly Yellow Heaven's blessing. With the inexplicable death of Wang Qiyao, my position as shopkeeper should now be secure."

"Knock, knock, knock!"

Just then, there came a series of knocking sounds from the door.

"Who is it?" Cai Jia Sheng quickly closed the three wooden boxes.

"Who I am is not important, but who you are is," came a low voice from outside the door, causing Cai Jia Sheng's face to turn pale, "Manager Cai, you wouldn't want others to know you're an envoy of the Huang Tian Sect, would you?"

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