There's something wrong with me

Chapter 59: Qi, Blood, and Strength (5.2K)

night.

In a torture chamber in Anqing County.

The torches on the wall cast a bright light.

Zhang Feng and the eldest prince sat at the top.

In the small open space ahead were some torture instruments, as well as the captain of police and the county lieutenant tied to the torture chair.

On the ground beneath their feet were several weapons and some gold and silver that had been found in their well.

"Tell me! Did you cover up the case of the banned book?"

Swish!
At this time, a constable took over the job of the clerk and whipped the head constable with a wet whip, causing him to scream.

With his scream, the torture and forced confession officially began.

However, the captain of the police was a real man. Although he was shouting, he did not say a single word about the case related to the banned books.

Instead, he glared at everyone and said viciously, "Kill me if you dare!"

Swish!
The constable did not kill him, but continued to beat him.

After a few whips, he only screamed and no harsh words were spoken.

Snapped!
When the other two constables whipped the county lieutenant, the county lieutenant gritted his teeth, he was really a tough guy.

And there were not only these three constables carrying out the execution, there were also a group of constables with murderous eyes standing beside them, holding various torture instruments in their hands.

Two of them were still branding irons next to the stove.

'Damn it! You almost killed me!'

Their excitement today had turned into anger and anxiety after the assassination by the chief constable and the county lieutenant.

Because they were familiar with the criminal law and knew the consequences of assassinating the two princes.

At the very least, the two county lieutenants would definitely be beheaded.

These constables are jointly responsible, and even if they are lucky enough not to die, they will be skinned alive.

In serious cases, their family members and relatives will also be affected, including close neighbors and close friends.

If the crime is really serious, it can turn the whole county upside down.

"Fortunately, the two princes were not implicated..." The detectives were now very grateful that the two princes did not blame them, otherwise they would have been unjustly killed.

Because they really didn't expect that the captain of police and the county lieutenant, who usually seemed fair and strict, would actually be assassins?

"Don't blame me for being disloyal..."

But it was precisely because the detectives were not dead that they became more and more angry and afraid.
They took turns beating people, and each of them tried their best.

Judging from their momentum, they are determined to get all the evil spirits out of the two county lieutenants' mouths tonight.

"Speak!" The county magistrate stared at the county lieutenant with red eyes, and used a pair of pliers to grab the flesh on the county lieutenant's arm. "Tell me quickly! Do you have any accomplices?"

The county magistrate squeezed the pliers tightly and spoke in a vicious tone.

The county lieutenant endured the pain in his body, gritted his teeth and said nothing.

The county magistrate saw that the man's skin and flesh were being torn off, but he still refused to speak, so he waved his hand and
"Continue the torture!"

The county magistrate actually wanted to torture the man himself, but he had squeezed the pliers too tightly and his hands were cramping.

"The eldest prince, the seventh prince..."

At this moment, the county magistrate was nodding and bowing as he served tea to Zhang Feng and the other man.

Zhang Feng was sitting on a big bench covered with tiger skin, leaning back softly, watching the person in front of him being tortured.

The eldest prince had seen many scenes in the Ministry of Justice, so he didn't care about such bloodshed. Instead, he looked at Zhang Feng with concern and said:

"Xiao Qi, if these two still don't speak, I will have them executed by the fish scale torture. Please stay away for now."

The eldest prince felt that his younger brother seemed indifferent to this scene, but the scenes of slow slicing and rat-biting that would follow were completely different.

The eldest prince was afraid that Zhang Feng would have a nightmare.

As for why Zhang Feng was able to capture the assassin and lift him up.

There is no need to say much about this figure.

But it cannot be denied that he has martial arts skills.

The eldest prince understood it, but since there were outsiders around him, he didn't ask.

I don’t even dare to mention the others.

At this moment, when the eldest prince just said the four words "fish scale punishment".

At the same time, an official from the Lincheng Ministry of Justice who followed nearby also took out a finely woven fishing net.

The captain, who was familiar with the death penalty of lingchi, had a blank mind and shouted in fear, "Speak! I'll tell you!"

"Junior brother!" The county lieutenant suddenly turned to look at him, his brows full of anger. "Don't be so cowardly! You're betraying us!"

"I don't want to be tortured..." Once the captain's psychological defense line was loosened, he completely let out his anger and said everything directly.
"My master is a man of the Jianghu. He wants to assassinate the emperor. The two of us were assigned by my master..."

"Junior brother!" the county lieutenant shouted again. He wanted to stop the captain from leaking the secret.

"Shut up!" Without waiting for anyone else to say anything, a constable whipped the county lieutenant in the face, leaving a deep cut.

"The case of the banned book a few years ago..." The captain didn't listen or look, and continued without pausing, "That was also done by us... But I don't know where Master is now... I know the banned book! It's right in the middle of my yard! Dig ten feet down and you'll find it!"

"Why did you want to assassinate my father?" The eldest prince asked the key question while asking his confidant in the Ministry of Justice to bring people to get the book.

"Why can't he be killed?" At this moment, the county lieutenant laughed a few times after seeing that everything had been said. He looked up at Zhang Feng and the eldest prince.
"My master couldn't stand the emperor's suppression of the martial arts world, so he wanted to kill him!

You two are the emperor's descendants. Master says: Kill them all! "

"But there is no hatred between you and me." The eldest prince shook his head and wanted to know where his father, who was dedicated to serving the people, had offended anyone?
Because the eldest prince felt that the excuse of 'I can't stand it' was a bit too lame.

"Did my father offend your master?" The eldest prince really wanted to know, "My father built the canal, repaired the Great Wall, and loved the people like his own children. How did he offend your master?
Could it be that my father has disbanded all the sects in the martial arts world?"

The eldest prince stood up and said, “But now there are fewer sects and schools, and fewer people who learn martial arts and bully ordinary people.

I also know that this is unfair to you, but it is fair to ordinary people.

Of course, since you are not an ordinary person, you will not understand."

"Don't ask. Your father has not offended my master, and my master didn't kill anyone for the forbidden book. He just doesn't like it."

The county lieutenant grinned, pulling at the wound, and the blood oozing from his face flowed down his cheek.

"Moreover, I don't listen to the great principles of the world, and I don't distinguish between right and wrong.

Because if we are to judge between right and wrong, I am just repaying my master’s kindness, what have I done wrong?
If you ask your confidants to arrest someone, will they ask you what wrong that person has done?

Although I am not my master's subordinate, I understand the grace of his raising me.

If I make any mistakes now, I can only blame my inferior skills."

He spat a mouthful of blood foam and looked at Zhang Feng.
"The winner is the king and the loser is the bandit."

The eldest prince ignored him, but he also knew that they had different ideas and could not communicate.

"Come here, first lock these people up, cripple their martial arts, and after some time, send them to the Ministry of Justice."

……

Zhang Fenghe and the eldest prince stayed here for ten days.

During this period, according to the detailed report of the head constable.

The eldest prince also reconstructed the tragic incident of the massacre in detail.

Just as it was written in the document, it was just that the martial arts master was 'motivated by the money'.

Moreover, this matter was planned by the master of the police chief ten years ago.

This master first helped the two of them slowly get an official position in the county.

Then, after the eldest disciple took the position of county lieutenant, the master relied on his superb martial arts skills to rob him and kill him to silence him.

Then bury the matter.

In his opinion, there were murders everywhere in the Lin Dynasty, and there were also many cases of banned books.

With the help of two apprentices to cover it up, the matter was basically forgotten and the archive documents were left to gather dust in the Ministry of Justice.

Unfortunately, the eldest prince answered it.

Including the "Sunset Blade" buried by the head of the police, it was also dug out.

In the past few days, I found the secret book.

Zhang Feng read the book several times.

Zhang Feng discovered that this was a method of cultivating "blood gathering in the arms".

Compared to the blood accumulation in the arm that I have been studying, this book will be more detailed.

After all, Zhang Feng relied on his own ever-changing strength, and then used the method of "Wudingzhi" to learn from others' strengths.

Therefore, there is some lack of "basic theoretical knowledge".

But this book did help Zhang Feng make up for some basic knowledge.

However, even if there is no such thing, Zhang Feng can gradually push it back, it just takes some time.

……

unconsciously.

The fifteenth day since arriving in Anqing County.

That morning, in a tent in a military camp outside the county.

Zhang Feng has mastered the knowledge thoroughly and has made full use of it for his own benefit.

Finished practicing.

Zhang Feng also came out of his tent and came to the central tent.

The eldest prince was eating absentmindedly, holding a scroll of documents in his hand.

Zhang Feng did not disturb him and just opened the secret book of "Cloud Walking Step" on the side.

It is a secret manual of leg techniques, and is the "private collection" of the emperor's brother.

But my royal brother doesn’t know how to practice, and he has no intention of doing so.

Zhang Feng looked at it for a while.

After the eldest prince finished reviewing the document in his hand, he also looked at Zhang Feng and said, "If Xiaoqi likes it, this secret book will be given to you."

"I've already copied one." Zhang Feng put the book back in its place. "Royal brother, you've been blatantly placing banned books these days, just so I can read them, right?"

"Haha!" The eldest prince laughed and said, "You have grown up and seem to have some martial arts skills. It shouldn't hurt you to practice, right?
But if the practice doesn't feel smooth? Or... uncomfortable? Then don't practice, to avoid hurting yourself.

Anyway, you have to do what you can and don't rush for quick success."

"Thank you for your teachings, my royal brother." Zhang Feng did not explain that he had already learned everything, so as not to upset his royal brother.

Instead, Zhang Feng asked, "Is my royal brother going back to Lincheng in the next few days?"

"Yes." The eldest prince nodded, then asked doubtfully, "Xiao Qi, don't you want to get married? I wanted to take you out to see the Lake City Lantern Festival these past two days, but you kept making excuses.

If you hadn't been making excuses, I wouldn't have gone back so early." The eldest prince had a simple idea: since he couldn't handle his younger brother's business, he would go back to Lincheng and find other things to do.

You can't just sit idle all the time.

"Yes." Zhang Feng did not hide anything from his brother, "I don't want to get married now."

"Don't want to?" The eldest prince asked, "Although I don't know why you don't want to, I also believe that Xiao Qi has his own plans.

But... after you and I return to Lincheng, what do you plan to say to Mother...?

"That's easy." Zhang Feng looked at his brother, "It's up to you, brother."

"What does this have to do with me?" The eldest brother didn't quite understand.

Zhang Feng said with a smile, "Once my brother has a child, my mother will be distracted and might even stop caring about me.

Besides, I'm not going back. I want to go to the southern border and take a look.

I hope my brother will go back and explain to the Queen Mother."

……

Zhang Feng left with more than thirty soldiers.

Including these soldiers, they were forced upon Zhang Feng by the eldest prince.

Otherwise, Zhang Feng would choose to travel alone and go abroad to see where the rock fruit grows.

but.

On the way to the South.

Zhang Feng asked people around while strolling around looking for it, and he finally bought the rock fruit in a remote town.

The price is one thousand five hundred taels of silver.

After Zhang Feng bought it, he saw that it was gray in color, about the size of a ping-pong ball, and looked like a stone.

But if you peel off the thick gray skin, you will find a few drops of transparent liquid inside.

……

That night.

Zhang Feng applied the liquid to his fingers and felt an indescribable burning sensation.

The next second, just as the burning sensation passed, a very special feeling of energy emerged.

Just as it is described in the book, awakening the spirit is very simple. In the book it is just one sentence, but in reality it only takes a few seconds.

But it happened so fast that Zhang Feng didn't feel anything.

then.

Zhang Feng poured out the liquid again, covering both hands with a light layer.

Experience it for a while.

Wait until the blood in both hands is fully released.

Zhang Feng felt that the force of his punch should have increased by about 5% with the help of blood and energy.

It's not the current strength, but a 5% increase in strength.

According to the area, there is also the movement of strength.

Zhang Feng felt that his arm was about 25% open.

If the rest of the legs are activated, it should not add to the force of the arms and hands.

Because Zhang Feng found that this "blood and energy" was difficult to mobilize.

It is not the inner force as imagined, but like a root, it only exists where it is opened.

After it's used up, it grows from the flesh and remains there.

Moreover, the energy consumed in replenishing Qi is higher than the energy consumed normally with the same strength.

Fortunately, the air can be preserved.

During the storage period, the energy consumed in gathering Qi can also be replenished.

After studying the basic usage, there are also Qi gathering techniques.

Afterwards, Zhang Feng was thinking, since this blood and energy can be gathered, when it can be mobilized in the future, can it be used to release it like internal force?

This is a new topic.

There is also the feeling of opening the spirit, and the legs and arms also need to be opened, which also requires more rock fruits.

Zhang Feng embarked on new searches and studies.

……

Two months later.

Yangzhou, a small town.

"Selling candied haws~"

“Fresh leaf cake!”

Accompanied by the cries of peddlers and vendors.

There was a stall owner who looked to be in his fifties, fiddling with some small jewelry pendants on his stall.

These are all wood carvings, and they look quite delicate.

From time to time, there would be little girls or women stopping by to play.

"Thirty cents, no less." The stall owner refused the customer's bargaining very firmly.

It's not cheap at all.

He had been setting up his stall like this for the entire morning, but he didn't sell many products.

When it was noon, he was about to go to the nearby inn to order some food.

At this time, a man in his forties stopped in front of the stall, pretending to look at small items, but actually whispered:
"Manager Wu, I waited in Lincheng for a month, but your two disciples didn't come to see me.

Instead, I saw some officers and soldiers wandering around where I was staying.

If I hadn't been careful, I would have been caught by those soldiers.

There are great masters in there."

"Absolutely impossible." Shopkeeper Wu took out a cheap little item and handed it to him, "My two disciples have always kept their promises. Since they promised me that they would assassinate the emperor, they will definitely go!
How could it be officers and soldiers going there?"

Shopkeeper Wu spoke with an unquestionable tone, "I'm telling you, even if you desert, my two disciples will never betray you!"

"That's impossible." The man chuckled and returned the small object to him. "I believe it."

"What do you mean?" Shopkeeper Wu said unhappily, "Sometimes you believe it? Sometimes you don't? Xun Yu, Boss Xun, are you making fun of me?

Don't think that just because you, the Xun Gang leader, are highly skilled in martial arts and have opened up 50% of your spiritual power, I am afraid of you."

Five-tenths spiritual power means that half of the body part is open.

Zhang Feng only has 5%.

"Shopkeeper Wu, I know you've also opened 50%, so don't pretend to be weak and let me down." Seeing that Shopkeeper Wu was unhappy, the Xun Gang leader shook his head and said:
"But to be honest, you and I have never actually fought each other, so it's really unknown who is stronger."

"Then let's try it?" Shopkeeper Wu's face darkened. "Since you want to compete, I will naturally accompany you to the end."

"I didn't come here today to fight you." The Xun Gang leader snorted and laughed, then shook his head and said, "As expected, you still don't know what happened in Anqing County a while ago."

"What's going on?" Shopkeeper Wu frowned. "Is the case exposed? Impossible! My two disciples are always thorough and careful in their work. There's no way they would let anyone reveal anything!"

"Why do you always say it's impossible?" The Xun Gang leader was very annoyed by the self-righteous temper of the shopkeeper Wu, but there were not many people who could join forces with him, so he still said patiently:

"The First and Seventh Princes are investigating our old case."

"What's going on?" Shopkeeper Wu felt a sense of daze, as if he had connected something to something. He couldn't help but anxiously ask Gang Leader Xun, "You said before that my two disciples didn't come to look for you. Could it be...?"

"I also waited in Lincheng for a long time, so I went to Anqing County on purpose." Xun Gang Leader replied, "After inquiring and observing for many days, I learned that the county lieutenant and the captain of the police were missing.

I guess they were afraid that the matter would be exposed and they were terrified of the imperial court, so they hid themselves under different names.

Either..."

He shook his head, took an object, and put down two copper coins, "Brother Wu, please accept my condolences, but don't go alone to inquire.

Now that you and I have lost a pair of helpers, there are some things that need to be carefully considered."

"Plan?!" Shopkeeper Wu's eyes widened, and he was about to rush out from behind the stall.

The Xun Gang leader flashed in front of him and said in a louder voice, "There are not many martial arts masters left. Five out of ten have become lackeys of the imperial court.

The other four were afraid of the Dog Emperor's majesty and dared not ask about worldly affairs anymore, so they hid their identities.

As for the remaining one, you and I are the best among them and we disdain to associate with people like them.

But if you and I were to rashly seek revenge and get ourselves involved, there would no longer be a world of freedom.

Only the Zhang family’s dynastic laws remain.”

……

Another month passed.

The vendors here suddenly discovered that the bad-tempered Old Wu, who loved to take advantage of others, suddenly stopped setting up his stalls.

Where he went, no one knew.

But the vacant stalls were soon occupied by other people.

……

Another three months passed.

Zhang Feng has been living an unusually carefree life these days.

Practice martial arts, sleep, and be free.

Until the end of the year.

Zhang Feng settled in Nancheng on the border and took on a random job.

Of course, even if it was an important task, the local prefect did not dare to order the Seventh Prince around when he "arrived suddenly".

He now prayed that His Highness the Seventh Prince would just eat, drink and have fun.

He will do the rest of the merits and stuff.

However, Zhang Feng really didn't want this, so he didn't want to make things difficult for others.

Usually I just play around and experience the ancient world.

That's it.

When Zhang Feng moved to the South City, he not only wandered around the city, but also went to the mountains outside the city from time to time, looking for rock fruits, or learning some survival knowledge in the wild.

The sun rises and the moon sets.

Three years passed in a flash.

(End of this chapter)