A person sacrifices himself to become a saint in a chaotic world of martial arts.

Su Bai stood up and stretched his limbs.

The bones emitted a soft crackling sound, like popping beans.

He could feel that every organ in his body was functioning powerfully, his heart was beating more steadily, and his breathing was more deep and long.

He raised his hand and threw a light punch.

The force of the punch cut through the air, even more fierce and swift than before. Moreover, he could feel that this punch was not just the power of his arm—the power of his entire body, from the soles of his feet to his waist, from his back to his shoulders, then to his arm, and finally to the tip of his fist, was all connected in one line.

Even the rhythm of his heartbeat was synchronized with this punch.

This is the inner strength realm.

From the outside in, the inside and outside are united.

Su Bai withdrew his fist and stood up, a slight smile appearing on his lips.

He looked up at the sky—the moon had already set in the west, and a faint glimmer of dawn was appearing on the horizon. Before he knew it, it was almost dawn.

"call--"

He exhaled a long breath of stale air, the white vapor condensing in the night sky and not dissipating until it gradually dissipated after a while.

With my current strength, what I lack most is a skill in lightness and agility.

Su Bai stood in the courtyard, gazing at the gradually appearing dawn on the horizon, lost in thought.

His internal strength was complete, his qi and blood were abundant, and his fist and foot strength increased day by day. However, he still lacked a suitable technique for lightness skill. When facing an enemy, if he could only fight head-on, he would ultimately be at a disadvantage.

Maybe... I should check out the black market?

The thought had barely crossed his mind when Su Bai shook his head, a self-deprecating smile appearing on his lips.

What is his current status? He's a candidate for Deputy Chief of the Southern Garrison, a figure the entire Fenjiang County is watching closely. Going to a place like the black market? What kind of behavior is that?

What was once a treasure trove is now of no interest to him.

If you don't go to the black market, there are two other ways to get around in Fenjiang County.

One type is the merit reward from the Zhenfu Division—like Officer Li and Officer Wang, who haven't been promoted yet but can accumulate merits and then choose to exchange them for cultivation techniques.

But Su Bai didn't.

He got promoted.

Merit was exchanged for official position, so naturally there was no extra merit to exchange for cultivation techniques.

Another option is to buy it from outside.

In this Great Qian Dynasty, there are naturally large merchant guilds that travel all over the world.

Treasure Pavilion—is the largest merchant guild in Fengshan County, and one of the largest in the entire Great Qian Dynasty. All the Treasure Pavilions in Fengshan County are merely small branches located in various places.

But for Su Bai in the past, such places were something he could only look at from afar and dream about.

Now, it's time to go and take a trip.

……

The most prosperous central area within Bongsan County.

Su Bai changed into an ordinary blue robe and walked alone on the street.

The liveliness here is different from that in Fenjiang County.

The streets were wide and straight, wide enough for four horse-drawn carriages to travel side by side.

The bluestone slabs were laid flat and smooth, polished to a shine by the wheels.

The shops on both sides are lined up one after another, with signs standing tall, each with its own style, gold lettering and black plaques.

Pedestrians thronged shoulder to shoulder, yet not a single person was dressed in coarse cloth or short brown—everyone was dressed in fine clothes, the men in silk shirts or brocade robes, the women in silk skirts or shawls, their clothes made of exquisite materials and their accessories delicate, clearly indicating that they were either rich or noble.

Su Bai strolled along, his gaze sweeping over the shops.

Teahouses, taverns, silk shops, antique shops, herbal medicine shops... carriages and horses were parked in front of every shop, and sedan chair carriers gathered in twos and threes under the eaves to drink tea and wait.

After making a few inquiries, they quickly found the Treasure Pavilion.

No directions are needed—the six-story pavilion can be seen from afar, standing out like a crane among chickens in the streets and alleys.

This is a six-story pavilion with flying eaves, bracket sets, carved beams and painted rafters.

Copper bells hang from the eaves, tinkling as the wind blows.

The three floors below have vermilion-lacquered pillars, while the three floors above have carved wooden windows. Each window is half-open, and one can vaguely see the figures inside.

Above the main gate hangs a huge plaque with gold lettering on a black background, bearing the three large characters: Treasure Pavilion.

His brushstrokes are powerful and penetrating.

Two young servants in blue robes stood in front of the door, their features delicate and handsome, their hands at their sides, smiling and nodding at anyone they saw.

Su Bai lifted his foot and stepped onto the stairs, just as he entered the gate—

"Young master, is this your first time visiting our Treasure Pavilion?" A waiter approached, his smile perfectly balanced—neither overly enthusiastic nor coldly aloof. "What can I do for you?"

As he spoke, he glanced at Su Bai out of the corner of his eye.

Seeing that Su Bai was dressed plainly but had a calm demeanor and unhurried pace, they immediately concluded that this person was either rich or noble, or at least had some background.

"Lightness skill techniques," Su Bai began, then paused and added, "You can also take a look at other techniques."

"Yes, sir." The servant's eyes lit up, and his smile became even more eager. "Please follow me, young master."

He stepped aside to lead the way, his steps light and quick, explaining things to Su Bai as they went:

"Young master, our Treasure Pavilion has six floors in total. The first and second floors mainly contain some common trinkets, such as gold and silver jewelry, jade ornaments, and some basic medicinal herbs and weapons."

He pointed upstairs and continued, "From the third floor onwards, you'll find all sorts of treasures. Cultivation techniques, secret manuals, rare and precious materials, and exotic items are all on the third floor and above. We have quite a few lightness skill techniques on the third floor that you're looking for, and there are even higher-level ones on the fourth floor."

Su Bai nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping across the lobby on the first floor.

The hall was elegantly furnished, with rows of mahogany cabinets displaying various objects.

Sparkling with jewels, a dazzling array of treasures.

Several well-dressed customers were leaning over the counter, talking quietly with the shop assistant.

The servant led him through the hall to the stairwell, then stepped aside and gestured, "Young master, please."

Su Bai nodded.

"Young master, what level of cultivation technique are you considering?" the servant asked, turning his head as he led the way upstairs. "Our Treasure Pavilion offers all three levels of cultivation techniques: lower, middle, and upper. However, the higher the level, the more expensive they are, naturally."

"Introduce me to a superior lightness skill!"

Su Bai spoke without hesitation, his tone resolute.

Su Bai is now quite wealthy.

So many people gave him gifts that he had Sun Hou roughly count them a while ago—good heavens, the cash plus all sorts of gifts totaled a full 25,000 taels of silver.

It can be described as getting rich overnight.

He truly lived up to his reputation as a clean prefect for three years, amassing a fortune of 100,000

Although he didn't reach that level, he wasn't bad either.

The servant's eyes lit up, his smile became even warmer, and he quickened his pace: "Alright! Young master, please follow me. The third floor is where the superior martial arts techniques are located."

As they spoke, the two had already reached the third floor.

The furnishings on this floor are completely different from those on the ground floor.

The room was surrounded by bookshelves made of rosewood, with antique scrolls and booklets displayed on each shelf.

The floor was covered with a thick brocade carpet, which made no sound when you stepped on it.

Several glass lamps hung from the beams, their light bright yet soft, illuminating the entire floor.

The air was filled with a faint sandalwood scent, which was refreshing and pleasant.