Ultimate True Lord

Late at night, the inner hall of Guang Sheng Pharmacy was dimly lit.

Zhang Chengye, the head steward, was dressed in casual clothes. He sat at the table checking the accounts of medicinal herbs, and every now and then he would pick up the tea next to him and take a sip.

Suddenly, a spy crept in and whispered, "Manager, the Wen family's herb-gathering team has returned to the city."

Zhang Chengye paused, his pen still in his hand, his face full of surprise.

"You're back?"

He was slightly taken aback, somewhat puzzled. Two days ago, he had clearly hired the third leader of Black Stone Village to ambush them. Those ruthless bandits killed without blinking an eye and had never failed before. How could they have allowed the herb-gathering team to return safely?

Zhang Chengye wanted to inquire about the specifics.

However, the spies said that the Wen family had blocked all news from that side, and they only found out that the team had returned to the city safely, and knew nothing else.

Zhang Chengye dismissed the spies, his mind filled with doubts, feeling that something was amiss.

About half an incense stick's time later, the hall door was suddenly pushed open, and a burly man with a face full of scars and missing half an ear entered. He had the air of a bandit and was the trusted confidant of the Black Stone Village chief, as well as the liaison between the two families.

The burly man stormed in and angrily demanded, "Zhang Chengye, all the information you gave us about the Wen family's herb-gathering team is false!"

Zhang Chengye was slightly taken aback, turned his head and said, "Impossible. I found out that it is a new herb-gathering team with only three ordinary guards and one disciple of the Red Sand Martial Arts School who has just entered the Gangjin realm."

"Bullshit!" the burly man cursed. "My third leader led six brothers there, and they were all wiped out, killed by that herb-gathering team!"

Zhang Chengye was startled, and his expression changed drastically.

He originally thought it was just a failed ambush, but he never expected that the third leader of Black Stone Village would actually die, and that so many elite troops would be lost.

The burly man wouldn't let it go, forcing him to give an explanation and demanding an explanation from the pharmacy.

Zhang Chengye quickly calmed the other party down, promising to prepare silver and medicine as compensation immediately and to give Black Stone Village an explanation.

Having finally managed to persuade the people to leave, he immediately turned to his pharmacy subordinates and ordered, "Investigate what exactly happened on Qingya Mountain that night!"

After saying that, his face turned ashen, and his eyes were filled with seriousness. This time, his plan, which was originally a sure thing, had gone wrong.

At the same time, in the Red Sand Martial Arts School, in the accounting hut.

By the light of the oil lamp, Jiang Ming kept flipping through the secret manual of the Azure Luo Hand. He could quickly understand some of the martial arts principles and moves at a glance.

This is the advantage that Jiang Ming now possesses in achieving strength and power.

Once a person's overall level of understanding is elevated, it becomes much faster to understand and master basic martial arts techniques that can only reach the level of raw power.

He estimated that it would take him no more than ten days, at most six or seven days, to completely master the Green Luo Hand technique.

Jiang Ming flipped through the manual for a while longer before slowly closing it. He lay down on his makeshift bed and recalled the battle at Qingya Mountain.

Ren Lie, the third leader of Black Stone Stronghold, was far superior to him in both martial arts skill and direct combat ability. However, in actual combat, Ren Lie was the one who was killed on the spot.

Jiang Ming himself summarized the main reason as follows: it was because he firmly maintained the initiative in the battle.

Jiang Ming was skilled with quicklime; once it was scattered, it could blind and injure people if they weren't careful. Ren Lie was wary of it from beginning to end.

As soon as Jiang Ming made a slight movement with his hands, Ren Lie would instinctively become defensive. Before long, Jiang Ming had completely taken control of the situation, leaving Ren Lie in a passive position.

Later, Jiang Ming used the lime in a deliberately ambiguous way, raising his hand as if to sprinkle it, but then hesitating to do so. He repeatedly manipulated Ren Lie's psychology, making him uneasy and causing him to make numerous mistakes.

That's how Jiang Ming was able to defeat the stronger opponent and kill Ren Lie. No, strictly speaking, Jiang Ming was the stronger one.

The so-called strength or power is never just about physical prowess, but rather a comprehensive set of abilities.

The hidden weapons he carried, the lime in his hand, and the ruthless strategy he devised to scheme against Ren Lie—all of these were genuine strengths.

So, when you calculate it that way...

This time, he was bullying the weak, and Ren Lie's defeat was entirely justified.

After this battle, Jiang Ming finalized his own fighting style.

In future wars, we must first wage an information war.

Try every means to confuse your opponent and prevent them from figuring out your true advantages.

Just like in his fight against Ren Lie, he proactively revealed that he was a disciple of the Rift Wind Leg style, intending to mislead his opponent. If Ren Lie hadn't known his background beforehand, he would definitely have taken several heavy blows from Jiang Ming at the start.

Furthermore, it is about using one's strengths to attack the opponent's weaknesses.

Since I am good at using tricks and underhanded tactics, I don't need to be bound by the rules and regulations. Lime, hidden weapons, sneak attacks, whatever means can defeat the enemy, I will use them freely.

They will stop at nothing, even if it means threatening people or things that others value.

Only in this way can we weaken the enemy to the greatest extent, strengthen our own advantages, and naturally hold the victory in our hands.

Thinking of this, a look of enlightenment flashed in Jiang Ming's eyes, as if he had completely accepted the truth of survival and combat in this chaotic world.

He stared at the dark ceiling above him, lost in thought for a while. The hard mattress beneath him was painfully uncomfortable against his back.

Jiang Ming's thoughts raced, and he began to make plans in his mind.

We must find a new courtyard tomorrow, so he and his sister can each have their own bedroom, making life more convenient. There will also be ample open space for them to practice martial arts in peace, instead of being crammed into this small, cramped place.

Early the next morning.

Jiang Ming went straight to the brokerage firm in the city and found a broker who specialized in buying, selling, and renting houses. He specifically asked to find a house near the Red Sand Martial Arts School.

The broker was efficient and soon led him to a house that suited his taste.

The courtyard is in a superb location, not far from the Red Sand Martial Arts School; it's just a short walk away.

The courtyard is of moderate size, with a main house and side rooms. It is located next to the Mu River. Like the inner courtyard of the Hongsha Martial Arts Hall, there is an old tree for shade in the courtyard, and a few flowers and plants in the corners of the walls, making it refreshing and elegant.

Not only is there enough open space to practice martial arts, but it is also spacious and comfortable to live in.

What's even better is that you can see the Mu River from the courtyard.

Occasionally, one can see pleasure boats emerging from the inner city not far away, drifting along the water.

Those pleasure boats were ornately decorated and draped with light gauze curtains. Inside sat exceptional courtesans, some playing the zither and flute, others softly singing tunes. Inside the boats were wealthy young men from the inner city, dressed in finery, drinking wine and composing poetry.

A scene of extravagance.

Occasionally, when the wind picks up a bit, you can even faintly hear the sounds of string and wind instruments and laughter, which makes people's imaginations run wild.

The broker who was showing Jiang Ming the house pointed to the inner city with a knowing, lewd smile on his face.

He lowered his voice and leaned closer to tease, "Sir, you have excellent taste! This courtyard is a real gem. At night, you can even hear the lively sounds from the pleasure boats on the river. Those who know, know! Hehehe!"

In the end, Jiang Ming rented the courtyard.

Of course, it's not because of what the broker said at the end. It's just that this courtyard is big enough that practicing martial arts here would definitely be awesome!