My cultivation method shines upon all heavens.

He used these words to fool the common people, but now someone dares to use them to talk back to him?

They've reversed the Heavenly Gang.

He glanced at Wang Chenghu out of the corner of his eye, and Wang Chenghu immediately understood.

"How dare these lowly people speak so presumptuously about the big picture?"

Wang Chenghu roared like a tiger, and stomped his feet hard on the ground.

The blue bricks shattered with a crisp "crack," and spiderweb-like cracks spread from the soles of his feet outwards.

He leaped out and charged straight at Lu Ming with great momentum, his speed was extremely fast, and the hems of his clothes fluttered in the wind.

In the blink of an eye, he appeared in front of Lu Ming.

With his right hand forming a claw, the knuckles thick and strong, the tiger's mouth wide open, the claw strike as sharp as a knife, aimed fiercely at Lu Ming's chest.

If that hit had landed squarely, it would have resulted in at least a few broken ribs.

He had long wanted to teach this peasant who dared to disregard the rules of the powerful a lesson.

Now he dares to openly contradict his uncle, which is simply courting death.

He knew that his uncle was wary of the county magistrate and wouldn't act openly, which gave him the perfect opportunity to shine.

As the tiger's claws approached, Lu Ming's expression remained unchanged, but his body suddenly bent over in an instant.

Like a snake's tongue suddenly retracting, its waist twists at an incredible angle, and it swiftly slides to one side.

"boom--"

His left hand extended out like a snake's kiss, precisely gripping Wang Chenghu's right wrist.

The thumb is pressed into the pulse point, while the other four fingers lock the wrist bone.

He then lowered his body and wrapped his right arm around Wang Chenghu's neck like a snake.

Using the power of his waist and abdomen, his body coiled like a white snake, and in a flash, he had firmly locked onto his opponent.

Wang Chenghu's face turned red, the veins on his neck bulged, and his muscles and skin twitched as he struggled desperately.

But Lu Ming's locking technique was like a snake coiling around a vine; the more you struggled, the tighter he tightened; the more you loosened, the tighter he coiled.

No matter how hard he tried, the arm wrapped around his neck remained close by, never yielding an inch.

Lu Ming's forehead was also covered in sweat, his jaw was clenched, and the bluish skin under his collar was slightly taut, showing fine cow hair patterns.

In the blink of an eye, the two were locked in a stalemate.

"How is this possible? He's also reached the Yi Jin Realm? And with this level of cultivation... a Spiritual Scripture?"

Wang Chenghu was filled with shock and anger, and his face turned from red to purple.

He never expected that he would be locked in place by the other party in one move, and be rendered helpless by a peasant in front of everyone.

"How is that possible? Wasn't his chance to acquire the Yi Jin Jing martial arts cut off?"

Upon seeing this, everyone in the room gasped in shock.

Even these arrogant young masters showed a hint of shock in their eyes.

This commoner, who was constantly suppressed, quietly entered the Yi Jin Jing (Muscle/Tendon Changing Realm).

Of them, only three had reached the Yi Jin Jing (Muscle/Tendon Changing Realm).

Zhang Yuquan and the others had barely stepped into the Skin Tempering Realm, and were still a long way from the Tendon Transformation Realm.

In an instant, the way they looked at Lu Ming changed.

"Ugh... Damn it!"

Wang Chenghu's eyes flashed with a cold light.

He wanted to establish his authority among the sons of the four powerful families, but his plans were ruined by a peasant.

His eyes turned red, and his blood and qi surged suddenly. He immediately tried to use his trump card to break free of the restraints.

But at that very moment, a cold gaze was cast from the side.

Wang Chenghu's expression changed several times, but in the end he suppressed his frustration.

"Okay, very good..."

Wang An withdrew his gaze, his smile fading as he narrowed his eyes, a dangerous glint in them.

Lu Ming met his gaze calmly, not backing down an inch. This made Fan Wu, standing to the side, stiffen, his heart filled with anxiety.

Just as the two were about to draw their swords, a clear laugh came from under the eaves:

"Yes, it's really good!"

At the end of the corridor, Liu Zhiyuan, dressed in a blue official robe, walked in with his hands behind his back.

"Greetings, Your Excellency!"

Everyone was startled, and then they all bowed in respect.

Lu Ming breathed a sigh of relief, loosened his grip on Wang Chenghu's neck, took a step back, and bowed with his hands clasped in greeting.

He knew that with such a commotion, Liu Zhiyuan couldn't possibly remain silent.

He was convinced that as long as he demonstrated sufficient value, the other party would not stand idly by.

Otherwise, why accept his surrender in the first place?

"Wang, I have a general understanding of what happened."

Liu Zhiyuan walked up to Wang An and said with a smile:

"I think Lu Ming's statement makes a lot of sense. What do you think?"

Wang An cursed inwardly, but dared not show it on his face, and bowed in response:

"What you say is absolutely right, sir. I think so too."

Liu Zhiyuan chuckled, turned around and walked to Lu Ming's side, raising his hand to pat him on the shoulder:

"Truly, heroes emerge from among the young. Come to my residence tonight; I have something to tell you."

Having said that, he turned and left with his hands behind his back.

"Yes, sir," Lu Ming replied with a bow.

Wang An and the others stood there silently, their faces ashen.

They knew that Liu Zhiyuan's actions were a formal declaration to the outside world:

Lu Ming is mine.

Wang Chenghu looked at Wang An with a face full of resentment and lowered his voice:

"Uncle, why won't you let me use my full strength?"

Wang An glared at him coldly: "Shut up! If you can't even tolerate this little thing, what great things can you accomplish?"

After saying that, he turned and left.

Seeing this, the others also dispersed.

Although Lu Ming's words had greatly shocked them, they had more important things to do.

Military duty shifts are no joke; we must go back and make thorough preparations.

In the blink of an eye, only Lu Ming and Fan Wu remained in the arena.

"Lu Ming!"

Fan Wu jumped up, his face full of surprise and lingering fear:

"When did you reach the Yi Jin Jing? Among all those messy clues, did you actually find a reliable cultivation method?"

What Lu Ming could think of, this old fox could naturally think of as well.

If only the two of them went out of the city, they would definitely be cannon fodder.

Now, Lu Ming has managed to turn the situation around with his own strength, and he has also managed to save half of his life.

Lu Ming's expression turned solemn.

He knew very well that in this game of chess, he was still just a pawn.

How long a piece can survive depends entirely on when the player decides it should be discarded.

Fifth Uncle.

He turned to look at Fan Wu, his face solemn:

"Do you have any leads on what I asked you to help me look for before?"

Fan Wu's smile vanished, and he said in a deep voice:

"Alchemists hold extremely high status, and their relics are extremely rare. It's also rare for their descendants to be reduced to selling their ancestors' belongings to make a living."

Of course, there was one more thing he didn't say: if they had really fallen to that level, their entire family would have been wiped out long ago, and they wouldn't have had a chance to pick up the scraps.

A hint of disappointment flashed across Lu Ming's face. He knew that his idea of ​​using pills to accelerate his cultivation was ultimately wishful thinking.

"but……"

Fan Wu changed the subject and took out a small, exquisite wine gourd from his pocket.

The gourd is no bigger than the palm of your hand, is sandalwood in color, feels warm and smooth to the touch, and has a surface that is polished to a mirror-like finish.

A picture was clearly carved on the belly of the gourd—

A madman lay drunk under a gourd vine, his clothes half-open, a wine jar lying to the side, his head tilted back to look at the sky, exuding an indescribable carefree and unrestrained air.

"I found a miscellaneous book in the library, which recorded the story of a poor alchemist who gave up alchemy and turned to the study of winemaking."

Fan Wu handed the wine gourd to Lu Ming:

"I acquired this gourd from his descendants. It's said to be the alchemist's ever-present vessel for brewing and drinking wine. Do you think it's still usable?"

Lu Ming took the gourd and gently stroked it.

A moment later, a hint of disappointment flashed in his eyes.

He originally thought that the Heavenly Heart Scroll's abilities might extend beyond the realm of martial arts, and that it could also provide some sensitivity to this type of auxiliary skill.

In hindsight, he had been overthinking things.

He shook his head with a wry smile, about to speak.

But in that instant, the scroll before his eyes suddenly unfolded, white mist surged, and countless words rapidly refreshed:

[A mental imprint has been discovered, not a martial arts technique. Investigating...]

[Skill "Brewing" discovered, can be refined. Refine?]

Lu Ming was taken aback, and the corners of his mouth involuntarily curled up.

"Refine it."

His mind stirred, and he felt a warm current flow into his palm, carrying a faint aroma of wine.

The airflow traveled upwards along my arm, flowing into my mind.

In an instant, a wealth of knowledge about winemaking flooded into my consciousness.

The selection of grains, the ratio of starter culture, the fermentation temperature, the storage time...

A moment later, the text on the Heavenly Heart Scroll refreshed again:

[Skill: Crimson Scale Wine (Minor Mastery 1800/2000)]

[Skill: Placenta Wine (Minor Mastery 1200/2000)]

[Skill: Bloodlust Wine (Beginner 800/1000)]

[Fellow cultivators from all heavens: 999999999+]

Lu Ming opened his eyes slightly, his heart filled with a mixture of surprise and joy.

As the saying goes, what is lost on one front may be gained on another.

He didn't acquire alchemy skills, but he found an alternative path.

All three types of medicinal wine can enhance cultivation. Although they are not as potent as elixirs, they have one great advantage: they do not contain any toxic substances.

It can be consumed long-term, gradually and steadily, and its effects over time may not be inferior to those of elixirs.

"How is it? Is it to your liking?"

Seeing Lu Ming's expression change repeatedly, Fan Wu cautiously approached to ask him something.

Lu Ming snapped out of his reverie and nodded with a smile:

"Of course. Fifth Uncle, you've been a great help."

After saying that, he took out three gold leaves from his pocket and stuffed them into Fan Wu's hand.

"No, no, no!"

Fan Wu was taken aback and quickly declined.

He only spent a little money on this trip, buying an old wine gourd from a down-on-his-luck person.

Moreover, he had already realized that his nephew, who was now favored by the county magistrate, was destined for greatness.

If you don't seize this opportunity to curry favor with them, you're practically blind.

Lu Ming insisted on stuffing the gold leaf into his hand, and said in a deep voice:

"Fifth Uncle, please accept this. Otherwise, how could I dare to trouble you again if anything happens in the future? Besides, the world is in turmoil these days, and you need money to settle your family, don't you?"

Fan Wu's face stiffened upon hearing this.

He was worried about finding a place to live; his meager salary couldn't even afford to rent half a room in this chaotic world.

He hesitantly accepted the gold leaf, clutching it in his palm. A complex expression appeared on his old face, and he remained silent for a long while.

……

Night fell, and the moon and stars were few.

In the main hall of the Liu residence, eight bronze lamps illuminated the hall as brightly as day.

Liu Zhiyuan sat upright in the main seat of the armchair, slowly sipping his tea.

Lu Ming stood below with his hands at his sides, his gaze fixed on the floor tiles three inches in front of the toes of his boots.

After a long while, Liu Zhiyuan put down his teacup and smiled at Lu Ming, saying:

"Lu Ming, have you encountered any trouble lately?"

He made no mention of how he had allowed Wang An to make things difficult for him these past few days, and how he had stood by and watched from the sidelines.

Lu Ming, seemingly unaware, respectfully replied:

"Thanks to your great power, I am safe and sound."

Liu Zhiyuan stroked his long beard and said with a smile, "You, you..."

Immediately, the smile on his face faded, and he leaned forward slightly.

"I need you to do something for me, but you mustn't tell anyone. Are you willing?"

Without the slightest hesitation, Lu Ming clasped his hands in a fist salute: "I am willing to die for you, sir!"

Liu Zhiyuan stared at him for a long time before beckoning to him.

Lu Ming understood, took a few steps forward, and leaned in to whisper in his ear.

Liu Zhiyuan leaned close to his ear, gave him some instructions, then placed something in his arms and solemnly said:

"Have you remembered it?"

Lu Ming stepped back a few paces, carefully put away the things in his arms, and replied in a deep voice.

Liu Zhiyuan nodded in satisfaction and said:

"Indeed. The emperor doesn't lack hungry soldiers, so I won't treat you unfairly either. Go to my private treasury and choose any three items as your reward."

Lu Ming was taken aback.

Has the upright and just official changed his ways?

But he reacted extremely quickly, his face immediately showing just the right amount of surprise, and he bowed deeply:

"Thank you, sir!"

Liu Zhiyuan waved his hand, a faint smile playing on his lips: "Go ahead."