Chapter 40 - 41: Entering Jin, Strength Surges

Chapter 40: Chapter 41: Entering Jin, Strength Surges

[Easy Mode: ...Incomplete Iron Cloth Shirt 1 time (100 taels of silver/time)]

After he drank the Qi and Blood Powder, the panel immediately changed. He could now use the Easy Mode.

"Activate Easy Mode."

[Easy Mode activated: Bathe in warm water for ten minutes to train the Incomplete Iron Cloth Shirt to the first level.]

One hour later, the panel refreshed:

[Name: Su Chen]

[Cultivation Techniques: Incomplete Iron Cloth Shirt (First Level 1%), Frenzy Wave Saber Technique (Limit), Turtle Shell Skill (Limit), Ape Arm Skill (Perfect 1%), Bone Shrinking Skill (Perfect 1%)]

[Easy Mode: Incomplete Iron Cloth Shirt 0 times (100 taels of silver/time), Frenzy Wave Saber Technique 0 times (any complete saber technique/time), Turtle Shell Skill 0 times (None), Ape Arm Skill 0 times (10 taels of gold/time), Bone Shrinking Skill 0 times (10 taels of gold/time)]

However, Su Chen was in no mood to pay attention to the panel. His gaze fell on his hands.

On the surface, his hands looked no different from before, but he could clearly feel a trace of airflow surging within them.

"Is this... Inner Power?"

As if unable to believe it, Su Chen muttered to himself, his eyes losing focus.

BAM!

Su Chen picked up a small stone and instantly mobilized that trace of Inner Power in his palms.

Without exerting any physical strength at all, he watched as the Inner Power entered the stone. Instantly, several cracks appeared on its surface and rapidly spread throughout.

With a crisp CRACK, the stone split apart like a blooming flower.

Then, with a gentle squeeze from Su Chen, the stone completely turned into a cloud of fine powder, scattering in the air with the wind.

"It really is Inner Power!" Su Chen exclaimed in pleasant surprise. He hadn’t expected that just a few days after asking Hong Ming how to generate Inner Power, he would inexplicably achieve it today.

"This is too fast, I’m not ready for this at all!"

His unbelievable words, coupled with a slightly punchable expression—if Hong Ming saw this scene, he probably wouldn’t be able to resist throwing a punch.

He would think about how he had spent more than half his life without successfully generating Inner Power, yet this kid had done it after cultivating for such a short time. Comparing oneself to others truly only brought frustration!

A moment later, Su Chen calmed down.

He pondered, "The power of Inner Power is indeed immense, but the quantity is too scarce. I used it just once and can’t use it anymore.

"No wonder that bandit back then didn’t continuously use his Inner Power. He was probably in a similar situation to me—having just entered the Inner Power stage not long ago, he didn’t have much reserved in his body.

"Although it can only be used once, it can serve as a trump card, just like the Sleeve Saber. It’ll be more than enough to give the enemy a nasty surprise.

"Moreover, this is just the beginning. Once I upgrade the Iron Cloth Shirt again, the Inner Power might increase. When that time comes, I’ll truly be able to unleash its full might."

With this in mind, Su Chen called up the panel. When he saw the data on it, he couldn’t help but massage his temples. "The next time I activate Easy Mode, it’ll cost another one hundred taels!"

Great, he was dirt poor again, although he seemed to have never truly been rich.

He thought, "Right, there’s also the Ape Arm Skill and the Bone Shrinking Skill. They’re only one last Easy Mode session away from reaching their limits. Combined with the upgrade for the Iron Cloth Shirt, I need a total of 300 taels."

He inhaled sharply, feeling a headache coming on.

Shaking his head to dispel the thoughts from his mind, Su Chen didn’t dwell on it any longer.

Things would eventually sort themselves out. With his current strength, there would be bread, and there would be money.

Tossing the distracting thoughts aside, Su Chen continued to test the power of his Inner Power.

He tested it all the way until nightfall, never tiring of it. The more he tested it, the more he felt the formidable might of the Inner Power. It was simply a lethal weapon.

However, what puzzled Su Chen a little was that the Inner Power in his hands could currently only flow within his palms and couldn’t extend to his arms.

He conducted multiple tests to figure this out but ultimately couldn’t reach a precise conclusion. He could only attribute it to the incompleteness of the Cultivation Technique.

"The Iron Wire Fist and the Iron Sand Palm can fuse. I wonder if the Iron Cloth Shirt, Ape Arm Skill, and Turtle Shell Skill can be fused together? It’s still unclear right now. It seems I can only wait and see."

Tossing the matter to the back of his mind, Su Chen finally stopped his testing and went out for a simple meal.

By the time he returned home, it was still early. Su Chen continued to brew the Mind Confusing Powder until late at night before finally going to sleep.

Two days later.

Su Chen arrived at the Government Office and stood before the wanted posters, examining them carefully.

It had taken him a day to successfully brew the Mind Confusing Powder. After resting for another day, he set out with the intention of making money.

The first place to visit was naturally the Government Office.

Days had passed, but just like last time, the wanted posters hadn’t changed at all.

"Yang the Warrior?"

Just as Su Chen was pondering over which wanted criminal to choose, a voice came from behind.

He turned around and saw a staff member from the Government Office whom he had met once before.

"You are?" Su Chen asked in confusion.

"I am the advisor of the County Magistrate’s Office," the man replied with a smile. His gaze then shifted between Su Chen and the wanted posters as he asked, "Are you looking to take down a poster, Yang the Warrior?"

Su Chen nodded. "Yes."

After a brief pause, he asked, "I see these wanted posters have been up for quite some time. Does the Government Office have any recent news on them?"

The advisor shook his head. "It is exactly as you say. These posters have been up for a while, but the Government Office doesn’t even know if the wanted criminals on them are dead or alive."

These words left Su Chen feeling a bit disappointed. He wasn’t afraid of wasting time; he was afraid of wasting time and still not finding anyone.

"Yang the Warrior, would you be willing to step inside the County Magistrate’s Office?" the advisor suddenly asked, glancing around cautiously.

"Oh?" Seeing the man’s demeanor, Su Chen figured he had something to say in private, so he nodded. "I’ll have to trouble you to lead the way."

With that, he followed the advisor into the County Magistrate’s Office.

The advisor brought Su Chen to the main hall, had someone serve tea, and then took his leave.

Su Chen sat in the hall but didn’t drink the tea. After waiting for the time it took to finish a cup, his eyes suddenly darted toward the doorway.

"Yang the Warrior!"

Walking toward him was Magistrate Tao Wenxuan. Upon seeing Su Chen, he cupped his hands in greeting with a face full of smiles.

"Magistrate Tao," Su Chen greeted in return, then shifted his gaze to the advisor trailing behind.

Noticing his gaze, Tao Wenxuan chuckled softly. "I heard from the advisor that Yang the Warrior was at the entrance of the County Magistrate’s Office. At first, I didn’t quite believe it. I didn’t expect to see you again after so many days, and your presence is as impressive as ever."

"Magistrate Tao, if you have something to say, there’s no harm in speaking plainly," Su Chen replied straightforwardly, cutting through Tao Wenxuan’s beating around the bush.

Tao Wenxuan didn’t get angry at this and said, "It’s like this: I happen to have a bounty here, and I wonder if you might be interested in it, Yang the Warrior?"

"Tell me the details."

"The target of the bounty is related to the Rebirth Sect!" Tao Wenxuan’s voice turned somewhat grave, and his smile faded.

The Rebirth Sect?

Su Chen furrowed his brows, and relevant information quickly surfaced in his mind.

The Daqian Dynasty was in its twilight years. In addition to the numerous gangs established everywhere, there were also many rebel armies, and the Rebirth Sect was one of them.

The Rebirth Sect was a rebel faction that had risen in recent years. They were active near Qinzhou year-round, opposing the imperial court and causing major headaches for the Government Office.

Unlike other rebel armies, the Rebirth Sect was incredibly mysterious. Aside from causing a massive uproar in the beginning by killing officials and distributing grain, they had since seemingly vanished without a trace, rarely appearing in the Government Office’s line of sight.

Looking at it now, they hadn’t vanished; they were merely lying dormant in the shadows, waiting for the right opportunity.

Seeing Su Chen’s silence, Tao Wenxuan and the advisor exchanged a glance. Then, the advisor let out a light cough and said, "Yang the Warrior, the bounty for this mission is one hundred taels!"

Hearing this, Su Chen’s eyes lit up slightly.