At the An Family, the Force Realm martial artists, such as Mr. Wang and Wang Tianma, were doing fine and had no plans to leave.

And the likes of Ding Kui, the Power Realm martial artists, also knew their own limits and weren't preparing to go either.

However, the number of people in a trade association is after all quite substantial.

When the forest is big, all kinds of birds can be found; there will always be someone who gets tempted.

In this world, no matter how unbelievable or undesirable a task appears, as long as there are benefits, there will certainly be those who want to undertake it.

Although they had not acted yet, some martial artists already had hesitation and flickering determination in their eyes. They were just not stepping forward immediately but waiting to see how things would unfold later. After all, they had seven days.

The government officer saw no one stepping forward but didn't get angry. He simply said, "Seven days, no waiting beyond that. Make good use of this opportunity; it's quite a rare one."

With that, the government officer turned and left.

The crowd had different thoughts and once again, they turned their gazes towards the chairman and the son-in-law not far away.

An Chenyu slightly closed her eyes in contemplation, stepped forward, and said indifferently, "If there are any who wish to go, simply go and inform the manager, and collect a set of supplies, including weapons and silver taels. The An Family will not stand in your way.

"In the future, if you yearn for the An Family, you are welcome to return at any time; there will be no obstacles," she said as she looked around, then gently clapped her hands. "Alright, everyone go back to your tasks."

The crowd dispersed.

An Chenyu turned her head to glance at the man behind her.

Song Cheng smiled and asked, "Sister An, should I go too?"

An Chenyu's beautiful face fixated on him, then leaned in close. Her almond eyes gazed at the black cloth, and with a light breath, she whispered, "Would you bear to leave?"

Her laughter was mischievous, and her words conjured memories of their wild escapades, reminiscent of swans arching their necks and mandarin ducks frolicking in the water. The warmth of skin on skin and soft moans were implicit in her tone.

After speaking, she didn't wait for the young man's response. She held her head high, her long legs carrying her into the distance.

Every time, she made sure to earnestly confirm that Song was satisfied.

This "satisfaction survey" always resulted in "top-star ratings."

And over time, she had come to understand Song Cheng even better.

He was cautious and discreet, always keeping his cards close to his chest; he never acted unless necessary, but when he did, it was always lethal; moreover... he was someone who valued his relationships deeply.

Just now, Song Cheng was merely teasing her.

The unapproachable ice mountain was just for outsiders. In the presence of Song Cheng, the ice had long since melted.

Song Cheng also smiled and, leaning on his new saber, headed to the Scripture Pavilion where he found Zhao Hua and borrowed the "Water Bird Force" for Ling to read to him.

Each martial arts hall had its own heritage and did not disclose it to outsiders, but this did not include Song Cheng.

Song Cheng borrowed the "Water Bird Force" solely to test his own ideas.

...

...

In the sunlight, the son-in-law's eyes were covered with a black cloth.

The maid bearing the scent of tea held the Cultivation Technique, reading a book she could recognize by characters but not understand in meaning, until her head hurt.

After finishing one reading session, Song Cheng pondered, and Ling, looking at the scorching sun, said, "Son-in-law, shall I fetch you some sour plum drink?"

Song Cheng replied, "Then bring the jug over. There are quite a few people in the Scripture Pavilion."

The tea-scented maid reluctantly replied with an "Oh."

Her eyes might as well have been on top of her head as she really only cared about the feelings of the son-in-law and the young mistress. Why should she bother with the martial artists of the Scripture Pavilion?

But since the son-in-law had instructed her so, she went.

Song Cheng glanced over the panel:

[Skills]

Water Bird Force (Yellow Level Grade C) (Uninitiated (0/4))

With just a moment's thought, the young man could remember the entirety of "Water Bird Force."

It was just as he had guessed; "Water Bird Force" lay somewhere between Relaxing Force and Pouncing Force.

If he had already established the circulation routes of "Relaxing Force" and "Pouncing Force" in his body, then… refining "Water Bird Force" would merely require some minor regulation.

'Let's give it a try.'

Song Cheng thought to himself and then stood up to begin his movements, practicing his punch, pushing his hand forward.

Following the training method recorded in "Water Bird Force," he executed the movements correctly on his first try. By the time Ling brought a jug of sour plum drink, he was already practicing smoothly.

Consequently, the battle method of "Water Bird Force" also unfolded in the young man's hands.

The water bird soared swiftly, beaks probing the shallow depths, singing harmoniously with one another...

Whistle!

A sharp, crisp sound followed the youth's punching gesture, resembling the call of a water bird.

Ling blinked her eyes as she watched, clapping furiously on the side.

And this bird-like call took Zhao Hua by surprise, who was not far away, pondering how the "Water Bird Force" could be integrated with the "White Snake Force" and the "Willow Brushing Force."

The chirp was a sign of the "Water Bird Force" reaching Great Achievement.

But Brother hadn't practiced this Cultivation Technique before, had he? He must have just gotten his hands on the manual, right?

Hua felt somewhat shaken up inside, but also proud, thinking his brother was truly like an immortal being.

Song Cheng stopped his movements and glanced at the panel.

In just a moment, the "Water Bird Force" had advanced from "Uninitiated (0/4)" to "Great Achievement (1/16)".

What he did was actually fairly simple: he simulated the flow of internal energy, and then focused all his attention on the merger of these flows, as if he were merely digging a few shovelfuls of earth between two great rivers to facilitate a smoother confluence.

"Son-in-law, son-in-law, drink some plum juice,"

Ling was being a bit sneaky, despite serving the pot with enough drink for everyone, but she'd also quietly fetched a few precious ice cubes from the cellar.

The ice cubes were only placed in the son-in-law's bowl; nobody else had any.

Now, she approached Song Cheng, holding a bowl of plum juice dotted with ice cubes.

Song Cheng did not refuse Ling's kindness and accepted the drink.

Sour and sweet, cold and refreshing, it truly was a delightful flavor.

And the ice cubes, when chewed, gave a satisfyingly crisp crunch.

"Call everyone to drink some plum juice,"

Song Cheng instructed, and Ling ran off in high spirits, then she stood with hands on hips and called out, not without a hint of annoyance, "The son-in-law is inviting you to drink."

A bunch of martial artists came running out, each gathering around Song Cheng to take part in the refreshment.

As they drank, they naturally began to chat.

"That government officer obviously came here to recruit soldiers, who's going to go," casually mentioned Wang Tianma.

Another martial artist chimed in, "Even if the perks are good, it's still about going to the battlefield to fight, and right now, with the front lines in chaos, who knows what might happen if you go."

The consensus among them was largely along these lines.

Yet suddenly, one of the martial artists said, "But I've heard that the Shanhe Martial Arts Hall and White Camel Estate are extremely powerful. Normally, it's impossible to get in. Now that they're offering the opportunity..."

This was a disciple from one of the smaller seven martial arts halls, who before leaving had naturally heard from his master that "Shanhe Martial Arts Hall, White Camel Estate, and Pearl Mountain Pass were the true powers behind Hanping Prefecture, with even the Magistrate and County Magistrate in their service."

Such extraordinary power was indeed very tempting.

The official was right; fortunes are sought amid risks, and opportunities like this are rare.

Then another martial artist retorted, "That's nonsense, they're just bluffing to get you to throw away your life, you really think they'll let you join and practice their Cultivation Techniques? They're just deceiving you."

In reality, no one was a fool.

Song Cheng listened quietly.

After finishing the plum juice, the crowd got back up, thanked him, and proceeded with their training.

...

...

Time whisked by, and three days had passed.

In the early morning.

Song Cheng rose early, raised his hand, threw a punch, and the power of the perfected Water Bird Force manifested in the palm of his hand.

While ordinary Force Trainers cultivated like rivers, he merely patched things up, smoothing out the confluence of the two flows.

In just three days... he had cultivated the "Water Bird Force" from "Uninitiated" to "Perfection", without spending a single point, merely relying on his own practice.

However, the "Six Forces" in the "Xuanwu True Force" had not become "Seven Forces".

The reason was simple: the "Water Bird Force" was not considered an additional Force.

Even so, Song Cheng's strength still surged upward, jumping directly from "139~278" to "141~282".

By now, there were no more Cultivation Techniques at the An Family or even in Shanghe County's Martial Arts Hall left for him to practice.

But that was not an issue...

Last night, after he consumed the last Soul Strengthening Pill and completed the initial Nurturing of the Soul, his Divine Soul had become so robust that it sparked a slight qualitative change.

This change was known as: Object Driving.

Song Cheng no longer planned to visit the Martial Arts Hall in the Prefectural City. He intended to adopt a different approach: Out of Body Divine Soul, midnight moon trek, clandestinely entering other families' Martial Arts Halls, then using Object Driving to flip through books and study other Cultivation Techniques.

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