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That evening, Song Cheng was directly asked to stay at Shanhe Martial Arts Hall, sharing a table with "Iron Arm Gray Bear" Hong Juguang.

Dinner.

Song Cheng arrived at just the right time.

Shanhe Martial Arts Hall and White Camel Estate had both opened up their quotas to recruit martial artists, offering generous rewards. So... for a Form Realm warrior like him who came knocking on their door, could Shanhe Martial Arts Hall not entrust him with an important task?

Under normal circumstances, this would be absolutely impossible.

But now, these were not normal circumstances.

This was the opportune moment Song Cheng had settled on after observing the West City Gate and realizing he couldn't bypass the Government Office.

...

The dishes served were complete but not luxurious.

It was even... to some extent, just a bit better than the "belt-tightening" meals of the An Family in recent times.

This isn't to say that the Shanhe Martial Arts Hall was stingy, but rather that... every clan was actually tightening their belts.

Warfare is like pouring money down the drain.

With each passing day, it's hard to imagine how much more money is spent.

"In times of siege, we don't drink alcohol; we use tea instead," Hong Juguang had a good impression of this young blind man.

Why?

First, this kid was very sensible. He fought all the way here without tarnishing the name of the Martial Arts Hall.

In fact, there was even talk outside along the lines of "Blind Song doesn't know his limits, biting off more than he can chew." But he had already given orders, stating "the son-in-law of the An Family is a friend of Hanping Prefecture's Martial Arts Halls; no one is allowed to spread such words any longer."

Second, the city was currently understaffed, with all the big shots from White Camel Estate and their own leader having gone off to war. Suddenly having such a skilled fighter appear, Hong Juguang was obviously delighted and wanted to keep him around. Just as Song Cheng had anticipated.

As for Ling, she had run back home to report the situation. After all, her son-in-law had only said he was going for a walk, and yet this sort of "walk" had happened... She had to make things clear to avoid unnecessary worry from the young lady of the house.

Song Cheng picked up his cup of tea, clinked it against the burly man's cup across from him, and said, "As a junior, I had some doubts in my heart. After an epiphany, I sought out the masters of various halls to spar with them."

"Thanks to the instructions of the masters, by the time I arrived at Foreign Affairs Envoy Hong's side, I had come to understand some aspects that had previously been unclear to me."

Hong Juguang said, "You've been fighting all day until you got to me..."

Although Iron Arm Gray Bear knew this, he still felt a bit uncomfortable about it.

Song Cheng smiled and said, "Those who have reached the Perfection of Form Realm would not care about such external exertions. I've been warming up all day, so by the time I reached Brother Hong, I was in perfect condition."

Hong Juguang waved his hand and said, "Still, we do care about these exertions."

Then he asked with some doubt, "Brother Song, where did you learn these Form Realm Techniques?"

Song Cheng replied directly, "They've always been in my memory. Once I had a breakthrough, I started practicing them. Practicing and practicing, it became what it is now."

With that, he stood up and adopted a stance, demonstrating the "White Snake Form" derived from the "White Snake Force."

Nowadays, he controlled five forms, with four others still to master.

Currently, he was only revealing one form.

However, this alone had already stunned Hong Juguang.

Damn, how did he even manage to practice that?

Hong Juguang took a couple of looks and hastily coughed with a pot-like sound, saying, "Brother Song, you must keep these techniques hidden and not reveal them to outsiders..."

Song Cheng ignored him and finished demonstrating his self-created "White Snake Form" before asking, "I don't know where these techniques come from either. Brother Hong, with your broad knowledge, do you recognize them?"

Seeing his generous and sincere attitude, Hong Juguang was deeply moved. He sighed repeatedly and couldn't help saying, "Brother Song is just too simple and honest," while his impression of him shot up to 90.

First impressions are good.

Dinner was enjoyable.

And the genuine camaraderie was there.

How could he not have a favorable impression?

At this moment, he had already formulated a backstory in his mind, deducing that this young man was someone from a major power who had been lost and had some memory issues but still remembered his cultivation technique. This had enabled him to cultivate all the way to his current level, which was no easy feat.

He sipped his tea, furrowing his brows in thought, and said, "Brother Song, your method seems light and agile."

Song Cheng candidly said, "It's snake-based."

Hong Juguang nodded and mentioned, "Among the nearby powers practicing snake form in the Martial Arts World, only White Camel Estate comes to mind. Once Old Venom returns, I'll ask our Elder to introduce you there on your behalf."

"Old Venom?" Song Cheng was startled for a moment.

Hong Juguang explained, "That's the Master of White Camel Estate, Ouyang Sha. They keep Demon Snakes in their estate, so naturally it's poisonous."

Song Cheng said, "Then I thank Brother Hong."

The two of them continued eating for a while.

Suddenly, Hong Juguang spoke up, "I won't hide it from you, Brother Song, but our Prefectural City's defenses are actually quite weak now. There are thirteen passes stretching toward the south of the city, seven of which connect to mountain paths and three extend to major rivers, making them inconvenient for the Barbarians to commandeer Demon Beasts.

However, there are still three passes directly facing the plains that could be attacked at any moment."

"As you see me here, I'm actually on standby at all times. Wherever the fight erupts, I will have to go support them."

"The Prefectural City itself is still manageable, but the Counties outside are in a dire state. Our Elder and two from White Camel Estate have gone out there, and they're fighting abroad as we speak."

Song Cheng was beginning to grasp the situation.

This was also his goal.

Staying at the An Family and waiting blindly for life or death was something he wasn't willing to accept. Thus, after further strengthening his power, he showcased an increased level of power to get involved in the city defense so that he could always have control of both internal and external situations...

He pondered for a moment and then asked, "What about Pearl Mountain Taoist Temple, Brother Hong?"

Hong Juguang replied, "Their situation is somewhat unique, different from ours and White Camel Estate. But they will also defend the city, specifically guarding those ten passes that the Barbarians won't attack. Previously, our Elder had gone to invite them to join the war effort, but they refused."

Song Cheng was curious, "Why?"

Hong Juguang explained, "Lady Zhushan's partner was killed, and she herself was injured and is currently recovering. However, she should be almost healed these days."

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