Extraordinary Martial Arts: The Living Yama of the Mortal World!

Chapter 38 Lost Finger Techniques, Mastered!

The guard standing nearby frowned, about to reprimand him, but Fan Li stopped him.

"Only soldiers who have rendered meritorious service have the opportunity to obtain that armory. Even I am not qualified to retrieve it for you," Fan Li said, shaking his head.

"I apologize for my rudeness," Zhao An said, cupping his hands in greeting.

"However, I can give you a look at one of the martial arts manuals in my private collection. I wonder what kind of martial arts you would like to see?" Fan Li said with a smile, changing the subject.

"I would like to request a martial arts technique," Zhao An said without much thought.

He has now mastered the sword and palm techniques, acquired fist techniques, practiced hard body techniques, and even possesses the lost finger techniques that the Soul Slave is struggling to comprehend.

The only deficiency is in movement technique.

If we can obtain it through this opportunity, that would be wonderful.

"Well, I will have someone copy a manual of martial arts techniques and send it to you tomorrow, but whether you can learn it or not depends entirely on yourself."

"Of course, if you really can't get the hang of it, just accept my offer and join my household, and someone will teach you."

After saying this, Fan Li left Zhao An's courtyard without lingering any longer.

Zhao Ke gave Zhao An a deep look, then left in silence.

After today's events, he now deeply understands that his good-for-nothing brother has changed drastically.

To receive such appreciation from the county magistrate was something he never dared to dream of, yet it had now happened to Zhao An.

Previously, he was greedy for money and even wanted to harm Zhao An, but now he wouldn't dare to have such a thought even if he had eight times the courage.

"What is Zhao An thinking? The county magistrate appreciates him so much, yet he doesn't want to follow him?" After respectfully seeing the county magistrate off, the head constable Lu Yixiu asked in surprise.

"So many people have such an opportunity that they long for but can't have, yet they give it up. They'll probably regret it later." Gao Baoding shook his head repeatedly, lamenting that such a chance to rise to the top hadn't fallen into his lap.

"Forget it, this matter has nothing to do with us. Just remember not to offend Zhao An in the future."

Zhao Ke listened to what his two colleagues were saying, remaining silent throughout.

He had other plans in mind.

He and Zhao An were blood relatives after all, and blood is thicker than water. As long as he could reconcile with Zhao An, he might be able to get a job in the inner city by clinging to Zhao An's coattails, or even become an official!

Thinking about it this way, he suddenly realized that Zhao An's rise to power might not be such a bad thing for him.

"My dear brother, you truly evoke both love and hate in me..."

On the carriage.

"Why do you value this kid so much?" Zhuang Ge asked.

Fan Li smiled slightly, "You don't trust my ability to judge people?"

"I wouldn't dare," Zhuang Ge quickly lowered his head.

"This young man, like you, comes from humble beginnings. Despite having no background, he managed to hone his skills during his unknown years. This perseverance is as precious as gold," Fan Li said slowly, looking at the various commoners outside the carriage.

"The only thing I can't quite understand is what kind of changes he went through that allowed him to suddenly have a change of heart and transform from a villain into someone who hates evil like poison..."

......

The next day.

The soul slave Xu Dong completed his period of enslavement, but the result left Zhao An disappointed.

Twenty days in reality, but twenty years in the Soul Pool.

During this long period, Xu Donglai did not, as he had hoped, comprehend the secret techniques of Golden Scale Mountain...

The waste of a martial arts master's soul slave also made him realize that this so-called Golden Scale Mountain Piling Technique could not be mastered by spending a long time.

He needs soul slaves with higher comprehension.

"Ideally, it should be a red-name disciple from Golden Scale Mountain..."

Zhao An muttered to himself, deciding to temporarily set aside this cryptic cultivation technique that he had no clue about, and not waste any more soul slaves on it.

Compared to these ethereal and mysterious secret techniques, he now prefers to focus on the other martial arts techniques he has acquired.

For example, the Martial Academy's Eighth-Rank Horizontal Training Method, and the Heavenly Profound Meridian Intercepting Finger Technique obtained through making a wish based on good karma.

I expect to see results with this finger technique in a couple of days.

Unlike the secret techniques of Golden Scale Mountain, this set of finger techniques obtained through wishing doesn't have as many hidden riddles. You can practice it directly with just your hands, and he still has high hopes for it!

On the other hand, the newly appointed county magistrate was intolerant of any wrongdoing.

Only a few days had passed, and the county magistrate's administration had probably not even been handed over properly when he mobilized his troops and sent them up the mountain to launch a second campaign against the bandits of Black Wind Stronghold!

When Zhao An learned of this, he actually had a bit of a desire to go along to suppress the bandits.

After all, that place is undoubtedly a gathering place for countless red-named players, and killing a few of them would be a win for him.

However, the magistrate did not organize any civilian volunteers to go with him, so he had no choice but to give up.

At the same time, the county magistrate kept his promise and sent someone to deliver the martial arts techniques.

Moreover, it's an eighth-grade movement technique!

"Eighth-Rank Leisurely Steps!"

"Eighth rank, eighth rank is good!"

With the manual in hand, Zhao An's goodwill towards the county magistrate increased considerably, and he immediately sent three soul slaves to study and practice it together.

He now practices almost every martial art with three soul slaves simultaneously, which is the most cost-effective and fastest way to progress.

"Brother Zhao, the county magistrate's notice has arrived. The county examination will be held in the middle of May, which is ten days from now," Li Gou'er said to Zhao An as he jogged back.

"Understood." Zhao An said calmly, roasting a plucked fat duck, a fat chicken, a lamb leg, and a pork leg over the stove in the courtyard!

Since he started practicing martial arts, his appetite has increased day by day. He can hardly fall asleep without eating several pounds of meat at each meal.

During the days of extracting the cultivation results from the soul slaves, he had to eat six or seven meals a day to relieve his subsequent hunger.

With the prices of grain and meat soaring these days, food is indeed a significant problem for him.

If he only spends money and never earns any, even if he has a lot of money, he will eventually squander it all.

He was already considering that after gaining fame and recognition, he would wipe out several gangs in the city, which was also his main source of income.

He casually cut off a piece of meat and tossed it to Li Gou'er.

Seeing that Zhao Chunzi's mouth was already full of oil, Li Gou'er immediately leaned in and started eating heartily as well.

"Brother Zhao, are you confident?"

"Mm." Zhao An nodded.

In his view, it was not difficult to obtain the title of martial arts student through the county examination.

He was already prepared.

Three more days passed, and He Song, the soul slave responsible for comprehending the finger techniques, completed his twenty-year period of enslavement!

[He Song, the Soul Slave, has completed his twenty-year period of enslavement. Shall we collect the karmic retribution?]

"extract."

As the soul slave He Song transformed into a bright red karmic fruit, it was extracted by Zhao An.

A very dense amount of information was delivered to him through a kind of initiation!

Everything flashed by like a revolving lantern, and he gradually came to know it all.

Twenty years of comprehension and practice, repeated trials and tribulations, as if nothing else existed during those twenty years but this set of finger techniques before me!

"Heavenly Profound Meridian Intercepting Finger..."

Zhao An's expression went from blank to gradually focusing and radiating vitality in just a moment.

This martial arts finger technique, which had been lost for decades, along with his twenty years of cultivation insights, were all stored in his mind.

The myriad wonders within, the extraordinary skills comparable to divine powers, have undoubtedly been partially mastered by the Soul Slave and are now under his control!

He let out a long breath and muttered to himself.

"Truly divine skill..."