Martial Arts: My talent multiplier increased

"Xiao Zhennan gave three thousand taels of silver in cash. The remaining four thousand taels were converted into property transfer documents for the shops and land." Fang Yuanshan pushed the documents over. "The shops are the cloth shop in the east of the city and the general store next to it. The land is sixty mu in the south of the city."

Fang Yuan flipped through the property ownership documents. They bore the seals of both the City Lord's Mansion and the Liangshui City Land and Property Bureau.

He closed the document.

"What about the reward from the city lord's mansion?"

Fang Yuanshan pulled an envelope from his pocket. It was sealed with wax and bore the seal of the City Lord's Mansion.

Fang Yuan disassembled it.

Inside was a piece of paper. And a token.

It was written on the paper—

"Fang Yuan of the Fang family stepped forward and single-handedly killed the Blood Demon Sect's branch leader, Blood Bat Dharma King. His meritorious service is outstanding. He is hereby awarded the title of 'Hero of the City' and rewarded with three thousand taels of silver."

The token is made of bronze. The front is engraved with the four characters "Heroes Protecting the City." The back bears the emblem of Liangshui City. The workmanship is rough; the casting burrs on the edges have not been smoothed out.

Fang Yuan weighed the token in his hand. It weighed about two ounces.

"Heroes who protect the city".

Name.

Xiao Zhennan spent three thousand taels of silver and a bronze plaque to buy a narrative framework that "Liangshui City repelled the Blood Demon Cult through the joint efforts of the city guards and heroes".

Three thousand taels to buy a title.

Cheap him.

Fang Yuan tossed the bronze plaque onto the table. It bounced once on the wooden surface, spun twice, and then fell over.

"Give him face. Take the money."

Fang Yuanshan's lips curved into a tiny smile.

Fang Yuan opened his right hand.

The panel appears.

Talent Multiplication System.

Root bone: 4 times.

Stance training: 8 times.

Comprehension: 2 times.

Soul: 2 times.

Current savings—Fang Yuan's gaze shifted downwards.

Pre-war balance: 4477 taels.

Subtracting the operating expenses of Baicaotang (three days): approximately 210 taels.

Including the three days' worth of revenue from Baicaotang: approximately 630 taels.

In addition, the city lord's mansion bestowed a reward of 3000 taels.

Including the cash portion of the Li family's 40% assets: 3000 taels.

Total: Approximately 10897 taels.

Fang Yuan's finger stopped on the panel.

10897 taels.

The threshold for the next increase is 10000 taels.

It's over.

Fang Yuan's fingertip hovered over the amplification bar on the panel for a moment.

I didn't order it immediately.

Not urgent.

The body is currently in a weakened state. The micro-cracks in the meridian walls have not yet healed. Performing permanent amplification at this time—as determined by double comprehension—would cause the blood and qi surge during the amplification process to worsen the micro-cracks.

and so on.

We'll increase the damage after Liu Ruyan's recovery potion has completely repaired the micro-cracks.

Fang Yuan closed the panel.

The current temporary increase in points flashed briefly before the panel was closed.

17.

Killing the Blood Bat King yielded 15 points. Adding to the 2.17 temporary buff points remaining.

Fang Yuan stored this number at the bottom of his mind.

-

afternoon.

As Fang Yuan stepped out of the front hall, sunlight slanted in from the courtyard, making him squint.

In a weakened state, the pupils adapt to changes in light at a rate that decreases by at least 30%.

Inside the passageway.

Tie Meng leaned against the wall. The hidden clasps on his iron arm guards were closed. His body was covered in wounds—from the fire in the northwest corner of the city last night—covered in ointment and gauze, making him look like a rice dumpling.

When Tie Meng saw Fang Yuan come out of the front hall, he propped himself up from the wall.

He grinned.

The smile revealed only half a row of yellowed teeth hidden beneath the gauze and ointment. One of his front teeth had bumped against a dry, cracked wound on his lip when he smiled, drawing a trickle of blood. Tie Meng licked it with his tongue. He didn't pay it any mind.

"He's alive," Tie Meng said.

Fang Yuan glanced at him. "You're alive too."

Tie Meng's smile widened even further.

Fang Yuan walked past him. He took two steps.

"Tie Meng".

"Um."

Have you seen the notice on the bulletin board?

Tie Meng's smile faded slightly. It wasn't displeasure; it was a different expression altogether. Fang Yuan's eight-times-powered stance training, with its weakened precision, was detected for a fleeting moment.

pride.

The pride on the face of the 43-year-old retired mercenary wasn't the kind of pride that young people flaunt with their chins held high. It was something deeper, buried deep within, something he didn't know how to express.

"I watched it three times," Tie Meng said in a muffled voice. "There were a few words I didn't recognize. The old man selling vegetables next to me read them to me."

Fang Yuan didn't reply.

Tie Meng ran his fingers along the dents in the iron arm guard.

"Does Fang Ying know?" Tie Meng suddenly asked.

"What do you know?"

"I know what a huge thing her brother did."

Fang Yuan paused for a moment.

"She was four years old. She knew enough that she could draw with locust tree branches."

Tie Meng's smile returned. This time, however, it wasn't as wide. The corners of his mouth curved into an old, worn-out arc.

Fang Yuan walked out of the passageway and entered the inner courtyard.

Fang Ying is no longer in bed.

She was squatting under the windowsill, drawing again. The locust tree branches scraped against the ground. Fang Yuan walked up behind her and glanced down at her.

Several people were drawn on the ground.

The biggest one—it has an iron arm guard drawn next to its head. Iron Fierce.

Next to it is another one—it has two strokes drawn on its head, probably for hair. It's holding a cube in its hand. There are crosses on the cube.

"Who is that?" Fang Yuan pointed at the square.

Fang Ying looked up. Her mouth, missing a front tooth, parted in a wide grin.

"It's bro! You're holding a sign that says you're a bad guy! The old man said you have a sign now! Uncle Tie Meng took me to see it! Lots of people are looking at it!"

Fang Yuan was stunned for a second.

brand.

Bronze medal. A hero who defended the city.

Tie Meng took Fang Ying to see the bulletin board.

Fang Yuan's lips curved slightly. The curve was extremely small.

Fang Ying jumped up from the ground and hugged Fang Yuan's legs with both hands.

"Brother, you stink! You smell like medicine! Just like Uncle Tie Meng!"

Fang Yuan looked down at the dark gold ointment on his chest.

It really stinks.

"Go wash up." Fang Yuan patted her on the head. "I'll make you bone broth tonight."

Fang Ying's eyes lit up.

"A big bone?"

"A big bone."

-

Shen Shi (3-5 PM).

Fang Yuan returned to his room and closed the door.

He pulled something out from under his pillow.

Last night—after Fang Yuan fainted—Fang Yuanshan retrieved it from a hidden compartment in the stone brickwork of the door frame for him. Fang Yuanshan saw the fragment. He saw the glow emitted by the fragment. But he didn't ask.

He put it away safely. He placed it under Fang Yuan's pillow. He didn't say a word.

Fang Yuan placed the fragment on the bed. He then took out his original piece from his pocket.

Two dark gold fragments were placed side by side on the gray-blue quilt.

About the size of a thumbnail. The texture on its surface wriggles in the afternoon light. The movement is extremely subtle. You can't see it unless you're looking closely.

Fang Yuan pushed the two fragments together with his right hand.

When the edge of the fragment came within three inches—the vibration began.

It's more obvious than last night.

The two fragments trembled slightly on the blanket. The frequency of the trembling changed from disordered to synchronized, like two hearts searching for the same beat.

One inch.

The jagged fracture edges. A protrusion in fragment A. A depression in fragment B.

Right.

Fang Yuan's fingertip touched the jagged edges of the fingerprint. The fingerprint's texture—the match was perfect. Precise to the curvature and depth of each tooth.

The panel popped up in my mind.

"Source material fragment (number 2) detected. Current fragment count: 2/3. Merge?"

2/3.

Fang Yuan's gaze lingered on the denominator for two breaths.

3.

There are three pieces in total.

He has two pieces now.

The first piece – the Beast Cave Secret Realm. Found in the lair area of ​​a fifth-tier exotic beast.

The second piece—in the inner courtyard of the Fang family's main residence. Hidden in a secret compartment in the stone brickwork of Fang Ying's room's door frame. No one knows who hid it there, or how long it's been hidden.

The third piece—

where?