Becoming a martial arts god starting from the mortician.

Shen Qi returned to Jiang Xinyue's study and placed the Qi family's letter and the book "Xiao Han Gong" together on the table.

Jiang Xinyue looked up. "How is it?"

Shen Qi briefly reported what he had seen at the Qi residence.

After listening, Jiang Xinyue reached out and picked up the book "Xiao Han Gong" and casually flipped through a couple of pages.

"Don't you think this is going astray?"

Shen Qi said, "Qi Huaiyi is only at the Body Tempering Realm, with his Martial Vein at the Ding level. Even if he mistakenly practiced the Lesser Cold Technique, he shouldn't have cultivated that kind of cold energy within his body."

Jiang Xinyue didn't immediately draw a conclusion, but instead asked, "If you were to investigate, where would you begin?"

Shen Qi said, "Let's first find out where this book came from."

Jiang Xinyue glanced at him.

Shen Qi continued, "Investigate again who Qi Huaiyi has been in contact with in the past few days. Everything in the house—medicines, charcoal, paper, pens, bronze stove—that has been handled by someone must be examined."

"Anything else?"

"Check the old military artifacts of the Qi family ancestors."

Jiang Xinyue put down her book: "Why?"

"This book in Qi Huaiyi's hand doesn't look like an ordinary, worn-out book from the marketplace," Shen Qi said. "The paper is old, the ink is old, and the engraving is old too. Only the cover has been replaced, making it look like a cheap item from the market. Qi's ancestors included a military officer in the patrol battalion, so perhaps they had some old military books that had been leaked out of their home."

Jiang Xinyue finally laughed.

"good."

He picked up "Xiao Han Gong" and flipped through a few more pages.

"This is definitely not 'Xiaohan Gong'."

Jiang Xinyue spread the book out on the table.

"The essence of this book is the Northern Army's old 'Northern Cold Technique.' The Dayan Army was stationed in the north, where the winter months were bitterly cold, hence this technique was created specifically for border soldiers to strengthen their qi and blood. This technique is not considered top-tier, but it is a practical method in the army. Those who are not registered in the army or have an official rank are not allowed to practice it privately."

As he spoke, he turned another page.

"Most of the 'Minor Cold Kung Fu' available on the market are scraps cut from 'Northern Cold Kung Fu.' They may not be effective, but they are not necessarily deadly."

At this point, Jiang Xinyue's gaze turned slightly cold.

"Qi Huaiyi's book, however, contains a lot of genuine insights."

Shen Qi looked at the pages of the book.

Jiang Xinyue turned two more pages.

"There are only a few places that have been altered."

Shen Qi asked, "What will happen after it's been corrected?"

Jiang Xinyue closed the book.

"It's just a haphazard modification. After practicing it, the cold energy will run rampant, and the blood and qi will flow in reverse. If no one protects you, at best the meridians will be damaged, and at worst the cold energy will enter the heart."

Shen Qi said, "So Qi Huaiyi didn't mistakenly practice a crippled skill."

Jiang Xinyue said, "At least it wasn't just a simple case of practicing by mistake."

Jiang Xinyue leaned back in her chair, her expression returning to a somewhat lazy one.

"There is no clear evidence in this case. If the Observatory had launched a large-scale siege of the Qi residence, and there were truly ghosts, they would have fled long ago."

Shen Qi said, "This subordinate will continue to use the pretext of handling Han Sha's corpse to enter and leave the Qi family."

"Can."

Jiang Xinyue looked at him.

"But remember, you can investigate, but you can't pursue the matter."

Shen Qi looked up.

Jiang Xinyue repeated her instructions: "If it is truly related to evil cultivators, report it immediately. Do not act recklessly and pursue the culprit alone."

Shen Qi said, "Yes."

Jiang Xinyue pushed the book "Xiao Han Gong" back to Shen Qi.

"Go to the library and compare the *Shuohan Gong* with the *Shuohan Gong*. Then find a regular copy of the *Xiaohan Gong* on the market. Place the three together, and the differences will become clear."

Shen Qi accepted the book with both hands.

"Understood."

……

The Imperial Observatory's library was located on the west side of the backyard.

Shen Qi entered with Jiang Xinyue's warrant and quickly found a shelf of old military merit records.

The cover of "Shuohan Gong" is thick and hard, with military wax seals pressed on the corners. When opened, the Qi circulation diagram is clear, and there are small annotations next to it.

Beginners should take warm medicine to protect their heart.

One should not practice martial arts alone on a winter night.

Those with weak Qi and blood should use with caution.

Shen Qi took out Qi Huaiyi's forged book and compared it page by page.

When the two books are placed side by side, their differences become apparent.

If it were all made up, Qi Huaiyi might not have believed it.

But most of it is true.

Shen Qi closed the book.

He returned the "Shuohan Gong" to its original place, carefully put away Qi Huaiyi's copy, and turned to leave.

……

South Street.

Even in the dead of winter, scholars still love to browse bookstores. Some pick out essays on the imperial examinations, some read tales of the strange and supernatural, while others huddle in a corner flipping through miscellaneous books on martial arts.

Shen Qi walked into a bookstore called "Wan Juan Tang".

The old shopkeeper was tidying up books behind the counter when he saw Shen Qi enter and looked up to greet him.

"What would you like, sir? Classical texts, policy essays, or miscellaneous stories and anecdotes?"

Shen Qi asked, "Do you have any martial arts manuals?"

The old shopkeeper was taken aback for a moment, then laughed and said, "Sir, you're joking. How could we sell proper martial arts techniques in a small shop?"

"And what about the less respectable ones?"

The old shopkeeper coughed and pulled out a stack of thin books from under the counter.

"It's good for your health, relaxes muscles and improves blood circulation. You might as well buy it and take a look, whether you actually practice it or not is another matter."

Shen Qi flipped through it.

Iron Arm Kung Fu.

Thunder Palm.

"Xiao Han Gong" (Minor Cold Skills).

The book titles are getting more and more catchy, and the paper is getting thinner and thinner.

He took out the book "Xiao Han Gong" and paid for it.

The old shopkeeper took the copper coins and, seeing how carefully he examined them, couldn't help but say, "If you really want to practice, sir, I advise you not to take it seriously."

Why?

"These things are mostly fragments that leaked from the military, security escort agencies, and boxing gyms. The bookstores then add embellishments to compile them into a book. You won't kill anyone by practicing them, nor will you make anyone a great person."

Shen Qi flipped to the Qi Circulation Diagram.

It was indeed crude.

Many key points have been completely removed, and even the method for preventing cold air from entering the body is written in a vague and ambiguous way.

Ordinary people can't understand it.

Even if someone with a martial arts lineage tries to practice according to this, it will only be a waste of their energy.

Shen Qi then asked, "Is the book selling well?"

The old shopkeeper chuckled: "It's not good on ordinary days. Those who are truly talented won't even look at this stuff; those who aren't talented won't be able to train it to anything even if they buy it."

A scholar nearby heard the noise and looked over.

The old shopkeeper immediately changed his tune: "You won't get anywhere with this."

The scholar shook his head and walked away.

Shen Qi asked, "It's not good usually, but how has it been lately?"

The old shopkeeper stroked his beard: "Things have been strange lately."

"How is it strange?"

"In the days since the New Year, more people have come asking about martial arts manuals. Some are dressed in silk, some in coarse cloth, and even errand boys. Some specifically want the Minor Cold Skill, while others want Tiger Fist, Iron Palm, and Breath Holding Technique. If they're in a hurry, they're quick to pay."

Shen Qi closed the book.

"Who are they?"

The old shopkeeper shrugged: "When you're in business, how can you interrogate your customers about their ancestors? But some of them seem like servants from a wealthy family. They don't talk like ordinary people; they sound like they're running errands for their masters."

Shen Qi took out a small ingot of silver and placed it on the counter.

The old shopkeeper's eyes lit up, but he didn't immediately reach out his hand.

Shen Qi said, "In the past half month, write down as many people as you can remember who sent someone to buy 'Xiaohan Gong'."

The old shopkeeper glanced at the door and lowered his voice: "Sir, you are...?"

Shen Qi flipped his sleeve.

A corner of the black iron seal was visible.

The mythical beast Bi'an lay crouching, its cold light dimming.

The old shopkeeper's face turned pale, and he quickly lowered his head.

"grown ups?"

Shen Qi retrieved the seal: "Is it possible to write it?"

How could the shopkeeper dare to say no? He hurriedly fetched paper and ground ink.

Although he was old, his memory was still good. After a short while, he wrote down seven or eight items.

Shen Qi put the paper away and then took out Qi Huaiyi's book "Xiao Han Gong" and opened a corner of it.

Have you seen this book before?

The old shopkeeper leaned closer, and after just two glances, his expression changed.

"This isn't sold in small shops."

Why?

"The paper is wrong, and the printing plate is wrong too." The old shopkeeper pointed to the edge of the pages. "This is the official printing method. Local bookstores can't print lines like this. It's just that the cover was changed later to deliberately make it look like a cheap product."

Shen Qi looked at him.

The old shopkeeper swallowed hard: "If this is genuine, ordinary bookstores wouldn't dare touch it."

Shen Qi put away the book: "What happened today must not be told to anyone. If anyone comes to buy Xiaohan Gong again, send a letter to the Observatory."

The old shopkeeper nodded repeatedly: "I understand."

Shen Qi turned and went out.

The old shopkeeper stood behind the counter, watching his figure disappear into the crowd before slowly sitting back down.

He stroked his beard and muttered to himself:

That's strange.

"Why are so many people suddenly interested in martial arts?"