Elderly Martial Saint: Sixty Times the Cultivation Speed ​​at the Start

After the crowd dispersed, Yi Yang found Zhao Gang on the west side of the town entrance.

Zhao Gang leaned against an old elm tree. His inner armor had been removed and thrown at his feet. His undergarment was soaked with sweat and clung to his body. A blood-stained white cloth was wrapped around his ribs.

He looked tired, his eyes were dark, and his stubble was thicker than before he set off.

But he seemed to be in good spirits.

The corners of his mouth held that triumphant air of someone who had just escaped death, exactly like the expression on a gambler's face when they leave the gambling den after winning money.

Seeing Yi Yang slowly walk over, Zhao Gang grinned, revealing a row of white teeth: "Old man, you're back alive."

Yi Yang looked him up and down, his gaze lingering on the bandage under his ribs for a couple of moments.

"Are you hurt?"

"It's just a superficial wound, nothing serious." Zhao Gang patted the spot, hissed, and then pretended to be nonchalant. "The cut is shallow, it didn't hit the bone. I did get some credit, though not much, but enough for me to pull some strings and get promoted a bit."

He rubbed his hands together, his eyes shining.

"Moreover, this trip has loosened the barriers of the three levels of Qi and Blood that I've overcome during the battle. After returning and going into seclusion for a few more days, I hope to reach the third level."

Yi Yang nodded, a slight smile on his lips, and said, "Congratulations."

Zhao Gang's improved strength would also help him better handle things, since his own strength was improving too quickly. If Zhao Gang didn't keep up, he wouldn't be able to access some resources. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement between the two.

Zhao Gang waved his hand, about to tell Yi Yang about his previous battle experience and boast about it, but then he thought of something and his face suddenly darkened.

The initial relief of surviving the ordeal vanished, replaced by a seething hatred. His molars ground together with a grinding sound, and the muscles in his cheeks taut into two sharp lines.

"If it weren't for that bastard Tang Hao interfering, my credit this time would have been doubled."

Zhao Gang lowered his voice and took half a step closer to Yi Yang.

"There was a stronghold that was originally assigned to me to lead a team to wipe out. I spent three days gathering intelligence on it myself, figuring out the routes in and out, the distribution of sentry posts, and the personnel organization. But an hour before we were to set off, Tang Hao somehow got hold of a transfer order and forcibly took over the stronghold."

He gulped down a mouthful of cool water from his water bag, his Adam's apple bobbing, water spilling from the corner of his mouth without him even bothering to wipe it away.

"I was assigned to attack the weakest point with the least resources. There were only five cult henchmen in that place, not even one of them at the second level of Qi and Blood. It would be embarrassing to even get a mention of them in the merit book after we finished killing them."

Zhao Gang cursed a couple of times, then punched the tree trunk, shaking off several pieces of bark.

Yi Yang didn't respond; he just stood there and listened.

After Zhao Gang finished cursing, he took a couple of deep breaths and suddenly changed the subject.

His tone was serious and alert.

Zhao Gang leaned close to Yi Yang's ear, speaking in a voice so low that only the two of them could hear.

"Old man, there's something you need to be careful about."

Yi Yang listened intently.

"Tang Hao broke through during this operation. He reached the third level of Qi and Blood, and the Yi Jin Realm."

Yi Yang's expression didn't change much when he heard the news, as if Tang Hao, who was at the third level of Qi and Blood, had nothing to do with him. In fact, it really didn't matter. Tang Hao was mainly targeting Zhao Gang, but Yi Yang was closer to Zhao Gang and wasn't afraid of Tang Hao, so he stood out and was also targeted.

Seeing that Yi Yang's expression hadn't changed, Zhao Gang continued, "Not only that, but somehow he's managed to get in touch with the county magistrate in the county town."

"During the battle, there were a few unfamiliar faces mixed in with his team. They weren't wearing the uniforms of the Sky Patrol Bureau, but rather people from the county government. This time when he came back, he didn't go with the team from our town, but instead went with the county constable's men towards the county seat."

Upon hearing this news, Yi Yang gently stroked the hilt of his sword with his fingers inside his sleeve. His expression finally changed, and he smiled and said, "Oh, tell me, how did they get entangled?"

County Commandant.

The person who sent Luneng and his two teammates to retrieve the "Five Internal Organs Refining Strength" manual.

Tang Hao made contact with the county magistrate—the two snakes were intertwined, and their goal was self-evident.

Zhao Gang patted Yi Yang on the shoulder, his grip firmer than usual. He always felt that this sixty-year-old man was not simple, and tentatively said:

"Old man, Tang Hao is a very cunning man. Now that he has the county magistrate as an additional connection, he has many more cards to play than before. Although you have a peaceful life in the Imperial Archives, the tree may wish to remain still, but the wind will not cease."

He stared into Yi Yang's eyes and said in a suggestive tone, "If you need help, just tell me. My life, Zhao Gang's life, was pulled from a pile of corpses; it's not worth much, but I'll do whatever you ask."

Yi Yang nodded, his voice hoarse: "Thank you for the reminder."

After Zhao Gang left, Yi Yang stood alone under the elm tree, its long shadow enveloping him in cool shade.

He looked toward the county town, a chilling intent pressing deep within his cloudy eyes.

The county constable remained silent.

After the three Luneng players died, the silence over there was unnatural. Yi Yang had initially thought that the other side was wary of the reputation of the Sky Patrol Division and dared not make any rash moves.

I didn't expect that instead of remaining inactive, they planned to strike from within and deliver a fatal blow.

Tang Hao.

Yi Yang turned his gaze away, straightened his sleeves, and slowly walked back.

……

Same night.

In the eastern part of Yunlin County, there is an inconspicuous house.

The courtyard walls were low, and the entrance was simple, making it indistinguishable from the other houses in the alley. However, the courtyard had three entrances and three exits, and there was a secret passage in the backyard leading to the next street, making it impossible for anyone to detect when someone entered or left.

The inner room.

The oil lamp was dim, and the flame flickered in the draft, casting two shadows on the wall, one long and one short.

The county magistrate sat in the main seat. He was in his early forties, with a fair complexion and a neatly trimmed short beard. He had changed out of his official robes into plain casual clothes. But the air of superiority he still carried was etched into his eyes and brows, almost as if it were carved there.

He held his teacup, his gaze fixed on the person opposite him.

Tang Hao sat in the guest seat.

He changed from the black-clad man into a respectable blue cloth robe, his shoulders and back still bulging, his posture relaxed, legs crossed, and a half-smile on his lips.

There was a hint of ingratiation in that smile, but also the confidence to be in that position.

After all, the people from the Imperial Patrol Bureau naturally hold a higher position in the imperial system than those in the county government. They can't command him, and now that he has the triple Qi and Blood power, he might be promoted to acting Inspector General based on his merits when he returns.

They're very assertive.

The county magistrate put down his teacup, and without exchanging pleasantries, went straight to the point.

"Chief of Patrol Tang, the reason I came into contact with you on the battlefield is because I need your help to deal with someone."

Tang Hao raised an eyebrow: "Please speak, sir."

"Yiyang".

When the county magistrate uttered those two words, his tone was heavy.

"Number 34, Chief of the Sky Patrol Office and Archives of Yunwen Town. A sixty-year-old man from Sanmu Village."

He tapped his fingers on the table at a moderate pace.

"This man possesses one of my items. Of the three experts at the second level of Qi and Blood that I sent to Yunwen Town before, none of them returned alive."

He paused for a moment.

"And the death of one of my trusted confidants was also related to him."

Upon hearing the other party's words, a glint flashed in Tang Hao's eyes. The image of that upright, white-haired old man, Zhao Gang's ally who was ranked at the bottom, appeared in his mind.

But I never expected the information revealed by the county magistrate to be like this: that old man was able to defeat three people at the second level of Qi and Blood?

Tang Hao said unhurriedly, "Oh? None of the three Qi and Blood Level Two cultivators have returned? This old man is interesting."

The county constable said coldly, "He's currently using the guise of the Sky Patrol Bureau. We're not in the same system. Without solid evidence, I can't do anything to him for the time being."

He stared at Tang Hao, trying to see the man clearly, and said, "That's why I'm looking for you. You're inside the Sky Patrol Division, so it's easier for you to take action. After it's done, whatever your conditions are, just name them."

Tang Hao did not ask the county magistrate what he wanted to take back from Yi Yang.

He doesn't care.

All he cared about was the price offered by the other party.

Tang Hao held up five fingers and shook them.

"Five hundred taels of silver, plus three Grade 4 Bone-Strengthening Pills."

The county constable's expression changed: "Are you crazy?"

Tang Hao remained calm, leaned back in his chair, and crossed his arms over his chest.

"My lord, please be patient and let me finish. That old man was able to kill three Qi and Blood Level Two cultivators, which means he's definitely not the weakling he appears to be. I won't do it myself—I'll find people from the three major gangs to help, at least two Qi and Blood Level Three peak experts, prominent figures within their gangs. With my own support, three Qi and Blood Level Three cultivators can easily take down one old man without any problem."

He paused, then added a sentence.

"With more manpower, higher risks, and more difficulty in handling the aftermath, the price is a bit high. What do you think, sir?"

The county magistrate remained silent, tapping his fingers on the table a dozen times, each tap longer than the last.

But considering that the secret manual was very likely in Yi Yang's hands, he finally gritted his teeth.

"Three hundred and fifty taels, and two Bone-Strengthening Pills. Not a penny more."

Tang Hao laughed, a laugh full of triumph, like a cat catching a mouse by the tail.

"make a deal."

The county constable stood up, walked up to Tang Hao, and looked at him with a cold gaze.

"I remind you, you must be absolutely certain of success. Last time, the three Shandong Luneng players were defeated because they underestimated their opponent. That old man is more difficult to deal with than you think."

Tang Hao patted his chest: "Don't worry, sir. With three Qi and Blood Level 3 experts, plus my connections within the Sky Patrol Division, even if that old man is made of iron, we'll smash him into iron dust."

The county constable nodded, his tone softening somewhat.

"If this goes well, we can cooperate more in the future. My connections in the county will be beneficial to your career advancement in the Imperial Observatory."

A glint of greed flashed in Tang Hao's eyes as he clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Thank you for your kind words, sir."

……

late at night.

Tang Hao emerged from the mansion and walked along the empty streets of the county town. The moonlight cast a long shadow of him, and the sound of his boots echoing on the stone slabs bounced between the high walls on either side.

The smile on his lips couldn't be contained.

He was already planning in his mind who to target, how to set up the trap, and how to divide the spoils afterward.

"Yiyang, Yiyang."

He murmured the name, his tone a mixture of disdain and excitement.

"What secrets does a sixty-year-old man have been hiding for so long? Could the incident in the deserted village also be related to you?"

He rubbed his fingers together.

I hope you won't let me down.

He killed Yi Yang and, incidentally, severed Zhao Gang's arm. His feud with Zhao Gang had been brewing for a long time, and he decided to take advantage of this promotion to settle things with Zhao Gang as well.

Tang Hao strode away and disappeared into the night.

……

at the same time.

Yunwen Town, a small courtyard.

The door bolt was fastened, and the window paper was pasted tightly shut. The kitchen was steaming hot, and the smell of medicine made one's eyes sting.

Yi Yang sat in the medicinal bath tub.

The scalding medicinal liquid permeated the bones and flesh, and the medicinal power of the muscle-strengthening powder and the minor muscle-changing pill penetrated into the pores, simultaneously piercing into the bone crevices with hundreds of fine needles.

pain.

The pain was so bad that my back molars were chattering.

But Yi Yang didn't stop. The Yi Mu Health Preservation Exercise was running at full power, accelerating the circulation of Qi and blood, and pushing the medicinal power inch by inch into the boundaries of the five internal organs.

The progress is fast.

29460...29520...29580...

Each tick of the numbers was accompanied by a metallic resonance emanating from deep within the bones.

29640...29700...

The body is changing. Beneath the skin and flesh, the membranes of the internal organs begin to heat up, and that thin layer of inner essence seeps out from the depths of the organs, thicker than ever before.

29820...29900...

Yi Yang's breathing became heavy. Veins bulged on his forehead, his jaw clenched tightly, and the water in the medicinal bath tub rippled.

29940...29970...

30000.

boom.

A deep sound came from all five internal organs at the same time.

It's not an outward movement, but an inward one. All the vital energy and blood are absorbed by the five internal organs in this instant, and then rebound from the walls of the internal organs in the next instant, flowing into the limbs and bones.

The water level in the medicinal bath tub suddenly dropped two inches, then bounced back, splashing over the rim of the tub.

Yi Yang opened his eyes.

The pupils were clear, all the cloudiness gone.

Five levels of Qi and Blood.

The Realm of Refining Dirty Things.