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

The man turned around.

In the firelight, Yi Yang could see the face clearly.

He had broad shoulders and a sturdy, iron-like face with high brow bones that pressed down on his deep, unfathomable eyes. His dark gold robe fluttered in the wind, and the token hanging at his waist gleamed coldly in the firelight.

The person who arrived was Qi Shujian, who had met Yi Yang once before.

Director of the Sky Patrol Division.

A powerful expert in the third stage of the Inner Qi Realm

When Yi Yang saw that the person who came was his superior, his pupils contracted. He didn't loosen his grip on the knife, but he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The two faced each other across the rooftop, which was three zhang high. The night wind made Qi Shujian's clothes flutter, but he remained as steady as if he were born on the roof tiles, without swaying at all.

That aura spread silently from him, and Yi Yang felt as if an invisible force pressed down on his dantian.

It's not sixfold.

It's not the first level.

It's not even a duality.

The oppressive feeling that spread was far stronger than that of Zhang Bonian.

Qi Shujian stood there, neither drawing his sword nor making a move.

He stood there, his gaze fixed on Yi Yang, sweeping from the blood-stained official robes to the unsheathed sword in his hand, and then to Yi Yang's stammering back, before speaking:

"I just passed by an alley."

Qi Shujian spoke, his voice deep and resonant, sounding more like a statement than a question:

"There are six corpses inside, one of whom is Wang Gongqin, the Grand Deacon of the Nine Evil Sect, and the other four are his subordinates."

He paused, then continued in a calm and unhurried tone, "There's also the Zhang family's eldest elder whom I let escape."

Upon hearing the other party's words, Yi Yang remained silent, keeping his hand holding the knife at his waist, neither raising the knife in defense nor sheathing it to show weakness.

Seeing Yi Yang's actions, Qi Shujian's lips twitched, and he asked with a hint of amusement:

"Aren't you going to explain?"

"You've done a great service by dealing with those people, and I'll reward you handsomely."

Yi Yang looked up, meeting the condescending gaze. A hint of helplessness appeared on his old face as he spoke in a flat tone:

"My lord, I was on duty at the South City prison tonight when a riot broke out. I killed some escaped prisoners and then rushed home to check on my granddaughter."

"As for those important figures you just mentioned—"

Yi Yang paused, as if organizing his thoughts, and said, "This subordinate does not know why they died there either. You are well aware of my abilities."

Qi Shujian stared at him for a few moments, then suddenly smiled, as if he had thought of something.

The smile was brief and fleeting, but it was particularly striking to Yi Yang, who felt that the other person must have noticed something.

"As a candidate for patrol chief, you're already doing well enough to handle your own duties. What happens in the alley is indeed none of your business."

Qi Shujian spoke slowly, but his meaning was clear.

Yi Yang did not reply, and there was a moment of silence between them.

Only the sound of the wind and the distant clamor mingled on the rooftop. Qi Shujian's eyes pressed down, sharp enough to send chills down one's spine.

Yi Yang was no stranger to big events.

Murders on the black market, ambushes in the mountains, battles during the quarterly exams, ambushes at Fu Man Lou, bloody battles in the South City prison—tonight he killed no fewer than twenty people.

But the person in front of him was different. If it really came down to a fight, Yi Yang knew very well that he couldn't withstand it.

But he bet that Qi Shujian wouldn't kill him here.

Three breaths later, Qi Shujian withdrew his gaze, as if he had lost interest.

"Your name is Yi Yang, the master of Qianyang Tower, and also the head jailer of the South City. You ranked thirteenth in the quarterly exam."

He revealed Yi Yang's background, speaking slowly but making Yi Yang's heart tighten: "He only entered the martial arts world at the age of sixty and has come this far."

Qi Shujian turned his head to look at the towering flames in the direction of the inner city in the distance, and said in a calm tone:

"It's not easy."

"Alright, go back now. There was some commotion tonight, but everything will calm down tomorrow. Family is the most important thing. You should go now." With that, Qi Shujian walked away along the eaves.

After the other party left, Yi Yang looked around and his gaze swept across the entire county.

In the southeast corner, towards the headquarters of the Sky Patrol Bureau, troops were being deployed in an orderly manner, with several squads advancing along the street to form an encirclement.

In the northwest corner, in the inner city's aristocratic residential area, at least three mansions caught fire simultaneously, and the shouts of the Sky Patrol Division's elite troops breaking down the doors could be faintly heard.

On the official road outside the city, the sound of horses' hooves echoed continuously, as the garrison blocked all the exits.

All of this was too orderly. If Qi Shujian was really interrupted from his seclusion by the Zhang family's plan and had to temporarily come out of seclusion to deal with it, it would be impossible for him to have arranged everything so meticulously.

In other words, he wasn't in seclusion at all, or to be more precise: he had already broken through to the next level.

The so-called closed-door attack on the "heavenly rain descending from the top" was, from beginning to end, just bait to be used by various forces.

The Zhang family thought they had found Qi Shujian's weakness and meticulously planned to disrupt his energy during his seclusion.

Little did they know that the earthworm hanging on the fishhook was threaded there by Qi Shujian himself.

Tonight is his night to close the net.

The Nine Evil Cults, the Zhang family, and all the forces that had lurked in the shadows were wiped out in one fell swoop.

As Yi Yang thought about this, a chill ran down his spine again.

He just happened to run into the corner of this game, killing Zhang Bonian, which was equivalent to accidentally capturing one of Qi Shujian's pieces.

Fortunately, the outcome was favorable to Qi Shujian, so he was happy to go along with it and let himself off the hook.

Stop thinking about it and go home.

Yi Yang concealed his aura, his feet lightly touching the water as he crossed the river, skimming along the rooftops towards his own courtyard.

……

When the courtyard gate was pushed open, the candlelight inside the house was still on. Jiang Yuexin was huddled on a low stool in the corner of the main room, clutching a kitchen knife in her hand, her knuckles white from the force.

Hearing the door open, she abruptly looked up towards the doorway.

Upon recognizing the newcomer as Yi Yang, the cleaver in his hand clattered to the ground, and he shouted:

"grandfather!"

She rushed over and hugged Yi Yang's arm, her body trembling uncontrollably, her eyes red but without shedding a tear.

Seeing Jiang Yuexin's frightened appearance, Yi Yang patted her head and whispered to comfort her, "It's alright, the commotion outside has nothing to do with us, the government is catching bad guys."

"I heard a lot of shouts of battle... and fire..."

"They're all in the east, far from our home."

Yi Yang pressed her back down on the stool, then casually poured a bowl of water from the stove and handed it to her, saying:

"Sweetie, drink some water and go to sleep. Everything will be back to normal tomorrow."

Jiang Yuexin took the bowl of water, drank a couple of sips, and calmed down a bit. She stared at the dark stains on Yi Yang's official robes, and her lips moved.

"That's...blood?"

Yi Yang glanced down and casually replied, "It's necessary for Grandpa's work. It's not for Grandpa's own benefit, so don't worry."

Jiang Yuexin looked at Yi Yang with some doubt, and only after confirming that there were no wounds did she stop asking questions and obediently return to her room.

Only after her door closed did Yi Yang's smile fade.

He bolted the gate shut with his other hand. Although Qi Shujian said that everything would return to normal by tomorrow, tonight was not over yet, so he still needed to be on guard.

Afterwards, Yi Yang returned to his small house, closed and locked the door, and sealed the windows.

Yi Yang squatted down and took out all the spoils he had collected that night from his bosom, spreading them out on the bed board.

First, count the silver notes: Wang Gongqin had three thousand taels, his four subordinates had a total of over seven hundred taels, Zhang Bonian had several thousand taels, plus the loose silver notes he had previously looted at the crossroads and alleys of the South City prison.

Total: over 8,100 taels.

Pills: Six bottles, of varying grades, I'll take a closer look later.

I glanced at the two thin booklets; one contained the Zhang family's internal contact information.

Another one.

Yi Yang opened the cover and, by the dim candlelight, made out the title:

"Physical Training for Ultimate Martial Body"

Judging from this description, this is a book on advanced techniques.

Yi Yang flipped through a few pages, and the more he read, the more relaxed his brow became. He felt as if he had obtained a treasure. This was a top-notch manual of martial arts, which could be described as extremely powerful.

This technique focuses on using internal energy to temper the skin, muscles, and bones. Once mastered, the body's defense will far surpass that of others of the same level.

It complements his current major—the Nine Peaks Blade is for killing, the Water Crossing is for running, the Five Internal Organs Refining is for sustaining strength, and the Horizontal Martial Arts is for bearing burdens.

This can make up for Yiyang's shortcomings.

After confirming that there were no problems with the exercise, Yi Yang sat cross-legged on the bed, turned to the first page of the manual, and began to slowly circulate his internal energy according to the marked routes for the flow of qi and blood.

Destiny responds silently within the body.

Sixty times.

After the first run, numbers appeared on the panel.

[Entry-level Martial Body Training: 60/3000]

Yi Yang opened his eyes, a slight smile playing on his lips.

He closed the manual, wrapped it in oilcloth, and stuffed it into the innermost compartment of a hidden corner, locking it together with the book "Internal Refinement of the Five Organs".

Then close your eyes and visualize a panel in your mind that only you can see.

Name: Yi Yang

Age: 60

[Destiny: An old steed in its stall may still aspire to gallop a thousand miles]

[Cultivation Level: First Level of Inner Qi Realm, Initial Formation of Qi Sea]

【功法：乙木养生功第六重圆满、五脏内炼劲圆满（3000/80000）、九峰刀圆满、点水渡江大成（1600/24000）、横炼武极身入门（60/3000）】

Looking at his cultivation level on the panel, Yi Yang couldn't help but feel gratified; it was all thanks to his own hard work!

You could say that all his skills were developed through his own hard work and practice. As for the supposed cheat code that speeds things up sixty times, don't worry about that.

In the darkness, the shouts of battle in the distance finally subsided.

After tonight, the weather in Yunlin County will change.

The three great families lost a pillar of the Zhang family at the Inner Qi Realm, and both of the Nine Evil Sect's chief deacons died, allowing the Sky Patrol Division to firmly establish its dominance over this territory.

As for Yi Yang, on the surface he was still that sixty-year-old prison warden.

Secretly, he had reached the first level of the Inner Qi Realm, perfected his swordsmanship, had eight thousand taels of silver in hand, and also acquired a superior hard skill.

Yi Yang turned over, pulled the blanket over her shoulder, and closed her eyes.

I feel like I hit the jackpot tonight.