There were three methods to accelerate awakening. Now that he had achieved Skin Grinding Mastery, Xu Guang felt he had some ability to protect himself, so he planned to put them on his agenda.
He immediately ruled out the first option. The Wei River was simply too terrifying. Its turbulent, raging waters were even more ferocious than the Yellow River from his previous life. He did not believe he could safely reach the underwater cave.
The remaining options were to search for an Exotic Stone in Two-Arm Mountain, or steal the Creation Pill from the Lei Family Ancestral Mansion.
Both choices were fraught with extreme danger.
Majestic and vast, Two-Arm Mountain was the number one mountain range in Qing State. It spanned the entire state, with its outermost edges even reaching into the You State region. The Wei River cut right through the middle of the mountain range, making it look like two massive arms embracing Qing State—hence the name.
Growing up, Xu Guang had heard countless legends about Two-Arm Mountain. Rumors said the mountains were teeming with Exotic Beasts, endless Exotic Treasures, and spiritual herbs. Venturing just twenty miles deep into the range was already considered stepping into a perilous zone.
Xu Guang did not think his mere Skin Grinding Mastery would be enough to explore it. The mountains were full of bizarre and lethal phenomena. Compared to the eerie dangers of Two-Arm Mountain, the residents of the Lei Family Ancestral Mansion were, at the very least, human.
Over the past few days, he had fished for information about the Lei family from Sanduo.
In the past, the Lei family was a prominent clan in the Inner City of Feiyun City. They were top-tier, almost on par with the current three major families of the Inner City. A long time ago, as the family grew and prospered, they relocated entirely to Suiyang City, a famous metropolis in Qing State. For some unknown reason, they had sent people back to Feiyun City a few months ago, though they were a far cry from their former glory.
However, a fallen giant still casts a long shadow. In the Outer City, there were still very few who dared to provoke the Lei family.
Xu Guang’s gaze was unfathomable. Since the Searcher indicated that the Creation Pill in the Lei Family Ancestral Mansion was an ownerless item, it meant no one knew of its miraculous uses. Perhaps he could give it a try.
He pondered this, but he was in no rush.
Nanshan Square.
Located directly south of Feiyun City, this was a gathering place for commoners and slaves. The streets were densely packed with shops opened by Mortals. Recently, however, the Inner City had issued an order requisitioning disaster relief grain from all local stores. The excessively high price of grain had forced a massive number of shops to shut down permanently.
The streets were inevitably a bit deserted, populated only by heavily tattooed gang members.
Xu Guang walked along the street with his head down. He wore standard black coarse linen clothes and had applied a thorough disguise to his face.
Just as he lowered his head to step over a foul-smelling ditch, his pupils contracted slightly. A gaunt figure walked out from an alleyway. It was a woman holding a young child in her arms. Her face was so caked with grime that her age was indiscernible.
Tear streaks were evident on her face, making it look as though she had been crying for a long time.
She crouched down and placed the young child next to the ditch. "A’bao, you’ve injured your back. You won’t ever be able to stand up again. Your father told me to kill you, to trade you with the people outside the city so we can have a child to eat..."
Her tone was gentle, but the words she spoke made Xu Guang’s blood run cold.
"There is water here. If you manage to survive, don’t ever come back. Don’t blame Mother."
The young child remained unconscious, though a droplet of water seemed to slide from the corner of his eye.
Xu Guang stood to the side, quietly watching the scene unfold.
Trading children for food was never just a myth. When the woman turned around and saw Xu Guang, she didn’t say a single word. She just quickly hurried away.
Xu Guang did not feel any misplaced compassion. He was also a commoner with an elderly mother to support. He simply could not afford to raise an infant of unknown origin right now. He immediately strode away.
The child remained unconscious on the ground.
Xu Guang walked even faster this time. In the alleys where the commoners lived, he frequently passed people with utterly numb expressions.
Upon exiting the final alley, he glanced at the address on his Searcher and finally laid eyes on the Lei family’s still-massive Ancestral Mansion.
It was somewhat dilapidated but remained magnificent. The faded red hue on the building’s roof exuded a profound sense of history.
Xu Guang found a large tree and scanned his surroundings before carefully climbing it. Standing on a thick branch, he cautiously observed the situation inside the mansion.
Only when he confirmed that there was no one inside other than a single elderly man did he finally relax.
"I’ll make my move at midnight," he decided.
Meanwhile, to the southeast of the Lei Family Ancestral Mansion, stood a tall, burly man wearing a bamboo hat. He stared greedily in the direction of the estate.
As dusk fell, he made his move, vaulting over the wall with swift and practiced agility.
He then pulled a letter from his robe, which was covered in dense writing. Even though he had already memorized it by heart, with the Lei family’s century-old fortune right in front of him, he instinctively wanted to take it out and double-check.
The Lei Family Ancestral Mansion was the size of three large courtyards combined. The pavilions were laid out in a complex pattern, and the seven or eight buildings looked gloomy and obscure in the twilight.
He approached a reverse-facing courtyard house and pressed his ear against the wall, listening carefully. Once he confirmed that the Housekeeper was inside, he carefully took out a hollow bamboo tube from his robe, poured some powder into it, and poked a hole in the paper window. Aiming the tube through the small opening, he blew.
A moment later, the sound of a heavy object hitting the floor came from within the room.
Getting closer to his goal, the man’s face flushed with obvious excitement.
The medicinal powder, known as Spring Flower Poison, was something he had spent a fortune to acquire. As long as someone inhaled it, killing them was effortless.
Over the years, relying on this poisonous powder, he had killed an untold number of enemies in Suiyang City. With his Martial Arts combined with such a potent poison, murder was easy.
The man took relaxed, natural steps as he walked toward the ancestral hall, looking as if he had no regard whatsoever for the Lei family’s ancestors. He showed zero reverence for the century-old clan.
In reality, he had the backing to act this way. As someone from the State Capital in Suiyang City, there were very few people in the Outer City of this small Feiyun City who could make him feel apprehensive.
By himself, and with the help of the Spring Flower Poison, slaughtering a small local gang would not be difficult.
Xu Guang was completely unaware of all this. After confirming the layout of the ancestral mansion that afternoon, he had begun resting to build up his energy for his nighttime infiltration.
He chewed large mouthfuls of braised meat, occasionally taking a small sip of water, until a deep sense of satisfaction settled in his stomach.
The autumn wind was bleak, and pedestrians on the street grew increasingly sparse. Even the gang members who usually liked to gather at night felt the chill and mostly stayed indoors.
Xu Guang immediately jumped down from his tree. After a quick running start, he vaulted over the wall at the spot he had scoped out during the day.
He was highly purpose-driven, but before searching for the Creation Pill, he needed to locate the Housekeeper; he did not want to be seen.
As he approached the reverse-facing house, however, his gaze suddenly hardened. The air seemed to carry a dangerous Qi Mechanism.
A strange fragrance wafted from the building. It was intensely aromatic, giving off an aura reminiscent of spring.
The Essence Blood within his Blood Eye trembled slightly, instantly dispelling the hazy images that had begun to surface in Xu Guang’s mind.
"It’s poisonous!" he realized.
He held his breath and cautiously approached the window. He scratched a tiny peephole and peered inside, his pupils shrinking abruptly.
The old Housekeeper was lying on the ground, his fate unknown. It was obvious that he had collapsed in a huge hurry; the back of his head was cracked open, and a large pool of blood had formed on the floor.
"Someone has infiltrated the mansion!"
This thought flashed through Xu Guang’s mind, and his expression immediately turned grim.
It probably wasn’t someone from the Lei family, so who could it be?
His eyes grew slightly cold. He remembered what Sanduo had told him before—how in the Government Office, he had once fought others tooth and nail over resources, and that was within a single faction.
Out in the open, certain resources were more than enough to drive people to murder for profit.
Not to mention, this resource was the Creation Pill, which could allow a person to awaken their Bloodline Power!
Xu Guang patted the short blade at his waist and the large pouch of quicklime powder at his lower back. "Good thing I anticipated the worst and made all these preparations before coming here."
The intruder probably hadn’t discovered him yet. If it came down to a sneak attack, he wouldn’t be afraid.
More importantly, the fact that the intruder used an underhanded poison just to kill an old Housekeeper meant his strength probably wasn’t that great. Furthermore, Xu Guang was in the shadows while the opponent was out in the open. If things went truly south, escaping shouldn’t be difficult.
His footsteps became steadier, and he walked with increasing caution. A gust of cold wind blew past, causing Xu Guang to huddle his body slightly.
Suddenly, his expression shifted. He smelled a fragrance identical to the one in the reverse-facing house.
He jerked his head up and saw the flickering light of a flint coming from the ancestral hall. The intruder was in the ancestral hall too!