That evening, the search results for unclaimed Skin Grinding Techniques finally appeared. The process had taken about twenty days.
[The search results are as follows:]
[1. Twenty miles east of Feiyun City, a Skin Grinding Technique is hidden in the ancestral hall of Cheng Family Village, containing the method to produce its Secret Medicine.]
[2. At Number 21, East Ping’an Street, Ping’an Square, Feiyun City, a Skin Grinding Technique is hidden in an abandoned courtyard, containing the method to produce its Secret Medicine.]
[3. Sixteen miles east of Feiyun City, behind a marshland, there is a mass grave. A corpse there has a Bone Forging Level Cultivation Technique tattooed on its back, containing the method to produce its Secret Medicine. Note: This person has been dead for half a month. The corpse may have rotted, making the text illegible.]
[Note: The current number of search results is three.]
Xu Guang merely glanced at the information before closing the interface. He wasn’t particularly interested in these Cultivation Techniques. He could retrieve them if he had spare time in the future, but it wasn’t worth leaving the city for them right now. This had just been a test to see if his strength and level would affect the Searcher’s processing time.
There was no rush for a second search just yet. First, he wanted to see if the Searcher could generate a status panel.
[Current Search Keywords: Xu Guang’s character panel. Associated words: Attributes, Cultivation Technique, Combat Power. Current Search Range: Xu Guang.]
[Searching... 1%]
As expected, it was fast. The progress bar jumped the moment he initiated the search. At this rate, it might be completed by tomorrow morning.
Early the next morning, Xu Guang eagerly opened the Searcher.
[The search results are as follows:]
[Name: Xu Guang
Bloodline Talent: Blood Eye (Assessment: ???), Stone Skin (Assessment: ???)
Physique: 3.5, Will: 2.6
Cultivation Technique: Golden Willow Skill (Bone Forging Chapter 0%)
Skill: Golden Willow Step Method (Initial Insight 30%), Gale Fist Technique (Initial Insight 10%)
Combat Power Assessment: Heroic Level]
[Note: The current number of search results is one.]
"Interesting," Xu Guang thought, staring at the data on the panel with a strange look in his eyes. For some reason, he didn’t feel the sudden appearance of this interface was absurd at all; instead, it felt incredibly familiar. "This is something that truly belongs to a fellow Earthling."
Everything was simple and clear, giving him a comprehensive understanding of what he currently possessed. What interested him the most, however, was the final Combat Power Assessment.
The Searcher categorized the Combat Power of those in the Skin Grinding Realm into Ordinary Level, Elite Level, and Heroic Level. This was a clear, comprehensive metric that combined a person’s bloodline, talent, Cultivation Techniques, and other factors.
Xu Guang was quite satisfied with the Combat Power Assessment in the final column. Achieving such combat prowess despite his low Skill proficiency was a true testament to the might of his dual Bloodline Power. If this were a video game, a character like him would definitely be a boss with high health and thick armor, even if his attack power was a bit lacking.
He knew that a large portion of his Combat Power came from his Two Paths of Bloodline Power. This was especially true for his Blood Eye; its ability to store Essence Blood granted him endurance that nearly surpassed the Bone Forging Realm. The question marks next to his Bloodline Power’s assessment were likely because the search time was too short for the Searcher to evaluate it accurately.
He wondered how great it would be if he could see other people’s Combat Power Assessments at a single glance in the future.
Suddenly, his Blood Eye pulsed slightly, as if transmitting some sort of message. In a daze, he seemed to understand something. Perhaps this ability to see through others’ combat power would rely entirely on his Blood Eye.
"Bloodlines combined with technology? Cyberpunk?" he thought. The Bloodline Power awakened from the Ancient Celestial Eye was truly extraordinary.
After a moment of thought, he let the Searcher continue running to search for Skin Grinding Techniques, resuming his previous test. He didn’t use the Searcher to find a way past his current cultivation bottleneck because it didn’t feel worth it. He might find the opportunity for a breakthrough on his own before the search results were even completed.
Mrs. Xu made cabbage-stuffed steamed buns for breakfast today, and they were quite delicious.
After eating, Xu Guang began his martial arts practice. He had never slacked off since he started training, as this was the only thing he could rely on to survive in this world.
At noon, Wang Ming, whom he hadn’t seen in days, came over.
"Erlang, why haven’t you come over to my place these past few days? Your older sister has been talking about you."
Xu Guang rubbed the back of his head. "I’ve been practicing."
Wang Ming glared at him. "Breaking through from Skin Grinding Mastery to Bone Forging requires an opportunity. You can’t rush it. Oh, by the way, do you remember what your sister told you a few days ago?"
Xu Guang looked utterly confused.
Wang Ming slapped him hard on the shoulder. "Your sister told me to introduce you to some friends!"
Xu Guang suddenly understood. His sister did seem to have mentioned something like that.
"Dress nicely tomorrow. Don’t embarrass your sister," Wang Ming added. As he spoke, a look of confusion suddenly appeared on his face. "You brat, I haven’t seen you in a few days, and your skin seems to have gotten much fairer. What’s going on?"
Xu Guang hesitated for a long time before replying, "Maybe it’s because of my Skin Grinding Mastery." He thought about it and decided to keep the fact that he was one of the Abnormal People a secret.
Wang Ming didn’t think much of it and casually remarked, "Alright, but how come I didn’t get any fairer when I did my Skin Polishing?"
Xu Guang heard his quiet muttering and felt quite speechless.
Wang Ming came and went in a hurry. Since he finally had a day off, he naturally wanted to spend more time with his wife and children. After delivering the message and greeting Mrs. Xu, he instructed Xu Guang one last time.
"When you go tomorrow, remember to wear the new clothes your sister bought for you last time."
What puzzled Xu Guang was that Mrs. Xu seemed exceptionally affectionate toward Wang Ming this time. Although they had been close before, there used to be an indescribable sense of distance between them. Today, however, she treated Wang Ming almost as well as she treated Xu Guang himself.
Xu Guang didn’t dwell on it. He figured that after moving to the city, his mother had realized Wang Ming was a good man. Plus, with his sister living closer now, her affection for her daughter simply extended to him.
It wasn’t until Wang Ming was about to leave that Xu Guang suddenly remembered something. The last time he went to Wang Ming’s house, he had mentioned that someone was investigating him. He hurriedly asked about it.
"Ma San’s brother, someone named Ma Wu, was looking for you," Wang Ming reassured him. "I’ve asked around, and he hasn’t shown up again since that day. Don’t worry. In times like these, those in the underworld live on borrowed time. Who knows, he might have already ended up dead on the streets."
Xu Guang nodded and silently memorized Ma Wu’s name. If they ever crossed paths, he would strike first.
Feiyun City had strict rules. Between the Inner City and Outer City stood an inner city gate that was even thicker than the outer walls, boasting astonishing defensive capabilities.
The Inner City was known as the true core of Feiyun City, the most prosperous area of the entire settlement. On its streets, there wasn’t a single trace of garbage or a tattoo-covered gang member in sight. Instead, smiling peddlers lined the roads, while young masters and ladies strolled by in fine silk garments. This was the sight that greeted Xu Guang after he and Wang Ming paid one tael of silver to cross through the Inner City walls.
Thinking of the current situation in the Outer City, an old poem inexplicably came to his mind: "The singing girls know nothing of a fallen nation’s grief, still singing their joyful tunes across the river."
Was the Inner City truly this safe?
"The Inner City is different from our Outer City," Wang Ming explained at the perfect moment, his voice cutting through the bustling atmosphere. "There are only three squares here: Cold Blade Square, Feiyun Square, and Crane Square. We’re heading to Feiyun Square today. You haven’t been to the Inner City in all these years, right? I’ll take you around to broaden your horizons."
The streets were crowded with people and carriages. Shops on both sides were brightly lit, their signboards decorated with the newest and finest silk.
Ahead, the sound of flowing water could be heard. It was a canal, dotted with floating pleasure boats that reeked of alcohol. Xu Guang didn’t need Wang Ming to explain what this place was for.
Though it was early in the morning, a disheveled man stumbled out of one of the pleasure boats, his arms wrapped around two equally scantily clad women. A teasing smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he surveyed the bustling street. Then, he tossed a massive handful of silver coins into the crowd. The street instantly descended into chaos as people scrambled frantically to snatch up the wealthy young master’s discarded silver coins, their faces twisted with fanaticism.
Xu Guang watched this scene silently, his eyes completely undisturbed.
A moment later, Wang Ming led Xu Guang into a place that resembled a restaurant. Its interior wasn’t particularly luxurious, but it had a unique, romantic ambiance. Strips of bright red silk cascaded to the floor, adorned with names shaped from iron wire.
The main hall featured an open atrium, allowing one to see all the way up to the third floor. A massive wooden plaque hung above, bearing the inscription:
[True love arises from the vast sea, a beauty from a thousand miles enters your dreams.]
"Is this really a place to build connections?" Xu Guang thought. "Why does it look like an old-fashioned matchmaking agency?"
Wang Ming was quite excited. Someone noticed him and walked over.
"Eh? Brother Wang, aren’t you already married? How do you have the free time to visit Cang Mang Tower?"
"This is my brother-in-law. Old Fang, fetch the registry of girls in the tower who are currently looking for a match and let him take a look."
Wang Ming’s words confirmed Xu Guang’s suspicions—he was being set up on a blind date.
A hint of embarrassment appeared on Xu Guang’s face. However, thinking of his mother’s earnest hopes, he suppressed the urge to turn around and leave.