Chapter 12

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

After continuing to practice the Eight Steps Chasing Cicada in the martial arts practice field, Lu Yu practiced his fist technique for a while before returning to the courtyard.

He did not take the body enhancing pill because it was different from the body tempering pill. The body tempering pill was to strengthen qi-blood. It could be eaten standing, sitting, or lying down. 

The body enhancing pill was to increase the strength of the body and increase the body’s defense. It needed to be taken during the practicing fist techniques to be effective.

It was already late today, and there was not much time left for cultivation. Therefore, Lu Yu did not choose to take the body enhancing pill.

There was a total of five body enhancing pills in the porcelain bottle, which was enough for Lu Yu to practice five times.

The body enhancing pill could also be bought in the logistics department. It was fifty gold coins per pill.

Because the body enhancing pill was a supplementary cultivation pill, it did not have a direct effect on the increase in strength. Moreover, no matter how much body refining realm cultivators increased the strength of their bodies, it was impossible for them to block a sword with their bodies.

Therefore, very few courtyard guards were willing to spend money to buy body enhancing pills.

On the contrary, more courtyard guards were willing to buy the qi-blood pills, which was worth 80 gold coins per pill. The qi-blood pills could increase the qi-blood of martial art cultivators above the fourth level of the body refining realm

He logged out of the game, ate dinner in the real world, and then entered the game again.

After the incident of Steward Bai, the number of people patrolling around the logistics department increased. Lu Yu could often see the other courtyard guards patrolling around.

The number of people patrolling the outer court increased, and the patrols became more rigorous.

The situation in the inner court was as usual. There were screams and curses could be heard from time to time in a two-story small building. The patrolling courtyard guards subconsciously avoided this place.

“Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch, what are you doing? Why are you hitting me so hard? You’re killing me! Be gentle!”

Han Fan was lying on the bed. A few beautiful maids were helping him apply the medicine. His buttocks were all beaten to a pulp. It was inevitable that the medicine would hurt his wounds.

When the maids were applying the medicine to him, Han Fan would curse loudly. He would use whatever he could grab to beat the maids. If his buttocks were not injured, he would have slapped them.

After helping him apply the medicine, the maids left the room quickly. They did not want to stay any longer.

“Hiss… it really hurts. These d*mn servants don’t know how to show mercy. Why did they hit me so hard?”

“You didn’t expose me, right?” At some point in time, a person appeared in Han Fan’s room. The guard at the door of the first floor didn’t notice it at all.

Seeing the person, Han Fan was so angry. If it weren’t for him, would he have been so hurt?

“No.” Han Fan said angrily, “You promised me before that as long as I help you, regardless of success or failure, you will never use that matter to threaten me. Otherwise, I will tell my father that you asked me to go to the master’s study room to look for something.”

“By then, I will be beaten half to death by my father, and you will definitely be chased to death by the Han Residence.”

“Of course, I am a man of my word. But there’s still one last thing I need you to help me with. If this matter is done, that secret will rot in my stomach.” As that person spoke, he walked towards Han Fan.

Han Fan looked at him walking over and felt a little annoyed. He frowned.

But when he thought about how that person could solve his big problem, he quickly asked, “What is it?”

“Help me keep it a secret!”

“No problem. Even after being beaten so badly, I still haven’t told on you, so keeping it a secret is even better.” Han Fan agreed readily.

However, he felt that the atmosphere was a little strange. Looking at the person who was getting closer and closer, Han Fan suddenly panicked.

“What do you want to do…”

Soon, Han Fan’s voice disappeared from the room, and the person also disappeared.

“Only a dead person can truly keep a secret.”

…

After receiving the mission completion notification and receiving another 50 experience points, Lu Yu stretched his body and prepared for a good rest after dinner.

While eating in the canteen, he suddenly heard a shocking news — Han Fan had died on the bed.

His body was found by a servant who was preparing to change Han Fan’s dressing in the morning. When he found it, the corpse had been cold for an unknown period of time.

The servants and the guards who were guarding the door had all been sent to the dungeon by Third Master Han. Although Third Master Han knew that these people were not the murderer because they did not have the guts to kill his son.

However, it was their fault that his son had died right under their noses. Hence, he sent them all to the dungeon.

Han Fan’s death on his own bed had shocked the entire Han Residence. The inner court was thoroughly investigating and searching for the murderer.

Even Lu Yu, who had only entered the inner court once, was interrogated. Under the verification of the courtyard guards that they had met Lu Yu during his patrol a few nights ago, the interrogator let Lu Yu go.

Most importantly, Lu Yu had only cultivated for less than half a month. It was impossible for him to fool the guards and silently kill Han Fan, who was at the fourth level of the body refining realm.

Even though Han Fan had been beaten quite badly, his strength at the fourth level of the body refining realm was still not something that someone like Lu Yu could deal with.

Another factor was that there were no wounds on Han Fan’s body. He had been killed with the murderer’s bare hands.

Someone like Lu Yu, who had just started cultivating for less than half a month, would be killed with a single punch by Han Fan. Not to mention to kill Han Fan with his bare hands without making a sound.

Lu Yu walked out of the martial arts hall in deep thought. Han Fan had been killed. Who was the murderer? Why did he want to kill him?

One of the possibilities was that Han Fan had had a conflict of interest with someone and that person had attacked him. However, who in the Han Residence would have a conflict of interest with Han Fan?

Steward Bai?

If Lu Yu could think of it, so could the others. Steward Bai had been interrogated the moment Han Fan was found dead, but he also had an alibi.

They couldn’t find the killer. Everyone in the Han Residence was flustered, especially the young ladies and masters.

On the other hand, the servants continued to do what they were supposed to do. They were not affected much.

“The winner today is Wang Can.” After announcing the winner, Yang Xiu gave the small box containing the body tempering pills to Wang Can. Wang Can received the box as if he had obtained a treasure. Under the envious and jealous gazes of the others, he took the box.

Seeing Yang Xiu, the scene of Han Yu sprinting suddenly appeared in Lu Yu’s mind. Immediately after, he thought of their conversation in the forest.

A bolt of lightning flashed across Lu Yu’s mind. He remembered where he had heard the word “study room” before.

Not long ago, when he was patrolling outside the west courtyard, he accidentally bumped into Yang Xiu and Han Yu having a tryst. It was during that conversation between the two of them that he heard about the study room.

Lu Yu’s heart was in turmoil. He had a suspicion, and his face seemed a little stiff.

When Wang Can saw Lu Yu walking out of the martial arts hall, he held the body tempering pill and shouted excitedly, “Lu Yu, just you wait! I’ll become an official courtyard guard soon!”

When Yang Xiu heard that, he turned around and looked at Lu Yu.

When Lu Yu saw him turning around to look at him, he barely managed to control his stiff facial muscles. He smiled and said to Wang Can, “Keep it up.”

After saying that, he quickly left Yang Xiu’s side, afraid that Yang Xiu would notice him.

When he passed by Yang Xiu, Lu Yu had already calmed down and said calmly, “Hello, Instructor Yang.”

Yang Xiu nodded casually and did not pay too much attention to it.

He was thinking about other things and did not notice Lu Yu’s expression.

On the contrary, after Wang Can received Lu Yu’s encouragement, he felt a little strange. In the past, Lu Yu would not pay attention to him, but today, Lu Yu actually responded to him. He felt that Lu Yu was acting weird.

However, the doubt in his heart was quickly washed away by the joy of obtaining the body tempering pill. Right now, he wanted to quickly consume the body tempering pill and break through from the mortal realm to become a martial art cultivator.

Although Wang Can’s strength was more outstanding among the crowd, it was not a certainty that he would obtain the body tempering pill.

This was because when the others knew that Wang Can was more powerful than most of them. Hence, they took the initiative to target him and focus their strength to eliminate him first.

If Wang Can was not eliminated, they would not have a chance to get the body tempering pills.

Therefore, under such circumstances, those who sparred with Wang Can would exhaust his strength with all their might.

As for the others, they would decide who would win or lose by drawing lots, rock, paper, scissors, and other methods. They would not fight too intensely so that they could conserve their strength for Wang Can. 

Due to the scheme of other peoples, Wang Can could not win all the matches. Several times, he would exhaust his strength and be eliminated.

However, Wang Can’s combat ability improved very quickly. Today was his first victory after being targeted.

Therefore, he was very excited and forgot about Lu Yu.

Lu Yu found a place to cultivate in the corner of the martial arts practice field. He stood in front of the wooden stake and pondered.

All the panic came from the anxiety about his lack of strength.

It was because he was weaker than Yang Xiu, so he was worried that Yang Xiu would find out that he knew his secret.

Only with strength, only with enough strength, could one remain calm in the face of danger. This strength could be combat power, intelligence, information, background…

And for Lu Yu, the fastest way to obtain strength was power.

He took out the body enhancing pill from his backpack and consumed it. After that, he began to practice the Fierce Tiger Fist. He first practiced a few times to feel the effects of the body enhancing pill before he entered the AFK mode.

Under normal circumstances, the cultivation speed of the AFK mode was much faster than his normal cultivation speed.

Every time he threw his fist, he could feel a wave of hot air rising from his stomach to the surface of his skin. His skin became scalding hot.

When his fist hit the wooden stake, when he felt the pain, a surge of hot air surged to the painful parts. Soon, the pain was subsided by the heat of his hand.

One punch after another, the pain of his fists gradually faded. He could only feel the extreme heat of his fists.

Lu Yu understood that the body enhancing pill could only play its greatest role when he was throwing his fists.

Therefore, not only did he hit with the wooden stake his fists and kicks, but he also hit it with his elbows, knees, back and shoulder. He tried to hit the wooden stake with as many parts as possible to fully activate the effect of the body enhancing pill.

Some of the moves in the Fierce Tiger Fist had already reached the level of ‘highly skilled’. He didn’t need to follow the standard movements of the Fierce Tiger Fist Style anymore. He could modify the technique to be more suitable for his own movements.

After he went into AFK mode, his character’s movements were no longer restricted to standard moves. Instead, it moved according to Lu Yu’s ideas..