We're practicing all martial arts, so why did you switch to easy mode?

Chapter 103 City Sealing, Complete Iron Shirt Technique, Internal Organ Refinement Realm
The reason Su Chen suddenly had the idea to ask the deaf-mute man for Boiling Blood Powder was because he had witnessed its power. If he needed it later on the panel, he could make his own. After all, there was a big difference between Boiling Blood Powder and Qi Blood Powder, and it was better to take Boiling Blood Powder than Qi Blood Powder.

The deaf-mute man froze on the spot after hearing this, then fell into deep thought. He could read lips, so he understood what Su Chen meant.

Su Chen didn't urge him, but seeing the deaf-mute man's appearance, he guessed that the man was somewhat unwilling, so he didn't force him. Seeing that the other party was reluctant to reply, he was about to leave.

"Ahhh!"

The deaf-mute man stopped Su Chen, took out paper and pen from his pocket, and began to write in front of Su Chen.

He was very quick; in no time, he had written the prescription on a medical paper and handed it to Su Chen.

Su Chen took the prescription, glanced at it, and then said, "Thank you. Here's a piece of advice: leave White Stone City as soon as possible."

After putting away the prescription, Su Chen left a word of advice and turned to leave.

Before the authorities could react, Su Chen went home, took some medicinal herbs and money with him, and then planned to leave the city.

Giddy up! Giddy up!
On the main road, Hong Yue led his army into the city, a black banner fluttering, carrying a chilling and murderous intent.

"Seal the city gates! No one is allowed to enter or leave!"

With Hong Yue's command, horses galloped in all directions, their hooves echoing throughout Baishi City, instantly putting the city, which had just relaxed, on high alert.

Anyone with discerning eyes could see the somber and murderous aura hidden within this army, like a dark cloud hanging over the entire city of White Stone.

When they saw the corpses of a group of soldiers being escorted back from the ranks, they were immediately terrified, and a chill ran down their spines.

Who was so audacious as to kill so many soldiers?
Some astute individuals, upon seeing the corpses, were filled with grave concern. With so many soldiers killed, the fate of White Stone City was likely about to change!
Su Chen had not expected that the city gates would be sealed off before he even left the city. He stood in the crowd, staring at the Hong family army entering the city, his face grim.

"This army is clearly related to Tao Dingfang. They probably discovered the bodies of Tao Dingfang and others on their way to Baishi City, which is why they rushed here at full speed. Now that Baishi City is under lockdown, chaos is bound to ensue. Once they strengthen the defenses of the city gates, it won't be easy for me to leave in the short term!"

Su Chen only left after the army disappeared at the end of the street, pondering his next move as he walked.

at the same time.

Hong Yue led his army into the county government office. This time, not only Tao Dingfang died, but also Tao Wenxuan. However, he did not show their bodies.

At this moment, Hong Yue's face was ashen, his brows furrowed. Ever since he saw the corpses of Tao Dingfang and the Ironclad Army, he had not been able to relax.

Whether it was Tao Dingfang or the Ironclad Army that died, it was unforgivable to him. However, he did not yet understand the full picture, so he had no choice but to seal off Baishi City.

"You're the county clerk, tell me what happened? Why did Tao Dingfang and Tao Wenxuan die tragically outside the city?"

Hong Yue stared at the trembling advisor, his tiger-like eyes flashing with a chilling light, and asked in a stern voice.

The clerk nodded and recounted the whole story. Upon hearing it, Hong Yue frowned even more and slammed his fist on the table in anger.

"This is absurd! More than a hundred soldiers, including thirty armored soldiers, couldn't even defeat a martial arts practitioner, and they were all killed. Are you joking, or did I hear you wrong?"

The advisor, steeling himself, said in a trembling voice, "General Hong, I would never dare to conceal anything about this matter."

Hong Yue remained silent, and the hall was deathly quiet, the oppressive atmosphere making it hard for the clerk to breathe.

Time ticked by, and the clerk, drenched in sweat, felt his heart sink. Finally, Hong Yue spoke:
"Investigate! Thoroughly investigate this man. If he is still in White Stone City, exterminate his entire clan. If he has left White Stone City, arrest everyone who has any connection with him!"

"Yes!"

At night, White Stone City becomes both tranquil and bustling.

As expected, Whitestone City descended into chaos.

Squads of soldiers marched hurriedly through the streets, breaking down doors to question or arrest people.

Su Chen watched as these people broke into his home and ransacked it, almost as if they were digging three feet into the ground.

After these people left, Su Chen concealed himself and disappeared into the night.

Tonight, Baishi City is destined to be lively and busy. In just one night, the Hong family army has turned Baishi City into chaos.

But all of this is temporarily irrelevant to Su Chen.

In a long-abandoned house, Su Chen chose a secluded room and rested for a night.

Footsteps could be heard outside occasionally, and soldiers would rush in to search, but it didn't happen often, and Su Chen managed to avoid them all.

This went on and on until morning, when it finally stopped.

After getting up, Su Chen disguised himself as an old man and went out. The streets were unusually desolate. After the commotion caused by the army, there were almost no vendors or pedestrians.

After walking quite a distance, Su Chen found a stall, ate a simple meal, packed some rice porridge to go, and leisurely left.

Having evaded the patrolling army, Su Chen quietly returned to the abandoned house, turning left and right along the way until he reached his room.

Unable to leave for the time being, Su Chen was not in a hurry and took advantage of this time to use his Spirit Head Technique.

This time he was well prepared. After the poisonous fog dissipated, Su Chen turned the pages one by one, and in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, he finished reading the Spirit Head Skill.

There are forty-nine movements in total. Each movement looks very easy, but when Su Chen actually practiced them, he found that the difficulty was extraordinary.

Even with his current strength, he couldn't fully practice it. He could only practice up to thirty-six movements, and in the end, he had to rely on his strength to complete the entire practice.

After the drill was completed, the words "Spiritual Merit" appeared on the panel:
Martial Arts: ...Spiritual Skill (Beginner 1%)

[Easy Mode: ...0 Spirit Merits (1 tael of silver/time)]

Without hesitation, and with plenty of money to spare, I immediately spent real money to activate the easy mode.

The basic method of Ling Shou Gong involves shaking your head. For a minor success, shake your head 50 times; for a major success, shake it 100 times; for a perfect success, shake it 200 times; and for the ultimate success, shake it 500 times. It takes about an hour to complete.

As Su Chen's Ling Shou Gong (a skill) was upgraded to its limit, he indeed noticed a change. His head's defense was enhanced, though not as strong as his current Iron Shirt skill, but it still satisfied him.

What surprised Su Chen the most was not the enhanced defense of his brain, but the strengthening of his five senses. He could feel that his senses of sight, hearing, and smell had become more acute.

The surrounding things and sounds seemed to be magnified many times in my mind, becoming clearer.

Tapping.

Just then, a soft footstep sound came from outside.

"Sigh, what bad luck. These days, it's getting harder and harder to be a beggar."

"Yes, the situation in the city had just started to improve when another big shot came and started locking down the city at the drop of a hat."

"These guys are like madmen. They arrest any honest person they see, and they arrest anyone they don't like. When will this miserable life ever end?"

"..."

Groups of two or three beggars entered the abandoned house, cursing and swearing. They had obviously been there many times before, but they sat in the front yard and did not go into the backyard.

After listening in the room for a while, Su Chen understood the group's intentions. It seemed they planned to stay at the abandoned house for the night.

This somewhat disrupted Su Chen's plans, as he had originally intended to start brewing the medicine tonight to advance the process.

That's right, after Ling Shou Gong was maxed out with money, Iron Shirt finally changed and could be fused again.

The condition this time is twenty doses of Boiling Blood Powder!
Su Chen was somewhat surprised when he saw the conditions. He wasn't sure if it was because he had obtained the recipe for Boiling Blood Powder or if the panel had originally intended to do so. In any case, the panel changed Qi and Blood Powder to Boiling Blood Powder, but he didn't investigate further.

After learning the conditions, Su Chen began to take stock of his gains.

Currently, there are a total of 12,353 taels of silver, including silver notes and loose silver.

The goldfish originally had ten pieces, but Ling Shou Gong used one piece, leaving nine pieces.

In terms of money, we are not short of funds for the time being.

Regarding medicinal herbs, the ten packets of Boiling Blood Powder were used up long ago, and now only Red Blood Grass remains.

There was plenty of Red Blood Grass. Having experienced the helplessness of lacking Red Blood Grass, Su Chen took a lot of it from the Medicine Gang's warehouse.

There are 120 red blood grass plants.

"One hundred and twenty Red Blood Grasses, each of which can be divided into three preparations, so a total of three hundred and sixty preparations can be made. Even with only a 50% success rate, there will be one hundred and eighty Unnamed Medicines. The panel requires twenty Boiling Blood Powders, which translates to one hundred Unnamed Medicines. If we can make them, it will be more than enough to push the progress to the limit."

Su Chen pondered for a moment and quickly came to a conclusion, but his joy didn't last long.

The problem now is that while we have the crucial red blood grass, we may not be able to buy the other medicinal herbs.

After all, many clinics and pharmacies have closed down due to the association with the medicine guild, which has naturally reduced the supply of medicinal materials.

Thinking this, Su Chen took out the prescription for Boiling Blood Powder and examined it carefully.

"Compared to Qi Xue San, the formula for Fei Xue San seems simpler, with fewer medicinal ingredients, except for a higher demand for red blood grass. In that case, I can start with Fei Xue San."

Su Chen thought to himself, trying to memorize the prescription. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough time. The deaf-mute man had only written down the formula and steps. If he were to actually prepare the medicine, there would likely be a lot of trial and error involved.

"Never mind, I'll go out and take a look this afternoon. It would be best if I could buy everything."

After staying for a while, the beggars left. Su Chen put his things away and then left the abandoned house.

On the streets, there were not many shops still open; most had already closed, let alone clinics and pharmacies.

Su Chen went all the way to the inner city before he found an open pharmacy, so he went in and bought some medicinal herbs.

After wandering around the area for a while, Su Chen discovered that there were two or three pharmacies open in the inner city, and he had an idea in mind.

Because he bought a lot of items, Su Chen used the same outfit three times, and bought a lot of medicinal herbs from each store.

Then, he hid the purchased medicinal herbs and changed his identity to continue buying other medicinal herbs.

This time, Su Chen bought the medicinal materials for preparing Boiling Blood Powder, so he only needed to exchange the materials four times to get all of them.

He brought the medicinal herbs to the abandoned house in batches. During this time, Su Chen went home again to get some earthenware pots for boiling medicine before returning to the abandoned house.

What he didn't expect was that he almost ran into those beggars on his return. The beggars hadn't made any money all day and were returning to the abandoned house to rest.

Seeing this, Su Chen guessed that these beggars would probably be staying here for a while, so he decisively chose to 'move'.

After packing everything up, Su Chen left the abandoned house while no one was watching. He searched for a while and soon found an uninhabited courtyard house.

It was in a remote location and no one bothered them, so they moved in.

Before it got dark, Su Chen began to prepare the Boiling Blood Powder. He tried once, twice, and five times in a row, but he failed each time.

It wasn't until the sixth time that Su Chen finally succeeded in preparing the medicine. After drinking a bowl of Boiling Blood Powder, he only increased the progress by less than one dose.

Su Chen didn't mind. The first time he successfully prepared the medicine, it had this effect. He wasn't disappointed. After all, it had been much longer for the deaf-mute man to prepare the medicine than for him. It was normal for the effects to be different.

As night approached, Su Chen stopped preparing the materials and instead packed everything away to prevent any soldiers from discovering the pile. In this way, seven days passed, and Su Chen made progress on the production of nineteen portions of Boiling Blood Powder.

In other words, just one more dose of Boiling Blood Powder is enough to max out the panel.

"However, we are still short of some medicinal herbs and need to make another purchase."

Su Chen looked at the limited number of medicinal herbs and said thoughtfully.

He changed his clothes, disguised himself, and then walked out of the courtyard.

at the same time.

Inside the county government office, Hong Yue flew into a rage.

After seven days of investigation, all he learned was that Su Chen and his relatives and friends had all left White Stone City. How could he not be furious?

Leaving Whitestone City, and not even knowing where they went, is it like searching for a needle in a haystack?
During this period, the soldiers arrested a lot of people, and the prison cells were full, but there was still no progress.

This left him feeling helpless and angry, but he had no choice but to stop.

If such a large-scale search has yielded no results, it's likely that continuing the search will only lead to the same outcome.

With the city gates closed for seven days, the people inside the city were already in a state of panic, and the newly stabilized White Stone City fell into chaos again.

However, he was still somewhat unwilling, so after opening the city gates, he ordered the city guards to keep an eye on those leaving the city and to report immediately if they found anything unusual.

At this moment, Su Chen was unaware that the city gates had already opened. He was still preparing the Boiling Blood Powder, mixing various medicinal herbs in the correct proportions. Before long, Su Chen finished preparing the powder and began to decoct it.

After simmering for a while, Su Chen looked at the reddish-brown medicinal soup and smiled with relief.

The last batch of Boiling Blood Powder has been successfully prepared!

After waiting a moment, Su Chen picked up the bowl and drank it all in one gulp.

With a gurgling sound, as the medicine went down, the panel suddenly refreshed.

Su Chen looked at the panel, thinking that the level of Iron Shirt had not changed this time, but what happened next shocked him.

[Martial Arts: ...Iron Shirt (Level 1, 1%)]

[Easy Mode: ...Iron Shirt 0 times (10 Qi and Blood Pills/time)]

"Iron Shirt, the word 'crippled' has been removed, and it has become the complete Iron Shirt!" Su Chen murmured to himself, then his face lit up with joy.

But what surprised Su Chen even more was the tingling sensation coming from his internal organs, which indicated that his internal energy had officially begun to temper his internal organs, and he had entered the realm of organ tempering.

"The complete Iron Shirt set was a huge surprise to me."

Not only did the four forces become five, but it also allowed me to enter the realm of internal organ refinement, increasing my strength several times over.

"Right now, if I were to encounter Tao Dingfang, I could kill him in three moves—one to defeat him, one to cripple him, and one to kill him!"

After the initial surprise, Su Chen began to carefully experience the changes in the Internal Organs Refining Realm.

The most obvious change was that his breathing became longer and more deep, and he could clearly feel that the tingling sensation in his lungs was even stronger.

It seems that the lungs are the first organ to be tempered by the force, and then the other internal organs, which is why the lungs are the most affected.

He didn't have a deep understanding of the Internal Organ Refinement Realm. He had asked Hong Ming before, but Hong Ming only had a vague understanding, only knowing that the Internal Organ Refinement Realm was reached when one's internal energy began to temper the internal organs.

"Let's not think about these things for now. So much time has passed, I wonder how Master Hong and the others are doing now."

Having successfully completed his internal organ training, Su Chen did not intend to linger. Although he had previously instructed Fang Rou to evacuate first if they encountered Hong Ming, so much time had passed and he had not yet reunited with Hong Ming and the others, so they were bound to be worried.

After quickly packing his things, Su Chen went out to gather information. Before long, he discovered that the city gates had opened and people were entering and leaving the city one after another.

However, he was not in a hurry. Instead, he observed for a while before leaving.

There were still patrolling soldiers on the streets, but far fewer than in the previous days.

Su Chen didn't go home. Instead, he found a restaurant, ordered some dishes, and started eating.

After eating and drinking his fill, Su Chen returned to his residence and waited for time to pass. He had already decided to leave the city that night.

at this time.

Inside the county government office.

"What's all this noise outside?" Hong Yue sat on the high platform, looking at the memorials, his head throbbing.

"Sir, someone deliberately claimed the reward money, but we discovered it and punished them with thirty strokes of the cane. That's why they're protesting their innocence," the subordinate replied.

Upon hearing this, Hong Ming paused, raised his head slightly, and asked, "What did he discover?"

"This person discovered an abandoned house where someone was brewing medicine during the day, but when we went there, we didn't find anyone suspicious!"

"Oh? Where?"

"Over there on Pingqi Street."

"Go and see."

"Yes!"

Hong Ming pondered for a moment, then, sensing something amiss, immediately stood up.

He arrived at the courtyard, saw the beggar who had been beaten, waved his hand, and signaled his men to stop the flogging.

Upon seeing Hong Yue, the beggar cried out in anguish, "Sir, I am innocent! I would never dare to deceive you, even if I had ten lives!"

"Enough with the nonsense, help him up and lead the way," Hong Yue said in a deep voice, ignoring the beggar's cries.

The soldiers helped him up, and the beggar dared not be presumptuous. He led the group to Pingqi Street, and a quarter of an hour later, the group arrived at the courtyard house that the beggar had mentioned.

With a bang, the wooden door was violently kicked open, and Hong Yue was the first to walk in.

"Ok?"

As soon as Hong Yue entered the kitchen, he smelled a faint aroma of medicinal herbs. His brows furrowed immediately. He quickly walked into the kitchen and found it clean and empty.

"Sir, no suspicious persons have been found."

At this moment, the soldiers who had searched the room inside and out came in to report.

Hong Ming didn't speak. Although the smell of the herbs was faint, it was enough to show that someone had been here not long ago.

Thinking of this, he went up to the beggar and asked, "Did you see what he looked like?"

The beggar was terrified. Upon hearing this, he shook his head and stammered, "No, no, I just happened to smell some medicinal herbs yesterday. I didn't see anyone inside."

Upon hearing this, Hong Yue's expression turned somewhat unpleasant. Although he was unsure who was brewing the medicine, the fact that the other party was hiding it so well meant that their identity must be extraordinary.

"No, the smell of herbs has only just dissipated, which means he left not long ago. Today happens to be the day the city gates are open, so perhaps he left after finding out."

Suddenly, Hong Yue's expression changed, and he immediately ordered, "You all go and guard the major city gates immediately. Once you find anyone carrying a bundle and intending to leave White Stone City, regardless of age or gender, arrest them all!!"

"Yes!"

Listening to the footsteps fading into the distance, Su Chen slowly retreated into the abandoned courtyard next door.

He was startled when he heard the footsteps, thinking that the government officials had discovered him. Fortunately, they had only found the place where he was brewing medicine.

As a semi-physician, Su Chen naturally knew that brewing medicine would release the smell of herbs. Even though this place was remote, there were still quite a few hooligans and beggars. Therefore, Su Chen deliberately separated the place for brewing medicine from the place for resting.

He had planned to leave tonight, thinking he wouldn't be so unlucky as to make a mistake, but unexpectedly, the government officials actually discovered the place where he was brewing medicine.

Fortunately, these people did not continue the search but left directly. They had no idea that the person who actually brewed the medicine lived next door.

Right under their noses!

Night falls.

Su Chen waited until the middle of the night before finally setting off.

The streets were deserted at this time. Su Chen had already scouted the area and made his way through to the city wall.

The security was very tight a while ago, with soldiers patrolling even at the foot of the city walls, making it impossible to find an opportunity.

However, now that the soldiers near the city wall had been evacuated, Su Chen easily scaled the wall.

Looking back but not finding him, Su Chen continued on his way.

As they walked into a grove of trees, Su Chen paused, sensing that something was amiss.

"Come out!"

He spoke softly, his gaze fixed on the spot where the group was hiding.

Upon hearing Su Chen's words, a group of soldiers stepped forward. The leader, a somewhat rugged-looking man, said in a deep voice upon seeing Su Chen, "Come with us!"

The soldiers watched Su Chen warily, realizing that Su Chen was no ordinary person.

Su Chen really didn't expect that Hong Yue would send people to wait for him here and set up an ambush on this road.

Unfortunately, the person in front of him was not Hong Yue.

Without wasting words, he made his move, and in less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the group of soldiers was killed by Su Chen.

After looting the corpses for a while, Su Chen threw the bodies into the woods and then sped away.

Although I don't know why Hong Yue didn't show up, this place is not safe to stay any longer, and I must leave immediately.

Su Chen traveled quickly at full speed, arriving at the agreed-upon location with Hong Ming and the others—a dilapidated temple—in just two hours.

Upon arriving at the dilapidated temple, Su Chen did not see Hong Ming and the others, presumably they had already left.

"This is……"

After wandering around the dilapidated temple, Su Chen suddenly discovered several letters hidden under the stone statue.

He took it out, opened it, and saw that it was a letter left by Hong Ming: "To Xiao Chen..."

(End of this chapter)