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

Chapter 105 Night Raid, Qi and Blood Pill, and a Sister's Promise
"Strange, why hasn't Xiao Xu come back yet? Could something have happened?"

Half an hour passed, and Tan Xu still hadn't returned. Tan Run looked at the completely darkened night, his face grim, and his heart filled with worry.

He waved his hand, summoning several guards from the Tan family, and said in a low voice, "Go find Xiao Xu, and bring him back as soon as you find him."

Although Tan Xu's strength is considered remarkable among the younger generation, when you're out in the world, you can't solve everything just by relying on strength. If something bad happens, he won't know how to explain it to the third brother.

Fortunately, not long after, Tan Xu returned carrying a robust wild boar, and a pungent smell of blood wafted over, quickly filling the inn.

Tan Xu glanced at Su Chen, who had finished eating, and then said to the guards, "You guys deal with this wild boar. We'll roast the wild boar meat later."

"Yes!"

A group of people began to work busily. Seeing this, Tan Run couldn't help but smile wryly. His nephew really knew how to find joy in hardship.

After the wild boar was cleaned, it was quickly cut into several large pieces of meat and roasted over a fire. The aroma of the meat wafted through the air and permeated the entire inn.

The aroma of the meat whetted everyone's appetites after a long day's work. Even those who had just eaten couldn't resist tearing off a glistening piece of fatty and lean meat and enjoying it to the fullest.

Exclamations, chewing sounds, smacking noises... accompanied by the satisfied laughter of the crowd, filled the air.

"Brother, would you like a piece?" Everyone was eating and laughing when Tan Xu took a piece of meat, came to Su Chen, and handed it to him.

Su Chen had already finished eating and was sitting alone in the corner, sleeping on the floor. Hearing this, he glanced at Tan Xu, took the piece of meat, and nodded his thanks, saying, "Thank you."

Tan Xu smiled and waved his hand, saying, "It's nothing, just a few pieces of meat."

Before Su Chen could react, Tan Xu sat down and asked familiarly, "I see you're traveling through this vast mountain range all by yourself. Aren't you afraid of encountering bandits?"

"The robbers didn't care about my meager amount of money."

Tan Xu chuckled and chatted with Su Chen for a few more minutes. Seeing that Su Chen wasn't in high spirits, he got up to take his leave.

The meal lasted for nearly an hour before everyone was full and ready to rest.

Tan Run assigned five guards to stand watch outside the gate, taking turns to keep watch at night.

At the fourth watch of the night, all I could hear was a chorus of snores.

"Enemy attack!"

Just as everyone was sound asleep, a scream shattered the tranquil night sky, and everyone jumped up at the sound.

Tan Run suddenly opened his eyes and strode out. A group of robbers were already standing outside the door, and the leader was none other than the burly man with the blue face he had encountered before.

Upon seeing the burly man, Tan Run's face darkened, and he said in a low voice, "What do you mean by this? We let you go last time, but this time you're still holding a grudge against us. Do you really think our Tan family caravan is easy to bully?"

"Haha, you old bastard, you killed so many of my brothers, this time I'll make you pay with your blood!" The blue-faced man roared in fury, reminding him of their disheveled state after being routed.

"Oh?" Although he didn't know what had happened in the past half day, the burly man with the blue face who had fled in a sorry state last time seemed to be full of confidence this time.

Tan Run quickly noticed a cloaked man behind the burly man with the blue face. The man was short and inconspicuous in the crowd, but the people around him seemed to respect him greatly.

"Black Tiger, this old guy is in your hands now!" the burly man with the blue face said to the cloaked man behind him.

Black Tiger didn't speak, his dark eyes fixed on Tan Run. The moment he was stared at, Tan Run felt as if he were being watched by a venomous snake, and goosebumps rose all over his body.

"Leave no one alive!" the burly man with the blue face said in a deep voice.

"Kill!" Tan Run gave the order, and the two sides immediately engaged in battle.

Su Chen sat in the corner, adopting a rather spectator's posture. At this moment, both sides were engaged in fierce combat, and no one had noticed him yet.

His gaze lingered on Black Tiger and Tan Run, occasionally glancing at Tan Xu and the blue-faced giant.

To Su Chen's surprise, Tan Xu, at such a young age, was able to fight on par with the burly man with the blue face, demonstrating a strength that clearly reached that of a martial artist practicing internal energy cultivation.

The burly man with the blue face was fierce in every move and had a slight edge over Tan Xu in combat experience, but Tan Xu's superb swordsmanship barely made up for this deficiency.

After glancing at them for a while, Su Chen turned his attention to Tan Run and Black Tiger, whose battle was the most intense.

If he wasn't mistaken, both of them had reached the Refining Internal Organs realm, but Tan Run's strength was inferior to Black Tiger's; to be precise, he was less ferocious than Black Tiger.

Black Tiger's moves are almost all deadly, a fighting style that's all about risking one's life. Tan Run's moves are even more refined than Tan Xu's, but when he encounters someone like Black Tiger, he feels like he has nowhere to use his strength. If this continues, it won't be long before Tan Run is defeated by Black Tiger.

"what?"

Suddenly, Su Chen's expression changed. Unconsciously, he smelled a faint scent in the air, similar to a mind-altering drug, but with a stronger effect. With just one breath, Su Chen could feel his head becoming dizzy.

Fortunately, he had entered the realm of internal organ refinement, so this kind of drug could not have any effect on him, but it would not work on others.

Within a quarter of an hour, the Tan family guards who had fought the robbers collapsed as if all their strength had been drained away, while the robbers, on the other hand, were full of energy and controlled everyone with sinister smiles.

"You poisoned him!" Tan Run's heart sank when he saw this, especially when he saw that Tan Xu had also been poisoned and captured. He panicked and was instantly seized by Black Tiger, who struck him with a palm and knocked him down.

The burly, blue-faced man held a knife to Tan Run's neck and sneered, "Now, what do you have to say?"

"Hmph!" Tan Run snorted coldly and remained silent.

"Big brother, there's still one who slipped through the net!" one of the robbers shouted as soon as he spotted Su Chen in the corner.

"Hmm?" Upon hearing this, the burly man with the blue face walked over. When he saw Su Chen, his pupils shrank slightly as he recognized Su Chen. "So it was you who killed my two brothers. It seems you'll be buried with them tonight."

With a wave of his hand, the robbers behind him swarmed forward, trying to capture Su Chen. But just as they got close, they collapsed to the ground. Upon seeing this, the burly man with the blue face changed his expression drastically: "Not good, hold your breath!"

At this moment, Su Chen smiled faintly: "Too late!"

More and more people fell down, collapsing in front of the burly man with the blue face. Even he himself felt dizzy and his vision became blurry.

The enhanced version of the mind-control powder might be difficult to use to incapacitate a master of internal organ cultivation, but it would be easy to incapacitate a martial artist who practices internal strength.

"Black Tiger, kill him!" The burly man with the blue face knelt on the ground and shouted weakly.

Black Tiger strolled over, completely unconcerned, his eyes fixed on Su Chen.

Just then, Su Chen looked at Tan Run and laughed, "What are you daydreaming about? This guy is yours!"

After saying that, he sat down on the ground, pretending to watch the show. Tan Run was stunned for a moment, and before Black Tiger could react, he rushed over.

The two sides clashed again!

This time, Tan Run went all out, his every move fierce and deadly, filled with killing intent. With his experienced skills, he managed to suppress Black Tiger.

Black Tiger was repeatedly startled in battle and gradually became unable to hold on. After a violent collision, he set his sights on Tan Xu, attempting to use him to blackmail Tan Run.

Tan Run had anticipated this move and reacted swiftly, striking with his sword to abruptly cut off Black Tiger's attack. Black Tiger paused, then dodged to the side.

"hateful!"

Black Tiger cursed under his breath, took a few steps back, and turned his gaze to Su Chen, venting all his frustration and anger on Su Chen. If it weren't for this guy tonight, they would have wiped out the Tan family caravan long ago!

"Damn it, I'm fighting to the death here, and you're just watching the show? If you like watching the show so much, I'll send you down to watch the show!" He pretended to attack Tan Xu, but actually changed direction and took the opportunity to attack Su Chen. By the time Tan Run realized what was happening, it was too late to make a move.

Regardless, they were saved thanks to Su Chen this time, and he shouted a warning: "Be careful!"

"Kid, blame yourself. In your next life, remember not to meddle in other people's business!" Black Tiger said coldly, his figure swaying as he arrived in the blink of an eye. When he saw Su Chen get up, a chilling killing intent flashed in his eyes.

call out!
The candlelight seemed to flicker for a moment, and a crisp sound rang out in the air. Under the cold light, there was a slit throat. Black Tiger's body seemed not to react at first, and it took a full moment for him to react before blood gushed out.

"This……"

Tan Run, who was still worried about Su Chen, stood there stunned, his eyes filled with that stunningly beautiful slash. It was incredibly fast, incredibly brutal, and incredibly beautiful. He asked himself honestly, even he might not have been able to withstand Su Chen's slash.

There was a pop.

Black Tiger stared at Su Chen with resentment in his eyes before collapsing to the ground. Su Chen bent down and searched Black Tiger's body, his brows furrowing more and more as he turned him over. After a long while, he pulled a palm-sized box from Black Tiger's body.

"what is this?"

He glanced at the crimson pills inside the box, his eyes filled with doubt, but he didn't examine them at the moment. Instead, he continued to loot the corpses of the other robbers.

“Young man, this is one of ours.”

Tan Run watched as Su Chen searched each of them one by one. When Su Chen reached his own bodyguard, Tan Run forced himself to speak up and remind him.

Su Chen nodded, then had another person search him. Soon they found several hundred taels of silver notes. After collecting the money, he looked at Tan Run and said, "I have the antidote here. How much are you willing to pay?"

"If you don't mind, I'm willing to offer one hundred taels!" Tan Run replied after thinking for a moment.

Su Chen offered the antidote, and Tan Run handed him a hundred taels of silver. He then administered the antidote to Tan Xu and the others, but they did not regain consciousness. Su Chen explained, "They've been cured of my drug, but Black Tiger's drug hasn't worn off, so they won't wake up so quickly." Tan Run nodded, unconcerned. He pointed at the burly man with the blue face and the others, asking, "Young friend, what do you intend to do with these people?"

"Do as you please!" Su Chen replied with a half-smile.

Tan Run remained silent for a moment, then, in front of Su Chen, he gave these people a quick death. Su Chen saw this but said nothing.

Half an hour later, Tan Xu and the others woke up and were shocked to see dozens of corpses lying on the ground. Tan Xu looked at Tan Run in surprise and asked, "Second Uncle, did you kill all of these people?"

Tan Run shook his head and recounted the whole story in detail. Everyone looked at Su Chen in surprise, not expecting that so many things had happened while they were unconscious.

"Thank you very much, brother." Everyone thanked Su Chen one by one.

Su Chen waved his hand, not caring. He was just taking advantage of the situation.

As dawn broke, after a brief adjustment, everyone was ready to set off.

Tan Run approached Su Chen: "Young friend, are you planning to go to Dafeng City?"

"Ok!"

“That’s great! We’re also going to Dafeng City. If you don’t mind, why don’t you come with us?” Tan Xu invited with a smile.

Su Chen hesitated for a moment before agreeing.

Later in the journey, Su Chen joined a caravan and traveled with Tan Xu and others.

Finally, a peer joined the team, and one who was even stronger than him. Tan Xu immediately turned on his talkative mode, often chatting with Su Chen.

Su Chen also learned a lot about Dafeng City from him. Dafeng City has four districts and thirty-six markets. Each district is almost as big as Baishi City, and each market is as prosperous as a medicine town. It can be said to be one of the most prosperous cities in the entire Qinzhou.

The Tan family caravan was one of the better caravans in the market. Every year, they would buy all kinds of goods from other cities and sell them in Dafeng City. They made money by profiting from the price difference and gradually grew stronger.

In addition, Su Chen also learned from Tan Run the name of the pill he obtained last night. It was the Qi and Blood Pill that the panel needed. According to Tan Run, this Qi and Blood Pill alone was more valuable than everything on Black Tiger.

In Dafeng City, besides the commonly used currency, the hard currency among martial artists is the Qi and Blood Pill. The Qi and Blood Pill is very beneficial to martial artists and is very popular among them. Often, a single Qi and Blood Pill costs hundreds of taels of silver and is hard to find.

Upon learning that it was a Qi and Blood Pill, Su Chen took advantage of the absence of others and swallowed it directly. The effect after swallowing it was very obvious, several times stronger than Boiling Blood Powder. The progress on the panel also advanced by one-tenth, indicating that the Qi and Blood Pill that Tan Run mentioned was indeed the Qi and Blood Pill required by the panel.

This day.

"Brother Ding, we're almost at Dafeng City. Are you really unwilling to come with me to the Tan family?" Tan Xu said with some regret.

Upon hearing this, Su Chen's lips twitched, and he decisively refused.

If Tan Xu hadn't been constantly scheming to repay a life-saving debt with the promise of marrying his younger sister, Su Chen might have stayed at the Tan family's house for a while. But for now, it's better to forget about it.

“Since young friend Ding Peng is unwilling to go, Xiao Xu, then don’t force him,” Tan Run said at the opportune moment.

Tan Xu could only nod helplessly and sigh heavily. His expression suggested that it was a great pity that Su Chen hadn't gone to the Tan family.

Su Chen didn't mind. During their time together, he had seen Tan Xu's character: a promising young man, inexperienced, grateful, and with a bold personality. Naturally, he wouldn't blame Su Chen for this.

After a stick of incense had burned, Su Chen gazed at the towering, imposing city wall before him, a hint of fascination in his eyes, but he quickly looked away.

After entering the city, he looked at Tan Run and Tan Xu, clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Gentlemen, all good things must come to an end. If fate allows, we will meet again someday. Farewell!"

Tan Run and Tan Xu nodded: "Goodbye!"

After parting ways with Tan Run and Tan Xu, Su Chen began to wander around the city.

"Sir, are you new to Dafeng City? I have information on the various districts and markets of Dafeng City here. Would you like it?"

Not long after he walked, perhaps his looking around caught the attention of the children on the street, who deduced that Su Chen had just arrived in Dafeng City. Soon after, a boy carrying a bamboo basket came up to him and asked him questions.

Su Chen looked down and noticed the various books in the bamboo basket. After a quick glance, he saw the titles on the covers: "Dafeng City District and Markets," "Dafeng City Sects," "Dafeng City Gangs," and so on.

"How much silver is it per book?" Su Chen asked, somewhat surprised.

"One tael!" The child smiled, stated a number, and explained, "Sir, please don't think it's expensive. We collected these with great difficulty; they can't be sold anywhere else."

"Let's get one," Su Chen thought for a moment and nodded.

The child took out a thinner book, exchanged money for the book, and then asked:

"Sir, this one book is not enough. I can tell you must be from a wealthy family. You came to Dafeng City to learn from a master, right?"

This sect manual might help you find a sect you like, and there's also this gang manual to help you avoid danger. And this one introduces the brothels of Dafeng City. Oh, and you'll definitely be interested in this one; it records 360 kinds of bedroom techniques…”

The child enthusiastically promoted the books in the bamboo basket, pulling out several in succession. Su Chen remained silent, simply flipping through the books in his own hands. After a while, he closed his book and pointed to the two books introducing sects and gangs, saying:
"Give me both of these, I don't need the rest."

Although the child was somewhat disappointed, he still happily handed over the two books introducing sects and gangs to Su Chen. After the money was exchanged, he could tell that Su Chen had no intention of buying any more, so he carried his bamboo basket and continued to look for the next customer.

Su Chen found a restaurant nearby and ordered a few dishes. While waiting, he looked at the books he had just bought. The three books were very thin, like booklets, and the introductions inside were not detailed, just a general overview.

Aside from the slightly more detailed introductions to the urban areas and markets, the introductions to sects and gangs mostly consist of listing their names and describing their characteristics, generally just a brief overview in a few words. Some sects are introduced in more detail, even including a few words about the sect leader, but this often seems like advertising.

Although it was just a simple introduction, it was enough for Su Chen at the moment. At least it gave him an overview of Dafeng City, so he wouldn't be completely clueless.

"Let's eat first. Then we can go to the clinic and pharmacy to ask if we can buy Qi and Blood Pills, and then we can inquire about the news about Qin Xue that Master mentioned."

The food was served, and a variety of flavors wafted into his nostrils. Su Chen put away his books and, while slowly chewing his food, pondered his upcoming itinerary, gradually forming an idea in his mind.

The meal cost fifteen taels of silver, and the prices were several times higher than in Baishi City. The same dishes tasted similar, but the prices were vastly different.

Fortunately, Su Chen was prepared, so he didn't order too many dishes. Otherwise, if he had ordered a whole table of dishes like Bai Shicheng, it would probably have cost over a hundred taels of silver.

Before leaving, I asked the waiter about the nearby clinics and pharmacies, and he told me the names and locations of several of them.

"Excuse me, do you sell Qi and Blood Pills here?"

Arriving at the nearest and largest pharmacy mentioned by the waiter, Su Chen got straight to the point and asked.

"You flatter me, sir. We don't sell Qi and Blood Pills here." The shop assistant paused for a moment, then shook his head with a smile.

"Why is that?" Su Chen asked.

"You must be new to Dafeng City, right? Only the big sects and factions have Qi and Blood Pills. Our little shop isn't qualified to sell them," the waiter explained simply.

Upon hearing this, Su Chen waved his hand, a gentle smile appearing on his face. The waiter, looking puzzled, walked over.

Su Chen lowered his voice and asked with practiced ease, "Do you know where I can buy them?"

The shopkeeper narrowed his eyes, felt the silver in his sleeve, and quickly determined how much silver Su Chen had given him. He then uttered two words: "Black market."

After a while, Su Chen came out of the pharmacy. He had already obtained the channel for selling Qi and Blood Pills from the shop assistant.

According to the shopkeeper, the Qi and Blood Pill is a pill refined by the Xuan Shui Sect. To obtain it, one must either purchase it from the Xuan Shui Sect or join the sect.

Therefore, under normal channels, even the wealthiest individuals cannot buy Qi and Blood Pills; the only option is to go to the black market.

The black market opens twice a month, at the beginning and middle of the month. If Su Chen wants to buy Qi and Blood Pills, he can only wait until the black market opens in three days.

In addition, Su Chen also learned from the shop assistant that the black market not only sells Qi and Blood Pills, but also secret manuals and information.

Similar to the Misty Rain Pavilion in Lin Family Fortress, the black market is far larger and more chaotic than the Misty Rain Pavilion. While order is relatively normal within the black market, murders and robberies frequently occur outside of it. Therefore, it is best to avoid the black market if you lack the strength.

After learning about the Qi and Blood Pill, Su Chen began searching for Qin Xue in the city. However, the information about Qin Xue in Hong Mingxin's letter was all from several years ago. With so much time having passed, finding Qin Xue was like looking for a needle in a haystack.

After an afternoon, Su Chen had not found out any news about Qin Xue. Hong Ming's original residence had long been demolished and replaced by new people. When Su Chen inquired, the other party also said that they did not know where Qin Xue was.

"It seems I'll have to check the black market. If I can't even find it there, then forget it. Anyway, I've never relied on myself for cultivation. With the panel, even without the follow-up techniques, I can still find a way to continue cultivating!"

As the sun set in the west, Su Chen found an inn to rest for the night, then went to a real estate agency. With their help, he found a relatively satisfactory place to stay. The house was relatively secluded, had a yard, and offered flexible rental terms. After inquiring about the price, Su Chen rented it for a month.

There was nothing to pack. The house had everything it needed to be. Su Chen only needed to bring his personal belongings with him. He signed the contract in the morning and moved in that afternoon.

For the next two days, Su Chen hardly went out, spending his time at home studying pharmacology, researching poisons, and preparing Boiling Blood Powder, thoroughly enjoying himself.

The progress varies. Pharmacological knowledge has increased, but research on the "Bewitching Powder" has not yet made progress, although the success rate of its preparation has increased slightly.

In two days, a total of ten doses of Boiling Blood Powder were prepared, and five doses were taken, which only advanced the progress of half a Qi and Blood Pill.

This gave Su Chen a rough idea of ​​the ratio between Blood Pill and Boiling Blood Powder. One Blood Pill was roughly equivalent to ten doses of Boiling Blood Powder, but the total cost of ten doses of Boiling Blood Powder, plus the losses from failed preparations, was nearly three hundred taels of silver, which was quite expensive.

After configuring it for two days, Su Chen stopped configuring it. Tonight was the opening time of the black market, and he planned to go there to learn about the market details of the Qi and Blood Pill.

(End of this chapter)