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

Chapter 129 Using a borrowed knife to kill, marrying into a family, and the Bone Forging Level Thick Earth Strength

Do you believe it?
I do not believe.

That was the thought on everyone's mind at that moment.

If someone else had said it, they might have believed it, but since it was Hong Jinchen, who had just caused the deaths of two and injuries to two of the four top scholars, the accuracy of the statement plummeted.

Knowing what everyone was thinking, Hong Jinchen coughed lightly and said, "I have two quick and effective methods, one overt and one covert."

"Which two?" Sect Master Hong Jingrui ignored Hong Jinchen's previous question, giving him a way out.

Everyone stared at Hong Jinchen in silence.

Hong Jinchen coughed lightly: "The first option is to have Shadow Killer take action."

Now that we know Su Chen's methods, as long as we leak his information to Shadow Assassins, plenty of people will take action.

The second method is slightly more troublesome, but it would be entirely beneficial to the Hong family. The specific method can be summed up in four words: 'using someone else to do the dirty work!'

"What do you mean?" Hong Tao asked from the Hong Academy.

"We're shifting the blame!" Hong Jinchen explained patiently. "The Chu Clan's experts will arrive in Dafeng City soon. At that time, we'll pin the deaths of the Chu Clan's twin sisters and others on Su Chen, and make the Chu Clan deal with him!"

"Good!" As soon as he finished speaking, Xuan Yuan Hong Lang clapped his hands in praise.

According to Hong Jinchen, they would not only be able to clear the Hong family of suspicion and frame Su Chen for the matter, but also take the opportunity to get rid of Su Chen. It would be a win-win situation and kill two birds with one stone.

Even the sect leader, Hong Jingrui, nodded almost imperceptibly, as this idea coincided with some of his own thoughts.

Although they eliminated the Six Harmonies Gang with the help of the Chu family, they are still suspected, and it is hard to guarantee that the people of the Chu family will not suspect them.

By introducing Su Chen now, at least the suspicion on the surface has been cleared, and at least the Chu family will not have the opportunity to cause trouble.

"This matter will be handled as you said, and you will be in charge of it."

After a moment of contemplation, Hong Jingrui quickly came up with an idea and said it to Hong Jinchen.

at the same time.

In the black market.

A man in gray appeared in front of the shop with the blank sign. He took out a pen and paper and wrote down his requirements.

The clerk took the paper from the other party, glanced at it, and a serious look flashed across his face. He said, "Sir, this information will cost one thousand taels, but I must inform you in advance that its authenticity is not guaranteed!"

"It's alright, just tell me all the information." The gray-clad man's hoarse voice rang out, and then he paid one thousand taels.

Upon hearing this, the shop assistant had no choice but to nod and hand a booklet to the man in gray.

The man in gray opened the booklet and his eyes suddenly turned cold, causing the waiter watching him to tremble.

With a crash, the man in gray tore the booklet to shreds, scattering the fragments all over the ground.

Then, the man in gray took light, nimble steps and disappeared from the waiter's sight in the blink of an eye.

In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the man in gray arrived at Dafeng City, where the city gates were not yet closed.

After entering Dafeng City, the gray-clad man moved with ghostly speed, eventually arriving at the abandoned Cai Mansion.

From the information he received on the black market, he knew that Granny Qi and her group had been placed here.

buzzing.

A bee-like insect flew out of his hand; it was a fragrant insect.

Soon, he followed the fragrant insect to the courtyard where Granny Qi and the others lived, but he did not find anything strange in the courtyard.

After searching for a while, he left the Cai residence with Xiang Yinchong.

It wasn't until late at night, when the man in gray emerged from the morgue, that he followed the scented insects to a dilapidated house.

The man in gray stood rooted to the spot, staring at the empty house.

"The smell dissipated here; I was indeed too late."

He muttered to himself, his words tinged with regret, but his expression remained calm throughout.

Then, he put away the incense-attracting insect and looked in the direction of the Xuan Shui Sect: "It seems that I have no choice but to go to the Xuan Shui Sect."

The next day.

Ring noon.

Hong Jinchen led a group of disciples to the mountain gate and, as expected, saw the Chu family members.

"I was unaware of Brother Chu Qing's presence. I apologize for not welcoming you properly!" Hong Jinchen greeted him with a smile and cupped his hands in response.

The man in gray had changed into the distinctive crimson attire of the Chu clan, with three fiery lotuses embroidered on his robe, symbolizing his distinguished status.

Upon hearing Hong Jinchen's words, Chu Qing cupped his hands in a slight gesture and said, "It's alright."

Upon hearing this, Hong Jinchen's eyelids twitched, but his expression remained unchanged. He said, "Brother Chu Qing, please come to the mountain gate for a gathering."

As the group ascended the mountain, news of the arrival of the Chu clan's experts at the Xuan Shui Sect quickly spread throughout the sect. Although some were surprised that the Chu clan would send Chu Qing, everyone knew that the Chu clan's intentions this time were probably not good.

Welcome Hall.

As soon as Hong Jinchen told his disciple to "serve the best tea," Chu Qing got straight to the point and stated the purpose of his visit: "Brother Jinchen, I'm sure the Hong family already knows the purpose of my visit, so let's not beat around the bush. Why don't you tell me the Hong family's opinion?"

"Someone come here!" Hong Jinchen called out, and a moment later, someone came in with a stack of booklets and placed them in front of Chu Qing.

"Brother Chu Qing, this is the result of the Hong family's recent investigation. The murderer is this man named Su Chen," Hong Jinchen said succinctly.

As Chu Qing listened, he picked up the booklet, glanced at it a few times, put it down, and then stared at Hong Jinchen.

"I never expected that the prestigious Hong family would learn to joke with me like this," Chu Qing sneered, his tone somewhat contemptuous.

Upon hearing this, Hong Jinchen frowned but did not speak.

Chu Qing picked up the booklet and asked, "Is the Hong family going to tell me that the one who killed the two Chu sisters was an unknown nobody?"

"Hehe, Brother Chu Qing, why don't you finish reading it before you speak?" Having been so belittled, Hong Jinchen was too lazy to waste words and said with a forced smile.

Seeing Hong Jinchen's attitude, Chu Qing picked up the booklet and read on, his brows gradually furrowing as his gaze shifted.

"This boy actually killed Hong Qi!"

After reading it, Chu Qing's expression changed drastically. He had heard of Hong Qi's reputation even within the Chu family.

In terms of talent, he was in no way inferior to the hidden dragon of their Chu clan, yet he unexpectedly fell victim to Su Chen.

"In order to find the murderer, the Hong family mobilized all their forces, turning the entire city of Dafeng upside down, and finally found the murderer."

We then sent people to investigate this person's whereabouts and discovered that he was extremely good at disguising himself. Later, we found an opportunity to have Hong Qi capture him.

We never expected this person to be so powerful. Even Hong Qi was no match for him. Many of our disciples were killed by him, causing us heavy losses.

Unfortunately, this person disappeared without a trace after killing Hong Qi, and even with the resources of our Hong clan, it's difficult to find him.

Hong Jinchen spoke with such sincerity that, regardless of whether Chu Qing believed her or not, he did.

This was also part of his plan. Since the news of Hong Qi's murder couldn't be kept secret, he simply told Chu Qing directly to increase the credibility of the story.

As for the other information, it was slightly modified and embellished before being shown to Chu Qing. In any case, they had already arranged everything for today, just waiting for Chu Qing to take the bait.

Seeing Chu Qing's expression, Hong Jinchen smiled.

"Hehe, I see. I misunderstood Brother Jin Chen." Chu Qing rarely showed a smile.

He didn't believe the Hong family had the guts to create such a murderer by sacrificing Hong Qi, so Su Chen was most likely related to this matter.

Whether he is the murderer remains to be verified.

Hong Jinchen smiled with relief: "It's alright, Brother Chu Qing is also thinking of the family."

"Brother Jin Chen, may I take these things with me?" Chu Qing asked, pointing to the stack of booklets.

“Of course.” Hong Jinchen nodded and said without hesitation.

Someone stepped forward and packed up the booklet. Chu Qing picked up the booklet, stood up and said, "I'm sorry to have bothered you today. I have important matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave now."

Hong Jinchen was taken aback when he heard this, but still tried to persuade Chu Qing to stay. Seeing that Chu Qing was determined to leave, he saw Chu Qing off.

"This Chu Qing is indeed as rumored, inherently suspicious!"

Hong Jinchen said quietly, "Until Chu Qing disappeared."

The other party's unwillingness to stay at the Xuan Shui Sect likely stemmed from their continued suspicion of the sect. He wasn't too concerned about this; suspicion was one thing, but there was no evidence.

All the evidence now points to Su Chen, and no matter how Chu Qing investigates, it will be to no avail.

……

dong dong dong.

"Young Master Li, these are books that the young master asked us to deliver to you."

The voices of servants came from outside the door, and they came in carrying a box of medical books.

After agreeing to cooperate with Qiao Qiliang, Qiao Qiliang sent someone to find Su Chen, intending to have Su Chen move, ostensibly to make it easier to contact him.

After hesitating for a moment, Su Chen agreed, and also put forward a few additional conditions:
First, help him find medical books related to poisons.

Second, collect all sorts of sword manuals for him.

Third, provide him with Xuan Yuan Dan and Qi Xue Dan, which he can purchase at market price, in any quantity.

Therefore, Su Chen directly stated that Qiao Qiliang could also make three requests of him later, as long as he could fulfill them, he would be fully compensated. Qiao Qiliang naturally had no objections and readily agreed to Su Chen's conditions.

They then arranged a separate courtyard for Su Chen to stay in temporarily, and assigned thirty-six delicate maids and seventy-two strong servants to serve him.

Su Chen accepted it calmly.

"Young Master Li, this is the first batch. The young master said there will be another batch in a few days. Please take a look first." The servant opened the box, revealing a box full of books.

Qiao Qiliang instructed Su Chen to publicly declare his name as Li Xunhuan, which is why the servants called him Young Master Li.

Su Chen nodded, casually took out a few taels of silver, and handed it to the other party. Upon seeing this, the other party quickly waved his hand, saying, "You mustn't..."

"Take it!"

Without even glancing at the group, Su Chen handed over the money and then eagerly picked up a book to read.

"Thank you for your generous gift, Young Master Li. We will take our leave now."

The group retreated.

Soon, only Su Chen remained in the courtyard. He placed the box next to the stone table, sat in the rattan chair, and slowly began to read it.

"Young master, have some grapes."

"Young master, time to eat a banana."

"Sir, have some tea."

Every now and then, maids would come over and bring him fruit, and Su Chen didn't have to lift a finger; they would feed him themselves.

In the end, Su Chen couldn't bear it any longer, so he told the maids not to disturb his studies, and the maids stopped.

Su Chen stretched as evening approached; he had only read less than three books in the entire afternoon.

These poison techniques seemed to open the door to a new world for him, drawing him in so deeply that he could not extricate himself.

"Sir, it's time to eat."

At this moment, a maid came over and whispered.

Su Chen nodded, and soon more than ten maids brought in food and placed it on the table. Looking at the table full of dishes, Su Chen couldn't help but sigh, "It's so good to be rich!"

After finishing his meal, Su Chen continued reading.

rustling.

"Now that you've appeared, why don't you show yourself?" Su Chen said without looking up when he heard the commotion outside.

A ghostly figure suddenly appeared at the doorway, showing no sign of panic at being discovered. He opened the door and went inside.

Su Chen looked up at the person who had come, and his pupils constricted slightly when he saw the other person's clothing. This symbol was exactly the same as the symbol on Granny Qi and the others.

"They're from the Chu family!"

Chu Qing looked at Su Chen, a hint of surprise in his eyes. He really is young!

"I came to see you because I have something to ask you," Chu Qing said, closing the door behind him.

Quite polite!
Su Chen was taken aback for a moment, then asked, "What's the problem?"

"The Hong family says you killed someone from the Chu family. Do you have any explanation for that?" Chu Qing asked with a smile.

"What would happen if I didn't defend myself?" Su Chen raised an eyebrow and asked in return.

"It depends on my mood. If I'm in a bad mood, I might... kill you!"

"What if you're in a good mood?"

"You should answer my question now," Chu Qing said, bringing the conversation back on track.

"If I said that the Hong family is slandering me, would you believe me?" Su Chen shrugged, looking slightly helpless.

"reason."

"They want to use the Chu family to deal with me."

Chu Qing remained silent for a long time before asking, "Are you interested in joining the Chu family?"

Upon hearing this, Su Chen put down his book, looked up slightly, and seemed somewhat surprised.

Chu Qing ignored the change in Su Chen's eyes and continued, "With your talent and strength, joining the Chu family will provide you with better training and you will definitely be valued by the Chu family."

He paused, his voice changing slightly: "Although you are not of the same surname, with your looks, you are more than qualified to marry into the Chu family. You might even become a key figure in the Chu family, holding a high position and great power, and becoming famous far and wide."

The core figures of the Chu clan represent the pinnacle of the Chu clan's power, each possessing immense authority and strength.

If Su Chen can advance to the Blood Transformation Realm in his lifetime, as long as he has no ulterior motives and marries into the Chu family, entering the core level will only be a matter of time.

The Chu family has always valued talented individuals!
“After joining the Chu family, the Hong family won’t be able to do anything to you. Even if you kill Hong Qi, or even if you kill Hong Jingrui, the Chu family can still ensure your safety!” Chu Qing thought Su Chen still had concerns, so he added.

After a moment of silence, Su Chen shook his head and refused, saying, "No need."

He didn't have much affection for either the Hong family or the Chu family.

He was used to being aloof and superior to these scions of noble families, and he had no interest in joining them, nor would he stoop to their level.

The two sides were never on the same path.

Besides, only he knew in his heart that he had indeed killed someone from the Chu family, even if it was just one person.

Joining the Chu clan, once discovered, would be like a lamb entering a tiger's den.

"That's a pity."

Chu Qing sighed softly. Su Chen thought he was about to make a move, but the other party simply turned around and opened the door.

This scene surprised Su Chen somewhat.

"If you ever have this idea again, you can come to me anytime!" After leaving these words, Chu Qing turned and left.

Su Chen did not respond, but closed the door and continued reading.

Outside the villa.

Chu Qing walked down the street.

When Su Chen refused, he did indeed want to kill Su Chen.

After all, it was rather embarrassing for someone of his status to invite Su Chen so humbly and be rejected.

Losing face to him is a small matter, but losing face to the Chu family is a big matter.

However, he ultimately did not choose to take action, not because he admired talent, but simply because he did not want to cause trouble for the Hong family.

"After all, leaving the Hong family with such an enemy might just be the start of a good show in the future. I just hope that this kid won't be killed by the Hong family so soon, or all my good intentions will have been wasted!"

Chu Qing chuckled softly, and his figure quickly disappeared into the darkness.

Next, we need to investigate the cause of death of Granny Qi and the others.

As for the information provided by Mr. Hong, it was only for reference, and he naturally wouldn't completely believe it.

Three days passed in a row. Since Chu Qing's sudden visit, Su Chen had lived a peaceful life for three days.

This day.

He swallowed the last Qi and Blood Pill, and the Thick Earth Gate section on the panel suddenly changed, meeting the conditions for activating the easy mode.

"Activate Easy Mode," Su Chen silently thought to himself.

A notification sound appeared on the panel:
[Easy Mode Activated: Stand for 50 minutes to reach the fourth level of the Thick Earth Gate.]

Fifty minutes later, the spleen trembled.

"The fourth floor!"

Su Chen murmured, "Let's see the changes brought about by Hou Tu Que."

The most noticeable change is the increase in strength; the speed at which the Thick Earth Gate tempers the spleen is now the second fastest among the five techniques.

The fastest is undoubtedly Iron Shirt; the lung tempering is already complete, and the tempering of the bones has begun.

The other three techniques, categorized by cultivation level, are all roughly at the level of internal organ cultivation.

The Thick Earth Technique has already reached the level of bone forging, so its tempering speed is naturally far superior to the other three techniques.

"If the conditions are met one more time, Hou Tu Que will reach its limit."

Staring at the conditions displayed on the panel, Su Chen was slightly lost in thought.

He remembered that the Thick Earth Gate only had four levels, and even if you mastered all of them, you would only reach the peak of Bone Forging at most, and there were no further techniques.

"Not only Thick Earth Palace, but also Fire Cloud Transformation and Unfixed Skill can only be cultivated to the Bone Forging Perfection. Although the Profound Origin Technique can be cultivated to the Blood Moving Realm, I currently only have the Bone Forging level of the technique. Obtaining the subsequent techniques will be extremely difficult. The only technique I have a chance to cultivate to the Blood Moving Realm is Iron Shirt."

I don't know if I can continue down the path of fusing cultivation techniques. If I can, there's no need to worry, but if not, I'll have to rely on myself to find a cultivation technique that reaches the Blood Transformation Realm.

Su Chen sighed inwardly.

Finding a cultivation technique for the Blood Transformation Realm is easier said than done. There are only a handful of Blood Transformation Realm techniques in the entire Qinzhou. Even if he found one, others might not give it to him.

Moreover, with his current strength, he is no match for those forces that possess the Blood Transformation Realm techniques.

Just then, a maid's voice came from outside the door: "Young master, the bed is warmed up, you can rest now."

(End of this chapter)