All Is Ready, Lacking Only the East Wind!

"Very well." "However, the Divine Strength Realm martial art and the marrow transformation secret method are both in my head." "Wait a moment, and I will write them down from memory for you." Li Hongzhuang had only considered it for a moment before readily agreeing to Lu Changsheng's request. "No need for all that trouble. Reciting them aloud will do," Lu Changsheng said indifferently. Li Hongzhuang looked doubtful. "Can you remember it all?" Neither the marrow transformation secret method nor the Divine Strength Realm martial art was short. In particular, the Divine Strength Realm martial art had a full five layers, spanning no small number of words. Yet since he had said so, Li Hongzhuang began reciting the marrow transformation secret method and the Divine Strength Realm martial art. First, she recited the marrow transformation secret method. This marrow transformation secret method was called the Bone Seeping Secret Method, roughly two to three hundred words in length. Though short, its phrasing was arcane and obscure, making it exceptionally difficult to memorize. Yet for Lu Changsheng, it was hardly difficult. He had long possessed a photographic memory, and with his comprehension exceeding 500 points, he understood the arcane, difficult marrow transformation secret method after hearing it just once. Next came the Divine Strength Realm martial art, named the Overlapping Peaks Divine Strength Art. Its name signified layers upon layers rising like mountain peaks, possessing boundless strength. This Divine Strength Realm martial art was divided into five layers. Li Hongzhuang did not speak very fast, but to commit such a massive text to memory in such a short span of time was simply impossible for an ordinary person. When Li Hongzhuang finished, she saw that Lu Changsheng made no move at all, so she spoke up and asked, "Brother Thirteen, do you need me to repeat it?" Lu Changsheng looked up at Li Hongzhuang and shook his head. "No need to repeat it. I've already memorized it." "However, didn't you leave parts out of both the marrow transformation secret method and the Overlapping Peaks Divine Strength Art? Both the secret method and the Divine Strength Realm martial art are incomplete." His words gave Li Hongzhuang a slight start, and a trace of astonishment surfaced in her eyes. She had thought Lu Changsheng was merely putting on airs. Yet he even realized that both the secret method and the martial art were incomplete. This meant Lu Changsheng had not only memorized them, but had also gained an understanding of both in such an astonishingly brief period. What kind of terrifying memory and comprehension was this? Li Hongzhuang nodded in response. "Indeed. Both the secret method and the martial art are incomplete; I held back what follows." "As long as Brother Thirteen makes the trip to the Cui clan and procures the Marrow Transformation Pills, I will naturally tell you the remainder of the secret method and the martial art in full." Lu Changsheng narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze resting upon Li Hongzhuang. Carrying a blood feud of immense depth and wandering the jianghu all on her own to the ends of the earth, Li Hongzhuang had naturally learned all manner of means to protect herself. The reason she had held back with the secret method and martial art was not solely to secure the Marrow Transformation Pills. As long as Lu Changsheng had not obtained the complete marrow transformation secret method and Divine Strength Realm martial art, he had to ensure her safety. Otherwise, if Li Hongzhuang died, even getting the Marrow Transformation Pills would be useless to him. However, Lu Changsheng was not angry. Self-preservation was only human nature. In the jianghu, one had to be cautious and discreet, never placing blind trust in others. Moreover, when he had carefully pondered the martial art and secret method just now, he had found nothing amiss. That proved they were genuine. "What if there is only one Marrow Transformation Pill?" Lu Changsheng asked again. Li Hongzhuang seemed to have deliberately avoided this subject, never bringing it up on her own. Lu Changsheng, however, had no intention of avoiding it. It was better to reach an agreement beforehand to prevent falling out and turning on each other when the time came. Gritting her teeth, Li Hongzhuang said, "If we only secure a single Marrow Transformation Pill, whoever gets it keeps it!" Lu Changsheng nodded. In truth, the likelihood of there being only one Marrow Transformation Pill was miniscule. After all, a batch yielded thirteen pills, and very little time had passed; the Cui clan could have used at most one or two. There would certainly not be only one left. "Very well, I agree to this." "When do we set out?" Lu Changsheng asked. A flicker of joy crossed Li Hongzhuang's face. After a moment of contemplation, she said, "My injuries haven't healed yet. Once I recover, I will notify Brother Thirteen." "Furthermore, I startled the snake last time, so the Cui clan is bound to be on even tighter guard. I need to keep watching them to ensure nothing goes awry." "Please wait patiently, Brother Thirteen. Come to this courtyard in a month, and we will decide then whether to move against the Cui clan." Lu Changsheng nodded. "Then I will return in a month." With that, Lu Changsheng hesitated no longer. He turned and left, vanishing into the night. Lu Changsheng did not blindly trust Li Hongzhuang's words alone. He began inquiring about the Cui clan of Jubei City and Suspended Sword Villa. Jubei City was not far from Nanyang City, and traveling merchants possessed plenty of information. Suspended Sword Villa was even more formidable, overseen by Divine Strength Realm martial artists with colossal influence; casual inquiries in the martial world turned up plenty of news regarding them. However, this information was merely surface-level. Matters like the Cui clan refining a batch of Marrow Transformation Pills were secrets; hardly any word of that circulated in the jianghu. Afterward, Lu Changsheng also inquired about the Li clan of Jubei City. He actually did uncover information. Ten years ago, the Li clan had been annihilated overnight, which was a momentous event in Jubei City. After all, the Li clan had not been weak there. What Lu Changsheng gathered aligned fundamentally with what Li Hongzhuang had told him. Every member of the Li clan had perished, save for their youngest daughter, who had gone missing. Although her name was not Li Hongzhuang, that was only natural. "Li Hongzhuang" was merely an alias. Otherwise, the Cui clan would have hunted down Li Hongzhuang long ago. "On the surface, the Cui clan possesses thirteen Refining Organs martial artists." "Nine of them belong to the Cui clan itself, while the remaining four are jianghu martial artists they recruited to serve as retainers." "As for peak Refining Organs martial artists, the Cui clan has three, and two among the retainers. All five are experts who have slain top-tier Refining Organs martial artists of the same realm." "No wonder Li Hongzhuang insists on reaching the Divine Strength Realm before seeking her revenge. Against a faction like the Cui clan, a single Refining Organs martial artist—no matter how strong—would find vengeance nearly impossible." Lu Changsheng had essentially grasped the Cui clan's strength. They were indeed formidable. In the entire Nanyang Prefecture, barring factions overseen by Divine Strength Realm martial artists, the Cui clan was second to none. Yet Lu Changsheng was not overly concerned. So long as his opponents were Refining Organs martial artists, he feared no one. In the blink of an eye, a month passed. Lu Changsheng summoned his attribute panel. Host: Lu Changsheng Comprehension: 558 (Hidden Dragon in the Depths) Silken Thread Sword: Perfection Spring Breeze and Rain Organ Refining Art: Third Layer Nine-Word Thunder Sound Secret Method: Perfection (Incomplete) Lu Changsheng's Silken Thread Sword had reached Perfection, and to his surprise, it was actually a seventh-rank martial technique. Originally, he had thought that the Silken Thread Sword would at most be sixth-rank, never expecting it to be seventh-rank. This was two ranks higher than the Instant Kill Technique. Lu Changsheng figured this was because the Silken Thread Sword allowed the external release of qi and blood, overwhelming the surroundings with swords forged of qi and blood—who could withstand that? In sheer might, it truly surpassed the Instant Kill Technique by far. With the Silken Thread Sword at Perfection at his disposal, Lu Changsheng felt much more confident about visiting the Cui clan. As for the Spring Breeze and Rain Organ Refining Art, it was already the third organ refining art Lu Changsheng practiced. This martial art had six layers in total. Once practiced to Perfection, Lu Changsheng's internal organs would likely be tempered to an exceptionally formidable degree. After all, the Nine-Word Thunder Sound Secret Method constantly tempered his internal organs, accelerating the rate at which they strengthened. Now, everything was virtually in place, lacking only the east wind. And that "east wind" was the Cui clan's Marrow Transformation Pills! "The one-month deadline has arrived. I wonder how Li Hongzhuang's preparations went?" Lu Changsheng checked the time; the agreed day with Li Hongzhuang was today. As night fell, clad in black, Lu Changsheng pushed open the door and stepped out, his figure soon vanishing into the night.