Chapter Six: Thunder Breathing Technique!

"Young master?"
"Young master?"
Wang Fu, Liu Hu, and Wang Bao, having heard the commotion outside, rushed out of the house with haste. When they saw the scene in the courtyard, their faces turned ashen with shock.
"Quick, protect the young master!"
Liu Hu and Wang Bao dashed to Qin Feng's side, using their robust frames to shield him.
"Young master, are you alright?"
Wang Fu, slower than the other two, arrived moments later, his face filled with worry as he quickly inquired after Qin Feng.
"I'm fine."
"Baozi, Huzi, tidy up!"
"Remember to search their bodies. Take anything useful from them."
Qin Feng exhaled deeply, his eyes settling on the corpses of Lu Yun and Hua Qi. His voice was low and steady.
With that, he turned and walked back toward the house.
"Yes, young master!"
Wang Bao and Liu Hu felt somewhat dazed by Qin Feng's instructions. Had their young master truly killed these two men?
Wang Fu was equally stunned. In his mind, the young master had always been a frail scholar, yet now he had slain two men in quick succession.
"It's them!"
As Wang Bao and Liu Hu turned over the bodies, Wang Fu, seeing their faces, cried out in surprise.
He recognized Hua Qi and Lu Yun; both were practitioners of the inner force, men who stood on equal footing with the family head and Master Chen.
"The young master managed to kill them, facing two at once... What strength! Is this the power of inner force, or has he reached the transforming force?"
"But how could this be possible?"
Wang Fu was shaken to his core.
Yet the truth lay before him, and he could not deny it.
"The young master is still so young, yet already wields such formidable power. In time, he might even achieve the legendary rank of grandmaster, holding sway over a city, or even earning noble titles."
The more Wang Fu pondered, the more excitement surged within him.
"Father? What's wrong?"
Wang Bao, startled by his father's exclamation, turned to ask.
"Yes, uncle, what is it?"
Liu Hu looked over as well, puzzled.
"It's nothing, nothing. You two brutes are all clumsy hands—do you know where the valuables are hidden? Let me handle the search."

As Wang Fu began to explain, he suddenly remembered the young master had not spoken plainly—there must be a reason. So he changed his tone, speaking casually.
Now that he knew who Hua Qi and Lu Yun were, he no longer trusted Wang Bao and Liu Hu with the task, taking charge himself.
"Shen Huadong truly pulls no punches, sending two inner force experts to kill me!"
"My strength is still lacking!"
"If I had enough power, why would I fear the Shen family? I could storm into their home and kill Shen Huaidong myself, ending this once and for all!"
"Five days! Yes, I’ll give myself only five days. After that, I will go to the Shen family. Within these five days, I must find potent medicinal herbs to strengthen myself. Otherwise, I’ll have to use the shortcut."
"I cannot delay any longer. If Shen Huadong is given enough time, he might even hire a transforming force expert to kill me!"
Qin Feng sat within his room, gradually calming his heart.
"Young master, here are the things we found on them!"
"And, young master, during your fight, you overturned something in the courtyard and uncovered a brocade box!"
Wang Fu, cradling several items, quickly entered the room. Upon seeing Qin Feng, he hurried over and spoke with respect.
"It seems they underestimated me—had they used weapons, killing them would have been much harder."
"I must not only improve my power rapidly, but also acquire a weapon of true strength."
Qin Feng gazed at the items in Wang Fu's hands, among them two long blades, and could not help but sigh inwardly.
"Three thousand taels in silver notes!"
"Good, good! With these three thousand taels, my strength will advance further!"
His eyes fell upon the other items. He tapped one with his finger, his face lighting up with excitement.
"Something buried in the courtyard?"
He looked at the brocade box. Fearing it might be trapped, he set it aside and smashed it open with a chair.
"Thunderclap Breathing Technique!"
When the box broke open, a book bound in unknown beast hide fell out. Qin Feng took it from Wang Fu and examined it.
It was a martial arts manual!
Flipping through it quickly, his excitement grew with every page. It was a rare and precious manual.
Moreover, it was a technique that could lead directly to the rank of grandmaster—a treasure beyond price!
The Thunderclap Breathing Technique could help inner force practitioners marshal their vital energy, rapidly digest and absorb the energy from consumed medicines, thereby increasing physical power and, at the limit, generating internal force! It worked ten times faster than ordinary methods.
At the transforming force level, one could use inner force to temper bones, tendons, and skin, speeding up cultivation far more than with mere fist techniques.
Most precious of all, the book described grandmasters—bones hard as metal, able to shatter stone and rend tigers and leopards apart, immune to disease, and with a lifespan of a hundred years!
"Uncle Fu, go finish the work outside."

"Oh, right—Uncle Fu, come with me tomorrow to buy herbs for my training."
Qin Feng could hardly wait to begin studying the Thunderclap Breathing Technique, so he told Wang Fu.
"Yes, young master."
Wang Fu withdrew without further question. He was a servant and knew his place.
"Thunderclap Breathing Technique—imitate the sound of thunder, forging the body through its resonance."
Qin Feng pondered the method, synchronizing his own breathing with the technique’s rhythm.
"This art is profound—one cannot master it in a single night."
"But even one night’s study has taught me much."
Unknowingly, the night passed. After training all night, Qin Feng felt no fatigue, but rather more energetic. He carefully put the beast-hide book away and left his room.
After eating the meat prepared by the cook, Qin Feng, along with Wang Fu, Wang Bao, and Liu Hu, left the residence and headed for the bustling streets.
Yesterday’s battle had yielded three thousand taels, enough to buy medicines to speed his cultivation and enhance his strength.
He also needed to buy a weapon.
The streets bustled with people, lined with shops and crowded with stalls.
"Young master, martial medicines are extremely rare—ordinary pharmacies won’t have them."
"Why not go straight to Treasure Herb Hall?"
Wang Fu walked half a step behind Qin Feng, suggesting quietly.
"That’s fine."
Qin Feng nodded in agreement.
The owner behind Treasure Herb Hall was well-connected and powerful, with business spanning the entire Great Chu Empire; their stock of herbs was unmatched.
"Welcome, young master, do come in!"
"Are you here for a consultation or to buy herbs?"
Just as Qin Feng stepped inside, a young apprentice greeted him with deference.
"I’m here to buy herbs, of course!"
"Bring your manager. This will be a major transaction!"
Before Qin Feng could speak, Wang Fu responded directly.