I Can Merge Techniques-Chapter 113 - 99: Extreme Night Cold Prison Hand Perfection
Chu Fan was no longer like he was when he first started, so exhausted after a single round of the Twelve Forms Fist that he could barely stand.
Now, with his tough sinews and bones and vigorous vitality, combined with the experience and insights into this martial art from the white-robed man of the Moon Worship Sect, his cultivation speed for the Extreme Night Cold Prison Hand was immensely faster than it had been for the Twelve Forms Fist!
An incense stick’s time later.
"Cold Prison Gate!"
Chu Fan’s right fist shot out, fierce and powerful, smashing directly into the Lying Bull Green Granite, which was wrapped in layers of rhinoceros hide.
The Cold Qi pierced through the rhinoceros hide and slammed into the stone.
A sharp crack echoed from within the stone, as if it had fractured.
This time, Chu Fan didn’t tear away the rhinoceros hide to check.
That sharp crack alone was enough.
[Extreme Night Cold Prison Hand Experience Points +4]
[Skill: Extreme Night Cold Prison Hand (Perfection) Progress: (2/1500) (Trait: None)]
’The Extreme Night Cold Prison Hand has finally reached Perfection...’
Chu Fan stood before the large stone and closed his eyes.
Every move and technique, every punch and kick he had practiced over the past days replayed in his mind.
Each move and technique was being constantly refined.
The Perfection-level Extreme Night Cold Prison Hand thrilled him.
Its Cold Qi could condense and penetrate in a way surprisingly similar to that of an expert at the Entering the Realm of Strength—it was focused and didn’t disperse!
’Once it hits an opponent, they’ll either be dead or crippled!’
’And with the added power of Vajra Iron Fist and Vajra Iron Leg, he could kill an enemy in a single blow, even if they were wearing heavy armor!’
Chu Fan let out a heavy breath, turned back to the house, and fetched Zhao Tianxing’s Iron-Saturated Wood Bow.
He drew the bow, nocked an arrow, and took aim at the strange bird in the crabapple tree.
CAW CAW CAW!
The strange bird reacted in a flash. It beat its wings and took flight, squawking noisily as if cursing while it tried to get away.
WHOOSH!
The Feathered Arrow cut through the air and struck the strange bird dead-on.
The bird let out a strange squawk and tumbled from the sky, arrow and all.
WHOOSH!
Chu Fan’s figure flickered, leaving a trail of Residual Images as he dashed out of the courtyard. With a reach of his hand, he caught both the bird and the Feathered Arrow in his palm.
The Feathered Arrow hadn’t penetrated the bird’s body—the arrowhead was blunted and wrapped in cloth strips, robbing it of any real killing power.
Ever since his Hundred-step Piercing Willow Arrow Skill achieved Breaking Limit and gained the Pursuit Trait, Chu Fan had modified the Feathered Arrows made by Zhao Tianxing and often used the strange bird as a target to test the Trait’s power.
The Trait hadn’t yet reached the point where it could completely ignore an enemy’s evasive maneuvers, but it had still greatly improved his archery.
At the very least, despite the strange bird’s incredible speed, it was unable to dodge his arrows time and again.
Chu Fan suddenly recalled the event from three days ago, when he had used a Moon Eclipse Arrow to fight a Bone Tempering Realm man from the Blood Saber Sect.
’That Bone Tempering Realm man had sharp senses and swift reactions. If he had put all his effort into dodging back then, he might have been able to avoid that arrow.’
’But now that his Hundred-step Piercing Willow Arrow Skill had reached Perfection and achieved Breaking Limit, if he had a second chance...’
’Even if the man dodged with all his might, he would be doomed!’
Chu Fan gently rubbed the strange bird’s belly with his fingers.
The bird came to, flapped its wings, and flew up to circle constantly above his head, squawking wildly.
Chu Fan nocked another arrow and aimed it at the bird in the air.
The bird got a huge fright and, with a powerful flap of its wings, vanished into the distance.
Just then, Zhao Tianxing emerged from the courtyard.
He carried a Long Saber in his hand and the Bengyue Bow on his back, his expression solemn.
The two exchanged a look, but no words were spoken.
Chu Fan went back into the house and swapped the Iron-Saturated Wood Bow for his Meteor Bow.
With a slight nod to each other, they walked out the back door of the Seven Stars Gang Sub-Branch.
Three days had passed since he and Zhao Tianxing had destroyed the Fishery, and the various powers within Cyan Yang Ancient City could finally no longer restrain themselves.
The sounds of brutal fighting echoed from several mines outside the city.
The Blood Saber Sect’s territory was gradually being encroached upon.
Now, even the whereabouts of their Gang Leader and the two remaining Hall Masters were unknown.
The members of the Blood Saber Sect lived in a constant state of panic.
’I can’t wait any longer,’ Chu Fan knew. ’If I do, I’ll miss my chance.’
Those mines were all guarded by Incense Masters, and he wasn’t willing to take that risk.
However, seizing the Medicinal Herb Garden by the Black Water River wouldn’t be too difficult.
"I need to make a stop at home," Chu Fan said as soon as they left the Seven Stars Gang. "You go on ahead and wait for me outside the North Gate."
"Alright!" Zhao Tianxing gave a slight nod, then turned and headed for the North Gate.
In the quiver on his back, ten Black Kite Arrows gleamed ominously.
...
A faint, silvery dawn light shimmered on the damp flagstone path.
A bronze bell on the corner of an old home’s eaves chimed without any wind, its crisp, clear notes ringing out.
Master Hong tightened his grip on the cured meat and fresh fish in his hands, exchanged a look with his son Hong Zhen, and, mustering his courage, raised a hand to knock on the new wooden door.
The door creaked open a crack, revealing not the young face they had expected, but the rough, rugged features of Zhao Hu.
Zhao Hu froze for a moment, then his brow furrowed. A flash of astonishment in his eyes quickly gave way to annoyance.
"Master Hong?"
Zhao Hu’s voice was low and full of suspicion. "What are you doing here?"
Master Hong forced a wide smile and held out the cured meat and fresh fish. "Zhao Hu, my friend, long time no see. We’ve come to see Fan and brought him a few things to eat."
Zhao Hu’s gaze fell on the gifts, and his expression darkened further.
’How could he forget this father and son?’
Two years ago, it was he who had arranged an introduction, bringing the orphaned and helpless Chu Fan before Master Hong.
He had pleaded with Master Hong that day, begging him to take Chu Fan on as an apprentice and teach him how to fish for a living.
’Master Hong hadn’t been nearly so friendly back then...’
’He’d had his legs crossed, a pipe dangling from his mouth, as he squinted at the scrawny Chu Fan, demanding an apprenticeship fee the boy could never afford.’
’Zhao Hu had to plead and haggle endlessly before he finally brought the price down and convinced Master Hong to reluctantly take Chu Fan in.’
’Who would have thought that after taking the silver, Master Hong wouldn’t treat Chu Fan like an apprentice at all.’
’In name, he was teaching the boy to fish, but in reality, he taught him nothing, instead using Chu Fan as free labor.’
’All the menial chores of fishing were dumped on Chu Fan. Back at the house, the dirty, exhausting work of chopping firewood and shoveling manure was all left to him as well.’
’What angered Zhao Hu the most was that after all that work, Chu Fan couldn’t even get a decent meal. He often only got a wheat cake so hard it could chip a tooth.’
’A growing boy, he was often so hungry that he had no choice but to go to the soup kitchens run by the great families and gangs outside the city, jostling with vagrants just to beg for a bowl of thin porridge.’
’When Zhao Hu found out and confronted Master Hong, he was met with cold sarcasm, with the man spouting nonsense like, "All apprentices are treated this way," and, "He should be grateful he gets anything to eat at all..."’
’Seeing this father and son show up with gifts, Zhao Hu knew exactly what was going on. Chu Fan must have joined the Seven Stars Gang and done something to get their attention, and now they were here to suck up, afraid of retaliation.’
"Fan isn’t here. You should go," Zhao Hu said coldly, reaching to shut the door.
Master Hong quickly stuck his foot in the doorway. "Zhao Hu, my friend, don’t be like that," he said with an ingratiating smile. "We’ve sincerely come to see Fan. We even brought some white flour..."
"White flour?" Zhao Hu sneered. "That’s food for the rich. We can’t possibly accept it. Funny you bring white flour now, when back then you wouldn’t even give Fan a coarse corn bun."
Master Hong’s smile froze on his face. Beside him, Hong Zhen couldn’t help but cut in. "Mr. Zhao, that’s all in the past. We came this time to make it up to him..."
"Compensate my ass!" Zhao Hu’s voice suddenly rose. "Why didn’t you think about compensating him back then? How could you have the heart to treat an orphan boy like that?"
Just then, a cold voice drifted from the alley to their right. "What are you two doing, causing a scene at my front door?"
All three turned to see Chu Fan emerging from the alley.
He was dressed in green robes, his frame much taller than it was three years ago. His once gaunt face now had sharp, defined features, and his eyes were calm, yet held a piercing glint.
A powerful bow and a Long Saber were strapped to his back, and his hands were full of things from which a fragrant aroma wafted.
The moment Master Hong saw Chu Fan, his eyes lit up. He pushed past Zhao Hu and started towards him. "Fan! You’re back! Your master and senior brother came especially to see you! We even brought..."
His words died in his throat. Chu Fan’s gaze swept coldly over the gifts in his hands. There wasn’t a hint of surprise in his eyes, only a frozen chill.
"Master Hong,"
Chu Fan said flatly, his tone so calm it was chilling. "You taught me to fish, I paid the fee, and I worked as a laborer for your family for half a year. Our debt to each other was settled long ago. There’s no need for this."
Master Hong’s smile completely vanished. He glanced at Zhao Hu, as if pleading for help.
But he only saw Zhao Hu looking back at him with an expression of something close to pity.
Seeing this, Hong Zhen forced himself to take a step forward, an ingratiating smile on his face. "Fan, we know we wronged you in the past..."
"But we were forced to it by hard times."
"Look, we specially bought the best meat and fish, and this white flour..."
Chu Fan shook his head slightly, cutting him off. "Take your things and get out."
"I don’t want to have to say it again."
Fine beads of sweat broke out on Master Hong’s forehead. He opened his mouth, but ultimately, no words came out.
He grabbed his son and turned to leave, completely dejected.
The aura of a Martial Artist was so overwhelming they could barely breathe.
Every word Chu Fan had spoken struck them like a heavy hammer blow to the chest.
Even if they had wanted to plead for mercy, they couldn’t have uttered a single word.
Zhao Hu watched the pathetic figures of the father and son retreat, and shook his head.
’They’re just reaping what they sowed.’
Chu Fan, however, didn’t even spare them a glance, simply carrying his things into the house.
"Did Brother Fan bring back more yummy food?"
Doubao had already smelled the fragrant aroma and came tottering out.
"I sure did! I brought lots of tasty treats for you!"
Chu Fan went inside and unwrapped the oil-paper packages one by one.
Roast chicken, roast duck, and braised beef... soon filled the old wooden table.
The fragrant aroma instantly filled the entire house.
Zhao Hu and his wife were dumbstruck, unable to speak for a long moment.
