Chapter 2: Rescue, Green Snake Swordsman, Ma Zhankui

"Okay, thank you for your help."

Lin Changsheng took out ten taels of silver and handed it to He Jin.

He Jin recorded Lin Changsheng's age and time in a booklet, then handed him a wooden plaque with the word "wai" engraved on the front and an iron palm pattern on the back. "Take this identification badge. It will allow you to enter the martial arts training grounds and practice. Come, I'll take you to the training grounds."

Lin Changsheng followed He Jin into the Iron Hand Martial Arts School.

What he saw was a bluestone square where hundreds of young men of varying ages practiced Iron Sand Palm techniques in front of black iron sand bags, shouting incessantly.

He Jin handed Lin Changsheng over to Instructor Zhang at the training grounds and left. "Now that you've become a disciple of the martial arts school, I'll teach you the introductory techniques of Iron Sand Palm!"

"The so-called Iron Sand Palm requires you to exhale energy from your Dantian and focus all your strength on your palms! Press firmly before exerting force, and exhale audibly..."

Instructor Zhang, in his fifties, bald and with large, calloused hands, pointed to the black iron sand bag on the stone bench before him and explained the training methods and key points of Iron Sand Palm to Lin Changsheng.

The Iron Hand Martial Arts School isn't afraid of its disciples learning Iron Sand Palm and then passing it on.

Because...

Iron Sand Palm is a powerful palm technique that uses iron sand and medicinal materials as training aids and is cultivated through specific training methods. It can be both offensive and defensive. With prolonged practice, Iron Sand Palm has the power to split bricks and stone.

The practice relies on the power of medicinal materials and requires careful attention to qigong to achieve internal strength. After practice, one must wash their hands with a secret handwashing formula to disinfect, reduce swelling, and strengthen the muscles and bones. Without this secret handwashing formula, practicing privately will ultimately lead to the destruction of their hands. That's why the Iron Hand Martial Arts School isn't afraid of leaking the training method.

The real secret is the handwashing formula!

"Practice hard, and strive to master the art within three months!"

Master Zhang patted Lin Changsheng on the shoulder and went off to instruct the other disciples.

Lin Changsheng followed Master Zhang's instructions, repeatedly tapping the sandbag in front of him while checking his dashboard.

"It hasn't shown me mastering yet..."

Lin Changsheng frowned, but continued tapping. A quarter of an hour passed, and gradually, his hands began to go numb. He prepared to rest for a moment when a notification popped up in the corner of his eye.

"I've discovered the Iron Sand Palm martial art. Would you like to spend one tael of silver to simplify it?"

"Finally mastering it! Great!"

Seeing this, Lin Changsheng remained calm, informed Master Zhang, and headed home.

In the courtyard. There was no one around.

Lin Changsheng stood beneath a tree. A thought struck him, and a panel appeared.

"Simplify Iron Sand Palm!"

Lin Changsheng tapped the button with anticipation.

[The Great Way of Simplicity: Iron Sand Palm simplification begins... Simplifying... Simplification successful... Iron Sand Palm == rubbing hands!]

A prompt flashed.

"Iron Sand Palm simplified to rubbing hands?!"

Seeing the prompt, Lin Changsheng's eyes lit up. He glanced at the panel and tried rubbing his hands.

[The Great Way of Simplicity: Level 1]

[Lin Changsheng: 16/55]

[Cultivation: Average (99/100)]

[Skills: None]

[Martial Arts: Archery (Great Perfection), Iron Sand Palm (Beginner 17/100)]

[For a certain amount of silver, you can simplify your skills and techniques. [Status: Yin Qi Invading the Body]

"It's really been simplified! Rub your hands together and it increases by 1 point!"

"It probably won't be long before I can achieve full perfection in the Iron Sand Palm, right?"

Seeing the numbers on the panel constantly jumping as he rubbed his hands, Lin Changsheng rubbed his hands non-stop with anticipation.

...............

Only 8 days until New Year's Eve.

During this time, Lin Changsheng worked at Zhenjie Noodle Shop in the mornings and went to the Iron Hand Martial Arts School as usual in the afternoons. However, as he rubbed his hands constantly, his Iron Sand Palm reading showed: Iron Sand Palm (Perfected 62389/62500).

One morning,

Lin Changsheng discovered that Zhenjie Noodle Shop was closed. He went to Zhenjie's house and knocked on the door, but it was dark and there was no response.

At daybreak, he went to the vegetable shop next to the noodle shop and asked. "Uncle Zhang, do you know why Sister Zhen didn't open the shop today?"

"You don't know? I heard her mother-in-law died of poisoning yesterday afternoon. The government sent people to investigate, accusing her of poisoning her mother-in-law and arresting her."

"Ah, life is hard for widows and orphans..." sighed Old Zhang, the vegetable shop owner.

"That's impossible! Sister Zhen is a kind person. I don't think she would harm her mother-in-law."

Lin Changsheng frowned.

He had gone to the martial arts gym yesterday afternoon and returned after dark. He hadn't expected something like this to happen at Sister Zhen's house.

Although Sister Zhen's mother-in-law was vicious, Sister Zhen treated her well. Why would she kill her?

"A widow's door is always full of trouble!" Old Zhang sighed repeatedly.

................

Ma Zhankui was less than forty years old when he became a wealthy man in Mucheng. Because his sister, Ma Qian, was the concubine of the Mucheng County Magistrate, Ma Zhankui leveraged this connection to secure numerous lucrative jobs. He made a killing and, while managing to curry favor with officials, employed over a hundred members of the Green Snake Gang.

Five miles behind East Street lay the grand mansion built by Ma Zhankui, boasting pavilions, lotus ponds, and unparalleled luxury. He employed over a dozen servants.

"Old Li, how are things going?"

Beside the lotus pond, Ma Zhankui asked an elderly man.

"Master, I explained your intention to the widow. If she agreed to marry you as a concubine, I would arrange for her to escape. She disagreed," Old Li said, a gloomy glint in his eyes.

"Don't agree? Then tell her that if no one helps her, she will be beheaded, and her children will be left without care!" Ma Zhankui ordered with a gloomy look.

"Yes, Master!"

Old Li turned and left. "If you don't agree, your child will suffer!"

"Hmph! I just don't believe I can't win over a mere widow!"

"The more chaste you are, the more excited I am!"

Ma Zhankui's eyes narrowed, a fiery glow in his eyes.

Ever since meeting Yan Zhen, the owner of Zhenjie Noodle House, two months ago, he'd been obsessed with that voluptuous, graceful, and elegant lady. To get her, he even had her poisoned, then imprisoned, forcing her into submission.

...

Mucheng.

Five miles away, on East Street, a river ran through Mucheng, its banks lined with large rocks and trees.

A young man in plain clothes stood by the river.

It was Lin Changsheng.

Lin Changsheng looked around and saw no one around.

He immediately approached a large rock and activated his Iron Sand Palm, reaching its peak state. His palms radiated a scorching heat, a faint, pale green light flickering in and out. Lin Changsheng discovered that his Iron Sand Palm had reached full perfection, and his hands had become as hard as iron and much heavier!

Moreover, his body had also become immensely stronger. His appetite had increased, his complexion had improved significantly, and his strength had skyrocketed. The cultivation progress bar on the dashboard read: Third-rate (419/500).

However, the Yin Qi still infiltrating his body remained.

"Open!"

Lin Changsheng slammed his right palm.

Bang!

With a loud bang, the half-foot-tall boulder beneath his feet instantly shattered into pieces, turning everything into stone powder wherever his palm landed!

"The fully perfected Iron Sand Palm truly can split stones and crack rocks!"

Lin Changsheng's eyes lit up. He approached a tree about a foot in diameter and thrust out with all his might. The Iron Sand Palm, like a knife, instantly pierced the tree, sending wood chips flying!

"Sister Zhen has helped me so much. I must find a way to rescue her."

Lin Changsheng muttered to himself and turned to leave.

...

Night.

The sky was pitch black. Mucheng County Government Office.

In a courtyard five miles away.

A thin, middle-aged man lay sprawled on his bed, snoring softly.

It was Li Zhen, the Mucheng County Coroner.

At that moment, the door slowly opened, and a man in black, wearing a ghostly mask and holding a dagger in his right hand, scurried in.

The man in black pointed a finger at the back of Li Zhen's head.

"Ah...you..."

Li Zhen woke with a start and was about to speak when a cold, hoarse voice rang out. "Li Zhen, if you scream, I'll kill you immediately! I just want to ask you something!"

"Ah, all right! Please...I'll tell you everything I know!"

Li Zhen's eyes flashed with fear as he saw the gleaming dagger, and his voice trembled.

"What kind of poison was the widow Yan Zhen's mother-in-law poisoned with? Do you know the source?"

The man in black spoke in a deep voice, bringing the dagger close to Li Zhen's throat, a trickle of blood spilling. "Green... Green Snake Powder..."

"As far as I know, this Green Snake Powder is the unique poison of the Green Snake Swordsman who disappeared ten years ago...poison..."

Li Zhen's lips trembled.

"The Green Snake Swordsman's unique poison? Then, Yan Zhen didn't poison her mother-in-law. Why do you conclude that Yan Zhen is the murderer? Speak! Otherwise, I will kill you immediately!"

Lin Changsheng frowned and slashed at Li Zhen's right arm, snapping it with a snap.

Sister Zhen couldn't possibly have the Green Snake Swordsman's unique poison. There must be something seriously wrong.

"Ah...it was...it was Master Ma Zhankui...who asked me to designate that widow...I don't know anything else..."

Li Zhen trembled with pain. Faced with the threat of death, he had no choice but to confess. "Ma Zhankui! Okay, tomorrow you find a way to clear Yan Zhen of suspicion. If you can't, I'll kill your entire family!" Lin Changsheng's voice was hoarse and icy.

"Yes, I'll do it, I'll do it!" Li Zhen quickly agreed.

Bang!

Lin Changsheng struck Li Zhen unconscious with a palm strike.

"I didn't expect this Ma Zhankui to be so vicious!" Lin Changsheng muttered to himself, closing the door and leaving.

Lin Changsheng learned.

Ma Zhankui was the brother-in-law of the current county magistrate, Chen Ling. In less than ten years, he had become a wealthy man, one of the richest men in Mucheng. He remembered that nearly two months ago, Ma Zhankui had come to Sister Zhen's noodle shop for noodles and had asked Sister Zhen to come over to his house to make noodles, but Sister Zhen refused.