I am dying of old age, and I have awakened to the character of longevity.

Zhang Lin, who was beside him, had been immersed in the joy of finding a suitable secret manual, but his expression changed drastically when he suddenly heard the words "Meng Hu." He wanted to speak several times, but finally held back.

Xie An noticed Zhang Lin's expression and realized that something was wrong.

Could this Meng Hu be some kind of heretical cultist?

Unforgivably evil, killing indiscriminately?

Would anyone who practiced his saber technique be messed with?

Thinking of this, Xie An was no longer calm.

But Lin Yun's next words shocked Xie An even more.

"Meng Hu is one of the two main leaders of our Tiger Wolf Gang. It was he who, with his unparalleled riding and slashing skills using the Chongshan Saber Technique, established the Tiger Wolf Gang that spans both inside and outside Qingwu County. And the Chongshan Saber Technique is also the most advanced saber technique of the Tiger Wolf Gang. If it weren't for the difficulty of practicing it, the gang leader would never have copied the notes and distributed them to the various branch halls."

Hiss.

Even though Xie An had lived in this world for fifty years, he was still shocked to hear this.

Although he didn't know Meng Hu's fame during his month-long tenure at the Blood Ridge Black Market, he truly felt the power of the Tiger Wolf Gang.

This was a monstrous beast.

Wealthy merchants and gentry carried silver to his door to curry favor, and the county magistrate sent gifts every year to appease him.

What kind of powerful figure was the founder of such a gang?

Unexpectedly, the notes he had inadvertently taken were from the hand of this gang leader.

However... even if the Chongshan Saber Technique was difficult to practice, Lin Yun shouldn't stop him, right?

Just as Xie An was wondering, Lin Yun continued, "The Chongshan Saber Technique emphasizes the use of a heavy saber. Wielding and slashing with a heavy saber weighing over a hundred pounds naturally makes one incredibly brave and unmatched. But behind this, it requires a strong physique and vigorous blood as support. Back then, Gang Leader Meng Hu prepared for thirty years to practice this saber technique. You are old and don't have that kind of time to accumulate. It's better not to be too ambitious and choose a more practical saber technique. Moreover, practicing the gang leader's saber technique not only wastes time but also easily provokes criticism."

Faced with Lin Yun's rather forceful advice, Xie An didn't stubbornly insist but nodded in agreement.

Being new here, there was no need to offend this Grand Deacon over such a small matter. He guessed that wasting time was a pretext, and provoking criticism was the real reason. Wei Dian was now seriously injured, and he didn't want his subordinates to cause any discussion, giving people an excuse to attack him, which was understandable.

But Xie An knew that the Chongshan Saber Technique had already been imprinted in his heart, and he would find a chance to get it sooner or later.

"Thank you, Deacon Lin, for informing me. However, I don't know much about saber techniques, so please provide some suggestions."

Seeing Xie An's respectful and humble attitude, Lin Yun showed a satisfied expression and carefully introduced other saber techniques to Xie An.

Depending on the type of saber, the saber techniques were also correspondingly divided into many types.

Sabers included long sabers and short sabers. They were also divided into ring-pommel sabers, butterfly double sabers, nine-ring sabers, horse-chopping sabers, broadswords, ghost-head sabers, Miao sabers, willow-leaf sabers, two-handed sabers, and broad bladed sabers, among others.

The types were varied and complex, and the saber techniques were even more diverse.

But Xie An's favorite was still the broad bladed saber type. This type of saber had a heavy blade and a wide surface, making chopping and slashing like swinging an axe. It could bring out his strength advantage.

Finally, under Lin Yun's suggestion, Xie An chose a saber technique called "Fuyang."

It was also a heavy saber technique that emphasized strength, specifically designed for broad bladed sabers.

However, it was not as exaggerated as the Chongshan Saber Technique. It was easier to get started with, making it very suitable for his current situation.

Lin Yun paid out of his own pocket, using his authority to lend Zhang Lin and Xie An two martial arts manuals. When leaving the Hidden Scripture Library, Lin Yun didn't forget to encourage Xie An, "I heard that during the examination, you lifted seven hundred pounds with one arm. That's very suitable for this Fuyang Saber Technique. If you encounter anything you don't understand, go to the Training Hall and see how the instructors demonstrate it."

Xie An cupped his fist and thanked him, "Thank you, Deacon Lin."

"Well, I still have to take care of the Hall Master, so I won't accompany you. Zhang Lin, take him around the area." Lin Yun left after saying this.

"Old brother, shall I take you to the Training Hall to take a look?"

Xie An also wanted to take a look, so he agreed.

The Training Hall was a separate courtyard, where different instructors gave lectures every day. The martial arts covered included saber techniques, sword techniques, fist techniques, and so on.

Disciples could learn by spending a little money, while deacons... could learn for free.

From this point of view, the Tiger Wolf Gang indeed offered many attractive conditions to attract talents.

Xie An watched for most of the morning but didn't see any instructors demonstrating the Fuyang Saber Technique, and finally left in disappointment. He followed Zhang Lin to the Medicine Dispensary to receive free medicinal supplements.

Xie An only knew that after becoming a deacon, he could receive medicinal supplements regularly. But Xie An didn't know what the specific medicinal supplements were or what their value was.

He saw that the shopkeeper of the Medicine Dispensary seemed very stingy with the medicinal supplements. After repeatedly checking Xie An's token, he finally took out a package of medicinal materials wrapped in mulberry paper and gave it to Xie An, "According to the rules, the Tiger Hide Vitality Soup can only be claimed once every three months by ordinary deacons."

After saying that, the shopkeeper didn't explain much and went straight to work, as if he didn't like Xie An very much.

When leaving the hall, Xie An curiously asked about the reason.

Zhang Lin explained with a smile, "Old brother, you don't know this, do you? This is the Tiger Hide Vitality Soup, a medicinal supplement specifically used to temper the skin membrane. If you want to become a Copper Skin Realm martial artist, the Tiger Hide Vitality Soup is indispensable. Buying a dose of Tiger Hide Vitality Soup on the market costs at least twenty taels of silver. It loses its effect after soaking it three times."

No wonder the shopkeeper didn't like him very much; he must have felt sorry for the medicine.

No wonder they said that the poor study literature while the rich practice martial arts. How could ordinary people afford such consumption?

Returning to the Blood Ridge Black Market, Xie An was not in a hurry to take a medicinal bath but instead asked Zhang Lin to carefully explain the various details of skin refining to him, so that he would have a clear understanding.

In general, skin refining has two key elements: cultivation technique and medicinal supplements.

Saber techniques are also cultivation techniques. Since Xie An had the Fuyang Saber Technique, he met one of the conditions.

Next were the medicinal supplements, which was the Tiger Hide Vitality Soup. Generally speaking, after a person's cultivation technique reached the standard for skin refining, they needed five or six doses of Tiger Hide Vitality Soup. After a month of continuous medicinal baths, they could finally make their skin membrane as strong as cowhide, impervious to cold and heat, and not easily broken by ordinary abrasions.

This would be considered entering the Copper Skin Realm.

After entering the Copper Skin Realm, they still needed to continue using the Tiger Hide Vitality Soup, going through the Copper Skin Initial Stage, Minor Achievement Stage, and Major Achievement Stage. Finally, they could take a higher level of Tiger Flesh Vitality Soup and begin to break through to the Refined Flesh Realm.

If there were no corresponding medicinal supplements, the difficulty of improvement would increase more than tenfold. Therefore, medicinal supplements are an indispensable part of practicing martial arts.

"Expensive, too expensive!"

Just thinking about it made Xie An click his tongue.

Entering the Copper Skin Initial Stage required five or six doses of Tiger Hide Vitality Soup. And continued use was needed afterward...

Xie An roughly estimated that entering the Refined Flesh Realm would cost no less than a thousand taels of silver.

"I'll try the Fuyang Saber Technique."

After learning enough information, Xie An began to practice.

After practicing for a short half-day, Xie An immediately felt the difference between martial arts and the Health Cultivation Technique.

The Health Cultivation Technique focused on slow growth, nourishing the body, and replenishing qi and blood. It was a very gentle process that emphasized internal strengthening. Martial arts, on the other hand, frantically squeezed the potential of the physical body, turning it into techniques of killing and slaughter, wishing to drain every bit of strength from the body.

It was incomparably vigorous and domineering, making people afraid.

"No wonder everyone goes to practice martial arts. This kind of vigorous style is indeed suitable for killing."

"However, I have discovered that martial arts and the Health Cultivation Technique can complement each other and work together. The Health Cultivation Technique internally refines and strengthens the body, constantly increasing the body's upper limit, and then martial arts releases it, turning it into killing techniques. Wouldn't that be a combination of internal and external? Doubling the power..."

Thinking of this, Xie An became very excited, feeling as if he had discovered a new continent.