Chapter 48: Making a Fortune! Tempering, Red River Soup

Hong Clan Martial Arts Hall.

The moment everyone landed, people from the Sanjiang Gambling House arrived. Not only did they leave behind Shi Lei's debt note, but they also brought all the stakes everyone had placed under Master Hong's gambling house.

"It's more than expected."

Xu Liang counted it.

The newcomer said, "Not at all, not at all. This is compensation from our Sanjiang Gambling House for Chen Hui and his apprentice. Everything before was a misunderstanding; it was entirely Chen Hui and his apprentice acting on their own. Now, Sanjiang Gambling House is managed by me, Chen Asi. If any of you need anything from me, just say the word—I will never refuse!"

"Good. See them out."

Xu Liang waved his hand, then withdrew their original capital and placed the remaining money into Zhang Lingshan's hands. "Junior Brother, you took a risk and achieved merit this time. This is all you deserve."

Zhang Lingshan nodded, surprised. "This much?"

A full one thousand taels of silver!

Even with his high odds, it shouldn't have been this much; it was clear that most of it was compensation from the Sanjiang Gambling House.

*They're damn rich.*

To casually produce a thousand taels... if one were to take down the Sanjiang Gambling House...

"A thousand taels isn't much. Once you reach the Flesh Refining stage, you'll have plenty of places to spend money. Just take it," the third senior brother, Wu Yuanqing, said with a smile.

Zhang Lingshan smiled back. There was no need to be polite; he tucked the banknotes directly into his robe and went to his room to see his master.

He saw Hong Zhengdao half-reclining on the bed, his face still looking sickly. "Did the Sanjiang Gambling House come to apologize?"

"Yes, Master. Everything is under your control," Xu Liang said.

Hong Zhengdao said indifferently, "They are just some small players sent out to see how my injuries are. I shall grant them their wish.

"Since Chen Hui and his apprentice were beaten to death today, no one will be foolish enough to cause trouble for a while. Therefore, you must make use of the time to cultivate.

"Xiaojuan, Aliang, Yuanqing—the three of you must work hard and strive to break through to the Tendon Changing stage.

"Xiao Ming, you still have a distance to cover before Tendon Changing, while Xiaoshan and Mingzhong have already reached the peak of the Copper Skin stage. So, for the time being, I will ask you to work hard to help your two junior brothers break through to Flesh Refining, alright?"

Xiao Ming nodded. "Yes! I will follow Master's orders."

Hong Zhengdao shook his head and sighed. "Sigh, you are just too honest, child. You agree to everything you're asked and never know how to refuse. Xiaoshan, Mingzhong, listen well to your fourth senior brother. Do not let his efforts go to waste."

"Yes!"

Zhang Lingshan and Pan Mingzhong hurriedly responded.

"Alright, then go home. It is the first day of the New Year, after all; take the day off."

"Yes."

Everyone withdrew in unison.

On the way home, Zhang Lingshan thought to himself: *'That final punch I used to kill Chen Hui incorporated the first move of the Mountain-Splitting Axe technique. I wonder if Master noticed. But since he didn't ask, is it because he doesn't care, or...'*

*Forget it, whatever!*

Since Hong Zhengdao didn't say anything, he would act as if he didn't know. If his master brought it up in the future, he would explain then.

"Eh? Uncle Tie, Tie Feng, why are you standing at the door instead of coming in?"

Just as he was thinking about the Mountain-Splitting Axe technique, Zhang Lingshan saw the two benefactors who had given him the technique standing at his doorstep, seemingly waiting for his return.

"Brother Shan."

"Young Master Shan."

The father and son, Tie Feng, hurriedly waved the gifts in their hands. "We've come to give you New Year greetings."

Zhang Lingshan smiled. "If you're coming, there's no need to be so polite. Come inside."

Inside the house.

Zhang's mother found the idea of people coming to offer New Year greetings quite novel, as it had been many years since she had seen such a thing. Consequently, she solemnly gave Tie Feng a large red envelope.

Zhang Lingshan returned to his room to change clothes and counted the banknotes once more.

Over a thousand taels!

He had to use this well.

Time is money, and money can buy time.

He could no longer consider things like Spirit Root Grass, which had a low absorption rate and took a long time to use.

Snow Silver Flower provided 4 points of energy per day. It seemed like a lot, but to spend a thousand taels, it would take at least two hundred days.

That was still too slow.

He had to find something with higher absorption efficiency.

After thinking for a moment, he walked out of his room. Just as Tie Feng and his father were taking their leave, he said, "Let's go together. I'm also going to give Senior Brother Feng Shaolong a New Year greeting."

The greeting was a pretext; the real goal was to buy medicinal ingredients from Feng Shaolong.

This time, he wanted to buy more and rarer ingredients to experiment with until he found the one most suitable for his absorption.

Soon, they arrived at the Feng Family Pharmacy.

Seeing Zhang Lingshan personally coming to offer greetings, Feng Shaolong said in pleasant surprise, "Senior Brother Shan just fought a fierce battle; why were you still thinking of coming to see me?"

"It's to thank Junior Brother Feng for bringing me into the Feng Family Pharmacy. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to cultivate this quickly. By the way, I wonder if Junior Brother Feng has..."

After a round of pleasantries, they got down to business.

By the time Zhang Lingshan left, he was carrying a large pile of medicinal ingredients in various bags.

Among them, besides the herbs, were prepared medicinal prescriptions from the Feng Family Pharmacy.

Zhang Lingshan took them all back without exception.

For the next few days, he was going to be locked in a battle with these ingredients.

The next morning, early on.

Zhang Lingshan arrived at the Hong Clan Martial Arts Hall and saw his fourth senior brother, Xiao Ming, already waiting for him.

"Greetings, Senior Brother Xiao."

"Junior Brother is here. Drink some hot soup first to warm your body. After that, I will begin helping you refine your flesh."

Xiao Ming still wore that kind smile; this "good man" seemed as if he could never get angry.

Zhang Lingshan asked in confusion, "How do you help with flesh refining?"

Xiao Ming took out a tempered copper rod and said, "I use this to hammer your body.

"Once I have beaten you until your skin and flesh are torn open, I will place you in a Red River medicinal bath, allowing your body to absorb the medicinal power to its fullest to promote the growth of flesh, thereby increasing its toughness.

"After repeating this many times, until I can no longer break your skin and flesh, you will have officially entered the Flesh Refining stage."

Xiao Ming was still smiling.

But this smile no longer looked kind; instead, it looked somewhat terrifying.

"This..."

Zhang Lingshan stared at the thick, tempered copper rod, dumbfounded.

So this was how flesh refining was done?

Had he known, he wouldn't have run over here so happily today, thinking he would be taught some new technique, only to end up being beaten?

No wonder he hadn't seen Pan Mingzhong for a while; that guy must have known this was how flesh refining worked and had intentionally slacked off to avoid it.

"Junior Brother, are you ready?"

Xiao Ming raised the rod.

Zhang Lingshan slightly bent his legs, rooted himself to the ground, held his breath, and braced himself, his back muscles bulging. "I'm ready!"

*Bang!*

Xiao Ming brought the rod down.

Under the force of the rod, his flesh and skin rippled like waves. The pain instantly reached his bones, making Zhang Lingshan grimace, wishing he could leap three feet into the air.

But he did not move. He continued to endure until Xiao Ming had beaten his entire back open. He finally lost all strength, with blood and sweat flowing all over the floor.

*Swish.*

Xiao Ming hurried forward to support him, then called to the servants, "Quick, come and place Junior Brother Shan into the Red River bath."

The so-called Red River bath.

Initially, it was not red, but a pale white. However, once a person was placed inside, it was immediately dyed red by the blood, hence the name Red River.

This was a special flesh-refining medicinal bath unique to Hong Zhengdao; it could not be bought elsewhere.

However, every sect and major power had their own flesh-refining medicinal baths, and their effects were largely similar. Even if Zhang Lingshan didn't use it here, he could buy it from the Feng Family Pharmacy.

But an experienced refiner like Xiao Ming was not something one could find just anywhere.

This was the greatest benefit the Hong Clan Martial Arts Hall provided to Zhang Lingshan!