I Can Devour Spirits

Chapter 66: Chapter 66: Crude Application

Early in the morning, before the sky had even lightened, Duan Rong got up.

He first went to the Martial Arts Arena to practice his stance, standing until the cafeteria began serving meals. After breakfast, still feeling unsatisfied, he wandered out of the Escort Agency and bought four buns from a street vendor.

Four buns, two bites each, and before he could even return to the agency, they were all gone.

”Xiaoqi’s steamed buns are still the tastiest...”

Duan Rong licked his greasy lips and quickly walked back to the agency.

Instead of returning to the Martial Arts Arena, he went directly back to his dormitory!

By that time, the dormitory was mostly empty. Today, he planned to be a dormitory ”mouse” all day!

The Entry Level Cloud Serpent Step he had basically mastered after devouring and absorbing the Artifact Spirit.

After a day’s practice, his muscle inner breath had largely adapted to the step technique of Cloud Serpent Step!

However, the Cloud Serpent Step is not just lightweight skill, but also a body technique!

A body technique must be integrated with your existing martial arts to be effective!

And this requires practice and exploration!

The Artifact Spirit of Cloud Serpent Step he devoured did not have this ready-made realm!

Duan Rong entered the dormitory, locked the door behind him, and with a swift move, his figure flitted like a ghost, flashing left and right, and he stood by the window.

Duan Rong stood by the window and tightly closed the carved window shutter.

Then, he unfastened the Cow Tail Saber from his waist and placed it on the bed.

Using his hand as a saber, he pondered the integration method of the Five Tigers and Sheep Saber with Cloud Serpent Step!

Duan Rong’s martial arts realm for the Five Tigers and Sheep Saber had long reached the Master Level!

His idea of integration was to base it on the Five Tigers and Sheep Saber, using the body and step techniques of Cloud Serpent Step to enhance the martial arts power of the Five Tigers and Sheep Saber.

Not only in speed, but also in using step and body techniques to make the attack angles of the Five Tigers and Sheep Saber more bizarre and tricky!

In the cramped dormitory, Duan Rong used his hand as a saber, performing the routine of the Five Tigers and Sheep Saber. He would occasionally stop, pacing back and forth, a deep contemplative look in his eyes!

Like someone possessed, Duan Rong pondered like this for three whole days.

As the light in the dormitory grew dimmer this day...

The dormitory was already cramped, and if one were to really practice, it was impossible to fully perform the routines of the Five Tigers and Sheep Saber!

Duan Rong was practicing a move from the Five Tigers and Sheep Saber - Fierce Tiger Emerging from the Cave - when he saw his hip about to hit the bed frame, but his step suddenly shifted, his hip brushing past the bed frame in a strange posture...

While practicing, Duan Rong suddenly chuckled, self-mocking: ”The body technique of this Cloud Serpent Step can be quite flamboyant and teasing sometimes...”

After three days of focused research, Duan Rong could preliminarily apply the body technique of Cloud Serpent Step to the Five Tigers and Sheep Saber.

But this was merely a combination or rather a crude initial application. It wasn’t true integration.

True integration is akin to improving martial arts; it’s not something he can achieve at his current realm!

After three days, this crude application had achieved some initial results. However, to fully complete it, Duan Rong estimated that he would need to further intensify his research for a few more days.

By now, the dormitory had grown dim, dusk settled outside the window. Duan Rong washed his face and went to the cafeteria for food!

If West Main Street was the CBD of Xianggu County, then South City was its large yard!

Clusters of low, dilapidated houses!

Narrow, cramped, dirty alleys filled with flowing sewage, threading through like twisted, filthy intestines of South City.

South City had two intersecting streets, with most shops along the roadsides falling into decay. Occasionally, restaurants slaughtered cows and sheep at their doors, blood and filth spreading all over, with various foul smells permeating the entire street...

But the street market buzzed with people, bustling and noisy, with various vendors crying out endlessly...

The Swallow Building was situated right at the southeast corner of this street intersection!

The two-story wooden structure, its eaves with high corners, hung with swallow wind chimes at four corners, lightly rustling in the breeze, sounding particularly pleasing!

It was already the hour of the pig, and on the second floor, in the Xuan-character private room.

In a corner of the room, a tall red candle illuminated, revealing the faces of four people around a table littered with cups and plates.

Zhou Shoushan, nearing forty, had slightly greying temple hair. He had experienced many hardships in life, learning some martial arts in his youth, but he nearly destroyed himself because of a case against him.

However, fortunately, there’s always a way through; later, he formed the Whale Tiger Gang and managed to live a few opulent years.

Back then, he was a regular patron of the Swallow Building!

The Swallow Building had been there in South City for decades, renovated several times, and even the owners had changed multiple times.

In recent years, it had a new owner again, and Zhou Shoushan, after lying low for years, came today to realize that he no longer knew this owner.

Zhou Shoushan was slightly tipsy, pouring another cup of strong liquor down his throat, a burning stream flowing from his mouth to his stomach, looking at the somewhat familiar setup of the Xuan-character room, sighing: ”Things really have changed, haven’t they?”

”Wu Hui, do you remember? We used to eat here, drinking and singing heartily against the railings!”

”How could I forget? Back then, when you, Gang Leader, stomped your foot, South City would tremble!” Wu Hui laughed and said.

Wu Hui was also in his thirties, thin as a skeleton with skin and bones, yet resourceful and meticulous, greatly valued by Zhou Shoushan.

The two survived the purging led by Shen Yanliu thanks to Wu Hui’s clever planning!

Zhou Shoushan chuckled, but his face suddenly darkened, saying: ”Back then, which meal didn’t have the owner personally coming over to serve wine and dishes, exchanging pleasantries! Now look! Damn it, not even a single attendant!”

”Gang Leader, why care about these petty people who look down on others?” Wu Hui also said with a hateful expression, having also lived hard these years.

”Indeed, a dragon lying low, won’t it have a chance to rise again? Why bother with such trivial matters, Zhou Gang Leader! Come, let me toast the Gang Leader again!”

Kong Bin stood up, courteously raising his glass to Zhou Shoushan.

Kong Bin and Zhang Zheng weren’t good drinkers, turning red after just a few cups, with Kong Bin’s eyes now red like a rabbit’s.

But he knew he couldn’t get drunk yet; the most important matters were still unspoken.

Just reminiscing, Zhou Shoushan and Wu Hui had already poured several cups down his throat, leaving him no choice but to drink!

Zhou Shoushan laughed, his eyes shining happily. ”Still young Kong brother, who knows how to talk. But I’m already an old dragon, unable to stir up much anymore; in the future, it’s up to you youngsters!”

”Zhou Gang Leader, you’re kidding. You eat the meat in front, so we can sip the soup right behind. In the future, if there’s any need, Zhou Gang Leader should just give us a call!”

Kong Bin spoke with quite some courage, and Zhou Shoushan’s expression changed, looking at Kong Bin, he said: ”Young Kong brother, you have loyalty! Like father, like son! Come, let’s have another round!”

A few words exchanged, and they drank three more cups.

”Zhou Gang Leader, there’s a financial opportunity for us now. But we need you to lead us to ensure it’s foolproof!” Kong Bin was indeed slightly drunk but felt it was the best time to speak.