Apocalypse: Grinding EXP through Hunting

The young woman chattered on for quite a while.

After listening, Tang Wen summarized it in just a few sentences.

Her acquaintance, the first time he came, was just a low-level Martial Disciple who had recently joined the Black Water Gang. Someone else had brought him along to see the world.

The second time he came, about half a year later, he had already become a Martial Artist and the captain of the Agricultural Team. You could call him a genius.

After getting drunk, lying with one of the girls, he bragged endlessly about what a genius he was and the great contributions he’d made.

How Elder Li had made an exception and taken him under his wing, personally teaching him Fist Techniques, and so on.

At this point, the young woman snickered. "Some genius Martial Artist from the Black Water Gang. In the end, he had to hold onto the wall just to get out the door."

"Another two months passed, and he came for the third time. He said he’d made some other great contribution and had become a Vice Commander..."

Black Water Gang, Elder Li, Wu Hao, Vice Commander.

He left the restaurant, returned to his room, and slept.

The next morning, Tang Wen took out a bag of silver and counted out exactly one thousand taels.

The pouch holding his gold and silver visibly shrank by more than half.

He sighed. ’This expense is unavoidable.’

Picking up five hundred taels of silver, Tang Wen found Shopkeeper Zhang in the main hall of the Four Seas Inn and explained his purpose.

Shopkeeper Zhang counted the silver. "You want to join the Black Water Gang? And you want to meet an Elder?"

The rule here was to pay half as a deposit first.

Tang Wen nodded. "I’m only in my early twenties, but I’m already a Peak Martial Artist and own a Middle-level Exotic Beast, a Sand Wolf."

After Tang Wen finished introducing himself, the corners of Shopkeeper Zhang’s mouth curved into a smile. ’This kid’s qualifications are quite excellent. This means I can earn a bit more from this.’

"No problem. I’ll arrange for you to meet an Elder within three days."

"Shopkeeper Zhang."

Tang Wen called out, his expression hesitant.

Facing a high-quality client, Shopkeeper Zhang was very patient. "Brother Tang, if you have any questions, you can just say them. Everything is negotiable."

As he spoke, he patted the bag of silver.

The meaning was obvious: as long as the money was right, a problem wasn’t really a problem.

Tang Wen said, "To be honest, I come from a small mountain village and have no subsequent Cultivation Techniques. I want to learn Visualization Martial Arts as soon as possible, but I don’t know which Elder of the Black Water Gang I should seek to study under."

So that was his goal.

No wonder he was willing to spend so much.

A glint flashed in Shopkeeper Zhang’s eyes, and his smile widened.

Tang Wen quickly dangled a carrot. "If I can achieve my wish, there will be a generous reward for you in the future."

Shopkeeper Zhang laughed. "Brother Tang, if you want to learn Visualization Martial Arts, why look far when it’s right in front of you?

As far as I know, if you join the Black Water Gang, you’ll be under observation for at least six months to a year before you’re truly accepted.

To learn their Visualization Martial Arts, you’d have to perform a great service.

But performing a great service is extremely difficult."

Understanding his implication, Tang Wen shot up from his chair, slammed his hands on the table, and asked excitedly, "You mean... I can learn it from the Four Seas Commerce Association?"

"Of course!"

"But I have no connection to the Four Seas Commerce Association. Can I still learn it?"

"Haha, the Four Seas Commerce Association is open for business. If you have money, you have a connection with us."

"What Cultivation Techniques do you have? Is money all it takes? What’s the price?" Tang Wen fired off a series of questions.

"We have almost all of them. It’s one thousand taels of silver for a day of study."

"I want to learn the Night Divine Fist."

"Oh?"

Tang Wen’s heart leaped into his throat. "You don’t have it?"

"We have it, but I just wanted to ask, why are you so set on learning the Night Divine Fist, Brother Tang?"

Letting out a huge sigh of relief, Tang Wen recited the excuse he had prepared long ago. "According to the elders in my family, an ancestor of mine was a Transcendent with a Dark Ability."

Extraordinary Abilities can be hereditary.

But it’s not a guarantee. If a Transcendent appeared within the last three generations of your family, there’s a certain probability you might awaken the same ability.

If there hasn’t been one in the last three generations.

Then whatever Cultivation Technique you practice will most likely determine the ability you awaken.

For example, people from the Flame Camp all awaken Flame Abilities.

Furthermore, if your own father is an Extraordinary Martial Artist, you’ll most likely awaken an ability early, without having to reach the Peak Martial Artist Realm.

Interestingly, those who awaken early often awaken some very special abilities.

For instance, the Transcendent with the "Bad Luck Skill" that Tang Wen killed in a duel was one such early Awakened.

His father was at least an Extraordinary.

"No wonder."

Shopkeeper Zhang didn’t ask any more questions. Instead, he said, "We have the Night Divine Fist’s Contemplation Method here at the inn, but the forms aren’t complete. The Night Divine Fist has ten forms in total. We only have a record of seven."

Tang Wen frowned.

No matter how you looked at it, not being able to learn the complete set was a shame.

Seeing the change in his expression, Shopkeeper Zhang secretly shook his head. ’Another young man who overestimates himself. Does he think Visualization Martial Arts are that easy to master?

Forget seven forms, mastering just the Core Power will take you several years.’

But for the sake of the silver, he offered a tip, "All the major factions have collections of Visualization Martial Arts, and none of them are complete. That includes the Black Water Gang’s Night Divine Fist; it’s incomplete as well."

Tang Wen felt a slight pang of regret but immediately adjusted his mindset. "Seven Forms is a lot! Forget Seven Forms, if I could learn even one form in a day, that would be great!"

"Learn one form in a day? Then you’d be the number one genius in the Four Seas Camp, in Ganshan City, in the entire Northwest Wilderness!" Shopkeeper Zhang interrupted irritably.

"Hehe, a man’s got to have a dream, right?"

"As long as you know it’s a dream."

"Which seven forms are they?" Being able to learn the Night Divine Fist just by paying money, Tang Wen’s mood couldn’t be better.

"The final form, the Seventh Form, and the third form are all missing."

The final form is missing?

’That means the Profound Technique is missing.’

’I wonder if the Black Water Gang in Ganshan City has it?’

’If Ganshan City doesn’t have it, I wonder if Black Mountain Camp does.’

Tang Wen asked again, "You’re very knowledgeable. Do you know how much silver an average Martial Artist needs to spend to learn a move or two?"

Shopkeeper Zhang scoffed inwardly. ’This kid finally has some self-awareness. But I can’t just tell him that I’ve never seen anyone at the Martial Artist Level manage to learn it on their own.’

"That depends on the individual. Some people learn very quickly." A hint of ridicule flashed in his eyes.

’I’m not lying. They learn quickly, and they give up even faster.’

He looked at the excitement shining in Tang Wen’s eyes and his unconcealable agitation, and he laughed to himself.

’Hehe.’

’In a few days, when your silver is all gone and you haven’t learned even half a move, I wonder if you’ll still be able to smile.’

Thinking of this, he said to Tang Wen, "Let me be blunt. If you can master it in a day, that’s your skill, and we at the Four Seas Inn will have no objections. But you should also know that many people spend their entire lives and never manage to learn Visualization Martial Arts."

He gave a rough ratio: out of about a hundred people, no more than one-tenth would become Martial Artists.

Tang Wen shook his head. "I know all that, but by saying this, aren’t you worried I’ll get scared and decide not to learn it at all?"

Shopkeeper Zhang just smiled. "Can you resist?"

After a moment of silence, Tang Wen nodded. He couldn’t resist. He really couldn’t.

What young Martial Artist could resist the temptation of Visualization Martial Arts?

"I understand. This first time looking at the Night Divine Fist, I’m just hoping to get a feel for it, not expecting to learn anything."

Seeing how reasonable he was, Shopkeeper Zhang didn’t mind offering a little flattery. "Good. You must maintain that mindset."

’Anyone can say nice things.

They all talk a good game before they start learning.

But there’s no shortage of people who fail to learn anything and then demand a refund or a free extra day.

But no matter what, once the money is in the hands of the Four Seas Camp, not a single coin is ever returned.’

Tang Wen looked at the five hundred taels on the table. "The matter of joining the Black Water Gang can wait. I’d like to study for a day first."

Since he could learn the "Night Divine Fist" right here at the Four Seas Inn, there was naturally no rush to go to Ganshan City.

"There’s no conflict. You have to queue for both."

"How long is the wait?"

Tang Wen wished he could start learning today.

Shopkeeper Zhang picked up the ledger on the table, checked it, and said, "Three days."

"Alright."

He didn’t leave, and the two continued to chat idly. Suddenly, Tang Wen asked curiously, "I wonder, which school of martial arts do you practice?"

"What I practice isn’t important. What’s important is, do you know which is the most difficult of all the Visualization Martial Arts?"

Seeing the smile on his face, Tang Wen had a bad feeling. "It couldn’t be...?"

"It is the Night Divine Fist!"

"Why is that?" Even with his Attribute Panel, Tang Wen wanted to get a clear answer.

Shopkeeper Zhang just smiled without a word and picked up his teacup.

’Is he showing me the door?’