ebookslot Chapter 39: The Dog Nose Mark is Perfected, the Power of Analysis!
Chapter 39: The Dog Nose Mark is Perfected, the Power of Analysis!
"Brother Zhang!"
"Something terrible has happened! Come out quickly!"
Just as dawn was breaking, the urgent knocking on the door and Qin Hu's hoarse roar dragged Zhang Ping from his deep sleep.
A dark figure moved outside the door, and the banging on the door was urgent.
Zhang Ping shook his groggy head, hastily put on a loose robe, slipped on his shoes, and opened the door.
The morning breeze carried a chill, causing him to squint instinctively, a few stray strands of hair making his eyelids itch.
"Brother Qin? It's not even fully light yet, what serious incident has occurred?"
Zhang Ping let out a long yawn and rubbed his dry eyes.
Last night, worried that the spirit fox's concealed beast markings might not be enough to evade pursuit, he hid in the city until dawn before daring to sneak back. His divine power state had been inactive for too long, leaving his muscles and bones feeling utterly drained and sore.
Qin Hu looked anxious. Seeing his sleepy appearance, he grabbed his shoulders and shook him violently: "Wake up! Wake up! The Demon Extermination Bureau is at the door! They want all of us to cooperate in the investigation!"
"Demon Exorcism Bureau?" These three words were like ice water poured over Zhang Ping's head, sending a shiver through his body and instantly evaporating any lingering sleepiness.
Without saying a word, he quickly wrapped his robe tightly around himself and followed Qin Hu into the main hall while tying his belt.
The lobby was already packed with people, and the atmosphere was as oppressive as an impending storm.
The owner of the museum, Chongxin, had a somber expression and was speaking to three exorcism officers dressed in black uniforms, their auras cold and hard. Zhang Ping squeezed through the crowd and happened to overhear the middle-aged officer in the lead interrupt Chongxin in a cold tone:
"Master Chong, if your institution is indeed unrelated to this case, we will not arrest people without cause."
Chongxin gritted his teeth, suppressing his anger as he nodded and waved for his men to gather all the disciples who were still inside the hall.
In a short while, everyone had arrived.
The middle-aged man leading the group pulled a palm-sized black box from his pocket, a slender metal pointer embedded in its surface. His gaze was sharp as a hawk's; holding the box, his voice, though not loud, clearly drowned out all the whispers:
"Everyone, walk past me in order! Only those who pass this test may leave!"
These words were like cold water poured into a hot oil pan, causing an uproar in the lobby.
They are disciples of the Sitong Martial Arts School! Their master is a powerful cultivator!
They were suspected of colluding with demons? And they were forced to be searched like prisoners in their own territory!
This is like pooping on someone's neck!
Qin Hu and his fellow disciples looked at Chongxin.
Chongxin's face was ashen, his chest heaving violently, before he finally forced out the order through gritted teeth: "Do as ordered! Qin Hu, you're first!"
"Yes, Master!" Qin Hu clasped his hands in response and strode up to Xu Rulin.
Xu Rulin flicked his finger, and a wisp of powerful qi and blood flowed into the black box.
No response.
He didn't even lift his eyelids, casually waving his hand: "Nothing, step back."
This dismissive attitude felt like a slap in the face to all the disciples.
Zhang Ping shrank to the back of the crowd, realizing the situation: "As expected... last night's events have alarmed the Demon Extermination Bureau."
He was prepared, and could even imagine that Lu Wanrou was undergoing the same interrogation at this moment.
The armored giant only attacked the elders of the Lu family and their cronies. With such a clear target, anyone could see that it was the work of internal strife within the Lu family.
But so what?
Zhang Ping felt completely at ease.
He is safe as long as no evidence falls into the hands of the Demon Extermination Bureau.
The only weakness is Lu Wanrou. As long as she doesn't admit it, this storm won't affect her.
As for revealing that she had asked her martial arts school senior to help her? Lu Wanrou wasn't that stupid; saying it would do no good for anyone.
One by one, the disciples walked through the black box, and after confirming that everything was correct, they left the hall. Chongxin's tense expression only eased slightly as the number of people decreased.
Soon, only a handful of people remained in the lobby.
Zhang Ping glanced around, took a deep breath, and stepped forward to stand in front of Xu Rulin.
"Zhang Ping?" Xu Rulin didn't immediately activate the black box; his sharp gaze swept across Zhang Ping's face.
"You went to the Lu family yesterday."
Zhang Ping felt a slight chill, but nodded calmly: "In response to Captain Xu's question, I have a long-standing friendship with Madam Lu, and I did indeed visit her yesterday."
"Hmm." Xu Rulin snorted and didn't ask any more questions.
This time, the black-box testing took an incredibly long time, enough to test three or four people.
Zhang Ping could feel the gazes from Chongxin and the other disciples behind him. He kept his eyes down, trying his best to remain calm.
Finally, Xu Rulin stared intently at the unresponsive pointer, his brows furrowed into a deep frown.
He slowly raised his hand and pressed it against Zhang Ping's shoulder.
"Don't move."
Feeling the hand pressing on his shoulder, Zhang Ping's face stiffened, but he was relieved: thankfully, the beast patterns and blood energy are not part of the same system, so the other party would definitely not be able to detect it.
Upon closer inspection, he recognized Xu Rulin as the dirty martial artist who had intercepted him at the Lu family last night.
"Qi and blood... normal?" Xu Rulin's voice carried a hint of barely perceptible confusion and disappointment.
He withdrew his hand, but his furrowed brows did not relax; instead, they furrowed even deeper.
Zhang Ping visited the Lu family yesterday and has a close relationship with Lu Wanrou, so he should be the most suspicious target! But he's not?
He gave Zhang Ping a complicated look, then softened his tone slightly: "Yeah, it's nothing, go on out."
Zhang Ping turned around as instructed, a faint smile quickly passing beneath his lowered eyelids.
"Brother Qin." Stepping out of the oppressive lobby, he saw Qin Hu and the others waiting outside.
"Damn it!" Qin Hu spat angrily, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked.
"This Demon Exorcism Bureau is getting more and more arrogant! Do they think our Sitong Martial Arts School is made of clay?"
Zhang Ping nodded silently.
Quan Hongyan sighed and said in a low voice, "Forget it, this is the prefectural city. The Demon Extermination Bureau is powerful. We can't fight city hall. Let's just bear with it for now."
While the group remained silent, Xu Rulin led his men out, nodded to Chongxin, whose face was clouded with gloom, and strode away.
"Disperse! We'll head back to the hotel tomorrow afternoon!" Chongxin said curtly, then turned and went into the room without looking back.
The disciples dispersed, their faces filled with resentment and frustration.
Zhang Ping glanced around and then slowly strolled back to his small house.
The bolt was lowered, isolating the outside world.
He finally let out a long sigh of relief, plopped down on the edge of the bed, and couldn't help but rub his throbbing temples.
"Damn it..." he muttered under his breath, scratching the back of his head in frustration.
"How do I get this money?"
It's all the fault of those ignorant demon-slaying idiots in the Demon Extermination Bureau. They've never even seen a martial artist grow larger, and they mistake him for a demon!
Now look what's happened! After this commotion, how can anyone dare to use their divine power in this city anymore? They'll be too timid to move an inch!
"Martial arts cannot be neglected after all." A resolute glint flashed in Zhang Ping's eyes.
The power granted by the beast pattern was indeed astonishing, allowing him, a mere nobody who had only entered the extraordinary realm for half a year, to withstand and even kill a flesh-refining martial artist.
But he was very clear in his mind that his martial arts cultivation must not be neglected!
Both must go hand in hand. Martial arts are the visible identity and reliance, while beast patterns can only be a trump card hidden in one's sleeve.
If one's martial arts cultivation stagnates, even the means to collect beast pattern materials will be cut off, and this power system will become a tree without roots.
With a slight thought, the panel appeared:
Zhang Ping
Age: 20
[Realm: Mid-stage Skin Tempering Realm]
【烙印：驴鞭纹（满）牛力纹（满）马腿纹（92％）狗鼻纹（满）牛皮纹（47％）地龙再生（21％）鹰眼纹（93％）危险感知（35％）灵狐隐匿（39％）鬼刀（5％）】
[Ruyi-shaped pattern - donkey whip pattern: Significantly increases the volume and strength of the lower limbs.]
[Divine Power - Ox Strength Pattern: Increases physical strength and improves physique.]
[Horse leg lines: Improve leg strength and increase flexibility.]
[Analysis - Dog nose print: Enhances the sense of smell, enabling the ability to distinguish, remember, and track different scents.]
[Stretch marks: Improve skin suppleness and enhance resistance to impact.]
[Earth Dragon Regeneration: Enhances the body's vital essence, significantly improving the ability to regenerate severed limbs]
[Eagle Eye Pattern: Enhances visual distance and improves the ability to capture moving objects]
[Danger Perception: Able to sense impending danger and, with a small probability, identify the source of the danger.]
[Spirit Fox Concealment: Hides one's aura and disguises fluctuations of qi and blood downwards.]
【Ghost Blade: The innate swordsmanship of the demonic swordsman, shattering all illusions】
Analysis: The new ability born after the dog nose pattern is perfected!
Zhang Ping's fingertips tapped unconsciously on his leg.
This ability, though seemingly unrelated to offensive tactics, is extremely useful.
Unraveling the secret formula of the medicine! The ingredients and proportions can all be traced back to their origin.
"Secret medicine..." Zhang Ping chewed on these two words, looking at the sliver of light filtering through the window, his eyes filled with complex emotions.
The world's control over cultivation resources was ultimately more stringent than he had imagined.
Even though he now possesses extraordinary abilities and his strength far surpasses that of his peers, information about the secret medicine remains shrouded in mystery.
Although the martial arts school distributed them, Senior Brother Qin Hu kept it a secret, and they were extremely rare and highly sought after outsiders.
The Lu family was once a family of alchemists, and may have possessed the recipe, but given the current situation, they can only sigh in despair.
"Very well..." He withdrew his gaze, his fingertips twirling the rough fabric of his robe.
"Let's try using the power of black blood energy first; it shouldn't be too slow..."