Three days later, He Yiming successfully cultivated the Blazing Fire Art to the ninth level, a satisfaction beyond words.

The Blazing Fire Art truly lived up to its reputation as the foremost core internal energy cultivation method. As He Yiming mastered its essence, he abruptly realized a fact: the speed of cultivating this technique was noticeably faster than that of the Primordial Chaos Force or the Rippling Wave Technique.

While this difference seemed minor, when the technique reached advanced stages, the time accumulated over years of relentless practice would be substantial.

Furthermore, when unleashed, this technique appeared to possess far greater destructive power than the Primordial Chaos Force. However, this was merely a guess, a feeling that only actual combat would confirm.

Having grasped the Blazing Fire Art, He Yiming’s heart immediately stirred with the urge to test his new skills on something. He dared not approach his father, so he set his sights on the Xu family instead.

It was rumored that the main contingent of the Xu family had not left the county town, leaving behind some members to care for the injured Xu Yucai.

Upon inadvertently learning this news, a mischievous thought sparked in He Yiming’s mind—a desire to play a trick on them. He wondered what the Xu family members would think if they saw someone employing the Blazing Fire Art in a real fight.

At this moment, He Yiming possessed both skill and daring; once a decision was made, he wasted no time.

That evening, he took out three jade bottles, opened one, poured out a pinch of powder, mixed it with water, and lightly smeared it on his face. Moments later, the reflection in the mirror was no longer He Yiming, but a completely unfamiliar face. This face, however, looked quite stiff and slightly pale.

Appearing suddenly in the dark, it would certainly be enough to scare the wits out of anyone.

He Yiming knew the stiffness was due to his inexperience, but achieving this level on his first attempt was impressive enough. At the very least, even he himself couldn't recognize the face staring back.

Once properly disguised, He Yiming secretly left his room and vaulted over the wall.

Having stayed here for several days, while he hadn't fully mapped the entire county town, he knew the residences of the Xu and Cheng families intimately, ensuring he wouldn't make a mistake.

He walked through the shadowed alleyways, heading silently toward the Xu residence. Midway there, however, he slightly lifted his head, his feet moving like flowing water as he slipped into the crevice between two buildings.

Just as he concealed himself, two figures rushed past him, hurrying in one direction.

He Yiming emerged, feeling curious. So, besides himself, there were other night-walkers about. But given the hasty manner of the pair, they were likely rushing to some urgent matter.

Shaking his head slightly, he paid them no mind. Everyone had their own affairs; it wasn't his concern.

After taking only a few steps forward, his brow furrowed again, and he ducked back into the same building crevice. Moments later, another person hurried past.

He Yiming just stepped out again, took a few paces, and then rolled his eyes subconsciously, instinctively retreating to his original hiding spot.

Sure enough, within moments, two more figures darted past the mouth of the street like the wind.

This time, He Yiming’s curiosity was genuinely piqued. In just a few minutes, three separate groups of cultivators had passed by. These were no mere stragglers either; each individual possessed at least the cultivation level of the Third Layer of Internal Energy.

While such strength wasn't much in He Yiming's eyes, in Taicang County, these people were considered capable hands. It was highly improbable they would pass by one area consecutively without reason.

Having had his curiosity stirred, He Yiming abandoned his initial plan to provoke the Xu family and turned to follow them instead.

With his current ability, tracking a few such individuals was effortlessly easy. However, the further he trailed them, the more astonished He Yiming became.

The direction they were heading was none other than the Cheng Estate.

He Yiming inwardly started, Could their target actually be the Cheng Estate?

It was well known that although the Cheng family ranked last among the Three Great Families, they held the status of official government subordinates. Furthermore, the Lin family from Linlang had sent envoys recently to congratulate Elder Cheng on his birthday. Under these circumstances, the Cheng family's prestige had soared. Even with Fourth Master Xu advancing to the Ninth Level and the He family gaining the top young master, they could not overshadow the current prominence of the Cheng family.

Therefore, when He Yiming realized their target seemed to be the Cheng family, his surprise was considerable.

Finally, the group converged in a courtyard approximately three hundred meters from the Cheng Estate. At this point, even an idiot would realize their target was the Cheng Estate three hundred meters away.

The individuals wore matching grey-black clothing and veiled their faces with cloths. Upon reaching the spot, they slowly crouched down, speaking to no one, resembling a flock of phantoms.

Slowly, their numbers swelled, reaching over fifty people.

He Yiming watched, feeling both startled and impressed. He was certain that the He family's estate guards absolutely lacked this level of discipline.

After a stretch of silence, three figures leaped in swiftly and strode to the center of the crowd.

When He Yiming’s gaze fell upon these three, his surprise deepened.

These three also wore grey outer garments and black face coverings, but their movements subtly exuded an aura of power and danger.

The ability to naturally project such an aura through movement indicated they were cultivators of at least the Seventh Level. Moreover, their eyes were savage and fierce—an expression He Yiming had only seen on one other person: Hu Bin, whom he had killed.

In that instant, he was certain: these three were true masters whose hands were stained with blood, having survived multiple life-or-death battles.

Such masters were far more terrifying than same-level cultivators who only knew how to practice but severely lacked combat experience. Unless one was clearly superior in strength, few would willingly provoke them.

He Yiming’s mind raced, but rack his brain as he might, he couldn't place anyone in Taicang County who matched the profile of these three.

As soon as the trio arrived, the leader glanced around, nodded with satisfaction, and murmured in a low voice, "Good, all the brothers have arrived. On our journey passing through here, we incidentally learned that the Cheng family possesses a Thousand-Year Blood Ginseng. After verification, the news is absolutely true."

The masked men below exchanged glances, excitement flickering in their eyes. This greatly intrigued the eavesdropping He Yiming; it seemed these people not only dismissed the Cheng family but didn't hold the Lin family of Linlang in very high regard either.

However, based on the leader's tone, these people seemed to be from elsewhere and were merely passing through. That explained their attitude.

The leader raised a fist toward the crowd and declared, "Brothers, follow me to seize that Thousand-Year Blood Ginseng and deliver it to the Big Boss. The Big Boss will certainly be delighted, and then we can eat well, drink richly, hug women—do whatever we please."

His words were filled with motivation and incitement. Although the subordinates were disciplined, they couldn't help but show subtle signs of unrest.

He Yiming frowned. What faction was this, and who was this Big Boss who commanded such loyalty that no one objected to sending the Blood Ginseng away?

"We have located the Blood Ginseng; the old fellow Cheng Ningsheng guards it personally. I will take men to retrieve it. You all spread out to cause chaos and ensure everyone is too busy to handle their own affairs," the leader instructed the two men beside him sternly.

"Yes," the two replied in low voices, a trace of savagery quickly flaring in their eyes.

The leader concluded the entire briefing in a few short sentences. Everyone promptly and orderly stood up, divided into three groups, and followed the three leaders out.

He Yiming hesitated. Honestly, he didn't want to get involved in this mess. But the mention of the Blood Ginseng made an unusual thought stir in his heart.

For the aristocratic families of Taicang County, the Thousand-Year Blood Ginseng was truly a precious treasure. Apart from the Cheng family, the other two likely didn't possess anything so valuable; the He family certainly did not.

If he could get his hands on that thing...

He Yiming gritted his teeth, his figure moving like a slippery fish, following closely behind them.

These men were clearly well-prepared. In moments, two teams shouted as they charged into the Cheng Estate.

Their appearance took everyone completely by surprise. The Cheng family had enjoyed peace in Taicang County for so long that even petty theft was unheard of within their walls, let alone a blatant public assault.

Instantly, countless curses, screams, pleas for mercy, and the frightened cries of women and children merged into a single wave. Panic rapidly spread outward from the Cheng Estate.

The leading masked man brought only five companions, but these five were all cultivators around the Fifth Level of Internal Energy—the strongest among the fifty-plus assailants.

They vaulted over a perimeter wall and moved with the speed of forced marchers through several courtyards.

He Yiming shadowed them closely, maintaining a careful distance.

Their route was clearly predetermined. They encountered very few people along the way, and when they did, they showed no mercy. Not a single servant or attendant they met escaped their deadly hands.

Soon, they reached a specific area within the Cheng family's inner compound.

He Yiming abruptly halted. He listened intently, and moments later, he heard intense sounds of breaking air erupting from that location. His heart stirred; he knew two top-tier masters were locked in a fight to the death.

Suddenly, two figures flashed out. A man dressed like a traveling scholar stumbled backward out of the courtyard, while a grey-clad, masked man wielding a large saber pressed the scholar, delivering deadly strikes with every move.

Finally, the grey-clad man closed in. He drew his saber across the scholar's throat. The scholar let out a sharp cry, collapsing to the ground dead.

But at that very moment, the grey-clad man felt a sharp pain in his back as immense force flooded his body. Without even a sound, he lost consciousness, never to wake again.

Ps: Wow, the weekly recommendation slot has been pushed to third place. Where are the recommendation tickets, everyone? Please offer some support! ^_^