Chapter 159: Jianghu Red List, Physical Transformation

Dawn is breaking.

Li Xian was dressed lightly, with water droplets still clinging to the tips of his hair. The sword wound on his chest was four inches long, of moderate depth, and showed no trace of internal energy.

After applying the ointment, it should heal completely in two days.

Li Xian rested for a moment and then consumed a gram of the essence. He retained four strands of the essence of heaven and earth, and calculating the time, he figured that if he diligently practiced martial arts, he could digest it in two days.

Martial artists practice martial arts and spar with others, all of which involve gaining insights into the universe. This can accelerate the digestion of the "essence of heaven and earth."

Like the leader of Shanfeng Village and Zheng Xuezhang of the Blackwater Gang, they both used unorthodox methods. Each time they consumed the essence of the drink, they retained a considerable amount of its essence, but digestion was a struggle.

Practicing superior martial arts can further aid in the digestion of its essence.

With the lady in seclusion, there was nothing to do at the manor. Around 11:00 AM, Li Xianchen rode back to Qingning County. As soon as he entered the hall, Zhang Hou said, "My lord, you're back."

Li Xian asked, "Is there something you need?"

Zhang Hou took a piece of paper, spread it out, and said, "Sir, please take a look." He then explained what had happened that morning.

Early this morning, the sound of horses' hooves was suddenly heard in the Wuwei Hall. The constables went out to investigate and found a servant who claimed to be a messenger from the prefectural city delivering the "Jianghu Red List".

The servant said, "Qingning Wuwei, stationed in one place, should have his name removed from the red list to accumulate merit. In the future, he can ascend to the heavens, act as the emperor's representative, and bring glory to his ancestors."

The so-called "Red List" refers to the most vicious and notorious criminals in the martial arts world. In short, it's a wanted list, but it's more than just that. Many extremely ruthless individuals consider it an honor to be listed on the "Red List."

"The Red List villains are notorious for their killing prowess and wreak havoc on the region. As a Martial Captain, I can eliminate these evils, accumulate martial arts knowledge, and absorb the essence of heaven and earth. There are many benefits to be had."

"But I have been a military officer for some time now. This imperial edict should have been sent long ago, but it only arrived today, and it came from the prefectural city. Could it be that the Cao family is behind this, using this opportunity to deal with me?"

Upon realizing this, Li Xian asked, "What else did that servant say?"

Zhang Hou said, "The other notorious names don't matter. But the third person on the list, 'Old Man Who Swallows Children,' is a wanted criminal who has been hiding for a year. Now he has finally revealed his whereabouts, and he is in the vicinity of Qingning County."

"The servant said that we must take this opportunity to arrest him within ten days. Otherwise, we might be suspected of negligence. Now that the new county magistrate is taking office, if this matter is not handled well, I'm afraid it will be difficult to explain."

Zhang Hou said angrily, "That servant has a despicable face, looking down on people, and he doesn't know what's so arrogant about him. He's really despicable. Punishing the wicked and eliminating evil is our duty, but there always seems to be something else behind his words."

“He’s threatening me,” Li Xian said knowingly. He already knew his suspicions were true; the Cao family wanted to get rid of him and had devised this scheme.

The Cao family, considering themselves a powerful and deeply entrenched clan, disdains to engage in underhanded tactics with Li Xian. Therefore, they are laying their cards on the table to see how Li Xian will respond.

That old man who swallows children is certainly not weak; if we were to encounter him, the outcome would be uncertain. This forces Li Xian to eliminate him, placing him in danger.

If Li Xianruo, seeking the best of a scenario, doesn't arrest the old man who swallowed the child, the Cao family could use this as an excuse to frame him for "colluding with the thief and helping him escape."

The county troops will easily encircle and suppress them. The Cao family is incredibly powerful, and their actions are naturally extremely domineering. Every single thing they do will drive Li Xian to the brink of despair.

"Lord Wu, what is that servant threatening?" Zhang Hou asked, puzzled.

Li Xian did not answer; this matter was none of his concern, and there was no need to worry him.

Li Xian had portraits drawn, depicting all the villains, and then pasted them on the signboard outside the hall. He loudly banged a gong, signaling to the neighbors to pay attention to the portraits and report any suspicious activity.

Pay attention to the facial features of the assailant; if you encounter them, avoid them immediately to prevent further injury or death.

In the blink of an eye, it was evening.

Li Xian practiced martial arts for half a day and was extremely hungry. There was a noodle shop across the street from the Martial Arts Hall. The owner's hot noodles had a unique flavor and an enticing aroma.

Zhang Hou bought two bowls of hot noodles, added three pieces of beef and two eggs, and served them to Li Xian at his table.

Li Xian slurped up his hot noodles, eating with great relish. He then took out the Crimson List and read it carefully: Three-Headed Dragon Marquis Li Wangsan, Bloodtooth King Ya, Old Man Swallowing Children Chu Niangpo...

Each of the thugs was roughly recorded, including their martial arts techniques and evil deeds. Their recent whereabouts were also detailed. They were afraid Li Xian wouldn't be able to find them.

"Although the Cao family's plan was risky, this list of names on the red list may well be a good test. The strong will rise up bravely, while the weak will retreat."

...

...

After eating a bowl of clean noodle soup, Li Xian prepared his knife, bow, and sword and went out alone. He was cautious by nature; while he didn't strive for absolute perfection in everything, he always made sure he had a way out beforehand.

He was fully equipped with poison powder, darts, and hidden weapons. He even bought a map, memorized it, and paid special attention to the river network.

Possessing the "Azure Water Pearl," he had access to rivers, lakes, and major streams as escape routes. Li Xian had an excellent memory and was very familiar with Qingning County, having traversed its mountains and rivers during past hunting expeditions. However, when alone in the mountains, he was unfamiliar with their layout. Although he had been to many places, he lacked a systematic understanding of them.

Looking down at the map, he quickly understood the situation. That very night, he took the red notice and went to find the villain for training.

It was midnight.

Li Xianxing arrived at a riverbank and secretly peered out. Sure enough, he saw a houseboat on the riverbank. The houseboat floated on the water, with four boats, each several meters long, as its base.

"The Red List, a couple who love to eat, the husband likes to eat kidneys, the wife likes to eat intestines. The couple disguised themselves as boatmen, ferrying people across the river. They selected their prey."

"If the passengers are satisfied with the journey, then take the boat to the middle of the river, slaughter them, take their kidneys and intestines to eat, and chop up the rest to feed the fish."

Li Xianmo tried to describe it, so he scooped up some ash from the ground and smeared it on his face to cover the red mole between his eyebrows. He walked to the riverbank and said, "Boatman, I'm in a hurry, could you give me a ride across the river?"

The boatman was taken aback. Seeing Li Xian's disheveled appearance, he asked, "Where are you going to cross the river so late?"

"Hehe, it's none other than the Miaoxiangfang in Huangyu City," Li Xian laughed.

"You?" The boatman's eyes lit up. "I've heard of Miaoxiangfang. Those are man-eating demons. You seem to be in good shape, but you might not be able to withstand those demons eating your life essence!"

Li Xian laughed heartily, "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid." He patted his chest, "You don't know, I was born with a pair of iron kidneys, my nickname is 'Three Days Without Falling Down'."

"Oh?" the boatman asked suspiciously, "Are you bragging?"

Li Xian laughed and said, "You're ignorant. Fine, fine, you'll never have the chance to see my power. Why bother telling you all this? Boatman, are you taking passengers or not? Give me an answer."

“You’re not the only one on this great river. If you don’t give me a ride, I’ll find someone else.”

The boatman said, "Hehe, seeing how eager you are, alright, I'll give you a ride, but I'll charge you a bit more."

He immediately called out to the house, "Wife, we have a guest! Come and lend a hand!"

A middle-aged woman came out, muttering to herself, "It's so late, why are there still guests? Sigh, hurry up and finish this, then go back to your room and sleep."

"You scoundrel, if you still can't pay tonight's grain tax, I'll cut your belly open and rip your intestines open."

The woman looked fierce.

The boatman chuckled and said, "You old woman, the guests are still here, what kind of scary things are you saying?"

Li Xian observed the two men's expressions and words. Their eyes and brows concealed a murderous intent, a history of countless killings, a room stained with stench, and flies swarming on the boat. It seemed the records on the Red List were indeed accurate.

The boatman shouted, rowed, and headed towards the other side of the river. The Changhua River had a rapid current, and the woman, holding the oar, slapped the surface of the lake violently.

It's unclear how they managed to disperse the turbulent current, but they managed to make the boat move steadily, preventing it from drifting with the waves.

Li Xian sat on a small stool in the boat and laughed, "Boatman, your wife is quite capable."

"Nonsense. Otherwise, how could she be my wife?" the boatman laughed.

Remembering his wife's words, the boatman asked again, "Sir, are you sure you're not lying to me? Are your kidneys really that powerful?"

Li Xiandao: "Of course."

"I'm so envious," the boatman said. "To tell you the truth, I've had kidney deficiency since I was a child. I even wet my pants when I urinate. I've been married to that woman for over ten years, and we don't have a single child. Sigh."

Listening to his sobbing, a glint flashed in the woman's eyes. She remained impassive, her peripheral vision already observing Li Xian's actions.

The boatman added, "My mother said that you are what you eat. I've eaten pig kidneys and sheep kidneys since I was a child, but they didn't do any good. Human kidneys, on the other hand, do have some effect."

Li Xian laughed and said, "According to you, you want to eat my kidney?"

The boatman added, "If you agree, that would be even better." As soon as he finished speaking, the woman suddenly swung her oar and hurled it at Li Xian.

The oars, though seemingly made of wood, are actually filled with lead and iron. This was evident from how they dispersed the turbulent current. The woman possesses immense strength, yet also remarkable skill.

Li Xian reached out and caught the oar steadily, saying, "Good food couple, it really is you." He had spent the whole night chatting, just to lure the two into making a move, so as not to accidentally hurt the innocent.

The woman shouted, "You thief, this man is stronger than me!"

The boatman was taken aback. He jerked the oars with both arms, splashing water all over Li Xian's eyes. At the same time, he activated a mechanism, and the oars transformed into a large halberd, slashing horizontally.

Seeing an opening, Li Xian stepped on his Guan Dao (a type of halberd). Two flashes of light appeared, and the heads of the couple rolled to the ground.

[Great Luo Sword Technique, killed a vicious bandit, proficiency +29]

[Great Luo Sword Technique, killed a vicious bandit, proficiency +31]

Li Xianjing and others waited for the boat to dock.

One of the most notorious criminals on the Red List has been executed!

The moonlight was dim. Li Xian washed his sword on the riverbank, his sleeves stained with blood. Li Xian was very dissatisfied; his swordsmanship still needed improvement. Mud and oil stains on this kind of cloth were relatively easy to clean, but bloodstains were troublesome.

If the stain gets any bigger, the clothes will be ruined.

Having experienced hardship, Li Xian knew the value of clothing and cloth.

"My martial arts skills have now reached a certain level. It's time to break free from the solitude of seclusion, seek out opponents to spar with, accumulate experience, and explore more applications of my techniques."

A waning moon hung in the sky; tonight, there were no clouds and no wind. Li Xian, while searching the corpses of the couple, found a silver note in the sole of the boatman's shoe. He also found some copper coins tucked inside the woman's sleeve.

There are no secret martial arts manuals, but there are effective remedies for nourishing the kidneys.

Li Xian said, "You've done plenty of murder and robbery, how come you're still so poor?"

And so it is.

Li Xian, following the red list, tirelessly sought out the culprits and engaged in combat. The constables, however, found no trace of him; everything remained the same, and he diligently practiced martial arts every day.

In these seven days, they first beheaded the couple who loved good food, then killed the scholar who stole life, and finally destroyed the Bloodtooth King...

One by one, the heads of those on the Crimson List were severed from their necks. Li Xian, though a newcomer, had grown remarkably quickly. Many of the most ruthless members of the Crimson List, upon hearing his name, fled in terror.

Experience and knowledge are accumulated through this process.

[You fought fiercely and triumphantly, full of vigor and high spirits, absorbing the essence of heaven and earth, your Essence Consumption Proficiency +1]

[You fought and killed the Essence Eater. You gained insight, your digestion of the essence of heaven and earth accelerated, and your Essence Eater proficiency increased by 1.]

[You have consumed the Essence of Elixir, your proficiency has increased by 1]

...

The perpetrators range from the strong to the weak. The weak, armed with only a kitchen knife, a thieving heart, and the audacity of a thief, can commit countless crimes.

The strong possess the ability to circulate Qi throughout the body, solidify blood and close orifices, and even step on the ground to consume essence.

The accumulation of martial arts skills is secondary. Martial artists consume precious treasures, bringing their physical essence closer to that of heaven and earth. When they fight with others, it's like two worlds colliding.

With the stimulation of a strong competitor, the digestion speed increases significantly.

[Eating Essence]

[Proficiency: 10/100]

[Description: Martial artists drink the essence of heaven and eat the sustenance of earth, exploring the infinite. You have digested a certain amount of the essence of heaven and earth, your cultivation level has increased, and your physical body has undergone further changes!]

(End of this chapter)