Naza stared in shock at the stone tiger before her. Was this still the same Jie tribe expert who had slaughtered everyone?
How did he end up like this? His entire body is covered in scratches, it looks like Shi Hu has peeled his own skin off, and he clearly seems mentally unstable. It's hard to imagine what kind of torture Shi Hu suffered before this…
"Stone Tiger..."
"arrive!"
"Name?"
"Stone Tiger!"
"gender?"
"male!"
"age?"
"19!"
"Profession?"
"warrior!"
After asking all those questions, Li Zhu looked at Nazha triumphantly. Nazha was so shocked she couldn't close her mouth, unable to imagine what had happened to Shi Hu to make him so cooperative.
"Is this Shi Hu?"
Naza pointed at Shi Hu and asked uncertainly!
"Stone Tiger!"
"arrive!"
To prove that this was indeed Shi Hu, Li Zhu called out "Shi Hu" again, and Shi Hu's reaction made Nazha realize that this was Shi Hu himself...
At this point, Nazha was no longer shocked, but her gaze towards Shi Hu remained unsettled. She desperately wanted to know how Li Zhu had done it, but it seemed Shi Hu had no intention of telling her…
"Now that they've already kidnapped Shi Le, they might come to kidnap Shi Hu too..."
Naza's eyes flickered as she spoke, clearly believing that the group couldn't have only kidnapped Shi Le!
"If I were a member of the Jie tribe, I would flee immediately. With the Book of the Zodiac, we could quickly make a comeback, and the chances of rescuing Shi Hu would be much greater then..."
Li Zhu analyzed that, based on his memories from his previous life, he had a fairly good understanding of Shi Le. How could someone who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals possibly care about the life or death of a nephew?
"Shi Hu even told you the Book of the Zodiac?"
Naza asked in shock!
Li Zhu rolled his eyes at him. If Nazha hadn't been so secretive, things wouldn't have gotten to this point!
"Otherwise, how would I know?"
Li Zhu replied irritably!
"So what should we do now?"
Naza composed herself. Since Li Zhu already knew about the Book of the Zodiac, there was no point in hiding it anymore. However, this was a treasure that no one could refuse. Now that everyone knew about its existence, who would ultimately obtain it depended on their own methods!
"Of course we'll chase them. They rescued Shi Hu, so their first instinct should be to flee. But it's curfew now, so there's no way they can leave the city. As long as we can find them before dawn, the Zodiac Book won't get away..."
Li Zhu analyzed the situation, and Nazha agreed with him completely!
Finally, both sides dispatched troops to search for the Jie people throughout Luoyang!
After everyone left, Li Zhu followed the Marquis and learned all the text on the parchment scroll, which finally qualified him to understand the basics of martial arts!
Basic martial arts are indeed very basic, consisting of introductions to some basic moves, belonging to the beginner level!
For Li Zhu, who had no prior knowledge, this was a martial arts manual. He looked at the knowledge in it without blinking and focused intently on absorbing the martial arts techniques in the manual!
Li Zhu began practicing one move at a time, completely forgetting everything else except martial arts, even the Marquis's surveillance of him seemed to have been forgotten!
He would raise his hand and strike out with force, then raise his foot and kick out in mid-air, but his movements were incredibly fluid and graceful!
As the practice time increased, the black energy in Li Zhu's body became unusually active, eventually transforming into a stream of power flowing through his body. After absorbing enough black energy, the Dragon King Ring also turned into a tattoo, imprinted on Li Zhu's wrist!
The Marquis stared in shock at Li Zhu practicing martial arts, his astonishment impossible to conceal. He knew Li Zhu's talent best; he was utterly useless. Yet, with such a physique, he was now able to develop a sense of internal strength using only a basic martial arts manual. Even a genius couldn't achieve such progress…
Li Zhu indeed hadn't mastered the hidden strength; even geniuses need cultivation, it can't be achieved overnight…
The reason he felt the hidden strength was entirely because that black power could actually be mobilized while he was practicing martial arts!
This made Li Zhu even more curious about this power. What kind of power could it be that could not only increase his strength but also improve his aptitude for martial arts?
Suddenly, a passage appeared in Li Zhu's mind: "Close your eyes and meditate, clench your fists and calm your mind. Tap your teeth thirty-six times, embrace Kunlun with both hands..."
These words appeared in his mind like scenes from a movie, and he subconsciously followed the instructions in the mantra!
In an instant, his body resounded like a morning bell and evening drum, causing his entire body to vibrate. Moreover, the vibration was extremely subtle, and outsiders could not see the vibration in Li Zhu's body at all, and thought he was simply meditating!
When the Marquis appeared before Li Zhu, he was much stronger than Li Zhu. However, even he couldn't understand what had happened to Li Zhu. How could he suddenly be able to practice martial arts, and how could his talent be so rare? If he could develop internal strength in just one hour, did that mean that Li Zhu could surpass him at any time?
When the first prince faced a life-threatening crisis, he looked down on Li Zhu and kept an eye on him. This was common knowledge. The premise was that everyone remembered that the crown prince was a good-for-nothing with no chance of turning the tide!
But now Li Zhu not only has his own power, but also his own strength. This greatly increases the threat Li Zhu poses to him. Even if Li Zhu doesn't eventually ascend the throne, given Li Zhu's strength at that time, killing him won't be an easy task...
Given enough time, it wouldn't be difficult for Li Zhu to overthrow a royal family on his own, especially since he is the most legitimate heir.
We can't afford to offend Li Zhu again...
This was the Marquis's first reaction...
The relationship between the two of them must be repaired!
This was the Marquis's second reaction!
Li Zhu slowly opened his eyes, exhaled a breath of stale air, and when he stood up, he felt as if his body had become several pounds lighter, and he seemed to see more clearly and hear farther away...
Looking up and seeing the Prince right in front of him, Li Zhu was stunned for a moment, then his expression turned somewhat grim. This guy would tell his cheap father, the Emperor, everything. If that old man found out that he knew martial arts, the consequences would be unpredictable. Perhaps, in order to nip his rise in the bud, he would directly take action against him. This possibility could not be ruled out at all.
Li Zhu's gaze towards the Marquis was filled with danger; at that moment, he did indeed have murderous intent, but he also knew that his strength was inferior to the Marquis's, so he did not make a move...
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