Martial Dao: I Can Enhance My Talents

The moment Fang Han announced, "The Grandmaster Demon has been eliminated," Luo Qi’s body went imperceptibly rigid.

She said nothing, asked nothing, and didn’t even spare Fang Han a glance.

Her unsettling eyes simply stared at the ground, as if it held something of great interest.

Yet the knuckles of the hand hanging at her side had turned white from how tightly she was clenching it.

The gazes cast in her direction—some overt, some subtle, some intentional, some not—made her feel as if she were sitting on pins and needles.

Her words from yesterday at the valley entrance still echoed in her ears—

’The most important thing for a Tracking Technique is experience.’ ’Even I failed, so how could he possibly succeed?’ ’Just a twenty-year-old brat.’

Every word was now like a red-hot brand searing itself into her heart.

Fang Han saw Luo Qi, too, his gaze falling upon her cold, impassive face.

Luo Qi turned her profile to him, her unsettling eyes fixed on the ground as if she were completely oblivious to his stare.

A slight smile touched the corners of Fang Han’s lips.

"Elder Luo."

He spoke. His voice wasn’t loud, but it reached the ears of everyone present.

Luo Qi’s body tensed again, almost imperceptibly, before she slowly turned to face him.

She met Fang Han’s gaze, her expression still cold, but deep within her eyes was a ripple of emotion she couldn’t quite hide.

"Yesterday, you said that the most important thing for a Tracking Technique is experience, Elder. I couldn’t agree more."

Fang Han paused, a rather "sincere" smile spreading across his face.

"Thankfully, my luck was good enough that I had the fortune of discovering that Grandmaster Demon."

The words were polite, but no one present failed to hear the mockery lacing them.

"You..."

Luo Qi’s expression was stormy. She started to speak but forced herself to stop.

’What else could she say?’

’Admit she’d made a mistake? Claim Fang Han was just lucky?’

’She was the Netherworld Pavilion’s acknowledged master of Tracking. She couldn’t bring herself to stubbornly deny the truth in front of everyone.’

’But to admit her failure in front of so many people, to admit she was inferior to a twenty-year-old junior—she couldn’t do it.’

Silence spread through the valley entrance.

"Hmph—"

She snorted coldly, ignored Fang Han, and stalked out of the valley.

Her gait was unsteady, a clear sign of her turbulent state of mind.

Her black robes fluttered in the mountain wind, and her retreating figure soon vanished into the deepening twilight.

Su Wan watched Luo Qi depart and sighed softly, but she didn’t try to stop her.

’She knew that with Luo Qi’s personality, this was the last place she’d want to be right now.’

「Early the next morning」

Fang Han left the valley, got his bearings, and headed toward the Qingxuan Sect.

With the Demon eliminated, a great weight was lifted from his heart. He was no longer in a rush and slowed his pace.

He had been stretched to his mental limit while tracking the Grandmaster Demon on his way here. Now, finally able to relax, he enjoyed a rare sense of peace.

「Two afternoons later」

The majestic mountain gate of the Qingxuan Sect finally appeared on the horizon.

Fang Han set foot on the mountain path. Ancient, verdant trees flanked him, their leaves rustling in the afternoon breeze.

Sunlight filtered through the canopy, casting dappled shadows on the stone steps. The occasional birdsong from the woods only accentuated the mountain’s tranquility.

He passed through the mountain gate and went first to the Sect Leader’s Hall to report on his mission.

The Sect Leader had already heard from the Supreme Elder that Fang Han played a crucial role in tracking the Grandmaster Demon.

After hearing Fang Han’s report, he immediately rewarded him with a great merit.

Leaving the Sect Leader’s Hall, Fang Han returned to Courtyard Thirty-Five.

At the sound of the gate, Qiu Lan looked up. A delighted smile bloomed on her face as she hurried over to greet him.

"Senior Brother, you’re back!"

Fang Han nodded and handed her the oilcloth-wrapped bundle he was carrying.

"Take this meat to the kitchen. Cook some for dinner tonight and cure the rest into jerky for storage."

Qiu Lan hurriedly took it with both hands.

The bundle was incredibly heavy, weighing at least several hundred pounds.

She carefully lifted a corner of the oilcloth, and an overwhelmingly powerful aura of Qi and Blood washed over her, making her heart palpitate.

The meat was a deep, dark red with a fine grain. Even from a distance, she could feel the astonishing Essence Qi it contained, countless times more potent than any Demon Beast Meat she had ever seen.

Qiu Lan’s hand trembled.

Her voice shook as she asked,

"Senior Brother, what... what kind of meat is this? It feels so much more powerful than the Upper-Three-Grade Demon Beast meat I’ve seen before."

The two maids behind her also drew closer out of curiosity, their eyes filled with astonishment as they stared at the dark red flesh.

"Meat from a Grandmaster Demon," Fang Han said.

The hands with which Qiu Lan held the bundle jolted, and she nearly dropped it.

She quickly steadied her grip and looked up, her eyes wide as saucers. Her lips moved a few times before she finally managed to find her voice.

"A Grandmaster... Demon?"

The two maids behind her gasped, exchanging glances of utter, indescribable shock.

A Grandmaster-level Demon.

It was a legendary creature, a terrifying beast capable of fighting on par with the Supreme Elders of the Seven Sects.

As ordinary servant disciples, they had rarely even heard of such a thing, let alone seen one.

And now, a piece of its meat was right in front of them.

Qiu Lan took a deep breath, trying to suppress the storm of shock in her heart, but her voice still trembled.

"Senior Brother, is... is this really meat from a Grandmaster Demon?"

Seeing her cautious and disbelieving expression, the faintest smile touched Fang Han’s lips.

"It is. Three Supreme Elders from the Seven Sects had to join forces to slay it. I was fortunate enough to receive a share."

Qiu Lan quickly rewrapped the oilcloth, cradling the bundle in her arms. Her steps were lighter than usual, as if she were carrying not a piece of meat, but a priceless treasure.

The eyes of the two maids shone with a mixture of awe and adoration.

This was meat from a Grandmaster-level Demon! Just having seen it was a story they could boast about within the Sect for a long, long time.

Instead of immediately going to his room to rest, Fang Han gave an order to one of the maids.

"Go to the Sub-Branch and invite Yun Qianyue, Li Feng, Huang Ling’er, Shi Meng, and Xiao Chen. Tell them I’m inviting them for dinner."

The maid bowed in acknowledgment and hurried away.

Fang Han turned and entered the Quiet Chamber.

Wisps of smoke curled from the sandalwood incense burner. He sat cross-legged on a cushion, took a jade bottle from his robes, and tipped a Celestial Essence Pill into his mouth.

The elixir dissolved in his stomach, its gentle medicinal power spreading through him. He closed his eyes and began to circulate the Cyan Profound Technique.

Azure-gold Inner Qi surged through his meridians, absorbing and refining the medicinal power to replenish what he had consumed on his journey.

An hour later, Fang Han slowly opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing within them before vanishing.

His Inner Qi had returned to its peak. He stood, stretching his slightly stiff muscles, and pushed open the door to the Quiet Chamber.

Outside the courtyard, a servant hurried over, bowed, and said, "Senior Brother, Senior Sister Yun is here."

A flicker of joy appeared in Fang Han’s eyes. He straightened his robes and strode toward the courtyard gate.

Yun Qianyue was standing beneath a clump of green bamboo by the gate. Her pale cyan dress fluttered gently in the afternoon breeze, and a light purple veil concealed her face, revealing only a pair of cool, clear eyes.

The twilight slanted over the courtyard wall behind her, softening the lines of her figure.

"You’re here." Fang Han stopped in front of her, his voice a little softer than usual.

"Mm."

Yun Qianyue nodded slightly, her eyes lingering on Fang Han’s face for a moment.

Fang Han smiled and stepped aside. "Come in and talk."

The two walked side-by-side across the courtyard and took their seats in the side hall.

A maid served fragrant tea and withdrew silently, leaving the two of them alone in the hall.

Yun Qianyue lifted her teacup for a small sip, then set it down. Her cool eyes rested on Fang Han’s face.

"Did you just get back from a mission?"

Fang Han briefly recounted the events of the last few days, focusing on the three Grandmasters who had joined forces to kill the Grandmaster Demon.

Yun Qianyue listened intently.

When she heard Fang Han describe the spectacle of the three Grandmasters joining forces to slay the demon tiger, her eyelashes trembled, a sign of her immense shock.

When he mentioned receiving several hundred pounds of Demon Beast Meat, she guessed why he had invited them all to dinner. "You invited us over to eat the meat from that Grandmaster Demon?" she asked in amazement.

Fang Han nodded.

Yun Qianyue fell silent.

A Grandmaster Demon—a terrifying being capable of leveling an entire city—was now a dish for tonight’s dinner. The contrast left her feeling a little dazed.

They continued to chat idly, the atmosphere light and pleasant.

The evening sun bathed Courtyard Thirty-Five in a warm, golden light.

Li Feng, Huang Ling’er, Shi Meng, and Xiao Chen arrived at almost the same time.

As always, Li Feng cradled the long saber that never left his side. His expression was stern, and he gave Fang Han a slight nod.

Huang Ling’er, dressed in goose-yellow, was her usual lively self. She was already calling out "Senior Brother Fang!" with a smile before she even stepped through the gate.

Shi Meng followed her, as honest and simple-natured as ever, scratching his head with a sheepish grin.

"Senior Brother Fang."

Xiao Chen came last. His green robes were slightly worn, but his features remained handsome, and his lips held their usual gentle smile. He greeted Fang Han with a cupped-fist salute.

"You’re all here. Come in, have a seat."

Fang Han stood before the hall, greeting the four in turn.

These were the friends he had made back in the Sub-Branch, a bond forged when he was still a nobody. No matter how far his cultivation advanced, that bond had never changed.

The four of them stepped into the side hall and sat down. Yun Qianyue was already seated and gave them a slight nod.

Li Feng and the others returned the gesture, unsurprised that Yun Qianyue had arrived before them.

The food was soon brought to the table.

The spread tonight was far more lavish than usual, but the most eye-catching dish was undoubtedly the large porcelain basin in the center, filled with meat stewed until it was falling apart.

The meaty aroma was so rich it was almost tangible. Just inhaling the scent made their Qi and Blood quicken, as if they had just swallowed an elixir for that very purpose.

"What is this meat? Just the smell is making my whole body heat up," Shi Meng said, his eyes wide as he stared at the basin, his Adam’s apple bobbing.

Huang Ling’er also leaned in curiously, her nostrils flaring. Her expression suddenly changed.

"The Qi and Blood Power in this meat... it’s so strong—"