Chapter 11

According to the information provided by the God of Wealth, the Liu family had brought in three internal martial arts experts to guard their family. These three were estimated to have reached the level of subtle force. No wonder Lao Mao and the other four had to retreat in defeat in the desert.

Internal martial arts experts? Isn't that just internal martial arts? In China, internal martial arts originated during the late Qing and early Republican periods, when many internal martial arts masters emerged, such as the famous Huang Feihong, Fang Shiyu, Hong Xiguan, and Wang Wu with the Big Saber, as well as Huo Yuanjia and Chen Zhen in the early Republic of China, all of whom were grandmasters of internal martial arts.

His deceased master had once mentioned that in this era where internal cultivation has become a myth, masters who inherit family martial arts techniques have emerged, commonly known as internal martial arts. Because internal cultivation has been lost, internal martial arts follow a unique path of 'force.'

There are four realms: manifest force, hidden force, subtle force, and transforming force. Manifest force can shatter stones and split monuments; hidden force can injure internal organs; subtle force can control the skin and hair; and transforming force returns to the original state.

It is said that once one treads the path of internal martial arts, it is like being addicted to drugs. The cultivation of 'force' in internal martial arts starts with tempering the body to make it as hard as iron, reaching the level of manifest force. This leaves many hidden and hard injuries in the body. If one cannot break through to hidden force before the age of thirty, all the injuries will flare up at that age, leading to death or paralysis. Once one reaches hidden force, the hidden and hard injuries in the body will be somewhat alleviated because hidden force focuses on strengthening internal organs. Only after strengthening the internal organs can one cultivate hidden force, which can then be used to injure the enemy's internal organs. If one cannot break through to subtle force before the age of sixty, the body's damage over the years will be unbearable, leading to certain death. Only by breaking through to subtle force, which can control the skin and hair, can one eliminate the long-term damage from potential energy. This can extend one's lifespan to ninety years. It is said that after breaking through to transforming force, the entire life form will be elevated, and living to a hundred years is not a problem.

In today's society, experts at the transforming force level have become extinct. For the Liu family to find three experts at the subtle force level is no easy feat. Such a level of defense is unmatched even by many central leaders.

The three internal martial arts experts are Eagle Claw Wang Xu Kun, Iron Monk, and Dominant Fist Hu Sanjiang.

These three are all over fifty years old, with the oldest being in his seventies, and are said to be the most likely to break through to transforming force in modern times.

The God of Wealth also provided intelligence on these three experts.

Eagle Claw Wang Xu Kun, from Guangxi, is now seventy-three years old. He apprenticed under the grandmaster of Guangxi Eagle Claw, Wang Hai, in his early years. He reached manifest force at eighteen, broke through to hidden force at twenty-seven, and to subtle force at fifty-five. His iron claws are unmatched. It is said he can catch bullets in mid-air. At thirty-seven, he killed someone during a domestic turmoil and was forced to flee to Southeast Asia, where he lived in seclusion for many years.

Iron Monk, now seventy-eight years old, is a disciple of Shaolin on Mount Song. His body is invulnerable to blades and bullets due to his Iron Shirt technique, and his lower body is extremely strong, having mastered the Thousand Pound Drop. He broke the precept of celibacy and was expelled from Shaolin. Later, he apprenticed under the Tan Leg expert Tan Mingliang and learned the fierce seventy-two Tan Leg techniques. He reached manifest force at eighteen, hidden force at twenty-five, and subtle force at thirty-nine. He has lived in seclusion in Thailand.

Fist Dominator Hu Sanjiang is even more formidable, now seventy-seven years old. As a descendant of the Hong Quan internal martial arts and an elder of the Hong Gate in Hong Kong, he broke through to manifest force at fourteen, hidden force at twenty, and subtle force at thirty-one. In his youth, he fought in underground boxing matches, achieving an unbeaten record of three hundred consecutive wins, becoming a legend in the Hong Kong underground boxing scene. It is said no one can withstand his third punch, and after breaking through to subtle force, he once killed an elephant with a single punch. His punching power is truly terrifying.

After reading this, Li She closed his eyes and asked the spirit of the artifact, "Big Brother Spirit, after being impacted by the world will of 'Heavenly Sword and Dragon Saber,' my cultivation fell to the level of a second-rate expert. How do I compare to internal martial arts experts?"

The spirit of the artifact, who was sleeping, responded, "I thought it was something serious? Just this? Internal cultivation is inherently superior to internal martial arts, so the levels are naturally higher. Dumb! The martial artists in the 'Heavenly Sword and Dragon Saber' world who have learned some basic martial arts are equivalent to manifest force in your world. The unremarkable characters like guards and couriers are equivalent to hidden force, which means they have cultivated some internal energy that can injure internal organs. Third-rate experts have at least ten years of internal energy cultivation, which can extend their lifespan to ninety years, equivalent to subtle force. Transforming force is naturally equivalent to second-rate experts in the 'Heavenly Sword and Dragon Saber' world."

"Hehe, so you're saying I'm a top expert in the real world? Haha!" Li She said excitedly.

"Top expert? You forgot that in the 'Heavenly Sword and Dragon Saber' world, third-rate experts are everywhere, and second-rate experts are worse than dogs. Only first-rate experts can be considered true experts. You, a second-rate expert, dare to call yourself an expert? You'd better hurry up and collect the energy needed for the Divine Thief Order. Do you still want to completely heal your internal injuries? In this world, your internal injuries can only be controlled, not fully healed!" the spirit of the artifact couldn't help but taunt.

"Damn, it all comes down to money! Am I not trying to make money now? Damn, the conversion rate is so low; one thousand tons of coal can only be converted into one thousand energy points. Big Brother Spirit, do you know how much one thousand tons of coal costs?" Li She complained.

"I don't know, that's your problem! I'm going back to sleep. I'll wake up when your energy is full." the spirit of the artifact bluntly said.

Li She was completely at a loss with this unscrupulous spirit. It seems his internal injuries are also a problem.

He stood up and slowly began practicing the Seven Injuries Fist in his living room, which was over a hundred square meters. Due to the impact of the world will of 'Heavenly Sword and Dragon Saber,' his cultivation had fallen from the peak of the innate realm to the level of a second-rate expert. He couldn't even finish half of the Seven Injuries Fist before feeling his qi and blood flow irregularly. His heart felt heavily burdened, and he was already exhausted.

The One Yang Finger was even worse; it was difficult to release the qi, only reaching the point where his fingers could pierce through metal and stone. The Buddha Light Illumination could be勉强 performed a few times, but he was out of breath after finishing. Fortunately, the Eagle-Snake Life and Death Struggle, the Shadowless Kick, and the Shaolin Spring Leg, which required less internal cultivation, were not significantly affected.

As for the Indestructible Body of the Buddha, it was a skill that, once learned, would never be forgotten, like riding a bicycle. Before the impact of the world will of 'Heavenly Sword and Dragon Saber,' Li She had just touched the threshold of the Imperishable Golden Body, so his body was now incredibly strong.

Since his internal injuries could only be controlled and not fully healed, he could only nourish his meridians to further improve his condition. Li She recalled a prescription from the 'Hu Qingniu Medical Book,' the 'Yuan Qi Nourishing Decoction,' which was specifically for treating internal energy disorders and qi deviation.

Li She immediately wrote down the prescription from memory.

"One hundred-year-old ginseng, two hundred-year-old Polygonum multiflorum, one hundred-year-old lingzhi mushroom, a pair of aged deer antlers, Sanqi, Tianqi, Ground Gold Buffalo, Chicken Bone Fragrance, Han Xin Grass, and Thousand Hammer."

As he wrote, Li She felt a headache. The other ingredients were manageable, but the first few were hard to find. In this heavily polluted and overdeveloped world, even fifty-year-old ginseng was rare and priceless. Where could he find hundred-year-old ginseng? Even in the 'Heavenly Sword and Dragon Saber' world, these ingredients were not easy to obtain. No wonder Hu Qingniu noted that he had only prepared this prescription twice, once for the leader of the Ming Cult, Yang Dingtian, and once for his wife, Wang Nangu. It was likely that the ingredients for Wang Nangu's 'Yuan Qi Nourishing Decoction' were taken from Yang Dingtian's prescription. Only as the leader of the Ming Cult could Yang Dingtian gather so many precious herbs. For a less famous doctor like Hu Qingniu, it would be extremely difficult to collect such ingredients.

Thinking of this, Li She decided to contact the God of Wealth again. If he could get weapons, these herbs should not be a problem, right?

Li She typed on QQ, "God of Wealth, help me get a few things."

"Wow? Is there something you can't get? Haha, I know, you must be preparing some heavy weapons because of the three subtle force experts, right? Tell me, whether it's an anti-material sniper rifle, a rocket launcher, or TNT, it's no problem. If you want to use poison gas, I doubt five million would be enough for you to run away!" the God of Wealth typed neurotically.

"Damn, what are you talking about! Help me get a few herbs: one hundred-year-old ginseng, two hundred-year-old Polygonum multiflorum, and one hundred-year-old lingzhi mushroom. Can you get these?"

"Whoa? Are you going to refine pills? Have you been reading too many fantasy novels? What a joke!" the God of Wealth replied.

"Cut the crap, be serious! Can you get them, and how much will it cost?" Li She typed.

"Not joking? Okay. You know these things are priceless, and people who have them won't sell them. Damn, you're a great thief, can't you steal them yourself? Fine, since you're asking me, God of Wealth, I'll get them for you, no matter how difficult. Honestly, hundred-year-old herbs are hard to find, but I can try to find you fifty-year-old ones."

As a seasoned thief, Li She knew that hundred-year-old ginseng, lingzhi, and Polygonum multiflorum were likely extinct in this society, if they existed at all, they would be in the hands of wealthy families. Getting fifty-year-old ones from the God of Wealth was already a good deal.

"Fine, contact the seller and see how much it will cost," Li She said, settling for a compromise.

"Wait ten minutes," the God of Wealth replied quickly.

Ten minutes later, the God of Wealth replied, "Three items, five million US dollars. No negotiation. What do you think?"

"Damn, will he pay the commission?" Li She asked, feeling the pain.

"Each pays their own!" the God of Wealth typed.

"Damn, I need them urgently. Are the items genuine?" Li She asked.

"Don't worry, my reputation. Do you not trust me? I'm not that unethical to sell fake drugs. If the items are fake, I'll take care of the seller for you! I hate fake drug dealers. The usual fee is two percent, ten thousand US dollars. Thank you for your business!" the God of Wealth guaranteed.

Li She trusted the God of Wealth's reputation. Despite being a cunning businessman, he wouldn't break the rules. They were responsible for verifying the authenticity of the goods before contacting the buyer. This was the code of conduct for intermediaries.

"Scoundrel!" Li She cursed but quickly opened his Swiss bank account and transferred five million and ten thousand US dollars to the God of Wealth's account.

After completing the transaction, Li She typed, "Five million and ten thousand, received! Vampire!"

The other side, after checking the account, immediately typed a mischievous smiley face, "Free shipping, dear."

"Get lost! Send them to the usual address, I'll pick them up myself," Li She said and logged off.

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