One more catty, one more attribute point

Wang Bingquan\'s tall and slovenly figure staggered out of the room.

Inside the private room.

Ma Youcai looked at the messy table in front of him.

The smile on his face gradually receded, turning into a serious contemplation.

Although Wang Bingquan had not immediately agreed, doubt had already begun to surface in his heart.

Having worked with Wang Bingquan for over twenty years, he naturally knew that what he needed to do next was to raise the stakes, layer by layer.

Step by step, he would shatter Wang Bingquan\'s psychological defenses.

This part was not a big problem.

Next, the key question was how to deal with that new person in Demon Suppression Tower.

"No matter how strong an individual\'s strength is, they cannot be utterly flawless. Not even Li Daoxuan\'s master, the former head of Demon Suppression Bureau, someone so splendid and limitless, could avoid an unknown fate of life and death. Let alone a mere new Demon Suppression Tower Master."

Ma Youcai shook his head, let out a cold laugh, and drained the fine wine in his glass in one gulp.

He abruptly stood up and left the tavern.

By now, the sky had darkened.

But the inner city of Baihua County was especially bustling, with a constant stream of people on the roads and carriages threading through. The shops lining both sides of the street all hung various-sized, uniquely shaped peculiar lanterns. The cries of pedestrians and the shouts of merchants intermingled, creating a cacophony of noise.

Ma Youcai wound his way through the streets, turning left and right, finally entering a secluded, dimly-lit alleyway.

At the end of the alleyway was a wooden door.

Knocking on the door, it opened and a person inside took a glance, then stepped aside to let the influential family\'s insider from the Demon Suppression Bureau pass through.

Ma Youcai slightly nodded his head, a confident smile hanging on the corner of his mouth.

He walked in with his head held high and chest puffed out.

The door closed behind him.

From the outside, it appeared to be just an inconspicuous alleyway, showing no signs of anything amiss.

But beyond the wooden door was another world entirely. The smells of alcohol and stimulating drugs assailed the senses, and the raucous screams fluctuated continuously.

The space inside was expansive, with a metal net ring in the central area.

Two nearly two-meter-tall men fought until they were covered in blood, while underneath people continuously placed large bets of Silver Tael with the house.

This place was unmistakably an underground gambling den.

Ma Youcai\'s gaze briefly rested on the ring, then he shook his head and moved on.

Pushing aside the curtain, he entered an inconspicuous small room at the end of the gambling den.

Ma Youcai reached out his hand.

He ignited the oil lamp hanging on the wall.

The light of the lamp flickered like a dueling sword amidst the tidal waves of shouting from outside.

Two tall and burly figures appeared in the dim light. One sat brazenly in a wooden chair, while the other leaned against the wall, leisurely sipping tea from a white porcelain cup, his gaze calm as if completely oblivious to Ma Youcai\'s arrival.

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Upon closer inspection, the two men\'s faces were nearly identical.

Indeed, they were twins—the brothers Song Ting and Song Yingchun from the Song Family.

Among the six major families in Baihua County, apart from the Hong Family, the Song Family was the strongest.

The key reason was that Song Ting and Song Yingchun working together possessed strength not inferior to any family head of the major families.

That day in Jiangyue Pavilion,

Song Ting had even made a move to test Su Heng.

Unfortunately, his created shadow puppet was destroyed, and he himself suffered a backlash, with the matter ultimately coming to nothing.

"How did the task I assigned to you go?" The one seated like a ruler on the chair was the older brother, Song Ting.

"Wang Bingquan has basically agreed. Next, we just need to figure out a way to lure that person out of Demon Suppression Tower,"

Ma Youcai bowed, responding.

"This shouldn\'t be difficult." Song Yingchun, who was somber as deep water, gently tapped the lid of his cup and spoke softly, "As the Tower Master of Demon Suppression Tower, his duty is to prevent the escape of demons. You two elders working together to smuggle a demon out of the tower should not be a particularly difficult task."

"That man\'s character is quite arrogant. As long as a demon escapes Demon Suppression Tower, he will surely go after it,"

Song Ting\'s face was marked with overt hatred as he clenched his fist hard, "At that time, we can lure him into a trap and avenge Brother Wendao!"

"If we\'re willing to risk exposing our identity, plus with Wang Bingquan\'s cooperation, snatching a demon out of Demon Suppression Tower is indeed feasible,"

Ma Youcai frowned and said, "However, there\'s one thing I don\'t understand."

Song Yingchun: "Let\'s hear it."

"With the death of Hong Wendao, shouldn\'t the Hong Family have the greatest reaction? Why is it that in these past few days, the Hong Family hasn\'t shown any activity, yet it is we who are preparing for retaliation?" Ma Youcai asked, puzzled.

"If you can think of that, how could Li Daoxuan not?" Song Yingchun set down his teacup and scoffed, "Just among those we\'ve noticed watching the Hong Family, there are seven or eight. Not to mention those lurking in the shadows, unseen, who are sure to be even more numerous."

"The Hong Family still doesn\'t want to completely break with Li Daoxuan, so they have no choice but to endure."

"I see..." Ma Youcai nodded.

Song Ting snorted, "Endure? If they keep enduring, then Hong Jiuxiang shouldn\'t be called \'Jiuxiang\'—that name is too domineering and he can\'t live up to it. He should just change his name to Hong \'Jiugui,\' which fits him well."

"Hong Jiuxiang is a big brute, indifferent even as his own son was torn to pieces before him. Hong Dingtian is a lesser brute, willing to let his elder brother lose his life in exchange for a clear martial path for himself. It\'s such a shame for our Brother Wendao, such a righteous man to be born in such a family of wolves, rats, and other base creatures!"

"However..."

Ma Youcai hesitated before speaking, "That man\'s strength is extremely formidable."

"That day, when my practice of the cultivation technique went awry, I nearly lost my life and my path. It was brother Hong Wendao who ventured three hundred li into the forbidden area of Breath Swamp and risked his life to kill a Su Heng fish, retrieving its demon carcass for me. Not only did I survive, but my cultivation also improved significantly."

Song Ting clenched his fists fiercely, his eyes bloodshot, and droplets of blood trickled down from his fingertips. In the dim firelight, his facial expression was ferocious and terrifying.

"Now that he\'s been brutally murdered by a villain, if I stand by and do nothing, where is the brotherly loyalty between us, and where is the martial courage amongst us martial artists?"

"Brother is right," said Song Yingchun in a clear voice from the side. "It is not terrifying to be weak; what\'s terrifying is not having the courage to strike at the strong. In this world, while martial strength is important, it does not represent everything."

"Wendao brother also took great care of me, I cannot ignore his death," Song Yingchun added.

"Good!"

Ma Youcai also responded emphatically, "Since the two brothers have made up their minds, then leave the next steps to me."

"If all goes well, in the next few days, I should be able to find a way to get him out of the Demon Suppression Tower. As for the rest, that will be up to the two brothers."

"Hmm," nodded Song Ting, his expression gradually softening, "Thank you for the trouble."

Ma Youcai rose and bowed with a fist clasped.

He gave a nod to both men as a sign of respect and then turned and left, quickly disappearing into the underground fighting arena.

...

...

...

Bang!

Demon Suppression Tower, fifth floor.

Su Heng sat cross-legged on a huge cushion, flicking his finger.

With a gust of wind, the air ripped open, causing dust to scatter as it resonated back and forth.

A golden sphere of energy burst forth, traveling over ten meters and slamming heavily into an iron plate more than ten centimeters thick, leaving a noticeable dent.

"Hiss..."

Su Heng was somewhat startled by the power, "Such force, if unleashed on the battlefield, could even threaten a main battle tank."

Before his transmigration, he had been very interested in the military technology of the past.

Those steel behemoths that swept across battlefields.

Their frontal armor never exceeded twenty centimeters in thickness.

Su Heng couldn\'t penetrate it in one blow, but a few more hits would surely flatten and tear it apart.

The supernormal secret weapons of this world were indeed extravagant; when cultivated to a profound level, each individual seemed like a humanoid Gundam.

Su Heng pondered for a moment.

He changed the way the energy flowed in his body, spreading his five fingers wide.

The unique Arc Light Strength of the Miniature Mist Skill was no longer condensed into a sphere but into dazzling, golden threads.

Between Su Heng\'s fingers, they leapt and twinkled, casting a golden illusion.

"Perhaps..."

A certain realization dawned on Su Heng, "This is the origin of the Miniature Mist Skill\'s name."

Whoosh!

He maintained the flow of energy.

With his fingers spread wide, he pushed toward the steel plate in front of him.

The golden threads dashed through like lightning, seemingly without effect.

Only after a while did the uncomfortable shrieking sound reach them from afar, as fine scratches appeared on the steel plate.

The scratches grew thicker and more disjointed, with the screeching becoming increasingly piercing.

Finally, there was a dull sound of collision.

The thick steel was cut into more than a dozen irregular pieces under the full mastery of the Miniature Mist Skill, collapsing and kicking up dust under the bright sunlight.

"Snap!"

Su Heng dusted off his hands and opened the attribute panel.

[Miniature Mist Skill Ninth Layer (Special Effects: Arc Light Strength, Bone Strength, Penetration, Cutting)]

Among the three secret techniques of Qingmu Everlasting, Cold Ice Charm, and Miniature Mist Skill, the first two were perfected at the eighth layer, while only the Miniature Mist Skill had a ninth layer.

This technique had the most power.

And, naturally, it was the most difficult one to master to a high degree.

Of course, for Su Heng, it was just a matter of spending a few dozen attribute points more.

"Next, I need to elevate the Black Evil Technique to the Bone Strength stage and then seek an Earth-attribute technique to strengthen."

Su Heng stood up and draped a black robe from the coat rack over himself.

With a wave of his hand, his strong energy twisted the air, whipping up a fierce wind that gathered all sorts of debris and trash to the corner of the room.

In time, someone would come to clean it up.

"Thump, thump, thump!"

Just as he was about to review Xu Tong\'s cultivation notes, a knock on the door interrupted Su Heng\'s actions.

The door opened, and a disciple from the Demon Suppression Bureau handed him an envelope.

"Hmm..." Su Heng\'s brows furrowed slightly, "Ma Youcai... seems to be an elder of the Demon Suppression Tower. I\'ve never met him. He wants to invite me to dinner."

"Oh well, having just finished my meditation retreat, it shouldn\'t hurt to go out and meet him."