Diligence System: From Servant to Martial King

The sky was about to break into dawn.

Li Xian wore light clothing, with water droplets still lingering on the tips of his hair. The sword wound on his chest was four inches long, with moderate depth, and there was no inner qi residue.

After applying ointment, it would heal completely in two days.

Li Xian rested for a moment and consumed a gram of Essence Treasure. He retained four strands of the Essence of Heaven and Earth. Calculating the time, if he diligently practiced martial arts, it could be digested in two days.

Martial Artists practice martial arts and spar with others as a way to comprehend the heavens and earth, which can expedite the digestion of the "Essence of Heaven and Earth."

Like the head of Mountain Wind Stronghold and Zheng Xuezhang of the Black Water Gang, who were both unsophisticated. Every time they consumed the Essence Treasure, they retained quite a bit of essence, but it was difficult to digest.

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

The wife was in seclusion, and there was nothing to do in the manor. Around morning, Li Xian rode back to Qingning County. As soon as he entered the hall, Zhang Hou said, "Sir, you're back."

Li Xian asked, "Is there anything going on?"

Zhang Hou brought a piece of paper, spread it out, and said, "Sir, please take a look." He informed Li Xian of the morning events.

Earlier that morning, the Martial Captain Hall suddenly heard the sound of horse hooves. The constables went out to check, and a young lad claiming to be a messenger from the Prefecture City delivered this "Red List of the Martial World."

The lad said, "Qingning Martial Captain, stands vigil at one place. It's time to purge the wanted names from the Red List to accumulate merit. In the future, you might rise to the clouds, serve as a celestial patrol officer, and bring glory to your ancestors."

The so-called Red List represents the most ruthless criminals in the Jianghu. Simply put, it's a wanted list, but it's more than just that. Many heinous villains take pride in making it to the Red List.

"The villains on the Red List are imposing and chaotic to one side. As a Martial Captain, I can eliminate these evils, accumulate martial arts knowledge, and digest the Essence of Heaven and Earth. The benefits are numerous."

"However, since I've taken the position of Martial Captain, quite some time has passed. This Red List should have been delivered much earlier, yet it only arrived today, and it's from the Prefecture City. Is there any involvement from the Cao family, using this opportunity against me?"

Upon this thought, Li Xian asked, "Did the lad say anything else?"

Zhang Hou said, "The other notorious names are trivial. But the third person on the list, 'Child Swallower Old Man,' is a wanted criminal who has been hiding for a year. Now, his whereabouts finally revealed, he is around Qingning County."

"The lad said it's crucial to seize this opportunity and capture him within ten days. Failing to do so may imply negligence, especially now that the new County Magistrate is taking office. If not handled well, it might become difficult to explain."

Zhang Hou angrily said, "The lad's attitude was vile, looking down on others with his nose in the air. I don't know what he's so arrogant about; it was truly hateful. Eliminating evil is our duty, yet his words seemed to have other implications."

"He's blackmailing," Li Xian understood. He already knew his suspicion was true, that the Cao family wanted to get rid of him. They deliberately set this trick.

The Cao family, being a noble family with deep-rooted influence, would disdain to play tricks with Li Xian. They performed their actions openly, watching how he would respond.

The Child Swallower Old Man must be formidable, and if encountered, the outcome is uncertain. Forcing Li Xian to eliminate him would place him in danger.

If Li Xian chose to be cautious and didn't capture the Child Swallower Old Man, the Cao family could use this to accuse him, alleging "colluding with the criminal and aiding in his escape."

By then, a siege by county soldiers would be effortless. The Cao family's influence is overwhelming, and their actions are naturally domineering to the extreme. Every move aims to drive Li Xian to a dead end.

"Martial Captain, what did the lad say?" Zhang Hou was puzzled.

Li Xian did not answer. This matter did not concern him and there was no need to cause him worry.

Li Xian instructed someone to draw portraits of the notorious criminals and posted them on the notice board outside the hall, beating the Copper Gong to alert the neighborhood to the images. If there were any sightings, they could report it.

Being mindful of the criminals' facial features, if encountered, people should immediately avoid them to prevent unnecessary casualties.

Time turned to evening.

Li Xian had been practicing martial arts for half a day and was extremely hungry. There was a small noodle shop across from the Martial Captain Hall. The owner's hot noodles had a unique flavor, with an appetizing aroma.

Zhang Hou bought two bowls of hot noodles, adding three pieces of beef and two eggs, and brought them to Li Xian's table.

Li Xian slurped the hot noodles, eating contentedly. He took out the Red List and read it carefully: Three-headed Dragon Hou·Li Wangsan, Blood Teeth·Wang Ya, Child Swallower Old Man·Chu Niangpo...

Each villain's martial arts and heinous deeds were roughly documented, with recent locations detailed—fearful that Li Xian might not find them.

"The Cao family's scheme is risky, yet this Red List might serve as a good training register. The strong advance bravely, while the weak hesitate."

…

…

Finishing his noodle broth, Li Xian prepared his sword, bow, and saber, and headed out alone. By nature cautious, he didn't ensure absolute perfection, but would always leave a path for retreat.

He had poison powder, darts, and concealed weapons equipped, then went to purchase a map, committing it to memory, with emphasis on the river routes.

Possessing the Jade Water Pearl, river networks, lakes, and vast rivers were all his escape routes. Li Xian had an excellent memory and was quite familiar with Qingning County, having traversed the mountains and rivers during past hunts. Alone in the mountains, unaware of the terrain; although he had visited many places, he lacked systematic understanding.

Now, by scrutinizing the map, he quickly grasped the lay of the land. That night, he held the Red List, seeking out the villains for training.

At midnight.

Li Xian arrived by the riverside and observed discreetly. Sure enough, there was a boat house by the river, floating on the water, with four boats a few meters long as the foundation.

"The Red List mentions the couple, good at seeking out food—husband likes kidneys, wife likes intestines. Disguised as boatmen, they ferried passengers across the river, selecting targets."

"If they took a fancy to the passenger, they'd row the boat to the river's middle and slaughter them, consuming the kidneys and intestines while feeding the rest to the fish."

Recalling the description, Li Xian picked up some dirt from the ground, smeared it on his face to cover the red mole on his brow, and approached the riverbank, saying, "Boatman, I'm in a hurry, could you ferry me across the river?"

The boatman was taken aback and seeing Li Xian's disheveled appearance, said, "So late at night, where are you heading across the river?"

"Heh heh, of course to Miaoxiang Square in Huangyu City," Li Xian replied with a smile.

"You?" The boatman's eyes lit up, "I've heard of Miaoxiang Square; they're all man-eating temptresses there. You seem to have a decent build, but you might not withstand those temptresses draining your essence!"

Li Xian laughed heartily, "No worries, no worries." He patted his chest, "You don't know, I was born with iron kidneys, nicknamed Three Days Unfallen."

"Oh?" The boatman questioned suspiciously, "Blowhard, aren't you?"

Li Xian chuckled, "You lack vision. Forget it, forget it, you won't have the chance to see my prowess. What's the use of telling you? Boatman, will you ferry me or not, just give me a word."

"On this big river, you're not the only one. If you don't want to take me, I'll find another."

The boatman said, "Hehe, you seem to be in a hurry. Alright, I'll take you, but it'll cost you extra."

Then he shouted toward the house, "Wife, there's a guest. Come give me a hand."

A middle-aged woman came out, muttering, "So late, why are there still guests? Hurry up so we can get back to sleep."

"You rascal, if you don't hand over tonight's taxes, I'll cut open your stomach and slice up your intestines."

The woman was fiercely threatening.

The boatman laughed awkwardly, "Watch your words in front of the guest."

Li Xian watched the couple's expressions and words. Their brows and eyes were full of malice, having killed countless people, with a faint stench from the house, and flies buzzing around the boat. It seems that the Red List was truly accurate.

The boatman let out a loud call, moved the oars, and headed towards the opposite shore. The water of this Longhua River flowed rapidly, and the woman wielded the oar, heavily slapping the lake's surface.

Whatever skill she used was unknown, but it dispersed the rushing flow. The boat sailed smoothly, not tossed by the waves.

Li Xian sat on a small stool in the boat and laughed, "Boatman, your wife's skills are quite decent."

"Nonsense. Otherwise, why would she be my wife?" the boatman laughed.

Recalling his wife's words, the boatman asked, "Sir, are you truly not lying to me? Is your kidney really that strong?"

Li Xian replied, "Naturally."

"I'm truly envious," the boatman said. "To tell you the truth, I've had weak kidneys since I was young. I even wet my pants, and although I've been married to this woman for over ten years, we don't have any children. Sigh."

As he lamented, a gleam flashed in the woman's eyes, but she remained calm, observing Li Xian's actions from the corner of her eye.

The boatman continued, "My mother always said, you are what you eat. I had pig kidneys, sheep kidneys since I was a child, but they didn't help much. Human kidneys, however, seemed to work a bit."

Li Xian laughed, "Are you saying you want to eat my kidney too?"

The boatman replied, "If you agree, that would be perfect." As he finished speaking, the woman suddenly swung the oar at Li Xian.

The oar appeared to be made of wood, but inside it was filled with lead. From her previous dispersal of the rapids, this was evident. The woman had great strength, but also used it skillfully.

Li Xian raised his hand to catch the oar firmly, saying, "So you are the 'Good Food Couple'. This whole chat was just to provoke you into action and avoid innocent casualties."

The woman shouted, "Rascal, this man's strength is even greater than mine!"

The boatman was stunned, then moved the oar back and forth, splashing water toward Li Xian's eyes. At the same time, he activated a mechanism, transforming the oar into a large Guan Blade, and slashed horizontally.

Li Xian spotted the flaw, stepping on the Guan Blade. With two flashes of the blade, the couple's heads rolled together.

[Daluo Saber Technique, killed a wanted criminal, skill level +29]

[Daluo Saber Technique, killed a wanted criminal, skill level +31]

Li Xian waited patiently for the boat to dock.

One of the Red List bandits has been executed!

The moonlight was dim. On the riverbank, Li Xian washed his blade, his sleeves stained with blood. He was not satisfied, feeling that his sword skills needed improvement. Fabric like this could easily be cleaned of mud and oil but was troublesome with blood stains.

If the stain was any larger, the clothes would be ruined.

Having suffered such inconveniences before, Li Xian knew the value of good fabric.

"My martial arts have reached a decent level. It's time to move beyond closed-door training, to seek opportunities and gather experience, to explore more applications of techniques."

The waning moon hung in the sky, with no clouds or wind tonight. Li Xian searched the couple's bodies, finding a silver note hidden in the boatman's shoe sole, and a few copper coins inside the woman's sleeve.

There were no Divine Skill Secret Manuals, but there was a good recipe for nourishing the kidneys.

Li Xian said, "For all the robbing and killing, how could they be so poor."

And so it was.

Guided by the Red List, Li Xian sought out bandits, tirelessly fighting them. The constables did not see him around; everything was as usual, and he practiced martial arts diligently every day.

In these seven days, he first cut down the Good Food Couple, then killed the Life-stealing Scholar, and finally exterminated Blood Teeth Wang Ya...

One by one, the heads of the Red List villains were removed from their necks. A novice at first, Li Xian grew rapidly. Many Red List villains, hearing of his reputation, fled in fear.

Experience and knowledge were accumulating.

[You fought fiercely and gained prestige, digesting the Essence of Heaven and Earth, Food Essence skill level +1]

[You battled against essence-eating martial artists, defeating them with your blade. With an epiphany, the digestion of the Essence of Heaven and Earth quickened, Food Essence skill level +1]

[You've consumed the Essence Treasure, skill level +1]

...

The strength of the villains varied. The weak could commit crimes with just a kitchen knife, a thief's heart, and courage. The strong could utilize Qi Circulation, Blood Solidification and Aperture Closure, and even step into the realm of essence-eating.

The accumulation of martial arts progress was secondary. Essence-Eating Martial Artists, by consuming the Essence Treasure, brought their bodies closer to the heavens. When dueling, it was like the clash of two worlds.

Strong enemies provided a stimulus, greatly accelerating the digestion speed.

[Food Essence]

[Skill Level: 10/100]

[Description: Martial artists drink Heavenly Essence and consume Earth Radiance, explore the infinite. You digest a certain amount of the Essence of Heaven and Earth, your state advances, and your body undergoes further changes!]