The news of the old constable's death at the training grounds did not cause any ripples.
In truth, within the entire yamen, those who had worked together for decades without knowing Song Rong's real name were numerous.
The responsibility of guarding the Martial Library was handed to an older yamen runner, and the book "Thatched Cottage Travelogue" was naturally taken away by Song Zongwu.
Taking advantage of the free time, Ren Qing's daily routine became more regular.
Apart from medicinal baths taken once each in the morning and evening, meditating on the Blindless Method was not neglected.
He could clearly feel the technique steadily improving.
His skin and flesh gradually became firmer. Though not enough to block slashes from sharp weapons, his resistance to blunt strikes like clubs had strengthened considerably.
As for the Divine Leg Sutra, because there was no beast blood to aid cultivation, and with several unfamiliar Corpse Burners from Hexing Street arriving in the courtyard,
he simply gave up his nightly moonlit training sessions.
Additionally, Ren Qing would go to the Martial Library to study martial arts manuals. Even if the moves were not necessarily practical, they still contained the accumulated experience of predecessors.
Ren Qing devoted the rest of his energy to the Taotie Method.
Around noon, the Corpse Burners' Hall would begin to fill with the aroma of meat.
Passing yamen runners felt uncomfortable all over. This was clearly a place for burning corpses, so the smell of meat was unsettling when you thought about it.
But people like Bo Feng had long grown accustomed to it.
However, they could not help but feel concerned about Ren Qing's recent behavior.
To the Li brothers and Xiao Wu, Ren Qing had always seemed frail.
In the past, lifting heavy objects would make him cough uncontrollably, and he had even fainted outright before.
They thought Ren Qing had mostly recovered after some recuperation, and even occasional medicinal baths were normal.
But now, not only was he still taking those baths, he had also resorted to dietary supplements, clearly a case of desperate measures.
At this time, Ren Qing acted as if nothing was wrong, squatting in the dim side room with only a crack left in the doors and windows for ventilation.
From afternoon until evening was time for practicing the Taotie Method.
Song Zongwu stood guard nearby to prevent sudden situations like ruptured intestines, or worse, life-threatening dangers.
After all, cultivation technique was no child's play.
In just a few short days, Ren Qing's body had visibly gained over ten pounds, with his belly swollen like a six-month pregnancy.
Song Zong lay diagonally on the bed, taking occasional sips of alcohol.
In front of Ren Qing was a large iron pot boiling over ten pounds of pork, mainly lean meat from pork legs.
On a table not far away lay about a hundred pounds of pork ready to be put into the pot at any time.
Ren Qing reached into the scalding pot to grab a several-pound chunk of pork, dipped it in some seasoning and wolfed it down.
While eating, he asked indistinctly: "Senior Song, have you found any traces of Song Rong?"
Song Zongwu shook his head: "Difficult. Whether in Sanxiang City or surrounding villages, there have been no strangers coming and going."
Ren Qing swallowed the pork and said: "With the Hundred-Eyed One's ability to create illusions, it can easily deceive others. Finding him won't be simple."
"For now, we should prioritize the Disaster Dispelling Forbidden Zone."
"Burp~"
Because of consuming large amounts of food, Ren Qing's stomach was in a stuffed state, making him unavoidably uncomfortable.
But this was the only way to practice the Taotie Method. After all, directly using the information stream to upgrade without any pretense seemed unrealistic no matter how you looked at it.
Ren Qing could not help but feel grateful for the braised meat business he had with the Blood Dog Gang.
Otherwise, purchasing pork in large quantities would have been extremely troublesome, requiring trips to various districts.
Now he could just stay in the yamen daily, and the butcher's assistants would deliver the goods, with Xiao Wu just needing to receive them.
Seeing Ren Qing grab another piece of pork to stuff into his mouth, Song Zongwu could not help but remind him: "Ren Qing, don't rush. Mastering cultivation technique isn't something that can be done in a short time."
"It's fine Senior Song, I know my own body very well."
Ren Qing changed from a sitting position to lying down to prevent his stomach from pressing on his internal organs, which could easily cause injury.
Song Zongwu hesitated to speak. He had just given him the Taotie Method a few days ago, could it be he wanted to master it before going to the Disaster Dispelling Forbidden Zone?
That was impossible when you thought about it.
Well, if necessary, they could just have Ren Qing stay at the yamen to practice the Taotie Method, and inform Clerk Zhao when the time came.
"I'll go buy some digestion, aiding herbs. With your current impatience, your stomach might burst."
"Thank you Senior Song."
Ren Qing could not help but sigh.
He had already memorized the "Taotie Method" thoroughly. The contents didn't specify exactly how much the stomach needed to expand.
But the important part of the Taotie Method was the visualization method.
He hadn't comprehended the visualization method, at least hadn't demonstrated it in front of Song Zongwu. Otherwise, why would he need to torture himself like this when he could have mastered it directly through the information stream?
Ren Qing, refusing to believe it wouldn't work, closed his eyes to recall the contents recorded in the "Taotie Method," breathing through his nose and mouth like the mythical beast Taotie.
His mind gradually focused, and his body emitted a buzzing sound accordingly.
Ren Qing could feel his stomach squirming like a living creature, grinding the food inside into smaller particles.
Now was the time.
[May consume thirty days of lifespan to master without cost]
Song Zongwu, who had been about to go to the herbal shop, suddenly looked shocked.
Ren Qing had shown no reaction earlier, but now the sounds he emitted became increasingly obvious, and the surrounding furniture vibrated slightly.
Taotie Method?!
Impossible...
Ren Qing's swelling reduced at a visible rate, his belly like a punctured balloon, returning to normal in moments.
After steadying himself, Song Zongwu was once again shocked by Ren Qing's talent.
No wonder the Blindless Method had broken through to the Half-Corpse realm at speeds far beyond imagination. Did that mean he could reach the Ghost Envoy realm within a year?
Song Zongwu closed the gaps in the doors and windows to prevent outsiders from noticing anything unusual.
After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Ren Qing stopped making strange noises, though he still didn't move, with cold sweat on his forehead.
A terrifying appetite surged in his heart, nearly destroying his reason.
Seeing this, Song Zongwu spoke: "Ren Qing, hold fast to your true self. Techniques are but minor paths, only the self is the great path."
Immediately Ren Qing felt his mind become clear. The all-pervasive appetite receded like the tide, the hunger completely gone.
[Ren Qing]
[Age: Seventeen]
[Lifespan: Six years three hundred and eleven days]
[Techniques: Blindless Method (Double Pupil Bearer), Divine Leg Sutra (Wolf-footed), Human Skin Book, Taotie Method]
The mutation tree had another sapling, but if Ren Qing wanted, he could reach the level of Secondary Stomach Bearer in an instant.
Ren Qing exhaled deeply and said: "Mastering this technique really wasn't difficult, but it's still thanks to Senior Song's protection."
Song Zongwu maintained a calm facade and didn't offer praise, to prevent Ren Qing from becoming arrogant.
"Cultivation emphasizes body and soul. Sometimes a cultivator's physique is particularly suited to a technique, allowing for faster mastery."
Ren Qing could not help but ask: "Senior Song, if a technique advances again in a short time, there shouldn't be any negative effects right?"
Song Zongwu said somewhat helplessly: "You should focus on stabilizing your foundation. Otherwise, when calamity strikes, it's easy to die and have your path destroyed."