Chapter 43

"Brother, you're back~"

Not long after Chen Ping'an climbed over the courtyard wall, Chen Erya came out of the house.

Clearly, the little girl had been keeping an eye on the yard.

"Erya, you're still awake?" Chen Ping'an bent down to take off his shoes. "Help me grab a pair of shoes."

"Ah, brother, your shoes..."

Chen Erya covered her mouth, finally noticing the bloodstains on Chen Ping'an's shoes.

"Are you okay?"

Instead of fetching the shoes, the little girl ran over to carefully inspect Chen Ping'an.

"I'm fine!" Chen Ping'an patted his chest. "Your brother is strong! You know how strong I am."

"But the blood..." The little girl was still a bit worried.

"There was a little incident, but it's fine now. I took care of it," Chen Ping'an patted Chen Erya's head and smiled. "Go get the shoes."

"Mm." Chen Erya nodded and quickly fetched a pair of shoes from the house.

Chen Ping'an took the shoes, put them on, and then picked up the bloodstained ones, heading into the kitchen.

He tossed the shoes into the stove and skillfully lit a fire with a flint. The flames gradually grew.

"Go to sleep, it's late," Chen Ping'an said, turning to Chen Erya.

From the moment he returned, the little girl had been watching him. She was curious about what had happened to her brother, but since he didn't say anything, she didn't ask.

"I'll wait for you."

"You little..." A fond smile appeared on Chen Ping'an's face.

Not hiding anything from Chen Erya, he took out the black pouch and dagger from his pocket. Seeing the little girl's puzzled look, Chen Ping'an explained with a smile, "This is your brother's spoils! Some fool tried to mess with me on the way back, and I dealt with him."

Chen Erya's eyes flickered with a hint of complexity, but she nodded lightly.

Chen Ping'an didn't go into details, and the little girl didn't ask. It was an unspoken understanding between the siblings.

Chen Ping'an opened the black pouch, revealing some scattered silver and small coins. He counted them and found a total of one and a half taels of silver and fifty-two small coins.

A hint of joy flashed in Chen Ping'an's eyes.

This was close to two months' worth of his salary. With this money, he wouldn't have to worry about meat for the next while.

Next, he turned his attention to the dagger.

The dagger was about seven or eight inches long, shaped like a small sword. Chen Ping'an drew it from its sheath, revealing a cold glint. The dagger was double-edged and sharp, though slightly worn from years of use, its edge still gleamed.

"A pleasant surprise!"

Chen Ping'an couldn't put the dagger down, the more he looked at it, the more satisfied he was.

Although the dagger was ordinary in design and a bit worn, it was still sharp and functional. Having this with him would give him an extra layer of confidence when going out.

By this time, the shoes in the stove had mostly burned, the flames gradually dying down until they extinguished.

Making sure everything was fine, Chen Ping'an went to the yard, fetched a basin of water, and stripped to wipe himself down.

"Brother, let me help you," Chen Erya volunteered.

Chen Ping'an didn't dampen the little girl's enthusiasm and agreed with a smile.

With Chen Erya's help, Chen Ping'an quickly finished cleaning up, and the two went into the house, each climbing into their beds.

Clearly, the little girl was exhausted. With Chen Ping'an by her side, she felt at ease, and within a few moments of chatting, she fell into a deep sleep.

"This little one!" Chen Ping'an chuckled.

The night was deep, but he wasn't sleepy. Although it wasn't his first time killing someone, he still felt unsettled.

The gruesome state of the bamboo-hatted man occasionally flashed in his mind.

Such is the way of the world. If you're not strong enough, don't complain or blame others!

Chen Ping'an let out a long sigh.

If given a choice, who wouldn't want to live a peaceful and stable life in this world!?

But he had no choice!

To live well, to live with dignity, one must make sacrifices. That's the rule of this world! No one can break it!

Since he couldn't sleep, and he had just obtained the Locust Throwing Technique, Chen Ping'an decided to go through it again.

Having the golden finger was a blessing. The technique had already been recorded, so Chen Ping'an only needed to focus his gaze, and the entire manual would appear before his eyes. Even with his eyes closed, it would manifest in his mind.

"At least I'm saving on lamp oil," Chen Ping'an chuckled self-deprecatingly.

The introduction to the Locust Stone was at the beginning.

The Locust Stone is one of the most convenient and economical hidden weapons. It is something that can be found everywhere, picked up at any time. It requires no money to buy, no time to refine, and is inexhaustible. You can pick it up and throw it at will...

In the wilderness, look for hard stones, with bluestone being the best, followed by granite, and yellow stone being the least desirable. The stones should be slender, sharp at the top and broad at the bottom. As for their shape, they resemble locusts, hence the name Locust Stone...

When traveling, carry a pouch at your waist. The placement of the pouch depends on which hand you use to throw the stone. If you're right-handed, the pouch should hang on the left side of your waist...

Chen Ping'an read through it carefully, feeling a sense of admiration.

"Although the Locust Throwing Technique is ordinary, there's a lot of depth to it. Once mastered, it has three uses. First, it can be used as a hidden weapon, catching enemies off guard. Second, it can be used to scout, throwing stones to check for danger ahead. Third, it can be used to create distractions, throwing stones far away to draw attention while you act nearby.

The so-called Locust Stone is quite ingenious!"

The convenience of the Locust Stone is as described above, and its practice is not particularly difficult. It is somewhat similar to throwing darts, but it relies more on a flicking motion rather than a pushing force.

The target setup...

When throwing the stone, the technique mostly uses an underhand motion. First, raise your hand upward, then flip your wrist downward, and flick it forward with force to hit the target. This is for a straight throw. For a side throw, if you're right-handed, stand sideways with your left shoulder facing the target. Hold the stone in your right hand, raise it to the right, then flick your wrist and throw it to the left to hit the target. These two methods are the core techniques of the Locust Stone, both using an underhand motion.

When using the Locust Stone against an enemy, aim for the head and face, as these areas are unprotected and vulnerable, especially the eyes and nose. Alternatively, aim for the wrists or ankles, as these joints are sensitive. Hitting the wrist will cause the enemy to drop their weapon, while hitting the ankle will make it difficult for them to move...

As Chen Ping'an continued to study, he gradually grasped the techniques of the Locust Stone. Although he hadn't started practicing yet, with this foundation, he only needed to try it out a few times the next day to get the hang of it.

"Alright, I'll start practicing the Locust Stone tomorrow!"

With the techniques of the Locust Stone clear in his mind, Chen Ping'an felt at ease and gradually drifted off to sleep.