Henry Clark watched as the third leader of the Bamboo Branch Gang departed, and only when Emily Thompson's figure had completely disappeared did he spit and say, "Don't be fooled by this woman's wanton appearance—her methods are ruthless. Her martial arts are probably only matched by the great chieftain himself. People call her the Scorpion Lady. Seventh brother, you must be careful with this woman."

Adam Brooks responded meekly, not quite sure why Henry Clark was suddenly warning him. Instead, his mind was preoccupied with what Emily Thompson had said, and he thought to himself, "There are still some iron tokens engraved with birds and beasts in the Five Yin Pouch. I don't know what they're for. Since this William Reed has such an extraordinary background, those iron tokens are probably valuable as well. But there's no record of them in the Heshan Manual, so I have no idea what they're used for!"

After a few more words, Henry Clark noticed that Adam Brooks seemed distracted, so he smiled and asked, "Seventh brother, are you eager for some benefits? The whereabouts of William Reed can be exchanged for a magical artifact. I wonder who is so generous to offer such a reward."

Hearing this, Adam Brooks laughed and said, "I just don't know what kind of artifact it is. For those of us who roam the martial world, it's inevitable to pass through desolate places, abandoned temples, and old houses. If we ever run into some spirit or monster, having such an item could save our lives and keep us from dying in vain. Things like this are priceless and not easily obtained."

Henry Clark laughed heartily, then fell silent for a while. Emily Thompson had spoken simply and hadn't revealed the whole truth, clearly not optimistic that there would be any news from Tianma Mountain. But Henry Clark was ambitious, and couldn't help but wonder if this matter might bring him some benefit. After thinking for a moment, he pulled Adam Brooks aside and said, "There's no need for formalities between us brothers. I originally just wanted to introduce you to a few leaders of the Bamboo Branch Gang, but we happened to stumble upon this matter. If we can find out William Reed's whereabouts, the benefits will be more than just this. Emily Thompson didn't give any details, so I want to go out and investigate. If I get any solid information, let's plan together what to do next—what do you say?"

Adam Brooks shouted his agreement, and after Henry Clark gave him a few words of advice, he left to make inquiries about the matter. Left alone in the large house, Adam Brooks found himself a quiet room and told the servants not to disturb him. He sat and thought for a while, then mused to himself, "That dead man William Reed only saw my face once before I buried him with the others by the roadside. No one could possibly trace it back to me. As long as I keep quiet, no one will ever know. The only thing to worry about is the whereabouts of those three pages of the golden book. Judging by Henry Clark's behavior, he doesn't seem to know my secret. Never mind, I'll stop thinking about these trivial matters for now and see if I can deepen my cultivation of the Supreme Dragon Transformation Formula. If I can master even one of those sinister magical artifacts recorded in the Heshan Manual, I could really shock a lot of people."

In his room, Adam Brooks shut the door and began to cultivate the Supreme Dragon Transformation Formula. He hadn't been practicing this technique for long and was still figuring it out on his own, so there were many things he hadn't mastered. So far, aside from his dantian, he hadn't managed to open any other acupoints.

The true dragon energy cultivated from the Supreme Dragon Transformation Formula was gentle as water, radiating a warm current in his dantian. Adam Brooks tried to guide this warm true energy, attempting several times to use it to open the acupoints in his arms, but the true dragon energy could only circulate along his meridians and couldn't be stored in any acupoint.

Adam Brooks didn't know where the problem lay—whether he hadn't fully understood the mental method, lacked enough power, or was simply using the wrong technique. All he could do was keep trying, hoping that with some luck, he might grasp the secret.

He became so absorbed in his cultivation that he lost track of time, only stopping when he felt hungry. By then, it was already late, and Henry Clark still hadn't returned. Even the servants had gone to rest. Adam Brooks wasn't picky, so he went to the kitchen, found some food, and filled his stomach. Seeing that the moon was bright, he couldn't resist climbing over the wall and wandering around Poyang City.

Poyang Prefecture was the capital of the region, and the city was very large. But in the middle of the night, there was no business and hardly any pedestrians, making it seem cold and deserted. Adam Brooks didn't mind, though, and strolled the streets for a while. Suddenly, he saw bright lights in the distance and, curious, walked closer. It was a huge mansion—compared to the house Henry Clark had acquired, it was like a palace next to a thatched hut. From afar, Adam Brooks saw more than a dozen luxurious carriages parked outside the grand gates, with dozens of servants waiting outside. Inside, the lights blazed like day, and who knew how many people were within? He could faintly hear music and singing, the soft sounds of strings and flutes, and the distant noise of people urging each other to drink.

Adam Brooks spat in disdain and muttered to himself, "These people sure know how to enjoy themselves. If they ever dared to pass by Tianma Mountain, our Chief Brooks would rob them clean."

After watching for a while, Adam Brooks suddenly thought, "This family is so wealthy—who knows how much gold and silver they have hidden inside? Why not sneak in and grab a little something? No way I'm leaving Poyang Prefecture empty-handed."

Confident in his martial arts and bold by nature, Adam Brooks circled around the street to the back of the mansion. There, a high wall separated the quiet rear courtyard from the lively front. With a leap and a display of lightness skill, Adam Brooks landed atop the wall and peeked into the courtyard. Seeing no one around, he flipped over and dropped inside.