Chapter 65: Since It Has Come to This, Let’s Break Through First
Chapter 65: Chapter 65: Since It Has Come to This, Let’s Break Through First
’Black Celestial Book?’
’What is this?’
Xie Yuan was stunned for a moment.
He didn’t remember learning any special Cultivation Technique.
’Then... was it caused by that black-robed person’s finger? Those blurry memories?’
’But I’ve always learned and understood things on my own. How could someone just pour knowledge into me?’
’And what’s with all the blurry question marks after it?’
Xie Yuan racked his brain but couldn’t figure it out. He’d never encountered a situation like this since gaining his panel ability.
This feeling of being completely out of control was deeply unsettling, as if something unclean had invaded his body.
He subconsciously patted himself down but, of course, found nothing.
Then, a thought struck Xie Yuan. He rolled up his left sleeve and, to his surprise, saw a black mark on his arm, like a tattoo.
The mark was pointed at the top and rounded at the bottom, about the size of half a palm. Two symmetrical, graceful arcs extended from a single point, only to stop abruptly just as they seemed about to connect.
’A sunflower seed? Or... a flower petal?’
Xie Yuan frowned, speculating. He reached out to touch it but felt nothing at all.
If he couldn’t see it with his own eyes, he would have no idea this "tattoo" was even on his arm.
’He must have done it when he grabbed my arm,’ Xie Yuan mused.
He hadn’t noticed it at the time. To this day, the mark wasn’t painful or itchy, and it didn’t even affect the circulation of his Blood Qi or internal energy. It was as if it were... just a tattoo.
’Could it be some kind of control mechanism, like a Life and Death Talisman? But I don’t feel anything right now, so there’s no way to know.’
Xie Yuan sighed. Having what felt like a ticking time bomb on him was unsettling, but there was nothing he could do about it. He would only find out the truth when he met the black-robed person again.
He had a feeling that day wasn’t far off. The black-robed person surely hadn’t done this for no reason. Besides, he had said they would meet again.
’I’ll just have to deal with it when it comes. Since things are already like this, I should focus on my training.’
Xie Yuan adjusted his mindset, pretending there was nothing on his arm, and resumed his daily routine of secluded training.
From morning dew to moonlit nights, the figure of a young man could always be seen in the small courtyard of the mountain village, slowly practicing his internal Fist Skill.
In addition to his mandatory internal training in the mornings and evenings, Xie Yuan added the six sets of Pile Skill exercises from the Iron Cloth Shirt to his regimen.
He had been completely immersed in his saber skills recently, which had inevitably affected his foundational training. Now that his saber skills had reached Minor Success and he had a firm foothold in the Escort Agency, it was time to re-evaluate his priorities and catch up.
Of course, while foundational training was crucial, it was useless if his fists, kicks, saber, and sword weren’t powerful. After all, a great master once said that you must attend to two things at once, and you must be strong in both.
So, after his morning session, he would practice his saber skills, cool down with his Fist Skill, and then head over to Li Lan’s house for lunch. He’d help out with some chores and, if he had time, teach Huwa a few characters. The little boy next door was growing day by day and was almost old enough for a private tutor.
An afternoon nap, more training, Chopping Wood, his evening session, and then on to the next day.
Ten days passed like this. Xie Yuan felt no discomfort, though every day when he washed, he could still see the black tattoo. It couldn’t be removed, and it wouldn’t wash off.
It remained a hidden worry, but there was nothing to be done. Gradually, Xie Yuan learned to ignore it.
A few days later, while methodically practicing his fist techniques, Xie Yuan achieved a breakthrough in his Nourishing Body Technique.
This Inner Power technique had never presented Xie Yuan with any bottlenecks. He didn’t know if others got stuck when cultivating Inner Power, but he certainly never had.
[Chopping Wood: (5001/10000)]
[Iron Cloth Shirt, 4th Layer: (891/2000)]
[Nourishing Body Technique, 3rd Layer: (1/3000)]
[Iron Garment Long Fist, Major Success: (231/500)]
[Rushing Wolf Saber Skill, Minor Success: (486/1000)]
[Black Celestial Book: (???/???)]
Xie Yuan glanced at the panel and pretended not to see the last line.
He scanned the progress of his techniques, his gaze lingering on the Nourishing Body Technique. A satisfied expression appeared on his face.
’Even without any special fruits, I can still break through with my own hard work.’
He felt the meridians within his body. His internal energy was nearly fifty percent stronger than it had been at the 2nd Layer, surging like a mountain stream after a storm.
It was still just a stream, a far cry from a Great River, but a post-storm mountain stream was far more turbulent than a tranquil brook.
Compared to before, Xie Yuan felt the energy in his lower abdomen was more plentiful, his stance was firmer, and his arms were stronger.
With his internal energy bolstering him, his strength had increased tremendously. If Xie Yuan were to use his saber or axe skills now, their power would be on a completely different level.
If he ran into that scar-faced bandit now, it would take two strikes at most—perhaps even one—to cut him down before he could react.
’My power has grown so much!’
’It’s just that my Blood Qi cultivation is lagging a bit. Otherwise, I’d be unrivaled at my level. My Inner Power helps speed up my muscle and blood refinement, but I still need some medicinal supplements for my External Training to be truly efficient.’
Xie Yuan nodded to himself. ’When I get back to the Escort Agency, I’ll use my contribution points to get some of their proprietary medicinal soups for External Training. They’ll help me refine my body and advance my Martial Dao cultivation.’
’The Longteng Escort Agency’s formulas must be leagues better than anything the Iron Garment Sect had.’
’Hmm, but I’ve only just paid off my debt of contribution points. My balance is zero, so I’ll have to work first... Speaking of which, the only reason I could take such a long leave right after joining was because of the merits I’d earned.’
Xie Yuan practiced his punches and kicks a bit more to adapt to his increased strength, then packed his things and left the house.
He turned to lock the door of the small cabin, patting the wood with a fond reluctance.
The place he stayed now was much better than this old house, but there was something special about the feeling of home.
He arranged for Wang Lei to take the lumber he had prepared to Boss Wan’s shop in Panlong Town, then traveled light himself, heading straight for Yunzhao County.
Leaving home this time meant telling Wang Lei and his men to stop going into the mountains again. He didn’t know when he would be back, or what realm he would have reached by then.
「Yunzhao County. The Longteng Escort Agency.」
"Guests from the Vajra Sect have arrived!"
"The County Captain has arrived!"
An attendant at the door announced.
Shen Longteng stood at the entrance to the main hall, watching as the Vajra Sect disciples and the men from the county government filed in. He wore a placid smile; if one were to ignore his towering frame and formidable aura, he could have passed for a gentle old man.
As the disciples and government officials lined up in the main courtyard, Peng Jie, the Sect Leader of the Vajra Sect, and Yu Chunsheng, the County Captain, entered the hall side by side.
"Greetings, Shen the Head of the Escort!"
The two men greeted him with cupped-fist salutes.
Shen Longteng returned the salute and chuckled.
"Thanks to you, Sect Leader Peng, and you, Lord Yu, I’ve been doing very well lately."
The official letter of commendation from the government was still posted by the entrance for all to see.
Peng Jie’s expression remained unchanged as he said with a smile,
"The Longteng Escort Agency’s presence in Yunzhao, bringing villains to justice, is a blessing for our county.
"However, why should your esteemed agency have all the glory in Yunzhao’s Martial Dao? My Vajra Sect refuses to be outdone. I have brought my disciples here today to request a friendly exchange of pointers. I have also invited Lord Yu to observe and supervise. I trust, Shen the Head of the Escort, that you will instruct your men not to hold back."
’Lord Yu... How formal,’ Shen Longteng scoffed internally. The Vajra Sect had come knocking to cause trouble countless times, always calling it a "disciple exchange." He was sick of the pleasantries and got straight to the point.
"Fine. What’s the contest this time?"
"How about we match this year’s new recruits? For your Escort Agency, that would be your newest guards."
Peng Jie was clearly prepared.
"This year?"
Shen Longteng raised an eyebrow.
"That’s right. This year. Anyone recruited between the start and end of the year."
Hearing this, Shen Longteng narrowed his eyes at them and said nothing.
The Vajra Sect recruited disciples at the beginning of spring every year. The Longteng Escort Agency, on the other hand, had only just hired a new batch of men in the last couple of months, near the year’s end, because they were short-staffed.
Under Shen Longteng’s intense gaze, the smiles on Peng Jie’s and Yu Chunsheng’s faces slowly faded, becoming stiff.
Even though they were two of the top masters in Yunzhao County, they still felt immense pressure in Shen Longteng’s presence.
"Shen the Head of the Escort..."
Just as Yu Chunsheng was about to speak, Shen Longteng cut in.
"Fine.
"With that kind of petty scheming, you’ll never be number one in Yunzhao County."