At first, when Qiao Mu discovered that this Gaoler Fang Yuan seemed to be a talented and diligent martial arts genius, his spirits immediately lifted.
Then he realized… that he also has a cheat.
Your talent lies in exceptional martial arts aptitude and exceptional diligence, while my talent lies in immortality and accelerated training. We both have talents, and it’s very fair.
With this in mind, his spirits were immediately lifted.
Not to mention Gaoler Fang Yuan in front of his eyes.
Taking Martial Saints for example, Martial Saints are top-tier geniuses with exceptional talents, so why can’t I, Qiao Mu, be a different kind of genius as well?
Everyone has a bright future.
"You’re really good for reaching the first level in such a short time," said Qiao Mu in an elder-like manner, patting his shoulder.
"There are no shortcuts in martial arts, only sweat that won’t disappoint you."
"Practice makes perfect. It takes two years to reach the first level in just one month, which means you have good talent and are diligent…" Qiao Mu thought of Hai Wuya.Hai Wuya’s "Human Path Sutra" requires martial arts seeds like this.
Teaching him martial arts is also a good thing.
Fang Yuan was a little overwhelmed by favor.
After all, as far as he knew, Qiao Shuanglin was a senior member of Qiao Zhong’s family. According to Qiao Zhong’s boasts in prison, Qiao Shuanglin was much stronger than him, a member of the Qiao family.
In his eyes, this scene was like a martial arts master grandfather greeting him for the first time, smiling and encouraging him. How could he not be overwhelmed by favor?
"Then let me ask you again, why do you practice martial arts?" Qiao Mu asked.
Fang Yuan thought for a moment and replied, "I want to practice martial arts to improve my health, regain our ancestral home, seek revenge on my enemies, and find my little sister who left without saying goodbye… These are all things that I, as a heavenly prison guard, can’t accomplish."
Qiao Mu nodded and asked again:
"Tell me more about your enemies, are they strong?"
The stronger the enemies, the happier Qiao Mu was.
If he could be involved and die because of it, Qiao Mu couldn’t be any more thrilled.
Although he had only died once during the day, Qiao Mu’s desire for death was like a student craving for a holiday, never satisfied.
Everyone will die at some point, and it may be as heavy as a mountain or as light as a feather.
One high-quality death is better than several low-quality deaths.
Fang Yuan’s eyes filled with memories, he began to speak slowly:
"Let me start from the beginning of my family’s history."
"My family used to be antique dealers in the Imperial Capital, somewhat famous and had some wealth. We also had a shop in the antique street."
"A few months ago, my father purchased a mysterious ancient painting worth ten thousand taels of silver. The painting was called the Blood Sun Chart."
"Ten thousand taels of silver?" Qiao Mu exclaimed in surprise.
Considering the purchasing power of the Great Yan Imperial Court, ten thousand taels of silver would be equivalent to tens of millions of dollars in the previous world, it’s indeed very expensive. 𐍂àＮo͍ᛒÈş
From this perspective, the financial strength of this family’s antique business is even more substantial than Qiao Mu had imagined before. It’s not just at the level of having ‘some wealth’.
"The Blood Sun Chart is said to have been painted by a highly skilled Spirit Refining martial artist several hundred years ago. The martial artist was also a painter, but went mad in his later years and used his own blood as ink to create the painting."
"When the painting was finished, he had exhausted all his blood and died."
"Father thought it was just a normal story, just a way to increase the value of the calligraphy and painting. These things are common in the antique world, and he didn’t pay much attention to it."
"Who would have thought that strange things happened just three days after acquiring the Blood Sun Chart?"
"What strange things? Did a monster with a blood red sun on its head come out of the painting?" Qiao Mu interrupted and asked.
Fang Yuan looked at him strangely without saying a word.
"That’s not so strange. It’s just a painting. What kind of strange story is Senior Qiao talking about?"
"Actually, three days later, a Spirit Refining martial artist disguised as a customer who wanted to buy calligraphy and painting came to the door."
"Oh, it’s a martial arts style painting. It’s a bit late to change the style now," Qiao Mu complained in his mind.
Fang Yuan continued:
"That Spirit Refining martial artist – at that time, we didn’t know that he was a highly skilled Spirit Refining martial artist. We treated him as an ordinary customer."
"The man wanted to buy the Blood Sun Chart, but only offered a thousand taels, which is one-tenth of the price. It’s unreasonable, isn’t it? Of course, my father refused."
"The man didn’t argue either, but just before leaving, he suddenly turned around and glanced at my father and mother."
"Since then, both my father and mother fell sick. They would often wake up in the middle of the night from terrible nightmares, drenched in sweat. All they could remember from their dreams were a pair of sharp, sword-like eyes. Ever since then, both my father and mother visibly declined day by day."
"At that time, my family was quite wealthy, so we searched high and low for renowned doctors in the Imperial Capital… However, when those doctors heard about this matter, they all avoided us. We, the Fang family, spent a lot of money, but we still couldn’t figure out the cause of the illness."
"Until one day, we finally found an old doctor who had also practiced martial arts. It was only then that we learned the truth."
"That old doctor said that what afflicts my father and mother is not a disease, but a ‘spiritual injury’."
"This is a technique called ‘Eye Attacking Method’ that can only be mastered by highly skilled Spirit Refining martial artists. It can kill people without leaving any visible trace!"
Fang Yuan said this with an unavoidable expression of sorrow in his eyes.
Why was he so diligent in martial arts training?
When a prison guard with an iron rice bowl in a heavenly prison, he must be enjoying his life, right?
Isn’t it Hai Wuya and Qiao Zhong, these two amazing experts in his eyes, that give him hope for revenge?
"Although my parents are wealthy and there are martial artist guards in the mansion, how can we deal with a Spirit Refining martial artist ranked 3rd? We only found out about this even after being ambushed for a long time."
"When I snapped back to reality, that Blood Sun Chart had already been stolen."
"Honestly, when I heard the news of the Blood Sun Chart being stolen, I felt relieved deep down."
"Although it is a valuable ancient painting worth thousands of taels, this kind of Spirit Refining martial artist desires it. If it remains in our family, it’s afraid it will continue to bring troubles."
"Although the paintings were stolen, my parents’ illness didn’t improve. After another half a month, they both passed away without any illness."
As Fang Yuan spoke, a trace of sadness appeared on his face.
From a wealthy young man with abundant wealth to a prison guard with an iron rice bowl in a heavenly prison, it can be said that it’s a world of difference.
"After spending a lot of money and energy to treat their parents, it all turned out to be in vain."
"Not only that, when we were exhausted and had no time to spare for anything else while taking care of our sick family members, the wealthy businessman Wan Ronghua from the Imperial Capital took advantage of the situation and used various sneaky methods to undermine us."
"Our family’s antique shop kept losing money and we were eventually forced to sell it to him… We even ended up owing him a debt and had to sell our ancestral home."
"At the same time, our younger sister fell ill and left home without telling anyone, and we still don’t know where she is."
"With the help of my father’s connections… I barely managed to secure a job as a prison guard at the heavenly prison."
"Later on, I spent some time trying to find out… mainly by talking to the former martial arts experts who were once in the heavenly prison, to learn about the background of that Spirit Refining martial artist."
Inside the heavenly prison, there were not only high-ranking officials and prominent figures, but also martial arts experts who had committed serious crimes.
Perhaps they were once famous, but once they entered the deep ocean of the heavenly prison, those like Hai Wuya, who studied inside the prison and had a background in the Wuji Association, were exceptional cases within exceptional cases.
Generally speaking, the higher the rank and the more skilled in martial arts, the more likely they would be subjected to severe torture by the heavenly prison guards.
For them, a roasted chicken might not exchange for any martial arts secret techniques, no matter how great the secret.
But if it’s a trivial piece of information like "Sword Ghost," if it’s given, it’s given.
From this point of view, Fang Yuan’s ability to inquire about the enemy’s information from a repeat offender in the heavenly prison is both his opportunity and his talent.
Fang Yuan exclaimed angrily, "That martial artist called ‘Sword Ghost’ not only possesses exceptional sword skills but also mastery in the Eye Attacking Technique. And… he is actually a devotee of the wealthy merchant Wan Ronghua."
Speaking of this, Fang Yuan couldn’t help feeling a bit bitter.
"Wan Ronghua’s business has grown bigger and bigger. He even hired a Spirit Refining martial artist as a devotee. After seizing our family’s shops, he quickly became one of the four wealthiest merchants in the Imperial Capital."
"It is said that he even established connections with the inhuman Great Dao Sect, with a background in immortality…"
Qiao Mu remained silent for a moment.
Whether it be a cultivator or a martial artist, they are not people who live an easy life or are detached from worldly affairs.
Long ago, there was a saying that being skilled in martial arts required not only determination but also the support of food and wealth.
In the practice of cultivating immortality, there was also an emphasis on wealth, with wealth being the most important aspect.
People have limited lifespan and energy, and while those with exceptional talent can accelerate their progress, money can also speed up one’s cultivation.
So, it was normal for someone like Wan Ronghua, a wealthy person from the Imperial Capital, to attract the attention of Spirit Refining martial artists and forge connections with the Great Dao Sect.
If someone like Wan Ronghua, who was a wealthy person from the Imperial Capital, didn’t have any background, it would actually be quite strange.
"In other words, the enemy you want to kill is Sword Ghost, a Spirit Refining martial artist, and also Wan Ronghua, who seems to have a background in cultivation and has taken over your family’s property?"
"Yes…" Fang Yuan replied nervously.
Qiao Shuanglin was a stranger to him, unlike Qiao Zhong, whom he had spent a month with in the heavenly prison.
He didn’t know much about Qiao Shuanglin, and now he had to face a Spirit Refining martial artist like Sword Ghost, as well as someone like Wan Ronghua, who was a wealthy person from the Imperial Capital and seemed to have a background in cultivation…
If it were an ordinary person, they would probably avoid them like the famous doctor that the Fang family found before, afraid of being involved in the turmoil.
Just…
"You have courage." The ninety-year-old in front patted his shoulder.
"So, I will teach you martial arts!"
Fang Yuan was slightly shocked, then his expression gradually changed.
The old man in front of him obviously couldn’t be a passionate young person….
Those who can live to old age in this era are basically astute. Yet, when Qiao Shuanglin heard about his background, he immediately agreed… Hasn’t he even thrown out his bait yet?
However, he didn’t notice that Qiao Mu’s expression had already changed as he spoke.
Turtle, how could he not get involved in such a dangerous matter?
In the world of martial artists, there are nine different ranks. Each rank is similar to the difference in official positions of nine ranks.
And the top three ranks represent the three stages of Spirit Refining martial artists.
This means that in today’s era, the Spiritual Refining Method is the mainstream for martial artists.
Martial artists who practice slowly and accumulate internal strength have long been eliminated by the martial arts of the past, representing outdated cultivation methods.
No matter how much they improve their strength and techniques, they can never match Spirit Refining martial artists… It’s common knowledge among martial artists, just like how martial arts practitioners cannot defeat those who cultivate immortal powers.
"This Spirit Refining martial artist named Sword Ghost can kill with just a glance. Sounds pretty impressive. I wonder if they can kill me?"
Qiao Mu couldn’t help but feel a little excited as he thought about it.
Despite being ninety years old, Qiao Mu has not embarked on the path of the Spiritual Refining Method.
He has chosen a different path.
Sixty-year-old Qiao Mu just entered the 4th rank. Now he can only say that he feels he has reached the limit of the 4th rank, which is the maximum for martial artists.
Ninety-year-old Qiao Mu has a slight doubt about whether Spirit Refining martial artists are stronger than him.
If he wins, it would help Fang Yuan seek revenge. He thinks it’s a good idea and worth a try.
If he loses and gets killed by the Sword Ghost… Wait, there’s really such a thing?
Qiao Mu’s heart is filled with longing just imagining it. He can’t wait to go and sacrifice himself tomorrow.
At this moment, Fang Yuan interrupts Qiao Mu’s beautiful fantasy and says:
"Senior Qiao, actually there’s something else I discovered after our family estate was sold."
Fang Yuan forces a smile and says:
"My father was always cautious. In reality, he not only obtained a Blood Sun Chart, but also a Blood Moon Chart from the same person."
"But my father secretly concealed the existence of the Blood Moon Chart and never mentioned it to anyone, not even me…"
"If nothing goes wrong, this Blood Moon Chart should still be in the secret room of our ancestral home."
"I only found out about the Blood Sun Chart and the Blood Moon Chart later from a former inmate in the heavenly prison… These charts were created by Spirit Refining martial artists hundreds of years ago, and there are rumors that they contain the essence of martial arts, which caught the attention of the Sword Ghost…"
A Blood Sun Chart alone was enough to make the wealthy Wan Ronghua in the Imperial Capital interested and prompted the Spirit Refining martial artist Sword Ghost to try and seize it.
The Blood Moon Chart, created by the same person, must be equally fascinating and has its own secrets.
The existence of this Blood Moon Chart was actually a bait that Fang Yuan prepared to convince Qiao Mu to help him.
In their previous conversation, he deliberately withheld some information to see Qiao Shuanglin’s reaction first before deciding whether or not to disclose everything.
After all, if Qiao Shuanglin turned out to be another Sword Ghost, it would only bring trouble.
Despite his young age, Fang Yuan has faced many hardships, so he naturally has a bit more insight than most people.
But he didn’t expect that Qiao Shuanglin would be so generous and agreed to teach him martial arts directly.
"So the next question is… how do we reclaim your old house?" Qiao Mu pondered.
"Hmm, are we going to reclaim it right away? Shouldn’t you teach me martial arts first?" Fang Yuan was surprised once again.
From what he understood, not only did Qiao Shuanglin agree to teach him martial arts, but he also offered to help him reclaim their ancestral home. This made him feel a bit overwhelmed with gratitude.
"Martial arts is not a problem…"
Right away, the two of them returned to Gaoler Fang Yuan’s residence and spent the rest of the night talking about martial arts.
With Qiao Mu’s current level of martial arts skills, he had already achieved proficiency in many different martial techniques, so teaching a 9th ranked martial artist would be a breeze.
………
"Senior Qiao, our ancestral home has already become the property of the Wan family’s Wan Ronghua." Fang Yuan explained in detail.
"Wan Ronghua has now become one of the four wealthy families in Imperial Capital. They have many businesses, much stronger than our family was back then… One of the industries they are involved in is house renting."
"And he took our ancestral home and rented it out. Actually, it’s not difficult to retrieve the Blood Moon Chart from the secret room. Just renting the old house would be enough. Of course, if we have enough money, we can also buy it directly."
"So why don’t you do it?" Qiao Mu asked.
"First, it’s easy to alert Wan Ronghua and make him suspicious. He’s not a kind person. Second…a man who is innocent may still be wrongly accused. Even if I obtain the Blood Moon Chart, what can I do? It will just repeat the tragic event that happened to my parents." Fang Yuan first forced a smile, then looked at Qiao Mu.
"Of course, the old master’s martial arts skills are impressive, so naturally he can guard such a treasure."
"You make a… very good point." Qiao Mu agreed deeply.
"To retrieve the Blood Moon Chart, it should be done effortlessly. But a gentleman keeps his word. Since I said I will help you retrieve the old house, I won’t go back on my word."
Qiao Mu’s gaze was intense as he looked at Fang Yuan;
"Fang Yuan, be honest, how much savings do you have after spending all these years in the heavenly prison? Is it a significant portion of your ancestral home’s selling price?"
Fang Yuan, the prison guard, may have had a difficult life due to his family background in business. Despite being young, he was shrewd and cunning in his actions.
Qiao Mu suspected that giving food and drink, like roast chicken and fine wine, to the prisoners in the heavenly prison was not an uncommon practice.
Perhaps Fang Yuan had received some benefits from other influential and skilled individuals who were imprisoned.
Fang Yuan blinked and cautiously extended a finger to test the waters.
"One-tenth? If I manage to borrow a bit more, I could maybe come up with twenty percent. After all, that mansion may be old and not worth much, but it holds significant sentimental value as my ancestral home."
"One-tenth? This is an Imperial Capital house. Although it’s an old one, you’ve been making quite a profit these past few years, haven’t you?" Qiao Mu smirked.
"Since there’s one-tenth, maybe we can give it a try."
Qiao Mu had a mysterious smile on his lips as he walked out the door, not saying much to Fang Yuan.
…………
"Mr. Lu Renjia, this is the house you rented."
A middle-aged man with a square face led Qiao Mu to the entrance of the old Fang family house and briefly introduced it to him with a key.
"Hmm, very good, I’m very satisfied," Qiao Mu smiled and watched him leave.
"Easily entering the Fang family house, now it’s my turn," Qiao Mu thought.
After thirty years of hard practice, Qiao Mu’s Flesh Changing Skill has reached a level of proficiency.
Starting from proficiency, Flesh Changing Skill no longer limited to simple cosmetics and disguises, but began to involve the manipulation of flesh and blood with a "godly" degree.
It was from here that Qiao Mu realized the uniqueness of the "Flesh Changing Skill" that Wu Qizheng had given him.
Based on his previous understanding, only martial artists who have reached the 3rd rank of Spirit Refining can practice the essence of the "Flesh Changing Skill," because only when they step onto the Spiritual Refining Method can martial artists actively change their body’s flesh and blood through strong spiritual will.
But Wu Qizheng’s "Flesh Changing Skill" is different.
If Qiao Mu learned the "Flesh Changing Skill" from Wuji Association member Guo Yan, it would be a version 1.0.
On the other hand, the "Flesh Changing Skill" in Wu Qizheng’s hands is at least a version 4.0, perhaps it can be called the "Shape Changing Skill" now.
Clearly more advanced, with more techniques and deeper understanding.
With the version 4.0 of the "Flesh Changing Skill", even a martial artist like Qiao Mu, who has been practicing the Martial Saint Spiritual Technique for many years and sometimes has unreliable instincts, can still slightly control the changes in his flesh and blood.
In other words,
Now, Qiao Mu can change his appearance and disguise himself without using make-up techniques.
Therefore, in situations like being trapped in the heavenly prison before, where all disguises were washed away and only the true identity remained, he can never go back to that anymore.
And now, "Lu Renjia" is a person who looks completely different from Qiao’s family.
This new disguise is naturally useful.
"Let’s cause some trouble!"
First, Qiao Mu searched this old mansion, but couldn’t find any secret rooms.
Because he changed his appearance, he didn’t inform Fang Yuan and acted secretly.
So Qiao Mu gave up searching and closed his eyes to meditate.
Soon, the sky darkened, and the surroundings became quiet as night fell.
Next, Qiao Mu started doing something.
Holding a pen and paper, he drew and occasionally fell into deep thought.
He was deducing the techniques, specifically the sixth level of the "Xumi Mountain King Sutra."
According to the rules, practicing the sixth level would take six times longer, which meant sixty years of intense training to master. It would also bring significant increases in energy and blood, giving Qiao Mu hope for further progress.
There is no path ahead, Hai Wuya stopped exploring the "Xumi Mountain King Sutra" at the fifth level, and now it’s Qiao Mu’s turn.
Hai Wuya is a pioneer of humanity, Qiao Mu is not as caring for people as him. So as a successor of humanity, with Qiao Mu’s current martial arts skills, it seems more than enough.
Poof.
Qiao Mu spit out a mouthful of blood, his whole body surged with blood and the blood vessels in his neck burst, blood flowing down his neck.
"Just a small scene, just a small scene."
"Ordinary martial artists can’t do things like deducing martial arts techniques."
"Even with ordinary martial arts, there is always a risk of going astray or getting possessed by the wrong ideas. What more with pioneering the new path of the "Xumi Mountain King Sutra"?"
Even the founder of the martial arts technique, Hai Wuya, had to be extremely cautious when deducing the "Xumi Mountain King Sutra", thinking twice before taking action.
Because he only had one life, if he made a mistake in his practice and died in the dungeons, then everything would be ruined.
And Qiao Mu was different.
He was reckless, wild, and playful!
He practiced martial arts in a more radical way than Hai Wuya, conducting experiments directly with his own body, without considering the potential risks to his life.
Pff….
A burst of bloody splatter shot out from Qiao Mu’s eyes, hitting the wall five to six meters away. His vision went black, and his left eye was temporarily blinded.
"Maybe I went too far, was I too radical?"
Qiao Mu reflected for a moment, then continued.
Soon, a powerful force surged through his entire body, his blood rushed, and his face turned liver-like in color….
His left hand tingled, and fine droplets of blood oozed out of his pores. Just when Qiao Mu thought the aftereffects wouldn’t be too severe, there was a thunderous explosion, and his back muscles were torn apart, blood splashing out.
"In this wave, I am mainly to blame for being too strong. My internal strength is too deep, which is not a good thing."
Qiao Mu sighed.
He closed his eyes and practiced cultivation, alone in this endless night, continuing to deduce martial arts as though stepping into madness.
After a few hours, it was already late at night, and Qiao Mu’s body was weak and feeble.
"It should be almost done…"
He stood up and looked around the hall he was in.
Splattered blood and torn flesh were scattered everywhere, resembling a murder scene… and a particularly eerie one at that.
His once mighty body, which had surpassed the limits of the fourth rank, was now battered and bruised. His blood and energy were declining, and every meridian in his body felt torn, as if he had suffered serious injuries from the Heavenly Demon Disintegration Method.
Qiao Mu walked to the front door of the old mansion and glanced at the moonlight outside.
It was very windy and the moonlight was hidden by clouds. Everything around was silent.
The idea of a dark night where people are killed is just right.
"Agreed."
Qiao Mu took a piece of white cloth and hung it at the front door of the old house. Then he moved a stool and leaned his neck closer…
………….
The next day.
The middle-aged man with a square face who led Qiao Mu to the old house of the Fang family had just arrived at Wan family’s store and noticed that something was not right. Everyone was staring at his face.
"Chen, you finally came. Yesterday, you led Lu Renjia to that old house on the east side of town, right?"
"Yes, what’s wrong?" the middle-aged man with the square face asked in surprise.
"Lu Renjia hanged himself."
"What? He just rented the house yesterday, and today he’s already committing suicide? Is he deliberately bringing us bad luck? That can’t be."
"No no no, hanging himself, but the way he looks, it doesn’t seem like suicide…"
"If he hanged himself, how can it not be suicide?"
"Sigh… it’s hard to explain. Go see for yourself, but if nothing unexpected happens, the authorities’ constables will be here soon."
The middle-aged man with a square face frowned and walked quickly towards the old Fang family mansion in his memory.
He had just arrived when he saw the figure hanging lifeless at the front gate…
He gasped in shock.
At last, he understood why they said this person didn’t commit suicide even though he hanged himself, because of the horrifying injuries on his body.
Self-harm? Those injuries don’t look like they were made by a sword or knife…. It’s very strange, very, very strange.
It’s as if something from inside the body is drilling out and exploding into a flesh-like mass of blood.
As soon as he entered the hall, his face quickly changed color and his steps became unsteady.
Blood was everywhere, and there were even pieces of flesh in the blood?
On the walls of the hall, someone used their finger dipped in blood to write a messy "ghost" character!
"Is this the word he left before he died? Is there a ghost in this house?" The middle-aged man with a square face instinctively stood up with bristled hair.
In the ancient and feudal Great Yan Imperial Court, the existence of cultivators and mysterious supernatural events are widely known and much feared.
His facial expression quickly changed:
"It must be wiped off immediately, once word of such mysterious activities spread, who would want to rent this mansion?"
But before he could give the order, a group of plain-clothed constables had already arrived at the entrance of the mansion.
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