Comprehending Myriad Techniques as Woodcutter

Chapter 156: Chapter 131: Mu Chaoyun

Xie Yuan stared at the figure completely shrouded in a black robe. Though the robe was loose, its drape still vaguely outlined a slender form sitting cross-legged.

His eyes widened as he said hesitantly,

"Miss Yun?"

The black-robed figure stirred, as if nodding.

"We’ve met a few times, but have yet to formally introduce ourselves."

"Beidu Mountain, Mu Chaoyun."

’Mu Chaoyun of Beidu Mountain... So she really is from the Mu family of Beidu Mountain?’

Xie Yuan cupped his fist and said,

"I am Xie Yuan."

"I know."

"Uh..."

Seeing Mu Chaoyun fall silent, as taciturn as ever, Xie Yuan’s expression grew a little strange.

’Isn’t this my room?’

’Shouldn’t she be the one to explain why she’s here?’

Xie Yuan had no choice but to clear his throat and ask,

"Miss Yun, may I ask what business you have with me?"

The black robe stirred again. After a long moment, she said,

"I’m borrowing your space to heal."

’Heal?’

Xie Yuan’s brow furrowed. He glanced over Mu Chaoyun, but her black robe was wrapped so tightly that he couldn’t see a thing.

He mulled it over for a moment, recalling how Lu the Third seemed to have injured her. Understanding began to dawn on him.

’It seems her injuries are serious. Perhaps there was a chase afterward...’

At that, Xie Yuan tensed and asked nervously,

"Is Lu the Third still tracking you?"

Mu Chaoyun fell silent for a moment before saying softly,

"I escaped into Yunzhao City. With the clamor and aura of the mortal world to conceal me, he won’t find me."

Xie Yuan’s brow remained furrowed. Lu the Third’s tracking abilities were exceptionally strange; it seemed he could slowly trace her even if she used the Celestial Concealment Skill... He couldn’t help but think of the Lin family’s manor.

"Let me use this place to recuperate. Once my injuries are healed, I will leave."

Mu Chaoyun, seeing Xie Yuan’s worry, said slowly.

Hearing this, Xie Yuan pursed his lips but ultimately did not refuse.

Although he didn’t want to be found by Lu the Third right now, the woman before him was a Grandmaster. Even if he wanted her to leave, it wasn’t as if she would listen to him.

’She’s probably been staying in this room for a few days already.’

When a Grandmaster said she was "borrowing" a place, Xie Yuan knew she wasn’t actually asking for his opinion.

In the face of a mysterious and unfathomable Grandmaster, Xie Yuan remained extremely cautious.

And there was another reason...

Somehow, Xie Yuan felt that when Mu Chaoyun had just spoken of borrowing a place to heal, she had seemed to find the words difficult to say.

It was as if she didn’t want to be here either but had been left with no other choice, nowhere else to go.

Like a homeless wanderer who had found the only place to shelter from a storm, she even stirred a strange sense of pity in Xie Yuan’s heart.

’Feeling pity for a Grandmaster...’

’Whatever. As it happens, I have many questions for her.’

Xie Yuan nodded and said,

"Miss... Mu, is there anything you need my help with?"

"No need. A place to stay is all I require."

Mu Chaoyun’s black robe swayed slightly.

Xie Yuan gave a slight nod, then boiled some water and brewed a pot of tea. He poured a cup for himself, then poured another and placed it beside Mu Chaoyun.

Silently, Mu Chaoyun picked up the teacup and brought it under her hood to take a small sip, revealing a chin as white as snow. She said softly,

"Thank you."

"You’re welcome."

Xie Yuan sat down at the table, looked at Mu Chaoyun, and said,

"Miss Mu, it’s about time you told me what this is, don’t you think?"

He pushed up his left sleeve, revealing the two lotus petals that resembled a black tattoo.

Mu Chaoyun sat motionless, her entire body shrouded in the black robe.

Xie Yuan didn’t move either, holding his pose and quietly waiting for her explanation.

The room fell silent for a moment before Mu Chaoyun finally spoke.

"Have you heard of the Black Celestial Book?"

Hearing her finally speak, Xie Yuan’s eyes lit up. He started to open his mouth, but then hesitated.

’Logically, I shouldn’t have heard this term from anyone else. But thanks to that little talent of mine, I already know what it is.’

’Should I act like I know, or pretend I don’t?’

Before he could answer, Mu Chaoyun saved him the trouble and continued on her own,

"Legend speaks of a wondrous object in this world. Obtaining it allows one to comprehend Divine Skills and profound techniques, to achieve a breakthrough overnight. Even an ordinary person can become a master of the Martial Dao in the blink of an eye. For a Grandmaster, it can lead to even greater heights.

"This wondrous object is the Black Celestial Book.

"The Black Celestial Book has always existed in legend. It’s said to be composed of scattered pages from the mythical Celestial Book of the Human Race. There are nine parts in total, encompassing the entirety of the Martial Dao and containing the ultimate truths, which is why it has such miraculous effects. Over the past thousand years, the Black Celestial Book has appeared from time to time, and each appearance has triggered a storm of bloodshed, driving countless people to fight and go mad over it. The Black Celestial Book can elevate a clan to a thousand years of glory, or it can bring about the destruction of a top Sect. In those days, such events were common.

"For the past hundred years, the Black Celestial Book has vanished without a trace. Not a single one of the nine pages has surfaced, leading many to claim it is lost forever. With no sign of it, many now treat it as a mere legend, its truth uncertain, a story for idle chatter.

"But the Black Celestial Book is real.

"As you’ve probably guessed, what’s on your arm is a part of it.

"You’ve already used it to comprehend a saber technique; you must have felt its miraculous power."

Xie Yuan held his breath, looking down at the mysterious and elegant lotus petal markings on his arm.

Even though he already knew it was a wondrous treasure, only after hearing Mu Chaoyun’s account did he truly understand how powerful it was and the weight of its origins.

He couldn’t help but ask,

"If this thing is so important, why did you give it to me? And what form does it even take? It just looks like a tattoo."

"The Black Celestial Book has many pages, and they come in countless forms. This page is shaped like a lotus. I took the spiritual essence of some of its petals and hid them on your body to prepare a way out for myself."

Mu Chaoyun said calmly.

"A way out?"

Xie Yuan was confused.

Mu Chaoyun continued,

"If I am eventually found, they won’t be able to truly open the Black Celestial Book because it will be incomplete. That will give me some room to maneuver."

Xie Yuan’s mouth slowly fell open.

"...Doesn’t that drag me right into this mess? Miss Mu, you think too highly of me. I’m just an External Training Martial Artist. I’m no match for Lu the Third."

Mu Chaoyun looked at Xie Yuan’s dark, exasperated expression and said flatly,

"Don’t worry. Lu the Third isn’t the only one who covets the Black Celestial Book. Compared to the others, he’s nothing."

...?

’Not just Lu the Third? There are more like him, even stronger ones, still out there? Anyone who dares get involved in this mess must be a Grandmaster.’

’How is that "don’t worry"?!’

Xie Yuan’s scalp tingled. He said in a resigned tone,

"Miss Mu, why me?"

"Who else but the one who ate the Celestial Cyan Fruit? The Celestial Cyan Tree was planted by my clan, and by rights, an outsider shouldn’t be able to consume its fruit. Since you were able to eat it, it means you have a fateful connection with... my clan. Naturally, you must bear the consequences."

Mu Chaoyun’s tone wavered, revealing a hint of dissatisfaction and bitterness.

"If I had consumed that Celestial Cyan Fruit, I would have shaken off my pursuers long ago and vanished into the crowds, and you never would have been dragged into this."

Xie Yuan listened, his mouth falling slightly agape.

’So it all started with that fruit...’

He couldn’t help but recall a saying: every gift of fate has a price secretly marked. The trouble he was in today had been sealed back then.

’But isn’t getting involved with Grandmasters a little out of my league?’

Xie Yuan grumbled to himself. ’If the fruit was so important, why didn’t you post a guard by the tree? How can you rely on something as flimsy as fate?’

’I only ate it by a bizarre twist of fate; it wasn’t on purpose. The fruit had fallen on the ground, and I thought it was ownerless, so I couldn’t help but pick it up...’

Besides, while the Celestial Cyan Fruit had completely transformed him, that was for an ordinary person who had been weak for many years. Was it really that miraculous? Mu Chaoyun’s tone made it sound as if after eating it, no other Grandmaster could have touched her.

But regardless, Xie Yuan had indeed eaten her clan’s property. Seeing Mu Chaoyun’s uncharacteristically firm tone and wavering voice, he felt his own conviction weaken.

"And don’t act like you’ve suffered such a great loss. Have you not reaped any benefits? With the Black Celestial Book in your possession, anyone else would be too ecstatic to sleep if given this chance."

Seeing Xie Yuan’s disgruntled look, Mu Chaoyun couldn’t help but say coldly.

In his heart, Xie Yuan had to agree.

The perfected Rushing Wolf Saber Skill had greatly increased his strength, and the Celestial Concealment Skill was endlessly useful.

’Although the question mark on my status panel hasn’t changed, the rewards are real. The Black Celestial Book is a potential crisis, but it’s also an opportunity.’

He clicked his tongue and asked curiously,

"Miss Mu, I wonder if I might have the honor of seeing the real Black Celestial Book?"

The moment the words left his mouth, Xie Yuan suddenly felt his body stiffen. The temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees.

The black-robed Mu Chaoyun was still sitting silently on the daybed, but from beneath her hood, a sharp gaze seemed to shoot out, locking onto him.

Xie Yuan instantly realized he had misspoken and hurriedly explained,

"I just mentioned it casually. If you’re not willing, let’s just forget it."

’Mu Chaoyun is being hunted because of the Black Celestial Book, so she must be extremely sensitive about it. Any carelessness could make her think I have designs on it.’

’Although I’m curious about the treasure, I’m not so foolish as to covet it. I know my own limits; this isn’t something I should be thinking about.’

Sensing the piercing gaze withdraw, Xie Yuan breathed a sigh of relief. For a second there, he thought Mu Chaoyun was about to strike.

He couldn’t help but mutter,

"It’s not like I tricked you into coming here. You make it sound like I set this whole thing up."

Though he muttered quietly, to a Grandmaster, it was as if he’d spoken right into her ear. Mu Chaoyun’s black robe stirred slightly.

Xie Yuan had thought that was the end of it and was about to change the subject when he suddenly saw Mu Chaoyun’s hand move. She had taken something out.

It was a black-and-white lotus flower, the size of her palm. It floated above her hand, which was as white as jade, emitting a dim, mysterious glow. It looked fantastical, as if hovering between reality and illusion.

Beneath the lotus was a constantly rotating base that looked like an Eight Trigrams Plate. A piece was missing from the side of the lotus—a space that looked exactly like the two petals on Xie Yuan’s arm.

Mu Chaoyun only displayed it for a moment before closing her palm, and the lotus vanished.

"This page of the Black Celestial Book is called the Eight Trigrams Lotus."

When she finished speaking and received no reply, she couldn’t help but lift her head slightly, revealing a pair of eyes as clear as autumn pools.

Xie Yuan was staring in the direction of her hand, completely dazed. It was as if he was still too stunned by the Eight Trigrams Lotus to have come to his senses, or perhaps he was simply captivated by her fair hand.

Her eyes narrowed slightly as she studied Xie Yuan, trying to figure him out. But she didn’t realize his eyes were unfocused; his attention was no longer on her at all.

[Black Celestial Book: (1/100)]

’The Black Celestial Book, which has never shown any activity before... is finally not a question mark anymore?’

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