Comprehending Myriad Techniques as Woodcutter

Chapter 196: Chapter 168: Family Extermination

In the noodle shop he frequented not far from the Escort Agency, Xie Yuan slurped down the house-specialty pea and meat-sauce noodles in just a few bites and let out a satisfied sigh.

’I probably won’t be able to eat here again for a long time.’

That Chief Constable who had just passed by had an extraordinary air about him. A single glance from the man gave Xie Yuan the unsettling feeling of being seen through completely. It even seemed that his Celestial Concealment Skill, which wasn’t fully activated, might not be enough to fool him. In an instant, Xie Yuan made a guess about the man’s identity.

’So when Yu Chunsheng said a Divine Catcher was on the case, he wasn’t lying. Have they really found me this quickly?’

A sense of caution rose in Xie Yuan’s heart. He decided not to linger in Yunzhao any longer.

’It’s a shame. I came back and searched everywhere, both the Escort Agency and the One-Blade Martial Arts School, but I still couldn’t find Moon-Slayer. I wonder who ran off with it?’

Xie Yuan scratched his head and sighed.

’Now how am I going to explain this to Situ Qin?’

He wiped his mouth, tossed a few copper plates to the waiter, and casually left the noodle shop. No one recognized him as the much-discussed Master Xie.

Finding a bookstore, Xie Yuan borrowed a brush and paper. He planned to send a letter to Situ Qin to assure her he was safe, lest she worry now that the Escort Agency was gone and he was on the run.

But as he lifted the brush, Xie Yuan felt a pang of guilt. It had been far too long since he’d last contacted her, and to make matters worse, he had lost Moon-Slayer...

He hesitated, choosing his words with great care. He pieced together a strained explanation, and after some thought, decided to hint that he was using a method she knew of to secretly join a Major Sect in the province to continue his training.

Thinking of the Chief Constable who seemed to be investigating him, Xie Yuan didn’t dawdle. The letter was brief. After finishing, he handed it to the bookstore owner to be mailed on his behalf.

Leaving the bookstore, Xie Yuan glanced at the sky, then looked back in the direction of the Escort Agency and let out a long sigh.

He strode out of the city, leaving Yunzhao behind and heading toward Cloud Mountain.

「Inside the noodle shop.」

Su Xing suddenly appeared, startling everyone inside.

He swept through the shop like a whirlwind, then stopped at the entrance, his brow tightly furrowed as his eyes darted in every direction.

But all he saw were the bustling crowds of people, merchants, and common folk, each with a different face and the same ordinary aura.

And so, Su Xing knew. Though they had only brushed past each other, separated by a hair’s breadth, he had lost the trail completely.

His face grim, he returned to the county office, dismissed the others, and picked up a brush to write his report.

"Xie Yuan:

"Native of Little Stone Village, Yunzhao County, Yunzhou. Seventeen years old. Has practiced the Martial Dao for less than a year. Shows signs of breaking through to the Qi and Blood Metamorphosis Realm. Suspected of practicing both internal and External Training. Suspected of possessing a separate legacy...

"Formidable in combat, with a rapid rise to prominence. Undefeated in the local area. Has killed the masters of two of Yunzhao’s four major martial arts schools and the Yunzhao County Captain. His methods are brutal. Fled after the fact; current whereabouts are unknown.

"Note 1: In concert with a Grandmaster from the Mu family, he counter-killed Grandmaster Deng Wan of the Golden Dragon Trading Company. He is suspected of possessing an axe-based killing technique capable of severely injuring a Grandmaster while still in the External Training realm.

"Note 2: Encountered me on the street and subsequently evaded pursuit. Suspected of possessing a concealment Secret Technique capable of fooling a Grandmaster’s perception.

"Summary: The two ’Notes’ above defy common sense, yet their reliability is estimated at over eighty percent. This is sufficient to prove that this subject’s talent is exceptionally high, and the danger he poses far exceeds his current realm..."

Writing to this point, Su Xing paused his brush. He recalled the look Xie Yuan had given him in the noodle shop—surprise and assessment, but no panic whatsoever. After a moment, the boy had simply gone back to eating his noodles.

His expression darkened slightly as he continued to write:

"...He has a vile disposition and a penchant for provoking officials; he is flagrantly arrogant, brazen, audacious, and extremely cunning."

Su Xing drew two heavy lines under the final five words—’brazen, audacious, and extremely cunning’—for emphasis. He then sealed the report in a special envelope with wax, summoned a dedicated courier from the post house, and had it sent back to the Spring Rain Building in the Capital City.

The Spring Rain Building stored intelligence on the world of the Martial Dao and was the undisputed authority behind the Celestial Dragon, Flying Dragon, and Hidden Dragon Lists.

Although the Hidden Dragon List only ranked seventy-two names, the Spring Rain Building’s archives contained files on thousands of Martial Artists.

He intended for this file to be stored on the 1st Layer of the Spring Rain Building.

Martial Artists were as numerous as stars in the sky, and only those at the Qi and Blood Metamorphosis Realm and above—and the most outstanding among them—could be entered into the 1st Layer of the Spring Rain Building.

But even though Xie Yuan had not yet reached the Qi and Blood Metamorphosis Realm, Su Xing submitted the file without hesitation. Given the extraordinary abilities he had displayed, he warranted close observation.

Su Xing submitted the file, his expression calm.

He had missed the perfect opportunity today. He had lost this round.

Although he wasn’t ready to give up and planned to continue his search in Yunzhou for a while, he had a nagging feeling that he wouldn’t be finding the two who killed Deng Wan again anytime soon.

’Perhaps I should start with the other Grandmaster from the incident...’

「Several days later.」

The Yu Residence in Yunzhao was in mourning. The entire estate was draped in white, and paper money drifted through the air amidst the sounds of weeping.

As he had been a County Captain, regardless of his reputation, a great number of Yunzhao’s gentry, local squires, and people from all walks of life had come to pay their respects over the past few days.

Lady Yu, dressed in white mourning clothes, stood with Yu Chunsheng’s only son to receive and see off the visitors. That evening, after the last of the guests had finally departed, she kept watch before the memorial altar, her head bowed in silence.

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew through the memorial hall, sending paper money fluttering. The mother and son looked up in confusion. The doors and windows were clearly shut tight, so where did the wind come from?

Just as their hearts tensed, they saw a burly, broad-shouldered man standing before the coffin. He had dark skin and wore a vest that left his chest bare.

Lady Yu’s face went pale with fright. She asked in a trembling voice:

"Who... Who are you, sir?"

The large man turned around.

"The County Captain never told you about me?"

Lady Yu paused for a moment. A flash of realization struck her, and she asked tentatively:

"Are you the Grandmaster who thought highly of my late husband?"

Lu the Third glanced at her, a glint in his eyes, and smiled.

"That’s right. I heard it was that Xie Yuan from the Escort Agency who killed the County Captain, is that so?"

Lady Yu’s eyes lit up. She exchanged a look with her son, a glimmer of hope appearing on her face.

"Yes! It was him! Xie Yuan of the Longteng Escort Agency..."

"Good! Tell me everything about what happened. Once I understand, perhaps I’ll help you get revenge."

Lady Yu nodded repeatedly and recounted the events of that day in full detail.

After listening, Lu the Third stroked the steel-like stubble on his chin and mused to himself.

’This Xie Yuan is more of a ruthless bandit than I am, killing an official in broad daylight. Hmph. He’s so arrogant, he must have left a trail. Once I find him, that Mu Chaoyun who’s mixed up with him can’t have gone far. Then I’ll use him to trade for the Black Celestial Book...’

He schemed for a moment, nodding to himself. When he couldn’t get any more information, he was about to leave, but he suddenly saw the boy pull away from his mother and kneel before him.

"Grandmaster Lu, please accept me as your disciple! Teach me martial arts so I can avenge my father!"

Lu the Third was taken aback. He looked at the teeth-gritting youth, then at the equally surprised Lady Yu, and scoffed, "You want to learn martial arts from me? Who do you think you are?"

"I... I... Father said my aptitude was decent," the boy mumbled, at a loss for words.

Seeing this, Lady Yu threw all caution to the wind. She prostrated herself before Lu the Third and said through gritted teeth, "My late husband was a man of integrity when he was County Captain, and he made many enemies. Now that he has passed, he leaves behind a widow and an orphan, unable to protect ourselves. I beg you, Mr. Lu, for my late husband’s sake, please accept my son and teach him martial arts so he can make his way in this world and one day avenge his father!"

She knelt before Lu the Third, her face pale and streaked with tears. Lady Yu had been a beauty in her youth and had been well cared for, living a pampered life shielded from the world by Yu Chunsheng. She looked no older than thirty and was quite fetching.

There’s an old saying that nothing makes a woman more beautiful than mourning clothes. At this moment, Lady Yu was in her white mourning robes, prostrated on the ground. Her fine, full figure was on display before Lu the Third, causing his eyes to narrow.

Lu the Third, who had been about to leave, paused. He slowly began to speak, "Is that so? Well, it’s not out of the question. However..."

The mother and son’s eyes lit up. Lady Yu quickly straightened up and said, "A Grandmaster such as yourself, Mr. Lu, naturally deserves a proper master’s fee. Though my late husband has passed, our family still has some savings..."

As Lady Yu sat up, her bountiful figure became even more apparent, and Lu the Third swallowed hard. He had been so busy chasing the Black Celestial Book that it had been a long time since he’d been with a woman. Finally unable to restrain himself, he chuckled sinisterly. "A fee? No need for that. But Lady Yu, I must say, you still have your charms."

Seeing Lu the Third’s lecherous gaze sweeping over her body, how could Lady Yu not understand his meaning?

She instinctively took a step back, her face growing paler by the second. She gritted her teeth. "Mr. Lu, my husband’s body is not yet cold, and you..."

"What’s wrong, my lady? Don’t you want to avenge your husband anymore?"

Lu the Third slowly closed in, his hands beginning to wander.

Lady Yu was powerless to resist. Yu Dalang’s eyes widened, and he rushed forward to block Lu the Third.

"Stop—"

Before he could finish, Lu the Third sent him flying with a single slap, and he crashed to the ground.

Lady Yu cried out in alarm, "Don’t hurt my son!"

"Well, that depends on whether you’re going to cooperate, my lady.

"My lady, you wouldn’t want the Yu County Captain’s line to end, would you?"

Lu the Third uttered the phrase, and Lady Yu finally stopped struggling. A look of utter despair on her face, she was dragged aside, right in front of Yu Chunsheng’s memorial altar.

Yu Dalang lay nearby, his body trembling as he listened to the wretched screams coming from that direction.

After a long time, the screams stopped abruptly. Lu the Third, not fully satisfied, pulled up his pants. Looking at the lifeless Lady Yu, he grumbled, "No fun at all!"

He walked over to Yu Dalang and looked down at the boy. He suddenly thought the boy was as fair as his mother.

As he was pondering this, he saw Yu Dalang push himself up and kowtow repeatedly, mumbling something he couldn’t quite hear.

Lu the Third cleaned out his ear and sneered, "What? Begging for mercy?"

"No... I beg you, sir, to take me as your disciple. Teach me martial arts, so I can one day avenge my father," Yu Dalang said, his head bowed and his voice hoarse.

This time, Lu the Third was genuinely surprised. "You still want to learn from me?"

Yu Dalang nodded firmly. "Only with martial arts can one secure a place in this world. Only then can I get revenge on that Xie Yuan."

Hearing this, Lu the Third looked Yu Dalang up and down and said with a smile, "You don’t hate me?"

"I do, and I don’t."

Yu Dalang’s eyes were calm. "I only hate my own powerlessness."

At this, Lu the Third was stunned again, then he burst out laughing. "Excellent! I didn’t expect to run into a real talent here! So clear-headed. Give it some time, and I bet you’ll amount to something great, kid!

"Hmm, you have a grudge against Xie Yuan, and I have a bone to pick with him, too. Seeing as you’re so interesting, it wouldn’t be out of the question for me to teach you a few moves so you can cause him some trouble."

Yu Dalang’s eyes lit up, and he immediately kowtowed to accept him as his master.

He slammed his head to the ground with a loud thud. Just as he was about to raise it, he felt a great force on his shoulder, pinning him down.

He asked, confused, "Master..."

"I never said I’d take you as my disciple," Lu the Third chuckled. "I killed your mother. If you follow me around all day and actually manage to become skilled, wouldn’t I just be asking for trouble?"

Yu Dalang grew frantic and swore an oath. "I will never hold a grudge against you, Master! If I break this vow..."

"You could even stomach me killing your mother, and you expect me to believe your oath?" Lu the Third sneered.

"A kid who can endure so much... I don’t dare keep such a liability around. I’m not one of those magnanimous heroes whose word is their bond. I’m a horse bandit from the West Desert. I always cut the weeds and pull out the roots. You came to the wrong person."

He applied a bit more pressure with his hand, and with a sharp CRACK, snapped Yu Dalang’s neck.

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