Zombie Bodyguard

Chapter 2130: Chapter 2127: Between Life and Death

"Lin Tian’s right. Your big brother used to be a mercenary, he’s good with firearms and close combat. In an Ancient Martial contest he definitely can’t use guns, and as for close combat—before absolute strength, its effect is actually limited, unless the cultivation levels are close." Miss analyzed as well.

"Come on, let’s go see how our young master is doing with his practice." Lin Tian took out a pastry, eating as he walked, not even sitting in the living room. The few beauties had no choice but to follow.

It wasn’t their first time at the back mountain. Lin Tian knew the way like the back of his hand and soon reached the summit. The top was a broken cliff, beyond it a great river. On a rock jutting out over the cliff, Ghost sat cross-legged, eyes tightly shut.

"What’s going on? I can’t feel Yun Tian’s aura!" Miss suddenly stopped, her brows knitting tightly.

The person was clearly right there not far away, visible to the Physical Eye, yet her Spiritual Sense couldn’t sense any aura. In her perception, Yun Tian was like a "dead man"—a ghost in every sense of the word!

Yun Xiaotian and Xiao Manxuan were just ordinary people, unable to sense things like Ancient Martial Artists could, so they had no idea what Miss was talking about. The two women could only look to Lin Tian.

Then they noticed Lin Tian’s brows were furrowed too, as if something about this didn’t add up.

"Brother Lin, what’s wrong with my brother?" Yun Xiaotian asked worriedly. She’d heard her mom say that when Ancient Martial Artists cultivated, sometimes they would suffer qi deviation, with consequences of either death or crippling. Her brother’s situation seemed somewhat similar. Just thinking of that made her even more nervous.

"Shh... don’t make a sound." Lin Tian said softly, telling them to calm down for now.

Lin Tian calmly continued eating his breakfast, acting like nothing was wrong. Because Yun Xiaotian trusted Lin Tian, she could only wait patiently. As for Xiao Manxuan, there was no need to mention—she trusted Lin Tian unconditionally. If he said it was fine, then it was fine.

Miss carefully probed him with her senses and seemed to think of something.

The mountaintop was bathed in the morning sun. The river ice at the foot of the cliff had long since melted; water flowed ceaselessly. On the bare tree branches, tiny green buds were hidden, as if waiting for the arrival of warm spring before sprouting and leafing out. Before their eyes was a scene where vitality lay deeply concealed.

A few bugs flew out from the dead grass. As they passed above Ghost’s head, one of them dropped down and landed on his arm.

At the instant the bug landed, Lin Tian felt a faintly strange aura ripple through the air, then Ghost opened his eyes and his breathing returned to normal. He gently blew at the bug, his breath stretching into a white streak in the morning light. Startled, the bug fluttered into the air and caught up with its companions.

Lin Tian was slightly surprised, not because of the bug, but because of Ghost’s aura. Before, Ghost had been filled with Evil Qi, his eyes full of killing intent—that was because he’d experienced war and waded through heaps of corpses.

But now, Ghost was no different from an ordinary person. That bloody stench on him was gone. Bloodshed has a very strange aura; everyone who’s been on the battlefield carries it. No matter how many times they bathe, that bloody smell never disappears. Others can’t smell it, but Lin Tian can.

When he first met Ghost, that bloody stench had been on him.

"Brother Tian, long time no see." Ghost revealed his familiar smile, making people feel that this was the real Ghost.

"Big Brother, your condition just now really scared us. I thought you..." Yun Xiaotian was a little shaken, not daring to say the word "die."

Ghost, however, said it freely: "Thought I was dead? Your big brother just recognized his family again, how could I bear to die?"

"Then why couldn’t Sister Manxue sense your aura?" Yun Xiaotian asked curiously.

"My Master’s Cultivation Technique is a bit special—learning death before actually dying, hiding vitality in secrecy. It’s like those trees: in winter, their leaves drop off, leaving only bare branches, as if they’re withered and dead."

"But when spring comes and the first Yang rises, they grow green buds again and become lush big trees. Between life and death, the Great Dao is contained." Ghost said with a smile, carrying a bit of a master’s air—just a little too young.

"Comprehending life and death, circulating Yin Yang—Mr. Wang truly is a heaven-blessed genius!" Lin Tian exclaimed sincerely.

Creating a Cultivation Technique requires opportunity, talent, comprehension, and experience—none of which can be lacking. Lin Tian admitted he couldn’t do it. Of course, he wasn’t trained in Ancient Martial, and wasn’t familiar with techniques, principles, and such.

At this moment, a person walked out from the small grove. He wore simple gray clothes, looking plain and unremarkable, yet Lin Tian couldn’t help but straighten up with respect.

"Mr. Wang..." Lin Tian and the others cupped their fists. The one walking over was none other than Ghost’s master, Mr. Wang, the genius who’d been expelled from the Wang Family.

"Young man, this old man can’t afford such praise from you. I’ve long heard about you battling Tang Xuan Su at Qingshuang Pavilion—truly, the younger generation is fearsome." Mr. Wang looked at Lin Tian, full of appreciation, his eyes bright. "Moreover, my Cultivation Technique is still incomplete. I am only a student of nature; there are things I’ve yet to see through."

"Incomplete?" Lin Tian’s heart stirred and he made up his mind. "Mr. Wang, I have a scripture I’d like to ask you to examine."

"Oh? I’d like to hear the details." As expected, Mr. Wang’s face lit up with curiosity. Curiosity was also one of the essential traits of a genius.

Lin Tian flipped his hand, and a dagger appeared, formed from his metal wristband. It had now taken the shape of the Tribulation Dagger. Mr. Wang and Ghost couldn’t tell, thinking it was simply a dagger hidden on his body.

Miss and Xiao Manxuan knew what it really was, but didn’t know what he intended to do, and were quite curious—because Lin Tian always managed to bring surprises.

Lin Tian didn’t explain. He walked a circle around, finding a large flat rock. He closed his eyes slightly, and a scripture of a Cultivation Technique surfaced in his mind.

Swish swish swish...

Lin Tian brandished the dagger, cutting across the rock. Stone dust rustled down, and characters appeared one by one on the stone.

"Excellent calligraphy!" Mr. Wang praised.

Lin Tian’s carved characters were like dragons flying and phoenixes dancing, flowing like clouds and water—just like his personality: free and unrestrained. He carved quickly, and before long had finished inscribing the entire "Xuanwu Meditation." With a flick of his hand he brushed away all the crushed stone, revealing all the characters clearly.

"The Black Tortoise unmoving, the spirit undying; Yin Yang cycling, life and death unending..." Mr. Wang recited softly.

Miss also focused her attention and read. The more she read, the more solemn her expression became; Ghost was the same. Xiao Manxuan and Yun Xiaotian didn’t feel much, but as an Ancient Martial Artist, Miss could tell at a glance that this was an Ancient Martial Cultivation Technique, and an extremely profound one.

The strongest reaction came from Mr. Wang—"shocked out of his wits" would barely describe his expression.

"Th-this..." Mr. Wang pointed at the scripture, so shaken he could barely speak, which showed how deeply he was affected.

He saw more clearly than Miss and understood better the value of this Cultivation Technique, especially its value to him.

"Mr. Wang, to be frank, this Cultivation Technique was given to me by a senior. It’s called Xuanwu Meditation." Lin Tian didn’t hide it, though he didn’t reveal everything.

Everyone looked confused after hearing the name of the Cultivation Technique—clearly none of them had heard of it. Xuanwu Meditation was an Ancient Techniques set that had long been lost. Miss and Mr. Wang, as Ancient Martial Artists, didn’t know of it, but Zi Yan did. Just what background did that senior sister have?

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!