Chapter 476 - 10: Assassin

Baiyun Temple.

Daoist Jingyun’s eyes were tightly shut as she rotated the Prayer Beads in her hand. The slight twitching of her eyelids revealed the turmoil in her heart.

"To master the Soaring Leap in just one month, relying solely on her own constitution without ever having practiced a Body Tempering Method."

"Impressive."

Lu Qianqian nodded:

"Master, I remember you once said that mastering the basics of the Soaring Leap requires one to learn how to circulate their Qi Blood."

"Why was Shuang’er able to do it ahead of time?"

"The world is vast. It is inevitable that some people will be different from the ordinary." Daoist Jingyun opened her eyes.

"This Shuang’er you speak of is clearly such a person. And... she is an exceptionally good fit for my lineage’s inheritance."

"Is that so?" Lu Qianqian sighed.

"What a pity!"

"That man Zhu refuses to let her go. He even said that you, Master, must personally visit the mansion to accept her as a disciple to show sincerity."

"When accepting a disciple, when has a master ever had to make a house call?"

As she spoke,

she shook her head repeatedly.

"Not necessarily," Daoist Jingyun said with a smile.

"Some travel a thousand miles, enduring hardship, just to seek knowledge. Others wander the world for decades just to find a worthy disciple to carry on their legacy."

"Shuang’er..."

"Is she fifteen this year?"

"Yes." Lu Qianqian nodded.

"It would have been better if she were eight or nine. Her foundation wouldn’t have been set yet. Now, she’s already past the best age to begin practicing Martial Arts."

When it comes to Martial Arts Cultivation, earlier isn’t always better.

Too early,

and you risk damaging the body, hindering future Cultivation.

Too late,

and the foundation has already solidified, making significant achievements difficult.

Daoist Jingyun nodded slowly.

She saw further ahead. A person’s Qi Blood is at its peak at thirty, and after another ten years, it begins to decline rapidly.

In other words,

if one starts practicing Martial Arts at fifteen, they have a dozen or so good years at most. Factoring in the time needed to solidify their foundation and learn the basics of Martial Arts, the actual time left for Cultivation is even shorter. Even someone with exceptional Talent might not be able to achieve much.

"That bastard Zhu is inhuman," Lu Qianqian muttered under her breath.

"I was the one who discovered Shuang’er’s Talent, but he won’t even let me bring her here for you to see, Master. And he’s talking about having her join some expert from the Qingyi Gang. He’s just hoarding her like some rare commodity. It’s so unfair to her, to have such a master."

Daoist Jingyun’s brow twitched, a thoughtful expression on her face.

*

*

*

After a person passes, the wake lasts for three to seven days. This is followed by the five-sevens ritual, where a memorial is held every seven days.

This continues until the fifth seven-day period.

The day of the fifth-seven is the final memorial. A vigil must be kept in the family temple, and after tonight, everything will return to normal.

Zhu Ju, dressed in mourning clothes, sat cross-legged on a prayer mat. With every breath he took, the Qi Blood in his body surged like a mighty river.

Dragon Elephant Force!

This Cultivation Technique was far less effective at tempering the Physical Body than Giant Spirit Fist, but it didn’t require performing any fist techniques; one could practice it simply by sitting in meditation.

Moreover,

the body-tempering effect of Giant Spirit Fist could only be achieved by grasping the True Intent within the fist technique, something ordinary people found difficult to do.

"EXHALE..."

"INHALE..."

His Qi Blood churned, sweeping All Over his Body.

As it passed through the Ren and Du Meridians, the Venerable Immortal Bone opportunely released a wisp of Essence, which merged with the Qi Blood.

With the help of this strand of supremely pure Essence, Zhu Ju’s Cultivation progress advanced by leaps and bounds.

As the Cultivation Technique circulated, his Qi Blood accumulated, spinning faster and faster, much like a great river flowing endlessly.

At a certain moment,

CRACK!

An invisible barrier was shattered by the immense force of his Qi Blood, and a mysterious aura emanated from his body.

Ninth Grade!

He had done it without the aid of any Secret Medicine.

Relying on his pure, abundant Qi Blood, he had broken through the threshold of Grade Entering on his own, advancing to become a Ninth-Grade Martial Artist.

Zhu Ju’s body trembled as his Qi Blood burst forth, coalescing outside him into the phantom image of a circling dragon and elephant.

In the spacious family temple, the temperature quietly rose.

The scorching Qi Blood and wild life force made the insects and ants flitting about nearby freeze in place.

TAP...

A faint sound came from outside.

Zhu Ju’s ears twitched. He quickly formed a Seal Technique with his hands, and the externalized Qi Blood flowed back into him like rivers into the sea.

He turned and looked out into the night.

"So you’ve come after all."

......

Under the cover of night,

three figures silently scaled the walls of the Zhu Mansion.

"Father."

A young voice spoke up:

"Are you sure there won’t be any problems with this?"

"At this point, don’t you think it’s a little late to be saying that?" another man said in a low voice.

"Don’t worry!"

"Nursing Director Zhang isn’t at the Zhu Mansion tonight. The others can’t stop us. If we make it quick, no one will know it was us."

"Young Master," the last person said.

"The Old Master is an Eighth-Grade Martial Artist. Right now, Nursing Director Zhang is the only other Eighth Grade in the Zhu Mansion, and he’s not here tonight."

"The family temple only has a few guards who have barely entered a grade. They’re no threat."

"Mm," the young man nodded.

"I didn’t expect Zhu Ju to actually have a change of heart. He’s been cooped up at home cultivating these past few days, practically never setting foot outside. But as long as we take care of him..."

"The wealth the Zhu Family has accumulated over all these years will be ours!"

SWISH!

The three exchanged glances and nodded lightly, quickly closing in on the family temple under the cover of night.

They were clearly very familiar with the Zhu Mansion’s layout, knowing exactly where the guards were stationed and when the patrols would pass.

In just a few moments, they had appeared near the family temple.

"Go!"

The three of them charged forward.

Two of them rushed towards the guards who had noticed something was wrong, while the strongest of the three performed a hawk-like flip, leaping into the family temple.

"Zhu Ju, your father ruined my plans. Today, I’ll take you out to vent my anger!"

While still in mid-air,

the Black-Clothed Man’s arm shook, and the Soft Sword coiled around his waist snapped straight with a clang, thrusting directly at the spot between Zhu Ju’s eyebrows.

His speed was incredible, and the Sword Light was even fiercer.

Their eyes met.

The Black-Clothed Man’s heart suddenly skipped a beat.

The Zhu Ju who he thought would be panicked was completely unfazed by the approaching blade.

His eyes even held a knowing look, as if he had seen through everything.

’Something’s not right!’

SWISH!

A gust of wind attacked from the side.

A soft Duster wrapped around the blade stabbing at Zhu Ju and, with a sudden flick, flung the Black-Clothed Man away.

"Boundless life and fortune."

Daoist Jingyun appeared in the center of the room, holding her Duster. She frowned at the intruder.

"Patron, your killing intent is quite strong."

"A Seventh Grade!"

The Black-Clothed Man’s expression changed drastically. He turned to flee.

"It’s a trap! Let’s go!"

"Go?" Zhu Ju chuckled lightly.

"Since you’re already here, why be in such a hurry to leave?"

"Senior."

"I’ll have to trouble you to capture these three. I want to see just who is so determined to put me to death."

"Sigh!" Hearing this, Daoist Jingyun sighed softly. With a tap of her foot, her whole body moved like a wisp of gentle wind.

Cloud Step!

Wielding her Duster, Daoist Jingyun became a series of afterimages. In just a few flashes, three people were lying on the ground.

There was only a single grade of difference between Seventh Grade and Eighth Grade, but the gap in their strength was as wide as the heavens and the earth.

What’s more,

the Cultivation Technique practiced by Daoist Jingyun was no ordinary one; it was from a remarkable lineage, which widened the gap even further.

"Someone,"

Zhu Ju called out in a low voice.

"Pull off their masks!"

"Yes, sir." A guard complied, stepping forward to rip off the three men’s masks. The next moment, gasps of shock filled the room.

"Second Uncle!"

Looking at that familiar face, Zhu Ju let out a long sigh, though he wasn’t surprised.

"It really was you."

"Where is Nursing Director Zhang?"

"Replying to the Young Master," a guard stepped forward and reported,

"A message came from Brother Zhang’s home just now. It said his son suddenly fell gravely ill and needed to be taken for treatment immediately..."

"Mm." Zhu Ju’s eyes flickered.

"What a clever scheme, Second Uncle!"