activa-t Chapter 41 The Vast and Mighty Force Enters My Blade
Chapter 41 The Vast and Mighty Force Enters My Blade
[In the first month, with the extraordinary ability to prove your worth forever, you once again threw yourself into the tedious practice, day after day. You possessed an inexhaustible supply of experience, and any experience you gained would never fade, but this was still not enough.]
[Your selfless cultivation yielded negligible experience points, so you decided to change everything. You fled the secluded mountains, studied the tracks of birds in the wind on the wasteland, and ventured deep into barren lands to hunt down bandits alone. You sought no reward, nor did you seek to uphold justice; you did it all to experience a sliver of true meaning on the edge of life and death.]
And so, a whole year passed, and you finally gained a precious insight, opening up a path of progress. Following this glimmer of light, you silently crawled upwards.
[Three hundred and sixty-five more days and nights have passed, and you remain completely absorbed, tirelessly wielding your sword to cut down everything in your path. Unaware of your surroundings, you are unaware that you and the blade in your hand have been reborn, transformed. Now, when you swing your sword, all unnecessary emotions vanish from the swordsman's heart. In the movement of your blade, you cleanse yourself of the last impurities.]
……
Just when Song Shen thought he had finally made progress, all his memories came to an abrupt end, leaving him with a sense of utter frustration.
A surge of anger erupted from Song Shen, and he immediately consumed the Dao Fruit named Meng Sha. The power of time was once again infused into the Chasing Wind Blade Technique, and then the '+' sign was pressed—
The memory continues to extend.
All impurities vanish, your blade becomes infinitely pure, your spirit merges with the blade, your body and the blade are perfectly integrated under the control of your spirit. Now, no one can separate you. You have achieved complete enlightenment and finally understand that your solitary journey these past days has finally come to fruition.
[You have mastered the secret technique, Flying Blade's Wrath!]
When you finally grasp this almost artistic technique, you naively believe that crossing this chasm will open up a world of endless possibilities. Little do you know that you have entered a completely new and challenging world, where every step forward is like crossing an abyss, and every step up is like ascending a cloudless blue sky.
[You look up and see the wrath of the Wind God, the Flying Blade soaring through the sky, its vast power entering this blade. Like mountains having mountains and water having water, everything changes. Your blade, too, is like the howling wind in the sky, no longer an ordinary killing weapon.]
……
【Wind Chasing Blade Technique (2% chance of success)】
……
Despite investing a tremendous amount of time, Song Shen was astonished to discover that his swordsmanship, at the level of "seeing the situation," had only improved by 2%.
He felt a sense of frustration as he looked at the last Dao Fruit, hesitant and uncertain.
[Achieved Skill Dao Fruit: Zhong Qi (3 years and 10 months)]
"If I had neglected the Chasing Wind Blade Technique during these three years and ten months, I'm afraid I wouldn't have made any progress."
Thinking of this, Song Shen turned his gaze to another sword technique.
【Thunderous Blade Technique (Penetrating 93%)】
After a moment's thought, Song Shen poured the remaining power of the Dao Fruit into the Thunderous Blade Technique.
[You are already a grandmaster of the sword, having seen countless trials and tribulations. Now you are cultivating a new method, progressing by leaps and bounds. In the first year, you broke through the barrier of the breakthrough level. In the second year, you cleansed away impurities, and the Thunderous Sword Technique began to become one with your body and spirit.]
【Thunderous Blade Technique (Combined 25%)】
……
"The second sword technique has also reached the level of unity..."
Song Shen raised his hand and drew his sword, not even feeling the extra object in his palm. It was as if he had reached out and a gust of wind filled the room.
Amidst the raging wind, a flash of light, like a fish swimming in the air, flickered and moved erratically, its shape as chaotic as the wind itself.
The moves changed again.
A burst of thunderous sound erupted, and Song Shen, like a child, unleashed two unpredictable moves. The thunder and wind in the room rose and fell in succession, reaching infinite heights and then infinitely low levels.
Until the flash of the sword disappeared.
Song Shen's sword had already been returned to its sheath.
"Now, it's time to close the net."
As Song Shen murmured, he vanished from the room in a flash.
...
...
"hurry up!"
Hu Yan directed his group of servants to load the goods onto the boat, ready to haul them away.
Below, a group of workers are urgently moving things.
The accountant, Zhang Gengwang, seemed a little distracted and whispered, "Old Hu, something can't be wrong, can it? I have a feeling something's not right."
Indeed, everything is going too smoothly, isn't it? Everything seems to be divinely ordained. Logically speaking, things shouldn't be going this smoothly. Not to mention Song Shen, why is the Third Miss also so quiet? It all feels like a dream.
Hu Yan remained silent, watching the men in black below busily unloading goods from the carriages and onto the ship, his mind racing with various thoughts.
They couldn't help but be afraid. What they were doing now was the dirty work of secretly reselling family assets for profit. Although it was the eldest young master who ordered it, if anyone caught them out, the eldest young master would sell them off like stray dogs.
Thinking of this, Hu Yan had to speak cautiously:
"The information the eldest young master gathered is that the Huang family has sent the Three Ghosts of Cangling. These three are top masters who have been famous in the martial arts world for many years. Song Shen? No matter how strong he is, he is no match for these people."
"That's... a bit safer."
Hu Yan's large knuckles secretly clenched into a fist, then he looked at the man on the other side and asked, "Mr. Wei, have you made all the preparations for the rendezvous for this shipment?"
The man surnamed Wei had his entire face covered, dressed in all black, and was extremely mysterious. The most eye-catching thing was the long sword at his waist; apart from that, he had nothing else on him.
"You don't need to worry about that. After you finish moving the goods, just take your people back. Hmph! That's why I say you, Hu Yan, are a smiling tiger. You can even come up with this kind of idea. Once this stuff is transferred out, someone will report it, and he'll be dead."
Hu Yan chuckled; this was indeed the strategy he had offered.
"How could a fool like Song Shen possibly understand that documents and accounts can be used to kill? He thinks that my arrival is meant to have someone assassinate him or trip him up? Ha! If I wanted to settle things with him, why would I need such low-level tactics? I would cooperate with him more than anyone else in the world!"
Hu Yan's earlier worries had vanished, and now he was feeling quite pleased with himself. After finishing today's work, he would gradually distance himself from the medicinal herb field.
In no time, everything was loaded onto the bow of the ship.
The large ship was loaded with priceless medicinal herbs, its sails billowing, ready to set sail.
The accountant also breathed a sigh of relief. He was the least skilled in martial arts among them, and it was his own fault for being caught up in this mess.
If a person doesn't look out for themselves, they'll be punished by heaven and earth.
The Third Miss and the Eldest Young Master have fallen out so badly, yet she still clings to the family's affairs to provide herself with cultivation resources. Has she not considered what kind of cruel blows these people will suffer after she leaves?
Clearly, she had no interest whatsoever; she only cared about herself. She even left the management of the medicinal herb field to Song Shen, a greenhorn who hadn't even grown up yet. How could that kid, who had only been in the Cao household for a few years, be entrusted with such an important task when he couldn't even read a single word? How could he possibly manage affairs well? How could one be loyal to such a master?
After considering all of this, Old Zhang decided to collude with the eldest son to manipulate the accounts. This would not only plunge Song Shen into an abyss of despair, but also deal a huge blow to the Third Miss. With such a scandal, she would be banished from the herb field and would no longer be able to deeply interfere in family affairs. It would also be a good opportunity for her to go to her sect.
Despite saying that, Old Zhang couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.
The third young lady has done him a great favor!
When his youngest son fell seriously ill, it was the Third Miss who used her connections to save him and rescue his family from extreme poverty. From then on, he became the Third Miss's personal accountant.
No matter how he comforts himself with the idea that such people are doomed to perish, once all self-deception is stripped away, everything is ultimately just one thing—
betray.
What a shameful betrayal!
Only by killing Song Shen and leaving the Third Miss can all this be truly redeemed.
Thinking of this, Old Zhang raised his right hand, ready to wave goodbye.
Just then, a knife tip emerged from his chest, blood gushing from the tip, piercing his heart.
"Heh...heh...Old Hu...you??"
Zhang Gengwang, the accountant, was filled with shock and pain. She had never imagined that this would be the outcome. Even if she went to the underworld, she would never find peace.
Do not look down.
With a flick of his wrist, Hu Yan pulled the short knife from Old Zhang's body.
Blood splattered and splashed on the ground, resembling plum blossoms.
Hearing this dying cry, Hu Yan's eyes filled with cruelty and indifference: "Do you think you can still live after doing all these things? Old Zhang, should I laugh at your stupidity or your naivety?"
Old Zhang collapsed to the ground, clearly not going to live, and could only hesitate.
"Heh...heh...Old Hu, we've known each other for twenty years..."
His gaze was intense, still holding a final, unyielding question.
Hu Yan's lips curled into a mocking sneer.
"Back then, when your youngest son was seriously ill, it was the Third Miss who extended a helping hand and even gave you, this wicked scholar, a position as her personal accountant. Didn't you betray her just as readily? Did you ever imagine this moment would come?"
Old Zhang's pupils gradually dilated.
"Yes...yes, I deserve it, I deserve it...but you..."
The last glimmer of light in his eyes faded.
"Me?" Hu Yan chuckled lightly. "Smart and powerful people don't die. You will only die because you are stupid and weak."
On the ship,
From beginning to end, the swordsman surnamed Wei watched this dramatic scene with great interest, only speaking up at this moment.
"Hu Yan, you're a born scumbag," he commented.
"Thank you for the compliment."
Hu Yan laughed heartily.
Wei Xing, the swordsman, felt a pang of embarrassment at having made a fool of himself, and boarded the ship.
There were only two boatmen and one helmsman on board.
The only other bodyguard was one person with a sword.
"Alright, let's set sail!!"
Hu Yan breathed a sigh of relief, waved goodbye to the mysterious retainer beside the young master, and watched as the boat was about to sail away.
From the shadows, a firm yet cold voice rang out.
"slow!"