Su Bei looked at Su Fan with a strange smile.
It turned out he wasn't the only one who didn't recognize the script. Su Fan didn't either, which made him feel much better.
"This is Great Seal script, the writing used before the unification of the Qin Dynasty," Hu Xuelan said, recognizing the characters.
Su Fan and Su Bei immediately became interested.
"What does it say?"
"It speaks of the art of warfare," Hu Xuelan replied.
Other than military strategy, there was no other record on it.
"What about the others?"
There were many more bamboo slips under the table, some so worn that the writing was illegible. Hu Xuelan picked up other slips to examine them.
"This is the art of political maneuvering."
"This is the art of diplomacy."
"This is the art of nurturing people."
The content on these bamboo slips varied. Hu Xuelan could only infer the main topic from a general understanding.
"Political maneuvering? Diplomacy? Could the owner of this place be Guiguzi?" Su Fan recalled a legendary figure from ancient times, Guiguzi, the founder of the School of Diplomacy, whose disciples were all famous figures, and who himself was a legend.
"If this was indeed Guiguzi's former residence, then these bamboo slips are incredibly precious!" Su Fan instantly realized their importance.
"What should we do?" Hu Xuelan asked Su Fan, looking at the scattered bamboo slips.
"Let's take them. It would be best if we can bring them out," Su Fan said solemnly. These bamboo slips would have immense value for historical research.
The three nodded, tied the bamboo slips with strips of cloth, and slung them over their shoulders. Each of the four carried some, managing to take all of them.
Besides these bamboo slips, there was nothing else of value in the cave.
"Let's go." Su Fan glanced at the cave and bowed respectfully to the ancients, a gesture of reverence.
The four continued forward, quickening their pace. They had already wasted a considerable amount of time here, and if they didn't hurry, they might not be able to catch up with Young Master Long and the others.
Along the way, the number of corpses they encountered gradually decreased. Soon, they found the body of the first person. It was the guy who had temporarily joined Young Master Long's group. His chest was caved in as if struck by claws, and he was bleeding from all seven orifices, a gruesome death.
"The monsters they're encountering seem to be getting stronger. We need to be careful too." Before, with Young Master Long clearing the path, none of them had encountered any real danger. But now, with the monsters growing stronger, Su Fan and the others had to be vigilant.
Xiao Lan nodded solemnly. The group followed the tracks, becoming more alert and constantly scanning their surroundings.
"Trouble!" Xiao Lan suddenly warned. Her ability was only to foresee danger, not to identify its source. So, upon sensing something amiss, she could only alert them, not prevent it.
Su Fan and the others immediately tensed up.
"Roar!" A beastly roar echoed from the forest. The four huddled together, warily watching the direction of the sound.
A creature resembling both a lion and a tiger emerged, its fierce eyes fixed on Su Fan and his companions, as if it intended to devour them.
"Xiao Lan, hide behind me," Su Fan instructed. Besides her precognitive ability, Xiao Lan wasn't very strong in combat and wouldn't be much help.
Xiao Lan obediently retreated.
"Hu Xuelan, use gravity to control its movements. Su Bei, provide support!" Su Fan immediately devised an attack plan.
The two nodded, and the three charged forward simultaneously. The lion-tiger beast roared at the provocation and lunged at them. As it entered Hu Xuelan's range, she instantly increased the gravity around it. The sudden immense pressure caught the beast off guard, pinning it to the ground in a comical fall.
Su Fan seized the opportunity. The Golden Back Saber appeared in his hand. He dashed forward a few steps and swung the saber at the beast's head. The lion-tiger beast struggled to its feet, adapting slightly to the gravity, and surprisingly met Su Fan's attack with its claws.
Su Fan's saber struck the beast's claw, slicing through the flesh and then getting stuck on the bone. The lion-tiger beast let out a roar of pain. But it wasn't over. A dark shadow flashed across Su Fan's blade. The Phantom Spirit ability activated, applying a second layer of force to the Golden Back Saber. With a "swish," the beast's claw was cleanly severed.
"Roar!" This time, the lion-tiger beast's cry was even more piteous. Su Fan immediately retreated to create distance. In its rage, the beast lunged at Su Fan, but he had moved just in time, and it missed.
"Su Bei!" Su Fan shouted. Su Bei understood immediately and nodded. He charged at the beast from the flank. Facing Su Bei, the lion-tiger beast stood on its remaining three legs and turned to confront him. Su Bei avoided a direct confrontation, his role being to use his speed to distract the beast, leaving the main attack to Su Fan.
The saber in Su Fan's hand ignited with flames. He swung it fiercely at the beast's waist. Distracted by Su Bei, the lion-tiger beast couldn't react in time to defend against Su Fan's attack. Su Fan's saber plunged into the beast's flesh, and the searing flames caused a burning smell. The Golden Back Saber not only enhanced Su Fan's strength but also his flame abilities. This strike severely wounded the beast. The Phantom Spirit ability activated again, and the combined power of the flames and the saber churned within the beast's abdomen. The lion-tiger beast coughed up a large amount of blood. Su Fan had injured its internal organs. Without withdrawing the blade, Su Fan twisted it and made a horizontal cut, creating a massive wound from the beast's chest to its abdomen. No matter how tenacious its life force, the beast, now disemboweled, had no hope. It fell to the ground with a final, unwilling roar.
Su Fan flicked the blood off his saber and sheathed the Golden Back Saber. His basic saber techniques had indeed made him more proficient and significantly boosted his combat power.
"Brother Fan, you're awesome!" Su Bei exclaimed, habitually flattering Su Fan.
"Good coordination," Su Fan said with a smile to Su Bei and Hu Xuelan. This was their first time fighting together, and the result was good, with each playing their part. Su Bei, in particular, having spent so much time with Su Fan, could understand his intentions with just a glance.
"You seem to have gotten stronger again?" Hu Xuelan said, looking at Su Fan intently. Su Fan hadn't been this powerful before; most of his fights relied on his abilities. Now, he was formidable even with just his saber skills. Perhaps Su Fan was naturally gifted with the saber, Hu Xuelan tried to console herself. If she knew Su Fan hadn't understood saber techniques a day ago, she would have been terrified.