Chapter 162: Chapter 124: Introspection
By midnight, crows cawed amid the dense forest on New Year’s Eve.
Chen Ku had already cleaned up the entire battlefield and cut off the heads of fourteen Demon People. He had also dismembered the bodies of two Year Beasts, one large and one small, and stuffed them into a storage bag.
He muttered to himself, "The storage bag my elder brother gave me... I don’t even know how big it is inside. Even the dismembered Third Realm Great Year Beast, a pile of flesh and blood, is as big as several cows, not to mention the two Little Year Beasts..."
"There was one Little Year Beast that got away, but luckily I chased it and hunted it down. Otherwise, it really would have been a pity if it escaped."
Tonight’s harvest was indeed a spectacle.
Just the fourteen heads of the Demon People from Peace Path were worth over 20,000 taels of silver. If you counted these two Year Beasts too—every part of their bodies could be sold, the Demon Meat, and even that ’single horn’—altogether, they were worth another 20,000 to 30,000 taels of silver.
So, Chen Ku carried these spoils of war.
He planned to go home but then suddenly remembered. He was supposed to meet Senior Brother Jiang at a certain place. At this hour, he wondered if Senior Brother Jiang was still waiting for him.
He decided to check.
But when he reached the ferry point at Little Manor Town, he did not find any trace of Jiang Shaoyou. Instead, he observed numerous disordered footprints near the ferry point, seemingly from a fight...
And among the footprints, many were from Year Beasts.
There was also blood on the ground. But it wasn’t human blood.
Clearly, someone had been here hunting Year Beasts.
He sniffed.
Indeed, there was the scent of Jiang Shaoyou having stayed here, and not just one person.
"Eh, did Senior Brother Jiang have a good catch tonight?"
Chen Ku hadn’t expected that Jiang Shaoyou hadn’t waited for him, yet had also gained something this New Year’s Eve.
From the smells, it was clear that Jiang Shaoyou hadn’t come alone; he had likely brought some guards with him.
It seemed reasonable; as the hope of his family, destined to take the Military Scholar examination at Tongwen House after the spring, he wouldn’t adventure alone. He probably invited me today hoping for an extra hand.
"Since Senior Brother Jiang also has his catch and is no longer here, I shall return home as well."
「When the moon reached its zenith.」
Chen Ku finally arrived back home.
At this time, many families observing the New Year’s Eve vigil were still awake; indeed, more than half hadn’t slept. But Chen Ku’s family wasn’t keeping vigil. They were waiting for someone.
CREAK.
As Chen Ku pushed open the main door and walked into the courtyard, his brother-in-law Li Yuancheng, a Martial Practitioner with keen senses, was the first to speak, "Chen Ku is back."
The family then rushed out.
Upon seeing Chen Ku had returned alone.
"Er Lang..." His old mother first saw that her son was unharmed and breathed a great sigh of relief. Then, looking at the empty space behind Chen Ku, her expression instantly darkened as she asked sorrowfully, "Did we mistake the person?"
In her mind, if they hadn’t mistaken the person, if it was truly her eldest son, then two people should have returned.
Unexpectedly, Chen Ku slowly spoke, "It wasn’t a misrecognition. It was my big brother." He then turned to close the door.
"Then?"
His sister-in-law, standing behind his mother, her face etched with grief and already streaked with tears, asked, "Why? He doesn’t want to come back?"
Li Yuancheng frowned and asked, "Or did you not manage to catch up? I saw that person’s speed; it was beyond any ordinary internal qi expert’s."
Chen Ku pondered for a long while before finally choosing to tell the truth, saying, "I did catch up, but it wasn’t him. It’s complicated and hard to explain. I need to talk to Brother-in-law about it."
Li Yuancheng was invited into Chen Ku’s room.
The rest of the family had no choice but to wait.
「Shortly after.」
They heard Chen Ku asking, "That’s about the situation, Brother-in-law. Since you’ve served in the Border Army and had encounters with Yuan Country’s enemy troops, you should know more about Yuan Country than others. Do you know what this ’Paper Man Technique’ is all about there?"
After Li Yuancheng heard everything Chen Ku said, his expression changed uncertainly.
He hadn’t expected that his brother-in-law not only had survived but had also stumbled upon such a strange opportunity.
After a while, he steadied his emotions.
He said quietly, "Unlike our country, Yuan Country does not forbid Spells. Within its territory, there are many Mystical Gates Techniques. But speaking of this ’Paper Man Technique’, I indeed have heard of it. Back in my time on the battlefield, my army once captured enemy talismans from Yuan Country used to deploy the Paper Man Technique. These so-called paper men are not Vajra Indestructible. Faced with a Martial General of a high realm, a single strike could turn them to ashes."
Chen Ku could detect disdain for Mystical Gates Techniques from his brother-in-law’s words.
This attitude seemed to be a common perception cultivated by the Daji Dynasty over more than a hundred years. Martial arts were revered above all, and other techniques were regarded as minor. They held that strong Blood Qi and life essence were fundamental.
Li Yuancheng paused momentarily, not willing to delve further into the past, and instead said, "This Paper Man Technique originates from a sect within Yuan Country called ’Changshou Sect’. This sect, within Yuan Country, is quite significant, even having the authority to partake in decision-making for the local imperial policies. They are most proficient in these external techniques. Besides ’Turning Paper into People,’ another famous Divine Skill in Yuan Country belongs to them as well, called ’Sowing Beans to Make Soldiers’. They once even scattered 3,000 warriors at the border, each one possessing the Perfection of Strength Training."
Changshou Sect... Chen Ku pondered. Did Big Brother accidentally join this sect?
Immediately, he raised an eyebrow and said, "Brother-in-law, you said that sect can actually interfere with Yuan Country’s imperial local policies? Is that still a sect? In Ji Country, any sect daring to interfere with the Imperial Court’s policies would be no different from rebellion."
Li Yuancheng said, "Ji Country is Ji Country, and Yuan Country is Yuan Country. The national conditions of the two countries are different. Our Ji Country venerates martial arts, and the Imperial Court is the largest martial power, thereby suppressing all sects in the land. Yuan Country, however, is different. Countless sects of all kinds are deeply rooted and have long been intertwined with their Imperial Court. There was even a Yuan Emperor of a certain dynasty who uttered the phrase, ’Govern the world together with the sects.’"
Chen Ku was astounded. "Govern the world together with the sects? Wouldn’t those sects then become regional warlords carving up the land?"
But when viewed from another angle, it made sense.
On Earth in his previous life, with over two hundred countries, there were more than two hundred sets of national conditions and legal systems.
Applying that to this world, the systems of Yuan Country and Ji Country being different also seemed normal.
Li Yuancheng said seriously, "Regarding Chen Xin, this time he has returned, I can pretend not to know. After all, he has already been declared dead and the case closed by the Yamen. But... Er Lang, you must never, ever associate yourself with Yuan Country like he did. Tonight’s matter must stay within our family. You must understand, Daji maintains its closed-door policy, forbidding all foreign cultures and products, so smuggling from Yuan Country is a serious crime. The Imperial Court is most wary of those who collude with foreigners. If it were known that someone in our family has actually become part of Yuan Country’s military faction, the ’Changshou Sect,’ we all know what the consequences would be."
"Brother-in-law, rest assured, I understand the gravity," Chen Ku said. "At home, I will only say what can be said, and not a word more."
After chatting with Li Yuancheng, Chen Ku went out to soothe his family members.
Finally, he returned to his own room.
"This very night..."
Chen Ku shook his head, extracting his mind from the jumbled events, and steadied his spirit.
"I shouldn’t overthink. Worrying about things beyond one’s control only leads to self-imprisonment. By improving my strength, developing, and becoming stronger, I can handle anything. Even if I can’t, I can always run away with my family."
After calming his mind, he finally began digesting the gains of the evening.
First, he looked at the Third Realm Evil Qi of the Year Beast.
Currently just one strand, but it could serve as the foundation for Third Realm refining shape; I’ll keep it for now.
I’ll try using the Little Year Beast transformation.
[Year Beast Transform! Transform!]
The First Realm Year Beast... Chen Ku now had an abundance of First Realm Evil Qi. Although the Flower Fox Mink had not yet returned, he still had about sixty or seventy strands of First Realm Evil Qi.
He brazenly injected forty-five strands of First Realm Evil Qi.
[Transformation Level of Year Beast Achieved]
...
[Transformation Level of Year Beast Achieved]
...
[Year Beast Transformation]
[Year Beast: Body of an ox, mane of a lion, born from the depths of rivers and seas, cold-blooded. Its solitary horn possesses the power of Water Avoidance; its nostrils can spout Cold Currents. Juvenile as large as lions or tigers, adult as big as a house. Fears light, heat, noise, fire...]
[Realm: First Realm]
[Ability: Mouth (Spit Water into Ice), Horn (Split Waves, Water Avoidance), Ears (fears noise), Skin (fears heat), Eyes (fears light and red)...]
Chen Ku tugged at the corner of his mouth.
It really is a standard Year Beast.
Apart from that little Spell of Spit Water into Ice and the innate ability to split waves for Water Avoidance, many other parts are not only useless but also weaknesses, similar to the Skinny Dog’s delicate waist and brittle claws.
"It seems that this Year Beast Transformation is only useful in the water at night, unless... I can refine its weaknesses and transform it into a new Strange Beast..."
However, at least the ability for Water Avoidance and spitting Cold Currents will count as a skill and can be used underwater.
There are many valuable things in the Dragon River of Baojiao County. With this Water Avoidance power, my underwater combat ability will be far superior to anyone else.
You must know, underneath the waters of Baojiao County’s rivers, there are also many Jianghu experts. That is the domain of the Fish and Dragon Association.
For now, he decoupled from the Year Beast.
Then, Chen Ku looked at the two strands of Mystic Barrier Realm Evil Qi from the Peace Path Demon People.
He began to see what these would yield.
[Wang Mao Transformation!]
[Wang Mao Transformation Shape Shifting]
[Transformation Part: Shadowless Exquisite Blade Technique (Great Achievement)]
Chen Ku’s heart stirred. He suddenly felt the experience of a supremely fast Great Achievement Blade Technique being imbued into him.
This was a Mystic Barrier Realm Bladesmanship.
Once the blade was drawn, it was so quick it left no shadow.
"With this experience of the Great Achievement Blade Technique imbued in me, it seems several techniques within my Black Tiger Butcher Knife could directly reach Minor Achievement, or even Great Achievement!"
Chen Ku was slightly elated.
The Shape Shifting from the first Evil Qi was a stroke of good luck.
He continued.
[Zhang Ge Transformation!]
[Zhang Ge Transformation Shape Shifting]
[Transformation Part: Brain (Spiritual Introspection)]
Chen Ku was taken aback.
Then, incredibly overjoyed, he thought, "This is an ability that only emerges after breaking through to the Mystic Barrier Realm—to introspect and see the entire internal structure of one’s own body! Now that I’ve transformed and gained it, doesn’t this mean... my breakthrough to the Mystic Barrier Realm, aided by this ability, will be a thousand times easier than for others?"
After all, the danger of the Mystic Barrier Realm lies precisely in the brain.
If one wants to attempt Inner Qi Rushing to the Brain, it’s like a reckless armed thug barging into a porcelain shop. The slightest misstep could lead to brain paralysis at best, or instant death at worst.
But if one possesses Spiritual Introspection, isn’t that like navigating a maze from a god’s-eye view? How could one possibly go wrong?
Immediately, Chen Ku couldn’t resist adopting the [Zhang Ge Transformation] and began attempting to break through with his Inner Qi, entering the Mystic Barrier...