18: Chapter 18 Burial for Peace

Arriving at the Riverside, the body of the Man in Bamboo Hat lay quietly on the bank, a faint, lingering poison gas swirling around him.

The manager looked calm as he raised his hand and lightly patted the cloth bag at his waist.

A wisp of white mist suddenly surged out, instantly wrapping the body layer by layer before slowly retracting and flying entirely into the bag.

Yun Song stared in astonishment, his heart filled with surprise as he secretly took note of this seemingly ordinary cloth bag.

The two found a secluded wooded area, where the manager formed seals with his hands and recited a spell in a low voice.

A faint light appeared on the ground, and the soil parted on its own, revealing a neat grave.

He patted the bag again, and the white mist gently lowered the body into the grave. With a change in the spell, the soil automatically closed and leveled off, leaving no trace behind.

Yun Song suddenly remembered the deceased's name and ran to fetch a flat wooden board: "Senior, let's set up a tombstone for him. His name is Wang Zihao."

The manager took the board, patted his bag, and a long sword appeared out of thin air, its spiritual light shimmering.

The sword tip danced, and in a moment, the five characters "Tomb of Wang Zihao" were carved with vigorous strokes.

Suppressing his curiosity about the bag, Yun Song respectfully set up the tombstone.

A breeze rustled the leaves in the forest, sounding like a silent mourning for the deceased.

Seeing that everything was done, the manager turned and left, his figure gradually drifting away among the shadows of the trees, exuding a sense of detachment from the world.

Yun Song knelt devoutly before the grave and kowtowed three times, his voice solemn.

"Senior, I have completed your request. May you rest in peace."

The words echoed in the forest, as if crossing the Yin and Yang, conveying the living's promise to the dead.

After handling the funeral matters, his mind was filled only with the martial arts Secret Manual mentioned by the Man in Bamboo Hat, and he immediately dashed toward the Grass Hut.

The Grass Hut was easy to identify; among a group of crude huts, it was the only one with a stone table and stools in front, standing out like a crane in a flock of chickens.

The ancient tree leaning against the stone table required two people to wrap their arms around it, its mottled bark covered in the traces of time.

The lush branches and leaves spread out like a giant umbrella, and as withered leaves fell, they startled a few beetles, adding to the mysterious and quiet atmosphere.

Flames of excitement burned in Yun Song's eyes as he rushed to the front of the hut and pushed open the creaking wooden door.

He didn't bother to look at the furnishings inside, instead rushing straight to the bed and kneeling to reach under it.

In a dark corner, a dust-covered wooden box lay quietly.

He held his breath, gently pulled the wooden box out, and blew away the dust on the surface, causing him to cough repeatedly.

When the dust settled, he opened the lid with trembling hands, revealing two Secret Manuals neatly stacked inside.

The three large characters "Gale Leg" on the top layer were ancient and vigorous, exuding a sharp, air-piercing momentum.

The cover of the bottom layer was plain white and wordless, but opening it revealed hand-drawn illustrations of martial arts Moves.

On the eight yellowed pages, each page depicted six small figures performing different combat actions.

Below were concise descriptions: "Ground Breaking: Strike directly with the mining hoe"

"Horizontal Slash: Swing the mining hoe horizontally"...

From stabbing into the ground to raising and smashing down, the Moves were simple and unadorned, yet all were practical killing techniques utilizing the mining hoe.

Yun Song's heart stirred; this was clearly a unique skill created by the Man in Bamboo Hat based on his life as a Miner, and he immediately named it "Eight Styles of the Mining Hoe".

Putting this one down, he eagerly opened the "Gale Leg".

The first line read: "This leg technique is sharp and swift, with extremely high requirements for leg strength."

Looking closely, every Move was accompanied by detailed illustrations of small figures.

Swift Wind Kick was like a lightning ambush, Gale Sweep was like a whirlwind passing through, and Wind-Treading Leap Kick borrowed momentum to soar into the air...

The eight Moves were interlinked, combining offense and defense, yet every one required powerful leg strength as support.