27: Chapter 27: Shackles

Night, the side room of the ancestral hall.

The oil lamp was turned very low, its flame like a bean, barely illuminating a square inch of space.

Wang Qian and Li Su had long since fallen asleep, their snoring coming through the thin wooden partition, heavy and long.

Lu Zhao sat on a wooden stool under the window, his back against the earthen wall, eyes slightly closed, as if resting his mind.

The moonlight outside the window was cold and clear, spilling into the room and casting his profile in silver-white.

The deference, forbearance, and calmness he wore during the day had all faded away at this moment, leaving only a pair of eyes that shone startlingly bright in the darkness.

The window lattice rattled again.

This time, it was three light knocks followed by two heavy ones—the agreed-upon signal.

Lu Zhao pushed the window open.

Han Meng vaulted in like a civet cat, landing without a sound. Although his injuries had not yet healed, his movements remained agile. He reached back to shut the window before whispering, "Master."

"Sit." Lu Zhao pointed to the straw mat opposite him.

Han Meng did not sit, instead pulling an oilcloth-wrapped object from his bosom. He unwrapped it layer by layer to reveal a yellowed piece of animal hide inside.

The edges of the hide were charred black, as if scorched by fire, leaving only a piece the size of a palm. On it, rough lines were drawn with charcoal, vaguely distinguishing mountain shapes, ravines, and village markers.

"This is..." Lu Zhao took the animal hide.

"A topographical map of Yangjiao Ravine from twenty years ago." Han Meng's voice was extremely low. "I stole it from Boss Wu's secret chamber. In the days before he died, he would often stare at this map, muttering about 'Dragon turning over,' 'Treasure Trove,' and 'Liu Family secrets.'"

Lu Zhao's gaze sharpened.

He brought the animal hide under the lamp to examine it closely.

The Yangjiao Ravine marked on the map roughly matched the current terrain, but at the location of Wild Wolf Slope behind the village, a striking red circle was drawn.

Next to the red circle, a line of small, crooked characters was written:

"Jiazi year, the ninth day of the seventh month, the Dragon turned over, a fissure three zhang wide, black Qi soared to the heavens, only dissipating after seven days."

The Jiazi year was exactly twenty years ago.

Lu Zhao's heart skipped a beat.

He thought of the Yin Evil Crystal in the cave, the Legacy tablet fragments sealed within it, and the massive amount of subterranean Yin Qi he had encountered while suppressing the evil spirit...

"The Dragon turned over..." he murmured.

Han Meng nodded: "I investigated in secret. Twenty years ago, this indeed happened in Yangjiao Ravine. That year, on the ninth day of the seventh month, in the middle of the night, the earth shook at Wild Wolf Slope behind the village. The ground split open, and black Qi erupted for seven days and seven nights. The village elders said it was a 'Yin-Evil Vent,' an omen of misfortune. Later, the fissure closed naturally, but the vegetation on the slope withered completely, and no new green growth appeared for three years."

He paused, his voice dropping even lower:

"What's strange is that three months before the Dragon turned over, the Liu Family sent people into the mountains to survey the area around Wild Wolf Slope for an entire month. The team was led by the current Liu Family head, Liu Zhenxiong—back then, he was just the Liu Family's Young Lord."

Lu Zhao suddenly looked up.

"You mean... that 'Dragon turning over' twenty years ago was not a natural disaster, but a man-made one?"

"I dare not say for sure." Han Meng shook his head. "But Boss Wu, drunk before he died, once let slip—'The thing the Liu Family was looking for was never in the mountains; it was underground. That performance twenty years ago was all for nothing.'"

A performance.

This word sent a chill down Lu Zhao's spine.

If the Dragon turning over twenty years ago was a "performance," then who was the Liu Family performing for? Why perform it? What were they looking for underground?

More importantly—what does this have to do with the current Yangjiao Ravine?

Seeing Lu Zhao lost in thought, Han Meng added: "One more thing. Boss Wu said that for these years, the Liu Family has been searching the Black Mountain area for ancient artifacts, especially... stone tablets and fragments related to the Martial Dao."

Martial Dao stone tablets.

A "boom" went off in Lu Zhao's mind.

Legacy tablet fragments!

Could this be what the Liu Family is looking for?

He suddenly remembered the Yin Evil Crystal in the cave—the crystal sealed the Legacy tablet fragments, buried deep underground. If not for the Dragon turning over and splitting the ground, how could it have been revealed? And that "performance" twenty years ago was perhaps the Liu Family deliberately causing an earthquake to crack the strata in order to find something similar!

But... they didn't find it.

Or perhaps they found it but didn't know how to use it.

So twenty years later, the Liu Family has set their sights on Yangjiao Ravine again—the center of that year's Dragon turning over. They suspect the real "Treasure Trove" is still here.

Lu Zhao slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air.

The clues were coming together.

Why is the Liu Family targeting Yangjiao Ravine? Why frame the village? Why go to such lengths to deal with the Qinglan Sect and Xuanshuang Sect? Because what they want isn't this village—it's what is underneath it!

And that thing is now in Lu Zhao's possession.

That dark golden Legacy tablet fragment.

"Master?" Han Meng called out softly, seeing his expression shift.

Lu Zhao snapped out of it, carefully folded the animal hide, and handed it back to Han Meng: "Keep this safe. Do not let a third person know."

Han Meng nodded heavily, re-wrapped the hide, and tucked it back into his bosom.

"Master, what should we do next?" he asked. "Since the Liu Family has designs on this place, they certainly won't give up. Now with the Qinglan Sect supervising, we are constrained at every turn and cannot move."

Lu Zhao laughed instead.

The smile was faint but carried a biting coldness.

"Han Meng, do you know that in this world, there is a kind of tree that grows in the cracks of rocks?"

Han Meng was stunned.

Lu Zhao continued: "The cracks are narrow, the soil thin, sunlight scarce, and rain rare. Ordinary trees cannot survive, but this kind of tree can—its roots will drill down along the rock cracks, drilling extremely deep and thin, searching for every trace of moisture and nutrients. Ten years, twenty years, the roots will cover the entire rock layer, and by then..."

He paused.

"The stone will crack, but the tree will still be alive."

Han Meng's eyes gradually lit up.

"Master, you mean..."

"On the surface, we are the 'sheep' of the Qinglan Sect." Lu Zhao's voice was calm. "In the shadows, we must be the 'tree' taking root underground."

He stood up and walked to the wall, where a newly drawn map of Yangjiao Ravine hung—far more detailed than Master Wen's, marking every household, every alley, and every water source.

Lu Zhao used his finger as a pen, tracing over the map.

"The Qinglan Sect's supervision is focused on 'military equipment,' 'army expansion,' and 'trade.'" He said slowly. "Then we will not practice military equipment, not expand the army, and not trade."

Han Meng was puzzled: "Then what do we practice?"

"Practice 'living.'" Lu Zhao's finger pointed to the various households in the village. "He Shan and A-Fei will be responsible for vigilance and external intelligence—on the surface, they are patrolling the mountains and protecting the forest, but in reality, they are probing the Liu Family's movements and monitoring the overseeing Disciples."

"Yan Meng and Han Meng will organize the able-bodied men to train basic fist techniques in the name of a 'Village Defense Team'—the moves must be rough, the stances chaotic, so that the overseeing Disciples will think we are just a mob."

"Zhong Tiegu and Elder Mo will research iron forging and simple mechanisms—do not forge weapons, only farm tools, furniture, and daily utensils. The mechanisms should not be lethal, only for early warning, communication, and misdirection."

"Granny Xue and Tian Dali will cultivate medicinal herbs and improve crops—they will grow ordinary herbs and grain, but secretly try grafting and hybridization to cultivate varieties better suited to the local soil and climate."

"Qin Wan will organize the women and children to weave and make dry rations—the cloth should be coarse, the style rustic, and the rations hard. But the stitching must be tight, the storage long-lasting, and the nutrition sufficient."

Finally, his finger landed on Master Wen's residence.

"Master Wen will teach the children literacy and arithmetic—use the 'Three Character Classic' and 'Hundred Family Surnames' as textbooks, but smuggle in private goods: incorporate Martial Dao principles, military strategies, and herbal knowledge into the sentences and arithmetic problems."

Han Meng listened, dumbfounded.

Such an arrangement seemed ordinary, but it was actually building a fortress step by step. On the surface, it was an honest farming and hunting village, but in secret, it was accumulating knowledge, skills, and supplies, and even nurturing the next generation!

"And what about you, Master?" he asked.

Lu Zhao withdrew his finger.

"I will 'recuperate' during the day, and at night..." He looked toward the mountains behind the window. "I will open a 'school.'"

"A school?"

"A place to teach the Dao and impart professional knowledge." Lu Zhao said softly. "The location will be deep inside the cave, concealed by Shen Qingqiu's 'Small Five Elements Concealment Array.' I will lecture every night at the Zi hour, teaching the basics of the 'Northern Dark' and the essence of the 'Wudang Long Fist' in batches."

He looked at Han Meng.

"The first batch of students will be the ten core households, plus you. Once you have mastered it, I will teach the second batch, then the third... Like tree roots spreading, silent and invisible, yet omnipresent."

Han Meng's breathing quickened.

He seemed to see a vision—under the eyes of the Qinglan Sect, in the shadows of the looming Liu Family, this small Yangjiao Ravine was taking root downward and growing upward in the most humble and secret way.

One day, the stone would crack, the tree would emerge, and it would cover the sky.

"I understand." Han Meng nodded heavily. "Master, I will go contact He Shan and the others now and make preparations separately."

"No rush." Lu Zhao stopped him. "There are two more things."

"Please speak, Master."

"First, someone needs to keep an eye on the overseeing Disciples, Wang Qian and Li Su." Lu Zhao's eyes were cold. "They report to me at the Chen and Shen hours every day. I want to know exactly what they do, who they meet, and what they say during the rest of the time."

Han Meng grinned: "I'm good at this. When Boss Wu had me tail rivals back in the day, I never failed."

"Second." Lu Zhao paused. "I will find a way to neutralize the evil poison in your body. Once you heal, I will teach you a suitable method."

Han Meng trembled all over, his eyes even growing hot.

Lu Zhao not only saved his pathetic life but was also going to pass on cultivation techniques...

"Master's great kindness, Han Meng—"

"No need." Lu Zhao waved his hand. "Once you enter this door, we are brothers. Between brothers, we do not speak of kindness."

Han Meng's throat bobbed, he nodded heavily, said no more, flipped out the window, and disappeared into the night.

Lu Zhao stood alone by the window, looking at that cold moon.

Deep in his spiritual platform, the martial seal stone was slightly hot.

[Long-term Task: Breaking the Shackles · Rise of Civilization, Phase One Initiated]

[Current Progress: Secret Development Strategy Established, Core Members in Place]

[Civilization Points: 7 (Stagnant)]

[Hint: Civilization Point growth requires meeting the following conditions:]

[1. Follower Cultivation Improvement (Points +1-10 per level increased)]

[2. Expansion of Sphere of Influence (Points +50 per new stronghold)]

[3. Creation of Civilization Achievements (Points +10-100 per new technology/knowledge mastered)]

[4. Resolution of Key Crises (Points +20-200 per successful defense against external enemies)]

Lu Zhao memorized it.

These "Points" were the nutrients for the "tree." The more accumulated, the faster it would grow.

And now, the first thing he needed to do was to make this tree grow its first leaf.

Midnight, three days later.

Deep in the cave.

The Concealment Array had already been set up. Shen Qingqiu carved the array patterns with beast blood, and Lu Zhao guided He Shan, Yan Meng, Granny Xue, Qin Wan, and Han Meng to sit in the Five Elements positions, injecting Qi and blood.

The moment the array was formed, the light at the cave entrance twisted slightly, and the aura was restrained, as if isolated from the world.

Seven oil lamps were lit inside the cave.

The dim yellow light shone on ten faces—Lu Zhao, Shen Qingqiu, and the core of the ten households of Yangjiao Ravine.

He Shan, Zhong Tiegu, Granny Xue, Qin Wan, Yan Meng, Master Wen, Tian Dali, A-Fei, Song Shouren, and Elder Mo.

Plus Han Meng, a total of eleven people.

This was the first batch of students of the "Zhenwu School."

Lu Zhao stood in front of a blue stone slab, on which three lines of words were carved:

Lesson One: Why practice martial arts?

Lesson Two: What is martial arts?

Lesson Three: Where does the Martial Dao lead?

His gaze swept over the crowd, and he spoke slowly:

"From tonight on, we are the branches of the same tree."

The voice echoed in the cave, steady and powerful.

"For the tree to live, the roots must drill down, and the branches must grow upward. Drilling down means learning skills—farming, blacksmithing, weaving, medicine, literacy, arithmetic—nothing can be neglected. Growing upward means practicing the Martial Dao—not to kill, but to avoid being killed, to..."

He paused.

"One day, to make the land beneath our feet listen to us."

The crowd was silent, all with light in their eyes.

Lu Zhao said no more and began to teach.

On the first night, he taught the [Sea-Gathering Stance], one of the three basic forms of the "Northern Dark Divine Art." He did not teach the mantras, only the "intent"—how to sense the Qi of Heaven and Earth, how to use breathing as a bridge, and how to introduce a trace of thin Spiritual Qi into the body to nourish the Meridians.

After finishing, he let everyone try.

He Shan was the first to have a sensation, a wisp of wind-spirit entering his body, his face revealing joy.

Yan Meng was next; although he didn't induce Qi, he felt his blood flow much more smoothly.

Granny Xue, Master Wen, and other elders had weak sensations, but their breathing rhythm had changed, and their spirits were vigorous.

The most peculiar was A-Fei.

This youth's mind was pure; he closed his eyes and sat cross-legged for less than half an incense stick's time, and he actually succeeded in inducing a wisp of Earth-breath into his body! Although it was as weak as a firefly, he had truly stepped over the threshold.

Lu Zhao saw it all, his heart slightly moved.

Martial Dao Legacy, indeed, depends on Heart-Nature.

A night of teaching lasted until the rooster crowed.

The crowd left the cave quietly and returned to their places.

The overseeing Disciples Wang Qian and Li Su were sleeping soundly, completely unaware of what happened last night.

So it went, day after day.

During the day, everything in Yangjiao Ravine was as usual.

Farmers went to the fields, hunters patrolled the mountains, blacksmiths forged iron, and women wove cloth.

When the overseeing Disciples patrolled, they saw only honest villagers. Occasionally, a few able-bodied men would practice fist techniques in front of the ancestral hall, their movements clumsy and ridiculous, which made the two scoff.

Wang Qian even said to Li Su: "Junior Martial Uncle Zhao is too cautious. What kind of waves can such a village make?"

Li Su nodded: "Ten Spirit Stones a month, it's a steady profit."

The two gradually relaxed, often hiding in the side room to drink and meditate, and the number of patrols decreased daily.

But in secret—

The cave school opened every night. The three forms of "Northern Dark" were taught one by one, and the essence of the "Wudang Long Fist" was broken down and practiced.

The ten core households progressed rapidly. He Shan could already induce wind-spirit to strengthen his arrows, Yan Meng could briefly explode with Killing Intent, and Granny Xue used wood-spirit to nurture medicinal herbs, increasing the survival rate by 30%.

Zhong Tiegu realized the "Stacked Hammer Method" from the breathing technique Lu Zhao taught, doubling his forging efficiency, and the quality of ordinary iron was faintly approaching refined iron.

Elder Mo studied mechanisms and, combining the principles of the Concealment Array, made "Parent-Child Communication Bamboo Tubes"—activated by Qi and blood, the bamboo tubes would vibrate and could transmit simple signals. Although they could only transmit three miles, it was enough for early warning within the village.

Tian Dali grafted grain seeds and cultivated new rice that was drought-tolerant and soil-tolerant, with an estimated yield increase of 20% per mu.

Qin Wan improved the loom, weaving hemp cloth that was denser and tougher.

Master Wen incorporated Martial Dao principles into the "Thousand Character Classic." When children recited it, they subtly memorized Acupoints, Meridians, and breathing joints.

Everything was proceeding silently.

Like tree roots spreading, like spring rain moistening things.

In the blink of an eye, half a month passed.

On this evening, Lu Zhao was deducing the subsequent changes of the "Wudang Long Fist" in his room when he suddenly heard three bird calls outside the window—two short and one long, A-Fei's emergency signal.

He pushed the window open.

A-Fei's face was pale, and he whispered: "Master, in the mountains behind... that injured sister has appeared again. This time she is covered in blood and is unconscious at the old spot on Wild Wolf Slope. Granny Xue is treating her, but... her injuries are very heavy."

Lu Zhao's eyes sharpened.

Shen Qingqiu.

Where had she gone this half month? Why did she return so heavily injured?

"Lead the way."

In the hidden cave on Wild Wolf Slope, Shen Qingqiu was unconscious on the straw mat, her green shirt stained with blood, and the broken jade pendant on her waist was gone.

Granny Xue was using golden needles to pass through the Acupoints. Seeing him come in, she looked up and said anxiously: "Master, there is Sword Qi rampaging in her body, damaging her heart Meridians! I can only delay it. To cure it, we need... need to use Pure Yang True Qi to guide it back to its origin!"

Lu Zhao stepped forward to check her pulse, his face changing suddenly—the rampaging Sword Qi was clearly the unique skill of the Canglan Sword Sect, the "Qinglan Sword Art"!

Wasn't she investigating family matters? Why was she injured by her own sect's Sword Art?!