35: Chapter 35 The Fist Hidden for Sixty Years

As the four words "Remnant of the Martial Dao" were uttered, the mountain wind suddenly ceased.

Uncle Ya remained silent, his clenched fist not moving a single inch. Though the fist had not yet been thrown, his Fist Intent had already arrived—Zhao Hanshan felt a tightness in his chest, as if a giant boulder were pressing down on him, making it difficult to even draw breath.

His expression shifted repeatedly.

"Impossible!" he growled. "The Martial Dao Legacy died out long ago! In that battle sixty years ago, you remnants were slaughtered to the last. How could there possibly be any survivors!"

Uncle Ya looked at him, his gaze as calm as water.

That look was not like he was watching a living person; it was more like he was observing a rock, a tree, or an object that had nothing to do with him.

Zhao Hanshan felt a chill run down his spine under that gaze.

He turned his head abruptly to look at Granny Xue. "Are you one too?"

Granny Xue leaned on her cane and said tremulously, "This old woman is merely a practitioner of medicine; what would I know about the Martial Dao?"

"Bullshit!" Zhao Hanshan gritted his teeth. "If you were just an ordinary old woman, how could you have silently crept to within three zhang of me!"

Granny Xue sighed.

"If the Immortal Master does not believe me, then there is nothing this old woman can do."

She raised her cane and tapped it lightly on the ground.

"Thump."

With a dull thud, the ground trembled slightly.

Zhao Hanshan looked down, his pupils shrinking instantly—

Where the cane had tapped, a thin crack had actually split the bluestone ground! The crack spread out from the tip of the cane like a spiderweb, extending more than three feet!

Yet Granny Xue was clearly just a thin, frail old woman who looked as if she would topple over in a strong breeze.

"You..." Zhao Hanshan's voice trembled.

Granny Xue withdrew her cane, maintaining her frail appearance. "I am old, and my hand is heavy. Please do not take offense, Immortal Master."

Zhao Hanshan took a deep breath, suppressing the shock in his heart.

After all, he was a deacon of the Enforcement Hall of the Xuanshuang Sect and had seen his fair share of storms. In an instant, he had steadied himself and sneered, "Good, very good. I did not expect this backwater to be hiding two remnants of the Martial Dao. It is no wonder my Junior Brother fell here."

He looked at Lu Zhao.

"Is it by relying on them that you killed Wang Tong?"

Lu Zhao shook his head.

"I killed Wang Tong," he said. "It has nothing to do with them."

Zhao Hanshan narrowed his eyes. "You? A Mortal with a wasted Spiritual Root, able to kill my Junior Brother?"

"I can," Lu Zhao replied. "If you do not believe it, Immortal Master, you may try."

Zhao Hanshan stared at him, his eyes flickering.

After a long time, he suddenly laughed.

"Try? Why would this seat try?" he said slowly. "Since you dare to stand here, you must have something to rely on. This seat is not stupid; I will not walk into your trap."

He took a step back.

"Today, this seat admits defeat. These two old things are hiding deep; this seat is no match for them. But listen well—"

His gaze swept over the three of them, and a cold smile curled his lips.

"If news of the reappearance of the Martial Dao remnants spreads back to the Sect, guess how many people will come looking for you?"

Granny Xue's expression changed slightly.

Zhao Hanshan saw this and smiled even more triumphantly. "Afraid? Sixty years ago, the seven great immortal Sects of the Central Plains joined forces to suppress the Martial Dao Legacy, slaughtering you until rivers of blood flowed. Now, if they know that two remnants are still hiding here, guess what they will do?"

He paused.

"By then, I fear not even a blade of grass will be left in your Yangjiao Ravine."

Lu Zhao looked at him and suddenly asked, "Do you intend to go back and report this, Immortal Master?"

"Of course," Zhao Hanshan said. "This seat cannot beat you, but this seat can let others come to fight. In this world, the bold are stuffed to death, and the timid starve to death. If you have the ability, kill everyone who comes to cause trouble. Let's see in the end who kills faster, or if there are more people coming."

He turned and left.

After walking three steps, a voice came from behind him.

"Stay your step, Immortal Master."

Zhao Hanshan did not even turn his head. "What, you want to keep this seat? Can you keep me? Although I am at the sixth level of the Qi Refinement Stage, if I fight to the death to break out, you two old things might not be able to stop me. At that time, both sides will suffer; who does that benefit?"

He continued to walk forward.

He walked to the fifth step and suddenly stopped.

It was not because someone was blocking him, but because—

A person had appeared in front of him.

Uncle Ya.

Clearly, he had been three zhang behind just a moment ago, but now he was already standing in front of him, blocking his path. Zhao Hanshan hadn't even seen how he had gotten there; he only felt a blur before his eyes, and the person was already there.

His face turned deathly pale.

"You..."

Uncle Ya remained silent, merely extending his right hand and shaking his index finger gently.

The meaning was: You cannot leave.

Zhao Hanshan gritted his teeth. "Are you determined to court death?"

Uncle Ya ignored him and just looked at Lu Zhao.

Lu Zhao walked over slowly and stood beside Uncle Ya.

"Immortal Master," he said, "you just said you wanted to let others come to kill us."

Zhao Hanshan sneered. "Yes. If you have the ability, kill everyone in the world."

Lu Zhao shook his head.

"We cannot kill them all," he said, "but we do not need to kill everyone."

He looked at Zhao Hanshan, his gaze so calm it made one's heart crawl.

"We only need to ensure that one person cannot go back to report the news."

Zhao Hanshan's pupils shrank.

"You... you dare to kill me?"

Lu Zhao did not speak.

But he took a step forward.

With this step, the aura around his body climbed abruptly! A surge of scorching blood energy poured out from him, like boiling water, instantly dispelling the chill around Zhao Hanshan's body!

Zhao Hanshan was greatly alarmed. "You are also a Martial Dao Cultivator!"

"Yes," Lu Zhao said.

Before the words had faded, he moved.

He threw a punch!

The wind of the punch was scorching, like a red-hot iron hammer! Zhao Hanshan raised his hands to block in his haste, cold energy erupting from his palms to form an ice wall in front of him.

"Boom!"

The ice wall shattered, and the force of the punch did not diminish!

Zhao Hanshan stumbled back three steps, his palms numb. He looked down and saw that his palms had actually been scalded with two blisters!

His face turned deathly pale.

The force of this punch was far stronger than he had estimated! How could this be a beginner Martial Dao Cultivator? He clearly already had the strength of the third level of the Qi Refinement Stage! Coupled with that bizarre, scorching True Qi, it actually faintly suppressed his Ice-Cold Technique!

"You..." he gritted his teeth. "Where did you get this Cultivation Technique from!"

Lu Zhao did not answer.

He simply withdrew his fist and gathered strength again.

Zhao Hanshan's thoughts raced.

Cannot fight.

This man surnamed Lu was already a formidable enemy, and with those two unfathomable old things, if he were to force a fight today, he would surely die!

He took a deep breath, forcing down his fear, and sneered.

"Good, good. This seat admits defeat. No more fighting today."

He looked at Lu Zhao.

"If you let me go, I will go back and say that Wang Tong died at the hands of a Loose Cultivator, and it has nothing to do with you. How about that?"

Lu Zhao shook his head.

"I dare not believe the words of the Immortal Master."

"Then what do you want?" Zhao Hanshan gritted his teeth. "Kill me? If I die, the Sect will surely investigate. Once my Life Tablet shatters, the Enforcement Hall will know immediately. The people who come then will not just be at the Qi Refinement Stage!"

Lu Zhao was silent.

He knew that Zhao Hanshan was telling the truth.

Killing Wang Tong, the Xuanshuang Sect could still tolerate; after all, it was just the death of a deacon, not worth making a big fuss over. But if they killed another, and the Life Tablet shattered, the Sect would certainly send stronger people to investigate. The ones who came then might be at the Foundation Establishment Stage.

Could Yangjiao Ravine withstand the Qi Refinement Stage, but could it withstand the Foundation Establishment Stage?

It could not.

Zhao Hanshan saw him silent and knew he had guessed correctly. He sneered, "Those who know the times are the heroes. You let me go, and I will treat today's matter as if it never happened. How about it?"

Lu Zhao looked up at him.

"Can the words of the Immortal Master be trusted?"

Zhao Hanshan raised his hand. "I, Zhao Hanshan, swear to the heavens: if I leak even a bit of news about Yangjiao Ravine after returning, may I be struck by lightning and die a horrible death!"

Lu Zhao looked at him, remaining silent for a long time.

Granny Xue suddenly spoke. "Sir, oaths are something that truly matter to Cultivators. Those who break their oaths will surely suffer divine retribution when Undergoing Tribulation in the future."

Zhao Hanshan's expression changed slightly—he had not expected this old woman to know about this.

Lu Zhao nodded and finally relented.

"Please, Immortal Master."

Zhao Hanshan snorted coldly and strode away.

After walking twenty zhang, he suddenly turned back and gave Lu Zhao a deep look.

In that gaze, there was hatred, wariness, and a trace of... a cold sneer.

Then, he turned and disappeared into the woods.

After he had gone far away, Granny Xue suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood with a "pfft."

Lu Zhao was alarmed. "Granny!"

Granny Xue waved her hand, her face pale as paper. "It is of no consequence... this old woman forcibly used her Qi and blood, which damaged my Foundation. I will be fine after resting for a few days."

Uncle Ya stepped forward, reaching out to place his hand on her wrist. After a moment, he frowned slightly.

He fished out a tattered cloth bag from his bosom and opened it; inside were a few silver needles. He picked one up, inserted it into an Acupoint on the back of Granny Xue's hand, and twisted it gently.

Granny Xue's complexion gradually regained some color.

Lu Zhao helped her sit down and said in a deep voice, "Granny, why must you push yourself?"

Granny Xue smiled bitterly. "If I did not push myself, how would that fellow surnamed Zhao be afraid? This old woman has lived for most of her life; I may not understand other things, but I know how to put on an act. He thinks I am an expert, but in truth, I cannot even take one palm strike from him."

She looked at Lu Zhao.

"Sir, this is all this old woman can do to help you."

Lu Zhao felt a warmth in his heart and gripped her hand tightly.

"Granny, you have already helped a great deal."

Granny Xue patted the back of his hand and suddenly lowered her voice. "That fellow surnamed Zhao will not let this rest. When he was taking his oath just now, his eyes were darting around; he was clearly harboring other intentions."

Lu Zhao nodded. "I know."

"Then why did you let him go?"

Lu Zhao was silent for a moment, then said softly, "There are some things that require him to go back... to pass a message for us."

Granny Xue was stunned.

Lu Zhao did not explain further; he just stood up and looked at the distant mountains.

The back mountain, the secret cave.

Shen Qingqiu was sitting cross-legged in the cave, maintaining the operation of the Concealment Array. Seeing Lu Zhao enter, she opened her eyes.

"Is Zhao Hanshan gone?"

"He is gone," Lu Zhao said, "but it will not be peaceful."

Shen Qingqiu nodded. "After he returns, he will surely add fuel to the fire, saying that Yangjiao Ravine is hiding Martial Dao remnants. Even if the Xuanshuang Sect does not believe him, they will send people to investigate."

"How long?"

"Fastest, ten days; slowest, half a month," Shen Qingqiu said. "After all, Wang Tong just died, and now Zhao Hanshan has had an accident. The Xuanshuang Sect will not immediately launch a major operation, but it won't drag on long."

Lu Zhao pondered.

Ten days, half a month—is it enough?

He looked at the bluestone slab in the cave. On the Legacy stele, faint golden traces were vaguely visible. These past few days, He Shan, Yan Meng, Han Meng, and others had taken turns entering the cave to comprehend, and their progress was rapid. A-Fei had even mastered the first six Moves of the "Wudang Long Fist," and his punches were already taking shape.

But it was not enough. Far from enough.

He looked at Shen Qingqiu. "How long can the Concealment Array hold?"

"If no one destroys it, it will be fine for half a year," Shen Qingqiu said. "But if a Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator comes and investigates with care, they will surely detect the anomaly."

Lu Zhao nodded.

He paced back and forth in the cave and suddenly stopped.

"Uncle Ya."

Uncle Ya was sitting in the corner of the cave, closing his eyes to rest. He opened his eyes upon hearing this.

Lu Zhao looked at him. "Your punch just now, Uncle, scared Zhao Hanshan so much his face changed color. Your cultivation... just how high is it?"

Uncle Ya was silent for a moment, then reached out and traced a few characters on the ground.

"A broken body, less than one-tenth remains."

Lu Zhao's heart was shaken.

Less than one-tenth remained, yet he could still make a sixth-level Qi Refinement Stage Cultivator shudder. If it were his prime...

He took a deep breath and asked again, "Can your Martial Dao Legacy be taught to others?"

Uncle Ya shook his head.

He traced a few more characters. "My path is not one you can walk. But the method of the Foundation can be passed on."

Lu Zhao's eyes lit up.

"That is enough," he said. "What we lack is the Foundation."

Three days later. Night.

Behind the village of Yangjiao Ravine, in an open space, twenty-three people sat cross-legged.

Uncle Ya stood in the center, gesturing with his hands. He Shan and the others watched with rapt attention, afraid of missing a single detail.

What Uncle Ya was teaching was the "Blood and Qi Circulation Method."

It was not a Cultivation Technique, not a Move, just the most fundamental aspect—how to perceive Qi and blood, how to guide Qi and blood, and how to make Qi and blood circulate within the body.

This was the first step to entering the Martial Dao. It was also the most critical step.

Lu Zhao had already taken this step and now stood to the side, watching quietly.

He watched He Shan's brows furrowed tightly as he tried hard to sense the warm breath within his body; watched Yan Meng sweating on his forehead as he repeatedly tried to guide his Qi and blood; watched Han Meng grimacing as his Qi and blood crashed against his Meridians, hurting so much he wanted to curse; watched A-Fei, the youngest, who was the first to enter the door, his little face flushed red, yet he gritted his teeth and persisted.

He suddenly remembered a sentence he had read in his previous life: "The peach and the plum do not speak, yet the world beats a path beneath them."

He looked at these people, these poor people who a month ago were still worrying about a bite to eat, yet now sat here, enduring pain, sweating, gritting their teeth, just to grasp a glimmer of opportunity to change their fate.

He suddenly understood one thing.

The Martial Dao Legacy was not his own business alone.

It was the business of these people. It was the business of Yangjiao Ravine.

It was the business of the thousands and thousands like them, who were stepped underfoot by cultivation Sects and viewed as ants.

He clenched his fist.

In the distance, the night wind carried the howl of a wolf.

He looked up toward the north—the direction of the Xuanshuang Sect.

Soon.

Seven days later, A-Fei came running back from the mountain path, his face deathly pale.

"Sir! It is bad! Many people have come to the town at the foot of the mountain! They are wearing all kinds of clothes, but they all have the same token hanging from their waists—"

He swallowed a mouthful of saliva.

"It is the Guest Elder Token of the Xuanshuang Sect!"