Chapter 10: I Like to Keep My Feet on the Ground
Chapter 10: Chapter 10: I Like to Keep My Feet on the Ground
The Demon Corpse horde, intimidated by the martial prowess Wu Chen displayed as the village’s guardian, temporarily retreated. They lurked in the distance, watching from afar, abandoning their plan to raid the village tonight.
Their not-so-bright minds had only one thought:
’If the person guarding the village is this strong, wouldn’t the people inside be even more terrifying?’
’Let’s starve them for another day and see!’
"Damn it, what a huge loss!"
"A complete waste of effort!"
Wu Chen’s mouth twitched uncontrollably as he walked back toward the village.
He felt no joy at the Demon Corpses’ temporary retreat.
The reason was simple: he had killed five of the monsters and gotten no loot.
He had thought he’d at least get a Martial Arts or Cultivation Technique manual to further enhance his strength and raise his realm.
But after seeing the tattered, nearly naked Demon Corpses up close, it was obvious at a glance that they couldn’t possibly be carrying anything.
This made Wu Chen realize that fighting these ghouls to the death wasn’t worth it at all.
Even a simple skirmish was a waste of Qi Power, a losing transaction.
Wu Chen returned to the small courtyard, his expression glum.
In the courtyard, by the fire.
Liu Wei was already asleep, nestled against Liu Linshan’s side.
Although exhausted, Liu Linshan forced himself to stay awake and keep watch.
The dense chorus of howls from the Demon Corpses outside the village just now had made his heart pound with fear.
Over the past two days, he had also noticed that the number of Demon Corpses along their path had reached terrifying levels.
If this trend continued, their numbers would likely exceed a hundred within a few days.
’By then, I’m afraid no one will be able to protect me and my daughter...’
Liu Linshan glanced at his sleeping daughter, sighed softly, and worried about the road ahead.
Just as his heart was in turmoil, Wu Chen, who had been resting beside him with his eyes closed, spoke up:
"Master Liu, rest easy tonight."
"I’ve already dealt with the five scouts the Demon Corpses sent."
"The horde has retreated for now because of it. We should be safe, at least for tonight."
After speaking, he resumed his cross-legged resting position to recover the Qi Power he had expended killing the Demon Corpses.
Liu Linshan froze, thinking he had misheard.
He had heard the distant howls of the Demon Corpses earlier and had been certain the horde would attack the village tonight.
But after waiting with his blade for a long time, nothing had happened. Everything had fallen silent, and he had wondered what was going on.
Wu Chen hadn’t mentioned it when he returned, either.
Until now...
Liu Linshan’s nostrils twitched. He caught a faint, foul stench coming from Wu Chen.
As someone who had fought Demon Corpses before, he was all too familiar with that stench.
It was the unique smell of a Demon Corpse.
The fact that Wu Chen carried this scent proved he had indeed fought with them.
But precisely because Liu Linshan had fought and killed Demon Corpses himself, he knew just how terrifying these monsters were.
Back then, it had taken him and his two apprentices working together to barely slay three Demon Corpses!
And even then, he hadn’t escaped being seriously injured!
But now, a man who couldn’t even wield a blade properly was telling him that he had single-handedly slain five Demon Corpse scouts.
How could Liu Linshan believe that?
It was such a terrifying number. Liu Linshan couldn’t convince himself it was true.
However, having spent the last few days with him, he’d found Wu Chen to be a very steady person, not one to boast or make things up.
Liu Linshan wanted to confirm if he had misheard, and stammered out a redundant question:
"H-How many?"
"Just get some rest."
Wu Chen couldn’t even be bothered to open his eyes to answer, let alone deign to argue about the exact number.
He just waved his hand, signaling for Liu Linshan to hurry up and rest.
Tomorrow, they might have to fight the entire massive horde of Demon Corpses. They needed to conserve as much energy as possible.
Seeing Wu Chen’s reluctance to answer, Liu Linshan fell silent.
His expression shifted as he gazed up at the pitch-black night sky, his mind a turbulent sea of thoughts.
’Young Master Wu can kill five Demon Corpses even though he’s not skilled with a blade?!’
’If I give Young Master Wu the blade technique and help him understand some of its principles, couldn’t he kill one or two more?’
’It wouldn’t make a difference to the whole horde, but for me and my daughter, it would mean a greater hope of survival!’
With this in mind, he pulled a crumpled, gray-covered booklet from within the layers of his clothes and held it out toward the resting Wu Chen.
He called out softly:
"Young Master Wu."
"You motherf..." Wu Chen’s eyes flew open, his face a mask of irritation.
Slaying five Demon Corpses had taken a lot out of him, and the pressure from their increasing numbers was making him even more on edge.
He was just drifting off into a hazy sleep, but first he was disturbed by Liu Linshan’s sighs and murmurs, and now the man was waking him in the middle of the night.
Wu Chen couldn’t help but feel a surge of groggy anger.
He snapped his eyes open and glared at Liu Linshan through gritted teeth, but his eyes suddenly lit up when he saw the gray-covered booklet the man was offering with both hands.
He was so stunned that for a moment, he couldn’t think of a single curse involving the man’s relatives.
Although he didn’t know why Liu Linshan would pull out a blade technique at this moment, he figured the man either wanted something from him or had also realized how grim their situation had become.
’A blessing in disguise, I suppose!’
To think, he hadn’t gotten anything from killing the monsters, but he was receiving Martial Arts from Liu Linshan.
Naturally, Wu Chen wasn’t going to refuse.
He immediately accepted the booklet, titled "Stone-Shattering Blade Technique," and began flipping through it ravenously by the firelight.
"Young Master Wu, this is a blade technique passed down from my ancestors."
Gazing at the booklet in Wu Chen’s hands, Liu Linshan’s aged eyes grew deep, filled with memories of the past.
But he knew their situation was critical; this was no time for reminiscence.
If he could give Wu Chen some foundation in blade work, allowing him to use his weapon more skillfully, perhaps he and his daughter could survive this disaster.
He began to explain the contents of the booklet to Wu Chen.
"It’s said to be ancestral, but it’s not very profound or exquisite. It’s just an ordinary blade technique."
"You can tell by the name. It focuses on powerful, heavy strikes and is primarily for honing the body."
"The booklet is eight pages in total, divided into four forms. To put it simply, they are just ’cleaving, thrusting, hacking, and blocking’..."
"But don’t underestimate its simplicity. I, this old man, mastered just two of the forms and became a renowned bladesman in my village!"
As Liu Linshan said this, his expression was full of pride, showing that his attainments in Martial Arts were not low.
But when he noticed Wu Chen wasn’t looking at him at all, his expression turned serious.
He was just about to say more about the technique, to share his years of experience and clear up any confusion Wu Chen might have.
When he saw Wu Chen had already finished flipping through the manual and was handing it back with both hands.
"Huh?"
Liu Linshan scratched the back of his head, looking from the returned Martial Arts manual to Wu Chen, not quite understanding.
’What, are you just trying to show off how fast you can flip through a book?’
He didn’t understand why Wu Chen wasn’t studying the manual over and over.
Even a genius wouldn’t dare claim they could learn a Martial Art with a single glance!
Who doesn’t train through the dead of winter and the heat of summer, enduring countless hardships to achieve anything?
A sense of unease then crept into his heart.
He thought it was because the blade technique was too ordinary, a superficial skill for country bumpkins that Wu Chen looked down on.
"Young Master Wu, is there something wrong with the technique?" Liu Linshan asked, worried.
Wu Chen shook his head. "No, it’s great. The moves are simple and direct, and it’s compiled in an easy-to-understand way."
"Then, why did you only look at it once..."
"Oh, I have a photographic memory."
Wu Chen tossed out a casual lie. Seeing Liu Linshan’s anxious expression, he figured he wouldn’t get any sleep tonight unless he cleared things up, so he continued:
"Don’t worry, Master Liu. Even though I’ve seen the technique, my promise to protect you and your daughter still stands."
"You can rest assured on that point."
"I trust you, Young Master Wu!"
Only then did Liu Linshan take back the manual. He cupped his hands repeatedly in thanks, then quickly shook his head. Pointing to his sleeping daughter nestled beside him, he said in a low voice:
"Young Master Wu, my own life is not worth mentioning."
"The road ahead is growing more dangerous. I only hope that at the critical moment, you will lend a hand and save my daughter. You don’t need to worry about whether I live or die."
Such is the heart of a parent. Seeing that he was about to bow low, Wu Chen quickly stopped him. "Alright, I’ll do as you ask, Master Liu."
Then, the two of them just stared at each other.
Wu Chen didn’t understand why the man was staring at him so strangely. ’Was what I said and did not perfect enough?’
He really had no intention of learning the Martial Arts and then running off!
Just as Wu Chen was about to say a few more words to reassure the old Hunter, the man spoke up:
"Young Master Wu."
Liu Linshan grabbed the steel blade beside him and staggered to his feet, clutching his abdomen. He advised earnestly:
"Blade techniques have to be practiced. Just reading the booklet once won’t do."
"Let me perform the technique for you. If there’s anything you don’t understand, Young Master Wu, feel free to ask."
Wu Chen grinned. He finally understood why Liu Linshan had been looking at him so strangely.
Previously on their journey, when he needed to conserve Qi Power, he had been mindlessly swinging his blade to practice. Now that he had seen the manual and eaten, his Qi Power was plentiful, yet he didn’t feel like moving at all.
But...
Wu Chen’s eyes narrowed as he looked at his panel:
[Stone-Shattering Blade Technique Entry-Level (50/50) → Stone-Shattering Blade Technique Minor Achievement (0/100)]
[Sixth Layer Body Tempering Realm → Seventh Layer Body Tempering Realm]
[Stone-Shattering Blade Technique Minor Achievement Proficiency +1]
[Stone-Shattering Blade Technique Minor Achievement Proficiency +1]
[Stone-Shattering Blade Technique...]
In the time they had been talking, the Stone-Shattering Blade Technique that Wu Chen had just finished reading had already surpassed the entry-level stage, and his cultivation realm had also advanced to the seventh layer of the Body Tempering Realm.
’I need to practice?’
’Practice my ass!’
He reached out a hand and lightly pressed it on the shoulder of Liu Linshan, who was about to stand up.
With every Martial Art perfected to flawlessness by his panel, his Qi Power already surpassed that of other Martial Artists at the same realm.
With just the press of a palm, Liu Linshan felt his body freeze. A mountain seemed to weigh down on his shoulder, making it impossible for him to rise.
Forget the fact that he was still badly injured; even if he were at his peak, he would have had no chance of getting up.
"Master Liu, you’re injured. You shouldn’t be brandishing weapons. You should be resting."
"As for my practice, there’s no rush."
With his realm advanced, Wu Chen’s Qi Power was also back at its peak. It wouldn’t have hurt to get up, swing his blade a few times to familiarize himself with the moves, and put Liu Linshan at ease.
But with the ’Deep Red’ panel, he couldn’t even be bothered to put on an act.
"Master Liu."
He said, without batting an eye:
"The blade techniques others have practiced their whole lives are, in the end, their own experiences. And their experiences may not necessarily be right for me."
"When it comes to Martial Arts, there are a million paths for a million people."
"On this path, I hope to rely on myself, to walk it one step at a time, with my own two feet on the ground!"
His voice was resonant, every word ringing with logic.
Liu Linshan was deeply shocked, but he didn’t understand a word.