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Deep in the mountains, on an incline...
The burly man looked at that young face with shock and disbelief.
He never expected to encounter an ambush here...
From the opponent's quick movements and the force of the blade, it was clear the attacker was not only stronger but also experienced in killing, skilled in carrying out ambushes...
The burly man was just about to speak...
Song Cheng fiercely pressed the blade, driving the tip into the man's neck.
Burly Man: ?!!?!
Why?
Aren't you going to ask anything?
Song Cheng swiftly swung.
Swoosh...
The head rolled down the slope, stopping only when it bumped against a rock.
Song Cheng exhaled softly.
Suddenly, he felt more secure having killed the man.
After all, he could still ask questions from Nan Hui and her group. Why keep the bandit alive? Wait for a comeback?
He took a moment to calm himself, ensuring the burly man was truly dead before searching his belongings.
He hadn't expected much but as he searched, he unexpectedly found a thin booklet. Upon pulling it out, he saw it was a book without a cover.
He flipped through it briefly.
"It's a Cultivation Technique!"
Song Cheng was astonished.
It seemed he had stumbled upon the legendary "kill a monster and gain a technique" scenario.
Upon reflection, it made sense.
Cultivation Techniques were valuable, and these bandits were always on the run. Naturally, they would carry such things with them since "when leaving the house, who knows if they'll ever return."
But where was the silver?
Why hadn't they carried it with them?
He and Tong Jia were dirt poor.
Suddenly, a thought crossed his mind: the silver must be with the two women accompanying the bandit.
At this moment, Tong Jia emerged from behind the tree, and upon seeing the severed head of the fierce bandit, looked at Song Cheng in shock.
Song Cheng nodded.
Tong Jia said: "Leader, you..."
The words "killed someone" were swallowed back, turning into, "Are you okay?"
Song Cheng shook his head and said, "This man should be a bandit. He had two women with him. Let's go take a look."
"Kidnapped?"
"I don't know, but one of them might be Nan Hui."
"Miss Nanhui?" Tong Jia was astonished.
The burly man exerted a threatening aura; when he told the two women to stay put, they did so without moving.
It wasn't until Song Cheng and Tong Jia appeared that the two women showed expressions of surprise.
Nan Hui's eyes widened, and she exclaimed: "Doctor Tong!"
Tong Jia joyfully replied: "Miss Nanhui?"
The two drew near.
Nan Hui suddenly said: "Doctor Tong, you must leave quickly. That bandit leader..."
Tong Jia interjected: "Was killed by Brother Cheng. Brother Cheng had a stroke of luck; not only are his eyes healed, but his strength has also soared."
"Brother Cheng?" Nan Hui looked towards the person behind Tong Jia. She barely recognized him.
How could that frail little blind boy have transformed into such a valiant and slightly wild youth?
The air grew silent for a moment.
Suddenly, Tong Jia inexplicably felt a sense of crisis.
Nan Hui rushed to Song Cheng's side, her fair and delicate face showing a look of delight: "Big Brother Song... that bandit is really dead? He was very formidable; no one in the village could withstand a single stroke of his blade."
Tong Jia: ???
She called him Brother Cheng?
Why did Nan Hui call him Big Brother Song?
What did this mean?
The evening quickly darkened.
That night, the four of them stayed in the small cabin together.
Apart from the moonlight, there was no other source of light.
Tong Jia used the wolf and fox furs dried earlier and, along with some soft branches, made bedding on the floor for the two women to rest. The two women also brought out a bag of broken silver, totaling more than a hundred taels!
Song Cheng unceremoniously accepted it and then chatted with the two women at the wooden table by the window.
The snow-skinned, flower-faced girl beside Nan Hui was named Guan Xi. She was a grain merchant who had been captured for her beauty while escorting grain through Tang River Village.
In such a chaotic world, beauty was a curse.
After the bandits invaded the village, the bandit chief abducted Nan Hui, making her and Guan Xi serve him. After he died in Tang River Village, the two women fell into the hands of the Third Leader. The Third Leader was the bandit Song Cheng had killed.
The three had been fortunate to escape from Tang River Village.
Then, the Third Leader had lingered at the foot of the mountain near the village for some days; during that time, quite a few villagers and even bandits had come out.
Everyone dared not pass through Tang River Village, so they sought a detour.
Even the bandits were unfamiliar with the mountains behind Tang River Village.
With limited food, they had to find a way.
The Third Leader stumbled upon this place today by chance.
Miss Nanhui said: "Big Brother Song, the survivors in the village all say Yun E is causing trouble.
But it doesn't seem like it. If it were Yun E, she'd only kill those she held grudges against.
On that day, not everyone went to see her punishment in 'The place where those dishonest lovers were punished'... some people weren't even aware of it, yet they also perished."
Song Cheng asked: "How did they die?"
Nan Hui responded: "They disappeared suddenly, and when we escaped, we saw many corpses floating in the river."
Disappear suddenly and reappear in the river?
Spatial teleportation?
Song Cheng felt a chill run down his spine.
It was indeed a forbidden technique.
He couldn't help but glance at the "Drowning Ghost's Blessing."
He had once considered returning to Tang River Village, but now he finally dismissed the idea.
Forbidden killings cared nothing for friendship.
Certainly, Yun E might treat him differently.
But Song Cheng's life was only one, so how to take such a risk?
Head to Tang River Village to gamble?
Forget it.
By this time, Tong Jia's bedding was ready.
Song Cheng glanced at the other snow-skinned, flower-faced girl, as she sat quietly without speaking, but he said nothing, only remarking: "Let's rest first."
Nan Hui said nervously: "What if those bandits come searching again?"
Before Song Cheng could respond, Guan Xi said: "They won't. If the Third Leader doesn't return, they would only feel fear and wouldn't dare to come searching."
Nan Hui said: "Big Brother Song, should we go save the villagers?"
Song Cheng replied: "Let's discuss it tomorrow."
With that, he too lay on the bed, pulling the only quilt over himself and Tong Jia's petite form.
Under the quilt, Tong Jia's small feet curled up against his calf, she fiercely grabbed him and whispered in his ear: "Big Brother Song, is this comfortable?"
Caught off guard, Song Cheng couldn't help but laugh.
Tong Jia then angrily said: "Nan Hui, I tell you, you can't do this. Song Cheng is my man, you mustn't call him Big Brother Song."
She spoke quickly, like popping beans.
Nan Hui delicately replied: "Doctor Tong, you misunderstand..."
After speaking, she pitifully added: "If you dislike it, I won't call him that anymore, lest it troubles Big Brother Song."
Feeling aggrieved, Tong Jia turned away, facing her back towards Song Cheng.
Song Cheng leaned closer and, in a voice just for the two of them, softly said: "She was humiliated by bandits and barely escaped with her life."
Tong Jia thought for a moment, then turned back, whispering: "Sleep."
No husband, no home, beautiful and now disgraced in a den of bandits...
Oh well...
With a softened heart, Tong Jia said: "Nan Hui, if you want to call him that, go ahead."
But Nan Hui, in a muffled voice, said no more.
As the saying goes, "three women make a play."
Especially true for the three beautiful young women in a chaotic world.
Song Cheng only felt that the small cabin had suddenly turned into a stage, with the air flowing with the scent of "Heart's Eye."
The night passed.
Morning light slanted in.
Song Cheng got up and skillfully invested 7 points into the Mysterious Turtle Step.
It was still 7 points, which meant Tong Jia was truly not angry.
Immediately, the progress of "Mysterious Turtle Step" became "(Great Achievement)(3/16)."
Song Cheng's strength also became "16~29."
Steady progress was undoubtedly good for the "Longevity People."
He gathered wood to boil water, only to see Nan Hui sitting up as well, seemingly wanting to help.
He waved his hand, then sat by the "handmade" stone stove, filling the pot with water. As he lit the fire with one hand, he pulled out the cultivation technique obtained from the Third Leader yesterday, engrossed in reading.
When the water in the pot started boiling, he added dried wolf meat chunks.
This morning... was more meat soup.
And it was still without salt.
A moment later...
Noticing the pot lid "popping," Song Cheng didn't mind and continued adding firewood.
Wolf meat took time to cook; if you removed it as soon as the water boiled, the meat would be too tough to chew.
He estimated the time in his head, his eyes glued to the cultivation technique.
Snap...
When he flipped over the last page.
Song Cheng's interface under the [Cultivation Technique] tab showed a line of information:
Roaring Tiger Blade (Yellow Level Grade D) (Uninitiated) (0/2) (Conflicts with existing cultivation technique)
Simultaneously, a "+" symbol appeared after "White Snake Blade."
The corresponding information appeared:
"Stones from other mountains can polish jade. Broadening your knowledge provides chances for further advancement."
1% chance to deduce a "Yellow Level Grade C" cultivation technique.
Song Cheng stared at this "1%" and hesitated slightly, considering whether... it might be better to continue to linger in the mountains?
For one, he could avoid trouble and live a peaceful life; for another, though the deduction was slow, did the Longevity People ever fear a lack of time?
The only concern was the forbidden techniques.
In such a remote area, with people scarce, now that the "forbidden" had been unlocked, was staying here really safe?
'I can see the forbidden, so there should be no problem, just need to avoid it in advance, right?'
He consoled himself.
With a hint of luck in his heart.
As for the conflict, he somewhat understood.
"White Snake Blade" followed a path of agility, while "Roaring Tiger Blade" clearly leaned toward power and strength.
Learning one type of technique and then learning an entirely different one was akin to "Learning to Walk in Handan"; not only was there conflict, but it might lead to forgetting one's original techniques.
But perhaps with a higher realm, one could integrate all methods, melding everything into one's being.
Who could say for sure?
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