"I don't know about that, I haven't practiced it, and I haven't seen anyone in the sect practice it either. However, judging by Elder Lu's miserly behavior, unwilling to part with it, it seems to have some value." Zhao Tong shook his head, speaking somewhat ambiguously.
"Alright, I'll exchange for it then," Yuan Ming said after a brief consideration.
"Good, then I'll clear the account for you. Same old rules, you can look through it for an hour, and remember as much as you can... Forget it, you, you won't forget anything," Zhao Tong said, halfway through his sentence, he remembered Yuan Ming's extraordinary memory.
Yuan Ming took the booklet and sat down cross-legged in a corner, carefully flipping through it.
Zhao Tong simply picked up his book and laid back on his recliner, engrossedly browsing through it.
"Channeling Qi through all parts of the body, spiritual methods come first, use the body as the tool, and the method as the control..." Yuan Ming couldn't help but pause for a moment as he saw the content inside.
This was because the record of the "Shadowless Step" was not in the script of the Southern Border but in the script of the Central Plains, which explained Zhao Tong's vague comments. He likely didn't practice it not because he didn't want to, but probably because he couldn't understand it.
Besides the text, the booklet also included eighteen portraits of a masked woman, either walking or standing, poised slantingly or sideways, with her movements appearing graceful. Each image came with countless footprints which at a glance seemed chaotic but upon closer scrutiny were nothing short of astonishing, with densely packed footprints numbering in the hundreds.
In less than half an hour, Yuan Ming had memorized the entire content of the booklet. However, when he closed the book, he was somewhat irritated.
"Zhao Tong, why did you deceive me?" Yuan Ming frowned and asked.
"When have I ever deceived you?" Zhao Tong sat up straight, also puzzled.
"The 'Shadowless Step' you gave me is incomplete, the content is not whole," Yuan Ming said with a knitted brow.
"Incomplete?" Zhao Tong's expression turned slightly embarrassed upon hearing this.
Clearly, he was unaware of this.
"Incomplete or not, the 'Shadowless Step' was given to me by an elder, and I can't understand it, you can't blame me for that." But quickly, he spread his hands in an indifferent manner as if saying it wasn't his problem.
Although Yuan Ming was dissatisfied, he was helpless.
Compared to other registered disciples whose attitudes were aloof and arrogant, Zhao Tong had been quite decent to him, and he couldn't demand too much, especially since he himself hadn't contributed much.
Moreover, even though the 'Shadowless Step' was only the first volume, the content outlined in the general principles certainly wasn't some common technique, and it was at least much higher level than the 'Wood Stabbing Technique'.
Additionally, after practicing this movement technique, not only would he be more confident in facing enemies in combat, but tracking and stealth would also become much easier, especially when encountering fierce beasts with high alertness, making it easier to track and approach them.
Yuan Ming intended to take his leave, he had already clenched his fist in farewell, but then he suddenly remembered the incident of Hagon being attacked and said:
"Oh, there's one more thing I need to ask about?"
Seeing that he wasn't holding a grudge over the incompleteness of the 'Shadowless Step', Zhao Tong smiled and said, "What's the matter? Let's hear it."
Yuan Ming immediately recounted Hagon's experience and described the long-haired creature.
After listening, Zhao Tong set down the book in his hand and pondered with a furrowed brow.
"What you're talking about, I really don't know what it might be. When I have time, I'll go back and ask my sect mates for you," Zhao Tong said after a moment, shaking his head.
Yuan Ming had no choice but to express his gratitude and then bid farewell.
He didn't linger in Toad Valley and went straight out. As soon as he exited the valley, a young man with a stocky build and a scar across his face approached him.
"Brother Yuan, I've been to Toad Valley to find you many times, and today I've finally caught up with you. Do you have any healing ointment?" The scarred young man's face showed surprise and joy as he enthusiatically approached Yuan Ming.
"Oh, Tu Lei, I'm really sorry, I don't have any extra stock on hand lately," Yuan Ming said with an apologetic look.
"Quit it with that, last time you promised me two jars of ointment. Without giving me the goods, you're not leaving Toad Valley today," Tu Lei said, stretching out his hands and blocking the way with a ruffian's demeanor.
"You really are... Alright then, this was meant for my own use, but since you're in such a rush, I'll let you have it first," Yuan Ming said as he took out two bamboo jars filled with ointment from his bag and handed them over.
"Heh heh, that's more like it. This is your payment; don't say I'm taking your things for nothing," Tu Lei laughed as he threw over a small cloth bag.
Yuan Ming opened the cloth bag, took a look inside, and quietly stowed it away.
The two chatted for a bit more before parting ways.
Yuan Ming left the valley and arrived at a dense forest. He leaped onto a large tree and reopened the cloth bag.
Inside was a piece of beast skin filled with tiny letters, detailing recent events in the nearby woodlands.
The man named Tu Lei was a member of a group called the Earth Bear Association, a small team of about a dozen people.
Unlike the Green Wolf Gang, the Earth Bear Association's way of doing things was much more amicable, and its members were all people who relied on their own strength to collect Blood Food, never once having a bad record of plundering others.
Yuan Ming had met Tu Lei more than two months earlier and had saved his life. Tu Lei, being a man of loyalty and righteousness, was very eager to repay the favor, but sadly he lacked the power to do so.
Noticing that Tu Lei was smooth in handling people and good at networking, Yuan Ming had him help collect information on the Fur Beast Slaves in the mountains, so he could stay informed about various situations in a timely manner.
The two met every now and then, using trade as a cover for their real intentions.
As Yuan Ming read the content on the beast skin, his expression grew grave. According to the information gathered by Tu Lei, the Green Wolf Gang had found the bodies of Ba Yin and his party, and deduced from the chain of events that he was the killer.
It was also written on the beast skin that Gang Leader Wu Bao of the Green Wolf Gang was offering a Half-magical Artifact weapon as a reward for information on Yuan Ming's whereabouts.
"If that's the case, I can't go to Toad Valley anymore for the time being. There are too many people there and it's too easy to draw the attention of those with intentions," Yuan Ming suddenly thought of something and turned to leave.
He pushed his speed to the limit, made a large circle in the forest to ensure no one was following, and then returned to the vicinity of his log cabin.
In the cabin, Hagon was lying down and resting.
Suddenly, he opened his eyes, struggled to sit up, gripping the Green Wolf beast skin, ready to activate the Fur Cloak Skill at a moment's notice.
"It's me," Yuan Ming's voice came from outside the door.
Seeing this, Hagon let out a sigh of relief and sat back down.
"No one has been here while I was away, right?" Yuan Ming asked as he entered.
"This place is quite secluded; no one has come. I've been resting and regaining my strength. But what about you, why such a solemn face? What happened?" Hagon asked after giving Yuan Ming a glance.
"The Green Wolf Gang knows it was I who killed Ba Yin. They are offering a reward and looking for me everywhere. We probably can't stay here much longer; we need to move to an even more secluded place to lay low for a while," Yuan Ming said slowly.
"You actually killed Ba Yin! You have a lot of nerve. He was at the Qi Refining Third Level, not much weaker than Wu Bao. How on earth did you manage it?" Hagon was taken aback.
"I just played a little trick; it's nothing worth mentioning. What are your plans now, Brother Hagon? The Green Wolf Gang is going all out to find me, but they probably aren't paying much attention to you. Are you going to leave with me or go your own way?" Yuan Ming changed the subject to ask.
"Brother Yuan, you underestimate me too much. We, the people of the Wusun Tribe, hold gratitude and loyalty in high regard. If I am given a measure, I will repay tenfold. You didn't hesitate to expose yourself to danger to save me. If I were to leave now, how could I ever face Lord Dog God again with pride?" Hagon huffed, a trace of anger showing on his face.
"My words were careless. Please forgive me, Brother Hagon," Yuan Ming said, bowing his hands.
Having stayed in the Ten Thousand Mountains for some time, he had started to understand a bit about the customs and culture of the Southern Border.
The native inhabitants of the Southern Border were called Wild Men by the Central Plains people, and they usually lived in tribal communities. Each tribe had its customs and beliefs, which they held sacred and abhorred any infringement upon.
"Brother Yuan is from the Central Plains and knows nothing about my Wusun Tribe, so there's no need for such formality. Just do not say such things again in the future," Hagon said, his expression softening considerably upon hearing Yuan Ming's sincere apology.
"I will remember that. Since Brother Hagon has made up his mind, then let's leave quickly. Every extra moment we stay here is a moment of added danger," Yuan Ming said.
"All right, but I'm having trouble moving now, so I'm counting on you to help with that," Hagon said with a spread of his hands.
Without saying much, Yuan Ming picked up Hagon and left the cabin, heading toward the ravine.
The safest place, naturally, was on the opposite side of the ravine.
It was a remote location, devoid of Fierce Beasts, and therefore seldom visited by Fur Beast Slaves. Currently, it was suitable both for a quiet recovery and as a hiding spot from the pursuit of the Green Wolf Gang.
The most important thing was the fog-filled ravine. Even if the entire Green Wolf Gang came looking for him, he could hide in the fog at the bottom of the valley, making their search futile regardless of their numbers.
With Yuan Ming's current strength, even while carrying Hagon, he reached the other side of the ravine quickly.
He didn't look for a new place but directly took Hagon to a cave he had lived in before.
After spending so much time with Hagon, Yuan Ming had mostly figured out his nature. He found him to be honest and trustworthy, worthy of friendship. Since the cave wasn't a place of any strategic importance, it was no problem to reveal it to him.
"I never thought you had such a place, Brother Yuan," Hagon remarked, clicking his tongue in admiration upon seeing the well-equipped cave.
"I found this place when I first arrived. The people from the Green Wolf Gang won't find it anytime soon. There's plenty of food and water inside the cave as well, so you can rest easy here," Yuan Ming said.
Hagon nodded, sat cross-legged, and started cultivating to heal his injuries.
Yuan Ming didn't stay to cultivate but instead walked outside, quickly arriving at a quiet grove.
He had brought Hagon here not only to avoid the Green Wolf Gang's search and to give Hagon a place to heal in peace but also for his own purposes.
His current situation was quite precarious, and he needed to improve his strength as much as possible to ensure his safety in case of emergencies. Advancing his cultivation was not something that could be achieved overnight, but the newly acquired Shadowless Step Technique was an immediate choice to show significant results.
This movement technique was profound and mysterious, requiring time and space to practice. The remote and quiet ravine was thus an ideal place.
Yuan Ming stood still, closed his eyes, and recalled the words and illustrations of the Shadowless Step Technique. He then took a deep breath, sinking his qi to his Dantian, took the first step, and exhaled sharply as he moved on to the second...