e-booksonline Chapter 102 The Art of Concealing Breath
Chapter 102 The Art of Concealing Breath
The toads chirped softly, and the crickets and grasshoppers chirped in unison.
A cold wind blew through the streets, and dim streetlights shone through the gaps into the night.
On the bed
Fang Hongxuan was suddenly awakened. He subconsciously went to look for his own mistakes, but he woke up Daoyuan, who was leaning against the wooden table and dozing off.
The sleepy-eyed novice monk yawned and gently rubbed the corners of his eyes. He then slapped himself on the face a few times to shake off the sleepiness.
"Benefactor Fang, you're awake."
"He has absolutely no memory of what happened after the stone temple was destroyed... It seems his symptoms have worsened..."
Fang Hongxuan stared silently at his hands, which had already been repaired, for a long time before looking at Daoyuan.
"Is Zhang Desheng dead?"
"When I saw flames shooting into the sky on the mountain, I knew it was the two of you fighting. So I abandoned everything to go and find you."
You lay dead beside the path, a severed arm nearby... everything else was burned to ashes. Many villagers spontaneously carried water to extinguish the fire, and it took them two hours to barely contain it, preventing it from spreading down the mountain.
Dao Yuan readily recounted everything he had seen and heard, but he truly did not know whether Zhang Desheng was alive or dead.
"In other words, he is not dead..."
Weak and exhausted, Fang Hongxuan struggled to his feet. Through the half-open door, he saw three coffins painted black and placed in the main room of Zhang Laosi's house.
Dozens of wreaths leaned against the wall around them, and in the brazier, the embers of yellow paper burned and died down, with wisps of ash rising and falling, blowing straight up to the roof beams.
"Normally, although Zhang Laosi was rather greedy and stingy, the people of Shili Village still respected him quite a bit. They even dug the grave overnight, just waiting for the rooster to crow the next morning to send the coffin out of the house..."
Fang Hongxuan remained silent for a long time before inserting the three lit incense sticks into the incense burner in front of the coffin.
"Immortal...Immortal...I followed him all the way...and witnessed him enter Wugu Town with my own eyes...It's not that I didn't want to follow, but the Goddess of Fertility was standing in front of the town, watching us intently. I was afraid that if I went, I wouldn't be able to return and bring back news of Zhang Desheng's whereabouts with you..."
The weasel knelt on the ground, bowing its head respectfully to report to Fang Hongxuan.
"What...is your name...?"
Fang Hongxuan then looked at the fawning weasel with a serious expression. After two briefings, he realized that it would indeed be much more convenient if someone could keep an eye on the places he couldn't see.
Upon hearing this, the weasel became even more excited. It quickly knelt down beside Fang Hongxuan, bowing deeply in worship.
"Thank you for your kind consideration, Immortal. My name is Huang Yiyi..."
"Finally, I've received the immortal's approval. From now on, this fairy's future is limitless, and the path to immortality is promising..."
Huang Yiyi thought to herself with delight, her bright eyes darting around. It was as if she had just tasted the most delicious chick...
How many spirits or monsters still exist in this ten-mile village?
Upon hearing this, Huang Yiyi was startled, but then forced a smile and said that she was still young and did not know the whereabouts of the seniors.
Fang Hongxuan didn't seem to care much. He looked around the perimeter of the fence, his eyes, which resembled layers of light, piling up in one spot.
"Since that's the case, then you may follow Dao Yuan's lead for now..."
Fang Hongxuan picked up Cuo Jin and was about to leave, a murderous intent quietly spreading deep within his eyes. However, the swordsman, who was poised to strike, was stopped by the novice monk.
"Benefactor Fang, since they have become spirits, they must have received some favor from Heaven. It's best not to create unnecessary bloodshed."
The two stared at each other in silence for a long time, so long that Huang Yiyi felt the atmosphere was heavy, as if Mount Tai was pressing down on her and the river was overflowing... Fang Hongxuan, who had been clenching his fists tightly, gradually relaxed his fingers.
Just as Fang Hongxuan was about to put down Cuo Jin, he suddenly noticed the shrine that had been fished out of the river hanging on the beam.
"How did it get here..."
"I almost forgot, the scriptures behind this shrine haven't been given to you yet."
Daoyuan took out a crumpled piece of Xuan paper from his pocket. The brushstrokes on the paper were uneven and crooked, clearly indicating that it was written hastily.
"Concealing Breath Technique..."
The entire passage was only a few hundred words long, but Fang Hongxuan became increasingly alarmed as he read it.
"The three different realms of refining essence into qi, refining qi into spirit, and refining spirit into emptiness can all have their aura fluctuations concealed by infusing internal energy..."
"If what Zhang Desheng said is true, then these three levels of advancement should actually be progressive, and there should even be an unknown realm above the Refining Spirit and Returning to Emptiness."
"This... is actually a genuine Dharma practice..."
Fang Hongxuan couldn't help but be surprised, because the creator was truly a genius. From any perspective, this scripture was of the highest quality.
"Divide and gather, unite and conceal... The changes of the universe are beyond the comprehension of ordinary people, therefore humans are compelled to reveal themselves to the world..."
The body belongs to the earth, the blood belongs to the water... When water and earth are intertwined and one stands on the ground, the vital energy and blood will not be apparent...
"Unfortunately... it's only a fragment... and only contains part of the incantation for the Refining Essence into Qi chapter..."
"After learning this skill, I should be able to conceal my resentful aura for half a quarter of an hour after I fully activate my zombie state... This value should be the limit without any subsequent techniques."
"It truly feels like something that's tasteless to eat, but a pity to throw away..."
After gradually calming down, Fang Hongxuan clasped his hands in gratitude.
Before he could say anything, the shrine hanging on the beam suddenly exploded, and the jade pendant, about half an inch long and wide, was stuck straight on Cuo Jin's knife guard.
"This is...."
"Amitabha Buddha, it seems He wants to go on a journey with you..."
Dao Yuan muttered incomprehensible Sanskrit, and the light emanating from the jade pendant flickered until it went out completely.
"He said that this sword was once worn by those whom He appointed. If you are the son or successor of that Demon-Slaying General, then He will protect you once."
If you are the enemy of that Demon-Slaying General, then He will give everything to avenge him.
"....."
"What exactly is going on? Yan Chengrui inexplicably gave me this Cuojin knife, and the divine spirit has also set its sights on me because of this knife."
Could it be that I possess something that Yan Chengrui used to distinguish between friend and foe...?
Fang Hongxuan, having pondered for a long time without reaching a conclusion, had no choice but to put it aside for the time being and take a closer look after returning to Mixian County.
"Wear it; it should bring you some benefits."
After ensuring that the divine thought would not harm him for the time being, Fang Hongxuan hung it around his neck.
The moment he put it on, the warmth flowed through the jade pendant and into his entire body.
Fang Hongxuan felt completely comfortable, and even the chilling yin energy that he used to feel had quietly dissipated.
"It's definitely good stuff..."
The crowing of roosters shattered the silence, and the sounds of gongs and drums suddenly rang out from outside the street. Rustling noises also came from the doors of each house.
"How long have I been unconscious...?"
Fang Hongxuan asked
"It's been about four hours..."
Daoyuan's Answer
"I'll leave all the matters here to you; I'll go and seek justice."
Fang Hongxuan pushed open the door, sword in hand, his eyes filled with icy coldness.