Chapter 86: Blood-Refining Weapon Art

"Being curious about something doesn't mean I have to possess it."

Chu Tianshu walked slowly, "I've also been curious about a cave deep in a mountain that connects to the ground. Could I take such a thing and carry it with me?"

Cheng Xiazi Cheng didn't say anything more.

They were about to approach that royal city.

When looking from afar, one could only see the outlines of high walls, city towers, and flying eaves, seemingly hidden in the thin mist at the foot of the mountain, quite elegant.

By the time they were within a few miles, the angle required to look up at the city wall became higher and higher, and a true realization began to rise.

Even in this ancient Tang Dynasty period, the city built by people already had a very grand and majestic momentum.

Two or three miles away from the city gate, many shops and residential houses had already appeared.

This rain really did the headless person a big favor.

Once the rain fell, there weren't many pedestrians on the road.

Otherwise, by the time he walked here, with more people giving them courage, in the panic, it would be inevitable that some people would pick up sticks and farm tools, or throw something at this headless corpse.

With the corpse's current state, even if it were hit by a wooden bucket, it would probably fall on the spot and be unable to move forward.

Fortunately, the swordsman's own home seemed to be nearby, so there was no need to go deeper into the city.

Chu Tianshu and Cheng Xiazi Cheng stood at the entrance of the alley, watching him turn into that alley.

Deep in the small alley, there was a courtyard that looked quite wealthy.

The courtyard gate was open, and a woman in a fine cloth dress was waiting at the door with an umbrella.

As soon as the headless person turned into the small alley, the woman saw him.

Her face instantly became miserable, one hand rested on the door frame, and tears fell like strings of pearls.

Chu Tianshu saw that when the headless person walked there, the blue line on the knife completely collapsed, the body swayed, and tilted forward.

The woman rushed forward and hugged the corpse, sobbing.

"Let's go."

Cheng Xiazi Cheng left a sentence and turned to leave.

Chu Tianshu said: "Just leaving like this?"

"Meeting by chance on the road, escorting him for a while, that's the swordsman's morality."

Cheng Xiazi Cheng said, "Anything else is their own family's business."

He paused when he said this, and his tone became a bit unpracticed.

"You just arrived in Nanzhao, you need a place to stay, right?"

"I know a good place, where the wine is mellow and the meat is fragrant, and the wine-selling lady is especially good at steaming fish, the taste is extremely delicious."

"There is also a storyteller who tells stories from the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors to the Qin, Han, Wei, and Jin dynasties, as if counting his family treasures, and even the East Sea, Western Regions, Nanzhao, and Tubo, he can tell a story or two about them."

"People who drink wine and tea there use stories as wine, and the more they eat, the more interested they get."

Cheng Xiazi Cheng stopped and thought for a while.

"Oh, also, other first-class wine houses in the city are more expensive than there."

Chu Tianshu's expression was subtle.

Old brother, you haven't practiced these little promotional words well, have you?

If you were free, it would be fine, but if the shopkeeper paid you to promote, then the shopkeeper is really miserable.

"Okay."

Chu Tianshu smiled, "You lead the way."

Cheng Xiazi Cheng took him to a place near the city gate.

Looking at it, there were at least four or five places with wine flags nearby.

However, it was rare to see a two-story wooden building, occupying a large area, with door panels and railings painted with red lacquer, and eaves made like a crescent moon.

Chu Tianshu walked into this wealthy wine house.

He saw that the first floor of the wine house was a lobby, surrounded by low tables and cushions, and guests were kneeling or sitting cross-legged to eat.

In the center of the lobby was a wooden platform with a Hu stool on it, and an old man was playing the pipa.

In the middle of the second-floor floor, a square opening was left, about ten feet long, surrounded by railings.

Guests on the second floor could also directly see the wooden platform on the first floor from this opening.

Cheng Xiazi Cheng entered here and tilted his head.

Chu Tianshu also noticed that there was a coldness on him that flashed and disappeared.

That was mostly the power of Cheng Xiazi Cheng's sword soul.

Judging from Cheng Xiazi Cheng's performance along the way, his hearing was very good and he could distinguish positions by sound.

But some things, in the end, still couldn't be heard.

For example, when he was still in the earth temple, the rain hit the jungle, and the headless person passed by.

A person walking in the rain carrying his own head, Cheng Xiazi Cheng probably couldn't distinguish the other party's state just by hearing.

At that time, he was able to know the situation of the headless person like the back of his hand because he used his own sword soul power.

But the sword soul wouldn't always be open; he only opened it for a moment when he felt it was necessary.

"Over there."

Cheng Xiazi Cheng found an empty table in the noisy wine house and walked over.

Chu Tianshu followed him over and sat down.

According to etiquette, only one person should sit behind a table, but this was just a wine house after all, not a banquet for a high-ranking family.

Here, it was very normal for four people to sit around a long table.

Chu Tianshu wasn't used to kneeling, so he sat cross-legged.

Cheng Xiazi Cheng was even more casual, with his left leg crossed and his right knee arched, his arm just resting on it.

"Hey! You really brought a guest over today?"

A woman in red walked over with a tray and put down two black porcelain wine bottles.

Her hair wasn't coiled or pinned, just tied with a red rope and headscarf. This red dress was a bit old, the color wasn't bright, and she was wrapped in a coarse cloth around her waist, dressed like a cook.

But her thin eyebrows were like willows, her apricot eyes and thin lips, her appearance and figure were quite moving.

"This is Lady Madame Wenjing, this wine house is her family's."

Cheng Xiazi Cheng said to Chu Tianshu.

In this era, "Lady" was just a common address, roughly equivalent to "Miss."

Addressing her by her full name like this was not only not intimate but rather distant and polite.

Lady Madame Wenjing was a bit annoyed at Cheng Xiazi Cheng, but when she turned to look at Chu Tianshu, she was full of smiles.

"Guest, would you like wine and meat first, or some vegetarian dishes, like freshly picked banana flowers?"

"Wine, meat, and vegetarian dishes, bring some of everything."

Chu Tianshu took out something and handed it over.

"This is..."

Lady Madame Wenjing hesitated, "A copper nail?"

Chu Tianshu coughed lightly: "This is a gold needle."

Cheng Xiazi Cheng reached out, felt it twice, and pinched it with his fingernails, his expression shifting slightly.

"It's real gold, and very pure."

Before the Han Dynasty, gold and copper were both called "gold," and even many copper alloys were crowned with this title, distinguishing value based on quality, color, etc.

Since the Han Dynasty, alchemists had produced "medicine gold" that looked good but was worthless, so everyone became very serious about distinguishing gold from copper.

Copper depreciated significantly, and the value of gold rose higher and higher.

The silver needles Chu Tianshu used before were nominally silver needles, but actually mostly steel needles.

When he went out this time, he pinched several "gold needles" and brought them together.

The value of these few gold needles was far less than the Golden Silk Treasure Armor and the Iron Incantation Copper Rope, and the Qi count consumed to bring them over was negligible.

But just with these few gold needles, he didn't need to worry about accommodation and food for the time being.

Lady Madame Wenjing seemed to trust Cheng Xiazi Cheng completely, took the gold nail, and beamed with joy.

"Using this to order just one table of dishes, that won't be enough!"

Chu Tianshu said: "Then leave me a room, I'll stay here recently."

"Alright."

Lady Madame Wenjing took two more bottles of wine and placed them in front of Cheng Xiazi Cheng, "This is for you, you brought a distinguished guest."

Cheng Xiazi Cheng picked up a black porcelain wine bottle and poured it into his mouth.

Chu Tianshu hissed lightly: "Old brother, aren't you going to have some food?"

In the blink of an eye, Cheng Xiazi Cheng had already poured that palm-sized bottle of wine down.

He savored the taste in his mouth, picked up the second bottle, and felt around on the table. This time, he finally poured it into a wine cup.

This wine was slightly green and a bit cloudy.

Chu Tianshu also poured a cup and smelled it first.

It smelled like rice wine, mainly a taste of wine dregs.

He took a small sip and found that this wasn't as sweet as rice wine drinks, nor as pungent as white wine; it was slightly sweet and slightly spicy, with a bit of bitterness.

A very complex taste, but quite refreshing to drink.

After Chu Tianshu drank three cups in a row, he found the bitterness getting stronger. If he didn't change his palate, he probably wouldn't be able to taste the slightly sweet and slightly spicy feeling from before.

Just then, a waiter had served the dishes.

There were at least a dozen waiters in this wine house, serving food like flying, and the fragrance was overflowing.

The waiter put the dishes on the table and, seeing that they were unfamiliar guests, had to introduce them.

"This first dish is banana flower steamed green essence rice. It was created at a banquet for a top scholar in the Great Tang and spread to Nanzhao. There aren't many places that can make it well now."

Using the juice of green essence leaves to dye the rice black-green, spreading a layer of red dates when cooking, and after it's cooked, mixing in washed banana flower buds and steaming them with the heat.

Chu Tianshu picked up a pair of chopsticks and put it in his mouth, feeling a mouth full of fragrance and slight sweetness.

The second dish was roasted mutton, and a plate was also sent in front of Cheng Xiazi Cheng.

Chu Tianshu was eating when he heard the pipa sound stop, and someone else changed on the stage.

A waiter moved the Hu stool away and moved another table half a person high onto the stage.

Various items were placed on the table.

There were round fans, short knives, camel bells, large wooden seals, and large paper hammers.

Only an old man with gray hair and a spirited appearance walked onto the stage and bowed in all directions.

"This old man is Dao Bai Shu, the storyteller of this building. For those who know me, and those who don't, I'll apologize first."

"Because I tell stories to make a living, although the characters in these stories originate from history, it is inevitable that there are some wild rumors."

"If there is anyone present who is related to the people in the story, or hears a segment similar to their own experience, it is purely a coincidence, and there is absolutely no intention of insinuation. I hope for your understanding."

Chu Tianshu couldn't help but look up.

Very professional, starting with a disclaimer.

Many of the guests present were regulars, and upon hearing this, someone immediately teased.

"Old man, just tell it. I feel like every great hero in your story is insinuating me. I wanted to hide my name and get along with everyone, but I didn't expect to be exposed by you."

"But I don't blame you, tell it!"

This remark caused a burst of laughter.

"Good, then today I will tell a story about the transition between Sui and Tang."

The story had already begun, but Dao Bai Shu first pulled a idle topic.

"Speaking of the Sui and Tang times, it was truly an era where heroes emerged in large numbers. Among us storytellers, the first one with a reputation was also recorded at that time."

"Making a living by telling stories to people has been recorded since the pre-Qin period, but that was just empty talk. It wasn't until the hands of the talented Hou Bai of the Sui Dynasty that the means of taking various objects, matching them with actions, and telling while performing were created."

"The talented Hou Bai, relying on this skill, first became friends with Yang Xuangan, and later was appreciated by Emperor Wen of Sui, who summoned him to compile history, which can be considered as making a name for himself."

Chu Tianshu nodded slightly.

This segment about the evolution of the storyteller profession was the same as the records in his hometown's history.

"But in the chaotic times at the end of the Sui Dynasty, a storyteller, a historian, was nothing but grass in the end. That was the golden age of martial artists, the most brilliant time for soldiers."

"The Nine Pillars of the Sui Dynasty, the eighteen rebel kings, Li Yuanba, the Zhao King of the Western Mansion, Yuwen Chengdu, the Great General of Tianbao."

"And Li Shimin, the Prince of Qin who finally won the world, and the generals under his command, which one was not famous in the eight wildernesses, which one was not famous in the world."

Dao Bai Shu said, "And to talk about famous generals, one must first talk about their martial arts."

"From the end of the Han Dynasty to the Sui and Tang Dynasties, fighting generals in front of the formation was prevalent, because when top experts charged, thousands of troops could not stop them. Unless one's own general could not block the opponent's general, unless the troop strength was several times that of the opponent, defeat was inevitable."

"Martial arts are divided into three methods: Endurance Method, Insight Method, and Blood-Refining Method."

"Corresponding to a person's strength, moves, and weapons/armor."

"Obviously, among the three, weapons and armor are the most important, so the Blood-Refining Method is also called the Blood-Refining Weapon Art, the first priority for soldiers to select generals."

"All famous generals must have objects that have raised a soldier soul to accompany them."

"No matter how good a martial artist's strength and moves are, they are flesh and blood after all, with too many inconveniences. If they encounter dark arts, it is even more troublesome. But the power of the soldier soul has its own wonders, achieving one story after another."

"For example, during the Zhenguan period, Emperor Taizong toured. To encourage resistance against the locust plague, he did not hesitate to swallow locusts, suffering from the invasion of hundreds of evil diseases. There were also remnants of rebel kings driving evil things to make trouble."

"Qin Qiong and Yuchi Gong, two great generals, held golden maces and divine whips, guarding outside the palace. That night, raging fire surged, thunder sounds appeared, making hundreds of evils retreat, not daring to get close."

"This story is known to everyone. What this old man wants to tell today is exactly the twists and turns hidden in this story, let me tell you in detail..."

Chu Tianshu's heart moved slightly.

Is the Blood-Refining Weapon Art an exotic art that can raise a soldier soul?

Here, everyone seems to think that this kind of exotic art also belongs to the category of "martial arts."

Does the Martial Arts Token agree?

(End of Chapter) ===== CHAPTER 87 =====

(End of Chapter)