Chapter 36: Insider? Comprehending Deer Shape Intent, Startled Deer Without Trace!

The night grew deeper, the moonlight like water.

Jiang Ye stood in the courtyard, the blue stone pierced by the fallen leaf still silent at his feet, the pleasure of the newly promoted Transformation of Force still flowing through his limbs and bones.

But he didn't return to his room to rest.

At this moment, his mind was clear, his Qi and blood were surging, which was the best time to comprehend the fist technique.

While practicing the Five Animal Fist just before breaking through to the Transformation of Force, he faintly felt that he had more understanding of the deer shape fist intent.

Jiang Ye closed his eyes slightly.

In a trance, he seemed to no longer stand in this small courtyard, but in a deep mountain forest.

The moonlight sprinkled through the gaps in the branches and leaves, casting mottled light spots.

In the distance, there was a babbling stream, and nearby, there were insects chirping.

He "saw" a deer, an old deer, with grey-brown fur and towering antlers, drinking water by the stream.

Its ears kept turning, capturing every subtle sound in the wind.

Its nostrils twitched slightly, distinguishing every faint scent in the air.

Suddenly, an extremely slight, almost inaudible sound of a withered branch breaking came from afar.

The old deer's ears stood up suddenly!

But its body remained motionless.

It didn't run, didn't flee, and didn't even look back!

It just stood there quietly, as if it had become a stone statue, a shadow that merged with the mountain forest.

All aura disappeared.

A moment later, a black shadow swept through the forest; it was a wild wolf foraging for food.

The wild wolf's nose was almost touching the ground, sniffing every inch of land, but when it passed by the old deer at a distance of a few feet, it was completely unaware.

As if what was standing there was not a living deer, but just a stone.

Jiang Ye's heart shook violently.

Ancient sayings go: Deer are the most alert; when sleeping, they divide into shifts, with their antlers facing outward to prevent the unexpected. When they walk, even if tigers and wolves are lurking on the side, if one does not see their form or hear their sound, the deer is like wood and stone, its aura completely restrained, silent with heaven and earth.

A realization that seemed to come from the ancient times flowed into his sea of consciousness like a stream:

【Deer are not just about the skill of fast movement, but the extreme of alertness, communicating with heaven and earth, merging with all things!】

【When they move, even if thorns are everywhere, they cannot be blocked; when they are still, even if tigers and wolves are lurking, they cannot be detected! Body follows intent, intent follows the environment, not fighting, not disturbing, merging with the world!】

【You have superb comprehension, comprehending the deer shape intent from form to spirit—Startled Deer Without Trace!】

The system's prompt sound at this moment also carried a bit of the quietness of the forest, like a deer call coming from a distant mountain.

Jiang Ye's body still stood in the courtyard.

But his aura was changing at a speed visible to the naked eye—not weakening, not restraining, but... dissolving.

He could clearly feel that he was establishing some strange connection with the surrounding environment.

The coolness of the blue stone slab under his feet seeped into the Bubbling Well point through the soles of his shoes.

He tried to take a step.

No footsteps.

His step was like stepping on a cloud, light beyond belief.

What was even more wonderful was that he had clearly moved, but that "dissolving feeling" of merging with heaven and earth did not disappear, as if it wasn't him moving, but this heaven and earth actively accepting his movement.

He took another step, two steps, three steps... his speed became faster and faster, but the silent characteristic was never broken.

He suddenly exerted force, his figure accelerating violently, like a night wind sweeping through the courtyard.

The speed was astonishing, flashing through a distance of several feet in an instant, but strangely—still no sound.

Even when he swept past that old locust tree, the leaves on the tree didn't tremble at all.

Jiang Ye stopped, lowered his eyes to look at his hands, then turned back to look at the motionless old locust tree, a look of shock flowing in his aged eyes.

What a "Startled Deer Without Trace"!

It was no exaggeration to say that in his current state, even if he were lying on the window watching someone bathe, they wouldn't be able to discover him.

The tiger shape intent gave him killing power, the ape shape intent gave him the skill of change, and this deer shape intent gave him the ability to save his life.

Whether it was tracking, stealth, or secret peeping, this deer shape intent would be his most reliable reliance.

His heart moved, his aura reappeared, and that feeling of "dissolving into heaven and earth" slowly faded.

Host: Jiang Ye

Lifespan: 95

Strength: Transformation of Force (Early-Realm)

Fate: Ladder to Divinity 【Effect 1: Superb Comprehension!】

Martial Arts Mastered: Five Animal Fist 【Perfect】

Intent Mastered: Tiger Walk Like Sickness, Spirit Ape Thousand Changes, Startled Deer Without Trace

Glancing at the system, Jiang Ye nodded slightly.

After breaking through to the Transformation of Force, he had increased his lifespan by another ten years.

At the same time.

Anxi County, inside the Zhang family mansion.

Zhang He tossed and turned on the bed with a gloomy face, unable to sleep.

Thinking of his second son Zhang Xu dying tragically on the street, and that there was no news of the murderer, anger burned in his body like a great fire, unable to be extinguished.

He believed that this matter must have something to do with Liu Liu Qingshi and Su Chen, and couldn't help but gnash his teeth: "Xu'er, I will definitely help you take revenge..."

Suddenly.

Zhi-ya.

A light sound rang out in the dead silent room.

Zhang He stiffened all over!

He opened his eyes suddenly, a flash of shock in his pupils, and subconsciously looked toward the door.

The door, at some point, had already opened.

A black shadow stepped into the room unhurriedly.

His pace was as leisurely as walking in his own backyard, without half a bit of the sneakiness of a night walker.

The moonlight shone in from behind him, outlining his silhouette vaguely and strangely.

What made Zhang He's liver and gallbladder split even more was that the black shadow was carrying a person like a chicken.

That person had his head drooping, his four limbs hanging down softly, clearly having fallen into a coma.

It was none other than his eldest son, Zhang Tao.

"Tao'er!!!"

Zhang He's hair stood on end, his pupils shrinking to needle points, subconsciously wanting to roar.

But the black shadow's speed was as fast as a ghost.

Zhang He didn't even see how he moved, only feeling a flash before his eyes, and that cold, withered palm had already clamped his mouth like iron pliers, blocking the scream that was about to rush out of his throat.

"Umm..."

He struggled desperately, but the strength of that hand was astonishing, motionless.

He could only stare wide-eyed, staring at the face close at hand.

This was an old man in his sixties, with half-white hair and a thin face, but the most terrifying thing was the long scar on his face.

That scar slashed diagonally from his left brow bone, piercing his entire face, extending to his jaw, like a centipede crouching on his face, ferocious and terrifying.

At this moment, those turbid but gloomy eyes were looking down at him, the corners of his mouth holding a hint of a smile.

"Family Head Zhang, please calm down and don't shout."

The old man said gloomily, "Otherwise, I can only send you on the road with your son immediately."

After saying this, he slowly loosened the hand covering Zhang He's mouth.

"Hoo... hoo..."

Zhang He gasped for air, his chest heaving violently.

But he didn't shout.

As expected of a family head who had managed the Zhang family for many years, in such a strange and terrifying situation, he forcibly suppressed the fear that was about to break through his chest and forced himself to calm down.

He forcibly stabilized his mood and said in a deep voice: "Who are you, why visit late at night, and capture my son."

"Who I am, is not important."

The old man grinned, the scar on his face squirming, becoming more ferocious: "I visited late at night because I need Family Head Zhang to help me with a small favor."

"What favor!"

Zhang He said in a deep voice.

The old man leaned closer, his voice lowering even more: "Tomorrow night, I need Family Head Zhang to cooperate in opening the East City gate."

"What? Open the city gate!"

Hearing this, Zhang He felt his heart shake violently, seemingly realizing something, his voice appearing with a trace of trembling: "You are from the Seven Kill Sect..."

The old man said playfully: "Barely."

Zhang He only felt an unprecedented chill rushing from his soles to his crown.

Seven Kill Sect—that demon sect that made people hear of it and lose their courage, now, had actually come to his door!

After taking a deep breath, his face was a bit stiff: "Senior, you think too highly of me, I am just an insignificant merchant..."

"Insignificant merchant? Family Head Zhang is too humble."

The half-white-haired old man laughed gloomily:

"I had long inquired, who in Anxi County doesn't know that the Zhang family is powerful."

"Besides, Family Head Zhang doesn't have to help, it's just a pity for your son."

Speaking of this, he flicked his wrist, and a feminine force penetrated into Zhang Tao's body.

Zhang Tao, who was in a coma, trembled all over, opened his eyes suddenly, and let out a vague whimper.

"Umm... umm..."

He woke up, but couldn't make any sound.

He looked at Zhang He, tears welling up in his eyes; it was a silent, desperate plea.

"Tao'er!!!"

Zhang He saw it clearly; Zhang Tao's mouth had been crushed, no wonder he couldn't make a sound.

At this moment, besides shock and anger, there was also an unbearable fear on his face.

He didn't understand why he was so unlucky.

Yesterday his second son Zhang Xu died tragically on the street, today he was visited by people from the Seven Kill Sect, wanting him to be an insider.

He fell into unprecedented fear and despair.

Agree? That would be helping the Seven Kill Sect breach the city, a heinous crime that the Profound Heaven Sect would absolutely not tolerate.

After the settlement, exterminating the nine clans would be light!

But if he didn't act as this insider...

I'm afraid he and his son wouldn't live past tonight.

Zhang He, who had always been famous for his deep city, was like falling into hell at this moment, not knowing how to choose.

"Family Head Zhang, I don't have much time, so I can only give you ten breaths to consider."

The old man laughed gloomily, like a funeral bell.

"Ten, nine, eight, seven..."

Zhang He seemed to have aged ten years in an instant, his spine hunched, his voice hoarse: "I agree." ===== CHAPTER 37 =====