Chapter 102: Pei Family's Esoteric Art: Withered Wood Returns to Spring

Gu Jiangming being discovered was an accident.

He had underestimated the strict rules and systems within Qingmu Hall.

Or rather, the more absurd, dark, and insane an era is, the more the vast majority of people pay attention to the safety of their own lives and the more they value secrecy.

The Shushan Qi Restraining Technique made the Spirit Qi flowing within his body seem sealed and closed, and with the protection of the Token and the mask, he felt secure.

Gu Jiangming believed it would be very difficult for Qingmu Hall to discover anything abnormal about him.

Yet, the moment he entered Qingmu Hall, the other party somehow sensed a problem immediately and demanded on the spot that Gu Jiangming remove his mask to confirm whether his identity was that of the Token's owner.

Shushan clearly did not have a disguise technique.

Before Gu Jiangming could delve deeper into the information about the Red Workshop, he was discovered right at the start; he felt quite desperate, but there was nothing he could do.

Since you are unwilling to let me explore in secret, then I shall investigate openly; this does not seem to be a problem.

They had never expected that someone, after being exposed, would not choose to retreat but instead openly and honestly remove their mask.

【As you explore the information, you confirm that there is an inevitable connection between the Red Workshop and the Pei Family.】

What truly unnecessary skulking.

Gu Jiangming removed his mask.

The Shushan Physiognomy Technique was quietly activated.

"Boom—" Gu Jiangming's fist landed solidly against the chest of the Qingmu Hall Hall Master.

The surging Spirit Qi produced by the Dragon Aspect Heart-Birth burst forth suddenly.

Suddenly, the slowed pace accelerated; Gu Jiangming wanted to determine exactly what level his combat power had reached without the amplification of the 【Dao Venerable】 Experience Card.

【This is the Pei Family's esoteric Technique Formula—Withered Wood Returns to Spring.】

A blood-red mist filled the hall before Gu Jiangming's eyes; most of those in this Qingmu Hall were not kind-hearted people, but rather those who licked blood from the edge of a blade.

A miscalculation.

The Qingmu Hall Hall Master felt as if the ribs in his chest had been shattered by someone, and the pain instantly spread throughout his entire body.

Let's just assume he came here to actively pick a fight.

"Withered Wood Returns to Spring." Forced by this terrifying, immense power, he had to retreat several steps, gritting his teeth as he raised his hand, and a pale green light shone from it.

【The Qingmu Hall Hall Master before you has already passed the important bottleneck of the Qi Refining Stage and is about to step into the Foundation Establishment Stage; as the head of the Pei Family's third branch, he is an important member of the Pei Family.】

He actually had no intention of dodging.

What kind of person is this?

"Why are you impersonating Lin Yeyu?" The Qingmu Hall Hall Master walked down slowly from the high ground, stepping very steadily and calmly.

With the cautious and meticulous nature of Qingmu Hall, someone appearing so rashly could never have easily infiltrated them.

Who would have thought that this person who broke into Qingmu Hall would not only fail to avoid detection but also dare to remove their mask in public? What kind of provocation was this?

The Qingmu Hall Hall Master moved closer and closer to where Gu Jiangming was.

And at this moment, the people of Qingmu Hall had clearly also miscalculated.

These past few days, a gold-medal assassin of Qingmu Hall had gone missing, and today, that gold-medal assassin's Token had appeared again.

"Who exactly are you?" The Qingmu Hall Hall Master's expression was no longer as indifferent as before; since cultivating to this level, he had rarely faced someone with such fierce strength.

Now, too many doubts and surprises filled the Qingmu Hall Hall Master's mind, making him unable to think about other matters.

"Your strength is at least that of a Hero-level figure; my Pei Family hasn't offended you, have we?"

A Hero?

Is this how aristocratic cultivators perceive the cultivation system?

His Gu Jiangming's peak Foundation Establishment Stage cultivation was already considered a Hero?

And the Hall Master's words made the breathing of everyone around seem to stagnate; no one dared to speak loudly again.

Aside from the assassins who submitted tasks to Qingmu Hall, most of the people within Qingmu Hall were Pei Family disciples who had always been working for the Northern Wei imperial court.

The entire Pei Family had only one Master-level expert, and such an expert was none other than their family head, the current Crown Prince Tutor of Northern Wei, Pei Shixin, who was respectfully addressed as Lord Pei.

And a Hero's strength was even above that of a Master.

Rather than believing the young man before them possessed the strength of a Hero, they would prefer this to be a momentary misjudgment.

Yet the person who said this was an elder of the Pei Family's third branch, Pei Shihao, who was only one step away from also ascending to the realm of a Master.

"In other words, both Qingmu Hall and the Red Workshop belong to the Pei Family?" Gu Jiangming suddenly asked.

Pei Shihao faced a formidable enemy and dared not show the slightest slack; he said with a vigilant expression: "Yes, what exactly is your intention, sir?"

"I just wanted to know whose the Red Workshop in Guanzhong is," Gu Jiangming said after much thought, his tone serious.

It was also to test his current true combat power along the way.

He just hadn't expected that by being careless, he would end up punching through the target of his test.

Pei Shihao's vision went black; he had never imagined that for such a boring reason, he would almost lose his life here.

"Show me that... 'Returns to Spring' again," Gu Jiangming walked over and mimicked Pei Shihao's movements, raising his hand.

Pei Shihao's expression turned cold; Withered Wood Returns to Spring was his Pei Family's ancestral esoteric art, and when cultivated to a profound realm, it could cause severed limbs to regrow.

Because of this, the successive generations of the Northern Wei royal family kept the Pei Family in Guanzhong as vassals; after all, their esoteric abilities did not pose the slightest impact on Northern Wei's rule.

But what was powerful about Withered Wood Returns to Spring was far more than just its recovery ability; it actually also had a lethal Rejuvenating Withered Wood, which could directly devour the Spirit Qi within a cultivator's body to seize their vitality, though the conditions for releasing it were very harsh.

"Withered Wood Returns to Spring is my Pei Family's non-transferable secret; wanting to learn it just by looking at it once is underestimating the power of the esoteric path," Pei Shihao narrowed his eyes, watching Gu Jiangming, who was gradually approaching.

A bold idea also appeared in his mind.

After all, his own life was being controlled by another; rather than letting someone else dictate his fate, it was better to dictate his own fate.

Who knew if the other party would easily let him go.

Feeling that the distance was now within his grasp, he suddenly grinned hideously: "Want to learn my Pei Family's unique skill? Sure, I'll teach you—"

Pei Shihao reached out his hand and grabbed Gu Jiangming's hand.

The Technique Formula patterns of Rejuvenating Withered Wood suddenly appeared, and one could see a massive amount of Spirit Qi flowing from Gu Jiangming's arm toward Pei Shihao.

"No, this is wrong—"

Pei Shihao realized that the Spirit Qi in his hand was already out of control and falling into a nameless frenzy; the hand he had reached out began to rapidly emit thick black smoke, bursting apart right before Gu Jiangming's eyes, falling to the ground and gradually turning into a blurry mass of flesh and blood.

"You, what kind of monster are you—"

"You cannot be human, you absolutely cannot be human, you must be a monster."

How could there be a person with such a massive amount of Spirit Qi inside their body, as if it were inexhaustible and bottomless, forcibly blowing his own hand apart just by relying on this Spirit Qi.

And before Gu Jiangming's eyes, new information popped up.

【Through the enlightenment brought about after passing the Four Thousand Bureau, you have learned the esoteric Technique Formulas—Withered Wood Returns to Spring, Rejuvenating Withered Wood.】

At this moment, a faint green fluorescent light lit up on Gu Jiangming's hand.

Inside Qingmu Hall, everyone fell into an even more deathly silence, because the thing that appeared on Gu Jiangming's hand was something all the Pei Family members present were very familiar with; this was the family Unique Learning they had practiced since childhood.

It was also the esoteric Dao they had been constantly pursuing their entire lives.

It was even the pinnacle of the Pei Family's Technique Formulas!

"Th-this is my Pei Family's family Unique Learning, Withered... Withered Wood Returns to Spring?" Pei Shihao's voice carried a faint tremor.

He didn't even have time to feel the pain of his severed arm.

He was stunned in place by this Withered Wood Returns to Spring that had suddenly appeared in Gu Jiangming's hand.

(End of this chapter)