Chapter 8: Volume 1: Mountain Ghost Rumor, Chapter 8: Teaching

That group of merchant thugs who traveled north and south finally set up their stalls on the side of the street.

They were all hard currencies essential for people's daily lives: salt, kitchen knives, farm tools, cloth, etc.

They also displayed seven weapons: three heavy swords, one broad axe, two wide-backed broadswords, and one spearhead.

"Heh, strange, where did you pick up these weapons?" The old man stroked his beard, holding the heavy sword upside down. He swung it barely, feeling his arm sour and numb, so he put it back in its place and asked with a low laugh.

The merchant caravan leader whispered: "The old man is an expert. We just use these things; who cares where they come from?"

"I guess you smuggled these weapons from the official arsenal." The old man probed the sharpness of the axe blade with his thumb and sighed, "Good stuff, tempered a thousand times."

"Did the old man serve in the army and fight in wars?"

"I was conscripted into the army when I was young and suppressed the rebels."

The merchant caravan leader said awkwardly: "So the old man has seen the world. I dare not deceive you, these weapons are indeed from the official arsenal, but we are definitely not smuggling. We collected them from others after the official army lost the battle."

The old man was surprised: "Are there rebels again?"

"Not rebels, but barbarians invading the border." The merchant caravan leader kindly grabbed the old man's hand, "Since the old man is a retired soldier, you must have some martial arts to pass down. Why not buy a handy weapon for your son? In the future, if your son holds this weapon to make contributions, wouldn't it be a great joy to bring glory to his ancestors?"

"Since you said so..."

"Old man, we are also anxious to sell. How about this, just forty coins for travel expenses, and we will sell you the weapons at the price we bought them, honest and fair!"

"Mm, I want that heavy sword."

"Good, good, it's this one, right? Four taels of silver."

The merchant thug next to the leader nudged him.

"Look."

Zhao Chan jogged past their stall.

The merchant caravan leader took the four taels of silver generously given by the old man, blocked Zhao Chan with a full face of smiles: "Is the little gentleman going to the Demon Slaying Division?"

Zhao Chan nodded.

"Oh, little gentleman, don't misunderstand. Last night we drank some horse urine and forgot who we were. The little gentleman taught us well, making us remember that we must be cautious when traveling, otherwise, it won't be just a little blood next time, but our lives."

Seeing that Zhao Chan ignored him, the merchant caravan leader enthusiastically pulled him toward the stall.

He didn't expect this youth to have extraordinary strength, and after pulling a few times, he didn't move at all.

"It's like this, we brothers discussed it and decided that we must apologize to the little gentleman."

Zhao Chan pulled back a step and shook his head: "No need."

"Heh, the little gentleman speaks so little. Tonight, we brothers will set up good wine and food at the Xizhao Inn. Can the little gentleman give us some face and come over as a guest? Give us brothers a chance to apologize!"

After listening quietly to the merchant caravan leader's words, Zhao Chan turned and ran toward the Demon Slaying Division.

"Big brother..."

The merchant caravan leader raised his hand to signal his younger brother to shut up and asked the old man who bought the heavy sword: "Old man, do you know this child?"

"Little Toad, his name is Zhao Chan, he is an orphan."

The old man hugged the heavy sword and walked home slowly. The sword weighed nearly twenty-seven jin, and he really couldn't swing it at his age. Fortunately, his grandson practiced martial arts diligently, and now that he had a handy weapon, his martial arts would definitely improve to a higher level.

The merchant caravan leader returned to his brothers and said angrily: "We have always bullied others; where is there such a cowardly thing as being bullied by others?"

"Right, big brother."

"Big brother, he is a Demon Slayer of the Demon Slaying Division."

The leader said leisurely: "I thought about it carefully last night. Even if Zhao Chan is really a Demon Slayer, with his age, no matter how powerful he is, he can't be that powerful. Haven't you noticed that there are many more outsiders in Youju Town?"

"I understand! Big brother wants to borrow a knife to kill!"

"Shh, keep your voice down." The leader glared at the man.

"Will it cost a lot of money?"

"Are you angry?"

"Yes! The stinky kid thinks he can do whatever he wants because he is a Demon Slayer! I can't swallow this breath anyway!"

The thug who was broken and bleeding by Zhao Chan said angrily: "Don't show your faces in this matter. I'll go find outsiders who are willing to do it."

"I'll trouble Brother Wu He."

Wang Huan counted out thirty copper coins and handed them to Zhao Chan: "Now you have a clue about Lao Liu's coffin, right?"

Zhao Chan carefully wrapped the copper coins in a cloth and put them close to his body: "Enough."

"Lao Liu is a bachelor with no friends or family, fortunately you are helping him." Wang Huan sighed, "He should be able to rest in peace in the nine springs."

"I don't know what kind of illness Lao Liu had. Why did he run to Eren Mountain for no reason? Doesn't he, an old lacquer harvester, know that Eren Mountain is full of miasma and demons? Even we Demon Slayers don't dare to go there easily."

Zhao Chan lowered his head and said nothing.

"I've recorded your name in the 'Slaying Demon Record'. From now on, you are a Demon Slayer of the Youju Town Demon Slaying Division. When Shao Hua and the others return, take the 'Slaying Demon Record' to Yang County to be confirmed by the superiors."

"Follow me."

He and Wang Huan walked toward the backyard of the Demon Slaying Division.

This rented house had two courtyards. The front courtyard was the office for the Demon Slayers, and the backyard was a warehouse for storing things.

The warehouse door was pasted with a yellow talisman.

The talisman was drawn with cinnabar. As soon as the two approached, it shone with light.

"This talisman is a 'House-Guarding Talisman' issued by the Yang County Demon Slaying Division." 【8-5

Wang Huan pointed to the talisman and explained: "The House-Guarding Talisman has absorbed my blood and Shao Hua's. Aside from the two of us, no one can open this door."

Zhao Chan observed the House-Guarding Talisman with curiosity.

Wang Huan reached out, easily peeled off the House-Guarding Talisman, and pushed the door open to enter.

Inside the room were two large chests, with the rest of the space empty.

He turned around and smiled: "You touch the House-Guarding Talisman."

Zhao Chan reached out, but before he could get close to the talisman, it suddenly erupted with light, and a massive force pushed Zhao Chan, causing him to stagger.

Wang Huan laughed heartily: "Now you know how powerful the House-Guarding Talisman is, right? With it here, ordinary people can forget about breaking in."

He pinched the House-Guarding Talisman, walked with his hands behind his back toward the large chest on the left, flipped it open, and took out a yellowed book. "Come here."

"Yes."

"Little Toad, you are a native of Youju Town. When I first arrived here a few years ago, you weren't even as tall as my waist. I can say I watched you grow up, and I know you inside and out."

"For others to become Demon Slayers, they must undergo a year of assessment before they can be taught the Demon Slaying Division's Body Tempering techniques."

Wang Huan handed the yellowed book to Zhao Chan: "Practice diligently. You are someone I brought into the Demon Slaying Division; don't embarrass me."

The youth lowered his head to look; the book was titled "Shake God Sword."

"Wang Dage, is, is this an immortal art?"

"Listen to me." Wang Huan cleared his throat. Today he wasn't wearing that tattered cloak; he probably only wore it when dealing with demon infestations.

"The 'Shake God Sword' is the most suitable technique for you in our Youju Town Demon Slaying Division. I also started step-by-step with the 'Shake God Sword' during my Body Tempering Realm."

In cultivation, Body Tempering is the root. The Body Tempering Realm is the starting point, the first step on the ladder for you to climb to higher realms.

What is meant by Body Tempering?

Cultivation is about one's life and body. Only when the physique is solid and robust can one be at ease in the subsequent process of gathering spiritual Qi to refine True Qi. Otherwise, under the impact of spiritual Qi, the body would be torn to pieces.

The Body Tempering Realm is the foundation for the Qi Gathering Realm. The more unbreakable you polish your body, the faster your progress will be in the Qi Gathering Realm.

Do you understand?"

Zhao Chan replied: "It's like when Lao Liu and I trekked over mountains and through rivers to collect lacquer; only by walking every step steadily can I avoid slipping and falling into a mountain abyss, and only then can I successfully reach the place where the lacquer trees grow.

Wang Dage, is that the principle?"

"Yes, yes, yes, exactly right!" Wang Huan clapped his hands and laughed. "Let me tell you, no matter how much you suffer in the Body Tempering Realm, it's not too much. Those Qi Gathering Realm Demon Slayers in the Yang County Demon Slaying Division say they deeply regret not laying a solid foundation in the Body Tempering Realm before rashly breaking through, which has left them struggling at every turn now."

"I understand. I will take it one step at a time in the Body Tempering Realm."

"The 'Shake God Sword' is called a sword manual, but it is actually a complete set of methods for a sword cultivator to build a foundation."

The "Shake God Sword" has twelve forms, divided into three levels of attainment.

The first level is 【Sword Out with Spirit】; when executing a move, the force controlled is just right—not a fraction stronger, not a fraction weaker.

Achieving this state counts as the Lower-grade Body Tempering Realm.

The second level is called 【Sword Out Preserving Spirit】; with one sword strike, it is as if a deity is attached to the three-foot blade, causing the enemy to be terrified.

This is the Middle-grade Body Tempering Realm.

The third level is 【Sword Out Shaking God】. This level of the "Shake God Sword" can only be understood intuitively and cannot be described in words. Once you reach this step, you are in the Upper-grade Body Tempering Realm, just one step away from the Qi Gathering Realm.

Wang Huan closed the warehouse tightly, reapplied the House-Guarding Talisman, and returned to the front courtyard office with Zhao Chan. The two sat on stools, and Wang Huan flipped through the "Shake God Sword," explaining it to him carefully.

"You see, the three levels of the 'Shake God Sword' each tell you how to polish your physique. Only after polishing your physique well can you achieve Sword Out with Spirit, Sword Out Preserving Spirit, and Sword Out Shaking God.

I am currently an Upper-grade Body Tempering Realm cultivator. Regarding the third level of the 'Shake God Sword,' Sword Out Shaking God, I can only tell you that when I exhaust all my strength to swing that sword, I know that even if I cannot kill the enemy, I will have no regrets in death.

I have asked other Demon Slayers who have practiced the 'Shake God Sword,' and their feelings about Sword Out Shaking God are all different, which is why there is the phrase 'can only be understood intuitively and cannot be described in words.'

Little Toad, you must remember: do not neglect the polishing of your physique for the sake of sword techniques.

The reason I am having you practice the 'Shake God Sword' is that the primary intention of this manual is to polish your physique very well.

Never pick up the sesame seeds and lose the watermelon."

He repeatedly exhorted him.

Zhao Chan nodded heavily: "Wang Dage, don't worry."

He looked up at the sky; it was noon.

"Our Youju Town Demon Slaying Division doesn't provide lunch for Demon Slayers. Come, you go to my house to eat."

"I'll just go home to eat."

"Little Toad..."

Zhao Chan put down the "Shake God Sword" manual and ran out of the Demon Slaying Division in a flash. He understood that the manual was precious and the Demon Slaying Division couldn't let him take it away.

Wang Huan, holding the manual, had a smile on his lips.

Although Zhao Chan still had a three-foot peach branch tucked diagonally at his waist, the youth did not harbor the deep wariness toward him that he had last night.

"Wang Dage?"

Zhao Chan ran back outside the Demon Slaying Division and asked: "Where did Shao Dage and the others go?"

All morning, there were only the two of them in the Demon Slaying Division; the other Demon Slayers were nowhere to be seen.

"Oh, Shao Hua and the others went near Shanniu Village to look for clues about the Mountain Ghost. Since we reported it to the Yang County Demon Slaying Division, we can't just have empty words, right?"

Wang Huan smiled: "Are you worried about Shao Hua and the others?"

"Yes."

"Don't worry, kid. Shao Hua and the others are veterans at dealing with demon infestations. Once there is any sign of trouble, they will immediately withdraw."

After Zhao Chan ran off again, Wang Huan put the "Shake God Sword" back into the backyard warehouse.

After Zhao Chan came to the Demon Slaying Division last night to talk about the Mountain Ghost, Wang Huan and the other Demon Slayers met in the early morning to discuss it.

Better to believe it exists than to believe it doesn't.

Although Wang Huan admitted that he had indeed seen the demon die with his own eyes, who knew if that was an illusion cast by the demon?

To be safe, Shao Hua led eight Demon Slayers plus the town's constables to go out in full force to survey the area around Shanniu Village for clues.

As for Wang Huan, he had exhausted his strength in a great battle yesterday and remained at the Demon Slaying Division to stand guard, while also registering Zhao Chan's name in the "Slaying Demon Record" and teaching him the "Shake God Sword."

And searching the town for the sisters Bai Yuqing and Bai Youjun that Zhao Chan had mentioned.

They guessed that the two sisters must be high-level mountain sect cultivators.

To deal with such people, the Youju Town Demon Slaying Division could only investigate in secret. After all, if they angered them, Wang Huan, as the only Upper-grade Body Tempering Realm cultivator, was truly not up to the task; they would need the Yang County Demon Slaying Division to step in.

The golden signboard of the Demon Slaying Division could indeed deter most cultivators, but Youju Town sat alone surrounded by mountains and water; even if a cultivator killed them all, it would be a time-consuming and laborious trouble for the higher-level Demon Slaying Division to avenge them.

In the end, everything is decided by strength.

Wang Huan and the others were low in realm; even as Demon Slayers, they had to tread on thin ice.

Zhao Chan went to the coffin shop in Youju Town.

When the apprentice at the coffin shop saw it was him, the smile on his face was very affectionate: "You're here! Come in, come in. Which coffin have you taken a fancy to?"

"My shopkeeper said, I'll give you a ten percent discount."

The coffin shopkeeper's surname was Liu, but he was not of the same clan as Lao Liu; it was merely the same surname.

"This one." Zhao Chan walked to a coffin and patted it; the sound was heavy, and the materials were solid.

Lao Liu, that poor bachelor, would be able to sleep comfortably in it.

"Alright, that'll be one hundred and twenty wen."

"I don't have money on me. I'll bring it to you in the evening."

"Got it, take your time."

With a sale made, the apprentice's form of address changed from "you" to "you (polite)."

Zhao Chan still didn't go home; he jogged past Daguan Lane and ran toward the east side of Youju Town.

The houses in Daguan Lane all had high courtyard walls; these were the residences of the wealthy families in town.

He sniffed his nose and whispered: "It smells so good."

It was exactly noon, and every household was lighting fires to cook.

The fragrance of the food in Daguan Lane was especially pleasant.

The town's only private school was near Daguan Lane.

The students were almost all children from Daguan Lane, and they had already gone home to eat. The Private School Teacher was tidying up the classroom when he heard footsteps in the courtyard. He looked up and saw Zhao Chan wearing a patched short coat.

"Why haven't you come to audit the classes these past two days?"

"Greetings, Teacher."

Zhao Chan did not answer directly, but instead bowed respectfully.

The teacher, nearing fifty, looked at the youth with a smile: "I haven't seen you for two days, and you've grown taller again."

Zhao Chan counted out ten copper coins and placed them on the desk with trepidation. Before he could speak, the teacher said with slight anger: "I allowed you to audit, but I didn't ask for your money."

"Teacher, I want to borrow the 'Forest of Literature' you often lecture on, and I will return it to you after I finish copying it. Don't worry, I definitely won't damage even a corner of the book pages.

These ten copper coins are a token of my promise; once I return it, I will take them back."