[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-cursed-blade-s-walk":3,"chapter-the-cursed-blade-s-walk-the-cursed-blade-s-walk-chapter-4":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Cursed Blade's Walk",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2262309,4415,"Chapter 4: Substitute Divine Statue","the-cursed-blade-s-walk-chapter-4",4,"\u003Cp>In his dantian stood a Daoist statue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seated on a lotus pedestal, ancient in age, its facial features blurred and unrecognizable, even the folds of its Daoist robe worn smooth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It looked utterly ordinary, no different from ancient ruins scattered in the wilds—but above its head and on each shoulder burned a wisp of blue ghostfire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This object was the cause of his transmigration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his past life, Li Yan frequently traveled for work; wherever he went, he always visited museums and antique markets—a hobby of sorts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, he knew his limits: he understood a little, but was no expert, so he never bought anything, only looked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet this item, displayed plainly on a stall, clearly a fake aged trinket, inexplicably drew him in—and he bought it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not long after, he woke up and found his soul transmigrated into this world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over these years, he had studied it relentlessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The artifact’s origin was strange, but its function was clear: it acted like a substitute doll.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three flames atop its head and shoulders could substitute for his life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each time he died in disaster, one flame would extinguish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That meant he still had three chances at rebirth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The statue’s other function was to transfer injury.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether internal injury, poisoning, or wounds from blades, all could be shifted onto the statue in the span of a breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In simple terms, it was like a limited-capacity Deadpool.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, a small claw mark had appeared on the statue’s neck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan dared hunt Blind Old Three precisely because he had this artifact as backup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, over these years, he trained in martial arts like a madman, fearless of internal or external wounds, repeatedly pushing past his body’s limits—all by using this substitute statue to absorb the damage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the saying goes, long illness makes one a good doctor; his profound control over his own body was forged through countless injuries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His pale skin, too, was a side effect of transferring injuries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the statue now appeared intact, its interior was riddled with cracks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan knew he must use it cautiously from now on, not rely on it too heavily—otherwise, if the statue’s damage accumulated too much, one of the flames might go out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, with his current mastery over his body, he could effortlessly hover at the edge of his limits; the Ten Disciplines were as familiar as breathing—he would never be injured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After warming up, Li Yan moved again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though it looked like a set routine, each movement shifted unpredictably, impossible to anticipate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These were his family’s true martial methods: the Thirty-Six Cloud Hands, the Nine Paths of Legwork, the Thirty-Six Grasps—all rooted in the Chèn Slash technique, shaped by the Zǔ Pái formation, stitched together from scattered strikes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>True martial arts were far less elegant than choreographed forms; as the saying goes, amateurs watch the spectacle, experts watch the method—Li Yan’s seemingly crude, ugly movements radiated lethal intent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once, Hei Dan had been the strongest boy his age in the village, strutting around like a rooster—until he happened to see Li Yan practicing fistwork, turned pale with sweat, and realized there were greater men beyond the hills.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His every strike and posture was powerful and expansive, his body cracking with each motion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tendons trembled, bones resonated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to the *Compendium of Martial Preparedness*, he had reached the peak of Ming Jin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Don’t underestimate this—achieving this level meant he was no ordinary man; in any escort agency on the Jianghu, he could earn his keep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Li Yan was only fourteen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next step was to make the qi membrane swell, encase the tendons in a circle, and cultivate An Jin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this world, martial arts flourished; An Jin was considered a third-rate expert on the Jianghu—qualified to lead escort teams, or even, like his father, carve out a name for himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, at his age, if any martial school in Chang’an learned of him, they would come bearing gifts to take him in—perhaps even grooming him as a future pillar of their sect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet an discordant voice came from the courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmph, what’s the use of practicing this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The voice was old—Li Gui, Li Yan’s grandfather.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man had returned to the courtyard, leaning on his cane, no one knew when.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan smiled after finishing his form. “Grandpa, why so angry? It’s just an animal—do you really think I can’t handle it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s an animal?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Gui knocked ash from his pipe against his boot, face still dark. “We shouldn’t have passed down the fist techniques. Once you train in martial arts, killing intent arises—and trouble follows.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your father disobeyed, went off to become a blade-wielder—and died. You’re no better, you’ll cut off our Li family’s lineage!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan smiled and nodded, offering no rebuttal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This world resembled his past life in many ways, yet differed in key aspects.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For example, martial arts: in his past life, concepts like forming the Dan and generating Gang were only in novels—but here, they were real.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Geography was nearly identical, but history and dynasties were different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now it was the Great Xuan Dynasty, Yuanheng Ninth Year, established for a hundred years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another difference: personal martial power here was astonishing. Renowned masters could cut down enemies in the midst of ten thousand soldiers, and dared to infiltrate palaces to assassinate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In chaotic times, they ruled regions; during dynastic upheavals, they stirred storms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His grandfather had once been a fearsome soldier, his martial skill reaching the peak of An Jin, just one step from Hua Jin—until he lost a leg during a campaign to quell border rebellions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On top of that, he had angered his superior; after years in the army, he received only some farmland and a plaque from the Ministry of War: “One Hundred Battles, Mighty and Valiant.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That plaque hung outside the gate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The “One Hundred Battles, Mighty and Valiant” plaque was no ordinary honor; with it, his father could have become a constable in the county office—but chose instead to wander the Jianghu as a blade-wielder, leaving a thorn in Li Gui’s heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, elders deserve respect—but their words need not be obeyed. The current world was still peaceful; his grandfather wanted him to live quietly as a farmer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Li Yan knew: in any era, fists must be strong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having a blade and not using it was entirely different from having no blade at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Li Gui still angry, Li Yan’s eyes darted, and he sat on the threshold, grinning. “Grandpa, tell me again about the ice plains?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Gui snorted. “You’ve heard it a hundred times—why ask again?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, he lit his pipe, drew a few puffs, as if lost in memory. “That hellish place… not fit for humans…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Back then, the northern frontier general rebelled, allied with foreign tribes, and marched south. We were ordered to crush them—and under General Zhang, entered the far northern ice plains, determined to exterminate every last remnant…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There, everything was ice and snow; in the dense forests, even tigers, bears, and wolves were monstrous in size—your Blind Old Three? Not even worth mentioning…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Worst of all was the weather: thick ice fog, blinding you even ten paces away; many froze to death on the march…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Besides the fleeing rebel remnants, the forest held other beings: white-skinned, red-haired, blue-eyed, clad in furs—they fled at the sight of us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A scholar in our party said they were shamans from even farther north—the Rossians. Never thought humans lived in such a place…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>!.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Later, more and more men died. They’d have nightmares, wake up frozen solid as ice statues—with smiles still on their faces. Terrifying…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We finally caught up with the enemy—but as we fought, a white wind erupted. Many veteran comrades died; the remaining rebels froze too. Only by digging ice caves did we survive…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Though I lost a leg, compared to those buried in the ice plains, I was lucky…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan listened in silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This world’s geography resembled his past life; by his grandfather’s account, they had gone to Siberia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it seemed far more perilous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had heard these stories many times; asking again was merely a distraction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he scolded fiercely, Li Yan knew: his father’s death—the white-haired man burying the black-haired—had shattered his grandfather.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elders love to recall the past; the ice plains journey was his grandfather’s greatest glory. Talking of it kept him from dwelling on grief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a while, the old man finished his tale—but drowsiness crept in. He seemed to forget what he’d just said, eyes cloudy and vacant. After staring at Li Yan for a moment, he spoke: “Yanwa…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Grandpa, I’m listening.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Remember to marry a girl with a big butt.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Big butts are ugly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You don’t understand—big butt, good for bearing children.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright, alright, you decide…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan smiled, but his eyes dimmed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over the past two years, his grandfather had grown increasingly forgetful, his health declining.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When his father was alive, he returned a few times each year, telling tales of Jianghu storms, spring codes, and strange legends.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though entertaining, if he could choose, he’d rather spend his life in this small village—just to let his grandfather live a few more years…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…………\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the old locust tree at the village entrance, Blind Old Three’s corpse hung.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The adults of Li Family Village glanced at it as they passed, then hurried off to their fields—they’d seen too many wolves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how fierce Blind Old Three had been in life, once dead, his legends became jokes—after all, the work in the fields mattered more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the village children found amusement, gathering stones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hit Blind Old Three!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Throw, kill it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid laughter, stones flew—Blind Old Three’s hanging corpse, battered and bloody, swayed violently under the blows…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>………\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Night fell, moonlight cold as water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tonight was different from usual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No insects chirped, no birds called; even the frogs in the ditches fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the locust tree by the village path, Blind Old Three’s corpse hung still—torn, filthy, its blood long blackened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the distant wheat field, several shadows rustled out, lifting their heads under the moonlight—clearly a few smaller wolves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Village Chief Li Huairen’s thinking was completely wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wolves can hunt cooperatively, and they also kill their own kind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In old days, wolves were driven away only because Li Family Fortress still had many living veterans, and the wolf carcasses hung everywhere created sufficient deterrence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the scent of a lone wolf’s corpse would attract nearby wolves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, gazing at the corpse of “Blind Old San,” the wolves circled several times but clearly showed fear, never drawing near.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, they were startled, whimpering and scattering into the wheat field, vanishing into the night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then a cold wind surged, the big locust tree rustled, and dark shapes flickered, as if a swaying beast…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>New book update schedule: Two chapters posted daily at 10 a.m.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Please collect and support.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1822,"2026-06-19T18:28:32.159Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","bac314bb2d2ff7392c13650a49bd4e6a22f2a13b84d27b155020f86257c47314","the-cursed-blade-s-walk-chapter-5","the-cursed-blade-s-walk-chapter-3",801,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-cursed-blade-s-walk-cover.jpg"]