[{"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-41":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},2262346,4415,"Chapter 41: Qin-Han War Drums, Jinbao Gambling Den","the-cursed-blade-s-walk-chapter-41",41,"\u003Cp>Early autumn was crisp, the old street growing steadily colder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cold wind swept through the cobblestone lanes, pushing fallen leaves to spin and scrape against the ground with a rustling sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a creaking, groaning rumble, a cart drawn by an ox slowly rolled in from the end of the street, its outline edged in golden morning light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the cart, three large drums were securely placed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each drum was over a meter wide, its black lacquer chipped and worn, the oxhide drumhead a dull yellow, ancient and heavy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though long passed down, they still radiated an undeniable aura, as if ready at any moment to unleash a thunderous beat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before they reached the Wendaoguan, Li Yan and the others came out to meet them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Daoxuan stepped forward, clasped his fists, and smiled: “Master He, thank you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The driver was an old man, his hair streaked gray and white, his face deeply lined, wearing a dog-skin hat, seated sideways on the cart pole smoking a clay pipe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Wang Daoxuan, he quickly jumped down, first tugging the reins to halt the ox, then bowed and smiled: “Master, you’re too kind—you saved my whole family. These are just worldly things.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After leaving the Zhang Family Martial Hall, Li Yan said he wanted to find Qin-Han war drums.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A fine drum, from material selection to crafting, drying, and lacquering, took months—there was no time. They had to borrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luckily, Wang Daoxuan knew an old artisan who had lent them the drums.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man’s surname was He, also a man of the rivers and lakes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not all men of the rivers and lakes practiced martial arts or lived by the blade; many were petty thieves, swindlers, or relied on a single craft to travel the land.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This old He had formed a drum ensemble; whenever a shop opened or a major event occurred in Xianyang, they performed to liven the mood and earn tips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among the rivers and lakes, all performers—musicians, opera troupes, drum singers—belonged to the Liu Family Gate, which was how he knew Wang Daoxuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing the news, he came personally to deliver the drums.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan also bowed in thanks and stepped forward to examine them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three war drums were old, yet perfectly preserved; though slightly worn, they remained fully functional and, with a bit of care, would once again command awe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He gently touched them, growing more fond with each glance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Qin-Han war drums were a local drum tradition of Xianyang. Legend says an old Qin army flag-bearer, retired from service, passed the drum rhythms to villagers, who passed them down through generations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the First Emperor conquered the Six States and the Han King claimed the realm, they used these drums to stir the troops’ spirit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old artisan, seeing Li Yan’s expression, showed a flicker of satisfaction: “I can tell, young man, you’re a true drum lover. Giving them to you is fitting.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan quickly waved his hands: “I’m only borrowing. These are your livelihood—I wouldn’t dare take them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They’re useless to me now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man waved vaguely, stroking the drums with reluctance, sighing: “In my youth, I was arrogant, dreaming of becoming Drum King, famous across the land. Half my life wasted—I barely scraped by, never gave my family a thought.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I planned to pass them to my son, but he hated drums because of me—he didn’t want them at all, only dreamed of heading to Jinmen to make his fortune.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m old now. I’ll follow him a little longer, teach him the ways of the rivers and lakes, make up for my past failures.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Daoxuan frowned: “Master He, your health—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man waved again, calm and composed: “Fallen leaves return to root—it’s not that important. Wherever I die, that’s home.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Besides, the First Emperor’s war drums shook Shenzhou. Where under the sun and moon isn’t my home?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The old man is truly detached.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hah! Detached? I’ve just seen through it all…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man waved, smiled, and turned away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They couldn’t stop him; they forced some silver into his hands as travel money, watching until his hunched figure and the creaking cart vanished into the old street’s morning glow…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…………\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the small courtyard, the drum sounded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan lightly tapped it, feeling its vibration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The arena day was set for the day after tomorrow; in such a short time, improvement through technique or experience was nearly impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only possibility was mastering the Divine Drum Cloud-Thunder Sound as soon as possible—at least enough to control the hidden force and unleash it at the critical moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Cloud-Thunder Sound was simply a louder Thunder Sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Qin-Han war drums carried the greatest momentum, making them ideal for cultivating the Divine Drum Cloud-Thunder Sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the manual passed down by Master Zhou’s ancestors, the Divine Drums required special crafting—from oxhide to wooden drums, finally iron drums—each with its own method.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No time now. They’d have to use ordinary war drums.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of this, Li Yan assumed a horse stance, drew in his abdomen, moved his diaphragm up and down as if compressing it, inhaled deeply several times, then suddenly opened his mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hong—!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hong” (hong) was one of the six-character Buddhist-Daoist mantras, identical to the sound of thunder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Great Cloud-Thunder Sound was a secret Buddhist-Daoist method, cultivated using this sound as its foundation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to the text, some Buddhist masters trained this method during storms and thunder, impossible for those without exceptional talent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But once mastered, the benefits were manifold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It could shake the tendons and internal organs; when paired with the mantra, it purified the soul, cleared distractions, and refined the fist intent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the method had a flaw: it depended on unpredictable weather.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, Zhou’s ancestor combined his craft with drumming—though not as mighty as true thunder, it allowed gradual, controllable training at any time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Li Yan uttered “Hong,” his palm struck the drumhead, vibrating it into a deep roar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The courtyard erupted with a thunderous boom, formidable in power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sha Lifei immediately clapped loudly in praise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good bird.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan chuckled wryly, then shook his head thoughtfully: “This method is harder than I thought.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to the manual, the Divine Drum Cloud-Thunder Sound had three difficulties. First: timing—the drumbeat and mantra must resonate together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Second: breath and vibration—you must become the drum itself to unleash the Cloud-Thunder Sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Third: control—the thunder is vast; master the balance or you’ll injure yourself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first step alone would take effort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud! Thud! Thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan struck again, carefully sensing the drumhead’s vibration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beside him, Sha Lifei grew bored, his eyes darting as he spoke: “Master, your food’s too plain. I’ll get some beef—we’ll feast these two days!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saying this, he turned and left the courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan was fully absorbed, frowning in deep thought, not hearing a word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, the courtyard echoed again with intermittent drumbeats.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…………\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>!.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elsewhere, Sha Lifei exited the gate, circled the old alleyways, confirmed no surveillance or hidden marks, then strolled away casually.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew Xianyang well—he avoided busy streets, weaving through narrow alleys, choosing only quiet paths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, he reached West City’s Paifang Street.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Named for an ancient imperial archway, both sides of the street were lined with brothels, taverns, and gambling dens—the most lively and chaotic place in Xianyang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This street lay farther south; northern and southern merchants passing through the ferry often spent their nights here, and knife-wielding mercenaries, living day to day, squandered most of their earnings here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, all manner of people gathered—dragons and snakes mixed together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was still early morning; most brothels, exhausted from the night’s labor, remained shuttered, their sweet, cloying perfume drifting from open windows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Occasionally, thin-clad women combed their hair before their windows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Sha Lifei didn’t glance once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He strode to a two-story building, looked up—the door stood wide open, two large, muscular men guarding it, bare-armed despite the cold, their wrists clad in leather-and-copper bracers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Above the entrance, bold characters read: “Jinbao Gambling Den.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some crave beauty; some crave gambling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this vast Xianyang, from nobles to peddlers, from men of the rivers and lakes to officials, all had their addicts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The street was still quiet, but inside the den, voices roared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not because patrons arrived early—but because they never left!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoosh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Sha Lifei stepped forward, a heavy curtain swung open, and a middle-aged man was shoved out, stumbling to the ground in a face-first fall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Half his face was raw and bleeding, yet he ignored it, scrambled up, pleading: “Lend me more! Just a little more—I’ll pay double when I win back!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Young Master Lu.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A white-clad man stepped out—bushy eyebrows, narrow eyes, smiling on his lips but icy in his gaze, unsettling to behold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He crouched, patted the man’s cheek, sneering: “Calling you ‘Young Master’ is an honor. Listen to me—stop playing. You’ve nothing left to wager.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man’s eyes were bloodshot: “I… I still have my life!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your life’s worthless.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The white-clad man rose, gave a signal; the two guards dragged the man away and dumped him into the alley.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he spotted Sha Lifei standing afar, his face shifted instantly to a servile smile: “Oh! Master Sha, a rare guest! Come to try your luck today?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Get lost!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sha Lifei ignored him entirely and walked straight inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew the white-clothed man’s background—he was a seasoned cheat from the Hua Family Sect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had a cooperative relationship with the gambling den.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One was “ba huang”—observing people, targeting wealthy young masters, luring them into traps with smooth talk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other was “shi xing”—cheating to ruin opponents and drain them of all their wealth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This gang even had organized members: “Yanzi” who used seduction, seasoned forgers and thieves known as Lao Rong, and even enforcers called Xinggua.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyone who suddenly came into wealth would be targeted by this gang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This had been true since ancient times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their methods were countless—greed, beauty, family ties, friendship, pity… as long as you had a weakness, there was a trap designed for it; even the most hardened veterans could be fooled with a single misstep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young master of the Chunfeng Troupe had fallen for such a scheme.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sha Lifei had no interest in them and shoved the man aside as he entered the gambling den.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind him, the white-clothed man grunted and followed close behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the gambling hall, the air was thick and foul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lanterns hung above each gambling table, surrounded by gamblers—all disheveled, eyes bloodshot, faces ashen, flickering candlelight making them look like starving ghosts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The stench of sweat and smoke made Sha Lifei stagger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn bastards…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sha Lifei cursed under his breath, then raised his head and bellowed: “The life-or-death match is in two days—does your Jinbao Gambling House have a bookie?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His shout immediately drew many eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are you yelling for?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wooden door to a second-floor private room was kicked open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several black-clad men escorted a man out of the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man was short, around thirty years old, but suffered from albinism—his skin pale with a reddish tinge, eyebrows and beard pure white, yet thickly grown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked exactly like a white ape…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1868,"2026-06-19T18:28:32.159Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","d6a596804c89b5cd7e5bed8cdf857196c0b7db889cc80ac7a1dba24626a6cf6f","the-cursed-blade-s-walk-chapter-42","the-cursed-blade-s-walk-chapter-40",801,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-cursed-blade-s-walk-cover.jpg"]