Chapter 22

Silence enveloped the main hall of the Blackwood Town Office.

After a good while, Zhang Gui spoke:

"Although I am a descendant of the Pingyang Zhang Family, I didn't even have the nine catties of 'favorite rice' when I was born.

From childhood to adulthood, it was my mother who collected worthless dead fish and rotten shrimp at the fish harbor and made them into 'fresh dew sauce' to sell to raise me.

In this life, I have never eaten a single grain of rice given by the clan for free.

Nor have I had the qualifications to go to the clan's school to study the classics and histories.

Even learning to read was done with books my mother bought with money, teaching me word by word.

Until I turned fifteen, I relied on a thick skin to cling to a job in the clan's trading firm.

I am very grateful for this.

No matter what, if my surname wasn't 'Zhang', no amount of fawning would have landed this job on me.

But to die because of this is a bit too much.

Although I haven't read any proper books, I do know.

The principle of 'If the superior treats the subordinate like a scholar, the subordinate serves the superior like a national scholar; if the superior treats the subordinate plainly, the subordinate serves the superior indifferently.'

What does Commandant Guan think?"

Guan Xihui looked at Zhang Gui with some surprise, as if he hadn't expected him to answer his words at this moment, thought seriously, and said: "That is so."

As the words fell, the green armor skin on Guan Xihui's body dissipated, and his teeth returned to normal.

He returned to the appearance of a secretary, slowly returned to the seat below Zhang Yan, sat down calmly, and affirmed once more, "One should be like this.

Alright, let's not talk about idle matters.

Regarding the sudden passing of Owner Zhang Qitong, you all had some misunderstandings just now.

Now that the misunderstanding is resolved, just continue to do your work well.

In addition, the Town Head feels that in recent days, accidents have occurred one after another in the town.

The managers' lives were not even preserved, which is truly terrifying.

So I have found some cultivation techniques that can lead to the Way and bestowed them upon you managers to practice.

I hope everyone will put in effort and not let down the Town Head's good intentions."

The strange change in Guan Xihui just now meant he either practiced high-end techniques or possessed a sharp Divine Cong.

And his direct showdown just now,

The performance of 'I'm not pretending anymore, I'm not a weak scholar, I can kill you all easily'.

According to the tropes of the pretentious movies Zhang Gui watched in his previous life, he was either a psychopath about to commit a massacre;

Or he was suppressing his opponents and recruiting turncoats.

And the latter situation requires killing a chicken to scare the monkeys.

So after Guan Xihui forced the 'chicken' Zhang Baqing to death, Zhang Gui took the initiative to talk to him, hinting:

'I'm not familiar with the Pingyang Zhang Family; our relationship is just indifferent.

The situation is about the same as your boss, Zhang Yan.

Isn't he also a turncoat because of the 'plain' treatment from the Pingyang Zhang Family in the past?

Leading you all to set up your own business.

We are spiritual partners; one doesn't kill one's own kind.'

Unexpectedly, Guan Xihui didn't recruit turncoats but inexplicably gave everyone techniques to practice.

This erratic behavior was truly confusing.

However, 'others are the knife and axe, I am the fish and meat'.

No one present dared to ask more.

One by one, they bowed to Zhang Yan with sour faces to express their thanks, and then were led by Guan Xihui toward the inner room of the Town Office.

The summer morning sun was exceptionally brilliant.

The garden was colorful, and the buildings were carved and painted.

Arriving at the back kitchen.

It is unknown what mechanism Guan Xihui activated, but the ground suddenly softened and rippled with layers of water, trapping everyone inside.

In a daze, when everyone's feet touched the ground again, they were already standing in an extremely spacious training room.

In the center was a huge diamond-shaped stone pillar several yards high.

One side of the stone pillar was equivalent to a stone tablet.

The patterns and characters engraved on the tablet flowed and changed from time to time, circulating endlessly.

Before Zhang Gui could see the joints, the fat Zhang Basheng suddenly exclaimed, "This is the 'Vertical and Horizontal Book'!"

"It is indeed the 'Vertical and Horizontal Book'.

Here are four techniques: 'Vertical and Horizontal Flying Runner', 'Vertical and Horizontal Flowing Fire Fist', 'Vertical and Horizontal Wind-Seizing Hand', and 'Vertical and Horizontal Finger Crossbow Master'!"

The 'Vertical and Horizontal Book' is the foundation of the Pingyang Zhang Family's private military security.

It records all nine cultivation techniques of the 'Vertical and Horizontal Series'.

The best technique among them is said to be able to cultivate to 'Superior B', which is the third grade.

The worst can also cultivate to 'Superior C', which is the fourth grade.

And the so-called 'Vertical and Horizontal', in the general explanation of supernatural abilities, means something extremely simple:

"Movement in all directions, front, back, left, and right."

This type of ability doesn't sound high-end or atmospheric at first glance.

For example, the 'Vertical and Horizontal Swordsman' who died some time ago, when using a sword, 'leaped like flying, sword energy splitting the air without dissipating', which sounds pretty good.

But that depends on who you compare it with.

True top-tier sword art, upon entering the Way, emphasizes:

'The sword follows the mind, spiritual opportunity born and extinguished thirty-six times in a blink.'

That is to say, controlling a sword in the air, the moment the mind wants to attack the enemy, dozens of attacks have already been completed.

At the same ninth grade, no matter how fast you jump or how sharp your sword art is, how can you block someone who has 'spiritual opportunity born and extinguished thirty-six times in a blink'?

Therefore, in the eyes of those real big shots, the 'Vertical and Horizontal Book' is just so-so.

The only advantage is that the Pingyang Zhang Family has a relatively complete collection of techniques.

And individual techniques have a relatively high grade.

But as a technique to enter the Way, apart from personal instruction between master and apprentice, there are only two ways to get started.

First, watch the mirage reflected by the 'Shadow Water Spirit Wall'.

Second, use the 'Spirit-Arousing Deep Engraving' spell to record it in a 'Jade Talisman Book'.

Then use the 'Swaying Shadow Text Array' to reverse the records on the 'Jade Talisman Book'.

And project it onto the 'Spirit-Returning Stele' to learn.

However, the 'Shadow Water Spirit Wall' is a natural wonder and extremely rare.

There are only nineteen known locations within the entire Ming Song territory.

And the more powerful and higher-grade the technique, the more superior the 'Spirit-Arousing Deep Engraving' and 'Jade Talisman Book' required for recording.

Coupled with the fact that the 'Jade Talisman Book' has wear and tear every time it is used, the better the technique, the greater the damage.

This leads to the fact that even the most garbage cultivation techniques are hard for ordinary people to see.

Zhang Gui, reminded by the fat brother, knew that the diamond-shaped stone pillar in front of him was actually a 'Spirit-Returning Stele'.

The patterns and text appearing on the stele were the 'Vertical and Horizontal Book', and his eyes widened immediately.

Rolling his eyes, he didn't care why the pie had suddenly fallen on his head and began to memorize it with his heart.

Other managers, whether they were cultivators who had practiced or laymen who didn't understand cultivation.

Seeing the patterns and text on the Spirit-Returning Stele, they were initially surprised and stunned, but after looking at them a few more times, their consciousness was inexplicably captured.

Those who were cultivators couldn't help but mobilize their Qi and blood to make various flying and running movements, or sat cross-legged to regulate their Qi essence.

The laymen felt an irresistible murmuring sound ringing in their ears.

As if it were the secret they most longed to know, tempting them to listen desperately, but they couldn't hear it clearly no matter what.

In the main hall of the Town Office, in front of a pool of water curtain.

Zhang Yan watched a group of managers become manic and dull, and said with some regret:

"Although they are four empty-handed techniques, they can at least reach the fourth grade 'Superior C'.

It's a pity to let these fish and meat waste them."

He Kaihai heard this and showed a deep expression, persuading:

"My lord, if we don't do this, how can we incite the internal strife of the Pingyang Zhang Family?

You can't catch a wolf without sacrificing a shoe."

"He Kaihai, your brain is only the size of a peanut kernel, and the rest is just lumps of meat; do you still want to learn from strategists to make plans?

Xihui, it's about time; go throw those shop assistant heads and senior clerks into the training room."

"Yes, my lord, I will go now."

Guan Xihui suppressed a laugh, looked at He Kaihai who was scratching his head, nodded, and walked away.

They were serious and orderly in front of outsiders, but they had a deep friendship in private.

It's no wonder they wouldn't be proper gentlemen of the Ming Song Dynasty and would instead turn the world upside down to become Pirate Kings.

(End of this chapter)