Chapter 18: 18. Xuanwu

Five days later.

In the mountains.

A simple wooden hut had been put up, though it was not yet completely finished.

Song Cheng held a hard, sharpened wooden spike in one hand to serve as a long nail, and a stone in the other to serve as a hammer, knocking and tapping away as he climbed up and down.

Tong Jia, meanwhile, took old bamboo split into two halves and inserted them one by one outside the wooden hut to form a bamboo fence, then took medical bandages, tore them open, twisted them into ropes, and wove them back and forth between the old bamboo.

In this way, the two worked until dusk before they stopped.

"I'm exhausted."

The Young Mistress sat on a large bluestone in the courtyard, her gaze sweeping naturally toward the north side of the wooden hut.

The mountain stream gurgled, reflecting the golden, shimmering light, appearing quiet and beautiful.

Song Cheng was doing alright; he inspected the entire house, walked around it twice, and said, "Finally finished."

His voice was also full of joy.

In his past life, when he read novels, he always had the illusion that a wooden hut could be built at the snap of one's fingers. But when he actually did it himself, he realized how difficult it was.

Choosing the site, clearing the wasteland, removing weeds and trees, then cutting wood, planning, and laying the foundation—even with a husband and wife working in unison, it took a full five days to get the house.

Tong Jia called out, "Dear, what are we eating tonight?"

Song Cheng said, "Fish."

Immediately, he grabbed the Fine Blade and walked toward the stream, his gaze locked onto the "0~0" data darting under the water, and he suddenly flicked his arm.

That hand, that blade, seemed like a venomous snake striking suddenly from the darkness, swiftly pouncing toward one of the data points.

A solid sensation instantly traveled from the tip of the blade.

Song Cheng flicked his hand again, then gave a lift.

A purely wild, purely natural fish broke through the water, and the string of sunset-colored water droplets it brought with it fell onto the grass, shining brilliantly.

Song Cheng said, "Eating grilled fish!"

The Young Mistress smiled and said, "Great."

Song Cheng also smiled.

In fact, these past few days, the two had basically eaten grilled fish every day.

Even if Tong Jia said, "I'm tired of eating this," he wouldn't find it strange.

But the Young Mistress not only didn't complain, she kept saying, "Do you know that this fish weighs at least three catties? If you took it to the county town, it would sell for about thirty wen!"

After saying that, the Young Mistress would happily eat with him.

Life had become leisurely, as if they had jumped out of the quagmire of the past; here, there was no longer a web woven by malicious hearts. Song Cheng also slowly walked out of that atmosphere of sadness and regret.

Seeing the world, the human heart can be healed.

At this moment, he held the blade, shook it in the sunset, and then looked at his panel:

【Name: Song Cheng】

【Talent: Chang Sheng Bu Lao】

【Add Points: 0 points】

【Realm: Yellow Grade, Ding Rank】

【Cultivation Method】

White Snake Blade (Yellow Grade, Ding Rank) (Completion) 【Skill】

White Snake Blade Combat Method (Yellow Grade, Ding Rank) (Great Accomplishment) (3/16)

Pagoda Meditation Method (Yellow Grade, Ding Rank) (Completion)

【Taboo】

1. Blessing of the Drowned Ghost. Over these past few days, he had added all 41 points.

The White Snake Blade cultivation method and the Pagoda Meditation Method had reached Completion.

Then, with extremely good luck, he spent only 2 spare points, and with a 30% success rate, he deduced the White Snake Blade Combat Method in one go; now that combat method had also reached a progress of "3/16".

Song Cheng scanned his own data again:

13~20!

With this kind of strength, he was confident he could completely crush Tanghe Village; even if those strong men from before the conscription were all there, they wouldn't be his match combined.

Admittedly, if those strong men were all fearless of death, he would indeed be worn down to death.

But the more realistic situation should be that he would brutally kill a few of them with a few strikes of his blade, which would directly destroy the morale of those strong men, and then turn Tanghe Village into fish meat on his chopping block for him to slaughter at will.

'Since the bandits outside the city didn't brutally attack the village but waited until there was an inside man in the village before acting, there shouldn't be anyone with my level of strength among the bandits.'

Song Cheng roughly evaluated his current strength.

Then he focused his gaze on the "+" sign after "Pagoda Meditation Method (Yellow Grade, Ding Rank) (Completion)".

The success rate shown by the "+" sign was "10%".

He nodded; there was still room for improvement.

No rush.

Living in the deep mountains by the river, the young couple had achieved "freedom of firewood" and "freedom of water."

After Tong Jia was full, she luxuriously boiled a large pot of water.

The pot was a stone pot, which Song Cheng had smashed out with brute force.

The mandarin ducks swam together and slept together.

It was harmonious and happy.

A long time later, after a song-like, high-pitched cry, the curtain of the song fell.

The Young Mistress fell weakly to Song Cheng's side, then extended her scallion-white fingers to wind around Song Cheng's hair, saying, "Dear, if we are to live here for a long time, when will you accompany me into the mountains to find some medicinal herbs? I want to open up a garden in the courtyard for planting."

Song Cheng smiled and said, "Then let's make it tomorrow."

The day after the wooden house was built.

【You spent a happy night with Tong Jia and gained 7 free points】.

Song Cheng used Add Points.

The progress of the White Snake Blade Combat Method became (10/16).

He and the Young Mistress went up the mountain to search for herbs. Upon returning, they discovered two foxes had been lured by the lingering scent of meat in the house.

That night, for dinner, they had stewed fox.

The third day.

【You spent a happy night with Tong Jia and gained 7 free points】.

Song Cheng used Add Points.

The White Snake Blade Combat Method reached Completion, with 1 point remaining.

Song Cheng's strength became "13~26".

This White Snake Blade technique was devious, ever-changing, and extremely agile.

A "+" sign appeared after "White Snake Blade", with a 10% success rate for derivation.

However, deriving Yellow Grade techniques further required 2 points per attempt.

Tong Jia rested for a day, and two herb gardens appeared in the small courtyard.

In the evening, Song Cheng was tired of eating fish and began waiting for foxes.

The foxes did not come.

The fourth day.

【You spent a happy night with Tong Jia and gained 7 free points】.

Song Cheng fiercely pushed the derivation of the "White Snake Blade" 4 times.

The result was failure.

The two went up the mountain and picked some more herbs to enrich the herb gardens.

After returning, Song Cheng discovered five wolves prowling around the house.

The wolves' strength was "1~2".

Song Cheng drew his blade, one strike per wolf; he slaughtered four, and the last one saw that things were going poorly and hurriedly fled.

That night, for dinner, they had stewed wolf.

Tong Jia said, "Wolf meat is better after all, it doesn't have that gamey smell."

The fifth day.

【You spent a happy night with Tong Jia and gained 7 free points】.

Song Cheng wanted to continue pushing that "10%" probability, but for some reason, he suddenly remembered the "ten-consecutive draws" from his past life.

Perhaps the probability of ten in a row would be a bit higher.

He decided to wait a little longer.

The herb gardens were completely established.

Tong Jia wiped away her sweat and suddenly suggested that she also wanted to learn the blade.

The husband and wife began practicing the "Affectionate Couple Blade".

That night, Song Cheng deliberately ate grilled fish in the courtyard.

The wolf meat from yesterday had not been finished yet and was left to air-dry on the side; hanging in one spot were also the furs of wolves and foxes.

But who would complain about having too much meat?

He continued to wait for wolves and foxes.

Without success.

The sixth day.

【You spent a happy night with Tong Jia and gained 7 free points】.

Song Cheng was waiting for wolves and foxes.

Without success.

The furs dried, and Tong Jia began doing needlework; she tried to make "fur clothes" with fluffy big tails to make this winter warmer.

At nightfall, Tong Jia said, "I don't know how the village is doing; should we go back and take a look from afar?"

Song Cheng refused because his technique had not been mastered yet.

The seventh day.

【You spent a happy night with Tong Jia and gained 7 free points】.

Song Cheng looked at his 21 points, rubbed his hands together, and pushed the "+" behind the 10% success rate of the "White Snake Blade".

A mysterious feeling surged up.

Song Cheng closed his eyes.

Many memories flashed through his mind.

He was swinging his blade, pursuing greater strength; since there was no path, he would carve one out.

He failed many times, but he also found the key to advancing further, which was the "coverage" of flesh and blood power.

The "White Snake Blade" made him focus on his chest, abdomen, and arms, but his waist and legs had not been trained.

He needed a complementary power to complete the "full-body coverage of flesh and blood".

After failure upon failure, he suddenly thought of an image: the seven northern mansions hanging high in the long sky, their shape resembling a black snake coiled around a tortoise, known as "Xuanwu".

If the body and arms are like a snake, why shouldn't the waist and legs be like a tortoise? He pondered for years and years, simulating the training method of the "White Snake Blade" in an attempt to create a new technique, but how could that be easy?

Many years later, after a heavy rain, he accidentally saw a long snake wanting to swallow a turtle, and the scene of the turtle and snake fighting suddenly brought him enlightenment.

He did not manage to figure out that new cultivation technique, but he had found the opportunity.

The thoracic vertebrae are like a snake, agile.

The lumbar vertebrae are like a turtle, steady.

Song Cheng opened his eyes, and the panel information changed:

【Cultivation Technique】

Profound Turtle Step (Yellow Grade, Ding Rank) (Not Yet Initiated) (0/2)

(End of this chapter)