Abundant Martial Arts Virtue
Chapter 46 - 37 The Lord is Buried Beneath the Spring, Flesh Decays and Bones Dissolve

Chapter 46: Chapter 37 The Lord is Buried Beneath the Spring, Flesh Decays and Bones Dissolve

"Friend, why hide and sneak around? Come over for a chat."

Wu Xiaode’s voice carried far and wide.

No one responded.

"With such a heavy murderous aura, did you really think you could hide?"

Wu Xiaode snorted coldly, his figure flashed, and he leaped onto the surrounding wall, looking around vigilantly.

The cold wind blew.

The street outside was empty, with no one in sight.

Without any warning—

Boom!

Thunder exploded in the clouds.

Wu Xiaode suddenly dodged to the side.

A sniper bullet grazed his cheek and hit the tree behind him, passing through it and lodging into the signboard on the second floor of the martial arts school.

Little Shi screamed.

Qian Mingkui shouted, "Damn it, my signboard— What’s going on, Brother Wu?"

Wu Xiaode slowly turned his head and glanced back into the martial arts school.

On the columns to the left and right of the entrance to the main hall of the martial arts school were engraved two lines of large characters:

"Snow Stepping and Seeking Plum, leaving no trace"

"Facing the wind with a purpose, asking the moon to come"

And outside on the second floor of the martial arts school hung a signboard:

"Nine Extremes of Mount Tian"

The sniper bullet had hit this signboard, leaving a hole that was continuously expanding.

Crack, crack—

Crash!

The signboard split down the middle and fell to the ground.

At that moment, the rain from the sky finally fell.

The heavy rain gradually turned the ground into mud, and the signboard was splashed with mud and water. Qian Mingkui hurried to collect it, but could only pick up a few broken pieces of wood.

Wu Xiaode paused for a moment, his expression gradually twisting.

He said with hatred:

"If you had come openly to challenge us, I wouldn’t have said much, but you used a hidden weapon to destroy my family’s signboard, that’s just despicable..."

"Little Wu."

"I’m here, senior."

"I’m borrowing your reputation to kill someone, do you mind?"

"Not at all, senior; please feel free, senior."

"Good!"

Wu Xiaode slowly drew his long saber, jumped down, and strolled to the center of the street, where he stood firm.

He took a deep breath and roared:

"I am the head of the Snow Stepping and Seeking Plum sect!"

"Whoever destroyed my signboard, come out and draw the line, I’ll settle this grudge with you!"

His voice echoed down the street like thunder, the reverberations lingering.

No one responded.

The only sound was the "shasha" of the rain.

Wu Xiaode was soaked, but he stood still as his murderous aura grew layer by layer.

Finally—

At the end of the street.

A middle-aged man in a suit appeared.

He walked to the opposite side of Wu Xiaode and applauded, "It’s rare for someone to dodge a sniper rifle’s ambush, you really are quite skilled."

"Finish your words," Wu Xiaode said expressionlessly.

"I’m here because a powerful person has taken an interest in you. He sent me to tell you, the conditions from yesterday that you did not accept, have changed today."

The middle-aged man spoke with an air of competence and efficiency, continuing, "Today’s conditions are—"

"All of Xia Huilan’s technological research results belong to us, and you must also come and work for us. Only then can the two of you live."

Wu Xiaode unexpectedly tilted his head and silently said, "Kid, I only kill people. You deal with your own issues."

"Alright, let me say it—"

Wu Xiaode began, "Who exactly is behind you?"

"You come work loyally for us, and sooner or later you’ll find out," said the middle-aged man.

Wu Xiaode impatiently said, "You guys are so annoying, not even daring to reveal a name. That sort of attitude will never be able to take the stage, and will never defeat the Zhao Imperial Family, do you know why?"

"—Because you don’t even dare to be open and aboveboard."

"Yes, you’re just a bunch of rats from the gutter, and yet you still have the delusion of making me your dog?"

The middle-aged man coldly said, "Wu Xiaode, you’re courting death. You should know—"

He didn’t finish his words when a series of electronic tones suddenly came from his chest.

The middle-aged man took out his phone and answered the call.

An old voice came through:

"Turn on the holographic image. I want him to realize how the world really is."

"Yes."

The middle-aged man pressed something on his phone.

Suddenly, the phone projected a holographic image displaying an elderly man with a cane and white hair, comfortably seated on a sofa with six beautiful attendants serving him.

One woman was making tea, another was holding a cup, one knelt on the ground massaging his feet, another was rubbing his shoulders, one fanned him gently with a jade fan, and one carefully peeled grapes, feeding the translucent fruit into the old man’s mouth.

The old man looked at the screen and said kindly:

"Little Wu, stop being a Guardian for the Imperial Family. Come work for me, and I guarantee you’ll enjoy endless blessings."

"Who are you?" Wu Xiaode asked.

"The Imperial Military Machine Department Commander, Ge Lengshan," said the old man.

"Where are you?" Wu Xiaode asked.

"Above your head," the old man replied.

"Above my head?" Wu Xiaode looked up at the sky.

Lead clouds obscured everything.

Could there be some sort of aircraft above the cloud layer?

"Little Wu, do you want to die in the street like a stray dog, your body thrown into a gutter, or come work for me and enjoy countless wealth and glory?"

"I will be watching over you until you make a decision," Ge Lengshan said.

Wu Xiaode cracked a smile, revealing a mouthful of white teeth as he said, "Why don’t you come down and tell me that in person?"

"Poor child, you’re still far too young and naive to understand one important thing in life," Ge Lengshan shook his head and said.

"I’m all ears," Wu Xiaode said.

"Humans are born into a class system, it’s the nature of our species—child, it’s like you have to look up when you see me, while I only need to look down upon you," Ge Lengshan said.

"Perhaps you were born many years before me, have done many great deeds, and know more truths than I do, but there is one thing you’ve got wrong," Wu Xiaode said.

"What?"

"No matter how high your class is, it’s the same as mine, an ordinary person."

"The same?"

"You see, you’ve only got one life too. Since you want mine, let’s fight it out. Who knows, you might die, and all your everything will be gone," Wu Xiaode said with a shrug.

Ge Lengshan chuckled, "A man’s rage leads to blood spilled within five steps? That’s all ancient history. Now I’m in the heavens, while you remain in the mortal world, never able to come before me."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, now answer me, will you come work for me or not?"

"I won’t."

"Then go to die," the old man said, no longer paying attention to him. He nodded and smiled at the beautiful maidservant beside him, "Today’s tea was well brewed."

Wu Xiaode stood still and then suddenly raised his hand to draw his saber, slashing diagonally in front of him.

Swish!

A sniper bullet was cleaved in half in mid-air, dragging a long, swirling line of dust on the walls on both sides of the street.

He held the saber steady, silently saying:

"Are you done talking?"

"I’m done," Wu Xiaode said.

The Ancestor Spirit’s tone seemed to carry a hint of admiration, "Youngster, today you’ve fulfilled my request and promised to look after my descendants. In return, I shall pass on a saber skill to you on behalf of others."

"There’s a phrase called ’the flash of sabers and the shadow of swords’."

"This phrase mentions two kinds of weapons, but when it comes to the saber, this is how it’s actually used."

"Watch closely—"

The long saber was sheathed and then suddenly drawn out again with a powerful slash!

A streak of Golden Light flew from the blade edge, dragging a dazzling thin line down the street, and in a flash, it crossed thousands of meters, hitting a room in a building two streets away.

Blood instantly stained the window red.

The sound of shattering glass echoed as the window panes fell, revealing the sniper rifle inside the room, and the body that had been sliced in half.

A beautiful arc of blood splattered on the pristine white wall.

The sniper was dead!

The Ancestor Spirit stood in the middle of the street, earnestly instructing, "The Saber’s brilliance shoots forth from the blade, cutting heaven and earth, regardless of your myriad evasions; in the end, you are but a wisp of Dead Soul on my blade edge. Remember this mindset when using the saber."

"Yes, Senior," Wu Xiaode replied.

Wu Xiaode looked towards the holographic image.

Ge Lengshan, the cane-bearing commander of the Imperial Military Machine Department, showed no change in expression, with even a hint of mockery at the corner of his mouth.

Ge Lengshan took a sip of tea, speaking softly, "Naive child, since I dared to show myself, it means your life is already in my hands. Do you really think you can live?"

"How about we make a bet?" Wu Xiaode said.

"Bet on what?"

"If I survive today, it’s your turn to die; if I die by your hand, naturally I won’t be able to concern myself with Xia Huilan’s affairs anymore, and she will be yours."

"I have already won," Ge Lengshan stated indifferently, and then he made another gesture.

With that gesture, the Ancestor Spirit within Wu Xiaode immediately responded.

"Killing intent... I sense an extremely terrifying power, one that could level this entire area," the Ancestor Spirit said.

"Should we flee?" Wu Xiaode asked.

"My time to linger here is running short, kid you’d better listen well!"

The Ancestor Spirit exclaimed, "Do not let the fear of life and death disturb your saber intent. Focus your mind, calm your breath, and forget yourself completely. Next, I will pass on to you this saber skill—"

He took control of Wu Xiaode’s body, took up a crouching stance with knees bent, placed his hand on the hilt of the saber, and bowed his head.

Qian Mingkui lay atop the walls of the martial arts hall, utterly confused, yet he felt his heart racing and managed to hold back several times from speaking.

All around fell silent.

Wu Xiaode softly chanted, "The lord lies buried beneath the spring, his bones dissolved in mud; my worldly gift is snow upon my hair."

His body quivered, and suddenly, a chilling wind erupted at his feet, swirling and wrapping around all the raindrops, spinning outwards in all directions.

Boom—

The long saber unsheathed with a thunderous resonating sound.

Wu Xiaode held the saber with one hand, swinging it to produce a series of disjointed afterimages.

Golden rays condensed into lines, bursting forth from the bright gleam of the saber, slashing towards the depths of the sky.

In an instant, it was over.

Clang!

The saber returned to its sheath.

Undercurrents of wind continued to blow, lingering around Wu Xiaode for a long time.

He held the hilt of the saber and murmured in a teaching tone:

"As the poem states, this saber skill consists of two moves, bestowed by a Divine, with boundless power, not to be lightly passed on without great fortune."

"The move just now was ’The lord lies buried beneath the spring, his bones dissolved in mud’."

"As for the second move, ’my worldly gift is snow upon my hair,’ you are not yet capable of withstanding the appearance of this saber’s power. Forcing it out will only bring harm. For now, remember it in your heart, and use it when your Soul Power greatly increases."

"Kid, let it be known to you, since you are willing to protect my Tao legacy, I am not a stingy person."

"The green mountains will not change, the endless rivers will flow, I bid you farewell!"

As the voice faded, Wu Xiaode suddenly found that he had regained control of his body.

The Book of the Dead floated nearby, its pages revealing rows of ice crystal small letters exuding cold white vapor:

"The final synchronization with your body has concluded."

"The Ancestor Spirit has departed from your body, returning to the Spirit Realm."

"You have received the last transmission from the ancient Ancestor Spirit."

"You have begun to master an unknown lineage of saber art—"

"Lone Journey Amidst Wind and Snow."

"In this serendipitous moment, you have acquired a mysterious saber skill."

"You have begun to grasp the preparatory techniques of this saber skill. With diligent practice, you will make significant progress on the path of saber arts."

Wu Xiaode meditated deeply and found memories of various saber-fighting scenes surfacing in his mind.

These were what the Ancestor Spirit had passed on to him.

Just like when he had learned the Iron Wire Fist.

However—

What exactly did the Ancestor Spirit slash at just now?

Amidst the pouring rain, he gripped the long saber and looked up towards the sky.