Narration System for the Journey of Martial Arts

Page 31

"I'm going to kill you, you damned stinking beggar." The murderous intent in his eyes was no longer concealed. The 'corpse' exerted force under his palm, lunged forward, and grabbed Su Yuchen's neck with his right hand.

………………

Just as he moved, Su Yuchen also moved, rolling on the ground and delivering a powerful kick to his face with his right foot, using the "Dragon Tail Twist" move from the Ground Fist technique.

Caught off guard, the 'corpse' could no longer maintain its balance and was kicked by Su Yuchen, causing it to stumble and fall face down on the ground.

At that moment, the two judge's pens inserted into his lower abdomen pierced him from the chest to the back, sending a chill down his spine.

The 'corpse' could no longer hold on, and from its bleeding mouth came 'gurgling' incoherent words. Then its head lolled to the side, and it became a dead body.

Su Yuchen glanced at the motionless corpse, shook his head, and casually broke open the sesame seed cake in his hand, revealing a blackish-red iron block about the size of a fingernail inside.

Although the iron block was small, it felt heavy. Su Yuchen casually tossed it and recognized it as a small piece of black iron. He wondered why those people were fighting over it.

After all, it's such a small piece; even throwing a one-inch-long knife would be difficult.

Before he could think it through, a system notification sounded in his mind...

You have obtained the Mystic Iron Token.

The legendary martial artist Xie Yanke forged three Xuan Tie tokens, from which anyone who obtained one could make a request. Two of the tokens have already been taken back by Xie Yanke; this is the last one that has been lost.

[Wu Daotong, the "Judge's Pen," obtained the last piece of the Mysterious Iron Token and hid in Houjian Assembly, disguising himself as the Old Man Who Makes Pancakes, intending to wait for Xie Yanke to appear.]

[Upon learning of the news, An Fengri, the leader of the Golden Knife Stronghold, attempted to seize the item from Wu Daotong, the "Judge's Pen." However, with Wu Daotong's death, the Xuan Tie Token fell into your hands.]

[At Xuan Su Manor in Jiangnan, Shi Qing, the "Black and White Twin Swords," and his wife Min Rou are also here for the Xuan Tie Token and are about to arrive.]

[Geng Wanzhong and Hua Wanzi of the Snow Mountain Sect, leading their disciples, have been tracking Shi Zhongyu and, having received news of the Xuan Tie Token, are now on their way from nearby.]

[The Hermit of the Sky, Xie Yanke, has received news of the last piece of the Mysterious Iron Token and is on his way.]

"So, this is the world of 'The Wandering Swordsman'? Then am I the protagonist, Dog Bastard? Bah, bah, bah..." Su Yuchen was stunned for a moment, then realized which world he had come to.

However, he doesn't have a habit of randomly recognizing people as his parents. Even though Shi Qing and his wife were good people in the original story, don't they still have a troublesome son now?

Besides, even if I went up there and called Shi Qing and his wife "Mom and Dad," they might not even acknowledge me!

The thought of having to call someone else "Dad" and "Mom" while pretending to be young sent chills down Su Yuchen's spine. He immediately put away the Xuan Tie Token, hurriedly picked up two pieces of clothing from the ground, and walked towards the pile of ruins.

………………

Not long after Su Yuchen disappeared, the sound of hooves echoed again in the empty market, but this time there were only the footsteps of two horses.

As the sound of hooves stopped outside the pancake shop, the still-burning firelight revealed that these were two exotic horses.

One of them was entirely black, without a single blemish, except for its four snow-white hooves; it was the famous steed known as "Black Cloud Covering Snow." The other horse was the opposite, entirely white except for its black hooves.

A man and a woman rode on two exotic horses. The man was dressed in black, and the woman in pure white. Each of them had a sword sheath of the same color tied to their waist, matching the color of the horses and highlighting their extraordinary demeanor.

The two men looked at the mess on the ground with a slight surprise in their expressions. The man flicked his whip and rolled up Wu Daotong's body on the ground.

After examining it for a moment, the man nodded: "Sister Rou, it is indeed Wu Daotong, the 'Judge's Pen'. It seems that An Fengri has succeeded, and the Xuan Tie Token should already be in his hands."

Chapter 60 Everyone Arrives 1

The woman called Roumei rode up on her horse, looked at Wu Daotong's wounds, nodded and said, "Brother Qing, the blood on Wu Daotong's wounds has not dried yet, so he must have just died recently."

Qing Ge nodded and looked west, which was the direction of Jin Dao Village.

The two exchanged a glance, their minds in sync, understanding each other's thoughts. They immediately pulled on the reins and spurred their horses westward.

………………

Not long after the two left, Su Yuchen had washed up, changed into a loose and ill-fitting set of clothes, and walked out of the pile of rubble.

Although he still looked like a dirty little beggar, his complexion seemed much better.

He held a well-preserved earthenware basin in his hand, and picked through the sesame cakes on the ground, putting the edible ones into the basin.

Then they went back and forth several more times, picking up one or two usable bowls, chopsticks, and stools from the ground.

Then he returned, picked up a torch from the ground, and as he turned to leave, he glanced at Wu Daotong's corpse, hesitated for a moment, and couldn't help but sigh...

"Fine, I've already taken your things, so it's not right to just leave you to rot in the street."

He then stuck the torch into a mound of earth nearby, grabbed Wu Daotong by the leg, and dragged him to the base of a low wall that was about to collapse.

Having found the right spot, he kicked the corner of the earthen wall. After several kicks, the wall could no longer withstand the force and collapsed, burying Wu Daotong's body underneath.

After doing all this, Su Yuchen picked up the torch and walked towards the back of the ruins.

Bending down, he walked into a corner between two earthen walls, where the collapsed ruins had created a suitable place to take shelter. Su Yuchen had just collected Wu Daotong's bed and quilt, and also prepared a bunch of flatbreads and pickled vegetables.

Sitting down in the tidied-up beggar's den, Su Yuchen lit the torch in his hand on the campfire he had set up. Once the fire was burning, he placed the earthenware pot on it and began to boil water and bake flatbread.

Under the deep darkness of the night, Su Yuchen began to eat his first meal in this world.

After eating and drinking to their hearts' content, Su Yuchen stoked the campfire until it smoldered, took precautions against the wind, and lay down on his bed...

"This body is too weak and lacks vital energy, so it is not advisable to practice Qi cultivation rashly. Moreover, due to long-term malnutrition, it is also not possible to practice external hard skills."

"The most urgent task now is to replenish the lost vital essence. It seems that the Yi Jin Jing of Bodhidharma is the best choice. It can change the tendons and wash the marrow to enhance the original essence."

"No wonder that in the original novel, even after Brother Gou mastered the 'Xia Ke Xing' technique, he was still just so-so. He suffered severe losses later on and rashly attempted to refine his essence into qi. Although Ding Busan's medicinal wine made up for some of the damage, his original essence was already damaged."

"It's possible that my guess is wrong, but there's no need to worry about it. Now that I'm here, we should do things my way."

"It seems we'll still need Xie Yanke to be our bodyguard for a while. His Motianling is sparsely populated but has plenty of food, making it a perfect place to recuperate."

Su Yuchen took out the Xuan Tie Token from his pocket, tossed it around, and then, as if thinking of something, put it away.

Although he had lost all his martial arts skills, his spiritual realm and knowledge of martial arts remained. Su Yuchen then performed the dynamic exercises of the "Damo Yijinjing" on the bed and quickly entered a deep state of tranquility.

………………

As the rooster crows and the sky gradually brightens, the common people, who have endured a night of torment and fear, have no choice but to risk leaving their homes to earn a living.

The noisy whispers also woke Su Yuchen. When those people saw the little beggar huddled in the ruins of the pancake shop, no one bothered to do anything. At most, they just glanced at him and marveled at how brave the little beggar was, not afraid of the dead.

Su Yuchen, along with the others, got up in the dim light to boil water and prepare his morning flatbread.

Before the sun rose, Su Yuchen quickly ate and drank his fill, then sat cross-legged quietly, waiting for the first wisp of purple light.

At a certain moment, with a thought, Su Yuchen closed his eyes and inhaled. At the same time, the sun leaped up from below the horizon, and a purplish-red fireball burst from the ground.

Su Yuchen opened his mouth and inhaled, a faint wisp of purple mist flashing and disappearing from his nose. A smile flickered across Su Yuchen's face: "There's a chance!"

He then patiently captured this rare essence of heaven and earth until the sun rose and the air became hot. Su Yuchen immediately lay down and assumed the "Sleeping Arhat" posture to absorb the purple energy of the sun.

As the Yi Jin Jing of Bodhidharma circulated, a faint crackling sound emanated from Su Yuchen's body, and his bones trembled.

Passersby heard this and only glanced in this direction, thinking that the ruins were about to collapse.

Seeing the little beggar huddled in the ruins, no one bothered to remind him that the ruins might collapse, except to sigh that laziness brings good fortune.

After absorbing that wisp of purple energy, Su Yuchen stood up, his bones cracking, and a flash of purple light disappeared from his eyes.

Feeling his stomach growling, Su Yuchen couldn't help but smile wryly. He was so hungry that he hadn't eaten anything at all. He took a few more of the remaining flatbread and a bowl of warm water.

Su Yuchen walked to the corner of the wall across the street, sat down facing the rising sun, ate a piece of flatbread and drank some warm water, watching the crowds come and go...

You have successfully absorbed a wisp of the Great Sun's Purple Qi.

Your fundamental deficiency has increased slightly, to an almost unspeakable degree. Keep up the good work.

[If you're going to be a weakling again, you need to seize every opportunity. How about Xie Yanke? Keep striving, young man!]

………………

As noon approached, Su Yuchen finished his fifth flatbread and drank the bowl of warm water. He was hesitating whether to get two more flatbreads.

Just then, outside Houjianji, came the clattering of hooves, a crisp and swift sound, as if it were only one horse. Only when they got closer did it become clear that there were two horses, their paces in unison, producing only one sound.

Even Su Yuchen, upon seeing it, couldn't help but exclaim, "What a fine horse!"

Seeing their attire, Su Yuchen had already guessed that they were Shi Qing and Min Rou, the couple who had returned.

"It seems they've caught up with the Golden Knife Stronghold, but failed to obtain the Xuan Tie Token, so they've come back to search for them themselves?" Su Yuchen thought to himself as he sat in the shadows of the corner.

When the townspeople in the market saw two more martial arts practitioners with long swords at their waists arrive, they immediately scattered, wishing they had two more legs. As for how they would curse Shi Qing and his wife when they got home, that was anyone's guess.

The local security guard, who had been lingering near the ruins, also turned tail and ran, slamming his front door shut behind him.

In a short while, apart from Shi Qing and his wife, and Su Yuchen, there was no one else on the market street. In broad daylight, the silence made one wonder if this was a ghost town.

Su Yuchen rolled his eyes, nestled in the shadows of the street corner, nodding his head as he waited for Xie Yanke to appear.

………………

Shi Qing and Min Rou immediately looked around, then paused in surprise. Shi Qing dismounted and walked over, carefully examining Su Yuchen before asking, "Young brother, may I ask where the person who died last night went?"

Su Yuchen looked up at him, then lowered his head and ignored him.

Shi Qing glanced back at Min Rou, then smiled, reached into his pocket, and when he took it out, he had two pieces of silver in his hand.

Your slickness and worldliness displeased Shi Qing and Min Rou, but he refrained from making any unfounded judgments about you.

Your behavior doesn't seem like that of a 'Dog Bro' who's just come down from the wilderness for the first time; it's more like that of a seasoned, worldly-wise old fox.

You've successfully aroused Shi Qingminrou's slight dislike; you've offended 'Dog Brother's' parents; you're finished.

Su Yuchen ignored the system's narration, pointed to his bowl, and Shi Qing smiled and immediately threw the broken silver into the bowl.

Su Yuchen then pointed to the earthen wall where Wu Daotong was buried, indicating that the person was right there.

Chapter 61 Everyone Arrives 2

Shi Qing walked to the collapsed earthen wall, glanced around, and then stomped his right foot. One end of a pillar on a roof beam in the ruins lifted up and fell down on him.

Shi Qing reached out and grabbed the roof beam. He tucked one end under his arm, curled his right fingers into a claw, and dug them into the beam.

He paused, then exerted force, pushing the beam into the breach in the earthen wall. With each push, chunks of the wall were flung away, revealing the corpse beneath.

After carefully cleaning around the body, Shi Qing squatted down and examined the body from head to toe, leaving no stone unturned, including the hair, toes, shoes, and socks.

After the inspection was completed, Shi Qing stood up and shook his head at Min Rou, clearly having found nothing.

“I was blind to your own brilliance. An Fengri is so shrewd. If he didn’t notice it, of course he couldn’t have missed it.” Min Rou’s expression turned bitter, and sorrow welled up in her heart.

“An Jindao is shrewd and capable, but his men might not be. Let’s search again,” Shi Qing comforted him.

The two then searched the ruins again, inside and out, until they found nothing. Min Rou was overcome with grief and began to sob, while Shi Qing comforted her.

It's unclear what they said, but they ended up leading their horses together towards Kaifeng Prefecture.

Su Yuchen couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. After all, he was living in someone else's son's body. It would have been fine if he hadn't known, but knowing it made him feel guilty.

Fortunately, the emotion came quickly and went quickly.

………………

Not long after, Su Yuchen was getting drowsy waiting when he heard a gentle breeze and immediately saw several shadows projected onto the wall behind him.

The disciples of the Snow Mountain Sect have arrived.

Geng Wanzhong and Hua Wanzi, who were originally heading to Xuan Su Manor in Jiangnan, received news of the Xuan Tie Token halfway there and made a special trip to come.

It's a pity you didn't cleanse yourself thoroughly enough, otherwise you could have been like Shi Zhongyu, dragged to Lingxiao City and beheaded.

As soon as Su Yuchen looked up, he saw several figures dressed in thick white robes descend and surround him from behind.

"Wearing such thick clothes."

Judging from their attire, they must be disciples of the Snow Mountain Sect. Su Yuchen couldn't help but wonder, having come all the way from the snow mountains to the heart of the Central Plains, aren't they afraid of the heat?

As soon as the group arrived, the man in the lead went straight to Wu Daotong's body. The weather was hot, and the body was already surrounded by flies.

The man didn't seem to mind; he swatted away the flies, inspected the area again, and then shook his head at the group of people who had come with him.

The Snow Mountain Sect members, after searching the ruins again, all shook their heads, clearly finding nothing.

The woman from the crowd walked over, glanced at the silver coins in Su Yuchen's bowl, and her eyes immediately lit up. She reached out, took out a piece of silver, and threw it into the bowl: "Young man, who gave you this silver coin?"

Su Yuchen glanced at her but didn't speak. The woman smiled, then took out a whole piece of silver weighing ten taels, held it in her hand, and asked, "Young man, can you tell me now?"

Su Yuchen took the silver ingot from her hand and then said, "A man and a woman, one black and one white, and the horses are also one black and one white."

The woman turned to look behind her: "Senior Brother Geng, it's the 'Black and White Swords' couple. Could the Xuan Tie Token have fallen into their hands?"

The man was Geng Wanzhong from the Snow Mountain Sect, and the woman was his junior sister, Hua Wanzi.

Before Geng Wanzhong could speak, his ears twitched, and he looked up at the market entrance. He saw a yellow horse galloping towards them, with a slightly short, fat man on it, a golden knife hanging at his waist.