The Lost Art
Although Si Ming's suggestion to play rock music was just a casual remark, it did indeed change Ying Zhou's fate, leading him down a different path in life.
Recalling Ying Zhou, who vented his rage by torturing and killing small animals, if he hadn't been guided and allowed to continue down this path, it wouldn't be surprising if he had become an antisocial super-criminal in the future.
Even if Ying Zhou can no longer be called a sunny boy, he is no longer as gloomy as before. He is just a little rebellious. If he was a wounded lone wolf in the past, and anyone who dared to approach him would be bitten hard by him, he is now a wild wolf that has just found a pack, wandering on the periphery, and has not yet integrated into the group.
"... Is it really incurable?"
Si Ming covered his face with his hands, pondering what kind of inspirational story he could use to motivate the awakened Ying Zhou.
The doctor gave him a strange look and said, "With our medical skills, this is all we can do. But as long as the patient cultivates his Internal Cultivation to level nine and opens up his eight extraordinary meridians, he will naturally be reborn and fully recovered. If that's not possible, we can ask a Spirit Transformation expert to help unblock his meridians, but the effect will be less."
Si Ming was taken aback. "Uh, is that all?"
Murong Qing said, "Nine times nine equals one. The Internal Cultivation Level Nine represents the transformation of tendons and marrow, moving from the acquired to the innate. It can cure any kind of ailment. This is common knowledge in martial arts."
Si Ming slapped his forehead, almost forgetting that this was an unscientific martial arts world. The mainstream values here were not that human strength has its limits, but that the human body has endless potential and contains infinite possibilities. If you encounter difficulties, just become stronger and then do whatever you want.
Internal Cultivation Level Nine is indeed difficult, since the average person's level is Internal Cultivation Level Four. But there is always hope for a cure, and with hope comes motivation. If all else fails, you can always ask a master for help.
Having figured this out, Si Ming felt relieved and was about to say a few words of thanks to the doctor when suddenly he heard hurried footsteps in the corridor, followed by two middle-aged men in police uniforms walking in.
After looking around, the two focused their attention on Si Ming, and as they approached, asked, "Excuse me, are you Si Ming, who is participating in the Youth Martial Arts Tournament?"
"Yes, what can I do for you?"
"Here's the thing, at 9:40 PM tonight, a body was found in a public restroom. After confirmation, the deceased is Dai Zhuiguang, a disciple of the Divine Leg Sect. We hope you can assist with the investigation."
Chapter Sixty-Nine: The Ultimate Technique for Eradicating Traces
Inside the public restroom, which was cordoned off, the pungent smell of blood mingled with the stench of the toilet, creating an indescribable odor with an excellent emetic effect.
Fortunately, the people of this world possess Internal Cultivation and are all proficient in breathing techniques. Their average breath-holding time is more than five minutes. They only need to come out to breathe fresh air from time to time, so they don't need to wear gas masks.
"Master Zhang, thank you for your trouble."
The police chief spoke to a Daoist robe-clad man carrying an ancient sword with azure patterns, and gestured for him to proceed.
The man in the Daoist robe was none other than Zhang Dixian, Nan Kemeng's martial uncle, who had been invited to divine information about the murderer in the case.
On Earth, this method would be equivalent to a criminal investigation team hiring a fortune teller to predict the murderer—it's pure superstition, and any modern-educated Chinese person would criticize them for being unreliable in their investigations.
However, in the Sea Continent World, divination is a scientific method and a common technique for solving all kinds of cases. From small thefts to counter-terrorism, people will ask someone to help with divination. Even larger public security bureaus will set up a divination police post specifically to divinate the culprit in cases.
Of course, the results of divination cannot be used as valid evidence in court because divination is always uncertain. At best, it can only approach 100% but never reach 100%. However, the purpose of setting up divination stations is to facilitate the search for evidence, narrow down the investigation scope, and save manpower and resources. The police never intended to use divination as direct evidence.
For example, if the divination results show several names, the police will identify these people as suspects, either taking them to the station for interrogation or searching their residences. Ninety-nine percent of cases are solved this way.
Because of the existence of divination, even though the security conditions in Su State are far from the level of installing cameras on every street, the crime rate is still frighteningly low.
Anyone who commits a crime will definitely be caught.
With this concept in mind, ordinary people would not commit crimes. People would only take risks if there was a chance of success. If there was not even a slight chance of success, then apart from soap lovers, no one would like to go to jail.
Crimes in the Su State are generally of three types. The first is impulsive crime, where people act rashly and their intelligence drops to the level of a pig crashing into a tree, so they naturally don't consider the consequences.
Secondly, they are prepared to die together with the enemy, even if they are sentenced to prison. With the courage to bear the consequences, they naturally have the audacity to commit crimes.
Thirdly, there are super criminals whose cultivation level exceeds a certain point, making it difficult for them to divination for information, or the criminals themselves know divination techniques and how to interfere with the changes in the I Ching.
In the third scenario, the only option is to call upon the Mohist Knight Guard. This is one of the reasons why the state allows the existence of such "illegal" organizations as the Mohist Knight Guard —ultimately, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.
Having received a kind reminder, Zhang Dixian secretly used the Turtle Breath Technique, then entered the well-preserved crime scene, carefully observed the victim's body, collected the corresponding divination factors, and a series of calculation formulas appeared in his mind.
About ten minutes later, Zhang Dixian came out of the restroom and apologized to the expectant police Captain, saying, "Aside from a hint from the 'Youth Martial Arts Tournament,' I couldn't divination any other information. The murderer's cultivation level should be above mine."
"It seems we have no choice but to leave it to the Mohist Knight Guard."
The Captain. He knew very well the Daoist priest's cultivation level. Shangtong Imperial Academy with Level Ten Internal Cultivation. If even he couldn't deduce more information, it proved that the murderer was at least on par with Zhang Dixian. Such a formidable person was definitely not someone they could handle. To disregard the safety of his subordinates for the sake of showing off was not the mark of a qualified leader.
"Alright, Xiao Xian, the rest is up to you. Gather as much intelligence as possible."
The Captain greeted a pale-haired man behind him. Since divination and other supernatural Divine Ability were ineffective, they would use ordinary skills to search for evidence.
Xiao Xian belongs to the Martial Arts Appraisal Department. He has a taciturn face and white hair, which easily gives people the impression that "he must have suffered a heavy blow". But in fact, this is not the case. He is just like this by nature and does not like to talk much.
"The deceased's face was contorted, and there were signs of incontinence in his lower body, suggesting that he had been cruelly tortured before his death. It is speculated that the killer had a grudge against the victim, or that the killer had severe sadistic tendencies."
"There were signs of a slight struggle at the scene, suggesting that the victim was subdued in one move, and that the victim's internal True Qi was completely suppressed. It is estimated that the killer's Internal Cultivation was at least four levels higher than that of the victim."
"The deceased's meridians were shattered, showing various injuries, suggesting that he suffered damage from dozens of different types of force. In the end, all the force converged at his heart and exploded in one fell swoop, which is the direct cause of death."
In many fantasy novels, whenever the protagonist fights with other masters, several passersby in the crowd will appear who are exceptionally familiar with the characteristics of the martial arts of various schools. They seem to know everything, readily available all kinds of gossip and secrets of the martial arts world, and can recognize the identities of the fighters at a glance and determine the martial arts used by both sides after a few glances. They are even Baixiaosheng than the most well-known martial arts Baixiaosheng.
Xiao Xian was one such onlooker. He was familiar with tens of thousands of martial arts techniques in the world, and could recite the characteristics, True Qi attributes, and injury symptoms of various martial arts techniques by heart. He had an extraordinary memory and was known as a human walking library.
"It can be confirmed that the deceased died from the Meridian-Shattering Goosefoot Heart Palm, a martial art from the 'True Scripture of Sinful Punishment,' the ultimate technique of the Eight Asura Sin Lord, Spirit Transformation powerhouse who was once on the Villain Ranking."
The Captain immediately grasped the key point. "In the past?"
Xiao Xian nodded and said, "Eight years ago, Senior Startling Rainbow Beyond the Heavens pursued the Eight Asura Sin Lord all the way and finally killed him in the Nation of Beauty."
"They're already dead. That means the murderer is either a descendant of the Eight Asura Sin Lord or another martial artist who has studied the 'True Scripture of Sinful Punishment'?"
"It's hard to say; at least in the past eight years, I haven't heard any related news."
"Perhaps someone found the 'True Scripture of Sinful Punishment,' silently cultivated it diligently, and after eight years of mastery, fell into Evil Dao, which is why they came out to harm society."
Xiao Xian shook his head and said, "According to the article published in the True Martial Weekly, although the second half of the True Scripture of Sinful Punishment records various cruel and cruel techniques for torturing people, it is itself a legitimate Xuanmen Cultivation Method. Its focus is on the cultivation method of the Sin-Exterminating Divine Mutilated Body recorded in the first half. This is a kind of ascetic cultivation method that is close to self-harm. It emphasizes that while harming the enemy, one must also endure the corresponding pain to resolve the resentment and allow the cultivator to understand the Paramārtha of compassion. Of course, if one only practices the second half and not the first half, nine times out of ten one will become a madman who has lost his mind."