The [Black Sha Demonic Art] contained a mere two thousand characters from beginning to end.
The two of them quickly finished reading it through.
They exchanged a glance and found that it truly lived up to its name as a demonic art.
Its method of cultivating internal strength was simple and brutal, yet took an unorthodox path.
Cultivating this martial art required the blood of women, for the purpose of drawing out the Innate Primordial Yin within it.
The most basic requirement for the chosen woman was that she be a virgin.
Better still was a woman born in a yin year, and better than that was one born in a yin year and a yin month, all the way up to the high-grade ones Zhou Qingmei knew about.
To ensure that the Innate Primordial Yin was not lost, one could not kill a woman and drain her blood to cultivate this martial art.
Instead, while she was still alive, one had to make a small hole at her Baihui acupoint and press the Laogong acupoint in one's palm against it. Then, using the demonic art's secret method, one drew the Innate Primordial Yin into the body, through the hand jueyin pericardium meridian and into the Qihai acupoint on the ren meridian.
This continued until the woman died and her Innate Primordial Yin dissipated completely.
After that, this Yin Qi had to be transformed into Black Sha True Qi.
From there, one circulated it through the heavenly cycle. Once one's internal strength had accumulated sufficiently, one opened the ren and du meridians, and the demonic art was considered complete.
The simplicity of this method lay in the fact that, as long as there was enough Innate Primordial Yin, the speed at which one accumulated internal strength was beyond anything the internal arts of the orthodox sects in the jianghu could match.
Black Sha True Qi was also vicious and insidious, damaging a person's foundation and cultivation, making it extremely troublesome.
"No wonder the Black Sha Cult was able to run rampant for a time back then."
After finishing it, Fang Shuwen frowned.
"And there aren't even any decent external martial arts in here. That was a waste of time."
"Then let's destroy it."
Zhou Qingmei detested this kind of martial art even more.
Since they hadn't found what Fang Shuwen wanted, she immediately suggested destroying it.
Fang Shuwen did not hesitate either. He placed the manual in his palm, circulated his internal breath, and rubbed his hands together, reducing it to a shower of fragments.
With a flick of his hand, he scattered them outside the tree hollow, where they vanished in an instant amid the pouring rain.
Zhou Qingmei breathed a sigh of relief at the sight and said with a smile:
"Actually, if you're looking for external martial arts, you don't need to look for them in the [Black Sha Demonic Art].
"I have some right here."
"Can the Pearl Pavilion's martial arts be passed on to outsiders?"
Fang Shuwen didn't believe it.
Never mind a major sect like the Pearl Pavilion—even if someone secretly learned the Four Seas Martial Hall's martial arts, he and his fellow disciples would go looking for trouble with that person in a group.
The best way to deal with it was to bring the person into the martial hall as an apprentice.
Otherwise, the person would have to be beaten soundly, or even have the tendons in their hands and feet severed.
It wasn't that the people of the Four Seas Martial Hall were ruthless. This was the very foundation on which a martial hall stood. Secretly learning martial arts was a major taboo in the jianghu, and in such a case, beating the thief to death on the spot was only to be expected.
"Of course the Pearl Pavilion's martial arts can't be passed on to outsiders, but I've had a few opportunities while traveling through the jianghu."
Zhou Qingmei said:
"Some time ago, I lost my footing and fell into a cave, where I discovered a palm technique. It was endlessly profound and truly extraordinary.
"All my martial cultivation lies in the sword. I haven't even fully comprehended the Pearl Pavilion's [Thousand-Character Sword Technique], so naturally I wouldn't spend my efforts on other martial arts.
"That's why I've never practiced this palm technique. If you want to learn it, I can teach it to you."
"Well..."
Fang Shuwen hesitated.
Pies didn't fall from the sky, and Fang Shuwen understood something of why Zhou Qingmei had made the offer.
But he couldn't help feeling that, if he accepted, the relationship between them would become a little complicated.
Originally, it had been the simplest of transactions: Zhou Bancheng had paid him to protect her. As long as he kept her safe, he would collect his reward when it was over, and then they would part ways and have nothing more to do with each other.
Though Zhou Qingmei was a rare beauty, the more a woman was like that, the less Fang Shuwen wanted to get involved with her.
After all, girls with looks like hers always had plenty of trouble around them.
If he now accepted a palm technique from her as well, and one that even a true disciple of the Pearl Pavilion praised to the skies,
then it would no longer be a matter of money. He would owe her an enormous favor.
If she later ran into trouble he couldn't handle, he would be too embarrassed even to run away.
"What are you hesitating for?"
Zhou Qingmei said with a smile:
"You've saved my life twice. If it weren't for you, I'd be dead already. It's just a palm technique—what's it worth?
"You're a grown man, so don't be so bashful."
Fang Shuwen didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He nodded.
"Then let me make this clear first: what I cherish most in this life is my own little life.
"Silver comes second.
"Your father paid me silver, and I protect you. Everything follows naturally.
"So even if you don't teach me the palm technique, I'll keep protecting you.
"Likewise, even if you do teach it to me, if we run into danger I can't withstand in the future, the most I'll do is take you with me when I run... I'll never stake my life for you."
Zhou Qingmei showed no change of expression at his words and immediately nodded.
"That's exactly how it should be!
"A human life is at stake. Why should a few scraps of silver make you give up yours for me?
"If it really is beyond your ability, just run. I won't hold it against you."
With everything said to that point, Fang Shuwen stopped hesitating and agreed.
Tonight was obviously not the right time, however, so the two continued looking through the rest of the spoils.
Fang Shuwen had originally intended to split the banknotes evenly between them.
But Zhou Qingmei said:
"It's probably best not to keep these banknotes. There's no telling whether an unknown bank like this has some connection to the Black Sha Cult.
"Going to exchange them for silver might be like a sheep walking into a tiger's jaws."
Fang Shuwen raised an eyebrow.
"Then doesn't that mean the bank itself is a clue?"
"That makes sense."
Zhou Qingmei was taken aback and nodded repeatedly. She examined the banknotes more closely, and the bank's location was written on them.
"This bank is in Guangning City!"
Fang Shuwen stroked his chin and said:
"A lecherous bandit was causing trouble in Guangning City, and after you snatched someone away, you offended the Black Sha Cult.
"The [Black Sha Demonic Art] the Black Sha Cult cultivates also requires women's blood as a catalyst...
"The outline of this whole matter seems pretty clear now.
"The ones we're mainly up against now are the Black Sha Cult!
"They were hiding in Guangning City, keeping a low profile and biding their time, only to run into you, a disciple of the Pearl Pavilion.
"To avoid being exposed, they wanted to kill you and silence you!"
Zhou Qingmei thought that was what had happened too, and immediately said with a smile:
"In that case, as long as we find a clue to the Black Sha Cult in Guangning City and wait for the Pearl Pavilion's reinforcements to arrive,
"we might even have a chance to wipe out the Black Sha Cult in one stroke!
"Brother Fang, of everything you said, 'low profile' was especially well put!"
Fang Shuwen gave an awkward laugh and went to divide the silver, but Zhou Qingmei was wealthy and didn't think much of it, so she gave it all to him.
Finally, there was the letter.
But after opening it, Zhou Qingmei frowned deeply.
There was only one simple sentence written on it:
[The young cult leader orders Zhou Qingmei killed at any cost. Delay may jeopardize the greater plan!]