Bone Scraping and Blood Replacement, Tiger Demon Yaksha

Done.

When Li Cunxiao heard Zhang Lishi's words, he immediately knew that this time, he had won his gamble.

People were not born equal. How many people's limits were set by birth? Sometimes, only those of astonishing talent could slightly overstep the barriers of the mundane world.

Though I, Li Cunxiao, do not possess that sort of talent, I have the Vajra Scepter!

With Blood Qi Perfection in two months, even Zhang Lishi had cast aside his reservations, passed down his teachings, and established a Master-Disciple Relationship with him.

Though it had not yet been announced to the outside world, the Li brothers' standing in the escort agency had already changed.

"Sanlang, today I will first teach you the Demon Seduction Method. As for the resources required for cultivation, come collect them from me afterward."

"Since you knew to come see me privately, you must have heard of Ye Chengxiao's matter. As for taking you as my disciple, we will announce it once you break through to the Muscle Realm."

"Also, since you have reached the threshold of Blood Qi Perfection, there is no need to waste your energy on Escort Missions. Yuelu, go tell Uncle Cui that Li Cunxiao showed commendable loyalty and courage in saving someone during this escort mission. Transfer him to the storeroom as a steward."

"Sanlang, what do you think of these arrangements?"

A whole string of arrangements came from Zhang Lishi's mouth, covering cultivation, personnel transfers, confidentiality, and more. Clearly, he had planned this long ago.

For Li Cunxiao, these were all basically good things. Naturally, he had no reason to refuse.

"I will follow Master's arrangements in all things."

Zhang Lishi nodded in satisfaction, then added another sentence.

"Also, starting today, let Wood Fork study together with Que'er. I have long heard that he is a clever child. Que'er is lazy by nature; she should have had a companion to supervise and discipline her long ago."

"Chief Escort, you praise my younger brother too highly. How could he possibly supervise or discipline her? Rather, it is my brother and I who must rely on Chief Escort and Third Lady."

Though the goodwill in the other party's words was already exceedingly clear, Li Cunxiao did not grow complacent in the slightest. Whether toward Zhang Lishi or Zhang Yuelu, he remained respectfully deferential.

If Shi Tie had been standing here, he could have accepted such words with complete ease. Not only was he the eldest disciple, he was also a Third Realm Master who had rendered great service to both the escort agency and Zhang Lishi.

Only when one had something real in hand did one have confidence in one's heart.

Li Cunxiao had merely established a Master-Disciple Relationship with Zhang Lishi. He would still need to rely on this thick thigh in many ways in the future. How could he foolishly take such polite words seriously?

Sure enough, seeing this, Zhang Lishi became even more satisfied. Without further nonsense, he began explaining the method for breaking through from Blood Qi Perfection into the Muscle Realm. Zhang Yuelu, meanwhile, left ahead of them.

It was not that she could not listen. On the contrary, she had heard it far too many times already. Zhang Lishi had put far more thought into his daughter than he had into the likes of Shen He.

"What are tendons and flesh? The human body can be summed up in one sentence: tendons, bones, skin, and flesh."

"A First Realm Warrior cultivates Blood Qi and can already wrestle tigers and wolves barehanded, run faster than galloping horses—but that is the limit. They still cannot withstand bows, crossbows, blades, or spears. Against a military encirclement, they can fight ten men, but not a hundred."

"This is the limit with which humans are born. The Blood Qi contained within Tendons, Bones, Skin, and Flesh has a fixed measure. When martial arts predecessors sought to break through this boundary and found no solution within themselves, they naturally turned their gaze toward another kind of creature, one born powerful."

Demons.

Li Cunxiao silently repeated the word. Ever since obtaining the Pure Yang Sixteen Hands in the black market, a corner of this world's martial path's cruelty had been lifted before his eyes.

The Pure Yang Sixteen Hands used a method of internal and external assault. How, then, did the Tiger Demon Fist break through the limits of the human body?

"...Humans have limits, but demons do not. The Demon Seduction Method in martial arts is a wondrous technique born from the union of illusion and reality."

At this point, Zhang Lishi returned to the table. His palm pressed some hidden mechanism, and Li Cunxiao heard a faint whirring sound. The next moment, the other man took out a scroll and handed it over.

Li Cunxiao accepted it with both hands. At Zhang Lishi's nod, he gently unfurled it with an excited heart.

Within the painting stood an imposing Divine General.

The Divine General had crimson skin and wore golden armor with two flaps. A coiling dragon guarded his abdomen, a jade belt cinched the outside, and silk drapery hung from his shoulders, giving him an immortal air.

Yet his expression was one of raging fury—his hair stood on end, his eyes glared wide, his mouth opened in a roar. His left hand was clenched into a fist, and his right arm was raised in forceful fury, as though anger was about to erupt from him!

The brushwork was delicate, lifelike down to the smallest detail. But that was all. Li Cunxiao could sense no artistic conception, nor did he feel anything strange.

What did this have to do with the Tiger Demon Fist?

Seeing his confusion, Zhang Lishi smiled and explained.

"The Demon Seduction Method differs according to the martial art, and its methods vary. But the most crucial things are always three."

"First, great medicine. Second, visualization. Third, the state of internal and external assault at the brink of one's limits."

"What you hold is the foundational diagram of the Tiger Demon Fist—the Visualization Diagram. But what you see now is only half of this painting."

"Half?"

Li Cunxiao was instead enlightened upon hearing this.

Teach an apprentice and starve the master. It was perfectly normal for sect inheritances to have safeguards.

Whether splitting up a manual or using exclusive coded phrases, it was all the same. If martial inheritances were not so mysterious, the martial arts instructors of Chuqiu County would have long been starved to death by the secret manuals flooding the black market.

"Eat this, and you will be able to see the other half of the foundational diagram."

Li Cunxiao's vision blurred. A sandalwood box had already appeared in Zhang Lishi's hand. Yet when it was opened, the sight inside sent a chill down his spine.

It was full of worms!

More precisely, they were dried worms that had been processed in some manner, similar to fried silkworm pupae.

But these worms looked utterly unlike ordinary insects.

If he had to describe them, Li Cunxiao could only say that this thing was a centipede wearing tiger skin!

"Master, this..."

Li Cunxiao swallowed. Not out of hunger, but fear.

Zhang Lishi had clearly seen such reactions often and did not find it strange. He pinched up a dried worm and teased him.

"When I first taught Yue'er the foundational diagram, she was much calmer than you."

"You need not use a provocation tactic on me."

Li Cunxiao accepted the dried worm with a bitter smile. Holding it in his hand, he could see its bizarre features even more clearly.

At first glance, the worm was entirely a thumb-sized tiger—tiger face, tiger claws, tiger tail, all identical.

Yet a closer look revealed two tiger tails. Along either side of its somewhat elongated body were eight pairs of densely packed tiger feet, while an extra pair of white insect eyes sat on its tiger forehead. Its slightly parted tiger maw also resembled an insect's mouthparts.

Now this truly was a hanging-eyed, white-browed great tiger.

"This Tiger Demon Worm is a demon raised through a secret method. Though it cannot compare to the meat farms possessed only by the imperial court and great clans, it can still be called a fine product for those cultivating the Tiger Demon Fist."

Zhang Lishi said with a hint of malicious amusement, "Even after you break through to the Muscle Realm, you will still have to eat it."

Fuck it, I'm doing it!

Li Cunxiao knew he could not avoid it. Gritting his teeth, he tossed the great worm into his mouth without even looking. He endured its strange fuzzy yet crisp, fragrant texture and swallowed it with a gulp.

A familiar dry heat surged into his heart, but it remained clearly within a controllable range.

Zhang Lishi had been right. Though this Tiger Demon Yaksha looked somewhat horrifying, the Blood Qi it contained far surpassed the Demon Meat sold in the black market—by nearly fifty percent or more—while carrying even less Killing Intent.

But what exactly were these meat farms?

Since only the imperial court and great clans had them, their effects were presumably even better than this great worm's?

Yet these thoughts merely flashed through Li Cunxiao's mind. The more special quality of the Tiger Demon Yaksha was that, after swallowing it, it felt as though a faint red veil had covered his eyes. Nothing else changed when he looked around, but when his gaze fell upon the foundational diagram—

The Divine General raising his arm and roaring in rage vanished. In its place was a mottled Crimson Tiger that seemed condensed from blood and fire.

The Crimson Tiger crouched upon an ice field, utterly motionless, yet it unquestionably occupied the center of heaven and earth within the painting.

The ice field was bleak and murderous, with snow piled three feet deep. Yet from the Crimson Tiger's body, a scorching masculine force seemed ready to erupt at any moment, capable of overturning heaven and earth in an instant!

In that instant, Li Cunxiao suddenly felt his heart begin to pound violently beyond his control. Powerful blood surged through his limbs and every bone in his body, and he even seemed to hear new blood stirring in the depths of his bone marrow.

Smack.

Li Cunxiao felt himself lightly patted. In an instant, he woke from his visualization. Then he felt an intense emptiness rise from his stomach, while his forehead was damp.

He wiped it with the back of his hand, only to find it covered in oily sweat.

"You managed a quarter of an hour on your first visualization. It seems your will is even stronger than I thought."

Zhang Lishi studied him from the side, his eyes filled only with satisfaction. He was not particularly surprised.

He had achieved Blood Qi Perfection in two months. Was it not normal for him to be exceptional in other ways as well?

"A quarter of an hour?"

Li Cunxiao was startled. To him, it had seemed as though he had only blanked out for a moment. Yet when he closed his eyes now, the outline of that image of a Crimson Tiger roaring over an ice field was already in his mind, though it was still not very clear.

"When you can fully sketch this foundational diagram and control the circulation of your Blood Qi during visualization, you will have the qualifications to break through to the Muscle Realm."

"Before then, every three days, you must consume a Tiger Demon Yaksha together with other Demon Meat. This also counts as advance practice for the Demon Seduction Method."

"Well? Though this Tiger Demon Yaksha looks frightening, its effects should be far better than the Demon Meat from the black market, right?"

"Indeed."

The moment the words left Li Cunxiao's mouth, he was startled. Only then did he realize he had been baited into speaking. But Zhang Lishi merely waved a hand.

"Eat Demon Meat if you wish. If you had reached your current achievements entirely through hard cultivation alone, I would instead suspect that you were a demon wearing human skin."

"But after today, with me providing your resources, do not buy meat from the black market anymore. Not only are you too inexperienced to distinguish genuine goods from false ones, the Firewood Gang's techniques for processing Demon Meat are poor as well."

"The more Blood Qi remains, the more Killing Intent remains too. If you greedily pursue rapid progress for the moment, you will surely face the hidden danger of demonic madness in the future."

Seeing the other man's grave expression, Li Cunxiao naturally agreed in all seriousness. But he would not voice what was in his heart.

Too much Killing Intent? The more Killing Intent, the better!

Zhang Lishi looked at the respectful young man before him, unable to tell how much Li Cunxiao had truly taken in.

The greatest taboo of Demon Seeding Martial Arts was rushing for quick success and immediate profit. In half a lifetime of wandering, he had seen countless geniuses fall before this very problem.

But there was no rush.

It was only the first day of instruction. There would be plenty of chances in the future to drill it into his ears. Besides, without great medicine, demons were ultimately illusory. A martial artist below the Muscle Realm who had not nurtured a great demon had no possibility of suffering cultivation deviation at all.

Blood Qi martial artists were unworthy of cultivation deviation. Besides, he knew Li Cunxiao's purse was empty. With himself providing resources, Li Cunxiao would have to be a fool to keep buying meat from the black market.

"Alright, that is enough for today. If there is anything you do not understand in the future, come here after work at the hour of the Rooster and ask me."

"There is one more thing I must remind you of: the Demon Seduction Method you are practicing now is only part of the complete content."

Li Cunxiao was not surprised. He simply cupped his hands respectfully.

"This disciple understands."

"No." Zhang Lishi shook his head.

"It is not that I refuse to teach you. Rather, with the Demon Seduction Method, there is often only one chance to attempt it. If you fail once, a body that has already suffered devastation cannot endure a second attempt."

"And with our Tiger Demon Fist, you have already seen the great medicine and visualization. As for the remaining method of internal and external assault, I must give you one piece of advice."

Zhang Lishi's tone unknowingly became cold and low. The warning in his eyes made Li Cunxiao's heart tighten.

"Scrape out the bones and replace the blood; use the marrow to house the demon."

Scrape out the bones and replace the blood; use the marrow to house the demon?

Li Cunxiao silently chewed over the bloodiness and horror contained within those eight words. Before he knew it, the great sun was about to rise, and from the distant training ground came Cui Yao's booming voice berating the workers doing their morning exercises.

After thinking for a moment, he asked his final question.

"Master, what exactly is the difference between a Muscle Realm martial artist and a Blood Qi Realm martial artist?"

At this, Zhang Lishi stretched out both hands. His crimson round-collared robe embroidered with golden thread slid down, revealing his thick forearms.

His two wrists lightly touched.

Clang——

"The Tiger Fist tempers the bones. Strong bones make strong tendons."

"When the Tiger Demon Fist breaks through to the Muscle Realm, one gains Steel Muscles and Iron Bones, with immense strength added to the body."

"Even a bed crossbow used to defend a city might not pierce my ribs."

Upon hearing that clash of metal and iron produced by flesh and blood, Li Cunxiao's fists clenched tightly, and a blazing light appeared in his eyes.

The Tiger Demon Fist was good! He had to cultivate the Tiger Demon Fist!

Li Cunxiao put away the scroll and left the study. The Tiger Demon Worms and other resources afterward would naturally be delivered by someone specially assigned to do so. There was no need to carry great bundles in and out, attracting suspicion.

"Huh, Li Cunxiao?"

Shen He walked in a hurry, holding two long silk-wrapped bundles. From afar, he saw Li Cunxiao emerge from the escort agency's inner court. Seeing him, Li Cunxiao greeted him with an unchanged expression.

"Escort Leader Shen, you are up this early?"

"Hahaha, the day's plan lies in the morning. Did you just come from Master's place?"

"Yes. The Chief Escort said I have been diligent enough in my work, so he transferred me to the storeroom. I will not be going on Escort Missions for now."

Li Cunxiao remained calm and unhurried. These were the excuses Zhang Lishi had instructed him to give outsiders, so there was nothing he could not say.

Sure enough, Shen He did not become suspicious after hearing this.

Zhang Lishi truly was someone who handled matters personally. Summoning escort masters was an everyday occurrence for him.

Moreover, Li Cunxiao had saved Li Cheng on the last escort mission, which counted as a meritorious deed. Transferring him to the storeroom and sparing him the hardship of sleeping rough and eating in the wind was merely a normal means of winning people over. There was nothing unusual about it.

"Could it be that Master had suddenly lost his mind and wanted to take Li Sanlang as a disciple?"

Shen He himself was amused by the thought that had suddenly popped into his head. Li Cunxiao did not know what he was laughing about, but he had just acquired a cultivation method and latched onto a thick thigh, so he was in a good mood. Thus, he laughed along as well.

Shen He: Why are you laughing?

Li Cunxiao: I thought of something happy.

After Li Cunxiao had gone far away, Shen He arrived outside Zhang Lishi's study. His expression turned nervous and restrained.

"Master."

"Oh? Shen He, is that you? Come in."

Zhang Lishi sat in his armchair. Having just accepted a fine disciple, he was in an excellent mood. Even Shen He, whom he had recently found displeasing, now looked more agreeable.

Master Zhang seems to be in a good mood today. Could it be that his anger toward me has finally faded?

Shen He was delighted. To regain his master's favor these days, he had racked his brains. Seeing that the timing was right, he hurriedly held up the two silk-wrapped bundles as though presenting treasures.

"Master, seeing that the Autumn Hunt is near and Junior Sister Yuelu is about to break through as well, this disciple specially asked someone to purchase these two fine bows for Junior Sister's use during the Autumn Hunt."

"Oh?"

Zhang Lishi untied the two bundles with interest. Inside were two bow limbs without strings. Yet he was skilled in archery and horsemanship; after touching them, he immediately knew they were fine goods. Thinking of Li Cunxiao, who had just left, he could not help but smile.

"This gift of yours does suit my wishes."

"Two bows—just right."