All Were Astonished, Yaksha Mad Saber (Please Subscribe)

Li Cunxiao?

Li Cunxiao!

Shen He's face twitched violently. After all, he had dealt with the other man before. He had only instinctively refused to believe it earlier, but upon hearing that voice now, he could no longer deceive himself.

The young man before him, dressed in a brocade robe, was precisely Li Cunxiao—the little escort he had once looked down upon!

But it had been less than half a month since they had last met.

Shen He remembered clearly that the Li Cunxiao of that time and the one before him now were completely different people.

Leaving aside height and build, even the intensity of their Blood Qi was utterly different.

If the former Li Cunxiao had been no more than a civet cat in his eyes, capable at most of scratching his hand bloody no matter how fierce it was, then the current Li Cunxiao was like a lion or tiger. Merely sitting there made the hairs on his body stand on end.

Could it be...

But how was that possible?!

The other three had never met Li Cunxiao before, but Jiang Qi and Xiao Mei were also in the Muscle Realm. Naturally, they could sense what Shen He sensed.

Only Ye Chengxiao looked utterly lost. He still remembered the name Li Cunxiao, but had that not been something from over half a month ago?

Just a little escort who had luckily saved someone—he merely shared a name with the burly young man before them?

"Tiezi, look. Aren't they making the same faces you did just now?"

Zhang Lishi burst into laughter as if he had witnessed something immensely amusing. Shi Tie also smiled, rose to his feet, and came before the group to smooth things over.

"When I first saw Li Cunxiao, I was shocked too. Two months ago, he was still just a kid. Now he has broken through to the Muscle Realm and become my junior disciple."

As he spoke, a broad and kindly smile appeared on his face.

"Junior Disciple Shen, Junior Sister Jiang, Junior Sister Xiao, it has been months since we last met. I hope you have all been well."

Only then did the three finally recover their senses. They struggled to restrain their astonished gazes toward Li Cunxiao and respectfully saluted Shi Tie. Even Xiao Mei, usually so uninhibited, behaved with perfect propriety before him, showing just how great his prestige was.

Finally, Shi Tie came before Ye Chengxiao, his attitude gentle.

"You are Junior Disciple Ye, correct? Though you have not formally taken a master yet, I have heard of you. With Li Sanlang's brilliance before you, you must not be willing to lag behind. Guard against arrogance and impatience, and advance bravely and diligently."

Yet Ye Chengxiao only nodded blankly. The words "two months" and "Muscle Realm" kept tumbling through his mind. Even after taking his seat, he remained dazed and distraught.

"Hmph, these young masters from great families always hold their heads high and look down on everyone. Now they know what it means to be dumbstruck, don't they?"

As one of the higher-ups, Cui Yao naturally sat at the head table near Chief Escort Zhang Lishi. There was a faint note of satisfaction in his voice.

Hearing this, Cui Wei had wanted to rebuke his younger brother, but when he looked at Li Cunxiao in the distance, his mouth opened and then closed again.

The two brothers had come from bitter poverty. Every bit of their martial skill had been carved out through blade and spear, fighting for their lives in the army. The first half of their lives could truly be called extraordinarily difficult.

The difference was that after the escort agency was founded, Cui Yao still retained the ways of a military rogue. He looked down on all children of wealth and power and even harbored some hostility toward them.

But after Cui Wei began teaching the young masters of the inner court, he came to enjoy the benefits of having connections, and before he knew it, his standards had risen as well.

The world did not bend to one's will. What use was hating the rich? Those days of poverty were already gone. Turning others' wealth to one's own use and taking what each needed—what was wrong with that?

Yet it was precisely because of this that he had missed Li Cunxiao when the latter had still been penniless and unknown.

Ah, damn it all!

"Brothers!"

The moment Zhang Lishi spoke, the entire training ground fell silent as a graveyard. Everyone craned their necks in anticipation. In just a few short minutes, the stranger who seemed both unfamiliar and familiar at his side had already sparked countless discussions.

"The Autumn Hunt is close at hand. Great Escort Shi has labored outside and rarely returns home. Today's wine is first to welcome him home and wash away the dust of travel."

"As for the second reason, it is because I, Zhang, have taken in a new disciple. Our escort agency has gained a new escort leader—Li Cunxiao!"

Li Cunxiao looked over the nearly hundred pairs of eyes below the platform. Their burning gazes converged on him, and his heart swelled with emotion. Still, he maintained his composure, stepped forward, and introduced himself with easy grace.

Veteran escorts familiar with him, such as Gao Huan and Qian Yu, opened their mouths wide enough to stuff in an entire roast suckling pig. Meanwhile, He Bi and Qin Yu in the crowd were so excited their cheeks flushed red, even as they dealt with the attendants who had unconsciously gathered around them.

"See that? Li Cunxiao, my roommate! The moment I first saw him, I knew it."

The training ground erupted in celebration. On the raised platform, the hired escort leaders such as Ge Yingyang also stepped forward one after another to offer this young new escort leader a cup of watered wine.

"Escort Leader Ge, when I followed you on escort missions before, I received much of your care. Let me offer you a toast."

Those were not empty words. Ge Yingyang was approachable and often guided the young escorts in the agency, not merely in martial arts but in every aspect of traveling on escort missions. Li Cunxiao had learned quite a few skills and experiences of journeying abroad from him.

Compared to everyone else's fervor and unease, Ge Yingyang remained relatively calm. He merely smiled and said with feeling,

"These are only trivial tricks, not worth mentioning. I simply never expected a qilin to lie hidden in the fields. I never thought I would encounter such tremendous talent in my lifetime."

"Chief Escort, you truly have an eye for talent."

Naturally, Li Cunxiao echoed a few words in response. When he finally reached Shi Yifu, Escort Leader Shi still wore his usual stern and unsmiling expression. Li Cunxiao did not mind and toasted him as before.

Shi Yifu had suffered a great calamity in his early years, and Zhang Lishi had lent him a helping hand. Thereafter, he had followed Zhang Lishi with unwavering loyalty.

Shi Yifu normally did not take escort missions. He merely guarded Que'er and the other members of the Zhang household, which showed Zhang Lishi's trust in him.

Other than Zhang Lishi, no one had ever seen him give anyone a pleasant look. He was the very image of a lone loyal minister. Li Cunxiao had no intention of currying favor with or recruiting him, but at the very least, he could not afford to offend him.

"This Junior Disciple Li San is not only extraordinarily gifted, but also smooth and polished in dealing with people. He will surely become someone great in the future."

No matter how slow Shen He was, he had understood by now.

When he recalled his previous interactions with Li Cunxiao, cold sweat faintly appeared on his forehead.

Could the other man have taken all those teasing remarks to heart?

After all, he had received the education of a great family. An instinct to remedy the situation immediately seized his mind.

Thus, the moment the words left his mouth, before anyone else could chime in, he had already raised his wine cup and stepped forward. Jiang Qi followed close behind him.

Only Xiao Mei was a little slower to rise. Before leaving, she comforted Ye Chengxiao beside her.

"Junior Disciple Ye, Li Sanlang breaking through the Muscle Realm in two months truly marks him as a heaven-blessed genius. But you have your own strengths as well. You must not belittle yourself."

"The road of martial arts is long. Do not fight over a moment; fight for a lifetime."

Having said that, she left behind a waft of fragrance, her skirts drifting as she went.

Ye Chengxiao's expression was numb. Only his fists clenched tightly around his robe, until a ripping sound tore it into scraps. Then shades of green and purple began alternating across his face as though a dyeworks had opened upon it.

He refused to accept this! He refused!

Though he had been born into the Ye Family, he belonged to a branch line. The clan had been harsh and stingy in imparting martial arts to him, even deliberately suppressing him, all to preserve the standing and authority of the main branch's Direct Lineage.

He had entered Flying Tiger Escort Agency precisely because he wanted to fight for a breath of dignity.

For martial arts, he trained through the bitter cold of the ninth days of winter and the scorching heat of the dog days of summer, never once slacking off. While the other young masters embraced beautiful concubines and drowned themselves in dreams of wine and pleasure, he had no choice but to keep a mouthful of Primal Yang Qi intact by keeping company with wooden stakes and stone dummies.

After great difficulty, he had reached Blood Qi Perfection within a year. Given only another half month or month, he could break through into the Muscle Realm and become Zhang Lishi's most gifted disciple.

After great difficulty, he had found Senior Sister Xiao, who supported and understood him. He had planned that once Zhang Lishi backed him and he could finally hold his head high, he would propose marriage to his senior sister, but...

Looking at the three people chatting and laughing with Li Cunxiao in the distance, especially the charming and alluring Xiao Mei, an inexplicable bitterness welled up in his heart.

The autumn wind rustled, and fallen leaves whirled like snowflakes. Amid the bustling crowd, Ye Chengxiao suddenly felt a bone-piercing loneliness.

He left alone in silence.

"Junior Sister Xiao, Junior Disciple Ye has left. Why did you not go after him?"

Jiang Qi spotted that desolate figure from afar, her tone teasing.

Xiao Mei still instinctively tugged her silk shawl over her face, half concealing her features. Her gaze was cold, but her voice remained languid and seductive.

"Junior Disciple Ye is young and hot-blooded, after all. It is good to let him calm down alone for a while. Besides, we will all be fellow disciples in the future and will have to deal with one another often."

As she spoke, her gaze seemed to turn into silken threads, roaming over Li Cunxiao, especially across his sturdy chest.

Li Cunxiao's expression did not change, but he quietly took a step back and pulled his senior brother Shi Tie in front of himself like a shield.

The warmth in Xiao Mei's eyes immediately faded.

Shi Tie had been married to Zhang Lishi's eldest daughter for years, and his child was nearly as old as Que'er. She had no interest in old men.

"Junior Disciple Li, you truly hid your abilities well. When we took escort missions together before, this senior brother had eyes but failed to see Mount Tai and even made you the butt of jokes. If you had not acted afterward, Brother Li Cheng might have lost his life. I would have been too ashamed to face Master and our fellow disciples."

Shen He looked incomparably sincere as he raised his cup of wine. "Sanlang, I should offer you a toast."

Shen He truly knows how to swallow his pride. Others can wipe dry the spit on their own faces. If I bring up old grievances now, would I not seem petty?

Advancing by retreating—he is truly difficult to deal with.

Li Cunxiao moved even faster, stepping forward to support Shen He's hands with both of his own, his expression utterly earnest.

"Senior Disciple Shen, you flatter your junior brother. Speaking of which, I have yet to thank you for the Precious Bow you gifted me. When I saw it at Master's residence, I could not put it down."

"Oh?"

Shen He's eyes lit up. Not only was he not displeased that the gift had been passed on, he was instead delighted.

"I am glad you like it. Glad you like it!"

Seeing the three of them so enthusiastic, Shi Tie could not help feeling deeply moved. But when he turned to exchange a glance with his master, only relief and gratification remained in both their eyes.

After so many years, the escort agency had finally produced another outstanding hero capable of bearing great responsibility. In these troubled times, it was truly a blessing.

Therefore, even if Jiang Qi, Shen He, and the others were attentive to Li Cunxiao to the point of fawning, Shi Tie would not feel dissatisfied or look down on them for it.

The news of a genius breaking through the Muscle Realm in two months, once spread, would not merely cause the Jiang, Shen, Han, and Yang families to trample down the escort agency's threshold with marriage proposals. Even the Three Great Families would do the same!

And in the end, this one-in-ten-thousand outstanding talent had still been taken into the escort agency's fold.

As for whether he and Li Cunxiao would develop conflicts after the latter matured.

Shi Tie gave a soft laugh and returned to sit beside Zhang Lishi. Master and disciple, as well as father-in-law and son-in-law, raised their cups in celebration.

Why worry like the man of Qi about matters years away?

As for the imminent Autumn Hunt, the escort agency had already won without fighting this time.

That night, host and guests alike were thoroughly satisfied.

The next day, Li Cunxiao still rose early and went to the training ground to instruct the attendants.

As the saying went, teaching and learning promoted one another. The process of teaching was also a process of sorting through one's own learning.

As he revisited the fundamentals, leaving aside the Tiger Demon Fist, even some of his doubts regarding the Pure Yang Sixteen Hands, which he had only recently begun practicing, suddenly connected by analogy.

Before entering the Muscle Realm, the Pure Yang Sixteen Hands was not complicated. It scarcely involved movement techniques at all and primarily emphasized fist and palm techniques.

It possessed eight linked methods:

Rising and sinking, swallowing and spitting, turning and rotating, piercing and flipping, winding and coiling, rolling and dissolving, following and soothing, roundness and flexibility.

The eight methods formed sixteen hands, encompassing fists, palms, claws, and fingers alike. Though practicing it also benefited Tiger Claw Skill, whenever Li Cunxiao followed the cultivation diagrams, he always felt he had seen these movements somewhere in his previous life.

In any case, with the Tiger Demon Fist of the Muscle Realm as his foundation, beginning the Pure Yang Sixteen Hands was not difficult. Li Cunxiao estimated that he could enter the beginner stage in four or five days and achieve minor success within a month or so.

However, after morning practice ended today, he did not hurry back to his own courtyard to train. Instead, he went straight to the inner court where Zhang Lishi was staying.

When Li Cunxiao arrived, Zhang Lishi was speaking with Shi Tie. Seeing him enter, Zhang Lishi smiled.

"Just in time. I still need to discuss the Autumn Hunt with Murong Bai. Tiezi, teach your junior brother the saber art."

Having said that, he left without the slightest delay, calling out once as he went.

"Master has always acted with thunderous speed. Junior Brother, you will grow accustomed to it."

Shi Tie smiled as he stepped forward. He did not waste words either, directly drawing a two-handed modao from the weapon rack and asking,

"How much do you know about the Minor Yaksha Saber Art, Junior Brother?"

Li Cunxiao was secretly delighted. He had long heard of the Minor Yaksha Saber Art's great reputation and had originally thought he could not touch it until reaching Muscle and Tendon Perfection. He had not expected that when Zhang Lishi told him to come last night, he had already intended to pass down the art.

"Not much. I only know of Master's fearsome reputation as the Tiger-Eyed Mad Saber."

Shi Tie could not help but laugh at that.

"Tiger-Eyed Mad Saber is not a fearsome reputation. It is a murderous one."

"If it were not murderous, Flying Tiger Escort Agency's banner could not stand tall here in Chu Hill. Junior Brother, do you know why Shen He, Jiang Qi, and the others flock to the Minor Yaksha Saber Art?"

Li Cunxiao's heart stirred. He had long been curious about this, and now that he had seized the chance, he naturally wanted a clear answer.

"Please enlighten me, Senior Brother."

Yet this burly man with thick brows and large eyes deliberately kept him in suspense.

He lifted the modao, one foot in length at the handle and three feet at the blade, with both hands. His eyes turned into Tiger Eyes Golden Pupils.

A fierce killing aura, almost tangible, instantly crammed the entire courtyard. The moment Li Cunxiao was stimulated by it, his Blood Qi began circulating madly on instinct!

"Yakshas are called swift and nimble, brave and vigorous. They are also known as Swift Ghosts."

"Master's Minor Yaksha Saber Art has four forms in total. It is a mid-grade martial art that imitates the divine wonders of the yaksha."

"Coming and going like the wind, its blade cleaves gold and stone; swift as a flick of the finger, it kills the living and leaves echoes behind."

Shi Tie spoke each word as though biting through gold and chewing iron. The four-foot saber trembled and hummed. Held in a reverse grip, it swept backward, carving a white line visible to the naked eye through the air—

"First form, Ride the Wind!"