Brushing Past Death

Wang Xuan set down the yellowed secret manual of physical arts and picked up a golden bamboo slip from the pre-Qin era.

It was only eight centimeters long, yet extraordinarily heavy. It did not seem to be made of bamboo, and it felt as warm and smooth as jade. Qing Mu had given it to him when he joined the Exploration Organization.

According to Zhao Qinghan, only four sets of golden bamboo slips had been unearthed across Old Earth over the past several decades or even century. Two of them had been fought over by all parties and were already scattered.

Wang Xuan estimated that a complete set of golden bamboo slips should contain dozens of pieces. Gathering them all would be far too difficult.

He looked at the engraved images. The creatures with human heads and snake bodies were lifelike, yet their meaning was hard to decipher. There were too few samples at present for him to comprehend them.

He set the bamboo slip aside. On the Old Arts path, one needed to accumulate knowledge slowly; there was no need to fixate on strange pre-Qin artifacts from the very beginning.

Early in the morning, Wang Xuan practiced the Root Method of Daoist Masters. He would be starting work in two days, and he cherished this peaceful life while he still had it.

When he returned drenched in sweat and saw the Golden Body secret manual on his desk again, he could not help walking over.

After carefully examining and identifying it, he was certain that the yellowed scripture was an antique rather than something artificially aged. It was just that the records within were far too misleading.

In the end, he could not resist. After washing up, he switched to a special phone card and contacted Qing Mu from the Exploration Organization through a secure line to ask for advice.

After hearing his rough description, Qing Mu immediately burst out laughing. "Ancient people all had the same bad habit: they loved exaggerating. Those claims of hundreds or thousands of years are all watered down nonsense, meant only to show how extraordinary the physical art is. Just listen and leave it at that. Wait, I remember now. This Golden Body physical art seemed quite famous. It first appeared during the Northern Song dynasty, though I do not recall the specifics very clearly."

Wang Xuan was somewhat impressed. Qing Mu even knew something of this scripture's origins. Those who had achieved something in Old Arts truly were not ordinary.

"You can practice this physical art, but remember not to blindly believe in it. Forget the later stages—even reaching the seventh or eighth layer would take hundreds of years. Who was it trying to fool? Think about it: if the scripture were true, where did its original author go? He lived in the Northern Song dynasty. If he had truly reached the thirteenth layer, would he not still be alive today? Yet it seemed that later generations had discovered his grave."

After putting down the phone, Wang Xuan felt conflicted.

Originally, he had entertained some unrealistic thoughts. If the Golden Body physical art had even a sliver of truth to it, then perhaps the end of the Old Arts path truly held a new world.

Qing Mu's words, however, made him understand just how unreliable ancient people could be.

"Golden Body physical art's original author, I'll remember you. And Zhou Mingxuan, I'll remember you too!"

Not long afterward, Wang Xuan went out. His classmates heading to New Star would cross the river of stars tomorrow, and Professor Lin would be returning on the same interstellar ship as them.

At the time of parting, he naturally had to visit Professor Lin once more and see him off in advance. Tomorrow, he would have no way of getting near that ship.

Professor Lin's hair was gray, and he was somewhat plump, but he looked quite healthy. His face glowed with vitality, and his laughter was full of vigor.

"You need not complain either. Ancient people could be like this sometimes—they loved exaggeration. But a physical art like Golden Body was indeed no simple matter. It was said that after mastering it, one would become impervious to blades and spears. Its creator was named Zhou Yun Kong, a legendary figure. His flesh was many times tougher than the finest armor. He lived to be over one hundred and fifty, then died of old age in the Shu Mountains. During the Ming dynasty, grave robbers visited his tomb, allowing the Golden Body Art secret manual he left behind to see daylight again. He was still quite remarkable; even unofficial histories recorded him."

Wang Xuan was speechless. How had someone who lived for only one hundred and fifty-odd years developed a physical art that supposedly took thousands or tens of thousands of years to master?

He sighed. There had been quite a few great swindlers among the ancients as well.

Still, Zhou Yun Kong had been visited by grave robbers and had his tomb raided. That was indeed rather tragic.

Wang Xuan was deeply impressed by Professor Lin. He was truly learned and knowledgeable, having dug up even the roots of the Golden Body Art's creator. He knew more than Qing Mu did.

"You must not underestimate a physical art like Golden Body. The fact that it allowed Zhou Yun Kong to live beyond one hundred and fifty already proved its worth. Furthermore, it was said that when the grave robbers dug him up, his body had not completely decayed. It was actually harder than iron and stone, to the point that iron swords could not cut it. Keep in mind that he had already been dead for two or three hundred years by then."

Waves rose in Wang Xuan's heart, and he began looking forward to it greatly!

In this era, a single firearm could eliminate an expert in the field of Old Arts. If he could master the Golden Body Art, his life itself would become tough as steel.

"Zhou Yun Kong and Zhou Mingxuan both share the surname Zhou. Could the former be an ancestor of the Zhou Family?"

But Wang Xuan quickly shook his head. Such a coincidence was unlikely. Besides, if it were an ancestral heirloom, Zhou Mingxuan could not possibly have given it away.

"This secret manual's paper appears to be only a little over two hundred years old. It was likely copied down by later generations. After studying it, I believe it should be a genuine scripture."

After losing the ability to engage in actual combat, Professor Lin had turned to theoretical research and the textual study of various Old Arts and ancient methods. His eye was sharp, and his judgment precise.

Wang Xuan sighed. "This secret manual gave me a great shock today. Since it exaggerates so wildly, might other Old Arts scriptures be the same?"

That was the fundamental reason he had come to consult Professor Lin. The secret manual Zhou Mingxuan had given him had thrown Wang Xuan's thoughts into disarray.

Could the legends about Old Arts still be trusted? For instance, the pre-Qin Daoist practitioners—could the methods and paths they left behind also have been exaggerated without limit?

Professor Lin shook his head. "It is not as serious as you imagine. Exaggerations like those in the Golden Body Art are isolated cases. Only a very small number of scriptures are like that, mainly because of the historical environment of that era. For example, even official battle reports were like this. In a battle, only a few hundred enemies might have been beheaded or captured, but in the end it would be written as tens of thousands of enemies defeated, corpses strewn across the land. If even the officials were like that, one can imagine what folk tales and unofficial histories were like."

Wang Xuan was left speechless. Why did practicing Old Arts seem to require knowing so much? Besides digging through the Daoist Canon, did he also need to read more history?

Professor Lin added, "As for the strength of the pre-Qin Daoist practitioners and such, final conclusions were only reached after examinations by several Life Science Research Institutes on New Star."

Financial conglomerates and research institutions had unearthed the bodies of a small number of pre-Qin Daoist practitioners on Old Earth. They had conducted tests and analyses on them, so the conclusions were credible.

"So, do not doubt the former splendor of Old Arts. If you wish to continue down this path, confidence is very important."

Wang Xuan immediately became solemn. "I became attached to appearances and fell into the lower realm. I originally joined the Old Arts Experimental Class out of interest, and afterward, I simply wanted to keep exploring."

In the field of Old Arts, he had never been superstitious. At first, he wanted to follow the footsteps of those before him, but in the end, he would verify this path with himself.

Professor Lin was somewhat moved. "Today, technological civilization shines brilliantly. For those who practice Old Arts, the immense pressure can be felt at every moment."

Wang Xuan nodded, but the conviction in his heart only grew firmer. If he reached the end of the path and Old Arts had no road left, then he hoped he himself could accomplish something!

That night, Wang Xuan studied physical arts in his residence and contemplated the Root Method. Finally, he went downstairs to the woods outside the residential complex, where he faced the moonlight and began Qi Gathering and inner cultivation.

He emptied himself, his heart incomparably clear. Soft, white moonlight filled his spirit. At that moment, he was transparent within and without, and his senses were extraordinarily sharp.

Suddenly, Wang Xuan felt his forehead tighten and swell, as though some sharp weapon were about to pierce through it. Every hair on his body stood on end, and terror rose in his heart. Instinctively, he shifted sideways, moving at high speed entirely on reflex.

Whoosh!

With a faint sound, he felt heat at his temple. A terrifying current of air streaked past his ear, severing strands of hair and leaving behind the smell of scorched burning.

Whoosh!

The next instant, Wang Xuan darted into the dense trees of the residential complex like an agile leopard.

This was an old residential complex. The trees planted there in years past had grown for decades into towering giants, especially lush and flourishing, instantly concealing Wang Xuan's figure.

Wang Xuan's eyes were now as sharp as two swords. From within the woods, he coldly watched a certain direction, while his heart pounded violently.

Just now, someone had shot at him!

Death had been only a finger's breadth away. If he had not shifted aside beforehand, his head would have been pierced through. Death would have been certain!

In that instant, he had felt the terrifying turbulence of air brought by the passing bullet. A powerful gust had swept past his temple, snapping off many strands of hair.

Who was it? Who dared use a gun in a residential area? They were utterly lawless, beyond anything an ordinary person could imagine!

Old Earth had always strictly controlled firearms. Ordinary citizens never worried about being shot for no reason, and public security had always been excellent.

Yet now, Wang Xuan had personally experienced a brush with death. He had encountered such an extremely serious, vicious incident. Someone wanted to kill him without the slightest restraint, coming into a residential area to act. It was simply outrageous!

The other side's guns were fitted with silencers, so they had not disturbed anyone else. In the silence, Wang Xuan searched for his enemies.

He did not charge out. He did not know how many people had come in secret or how many guns there were. He abruptly pulled off his shirt and flung it out beyond the woods with a shake of his hand.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

In an instant, he heard three muted sounds. Three bullet holes appeared in the falling shirt. The snipers were astonishingly capable, reacted with incredible speed, and possessed terrifyingly accurate aim.

Wang Xuan's expression turned cold. At least three highly skilled shooters were waiting outside the complex's fence for an opportunity to kill him.

He had even already determined the locations of the three shooters.

But he did not go out. Instead, he slipped deeper into the woods and hid behind a tree.

He did not know whether there were still others in secret who had yet to act. He did not want to become someone else's target on this moonlit night.

At this moment, the first thing that came to his mind was—the Golden Body Art.

If he mastered this physical art, he would certainly not care whether there were others in secret. He would strike back directly and hunt his enemies beneath the stars and moon.

Wang Xuan remained very calm and did not act rashly.

He switched to a special phone card, contacted Qing Mu, and explained the situation briefly and quickly.

"You did the right thing. Without firearms in hand, find cover and hide. Professionals will handle it shortly. I'm coming too—I'll bring you some equipment."

After Qing Mu put down the phone, his face was icy cold. Even he felt that those people were utterly lawless. This was a major city on Old Earth, yet such a vicious shooting incident had actually occurred.

If it were an expedition in the wilderness, certain large organizations and financial conglomerates might fight fiercely over treasure when they encountered one another. But there was one rule they had to obey: they could never open fire in a city or involve ordinary citizens.

Otherwise, the entire society would be thrown into chaos.

This was an unspoken understanding, and even more so, a rule formed by custom. All organizations and institutions obeyed it, and few dared stir up trouble.

Otherwise, the state would teach those organizations and institutions how to behave. Old Earth might have declined, but certain bottom lines had never disappeared.

Wang Xuan climbed up a large tree and quietly considered who exactly wanted to kill him.

He had only just left campus when this happened.

He thought over the people and events from recent days, reviewing every person and force connected to him. A cold gleam flickered in his eyes.

First, he had joined the Exploration Organization and gone to Qingcheng Mountain yesterday. He did not know whether he had left behind any clues that had drawn someone's murderous intent.

The forces involved included the Zhou Family, Ling Family, and Wu Family. The individual involved was Jin Chuan of the Exploration Organization.

Wang Xuan also added Wu Yin, whom he had met for the first time last night, to the list of individuals.

Beyond these people and forces, he traced his thoughts further back. Zhou Yun had once had a conflict with him.

And Zhou Yun's father, Zhou Mingxuan, was an even more formidable figure.

Further back still, Wang Xuan thought of the matter of someone wanting to keep him on Old Earth and prevent him from going to New Star. Though it was unlikely to be connected to this incident, he still reviewed it.

Murderous intent surged from Wang Xuan as he guessed and deduced which of these people or forces dared defy the world and shoot someone to death in a city residential area.

Who was so ruthless, so lawless, that they had dealt a killing blow to eliminate him?!

If he died, would someone silently erase all traces without alerting the outside world or causing the slightest ripple? The people and forces behind this seemed exceedingly confident!

Thanks to: A Name That Isn't Too Long Is Fine, and Mote of Dust from Tianfu.

Thank you to the two alliance leaders above for your support.

And thanks as well to all the readers who bookmarked and voted.