Miscellaneous Studies Perfected, Ambushed in the Dark of Night

"Whatever special skills you have, feel free to teach me."

Ji Shu took the initiative to say:

"A wealth of skills never weighs a person down."

"Alright."

Lu Dayou eagerly said, "I'm quite good at cooking. When we camp out in the wilderness, I'll teach you how to cook."

"I can brew wine."

Lao De Nuo also volunteered. "Besides brewing wine, I can teach you some archery as well, Ji Shu."

The others began speaking up as well.

Some were skilled at training hawks, some at raising pets, some at tracking, and some at making scented powders...

It could only be said that

the disciples of Mount Hua Sect each had their own hobbies and special talents.

Yue Buqun frowned repeatedly as he listened. He felt his disciples were neglecting their proper duties!

Ji Shu merely smiled and said, "Thank you, everyone. Then I won't stand on ceremony. During the journey ahead, whenever we rest at night, I hope you'll be generous with your instruction."

"Of course."

"It's only right!"

Everyone knew of Ji Shu's abilities and status. All of them wanted to curry favor with him, so how could they go against his wishes?

Thus,

over the following journey,

Ji Shu studied Miscellaneous Studies with Lu Dayou and the others.

His dual talents were both peerless, and he learned everything quickly.

In merely two or three days, Ji Shu had mastered wine brewing, cooking, tracking, scented-powder making, archery, and more during their breaks. Everyone was dumbfounded and regarded him as something beyond human!

They had long known Ji Shu was extraordinary, but that had been in martial arts. They had never expected him to possess such astonishing talent in Miscellaneous Studies as well!

Beyond clicking their tongues, marveling, and envying him, they could only feel a deep sense of helplessness.

But that was immediately followed by relief.

They were relieved that such an unparalleled monster was the Vice Sect Leader of Mount Hua Sect!

Being able to follow someone like Ji Shu,

they became increasingly spirited and invigorated, because they could see a bright future! With Ji Shu here, Mount Hua Sect's future would surely be brilliant and resplendent!

"The people's hearts can be used!"

Yue Buqun watched it all with great satisfaction.

Meanwhile, alarm bells rang loudly in Lao De Nuo's heart, and he became even more determined to get rid of Ji Shu! While everyone was inattentive, he quietly left numerous marks along the road. Under the pretext of relieving himself, he also left behind important information.

He believed no one knew what he had done.

But he had no idea that Ji Shu had secretly seen everything. Ji Shu did not expose him, merely gripping the Mount Hua Sword tightly. Even in sleep, he remained in a half-asleep, half-awake state of vigilance.

That night,

the moon was dark and the wind was fierce.

Traveling was impossible.

The group temporarily settled down in a ruined temple.

Lu Dayou lit a fire and began cooking, while Shi Daizi and the others helped at his side.

At that moment, Lao De Nuo clutched his stomach, stuck out his backside slightly, and said with a flushed face, "My stomach hurts. I'm going outside to relieve myself."

Ning Zhongze did not think much of it and merely said, "It's too dark outside. You may encounter wild beasts, so go quickly and return quickly."

"Yes, Martial Mother."

Lao De Nuo seemed genuinely desperate. Clutching his stomach, he limped along yet moved quickly. Before long, his figure vanished into the dark wilderness.

Ji Shu furrowed his brows slightly. After thinking for a moment, he said:

"Sect Leader, Martial Mother, I need to relieve myself too."

Ning Zhongze and Yue Buqun had complete faith in Ji Shu. They merely reminded him to return early for dinner, lest it grow cold and lose its flavor.

Ji Shu nodded. Carrying his sword, he turned and vanished from the temple in an instant like a ghost, disappearing into the dark night.

Yue Buqun and Ning Zhongze were deeply moved by the sight. From this small glimpse, they could tell that Ji Shu's Lightness Skill had reached such a lofty level that his internal energy cultivation must have attained a truly shocking realm.

"In a little over half a month, his internal energy has already surpassed mine. As for swordsmanship, I cannot even compare to him on horseback."

Yue Buqun felt gratified and delighted, but also dejected.

After spending too long around a genius,

Yue Buqun felt like an idiot! It was as though he had lived the past several decades like a dog!

Some time later,

Lu Dayou finished cooking.

Just as he rose to his feet and said, "Dinner's ready,"

whoosh, whoosh! A cloud of white mist, swept along by a violent wind, suddenly rushed in from outside the temple. It moved as swiftly as lightning!

Lu Dayou cried out. He had no time to evade before the white mist engulfed him. In an instant, his eyes burned fiercely. He opened his mouth to warn everyone, only to find the mist pouring down his throat, which immediately began burning and swelling as well:

"Poison!"

His vision went black, and he collapsed unconscious to the ground.

"Watch out!"

Yue Buqun's internal energy was profound. He unleashed a burst of force that blew the white mist backward, but before long, it rolled back in again. Unable to protect the others, he could only barely defend himself. His face flushed purple with surging rage, revealing that he was furious and anxious beyond measure!

Ning Zhongze was in much the same situation as Yue Buqun, equally frantic. "Cover your mouths and noses! Don't breathe!"

The moment her words fell,

whoosh, whoosh!

A dense barrage of arrows came whistling from outside the temple.

"It's an arrow storm!"

Yue Buqun roared, "Take cover!"

With one hand each, he seized Lu Dayou and Shi Daizi, who had collapsed to the ground, and took shelter behind the door.

He gathered his energy to keep the white mist from approaching, but he still felt dizzy and disoriented. This is bad. He knew he had been poisoned as well and could not hold on for long. Who was trying to kill them?!

Yue Buqun was overcome with grief, indignation, and despair!

Faced with such a predicament, who could turn the tide?

He instinctively thought of Ji Shu, but then felt even more grief and indignation! Mount Hua Sect's peerless talent of this age, its future unquestioned leader—was he to perish here today as well?!

Heaven would not bless Mount Hua!

Yue Buqun clearly did not believe Ji Shu could survive this poison and arrow storm.

But then,

he remembered that Ji Shu seemed to have gone out to relieve himself earlier, and he secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Mount Hua's future absolutely could not suffer any mishap. As long as Ji Shu was safe, nothing else mattered.

Just then,

clang, clang, clang!

The sounds of swords ringing, furious roars, and screams suddenly rose from outside the temple, one after another, weaving together into a spectacular scene.

Before long, the sword cries ceased and the screams fell silent, replaced by the sound of footsteps approaching.

Yue Buqun widened his eyes and looked outside.

By then, the white mist had dispersed. The firelight flickered erratically in the wind. Outside was still dark, but through the flames, they could nevertheless see the scene more than thirty yards beyond the temple entrance.

They saw someone emerge from the darkness, carrying a blood-dripping sword and dragging another person in his hand. His body seemed to radiate a brilliant sword aura, dazzling beyond words.

"It's Ji Shu!"

Yue Lingshan was overjoyed. She hopped up and down, waving at Ji Shu. "Ji Shu!"

"It's me."

Grasping Lao De Nuo, Ji Shu leaped through the air, crossing several yards in a single bound. He landed lightly at the entrance of the ruined temple, smiled faintly at everyone, casually tossed Lao De Nuo to the ground, and said:

"This man used relieving himself as an excuse, but he was actually going to contact assassins. I had noticed signs of it earlier. Tonight, he contacted them again, intending to poison us and then slaughter us with an arrow barrage."

"What?!"