Fleet Foot

"If there really is something buried inside, then it is a great opportunity meant for us."

As he spoke, Li Haomiao's lips curled into a grin. Even with his composure, he could not help muttering to himself.

"Bewitching Woman, Bewitching Woman... it seems I am destined to become your nemesis. I will make Great Zhou's Li Clan glory shine once more."

Ignoring the buffs Li Haomiao kept stacking with his words, Xu Yunfan pondered for a moment, but still began to back down.

That thing looked wicked at a glance. With his proficiency, he could live well no matter what he did. There was no need to take such a risk.

Seeing Xu Yunfan turn to leave, Li Haomiao said, "If you leave, once news of the Source Ancient Jade Wall leaks out, the whole of Ningguta will have to be buried alongside it. Everyone will die—especially those who have seen the Source Ancient Jade Wall. Even if you are lucky enough to escape this mine—

"With that Bewitching Woman's temperament, even if you fled to the ends of the earth, she would grind your bones to ash."

The Source Ancient Jade Disc was too important—important enough that sacrificing all of Ningguta would be worth it.

Xu Yunfan halted. After a moment of silence, he turned to look at Li Haomiao.

"Teach me another martial art. I want a movement technique."

A flicker passed through Li Haomiao's eyes. Without the slightest hesitation, he nodded.

"I have a martial art called 'Fleet Foot.' If you master it, you can run like a raging horse, light as a swallow, leaving ordinary people unable even to glimpse your back."

Hearing that, Xu Yunfan could not help saying, "Isn't there one with a more impressive name? Fleet Foot, heh..."

That Crimson Flame Copper Body Art—even though he could sense from the martial art's general outline that it spoke of copper skin at great accomplishment, the memories of starting the art contained only him tempering his body, enduring beatings from wooden sticks and leather strips. The process had been bitter beyond measure. Even now, recalling the memory the system had instilled in him left a sour ache in his heart.

Li Haomiao did not even raise his eyelids.

"I have other martial arts, but this place simply lacks the conditions to cultivate them. Take the Dao Sect's foremost lightness art, Ground Shrinking Inch. At its peak, one can chase wind and pursue lightning; one step carries you three li in the blink of an eye. But to cultivate it, one needs secret medicines, special massage techniques to loosen the sinews and muscles in the legs, and precious medicinal ointments. It costs no less than a thousand taels of silver every day, and one must endure the utmost agony of one's muscles changing shape, one's bones shattering and reforming."

He raised his head and looked at Xu Yunfan. "Beyond that, you must thoroughly read the Daoist canon, comprehend its principles, and possess extraordinary aptitude before you can grasp Ground Shrinking Inch amid the profound truths of the Book of Changes. In the Dao Sect's two-thousand-year inheritance, very few have been able to cultivate it. With almost no exceptions, it takes ten years to enter the gate and a hundred years to take shape."

Xu Yunfan raised a hand. "All right, stop talking. Just tell me about Fleet Foot."

Li Haomiao naturally knew that Xu Yunfan would not release the hawk before seeing the rabbit. He immediately explained Fleet Foot's cultivation formula and methods of exerting force in detail.

An hour later, as he watched Xu Yunfan practice the stepping patterns, Li Haomiao could not help asking, "You really remembered all of it?"

"Of course. When I'm in good condition, I can remember anything at a glance."

As Xu Yunfan looked at the Fleet Foot cultivation prompt appearing in his vision, and the gray status for the uninitiated skill Fleet Foot appearing on the Attribute Panel, joy rose in his heart.

After entering the Crimson Flame Copper Body Art and stirring his blood and qi, practicing other martial arts seemed to have become somewhat easier.

Li Haomiao opened his mouth, then said instead, "In that case, keep digging."

"There really isn't any danger?"

"No. Perhaps it will be a great opportunity for you."

Xu Yunfan no longer hesitated. He swung the Iron Pickaxe again and again, digging down great swathes of stone. Then, a jade wall as tall as a man abruptly appeared before him.

Xu Yunfan's expression shifted. Faintly, he seemed to see a shadowy mass within the Source Ancient Jade Disc.

"Are there really immortals in this world?"

Li Haomiao fell silent for a while before speaking. "Perhaps. There are people in this world who carry true blood. Legend says it is True Immortal Bloodline, but there is no way to verify it."

At this point, a trace of realization appeared on his face.

"I was wondering why the Mining Supervision Office had organized a mine beneath Ningguta, and why it was directly under the Mining Supervision Office's control. Perhaps the key... someone is coming."

Xu Yunfan understood before he could finish. He hurriedly used broken stones to cover up the jade wall, which stood over a man's height tall.

Though Li Haomiao had been crippled, his hearing remained sharp. He could hear many sounds Xu Yunfan knew nothing of.

Xu Yunfan changed directions and silently began mining.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Even Xu Yunfan heard the sounds outside this branch tunnel.

The newcomer's footsteps were heavy, as though they carried the force of a thousand jun. Every step landed on the ground with a dull boom. Each muffled sound seemed to stomp viciously upon the heart, making one's chest feel oppressed.

Xu Yunfan turned sideways, his entire body taut. He gripped the Iron Pickaxe tightly, staring without blinking at the mine entrance.

Under the firelight, a figure appeared who nearly filled the entire passageway.

He was huge, like a towering iron pagoda. Broad-shouldered and thick-backed, his powerful muscles showed faintly beneath his tight clothes.

With every step of those thick legs, it seemed as if he would stamp a deep crater into the ground. A powerful aura radiated from him, suffocating as dark clouds pressing down overhead.

Li Haomiao said in a low voice, "At least one inferior martial art has reached great accomplishment. With such presence, he should be a martial master at Great Accomplishment in Skin Tempering."

When Xu Yunfan clearly saw the man's face, his heart tightened.

This fellow was the overseer who had split that boy in two with a single whip.

Yang Gan.

Yang Gan casually glanced at Xu Yunfan in the corner, then shifted his gaze to Li Haomiao, who lay quietly to the side with his eyes closed in rest.

His large mouth split into a grin, revealing crooked teeth.

"His Highness the Yan King certainly has refined tastes. Has Your Highness been eating and sleeping well here?"

So he was not looking for him.

Xu Yunfan relaxed slightly. Naturally, he would keep his head down and play an insignificant passerby.

Li Haomiao opened his eyes. His gaze was calm, carrying an elegant aloofness Xu Yunfan had never seen before, as if he were looking at a country bumpkin.

"Food has indeed been lacking. Does Chief Yang have some way to solve that?"

Seeing Li Haomiao's indifferent gaze, which plainly regarded him as beneath notice, anger flashed through Yang Gan's eyes. He chuckled, "Heh heh heh."

"The Great Zhou Royal Clan, once high above all others and looking down upon the masses, has fallen to this state, waiting quietly for death. The drama of life truly opens one's eyes."

As he spoke, Yang Gan took a porcelain bottle from his robes.

"These are Grain Avoidance Pills. His Highness the Yan King should know how to use them, yes?"

Seeing Yang Gan act this way, Li Haomiao's expression turned subtle. After a moment of silence, he slowly spoke.

"Who sent you?"

Yang Gan said, "I don't know. I am merely following my superior's orders. He said you cannot die, but you can only remain beneath Ningguta."

Hearing this, Li Haomiao did not press further. He merely said, "Leave first."

Yang Gan's gaze circled over Li Haomiao's body before finally shifting to Xu Yunfan.

In an instant, Xu Yunfan felt an icy chill seep through his body. The malice enveloping him made every muscle in his body tighten.

The other party wanted to kill him!

"This man is useful to me."

Li Haomiao's voice was low, carrying a trace of displeasure.