Yellow Springs Saber

Qin Shuang wrapped his hand in cloth and picked up the pitch-black sheathed longblade.

"So heavy?"

Hefting the blade, Qin Shuang found it unlike any ordinary longblade—it weighed at least fifty jin!

Still.

With his current strength, this blade fit him perfectly, as if forged just for him.

"Clang!"

Qin Shuang drew the blade, and instantly, an icy, frost-like sensation spread from the steel!

As if this blade were a chunk of ten-thousand-year-old ice!

Qin Shuang surged his Qi and Blood to dispel the chill, then examined the longblade closely and couldn't help but praise, "Fine blade!"

The blade was entirely pitch-black, about one meter and two in length, its surface layered with fish-scale ripples. Engraved in the center were the two characters 'Yellow Springs,' radiating a biting killing intent and razor-sharp edge.

"This junior stumbled here by chance, which counts as fate with you, Senior. I'll seal this cave so you may rest in peace, and this blade—I'll make it famous across the Jianghu once more!"

Qin Shuang checked the stone walls for any last words but found none, so he cupped his fists toward the skeleton on the ground.

With that, Qin Shuang drew the Black Saber, intending to chip some rocks to bury the skeleton, only to discover that this 'Yellow Springs Saber' could cut through iron like mud, piercing the stone wall as if it were tofu!

Qin Shuang quickly dug out a pile of stones, sealing the cave tightly, then slung the 'Yellow Springs Saber' on his back and turned to descend the snake hole.

Emerging from the snake hole, Qin Shuang examined the White Jade Golden Pattern Python. It weighed around seven or eight hundred jin, but with his current strength, carrying that much was effortless.

Qin Shuang coiled the White Jade Golden Pattern Python around himself and executed Grass on Flying, heading back the way he came.

Because the giant python was so long, its tail dragged along the ground.

Half an hour later.

Qin Shuang reached a mountain peak and suddenly spotted two figures about a li away heading his way—it was Liu Hao and Jin Yang, the very ones the White Jade Golden Pattern Python had chased earlier!

At that moment, Jin Yang and Liu Hao seemed wary, stopping and starting as they moved, and hadn't yet spotted Qin Shuang.

Qin Shuang's mind stirred—now he had help carrying the White Jade Golden Pattern Python.

He immediately shouldered the white python and headed toward them.

Jin Yang and Liu Hao cautiously followed the trail of destruction left by the white python.

"Qin... Qin Shuang?"

"Qin Shuang... he... killed the white python?"

Suddenly, they saw a young man on the distant slope walking down with a white python on his shoulder, and their eyes went wide with shock.

This young man carrying the white python was none other than Qin Shuang, who had been chased by it earlier!

"Why haven't you left yet?"

Qin Shuang had the White Jade Golden Pattern Python on his shoulder, its massive body dragging behind him, and asked the two before him, Liu Hao and Jin Yang.

"Young Master saved us and was chased by the white python—we were worried and followed to see if we could help... We never expected you'd actually killed it..."

At that moment, Jin Yang's heart was a storm of shock.

He and his junior brother disciple Liu Hao had nearly died in that white python's jaws, yet Qin Shuang had simply beaten it to death—how ferocious was that?

After all.

He was the one who had recruited Qin Shuang into the martial school to learn Fierce Tiger Fist. Back then, judging by Qin Shuang's demeanor, he'd pegged him as a wastrel who'd struggle to even grasp the basics of Fierce Tiger Fist. He never imagined his true strength was this terrifying.

"I came into the mountains specifically to find it."

Qin Shuang smiled faintly and asked, "How did it end up chasing you?"

"After the martial school incident, we fled into the mountains to avoid our enemies hunting us, and also to see if we could find some herbs to train with... We got too close to the white python's territory and it gave chase..."

Jin Yang sighed repeatedly as he spoke of that day's calamity at Golden Tiger Martial Arts School.

From their words, Qin Shuang learned that on that day, Ding Dian had come to the school seeking revenge. The schoolmaster's entire family had been killed, and the former disciples scattered. Jin Yang and Liu Hao had been detained by people from Golden Whip Martial Arts School, but later, when those people learned the killer was Jin Yihang's former junior brother Ding Dian, they let them go without further trouble.

With the school gone, the two feared their enemies would find them, so they hid in the Xuan Yin Mountain Range, only to nearly become the white python's meal.

"Are you two the only disciples left from the school?"

Qin Shuang looked at Jin Yang and Liu Hao and asked.

"That killer Ding Dian is still in Qingzhou City, hunting down the school's disciples. We managed to bring out thirteen disciples and hide them in a village outside the mountains. The rest are unknown."

Jin Yang sighed.

"How about this: from now on, you follow me. If that Ding Dian comes, I'll handle him."

Qin Shuang's mind stirred as he spoke.

With Liu Hao, Jin Yang, and the thirteen school disciples, he could have them run errands and handle tasks, leaving him free to focus on simplifying martial arts.

"Good, then many thanks to you, Young Master Qin!"

Jin Yang and Liu Hao exchanged a glance and nodded.

With Qin Shuang's strength being so formidable, he could surely stand against that Ding Dian.

Immediately, Qin Shuang carried the White Jade Golden Pattern Python on his back, while Jin Yang and Liu Hao found a Fierce Tiger and carried it down the mountain.

Outside Qingzhou City.

Ten li away, Hualing Village.

Hualing Village had no flowers; instead, it was covered in slopes of low trees, with forty or fifty tiled houses and thatched cottages scattered across them.

Behind the village, inside a three-section green-brick tiled house.

Qin Shuang stood in the room. On the floor coiled the White Jade Golden Pattern Python, along with a dead Fierce Tiger. Liu Hao and Jin Yang stood to the side.

The thirteen martial arts school disciples looked at the giant python on the ground, touched its hard scales, and one by one, shock and awe appeared in their eyes.

"Young Master, there are still ten tigers up on the mountain. I'll take them to bring them back!"

Jin Yang looked at the thirteen martial arts school disciples beside him, pondered for a moment, then cupped his fists and spoke respectfully to Qin Shuang.

He understood clearly.

The martial arts school had nothing left.

These dozen or so people still needed to eat and train, and martial arts practice required resources. Since Young Master Qin had left ten Fierce Tigers on the mountain, they couldn't just abandon them. Going to retrieve them would also be a considerable income.

After all, tiger bones, tiger paws, tiger gallbladders, tiger hides, and tiger meat were all good things!

Qin Shuang heard this, nodded, and said, "Alright. If someone picks them up, don't argue with them. Just find out who took them, and we'll go get them later. Safety is the priority! Also, you ten or so might not be able to carry them all. Hire more people."

After speaking, Qin Shuang took out another fifty taels of silver and handed it to Jin Yang.

Those ten tigers were worth a lot; leaving them on the mountain would indeed be a waste.

"Yes, Young Master!"

Jin Yang nodded, took the ten martial arts school disciples, and left.

"First, I'll go into the city."

Qin Shuang looked at the White Jade Golden Pattern Python on the ground and thought to himself.

The flesh and blood of the White Jade Golden Pattern Python were the main ingredients for refining Dragon Blood Pills. Only by refining it into Dragon Blood Pills for consumption, or extracting its essence through alchemy techniques, could the maximum effect be achieved!

However.

He didn't have an Alchemy Furnace in hand. For now, the best course of action was to go to the county town, buy an Alchemy Furnace, and use alchemy techniques to extract the essence of the White Jade Golden Pattern Python's flesh and blood.

Qin Shuang had the remaining three Golden Tiger Martial Arts School disciples stay to watch over the White Jade Golden Pattern Python and skin the tiger hide, while he carried the Yellow Springs Saber on his back and headed toward Qingzhou City.