Transmitting the Skill

Losing the White Silk was something Gu Shenwei regretted most. To hear of its whereabouts from Yao Nu's mouth again, he couldn't help but be greatly alarmed.

But he immediately understood two things:

First, on the slave cart, Yao Nu had picked up the White Silk. Gu Shenwei was unconscious at the time, and although Yao Nu was far away, his "status" on the cart was higher, so he could naturally snatch anything he wanted.

Second, Yao Nu was completely ignorant of martial arts. He had obtained the White Silk and seen the Hehe Jin Rapid Cultivation Method, but had no way to practice it. He also didn't know that Hehe Jin was the supreme skill of the Gu clan of the Central Plains. Otherwise, the first thing he would have done upon entering Golden Peng Fortress would have been to report Gu Shenwei.

Gu Shenwei stood up too quickly. Although Yao Nu was prepared, he was still startled and took a step back, revealing his newly learned stance.

"Hey, don't mess around. I've learned kung fu too, I'm no worse than you."

After these days of interaction, Gu Shenwei understood the young man before him too well. He squatted down again to wipe the floor and said:

"Since that's the case, what else can I teach you? You can keep that piece of cloth yourself."

"Heh heh, you don't have to lie to me. Who am I? I've been tricking people since I was a child. You're still too green."

Gu Shenwei went to the water basin to wash the rag, wringing it out as he said:

"Believe it or not, Xue Niang's martial arts are a hundred times stronger than mine. If she couldn't teach you, I can't either."

Yao Nu frowned, scrutinizing Huan Nu carefully, trying to guess the other's true intentions.

"Xue Niang is indeed formidable, but she said there wasn't enough time and refused to teach me her most potent skills. If your Hehe Jin is really as powerful as it says on the cloth, and can be mastered in a short time, then it's perfect for me."

"You take anything written casually as truth. Look, I haven't mastered it myself."

"Heh heh, you can't fool me about this. You just haven't had time to practice it yet, otherwise you wouldn't have been so nervous then. Let's be direct. You teach me Hehe Jin, and let me become an assassin, and I'll give you the White Silk, how about it?"

The word "give" ignited Gu Shenwei's rage. He thought for a moment and forced himself to suppress it. "Give me back the White Silk now, and I can show you a few moves."

Yao Nu shook his head repeatedly. "I don't do losing business. I must wait until I become an assassin, at least until I enter the East Fortress."

As Gu Shenwei was contemplating his plan, Han Jinu walked in and impatiently chased Yao Nu away. Ever since Yao Nu began following Xue Niang to learn martial arts, Jinu's impression of him had plummeted. He had always treated him with a cold face. Now that Yao Nu had a bigger backer, he didn't pay Jinu much mind.

For the rest of the day, Gu Shenwei pondered how to answer Yao Nu's conditions. Gradually, his thoughts focused on two pressing matters: first, to get the White Silk back, and second, to prevent Yao Nu from leaking secrets.

Hoping Yao Nu would keep a secret for a long time was less likely than hoping all his enemies would fall ill and die suddenly.

He was a scoundrel to whom not a shred of trust could be given.

Gu Shenwei's thoughts drifted further and further, until he suddenly realized he was considering how to kill Yao Nu. It seemed to be his only option.

Kill Yao Nu?

The reasons for this choice were ample. Yao Nu was a thoroughly annoying, even hateful, fellow. He didn't yet know what Hehe Jin truly meant. Once he understood, he would definitely betray them, or he might inadvertently leak information. Xue Niang and the experienced assassins of Golden Peng Fortress might learn the origin of this internal energy technique, in which case Gu Shenwei would surely die.

Gu Shenwei did not want to die. He carried the weight of his family's vengeance. His divine will had supported him to this point, so it was also his divine will that demanded the obstacle in his path, Yao Nu, to die.

At dinner, Gu Shenwei had made up his mind. He would first find an opportunity to tell Yao Nu that he agreed to his proposal, but he hadn't yet figured out how to carry it out.

He was not like Han Jinu or Xue Niang, who had the authority to kill anyone. He was not a Peerless Master who could kill without a trace.

That night, as everyone prepared for bed, Yao Nu beckoned to Gu Shenwei. "We'll start tonight."

"Curfew. We can't go out."

"It's okay. I've asked Xue Niang to speak to the fort's managers. I can practice martial arts outside my room at night, as long as I don't leave the courtyard. As for you, you can be my follower."

The word "follower" once again ignited Gu Shenwei's anger. Having experienced a dangerous situation, his self-control had greatly improved. He gave Yao Nu a cold glance and strode out of the room. The other youths were surprised to see Huan Nu being so obedient.

In the courtyard, Yao Nu stretched his arms and kicked his legs, shouting as he warmed up. Han Jinu, from the room opposite, pushed open his door and shouted:

"What are you yelling about in the middle of the night? If you want to practice martial arts, go to Ghost Cry Cliff outside."

Although Yao Nu had special permission, he didn't dare to openly disobey Jinu. He smiled and replied "yes," then turned to look at the small door on the west wall, his face turning a little pale. Unless absolutely necessary, he didn't even want to go to Ghost Cry Cliff during the day, let alone when it was completely dark.

Taking a deep breath, Yao Nu led the way towards the west gate.

After exiting, they hugged the Golden Peng Fortress wall, trying to stay as far away from the cliff where bodies were thrown as possible. Yao Nu calmed his nerves again and said, "Let's begin."

"Give me the White Silk."

"Huh? Didn't we agree..."

"I need to look at the words on the White Silk to teach you Hehe Jin."

"Hey, that's not right. We've already agreed on a deal, you shouldn't try to trick me again. I've looked over the words on the White Silk carefully. It says that to achieve rapid success, you must first master the first level of Hehe Jin's Yang Jin and the first level of Yin Jin. You want me to teach you ordinary Hehe Jin? I can practice the rapid cultivation method myself, why would I need you to teach me?"

Gu Shenwei was now certain that the White Silk indeed recorded the rapid cultivation method.

"I haven't seen the White Silk, how would I know these things? If you want to learn Hehe Jin, I'll teach you. Listen, Yin Yang Harmony, Tai Chong Mo Sheng, Dragon Tiger Unpredictable, Gods Ghosts Difficult to Announce..."

Although Gu Shenwei hadn't practiced diligently, spending nearly ten years to reach the first level of Yang Jin, he remembered the words of his family's internal energy technique by heart. He recited them sentence by sentence.

Yao Nu frowned and memorized them carefully. After Huan Nu recited the cultivation method for the first level of Yang Jin, his eyes darted around. "Say it again, I didn't remember it."

Gu Shenwei recited it again. Yao Nu occasionally asked him to pause and explain the meaning of certain words or phrases. After reciting it four or five times, the hundreds of words of the cultivation method were finally passed on. Then, he explained the footwork and postures during practice one by one. Hehe Jin's main focus was on cultivating strength, which was different from general internal energy techniques; it did not involve meditation.

"That's more like it. Don't underestimate me, even though I haven't practiced martial arts. I can tell if you're lying. It's not bragging, I'm smart. Sooner or later, I'll become the most formidable assassin in Golden Peng Fortress and become Unrivaled King's right-hand man. Huan Nu, you're not stupid either. Don't associate with those two brothers, they look like crude and barbaric wolf cubs with simple minds. Follow me, and I'll find a way to get you into the East Fortress to become an assassin too."

It was evident that Yao Nu was excited. He extended his right palm, waiting for Huan Nu's response, as if he were already a world-renowned assassin of Golden Peng Fortress, deigning to recruit a loyal companion.

Gu Shenwei pondered for a moment. Instead of clapping palms with him, he grasped Yao Nu's forearm.

He wanted to determine their relationship in the style of the Hu people of the Western Regions.

From this day on, the two of them practiced Hehe Jin at Ghost Cry Cliff every night. They were undisturbed here; even the night watchmen did not patrol this area.

The young boys living together were quite confused by the relationship between Yao Nu and Huan Nu. If the aloof Huan Nu was leaning on him, there was no reason for others to stay further away. Yao Nu's status was thus further elevated. Several boys who had previously sided with Han Jinu began to flatter him in halting Central Plains dialect, wanting to secure a fallback for themselves. Yao Nu was quite pleased by this.

The Qi Nu and Xie Nu brothers, however, were the opposite. Not only did they ignore Yao Nu, but they now also treated Huan Nu with a cold shoulder. They used to nod when they met, but now they deliberately pretended not to see each other.

Although Yao Nu liked to brag, he was indeed very smart. On the third day of practicing Hehe Jin, a warm sensation appeared in his dan tian. He pressed his lower abdomen, excited like a woman discovering she was pregnant. "This is Hehe Jin? I can feel it."

"This is the first layer, Yang Jin."

"Ha, I know internal energy now! Ho, this energy is a bit hard to control."

"It's normal. Yang is straight, hard, great, and fierce. The stronger the feeling, the better."

"Right, right, I feel like my strength has increased a lot."

Yao Nu was learning a set of fist techniques from Xue Niang. He immediately demonstrated them, and indeed, they were powerful. Although he hadn't mastered them, they still carried an imposing aura.

Hehe Jin is easy to start but extremely difficult to master. Once perfected, even the Unrivaled King would not be his opponent.

Gu Shenwei believed in his family's unique skills.

The next evening, after Yao Nu returned from Xue Niang, he excitedly whispered to Huan Nu:

"Hey, Xue Niang praised me today. Hehe Jin is really useful."

Gu Shenwei's heart trembled. Xue Niang was a dangerous person. Although she was from the Western Regions martial arts world, she might have heard of Hehe Jin. He then smiled and said, "Did you mention me to Xue Niang? When can she teach me martial arts too, so we can enter East Fortress together?"

Yao Nu immediately put away his smile, full of caution. "I'll mention it, don't rush. Entering East Fortress isn't easy; they only select one person at a time. You'll have to wait for the next time."

Gu Shenwei breathed a slight sigh of relief. Yao Nu would not mention Hehe Jin to Xue Niang for a while.

That night, Yao Nu was more silent than usual. As it neared midnight and he was preparing to return to his room, he suddenly asked:

"Huan Nu, what do you think of me?"

Gu Shenwei was surprised by the question but felt no need to pretend. He told the truth.

"You are shameless."

"That's right, I am shameless."

Yao Nu smiled, not a fake smile of anger, but a genuine laugh.

"Why am I shameless? Because this is a shameless world. To survive in this world, you have to be shameless. To stand out, you have to be doubly shameless. To be invincible, you have to be shameless before your opponent. This is the only truth I speak. Think about it, it's as profound as your Hehe Jin."

Gu Shenwei felt that Yao Nu had spoken some truths.

If in a shameless world, only greater shamelessness could ensure survival, then in the Assassin's Fortress, if he wanted revenge, he would have to be more ruthless than his enemies.

He looked at Yao Nu's thin, sharp face, and the guilt in his heart slowly dissipated.

This young man, who considered himself "shameless," would, in a few days, suffer a qi deviation while practicing.