Stones from Other Hills

Old Jiang's family was eating in the main house.

Two vegetable dishes and one meat dish.

Because there was now an injured person in the house.

Jiang-aunt had stewed an extra pot of fish soup, planning to have Axiu feed some to Qin Jianghe later.

Knock, knock, knock.

A crisp knock sounded from outside the door.

Old Jiang's whole family instantly became alert.

In the dead of night like this.

Who could it be?

Old Jiang did not answer.

Jiang-aunt and Axiu held their breaths as well.

"Good folk, I'm not a bad man."

"This kid was traveling by night and lost track of the time."

"I'm tired and hungry."

"I just caught the scent of food from inside and wanted to beg for a bowl of rice to line my stomach. I won't eat for nothing..."

"I can pay with silver."

Hearing this, Axiu could not help whispering:

"Father, he sounds rather pitiful..."

"We made quite a lot anyway. Why not give him some?"

Jiang-aunt frowned.

"What if he has ill intentions?"

Old Jiang fell silent for a moment.

"If he's a jianghu man here to cause trouble, this broken door of ours won't stop a thief like that anyway."

"Fill a large bowl with rice, add some greens and pork, and give him a piece of fish too."

"We'll forge a good bond, but Hall Master Qin is recuperating in the backyard, so don't let him inside..."

Upon hearing that, Axiu immediately rose and went to the kitchen.

Outside the courtyard gate.

Shen Yi sniffed.

His stomach began growling again.

Back then, he had leaped into the waterfall from Mount Luo Xia. Swept by the surging current into the plains, he drifted more than ten li before finally coming ashore by the Clear River.

After landing, Shen Yi had erred on the side of caution.

He had simply kept his head down and hurried onward.

Not stopping for even a moment.

After traveling for another full day.

He finally dared to tentatively confirm that he had truly shaken off the Pacification Office.

Only then did Shen Yi breathe a sigh of relief.

As the taut tension of fleeing for his life gradually faded, the aftereffects of driving his body beyond its limits swiftly emerged.

Exhaustion and hunger.

The most important thing for him now was to fill his stomach.

Then get a good night's sleep.

So he followed the river toward signs of human habitation and happened to catch the fragrant scent of food drifting from Old Jiang's home.

Yet as he looked at the tightly shut wooden gate before him.

Though Shen Yi was absolutely certain people inside were eating, perhaps out of concern for their safety...

They refused to open the door.

Shen Yi was not the sort of villain who forced others into difficulties.

He turned to leave.

Looking down the dirt road, there were still quite a few dimly visible houses in the village. There would surely be somewhere he could fill his stomach.

Suddenly, the wooden gate creaked softly.

It opened a crack.

Revealing a wrinkled old face.

Shen Yi immediately put on what he believed was a very friendly smile.

Old Jiang was startled too.

He had thought it would be some ragged beggar or refugee, but instead it was a clean, handsome young man.

Old Jiang's eyes were sharp, however.

He saw that Shen Yi's black clothes were tattered as well.

A horizontal saber hung at his waist.

Its hilt was black, and its blade was narrower than the broad broken saber resting beside Qin Jianghe's bed.

This was another jianghu Ronin!

"Sir, this kid hasn't eaten in two days and can scarcely bear the hunger. Here is a fragment of silver. Could you spare me some food?"

Old Jiang's expression changed.

Well now.

This young man, bedraggled and looking like a beggar, was actually so lavish with his money.

One look told him the fellow had likely done plenty of killing and robbing in his day.

Before Old Jiang could speak.

A graceful figure suddenly appeared behind him, and then a delicate pretty face pressed close to the crack in the gate.

"Father, let me see."

Because of the man she loved.

Axiu herself was full of curiosity about jianghu folk.

Seeing Old Jiang dawdling about.

She could no longer restrain her curiosity and moved up to the gate.

Old Jiang was instantly alarmed. He knew his daughter had some looks, and if this jianghu traveler was stirred by lust at the sight of her...

That would only breed needless trouble...

"Nonsense, get back inside."

Old Jiang reached out and shoved Axiu back from the doorway.

He then turned to Shen Yi outside the gate.

"Young brother, we dare not accept your silver."

"It's late, and it isn't convenient for us to entertain guests at home."

"I've prepared a bowl of rice and dishes for you. Have something to fill your stomach first." Old Jiang passed a large bowl of rice and food through the gap in the gate.

"The little house across from here is my woodshed. Young brother, you can rest there for the night. Just leave the bowl over there after you finish eating."

Shen Yi grinned.

Food was all he needed. Why ask for a bicycle?

"Thank you, old sir."

Shen Yi took the large bowl and chopsticks, then walked to the woodshed. He sat by its entrance and began wolfing down the food.

Old Jiang studied Shen Yi's features and manner of speaking. He did not seem like a bad person; he truly looked as though hunger had driven him to the brink.

Old Jiang's heart settled a little.

Then he shut the door and added another lock.

In just a few breaths, Shen Yi swept the bowl clean. His stomach immediately felt full instead of hollow.

A person truly did need to eat their fill.

Shen Yi entered the woodshed. It had been kept rather neat, with dry firewood, some farm tools, and a straw mat laid out inside.

It was enough for Shen Yi to sleep on.

He placed the empty bowl and chopsticks atop the firewood pile.

After stretching lazily, he lay down on the straw mat. Before sleeping, he summoned the system panel to inspect his gains from Mount Luo Xia:

Host: Shen Yi

Cultivation: Second-Class Realm

Martial Arts: Wind Severing Saber Technique (Perfected), Bone Dislocation Hand (Beginner), Fragmentary Array Breaker Art (Major Mastery)

Ultimate Skill: Listening Wind Slash

Remaining secluded cultivation: 3 years, 2 months

The higher the cultivation of the martial artist he killed, the more secluded cultivation time he could gain. This was true nourishment through battle—the more he killed, the stronger he became.

He had spent only two or three days on Mount Luo Xia.

Yet his cultivation had already reached the Second-Class Realm.

With his perfected saber technique, he might even be able to contend with an ordinary First-Class Realm expert.

But Shen Yi also understood.

That was because he had already learned a saber technique and had obtained the Fragmentary Array Breaker Art from Niu Ben.

Only then had he been able to grow so quickly.

Yet the drawback of having begun martial training too late had not been eliminated. He would likely need to spend more time than ordinary people to reach perfection.

Fortunately, Shen Yi's greatest asset at present was secluded cultivation time.

And internal cultivation was the foundation of martial arts.

It could not be neglected.

Shen Yi immediately chose to pour two years of secluded cultivation time into his internal cultivation.

After the Fragmentary Array Breaker Art entered Major Mastery, you did not grow proud or complacent. Instead, you continued studying it. The Fragmentary Array Breaker Art was simple and direct, without anything profound or obscure; it required only diligent cultivation.

After two years of secluded cultivation, your blocked meridians were further opened and expanded, and your internal energy continued to improve day by day.

Shen Yi could feel that his internal energy had indeed increased, but he was still in the jianghu's Second-Class Realm. As expected, it was not so simple.

His saber technique had already reached perfection.

To improve further, he either had to continue secluded cultivation of the saber technique or turn to improve the Bone Dislocation Hand he had always neglected.

Shen Yi thought it over.

He first chose to pour six months into his saber technique.

The saber technique was his means of attack. Though the Wind Severing Blade had reached perfection, he could still invest secluded cultivation into it.

Shen Yi figured he would test the waters with half a year first.

Your Wind Severing Blade has already reached perfection. Mere saber practice can no longer increase your insight; what you need now is innovation.

You held your long saber and pondered bitterly. In the unseen depths, it seemed you had grasped something, yet it always flashed away in an instant. After sitting in vain for six months, your understanding of the Wind Severing Saber Technique deepened further, but you still could not break free from the shackles of perfection.

You vaguely felt that stones from other hills could be used to polish jade. Perhaps you should learn more saber techniques, so that one insight might trigger another.

Shen Yi froze abruptly, unable to stop himself from roaring inwardly:

"Damn it, give me my money back!"