Executioner Yama Gate

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

Liang Qisheng had rented a courtyard in Blade-Casting Town. The price wasn't too steep, but the location was somewhat remote.

Since he was used to living in seclusion anyway, it suited him even better.

Once settled, he realized that prices in Blade-Casting Town were a full thirty percent higher than in Lotus Town.

No wonder—there were too many martial artists here.

During these few days, he hadn't been idle. He explored every corner of Blade-Casting Town, gathering information first.

As the most martial-spirited among the nine major towns under Shiwu County, Blade-Casting Town was a gathering place for wandering martial artists.

All six major martial arts schools had even opened branches here.

Beyond that, local gangs and factions from elsewhere mingled in a chaotic mix, their numbers even greater.

It could be said that anyone who made a name for themselves in Blade-Casting Town had at least some real skill.

And precisely because this place was a bit chaotic—a region where various forces had a foothold but none could fully control it—

Even the imperial court and local government had weaker influence here than elsewhere. That was the real reason Liang Qisheng chose this place as a temporary stop.

"That Shopkeeper Lin chased me all the way. I suffered a hidden loss from him..."

"...but between life and death, my potential exploded. This Black Tiger Fist has advanced to a higher level, and my understanding has deepened. A blessing in disguise."

Liang Qisheng now had a clearer grasp of his own strength.

Take his earlier fight with Shopkeeper Lin, for example. Setting aside the gap in cultivation realms, the other party's Eagle Claw Skill darted back and forth, leaving him exhausted from trying to keep up.

That was pitting one's weakness against an opponent's strength.

To engage in a life-or-death struggle with such an opponent, besides the Black Tiger Fist, he'd best master a killing move that could break through the other's elusive lightness skill.

For that, he needed to work on weapons.

After weighing his options, Liang Qisheng actually found a place that suited him perfectly.

Yama Gate wasn't a proper sect. More accurately, it was a framework set up by its founder.

Money in, welcome. No money, get lost.

Pay silver, and you could learn a few martial arts moves—essentially teaching skills for cash.

And this founder's identity was even more interesting: he was the oldest, longest-serving executioner openly cooperating with the Blade-Casting Town government.

Over time, the executioners on the official payroll of Shiwu County all had some connection to him, more or less.

Though this trade carried some ill fortune, it still counted as a kind of influence. So, behind his back, people called it Yama Gate.

Because the man still taking money to teach had sent hundreds of heads rolling, his nickname became Yama Blade.

The lineage taught by this Yama Blade was called the Decapitation Blade. Most of its disciples were executioners, making it a force cooperating with the yamen on the surface.

Compared to other martial arts schools, which had strict recruitment standards—testing backgrounds, identities, and aptitudes—and local gangs requiring sworn pledges to join, Yama Gate taught disciples based solely on money. A hundred taels of silver got you in.

Once you joined Yama Gate, you could directly learn the blade technique, and the teaching held nothing back.

Precisely because there were so few requirements, the Decapitation Blade was quite crude.

In truth, it was a blade art realized from performing beheadings as an executioner. It emphasized killing like cutting grass—swift as the wind, sharp as lightning.

One slash to sever the head, never a second strike.

This kind of blade art actually demanded talent; it was easy to learn but hard to master.

But since everyone who came to study thought they were a genius, business was still pretty good.

How much they could imitate, however, depended on the individual.

"Is this Yama Gate?"

Following the information he'd gathered, Liang Qisheng searched his way here.

Finally, he found a three-section courtyard.

The courtyard was large, right in the center of Blade-Casting Town, but it looked unkempt and somewhat rundown.

Still, one could tell from the location and the layout that this residence had once been impressive.

The main gate stood wide open, and above it hung a large plaque with a red background outlined in gold lacquer.

The wooden plaque was somewhat aged, but the three big characters—"Decapitation Blade"—radiated a chilling killing intent.

At a single glance, it felt like a blade slash coming straight at him, forcing Liang Qisheng to look away.

These three characters clearly summed up the true essence of the executioner lineage's practiced techniques.

Moreover, the person who wrote them carried such a dense killing intent that it was almost terrifying.

The brush moved as if guided by a divine force, pouring that intent into the ink.

Even after all these years, the gold paint that had fallen still sent a chill down one's spine.

Clearly, this was not something written by an ordinary person.

Such a thick killing intent could only have been left behind by an old executioner who had beheaded countless men without flinching.

Standing at the entrance for a moment, Liang Qisheng looked at the shifting figures in the courtyard and knew he had come to the right place.

Here, they asked no questions about the past, only took money; silver in hand, the job was done cleanly and neatly, rather like teaching without discrimination.

Or rather, they were simply too good at doing business.

"...Not bad, not bad. Simple and direct. This is the kind of atmosphere I like."

"Spending silver to enter this Yama Gate—no need to paste red paper, no need to drink blood wine, no need to sign an apprenticeship contract, not even a single kowtow to a master. Pure and simple, just silver for service."

"So most of the people who join here have some wealth, come to learn a craft, and have other plans afterward. Not many will actually become executioners."

Seeing this scene, Liang Qisheng understood in his heart.

But his purpose was different from others. The reason he chose the Decapitation Blade of Yama Gate was precisely to squeeze into the ranks of executioners.

According to what he had learned before, the executioner's trade was quite lucrative. Especially those who came out of Yama Gate's Decapitation Blade—as long as they mastered two or three forms, the yamen doors would be fighting over them.

But this line of work was unlucky. Many executioners had bad fates, so the turnover was especially high.

He wanted to enter this trade, and it was basically a sure thing. No one would compete with him.

"Old executioners, miserable in their old age, no children, no family, a lifetime of hardship."

"Children from ordinary families would never choose this line of work."

Liang Qisheng stared at the plaque for a moment, then lifted his foot and stepped across the threshold, walking inside.

Turning past the main gate, a table sat there.

A teaching assistant dressed in black sat there, idly doodling.

Hearing the sound, the assistant looked up and happened to see Liang Qisheng walking in.

"This guy... looks like he's got a few lives on his hands too."

Meeting the other's gaze, Liang Qisheng felt a slight chill at his neck.

He vaguely noticed that although the man's eyes were looking at him, his focus kept falling on his neck.

As if it were a habit, choosing the right angle for the blade.

"Esteemed master, I heard the Decapitation Blade is taking on apprentices. I have come drawn by its reputation, hoping to learn a few skills and, along the way, seek a future."

Liang Qisheng did not hesitate. He cupped his hands in salute and quickly bowed.

Putting aside everything else, just this teaching assistant's peculiar habit and the threat in his gaze had already solidified Liang Qisheng's resolve to join the Decapitation Blade.

If even a mere teaching assistant had such thick killing intent, it meant the Decapitation Blade truly had some skill.

His Black Tiger Fist was deepening day by day, but his weapon skills were lacking.

If he wanted to break Shopkeeper Lin's Thirteen Flying Eagle Forms and Light Body Footwork, the Decapitation Blade technique of Yama Gate was the easiest for him to access.