Secret Technique, Wolf God Festival

Inner City, Shan Estate.

Shan Xiongqing stood before Yun Xu with a grim expression.

Gao Mian stood to the side, her face indifferent.

Whenever Shan Xiongqing reached out to touch her, the chains would clatter sharply, forcing him to retract his hand.

Last night, he had witnessed the true power of that secret art.

"Yun Xu, oh Yun Xu, you act so chaste, refusing to let me touch you for over a month, yet you refuse to take your own life. What exactly is in this estate worth you waiting so desperately for? It's a pity that the informant you contacted in private has already been dragged out by me; he even helped us surround and suppress the Cloud-Striding Martial Hall. You had best compromise obediently," Shan Xiongqing sneered.

During the surprise raid last night, the enemy was clearly prepared; there had to be a mole.

Yun Xu had been locked here the entire time and could not have known the situation at the horse ranch; the traitor likely came from within the ranch itself.

But if she could hold out until today, she must have had other hopes.

Shan Xiongqing didn't mind trying to bluff her once more.

Clearing out the Cloud-Striding Martial Hall was meant to extract their cultivation techniques in the first place.

If Yun Xu were willing to spill the truth, the losses from last night would be of no consequence.

"I fear death, but I don't mind dragging you along on the road to the afterlife. I have been waiting for that very moment," Yun Xu said, her face gaunt and her tone flat.

Shan Xiongqing stepped back two paces: "You won't get that chance. I will pry what we want out of your fellow disciples' mouths; by then, you will be completely worthless."

Yun Xu simply closed her eyes and remained silent, returning to her stillness.

Shan Xiongqing let out a cold snort and flicked his sleeves as he left.

Seeing him depart, Gao Mian slowly stepped forward and gently stroked Yun Xu's spine with her fingertips. Yun Xu shivered slightly but did not resist.

Throughout these days, her clothing, food, and bathing had all been handled by Gao Mian, while Shan Xiongqing couldn't even touch the hem of her garment.

Gao Mian was quite satisfied with this.

"Sister Yun," she said softly, "if you are willing to hand over that technique, I can make the call to spare your life, and perhaps... I can even try to ensure the safety of your fellow disciples."

Yun Xu remained silent.

Gao Mian sighed lightly, but she made no further excessive moves, her fingertips merely lingering as if to soothe.

A moment later, she withdrew her hand and turned to walk toward the training room.

In the main hall, Shan Xiongqing listened to Han Gui's report, his face growing increasingly ugly until he suddenly swept the teacup off the table.

"It's one thing for the horse ranch to have trouble! But to fail at a trivial task like assassinating Su Yuan! Are those Jing People warriors just eating rice?"

Han Gui lowered his head: "Those idiots actually made their move while Su Tie Niu was present. In the end, it was three against one, and two of them were killed instead. Only Song An escaped with a severed arm."

"He has the nerve to come back? Go deal with it cleanly! If Chai Er follows the trail, it will be a huge problem!" Shan Xiongqing roared.

"Oh my, Brother Shan, why are you so angry?" Chai Nian walked in with a smile, waving his folding fan.

Although several servants stood in his way, shouting, "Young Master Chai, you are trespassing in the Shan Estate!"

Chai Nian continued to walk forward, and no one truly dared to stop him; those who had tried to block him were already lying on the ground, unable to rise.

Su Yuan followed behind Chai Nian, shouting that it was exhilarating—they were actually storming the Shan Estate.

"Chai Er, you—" Shan Xiongqing grabbed a teacup and threw it with great force, but Chai Nian deflected it with his fan.

Clap!

The Qi energy burst in the air with a crisp crack.

Chai Nian said leisurely: "Brother Shan, look, getting agitated again? Your brother has come to share your burdens. Your failure to suppress the Cloud-Striding Martial Hall is already a foregone conclusion. Do you want more people to intervene and take a cut, or would you rather have only a few families continue to divide the spoils?"

He made no mention of the Su Yuan affair, speaking only of the Cloud-Striding Martial Hall.

Shan Xiongqing's expression softened slightly: "Come inside and talk."

Chai Nian signaled for Su Yuan and his brother to wait outside, then followed Shan Xiongqing inside alone.

"Brother Shan, you saw it last night. The technique used by the Cloud-Striding Martial Hall is the Black Cloud Secret Art, inherited from the Cloud Mist Sect. On the front lines, the Cloud Mist Sect has repeatedly broken our armies with this move. Their secret arts are even more treacherous and powerful, not even requiring self-destruction. If we can obtain intelligence on this art to help the front lines advance, what does it matter if a few more families share the credit..."

Shan Xiongqing's gaze flickered: "It's useless to take Yun Xu. She is at the peak of External Strength, and that secret art is controlled by a single thought; it's impossible to stop. Even the split-pulse warriors of my Shan Family couldn't do anything about it back then; we couldn't even cripple her cultivation in time. Unless we wait for her strength to be exhausted, but by then, she will have already taken her own life."

"Brother Shan, you are overthinking this. Since this secret art is so powerful, it certainly isn't something every External Strength practitioner can master. You can simply capture those who haven't mastered it yet."

"What if they all know it?"

"Impossible, absolutely impossible. Just listen to me..."

Outside the hall, the crowd surrounded Su Yuan and Tie Niu, but the two remained calm.

At this moment, Han Gui stepped forward: "Little Brother Su, Madam Gao invites you over."

"Lead the way," Su Yuan said indifferently.

"Brother Yuan," Tie Niu wanted to stop him, but Su Yuan waved him off.

"It's fine, wait here."

Su Yuan followed Han Gui to the outside of a training room; before he even entered, he could hear the whistling of wind and the crackling of energy from within.

"Is the Madam practicing?" Su Yuan asked.

Han Gui nodded, turned, and walked away.

"Little Yuan, why are you standing outside? Come in," Gao Mian's languid voice drifted out.

Su Yuan pushed the door open and entered.

This was his first time seeing Gao Mian in the midst of her training.

She wore a dark red, tight-fitting martial outfit that clung to her skin, the cinched waist perfectly outlining her voluptuous, undulating figure.

Her dark hair was coiled high; as she moved through her strikes and kicks, her full chest inevitably bounced with intensity. Beads of sweat rolled from the hollow of her collarbone, vanishing into the deeper shadows beneath.

The Madam's proud physique stretched like a tiger, exuding a fierce, agile strength and beauty, brimming with heroic spirit.

Su Yuan was momentarily stunned; this was exactly how he had imagined his Madam to be.

But before his praise could escape his lips, Gao Mian launched a swift attack, sweeping a fierce whip kick toward him.

Su Yuan instinctively raised his arms to block and leaned back, but Gao Mian's long, powerful leg had already pinned him down, her ankle pressing against his neck. The warmth of her body and its astonishing elasticity radiated through his clothes.

"Madam, what is the meaning of this?"

Seeing how easily Su Yuan had been subdued, Gao Mian frowned slightly, retracted her leg, and stepped back. "What have you been practicing for the last half-month? You are utterly pathetic."

"Madam, I only possess inferior aptitude," Su Yuan said as he scrambled up.

"What does inferior aptitude matter? I also have inferior aptitude, yet did I not become a Savage Strength martial artist? You must not have been training diligently these past two weeks," Gao Mian scoffed.

"The Madam also has inferior aptitude? Might I ask if you could impart some experience?" Su Yuan asked, surprised.

Gao Mian sighed softly. "If you focus your heart on bitter training, you still have a chance at Blood Condensation. But to reach Savage Strength without the aid of a Great Medicine is a slim hope. I took a Great Medicine back then, which is why my martial path could no longer advance an inch. I ended up marrying into the Shan Family, and looking back now, I cannot say I have no regrets."

"Great Medicine, marrying into..." Su Yuan had not expected his Madam to have such a history.

He had long known she was strong-willed, but he hadn't realized she was also hindered by her aptitude.

"Madam—" Before he could finish, Gao Mian's shadow of fists arrived again.

Su Yuan had no choice but to continue the charade, being knocked down repeatedly.

Gao Mian stepped onto the back of the prone Su Yuan, her chest heaving slightly, her tone tinged with annoyance: "Foolish!"

She had originally held expectations for Su Yuan, even harboring some indescribable thoughts.

Seeing him so incompetent now, that flicker of hope in her heart suddenly cooled.

She had already married into the Shan Family; in the end, she could not afford to look for someone without strength, someone unworthy of being entrusted with her future.

She hauled Su Yuan up, her tone turning indifferent: "Why did you come to the Shan Family today?"

Su Yuan knew he had disappointed her, but he could not yet reveal his true strength, so he told her the truth about the ambush.

Gao Mian's gaze turned icy. "He actually dared to touch my people."

Seeing the look of shame on Su Yuan's face, her heart softened. "Forget it. If you are willing, I will take you as my sworn younger brother. From now on, your sister will look after you."

Huh?

Su Yuan had not expected this, but he reacted quickly, bowing low: "Sister Mian! Please accept this younger brother's respects!"

Gao Mian reached out to support his arm, ruffling his hair. "There is no need for formality between siblings. Come, let's continue training!"

Before the words were out, Su Yuan was swept off his feet by another kick.

This repeated many times.

A line of golden text appeared before his eyes.

[Impact Sustained: 1/100 (Entry Level)]

This works too? Isn't this just getting beaten up?

"You dare to be distracted!" Gao Mian's voice, laced with mild anger, reached him, and another fierce gust of wind from her leg, carrying a faint fragrance, brushed against his face.

Su Yuan was gradually able to catch her moves, improving rapidly under her guidance.

Although Su Yuan was hiding his strength, the changes in his techniques were genuine.

It seemed that martial arts really required more practical combat.

"Sister Mian, I'm not stupid; I'm learning quite fast," Su Yuan boasted.

"Then you were indeed slacking off before." Gao Mian suddenly exerted force, knocking Su Yuan down.

[Impact Sustained: 5/100 (Entry Level)]

Even if he didn't hide his strength, he would certainly still be unable to beat her.

Gao Mian shook her head and sighed: "In your current state, I fear you won't make it in time for the Wolf God Festival three months from now."

"Sister Mian, is this Wolf God Festival really that important?" Although everyone mentioned it repeatedly, no one had explained the details.

"The Wolf God Festival is the most important holiday in Great Liang. Every citizen of Great Liang must go out to hunt to pay tribute to the Wolf God. For martial artists, every city holds a hunting competition to vie for rankings. Those who rank at the top are guaranteed generous rewards—money and status are easily obtained. To put it simply, it is like the martial examinations in your Great Jing. The prize for last year's winner was a Great Medicine used to break through to Savage Strength," Gao Mian explained in detail.

"If the opportunity arises, I can have your sister win that Great Medicine for you," Gao Mian suggested.

"Sister Mian, I can do it myself. By then, I will be able to become a martial artist," Su Yuan said immediately.

"Empty words are useless. Keep training!" Gao Mian's fists struck out once more.