Body Forging Layer 8 (Two-in-One)

By the time they emerged from the forest, the sky had turned pitch black.

Li Jinshui supported the veteran known as Old Zhou, while the young soldier with the severed arm followed behind them; the three of them stumbled along the mountain path. Old Zhou's injuries were too severe, and he had to stop to catch his breath every few steps, his face as pale as a corpse's.

Yet, he gritted his teeth and kept moving forward without a single word.

Li Jinshui glanced at him but remained silent.

He hadn't had much of an impression of this Old Zhou before. He only knew the man was a long-time subordinate of Wang Tiezhu, at the eighth level of Body Forging, and had spent seven or eight years in the Third Battalion—a man as quiet as a stone.

He remembered clearly the look Old Zhou had given him back in the forest.

That gaze had been incredibly complex: filled with gratitude, confusion, and just a hint of... wariness.

Li Jinshui didn't care.

Let him be suspicious; without evidence, no one could do anything to him.

Besides, he had saved them.

That was enough.

After walking for the time it takes to burn an incense stick, human voices suddenly drifted from ahead.

Li Jinshui's footsteps faltered, his hand resting on the hilt of his blade.

"It's our men!" the young soldier shouted excitedly.

Sure enough, torches lit up in the mountain pass ahead. Er Gou's familiar face poked out from the firelight, and upon seeing Li Jinshui, he froze for a moment before leaping up as if he'd been scorched by the flames.

"Squad Leader! It's the Squad Leader! The Squad Leader is back!"

He scrambled over, his eyes reddening: "Are you alright? You were out there alone, and I was worried to death! That Wang fellow is a piece of trash, he—"

"Shut up," Li Jinshui interrupted him. "Where is the Camp Commander?"

Only then did Er Gou notice the two men he was supporting, and he blinked in surprise: "Old Zhou? Xiao Sun? How did you—"

"Lead the way," Li Jinshui said.

Er Gou nodded hurriedly and led the way in front.

Rounding the mountain pass, several campfires burned in an open clearing. Soldiers sat or lay about in small groups; some were bandaging wounds, some were whispering, and others stared blankly into the flames.

Zhou Kui stood beside the largest fire, listening to reports from several men.

Li Jinshui walked over, handed Old Zhou to those coming to assist, and then stepped forward, cupping his fists:

"Camp Commander, Squad Jia's Li Jinshui, reporting back."

Zhou Kui turned his head, his gaze sweeping over him before landing behind him.

"Where is Wang Tiezhu?"

Li Jinshui kept his head lowered, his voice steady: "Reporting to the Camp Commander, Squad Leader Wang and I searched in different directions. Later, I heard the sounds of fighting and rushed over, only to find Squad Leader Wang locked in a death struggle with two Di People. By the time I arrived, Squad Leader Wang had killed them both, but he himself had... succumbed to his wounds."

He spoke slowly, every word clear and distinct.

The surroundings suddenly fell silent.

Everyone looked at him.

Zhou Kui stared at him, the scar on his face appearing particularly ferocious in the firelight.

"You saw it with your own eyes?"

"Yes."

"Where is his body?"

"At the bottom of the valley. Fearing there might be more enemies nearby, I didn't dare delay and rushed back to report."

Zhou Kui was silent for a moment, then waved his hand: "Take a few men and go bring the body back."

"Yes."

Li Jinshui turned, signaled for Er Gou and a few other soldiers from Squad Jia, and headed back toward the forest.

After walking a few dozen paces, Er Gou leaned in and asked in a low voice: "Squad Leader, is that Wang fellow really dead?"

Li Jinshui didn't speak, simply continuing to walk forward.

Er Gou looked at his back and suddenly shivered.

He remembered that morning, when Wang Tiezhu had blocked the entrance to the barracks, and the expression Li Jinshui had worn when he said "Fine."

That expression was exactly the same as the one he wore now.

The bottom of the valley.

The torchlight illuminated three corpses.

Two Di People, one Zhou Army soldier.

Wang Tiezhu lay on his back between the two Di People, his body covered in wounds, his right hand still gripping his blade, which was slick with blood.

"It really is him..." Er Gou gasped, "He killed two of them all by himself?"

Li Jinshui crouched down, pretending to inspect the corpse, then stood up and said to the few soldiers, "Carry him back."

When the body was brought back to the camp, almost everyone still alive gathered around.

The torchlight shone on Wang Tiezhu's face; that fierce countenance was unusually calm now, his eyes still open, staring at the pitch-black night sky as if looking at something unknown.

Zhou Kui walked over, crouched down, and personally examined the body.

He looked very carefully. Every wound, every blade mark, he examined over and over again.

Li Jinshui stood to the side, his face devoid of any expression.

After a full stick of incense had burned, Zhou Kui stood up and brushed the blood from his hands.

"It's a Di People blade," he said. "The fatal wound is in the chest, stabbed by a short blade. That short blade is the standard issue for the Di People; he also had one at his waist."

He paused and looked at Li Jinshui:

"You did the right thing. In that situation, saving the living is more important than moving the dead."

Li Jinshui cupped his fists: "Thank you, Commander."

Zhou Kui nodded, his gaze sweeping over the surrounding soldiers, his voice dropping low:

"Wang Tiezhu followed me for eight years and killed countless enemies. Dying in battle today, he deserves to be called a hero."

He paused, his voice turning cold:

"Therefore, not a single one of those Di People can be allowed to escape."

The firelight flickered, reflecting on everyone's faces.

Wang Tiezhu was dead.

That peak ninth-layer Body Forging expert, only one step away from Inner Strength, Wang Tiezhu, was dead.

Some were silent, some sighed, and some secretly looked at Li Jinshui—the man who had been suppressed by Wang Tiezhu for a month, yet it was he who found the body, and he who saved Old Zhou and Xiao Sun.

Could there really be such a coincidence in this world?

But no one dared to ask, and no one could ask.

Because Old Zhou and Xiao Sun were both alive, and both had personally testified—it was Li Jinshui who saved them.

How could a man who saved his comrades be the murderer?

The night grew deeper.

Li Jinshui sat leaning against a tree, eyes closed, appearing as if he had fallen asleep.

The panel glowed with a faint light in the corner of his vision:

[Technique: Iron Shirt (8th Layer 0/45), Wolf Killing Seven Forms (Entry 48/50), Tiger Walk (Minor Achievement 9/30)]

[Points: 7]

He still had 7 points; he would save them to upgrade Iron Shirt, as cultivation realm was important.

He was only two points away from reaching Minor Achievement in the Wolf Killing Seven Forms.

Soon.

He opened his eyes and looked toward the campfire.

Zhou Kui was still standing there, holding a crumpled map in his hand, his brows tightly locked.

Li Jinshui narrowed his eyes, seeing through the firelight that the map depicted a continuous mountain range, with a location circled in charcoal.

That was where the Di People might be hiding.

And it was where they were going tomorrow.

He closed his eyes, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly.

Wang Tiezhu was dead, but the points had not yet been gathered enough.

Tomorrow, more people would die.

But it would not be him.

At the first light of dawn, the troop set out.

Zhou Kui walked at the very front, followed by over two hundred men—five squads had returned one after another last night, and with over thirty dead in battle, this many remained.

The Di People had not been found yet, but their trail was clear.

Deep in the forest, there were traces of footprints, ashes from campfires, and discarded items that had been looted—a woman's embroidered shoe, a child's rag doll, half a gnawed flatbread.

Every time they saw such an item, the atmosphere in the troop grew heavier.

Li Jinshui walked in the middle of the formation, Er Gou following behind him, his face pale, yet he stubbornly held his tongue.

After walking for about an hour, the forest ahead suddenly became sparse.

Walking further, the view suddenly opened up—a valley, surrounded by mountains on three sides, with only one narrow entrance.

At the mouth of the valley, there was smoke.

It was not cooking smoke; it was a signal fire.

"Halt!" Zhou Kui raised a hand, and the entire unit stopped instantly.

He squinted toward the valley entrance, the scar on his face twitching.

Then he smiled.

It was the kind of smile that sent a chill down one's spine.

"They delivered themselves to our doorstep," he said, his voice not loud, yet clear enough for everyone to hear. "Three hundred Di People, not a single one missing, all inside."

He turned his head to look at the soldiers behind him.

"Third Battalion, listen up."

Everyone straightened their backs.

"Today, either they die, or we die. There is no third possibility."

He paused, slowly drawing the blade at his waist.

It was a heavy-backed saber, the blade pitch-black with a cold glint along the edge; one look was enough to tell it was a lethal weapon that had tasted countless blood.

"Follow me."

He took the lead and walked toward the valley entrance.

Over two hundred men followed in silence.

The moment he stepped into the valley, Li Jinshui caught that familiar scent.

The smell of blood.

And the stench of something burnt.

Thirty paces into the valley, his footsteps faltered at the sight before him.

On the open ground lay dozens of corpses, scattered in every direction.

They were not the bodies of Di People; they were the bodies of Zhou people.

Old men, women, children.

The most tragic one was a young woman; her clothes were torn to shreds, her belly sliced open, and her entrails spilled across the ground. Beside her lay an infant with its head smashed in, its tiny body curled into a ball, as if still in the womb.

Someone began to retch.

Someone's hand gripping their blade started to tremble.

Li Jinshui stood rooted to the spot, staring at the mother and child, motionless.

He remembered his past life, a woman who sold pancakes downstairs from his office, who used to bring her three or four-year-old child along. The child always loved to smile at him, revealing two missing front teeth.

Later, one day, the child stopped appearing.

The woman said he had been sent back to their hometown.

He hadn't thought much of it at the time.

Now, looking at this infant with its head smashed in, he suddenly remembered those two missing front teeth.

And that child who used to smile at him.

He lowered his head and tightened his grip on his sword hilt.

When he looked up again, there was no expression on his face.

"Keep moving," Zhou Kui's voice came from the front, cold as ice.

The unit continued deeper inside.

The further they went, the more corpses they found.

All villagers.

All old, weak, women, and children.

There were no able-bodied men—those men had likely already been killed or taken away as forced labor.

As they reached the depths of the valley, a sharp bone whistle suddenly pierced the air from ahead!

Immediately after, countless black shadows surged down from the slopes on both sides!

Di soldiers!

They had been lying in ambush all along!

"Form ranks!" Zhou Kui roared, his voice shaking the valley!

The soldiers of the Third Battalion quickly gathered, forming a circular formation back-to-back!

The Di soldiers surged forward like a tide, their curved blades flashing with blinding light in the sun!

At the first wave of impact, the two sides slammed into each other violently!

Screams, the clashing of weapons, and angry roars instantly filled the valley!

Li Jinshui hacked down a Di soldier rushing at him, catching a glimpse of Zhou Kui out of the corner of his eye—

Zhou Kui did not retreat, did not defend, and he did not even glance at the surging Di soldiers.

He walked forward step by step, each stride shattering the mountain rocks, each step leaving someone fallen in his wake.

Inner Strength Realm!

This was the first time Li Jinshui had seen an Inner Strength Realm expert in action with his own eyes.

The thick-backed saber in Zhou Kui's hand seemed to come alive; wherever the blade light passed, the Di soldiers fell like harvested wheat! Some were severed at the waist, others split in two, and some had their heads sent three feet into the air as blood erupted like a fountain!

He didn't even break a sweat!

Is this the power of the Inner Strength Realm?

Even a ninth-layer Body Forging expert would likely not last three strikes against him!

"Kill!!!"

Li Jinshui pulled back his focus, throwing himself entirely into the slaughter.

He unleashed the Wolf Killing Seven Forms with all his might, his blade light fluttering like snowflakes!

Wolf Fang Bite! A triple strike; blood bloomed simultaneously from a Di soldier's throat, chest, and abdomen!

Wolf Tail Sweep! The blade swept horizontally, parrying an incoming scimitar before spinning back to sever another man's arm!

Wolf Charge! The blade thrust forward, piercing through the enemy's mouth and out the back of his skull!

Wolf Devour! His military saber flew from his hand, spinning to slice through the neck of a third Di soldier!

[Killed Northern Di soldier, points +1]

[+1]

[+8, killed Northern Di Decurion]

[+3...]

The points were jumping frantically!

Yet the slaughter continued, and the Di soldiers kept coming, as if they were endless!

Suddenly, a thunderous roar erupted from the hillside!

"Zhou Kui!!!"

The shout was so loud it made eardrums ache, causing the fighting in the valley to pause for a heartbeat!

A burly Di warrior leaped down from the hillside, landing with a "boom" that cracked the earth!

He was bare-chested, his muscles knotted like the roots of an ancient tree, and a baring, clawing Black Wolf was tattooed across his chest! In his hand, he held a giant axe the size of a wagon wheel, its blade still stained with fresh blood!

Inner Strength Realm!

This was the leader of the Di!

Zhou Kui cleaved the last Di soldier blocking his path and turned, locking eyes with the Di leader.

"Black Wolf Tribe, Chimu." The Di leader grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellowed, blackened teeth. "I heard you are the Camp Commander of the Third Battalion of North-Rejecting City, at the middle stage of the Inner Strength Realm?"

The scar on Zhou Kui's face twitched. "You've heard of me?"

"I have." Chimu slammed his giant axe into the ground. "Some say you've killed experts at the late stage of the Inner Strength Realm. I don't believe it."

Zhou Kui laughed.

It was the kind of laugh that sent a chill down one's spine.

"Believe it or not, you'll know once you try."

Before the words had even faded, he moved!

Inner Strength Realm against Inner Strength Realm!

The two figures collided violently!

"Clang—!!!"

The deafening sound of metal clashing made the entire valley tremble! Several soldiers standing too close were sent collapsing to the ground, blood leaking from their ears and noses!

Li Jinshui forced back the Di soldiers around him with a slash and looked up at the two figures—

Fast!

Too fast!

Even with his eighth-layer Body Forging eyesight, he could only see two blurred shadows colliding frantically! Every impact erupted with earth-shaking roars, and the ground beneath their feet shuddered!

"Kill!!!"

Someone roared, and the slaughter broke out once more!

But this time, the momentum of everyone had changed!

The Camp Commander was fighting for his life, so they had to fight for theirs as well!

Li Jinshui pulled back his gaze, throwing himself entirely into the killing!

He pushed the Wolf Killing Seven Forms to their limit, his blade light rolling toward the Di soldiers like a bolt of silk! One, two, three—he was like a tireless killing machine, and wherever he passed, corpses flew!

[+4]

[+2]

[+1...]

His points continued to skyrocket!

As he slaughtered, he roared in his heart: No, I need combat power right now! Add points! Add to my blade technique! Put it all into the blade technique!

[Consumed 2 points, Wolf Killing Seven Forms proficiency +2]

[Wolf Killing Seven Forms: Beginner → Minor Mastery!]

His blade momentum shifted!

It became trickier, more vicious, and faster!

The three-strike combo of Wolf Fang Bite grew faster with each swing; by the time the third strike fell, the Di soldier hadn't even managed to react!

[Consumed 1 point, +1]

[+1]

[+1...]

He didn't know how long he had been killing.

He only knew that the daylight had shifted from pale white to dusky yellow, and then from dusky yellow to blood red.

Corpses piled up layer upon layer on the ground, and the blood had soaked the valley soil into a quagmire that squelched with every step.

The number of living men grew fewer and fewer.

But the Di soldiers were also dwindling.

Finally, a shrill howl echoed from the hillside—

It was the Di retreat signal!

The remaining Di soldiers surged backward like a receding tide, fleeing into the depths of the valley!

"Pursue!" Zhou Kui's voice came from the front, hoarse yet fierce, "Don't let a single one escape!"

The soldiers of the Third Battalion let out a roar, chasing after the fleeing Di soldiers to slaughter them!

Li Jinshui chased after them as well.

He was the fastest of them all.

Because he was still just a little bit short.

Just a little bit more, and the Wolf Killing Seven Forms would reach Great Mastery!

Ahead, a Di soldier fled while glancing back, looking at the rapidly approaching pursuers in terror.

Li Jinshui caught up to him, one blade—

Wolf Fang Bite!

A three-strike combo, the final strike slicing across the throat!

[Killed Northern Di soldier, points +1]

[Current points: 70]

Enough!

"Add to blade technique!"

[Consumed 70 points, Wolf Killing Seven Forms proficiency +70]

[Wolf Killing Seven Forms: Minor Mastery → Great Mastery!]

Boom—

It felt as if something had exploded within his mind!

Countless images of slaughter flooded in like a torrent: wolf packs hunting, the wolf king fighting, a lone wolf struggling for its life—every single image fused into his blade technique!

Wolf Killing Seven Forms, Great Mastery!

He closed his eyes, his right hand swinging out a blade of its own accord—

A simple, straightforward strike, devoid of any flashiness.

Yet, as the blade edge sliced through the air, it didn't produce the sound of wind breaking, but a low, deep wolf howl!

Woo—

Li Jinshui opened his eyes and looked at his hand.

The blade was still there, he was still there, but the blade was no longer the same.

Across the edge of the blade, a faint, ethereal light seemed to ripple.

That was—

The realm of Great Mastery, the birth of blade qi!

He raised his head and looked ahead.

The Di soldiers were still fleeing, and the soldiers of the Third Battalion were still in pursuit.

But he no longer needed to chase them.

Because he knew that not a single one of those people would escape.

At sunset, the battle finally came to an end.

The valley was littered with corpses. Those of the Zhou Army, the Di Army, and the innocent villagers.

Fewer than one hundred people remained alive.

Zhou Kui stood atop a giant boulder, drenched in blood, his chest heaving violently. He had several wounds on his body; the deepest one ran diagonally from his left shoulder to his right waist, the flesh curled back to reveal stark white bone.

Yet, he remained standing.

The Di leader named Chimu lay at his feet, his breath long gone.

"Count the casualties." Zhou Kui's voice was as hoarse as sandpaper grinding against stone.

Soon, the results were tallied.

The Third Battalion had deployed two hundred and thirty-seven men; one hundred and forty-two were killed in action, thirty-nine were severely wounded, and fifty-six sustained minor injuries.

The Di Army, numbering three hundred and twenty-seven, had been completely annihilated.

Not a single survivor.

Li Jinshui stood amidst a pile of corpses, covered in blood—some his own, but most belonging to others.

Er Gou stumbled over and plopped down beside him, gasping for air.

"Squad Leader... we... we won..."

Li Jinshui did not speak.

[Current Points: 3]

[Consume 3 points, Iron Shirt proficiency +3]

He pulled up his panel:

[Technique: Iron Shirt (8th Layer 3/45), Wolf Killing Seven Forms (Mastery), Tiger Walk (Minor Achievement 24/30)]

[Realm: Body Forging 8th Layer]

[Points: 0]

He was still one point away from bringing his footwork to mastery.

He raised his head and looked toward Zhou Kui.

Zhou Kui was crouching beside a severely wounded soldier, personally bandaging his wounds.

He recognized that soldier—he was one of Wang Tiezhu's old subordinates, the veteran called Old Zhou.

Old Zhou had actually survived.

He was covered in wounds, his right leg was gone, and his face was as pale as a corpse's, yet he was still alive, his eyes open, watching Zhou Kui.

Li Jinshui watched this scene with no expression on his face.

Then he stood up and walked toward the exit of the valley.

"Squad Leader? Where are you going?" Er Gou shouted from behind.

"Back to sleep."

He did not look back.

Behind him lay the ground covered in corpses, the pervasive stench of blood, and the low sounds of moaning and weeping.

Before him lay the pitch-black night, the road he had come from, and—

North-Rejecting City.

In that city, there were still people waiting for him.

Li Jinshui walked into the night, step by step, moving faster and faster.

On his panel, the proficiency of Tiger Walk glowed faintly.

Six more points to go.

Soon.

Once his footwork reached mastery, once he reached the 9th Layer of Body Forging, once he became a Squad Leader—

He would be able to leave the battalion.

He would be able to go back.

He would be able to—

The faces of those people emerged one by one in the darkness.

Smiling, smug, greedy.

The corners of Li Jinshui's mouth slowly curled into a curve.

In the pitch-black night, the smile was indistinct, like a wolf sharpening its fangs in the shadows.