Inner Mole? Comprehending Deer Form True Intent, Startled Deer Leaves No Trace!

The night deepened, the moonlight flowing like water.

Jiang Ye stood in the courtyard, the bluestone slab pierced by falling leaves still silent beneath his feet, the exhilaration of his recent breakthrough to Transformation Strength still coursing through his limbs and bones.

Yet, he did not return to his room to rest.

With his mind clear and his blood and qi surging, this was the perfect moment to contemplate his martial arts.

Before he had broken through to Transformation Strength while practicing the Five Animal Fist, he had felt a faint, growing understanding of the Tiger Form True Intent.

Jiang Ye closed his eyes slightly.

In a trance, he felt as if he were no longer standing in this small courtyard, but instead placed within the depths of a vast mountain forest.

Moonlight filtered through the gaps in the foliage, casting dappled spots of light.

In the distance, a stream gurgled; nearby, insects chirped.

He "saw" a deer—an old deer with grey-brown fur and magnificent antlers, standing by the stream to drink.

Its ears twitched constantly, capturing every subtle sound in the wind.

Its nostrils flared slightly, discerning every faint scent in the air.

Suddenly, a faint, almost imperceptible sound of a dry branch snapping came from afar.

The old deer's ears pricked up instantly!

Yet, its body remained completely motionless.

It did not flee, it did not run, it did not even turn its head!

It simply stood there quietly, as if it had turned into a stone statue, a shadow merged into the mountain forest.

All traces of its presence vanished.

A moment later, a black shadow swept through the woods—a wild wolf out hunting.

The wolf's nose was almost pressed to the ground, sniffing every inch of earth, yet when it passed within a few feet of the old deer, it remained completely oblivious.

It was as if what stood there was not a living deer, but merely a rock.

Jiang Ye's mind was shaken violently.

Ancient texts say: The deer is the most vigilant of creatures; when sleeping, they take turns, horns facing outward to guard against the unexpected. When they move, even if tigers and wolves lie in wait, if one does not see their form or hear their sound, the deer becomes like wood or stone, its presence entirely withdrawn, silent as the heavens and earth.

An epiphany, as if originating from the ancient past, flowed like a stream into his sea of consciousness:

[The deer is not merely gifted with swiftness, but with extreme vigilance, connected to the heavens and earth, merged with all things!]

[When it moves, even thorny thickets cannot hinder it; when it is still, even tigers and wolves lurking nearby cannot detect it! The body follows the intent, the intent follows the environment; it does not contend, it does not disturb, it is at peace with the world!]

[Your comprehension is transcendent; you have entered the spirit from the form and grasped the Deer Form True Intent—Startled Deer Leaves No Trace!]

The system's notification tone now carried a hint of the forest's tranquility, like the cry of a deer echoing from distant mountains.

Jiang Ye's body remained standing in the courtyard.

Yet his presence was changing at a speed visible to the naked eye—not weakening, not merely withdrawing, but... dissolving.

He could clearly feel a strange connection forming between himself and the surrounding environment.

The chill of the bluestone slab beneath his feet seeped through his soles into his Yongquan point.

He tried to take a step.

There was no sound of footsteps.

This step felt as if he were treading on clouds, impossibly light.

Even more wondrously, though he had clearly moved, that "sense of dissolution" where he merged with the world did not vanish, as if it were not he who moved, but the world itself actively accommodating his movement.

He took another step, then two, then three... his speed increased, yet the silent, traceless quality remained unbroken.

He suddenly exerted force, his speed surging as he swept across the courtyard like a night breeze.

The speed was astonishing, covering several yards in a flash, yet eerily—there was still no sound.

Even when he swept past the Old Locust Tree, the leaves on its branches did not tremble in the slightest.

Jiang Ye stopped, looked down at his hands, then turned back to look at the motionless Old Locust Tree, a look of shock appearing in his aged eyes.

What a magnificent Startled Deer Leaves No Trace!

It is no exaggeration to say that in his current state, even if he were to crouch on a windowsill to watch someone bathe, they would never discover him.

The Tiger Form True Intent gave him the power of slaughter, the Ape Form True Intent gave him the agility of change, and this Deer Form True Intent gave him the ability to preserve his life.

Whether tracking, lurking, or secretly observing, this Deer Form True Intent would be his most reliable reliance.

With a slight shift of his intent, his presence re-emerged, and that feeling of "dissolving into the world" slowly faded away.

Host: Jiang Ye
Lifespan: 95
Strength: Transformation Strength (Initial Stage)
Fate: Ascension Stairway [Effect 1: Transcendent Comprehension!]

``` Martial Arts Mastered: Five Animal Fist [Perfected]

True Intent Mastered: Tiger Walk Like Sickness, Spirit Ape Thousand Changes, Startled Deer Leaves No Trace

Glancing at the system, Jiang Ye nodded slightly.

After breaking through to Transformation Strength, his lifespan had increased by another ten years.

Meanwhile.

Inside the Zhang Family mansion in Anxi County.

Zhang He tossed and turned on his bed with a gloomy expression, unable to fall asleep.

The thought of his second son, Zhang Xu, dying a miserable death in the street while there was still no news of the murderer caused rage to burn within him like a wildfire, impossible to extinguish.

He was convinced that this matter had to be related to Liu Qingshi and Su Chen, and he couldn't help but grit his teeth: "Xu'er, I will definitely avenge you..."

Suddenly.

Creak.

A soft sound echoed through the deathly silent room.

Zhang He's entire body stiffened!

He snapped his eyes open, a flash of horror in his pupils, and instinctively looked toward the door.

The door, at some unknown point, had opened.

A black shadow stepped into the room, neither fast nor slow.

His pace was as composed as if he were strolling through his own backyard, lacking any of the sneakiness of a night prowler.

The moonlight shone in from behind him, outlining his silhouette in a blurry and eerie fashion.

What made Zhang He's heart shatter with terror was that in the black shadow's hand, dangling like a chick, was a person.

The man's head hung low, his limbs limp and dangling, clearly having fallen into a coma.

It was none other than his eldest son, Zhang Tao.

"Tao'er!!!"

Every hair on Zhang He's body stood on end, his pupils shrinking to pinpricks as he instinctively prepared to let out a roar.

But the black shadow's speed was as fast as a ghost.

Zhang He didn't even see how he moved; he only felt a blur before his eyes, and that cold, withered palm clamped over his mouth like an iron vice, stifling the scream that was about to erupt from his throat.

"Mmph..."

He struggled desperately, but the strength of that hand was astonishingly great, remaining completely unmoved.

He could only widen his eyes, staring fixedly at the face inches from his own.

It was an old man of about sixty, his hair half-white and his face gaunt, but the most chilling feature was the long, narrow scar on his face.

The scar slashed diagonally from his left brow bone, running across his entire face down to his jaw, like a centipede coiled upon his skin, hideous and terrifying.

At this moment, those turbid yet sinister eyes were looking down at him from above, the corners of his mouth curled into a mocking, half-smile.

"Patriarch Zhang, please calm down and do not shout."

The old man spoke in a sinister tone, "Otherwise, I will have no choice but to send you on your way with your son immediately."

Having said that, he slowly released his hand from Zhang He's mouth.

"Haa... haa..."

Zhang He gasped for air, his chest heaving violently.

Yet, he did not scream.

As expected of a patriarch who had managed the Zhang Family for many years, even in such a bizarre and terrifying situation, he managed to suppress the fear that threatened to burst from his chest, forcing himself to calm down.

He steadied his emotions and said in a deep voice: "Who are you, and why have you visited in the dead of night to kidnap my son?"

"Who I am is not important."

The old man grinned, the scar on his face writhing, becoming even more hideous: "I visited tonight because I need Patriarch Zhang to do me a small favor."

"What favor!"

Zhang He said in a deep voice.

The old man leaned in closer, his voice dropping even lower: "Tomorrow night, I need Patriarch Zhang to help coordinate the opening of the East City gate."

"What? Open the city gate!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang He's heart jolted violently, as if he had realized something, and a tremor appeared in his voice: "You are from the Seven Kill Cult..."

The old man spoke with a playful expression: "I suppose you could say that."

Zhang He felt an unprecedented chill shoot from the soles of his feet to the top of his skull.

The Seven Kill Cult—that demonic sect that struck fear into the hearts of all—had now come knocking at his door!

He took a deep breath, his expression stiffening as he said, "Senior, you overestimate me. I am merely a low-ranking merchant..."

"A low-ranking merchant? You are too modest, Patriarch Zhang."

The old man with half-white hair chuckled with a sinister grin:

"I have already inquired; who in Anxi County does not know of the Zhang Family's influence?"

"Besides, if Patriarch Zhang does not wish to help, that is fine, but it is a pity for your son."

As he spoke, he flicked his wrist, sending a sinister, supple force surging into Zhang Tao's body.

The unconscious Zhang Tao shuddered violently, his eyes snapping open as he let out a muffled whimper.

"Mm... mm..."

He had awakened, yet he could not produce a single sound.

He looked at Zhang He, tears welling up in his eyes—a silent, desperate plea.

"Tao'er!!!"

Zhang He saw it clearly; Zhang Tao's jaw had been crushed, which was why he could not make a sound.

In this moment, beyond shock and rage, his face was etched with an inescapable terror.

He could not understand why he was so cursed with misfortune.

Yesterday, his second son, Zhang Xu, had died a miserable death in the street, and today, the Seven Kill Cult had come knocking to demand he act as an inside man.

He was plunged into a fear and despair he had never known before.

Agree? That would mean helping the Seven Kill Cult breach the city, a monstrous crime the Azure Sky Sect would never tolerate.

When the reckoning came, execution of his entire clan would be the least of his worries!

But if he refused to be this inside man...

He feared that neither he nor his son would survive the night.

Zhang He, long known for his deep cunning, felt as though he had fallen into hell, unable to decide which path to take.

"Patriarch Zhang, I do not have much time, so I can only give you ten breaths to consider."

The old man spoke with a sinister laugh, sounding like a death knell.

"Ten, nine, eight, seven..."

Zhang He seemed to age ten years in an instant, his back hunching over as he rasped, "I agree."