Wind-Breaking Three Styles

"Let me introduce you." Yue Shan beckoned to the three people in the tent and pointed to Chen Mo beside him.

"Our new arrival, Chen Mo. He practices the Nether Paper-Crafting Art. He's been temporarily assigned to our team to take part in this cleanup operation."

"Zhao Tie." He pointed to the older man, who seemed rather composed. "He knows a bit about divination and feng shui formations. He can read qi and set up some simple traps and restraints."

Zhao Tie, who looked to be around thirty, nodded at Chen Mo. His face showed little emotion, though his eyes lingered on him for a moment longer.

He clearly remembered the young man from a month ago, his face as white as paper and his breath faint as a thread.

"Zhou Ling." Yue Shan turned to the short-haired woman. "She's our team's eyes and ears, and she's skilled with guns and hidden weapons."

Zhou Ling grinned at Chen Mo, her gaze just as inquisitive.

She was young and couldn't keep her curiosity to herself. The moment she saw him, she came over, intrigued.

"Chen Mo? It really is you? Last time I saw you, that icy killing intent clinging to you made me feel cold from three paces away."

"Captain Yue said you had less than a year to live. Are you completely better now?"

Her questions were exactly what Zhao Tie's silent gaze was asking.

Yin Sha Body Erosion and a depleted source of life were practically a death sentence in their line of work. Just managing to keep the condition from worsening was rare; recovering so completely in such a short time was unheard of.

Yue Shan didn't explain for him. He simply stood to one side with his arms folded.

Chen Mo could feel the surprise in their eyes. He forced a faint smile. "I'm halfway better. Not completely."

"All right, that's his private business."

Before she could press him further, Yue Shan waved a hand and cut her off. "That one's Wu Tong."

He pointed to the corner of the tent.

A young man who looked to be in his early twenties was bent over, wiping a long, straight-edged blade. At the sound of Yue Shan's voice, he looked up, revealing a rather handsome face, though there was a trace of arrogance between his brows.

His gaze flicked quickly over Zhou Ling first, then landed on Chen Mo. He gave him a nod that was neither warm nor discourteous.

"He uses a blade and has good footwork." Yue Shan's introduction was brief as ever.

Wu Tong kept wiping his blade. He only gave a casual "Mm" in Chen Mo's direction.

He clearly had little interest in Chen Mo. Most of the time, his attention drifted toward Zhou Ling, almost imperceptibly.

Zhou Ling, however, seemed completely unaware. All her curiosity was focused on Chen Mo. "Half better? So how much of your ability can you use now? The Nether Paper-Crafting Art... I've never seen it in action."

She didn't bring up his life expectancy again, but her curiosity had only deepened.

This time, Yue Shan didn't stop her. He simply looked at Chen Mo.

Wu Tong's hand paused in its wiping, and he raised his eyes to look over as well.

Feeling their appraising gazes, Chen Mo said little. He took a Weaponized Paper Puppet, only about the size of his palm, from the cloth pouch he carried.

He pressed his index and middle fingers together. A wisp of purple light, more solid than before, curled around his fingertips and quickly sank into the paper doll's face.

The paper doll shuddered, then instantly swelled to the size of a person. Its head slowly turned. It had no features, yet Zhou Ling, the one it faced, inexplicably felt the chill of being watched.

"Paper puppets follow orders. They can fight, serve as bait, and carry simple objects."

Chen Mo gave a rough explanation of what the Weaponized Paper Puppet could do. His cultivation methods were already stored in the Bureau of Strange Suppression's secret vault, so there was no point in keeping them under wraps.

"In my current condition, I can control two paper puppets for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea."

As soon as he finished speaking, the paper doll took a step forward, raised its stiff arms toward Zhou Ling, and awkwardly clasped its hands in greeting.

"Hey!" Zhou Ling jumped, then laughed, her eyes growing even brighter with wonder. "That's pretty interesting! It's like a wooden doll, but it feels a little more sinister."

"How many hits can that thing take? It's just a minor left-hand technique." Wu Tong watched the paper doll move on its own and furrowed his brows slightly. "It can only scare ordinary people."

His tone was rather impolite. Clearly, he thought little of this seemingly eerie method.

Still, Wu Tong wasn't entirely to blame. Everyone in the Bureau of Strange Suppression who practiced Blood-Qi Martial Arts looked down on these unorthodox methods to some extent.

That attitude had persisted ever since the Red Moon descended a hundred years ago.

"That's enough." Yue Shan spoke in a low voice, quelling the argument before it could start.

He was afraid the two young people would get competitive and start fighting right there in the tent.

He knew better than anyone in the tent whether the paper doll was strong. After all, they'd already crossed paths during that night at the Black Tiger Gang.

Chen Mo glanced at Wu Tong in puzzlement. Where had this inexplicable hostility come from?

Wasn't this supposed to be a friendly, harmonious team that helped one another?

Thinking this, he still calmly clasped his hands to the others. "I'm new here. I hope you'll all show me the ropes."

"Nothing to show you. We just look out for each other," Wu Tong said flatly. "Just don't hold us back."

Yue Shan paid them no mind. He went to a metal case and took out a neatly folded black uniform, a black waist token, and a sheathed straight blade. Then he turned and handed them to Chen Mo.

"We're all here to train with the Inspection Bureau. These are standard issue for its field operatives."

"The uniform's made of special fabric. It offers some protection against ordinary yin energy, but don't expect it to stop blades or powerful spells."

"Once you activate the waist token with your blood, it'll link to your aura. It serves as proof of identity and can also send simple alerts and messages."

Chen Mo took the clothes. They felt cool to the touch, and the fabric was sturdy.

"The blade is a standard Evil-Slaying Blade. It's useful against ordinary ghosts and spirits, and it cuts people just fine, too."

Yue Shan took a thin booklet from his clothes.

"Wind-Breaking Three Styles. It's a basic saber style used by the military and the Anomaly Suppression Bureau. There's nothing fancy about it. It focuses on speed, precision, stability, and ruthlessness, and was made for combat. Give it a thorough study. Take from it whatever you can."

"At the Anomaly Suppression Bureau and the Inspection Bureau, every bit of skill gives you that much more hope of staying alive."

Chen Mo accepted the blade and booklet, a thought stirring in his mind.

Was this a new employee benefit?

It was simple and straightforward, but practical above all.

"I'll get you a place to stay first. The rest of you, get yourselves ready. Meet here at five for dinner."

With that, he turned and headed out of the tent.

Chen Mo nodded to Zhao Tie and the others once more, then hurried after Yue Shan.

They passed several similar tents and arrived at a relatively orderly cluster of brick buildings behind the wharf.

The buildings seemed to have once been a trading company's warehouses and offices. The Inspection Bureau had temporarily requisitioned them.

Yue Shan led Chen Mo into one of the two-story buildings. They climbed the creaking wooden staircase to the second floor, where he stopped in front of a room.

"This room's empty for now. You can stay here." He pushed the door open.

The room was small and simply furnished: a wooden bed, an old wooden table, a chair, and a small cabinet in the corner.

The window was tightly shut, but the sky outside was visibly darkening.

The oppressive heat of August lingered even in this room near the river, and the air smelled of old wood.