Prince of Beiping

The Scripture Depository.

Unlike the eerie, sinister Mahavira Hall, which was also magnificent and imposing, the Scripture Depository was dark and damp. The passageways between the bookshelves were narrow and cramped.

It was suffocating.

By the light of the candle in his hand, Zhu Yuanzhang could even see the misty moisture drifting around him.

Walking through the Scripture Depository, the old monk still held up his black umbrella.

The candlelight cast no shadow from him, and Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't hear his footsteps.

There was something seriously wrong with him!

Mist shrouded the Scripture Depository. The Umbrella Monk walked ahead, looking almost like a ghost in Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes.

"We're here. Come a little closer..."

The Umbrella Monk pointed to the very top of a six-story bookshelf.

A lone, pitch-black ancient book sat there.

Zhu Yuanzhang raised the candleholder in his hand.

Three large, flamboyant characters were written on the cover:

"Mountain-Shrinking Fist."

The cover seemed to be made from the hide of some kind of sea creature. A few black scales, shaped like fish scales, still clung to its edge.

Amid the misty moisture in the Scripture Depository, Zhu Yuanzhang could even see the fish hide on the cover reflecting the candlelight with a faint, eerie blue glow.

It looked as though it had only just been peeled off.

Holding the candle in one hand, Zhu Yuanzhang reached for the book with the other.

The moment Zhu Yuanzhang touched the copy of Mountain-Shrinking Fist on the shelf,

he suddenly found himself standing on a reef. The sky was dim and gray, and a gale swept across the sea.

Amid the churning waves, the surf pounded against the reef with a roar like thunder.

And beneath the sea, something enormous seemed to be rising.

Zhu Yuanzhang struggled to keep his footing in the gale. Squinting, he peered toward the indistinct, massive shadow below the water.

But before he could make out what lay beneath the sea,

a salty, damp sea breeze blew straight into his face.

Zhu Yuanzhang's vision went black.

A few scarlet characters appeared before his eyes.

[You died]

"?"

How had he died this time?

Zhu Yuanzhang was baffled.

How had he ended up in that place?

"An illusion"?

No, it didn't seem like one.

[Start over]

This time, Zhu Yuanzhang didn't touch Mountain-Shrinking Fist directly.

Instead, he stared at the strange scripture and suddenly spoke.

"Venerable Mingde."

Zhu Yuanzhang bowed like a disciple to the Umbrella Monk, whose head bore the striking label [Venerable Mingde of Yinglong Temple (Imperial Awakening Temple)], and asked,

"Can Mountain-Shrinking Fist really counter the side effects of the Dingguang Demon-Subduing True Technique?"

"To be precise, Mountain-Shrinking Fist cannot counter the side effects of the Dingguang Demon-Subduing True Technique."

The Umbrella Monk answered without hesitation. "Mountain-Shrinking Fist is a boxing art created by the Boat People of the East Sea to fight the wind and waves. It has nothing to do with the Dingguang Demon-Subduing True Technique."

Then the Umbrella Monk held out a hand.

At the sight of it, Zhu Yuanzhang's pupils contracted.

In the candlelight, the hand extended from beneath the umbrella was gaunt, as if a layer of skin had been draped over the bones.

It was also unnaturally pale, like the hand of someone who had drowned days ago.

Zhu Yuanzhang noticed that the Umbrella Monk didn't pick up Mountain-Shrinking Fist directly. Instead, he hooked a finger through the pair of copper rings on its side.

Mountain-Shrinking Fist looked as though it had been submerged in water for a long time.

The pages and cover had fused together. Even dangling in midair, they showed no sign of coming apart.

"The Boat People."

Hearing the name, a glint flashed in Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes.

The Boat People were the Dan people.

At this time, the term was mainly used for the water-dwelling communities of various groups living in the lower reaches of the Pearl River.

Mountain-Shrinking Fist was the boxing art these sea folk had developed to defend themselves aboard their boats.

But judging from what he'd seen before dying last time,

there was clearly more to it than that.

"But besides its use in ordinary combat, it also has some other, special effects..."

The Umbrella Monk paused. An inscrutable expression crossed his face.

It was as if even mentioning it would draw the attention of some terrifying beings.

"For example... longevity."

Why could it prolong life?

Given how this world worked, Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't help asking himself that question.

He discreetly heightened his guard.

Zhu Yuanzhang asked earnestly, "How should I cultivate it?"

Whatever the difficulties, to avoid being burned to death by the true fire, he'd have to make Minghe suffer a little first.

"Clever."

Looking at Zhu Yuanzhang, who made no move to ask him for the original copy of Mountain-Shrinking Fist,

Venerable Mingde's eyes held a flicker of approval.

"You only need to follow the illustrations. An ordinary martial artist would need to spend thirty years honing the art while fighting wind and waves before barely reaching the threshold for studying the 'Visualization Diagram.'"

Mingde returned Mountain-Shrinking Fist to the shelf, took a commonly available printed book wrapped in oiled paper from his robes, and tossed it to Zhu Yuanzhang.

"With the help of your true fire, you should manage it in half a day."

Zhu Yuanzhang opened this much more ordinary-looking copy of Mountain-Shrinking Fist.

The illustrations of each move were exceptionally clear.

The author's name on the cover read: Master Shi Yibiao of Tiantai Temple.

"I wonder how many years of life I'll gain once I've mastered Mountain-Shrinking Fist."

Zhu Yuanzhang didn't rush to practice. Instead, he asked in a low voice,

"About three months, I'd say... It's a pity you started too late. If you'd mastered Mountain-Shrinking Fist before practicing the Fixed-Light Demon-Subduing Art, then unless you'd already cultivated three strands of true fire, it wouldn't shorten your life at all. It would actually prolong it."

Mingde shook his head, his eyes as black as a deep pool fixed on Zhu Yuanzhang.

"Knowing that, do you still intend to cultivate Mountain-Shrinking Fist?"

Zhu Yuanzhang noticed that, as Mingde said this, his gaze suddenly grew profound.

Waves seemed to ripple in his eyes.

Zhu Yuanzhang lowered his head, hiding his expression.

A thoughtful look flickered in his eyes.

"Does Mingde care whether I cultivate Mountain-Shrinking Fist?"

"Why?"

Zhu Yuanzhang felt the true fire before his brow.

Though the Dingguang Demon-Subduing True Technique repeatedly warned that directly visualizing the true fire with his mind would bring terrifying consequences,

as someone with a cheat that let him revive without limit, Zhu Yuanzhang wasn't about to care about that nonsense.

As an investigator, he had to figure out what the hell this "true fire" was!

After dying so many times, he even suspected he understood the true fire better than Master Mingguang of Yinglong Temple.

Zhu Yuanzhang felt the true fire blazing before his brow.

"Wait... Something's wrong."

"At this rate, Minghe definitely won't survive three months."

"Maybe not even a month... or half a month!"

Realizing this, a look of shock flashed in Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes.

Almost instantly, he understood something.

"Whatever this Umbrella Monk wants from me,"

"he and the people behind him don't want me to die anytime soon."

"Though I may hear the Dao at dawn and die by dusk, there's one thing I still don't understand, Master."

Zhu Yuanzhang kept his posture humble. Holding Mountain-Shrinking Fist between his palms, he pressed his hands together and asked, "Why did you save me?"

"I'm not the one who saved you."

Mingde was evidently pleased with Zhu Yuanzhang's answer.

"It was the Prince of Beiping who saved you. Though that lord is now stationed at Dingshui, carrying out His Majesty's orders to root out the remnants of Kaidu's rebellion,"

"as Crown Prince Zhenjin's full brother, that lord has never taken his eyes off the interior."