Second Realm, Aperture Opening

Chen Zhuo took a deep breath, suppressing the stirrings in his heart.

With this fortune, he could do a great many things.

At the very least, his martial cultivation would make a qualitative leap.

And during the Autumn Hunt, he could finally go all out.

Just then, he recalled what Old Blind Man had said, as well as the young women in that house, waiting like lambs for the slaughter.

In this world, people were meat on the chopping board, at the mercy of the knife.

What he needed to do was become that knife.

Chen Zhuo opened the two bundles. He gathered everything, including the silver, into a single bundle and tied it securely to his back.

He looked at the sleeping stall owner and thought for a moment. In the end, he pulled him out of the cabinet, sat him on a chair, and put his clothes back on him.

His gaze swept over the wooden board on the wall. Then he turned and walked out.

Outside, Chen Zhuo braved the scorching sun. He didn't leave the Ghost Market right away, instead heading east toward Old Blind Man's fortune-telling stall.

"I wonder if Old Blind Man's still at his stall in weather this hot."

After a brief moment's thought, Chen Zhuo decided not to change his mind.

He had a fortune on him, but if he couldn't get it out, it would all be for nothing.

By his estimate, there should be "ghosts" from the Long River Gang lurking all over the Ghost Market by now.

They would also have people checking each exit.

Things seemed calm at the moment, but this was the worst time to leave.

Soon, through the waves of scorching heat, he spotted Old Blind Man's fortune-telling stall.

Beside it, Little Black Donkey lay limply on the ground, tongue hanging out as he panted heavily.

To Chen Zhuo's surprise, although the sun blazed overhead and the heat rolled in, there wasn't a single stall owner or passerby nearby.

Yet Old Blind Man hadn't found a shady spot to cool off. Instead, he sat leisurely before his stall, eating peanuts and sipping liquor.

"Elder..."

Chen Zhuo called out, his steps never slowing as he walked up to Old Blind Man.

But when he plopped down in front of the stall, he found the air here refreshingly cool.

"What's this..."

Chen Zhuo's nostrils twitched, and his jaw tensed.

He could smell Demon Blood in Old Blind Man's liquor gourd.

At the same time, his gaze instantly settled on Old Blind Man.

As the liquor passed his lips, wisps of nearly imperceptible white mist curled around him, seeping out through his pores before slowly drawing back in.

It was as if he were swallowing clouds and breathing out mist.

This kind of skill was beyond anything a Body Refining martial artist could manage.

The second realm, Aperture Opening?

No wonder he could trade in Demon Blood.

Chen Zhuo silently studied Old Blind Man.

The other man continued to drink at his leisure, showing not the slightest reluctance to do so in front of him.

After a long while, when Old Blind Man's liquor gourd seemed to have run dry, he finally spoke with a faintly amused smile. "Kid, had your fill of staring?"

Chen Zhuo came back to himself and nodded mechanically.

No wonder the rumors said that martial artists who reached the heights of the martial path could overturn rivers and seas, shatter a mountain with a single punch.

The trick of swallowing clouds and breathing out mist had already broken free of everything he knew about traditional martial arts.

"Want to learn?"

The corner of Old Blind Man's mouth curled into a smile.

Chen Zhuo didn't answer. Instead, he untied his bundle and set it down in front of Old Blind Man.

The heavy bundle hit the wooden table with a hollow thud.

Old Blind Man's expression shifted. He sniffed hard, and his face immediately lit up.

"Silver?"

"Count it. See if anything's missing."

Chen Zhuo didn't respond. He simply reached into the bundle, took out some silver, and handed it over.

"Did you rob a silver shop or wipe out someone's whole family? You went out for a spin and actually struck it rich."

Old Blind Man took the silver in surprise, weighed it in his hand, and nodded. "Not a coin more or less. You're a man of your word, kid."

With that, he placed the two remaining bottles of Demon Blood in front of Chen Zhuo.

Chen Zhuo put all the porcelain bottles containing Demon Blood into his bundle and was about to lift it and tie it back onto his shoulders.

A withered hand suddenly pressed down on the bundle, and Old Blind Man spoke again.

"You really don't want to learn the trick I just showed you?"

Chen Zhuo glanced at Old Blind Man. He didn't try to stop him, but only chuckled. "It's a good trick, but the Yamen can teach it too."

"Ha..."

Old Blind Man pursed his lips and scoffed. "The Yamen?"

"The Northern Suppressing Faction in the distant Capital City might teach you martial arts of the second realm, but the Yamen here in Baiyun County..."

He left the rest unsaid, but his meaning was clear.

Chen Zhuo raised an eyebrow. "You know about the Northern Suppressing Faction? And..."

He paused, then took another careful look at Old Blind Man. "You seem to know a great deal about the Yamen."

"Some old history. Best left unmentioned."

Old Blind Man shook his head, held up one finger before Chen Zhuo's eyes, and changed the subject. "Kid, I'll ask you one more time. You really don't want to learn my skill?"

As he spoke, a wisp of white mist suddenly appeared on his fingertip, circling it without end.

Chen Zhuo froze. His eyes locked onto the mist, unable to look away.

Old Blind Man's voice rang out again. "You're young, yet your skin, sinews, and bones are exceptionally solid. A blood exchange is close at hand. If you don't learn Aperture Opening martial arts soon, you'll only waste the years away."

Old Blind Man turned the conversation back to the white mist, his words practically dripping with temptation.

Chen Zhuo admitted that it was very tempting.

But he still didn't take the bait.

The reason was simple.

Aperture Opening martial arts were undeniably precious to ordinary people.

Yet Old Blind Man was being so proactive that it was as if he'd force the lesson on Chen Zhuo if he refused.

Even if Chen Zhuo had reached the Bone-Entering Realm at such a young age, and others thought his talent and innate constitution were both exceptional, there was no such thing as love without cause in this world.

They weren't related, and they weren't even close. No matter how talented Chen Zhuo was, what could he offer anyone else?

His instincts told him there was a trap.

"Kid, you're putting that cleverness to use in the wrong place."

Old Blind Man withdrew his finger and spoke gently. "I'm close friends with Yan Ming. I'd never cheat you. Aperture Opening martial arts are exactly what I said they are. I can swear a vicious oath. If you don't believe me, I'll take it out and show you."

As soon as he finished speaking, Old Blind Man ducked down and pulled a thin book from beneath the fortune-telling table, waving it before Chen Zhuo's eyes.

"This martial art's no slouch. Once mastered, it can help you open all nine apertures. It's a fine item, even across all of Baiyun County."

"Most importantly, it's cheap."

"No need. I have a master's legacy."

Chen Zhuo held firm and rejected Old Blind Man outright.

"Hey, hey, hey! Do you really not understand, or are you pretending? The more Aperture Opening martial arts you know, the more apertures you can open. Learning another one would be a huge boon to you. It would be of immeasurable value to nourishing your spirit in the future."

Old Blind Man grew a little anxious.

The more anxious Old Blind Man became, the less Chen Zhuo felt in a hurry.

After a stiff silence, Old Blind Man seemed to admit defeat at last. He sighed. "Fine. Since Yan Ming introduced you, I'll give you half off this martial art. Fifty taels. How about it?"

"That's already the lowest price."

Fifty taels of silver... An Aperture Opening martial art at rock-bottom price—could it possibly be any good?

"Could I take a look first?"

After thinking it over, Chen Zhuo decided he might as well look before deciding.

"Sure."

Old Blind Man generously handed him the thin book.

Chen Zhuo took it and flipped it open. Six large characters were written on the first page:

"Minor Heavenly Cycle Qi Circulation Method"

He kept turning pages. By the time he reached the end, his expression had grown especially strange.

"A fifty-tael Aperture Opening martial art... and it's actually real?"

If he had only read through the book, he wouldn't have dared to say whether it was genuine.

But the line of small text that appeared before his eyes was proof enough that there was no way this martial art was fake.

[Practice Method: Minor Heavenly Cycle Qi Circulation Method: 0/80 (Not Yet Initiated) (Gray)]

Chen Zhuo was absorbed in the book when Old Blind Man's coaxing voice sounded in his ear again.

"This martial art is genuine. Its only flaw is that it's a bit obscure and hard to understand. Of course, if you want, I can teach you everything I know. I won't hold anything back."

"Though the fee for a lesson is also fifty taels. Not expensive."

"Ordinary people are too dull to learn this martial art without coming here twenty or thirty times. You're different. You're bright. Ten or eight lessons should be about enough..."