Study

Chen Jianghe leaped off the stone, flipping through the air toward the black-clad man's head while his left hand flicked out the last of the Bone-Corroding Powder.

The black-clad man closed his eyes to dodge, his blade momentum stalling for a heartbeat.

Chen Jianghe seized the chance to land and roll away, his Butchery Blade severing the old vines beside him—the moment the vines snapped, the black-clad man's ankles were ensnared by vine ropes buried in the fallen leaves, and a suspended stone at the other end crashed down!

The black-clad man roared, shattering the rock with a Splitting strike, but the impact left him staggering; tripped by the vine ropes, he lost his balance.

Chen Jianghe streaked across the ground, his left fist's Cannon strength knocking the blade edge aside. Blood sprayed from his shoulder, but his right-hand blade had already pierced the opponent's lower abdomen.

The black-clad man turned his blade to parry, but Chen Jianghe followed up with his left fist, his Dark Strength driving straight into the man's ribs!

"Crack."

Amidst the sound of shattering bone, the black-clad man spat blood and reached out with his claws, but Chen Jianghe had already retreated, his blade flashing across the man's neck.

This place was not for lingering.

The commotion of the fight had been significant; if it drew other Green Dragon Guards, it would be a dead end.

He hurried to the two corpses and knelt to loot them.

Liu Qi carried only a dozen or so taels of silver, a bottle of Golden Sore Medicine, and a Green Dragon Guard waist medallion.

The black-clad man, however, yielded a rich harvest: fifty taels of silver, a silver note worth a hundred taels of gold, and a thin booklet carefully wrapped in oil paper.

The cover bore three characters: Phantom Shadow Steps.

It was a manual for footwork!

He had no time to examine it closely and quickly stowed the booklet away with the other items.

Without further delay, he left the scene.

Yilin County.

When Chen Jianghe pushed open the small courtyard's wooden gate, dawn was approaching. He pulled the door shut behind him, leaned his back against the wood, and let out a long breath.

Chen Jianghe walked to the stone table in the courtyard, set down his pack, and pulled the oil-paper-wrapped booklet from his robes.

Phantom Shadow Steps.

Chen Jianghe flipped to the first page.

There was no long-winded internal cultivation method at the start, just diagrams of the footwork and accompanying chants.

He read them word for word, his mind gradually sinking into the text.

This "Phantom Shadow Steps" did not merely seek speed; it focused on the "interchange of void and reality" and the "guidance of energy."

The footwork was divided into three realms: entry-level "Shadow Treading," minor completion "Light Splitting," and great completion "Traceless."

"Shadow Treading" meant the steps followed the body like a shadow, allowing for nimble movement in tight spaces;

"Light Splitting" meant the footwork reached the pinnacle of speed, capable of manifesting several afterimages in an instant to confuse the enemy;

"Great Completion" meant the footwork merged with one's breath, where every movement—walking, standing, sitting, or lying—contained the essence of the steps; there was no need for conscious effort, as danger would trigger an instinctive, reflexive evasion.

"If I can reach minor completion in Phantom Shadow Steps, combined with my lime powder and Bone-Corroding Powder..." A sharp glint flashed in Chen Jianghe's eyes.

He recalled the life-and-death struggle at Black Wind Ridge.

If he had mastered the Phantom Shadow Steps back then, even just the entry-level, the outcome might have been entirely different.

He continued flipping through the pages. The latter half of the booklet detailed the footwork chants, the circulation paths for blood and energy, and dozens of footwork combinations.

A moment later, he stood up, lifted his right foot slightly, and slowly took the first step.

The movement was slow, even somewhat sluggish.

He carefully felt the contact between his sole and the ground, how his center of gravity shifted, how his waist and hips twisted, and how his shoulders and back coordinated...

As he stepped out, his body tilted slightly, and his center of gravity shifted quietly to his left foot.

Chen Jianghe stopped, frowning in thought.

In that step, while the center of gravity had shifted correctly, the twist of his waist and hips was insufficient, causing his posture to appear stiff and failing to fully utilize the technique's advantage of "appearing to move forward while actually shifting sideways."

He retreated to his original position and stepped out again.

This time, he deliberately increased the rotation of his waist and hips while relaxing his shoulders and back, like an old ape stretching its arms, naturally driving his body to shift sideways.

It was indeed much smoother.

Chen Jianghe remained calm and patient, repeating this first step over and over.

Ten times, twenty times, fifty times...

He only stopped once the movement became fluid and natural, like flowing water.

Though the Phantom Shadow Steps appeared light and easy, they actually demanded extreme control over blood and energy, as well as perfect coordination of tendons and bones.

Every step required the mobilization of the entire body's muscles and meridians, synchronized with breath and force, to achieve the "interweaving of void and reality that leaves no trace."

[Current Skill: Three-Body Stance (Great Completion)]

[Progress: 95%]

[Current Skill: Five Elements Fist (Great Success)]

[Progress: 62%]

[Current Skill: Phantom Shadow Steps (Entry)]

[Progress: 1%]

[Effect: Internalized strength, penetrates the body to shatter meridians]

He walked back into the room, wiped his face with cold water, and changed into clean clothes.

Sitting back at the table, his gaze fell upon the few bags of lime powder in the corner, and he fell into deep thought.

The stronger the strength, the higher the vigilance, and the faster the reaction... Lime powder is an external tool after all. It works against Bright Strength or ordinary Dark Strength, but if one encounters a veteran Dark Strength or Transforming Strength expert, its effectiveness will be greatly diminished.

He needed a method that was more concealed, swifter, and harder to guard against.

Su Family Escort Agency.

The morning light had just illuminated the pair of stone lions in front of the agency when three escort carts staggered into the courtyard.

The wheels were caked in mud, and the shafts were stained with blood.

Zhou Yong jumped down from the first cart, his left arm wrapped in a makeshift cloth bandage already soaked through with blood. His face was deathly pale, his lips cracked, and his legs gave way, nearly causing him to collapse.

Wang Gui hurried up from behind to support him, his voice muffled: "Hold on!"

"I'm not dead yet..." Zhou Yong pulled at the corners of his mouth, a bleak smile appearing.

The early-rising Pathfinders in the courtyard gathered around, and upon seeing the scene, their expressions changed drastically.

Three escort carts; twelve men had left, but only five had returned, and every one of them was wounded.

The cargo boxes were scattered on the carts, and several had been split open.

"Escort Guard Zhou! This, this is..." an old Pathfinder asked with a trembling voice.

Zhou Yong waved his hand, panting heavily: "First, first help the wounded inside... call a doctor... quickly!"

In the main hall, Su Jingming had already received the news and hurried over.

"What happened?" Su Jingming's voice was low, carrying a suppressed fury.

Supported by Wang Gui, Zhou Yong walked into the main hall, knelt down with a thud, and said hoarsely: "Second Master... this subordinate is incompetent... the escort... was robbed!"

Su Jingming's pupils constricted: "Explain clearly."

Zhou Yong gritted his teeth: "We were taking the northern route to deliver a batch of goods to Yongchuan County. Yesterday, while passing through Sky-Split Gorge, they had over twenty men lying in ambush. They didn't say a word before attacking!"

He caught his breath and continued: "They had many men, and they were all skilled. There were three Escort Guards with Dark Strength cultivation, and four with Bright Strength. We resisted with our lives, but lost five brothers..."

Su Jingming closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, his gaze was icy: "Good, very good."

"Bang!"

The purple sandalwood tabletop was shattered into pieces by his palm.

Su Jingming's chest heaved, and after a long while, he said slowly: "Treat the wounded well, and for the brothers who fell... provide generous compensation."

"Yes," Zhou Yong replied in a low voice.

"You all go and tend to your wounds first," Su Jingming waved his hand. "I have my own plans for this matter."

The three bowed and retreated.

The main hall was empty and silent, leaving only Su Jingming behind.

He walked slowly to the window and looked at the indigo escort flag in the courtyard, which hung limply in the morning breeze.

Had the Su Family Escort Agency really reached this point?

The foundation his father had built back then, and now: the Green Dragon Gang was rising, monopolizing Black Wind Ridge; old partnerships were growing cold; and now, even the escort routes were...

Su Jingming felt a stifling sensation in his chest, and his vision suddenly went black.

He reached out to steady himself against the window frame, but felt the world spinning.

"Second Master?!"

A servant's cry of alarm came from outside the door.

"Quick! Call a doctor!"

"The Second Master has fainted--!"

The courtyard instantly descended into chaos.