My Twenty Years of Pig-Slaying Knife Skill, Can You Block It!

After helping out with some odd jobs at the butcher's in the afternoon, I returned to Notting Academy in the evening.

I collected one silver Spirit Coin from Wang Sheng and the others for cleaning the academy today, then went to grab a meal.

Having finished dinner, everyone, exhausted from a long day, wanted to turn in early.

Qin Qi lay on his bed and entered the Study Space, where he recounted the day's experiences to Tang Jiaren.

"Butchering pigs is a fine craft. It trains your eye, your touch, and your state of mind—and most importantly, it makes money."

Tang Jiaren laughed heartily upon hearing this. He looked at the butcher knife Qin Qi had brought into the space, reached out to take it, and casually spun it in a flourish.

"If we're talking about knife techniques, Uncle Ying is the one to beat. He's one of the few true bladesmen in our Tang Sect."

"That man's blade work is nothing short of divine."

The Uncle Ying that Tang Jiaren spoke of was a senior in the Tang Sect, and he was different from the others.

He specialized in blade techniques, and in his youth, he had carved out a great reputation for himself with a single blade.

Moreover, Uncle Ying held a seniority that was rare even within the Tang Sect at the time.

"Granduncle, looking at the way you hold that knife, do you know blade techniques too?"

Qin Qi watched the butcher knife dancing in Tang Jiaren's hand and asked tentatively.

"I'm no expert. I only learned a few tricks for slaughtering pigs and chickens when I was young."

"I wouldn't call it a proper blade technique," Tang Jiaren replied.

"Granduncle, I want to learn this!"

Qin Qi looked at Tang Jiaren, knowing that the "few tricks" the old man mentioned were certainly not that simple.

"Hmm... very well."

Tang Jiaren looked at Qin Qi, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. Qin Qi was already learning quite a lot.

In just a few days, he had mastered the Five Treasures Body Protection Method, Qi Poison, and Poison Barrier; he was worried Qin Qi wouldn't have enough energy.

But after a moment of reflection, he agreed.

"There are no pigs here for you to slaughter right now, but I can start by teaching you some of the mantras and insights."

"What do you think is the most important thing when slaughtering a pig?"

Tang Jiaren looked at Qin Qi and asked.

"The most important thing is... I honestly don't know."

Qin Qi paused. Although he had watched pigs being slaughtered, he had never actually done it himself.

"Some would say it's ruthlessness—you must be able to strike hard and kill the pig in one go."

"Others would say it's precision—you must strike accurately to properly divide the meat."

"And some say it's speed—a fast blade is a sharp blade, and only a sharp blade can slice through meat with ease."

"All three are correct, but beyond those, the most important thing is familiarity—familiarity with the pig's anatomy."

As Tang Jiaren spoke, the butcher knife in his hand began to move. While he swung it, he explained the various parts of the pig to Qin Qi.

He explained clearly how to distinguish each part, where to strike, and what methods to use.

Watching Tang Jiaren's movements, Qin Qi suddenly felt as if a pig had appeared beneath the old man's blade.

The pig was being dissected with incredible skill. Watching this scene, a phrase suddenly popped into Qin Qi's mind.

"'Cook Ding dismembering an ox'?" Qin Qi asked.

"Exactly. Whether it's a pig, a chicken, or even a person, if you want to kill, you must first know how to kill."

"You should know the story of the oil seller, right? Killing is the same—it is merely a matter of practice."

In a very short time, Tang Jiaren had finished dissecting the pig. He handed the butcher knife to Qin Qi.

"You give it a try."

Tang Jiaren prompted.

"I'll try..."

Qin Qi looked at the empty Study Space and gave a wry smile. "Granduncle, don't tease me. I can't do it."

"You have every step of the butchering process in your heart; you have a complete picture of the pig's anatomy. I, on the other hand, know nothing. I wouldn't even know where to begin."

"Hmm. I know you can't. I just wanted to see if you could recognize that fact."

"When you know what you don't know, you can begin to learn. The most dangerous thing for a person isn't ignorance; it's being ignorant and not knowing it."

Tang Jiaren looked at Qin Qi and nodded.

"The Observation Method is about seeing—not just looking at the outside, but also looking within yourself."

"Every sect has its own Observation Method, and the Tang Sect's observation involves both outer observation and inner observation."

Tang Jiaren felt the time was right, so he began to formally explain the technique he was about to pass on to Qin Qi.

[Ding, obtained Tang Jiaren's insights on Observation, Credits +10]

Qin Qi began to listen attentively; Observation had no combat power, but it was the best technique for assisting in battle.

"Outer Observation is observing people, objects, and hearts. Once you master it, you will be able to instantly understand the physical structure of anything you see."

"When fighting someone, it will be like the butcher dismembering an ox; you will have the palm of your hand on every move they make."

"As for observing objects, you will know the trajectory of any hidden weapon or item by heart. When you make a move, you won't need to think; you will instinctively strike at the enemy's fatal weaknesses."

"Observing hearts allows you to see through the opponent's thoughts and find the flaws in their reasoning."

Tang Jiaren continued.

"Observation shouldn't be done with the eyes, right?"

Qin Qi suddenly spoke up.

"You have good talent, kid. You discovered that just by hearing me talk about it once."

"Observation is looking, but not with the eyes; it is feeling. Even if I close my eyes, I can see everything around me."

"I can even 'see' things that eyes cannot."

Tang Jiaren nodded with great satisfaction upon hearing Qin Qi's question; Qin Qi had discovered the essence of Observation.

Many people thought Observation was just looking, and they focused too much on their eyes when learning it.

But in reality, it was a type of sensation.

"I understand Outer Observation, but what about Inner Observation?"

Qin Qi asked.

"Inner Observation is looking at your own body and your own thoughts. As an assassin of the Tang Sect, you must completely hide your aura and emotions when carrying out an assassination."

"There are special methods for hiding one's aura, which I won't go into here; I am talking to you about hiding emotions."

"As long as a person is alive, they will have thoughts. If they have thoughts, they will have ideas, and if they have ideas, their emotions will fluctuate."

"It is impossible to suppress them, so the Tang Sect's method of concealment is to transcend all thoughts."

"Let them flow through your heart without touching them, and act from a state of detachment."

As Tang Jiaren spoke, the aura around his body began to change, and Qin Qi noticed the shift immediately.

"The feeling has changed!"

Qin Qi looked at Tang Jiaren; at that moment, he felt as if the person in front of him was nothing more than a piece of withered wood or a rotting stone.

"Some of the protective artifacts made by artificers are triggered by detecting malice."

"But if they encounter an assassin from our Tang Sect, those protective artifacts are useless, because we have absolutely no malice or killing intent when we kill."

Tang Jiaren exited that state and spoke.

"Granduncle, I want to learn this!"

Qin Qi felt the difference now. If Qi Poison and Poison Barrier could be considered combat techniques, then this Observation Method was filled with killing intent—it was fundamentally designed for more efficient killing!

"Hah, don't be in such a hurry. I'll teach you how to slaughter a pig first; you can slowly learn Observation while you do it."

Tang Jiaren smiled and continued to teach Qin Qi how to slaughter a pig. Cultivation didn't always have to be profound.

One could learn even while slaughtering a pig; this was a characteristic of Chinese sects—being close to everyday life.

It was just like why temples didn't eat meat in the past; it wasn't for any special reason, it was simply because they were poor and couldn't afford it back then.