The Seven Star Blade Manual, A Night in the Wilderness

Wang Kuohai held only an ordinary blade in his hand; his own weapon had been shattered while fighting the ape-like brain-eating monster.

Facing the burly man lunging toward him, he gritted his teeth and charged forward despite the disparity in their armaments.

His chest still throbbed with a dull ache; he had sustained significant injuries from the collision two hours prior.

Clang, clang.

Both men possessed extraordinary martial arts, their blades clashing incessantly as Wang Kuohai maneuvered around the burly man like a nimble serpent.

Wounded as he was, he naturally avoided a direct confrontation, constantly searching for an opening.

The burly man, meanwhile, laughed wildly as he swung his blade, having already realized that Wang Kuohai dared not trade blows head-on.

"Hahaha, are you afraid? Then die!"

Using his momentum to overwhelm his opponent, his blade strikes grew even more terrifying.

Wang Kuohai was faintly beginning to lose ground.

Li Qing, watching this scene from the carriage, felt his mouth twitch slightly.

I really am plagued by disasters.

First Mr. Huayue, then the government pursuit, encountering a dragon on a rainy road, meeting villains while staying overnight, running into monsters at the post station, and now, even just catching a ride, I run into bandits.

My luck is truly cursed; how did everything pile up all at once? Is the journey to Jade City really this difficult?

An ordinary person would have died eight hundred times over by now.

Li Qing grumbled indignantly, and with a surge of reckless courage, he picked up the Spirit Summoning Tablet.

He injected his essence into it, pouring in half of his total reserves this time.

A real yet illusory Flood Dragon surged forth from the tablet, flashing toward the burly man who was currently locked in combat with Wang Kuohai.

"Moo!"

A sound like a dragon's roar echoed in everyone's ears.

Their minds were shaken, and they instantly lost all autonomy.

The Flood Dragon pounced upon the eight-foot-tall man, tearing his spirit and soul right out of his body.

With a single bite, it shredded his soul into pieces.

By the time the crowd regained their senses, they witnessed this utterly terrifying sight.

A Flood Dragon devouring a soul—it was like something out of a myth.

"A monster!" one bandit turned deathly pale.

He let out a shriek and turned to run.

The caravan guards seized this opportunity to launch an attack.

Squelch.

Two bandits were cut down on the spot, their heads severed amidst their screams.

Of the twenty bandits, five were left behind, their heads all hacked off.

Wang Kuohai, standing to the side, approached Li Qing and bowed respectfully.

"Many thanks for your assistance, Mr. Qin. You have saved us once again."

Li Qing waved his hand. "It is nothing. I simply wish to reach Jade City as soon as possible. Since we are traveling together, it was just a matter of convenience."

His gaze fell upon the guards hacking off the bandits' heads, and a look of confusion appeared on his face. "What are they doing?"

"The heads of these bandits are quite valuable."

"They will bury the bodies nearby and send the heads to the local government office."

"The bailiffs will naturally come to inspect them."

"A single head is worth at least five taels of silver, so these five are worth twenty-five taels."

"A caravan guard's basic monthly salary is only two taels of silver."

"For most escort missions, they receive a bonus of about one tael."

"If they split twenty-five taels, each person gets about two taels—that's equivalent to a month's income."

Li Qing finally understood. He then walked toward the corpse of the eight-foot-tall man.

Having had his soul ripped away, the man was now nothing more than a corpse.

He picked up the Hundred-Forged Steel Blade from the ground and began to loot the body.

He soon found a money pouch and a book on the man.

He took a look and was surprised to discover that it was actually a blade manual—Seven Star Blade.

Wang Kuohai, standing nearby, saw the manual and a look of realization dawned on his face.

"So it is the Seven Star Blade. It belongs to a sect called the Seven Star Blade Sect, which is quite famous in the martial arts world."

"This guy is likely a traitor who defected from the Seven Star Blade Sect."

Li Qing looked at Wang Kuohai, "Is this blade technique very formidable?"

"It counts as a first-rate blade technique in the pugilistic world, on the same level as my family's own."

Li Qing suddenly understood. Wang Kuohai's skills were indeed superior to those of an ordinary person; whether in strength or speed, he was at least twice as capable as those caravan guards.

"Can you help me dispose of the corpse?"

Wang Kuohai's expression turned solemn, "Rest assured, Mr. Qin. I will have someone handle the head, and once I exchange it for silver at the Government Office, I will bring the money to you."

Li Qing nodded, "Many thanks."

The caravan moved forward once more. Li Qing remained seated in the carriage as new information appeared on the Jade Tablet in his mind.

Seven Star Blade (Unranked): The blade is like the seven stars, every strike chasing the soul.

Seven Star Blade (Skill): Man and blade as one, moving as easily as one's own arm.

The information for the new version of the Seven Star Blade flowed into his heart, and he already had a thorough grasp of this blade technique.

This technique primarily focused on various methods of exerting force; through these techniques, one could also temper the muscles, tendons, and skin, allowing the body to be developed even further.

I wonder if it will be of any use to me. My body should already be stronger than an ordinary person's.

I can practice it when I have time. Relying solely on the Spirit Summoning Tablet makes my methods too singular.

If I ever encounter a situation where the Spirit Summoning Tablet is useless, I'll be finished.

Right now, I'm like a mage; the moment I'm closed in on, I'm done for.

Learning a blade technique can enhance my self-protection capabilities.

Li Qing felt more and more that this world was filled with malice toward him.

The caravan moved slowly forward, and after about two more hours had passed, it gradually came to a halt.

Wang Kuohai's voice rang out from outside, "Mr. Qin, we have found a Mountain God Temple where we can stay temporarily."

"Let's rest here tonight; it will be fine for keeping out the wind and rain."

Hearing this, Li Qing was slightly taken aback. He poked his head out of the carriage and looked toward the dilapidated temple.

It was a very run-down temple; at a glance, it seemed to consist of only one main hall and two side halls.

Li Qing frowned. Seeing his expression, Wang Kuohai's face tightened slightly, "Mr. Qin, is something wrong?"

"Can we find somewhere else? A temple like this is not a good place to stay."

"Do not enter forests, do not enter temples."

Hearing Li Qing's warning, Wang Kuohai was startled and quickly said, "Very well, I will go make arrangements immediately."

Wang Kuohai shouted to the caravan guards, "Continue on the road! We will rest in the wilderness tonight."

Upon hearing Wang Kuohai's words, the caravan guards' eyes revealed a trace of fatigue and helplessness.

The caravan moved slowly forward. Li Qing watched the receding Mountain God Temple quietly, feeling a slight sense of relief in his heart.

This world is too dangerous. It's better to be careful and keep a low profile.

In the blink of an eye, another half-hour passed, and the sky had already turned dark.

The caravan finally found a flat patch of woods. They lit a bonfire and arranged the carriages in a circle.

The group sat within the circle of carriages and began to set up pots to cook.

Everyone sat together, drinking bowls of dried meat soup and gnawing on coarse rations.

Wang Kuohai and Li Qing were eating the same fare.

"Mr. Qin, there really isn't anything good to eat today; everyone will just have to make do for the night."