A Cold Shower After Hope

Chu Xiaotian took a clear look at the master of the Mad Blade Martial Hall and couldn't help but marvel inwardly. This Ba Dao certainly lived up to his name.

The man stood five feet tall, broad-shouldered and thick-limbed, with bushy brows, wide eyes, and a face full of whiskers. If nothing else, his mere presence exuded an air of dominance. If one added the five-foot-long, one-inch-thick blade resting on the rack beside him, that aura became even more formidable.

"Master Ba Dao, you jest. I have come today not only to sell some medicinal pills but also to ask for your help with a matter. I hope you might grant my request," Xia Xue said, smiling as she tucked a stray lock of dark hair behind her ear while looking at the hall master.

"Miss Xia, there is no need for such formality. Please, speak your mind. If it is within my power, I will certainly not refuse," Ba Dao replied with a wave of his hand, his voice booming without a moment's hesitation. As a first-rank alchemist, the pills Xia Xue refined were naturally superior to anything Chu Xiaotian had seen before. She supplied the entire martial hall with pills, so they naturally treated her with the utmost respect.

"In that case, I thank you in advance, Master Ba Dao. The situation is this: my friend here is in need of a cultivation technique. I would like him to join your martial hall and train under your guidance," Xia Xue said, first bowing to show her gratitude before gesturing toward Chu Xiaotian to explain her intent.

"Hahaha, is that all? I thought it was something serious! So you are recruiting for my Mad Blade Martial Hall, Miss Xia? How could I possibly refuse such a good thing! This young man looks extraordinary; he is surely no ordinary person. He can train at my Mad Blade Martial Hall from now on. My Mad Battle Blade Art may not be the most profound technique in existence, but here in Greenwood Town, it is second to none," Ba Dao laughed heartily. He looked Chu Xiaotian up and down, clearly satisfied, and accepted him without a second thought.

This man is quite straightforward, Chu Xiaotian thought, feeling a sense of favor toward Ba Dao. He then cupped his hands toward the hall master and said, "Thank you for taking me in, Master."

"Haha, lad, don't thank me. Thank Miss Xia. You were introduced by her, and even if I had three times the courage, I wouldn't dare slight her. Here, this is the foundation of our Mad Blade Martial Hall—the first three levels of the Mad Battle Blade Art. It will allow you to reach the third stage of Body Tempering. Once you reach that realm, I will pass on the remaining seven levels to you. Take it," Ba Dao said, clapping Chu Xiaotian on the shoulder with a laugh before handing him a thin, yellow booklet. Xia Xue was an alchemist; there wasn't a soul who didn't want to be in her good graces.

"Thank you, Master," Chu Xiaotian said, accepting the booklet inscribed with the words Mad Battle Blade Art. He bowed to Ba Dao, his face beaming with joy. Although it was only the first three levels, it was his very first cultivation technique, and he cherished it deeply.

Suppressing the urge to begin training immediately, Chu Xiaotian walked over to Xia Xue with a grin. "Xiaoxue, I think I'll stay by your side and continue as your bodyguard. Once I grow stronger, I'll drive away all those wild beasts that attack you, and I'll even stomp that old lecher who tried to harass you like a ball into the ground. How about that?" Although he had previously said he would leave once he found a place to train, he had now changed his mind and intended to remain with her.

Everything that had happened thus far proved that Xia Xue was a rare treasure. If he wanted to realize his own secret desires, he couldn't leave her side, or he might never get another chance.

Xia Xue looked at Chu Xiaotian with a faint blush, then glanced at Ba Dao. After a moment of hesitation, she said softly, "I cannot decide that on my own. Now that you are a member of the Mad Blade Martial Hall, you cannot leave unless Master Ba Dao gives his permission. Otherwise, you must stay here."

Chu Xiaotian froze, only then realizing that being a member of the Mad Blade Martial Hall came with strings attached. He turned his gaze toward Ba Dao, waiting to see what he would say.

Ba Dao was also taken aback. He hadn't expected such a request, and it put him in a difficult position. According to the hall's rules, those who practiced their techniques were not allowed to leave the premises at will. However, this fellow was a friend of Xia Xue—and judging by their behavior, a very close one at that. It was the first time he had seen Xia Xue walking alone with a man. He wasn't sure if she would be angry or pleased if he refused. He looked at Xia Xue, hoping to find a clue on her face, but it was a wasted effort. He found nothing.

"Young man, since you are so keen on staying with Miss Xia, I have no objections. Of course, it depends on whether Miss Xia agrees," Ba Dao said after a long pause, unable to make the final call and kicking the ball back to her. Naturally, his words implied that he had no issue with it.

Chu Xiaotian was overjoyed. He immediately put on a pitiful expression and looked at Xia Xue, making her want to laugh.

"Fine, you may continue to stay at my valley. But you must grow stronger quickly! I want to head into the Forest Sea soon to search for spiritual herbs and refine higher-grade pills," Xia Xue said, rolling her eyes at him with a playful, feigned annoyance. She couldn't really refuse him; after all, Chu Xiaotian was her savior. There was also the matter of his roasted meat—it was truly delicious, something she had never tasted before. Plus, the way he looked at her was far purer than the lecherous gazes of others. Thus, she decided to let him stay.

"Xiaoxue is the best! To repay you, I'll roast all kinds of meat for you every day from now on," Chu Xiaotian beamed, barely restraining himself from running over to hug her.

Xia Xue rolled her eyes again and retorted, "Are you trying to fatten me up like a pig?"

"Even if you were a pig, you'd be a peerless beauty of a pig. I guarantee people would be fighting over you," Chu Xiaotian chuckled, unable to resist teasing her.

Xia Xue could only roll her eyes again, not knowing what else to do. As for Ba Dao, he stood by, watching the two "flirt" with a smile. After they finished joking around, Xia Xue handed a small pouch to Ba Dao. It contained sixty percent of the pills she had refined during this period—fifty first-rank pills. As the only alchemist near Greenwood Town, her pills were always spoken for before they were even finished.

The two major powers of Greenwood Town were the ones who reserved them: the Hundred Herb Pavilion took forty percent, and the remaining sixty percent went to the Mad Blade Martial Hall. This was the result of Ba Dao's strength being greater than that of the three experts at the Hundred Herb Pavilion.

"Miss Xia, here are five hundred origin stones. Please, keep them safe," Ba Dao said with a slight smile after accepting the pills, handing her a small pouch in return.

Chu Xiaotian paid no mind to their transaction. He was already sitting cross-legged on the floor of his room, unable to wait any longer to begin practicing the Mad Battle Blade Art given to him by Ba Dao.

The first three levels were not difficult; they simply taught one how to absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth into the body to temper the flesh. Following the instructions, Chu Xiaotian easily sensed the spiritual energy around him. Using the prescribed method, he successfully completed the process he had struggled with for so long: drawing a wisp of spiritual energy, no thicker than a strand of hair, into his body.

A smile spread across his face. Being able to draw energy into his body meant he had taken the first step on the path of cultivation. As long as he kept moving forward, becoming a powerhouse who could look down upon the world was no longer an unreachable dream.

However, just as he was filled with excitement, believing he had taken his first step toward becoming a peerless expert, a bucket of cold water was poured over his head.

Before the spiritual energy he had drawn in could even begin to temper his flesh, a wisp of sinister, icy energy suddenly surged from a corner of his body. Before he could react, it had completely dissolved the wisp of spiritual energy.

After doing so, the icy energy vanished back into the depths of his body as abruptly as it had appeared, leaving Chu Xiaotian sitting there in a daze, completely bewildered.

What the hell, corpse poison? I didn't provoke you, I didn't bother you—do you have to treat me like this? After a long moment of stunned silence, Chu Xiaotian came to his senses and cursed inwardly. He then attempted to practice the Mad Battle Blade Art again. He now understood that the icy energy was the corpse poison lurking within him. Usually, the jade pendant around his neck suppressed it during the day, but now it had suddenly flared up to devour the very first wisp of energy he had managed to absorb.

He desperately wanted to believe it was just an accident, so he tried again. But after ten attempts, the bloody reality proved that it was no accident at all. The corpse poison in his body would truly devour every shred of spiritual energy he tried to bring inside.