Psychic Whip

[Box Phonograph: One of the relics left behind by the daughter of Viscount Jansen of the Kingdom of Migallon. It witnessed the Blood Moon Dark Painting Ritual and contained traces of hallucinogenic properties. After devouring it, related entries could be derived.]

"This trait is really useful. Too bad Taotie only works on special items."

Jiang Jingnian watched the phonograph evaporate in an instant, leaving not the slightest trace behind. He could not help clicking his tongue in amazement.

When he had first crossed into this world, he had also tested this trait on ordinary objects, as well as living creatures like chickens and ducks. Unfortunately, it had produced no effect at all.

The Taotie trait only reacted to special items with entries.

Special items, meanwhile, were highly random. They were not judged by an item's inherent value. Even some cheap goods could possess entries. For example, a pair of bowls and chopsticks Jiang Jingnian had bought at the market had somehow turned out to be special items.

"Blood Moon Dark Painting Ritual? What is that? Some secret content from the Western Ocean cults?"

"Doesn't matter. As long as it can be devoured."

A trace of confusion surfaced in Jiang Jingnian's eyes, but he soon cast those doubts to the back of his mind.

With a flicker of his gaze, he focused his attention on his own status panel.

From Jiang Jingnian's perspective—

The space behind the trait column twisted for a moment, then abruptly revealed an abyssal maw brimming with endless greed. In the unseen realm, it swallowed a shadow of a blood-red crescent moon.

The scene seemed like a hazy illusion.

Yet to Jiang Jingnian, it felt utterly real.

Some unknown whispering and roaring even rose beside his ears.

That sinister, icy, venomous resentment made him feel as though he had been thrown into an ice cellar in the height of summer.

Several seconds later, Jiang Jingnian finally snapped out of his daze, and the trait column before him returned to normal.

He subconsciously touched his arm. His skin was not cold; the sensation just now seemed to have been nothing more than an illusion.

[Name: Jiang Jingnian]

[Trait: Taotie, Psychic Whip (Incomplete)]

[Art: Taiji Vajra Art (Beginner)]

[Archetype: Martial Artist (Blood Tempering 7%)]

"What was that scene just now? Nothing like that ever happened when I devoured special items before."

Jiang Jingnian revealed a thoughtful expression. He realized this process had differed from the previous ones. "Could it be that some trace of a monster remained inside the phonograph, and when my Taotie trait devoured it just now, a certain struggle took place?"

Drawing on some artistic works he had seen in his previous life, he made a bold guess about what had happened.

But after pondering it for a while, he still had no clue. The phonograph had not merely turned to ash; not even the slightest trace of its existence remained.

It had been eaten clean, bones and all, by the Taotie trait.

And the reward after devouring it was a new trait entry added to his panel.

[Psychic Whip (Incomplete): Twice per day, you may wield psychic power to lash the target's mind. The specific effect depends on the gap between both sides' mental will.]

Jiang Jingnian reined in his emotions and fixed his gaze on this new trait.

"This Psychic Whip feels a little like the magic or witchcraft skills from online games in my previous life."

"Aren't I practicing martial arts? Why did I suddenly gain a magic skill? The styles don't quite match, do they?"

Even Jiang Jingnian was somewhat dumbfounded when he saw this trait that resembled a magic skill.

Where the hell had this sent him?

Wasn't this supposed to be a passionate clash between modern-era ancient-style young men, fists striking flesh?

When he had seen the hallucinogenic property written beside the phonograph, he had thought it might derive some ancient-style entry like "Lost Trail," "Phantom Mist," or "Yin-Yang Reversal"!

The description of Psychic Whip—

Left him completely at a loss.

And this was only an incomplete entry. Who knew what it might evolve into if he completed it someday.

Mind Plague?

Or spirit weaving?

"Still, this is good. One more means of dealing with enemies means one more trump card for me."

Jiang Jingnian's expression turned solemn.

Although his fist techniques were still crude and he was diligently practicing them, his defensive ability was astonishing. He should be stronger than martial artists at the same level.

Paired with this Psychic Whip, which resembled mental magic—

In battle, if he used Psychic Whip to launch a surprise attack, it would surely produce miraculous results. It might even swiftly decide life and death.

Early morning.

Tongda Escort Agency, training ground.

Quite a few runners and apprentices were practicing in the yard.

Some circled wooden posts while practicing fist and leg techniques; some sparred with each other to verify their skills; others stood in stances, honing and refining their own qi and blood, hoping that one day they could break through the Blood Tempering Aperture and become martial artists.

Jiang Jingnian, meanwhile, stayed in a corner, practicing his fist techniques against a thick wooden post.

They were the fist techniques from the Taiji Vajra Art.

Compared with the original Twenty-Four Forms of Tai Chi Fist, it had another twenty-four forms, forty-eight in total. It also lacked that self-cultivating, health-nurturing effect, instead pursuing ferocity and aggression. It spoke of tiger stances and crane forms, and could be called an unusual variant of the Tai Chi Fist from his previous life.

Take the most famous "White Crane Spreads Its Wings" from his previous life.

In Jiang Jingnian's hands, it became a false step and parted hands. As his arms crossed, they struck the upper portion of the wooden post three times in rapid succession—bang, bang, bang. Two strikes corresponded to a human body's temples, while one targeted the bridge of the nose.

His reaching hand and hooking hand were swift as lightning, like a white crane pecking at eyes—exceptionally vicious and dangerous.

Even the post, made from special wood, shook violently from the blows. It was hard to imagine what would happen if they landed on a human body of flesh and blood.

Several nearby apprentices were secretly watching.

They were also rather curious about this newly arrived escort.

The moment he passed the entry assessment, he became an official escort of the agency. Naturally, this caused Jiang Jingnian to make quite a splash throughout Tongda Escort Agency.

The ordinary laborers were one thing. The gap was too great for them to have much real sense of it. Most simply envied and admired him, hoping that they might receive such a chance at promotion someday.

But the children of wealthy households who had entered alongside him—

Had mixed attitudes. Several of them had privately discussed the matter and expressed their dissatisfaction.

Especially the Qian Household, whose interests were involved. They had specifically investigated Jiang Jingnian's background and discovered that he was merely a relative from a fallen branch of an aristocratic family, one who had come from elsewhere to seek refuge.

Before joining the escort agency, he had spent several months pulling a rickshaw in the concession.

He was nothing but a bottom-rung laborer.

The only thing unusual about him was that he had a slight connection to the Qu Household. But that was all.

If anyone truly valued him, he would not have needed to make a living by pulling a rickshaw.

Yet unexpectedly, such a rickshaw-pulling laborer had earned Duan Escort Chief's appreciation as soon as he arrived at the agency. He had even skipped the runner stage and become an official escort within the agency.

"Why?"

"It was clearly agreed that I would be promoted to escort this month."

"I've already worked my heart out for the escort agency for two years and three months."

"They kept making me wait, and now they let a newcomer climb right over my head."

"Month after month, I've already waited several months."

"Why do I still have to keep waiting?"

Qian Shiqi, dressed in fitted martial attire, frowned as he squatted in a corner. His gaze remained fixed on Jiang Jingnian without blinking.

He simply could not understand it.

Why had Duan Escort Chief done this?

And as a runner, he had worked so hard and given everything, yet the escort agency had kept feeding him empty promises. First, they said he had not advanced to martial artist; second, that his seniority was insufficient; third, that slots and resources still required waiting in line.

In any case, every time he approached the agency about this matter, they always had all kinds of reasons to reject him.

Why?

Why did they trample his efforts so casually?

And why did they let a fallen relative from elsewhere ride directly over his head?

Naturally, resentment filled his heart.