Su Family Fist Technique

Though Wild Daoist had been prepared for this, receiving such treatment made his face darken at once, souring his mood. To be honest, he felt a little pity for Su Ziji, but for the Daoist formula he had been promised, he had no choice. Now, however, he merely shook his head.

So ignorant of the times. He deserved to die. With that thought, Wild Daoist shot him a vicious glare, turned, and left.

After this incident, Su Ziji immediately became alert. Catching sight of several figures ahead on the road, he did not care whether he was being overly suspicious. While it was still light out, he promptly escorted Ye Buhui home.

The shop stood at the end of the main street, and it took a while to walk there. Along the way, he had little interest in admiring the ancient scenery... The entire city lay buried in snow. Young wives and girls alike were bundled up thickly in padded clothes, making it impossible to see any flowers among them.

Still, the county town was not large. Before long, a willow tree appeared ahead, with a cloth awning stretched over the storefront. Once inside, he saw that this was a bookstore made up of three rooms. A middle-aged man was minding the shop, coughing now and then.

"Uncle Ye!"

The proprietor was Ye Weihan. He was middle-aged and somewhat plump. The moment she called out, Ye Buhui chattered out the entire story. At first, Ye Weihan listened with a smile, but it gradually faded. He sank into thought, looking somewhat lost and dazed. Only after a long while did he say, "Ziji."

"I'm here."

"If you intend to take the examination, you needn't come tomorrow. Stay home and study more... Remember, you must not sell the grave fields. People will deem it unfilial, and it will greatly hinder your chances of earning scholarly honors." Ye Weihan looked deeply at Su Ziji and gave him this earnest advice.

"I understand. I won't sell them." Su Ziji agreed, then brought up Wild Daoist coming to speak of feng shui. "Uncle Ye, I think they are all in league, stringing things together to swindle me."

Ye Weihan frowned and pondered without speaking. Su Ziji asked, "Is that not right?"

"I never heard that your father had dealings with this man, so it is indeed somewhat strange. But whether he is in league with those lending money, I will need to investigate. Still, this Wild Daoist is no simple man. He once selected a feng shui site for the Ling Family. He is a physiognomist with genuine skill."

Su Ziji stood stunned. "Was that the matter involving the two great households, the Yan and Ling Families of this county? They fought over a feng shui treasure ground, saw none of the benefits, and seven people died?"

"You know of that too? Yes, that was the incident." Ye Weihan glanced at him in surprise. The Ling and Yan Families had fought each other to the death over a feng shui site, leaving seven dead. It had shaken the entire prefecture and county.

"Neither the Yan nor Ling Family is ordinary. For them to fight so desperately over it, there must be something to it. When you have time, go inspect your family's ancestral graves as well, lest something truly goes wrong."

At this, Ye Weihan showed an expression of frustration at iron failing to become steel. "And you wanted to bury your father lavishly. Though it was somewhat pedantic, it came from filial devotion. Why did you not discuss it with me?"

"Why did you hide it from us and borrow fifteen taels? In three months, it turned into thirty-three taels of usury!" Did he not know that this kind of loan could not be borrowed? Once caught in it, one could never shake it off.

So impulsive—how could Ye Weihan set his mind at ease?

"Uncle Ye, I was muddleheaded for a moment. I know I was wrong." Su Ziji immediately bowed.

Ye Weihan might have had some family assets, but he had been frequently ill these past few years and spent much money on treatment each year, leaving his household fortunes declining like a river running downhill... Even so, when Su Ziji's father died, the Ye Family had offered much help. Many debts of kindness could not be measured in material things.

Though Ye Buhui always wore a stern face, she was the one who brought over pastries and meat every time.

The original Su Ziji had been self-conscious, feeling that he owed the Ye Family too much and refusing to borrow money from them. The current Su Ziji naturally would not act like an adolescent fool. He immediately admitted his mistake.

"Ah, what is done is done. When the three months are up, I will think of a solution. There are only a few days left before the County Examination. Focus on preparing for it, and do not overthink things."

"Also, the creditor is Zhang Dacuo, the leader of this county's Black Scarf Society. Though he is only a local thug, he has more than a dozen men under him. It is said that he has blood on his hands. While your father was alive, he did not dare do anything to you. Now, you must be careful."

"Uncle Ye, I understand."

Su Ziji understood this concern, but he did not take the last warning too seriously. His gaze shifted, and an idea suddenly came to him. He summoned half of the Rosewood Pendant.

Four Books and Five Classics Level 3 (1237/3000)

Su-style Fist Technique Level 2 (1758/2000)

Su Ziji remained outwardly calm as he watched Ye Weihan. Though he knew this was merely a manifestation of his mind, appearing in the form he most recognized, at such a critical moment, he still had to test whether other people could see it.

Seeing that Su Ziji seemed not to have taken it in, Ye Weihan earnestly tried to persuade him. "Do not underestimate local thugs. When Great Zheng was founded, the prefectures and counties were swept clean. This man has blood on his hands and has still managed to survive until now. Certainly, being a small target is one reason, but another is that he has deep connections in the county. He is not someone to offend lightly."

"I understand." Su Ziji answered, staring at Ye Weihan's reaction... There was none!

This confirmed one of his earlier concerns. Only he could see it, so he need not fear his secret being exposed. He could use it freely in any situation.

Excellent. A trace of coldness flashed through Su Ziji's eyes, and he gave a faint, chilly smile. If the inheritance from this life was half of the Rosewood Pendant, then the inheritance from his previous life was the Su-style Fist Technique.

The origins of this obscure fist technique were simple enough. One of his ancestors had once served in the Qi Family Army, slain bandits on the battlefield, and after returning home, become a deputy Hundred-Household Officer. The post was considered hereditary and had been passed down through the generations. Over a hundred years, it had absorbed the essence of many schools and been refined ever further.

After the Qing Dynasty began, there were no longer military posts, but the family martial art had not been abandoned. Because the Qing Dynasty prohibited martial arts, weapon techniques had been converted into fist techniques, but at its core, it remained a skill for killing enemies.

In this generation, he was the only one who had practiced it seriously. Though he did not know why it was only Level 2—perhaps this body had held him back—he had no fear of a few street thugs.

After bidding Ye Weihan farewell, he returned home. The main room had originally been his father's room, but it had now become a study. Though the furniture was old, it was arranged with a certain scholarly elegance. By the south window stood a small row of bookshelves. A wooden bed took up half the room, with two blue-cloth quilts neatly folded atop it. Ink, an inkstone, paper, and brushes lay on the wooden desk.

Su Ziji sat on a Dunzi beneath the bed, staring blankly around him.

"Though the Su Family has fallen on hard times, we were once a great household. If they truly wanted to collect a debt, would it not be better to take this residence? It must be worth thirty or fifty taels of silver."

"They are only pressing for the grave fields. Their intentions are unfathomable!"

After sitting in a daze for a while, he saw that evening was drawing near. After some thought, he stuffed down two cold meat buns. As he was about to leave, he took some joss paper and yellow mourning paper as well, then ran toward the grave fields.

The graveyard lay outside the city.

By then, the city gates had closed. Fortunately, this so-called county town had a small population. In industrial times, it would have been little more than a small town. With fewer people, there were fewer petty crimes of all sorts, and in peaceful years, the city walls had been poorly guarded.

Su Ziji had known the terrain since childhood. Turning toward one stretch of wall, he spotted a tree. By court law, all trees beside the walls should have been cut down, but no one had cared. He climbed the tree, jumped onto the wall, and ran onward.

The Su Family graveyard was in a small riverside grove east of the county town. The February snow had yet to melt completely, and the ground was covered in withered grass. Su Ziji trudged through it, high step and low step, crossed a stretch of farmland, and saw several trees ahead.

When Su Ziji arrived, he saw several raised graves. The older ones had rings of stonework around them, while the newer ones had only simple stone tablets.

"This is the Su Family ancestral graveyard." Su Ziji did not particularly believe in feng shui, but as he looked at the row of mottled stone tablets, he said nothing. Crouching down, he took out the joss paper and yellow mourning paper and lit them, offering a descendant's filial respect—whatever else, he had been reborn into the Su Family bloodline, and this basic attitude was necessary.

But the instant the fire caught and ignited the dead grass, Su Ziji abruptly stood up. His eyes fixed on the oldest ancestral grave encircled by stonework—this belonged to the great-grandfather of the Linhua County branch. When Great Wei was nearing its end, his great-grandfather had moved here, married, and had children. Then came his grandfather, and then his father.

It was said that the family had once prospered, which was why the grave had been surrounded by stonework. But beneath it now was a dark, freshly dug hole, concealed by grass and snow. He had not noticed it at first, only discovering it after burning the paper. Looking closely, he could even see a small piece of scattered bone.

"Someone really did ruin the feng shui of my ancestral grave!" To be honest, Su Ziji had only just awakened and did not feel much attachment to relatives who had died long ago. Yet dizziness swept over him. Memories and emotions from before his awakening surged within him, gathering into an indescribable rage—and after rage reached its utmost limit, a cold calm...

Su Ziji's expression suddenly turned indifferent.

Originally, although someone of unknown origin had set their sights on him, his strength was insufficient. Even passing the Examination Student exam would only allow him to protect himself. To seek revenge, he would need to become a Cultivated Talent at the very least!

Su Ziji had planned to endure humiliation and bear heavy burdens. But digging up ancestral graves in ancient times was an act that shattered all bottom lines. It meant the other side had no intention of ending things peacefully. They would surely have further plans to seize his wealth and take his life—who would feel safe leaving a young mortal enemy alive to grow stronger?

They were not leaving him a way to live!

Neither the old Su Ziji nor the new Su Ziji could endure this. His face darkened as he reached out and touched the ground. "The soil is still fresh!"

His gaze immediately fell on the footprints. He silently thanked the weather. It had snowed lightly for several days, and this was a grave field; aside from the Su Family, no one came here. "These footprints are fresh too. The diggers cannot have left long ago."

I have to fight!

Su Ziji inspected the tracks in the snow without a word, then directly gave chase.

This might have been the last snow of the year. It was falling ever more heavily, but the footprints remained fairly clear. Following them, he soon saw a Divine Shrine in the distance. Part of its walls had already collapsed, though the main gate was still mostly intact. A broken plaque hung above it, its characters impossible to make out.

Yet red light glowed inside, and wisps of smoke rose through the air, carrying the rich scent of meat. Su Ziji held his breath and quietly crawled in through the collapsed section.

The Divine Shrine was not large. Dead grass and brambles filled the courtyard. In the middle stood an incense burner enclosed by iron railings. Peering through the doorway into the hall, Su Ziji saw an altar. It was too dark to make out clearly, but divine curtains hung down, and it seemed to enshrine a goddess. There were no Incense Offerings left, however.

The ground was a complete mess. A bonfire licked upward with red flames, and a hanging pot seemed to be boiling pork knuckles, giving off a fragrant smell. Two men sat brazenly around it, drinking and eating meat in great merriment. A skull lay discarded beside them.

"Second Brother Yan, why are we digging up this grave and dragging out bones that have been dead for decades? What rotten luck. When we get back, we'll have to burn plenty of incense." One man looked thin and small. He gnawed on meat as he spoke indistinctly.

"Heh, you and I make our living licking blood from the edge of a knife. We have even sunk people in ponds, so what are we afraid of?" Second Brother Yan was comparatively strong and burly. He tore at a bone as he spoke. "Besides, Zhang Dacuo may have ordered us, but the one truly handling matters is the Daoist master from Mount Tong Temple. He needs this skull to perform a ritual—if there really are resentful ghosts, they will not get to us. The Daoist master will deal with them."

"A Daoist master from Mount Tong Temple? Good heavens, how did that Su Family brat offend someone enough to be targeted like this?" The thin man asked again, "And why use his great-grandfather instead of his father for the ritual?"

"I heard it is because of feng shui. His great-grandfather had the best feng shui. As for how he offended someone, who knows? It has nothing to do with us."

"That's true. A job worth ten taels of silver is hard to find."

As Su Ziji listened to them gorge themselves on meat and wine inside, they stopped discussing it. He pondered, A Daoist master from Mount Tong Temple? That is a legitimate Daoist with court-issued credentials. Why is he targeting me?

"Zhang Dacuo? I heard he was a county-town thug. I never expected him to be the one stirring this up."

"Either way, it is late at night, snowing heavily, and outside the city. I will start by using you two to sharpen my blade!" Su Ziji thought. He was a sensible man and knew that killing depended not only on martial skill, but on whether one's hands were dark and one's heart ruthless. If one was truly ruthless enough, even chopsticks could kill. His gaze had already settled on the iron railings outside the incense burner.

After grinding it a few times, it would make a sharp short spear!

The Su Family fist technique had originally been a killing art derived from the spear!