A Shocking Turn

Wang Yu answered and followed the Daoist out of the room, his belly full of questions, heading straight for the Martial Arts Practice Field behind the abbey.

Outside the stone room beside the Martial Arts Practice Field, the Daoist unlocked the brass padlock and led the boy inside.

The moment he entered, the icy chill in the stone room made Wang Yu shudder. Perhaps it was his imagination, but the room seemed even colder than on his last visit.

The Daoist swept his gaze over the floor before the offering table. After a moment's consideration, he went to a corner and picked up a jar with a talisman pasted on it. He shook it, pressed his ear against it, and listened, then looked satisfied.

"The Yin Spirit inside should be purified by now. It's ready to use."

As soon as he finished speaking, the Daoist ripped the talisman off the jar and lifted its lid.

Wang Yu jumped in fright and immediately backed away two steps, his hand instinctively pressing against his waist. A small wooden sword was tucked there-the little lightning-struck wood sword Qingfeng had given him.

Ever since learning that this world truly had intangible ghostly things such as Yin Spirits, he had kept the evil-warding wooden sword on his person.

"What are you afraid of? You haven't cultivated today, have you? Circulate the Yin Water Art and practice your breathing here." The Daoist glanced at Wang Yu and set the jar on the floor before him, speaking with the ghost of a smile.

"I haven't learned any spells, so these things always leave me feeling a little uneasy." Wang Yu gave an embarrassed smile, then obediently sat cross-legged, extended his spiritual sense, and began circulating the first level of the Yin Water Art.

"This is..." After circulating the Yin Water Art through just one lesser celestial circuit, Wang Yu opened his eyes in astonishment and stared straight at the jar before him.

While he had been circulating the art, wisps of gray vapor had actually emerged from the jar, mingling with the multicolored points of light. He had drawn them into his body with his breathing, feeding them into his spirit seed.

"It seems you've noticed. A purified Yin Spirit turns into a mass of pure spiritual energy. However, this energy leans toward cold yin and can only be drawn into the body through an art of the same nature. The Yin Water Art happens to be able to do just that. This means you'll absorb several times as much spiritual energy in the same amount of time. In theory, you should be able to break through to the second level of the Yin Water Art in just three or four months," the Daoist said.

"Master, such a thing is possible? And what do you mean by 'in theory'?" Wang Yu was delighted at first, then looked puzzled.

"Spiritual energy formed from Yin Spirits isn't true spiritual energy of heaven and earth, after all. It contains impurities and is excessively cold. Absorbing it every day would actually harm your body, so it's best to do so once every four or five days. In practice, it should only double your cultivation efficiency. With this to help you, reaching the second level of the Yin Water Art should take just half a year. Hmm, the spiritual energy from three Yin Spirits should be enough to get you to the second level." As soon as he finished, the Daoist took the wooden box from earlier out of his robes. He opened it and removed a small black bottle, uncapped it, and muttered an incantation. He waved its mouth toward the jar in front of Wang Yu, and wisps of gray vapor immediately streamed out, all being drawn into the little bottle.

He then selected two more jars and used the same method to draw all the gray vapor that emerged from them into the little bottle before handing it to the boy.

"This Yin Marrow Bottle doesn't quite qualify as a magical artifact, but it can store Yin Spirit energy and keep it from dissipating for a short time. Take good care of it."

"Thank you for your gift, Master. I'll be sure to cultivate diligently." Wang Yu bowed and accepted the little bottle. It felt icy to the touch, and knowing it was something valuable, he thanked the Daoist repeatedly in delight.

"Autumn Leaf, as long as you reach the second level of the Yin Water Art within half a year, I'll continue supplying you with Yin Spirit energy to aid your cultivation. But if you fail, that can only mean this substance doesn't suit you. From then on, you'll have to cultivate steadily, one step at a time." After these few indifferent words, the Daoist led Wang Yu out of the stone room.

From then on?

Following behind the Daoist, Wang Yu did not take his words to heart at all.

Counting the days, I should only have ten or so left before completing my month in this other world. Should I find a way to leave the abbey and take a look at Yellowstone City? It's the only city in this region, so there should be more information about this world worth collecting there.

After all, the more information he brought back to Blue Star from this trip, the greater the reward the government would give him.

Also, should I try to get the cultivation methods for a spell or two from the Daoist or Qingfeng? Even if they're only what they call the most basic Parlor Trick Arts, bringing them back would surely be a major contribution.

Wang Yu mulled it over.

Two more days passed like this.

At noon that day, Wang Yu and Dongyue were practicing martial arts behind the abbey when they suddenly heard a clear birdcall. An Emerald Little Bird descended from the sky and landed on the eaves of the main hall behind them.

"Oh? Looks like the abbot is going out." Seeing this, Dongyue grinned and spoke to Wang Yu.

"Senior Brother Dongyue, why do you say that?" Wang Yu asked curiously.

"Since I came up the mountain, that bird has appeared at the abbey four or five times. Every time it shows up, the abbot leaves with Eldest Senior Brother. This time will probably be no exception."

Dongyue sounded quite certain, but Wang Yu remained somewhat doubtful.

Before long, however, Daoist Chongyun summoned Wang Yu. After giving him a few brief instructions, he hurried down the mountain with Qingfeng.

That evening, Wang Yu had just finished cultivating in his room and was about to get into bed when he suddenly heard a commotion outside. Someone seemed to be pounding violently on the abbey's front gate.

Wang Yu froze, then immediately jumped down from the bed, pushed open his room's door, and stepped outside.

"Who is it, coming to White Cloud Abbey this late? The abbot and Eldest Senior Brother couldn't possibly be back so soon. What a nuisance..." Dongyue emerged from the room opposite, likewise disheveled, carrying a lantern. Yawning, he reluctantly went to open the abbey's gate.

But before the chubby boy could draw back the bolt, whoever was outside seemed to lose patience. With a tremendous crash, the bolt shattered, and the gate was forcibly smashed open from outside.

"Ah!"

Startled, Dongyue stumbled back two steps.

Thump!

Something round was tossed in from outside. It rolled a few times and stopped right in front of the chubby boy.

Dongyue instinctively held his lantern forward. When he saw the round object clearly, he cried out, all the blood instantly draining from his face.

The round object illuminated by the lantern was a bloodstained human head. Its eyes were wide open and its mouth gaped, but despite the distortion of those familiar features, it was unmistakably Eldest Senior Brother Qingfeng.

What happened? Qingfeng only left with Daoist Chongyun this morning. How could he have been murdered by nightfall, his head cut off and thrown back into the abbey?

Wang Yu saw it clearly too. His mind rang with a buzz, and the blood throughout his body froze in an instant.

"Heh heh, so there are indeed two surviving vermin here at White Cloud Abbey. Come on, kill them both. No point leaving trouble for later." A young man's voice came from outside the abbey. Then figures stirred beyond the gate, and seven or eight people rushed in. All wore fitted black clothes and thick black cloths over their faces, and all carried gleaming weapons.

"Y-you... who are you? Do you know what this place is? This is Immortal Master Chongyun's abbey! Aren't you afraid he'll punish you when he returns?" Dongyue threw aside his lantern and retreated in panic, stammering.

"Old Chongyun can barely save himself right now. Who would still be afraid of him? Do it!" A White-Clad Youth entered through the gate. He had a flat nose, triangular eyes, and a vicious expression, and held a glittering silver folding fan. His gaze swept over Dongyue's and Wang Yu's attendant robes before he curled his lip and gave the order.

"This is bad! Junior Brother, run!"

Dongyue shrieked, then turned and ran.

Wang Yu snapped out of his shock as well. Without another word, he took to his heels after Dongyue, naturally heading for the mountain behind the abbey.

Judging by the fierce, fiendish looks of the people who had stormed into the abbey, they truly meant to take their lives.

"You little brat, stop running!"

"Where do you two think you can escape to?"

The black-clad men swarmed after them, leaving only the White-Clad Youth behind.

"Hmph, just two mortals!" The youth snorted and did not join the chase. Instead, he glanced toward the main hall. A burning eagerness flashed in his eyes, and he strode toward it.

Yet barely the time it took to drink a cup of tea later, the youth came striding out of the main hall, cursing. Turning his palm over, he produced a yellow talisman and slapped it onto his leg. A light breeze immediately rose around his legs, and with a flicker of movement, he too pursued them toward the rear mountain, his body drifting lightly as though it weighed nothing.

Wang Yu sprinted, his legs pumping hard, feeling his body brimming with strength. A forceful push sent him shooting more than ten feet forward, the mountain wind roaring past his ears as he ran downhill. If not for all the trees and shrubs blocking his way, he felt it would not take long to run all the way down in one go.

As for Dongyue, the moment they had reached the Martial Arts Practice Field behind the abbey, the two had tacitly split up, each choosing a different route down the mountain to flee for his life.

Splitting up would surely improve their respective chances of survival. As Wang Yu passed the weapon rack, he had also grabbed a rust-covered iron sword.

Whoosh!

A crossbow bolt shot toward him from behind.

Wang Yu halted, instinctively sweeping the iron sword backward.

Clang!

The bolt flashed past right beside Wang Yu's ear and lodged in a large tree ahead, quivering.

Wang Yu abruptly spun around.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Three more crossbow bolts came hurtling toward him, almost in a single line.

Caught in a frantic scramble, he could only let out a low roar and swing the iron sword wildly before him. He knocked the first two bolts away, but the third pierced straight through his left shoulder. He staggered, nearly falling to the ground.

"You little brat, you really can run! If the few of us hadn't specifically trained in the Lightness Technique, you might actually have slipped away." A furious voice rang out, followed by four masked, black-clad men emerging from the woods behind him. All were drenched in sweat, clearly worn out by the chase.

The masked man in front held a compact iron crossbow. Seeing that Wang Yu had been struck, he beckoned, and all four rushed forward to surround Wang Yu, plainly afraid he would take to his heels again.