Blood River Chariot

Despair!

Chu Tianshu caught the knife and, without any hesitation, drew it out to examine it closely.

This knife has a straight back, a sharp angle at the tip, and a slightly inward curve at the blade.

The entire blade has a dull silver color and many scratches, but you can still feel that the blade is solid and the edge is sharp.

The guard should be made of brass, shiny and bright. The thin rope wrapped around the handle is old, a reddish-black color, so closely integrated with the wooden handle that it is hard to distinguish from it.

Chu Tianshu tried a feint slash at the side, and the feel was excellent.

The knife's center of gravity is just right, allowing the user to feel that the power is fully transferred to the blade when swinging it, without the tip of the knife feeling too heavy and affecting dexterity.

The Tang sword, forged through countless trials, exudes a ruthless aura of armor-piercing and lethality when held in the hand.

The Sanqi Divine Sword is, after all, a magical artifact. In terms of feel alone, it doesn't quite match the refined craftsmanship of a pure martial arts weapon.

But the most important thing about this knife is the spirit within it.

Chu Tianshu activated his Spirit Communication Vision and looked closely.

The Saber Soul had no specific outline; it flowed from the hilt to the tip of the blade, like a stream of flowing blood, like a somber autumn scene.

But when it reaches the tip of the blade, it suddenly turns back towards the hilt.

It was like a cool breeze suddenly blowing in through the window in the middle of the night.

It is vibrant within its melancholy, and seemingly indifferent in its bleakness.

"This is the Saber Soul..."

Chu Tianshu seemed to be deep in thought.

The Saber Soul's temperament is very similar to that of its master, the Blind Cheng.

However, people are complex. Even if someone possesses a unique temperament, it's not like having horns on their head that others can see at all times.

Those extraordinary people, most of the time, give the impression of being just ordinary.

But the Saber Soul is different.

Although it originated from humans, it is purer than humans.

It's like taking the most outstanding aspects of Blind Cheng's character and temperament, extracting them, and leaving them out in isolation.

Therefore, for those who can observe the Saber Soul, from any angle and at any time, the Saber Soul is always remarkable.

However, it is precisely because of this purity that the Saber Soul cannot exist on its own and must rely on the sword master for nurturing and cultivation.

If the sword's master dies, the Saber Soul is like a tree without roots, naturally unable to last long.

"If that's the relationship between the Saber Soul and the sword master."

Chu Tianshu said, "Then it seems that the Saber Soul doesn't necessarily dissipate after the sword master's death..."

Blind Cheng said, "That's right. If multiple Weapon Soul are fighting on a battlefield, with a sufficiently strong fighting spirit and bloodlust..."

"Even if their masters die, their lingering, half-dissipated Weapon Soul may still exist, absorbing the essence of other Weapon Soul and the blood and energy of the battlefield, surviving in a completely different form, becoming an evil weapon."

"Daoist priests and monks refer to these evil soldiers as 'Wild Weapon Soul '."

"The Wild Weapon Soul will choose a specific person, exerting an extraordinary attraction upon them, turning them into a puppet to kill and extract blood for it."

Blind Cheng took a sip of wine.

"These puppets also have a name: Saber-Wielding Ghost. I've encountered them many times before. Some Saber-Wielding Ghost can even unleash the original owner's sword techniques."

Chu Tianshu grunted in response.

It turns out there are Weapon Soul that survive in this way.

But that wasn't what he originally intended to say.

What he meant was that if, right after the master's death, the Weapon Soul could encounter someone whose personality, temperament, and physical strength were 90% similar to the original owner's.

Then, having a second person use the same Blood Refinement Weapon Method might allow them to match the Weapon Soul and let that Weapon Soul continue to exist.

However, the probability of this happening is indeed extremely small.

"You seem to be in a different mood today, so I'll just be blunt."

Chu Tianshu sheathed his sword and returned it to the Blind Cheng. "I want to learn your Blood Refinement Weapon Method. I can exchange it for money, or for a superior method of cultivating strength."

The Blind Cheng took the knife, his face full of doubt. "Why are you learning this? You who study magic don't have pure enough blood and essence to nurture a Weapon Soul... Wait a minute!"

He paused abruptly as he spoke.

"I sensed you were using magic in the temple, so I assumed you were a practitioner of magic."

"Now that I think about it, could you be one of those rare individuals who is capable of mastering both magic and martial arts?"

Chu Tianshu smiled and said, "Yes."

Blind Cheng clicked his tongue. "So that's what you're after? My Blood Refinement Weapon Method is a method taught to the elite troops of the Great Tang Dynasty. It's said to be a secret, but actually, many people have learned it."

"When the six Zhao states were unified, the Nanzhao army also learned this method. With your skill and medical expertise, you could easily enter a city, find a Nanzhao official, and become his retainer for a while, and you'd be able to get your hands on this stuff."

Chu Tianshu also shifted to a more relaxed sitting posture, holding his wine glass and taking a small sip.

I'm too lazy to go.

He said, "Since you're right in front of me, why should I go to the trouble of looking elsewhere?"

The Blind Cheng coldly replied, "My price is very high. If you insist on buying from me, then it will be ten taels of gold."

Chu Tianshu grunted and tentatively asked, "This will take a while to accumulate. Can I buy it on credit?"

Blind Cheng rolled his eyes and gulped down two more bottles of wine.

Chu Tianshu felt sorry for him, having to drink so much of this wine at once.

"Then I'll dictate it."

After finishing two bottles of liquor, the Blind Cheng closed his eyes and said, "Listen to this for now; how much you can understand is up to you."

Chu Tianshu sat up straight and concentrated.

There are hardly any people in the lobby now; Blind Cheng, he wouldn't move.

His voice was low, but his pronunciation was quite clear; he wasn't deliberately speaking too fast.

This set of skills for cultivating and refining the Weapon Soul is called "Blood River Chariot".

The term "River Chariot" is a Daoist concept.

The Book of Changes and the Cantong Qi of the Han Dynasty states, "The master of the five metals is the River Chariot of the North."

Since the Wei and Jin dynasties, Daoist masters have offered numerous commentaries on this topic, resulting in various theories, each with its own merits, but they all share a common understanding.

The term "river cart" generally refers to the phenomenon of the movement of qi and blood in the human body. Blood is divided into true blood, ordinary blood, and mixed blood.

Mixed blood is still as a stream, while ordinary blood surges like a river.

True blood is the most refined and pure. When people initially transport qi and blood, they should make true blood flow like a cart in a river, circulating back and forth, expanding the river channel, and consolidating the riverbed.

Until the mixed blood and ordinary blood also transform into true blood, the human body gradually transcends the mundane.

There are three gates to the circulation of the river chariot. The first is the coccyx gate, located at the end of the spine.

Second, the Jiaji point, located in the back of the heart, includes a section of the thoracic vertebrae.

Third, Yuzhen Pass, located at the back of the head, below the Yuzhen acupoint as described by traditional Chinese medicine practitioners.

The entry standard for martial artists to learn "Blood Refinement Weapon Method" is to first cultivate their strength, develop body coordination and flexibility, and be able to feel the existence of the coccyx.

In "The Blood River Chariot," there are three types of chariots: the Sheep Chariot, the Deer Chariot, and the Ox Chariot, each corresponding to one of the three stages of overcoming obstacles.

In the first stage, focus your mind and breath gently and deliberately, like a sheep pulling a cart, taking small, light, and steady steps, combined with techniques that massage the kidneys to replenish your energy.

In the second stage, one should be as nimble as a deer, running with great strides, coordinating with visualization and breathing to ensure the heart and lungs are unobstructed. The sound of breathing should be like the gentle call of a deer, light yet far-reaching.

The third stage is like Azure Ox Pulling the Chariot, valiant and solid. The blue ox carries the sage out of Hangu, and on the ox's horns hangs the sage's words, recorded by Guan Yinzi, totaling five thousand words.

This stage is no longer just about physical strength; it also requires a person's character and experience.

The ritual of drawing blood to smear weapons differed at each stage.

During the Sheep Chariot stage, blood is mainly drawn from the waist and legs using small thorns.

During the Deer Chariot stage, blood can be drawn from the tips of all ten fingers in turn.

During the Ox Chariot stage, blood can be drawn from areas such as the side of the neck, earlobe, forehead, and brow.

In fact, as long as one can cultivate for a few more years in the Sheep Chariot Realm, there is a chance to nurture Weapon Soul.

Those who have reached the Deer Chariot Realm have a relatively clear mutual connection between themselves and their Weapon Soul. The timing of blood collection, the patterns applied, the visualization and breathing during the ritual no longer need to strictly follow the established forms.

As long as you act according to the feedback from your own Weapon Soul, that's the best approach for your Weapon Soul.

As for reaching the level of the Ox Chariot, or even further.

Such a person, with his weapon on the outside, exudes a fierce and imposing aura, like the master of metal.

Human vitality resides within, vast and enduring, like the ruler of the North.

That would truly be the transcendent realm described in the Book of Changes and the Book of Unity.

Chu Tianshu listened to the Blind Cheng's explanation and watched him dip his finger in wine and leave patterns on the table.

The complexity of the "Blood River Chariot" technique far exceeds that of the "Golden Toad Sect Taiji Fist".

In particular, the number of visualization patterns is no less than that of the visualization methods in "Annotations on Ghost Gate Witch Medicine".

However, Mind Power is about Aperture Opening outwards, while martial arts are about Aperture Opening inwards.

The main function of these patterns, such as the "Blood River Chariot," seems to be to guide the flow of Qi and blood within the body.

However, aside from circulating qi and blood and visualizing patterns.

This set of secret techniques also includes many ritual steps.

Chu Tianshu didn't quite understand the purpose of this part, but it still took up a lot of space.

Fortunately, Chu Tianshu's Dual Cultivation of Life and Nature has reached a level where his energy is extremely vigorous, and his vision, hearing, and memory abilities have naturally become stronger.

Just like in school, some people would compete to memorize things quickly.

You can memorize a text after reading it only once or twice, but you might forget it by the next day.

Chu Tianshu's current ability to memorize is such that he can recall Blind Cheng's lengthy descriptions word for word and without missing a single detail within three or four days.

That's enough time for him to put his memories into words.

"That's all there is to the Blood River Chariot Secret Technique."

Blind Cheng downed another bottle of wine to quench his thirst.

Chu Tianshu closed his eyes and recalled the events, then summoned the token screen.

Sure enough, the "Blood River Chariot" appeared in the "Materials for Cultivation Techniques" section.

That really could be considered martial arts!

Chu Tianshu was delighted and picked up the wine bottle, intending to pour another glass for the Blind Cheng.

Blind Cheng stood up, brandished his knife like a cane, tapped the ground a few times, and walked towards the guest room.

Lady Wenjing was walking out from behind, having changed into a blue cotton jacket with white flowers.

She smiled broadly, but seeing the Blind Cheng walking away with his head down, she couldn't help but ask, "Why did you finish eating so early today?"

"I drank too quickly today."

Blind Cheng Lady Wenjing, your cooking skills are quite good, but your brewing skills are actually not that great. If you want the business to improve in the future, you should hire another brewer."

Lady Wenjing's face darkened. "You blind bastard, go back to sleep!"

The Blind Cheng shook his head, a slight smile playing on his lips, and continued walking.

Lady Wenjing walked angrily to the opposite side of Chu Tianshu, her cheeks flushed with anger, truly a natural beauty with almond-shaped eyes and peach-like cheeks, more natural than any makeup.

"Young Master Chu, do you think I offended him? I even changed into this outfit specifically..."

She sat down angrily, then suddenly realized what she had done and said with a self-deprecating laugh, "I really did give my reading to a blind person!"

Chu Tianshu poured half a glass of wine and sipped it slowly. "You didn't provoke him, it's as if I'm the one who did."

Lady Wenjing asked in confusion, "Huh?"

"He was acting a bit off today, and after drinking with me, he got even worse. But talking to you made him feel a little better."

Chu Tianshu smiled and said, "Anyway, he definitely didn't mean to upset you, so please be magnanimous and forgive him."

Feeling a little embarrassed, Lady Wenjing took a sip of wine to cover her embarrassment, then remembered it was the blind man's cup and hurriedly stood up, saying, "I have some things to attend to in the kitchen, please excuse me."

Chu Tianshu's face was full of smiles.

The proprietress must be in her twenties, and she manages a restaurant. She's usually very poised and generous.

How could encountering a blind person cause one to feel like falling in love for the first time?

That's great.

Chu Tianshu ate dinner leisurely, then asked for paper and pen and went into his room.

As night deepened, he didn't light a lamp, but sat by the paper window, writing by the moonlight.

The shadow of the curtains fell upon him; his expression was as still as an ancient well, and the moonlight frosted the hem of his clothes.

Only the hand holding the pen continued to move, as if nothing else concerned him except the words flowing from the pen.

However, just after the first watch of the night, the sound of the night watchman's gong had faded into the distance.

Chu Tianshu's ears twitched slightly, revealing an expression of certainty.

He put down his brush, blew away the ink, tidied the paper, and laid it on his bed.

After doing all this, the paper window suddenly lifted, his figure flashed past, and he appeared outside the window, catching the corner of the window with his right hand and slowly closing it.

The next moment, Chu Tianshu's toes were already on the outer wall of the restaurant, gazing into the distance.

Twenty paces away, the Blind Cheng's figure darted through the alley like a cat.

He made almost perfect use of every alleyway and the shadows cast by the corners of the eaves.

It makes him seem as if he might suddenly disappear and then reappear in another location.

(End of this chapter)