Chapter 185 | The Path from Fisherman to Martial Deity

The thirteenth day of Duan Xiao and the Bai brothers walking hand in hand.

Morning light was faint.

Changyun County was still shrouded in a thin mist.

Shen Xiuhan, carrying a cloth pack on his shoulder, stopped and turned back. Looking at Madam Zheng, whose eyes were red, he comforted her, “Mother, please go back. There is no need to see me off any further. I still need to make a trip to my master's place.”

Madam Zheng pursed her lips tightly, nodding silently with tearful eyes.

Seeing this, Liang Xiuhe quickly handed over a handkerchief and offered words of comfort.

“Big brother... come back early to see Momo, or else I'll miss you every single day...”

In front of him, the little girl looked up, tugging at his hem. Her large eyes were brimming with tears as she sobbed.

“Of course!”

Shen Xiuhan squatted down and ruffled her pigtails.

Only then did he realize that, without him noticing, the little girl had actually grown half a head taller.

He stood up with a complicated expression. Not daring to linger any longer, he strode out of the alley.

“I'm off!”

“Waaah... Big brother, waaah!”

Behind him, Shen Momo's suppressed tears finally burst through. Unable to hold back her emotions any longer, she buried herself in Madam Zheng's embrace and wailed.

...

The Mei Courtyard.

It was completely empty, as the outer courtyard disciples had not yet arrived for their morning practice roll call.

In the inner courtyard.

Jiang Qinghong, dressed in tight-fitting practice robes, was leaping and shifting across the wooden posts like a flying swallow, refining her stance work.

Seeing Shen Xiuhan enter, she tapped the top of a post with her foot and floated gracefully to the ground, greeting him with a smile, “Junior Brother, why are you here so early today?”

“Good morning, Senior Sister.”

Shen Xiuhan cupped his hands and asked, “Is Master in the backyard?”

Jiang Qinghong pulled a sweat towel from the weapon rack. Wiping the sweat from her forehead, she shook her head and smiled, “Master left early this morning to look at a newly purchased courtyard. Now that the martial arts hall is famous, there are simply too many people sending applications to join. We're really running out of space here...”

Just as she finished speaking, Jiang Qinghong noticed the pack on Shen Xiuhan's shoulder. Her movements paused, and she asked in surprise, “Junior Brother, are you...”

Shen Xiuhan adjusted the weight of the pack and said frankly, “I intend to participate in the disciple recruitment ceremony of the Four Great Sects in the prefecture capital. I've come today specifically to bid farewell to Master and you, Senior Sister.”

Jiang Qinghong's willow-leaf brows arched slightly, a look of realization flashing in her eyes.

“...Right, counting the days, the prefecture capital's disciple recruitment ceremony is indeed fast approaching. Senior Brother Zuo wrote to us earlier to let us know. Actually, because you were recovering from your injuries, you've been delayed a bit, so your departure is already considered quite late.”

With that, she tossed the towel back onto the weapon rack and turned to walk toward the door.

“Wait here for a moment, Junior Brother. The west city isn't far from here. I'll go call her right now...”

“No need to trouble yourself, Senior Sister.”

Shen Xiuhan quickly stopped her.

“My trip to the prefecture capital will take three to four months at most, and then I will return. I came today specifically to leave some things. Since Master isn't here, I'll have to trouble you to hand them to her, Senior Sister...”

At this, Shen Xiuhan pulled out a square object wrapped in gray cloth from his vest and handed it to Jiang Qinghong.

Jiang Qinghong took it, curiosity flashing in her beautiful eyes.

But since Shen Xiuhan did not explain, she did not press further. She smiled warmly and said, “Alright, leave it to me.”

“Thank you, Senior Sister. I shall take my leave now!”

“Take care.”

Shen Xiuhan nodded slightly, tightened his pack, and strode out of the martial arts hall.

About fifteen minutes after Shen Xiuhan left, Mei Shuangfeng returned.

Upon hearing what had happened, her willow-leaf brows knitted slightly as she took the gray cloth bundle.

Untying the thin cord around it, she pulled out three handwritten booklets. The paper was still fresh and the ink was barely dry, clearly showing they had been copied only recently.

This familiar sight caused Mei Shuangfeng's heart to skip a beat, as if she had suddenly realized something.

Her fingers paused slightly as she opened the cover of the first booklet, only to see five large characters written on it:

『Heavenly Eagle Wind-Tearing Hand』

Without hesitation, she opened the second and third booklets.

『Ice Snake Three-Fold Body』

『Cold Marrow Bone-Tempering Chapter』

It contained one claw technique, one movement technique, and one body-tempering method.

“Phew...”

Mei Shuangfeng exhaled, her gaze turning complex.

She opened 『Heavenly Eagle Wind-Tearing Hand』, scanning the opening qi-circulation formulas and move diagrams.

Even though she had expected it, her mind still went blank after flipping through just a few pages!

Simply because...

This 『Heavenly Eagle Wind-Tearing Hand』 shared the exact same origin as the 『Golden Eagle Soaring Technique』 that Shen Xiuhan had given her previously.

Both were rooted in Meishan's techniques and martial arts, yet they had taken a completely different path from the original, resulting in entirely new variations.

Moreover, it was far more profound and intricate than the original inheritance of the Meishan lineage.

“As expected...”

Mei Shuangfeng was utterly shocked. She really could not fathom how Shen Xiuhan had accomplished this.

Unable to figure it out, she simply stopped trying.

Thus, she opened the movement technique and the body-tempering technique.

After reading for a moment, Mei Shuangfeng suddenly gasped, her eyes filled with disbelief.

‘Is this... not the direct inheritance technique of the Raging Sea Sect?’

The two martial arts, 『Ice Snake Three-Fold Body』 and 『Cold Marrow Bone-Tempering Chapter』, could be considered the absolute ultimate secret techniques of the Raging Sea Sect's Pei family!

Especially the 『Cold Marrow Bone-Tempering Chapter』 body-tempering technique.

It was a closely guarded secret of the Pei family, never to be passed to outsiders!

And the 『Ice Snake Three-Fold Body』 was equally precious.

Unless one was a genius recognized by the Raging Sea Sect, there was absolutely no way to learn it.

Yet now...

These two techniques were laid out casually before her, free for her to comprehend.

Mei Shuangfeng felt an overwhelming sense of unreality wash over her. She could not help but wonder:

‘Could Han'er have... obtained the legacy of some Raging Sea Sect expert who perished in the wilderness?’

Mei Shuangfeng closed the three booklets, wrapped them back up in the gray cloth, and looked up to ask, “How long has Han'er been gone?”

Jiang Qinghong had been peeking out of curiosity. Hearing this, she paused, “It's been a while, almost fifteen minutes...”

“Fifteen minutes?!”

Mei Shuangfeng's beautiful eyes widened, and she glared at her. “Why didn't you say so earlier!”

Before her voice even faded, with a whoosh, she was already gone without a trace.

Leaving behind a completely baffled Jiang Qinghong, who felt incredibly aggrieved...

A moment later.

Mei Shuangfeng stood at the end of the West Market Pier.

The lake breeze whipped against her face, sending her dark hair flying wildly about her forehead.

She squinted, looking out at the multi-decked ship sailing further and further away on the lake. Its sails had already shrunk to a tiny speck between the water and the sky; any further, and it would merge completely into the shimmering light.

Looking in that direction, Mei Shuangfeng pursed her lips slightly, a doting curve forming at the corners of her mouth.

‘That brat...’

...

The fourteenth day of Duan Xiao and the Bai brothers walking hand in hand.

The river was vast, and a two-masted, multi-decked ship was currently plowing through the waves.

Although the large vessel was sailing upstream, its sails were fully unfurled, so its speed was by no means slow.

Just now, the ship had passed the Lingshui Pier outside Mount Mang.

Shen Xiuhan gazed at the pier, which now featured new wood patching up old scars, his eyes filled with emotion.

Back then, it was here that he had killed Qu Bushi.

Only a few months had passed, yet everything had changed.

Amidst his quiet reflection, the ship continued sailing north, bypassing the Wanlin Swamp that bordered Cloudwater Lake. It headed up the river, traveling toward Mount Bixia dozens of miles away.