Chapter 12: Demon-Subduing Righteous Sun Blade

Early morning.

Lu Xuan opened his eyes to find Shen Yuyan was already up, and porridge was warming on the stove.

[Ding! Sleep cultivation complete.]

[Five Animals Transformation Art progress: 70%.]

[Deer Form: Perfection. Tiger Form: Perfection. Bear Form: (50%). Crane Form: (40%). Ape Form: 10%.]

[Current Realm: Martial Apprentice Realm: Level Three.]

Lu Xuan clenched his fists.

Martial Apprentice Realm, Level Three, his True Energy was a bit thicker than yesterday.

He walked up to the tree and pushed out with a palm, the leaves rustled, and more fell than yesterday.

In a few more days, he would be able to injure someone from a distance, after eating a short breakfast, Lu Xuan went to the escort agency and opened the main gate.

The escort warriors arrived one after another, Old Guo passed by the entrance, still not even glancing at Lu Xuan.

Xiao Lin came over, grinning, "Brother Xuan, morning!"

"Morning."

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In the courtyard, the escort warriors began practicing their blade techniques.

Lu Xuan sat in the gatehouse, watching.

Then he saw Ye Qingyi.

She walked out from the inner courtyard, holding that narrow blade which was different from the others. It was a long, thin blade with a slight curve, shimmering with a cold light.

She walked to a corner of the courtyard and stood still, she took a deep breath, as she began to practice her blade technique.

Lu Xuan's eyes locked onto her, he had never seen this blade technique before.

It was completely different from what the escort warriors practiced... their blade techniques were rough, clumsy, and full of openings.

Ye Qingyi's blade technique was different, he has only one word for her.

Fast.

Not just the speed of the strike, but the rhythm of her entire body. Strike after strike, like flowing water, without pause.

Precise.

Every strike landed in the exact same spot, the marks on the wooden stake growing deeper and deeper, as precise as if they had been measured by tape.

Ruthless.

With the final strike, the blade cut through the air, emitting a sharp hiss... that was the sound of True Energy being infused into the blade.

Lu Xuan was stunned, not by the person, but by the blade technique.

This blade technique was at least Yellow Rank High Grade... perhaps even Profound Rank.

His eyes followed Ye Qingyi's blade, strike by strike, memorizing them, with his System... he could remember it after seeing it once.

Ye Qingyi sheathed her blade and turned to leave, from start to finish, she didn't glance at Lu Xuan once.

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Lu Xuan sat in the gatehouse, replaying the blade technique in his mind, "Is she good to look at?"

Xiao Lin's voice came from the side.

Lu Xuan turned his head. Xiao Lin was looking at him with a strange expression... not anger, but that "I understand you brother, but you shouldn't be like this, you're married" look.

"It's alright," Lu Xuan said.

"Alright?" Xiao Lin leaned in, lowering his voice, "You were staring blankly at her! Your eyeballs were almost falling out!"

Lu Xuan didn't speak, in this situation the more one tries to explain, more the person will look guilty.

"Brother Xuan, don't you have a wife? Why are you still..."

Xiao Lin pointed in Ye Qingyi's direction, "That..."

"I was looking at the blade technique," Lu Xuan said.

"Blade technique?" Xiao Lin looked skeptical. "You don't know martial arts, what are you looking at a blade technique for?"

Lu Xuan didn't explain.

Xiao Lin sighed, patted his shoulder, and said earnestly, "Brother Xuan, I know Miss Ye is pretty, but you're a married man now, you have to watch your reputation."

Lu Xuan glanced at him, "Weren't you watching too just now?"

Xiao Lin's face turned red instantly.

"I, that was... I was looking at her blade! Yes, the blade! That blade is not bad!"

Lu Xuan asked, "What is that blade technique of Miss Ye's called?"

"Demon-Subduing Righteous Sun Blade. It is said to be a blade technique passed down from an expert in the Martial Ancestor Realm... it's her family heirloom."

Lu Xuan nodded and didn't say anything more.

In the afternoon, after lunch, Lu Xuan found Fang Tieshan.

"Uncle Fang, I would like to request half a day off."

"What for?"

"I killed a wolf outside the city last time and skinned it. I want to go to the market to sell it and exchange it for some money."

"Is money not enough? How much do you need? I'll give it to you first!"

Lu Xuan quickly waved his hands.

"No, no, no. The weather is getting warmer, and I have no use for that wolf skin. I'll deal with it first. If I don't have enough money, I'll ask you for some later."

Fang Tieshan thought about it and agreed, the wolf skin wasn't anything rare anyway, so selling it was fine.

"Go ahead, come back early."

Lu Xuan walked out of the escort agency and headed toward the market, the wolf skin was sold for five and a half silver pieces.

He had been thinking about getting Shen Yuyan some new clothes, he could wear old clothes, but seeing the beauty like Shen Yuyan in old clothes always made him feel uncomfortable.

While thinking about this, he suddenly saw someone ahead.

On the bustling street of Azure Sun City, people were coming and going, not far ahead, a middle-aged man was coming out of a fabric store, carrying several bolts of silk, he was around forty years old, with a thin, long face, a mustache, and wearing a fine brocade robe.

He was none other than the Lu Family's steward.

Xu Zhong.

The brother-in-law of his second uncle, Lu Tianhe.

Lu Xuan's pupils constricted slightly, he knew this person all too well.

When he was a child, it was this Xu Zhong who, every time he held him down to draw blood, would say the same thing...

"Don't move, just bear it and it will be over."

One hand pressing on his head, the other hand handing the blade to Lu Tianhe, he always had a smile on his face, as if he particularly enjoyed the process of drawing his blood.

Lu Xuan clenched his fists.

Xu Zhong didn't see him... he was carrying the silk and walking into an alley.

That alley was a shortcut back to the Lu Family estate, Lu Xuan followed quietly.

Xu Zhong turned into the alley, walked a dozen steps, and suddenly felt something was wrong, he turned his head to see Lu Xuan was standing in the middle of the alley, looking at him.

Xu Zhong paused for a moment, then laughed, "Well well, isn't this Young Master Xuan?"

He looked Lu Xuan up and down, his mouth curling up.

"What, were you kicked out and are now wandering the streets? Do you want me to go back and talk to the Patriarch? You can go back and be a stable hand, I'll clear a spot for you in the shed."

Lu Xuan didn't speak, he took a step forward, Xu Zhong frowned, feeling that something was off, "What are you doing?"

He took another step, Xu Zhong looked at his eyes and sensed something was wrong.

He didn't know why, but as someone at the first level of the Martial Apprentice Realm, he actually felt a trace of fear when facing this piece of trash.

His hand reached for his waist, wanting to draw his blade.

But Lu Xuan moved first.. Five Animals Transformation Art, Deer Form... Perfection.

One step, ten paces.

Xu Zhong only saw a blur before his eyes, and Lu Xuan was already right in front of him.

"You...!"

Just as Xu Zhong's hand touched the hilt of his blade, his wrist was grabbed, Snap!

That was the sound of bone breaking, before Xu Zhong's scream could escape, Lu Xuan's fist had already smashed into his chest.

Tiger Form. Pouncing, red fresh blood sprayed from Xu Zhong's mouth.

His eyes widened, looking at Lu Xuan as if he had seen a ghost, "You... how?"

Lu Xuan looked at him, his gaze calm, "When I was a child, when you held me down to draw blood, you said one thing."

Xu Zhong's pupils dilated, "'Don't move, just bear it and it will be over.'"

Lu Xuan's voice was very soft, "Now, you don't move either."

Lu Xuan snatched the short blade from Xu Zhong's hand, He slowly drew it across Xu Zhong's throat.

The bone-chilling blade sliced through his windpipe like butter... he let go of the knife.

Fresh blood flowed out. Xu Zhong stared with wide eyes, clutching his throat as he slowly fell.

He collapsed on the ground, motionless, the blood stained the silk on the ground red.