I Can Devour Spirits

Ruan Fengshan sat in the tall, wide chair, his face gloomy and silent.

Luan Jingfu sat there and recounted the situation to the two men.

Duan Rong managed to stay calm, but Lu Feng’s face had turned very unpleasant.

The other party dared to make a move against the Yuan Shun Escort Agency; their strength was certainly not weak. Sending them to deliver gold was almost akin to sending them to die, wasn’t it?

Duan Rong’s eyes swept over Luan Jingfu’s face, unmoved. Even with toes thinking, he understood that being cannon fodder was a situation orchestrated by Luan Jingfu.

”Shopkeeper...” Lu Feng’s face turned pale, still hoping to plead with Ruan Fengshan.

But Luan Jingfu interrupted him directly, saying, ”Lu Feng! As they say, ’raise soldiers for a thousand days, use them for one moment!’ The young master is in trouble today; I hope you can share some of the burdens for the shopkeeper!”

Seeing Luan Jingfu like this, Lu Feng hesitated, not knowing what to say.

”Enough! You two go down.” Ruan Fengshan suddenly spoke: ”Do not leave the agency! Tomorrow morning at dawn, head to the Desolate Burial Mound in the South Suburb.”

Duan Rong slightly clasped his fists, turned, and was about to leave. They were low in status, and really had no room to negotiate.

As soon as Duan Rong turned around, he noticed Lu Feng still standing there in a daze, so he reached out and tapped Lu Feng’s shoulder. Lu Feng then snapped out of his stupor, slightly clasped his fists, and followed Duan Rong out.

”Duan Rong, what should we do? This is not sending gold, it’s sending us to die!” As soon as they left Juyi Hall, Lu Feng spoke quietly to Duan Rong.

Duan Rong looked at Lu Feng, who seemed like a resentful woman, full of blame and fear, and said, ”Your life is only worth something to you; to others, it’s worthless. Pull yourself together; fear will only make you die faster!”

Just as Duan Rong and Lu Feng walked out of Juyi Hall, they saw Sun Huang leading people to escort Xu Shouxian to the flower hall in the back courtyard. Xu Shouxian had a cold and arrogant expression, as if he were an unyielding scholar heading to the execution ground.

Xiao Zongting followed behind, and upon seeing Duan Rong, his gaze shifted, saying, ”Duan Rong, wait for me in my courtyard; I have something to discuss with you later.”

Duan Rong clasped his fists and replied, ”Yes, Elder Xiao!”

After Xiao Zongting and the others passed by, Duan Rong glanced at Lu Feng, who was still full of fear, and then strode away.

”Duan Rong!” Lu Feng called out once, then quickly caught up with Duan Rong.

Duan Rong turned his head, glaring at him, saying, ”Don’t follow me! Figure out how to survive on your own!”

After saying this, Duan Rong turned and left quickly, thinking to himself: I am already struggling to get by, how could I carry this extra baggage?

Lu Feng watched Duan Rong’s back with resentment and cursed, ”Go die! We’re all just cannon fodder; you’re still putting on airs without any teamwork!”

Even while cursing, Lu Feng was even more frightened inside. At least Duan Rong had a cultivation at the Second Level of Inner Breath Realm, with far greater chances of survival than him. He had just reached the Entry Level, how could he manage?

When Duan Rong walked into Xiao Zongting’s courtyard, Zhu Xiaoqi was hanging freshly washed blankets on the drying rod by the wall.

As soon as Zhu Xiaoqi saw Duan Rong enter, his eyes immediately turned into crescent moons with a smile, saying, ”Silly boy, when did you come back? Where’s my young miss? Didn’t she leave with you on the escort?”

As soon as Zhu Xiaoqi saw Duan Rong, a string of questions was fired off like cannonballs.

But Duan Rong at that moment was depressed, and only replied with a sentence, ”Just came back,” before looking at Zhu Xiaoqi and asking, ”Xiaoqi, do you have anything to eat? I’m a bit hungry.”

Zhu Xiaoqi noticed Duan Rong seemed troubled, entered with a heavy expression, and wiped his wet hands on the corner of his clothes, saying, ”There’s some hot cakes from noon. I’ll get them for you.”

Duan Rong nodded slightly.

Zhu Xiaoqi placed the hot cakes from noon on a plate, brought them to the stone table, and also got some pickled radishes and fermented tofu.

Duan Rong spread some fermented tofu on the cakes, wrapped them with some pickled radishes, and ate them with relish.

”Slow down, careful not to choke...” Zhu Xiaoqi poured a cup of tea for Duan Rong and handed it to him.

Duan Rong devoured the entire plate of cakes, drank a cup of hot tea, feeling a warm sensation in his stomach. Zhu Xiaoqi looked at his face and asked, ”What happened? Was the escort mission unsuccessful?”

Duan Rong sighed and did not respond. Zhu Xiaoqi couldn’t really help; telling would only cause unnecessary worry.

Zhu Xiaoqi noticed Duan Rong obviously had something on his mind but was unwilling to share, as if he was estranged from her, and immediately felt a little sad. She picked up the pickled radish and fermented tofu jar, grabbed the empty plate, and headed towards the kitchen. ”Fine, don’t say anything then!”

Just as Zhu Xiaoqi reached the kitchen door, Xiao Zongting limped in, and upon seeing Zhu Xiaoqi, he asked, ”Where’s Duan Rong?”

”He’s sitting at the stone table in the inner courtyard.” Zhu Xiaoqi answered briefly before slipping into the kitchen.

Xiao Zongting walked to the inner courtyard and indeed saw Duan Rong. As soon as Duan Rong saw Xiao Zongting, he stood up immediately.

”Wait here for me.” Xiao Zongting said briefly before limping into the room, going directly to Xiao Baijiao’s boudoir to grasp the Broken Blade Saber inside.

Holding the saber in his hand, a familiar feeling suddenly spread like a current through Xiao Zongting’s whole body!

Xiao Zongting hadn’t expected that by grasping the Broken Blade Saber again, he would feel this way, akin to the illusion of a reunion with a long-lost companion. Xiao Zongting looked at the saber in his hand, eyes longing, mumbling, ”Old friend, did you miss me?”

With the Broken Blade Saber in hand, Xiao Zongting walked to the courtyard, looking at Duan Rong, he said, ”I will teach you the Nameless Three Forms of Saber Technique; how much you can understand depends on your insight and opportunity!”

Duan Rong’s eyes immediately lit up, knowing that what Xiao Zongting was teaching him now was certainly no ordinary skill!

Seeing Duan Rong focus, Xiao Zongting commanded, ”Pay attention! This is the first form!”

Though Xiao Zongting had a lame leg and his martial arts were ruined, when he performed the routine, it carried an inherent rhythm.

Like Beethoven despite being deaf, wrote the Ninth Symphony, Xiao Zongting was obsessed with martial arts all his life; he was too familiar with the way martial arts operated.

The Nameless Three Forms were created by Xiao Zongting himself; he had never shown it to anyone, not even Xiao Yu, because these three forms were incomplete and he hadn’t finished them entirely.

The first form was very short, almost just a few simple actions. At first glance, it seemed somewhat disjointed.

But Duan Rong, having gained some basic understanding of martial arts, particularly after devouring multiple saber techniques, gradually began to form his own thoughts.

The few simple actions of the first form were more akin to the Basic Form of saber technique, stripped down layer by layer to its essence.

Just like basic particles form a complex world, different Basic Forms, interwoven and fused, form saber techniques.

”Second form!”

Duan Rong hadn’t yet finished digesting the first form when Xiao Zongting began performing the second form.

Duan Rong gradually saw the pattern, though the second form was on the same level with the first, both were Basic Forms.

But the first form was offense, while the second form was defense.

Like basic particles with protons, neutrons, electrons—Basic Forms also have different categories.

”This is the third form!”

Duan Rong’s eyes lit up; the third form intertwined offense with defense.