My Cultivation Techniques Upgrade Automatically

Chapter 12: Chapter 12: Try It and You’ll Know

”Hmph! Of course, everything is negotiable! If any of you are truly short on grain, we can be merciful and reduce the amount on a case-by-case basis.”

”If you’re so poor you can’t even scrape together the grain, heh heh, well, if you have a daughter, our Master Sun won’t be picky!”

”You need to understand, this is a prime opportunity to get on Master Sun’s good side. An opportunity like this won’t come again.”

”Besides, you all know how many Demon Corpses are outside the village. Last night, their howls reached the village entrance. You all must have heard them, right?”

”Without Master Sun’s escort, who among you dares say you can survive? I’m afraid you wouldn’t even make it ten li. Even if you didn’t starve to death, the Demon Corpses would devour you until not even a scrap of your bones was left.”

”I’ve said enough. Whether you’ve made up your minds or not, get to the village and assemble. Now.”

”If anyone dares to sneak away, heh heh... you know what our Master Sun is capable of!”

...

As the voice faded into the distance, the sound of bolts being drawn open echoed throughout the village.

It was followed by the thud of heavy footsteps, all rushing in the direction the voice had faded.

Clearly, no one who had taken refuge here dared to provoke this Sun Sheng.

”Heh. Looks like we got here a little late yesterday. I never thought this village would be so lively.”

Hearing the shouts, Wu Chen’s eyes suddenly lit up, and he muttered, ”Red Sand Palm?!”

The man outside had said a lot, the gist of it being that someone powerful could protect everyone on their journey south.

All they had to do was provide grain.

Wu Chen hadn’t retained much of it, but the phrase ”Red Sand Palm” had stuck in his mind.

It was clearly a palm-based technique, and a very powerful one at that. And this Sun Sheng fellow had apparently mastered it.

Why else would it be part of his title?

’Looks like I’ll have to pay him a visit.’

Of course, Wu Chen had no intention of actually paying his respects to Sun Sheng of the Red Sand Palm. He wanted to acquire the Red Sand Palm martial art from him.

’After I pay him a visit, if he turns out to be a reasonable person...’

’I could convince him and Liu Linshan to trade. That way, we’d each have two signature Martial Arts. Wouldn’t that be perfect?’

’And if this Sun Sheng isn’t so easy to deal with, well, we’ll let our fists do the talking!’

With that in mind, he turned to Liu Linshan to ask for his opinion, only to see unconcealable terror on the faces of the father and daughter.

It was as if the voice from outside belonged to the Yama King himself, calling their names and snatching away their souls.

”What’s wrong, Master Liu? Do you know this Sun Sheng?”

”What?”

Hearing Wu Chen call his name, Liu Linshan snapped out of his terror.

”I was asking if you know this Sun Sheng,” Wu Chen repeated, his curiosity about the man piqued.

From the shouts outside, this Sun Sheng was demanding grain and even daughters in exchange for his escort.

His methods were vile, but if he could truly escort everyone south safely, he could almost be considered a good person.

After all, in these disastrous times, with everyone starving, there weren’t many Martial Artists who still abided by a moral code.

”I know him. He’s not a good person!” Liu Linshan said, grinding his teeth.

”Oh?” Wu Chen narrowed his eyes. ’So he’s not the easygoing type, I take it!’

Seeing his curiosity about Sun Sheng, Liu Linshan said:

”Young Master Wu, you may not be aware, but this Sun Sheng of the Red Sand Palm was originally from the village next to mine. He was trouble from a young age—a petty thief who used his size to bully the weak. He caused no end of trouble. The villagers all despised him; they couldn’t wait to be rid of him.”

”’So, a common thug.’”

Wu Chen nodded, signaling for him to continue. ’After all, a man who only dares to bully villagers couldn’t possibly have the strength to escort everyone south, nor would he have any intention of doing so.’

Liu Linshan understood his meaning and focused on the key points:

”Later, Sun Sheng went into the mountains to gather herbs and somehow came across a rare spiritual plant. He traded it for a great deal of silver.”

”With money in his pocket, he found a master and began to practice martial arts. After that, he became even more brazen, and his own village suffered terribly at his hands.”

”The man’s natural talent for martial arts was surprisingly high. After training for more than a decade, he was already in the late stages of the Body Tempering Realm. He also received the true teachings of a Martial Artist, and his Red Sand Palm became infamous throughout the surrounding villages. If I hadn’t had some connections with a few martial arts academies, I’m afraid I would have suffered from his constant harassment as well.”

”But that was the news from several years ago. Later, he went to the city to try and make his fortune, and we lost track of him. The only rumor I heard was that he joined a martial arts academy and was kicked out a few years later.”

”In any case, for Sun Sheng to show up here now... I’m afraid his cultivation has already reached the second major realm of Martial Arts: the Flesh Refining Realm!”

”And with his personality, now that he’s reached that realm, he’ll only act with even more impunity!”

Liu Linshan’s expression darkened, his eyes filling with despair.

Based on what he knew of Sun Sheng, there was no way the man would take their grain and then escort them to safety!

It was more in his character to feed anyone who didn’t provide grain to the Demon Corpses.

After listening in silence for a while, it dawned on Wu Chen. He suspected this Sun Sheng fellow, despite his human appearance, was no different in nature from the Demon Corpses outside the village.

They were both in the business of killing!

To get his hands on the martial art, Wu Chen felt he needed to gauge the strength of both sides. Thus, he asked:

”Master Liu, this Sun Sheng... is he a First Layer or Second Layer Martial Artist of the Flesh Refining Realm?”

”Do you think Martial Artists are a dime a dozen? First Layer, Second Layer?”

Liu Linshan felt that Wu Chen had no idea what he was talking about. For an ordinary person, every breakthrough between layers was the result of years of accumulation.

Even if Sun Sheng found a spiritual plant, had silver coins, a master’s guidance, and plenty of meat for nourishment, that money would only be enough for three to five years of accumulation in the Body Tempering Realm.

His ultimate achievement would still depend on whether he could tirelessly hone his body day and night.

”All things considered, he’s probably just barely stepped into the Flesh Refining Realm,” he said.

Then his face fell, his expression like he’d just lost his entire family.

’But so what if he’s only just entered the Flesh Refining Realm? Who here is a match for him?’

’Otherwise, how could he have taken over this village and forced everyone here to obey?’

Wu Chen understood. ’Even if he’s a minor realm above me, I’m not afraid,’ he thought. He just wanted to get a clear picture of the situation.

Seeing his chance to obtain the Red Sand Palm, he grinned and pressed, ”So, between palm techniques and saber arts, which is superior?”

”The saber, of course!” Liu Linshan answered without hesitation. ”If sabers and swords weren’t powerful, why would anyone bother using them?”

It was hard to say if he was implying something, perhaps trying to state that his own family’s ancestral saber art was nothing to scoff at. His voice was particularly loud.

”Wait, what are you planning to do?” He quickly reacted, realizing something was off about Wu Chen’s questions.

Having gotten the answer he wanted—and concluding he had a crushing advantage—Wu Chen was filled with confidence. ”I’m going to go and meet this Sun Sheng, of course.”

’Why turn down a martial art that’s being served up on a silver platter?’

”Wait, Young Master Wu, I think we should just find a chance to sneak away...”

”What’s wrong? Didn’t you just say saber arts are stronger than palm techniques?”

”Then are you stronger than Sun Sheng?”

”We’ll know once I try.”

”Try?”

Liu Linshan’s mouth twitched. ’Try? By risking his life?’

He didn’t know where Wu Chen got this courage from.

’Just because he’s at the Eighth Layer of the Body Tempering Realm? Even the Ninth Layer wouldn’t be enough!’

’The Initial Realm of the Flesh Refining Realm and the Ninth Layer of the Body Tempering Realm might seem only a step apart, but the difference is as vast as that between heaven and earth!’

’Was he relying on the saber art he learned in one night?’

’No, he only watched me perform it once!’

’How could he have the gall to ask whether saber arts or palm techniques were stronger!’

Liu Linshan was about to try and talk some sense into this overconfident young man, but Wu Chen gave him no chance to speak.

In a flash, he was at the door, sliding the bolt open.

He then joined the bustling crowd of people heading toward the center of the village.

Back in the house, Liu Linshan didn’t follow immediately. Instead, he peered out from the doorway.

His gaze first fell on Wu Chen’s retreating figure, then shifted toward the village entrance.

At the village entrance, several figures stood guard. They were Sun Sheng’s men, there to prevent anyone from escaping.

A few more of his men were roaming from house to house, searching for anyone who might be hiding to avoid paying the grain.

Liu Linshan glanced back at his daughter, then felt the weight of the bundle on his shoulder.

’That young man is too rash; he doesn’t know what he’s getting into.’

’The two of us should leave this place of trouble as soon as possible.’

He knew that giving their grain to Sun Sheng would be like feeding meat buns to a dog—gone for nothing. Worse, he could end up pushing his own daughter into a pit of fire.

’In that case, it would be better to give some of our grain to the guards at the entrance and beg them to look the other way so we can pass.’

’That would make leaving this place much simpler.’

’As for what lay on the road ahead, they would have to take it one step at a time. Anything was better than falling into Sun Sheng’s hands.’