Martial Saint through Reading

”Golden Divine Envoy, what kind of magic is this, conjuring a circle out of thin air?” Chu Ming feigned shock.

”Magic? Haha, interested in learning?” Jin Yu smiled smugly.

This isn’t magic, it’s a method of utilizing Primordial Qi, also known as Primordial Technique.

The ’Ten Rings of Primordial Qi’ is a kind of Primordial Technique. He only spent half a year to successfully reach the entry-level and can now condense three circles simultaneously, making him the fastest to learn among his peers.

”Give me the Jade Pendant, and I’ll teach you, how about it?” He confidently tempted.

Jin Yu didn’t plan to trade the Divine Mystery Bureau’s Primordial Qi cultivation method; his real intention was to deceive Chu Ming with the mysterious art of Primordial Technique.

Cultivating Primordial Qi is not so simple.

By that time, he could completely claim that Chu Ming’s aptitude was poor and couldn’t be taught.

Chu Ming looked at the Jade Pendant, then at the circle, and finally at the book on Primordial Qi cultivation.

”Golden Divine Envoy, does that book record this magic?”

”Yes and no.” Jin Yu’s eyes twinkled with mystery.

The book contains the Divine Mystery Bureau’s inheritance method, not Primordial Technique, but its value far surpasses that of the ’Ten Rings of Primordial Qi’.

”To perform magic, you need a foundation, just like practicing martial arts; you must first condense Qi and Blood Power.” Jin Yu suddenly spoke seriously: ”And this book is key to laying that foundation.”

He had only two cultivation techniques: one Body Refining Technique and the other ”Divine Essence Deceit Primordial Qi Technique.” Since the Body Refining Technique didn’t successfully deceive, he could only use the genuine Primordial Qi cultivation method as a façade.

”Give me the Jade Pendant, and I’ll teach you personally. I guarantee you’ll be able to perform it in five days?”

Both coaxing and deceiving.

Master a Primordial Technique in five days?

If one could condense Primordial Consciousness and sense Primordial Qi in five months, they’d be considered a genius in Primordial Qi cultivation.

Jin Yu himself took over seven months to successfully sense and absorb Primordial Qi.

Expecting an ordinary person to sense, absorb Primordial Qi, and master a Primordial Technique in just five days?

Dreaming!

He said this purely to deceive Chu Ming into handing over the Primordial Qi Jade Pendant.

After finishing, Jin Yu looked confidently at Chu Ming.

Chu Ming hesitated for a long time, then asked solemnly: ”Could I at least see the book first?”

”See the book first?”

This time, it was Jin Yu’s turn to hesitate.

”Divine Essence Deceit Primordial Qi Technique” is the Divine Mystery Bureau’s inheritance method, not something outsiders can casually view.

Moreover, this book records the cultivation method for the Primordial Qi Lake’s three major realms: Initiation, Unity, and Primordial Qi Liquid.

But... what harm in a glance...?

Primordial Qi cultivation isn’t about success after a single read-through.

With just one glance, how much could be seen? How many words remembered?

Thinking this through, Jin Yu masked the gleam in his eyes, glancing ambiguously at Chu Ming: ”One incense stick’s time.”

As he spoke, he conjured an incense stick like performing a magic trick and lit it...

”Thank you, Golden Divine Envoy.”

Chu Ming was delighted inside and quickly started flipping through the book.

The special abilities of [Reading] were simultaneously activated, and he swiftly glanced over pages, turning three or four at a blink.

Initially, Jin Yu appeared indifferent, but soon his expression changed.

”Why are you flipping so quickly?”

At that moment, an odd feeling arose in his heart.

Something seemed off?

Chu Ming looked up and smiled, then resumed his rapid reading.

Initiation, Unity...

Primordial Qi Liquid!

He had read over half the book, yet only two-tenths of the incense had burned, making Jin Yu restless.

”So, Lord Chu, have you seen enough?”

”The incense hasn’t burned out yet.” Chu Ming replied without lifting his head.

”...”

Moments later, Chu Ming had read about seven to eight-tenths of the book.

”Lord Chu, you should focus more on the earlier sections. The latter part is abstruse and vague. Sweeping over it with a glance, what could you grasp?” Jin Yu reached out, seemingly wanting to take the book back.

Chu Ming slightly shifted his position to avoid Jin Yu and continued reading, saying, ”Almost there.”

Almost there?

Almost what?

Don’t think that by reaching the end, you’ve finished and memorized the ”Divine Essence Deceit Primordial Qi Technique” to start cultivating, do you?

This isn’t how one should read, even if they love it.

The carriage jostled, the incense was halfway burnt, and ashes with sparks fell on Jin Yu’s hand.

As Chu Ming finished the last page, numerous Primordial Qi Fragments had congregated above the Primordial Qi Lake in his Sea of Consciousness.

”Thank you, Golden Divine Envoy.” Chu Ming closed and returned the book.

Thank you?

The strange feeling peaked in Jin Yu’s heart.

Something was off!

This kid was up to something!

But what exactly, he couldn’t pinpoint.

Couldn’t be that in half an incense’s time, skimming through, he memorized it all?

Impossible!

Eidetic geniuses exist, but not at this reading speed.

”Give me the Jade Pendant!” Jin Yu, after running through his thoughts, felt his unease came from showing Divine Mystery Bureau’s method to others secretively.

”Alright.” With the Divine Mystery Bureau’s cultivation method in hand, Chu Ming didn’t waste further words, handing the Primordial Qi Jade Pendant to Jin Yu.

He could’ve used the excuse of no longer wanting to learn to keep the pendant, but doing so would undoubtedly anger the Divine Mystery Bureau’s Primordial Qi Cultivator.

The ”Divine Essence Deceit Primordial Qi Technique,” although recording much about Primordial Qi, might leave some things unnoted in the method.

Trading a regular Jade Pendant for the ’favor’ of a seasoned Primordial Qi Cultivator was certainly worthwhile.

Primordial Qi Object!

Upon receiving the Jade Pendant, Jin Yu’s uncertainties vanished. Had he not wanted to maintain a superior image before Chu Ming, he might’ve lost composure from excitement.

He carefully held the pendant, as if it might shatter.

Primordial Qi Object, simply coaxed into possession?

Jin Yu’s heart pounded like a drum.

Master spent a great deal of treasures to collect the Primordial Qi Object needed for Senior Brother’s breakthrough.

And I, with just a few words, managed to get a Primordial Qi Jade Pendant.

What would Master, Senior Brother, and Senior Sister’s expressions be if they knew?

Shock? Confusion? Flattery?

Haha!

Such exhilaration, Jin Yu felt he had never been this joyful in his life.

He took out a few pieces of soft silk, wrapped the jade pendant several times, and then carefully put it away.

After finishing these tasks, Jin Yu refocused his gaze on Chu Ming.

Perhaps because he obtained the Primordial Qi Object, he found Chu Ming increasingly pleasing to the eyes.

And at this moment, Chu Ming looked at Jin Yu with a somewhat intriguing expression.

If this white-faced bald-headed young man knew that the Primordial Qi Jade Pendant was just an ordinary jade pendant worth two taels of silver yesterday, what would he do?

...

Jingyan Mine, the mountain, Mine No. 1, in some dark corner.

”Tie Zheng, do we have to do this?”

”Brother, Tie Zheng’s life is a borrowed one. If it weren’t for our parents giving me a mouthful of food back then, I would have starved to death on the streets.”

”Our parents were killed by corrupt officials; I, Tie Zheng, must avenge them.”

”Today is my only chance for revenge!”

Two silhouettes were quietly conversing here.

One was entirely black and had a young voice; it was the same ’Xiaozheng’ who was catching field mice last night.

This time, however, Tie Zheng’s eyes were wide open, filled with anger.

In front of him stood a constable in a Flying Fish Suit, holding a belt knife.

”But... if the mine collapses, you’ll die too...”

”If my worthless life can be exchanged for the lives of countless corrupt officials, brother, I think it’s worth it.”

Tie Zheng was originally not named Tie; when he was very young, famine separated him from his family, and amid hunger and cold, he was saved by the Tie Family.

His real name, Shen Zheng.

The constable in the Flying Fish Suit before him, named Shen Yi, was his biological brother.

The two brothers recognized each other over a year ago and worked together at the mine, looking after each other, living quite happily.

Who would have thought, just because Tie Zheng’s adoptive father, Iron Pillar, saw something he shouldn’t have, he was brutally silenced.

His adoptive mother stirred up trouble at the County Yamen, never to be heard from again.

He’s survived until now thanks to Shen Yi’s cover.

”Brother, hold onto this.”

Tie Zheng took out a blood-soaked silk cloth from his chest, on which something seemed to be written.

”What’s this?” Shen Yi opened it to look, his expression changing instantly.

On the blood-dyed silk cloth, a few crooked words were written in blood.

”West Capital Grand Canal! Baiyun Pier!”

”Brother, this is the evidence of those corrupt officials smuggling Jingyan Salt; the West Capital Grand Canal is their secret route for transporting Jingyan Salt!”

”Brother, if you ever meet an upright official one day, report this matter up; perhaps... perhaps it can restore our parents’ innocence.”

The West Capital Grand Canal runs from Xirong County to Qin Capital; the Great Qin Dynasty spent countless financial and manpower resources, nearly fifty years to dig out this canal.

And Baiyun Pier, the largest pier on the West Capital Grand Canal within Xirong County, is controlled by the Commandery Mansion.

That such a dock is the point for smuggling Jingyan Salt?

Could a mere County Magistrate and County Magistrate of Jingyan County have such power?

Behind the smuggling of private salt, there might be involvement from higher officials!

Shen Yi glanced at Tie Zheng, who was intent on dying, and felt increasingly dismal.

...

The carriage traveled, and more and more stones appeared on the road.

Smoke floated in the sky, and white mountains seemed hidden in the clouds in the distance.

”Lord Chu, we’ve arrived.”

The carriage halted, and the County Magistrate of Jingyan County, Lv Wen, and County Magistrate Zhou Xun stood respectfully.

Chu Ming and Jin Yu descended from the carriage.

The surroundings resembled a mountain mine.

Some carried large stones, others carried smaller ones, and many constables monitored the area.

Further away, Tie Zheng glared sullenly at the carriage and the officials in official attire.

On the other side, Constable Shen Yi held his belt knife, his gaze moving around.

Chu Ming dispersed the Sword Gourd Spirit, covering the entire mine.

”Lord Chu, shall we first go down to Mine No. 1?” Lv Wen said with a cupped fist.

”Alright.” Chu Ming nodded.

”The evil incident occurred at Mine No. 2 back in the day; Mine No. 1 is safe.”

Jin Yu, who obtained the Primordial Qi Jade Pendant, greatly improved his attitude towards Chu Ming.

Previously pretending to be an expert, he now appeared more ’approachable,’ voluntarily explaining things.

”Originally, I was only supposed to protect you twice according to Master’s orders, but considering our fate, I will protect you thrice.”

Fate?

More like the Primordial Qi Jade Pendant!

”This trip to Mine No. 1 is the first.”

”...”

County Magistrate Zhou Xun waved his hand, and constables immediately cleared a path ahead.

The entrance of Mine No. 1 was at the foot of the mountain; Chu Ming hadn’t walked far before seeing a heavily guarded entrance.

Before the entrance was a flat area, flanked by more than ten constables armed with weapons.

Many miners entered and exited, either carrying salt ore themselves or lifting it together.

”Lord Chu, Mine No. 1 currently has twelve pits, with thirty to fifty miners in each pit...”

Lv Wen discussed the mine’s situation, with dozens of guards around them, all skilled hands of the late stage in Blood Circulation Realm.

Entering the mine, the temperature plummeted.

Outside was bright; inside was dimly lit by candlelight.

The air was murky, and the atmosphere was oppressive.