Chapter 118: Thick Earth Manual, Tidings of Triumph, Sisters' Shame

Chapter 118: Thick Earth Manual, Tidings of Triumph, Sisters’ Shame

The room was eerily silent.

Chuyingying stared at her sister, Chuxiaoxiao, who meticulously studied their dossiers.

After a long pause, Chuxiaoxiao shook her head. “If I’m not mistaken, the martial cultivator who triggered our practice’s resonance is this Ding Peng.”

Both sisters cultivated the Thick Earth Manual, a mysterious technique they’d acquired by chance—not the Chus’ family secret, but a refined method far gentler than the infamous Hua Jing Gong.

Though similar to the ancient Hua Jing Gong, the Thick Earth Manual lacked its brutal lethality. While the latter drained a victim’s vital force to the point of death, the Thick Earth Manual absorbed one’s essence, qi, and spirit instead. Victims survived but became frail shadows of themselves, requiring prolonged recovery.

This leniency allowed the sisters to practice without fear of retribution. Had their method been as ruthless as Hua Jing Gong, even the Chus’ patronage wouldn’t have shielded them from exposure.

Yet few knew the Thick Earth Manual could drain vital force too—albeit selectively. Only cultivators whose qi resonance aligned with the manual were viable targets. Over years of cultivation, the sisters had encountered merely a dozen such individuals. None, however, matched the intensity of Su Chen’s reaction. His mere presence had stirred their manual from dozens of meters away!

Thanks to the manual, the sisters had risen within the Chu family. Yet privately, they knew their talents fell short of their clan’s expectations. Their ascension owed entirely to the Thick Earth Manual—and the rare cultivators who resonated with it.

To find Su Chen after years of hunting was irresistible. Capturing him would accelerate their progress, granting the strength to defy their family’s machinations and avoid becoming pawns in a marriage alliance.

Chuyingying trusted her sister implicitly. “Then let the Hex Union capture him and deliver him here.”

“No,” Chuxiaoxiao snapped. “These targets aren’t like common prey. Draining them leaves them crippled, even if they survive. We can’t openly involve the Hex Union.”

She refused to let such a prize slip away. Su Chen was too valuable to share—though extracting his essence would kill him, they’d done so secretly for years. Their current urgency stemmed from the looming marriage alliance, forcing them to hasten their strength.

“Sister’s right,” Chuyingying agreed. “We’ll handle it ourselves. The Hex Union’s crude methods always bungle things. Let’s strike tonight—I can’t wait to taste his essence.”

Her eyes gleamed. Those untouched by the Thick Earth Manual couldn’t fathom its allure. The rarer the cultivator, the longer the sensation lingered—a high worth killing for.

“Proceed carefully,” Chuxiaoxiao warned. “Send someone strong. The Hex Union already suspects us of the recent disappearances.”

Chuyingying scoffed. “Suspicions? Without proof, they’d never dare accuse us. We’re Chus! Even if they caught us, who’d challenge our clan? That Ding Peng might even welcome the honor of serving us.”

Chuxiaoxiao relented with a sigh, nodding as Chuyingying dispatched a maid to prepare the ambush.

*

Crash!

Madam Qi, their stooped, sharp-eyed matron guardian, barged in, dragging the very maid Chuyingying had sent.

“The current climate demands caution,” Qi rasped, her gaze sweeping the sisters. “No unnecessary risks.”

Chuyingying bristled, but Chuxiaoxiao silenced her with a glance. “Understood,” the elder sister bowed.

As Qi left, Chuyingying fumed. “Sister! We can’t let this slip—”

“We’ll wait,” Chuxiaoxiao interrupted. “Qi forbade action now, not later.”

*

In a lantern-lit pavilion atop Xuanshui Sect’s Xuandu Mountains, three men convened.

“Hong Yue’s latest report from Bianshan City,” Sect Patriarch Hong Jingrui began. “He’s surrounded Pure Land Sect’s remnants, yet hesitates to strike.”

Hong Jinian, his younger brother, smirked. “I ordered him to stall. Time to humble our proud regional governor.”

Hong Jingrui frowned. “Hong Yue also warns: the rebels threaten to massacre a thousand civilians daily unless he retreats. Delay risks alerting Qian Xinghai.”

“Let him squawk,” Clan Head Hong Jinfeng interjected. “Qian’s long sought our downfall. It’s time the clan flexed its muscles.”

“And the innocents?” Hong Jingrui pressed.

“Collateral,” Jinfeng shrugged. “For the clan’s survival, sacrifices are inevitable.”

Hong Jinian sneered. “Qiao Renzhou thinks Hex Union can rival us? Let him taste the storm. Qinzhou’s ours to command.”

Hong Jingrui fell silent, piecing together their plot: crush Hex Union, teach Qian Xinghai and Governor Qiao a lesson—and let the collateral fall where it may.

Recently, both Qian Xinghai and Qiao Renzhou had grown increasingly restless, seriously threatening the Hong family's position in Qinzhou.

"Then I'll abide by your decision", he sighed lightly, offering no objection.

...

Three days later.

Cai Estate.

"Sister, this is Ding Peng's movement record for the past three days. Other than a single trip to the Smithy, he's barely left his home."

Chuyingying smiled, "Someone like him disappearing wouldn't raise alarms quickly. Even if Madam Qi discovers our actions later, we have nothing to fear."

Chuxiaoxiao remained silent, her brow furrowed as she stared at the documents. Why had this man stayed cooped up at home all day?

"Sister, let's strike tonight? Otherwise, once we enter Xuan Shui Sect in a few days, we'll lose our chance", Chuyingying urged, her voice tinged with impatience.

Their mission was a marriage alliance - soon they'd be bound to the sect. Missing this opportunity meant losing all chance of success.

Hearing this, Chuxiaoxiao bit her lip, hesitation flickering across her face before she nodded, "Fine! We'll handle it ourselves this time to avoid Madam Qi's notice."

The crescent moon hung like a silver hook in the inverted sky, its cold light accompanied by sparse stars. The night stretched deep and still, as if the entire Big Feng City had fallen into slumber.

Two shadowy figures darted from the Cai estate, streaking through darkness until reaching a courtyard residence. Recognizing Su Chen's dwelling, their eyes gleamed with anticipation.

Their prey lay within reach.

"Oof!"

Chuyingying stumbled near the wall, barely catching herself before slipping again.

"Are you alright?" Chuxiaoxiao steadied her sister, who flushed with embarrassment. "This ground's so slippery!"

"Forget it. Let's move!" Chuxiaoxiao urged, vaulting over the wall with Chuyingying.

Before they landed, Chuyingying yelped, her foot suddenly piercing pain. Chuxiaoxiao clamped her mouth shut, eyes narrowing.

"My foot hurts!" Chuyingying's voice cracked, tears welling as she yanked out a nail embedded in her sole. Blood trickled from the wound, staining her face pale.

Chuxiaoxiao's gaze swept the area, finding nothing unusual - until a strange whirring sound froze her in place.

Dozens of silver needles screamed toward them, slicing the night air.

With a scoff, Chuxiaoxiao swirled her sleeve, batting the projectiles aside. Meanwhile, Chuyingying's foot bled freely, her face contorted in pain.

"Poison needles? So this is Su Chen's trap?" Chuxiaoxiao scowled, though inwardly amused. Did he really think such amateurish tricks could stop them?

"Let's finish this!" Chuyingying hissed between gritted teeth, yanking out the nail. Her eyes burned with vengeance.

"First, wipe that powder off your face! I told you not to wear makeup tonight!" Chuxiaoxiao snapped.

"I didn't wear any! You have some too!" Chuyingying protested.

Chuxiaoxiao paled, panic rising. Had they inhaled some toxin? But when she touched her face, her fingers came away dusty with flour.

"You idiot!" Chuyingying chuckled, shaking her head. "Even you fell for it."

"Enough laughing! Let's go!" Chuxiaoxiao barked, cheeks burning with embarrassment.

Poot!

"Not me!" they both gasped simultaneously.

Before they could react, another sound erupted.

Poot-poot-poot!

The staccato rhythm grew relentless. Chuyingying turned crimson, her fury boiling over. "That bastard! When I catch him..."

Even Chuxiaoxiao's composure cracked. Never in her life had she faced such humiliation!

"Found them!"

Chuyingying's scream made Chuxiaoxiao whirl around. There stood a figure watching them like idiots.

"Ding Peng!" they realized. Though disguised in night robes, those humiliating sounds had already reached Su Chen's ears.

Su Chen stared, bewildered at the intruders. The absurd poots echoing through the yard only deepened his confusion.

"Attack!" Chuxiaoxiao barked, suppressing her mortification. Side by side, the sisters lunged.

Both had mastered Visceral Reformation cultivation - normally enough to handle Su Chen alone. But their current state demanded swift action.

Su Chen's palm struck them simultaneously, sending both flying backward. Had he not wanted answers first, that single blow could've ended them.

"You're actually..." Chuxiaoxiao gaped, terror flooding her. Since when was Su Chen this strong?

Su Chen didn't answer, vanishing in a blur toward her. A sudden gust of wind heralded another attacker!

The clash shook the air, making Su Chen's brow furrow. The newcomer wore a black cloak, voice disguised.

"Forgive their trespass tonight. I apologize for them", the stranger rasped.

"You broke into my home and attacked me first? Apology rejected", Su Chen spat, unleashing his full power. The black-cloaked figure met his assault head-on, speed surpassing even his own!

Chuxiaoxiao and Chuyingying watched, mouths agape. Their intelligence claimed this black-cloaked figure was merely a Martial Cultivation Realm practitioner, not a Bone Tempering expert!

Poot-poot-poot!

Their gasps of shock morphed into explosive flatulence louder than the battle itself. The cacophony broke the fighters' rhythm, making both Su Chen and the black-cloaked figure recoil in stunned silence.

Faces burning with shame, the sisters wished for the earth to swallow them whole. But as their embarrassment faded, only cold-blooded fury remained, their gazes promising death to Su Chen.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end