https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-230-Cangling-Debate-of-Swords-Thirty-Eight-/13547452/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-232-Sword-Debate-of-Canling-Forty-/13547454/
Chapter 231: Cangling Debate of Swords (39)
Chapter 231: Cangling Debate of Swords (39)
The exit Xiao Tan and Bei Ling discovered lay deep within the western mountain forest of Cangling Town. They had initially crashed into a cave while searching civilian homes in the eastern part of town, but now they had traversed the entire underground expanse of the settlement.
Above ground, this distance wouldn’t have taken half a day to cross. But beneath the surface, the labyrinthine paths twisted unpredictably—rising, falling, and occasionally forcing detours backward. Making it out before dawn on the third day was already fortunate.
When the pair returned to the Azure Spirit Inn, it was the darkest hour before dawn. The main entrance remained firmly closed. Naturally, there were always alternatives—side doors, back entrances, second-floor corridor windows, third-floor corridor windows… For most martial artists with even basic jianghu experience or foundational lightness kung fu skills, entering the inn would have been effortless. But for these two…
Bang! Bang! Bang!
At three or four in morning, as most slept soundly, they began pounding on the door with all the subtlety of a drunken ox.
After a moment, a staff member’s voice called out sleepily from within: “Who’s there?”
“The occupants of Suite A-03—let us in,” Xiao Tan replied.
A few seconds later, the door creaked open. The staff member, still rubbing sleep from his eyes, asked: “Might I ask, honorable guests, why you’re out and about at this ungodly hour?”
“Hehe… Sorry to trouble you,” Xiao Tan deflected, offering no real explanation as he and Bei Ling ascended the stairs.
The staff member had no real interest in their nocturnal activities—this was just idle conversation. After bolting the door shut, he shuffled back behind the first-floor counter and collapsed into his cot. His post here wasn’t to guard against thieves targeting the cashbox, but rather to prevent drunken prowlers from sneaking sips of the inn’s liquor. Specifically, to guard against Lushan-style intrusions…
Back in their room, the two pushed the door open to find Ji Bu seated alone on the room’s only bed. Legs crossed, fingers interlaced over his knees, he sat in deep meditation.
“Whoa, hasn’t been a day yet and Brother Jin’s already attained enlightenment?” Bei Ling teased.
Ji Bu had already sensed their arrival. Knowing only teammates could enter so brazenly, he remained unfazed. Slowly opening his eyes, he explained, “I’m using a skill to recover stamina.”
“Oh? A skill that actively restores stamina?” Xiao Tan asked. “What’s the cost for this ability?”
“No cost,” Ji Bu replied. “But it requires sitting in this meditative posture.”
Bei Ling caught something in his words and pressed: “Wait—you learned this internal technique from an Npc in this scenario, didn’t you?”
“Bingo,” Ji Bu smirked. “Lin Chang and Su Shang came by this afternoon, still hounding me about that matter. I told them I didn’t know where the lodge master and his wife went—hell, even you two hadn’t returned all night. But I could confirm none of you four had died.” He paused as Xiao Tan and Bei Ling exchanged glances, then added, “Don’t worry—I didn’t mention anything about the ‘team interface’ system. Even if I did, they wouldn’t believe it or understand.” Continuing his story, he said, “Lin Chang and Su Shang were actually quite polite. They said they’d wait until after the duel to discuss things further, then invited our entire Broken Sword Tea House to Ye Mansion as guests afterward. After that, they took their leave.” A sly grin spread across his face. “That’s when this Young Master had a brilliant idea—I asked Lin Chang to teach me the basic internal technique he was supposed to teach Feng Bu Jue.”
“Exactly,” Bei Ling interrupted.
“Spot on,” Ji Bu confirmed. “With the third day already here, I figured they’d be too busy on the duel day itself, and we’d be leaving this scenario afterward anyway. Yesterday afternoon was our only chance. Since Lin Chang had already agreed to teach Feng Bu Jue some basic martial arts, explicitly stating it was a simple technique he could pass on freely… I seized the opportunity. Why make him come back again? I’d learn it first, then teach Feng Bu Jue myself.”
“Not bad—actually managed to snag a skill,” Bei Ling remarked. “For a Jin Fugui, that’s exceeding expectations.”
“Jin Fugui? What kind of name is that? Some kind of animal?” Ji Bu grumbled. “And what’s wrong with my name anyway! Even if it’s a little vulgar, it’s a heartfelt wish from my parents!”
“Your parents must’ve had ulterior motives,” Xiao Tan quipped coldly.
“Don’t be harsh,” Bei Ling chimed in. “I believe most parents mean well—it’s just good intentions gone awry.”
“You two…” Ji Bu started to say “wicked couple,” but the system blocked his thought. Swallowing his words, he huffed instead: “Forget it… This Young Master is a Classplayer. I won’t stoop to bickering with members of Hell Front—a classist organization, no less.”
Xiao Tan clapped Ji Bu’s shoulder. “True camaraderie between men is measured by how viciously they can roast each other. So when we tease you, it means we trust you.”
Before he finished speaking, Whack! Bei Ling delivered a sharp slap to the back of his head.
“I’m not a man!” she snapped.
“Hahahah!” Ji Bu roared with laughter. “The strength of a woman’s hand and a man’s tolerance for pain—that’s how you measure their bond!”
Rubbing the back of his head, Xiao Tan awkwardly changed the subject: “So, this internal technique you learned—what’s its special effect?”
“It’s called Warm Breeze Qi Guidance Art, one of Ye Mansion’s foundational techniques. As a skill, it lets me recover 1% of my stamina per minute while meditating in this posture, without interfering with my natural stamina regeneration.”
“Not bad,” Bei Ling mused. “Even at zero stamina, half an hour of this would bring you near 50%, and an hour would restore 70-80%.”
“From what I see,” Ji Bu added, “this martial world scenario is practically a treasure trove of skills. My gains don’t stop there. This evening, the Tang Clan’s young master paid a visit, offering a fortune in gold and silver to repay my ‘great kindness.’ But what use is that to me? I’m not staying in this world forever.”
“So I asked him to teach me a simple technique instead. He readily agreed, passing me Seize Wind and Embrace Moon—a fan-specialist martial art. As a skill, it passively increases my folding fan attack speed.” He paused, pride swelling. “I’ve been practicing in this room all night. My fan techniques are now over twice as fast as before.”
“Oh, that explains the stamina recovery,” Xiao Tan nodded.
“Any news on Commander?” Bei Ling asked.
“None. I was hoping you two might have some,” Ji Bu replied. “The main quest to defeat the Bell Demon still exists, so they must still be battling some boss in the Lingzhong Realm.”
“Hmm…” Bei Ling mused thoughtfully.
“By the way, what did you two gain from this trip?” Ji Bu asked.
The three then spent the night exchanging information in their room. Beyond intelligence on the jianghu world and insights into Muyong Ying and Tang Shize’s Bagua techniques, the most critical revelation was Lin Chang’s secret mastery of the Great Emptiness Formless Arts…
(End of Chapter)
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