Chapter 705: The Newcomer
Chapter 705: The Newcomer
Splash!
A black catfish swam freely in the water. After some time, it felt a burning sensation in its belly.
Thud!
In the True Martial Space, a black catfish landed on the ground, its tail still twitching.
"Can this... animal practice martial arts and become an aberrant beast? A Beast Deity?"
"No way, with this level of intelligence, I'd be exhausted to death..."
Fang Xing, looking disdainful, flicked his hand.
The catfish was thrown out again.
...
Time passed, an unknown duration.
Splash!
A splash of water, and a plump catfish was hooked out, landing in front of a young man.
"What a big catfish!"
The youth was tall, with fair skin and features that hinted at mixed heritage.
He reeled in the fish, skewered it, and carried it home.
This was a shanty town by the river, a makeshift area constructed from discarded wood and cardboard, resembling a slum.
Just a wall away was the bustling port city of New Wind!
There, you could see well-dressed gentlemen and ladies, rickshaw pullers, and clockmakers... as well as ancient escort agencies, martial halls, and medical halls.
Even a few strange-looking steam buses, with thick bundles on their roofs, could be seen driving by.
Most of these technologies were from the Whitehawk continent, adapted and localized in the Dàluó Empire.
They exuded a strong modern vibe, with a bit of a hybrid feel.
"Li Wei, you're back?"
A few aunts in the shanty town called out, "Did you catch another fish?"
"Yes."
Li Wei smiled and returned to his shanty.
It looked very simple, made of a few random planks, but it was home to a family of four.
He skillfully began cutting the fish, thinking to himself, "Today's catch is good; I can go see Teacher Kyle..."
Teacher Kyle was a white man, or rather, someone who called himself a Whitehawk. But for convenience, the locals in Dàluó simply called him a white man because of his fair skin.
He was said to have been a formidable knight who had participated in several exploration teams.
But during the war between the Dàluó Empire and Whitehawk, he was struck by a sword in the knee and had to retire.
However, he didn't develop any hatred towards the Dàluó Empire. Instead, he found the continent that Whitehawk called the 'Far East' to be filled with gold and opportunities, so he decided to follow a martial artist across the sea.
The martial artist he followed planned to establish a school in the Dàluó Empire and open a martial hall in New Wind. To do so, he had to follow the local customs and set up a challenge arena in the busiest intersection for seven days, accepting challenges from other martial halls.
Unfortunately, he was killed by the head of one of the martial halls, who had signed a death contract, so no compensation was given...
Kyle, who was now jobless, had all his possessions stolen by a thief. He tried to use brute force to get his money back but was caught by some martial hall enforcers, beaten half to death, and left in the slums.
From then on, he became more docile, working as a laborer at the docks and occasionally teaching some combat techniques, hoping to save enough money for a boat ticket back to Whitehawk...
Although Kyle looked down on his luck, he was still a remarkable 'expert' to Li Wei.
Due to his mixed heritage, Li Wei also struggled in the Dàluó Empire and was considered an outsider.
He had once saved Kyle, who then took a liking to him and was willing to teach him some skills.
In Whitehawk, this would be like taking him on as an apprentice, and he would have to call him 'teacher.'
According to the simple beliefs of the Dàluó Empire, once you had a teacher, even if you were poor, you should show your appreciation with small gifts.
As he walked, Li Wei tossed a stone token in his hand.
The token was grayish-white with some mysterious patterns, and he had found it in the fish's belly.
He didn't think much of it and simply put it in his pocket.
Before long, Li Wei, carrying the cleaned half of the fish, arrived at a place in the shanty town.
The wooden house here was sturdier, and a fence surrounded Kyle's house.
In the corner of the room, a clay pot was simmering with herbal medicine.
The entire room was filled with a bitter medicinal smell.
"Teacher..."
Li Wei saw Kyle and raised the fish. "I caught a fish today..."
"It's Li Wei."
Kyle coughed.
He was muscular, with curly golden hair and sapphire-like eyes.
But he looked visibly weak, clearly still recovering from an injury and overworking himself.
The teacher and student simply prepared and ate the fish. Kyle took a sip of yellow wine and sighed, "How is your practice of the Cross Breathing Technique going? This is a Secret Art for becoming a knight. In Whitehawk, many squire knights dream of learning it... Sigh, I couldn't bear to see the lineage's techniques lost, and seeing you have Whitehawk blood, I reluctantly taught you..."
"I haven't made any progress yet..."
Li Wei looked troubled. "Besides... even if I master the breathing technique, I doubt I could stand up to those martial hall enforcers..."
"What are you talking about?"
Kyle's Dàluó language was rough, but his anger was evident: "The path of the knight grows stronger the further you advance. It's beyond what you can imagine..."
"Right, right, right. Are you going to tell me the legend of how the Sky Knight can conquer the skies again?"
Li Wei rolled his eyes: "In Dàluó, martial artists who can fly are called Ethereal Realm... Oh, your first Sky Knight was killed by an Ethereal Realm elder from the Escort Agency..."
"Alright... Dàluó is indeed a wondrous land."
Kyle limped into the yard surrounded by a fence.
His disability was also the work of Dàluó martial artists: "But you have no money, so you can't afford even the cheapest martial hall tuition. You still have to learn my knightly combat techniques... Now, continue."
Li Wei immediately took off his shirt, revealing a lean frame. He crossed his arms in a cross shape, assuming a strange posture.
As he adjusted his breathing, his muscles began to subtly twitch.
"Feel the wind, feel the earth... feel the fluctuations of life... You will discover that the entire world is composed of different waves, each with its own frequency..."
Kyle began explaining the key points of the Cross Breathing Technique.
"Your Dàluó martial arts, the lower three ranks, are just that—merely body training... Our path of the knight, in terms of physical training, is in no way inferior... If we wear specially designed knight armor, the chances of winning are even greater, and it accelerates our progress... A squire, if armored, can easily kill through ten squads of lower-rank martial artists... Unfortunately, our top-tier combatants are not as strong as Dàluó's..."
Kyle seemed somewhat regretful.
"Sure... You wear armor and demand to fight those who don't..."
Li Wei habitually retorted: "Besides, our top-tier combatants are many, like the Demon Sect... They would never collaborate with the Dàluó Dynasty and are even a huge burden..."
Smack!
As Li Wei spoke, Kyle suddenly struck out.
His large, thick fingers landed heavily on several parts of Li Wei's upper body.
The sharp sounds of impact were followed by immediate redness and swelling in those areas...
Li Wei's body jolted as if electrocuted.
In this strange state, he persisted with the breathing pattern of the Cross Breathing Technique, seemingly grasping something but struggling to maintain it.
"I think I got a feel for it, but it disappeared..."
After a round of strikes, Li Wei looked at Kyle, who was sweating, and bowed: "Thank you, teacher..."
"This training method is very harmful to your body and can't be sustained for long... Also, Li Wei, if you can't break through to a formal knight by the age of twenty, this training method will ruin you." Kyle exhaled a long breath, speaking seriously.
"Twenty years is more than enough..."
Li Wei smiled: "Teacher, do you think many children from the slums can live to see twenty?"
Kyle sighed: "Most of my money is saved to buy a ticket back home... But before I leave, I will try my best to teach you. Once you break through with the breathing technique, you can gather the Seed of Life, officially entering the realm of the Transcendent Knight and learning the true secrets of the Crimson Serpent School."
"The Crimson Serpent School?"
Li Wei's eyes lit up. This was something his teacher had never mentioned before.
"There are many schools of the knightly path, just like the different martial halls and sects in your land... My school is called the Crimson Serpent School, a powerful lineage that has produced Earth Knights."
Kyle said proudly.
"But there are no Ethereal Realm knights..."
Li Wei sighed: "It seems... I can only rely on my own efforts."
In truth, having grown up in the Dàluó Dynasty, he had long felt that Dàluó martial arts were superior. He had decided that after earning his first pot of gold with the Whitehawk combat techniques, he would still seek out a renowned master.
As for the Cross Breathing Technique and the subsequent combat techniques and secrets of the Crimson Serpent School?
They were just stepping stones and stepping stones alone!
...
Night fell.
Li Wei returned home.
"Big brother?"
A little girl with a red headband immediately ran over.
"Father, Mother..."
Li Wei patted the little girl's head and greeted his adoptive parents.
His adoptive parents were of pure Dàluó blood, kind-hearted, and it was said they found him during a heavy snowfall.
One look at his appearance explained why he had been abandoned.
Based on their speculation and Li Wei's own guess, his mother was likely a Bosaman from New Wind City.
Yes, the Dàluó Dynasty is quite barbaric, with a tradition of capturing other races as slaves.
The so-called Bosaman are white-skinned Whitehawk women, who are directly reduced to slavery upon capture.
Many pleasure houses and brothels in New Wind City keep large numbers of Bosaman, a popular trend in recent decades.
"Xiao Wei is back? Have you eaten?"
Li Wei's mother asked.
"I've already eaten at my teacher's house."
Li Wei replied, then helped with household chores before collapsing into bed, exhausted, and fell asleep...
(End of Chapter)
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