Chapter 8: The Knife Master

Chapter 8: The Knife Master

It was 1 a.m.

Ji Jingqiu, lying in bed, opened his eyes.

He felt refreshed and had no desire to sleep.

Yang Shi hadn't lied; through deep meditation, a couple of hours of sleep could equate to eight or nine hours of regular sleep.

If this were the case every day... wow, it would be like extending one's lifespan!

As Ji Jingqiu was about to get up, having trouble falling asleep, he heard the sound of the door opening outside.

Moments later, a door lock clicked at the end of the corridor.

It was his grandfather returning.

Ji Jingqiu immediately furrowed his brows in anger.

This old man was still playing mahjong at this hour?!

Earlier, he had clearly promised Ji Jingqiu that he would be home by 10 p.m.!

Ji Jingqiu had gone to bed early and was used to falling asleep at 10 p.m., so he had never noticed this before.

Today, he had caught the unruly old man red-handed.

Ji Jingqiu decided to take the opportunity to chat with his grandfather about the issue of "curfew."

He rolled out of bed, turned on the smart terminal, and wanted to search for information related to martial arts.

In the end, he gave up in disappointment.

The Federation's network had strict control over martial arts-related content, and without a high enough identity level, it was impossible to access such information.

And at this time, Ji Jingqiu was just an ordinary first-level citizen.

There were plenty of ways to upgrade one's citizen identity.

For example, contributing to society, applying for patents, completing martial artist certification, or getting into a federal higher education institution.

The Federation's secondary and high school systems did not include martial arts courses, but the higher education institutions equivalent to universities in the previous life did offer martial arts options.

In this world, students usually went to university at the age of sixteen.

Unfortunately, due to his Nete Poison Syndrome, Ji Jingqiu had never been able to complete his studies. Even though he had passed his academic subjects, his time in school was almost non-existent, leaving him unable to take the college entrance exams.

However, he had now reached the end of his suffering.

Ji Jingqiu was surprised to find that an online game group he had joined before this time was "on fire."

He was curious about what these night owls were chatting about at such a late hour. But then again, the group members were from all over the world, and it was possible that some of them were experiencing daytime in their time zones.

When he entered the group chat, he was surprised to see the screen filled with red envelopes! Ji Jingqiu was quick to react, and with lightning speed, he started grabbing the red envelopes from the bottom up.

As he was grabbing the red envelopes, a series of question marks appeared in the group chat.

[Left Thousand House]: Am I seeing ghosts in broad daylight?

[Right Thousand House]: Holy shit! Brothers, someone stole my account!

[See Me As Mountain]: You bastard, even if my brother is dead, you won't let him rest in peace! Just you wait, I'll find out who you are and make you pay!

...

After grabbing all the red envelopes, Ji Jingqiu finished reading the comments and felt a bit embarrassed.

[Cicada] was his online nickname.

Cicadas, before they spread their wings, would endure a decade of darkness and torment underground, only to finally break through the soil on that fateful day.

Choosing this nickname was a way for him to motivate himself back then.

He had been busy lately and hadn't been active in the group, even blocking it for a while. Everyone in the group also knew about his Nete Poison Syndrome, so during his absence, they all assumed he had passed away...

[Cicada]: Ahem... I'm not dead yet.

The group instantly erupted, demanding him to verify his identity.

[Right Thousand House]: ??? I don't believe it!

[Cicada]: Sha Bei.

[Right Thousand House]: Wow, it's been a while since I heard that name. You know, I'm starting to believe you (feeling nostalgic).

Ji Jingqiu sent a disdainful emoji.

Amidst the chaos, everyone finally accepted the fact that he was still alive.

He asked and learned the reason for the abundance of red envelopes. It turned out that [See Me As Mountain] had been accepted into the Martial Arts Department of the Vast Sea Academy, one of the top ten academies in the Federation, and was celebrating by giving away money in the group.

[Cicada]: I'm also planning to start practicing martial arts soon. I registered at a martial arts academy today. Anyone with detailed information about martial arts, please send it to me.

[See Me As Mountain]: Are you serious?! Can your body handle it?!

[Cicada]: The master of the academy praised my talent today.

[Right Thousand House]: You silly kid, if he didn't praise you, how would you send him money?

[╰ Old Memories Chasing Old Times]: Yeah, I've seen this trick before. These days, martial arts academies will scam whoever they can. Back in my day...

[Cicada]: They didn't charge me any money.

[Everyone]: ?

[Right Thousand House]: Oh no, is he a natural talent?

[See Me As Mountain]: The initial stages of martial arts practice can be very damaging to the body, Ah Cicada, don't force it!

[Cicada]: Mm, I understand. Our master said that if I can reverse my innate condition, I can solve the problem of Nete Poison Syndrome.

[See Me As Mountain]: ???

[Cold Blade]: ?

Upon seeing the ID "Cold Blade," the group erupted in the same way they had when they saw Ji Jingqiu.

[Cold Blade]: Long time no see, Ah Cicada. I remember you're from Dong Sanhuang Planet, right?

[Cicada]



: Absolutely, Brother Dao, it's been a while!

【Cold Blade】: I have the martial arts information, I'll organize it and send it to you later. I'm currently on a business trip to Dong Sanhuang Star, but in a few days, we can arrange a time to meet up.

【Cicada】: Sure, I'll treat you!

【Cold Blade】: Hehe, alright. Also, congratulations to Ah Shan for getting into Vast Sea Academy. I suggest that when school starts, you choose Mentor Luxingying. Although his cultivation is relatively weak among the Vast Sea mentors, he's skilled in teaching students and is an excellent teacher.

【See Me As Mountain】: Holy shit, Brother Dao, you're saying the same thing as my second uncle!

【Cold Blade】: Keep practicing martial arts, strive to join the Sea Martial Guild, and I can help you get an opportunity to join.

...

Outside, an artificial lake was adorned with the delicate autumn colors.

The white-haired youth suddenly sat up in bed and clicked on a friend's avatar in the game, intending to chat privately with Brother Dao. However, he found that Brother Dao's avatar had turned gray.

He was offline...

Qingshan Ruan, or 【See Me As Mountain】, lay sprawled on the bed in a large letter shape, sighing.

What a pity, he missed Brother Dao again.

The original text can be found at 9@Book/Bar!

In their private group, Brother Dao was indeed a legend.

Not only did he consistently top the game rankings, but his real life was equally legendary, as revealed in his occasional chats within the group.

He was either on his way to apprehend federal fugitives or had just finished capturing them.

Qingshan Ruan dialed his older sister's communication.

"Sis, I just met Brother Dao in the group, and he also suggested that I choose Mentor Luxingying. He even told me to strive to join the Sea Martial Guild. What kind of organization is that?"

In the projection, a short-haired woman in martial attire frowned and exclaimed, "You better go and dye your hair back to its original color!"

Qingshan Ruan's face turned awkward.

This time, his older sister didn't dwell on it further.

Xiqiu Ruan spoke with a peculiar tone, "Sea Martial Guild? If you can join the Sea Martial Guild, our dad will be able to say, 'Hahaha, how did you know my son joined the Sea Martial Guild?'"

"Is it really that amazing?" Qingshan Ruan asked, wide-eyed.

Xiqiu Ruan scoffed, "You know nothing! The Sea Martial Guild is the most elite student organization in Vast Sea Academy, without a doubt! They only accept twenty new members each year. Do you think you have a chance?"

"But..." Qingshan Ruan hesitantly said, "Brother Dao said he'd help me get an opportunity to join."

The projection of Xiqiu Ruan suddenly fell silent.

After a moment, Xiqiu Ruan said, "Remember to treat your benefactor well in the group."

Qingshan Ruan sighed, "I want to too, but Brother Dao went offline after saying that. He's still as elusive as before."

"Alright, I'll hang up if there's nothing else."

Xiqiu Ruan now just wanted a moment of peace.

"Wait!" Qingshan Ruan quickly said, "Sis, Ah Cicada also appeared! He said he wants to practice martial arts, and a guild master told him that as long as he can reverse his innate condition, he can cure his illness."

Xiqiu Ruan was shocked, "You mean that boy with Nete Poison Syndrome? He hasn't committed suicide yet?! Are you sure it's not a hacked account?"

"Don't curse him," Qingshan Ruan said helplessly, "Ah Cicada has always been strong and cheerful."

Xiqiu Ruan fell silent for a moment, then spoke seriously, "To be honest, I really want to meet him. To live with Nete Poison Syndrome until the age of sixteen is simply unbelievable...

If that's true, his willpower must be extraordinary, and he might have a smooth journey in mental cultivation."

"So, do you think he has a chance to reverse his innate condition?"

"I've never met him, so I can't judge," Xiqiu Ruan paused, "But those who can reverse their innate condition are true martial arts prodigies!"

"Sis, aren't you a martial arts prodigy too? You ranked in the top twenty in the Martial Dao department last year!"

Qingshan Ruan was puzzled.

His older sister was two years older and had also been admitted to Vast Sea Academy, ranking in the top twenty in last year's martial arts assessment.

Vast Sea Academy was one of the ten most prestigious academies in the federation. Achieving a top twenty rank in such an academy, wasn't that considered a prodigy?

Xiqiu Ruan spoke softly,

"Forget about reversing the innate condition, I've only broken through four of the five Heavenly-Human Limits. With the fifth limit unfulfilled, how can we talk about the innate condition?

I may be a martial arts genius, but I'm still far from being a true martial arts prodigy.

When you truly start practicing martial arts, you'll understand that in front of those monsters, you're like an insignificant mayfly gazing at the vast sky."

...

【Cold Blade】: I've sent the information to you. I'm going offline, you can ask me directly if you have any questions, I'll be online.

【Cicada】: Thank you, Brother Dao! I'll treat you to a feast in a few days!

【Cold Blade】: Hehe, then I'll look forward to it.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end