Chapter 91: Secret Manual! Gains! Refinement!

With Beiming Divine Skill, the stronger one’s own power, the more terrifying the absorption.

Jiumozhi’s refined inner strength gushed ceaselessly into Fang Han.

Within breaths, half his lifetime’s power had vanished!

Panic-stricken, he struggled, but Fang Han shifted fist to palm, seizing a vital meridian point in his wrist.

Having mastered the full Beiming Divine Skill, Fang Han could drain qi from any part of the body. But the fastest way was to grasp the meridian apertures where inner force circulated.

Very quickly, Jiumozhi felt his body hollowed, his internal force utterly gone.

Fang Han released him.

He collapsed powerlessly to the ground.

Fang Han calmly guided Beiming Divine Skill, storing all of Jiumozhi’s stolen energy into his chest’s Tanzhong acupoint.

“Such a pity—if this were Jiumozhi at full power, I could have absorbed twice as much!”

But then again—if Jiumozhi had been at his peak, it would never have been so easy. At the very least, it would have cost great effort.

Seeing Jiumozhi in despair, Fang Han only shook his head. He felt no pity.

Not out of hatred for the man himself.

Simply because in Tianlong Temple’s grand hall earlier, Jiumozhi had been the first to strike with Flame Saber against him—aiming directly to harm.

Once an opponent made a move, Fang Han would never show mercy.

As he pondered, from afar came a long howl!

“Mr. Fang! Please, show mercy!”

🍃

Fang Han looked up and saw a troop of cavalry galloping toward him, led by Duan Zhengming and Duan Zhengchun.

The two brothers had arrived together.

Duan Zhengming rode closer and, upon seeing Jiumozhi collapsed on the ground, could not help but draw in a sharp breath of cold air.

He thought to himself: This Jiumozhi’s martial arts are so formidable that I could never compare, and yet when he encountered Mister Fang…

He felt a deep sense of respect and cupped his hands in salute:

“Mister Fang, this Dalun Mingwang is, after all, the National Preceptor of Tubo. His status is exalted. If he were to die in Dali… it could cause enmity between the two nations, and the consequences would be hard to bear!”

This was, in truth, the very reason the Dali court had not intervened directly, but had instead invited Fang Han to assist.

Since the matter touched on diplomatic relations, they had to tread with utmost caution.

Fang Han gave a slight nod and said no more.

In fact, he had never considered killing Jiumozhi.

Just as Duan Zhengming had said—if he truly killed him, the trouble would be endless.

Not only would Dali be in difficulty, but he himself would be dragged into it as well.

To cripple him and abolish his martial arts was enough.

As for whether Jiumozhi, as in the original course of events, would reach great enlightenment and become a renowned monk—Fang Han couldn’t care less.

Seeing Fang Han nod, Duan Zhengming and Duan Zhengchun both breathed a sigh of relief.

They exchanged a glance, each seeing deep shock in the other’s eyes.

Even though they had already tried their best to estimate Fang Han’s strength as high as possible, they had still underestimated him.

Even Tubo’s National Preceptor Jiumozhi had been defeated—this was no mere “high martial skill”!

The two brothers summoned a small detachment of soldiers to escort Jiumozhi away.

How Dali chose to handle the matter from there was no concern of Fang Han’s.

After bidding them farewell, he drifted away lightly, returning to the Prince of Zhennan’s estate.

He walked into the secluded courtyard.

Hearing his steps, Miss Cheng raised her head. Her delicate and refined face lit up with joy. She gracefully came forward:

“Brother Fang, you’re all right, aren’t you?”

Fang Han smiled: “No problem at all. Everything went very smoothly.”

How could it not go smoothly!

Not only had he learned the Liumai Shenjian (Six Meridian Sword), but he had also absorbed Jiumozhi’s internal energy!

The benefits were beyond measure.

In fact, it had even exceeded Fang Han’s expectations somewhat.

The Liumai Shenjian had been delivered into his hands for free. Though this rendered much of his prior scheming and planning wasted—like playing chess against thin air—it was undeniably satisfying.

Fang Han’s mood was exceedingly good.

Hearing his words, Cheng Lingsu secretly felt happy for him, though she was still a little worried. Carefully, she began examining Fang Han’s body.

She had intended only to check briefly, but unexpectedly discovered a clue.

She gently lifted Fang Han’s right hand.

From the back of his hand up to his arm ran a deep bruise, swollen and purplish-red.

Miss Cheng’s eyes instantly turned red. Biting her lips, she pulled Fang Han inside to treat him.

Seeing her eyes brimming with tears, Fang Han comforted her:

“It’s nothing serious. Even if untreated, I could disperse it with a little internal circulation.”

He was telling the truth. Though he had taken Jiumozhi’s desperate counterattack head-on—his Huoyan Daojin (Flame Blade Energy)—the Beiming Zhenqi (Beiming True Qi) had shielded him. He had suffered only some bruising.

That most troublesome scorching force of the blade had already been dissolved by his Beiming True Qi.

As for the bruises…

He only needed to circulate his qi for a day or two, and they would disappear.

But Miss Cheng ignored his words.

She knew well how deep Fang Han’s internal strength ran, and for him to suffer injury despite such protection showed how perilous the encounter had been.

Full of heartache, she treated him carefully, her soft fingertips pressing gently on his acupoints to disperse the stasis and swelling.

Seeing her so earnestly, Fang Han did not protest further.

He watched with a faint smile, feeling a warm contentment in his heart.

After half a quarter of an hour, the bruises had already receded completely under her skillful hands, leaving only faint traces.

🍃

Three days later.

In a room of the secluded courtyard.

Opening a chest, Fang Han flipped through its contents.

Inside were four martial arts manuals.

Niehua Zhi (Flower-Picking Finger), Duoluo Ye Zhi (Fallen Leaf Finger), and Wuxiang Jie Zhi (Non-Phase Robbery Finger)—these three martial arts were all among Shaolin’s Qishier Ban Jueji (Seventy-Two Unique Skills).

They had been copied by Tianlong Temple and sent via the Zhennan Prince’s estate for Fang Han.

Though a little unexpected, Fang Han found it reasonable.

Given the old and cunning disposition of Master Kurong, such an arrangement was exactly the sort of thing he would do.

Besides these three arts, there was another manual that caught Fang Han off guard.

Huoyan Dao (Flame Blade)!

This had been gifted by Jiumozhi.

On the day Fang Han had drained his internal energy, decades of cultivation had vanished in an instant, leaving Jiumozhi dazed and broken for three whole days.

Then, somehow, he seemed to have had an epiphany, achieving enlightenment. He no longer paid attention to martial arts, and instead submitted a letter to Tianlong Temple, this time sincerely seeking to discuss the Dharma.

Moreover, he asked Tianlong Temple to pass the Huoyan Dao manual to Fang Han, as thanks for sparing his life and for enlightening him!

When Fang Han heard of it, he felt it strange… but to receive the Huoyan Dao manual was certainly an unexpected delight.

This martial art was of the same type as the Liumai Shenjian.

If cultivated to its peak, it might not be any weaker than the Six Meridian Sword.

🍃🍃🍃