Chapter 36: I Recognize This Martial Art

    The moment Old Man Wi lunged forward, I kicked the table and threw myself backward.

    CRACK!

    The table shattered into two, but Old Man Wi continued charging at me with the momentum of an angry bear.

    Although I kind of expected this reactionhes even more desperate than I thought.

    I continued retreating as I asked, How bout a talk before we fight?

    Old Man Wis answer to my question was a rock-like fist. I didnt want to be one-sidedly bullied, so I raised my fist to meet his.

    POW POW POW POW POW!

    We exchanged a dozen punches in a flash. As fist met palm and palm met finger, we slowly got a sense of each others martial arts.

    Old Man Wis eyes widened in astonishment. Impossible! This martial art is!

    Its very familiar, isnt it?

    Old Man Wi grimaced.

    Outside the tent, Bok Man-Chun yelled, Boss!

    Dont come in! I quickly shouted back at him and shot Old Man Wi a warning look.

    Y arent you reading this at ?

    Old Man Wi hesitated for a moment, then reluctantly ceased attacking. However, he stayed on his toes, ready to burst back into action any moment.

    I sensed Bok Man-Chun lurking right in front of the tent, deciding whether he should force his way in or not. I turned in his direction and said, Dont worry, its nothing. Stop being overprotective, its embarrassing, you know?

    But I thought I heard the sounds of fighting

    We just had a minor misunderstanding. Why dont you wait for me at the Freelancers Bazaar? Im sure youre hungry, go get something to eat.

    When would you like me to come get you?

    I glanced at the old man who was still shooting me a death glare and said, Dont come. If I dont return by morning, go back to Nanchang and wait for me there.

    What should I do about your inheritance?

    Hes asking me about where my money goes after I die. I smirked and replied, Dont even think about it. I wont take more than a few days. If I find the money gone, Ill hunt you down and cut off your fingers.

    Why arent you reading this at ?

    I had a practical exam I couldnt miss, so a few days was as much time as I could spend gallivanting around.

    Bok Man-Chun coughed embarrassedly, Ahem, I was just joking. Anyway, if anything happens, you can contact me

    Why are you still here?

    Okay, Im going, Im going Bok Man-Chun grumbled, his voice becoming more distant as he walked further and further away.

    When he was out of earshot, Old Man Wi suddenly released a powerful killing intent and asked me, Who are you?

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    As expected of the head of the Wiji Clan,1 one of the Eight Great Clans supporting the Blood Cult and the only clan famous for their metallurgy, blacksmithing and explosives manufacturing rather than their martial arts. Even the Blood Demon Sword, the divine weapon of the Blood Cult, was forged by the Wiji Clan. They are so specialized in their craft that unlike the other clans, the position of Wiji Clan Head is always occupied by the best blacksmith in the clan.

    Imsomeone in a similar situation as you, I said, choosing my words carefully.

    Are you the descendant of a survivor? Old Man Wi asked me in a cracked voice.

    Approximately fifty years ago, when the Blood Cult was severely weakened by an internal dispute, the Murim Alliance had suddenly attacked them and wiped them out. The survivors that Old Man Wi was referring to were those who managed to escape the Murim Alliances initial offensive.

    Needless to say, the survivors of the Blood Cult were all still wanted criminals.

    Something like that.

    You expect me to believe you when youve only mastered a single fist technique that any low-level warrior can learn?

    Seems like it isnt that easy to dispel Old Man Wis suspicions of me. This is all the Murim Alliances fault for tricking the remnants of the Blood Cult multiple times, just so they could eliminate them completely. Now, if I want him to trust meIll have to reveal a few more of my hidden cards.

    Having made my decision, I slowly removed my Heo Cheon mask.

    RUSTLE.

    Wiji Yeol was one of the old folks who remembered those times, and as someone who lived in the same period, I could relate to him.

    Why arent you reading this at ?

    Wiji Yeol, youve aged a lot. As we talked, I recalled his younger self. Back then, he was quite a bright and cheerful person, but his personality had mellowed and his face had become weathered from the hardships he had endured.

    At least, he was one of the few decent people in the Cult. He never murdered people for fun, nor did he dabble in the messed up internal politics. All he cared about was blacksmithing.

    I wonder what his life was like all these years?

    It felt a little strange to meet someone I knew from my previous life. However, the past was the past, and I didnt feel much sympathy for him.

    Well, it was about time I cut to the chase. Does this request of yours have anything to do with the Blood Cult? I asked.

    Wiji Yeol deliberated for a while, then sighed and bowed his head. Itsnot totally unrelated.

    He paused yet again, before raising his head and looking at me sadly. Im begging you, please kill my grandson.

    A few days later, I followed Wiji Yeol up an unnamed mountain.

    Were almost there.

    Im sorry, but I think Ive heard you say the same thing ten times.

    Tsk, young people like you shouldnt be so impatient.

    I think Ive stressed this a few times, but I have an important exam in a few days.

    Were actually almost there. Removing these formations just takes time

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    The targets residence was located deep in the mountains, surrounded by formations. Because we had to dismantle them one by one and then return them to their original state once we passed through, the journey took much longer than I initially thought.

    I counted down the days until the practical exam. I expected to only spend a day doing this, but Ill be cutting it quite close at the rate were going

    We trudged through the forest for another hour or so, before finally, Wiji Yeol came to a stop at the top of a hill.

    Our destination is over there He said, pointing at a small thatched hut at the bottom of the hill.

    Next to the hut, there were two gravestones. These are my son and daughter-in-laws graves. They foolishly got their qi centers destroyed while trying to protect me, the Clan Head, he said sadly.

    Wiji Yeols son and daughter-in-law had become crippled while fleeing the Murim Alliances pursuit, and had passed away after a long battle with their injuries.

    The target of Wiji Yeols request, a boy who couldnt have been more than thirteen or fifteen, stood next to the gravestones. A mountain bird perched on the back of his hand and chirped, and he smiled and chatted with it as if it were a friend.

    Thats my grandson, Wiji Cheon. Hes never seen his parents faces, and I raised him since he was a wee babe And he is undoubtedly the most outstanding martial artist in the history of our clan.

    Wiji Yeol lowered his head in grief, then continued, Thats why, after my son and daughter-in-laws deaths, I was blinded by my selfish desire for revenge, and was too harsh on him

    The boy stroked the mountain bird and gently picked it up. Surprisingly, it was still chirping cheerfully.

    And I failed to realize that he had succumbed to his inner demons

    If youre seeing this, you are at the wrong place.

    Inner demons?

    Suddenly, the pleasant birdsong turned into an agonized wail. The tiny mountain bird squirmed desperately, begging to be let go.

    The boy smiled and let the bird go as it wished, and as it spread its wings and flew into the air, he waved his hand gracefully as if saying goodbye.

    SMACK!

    The bird exploded and landed on the ground as pieces of flesh and bone. The boy, his face covered in blood, grinned and sang a song to lure in yet another bird.

    I froze in shock.

    Even after I found out about this, I couldnt bring myself to kill him with my own two hands, and as a result of my hesitation, he has now gotten so powerful that I am no longer strong enough to kill him

    Who taught him that martial art he just used? I asked in an unsteady voice.

    Taken aback by the unexpected question, Wiji Yeol blurted, Why are you asking about that? Wait, do you recognize that martial art?

    Hell yeah I do. After all, Im the one who created it.

    Wiji: Wiji, or Yuchi () is a Chinese compound surname which was translated from Via, the family name of Khotan royalty. The Kingdom of Khotan was a small ancient kingdom sandwiched between China, Tibet, Mongolia (Xinjiang), India, and the Middle-East. Wiji Yeol is calling himself Old Man Wi as the last name Wiji is nonexistent in the Central Plains, while Wi is fairly commonplace.