Chapter 5

One: The Annihilation of a Family

The snow in Mengdong's winter darkened the sky very quickly. By around four or five in the afternoon, the sky was already extremely gloomy and dark.

The snow had just stopped, but the north wind was even more piercing.

The world was an endless expanse of white.

A small patch of black slowly extended from the west gate of Xiangyang towards the southwest.

"Damn it, once you leave the city, it's all wilderness. Liu Biao is praised so highly, but he doesn't even bother to repair the roads." Qin Yu walked with deep steps, his breath forming white vapor as he muttered complaints.

The young man's face bore a few scratch marks. In his left hand, he held a snow-white rabbit, and in his right hand, he carried a black long stick, with a large wine gourd hanging from the top of the stick.

His fingers were covered with chilblains and calluses, but his spirit was very high.

He never expected to step on a fat wild rabbit by chance. Thanks to the thick and soft snow, the usually agile creature couldn't jump, and after a short run, it was easily caught and knocked unconscious by him.

Wild game was hard to find in winter, but once caught, it was a rare delicacy.

This fat wild rabbit would be perfect for his aunt, who had just given birth, to help her recover. It would also make his uncle's face a bit more pleasant.

His aunt had just given birth to a younger cousin, and her personality had changed drastically. She cursed and criticized him every day, almost pointing out that he was a freeloader. Fortunately, his older cousin, Qin Xin, often helped him, allowing him to barely get by.

But, when would this life end?

If this can be tolerated, what cannot be tolerated! Qin Yu thought. After being raised for five or six years, his body was now almost fully recovered. He had been hunting in the mountains every day for over a year and occasionally helped his uncle with purchases in the city. Life was monotonous. Even if his uncle and older cousin didn't mind, he really didn't want to continue like this. It was time to go out and explore. Zhuge Liang, who was only a couple of years older than him, had already come from Shandong to Hubei.

But, where should I go? Should I join Liu Biao?

Thinking of Liu Biao, Qin Yu frowned, feeling a strange sensation. If his guess was correct, Liu Biao, the Governor of Jingzhou, should be his stepfather. Unfortunately, his mother had already passed away before he possessed Qin Yu's body, so there was no way to confirm it. He had also indirectly asked his uncle, but was met with a sudden burst of anger, forcing him to flee. He never dared to ask again.

"In this chaotic era, being that man's son won't lead to a good outcome. Land and gold will eventually belong to Cao Cao. Only this skill is truly ours." Qin Yu consoled himself, reviewing the "Baihua Liao Lan Gun" (Hundred Flowers Chaotic Spear) in his mind.

This spear technique was Qin Yu's main martial art, not passed down from Liu Biao. It seemed that his mother had made him memorize it forcefully when he was about five or six years old, requiring him to recite and review it a hundred times daily, reinforcing it repeatedly. After a few beatings with a whip, the child strengthened this memory requirement, which, though somewhat mechanical, was indeed very effective—until the day when, despite a change in soul, all the related mental techniques remained firmly in his memory.

Due to the improper practice of this spear technique, Qin Yu's meridians were shattered when he was ten, leading to his death. He was saved by his uncle and given a new body.

As a modern person, even though he was just an ordinary salaried worker, his knowledge structure and comprehensive understanding of knowledge far surpassed that of a ten-year-old child at the end of the Han dynasty. Qin Yu repeatedly recited the mental techniques and quickly discovered several major pitfalls in his predecessor's practice. Any one of these pitfalls would have led to at least partial paralysis. It was a great stroke of luck that he managed to survive for three or four years.

His body was as weak as a summer insect in winter, and his meridians were as broken as a tattered fishing net.

In the five years since his soul transmigration, most of his time was spent in bed, patiently and helplessly repairing various internal and external injuries. Fortunately, while his aunt occasionally complained, his uncle fully supported his nephew's self-rescue efforts.

The "Baihua Liao Lan Gun" secret manual, although named as a spear technique, had a very complete lineage. It contained extremely rich content, far more than just a set of spear techniques.

Just the accompanying internal techniques alone had four major categories: foundation, enhancement, maintenance, and recovery.

It wasn't until last year that Qin Yu completed the first major cycle of the mental techniques, proving that he had truly self-taught and initially mastered the foundation of the "Baihua Liao Lan Gun." Only then did he dare to get out of bed and continue his spear training.

Immediately after, he ended his leisurely "disabled child" life and was sent by his aunt to the mountains every day to hunt various mountain delicacies and wild game.

He became a hunter.

Now, the surrounding Wangchu Mountain, Wanshan, and Dajingshan were all familiar hunting grounds for him.

While Qin Yu was lost in thought, he had already arrived at the foot of the mountain.

"Let's not think about it for now. In this chaotic era, it's not safe to go out. Only by mastering this skill can one survive and thrive." Seeing the familiar mountain foot, Qin Yu's thoughts habitually reined in, and all杂思 were gone. He then lightly inhaled through his nose, the breath reaching his dantian.

Damn, it's so cold! It's cold all the way to my navel.

Qin Yu resisted the urge to sneeze and shiver, took half a step, and a thick mist of white vapor formed as he exhaled, instantly feeling his blood and qi circulate, as if he had just taken a hot bath, feeling extremely comfortable.

Qin Yu groaned slightly in his heart, but his thoughts did not concentrate, still勉强 maintaining a state of scattered and unaware.

Taking another half step, one exhalation and one inhalation naturally formed.

This is the internal technique of the "Baihua Liao Lan Gun": the half-step breathing technique.

Although simple, it was a daily practice for him when climbing the mountain, with at least ten round trips up and down the mountain each day. If not for such diligence, he couldn't have repaired the almost completely shattered meridians of his predecessor in five or six years, and his qi and blood would not be so robust.

Qin Yu's home was on the top of Xianshou Mountain, ten miles southwest of Xiangyang City. It was actually his uncle Qin Xiong's estate, not large but quiet and secluded, with few people around.

Qin Yu was familiar with Boss Zuo because Zuo Xing's tavern was in the west of the city. When Qin Yu occasionally needed to buy food and drinks in the city, it took no more than two hours to reach Zuo Xing's tavern, which was very convenient. Even if the tavern was out of stock, they would send a helper to other restaurants to get everything, ensuring that Qin Yu was satisfied.

Over time, Qin Yu and Boss Zuo of Zuo Xing's tavern became good friends, and their relationship deepened quickly. The main reason was that many of the facilities and methods in the tavern, including the large charcoal stove used in winter and the entertainment provided by Zuo's wife playing the zither for guests, were all Qin Yu's casual suggestions, which proved to be quite effective.

Now, with the heavy snow, the steps were unstable, making it a good opportunity for practice.

Step by step, he gradually reached the halfway point of the mountain. Qin Yu had just completed another major cycle of breathing, and his steps paused.

The surroundings were eerily quiet, making him feel strange. Even in such cold and snowy weather, it shouldn't be this quiet.

Suddenly, a bright light flashed from the side of the mountain, slashing diagonally across his shoulder. The knife's momentum was precise, aiming to take him by surprise and cut him in two.

Qin Yu was greatly startled. Before his brain could react, his left arm swung violently, and the rabbit in his hand was thrown.

The knife and the rabbit's blood intertwined instantly.

The black-clothed assassin was stunned. What was happening? He swung the knife again, but his momentum was slightly weakened.

Qin Yu's body leaned back sharply, almost forming a bridge, barely avoiding the golden wind that would have struck his face. Blood still splattered on his nose and face.

He smoothly extended the long stick in his right hand, shouting "Hey!" and swung it forward. The black stick shot forward with the momentum, perfectly blocking the enemy's straight knife, and then heavily struck the attacker's throat.

At the same time, the large wine gourd rolled to the side of the road.

A terrifying crack and a muffled sound overwhelmed the vast mountain's howling wind.

"Ugh!" The black-clothed assassin dropped his knife, hands clutching his throat, and rolled out from behind the ambush rock.

Qin Yu was drenched in cold sweat. He had practiced the secret techniques for five years, refining his spear skills. His body's sensitivity far exceeded his brain. If not for his body's automatic reaction, using the familiar "Horseback Wind Chasing" spear technique, he would have been decapitated by now.

However, after the initial shock, his spirit focused entirely, striving to coordinate with his body, moving in sync.

Before he could straighten his body, his ears perked up, sensing the wind behind him.

Despite the strong wind at the mountain waist, Qin Yu heard clearly that someone was attacking him from behind.

As his brain processed the situation, his right arm stretched backward, like a boatman pushing a pole, using all his strength. This move was called "Rowing Against the Current," another secret technique he practiced day and night.

The pole thrust out, making a "ding" sound, as if it had hit something heavy and solid. Using the force of the impact, Qin Yu's upper body was already fully upright.

Without turning around, he used his right arm to wield the stick, stirring, entangling, and breaking, causing the enemy behind him to cry out in surprise. The thick-backed long knife flew out of his hand.

Then, the blood in his right arm rapidly condensed, and his strength increased several times. He thrust forward, piercing through the enemy's heart.

Stir, entangle, break, and thrust—four combined spear techniques!

Relying on the secret techniques, Qin Yu's long stick, though without a spearhead, still killed the assassin behind him.

He shook the stick, and the long stick, now free from the enemy's body, was retracted.

"Damn, a bunch of rats! Want to ambush me? Go practice for a few more years!" Qin Yu muttered.