Chapter 3

**A Strange Encounter**

A young man is walking on the road. From the sword on his back, it is clear that he is a martial artist. His prominent temples and the vitality in his eyes reveal that he is a highly skilled practitioner. He is a handsome young man with a prominent nose and clear eyes, likely in his mid-twenties...

He slowly descends the road and enters a village. The first place he visits is a small restaurant. As he enters, the waiter greets him warmly.

"Welcome."

"A plate of dumplings, some wine, and a duck soup, please."

"Yes, sir!"

He slowly looks around the restaurant but sees no one particularly unusual. Even though martial artists are numerous, it is difficult to encounter them casually in the Central Plains without a special event. He is a top disciple of a well-known but not top-tier sect, with a bright future ahead, having promised his future to Xia, the daughter of his master.

'On my last trip, I brought Qingxiu, so I wasn't bored at all... Indeed, traveling alone is too lonely...'

While lost in thought, waiting for his food, he overhears a conversation between three middle-aged men sitting next to him.

"Hasn't the daughter of Mr. Zhu disappeared this time?"

"Yes, that makes eight young women who have disappeared in this area, including her. What kind of pervert is running around...?"

"The authorities are investigating, but they are at a loss. They haven't even found any evidence."

"Since the bodies of the young women haven't been found, they might be buried in the wild mountains, or perhaps they've been sold into human trafficking."

Then, the man in front of him finishes his drink in one gulp and says,

"Damn... That's what I'm saying. Things weren't like this before. Life has become so harsh."

"Damn it! In the area of Zhenping, there are major sects that keep such things from happening, but what are the authorities doing...?"

"Shh! Be careful, someone might hear. If you're caught, you'll be punished."

"Ah, forget it. Let's just drink."

"Are you drinking too much in the middle of the day?"

"In this damned world, I need to drink to see things clearly."

"Hehe, that's true."

He listens to their conversation and starts eating slowly when his food arrives.

'Hmm, it seems there's a human trafficking gang around here. If they disappeared yesterday, I might be able to catch them with a little investigation... But I need to deliver my master's letter quickly, so I can't spend too much time... What should I do? I have a couple of days to spare, so I'll investigate and if I find something, I'll inform the authorities and leave. That will help them.'

Once he has made up his mind, he stands up, approaches the sturdy men next to him, and bows.

"Hello, I'm just passing through. I overheard your conversation. I'm sorry, but it seems there's a pervert around here, and I thought I might be able to help a little..."

"Young man, your intentions are appreciated, but if they are more than one or two, you might end up dying here. It's better to just leave."

"I'm a disciple of a well-known sect. I can handle bandits on my own."

"In that case... If you go that way, you'll find Dahuang Mountain. People have gone there and never returned. The authorities have investigated but found nothing. If you're going to investigate, start there."

"Thank you."

"Hey, innkeeper! Five pounds of dried meat and two bottles of wine, please."

"Here you are. That's fifteen taels."

"Here you go."

"Have a safe trip."

He heads towards Dahuang Mountain. It is a large mountain with steep slopes and dense undergrowth. He eats the wine and dried meat and searches the mountain all day but finds no clues. Still, he persists. While searching the mid-mountain, which is full of pine trees, he starts to feel something is off. The scenery he saw earlier seems to reappear.

'Strange... Let me check again.'

Sure enough, after walking for a while, he finds that he has returned to the spot where he marked the ground with a branch.

'Sure enough! I'm back at the starting point. Let me try an experiment.'

He marks the direction he has taken with branches and realizes that if he only goes north, he returns to the starting point.

'There's an array right in front of me. How can I enter? From the shape, it seems this array is not designed to kill but to deceive and prevent entry.'

He studies the array carefully. Although he has learned about arrays from his master and his wife, he lacks deep knowledge, so it takes him a long time to break it. However, he still can't enter.

'I should have studied arrays more... Sigh... What's the point of regretting now? The sun is setting, so I'll find a place to rest and start again in the morning.'

The next morning, he makes many wooden sticks about the length of chopsticks. He places one in front of him, takes a step forward, and places another, and so on. After a while, he finds himself back at the starting point. Standing there, he sees that the sticks are slightly bent to the left, forming a circle back to this direction.

'Good! The seventh stick is bent. I'll start turning slightly to the right from the seventh stick.'

He tries again, stands at the starting point, and checks where he went wrong, then walks again. On the tenth attempt, he manages to enter.

'If this array was designed to attack, I would have been dead. Fortunately, it only deceives and prevents entry. Hmm? What's that?'

He approaches a small thatched cottage that can barely fit four or five people. The supporting logs look very old, suggesting it has been there for a long time. It seems to have been hastily built by one or two people in a short time.

'Might they be here?'

He slowly draws his sword, grips it tightly, and approaches quietly. He kicks open the front door and thrusts his sword inside, only to find a middle-aged man sitting there.

"Ugh! Don't come any closer! I've been poisoned."

Hearing this, he stops. The middle-aged man looks at him intently and speaks in a weak, low voice.

"Who are you?"

"I am Helian Yun. Who are you?"

"From the vitality you emit, you must be a righteous sect member. Ugh!"

"That's right."

"I am Ling Biying. I was chasing the Asura Blood Sect and ended up like this."

Helian Yun bows respectfully and says,

"Senior Ling Biying. Asura Blood Sect? I've never heard of it."

"Ugh! Have you heard of the Blood Sect?"

"Yes, my master mentioned it. It was a very evil organization that was destroyed by the Demon Sect."

"Ugh!"

Ling Biying spits out black blood and continues,

"Now I feel a bit better. As you can see, I'm completely ruined. My entire blood vessels are broken, and the poison has seeped into my bones. I can't last long. By the way, the Asura Blood Sect is the successor to the Blood Sect."

"Really!"

"Their evil is truly terrifying. They kidnap women and children to create zombies."

"Zombies?"

"Zombies are so powerful that even a high-level expert can't kill them. They are creating 200 new, even stronger zombies. Ugh, they are also making 5,000 ordinary zombies. About 30% are already complete, so we need to come up with a plan before their numbers increase."

"Where are they creating the zombies?"

"At Daming Mountain. We were discovered there and fought our way here... Meeting you seems to be a stroke of luck. I thought everyone was dead, and I was going to give up on passing on the news. It's really fortunate. Ugh, ugh, ugh."

"Are you okay? Senior!"

"Not really. The poison has seeped into my internal organs. When I die, burn this house with me. Touching my body is dangerous. Ugh... If it weren't for the Death Corpse Poison, I wouldn't be in this state... Ugh, ugh."

"Senior, don't talk too much."

"Don't say that... I need to pass on the message quickly. I don't have much time left... It's a shame that my martial arts will end with me... Ugh! Since this is a stroke of luck, will you do me a favor?"

"Tell me."

"Here is the secret manual I mastered. It will be difficult for you to master it alone, but I want you to learn it and pass on the manual and my news."

"To whom should I pass it?"

"There is an inn called Tiananlou in Chang'an. Stay in the first room on the right on the second floor and write the character '問 (Wen)' on a piece of paper and hang it outside. Someone will come within two days. Pass the manual and my news to them."

"Understood."

"Make sure you do."

"Yes."

"Thank you..."

With those final words, he dies. Helian Yun follows his request, cuts nearby pine trees, and burns the house. He watches the fire and then leaves. Following the pine sticks, he easily exits the array.

Since delivering his master's letter was his priority, he heads towards the location of Taishan Sect. That night, he stays at an inn and, in a hurry, takes out the secret manual he had tucked away. The cover reads 'Qingyue Sword Technique.' When he opens it, he is shocked. It is a high-level martial art. He needs to return the manual as promised, so he focuses on memorizing it rather than understanding it.

After delivering his master's letter to the leader of Taishan Sect and receiving a reply, Helian Yun asks,

"Excuse me, but I have a promise to keep. Is it urgent to deliver this reply to my master quickly?"

"It's not that urgent. You can deliver it after you take care of your business. What business do you have?"

"On my way here, I encountered something strange. It's about..."

He tells the leader of Taishan Sect everything except for the secret manual.

"This is a serious matter. You must not tell anyone about this."

"But I promised him. I must keep my promise."

"True, if it's an organization that can produce such a high-level expert, they need to know. Was he a righteous sect member?"

"Do you know the Qingyue Sword Technique?"

"Qingyue Sword Technique? It is a powerful martial art. When it was first developed, it was so destructive that it was banned, but the ban was lifted when the conflict with the Demon Sect began."

"Is it a righteous sect's martial art?"

"Hmm... It's a famous sword technique of Qingcheng Sect. Only the leader was allowed to learn it, but it was lost. Did he use the Qingyue Sword Technique?"

"Yes, he said it was his unique martial art. He said he wouldn't have been defeated if it weren't for the Death Corpse Poison."

"Death Corpse Poison! It's a highly toxic poison of the Blood Sect. If you are hit by the Evil Blood Zombie Magic, you are poisoned by the Death Corpse Poison. It seems the Blood Sect is indeed active. Did you bury his body?"

"No, I burned it according to his last wishes to prevent the poison from spreading."

"Did you search his body?"

"What do you mean? He was poisoned and told me not to get close. I only talked to him from a distance. He coughed up poisonous blood during our conversation."

"Ah, what a pity. Your lack of desire might have caused a valuable secret manual to be lost."

"What do you mean?"

"Never mind, you can go now."

"Goodbye."

He leaves Taishan Sect and heads to Chang'an. Finding Tiananlou in the vast city is not difficult, as it is a well-known large restaurant. He eats at Tiananlou, stays in the first room on the right on the second floor, and hangs the character '問 (Wen)' on the window. However, no one comes after two days.

On the third day, he decides to return to his master. On the way, he checks if anyone is following him but finds no signs. That evening, he stops at a village, eats, and stays at an inn. He spends a long time looking at the secret manual again and falls asleep. He has memorized all the content but is worried about making any mistakes, so he keeps reviewing it every night.

He wakes up feeling a cold sensation on his neck. He realizes it's the edge of a sword and asks without moving,

"Who are you?"

"Who are you?"

Finally, he opens his eyes to see a masked man holding a sword to his neck. The man speaks in a low, powerful, and cold voice.

"My name is Helian Yun."

"What about the Qingyun Divine Sword?"

"Qingyun Divine Sword?"

"Do you not know Qingyun Divine Sword Ling Biying?"

"Ah! Did you come to meet Senior Ling Biying?"

"Yes."

"I have a secret manual in my possession and the last words of that person."

The man searches Helian Yun's body, takes the manual, and steps back with his sword still drawn. Helian Yun then tells him everything that happened. After listening, the man says,

"It's shocking that a high-level expert like Qingyun Divine Sword could die so futilely. Did you only see Qingyun Divine Sword in the hut?"

"Yes."

"We sent five top experts to investigate the Asura Blood Sect, but only one returned... and through a messenger. I'm sorry for threatening you. If we meet again, it might be by chance. Don't tell anyone about this. Your life is precious."

With that, the man disappears.

"Phew..."

Helian Yun sighs in relief and ponders.

'What a formidable expert. Almost as strong as my master, if not stronger. I need to tell my master about this. I never expected such a stroke of luck. If I can complete the Qingyue Sword Technique I obtained, I can become a top expert. But to complete it, I need internal strength... Time will solve that.'

As soon as he arrives at his sect, his master scolds him.

"How long has it been since I sent you on this errand? This was an important task, and you, my top disciple, return like this... Tsk tsk."

"Don't be too harsh. You don't know what happened."

"Master, I'm sorry. Here is the letter from the leader of Taishan Sect. I have something to tell you in private."

"Can't you tell me here?"

"I'm sorry."

"Then, let's go to my private room."

"Yes."

In the private room, Helian Yun begins to speak.

"On this trip, I encountered something strange. It's about..."

His master listens solemnly until he finishes and then says,

"Truly a remarkable stroke of luck. The information about the Blood Demon Sect is valuable. And to obtain the Qingyue Sword Technique... Did you return the manual but memorize its contents?"

"Yes, Senior Ling Biying allowed me to read it."

"Good. Our sect will gain a great reputation with this martial art. I will visit Shaolin Temple for a while. In my absence, be vigilant for any emergencies."

"Yes."

"And Yun."

"Yes, Master."

"Record the Qingyue Sword Technique in detail while I'm away. It's a lost manual of Qingcheng Sect, so there's no problem with us learning it."

"Understood, Master."

"I'll be back."

"Safe travels."

When Yixue arrives at Shaolin Temple, a monk sweeping the courtyard greets him.

"Welcome. How have you been?"

"I'm fine. How about you?"

"Fine. Should I inform Master Sheshan?"

"No, I'll go if he's not meditating."

"Then, follow me. This way."

They walk for a while and stop in front of a room.

"Master Sheshan, the leader of Huanglong Sect is here."

A joyful voice comes from inside.

"Please come in."

"Yes. Come in."

"Thank you."

Yixue enters the room and greets the monk with a respectful bow.

"Master, how have you been?"

"It's been a while."

"I have something important to discuss."

"What is it?"

"Actually..."

The monk listens to his former disciple for a while and realizes this is a matter beyond his capabilities.

"I can't handle this alone. I need to consult with the Abbot. Follow me."

"Yes."

"Please repeat what you told me to the Abbot."

"Yes."

After listening, the Abbot, Master Kongzhi, is amazed.

"Amitabha... This is shocking news. You may not know, but we have known about the Asura Blood Sect's activities for ten years."

"Ten years?"

"Yes. We couldn't act because we couldn't find their headquarters. But now this has happened, and you said 30%... That means about 1,500 zombies are already created, and the number will increase over time. The new zombies are at least three times as powerful as ordinary ones. This is a serious problem."

Amitabha... This is beyond my capabilities. I need to convene the martial arts alliance and consult with the leaders of various sects. If we decide to act, I hope you can help."

"I will do my best to assist."

"Thank you. This stroke of luck might be a trap, though. I've never heard of Ling Biying... If it's a place that mass-produces zombies, the defenses must be formidable. It's strange that he could escape after being discovered."

Hearing this, the leader of Huanglong Sect falls silent. The two old monks wait patiently as he contemplates. After a long silence, he finally speaks.

"There is something I haven't told you."

Master Kongzhi smiles kindly.

"Please tell me."

"Do you know the Qingyue Sword Technique?"

Master Kongzhi exclaims in surprise.

"Qingyue Sword Technique! It's a treasure of Qingcheng Sect. How could I not know it?"

"Surprisingly, he knew the Qingyue Sword Technique."

"Hmm... If he knew the Qingyue Sword Technique, escaping from that hell might not have been impossible."

"Yes, my disciple said he mentioned, 'If it weren't for the Death Corpse Poison, I wouldn't be in this state.' His four comrades were also poisoned by the Death Corpse Poison."

Master Sheshan is startled.

"Death Corpse Poison?"

"Yes, Master. It's a byproduct of the Cursed Asura Blood Zombie Magic. He kept coughing up poisonous blood while talking to my disciple. Before he died, he asked his friend to pass on the news and gave him the Qingyue Sword Technique manual."

Master Kongzhi asks curiously,

"So the manual is with the Huanglong Sect?"

"No, I gave it to his friend. But I allowed him to read it, so my disciple memorized it completely. Before coming here, I had him write down everything he remembered."

"But if Qingcheng Sect finds out, they won't be happy."

"I was worried about that, which is why I hesitated."

After a long thought, Master Kongzhi suggests,

"Why don't you make a copy and give it to Qingcheng Sect