Chapter 42

As they passed through the outer city and out of the city gates, the entire group fell into silence.

Most people, having lived in the inner city for a long time, were unaware of the current state of the outer city, and felt a sense of oppression.

Of course, the greater oppression came from Wang Wu, whose face was dark.

"Is this the blood and qi of an ox, or a tiger?"

Feeling the waves of heat coming from behind, Yang Yu pondered.

According to Wang Wu, after a blood change, a person's blood and qi would surpass that of ordinary people. Once the inner qi nourished the entire body, one could cultivate the blood and qi of an ox.

Here, the ox is a metaphor, not implying that a blood change warrior has the strength of an ox.

In fact, someone as talented as Hu Wan could already match a water buffalo in strength before his blood change.

But it was only a match.

A blood change warrior at the level of having the blood and qi of an ox would have great strength in their fists, feet, fingers, and palms. A single strike, when the blood and qi burst forth, could be compared to a wild ox charging and colliding.

"This must be at least a third blood change, tsk, is a bailiff so wealthy?"

Yang Yu speculated.

He was more aware of his own progress in blood change than any other warrior and knew that even after a second blood change, he could not condense the blood and qi of an ox.

From this, it was not difficult to infer the gap between himself and Wang Wu.

But he wondered if, by triggering his inner qi and unleashing the move 'Decapitation,' he could...

Thinking about this, Yang Yu couldn't help but turn his head to glance at Wang Wu, his gaze involuntarily landing on his thick neck.

This would take at least three strikes to sever, right?

"Hmm?"

Wang Wu shuddered, glaring and scolding, "If you have something to say, spit it out! Don't keep staring at me!"

Eyeing Yang Yu, Wang Wu felt uneasy.

The martial arts he had learned were especially adept at tracking, hiding, and sensing, making him particularly sensitive to others' gazes. However, not just anyone could make him feel this way.

Once might be a hallucination, but this repeated occurrence was likely not a hallucination.

This kid must have some means to threaten him?

But how could that be?

A mere once-blood-changed youth, it must be an illusion caused by his own injuries not fully healed.

"There is indeed something I want to ask, sir."

Yang Yu naturally wouldn't let this opportunity pass.

"Take a temporary rest!"

Glancing at the low-spirited 'village warriors,' Wang Wu shouted and walked towards a large stone by the road.

The ground within Black Mountain City had no stone slabs, and this so-called official road was merely a slightly firmer dirt path, often dirty and muddy.

Sitting on the ground was out of the question.

The others naturally had no objections. In fact, most of them had already regretted joining the bandit hunt for fifty taels of silver.

To them, it was simply laughable.

After all, any blood-changed warrior would spend one or two hundred taels of silver, or even more, just on a medicinal bath.

Unfortunately...

"You ask a few questions, and I'll answer a few. That's fair, right?"

Wang Wu sat down with a stern voice, "Ask away."

"Um..."

Yang Yu lowered his head, pretending to think, but in reality, he returned to the Cauldron of Gluttony and noted some characters on the Ghost Head Great Saber.

"What is this?"

Seeing Yang Yu writing and drawing on the ground, Wang Wu initially paid little attention, but after a few glances, he was startled.

"Is this 'Dao Wen'? Good kid, you actually know Dao Wen?"

"Dao Wen? May I ask, sir, what is Dao Wen?"

Seeing Wang Wu recognize the characters, Yang Yu was overjoyed.

In this era, literate people were already rare, and those who could recognize ancient characters were unheard of in Black Mountain City.

He didn't expect Wang Wu to recognize them.

"I know a little, a little."

Wang Wu's face turned red, pretending to be nonchalant.

"Dao Wen, in fact, is nothing special. It's just the Daoists who believe in 'feathering' adding or subtracting from normal characters to create a pretentious appearance."

As he spoke, Wang Wu leaned down and carefully examined the characters, feeling a headache.

Dao Wen was a very obscure script. He only recognized some because his uncle had gone up the mountain to learn Daoism.

But he only knew a little.

On the ground, Yang Yu had written hundreds of characters. Wang Wu could only recognize two at a glance, and with guessing, maybe ten.

"Sir?"

Seeing Wang Wu remain silent, Yang Yu asked softly.

Although he wanted to ask, he wouldn't copy everything, just selecting the most obscure characters from the hundreds, which he couldn't guess.

"This..."

Wang Wu coughed a few times, feeling embarrassed.

"This character is pronounced 'jie,' these two are called 'shen' and 'xing'..."

These three were the ones he was most certain about, the rest were guesses.

But Yang Yu was already stunned.

The first three characters were from the hilt of the saber, the name of this 'advanced martial art.'

Including the ones he guessed, he now knew the name of this martial art.

But, is this a martial art?!

"...Ghost God...魁星位阶图?!"

Muttering to himself, a strong excitement filled his heart, and he couldn't help but wipe away all the Dao Wen on the ground.

"This character should be, bird?... Why did you erase it?!"

Wang Wu was still trying to guess, but seeing the characters gone, he felt relieved, though his face showed dissatisfaction.

Yang Yu collected himself and pointed to the distance.

"Someone is coming!"

"Hmm?"

Wang Wu stood up and saw dust rolling from behind.

Soon, a bailiff on horseback came galloping, looking hurried.

"Sir, this is a secret letter from our bailiff!"

The bailiff, covered in dust, handed over a letter sealed with wax.

"Secret letter..."

Wang Wu's expression turned serious as he tore open the letter and scanned it, his brows furrowing.

"Only soldiers hunt bandits, when have bandits ever hunted soldiers? What audacity, truly audacious!"

With a shake, he turned the letter into pieces, his hair and beard bristling like an enraged tiger, scaring the bailiff into stumbling backward, almost falling to the ground.

Yang Yu, being close, felt a wave of blood and qi hit him, causing a burning pain, his heart racing.

Just the emotional fluctuation had such power.

Blood and qi like an ox...

"I wonder, the 'Nine Ox Two Tigers' in my recipe..."

Yang Yu took a deep breath.

The ingredients were almost complete; it wouldn't be long before he could verify his hypothesis.

"Hmph!"

On the other side, Wang Wu coldly shouted, calling everyone to get up and prepare to move on.

He also kept the bailiff's horse.

"This horse..."

The bailiff looked distressed.

Yang Yu was still guessing what the letter said, but Wang Wu had already mounted the horse, which staggered under his weight, neighing pitifully.

"Go back and tell your bailiff that I've taken these scoundrels!"

Without looking at the bailiff's expression, he spurred the horse forward.

"Everyone, follow me!"

Wang Wu rode without stopping, and by the time the sky grew dark, the group had run about eighty to ninety miles behind the horse.

When Wang Wu dismounted, the group and the horse were almost collapsing from exhaustion, drenched in sweat.

"Black Wind Mountain..."

Yang Yu panted heavily.

Wiping away the sweat, he looked into the distance.

A mountain range blocked the view, with dense forests and steep peaks, resembling fierce beasts roaring in the dimming light.

Black Mountain, they had arrived.