"Is it so urgent?" Lu Sheng asked in a low voice as he took the bag.
"There’s no time to lose. Go early. The city may be in chaos for a while, but don’t worry—I’ve arranged everything," Lu Quanan replied with a reassuring smile.
Lu Sheng gave a silent nod. Without further delay, he took Xiaoqiao with him, packed a few clothes, and quietly left through the side door, boarding a modest carriage.
Seated inside, Lu Sheng peered through a narrow gap in the curtain, watching the Lu Mansion slowly recede into the distance. A heavy feeling settled in his chest, one he couldn’t quite explain.
"Young Master, are you really going to Yanshan City? It’s so far... When can we come back?" Xiaoqiao asked, her voice filled with worry.
Lu Sheng smiled but didn’t respond.
The black carriage, indistinct and worn, blended in easily with the other vehicles on the road. It bore no markings that linked it to the Lu family. As it made its way from the city center toward the main gate, several patrols of city guards halted it for questioning.
Lifting the curtain slightly, Lu Sheng noticed that the guards were split into smaller teams, joined by groups of peasant soldiers patrolling the streets.
He glanced out at a tall, pointed building passing by the window.
Clap.
Suddenly, Lu Sheng clapped his hands.
The carriage immediately turned left into a narrow alley, slowing as it went until it came to a stop.
Lu Sheng pulled Xiaoqiao close, lifted the curtain, and stepped down.
"Brother Sheng, I’ve been waiting for you a long time."
Zheng Xiangui’s chubby face beamed at them from the shadows.
"Eh!?" Xiaoqiao gasped in surprise.
"Let’s go. This isn’t a place to talk. I’ve prepared the place you asked for," Zheng Xiangui whispered.
The carriage they had arrived in rolled slowly away as Lu Sheng and Xiaoqiao climbed into a second one parked nearby. This new carriage continued along the narrow street and eventually slipped quietly out of the city.
A few miles beyond the walls, near the foot of Black Wind Ridge, they arrived at a rocky slope. There, tucked in a small green grove, the quiet sound of a flowing stream echoed gently through the trees.
The carriage rolled to a stop in front of the small forest.
Zheng Xiangui stepped down first and looked around cautiously.
"This is it. I built a secret base here when I was a kid—spent quite a bit on it. I’ll let you use it for now."
Lu Sheng got out with Xiaoqiao and glanced around.
"Thanks, Fatty."
"You and I are brothers. Don’t talk like that," Zheng Xiangui replied seriously.
He pointed deeper into the woods.
"This area is mostly uninhabited. The closest place is a farm owned by my Zheng family. I’ve arranged for food to be delivered daily—just outside the yard of the cabin. You can pick it up yourself."
Lu Sheng nodded in acknowledgment.
Zheng Xiangui continued.
"One more thing—be careful. This place is close to Black Wind Ridge. The pipeline is guarded by government troops, so there shouldn’t be major trouble. But occasionally, wild wolves or mountain cats might wander nearby."
"Got it. And remember to keep me updated on what’s happening in the city. You can send news along with the food," Lu Sheng reminded him.
"Okay."
The three of them walked into the grove. After several dozen meters, they reached a silvery stream that tumbled down the rocky slope. The clear water wound through the grass and stones, birds chirped from the canopy, and not a trace of human disturbance could be seen on the trees or forest floor.
Crossing the stream, Lu Sheng spotted a quaint little cabin nestled deep in the woods. It was built from pale timber, stacked like toy blocks, simple yet charming. Beside it sat a small garden, neatly arranged.
"I’ll leave you here," Zheng Xiangui said in a low voice.
He had brought two trusted guards, men trained from childhood, whose loyalty was unquestionable. He wasn’t concerned about them revealing anything.
"Thanks for your help. Go back and resume your work," Lu Sheng said with a nod.
Zheng Xiangui departed quickly with his men, and Lu Sheng turned to Xiaoqiao.
They began cleaning and settling into the cabin.
Inside the wooden house, there was food—dried meat, fresh fruits, and vegetables—clearly just delivered.
"Sir, are we going to stay here forever? Not going to Yanshan City?"8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo6JdD83Lku
Xiaoqiao’s voice held a trace of confusion.
"We’ll still go," Lu Sheng replied casually, "but not yet. For now, we’re staying here."
The two spent the afternoon cleaning the house. By the time they finished, dusk had fallen and darkness began to settle over the forest. Xiaoqiao lit an oil lamp. Its faint yellow glow seemed small and lonely in the shadowy wooden cabin.
Lu Sheng stepped into the yard and looked up at the sky. It was dark and overcast, with no trace of moon or stars—only a deep gloom pressing down.
The oil lamp cast a soft beam through the window, lighting up the small yard and making it the brightest spot in the forest. Outside the fence, the woods were pitch black. Every now and then, the faint rustle of something moving echoed from between the trees.
Lu Sheng instinctively reached back and gripped the blade at his waist.
Zheng Xiangui had offered to leave a guard behind, but Lu Sheng had declined. The fewer people who knew about this place, the safer it would be.
He stared at the oppressive darkness of the forest, then quietly closed the wooden gate and turned to shut the cabin’s windows. The window had two layers—the inner layer of paper, and the outer one a solid hardwood shutter. He sealed the outer window, leaving only a narrow crack through which the light inside could barely escape.
Pushing open the door, Lu Sheng stepped back into the house.
Xiaoqiao was making the bed. It was a simple setup: wood shavings and dry straw formed the base, covered by a mat and then a cotton pad.
"Young Master..."8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzAaVt6kpL1
Xiaoqiao's cheeks flushed pink and her eyes shimmered with nervous anticipation.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwk7dOI8rN3
"If you want to rest, let Xiaoqiao warm the quilt for you first."
Lu Sheng paused, caught off guard.
"..."8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAn68A21qHg
"There’s a small bed in the back. You can sleep there by yourself."
Xiaoqiao looked like a twelve- or thirteen-year-old girl, and her innocence made him feel a twinge of guilt.
"Okay..." she murmured, her face burning with embarrassment.
Out here in the wilderness, with only the two of them sharing a tiny wooden cabin, there was no real privacy. Whether changing clothes or bathing, avoiding each other was nearly impossible. If something were to happen, it wouldn’t be surprising.
But it was clear the young master had no such thoughts.
After washing up, Xiaoqiao went to bed early at Lu Sheng’s urging.
The so-called "small bed" was actually just a separate space within the wooden house, divided by a thin wooden partition. The wall between the large bed and the small one was barely the width of a palm. A narrow doorway connected the two areas, covered only by a simple curtain.
If something were to happen, it would take nothing more than a thought.
But Lu Sheng’s attention wasn’t on such matters.
He turned in early and spent some quiet time cultivating the Black Fiend Art.
The next morning, Xiaoqiao stepped outside to retrieve the food box left at the gate.
After breakfast, Lu Sheng practiced a set of Heart-Rending Palms, then resumed his training in the Black Fiend Art. The morning passed quietly, with only Xiaoqiao occasionally walking around the yard. Otherwise, nothing disturbed the peaceful rhythm of the forest.
After a simple lunch, he moved on to practicing the Black Tiger Saber Techniques technique.
That evening, before nightfall, Lu Sheng checked the folded note tucked into the food delivery. There was no urgent news from the city. Satisfied, he went to bed early and practiced the Black Fiend Art for another two hours before finally lying down to sleep.
This routine repeated day after day.
And so, half a month passed. Lu Sheng and Xiaoqiao remained hidden away in the grove.
But despite his dedication, the Black Fiend Art showed no signs of progress.
By all accounts—whether from classical texts or martial arts common sense—if a cultivation method was truly compatible, one would begin sensing internal energy within just a few days. No progress after half a month usually meant it wasn’t suited to the practitioner, and most people would have given up by now.
Yet Lu Sheng continued. He knew the Black Fiend Art was likely an incomplete technique, missing its general outline diagram. Duanmu Wan had warned him of this possibility from the start.
That was why he had persisted this long.
Still, the silence from within was discouraging.
Then, just as Lu Sheng was about to give up—
He felt it.
A strange flicker of energy stirred within him during one of his Black Fiend Art practice sessions.
..................
The sky was overcast, and by noon, a subtle chill hung in the air.
The forest was unusually quiet. The birds that usually filled the woods with calls now chirped only once or twice, as if drained of energy.
In the yard, Lu Sheng held a long blade, slowly practicing the Swallow Chasing Wind Blade technique. His movements were deliberate—not fast, but precise. He was focusing on refining the accuracy of each motion.
Though it appeared he was simply training with the blade, Lu Sheng’s attention was still centered on the Black Fiend Art.
Swish. Swish. Swish!
Three smooth slashes cut through the air. As he finished the last move, Lu Sheng prepared to sheathe his weapon and head inside for lunch, following his usual routine.
But just as he completed the final slash, a sudden surge of heat flickered near his lower back, as if a thread of fire had brushed past his kidneys.
He froze.
Carefully, he stilled his breath and focused inward, guiding the flow of the Black Fiend Art.
Again, the same heat returned—brief, but distinct—once more at his kidneys.
"This is... Qi sensation!"8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ52678DOJ9q
A spark of joy ignited in Lu Sheng’s chest.
After so many days of relentless training and growing doubt, he had finally felt it. He had begun to wonder if the Black Fiend Art was even a true internal technique. Now, with this first flicker of Qi, it felt like a heavy stone had fallen from his heart.
"While the Qi is still present, I have to build on it immediately!"
Without wasting another moment, Lu Sheng struck while the iron was hot.
"Deep blue," he called silently in his mind.
The familiar blue modifier panel appeared before him.
He tapped the Modify button.
In an instant, the interface changed. This time, under the list of martial arts, a new entry had appeared:
Black Fiend Art: Uninitiated.
Though it was just a few simple words, Lu Sheng’s heart surged with excitement. The Black Fiend Art had finally registered as a cultivable skill. With no better method for growth, this technique was now his greatest hope.
Without it, he had no way to defend himself against the mounting unknowns and dangers outside.
"Modify Black Fiend Art—upgrade it by one level!"
As soon as the thought formed, the words Uninitiated transformed before his eyes into:
Initiated.
Boom!
At that very moment, Lu Sheng felt his internal organs ignite. A powerful surge of heat erupted from within, coursing through dozens of meridians all at once.
The flow of energy was scorching, like a river of fire pouring through his body.
He stood rooted in place. His face flushed crimson, his skin turned the color of boiled shrimp. Beads of sweat burst from every pore and quickly evaporated into white steam, drifting upward like mist from a boiling pot.
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