"Rise. Lord Zhu no longer adheres to such customs, so refrain from these grand formalities in the future. Now that your Spiritual Intelligence has heightened, manage the estate well. Although I’ve never heard of a Paper Man achieving greatness, that’s likely because I was young and lacked experience then. To my knowledge, in all of Divine Land, any being that develops Spiritual Intelligence has the chance to achieve enlightennt. Even a mountain has the opportunity to develop Spiritual Intelligence, but it chose the Evil Path and, after its Spiritual Intelligence erged, never sought to follow the righteous way. You are different. Since I have enlightened you, I hope you will walk the path of righteousness."
"Thank you, Sir." The Paper Man Butler did not rise but perford a grand gesture of respect in a asured manner. For the Paper Man, being enlightened was an imnse favor akin to that of one’s own parents, and he had to express his gratitude. "If I may be so bold, Sir, please grant a surna."
"Don’t you want a given na?"
"If I were granted a full na, I fear it might bring you trouble in the future, Sir. Besides, Lord Zhu treats us very well. This matter must be reported to Lord Zhu; only after he decides can I have a na."
"That makes sense; you are very considerate. Since that’s the case, and without Lord Zhu’s permission, you’ll be called Steward for now. I’ll send a ssage to Lord Zhu later, and we’ll see what he says."
Wen Yan quite liked this Steward. Despite being enlightened, he still rembered Lord Zhu and wasn’t carried away—that was good.
Wen Yan took note of this matter, planning to inform Lord Zhu the next ti he could send a ssage back.
Lord Zhu might not have the best temper, but he must treat his subordinates well, as even a Paper Man rembered his kindness. The ssage from the Grave Walker had also been intended for Lord Zhu. It was clear to him that these people truly respected Lord Zhu, not rely out of a sense of hierarchy. This was quite good.
Wen Yan enjoyed a hot bowl of noodles, the sour soup style typical of Guanzhong County. Eating a bowl after drinking made one feel much more comfortable; it also stimulated the appetite and aided digestion.
After eating, Wen Yan returned to his room and had a nice, long sleep. When he awoke, he practiced boxing in the courtyard to move his body. Indeed, he was substantially weaker than before. After all, he had started practicing boxing less than two months ago. Missing seven days of practice, especially days of such rapid progression, probably amounted to at least a fifteen percent reduction in strength.
After finishing his boxing practice, Wen Yan rested for a while. Once his vital energy and spirit had stabilized, and his mind was calm, he took a chair and sat in front of the Black Mountain Stone Sculpture. He perford a Blessing on himself with Yang Energy, focusing particularly on strengthening his mouth and tongue, and then began reciting the Transcendence Scriptures.
Gradually, streams of yin evil energy erged from the Black Mountain Stone Sculpture. A Nether Soul with a ghastly appearance and eyes full of malice flew out. The yin evil energy around the Nether Soul dissipated, and its deathly aspect gradually faded, returning to a normal appearance. The Nether Soul bowed to Wen Yan and then turned into a wisp of light, disappearing without a trace.
As Wen Yan sat with his eyes slightly lowered, quietly concentrating and chanting the scriptures for their transcendence, one Nether Soul after another flew out and vanished.
By the ti the entire scripture was recited, gentle Yang Energy ebbed and flowed, rolling up a great amount of yin evil energy and evaporating it into the air.
When Wen Yan opened his eyes, he saw a black pill had appeared on top of the Black Mountain Stone Sculpture.
This must be the Mountain Essence ntioned in the hint, but it probably doesn’t refer to an herb, nor the essence of a mountain demon—it must be sothing different.
He picked up the newly condensed Mountain Essence and saw a thin black stone chip beneath it. Extending his hand to touch the black stone chip, his vision suddenly transford.
In a desolate forest filled with a chilly air, a troop of horsen charged along a dirt road in a valley. On the other side, among nurous bodies, stood a brawny man soaked in blood, two arrows embedded in him. He held a nicked broadsword and roared fiercely, "Sun Sanjiu from Yao State is here! Who dares to et their death!"
The opposing cavalry charged. Sun Sanjiu, gripping his sword with both hands, surged forward. With a rolling slash, he severed a horse’s legs; with a backhand strike, he split open half of a rider’s neck. He roared loudly, and as a cavalryman lunged with a spear, Sun Sanjiu caught the weapon, yanking the rider down and hurling him at the other enemies. Single-handedly, with just his sword, he slaughtered a troop of cavalryn. Steam rose from his body as the blood from his chest mingled with the blood at his feet, forming small streams.
It wasn’t until the infantry advanced that, after slaying a dozen more n, he finally exhausted his strength and was killed by a barrage of spears.
The scene ended quickly, but a few final words were faintly audible: "A humble Combat Technique, I hope it ets your approval, Sir."
Wen Yan felt as if soone were battling within his mind, understanding how to mobilize the body’s power, how to stimulate Yang Energy, achieve a burst of strength, and twist Qi and physical power into a single force. This was what Sun Sanjiu had comprehended in his last desperate fight to the death, pushing his potential to its absolute limit. Unfortunately, by the ti he had this realization, it was too late to change his fate. Severely injured, he fought until his strength was utterly depleted and he died. The insights he gained were never passed on. Afterwards, his soul, body, and blood, like those of the soldiers on the battlefield, were consud by the Mountain’s Demon, leaving him unable to find release until today. Now, in gratitude for Wen Yan’s deliverance, he had left these insights behind as a persistent will, conferring them directly to Wen Yan as a gift of thanks.
Yao State... that seems to be where dicine King Mountain is located, isn’t it? Could this be soone from the Sun Family? Did they produce such a formidable figure in the past?
Wen Yan wasn’t sure and decided it would be sothing to investigate upon his return.
Too many things in history are unrecorded and lost. It was likely that no matter how much one searched, at best, one would find only a re ntion that a certain group was temporarily located there. More detailed accounts were probably impossible to uncover.
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