The Teacher

For the rest of the day, Li Hao did nothing but ask questions and listen. Aside from catching a glimpse of Liu Long that morning, he hadn't seen the man at all. The captain was likely off making preparations. Nor did the Law Enforcement Team officially transfer Li Hao over. Probably out of fear of alerting the enemy, no transfer paperwork had been processed. Apart from the members of the Demon Hunting Squad, only Wang Jie in the Confidential Records Office knew what was happening. …… Six in the evening. It was time to get off work. Li Hao packed his things, keeping the Vortex III strapped to his body. Though Liu Yan had offered him his pick of weapons, Li Hao held off on choosing any for the moment. The more powerful a weapon, the more cumbersome it was to carry. Grenades, on the other hand, were fair game. Li Hao took several. They weren't very large and could easily be tucked into his pockets—provided they didn't go off inside them. He glanced at the sky. It was clear and bright. It probably wouldn't rain tonight. *The Demon Hunting Squad...* Li Hao straddled his bicycle and glanced back at the Inspectorate, then looked toward the distant Law Enforcement building. He felt as though a pair of eyes—or perhaps several pairs—were watching him. Liu Long? Were they already watching him right now? Had the bait operation actually already begun? *I can't completely distrust Liu Long, but I can't trust him completely, either!* Li Hao had his own standards of judgment. He wasn't close with Liu Long; there was no way they would become bosom friends upon first meeting. If Liu Long stood on the side of justice, he might not go out of his way to harm Li Hao. But if Li Hao were truly killed by the red shadow, so be it! To sacrifice Li Hao in exchange for taking down a supernatural, Liu Long wouldn't even bat an eye. Even his teacher would have nothing to say! As long as Liu Long didn't kill him with his own hands, his teacher couldn't protest. Li Hao judged that the reason Liu Long hadn't pressed him about the saber and sword was probably related to his teacher as well. The title of Law Enforcement captain still constrained Liu Long. After all, he was not part of the evil faction. He was an Inspectorate man, with the Night Watchers watching over his shoulder. *Even though Teacher didn't do anything, he... vaguely saved me anyway.* Li Hao knew very well that without a titan like Yuan Shuo behind him, Liu Long would have questioned him about the saber and sword, even if he didn't kill him. Liu Long might even have forced him to surrender them under the pretense of using them as evidence or bait. Yet now, the man feigned ignorance, clearly wary of Yuan Shuo. *It still comes down to my own weakness!* A creak sounded. Li Hao pedaled his bicycle. He didn't know if the red shadow's faction was watching him, nor did he know if Liu Long and the others were trailing behind. If those people deliberately stayed out of sight, it would be almost impossible for him to spot them. *Only self-reliance can save me!* Li Hao thought silently. Even toward Liu Yan, who had treated him with great warmth, Li Hao didn't dare lower his guard. In real danger, she might not necessarily save his life. *I just hope that before they make their move, I can grow a little stronger!* Previously, Li Hao had hesitated to drink too much sword-infused water—partly because his body digested it slowly, and partly because he worried about exhausting all the mysterious energy inside the jade sword. By now, however, Li Hao realized that if he died, having all the mysterious energy in the world would be useless. So he needed to steep more, and drink more! Not only that, Li Hao even considered whether he should break the jade sword to release more mysterious energy. At this point, he no longer cared whether it was a family heirloom. And if the jade sword didn't work, didn't he still have the stone saber at home? …… The bicycle rolled forward at an unhurried pace. Li Hao kept his eyes fixed ahead, paying no attention to his surroundings. Soon, he arrived at Qiming Residential District. Building Six, Apartment 302. Before he even reached the door, Black Panther darted out from a corner like a shadow, moving noticeably faster than before. "Woof!" Black Panther wagged its tail as if reporting that everything had been safe today. After Li Hao had left, no one seemed to have paid any attention to his residence, nor had anyone come to snoop around. Li Hao took a look at Black Panther, who appeared slightly larger than yesterday, and gently patted its head. He pushed the door open and stepped inside. Li Hao shed his outer clothes and turned on the light. The room remained dark, as the curtains were drawn tight. Sitting on the sofa, Li Hao reflected on everything that had transpired over the past two days. It had all unfolded too fast! He had hardly had time to digest it all, let alone piece together the scattered clues into a clear picture. *The Demon Hunting Squad, the red shadow faction, the Night Watchers, the Eight Great Families...* *And I might be the sole survivor representing the Eight Great Families!* *The red shadow's target is me. The Demon Hunting Squad's target is the supernatural behind the red shadow. The Night Watchers are tied down and might not come, but with Teacher preparing to depart soon, someone from their side might have arrived as well!* *Was the red shadow I encountered last night, along with the entity behind it, their entire force—or just one of them?* Just how many supernaturals were here? Li Hao had no idea! Yet he guessed there was probably more than one. The one from last night was very likely a scout, not their entire group. *Has Liu Long considered this? If there isn't just one supernatural, but two, three, or even four, can the Demon Hunting Squad still handle it?* Li Hao lightly tapped his fingers on the table. Though the Demon Hunting Squad had offered him some support, they still failed to give him a true sense of security. A tangled web of threads! Yet right now, no one could offer him help. A moment later, a figure crossed his mind. Li Hao wrestled with the idea for an instant before pulling out his communicator. He needed his teacher's help—not necessarily physical aid, but even a few comforting words would suffice. …… Silver City Ancient Academy. Yuan Shuo was in the courtyard practicing an exceedingly ugly routine. Calling it a fist art wasn't even accurate; it looked more like an old hen flapping its wings. Yet this was no chicken fist—it was the Bird Art! One branch of the Five Animals Art. Tiger, deer, bear, ape, bird. The Ape Art was agile and suited for evasion, and the Bird Art was similarly nimble, though even better suited for escape. Of course, every branch of the Five Animals Art was fundamentally a killing technique! Both the Ape Art and the Bird Art possessed their own methods of slaughter. It was simply that Li Hao hadn't delved deeply into them and hadn't mastered their principles, treating the Ape Art purely as an escape maneuver. *Hum!* Yuan Shuo moved slowly, seemingly exerting no effort at all. His movements resembled an old hen fluttering about, devoid of grace, yet explosive cracks ripped through the air within the courtyard. A Hundred-Breaker martial master! Once one of the pinnacle figures in the martial arts realm. Only now, with advancing age and declining physical strength, coupled with the emergence of supernaturals and the proliferation of firearms, his generation had gradually faded from the martial scene. In the eyes of outsiders, he was merely a scholar—a top authority in ancient civilizations. *Ring, ring, ring!* A burst of ringing pulled Yuan Shuo out of his movements. He glanced toward the communicator resting to the side, stepped over, and answered. "Did you go to the Law Enforcement Team?" "Yes." Yuan Shuo wasn't surprised. Since his final disciple had said he would go, he certainly wouldn't waver. As if knowing what Li Hao sought by calling, Yuan Shuo chuckled. "Lost your confidence? Did Liu Long try to knock you down a peg today? Feeling useless, like you can't survive out in the world?" "A little." Li Hao didn't deny it. He asked softly, "Teacher, with supernaturals appearing, do you think there's still a future in studying scholarship?" Having witnessed the terrifying martial prowess of those people, Li Hao wondered if scholarship still held any prospects. Would this world belong entirely to supernaturals from now on? Could ordinary people like them continue to live and work in peace as before? "Pure scholarship naturally has no future! But pure brutes have even less of one!" Yuan Shuo spoke with absolute conviction. "I have never heard of pure martial dominance being able to rule everything! Human intellect is the key to unifying the world and becoming its master! When a martial artist studies scholarship, he gets half the result with twice the effort! But when a scholar studies martial arts, he gets twice the result with half the effort! Don't think your previous years were wasted. They weren't. They were merely laying the foundation. Even if you truly enter the supernatural realm, you will find that intellect and knowledge are priceless treasures that will make your path far smoother!" A student's confusion required his guidance. To impart the Dao, teach skills, and resolve doubts! It was entirely normal for Li Hao to doubt himself upon his first encounter with supernaturals, but his conviction could not be shaken right now. "Back then, before supernaturals emerged, I wouldn't claim to have swept across the world in martial might, but I was still among the handful standing at the very peak. Yet what made my name wasn't my fighting ability—it was my research achievements in ancient civilizations! That was what made me famous throughout the realm! "Later, firearms developed rapidly. In our generation, those who relied solely on martial arts came to no good end. The more famous they were, the faster they died! Yet I have survived to this day, and even now, I am an honored guest in the eyes of supernaturals... Though I face certain restrictions, I still thrive effortlessly. "Supernaturals are strong right now, but that doesn't mean no one can restrain or punish them..." Yuan Shuo talked at length, while Li Hao listened quietly. Gradually, his mood brightened. After speaking for a while, Yuan Shuo laughed heartily. "Don't fret too much over the Law Enforcement Team. If real trouble comes, Liu Long and his bunch might not even be able to handle it. What I said before still stands—you can always come to my place to weather the storm." Li Hao thought for a moment. "Teacher, do the Night Watchers know about the situation in Silver City?" "Hard to say. They might know, but even if they do, they won't necessarily show up right away. Liu Long and his people are just cannon fodder and pathfinders!" Yuan Shuo laid it bare in bloody detail, describing the Demon Hunting Squad's true position in a way that sent a chill to the bone. "The Night Watchers are few in number. Every single supernatural is a treasure that cannot be squandered lightly! With the situation in Silver City unclear, they let cannon fodder like Liu Long test the waters. If Liu Long and his crew handle it smoothly, everyone is happy! If they can't, the Night Watchers will still gain a general read on the situation. Knowing themselves and their enemy, they will know what level of strength is needed to deal with Silver City's trouble. That is why the Night Watchers rarely appear." They preserved their aura of mystery, keeping outsiders in the dark. Peripheral organizations like Liu Long's were expendable stepping stones. If they died, it was no great loss. If they managed to kill a supernatural, advance their own strength, and then join the Night Watchers, they would only reinforce the organization. That was the essence of the dark cloud hanging over Silver City! Yuan Shuo had seen through it long ago. Li Hao exhaled softly. *How brutally practical!* His teacher's words cleared some of the fog, making him understand that the Demon Hunting Squad was unlikely to be disconnected from the Night Watchers. Perhaps... Liu Long was himself a peripheral member of the Night Watchers? It wasn't out of the question! Just then, Yuan Shuo suddenly said, "Don't overthink it. Since you're unwilling to come here, I won't force you! Now that you understand the situation a bit, let me brief you on a few things so you have as much ability to protect yourself as possible." What? Li Hao had assumed his teacher was about to gift him some treasure, but that wasn't it. The next moment, Yuan Shuo switched to speaking in a cipher—a specialized method of communication between Yuan Shuo and his students. For a grandmaster like Yuan Shuo, devising a unique code was second nature. "The Li family sword, the Zhang family saber... In the past, the families and supernatural items mentioned in those ballads were treated as mere jokes, but now, that may no longer be the case!" Li Hao was startled, but quickly regained his composure. If Liu Long could deduce it, his teacher certainly could. In Li Hao's eyes, his teacher was perhaps the smartest and wisest person he had ever met. "Possessing these things is both a blessing and a curse! "Zhang Yuan's death is likely tied to this. Clearly, you've been targeted by supernaturals, and their objective is probably these relics. As for the ballads about the Eight Great Families, they have circulated for countless years. Even I have heard them, yet no one knows when they first originated, and there are no written records—they were simply passed down by word of mouth through the generations... According to my research, they may be linked to ancient civilizations. As my student, you know something about ancient civilizations yourself. The *New Book of Five Animals* was actually discovered in ruins from an ancient civilization; I merely adapted it later on." Li Hao remained silent, listening intently. Yuan Shuo continued, "The treasures in those ballads often share a single characteristic: outsiders cannot use them. Zhang Yuan was incinerated, likely because the enemy wanted to extract his bloodline, soul, or spiritual essence in order to wield the Zhang family saber! "As for the time gaps between the killings, I've made some deductions. Most likely, their supernatural means are limited. Each time they use that incineration method to extract bloodline and soul, it probably forces the technique into a dormant state! "However, the enemy is clearly growing stronger—or rather, the dormant period is shortening!" Li Hao nodded repeatedly, even though Yuan Shuo couldn't see him. At this moment, Li Hao was filled with boundless admiration. His teacher had known nothing prior to this; he had likely only seen the case files yesterday, yet had already deduced so much today. Li Hao couldn't help but be thoroughly impressed. Of course, it was also thanks to his teacher's vast breadth of knowledge. "Another point: the culprit strikes exclusively on rainy days. That suggests this ability might only function during rain. What they want isn't simply to murder, but to harvest and extract something from you after death." Yuan Shuo paused for a moment before continuing, "Do not underestimate the mastermind behind this case. Consider this: if the first victim belonged to the Zheng family, that means the culprit has existed for at least fifteen years! "And supernaturals only emerged about twenty years ago. If the culprit was already a supernatural from the start, do you realize what that means? They are a veteran among supernaturals, not a novice who just recently drew energy into their body!" Yuan Shuo added, "Of course, it might not be the work of a single person. The original supernatural might have departed, leaving an organization member or apprentice behind to keep watch. After all, a powerful figure wouldn't linger in Silver City indefinitely." Li Hao took another deep breath. He had considered this possibility, but never in such meticulous detail. Had Liu Long considered it? "You might not be able to use the Zhang family saber! But you can definitely use the Li family sword! The reason it couldn't be used in the past was likely that supernaturals hadn't emerged. Supernatural power... must have existed during the ancient civilizations. Right now, it is merely reviving, not appearing out of nowhere. If you are truly a descendant of the Li family referenced in the ballad, and if you possess the sword, you can find a way to activate it." "Activate it?" Li Hao finally spoke. The Li family sword was a secret, but also not a secret; anyone who had heard the ballad might suspect its existence, though no one had ever seen it. Did boiling it in hot water count as activating it? "Yes, activate it! It has been sealed for so many years—how could it be wielded so easily? I know many methods of activation, but they are all too difficult for you. The simplest way is to bind it through blood... provided the sword truly belongs to your family and wasn't stolen." Li Hao gave a bitter laugh. "Teacher, that doesn't work!" He had already tried dripping blood on it! "Nonsense! Splattering a single drop of blood obviously won't work. Do you think binding an item through blood is as simple as mindlessly dripping a drop onto it?" "..." *Wasn't it?* Li Hao was speechless. Yuan Shuo continued, "Not just any blood will do, especially for a descendant separated by who knows how many generations. Your bloodline has long since diluted. For you, only two types of blood might unseal it. The first is heart's blood... I don't recommend this, as the harm to your body is severe. But if your life is in imminent danger and you're on the brink of death, you can plunge the sword into your chest—just don't stab so deep that you kill yourself!" "..." Li Hao felt awkward. That was certainly a blunt way to put it. And genuinely dangerous! "Second, diligently cultivate the Five Animals Art to strengthen your constitution and elevate your bloodline. If you can reach my level, a single drop of blood might be enough to unseal it!" Li Hao's heart stirred. *Hundred-Breaker?* *But I don't have that kind of time!* He thought for a moment and asked, "Teacher, do supernatural items contain mysterious energy?" "Some do, some don't. It depends." Yuan Shuo answered quickly, "If yours has any, you can try absorbing a little. It might not do much, though!" Li Hao froze. *Not much?* He had pinned all his hopes on it! "Teacher, didn't people say that drawing energy into the body is all it takes to become a supernatural?" "What are you dreaming about! It's not that simple!" Yuan Shuo considered his words. "Of course, I don't know the exact details of your situation. Let me just tell you what I understand. Some supernatural items do possess a bit of mysterious energy, but it's usually very faint. If you know how to absorb it, it might help strengthen your physique, but its usefulness isn't as great as you imagine. Relying on it to advance to a supernatural is practically impossible!" A flicker of disappointment appeared in Li Hao's eyes. *No hope?* "Of course, it's hard to say for sure. After all, our research on supernaturals is still limited, and they haven't been around long enough for us to have concrete precedents." At this point, Yuan Shuo went on, "That brings me to the crucial point. Since you probably really have that thing, I'll teach you a breathing technique today that isn't recorded in the *New Book of Five Animals*!" "A breathing technique?" "Yes. It's more comprehensive than an ordinary breathing method. I developed it over many years by collating and reorganizing numerous ancient texts. "Because you, boy, have no idea how to siphon mysterious energy!" Yuan Shuo chuckled. "You had never encountered supernaturals before, so teaching it to you earlier would have been useless! Even if you hadn't called me today, I would have sought you out to pass on the new Five Animals Breathing Art specifically for siphoning mysterious energy. In ordinary daily life, we can hardly absorb any mysterious energy at all. But you're different—you might have already come into contact with it. This is your opportunity!" "Teacher, can you siphon..." "Me?" Yuan Shuo chuckled. "You want to share it with me? Forget it. A single supernatural item doesn't contain that much mysterious energy; to me, it would be a drop in the ocean! Let me put it this way: the stronger a person is, the harder it is to advance to a supernatural! Our transformation is much harder than an ordinary person's! Liu Long actually had a great chance of advancing directly, but his martial cultivation is quite high, which makes his advancement exceptionally difficult! If you had zero martial foundation, it would actually be easier... Though, of course, after becoming a Starlight Master, you'd also be weaker." Li Hao felt a sudden surge of clarity! *So that's how it is!* "So, a tiny bit of mysterious energy is a good thing for you, but for me... practically useless! In fact, it might not even be entirely good for you. If you siphon mysterious energy without managing to become a supernatural, your martial foundation will grow increasingly solid. Over time, it will only become harder for you to advance." "I don't care about that!" Li Hao didn't mind. He was only curious about one thing. "Teacher, do you mean that the deeper one's martial foundation, the stronger they will be upon advancing?" "Nonsense! Take me, for example. As a Hundred-Breaker martial master, if I advanced only to end up on the same level as the weakest Starlight Master, why would I even bother? If the weakest Starlight Master actually showed up, it's hard to say who would beat whom to death!" Without lingering on his own matters, Yuan Shuo spoke with stern authority. "Alright, stop asking pointless questions! And don't worry about me. You're too weak; worrying won't do any good! Listen closely. I'm going to teach you the Five Animals Breathing Art, but mark my words: you are not permitted to teach it to anyone else. Not a single soul! Your teacher's lifelong efforts are distilled in this. Supernatural abilities have only been developing for twenty years; whatever the Night Watchers and their ilk have cobbled together might not even match mine! "This is the power of knowledge. What do those bastards know about supernaturals? I may not be a supernatural myself, but I knew of their existence earlier than any of them. As early as forty years ago, I read about them in ancient books..." After bragging about himself for a bit, Yuan Shuo cut the idle chatter and began recounting his Five Animals Breathing Art. Li Hao listened with rapt attention. It seemed remarkably simple! Though his teacher had praised it to high heaven, Li Hao merely felt it was slightly more advanced than ordinary breathing methods. As for how much more advanced, he couldn't quite tell. What Li Hao didn't know was that Yuan Shuo, as one of the earliest to learn of supernaturals and study their ancient origins, had dedicated decades to this research. It incorporated not only his personal insights, but also a vast array of ancient supernatural systems. The Five Animals Breathing Art might sound simple, but it was perhaps the most potent absorption technique in the entire supernatural realm. As Li Hao listened, he began adjusting his breathing accordingly. The breathing technique involved more than just respiratory rhythms; it also incorporated specific physical adjustments. At this moment, Li Hao lay like a giant frog, belly facing up, the five centers of his body pointed toward the sky in an utterly ridiculous posture. Meanwhile, the Starry Sky Sword hanging around Li Hao's neck—which had previously shown no reaction unless steeped in boiling water—suddenly flickered with starlight. The next instant, a dense surge of mysterious energy poured straight into Li Hao's body. Normally, this mysterious energy would have rapidly leaked away. Now, however, every pore on Li Hao's body seemed to breathe, swallowing the massive surge of mysterious energy into his flesh. Countless pores absorbed the mysterious energy! It was unimaginably fast, and unimaginably abundant! On the other end of the line, Yuan Shuo finished his explanation. Sensing no response from Li Hao, he shook his head. "Young people—so impatient. Practicing while listening?" On second thought, the boy had probably already siphoned some mysterious energy. Yuan Shuo smiled, hung up the communicator, and shook his head with a chuckle. "Still too young. Seems sharp on the surface, but foolish underneath! Going silent the moment he started practicing—clearly, he's absorbing mysterious energy. In that case, is the Li family sword right beside him, or on his person?" *If it were beside him, it'd be too conspicuous... So it's on his body?* Yuan Shuo pondered for a moment, then looked surprised. *Clever rascal, that Li family sword is certainly something! I thought it would be a full-sized sword, but turns out it's that little jade pendant?* If Li Hao were present, his scalp would have prickled with chills! Recalling the jade pendant Li Hao used to wear, Yuan Shuo shook his head again with a wry laugh. "Impressive. That sword must be extraordinary! I never sensed anything unusual about it, and it's so small... If I hadn't seen it myself, even I wouldn't have guessed it was the Li family sword! "I've passed the Five Animals Breathing Art to the kid. Who knows how much he'll gain from it... Sealed for so many years, that sword might not hold much mysterious energy anyway. If he's lucky, he might awaken supernaturally. If not, after absorbing it, even if he doesn't reach Ten-Slayer, reaching a level capable of slaying five or six shouldn't be out of the question, right?" Yuan Shuo made an estimate based on his own experience, yet still felt uneasy. This matter was not simple. A supernatural who had emerged fifteen years ago, even without any progress in all that time, would at least be on par with a Hundred-Breaker—definitely not someone ordinary people could handle. They might even have surpassed Hundred-Breaker and reached the Thousand-Battler stage of martial arts! If that were the case, firearms would be virtually useless. Weapons powerful enough to kill such a foe would end up killing the wielder first. …… While Yuan Shuo was lost in thought, Li Hao continued siphoning mysterious energy. So much! It was vastly more potent than steeping the sword in boiling water. Li Hao's mind remained lucid. Lying faceup, he felt profound shock. His teacher's Five Animals Breathing Art was astonishing—it truly could absorb mysterious energy, and at an incredible speed. His constitution was undergoing a subtle transformation. At this moment, Li Hao could vaguely sense chain-like structures within his body sealing off the mysterious energy, preventing it from penetrating core areas like his heart and brain. *Supernatural locks?* Li Hao made a guess. Were these the supernatural locks Liu Yan had spoken of—the barriers separating the mortal from the supernatural? *Too much!* There was no time to ponder. Li Hao suddenly felt he had absorbed too much; his body felt ready to burst. This sensation carried more mysterious energy than drinking ten cups of the sword-infused water! "Practice martial arts!" Li Hao sprang up with a loud bang, smacking his head directly against the ceiling. Brilliant starlight radiated from his body! Beside him, Black Panther widened its canine eyes, constantly sticking out its tongue to lick at the air. Not only that, as if having experienced an epiphany, Black Panther suddenly rolled onto its back with all four paws pointed upward. The rhythm of its panting matched Li Hao's breathing technique to perfection. Li Hao hadn't hidden his cultivation of the Five Animals Breathing Art from the hound; he had never felt the need to hide anything from a dog. At this moment, the mysterious energy leaking from Li Hao's body ceased dispersing into the air and instead surged toward Black Panther. With all four paws pointing skyward and its breathing adjusted, each breath in and out radiated brilliant starlight! In the tiny room, a man leaped about like an ape. A dog lay like a human, paws in the air, swallowing and exhaling starlight. It was a truly eerie sight!