Chapter 115: You Picked Her Up Again

Creating your own martial arts technique is difficult.

To create a technique that ignores talent and physique is even more challenging.

Xu Xi has no other martial arts to reference, no knowledgeable people to assist him. He can only rely on himself and a few techniques he brought from the real world.

Training.

Practicing.

Training again, practicing again.

Xu Xi’s life is monotonous and dull. In a courtyard with only himself, he silently throws punches and stands in stances.

Only the scorching sun, the pale floor tiles, and the big tree in the yard witness his daily routine and the countless drops of sweat.

“Time is running out…”

After who knows how long.

The figure continuously throwing punches finally stops, letting out a long sigh.

From last winter to this summer, the “Nourishing Origin Technique” has undergone several transformations, but none of them are what Xu Xi desires.

A technique that ignores talent and physique.

Can it really be created by human effort?

Xu Xi knows that deducing such a technique is highly difficult, but he refuses to give up. He doesn’t want to watch the familiar, lively faces fade away.

…

[Your heart warns you]

[A martial artist’s intuition hints at future calamities]

[The next winter’s demon tide will be even larger, with demons of your level or stronger appearing, beings that the residents of Qingniu Town cannot withstand]

[You reduce some of your punching practice time, dedicating more time to deducing the technique]

[You are surprised. Reducing your martial practice time hasn’t slowed your strength growth. In fact, your blood flow seems even faster]

[This is because your entire being is committed to your path]

[When deducing the “Nourishing Origin Technique,” your martial belief is firmer than ever]

[You smile, taking another bite of the bitter and astringent vegetable bun, burying your head in the increasingly tattered “Nourishing Origin Technique,” pondering where it can be improved]

…

[Long hours of training and practicing have become your daily life, but occasionally, you also step out]

[Sometimes heading to the Ten Thousand Mountains to slay demons and temper yourself, sharing the excess flesh with the townsfolk]

[Sometimes standing high, overlooking the much calmer Qingniu Town, reminiscing about those who are no longer here]

[Outsiders arrive]

[They are in a hurry, searching for fugitives like last year]

[This time, the officials search meticulously, not just asking questions but entering every household to inspect]

[Naturally, they find nothing]

[Ignoring the slightly dilapidated Qingniu Town, ignoring the town with half its population gone, the officials quickly leave, fearing that staying too long might lead to a demon attack]

[They ride away on their Azure Scale Horses, and you, an Innate Martial Artist, silently follow behind]

[You watch them enter several more villages, also finding nothing, before cursing and returning to the checkpoint]

[Faintly, you catch words like “disgusting” and “swine”]

[You gaze at the dark mass of troops guarding the checkpoint]

[You gaze at the tall walls that defend against both demons and people]

[The burning heartfire, the flowing blood, grows even hotter in silence]

…

When Xu Xi returns to Qingniu Town.

The sky darkens.

A drizzle falls.

Raindrops strike the blackened walls, a mixture of human and demon blood that over time has formed stubborn stains.

No one thinks of cleaning them, for a future that may never come.

Gradually, the rain intensifies.

Xu Xi strolls through the pouring rain, Gang Qi emanating from his body, forming an invisible shield against the rain, walking all the way home.

“Last time’s idea might need some tweaking.”

“The ‘Nourishing Origin Technique’ isn’t of high quality, but that’s precisely why it’s suitable for improvement.”

“Only with a low threshold can it ensure everyone can learn it.”

Xu Xi ponders as he walks.

He wants to complete the improvement of the “Nourishing Origin Technique” before winter arrives, despite the immense difficulty and effort required.

“Creak—”

Pushing open the heavy reddish-brown wooden door, Xu Xi enters his home.

He pauses slightly.

In the empty, clean courtyard, he sees the muddy ground being washed by the heavy rain, the mud mixed with blood, gradually cleansed by the rain, revealing a figure that Xu Xi isn’t the least bit surprised to see.

“Sorry, sir…”

The girl, in a pitiful state, coughs up blood with a bitter smile: “This time, I might not be able to pay you.”

“It’s fine, I’m a kind-hearted person.”

Xu Xi shakes his head, stepping forward to help up the immobile Wu Yingxue: “You can pay me back in installments later.”

The girl is stunned, seemingly wanting to say something.

But her severe injuries cause her to faint directly.

“Such heavy injuries, did you fight an Innate Martial Artist?” Xu Xi glances at the girl’s wounds, using Gang Qi to stop the bleeding, and carries her into the house.

Treating the wounds, unblocking the blood flow, and simple bandaging.

After doing all this, Xu Xi waits for Wu Yingxue to wake up.

“Over the years, I’ve never heard any news of this child in the borderlands. She must have truly returned to the Thirteen Provinces of the Great Qian Dynasty.”

“Is there a special passageway that bypasses the checkpoint guards?”

“I can ask her later.”

“If we really can’t hold out this winter, we can let everyone leave the borderlands, so they don’t die in Qingniu Town.”

Xu Xi’s gaze lowers, holding the girl’s Dragon-Patterned Long Spear.

Bringing it before him.

Examining the wear on the spearhead.

And the various nicks and gaps along the shaft.

Besides being interested in how the girl entered and left the borderlands, Xu Xi is also curious about her experiences during her absence.

He wonders what she went through to attract the officials’ search again, and this time, the search was more thorough and meticulous.

“Thankfully, the borderlands are complex, otherwise, this child wouldn’t have had the chance to return.”

Drip—

Drip—

The heavy rain outside continues to pour.

The pitter-patter of the rain is like a tight performance, rapidly striking everything.

Xu Xi practices the “Nourishing Origin Technique” while waiting for Wu Yingxue to wake up, and this wait lasts until night.

The rain stops, the moon dims.

The severely injured 17-year-old girl slowly wakes up.

“Thank you, Mr. Xu…” She lies on the bed, her gaze blankly fixed on the ceiling, devoid of her previous alertness and liveliness, silent and soundless.

Xu Xi is familiar with such a gaze; he has seen it on other girls before.

“Can you tell me what happened?”

Xu Xi asks.

…

[You’ve picked up the injured princess again]

[This time, her injuries are more severe, her appearance more pitiful, and even the sturdy Dragon-Patterned Long Spear shows multiple signs of unusual wear]

[You guess the girl faced enemies beyond the Innate level]

[You ask the awakened girl for the truth]

[She remains silent for a long time, tears streaming down her cheeks, her voice hoarse and dry, saying her parents are dead]