Chapter 3: Chapter 2: The End of Blood
After paying tribute to his body's temple, Qing Yu once again walked to the window where he had stood before dinner.
Qing Yu hadn't closed the window when he walked away. At this moment, the clear moonlight shone upon him, casting a long, slanted shadow on the ground behind him.
Qing Yu returned to his afternoon posture, looking out of the window, and quietly contemplated.
"The most important thing now is to figure out how to obtain the inheritance of these two freshly acquired Character Cards."
"This is not a simple matter. Although the characters represented by these two Character Cards can only be considered weaklings among villains, I am even less than a weakling."
Under the moonlight, Qing Yu's thoughts were far-flung.
Among the two Character Cards he presently had, 'Duke Lu Ding' Wei Xiaobao, the overlord of Yellow Hair Realm, was most famous not for his incredibly good luck and protagonist aura, but for his miraculous technique of 'hat-giving'. Compared to him, Ximen Qing wouldn't even be qualified to carry his shoes, as more than half of his wives were won over through underhanded means. Alongside his womanizing skills, his ability to escape was of equal renown. Wei Xiaobao led a life a hundred times more extravagant than Ximen Qing, and still managed to retire gracefully, all thanks to his powerful fleeing skills. Along with his luxurious equipment, a fight with Qing Yu, who might not even be stronger than Wei Xiaobao, was nothing but a walk in the park, filled with ease and pleasure.
The other one, the Dragon Knight, did have some force to his name, though the only noteworthy achievement in his life was when he travelled to the Desert as a young man to deliver a message and incidentally, gave the then world-renouned but simple-minded Guo Jing a good thrashing. Over the following twenty years, he lived like a dog, and by nearly forty years of age, he had only reached the Postnatal Fourth Realm. If it weren't for riding a dragon once, his fame wouldn't have surpassed that of Lu Duqing, who was once known for nothing more than eating, sleeping, and fighting Yang Guo.
"Oh system, it seems you really like to make it hard for me," Qing Yu complained to the system, unable to think of a solution.
"This is the path the host has chosen. The system bears no responsibility," the system replied with a hard tone.
"You mean to say that only the villainous path requires defeating and killing the predecessors to inherit, and the methods of the Righteous Sect are different?" Qing Yu keenly picked out the implied message in the system's words.
"Countless villains with varying characters and methods share one commonality: the strongest is always revered. The Righteous Sect, on the other hand, is the exact opposite. As long as one is upright and open-hearted, one is considered part of the Righteous Sect. Therefore, the method of inheritance for the Righteous Sect is to gain the recognition of the characters from the Righteous Sect Character Cards you draw."
"So, this inheritance system aims to create either the most honorable and righteous members of the Righteous Sect or the strongest villains?" pondered Qing Yu, "Wait, you mentioned recognition, so are you saying the characters drawn are not just thoughtless projections?"
"Yes, the same goes for the villainous path. What you will face are enemies with complete thoughts."
"Then, are my projections based on my current state?"
"Yes," the system confirmed.
"I see, I think I have an idea," Qing Yu's face broke into a confident smile, albeit with a hint of sleaziness.
The next day, Qing Yu got up early and began to bustle about the courtyard. When he left True Martial Dao, he didn't bring any secret martial arts manuals but took several medical books and Taoist Scriptures instead. While under house arrest at True Martial Dao, he had relieved his boredom by reading medical books and Taoist Scriptures. Despite being exiled, in name Qing Yu was still the nephew of the new Sect Leader, and since the books he took didn't contain any extraordinary martial arts secrets, the True Martial Dao's people tacitly allowed Qing Yu to take these books on his journey.
Qing Yu was also aware of his precarious situation. For these three years, he had lived without a sense of security, always fearing that one day someone might come knocking and snap away the life of this offender who had faded from public sight. Therefore, he would, according to his understanding of medicine, gather Medicinal Herbs in the mountains and make sedatives and poisons. Qing Yu knew that if someone really came for him, these concoctions would be of little use; making them was merely a way to comfort himself.
Wei Xiaobao didn't know a bit of Inner Strength; ordinary seductive smoke could knock him out. To prevent any accidents, Qing Yu still made a new batch of seductive smoke, increasing the dosage to guarantee it would have an immediate effect.
Soon, the enhanced seductive smoke was ready. Qing Yu examined the small bottle in his hand and smiled satisfactorily, "Very good. Now, there's just one more thing left, I need to make a trip down the mountain."
To be honest, Qing Yu feared being watched, so for three years, he hadn't left the mountain at all. If it weren't for his soliloquies and the books he read, he felt it would be amazing that he hadn't gone mad from his strong will. Although Qing Yu still felt very apprehensive about leaving the mountain, he had no choice but to bite the bullet; after finally seizing a chance to turn things around, he didn't want to spend his life on this mountain.
Qing Yu straightened his clothes, kept a normal expression, and stepped towards the foot of the mountain. All the way, he walked slowly, as if just out for some heart-clearing stroll.
Reaching the foot of the mountain, it seemed quiet; he continued along the path. It wasn't until the road ended and signatures of human life emerged that Qing Yu cautiously let out a breath, relieved that no one had come to stop him.
"Probably no one is watching anymore, or perhaps, I haven't exceeded their alert range," Qing Yu exhaled, "Phew, regardless, the priority is to get the item. As long as I can leave the mountain, even if I'm seen, they probably won't guess what I'm up to."
With that thought, Qing Yu saw the small town ahead and merged into the throng of people coming and going at the town's entrance.
Qingshui Town wasn't very large, but it was an obligatory passageway between Qing Province beside it and Ling Province, with many carts and traveling merchants passing through. Qing Province was located on the frontier of the Daqian Dynasty, with the Three San Miao Land just outside its borders. More than two hundred years ago, the Miao people from Three San Miao Land attempted to march on the Central Plains but were repelled by the Grand Ancestor of the Daqian Dynasty, who even annexed a piece of their territory, which is now known as Qing Province. Since Qing Province originally belonged to the Miao Territory and was not bordered by any other provinces, to enter Qing Province, one must go through Ling Province.
Recently incorporated into the Central Plains, residents of Qing Province are far fewer than those of other provinces, and its economy is incomparable. However, being adjacent to the Miao Territory and with its abundant forest resources, the fierce Miao people sometimes crossing the border could not deter Jianghu People from coming here to seek their fortune. These Jianghu people would sell their resources to traveling merchants, or entrust them to sell in other provinces. Thus, coming and going, the prosperity of Qingshui Town naturally rose.
Qing Yu went into Qingshui Town, asked a passerby for directions, and headed straight for the pharmacy. At the pharmacy, Qing Yu sold a Lingzhi mushroom he had randomly picked for a low price and obtained some silver taels, then went to a clothing store to buy some clothes and other items before heading back to the mountain. The clothing store sold more than just clothes, which saved Qing Yu some unnecessary steps.
Back at the Taoist Temple, Qing Yu opened the package to reveal a white set of women's clothing and a hairpin. Qing Yu suppressed his embarrassment, changed into the women's clothing, arranged his hair in a woman's style, and put on the hairpin.
Qing Yu looked himself over in the bronze mirror, turned around, and the skirt of the dress fluttered ethereally, satisfyingly nodding his head, "OK, preparation complete. System, select Wei Xiaobao, begin inheritance."
Wei Xiaobao was a man of lustful appetite, very wary of men, but when it came to beautiful women, he only thought about getting them into bed. Plus, with his strong curiosity, he was defenseless against a romantic encounter.
That's why Qing Yu chose to project himself on the ground.
In the Inheritance Space, the figure of Wei Xiaobao appeared, "Eh, where is this place?" Then, he saw a heavenly-looking lady collapsed on the ground. A man who sails through life without paddles like Lord Wei would never forget how to frolic until his dying day, decisively approached, "Miss, are you alright? I am Wei Xiaobao, uh-oh, fell for it."
Qing Yu was lying on the ground, covering his mouth and nose with a wet towel to keep out the seductive smoke that had been opened from the beginning, waiting silently, not getting up even after hearing the sound of someone collapsing.
Ten minutes later, when it was certain that Lord Wei had been taken in, Qing Yu quickly stood up, reached for his right leg, and felt for a handle. Finding it, Qing Yu smiled slightly, pulled out a dagger, and promptly delivered a slice to the dear neck of Lord Wei. The Mystic Iron dagger could cut through iron like mud and made a Clean Break; Wei Xiaobao, who led a life with countless silver taels, finally met the same fate as Brother Cheng.
Qing Yu's figure slowly vanished.
"Ding, congratulations, Host, on killing the One-star villain Wei Xiaobao and acquiring his items: Special Strong Lime Powder (no grade), golden silk vest (two-star), Mystic Iron dagger (two-star), Short Pistol (one-star) (with three Firearms bullets), Martial Arts Inheritance: 'Divine Transformation' (one-star), 'Beauty's Three Moves' (no grade), 'Hero's Three Techniques' (no grade)."
Chapter 4: Chapter 3: The Lament of the Dragon Knight
As the system spoke, a sense of martial arts enlightenment entered Qing Yu's mind, though it was quite superficial.
"System, what's going on? Does the inheritance come with martial arts enlightenment now? Also, does a one-star card come with a two-star item?" Qing Yu asked.
"Host, upon successfully obtaining the inheritance, you will gain the character's understanding of the learned martial arts. The star rating is based on the character's combat power, independent of the martial arts and item grades."
This turned out to be a good thing. With countless villains in the system, as Qing Yu defeated more in the future, he would acquire more and more martial arts. If he were to practice each one, there simply wouldn't be enough time. This inheritance solved a potential future problem. The related star evaluations even made Qing Yu's heart blossom with joy; there are many who are buried in the martial arts world, such as those from Zhuwu Lianlian Village in Yitian, whose mixed inheritance of the Five Extremes was truly unique.
Wei Xiaobao's understanding of martial arts was very superficial, and Qing Yu digested it in no time.
"Truly, a weakling with a combat power of less than 5. This Divine Transformation has been made into a Divine Hundred Crawls. Looks like I still need to practice hard myself. And then there's Beauty's Three Moves, all escaping techniques requiring specific poses—a pitfall. Hero's Three Techniques is even worse, purely something Sect Master Hong conjured up on the spot to tease Mrs. Hong, specifically to scratch a woman's itch. What use do I have for it?"
The martial arts provided by Duke Wei were currently of no use, but his lavish equipment was very suitable for a newbie like Qing Yu.
"Next, it's that Dragon Knight's turn," Qing Yu said, stroking his smooth chin.
Yin Zhiping was at the Postnatal Fourth Realm, a level Qing Yu was not yet familiar with. Yin Zhiping wasn't as lecherous as Lord Wei, but he was a maniac, a weakness that was even easier to exploit.
Qing Yu briefly straightened up, mostly fixing his slightly messy hair from lying on the ground, and commanded, "System, select Yin Zhiping, start the inheritance."
"One-star villain Yin Zhiping, beginning inheritance."
Following the system's prompt, Qing Yu's vision blurred and he reappeared in the Inheritance Space. A figure slowly materialized in front of Qing Yu, who hurriedly turned around and struck a pose without waiting to see the figure's face clearly.
Yin Zhiping opened his eyes and saw a white silhouette in front of him; his maniacal instincts immediately kicked in. He foolishly moved forward, extending his right hand to touch the figure before him, then quickly withdrew it as if he dared not defile the fairy descended from heaven. Hesitantly, he said, "Miss Long, is that you?"
'Miss Long' slowly turned around, and Yin Zhiping held his breath in excitement. Finally, 'Miss Long' revealed her true face—eyes one large and one small, mouth askew, left pinky picking her nose.
"It's me, yah," Qing Yu said in a strange voice.
Yin Zhiping was dumbfounded.
"Bang." Qing Yu pressed the trigger of the gun hidden in his right sleeve, hitting Yin Zhiping's left chest. Then, with his left hand, he pulled out the Mystic Iron dagger from his bosom and slashed across his throat.
"Heh...heh..." Yin Zhiping pointed at Qing Yu, trying excitedly to say something, but as his throat was cut, he could only silently spit out a mouthful of blood and fell gloomily to the ground.
Qing Yu raised his hand and blew away the lingering gun smoke from the barrel, laughing, "This act has removed the grievances of hundreds of millions, truly a boundlessly meritorious deed. Placed in the Immortal World, I'm afraid I could become a god on the spot."
"Ding, congratulations to the host for defeating and killing the one-star villain Yin Zhiping, obtaining the one-star martial arts inheritance Quanzhen Heart Method, one-star martial arts Quanzhen Swordsmanship, and one-star martial arts Golden Wild Goose Skill," the system's prompt timely rang out.
Another stream of memories flooded into Qing Yu's mind—initial learning of martial arts, diligent cultivation. Yin Zhiping's cultivation memories replayed continuously in Qing Yu's mind. Qing Yu closed his eyes, reminiscing repeatedly, "This cross-dressing trip was worth it, truly worth it. What can relieve my worries, only cross-dressing."
Opening his eyes, Qing Yu casually picked up a tree branch and began practicing Quanzhen Swordsmanship in the courtyard, from "Setting Sail" to "River and Mountain Dreams," with forty-nine moves in seven sword forms. Although there was no boost from Inner Strength, with Yin Zhiping's understanding of swordsmanship, he managed quite a decent performance.
After completing the entire "Quanzhen Swordsmanship," Qing Yu was drenched in sweat, but he shouted, "Thrilling, truly damn thrilling!" For four years, living in constant fear of sudden death, now that he saw a glimmer of hope, Qing Yu took the rare chance to vent.
"Next, I need to cultivate the 'Quanzhen Heart Method' and strive to reach the entry level soon. Huh? This memory isn't right! Yin Zhiping is in his forties, he must have been practicing martial arts for at least thirty years, why is his martial arts enlightenment so brief? System, what's going on?" Qing Yu asked in his mind.
"Martial Arts Inheritance only transmits memories related to martial arts. Yin Zhiping, in his early years, was playful and seldom practiced. Although he woke up in time, he then met Little Dragon Girl and afterward lost interest in martial arts."
"MDZZ, he deserves to be single for life, couldn't win anyone's heart, nor would he practice martial arts, couldn't even seize his own body. A disgrace to the villain community." Qing Yu felt unsatisfied with what he got; little did he know, without the Dragon Knight's lovesick nature, he wouldn't stand a chance even in women's clothing.
After cursing for a while, Qing Yu calmed down and returned to his room to cultivate the "Quanzhen Heart Method."
The "Quanzhen Heart Method" is Taoist martial arts, balanced and mild, very suitable for foundation building, and easy to get started with. Even someone with slow innate talent like Guo Jing could quickly enter under guidance; with related knowledge, Qing Yu found it even simpler.
Over the following month, Qing Yu stayed in the Taoist temple, didn't step out of the main gate or the secondary gate, and focused on cultivating the "Quanzhen Heart Method." Only the protagonist would start adventuring right after learning martial arts—famous villains usually left only after achieving expertise in martial arts; my goal is to be the "Ten Miles Slope Sword God." That's what Qing Yu thought, determined to cower till victory.
"ding, the new month has arrived. Would you like to start this month's Character Card draw?"
"A new month, another Character Card draw, I almost forgot." Qing Yu smacked his forehead as he thought.
"Let's begin."
"Starting the Character Card draw. Ding, congratulations to the host for drawing a one-star Character Card—Lin Pingzhi.
Name: Lin Pingzhi
Realm: Postnatal Sixth Realm
Item: Old No. 2 (Souvenir)
Martial Arts: 'Hua Mountain Heart Method,' 'Hua Mountain Swordsmanship,' 'Exorcism Swordsmanship'
Evaluation: Great luck, big profit, tonight we eat chicken, specifically, a child chicken!"
On the copper-colored card, there was an image of a young man with his eyes closed, delicate and handsome but with a touch of madness, wearing a bright red robe, the person looking rather flamboyant.
As always, an unreliable evaluation. Ignoring this capricious comment, Qing Yu asked, "Lin Pingzhi should be quite strong, right? How come he's only at the Postnatal Sixth Realm?"
"Realm does not equal combat strength. Lin Pingzhi is powerful for his 'Exorcism Swordsmanship,' not his inner power cultivation," the system briefly explained.
"That makes sense. Lin Pingzhi's martial talent really isn't that great." Qing Yu nodded. During the era of Swordsman, although martial arts seemed still flourishing, it had actually begun to decline. People in the worldly society relied more on techniques; Yue Lingshan could easily defeat the elder high expert of the Yu Generation from the Taishan Sect just by technique suppression. Ling Huchong, not using inner strength and merely relying on swordsmanship, could dominate the society—none with the ability to externalize their innate power.
"Such a drag." Qing Yu felt a headache coming on, "Although Lin Pingzhi is only at the Postnatal Sixth Realm, combined with the 'Exorcism Swordsmanship,' he could easily kill a regular seventh or eighth-layer postnatal, and probably need just one strike to kill me. And even if I could defeat him, I couldn't use the Exorcism Swordsmanship; I can't really go around castrating chickens, can I? Well, no castration for me."
"Forget it, let's not think about it anymore. Just continue training."
Having said that, Qing Yu buried his head in cultivation once again, determined to cautiously make his way to victory.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
200+ Power
Ranking 
9 Power
stone 
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