Chapter 16: Shen San and the Old Ghost

“Y-You… what kind of monster are you?” Jin Sheng stared in shock at Li Dao, whose physique appeared normal but whose strength was far beyond any ordinary man.

“Monster?” Li Dao smiled faintly. “Call me a monster if you want. It’s better than being a useless nobody.”

Compared to the worthless version of himself he once was, if becoming a monster meant gaining power, he would gladly accept that label a hundred times over.

“Are you done attacking? Then it’s my turn.” Li Dao grabbed his black iron blade, planted his foot firmly, and with a tremendous surge of force, launched himself like a cannonball toward Jin Sheng.

The Wild Wind Blade Technique!

He swung his blade. Though it lacked the energy aura that usually accompanied true qi, the sheer speed and power generated a fierce gust that rippled through the air.

Jin Sheng’s pupils contracted sharply as he hurriedly raised his sword to block.

Clang!

The force sent him flying backward once more.

Li Dao did not relent. He pursued Jin Sheng relentlessly, wielding the black iron blade with increasingly cunning strikes, the Wild Wind Blade Technique attacking like a true gale from all directions.

During this exchange, Li Dao’s understanding of the technique deepened, and his attacks grew ever more precise.

Across from him, Jin Sheng’s pressure suddenly intensified. Not only was he contending with the brutal force of the heavy blade, but he also faced blade flashes coming from every angle.

Meanwhile, nearby, the Third Prince of Luoyun watched eagerly for his chief guard to display his prowess, only to see Jin Sheng steadily retreating. Any perceptive observer could tell Jin Sheng was already giving his all.

“No, I can’t stay here. I must leave and seek reinforcements,” the Third Prince murmured anxiously, his earlier stubborn bravado gone.

Finally, he made a decision.

“Stop watching. While the chief guard holds off these assassins, take me away from here quickly,” he ordered the guards beside him.

The guards came to their senses and nodded vigorously. “Yes, Third Prince.”

None of them wished to face such a terrifying opponent. It was better to flee with the prince.

As for Chief Guard Jin Sheng, they could only hope he would fend for himself. After all, they usually worked hard while Jin Sheng often took credit, so they bore no qualms.

“Hmm? What a pleasant scent,” the Third Prince said, wrinkling his nose as he entered the military tent with his guards. A faint, sweet fragrance entered his nostrils.

Before he could react, he watched the guards around him collapse one by one.

Poisoned!

That was all he could think.

“Are you the Third Prince of Luoyun?” Suddenly, he felt a chill at his neck. Looking down, he saw a dagger hanging from his collar.

Turning around, he saw a plump middle-aged man and an old man emerging from the shadows.

It was Shen San and Old Ghost.

“Old Ghost, this time the poison’s right. What were you using before?” Shen San grumbled, glancing at the fallen guards.

Old Ghost retorted without hesitation, “It’s not my medicine’s fault. The wind direction changed.”

“Enough. I won’t argue. If we wait any longer, Big Guy and Little Madman might die,” Shen San said, kicking the Third Prince and knocking him to the ground. “Go. Have your guards bring my two friends here.”

“I won’t…”

“Then you’ll die!”

Shen San flicked his dagger, stabbing it between the prince’s legs, narrowly missing vital spots.

“I-I’ll go! I’ll go!” The prince was terrified and hastily agreed.

Outside the tent, the guards were busy watching the spectacle.

Suddenly, the tent flap opened and three figures stepped out.

“Third Prince!”

“Assassins! There are still assassins here!”

“What? Where?”

The three quickly attracted the attention of the remaining guards.

However, no one dared approach. Though they shouted about assassins, none dared get close, fearing another encounter with a monster-like attacker.

After all, the previous three assassins had been no ordinary foes.

“Speak!” Shen San pressed, holding the dagger to the Third Prince’s ear.

The prince looked at the guards and shouted, “Stop watching. Quickly bring the two fallen warriors over.”

Warriors? Weren’t they assassins?

But looking at the prince’s predicament, it was clear why he spoke that way.

“Why are you just standing there? Move!” urged the prince.

At last, some guards moved, but upon nearing Xu Hu and Little Madman, the aura emanating from them intimidated the guards, forcing them to retreat in fear of being struck down.

“Attack!” the prince urged again.

But compared to his authority, Xu Hu and company’s presence terrified the guards more.

“Forget it. We’ll go ourselves. These two don’t recognize anyone,” Shen San said knowingly, holding the prince and leading Old Ghost toward Xu Hu and Little Madman.

“Hiss!” Little Madman hissed threateningly as they approached.

“It’s me. Not your enemy,” Shen San quickly reassured.

The hissing grew louder, but fortunately, Little Madman was only bluffing and soon calmed, weakly resting on Xu Hu’s shoulder.

Xu Hu was also in poor condition, his skin waxy and pale from blood loss, but he still held an aggressive stance like a wounded tiger ready to strike.

Shen San glanced at the blood pooling around Xu Hu and his wounds. “Old Ghost, Big Guy’s badly hurt. Can you handle this?”

Old Ghost snorted confidently. “My medical skills are unmatched.”

He then pulled out various bottles and jars.

Shen San looked puzzled. “Old Ghost, are you planning to go solo? You used these when concocting poison before.”

Old Ghost shot him a glance but continued mixing medicines. “None of these are poisons.”

“These are the fruits of my years of research.”

“Though these aren’t poisons, I can transform them into hundreds of different toxins.”

“Likewise, I can also make them into normal medicines.”

“Let me tell you, my healing methods are far more sophisticated than my poisoning skills.”

As he spoke, he finished preparing several bottles.

Old Ghost approached Xu Hu and Little Madman, ignoring Xu Hu’s wild aura, and began administering the medicines.

“Careful!” Shen San was alarmed, fearing they might attack Old Ghost, but to his surprise, Xu Hu and Little Madman instantly lost their hostility.

“Old Ghost, what are you doing?” Shen San asked, amazed.

Besides Li Dao, no one could command respect from these two.

Old Ghost calmly explained, “I have cultivated the Changchun True Qi for nearly a century, simulating the natural aura of the world. It’s of little effect on ordinary men but has miraculous results on these two.”

He opened a bottle and held it under Xu Hu’s nose.

“Inhale.”

Xu Hu nodded and took a breath. Suddenly, a flush spread through his body, and he looked much more spirited.

The same was done for Little Madman.

Old Ghost explained further, “This is Blood Spirit Mist, designed to sustain life in external wounds. Even if the internal organs fail, it can keep a person alive for half an hour.”

He then took another bottle and applied a sticky ointment to Xu Hu’s wounds.

“This is Blood Spirit Ointment, an enhanced version of Blood Spirit Mist. It can’t revive the dead, but flesh and bones can still be healed.”

Upon application, Xu Hu’s bleeding stopped immediately, and a visible scab formed over the wounds, growing thicker as the medicine absorbed.

Old Ghost also treated Little Madman similarly.

This scene stunned not only Shen San but also the Third Prince and the surrounding guards.

The effects of these medicines tempted everyone present.

After all, whether wandering the martial world or on the battlefield, slow-healing wounds were the greatest curse.

“You big guy, you’ve used up quite a bit of my medicine this time,” Old Ghost grimaced after tending to Xu Hu.

Then, he noticed the guards lined up for blood extraction and brightened.

He approached the Third Prince. “Little fellow, I need one more favor.”

“What favor?”

“Very simple.”

Soon, Shen San watched in disbelief as the guards queued up to have their blood drawn.

“Old Ghost, what are you doing?”

“Preparing medicine. Do you think these bottles appear out of thin air?”

“Human blood can be used as medicine?”

He chuckled. “To me, all things in nature are medicine. I’m kind-hearted; otherwise…”

Old Ghost’s smile turned eerie.

***

Elsewhere, while Old Ghost and Shen San tended to the wounded, the battle between Li Dao and Jin Sheng raged on.

Though Li Dao’s physique was extraordinary and he dominated Jin Sheng, Jin Sheng was still a second-grade martial artist.

With his true qi undiminished, his strength remained formidable.

“I’ll block! I’ll block!” Jin Sheng swung his heavy blade continuously to defend against Li Dao’s relentless assault.

Suddenly, he realized he wasn’t actually blocking anything.

Looking carefully, he saw Li Dao had stopped moving.

“You…” Jin Sheng began, but before he could finish, Li Dao charged again.

At once, Jin Sheng understood why Li Dao had paused—it was to disrupt his rhythm.

He had just adapted to the rapid, heavy strikes, but the sudden stop threw him off.

“Stop!” Jin Sheng shouted desperately.

Unfazed, Li Dao continued attacking.

“Enough! I won’t fight anymore. Let me go. The Third Prince is yours.”

“Would your prince be sad if you did that?”

“Let him be sad. I just want to survive.”

At this moment, Jin Sheng discarded his loyalty. Facing an obstinate fool of a prince, survival was his only concern.

“Too bad you met me,” Li Dao shook his head.

“What do you mean?” Jin Sheng was baffled. He was a minor figure, yet Li Dao made a fuss over him.

“If you had met someone else, maybe you’d live. But with me, forget it.”

After all, Li Dao believed the only way to grow stronger was to kill.

Having wasted so much time with Jin Sheng, not killing him felt like a loss; to avoid that, he had to kill.

“You…”

Jin Sheng’s face darkened, utterly unprepared for Li Dao’s persistence.

“This blade’s for you.”

Suddenly, Li Dao swung his black iron blade, shifting the tempo.

“The Nameless Strike!”

This was a move he had refined through repeated combat and mental practice.

Derived from the Wild Wind Blade Technique but distinct from it, it had only two qualities: speed and precision!