Chapter 190: Ghost Dao Secret Art (I)

In the morning, outside Bafang City, and within Forest Net Peak. This mountain peak was named after the Forest Net Temple.

An elder with white hair and a youthful face glared at the corpses on the ground and shouted angrily, "Useless! All of you are useless! All you had to do was capture an outsider martial artist who hadn't even reached the Blood Qi Realm, and yet so many of our men are dead!"

He was one of the three Marrow Refining realm martial artists of the Forest Net Temple. Some time ago, his most outstanding son and grandson had both been killed on the same day, and even now, the murderer had yet to be caught. That filled him with boundless fury.

"Yichen, let's just leave this matter be. It's best not to provoke an unknown martial artist in the Marrow Refining realm so rashly. Find someone to mediate, have the other side pay some price, and let that be the end of it." Another elder nearby spoke up. He simply wanted to settle things peacefully.

The whole affair had started because of Ge Wuning's old grudge. Now that both Ge Wuning and his son Ge Bing were dead, the other side's vengeance should be considered complete, and the matter could be laid to rest.

As long as they didn't provoke the other party further, that person wouldn't continue opposing the Forest Net Temple. To go against a major power, even if the enemy was only at the Marrow Refining realm, would gain them nothing but trouble.

If the Forest Net Temple were willing to pay a heavy price and request aid from the four great powers of Bafang City, capturing that person would not be difficult. But the cost would be far too great.

"

Hmph

, that’s easy for you to say. It wasn't your Shirong or Shenghong who died. This time, even Jianfeng's son was killed. Before you say such things, you'd better ask Jianfeng's opinion first," Ge Yichen said with a cold snort.

The Forest Net Temple had three Marrow Refining realm martial artists: one from the Wu Family, one from the Ge Family, and one from the Chang Family. Both the Ge and Wu Families had lost members, while the Chang Family was uninvolved, so naturally they could speak lightly of the matter. Even Yong Kang had died.

Yong Kang was a martial artist from the outside, recruited by the Forest Net Temple. If his death went unexplained, it would be difficult to convince others to stay loyal.

"

Ah

, I can't talk you out of it. In that case, let's not delay any longer. Have someone notify Wu Jianfeng to return immediately, and instruct the other disciples of Forest Net Temple not to leave the compound at will. After that, request assistance from the four great powers of Bafang City to root out the enemy hiding within the city. The longer this drags on, the worse it will be for us," Chang Xinyi said plainly.

Offending a Marrow Refining realm martial artist was troublesome enough, especially when it came to outsiders whose backgrounds were unknown. They were exposed while the enemy hid in the shadows. With the Forest Net Temple's vast holdings, if such a foe resorted to ambushes and assassinations, they would suffer greatly.

According to Yan Jun's account, the man excelled in lightness techniques and possessed an exceptional ability to conceal his aura; such assassins were truly terrifying once they went into hiding.

The Forest Net Temple was powerful, but not to the extent of the four major powers of Bafang City. They lacked a Force Transformation realm martial artist to guard them. This was why it was unwise to make an enemy of an assassin. That was precisely why Chang Xinyi had urged Ge Yichen to let the matter go. Yan Jun was smart. Once he sensed something amiss, he immediately distanced himself.

"Fine!" Ge Yichen nodded.

He too knew that provoking a martial artist in the Marrow Refining realm was an unwise decision. But it was his son and grandson who had been killed; if he simply let it go, where would his dignity be?

***

In the morning, when dawn was just breaking. Lin Zheyu slowly opened his eyes, feeling refreshed and clear-headed. The Tortoise Breath Grand Method had an exceptional restorative effect on essence, qi, and spirit. After two nights of rest, the mental exhaustion caused by using Origin Force to enhance the Hundred Refinements Treasure Manual had nearly fully recovered.

I'll say my farewells to Han Mo's wife and the others later, then leave this place

, Lin Zheyu thought

.

His master's vengeance had been avenged, so the thought of departing had begun to take root. Han Tianmin and the others were under the Yuan Family's protection, so nothing should happen to them. As for his master, Liang Song was a seasoned figure in the martial world and knew well how to protect himself, so there was no need for him to worry.

𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

In contrast, Lin Zheyu himself was in a far more perilous situation than Han Tianmin and the rest. The Forest Net Temple had repeatedly plotted against him; last night, they had even sent a Blood Qi realm martial artist, and next time, it might well be someone from the Marrow Refining realm.

Although Lin Zheyu had confidence in his own strength, he had no desire to cross swords with one of Bafang City's great powers. Fighting them would bring no benefit and would only place him in danger. It simply wasn't worth it.

Last night, Lin Zheyu had learned from Jia Yanyong and the others that the caravan heading for the Central Plains would not depart for another twenty days. Having already resigned from his position in the Feihong Gang, Lin Zheyu was now alone and unburdened by attachments, with no reason to continue living here.

After bidding farewell to Han Mo's wife and the others, he would disguise himself, assume a new identity, and change residences; with that, even the Forest Net Temple would not be able to find him.

Just as he finished packing his bundle, a knocking sounded from outside the door.

Who could be looking for me so early?

Lin Zheyu was a little surprised.

When he opened the door, a stranger stood outside. It was an old man. He recognized him instantly, but he still put on a look of feigned puzzlement.

"It's me!" Liang Song spoke in his own voice, his tone grave.

"Master! Please, come in and sit," Lin Zheyu said in a tone of surprise.

"No need. I only came to tell you that I'll be leaving soon. The Forest Net Temple has lost three powerful members. Their movements have become frequent, and they've even begun contacting the four major powers of Bafang City. Something big is likely to happen soon. You should leave Bafang City quickly and lie low outside the city for a while," Liang Song said with solemn seriousness.

He had been secretly monitoring the Forest Net Temple's movements lately, worried that his own troubles might implicate Lin Zheyu or Han Mo's family. Fortunately, Han Mo's son had proved capable and found backing within Bafang City. Lin Zheyu, too, had done well; he had caught the attention of someone from the Ye Family of the Central Plains, so Liang Song no longer needed to worry about him either.

Even so, Liang Song still couldn't rest easy. After all, the Forest Net Temple didn't know that Lin Zheyu had the Ye Family as his backing, so they might still try to target him. Moreover, though a powerful Marrow Refining realm martial artist from the Ye Family supported him, that person couldn't possibly protect Lin Zheyu at every moment. For that reason, he had come today specifically to warn Lin Zheyu in person.

"Alright." Lin Zheyu nodded. Even if his master hadn't come today, he had already planned to move elsewhere and lie low. The bundle was already packed and ready.

"Anyways, I'll be leaving first. There's no need to look for me again. When Senior Ye departs, go with him to the Central Plains. These few techniques are for you. They're nothing special, but broadening your understanding through different manuals will help you on your martial path. And this one... Do not, under any circumstance, cultivate it. It's only for you to broaden your perspective."

Liang Song took out four ancient manuals, pulled the one from the bottom, and spoke with a grave expression.

"The Seven Fiend Ghost Manual? Master, what kind of technique is this?"

Lin Zheyu looked at the title of the manual, feeling deeply puzzled. Even the name itself gave off an unmistakably sinister air.

"This isn't a martial cultivation method. It’s said to be a secret art of immortality. Do you know how living corpses come to be?" Liang Song did not answer directly but posed a question in return.

"I do not." Lin Zheyu shook his head. He had some vague guesses, but nothing certain.

"The Seven Fiend Ghost Manual is a Ghost Dao Secret Art. Some martial artists attempt to transform their bodies into ghostly forms to prolong life—an imitation of immortality. A living corpse is what becomes of a martial artist who fails to cultivate the Ghost Dao Secret Art." Liang Song's voice grew low and heavy. "My Liang Family was targeted back then precisely because of this manual."

The Liang Family had been annihilated because of this manual. Though their vengeance was now repaid, the dead could never return to life.

"So that's how it was!" Lin Zheyu murmured in realization.

He recalled the living corpse he had encountered back in that cave within Daba Mountain. The coffin and formations carved into the cave chamber had clearly been deliberate; perhaps that person had tried to cultivate a Ghost Dao Secret Art, attempting to turn his body into ghostly forms in pursuit of immortality. Unfortunately, he had failed and turned himself into a mindless living corpse.