Chapter 117:
Inside the heavenly prison.
"Master Qiao, this is a special dish from the capital city called honey-glazed roasted chicken. Can you check if it’s cooked well enough… no, if it’s fragrant enough?"
The young prison guard Fang Yuan handed a roasted chicken to Qiao Mu, making his mouth full of oil as he ate.
"Not bad, it’s flavorful," Qiao Mu nodded happily.
He never expected to enjoy such treatnt within this heavenly prison, almost making him suspect if soone maliciously wanted to keep him alive.
But after careful consideration, Qiao Mu rejected this possibility.
As an assassin who tried to kill the emperor and a martial artist who shattered statues, he had offended both the Nine Immortal Gates and Emperor Yonghe.
Even if it was him or even if a Martial Saint were to be resurrected, it would be impossible to walk out alive from the heavenly prison.
No one could guarantee Qiao Mu’s life, this situation is definitely secure.
And the person who invited him to eat the roasted chicken, it must be none other than the small prison guard in front of him.
"This young man has good eyesight," Qiao Mu chuckled and deliberately said with a smile.
"After being full and satisfied, should you start punishing ? Or should we start with pulling out my toenails?"
He purposely spoke like this.
Anyway, his Heavenly Demon Disintegration thod has reached an unparalleled level of proficiency, even though his ridians are broken. As long as he has a trace of blood and energy, he can still use it. If the punishnt becos too much, he can just commit suicide on the spot. What is there to fear?
"Um…" The words spoken by Qiao Mu with a smiling face left Fang Yuan, who was accustod to punishnt and torture, at a loss for words. All he could do was laugh awkwardly and say:
"Sir, you are just joking. You are a notorious criminal targeted by the emperor himself. Without the approval of Lord Wei En, you cannot be punished without authorization."
Qiao Mu gave Gaoler Fang Yuan a seemingly smiley but not really smiling look.
This kid is truly cunning.
Ever since his interrogation by Wei En yesterday, Qiao Mu had noticed a slight change in the attitudes of the prison guards towards him.
He thought that maybe it was Wei En’s influence, so he deliberately spoke to test it just now.
Although this boy nad Fang Yuan is young, he is quite clever.
He heard Qiao Mu’s probing and cooperatively ntioned a little about Wei En’s matter.
"I’m full. Give this remaining half chicken to the neighbor, Mr. Hai," said Qiao Mu.
When he ate the chicken, it was just a small satisfaction for his appetite.
As for the neighbor Hai Wuya, he seed a bit weak. Qiao Mu didn’t want to see this neighbor prisoner, just like Mr. Qian before, suddenly burping, so he casually ntioned it.
"Old Qiao, you have a good heart," Hai Wuya nodded and didn’t refuse.
After all, he was an old martial artist with declining energy and blood. It would be a good thing to have roasted chicken to nourish his body.
However, he was silent and only said a simple thank you before imrsing himself in the world of books again.
Qiao Mu didn’t care, anyway he borrowed a chicken to give a Buddha, just did it casually.
He then turned to look at Gaoler Fang Yuan.
"Tell , what do you want from ? Is it to have so blood on the bread for the sick person at ho?" Qiao Mu said indifferently.
"Master Qiao, you regard life and death as trivial matters, Fang Yuan admires…" Fang Yuan flattered and deeply said;
"But how did Master Qiao know that there is another sick little sister in my house… but she has already gone missing."
Start talking about their tragic life experiences?
Qiao Mu was very familiar with this pitiful routine, deliberately remained silent without asking further.
Seeing that Qiao Mu was unmoved, Fang Yuan had no choice but to continue:
"Actually, since I was young, I have wanted to beco a wandering hero like Master Qiao, traveling the world with a sword…"
"So you were interested in my martial arts? But the era of martial artists has passed, what’s the use of practicing martial arts? Even the Martial Saint has died."
Qiao Mu decisively advised against it.
The kind of hanging pretenders like the Martial Saint died under the immortal’s heavenly thunder. Their bodies were not even cold, so practicing martial arts at this ti is going against the trend, isn’t it?
What? Why would Qiao Mu still want to practice martial arts? Because he is also a pretender.
Plus, he has no talent for cultivation, and cultivating immortality takes a long ti. For Qiao Mu, it’s not very effective, so practicing martial arts is better.
"Is Master Qiao talking about those inhuman beings who cultivate immortal techniques?" Fang Yuan chuckled lightly.
"I don’t have the sa grand aspirations as Master Qiao. I just want to practice martial arts to improve my physical well-being, and in the future, I hope to defeat my enemies."
Fang Yuan sighed deeply and said,
"Although my family has a modest wealth, after my parents passed away, our ancestral ho had to be sold, and my little sister, who got a strange illness, left without saying goodbye to avoid burdening ."
"And relying on the influence of my ancestors, I managed to squeeze into the heavenly prison and beca a prison guard, which could be considered a job."
…………..
The night had grown late, and darkness covered the land.
In the southern part of the Imperial Capital, there stood a famous scenic spot called the Swallow Tower.
The tower rose as if erging from the ground, towering high like a palace in the sky. The Swallow Tower had a total of nine levels, and it was a tall square tower built with bricks. During the day, there were often tourists coming and going.
However, at the mont when the night fell, there was a dark figure moving through the darkness like a large bird. Swiftly evading the sight of the patrolling guards, the figure made its way to the top of the Swallow Tower.
Dressed in black night clothes, Wei En stood on the tower top, looking down upon the Imperial Capital beneath the night sky with a blank expression.
This huge city, shrouded in darkness, stood like a silent giant beast on the plains.
His gaze was deep and distant, looking towards the north of the city.
In the forty years of an inhuman war, the Nine Immortal Gates’ temples have sprouted up in many big cities in Jiu Province, including the Imperial Capital.
In the north of the city, there lies the residence of the Great Dao Sect, where a thriving temple can be found. Even at this late hour, the lights still shine brightly.
"Why did you choose to et here, Wei En?"
Suddenly, a figure appeared silently behind Wei En. It was a middle-aged man with a stern and calm face, the current leader of the Wuji Association, known as "Little Martial Saint" Wu Qiankun.
Wei En didn’t answer Wu Qiankun’s question and just continued speaking to himself:
"The wishes of the Martial Saint cannot be fulfilled. Qiao Zhong’s ridians have already been severed, so no matter how good the cultivation techniques are, he can’t practice them."
"Qiao Zhong’s ridians have been severed?" Wu Qiankun frowned slightly and sighed:
"So be it. It seems this was his fate after all."
"I intended to pass on the cultivation techniques to him, fulfilling the wishes of the Martial Saint. After he practiced them, perhaps there would have been a slim chance for him to save himself… But it seems fate had other plans, and there’s nothing we can do."
On that day at Qingyun Temple, all the assassins from the Wuji Association were wiped out. Although Wu Qiankun had other ways to gather information, he didn’t know the details about Qiao Mu’s disrupted ridians.
So, even though the Martial Saint had prepared extraordinary techniques for him, they probably wouldn’t be of any use to soone whose ridians were disrupted and rendered useless.
However, Wei En frowned slightly, feeling surprised.
"You guys from the Wuji Association, aren’t you planning to save Qiao Zhong? If that’s the case, why give him techniques?"
"That’s a different matter," said Wu Qiankun seriously.
"Giving him techniques is just fulfilling the Martial Saint’s last wish. The Martial Saint once said that if Qiao Zhong could survive the assassination of the Emperor, he would give him the most top-notch techniques. That’s all there is to it."
"Whether he can escape on his own and survive depends on his abilities."
The Martial Saint’s actions were like imitating the natural law of survival of the fittest, just like how the heavens choose the strongest in the competition between creatures.
He’s like an old farr who, if the animals in his pasture don’t look good, get sick, or beco depressed, he would slaughter them in advance… because on his farm, useless trash is never kept.
Only seventy two wise n with special abilities can survive and avoid being killed by Martial Saint.
Qiao Zhong gained the attention of Martial Saint due to his previous challenge, which led to him being recruited to assassinate the emperor… but this favor also has limitations.
If Qiao Zhong didn’t survive the assassination of the emperor, it would be his own weakness to bla.
Even if Qiao Zhong practiced martial arts, if he couldn’t successfully escape from the heavenly prison, it would still be his own weakness to bla.
Therefore, Wuji Association wouldn’t attempt a prison break… especially in the heavily guarded heavenly prison, where such attempts would likely fail, let alone soone like Qiao Mu who broke the rules of the Immortal Gate.
This is the Imperial Capital, not the Nan Province.
Emperor Yonghe, who likes to secretly visit Nan Province, would be surrounded and killed by Wuji Association if he ever showed up there.
But now, the situation is reversed because we’re in the Imperial Capital.
Even soone as close to being a Martial Saint as Little Martial Saint Wu Qiankun can’t act recklessly in the Imperial Capital.
The Great Yan Imperial Court has been going through difficulties for forty years，but its strength remains. The Human Emperor Sword is one of its treasures.
"I understand," Wei En frowned and spoke with a low voice.
"You don’t really care about whether Qiao Zhong lives or dies, you are only acting to fulfill Martial Saint’s dying wish."
"I really don’t like all of you bloody rats," Wei En turned his head, his sharp eyes glaring at Wu Qiankun, a strange pressure started to erge.
"Is Martial Saint’s dying wish really that important?"
"Or maybe, Martial Saint didn’t actually die at all?"
Wei En had seen Martial Saint in his early years, and because he knew about the man’s way of doing things, he doubted whether Martial Saint’s death was real.
After all, soone like Martial Saint, when uncertain, would he really attack the Immortal Gate and put himself in danger?
However, in the face of Wei En’s intense pressure, Wu Qiankun remained calm and composed.
"Martial Saint has passed away, it is an undeniable fact, after all, people’s plans can’t beat fate’s plans."
"The deceased is gone, don’t treat him as so kind of miraculous savior, he is not the last hope for the human martial artists… And of course, that hope has already been shattered."
"This hope, Martial Saint extinguished with his own hands," Wu Qiankun whispered in his heart.
After Martial Saint’s death, whether there will be silence or a clamor from various factions, can only be witnessed firsthand.
After all, one outstanding person alone cannot bring spring, it takes the collective blooming of many flowers to fill the garden with spring.
Perhaps this will be a long era of darkness, stained with blood and fire, where the immortals reside in the sky and the mortal realm becos a furnace.
Wu Qiankun has now started taking over the great work of the Wuji Association. The higher he stands, the farther he can see, and he gradually begins to understand Martial Saint’s ideas.
"But to get back to the topic, about Qiao Zhong… Since the prepared cultivation thod is not suitable, we can only find another one," Wu Qiankun said.
"Your Wuji Association, can a disabled person whose ridians are severed still practice top-notch martial arts?" Wei En asked.
"I have so martial arts skills, but I’m not considered top-notch yet. Maybe soon," answered Wu Qiankun.
"Not yet?" Wei En frowned, unsure of Wu Qiankun’s vague response, causing him to look a little unfriendly.
He wondered who this person with the riddles was in front of him.
Do you believe that he could imdiately shoot an arrow through the clouds, gather the Imperial Capital’s army, and send you to the heavenly prison for a vacation tonight?
Wu Qiankun seed to sense Wei En’s unhappiness but didn’t pay too much attention. He continued to explain:
"The Wuji Association’s martial arts treasury has collected martial arts from all over the world, but none of them are suitable."
"Just because they’re not in the martial arts treasury, doesn’t an the Wuji Association doesn’t have any."
"Wei En, didn’t you go to heavenly prison? Haven’t you heard about Hai Wuya?"
Hai Wuya is ranked sixty among the seventy-two wise n under Martial Saint’s teachings.
The so-called seventy two wise n were not ranked based on their martial arts skills, as pure martial arts skills are not very important for a Martial Saint. No matter how strong others are, they are not stronger than him.
Martial arts skills are just one aspect that asures the seventy two wise n. What truly allows them to survive under the Martial Saint is their unique skills and remarkable talents.
Wu Qizheng, as the Martial Saint’s biological child, inherited his incredibly powerful physical body, which is why he is exceptionally strong. Furthermore, he has long had the intention to hide his true abilities, which is why his rank is the third from the bottom among the seventy two wise n.
"Are you suggesting that Hai Wuya might have martial arts techniques suitable for Qiao Zhong?"
Wei En now looked at Hai Wuya with newfound admiration.
The Martial Saint’s arsenal is well-known for its vast collection of martial arts, including the essence of the old martial world and the peculiar new martial arts created by the Martial Saint.
Even the Martial Saint couldn’t find top-notch martial arts techniques suitable for Qiao Zhong, but Hai Wuya might possibly have them?
"Perhaps he does, perhaps he doesn’t. You’ll have to ask him, not ," Wu Qiankun said with a deep gaze.
The Martial Saint is unmatched in martial arts, and his dominance is overwhelming. As a result, the entire Wuji Association follows the will of the Martial Saint alone.
Martial Saint said it was right, even if others knew it was wrong, they might not dare to point it out face to face.
Therefore, within the entire Wuji Association, there can only be one martial path, which is Martial Saint’s Spiritual Refining thod.
Hai Wuya is sowhat special.
Although he is one of the seventy two wise n, he is currently in the Imperial Capital heavenly prison, which is an isolated environnt from the outside world.
No matter how powerful Martial Saint is, he cannot easily influence him inside the sacred grounds of the Imperial Capital heavenly prison.
Therefore, he can freely explore new martial paths instead of following Martial Saint’s path.
This is not considered to be working in isolation or rely discussing on paper.
Because Hai Wuya is indeed a genius who has reached the 4th rank, his life has been full of hardships. Despite being imprisoned, he can still read many books, so he is not simply working in isolation.
Hai Wuya is one of the martial seeds recognized by Martial Saint.
This seed doesn’t sprout imdiately, but it brings benefits for a long ti.
A brand new martial arts thod different from Martial Saint and ancient martial arts from the past, is bound to be imperfect and requires countless practitioners to improve it over ti.
Perhaps many people will lose themselves and die while practicing this imperfect technique, and it’s also possible to realize halfway that it is a dead end.
To Wu Qiankun, Qiao Zhong, a condemned prisoner, seems suitable to be an explorer… or a sacrifice for this new martial arts.
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