Master of Kaidan
Chapter 259: I’m a bit curious about what the ’Mutation’ style looks like

Chapter 259: Chapter 259: I’m a bit curious about what the ’Mutation’ style looks like

Feng Xue walked while flipping through the "guide" in his hand, his eyes showing a hint of contemplation. According to the book, the Cultivation Technique practiced by the Demon Sect’s members fundamentally differed from the typical martial artists. Their method was not written in words but transmitted via a method similar to imparting cultivation.

There had been heroes from the Righteous Path who feigned defection to gather intelligence. However, once one cultivated the Demon Sect’s technique, it would drastically alter one’s nature. Even the dearest of friends and family could be slaughtered mercilessly like crushing ants.

As a result, even after over two hundred years of struggle, there was still no accurate understanding. The description could only crudely classify them into four main categories: "Evil Gu Poison."

Regardless of the category, these techniques shared a common characteristic: strong erosive properties. Ordinary people, even with minimal exposure, would be contaminated by the Demonic Qi, turning into brutal, murderous demons. Even holding a weapon, after a few exchanges, they would be tainted by this demonic nature, transforming into Devouring Demon Soldiers. Only those who had reached the realm of Grandmaster could resist this erosion with the "Leakless True Gang."

"No wonder one can’t leave the mountain without becoming a Grandmaster... After all, martial arts are not magic techniques. It’s nearly impossible to avoid contact in combat... Ah, now I understand those armed with crossbows as well," he reasoned. "To combat the Demon Sect’s members, only ranged weapons like crossbows could prevent erosion."

Feng Xue pondered the meaning within these lines. Although he found the abstract descriptions somewhat elusive, the four words "Evil Gu Poison" were sufficient to comprehend the evil nature of these techniques.

In essence, the True Qi cultivated by the Demon Sect likely had properties similar to "Life and Death Talisman" or "Transformation Technique," capable of directly invading an enemy’s body to cause internal destruction, and even some mental pollution.

And the so-called Grandmaster was not a mere level of combat ability he had earlier imagined, but rather a validation of Inner Strength quality. Anyone who could cultivate "Leakless True Gang," which is uncorrupted by demonic energy, would be called a Grandmaster.

After this information, the booklet also mentioned some practical knowledge, like which taverns to enter, which temples to avoid, and how to quickly identify whether fellow martial artists were normal, etc.

Objectively speaking, this was an extremely practical guide for beginners. If the information described was true, just by reading it thoroughly, one could avoid many pitfalls that newcomers often encounter. Regrettably, Feng Xue felt that most martial artists who arrived in this place were likely not the type to have the patience to read it through.

Of course, that depended on the authenticity of the content in the booklet.

"But from the looks of the atmosphere here, if there’s any deception in the booklets being sold, they would have been exposed long ago, right?"

Feng Xue muttered to himself, his thoughts slowly forming a Kaidan outline.

He had no intention to stay overnight within Jade Gate but instead headed straight for the North Gate. Passing through there would mean entering the territory of Yan State.

Seeing Feng Xue leaving so late, the gate-keeping soldier immediately tried to stop him:

"Young Hero, it is already late. Why not rest in the city tonight and enter Yan State tomorrow?"

Hearing the soldier’s advice, Feng Xue responded with a sunny smile and shook his head,

"Thank you for your kindness, but the path I cultivate is that of an assassin, and the night is our element."

With Feng Xue insisting, the soldier had no choice but to stop persuading him. As Feng Xue stepped out of Jade Gate’s North Gate, he could feel a shift in the atmosphere.

Compared to the relaxed atmosphere at the South Gate leading to Si Province, the scene outside the North Gate was different. Besides two teams of gate-guarding soldiers armed with crossbow arrows, there were also two external martial arts experts. If that had been all, it would have been one thing; but about two hundred meters out, Feng Xue began to notice hidden guards here and there.

Some were concealed at the top of trees, and others hidden behind huge rocks. If not for his enhanced perception from the Heart of Bright Mirror which allowed him to sense the emotions of sentient life around him, he wouldn’t have even noticed these hidden guards.

"This is just past the Jade Gate, I can’t imagine what the boundary between Yan State and Qing Province is like," Feng Xue murmured, but he followed the guidance of a small booklet, heading toward the first village.

Nowadays, there were hardly any civilians in Yan State—most villages were strongholds reconstructed by various martial artists. They were like nails hammered into this half-encroached land, continuously hunting demons from the Demon Sect around them, safeguarding the supply line for Qing Province’s defenses.

It was commendable that there was no phenomenon of "front-line scarcity, back-line excess" in this world. Although the protected in Si Province didn’t face large numbers of Demon Sect demons, they took on logistical tasks. The logistics for the entire Yan State and Qing Province defense line were solely provided by Si Province.

However, probably because Feng Xue’s face was unfamiliar and he didn’t have enough "trust," the soldiers’ advice when he left the city was not to join a convoy but to rest for a night.

Of course, Feng Xue didn’t care about that. He was very eager to encounter the notorious demons of the Demon Sect. Yet, whether it was good or bad luck, even when a roadside tavern came into view, he still hadn’t encountered any.

This tavern had a vibe similar to a gas station beside a highway in the real world, standing beside the road with a large flag hanging with the character "Liquor." At first glance, Feng Xue thought of Zhang Man Yu—oh no, he meant the Dragon Gate Inn.

Logically speaking, coming across such an inn in this place, apart from fools like Tang Seng, probably no one would think it normal. But under that "Liquor" flag, Feng Xue saw two marks.

"..." Feng Xue took out the booklet and double-checked, confirming that the markings were correct before smiling and walking into the inn. However, as he pushed open the thin wooden door, the moment several pairs of eyes landed on him, Feng Xue felt he had been tricked.

Because out of the ten people sitting in the tavern, eight didn’t look quite human.

The person sitting at the furthest table had the typical look of a sturdy man + swordsman, yet from the elbow down his left hand turned into a large, slick tentacle, with several barbs wrapping around something that might have been a lamb’s leg, bringing it to his mouth.

At a table by the window was a man and woman. The man had eight eyes on his face, each blinking independently—a sight that made one physically uncomfortable. The woman was slightly better, although she had three bloody gashes on her cheeks which moved creepily as she chewed.

Near the door was presumably a swordsman, his Sword Qi immensely sharp, yet he resembled a dried-up corpse covered in skin, his large, round eyes giving off the impression of a deep-sea creature.

The man who seemed to be the accountant at the counter was even more outrageous, with twenty fingers on his left hand skillfully manipulating three abacuses. His right hand was fused with a pen, writing something in a ledger in an odd posture.

And at the central table, three featureless men—only possessing horrifying maws lined with countless sharp teeth like seven-gilled sharks—were sitting in front of a hot pot, incessantly stuffing boiled food into their mouths.

Given such a chaotic scene, Feng Xue momentarily felt like he had entered a demon’s canteen, almost instinctively resting his hand on the hilt of the weapon known as Destroy Holy Mother. Yet, before he could act, the sword at the door held by the corpse-like swordsman pressed against his hilt, while the only two normal-looking people inside waved him off, saying,

"Don’t be alarmed, newcomer. We’re all fellow wanderers in the Jianghu. Look closely, none of us have mutated..."

"And you call this not mutated? I’m curious about what exactly constitutes a ’mutation’ now..."