Zhang San, please behave yourself!
Chapter 101: The Disappearance of Ma Family Village

Chapter 101: Chapter 101: The Disappearance of Ma Family Village

"Xu, do you think that kid Zhang San will just run away?"

Wei, who was driving the carriage, asked Xu inside the carriage.

Xu smiled and shook his head, "The boy has a good nature, he’s definitely not that kind of person. Plus, why would he run away when everything is going well for him? Just by the tone of Third Miss Gan, it’s clear she’s taken a liking to him."

However, Wei did not quite agree with Xu’s words and shook his head, "The kid must have other things on his mind. That frantic desire to save his own life can’t be hidden from me."

Xu laughed and had to admit, his old friend was extremely adept in matters of survival.

He must have had some unforgettable experiences in the past.

Yet all these years, Wei never spoke of it, and naturally, Xu would not ask.

Just then, a silhouette sprinted from behind and with a whoosh landed beside the carriage; it was Zhang San.

"I’m back, did you miss me?"

Zhang San hee-hee’d with a smile toward Wei.

Xu inside the carriage asked, "Where did you go?"

"Just dealing with a little trouble."

Wei nodded slightly and said softly, "I thought after you killed your superior, you only had the option to flee."

Zhang San chuckled and said in a low voice, "Knowing that I would be on the run, would you still not part with your Skill of Concealment?"

Wei’s brow furrowed slightly; although he did not like to interact with others much, it is very difficult to avoid contact with others when living in the world, especially when one is in a place like the Town Martial Office.

"I have a Cultivation Technique here that I have not mastered. Do you want to try it?"

Xu inside the carriage suddenly spoke up and then passed out a scroll of the Secret Manual.

Zhang San immediately took it, knowing that if Xu himself hadn’t mastered it, it must be an extremely formidable technique.

Seeing the scroll of the Secret Manual in Zhang San’s hands, Wei’s expression changed.

In this world, thus far, there hasn’t been any particularly widely-spread Papermaking Technique, and many Secret Manuals are actually recorded on long scrolls.

Such Secret Manuals are usually extremely precious and constitute the core heritage of many martial path powers or Aristocratic Families.

Only some of the more common techniques would be written on paper and then bound into a book.

Especially when Wei saw the four gilded characters on the scroll, his expression changed involuntarily.

"Xu, didn’t you say this thing was not to be transmitted outside? Zhang San is not one of your Taoism people! Even within Taoism, I remember this is not something that can be easily passed on, right?"

Xu inside the carriage chuckled lightly, his tone full of indifference.

"I’m someone who’s already died once; what do I have to fear? But Zhang San, if you truly master this Secret Manual, remember that you must not pass it on. And also, try not to use it in front of people from Taoism. Many within Taoism remain somewhat conservative and wouldn’t accept Taoism techniques being shared outside."

Zhang San nodded his head repeatedly in thanks, "Senior Xu, don’t you worry!"

"If I really master it, I will definitely not use it in front of Taoism. Even if I were to be beaten to death while fleeing because I lack a way to escape, or even if I were to be hacked to pieces due to lacking a means to survive, I won’t use it!"

Wei squinted his eyes filled with murderous intent as he looked at Zhang San.

Wei wondered how Zhang San was progressing with Yin and Yang Harmony, but as for being odd and tricky, this kid had indeed reached the peak of perfection.

Wei gritted his teeth and pulled out something that looked like a book.

It looked like it because it had two pieces of wooden board on top and bottom, and inside were a few sheets of unknown animal hide or the like, with some Techniques inscribed on it.

"I’m passing this on to you!"

Zhang San felt that Wei was practically gritting his back teeth as he said those words.

"Remember! Remember this well! Just say this was a serendipitous find of your own, you must never say that you got it from me, understand?"

"If you, kid, accidentally let this slip, I’ll have to hit the road too!"

Zhang San originally wanted to first examine the content of the secret manual given by Senior Xu, after all, this was the first time he’d come across a manual of this style.

But hearing Wei say this, he couldn’t help but become curious.

He wiped the dirt off the wooden board with his sleeve and discovered four characters that were almost worn beyond recognition—Eight Techniques of Hidden Ground.

Zhang San didn’t know why revealing this thing that he learned from Wei required Wei to flee as well, but he knew at a glance that it was something good for saving one’s life and quickly tucked it away.

Then he looked over the secret manual given to him by Senior Xu, which had four embossed golden characters on it—Golden Light Divine Incantation.

Although he didn’t know what it was, it felt as though it had a very impressive aura at first glance.

That night, Zhang San dreamed of his childhood self going out to play, encountering an old Taoist grandfather.

The old Taoist grandfather, seeing his extraordinary bones, wanted to impart the Golden Light Divine Incantation to him.

Thus, in the dream, he started a long practice that lasted eight years.

"Heaven and Earth’s mysterious ancestor, the root of all qi, cultivate through countless calamities, to manifest my divine skills. Inside and outside the three realms, only I am revered, body shining with golden light, reflecting upon myself. Invisible to eyes, unheard by ears, encompassing Heaven and Earth, nurturing all beings. After chanting tens of thousands of times, the body shines brightly. Guarded by the three realms, welcomed by the Five Emperors, all gods pay homage, wielding the thunder. Demons and monsters annihilated, spirits and ghosts lose form, internal thunderbolts, the Thunder God’s hidden name... penetrating wisdom and understanding, the five qi rise vigorously, the Golden Light swiftly appears, covering and protecting the true person."

When he woke up the next morning, Zhang San found that his perception when looking at the sun was different.

With a slight lift of his hand towards the direction of the sun, a beam of golden light condensed in his palm and could rapidly expand to envelop his surroundings.

He could even retract the golden light back into his palm, transforming it into a blade-like shape.

Soon, breakfast was ready, and after a quick meal, everyone continued their journey.

Today, they would be able to reach Ma Family Village and find the Carpenter Ma, who was said to have once been a blacksmith.

However, after searching for the better part of the day, Zhang San and the others discovered that Ma Family Village no longer existed.

This area had always been plagued by bandits, especially since it lay to the northwest of Chuan-Yu Road, near Longyou Road, where deserters and fleeing soldiers often passed through, making the place even more chaotic.

"The village is gone, but the people inside couldn’t possibly have all died. Let’s search nearby, maybe we can find someone who’s still alive to ask about it."

Indeed, with the relentless effort of Zhang San and the others, they finally found a manor some dozens of miles away called Shi Family Villa.

After finding this villa, Zhang San and the others immediately hastened their horses and carriage, arriving at the gates of Shi Family Villa before sunset.

Outside the gate was a moat filled with sharpened wooden stakes and bamboo tips.

The walls of the villa were patrolled by manor farmers, standing vigilantly on guard.

Zhang San quickly ran over and shouted to the people above, "Sirs, we came to Ma Family Village looking for someone but found that it is no more. May we request shelter here for one night?"

The person about to close the gate, upon seeing that Zhang San looked quite handsome and did not resemble a bad person, and observing behind him a carriage and women that certainly didn’t look the part of villains, did not immediately shut the gate but came over to make inquiries instead.

Once Zhang San presented the token from the Town Martial Office and slipped over a few pieces of gold, the other party instantly determined that Zhang San and his party were good people and allowed them to enter.

"May I ask, do we have a Carpenter with the surname Ma here?"

Zhang San, who had been warmly welcomed, asked the manor farmers.

The manor farmer shook his head and said, "No more. The entire Ma Family Village has been wiped out, ravaged by bandits; all of Ma Family Village’s people are dead, not a single person with the surname Ma is left."

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Note 43: Reference Explanation

The Eight Techniques of Hidden Ground, referenced from the "Supreme Clarity and Tranquility’s Eight Techniques of Hidden Ground Scripture." Also known as "Supreme Clarity Danjing Essence’s Eight Techniques of Hidden Ground" or "Purple Cloud Flying Spirit’s Eight Transformations Jade Talisman." is a set of stealth transformation Techniques primarily based on contemplation, accompanied by talismans and incantations.

Note 44: Reference Explanation

The Golden Light Divine Incantation, referenced from the "Supreme Clarity’s Three Caverns Divine Incantations." Some of its content has been cited in the main text as part of the incantation.