Free Web NovelChapter 94: Chapter 94: Moon-Slaying
Xie Yuan returned to his room and, just as expected, saw a large, dark brown chest placed inside.
The chest had a natural wood grain, a deep color, and a smooth surface. It also gave off a faint woody fragrance. Xie Yuan took a breath, bent over to feel it, and sighed,
"A sandalwood chest this big... you could fit a person inside. And she used it to send a gift."
So extravagant.
The old woodcutter Xie Yuan looked at the wood, unable to resist stroking it a couple more times.
This was a rare species of tree not found even around the Big Tree Spiritual Land, a treasure he knew of but had never seen before.
If he had cut down a tree like this back then, why would he have even bothered joining the Iron-Cloth Gate? He could have gone straight to Yunzhou, paid his silver to any of the four great martial arts academies, and been accepted as a core member without a problem.
’Of course, with so much money, security would be an issue... Hmm, I’d first hire the Longteng Escort Agency to protect me. I’d need a Chief Darts Master to lead the team, at the very least.’
Xie Yuan let out a breath. Just looking at the chest, he was once again shocked by Situ Qin’s extravagance.
He didn’t even need to see what was inside. One could see the whole picture from this small detail; Situ Qin’s wealth was likely beyond comparison to that of an ordinary rich young lady.
However, Xie Yuan had asked around a bit afterward, but no one knew of any famous Situ family in Yunzhou Prefecture. When he asked Zhao Xingyang, he just laughed it off and avoided the question. It was hard to say if he truly didn’t know or if there was some taboo.
’So what kind of object would be worthy of such a chest?’
Xie Yuan’s heart filled with anticipation. Rubbing his hands with glee, he undid the latch and lifted the heavy lid.
Sunlight entered the chest, reflecting a piercing, cold glint that shone on Xie Yuan’s face, causing him to instinctively narrow his eyes.
He cast his gaze inside and saw a giant black axe lying quietly in the chest.
The giant axe’s handle was three feet long, somewhere between a short and a long handle, and could be wielded with one hand or two.
It had a single-sided blade shaped like a half-moon, with a hook at the bottom and a spike on top, allowing for both chopping and stabbing.
The axe head was nearly the size of a washing basin, entirely black except for the silver-white edge of the blade, which seemed to be made of a special material. It exuded a bone-chilling air and glittered with a cold, sharp light.
’This axe looks vicious!’
Xie Yuan’s eyes lit up. He reached into the chest and lifted the axe, but his hand dipped slightly, and he had to use more strength.
’Damn, this thing is heavy! From a rough lift, it must be upwards of seventy or eighty pounds!’
’Just swinging this thing around would be intimidating enough.’
Eager to try it out, Xie Yuan took a breath and performed a set of three axe swings right there in his room.
Three cold glints flashed abruptly. A turbulent whirlwind kicked up inside the room, knocking over the folding screen and sending the table and chairs CLATTERING.
The power of the three swings, combined with the axe’s own weight, stirred up a wind out of nowhere in the cramped room.
And that wasn’t even counting its chilling sharpness... Xie Yuan plucked a strand of hair, placed it gently on the axe’s edge, and the hair instantly split in two.
He clicked his tongue in amazement. ’Truly sharp enough to sever a hair that falls on it.’ He was inwardly astonished.
’What material is this silver-white layer on the blade? It’s unbelievably sharp!’
A sturdy, heavy axe couldn’t possibly be honed as thin and flat as a sword. To achieve this level of sharpness was no ordinary feat of craftsmanship.
Xie Yuan swung the axe a few more times, sighed in satisfaction, and then set it aside.
This axe, whether in sharpness, weight, or craftsmanship, was the best of the best.
Even its design—a crescent moon with a hook, a single protruding spike, capable of stabbing, hooking, cleaving, and chopping—was practical and versatile. It radiated viciousness, yet within that viciousness was a hint of elegance.
Especially when held by a man of Xie Yuan’s stature, it didn’t look brutish. Instead, it gave him a unique and commanding presence.
Xie Yuan strongly suspected that Situ Qin had chosen it specifically for him.
’A deadly weapon like this... it’s a bit more than I expected.’
Xie Yuan shook his head and saw another package in the chest. He picked it up and unwrapped it, revealing a folded piece of paper lying on a blue booklet.
He put down the booklet, opened the folded paper, and saw a few lines of elegant and graceful handwriting. It was beautiful to look at; clearly, the writer had put a great deal of effort into their calligraphy.
"After much consideration, I felt this ’Moon-Cutter’ was the most suitable for you. I have also enclosed a matching manual, the *Moon-Cutting Axe*. I hope you will accept them.
"Has Master Xie not yet been to Yunzhou Prefecture? If you have the time, please come and be my guest. I’ll take you out for some delicious food.
"We traveled together for half a day, and our conversation was interesting. I hope to meet with you again."
There was no name at the end, only a few simple strokes forming a sketch of a Guqin, so vivid it seemed real.
Xie Yuan couldn’t help but smile. This girl was certainly interesting, and very warm-hearted.
’Of course, she was also perfectly beautiful.’
He suppressed the stirring in his heart, carefully refolded the letter, put it away, and picked up the blue-covered secret manual.
"Moon-Cutting Axe..."
Xie Yuan silently read the name on the cover and turned to the first page.
An illustration showed a figure chopping with an axe identical in design to the Moon-Cutter. It really was a matching set. He wondered which great axe master had left it behind.
Beside the figure were written annotations. Every move, every stance, and the flow of energy were all detailed and precise.
Xie Yuan skimmed through it, then slowly closed the booklet, his eyes shining.
’What a powerful axe technique!’
He hadn’t seen many secret manuals, but from his time in the Iron-Cloth Gate to the Longteng Escort Agency, he had come across a few Cultivation Techniques.
Of all the fighting styles Xie Yuan had seen or learned, the most powerful was the C Class *Rushing Wolf Saber Skill*. It had decent killing power, was incredibly fast and fierce, and was extremely practical. For someone at the Second Training level, it was considered an excellent saber technique.
But compared to the *Moon-Cutting Axe* he had just skimmed, even at a glance, the *Rushing Wolf Saber Skill* was vastly inferior.
The *Moon-Cutting Axe* had seven forms in total. The moves were exquisite, and its power was immense—that much was evident just from the manual’s illustrations and descriptions.
Xie Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly. In his mind, it was as if a small figure was swinging the giant axe with extreme fluidity, from the First Form to the seventh. The moves were connected, the transitions tight, each swing fiercer than the last, until the final circular slash that could almost bring down the moon.
He opened his eyes and let out a breath. This axe technique was incredibly profound, with almost no discernible flaws.
An axe technique of such a High Grade would likely be extremely difficult for anyone else to practice.
[Moon-Cutting Axe · Uninitiated: (1/100)]
Xie Yuan chuckled. He, of course, was an exception.
The annotations in the *Moon-Cutting Axe* were clear and easy to understand. After just one read-through, he already had a plan in his mind.
He picked up the Moon-Cutter again, practicing a few moves on the spot in his room while contemplating the key principles of the axe technique.
"When starting, don’t focus on its weight, don’t let the axe lead you; use three-tenths of your strength when striking, hold seven-tenths in reserve. Horizontal slashes, vertical chops, forward stabs, and backward hooks... With a heavy weapon, you must maintain constant pressure, continuously build momentum, until the very end, for the one strike that cuts the moon..."
Xie Yuan swung the axe on the spot, his eyes growing brighter and brighter. Unable to contain himself, he took the axe outside into the courtyard and practiced a full set.
From the First Form to the seventh, although his initial practice was clumsy, Xie Yuan’s aura steadily climbed until it reached its peak.
He let out a great shout as a circular slash cut through the air. An arc of cold light flashed in the courtyard with an unstoppable momentum, as if it would cleave everything before it and even cut down the moon in the sky!
Great axe technique, great axe!
Xie Yuan planted the axe on the ground, stood with his hands on his hips, panting slightly, thoroughly exhilarated.
’If I’d had this weapon and Cultivation Technique before going to Yulin, I could have taken on all twenty of those mountain bandits by myself and cut them all down with just a few swings!’
He was overjoyed to have received such a fine weapon and cultivation technique. However, he also realized that the quality of these gifts was far beyond his expectations, which made him hesitate.
But after thinking for a moment, Xie Yuan let out a breath and thought to himself:
’Forget it. This was an act of great kindness. Since I’ve already accepted it, a man shouldn’t be so hesitant. I’ll simply remember this favor and repay it sooner or later.’
After going through a full set of the axe technique, Xie Yuan felt it had consumed a great deal of his energy. Aside from his unfamiliarity with it, the technique was of an extremely high grade, which resulted in a significant drain.
Now that he had a new fighting style, he naturally had to practice it. But he also needed to raise his cultivation level as soon as possible to match its demands. Besides, the Golden Bell Shield was very useful and needed more practice as well.
Xie Yuan rubbed his chin. ’I happen to have two B-Class merits. I should see what treasures the Escort Agency has to offer and put them to good use.’
