I Can Merge Techniques

Chapter 395: Chapter 143: An Eerie Shadow in the Stone Forest, the Blood Curse Strikes; The Zhang Family of Qing Province Conspires, Burial Immortal Valley Stirs the World

"He closed in on Zhang Yunpeng step by step, his eyes as cold as ice. With a single palm strike, he heavily wounded the Demon!"

"Hold on!"

A voice suddenly called out from downstairs. It was a young master in a brocade robe, with a fair complexion, toying with a Jade Pendant in his hand.

He said nonchalantly, "I heard Zhang Yunpeng’s Cultivation was at the Divine Power Realm, while Chu Fan is only at the Spirit Awakening Realm. How could he injure him with a single palm strike? Could it be that the storyteller is just making this up?"

The storyteller froze for a moment, then quickly picked up a towel to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

He had only gathered news about Chu Fan injuring Zhang Yunpeng but didn’t know the intricacies of the different Realms, so for a moment, he was at a loss for words.

Just then, a man stood up from a corner. A Long Saber hung from his waist, its scabbard studded with copper nails. A single glance told you he was a practitioner from the martial world.

The man’s voice was steady as he said, "We listen to stories for the excitement, why get so serious? A few days ago, I even heard someone say Chu Fan slew a ’Resentful Spirit’ with one slash of his saber."

He paused, then added, "But one thing is true—Chu Fan was the one who broke the Blood Sacrifice Array. Without him, Cyan Yang Ancient City would have been long gone."

"The one who truly suppressed the Resentful Spirit was an avatar of the Demon Suppression Envoy, Lord Yue Mankong, but Chu Fan’s contribution is undeniable."

The teahouse patrons nodded one after another. Even the young waiter stopped in his tracks, completely engrossed in the tale.

The storyteller let out a sigh of relief and quickly chimed in, "This gentleman speaks the truth! Although Zhang Yunpeng was in the Divine Power Realm, Chu Fan caught him completely off guard. Humiliated and enraged, he threatened Chu Fan, ’You dare kill a court-appointed official? I’ll have your entire clan exterminated!’"

The patrons’ hearts were in their throats again. Someone couldn’t help but curse, "That Demon still dares to make threats!"

"But Chu Fan wasn’t scared in the slightest!"

The storyteller’s voice rose, and his wooden block hit the table with a CRACK! "He pulled out his Demon Suppression Guard Token and asked Lord Yue Mankong’s avatar, ’The Demon Suppression Guard slays demons and eliminates evil. Zhang Yunpeng is a Demon. Am I permitted to execute him? If not, then I’ll resign from the Demon Suppression Guard!’"

"How heroic!" fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com

Another round of cheers erupted in the teahouse. Some patrons threw copper coins onto the stage, which landed in the collection tray with a CLINK-CLANK.

"The moment the words left his mouth, Chu Fan’s figure blurred. He shot forward like a gust of wind, appearing before Zhang Yunpeng in an instant."

The storyteller gestured dramatically, his eyes gleaming. "The saber in his hand flashed with a cold light. There was a sharp SLICE, and Zhang Yunpeng’s head tumbled to the ground!"

The entire hall fell silent. You could have heard a pin drop.

A moment later, thunderous applause broke out, even louder than before.

"Tell us another one!"

"Where did Chu Fan go afterward?"

The patrons, still wanting more, all shouted out.

The storyteller cupped his hands to thank them for the money, took a sip of hot tea, and beamed. "Since you esteemed guests are so generous, let’s move on to the story of Chu Fan’s solo battle against the Divine Sacrifice Envoy of the Moon Worship Sect!"

The teahouse grew quiet once more, the only sound being the soft rustle of folding fans.

In a corner sat a young woman.

She wore a simple white dress, its cuffs embroidered with light blue lotuses. Her black hair was held in place with a pale white jade hairpin. Her features were elegant, and she had a serene disposition.

The maidservant beside her leaned in and whispered, "Miss, is this Chu Fan really so incredible? To think he saved an entire city of people."

The young woman smiled faintly but said nothing, merely raising a hand to smooth the corner of her sleeve.

Understanding the gesture, the maidservant took some broken silver from her purse. A piece of it landed in the collection tray with a clear CLINK.

Seeing this, the storyteller hurriedly cupped his hands in thanks.

Only then did the surrounding patrons notice the young woman. The young master at the next table was so captivated that he stared blankly, his teacup frozen halfway to his lips.

...

Similar scenes were playing out in teahouses and taverns all across Qing Province.

The tales of Chu Fan’s exploits spread far and wide, growing more legendary with each telling.

In the Drunken Immortal Tower in the west of the city, a drunkard leaned on a table with one hand and brandished a wine bowl with the other, sloshing liquor all over the surface. "I’m tellin’ you! That kid, Chu Fan, he smashed down the gates of the Cyan Yang County Magistrate’s Office with a single punch! Zhang Yunpeng was so scared he pissed his pants!"

"Nonsense!"

A merchant at the next table pushed up the spectacles on his nose, his tone certain. "My cousin does silk business in Cyan Yang, and he saw it with his own eyes—Chu Fan didn’t even lift a finger. He used a clever scheme to trick Zhang Yunpeng into breaking the array himself. Much more impressive than brute force!"

"Whether by scheme or by fist, the boy is extraordinary."

The tavern owner, his face a web of wrinkles, polished a glass with a cloth. "To be noticed by the Demon Suppression Bureau while still in the Spirit Awakening Realm... that’s a first for Qing Province."

No one knew that Chu Fan was completely oblivious to all these discussions.

He was even less aware that his name had already spread throughout the lands of Qing Province, becoming a hot topic of conversation on every street corner.

Meanwhile, Chu Fan was darting through a downpour and into a mountain cave.

The rain was torrential. He lifted the sopping hem of his robe, his steps swift. Raindrops dripped from the tips of his hair onto the stone steps, leaving a trail of wet marks.

With a thought, he activated the Spirit Array Map of the Demon Dragon Celestial Spirit Scripture, scanning the inside and outside of the cave. He detected no anomalies.

Chu Fan breathed a sigh of relief. He took out a few large leaves from his Sumeru Ring, shook the water from them, and spread them on the ground.

He then took out a dry Cyan Cloth Robe, changed out of his wet clothes, and draped them over a stalagmite to dry.

Once that was done, he sat down with his back against the stone wall. Listening to the rain outside the cave, he let out a long breath.

Gusts of wind carrying threads of rain occasionally blew into the cave, bringing a hint of chill.

Chu Fan leaned against the stone wall, his fingertips unconsciously tracing the damp spots on his robes... His thoughts suddenly drifted far away, settling on his battle with the woman from Medicine King Valley.

An entire day and night had passed since that battle.

Although he had spent most of that time fleeing for his life, the gains he had made far exceeded his expectations.

In the chaos of the fight, he had a sudden epiphany, causing his Running Technique to break through its realm mid-battle. It reached its Fourth Limit Break, granting him the wondrous Trait, Fleeting Shadows.

Now, combined with the Nine Heavens Wind Mastery Scripture that he had only recently reached the Entry-Level in, his straight-line sprint speed and short-distance maneuvering ability firmly surpassed that of a First Heaven Acupoint Realm Cultivator.