19. Uninvited Guest

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Remaining 3 points.

In other words, with a 10% success rate, Song Cheng took 13 attempts to succeed.

"Add points."

Without hesitation or delay, he put the 3 points into "Mysterious Turtle Step."

Instantly, the progress of "Mysterious Turtle Step" turned into "Entry Level (1/4)."

A sense of deep-rooted steadiness emerged.

Although faint, the feeling of the connection between the power from top to bottom began to take shape.

In the fenced yard, the young boy stood in the cold winter wearing only thin clothing.

The cold wind blew in clearly from the outside, but his body seemed to be burning like a furnace, keeping the cold at bay.

Inside the house, Yune yawned as she came out, carrying a piece of fur she had sewn together.

It was sewn onto the original coat, with a big fluffy gray tail around the collar, which looked very warm.

"Dear, give it a try."

Yune, with sleepy eyes, subconsciously lifted her gaze and saw Song Cheng standing there in nothing but a thin shirt. The thin fabric outlined his strong and wild physique. She recalled that last night this powerful body had been an assault on her own, and blushed again.

Looking at his petite wife, Song Cheng approached her, took the clothing, but instead shook it and draped it over Tong Jia's shoulders.

Tong Jia was taken aback and pushed him, saying, "Isn't this a bit much?"

Despite her words, her heart was sweet.

Sweetness aside, she still pulled off the clothes, for they were made for her man.

"You wear it. A martial artist's vitality is strong enough to withstand the mountain's winter cold." Song Cheng held her shoulders.

Tong Jia struggled, saying, "It's made for you. I'll make mine later."

Song Cheng held her still.

Tong Jia moved a bit, only to feel a soreness in her waist and legs, so she shyly glared at Song Cheng, saying, "Why are you using so much strength?"

Song Cheng smiled, "Wasn't there a little demon waiting for me?"

Tong Jia remembered the past when Song Cheng was thin and weak. After they were done with their conjugal activities, it was Song Cheng who would feel his legs go weak. She used to tease him, saying, "The little demon is waiting for you," but now the roles were reversed, and she was the one whose legs turned weak.

Yune spat lightly and, looking upwards, said, "Do you really think I'm afraid of you?"

Song Cheng said nothing more, sweeping her up around the waist.

Yune's legs curled around his arm, kicking incessantly, her defiant little face drained of color as she shouted repeatedly, "Do we have work today or not...?"

...

Life in the mountains was just shameless like this.

After adding points, Song Cheng and his wife returned to the bed to warm up.

It wasn't until noon that they got down from the bed.

Lunch was still meat.

A bit of gamey wolf meat and a soup flavored with some mountain herbs prepared by Tong Jia.

The soup was light, with a faint medicinal fragrance.

Both of them felt a bit disinclined to speak after eating the meat.

With no noodles and not many seasonings, how delicious could this meat really be?

Moreover, having this every day made it not only a bit tedious but also made them feel physically uncomfortable, most likely causing fatigue and lack of energy.

This was due to a monotonous diet.

"Dear, I saw some frozen mushrooms on the mountain nearby. Let's gather some tomorrow to improve our meals," Yune suggested.

Song Cheng nodded and suddenly thought of his wife's enthusiasm for training, so he said, "Not today."

"Why not?"

"This afternoon you should practice 'White Snake Blade.'

From tomorrow, you will practice in the morning. If you want to forage, wait until the afternoon."

Song Cheng suggested.

After finding a bit of stability, he started thinking about "Longevity."

He achieved longevity, but Yune was just an ordinary person.

An ordinary person's life spans seventy years at best.

But practicing martial arts should increase one's lifespan.

When Song Cheng saw "Yellow Level Grade D," he seemed to have figured out this realm's classification.

He didn't know what people called realms outside, but he had never heard anyone mention "Yellow Level Grade D."

Hence, this "Yellow Level Grade D" was likely a classification given by the panel.

In other words, regardless of what others said, this panel had divided the world's realms into four levels: "Heaven, Earth, Mysterious, and Yellow," and four grades: "Grade A, B, C, and D."

Just at Yellow Level Grade D, he already felt powerful, not to mention the higher realms?

Practicing martial arts definitely could increase lifespan.

So, he hoped Yune could practice alongside him.

If she could train well and live long, he wouldn't be left with sorrow in a hundred years.

However, rather than the idea of sorrow a hundred years later, Song Cheng was more filled with anticipation.

"Longevity," a dream countless people pursued with no avail.

This meant he could experience different lives and enjoy life to its fullest.

Once he was strong enough, he wanted to play different roles, experience everything from a scholar to a merchant, a knight to a general, a monk to a Taoist, and even a king or a warrior, a demon or an immortal...

He wanted to experience not only these roles but also various beauties, witnessing thousands of worldly styles and enjoying all human luxuries.

As for the noble idea of "forgetting emotions," Song did not fancy it.

What he liked was life.

He had a zealous passion for life.

Simply put, it was about the experience of food, clothing, shelter, and travel.

Anything with a touch of immortality, he didn't like; the more mundane it was, the more passionate he felt.

Of course, it still was just a daydream.

He had first to become strong, to survive in this "Endless Hell" world.

And since Tong Jia was his first bound spouse, he undoubtedly hoped this wife could always stay with him... as long as possible.

"Practice!"

Song Cheng pulled Yune to her feet, then tossed her the bamboo blade he had made, and began explaining the basics of "White Snake Blade" and "Mysterious Turtle Step."

Back in the Rejuvenation Hall, he had no meat to eat, so his body was too weak to practice martial arts.

But now, in this remote mountain forest... meat was in abundance.

...

Half an hour later.

Tong Jia had collapsed into a puddle, repeatedly saying, "I can't, I can't, really can't do it..."

Song Cheng chuckled, picked her up, and placed her back on the bed, sitting beside her, giving her a simple stretch to improve the exercise's effect. Then he shut the door, went outside, chopped wood, made a fire, cooked meat, and prepared vegetables.

In midwinter, in the mountains, night fell early, and it was almost a pure black with no light at all.

Fog rolled in outside.

White fog.

The mist was cold and chilly.

Locking the door tightly, Song Cheng then climbed back into bed, looked around, saw no data, nor that terrifying red hue, and embraced his wife to sleep.

Yune winced, saying, "Ouch, ouch... don't move..."

In the middle of the night, strange animal noises echoed in the mountains, resembling a wolf's howl or a tiger's roar, mixed with unknown insects and the howling wind, forming a chilling symphony.

Yune's entire body ached, making it hard for her to sleep, so she nestled into Song Cheng's arms.

Song Cheng too felt a complete separation from the human world.

...

The next day.

Tong Jia could not climb the mountain or practice martial arts, so she stayed home sewing "fur."

Song Cheng placed the newly acquired 7 points into "Mysterious Turtle Step," advancing the progress to "(Minor Accomplishment) (4/8)."

His strength increased to "14~27."

The improvement was small.

Song Cheng pondered, feeling it was likely due to "all his skills actually focusing on the blade."

He dropped the blade and looked at his strength, which became "11~11."

As expected, "White Snake Blade's" battle method required the blade to be executed, and the strength's upper limit was supported by this battle method.

Considering it this way, the "small improvement" was not surprising.

On the other hand, it was probably due to the "restriction of the realm itself."

With this in mind, Song Cheng practiced his blade art in the courtyard for a while.

Suddenly, the door opened, and Yune came out, supporting herself against the wall, holding a long strip of wolf-skin product, and shouted, "Dear!"

Song Cheng hurried over, picked up the long strip of wolf-skin product she brought, glanced at it, and realized, "Sheath?"

Tong Jia smiled, "Don't be picky."

Song Cheng had lost his sheath in the water before, and the blade had been exposed these past few days.

He tried it, and it fit perfectly.

Obviously, Tong Jia had put her heart into it.

With the sheath, Song Cheng could now strap the long blade on his back.

Soon, he picked up an axe and continued clearing the miscellaneous trees around the log cabin, firstly to open up the view and secondly to stockpile firewood.

By dusk, just as he was about to light a fire for dinner, he suddenly looked up and caught sight of three figures on the hillside in the distance.

[Strength: 6~10]

[Affection: ??]

...

[Strength: 0~0]

[Affection: 60]

...

[Strength: 1~1]

[Affection: ??]

Affection was unknown because the other party had never met Song Cheng, so affection naturally hadn't been established.

But the 60 affection clearly meant someone from Tang River Village.

Since Song Cheng rarely left his house, only the villagers of Tang River recognized him.

Song Cheng squinted, swept a glance at his own "14~27," and then looked at the other's "6~10," and a murderous intent emerged.

Together with a villager from Tang River, it most likely meant an escaped bandit.

He quickly moved inside, saying, "Dear, come with me."

With that, the two quickly climbed into the mountains, hiding along the path to the hut while keeping an eye on the distance.

Killing was a taboo with rules around it.

Yune had become a taboo and was just beginning, so her strength might not be that strong yet.

Thus, Tang River Village, and the bandits might not yet be completely wiped out.

'Are these the stragglers?'

'Perhaps I can use them to understand the situation in Tang River Village.'

As he contemplated, the three people on the other side seemed to have noticed the hut and the traces of living, so they quickened their pace.

As they got closer, Song Cheng unsheathed his blade in advance and gestured to Tong Jia to cover her mouth.

Tong Jia obediently complied.

Making use of the gaps between the trees, Song Cheng watched the three people closely.

Leading the group was a brutish man with an aquiline nose and hawk-like eyes, his face full of menace, with strength noted as "6~10."

Behind were two dishelved women.

One was Nan Hui from Tang River Village, who was pretty. She was the daughter-in-law of the Village Chief, whose husband was conscripted and died on the battlefield. Villagers whispered about "the chief climbing the ash," but no one dared to say it to his face.

Song Cheng had seen Nan Hui during his Out of Body Divine Soul Night Wandering.

The other was a fair-skinned girl with a beauty and temperament unlike any rural laborer.

Even though her hair was tied haphazardly, it didn't conceal her elegance.

After noticing the traces of a dwelling, the brutish man suppressed the two women and growled, "Wait here."

Then he added, "Runaway, and I'll hang you up on a tree to feed the wolves."

Nan Hui shuddered in fear.

The other girl said, "I won't run."

The brutish man groped her chest and said, "Truly like a wealthy family."

The girl's eyes were cold, but she did not resist, seemingly resigned to her fate.

Once the man finished instructing, he crouched, gripping his blade, lightened his steps, and moved carefully along the tree shadows toward the cabin, his narrow eyes filled with malice.

He planned to ambush!

Hidden behind the trees, Song Cheng saw it all clearly, identifying the man definitively as a bandit. When the man came alongside, Song Cheng suddenly leapt out. With a step, waist twist, the power honed with "White Snake Blade" concentrated in a line, twisting and turning into the blade.

A slash from behind.

Swish!

The brute's arm holding the blade was severed.

The blade twisted, and the snakehead suddenly bit, piercing his leg.

In a flash, the ambushed brute already lost his arm and injured his leg, rolling down the slope while screaming in pain.

Song Cheng quickly followed, stepping on his other hand with the blade pointed at his neck.

The process was swift and cohesive.

The effort didn't go to waste!

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