18. Xuanwu
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Five days later...
In the mountains.
A makeshift wooden house had been set up, but it wasn't completely finished yet.
Song Cheng held a hard, sharp wooden spike like a long nail in one hand and a stone as a hammer in the other, busily hammering and climbing up and down.
Tong Jia was planting the split old bamboo around the outside of the wooden house to form a bamboo fence. Then, she took medical bandages, tore them, and kneaded them into ropes to weave among the bamboo.
In this way, the two worked until dusk before stopping.
"I'm exhausted."
The lady of the house sat on a large blue stone in the courtyard, her gaze naturally sweeping towards the north side of the wooden house.
The mountain stream trickled by, reflecting golden ripples, appearing serene and beautiful.
Song Cheng seemed alright, as he inspected the house and walked around it twice, saying, "Finally, it's done."
His voice was full of joy as well.
In his previous life, when he read novels, he always had the illusion that a wooden house could be built with a snap of the fingers. But only when he actually did it himself did he realize how difficult it was.
Choosing a site, clearing the land, removing weeds and trees, then cutting trees, planning, laying the foundation...
Even with the couple working together, it took a full five days to complete the house.
Tong Jia shouted, "Husband, what are we eating tonight?"
Song Cheng replied, "Fish."
Then he grabbed the Fine Blade and headed to the stream, his eyes locked on the "0~0" figures swimming beneath the water, and suddenly his arm flicked.
His hand and the blade shot out like a venomous snake from the darkness, swiftly striking at one of the figures.
The tip of the knife instantly transmitted a firm feeling.
Song Cheng flicked his hand again, then jabbed upward.
A purely wild, natural fish burst out of the water, casting pearls of sunset-hued water onto the grass, sparkling brightly.
Song Cheng said, "Grilled fish for dinner!"
The lady of the house smiled and said, "Sounds good."
Song Cheng also broke into a smile.
In fact, they had been eating grilled fish almost every day lately.
Even if Tong Jia said, "I'm tired of it," he wouldn't be surprised.
But the lady of the house not only didn't complain, she would say, "Do you know that this one fish alone is at least three jin, which would sell for thirty wen in the county?"
After saying that, the lady of the house would cheerfully eat it with him.
The days became leisurely, as if they had leaped out of past troubles; here, there was no longer a net woven by malicious hearts. Song Cheng also slowly emerged from the previously sorrowful and regretful atmosphere.
Through seeing the world, human hearts could be healed.
At this moment, he held up the knife, shaking it in the sunset, then looked at his panel:
[Name: Song Cheng]
[Talent: Longevity]
[Point Allocation: 0 points]
[Realm: Yellow Level Grade D]
[Cultivation Technique]
White Snake Blade (Yellow Level Grade D) (Perfection)
[Skill]
White Snake Blade Technique (Yellow Level Grade D) (Great Achievement) (3/16)
Pagoda Visualization Method (Yellow Level Grade D) (Perfection)
[Taboo]
1. Blessing of the Drowning Ghost
...
During these days, he had allocated all of the 41 remaining points.
The White Snake Blade Cultivation Method and Pagoda Visualization Method had reached Perfection.
Then, with a lot of luck and spending only 2 remaining points, he deduced the White Snake Blade Technique with a 30% success rate, and now that technique had reached a progress of "3/16."
Song Cheng glanced again at his personal data:
13~20!
With this kind of strength, he was confident he could completely overwhelm Tang River Village, even if those men recruited as laborers before were present, they wouldn't be a match for him.
Indeed, if those men each had no fear of death, they could exhaust him.
But the more realistic scenario should be that after he slashed down a few times and brutally killed several people in an instant, it would destroy the morale of those men directly, making Tang River Village like fish on his chopping board, at his mercy.
'Since the bandits outside the city didn't launch a bold assault on the village, instead waiting until they had an inside agent to act, then... there shouldn't be anyone among the bandits with strength like mine.'
Song Cheng casually assessed his current strength.
Then he focused again on the "+" sign behind "Pagoda Visualization Method (Yellow Level Grade D) (Perfection)."
The "+" sign showed a success rate of "10%."
He nodded, there was more room for improvement.
No rush.
...
...
Living deep by the mountains and river, the young couple had effectively achieved "freedom with wood" and "freedom with water."
After eating her fill, Tong Jia extravagantly boiled a large pot of water.
The pot was a stone pot, which Song Cheng had forcefully smashed using his own strength.
The couple bathed together and then rested.
Joyful harmony.
After some time, following a high, song-like note, the curtain of music finally fell.
The lady of the house weakly flopped beside Song Cheng, then extended her soft white fingers to entwine Song Cheng's hair, saying, "Husband, if we plan to live here long-term, when will you accompany me to the mountains to look for some herbs? I want to open up a garden in the courtyard for planting."
Song Cheng smiled and said, "Then tomorrow."
...
...
The day after the wooden house was built.
[You spent a blissful night with Tong Jia, earning 7 Remaining Points].
Song Cheng allocated points.
The progress of the White Snake Blade Technique turned (10/16).
He and the lady of the house climbed the mountain to gather herbs.
When they returned, they found two foxes had been drawn by the lingering scent of meat in the house.
That night, for dinner, they had stewed fox.
...
The third day.
[You spent a blissful night with Tong Jia, earning 7 Remaining Points].
Song Cheng allocated points.
The White Snake Blade Technique reached Perfection, with 1 point remaining.
Song Cheng's strength increased to "13~26."
His White Snake Blade Technique was elusive and constantly changing, extremely agile.
A "+" sign appeared after "White Snake Blade," with a deducing success rate of 10%.
However, advancing a Yellow Level Grade D technique would require 2 points each attempt.
Tong Jia rested for a day, and the small yard gained two more herb gardens.
In the evening, Song Cheng got tired of eating fish and began waiting for the foxes.
No foxes came.
...
The fourth day.
[You spent a blissful night with Tong Jia, earning 7 Remaining Points].
Song Cheng aggressively attacked the 10% probability for the deduction of White Snake Blade four times.
The result was failure.
The two climbed the mountain again, picking more herbs to enrich the herb garden.
Upon returning, Song Cheng discovered five wolves circling the house.
The wolves had a strength of "1~2."
Song Cheng drew his sword, killing a wolf with each stroke, slaying four, while the remaining one, sensing danger, fled in haste.
That night, for dinner, they had stewed wolf.
Tong Jia said, "The wolf meat tastes better, not gamey."
...
The fifth day.
[You spent a blissful night with Tong Jia, earning 7 Remaining Points].
Song Cheng intended to keep attacking the "10%" probability, but for some reason, he suddenly remembered the "ten consecutive draws" from his past life.
Perhaps a consecutive draw might have a slightly higher probability.
He decided to wait a bit longer.
The herb garden was fully established.
Tong Jia wiped away sweat, then suddenly mentioned her wish to learn the sword technique as well.
The couple began practicing "Lovers' Sword Technique."
That night, Song Cheng deliberately ate grilled fish in the courtyard.
The wolf meat from yesterday hadn't been finished and was air-dried nearby, along with the pelts of wolves and foxes.
But who would complain about too much meat?
He continued waiting for the wolves and foxes.
To no avail.
...
The sixth day.
[You spent a blissful night with Tong Jia, earning 7 Remaining Points].
Song Cheng waited for the wolves and foxes.
To no avail.
The pelts dried, and Tong Jia started sewing, attempting to make a "fur coat" with a fluffy big tail for a warmer winter.
At night, Tong Jia said, "I wonder how the village is doing. Should we go back and take a look from a distance?"
Song Cheng refused because he hadn't finished practicing his cultivation techniques.
...
The seventh day.
[You spent a blissful night with Tong Jia, earning 7 Remaining Points].
Song Cheng looked at his 21 points, rubbed his hands together, and attacked the "10%" success rate "+" behind "White Snake Blade."
A mysterious sensation surged up.
Song Cheng closed his eyes.
Numerous memories flashed through his mind.
He was wielding the sword, pursuing greater strength, and since there was no path, he intended to forge one.
He failed many times, but he also found the critical point to progress further, which was the "coverage area" of muscular strength.
The White Snake Blade focused on his chest and arms, but... his waist and legs were left untrained.
He needed a complementary force to achieve "full coverage of flesh and blood throughout the body."
After many failures, he suddenly thought of an image: the northern seven constellations, hanging high in the sky, resembling a black snake entwined around a turtle, called "Xuanwu."
If his chest and arms were like a snake, why shouldn't his waist and legs be like a turtle?
He pondered for years, simulating the White Snake Blade Technique to try to create a new cultivation method, but this was no easy task.
Many years later, after a heavy rain, he accidentally witnessed a long snake attempting to swallow a turtle, and as the turtle fought back, he had a sudden revelation.
He didn't come up with a new cultivation method, but... he found an opportunity.
His thoracic vertebrae could be like a snake, flexible.
His lumbar vertebrae should be like a turtle, stable.
Song Cheng opened his eyes, and the information on the panel changed:
[Cultivation Technique]
Mysterious Turtle Step (Yellow Level Grade D) (Uninitiated) (0/2)
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