SWDnovel Chapter 46 Soul-Suppressing Nails
Chapter 46 Soul-Suppressing Nails
Lin Mu darted out through the side door of the west wing, followed by a cacophony of footsteps and shouts.
A dozen or so gang members carrying knives and guns rushed into the backyard. The beams of light from the lanterns swept wildly in the night sky, lengthening and then cutting off his shadow from the base of the wall.
He turned and rushed towards the front yard, using the Wind Step and the Sudden Wind Step to reach the roof and leave.
The pursuers were hot on their heels, and the light from the lanterns illuminated the area around the Wind Chaser Gang as if it were daytime.
Lin Mu paused slightly, searching for direction in the darkness, and finally chose to fly in the opposite direction from Xihe Town.
Night is the best cover.
Although the Wind-Stepping Technique, enhanced by hidden strength, was not as agile as it was at its peak, his figure could still appear and disappear by taking advantage of the shadows cast by walls, woodpiles, and alleyways.
The shouts of the pursuers grew fainter and fainter, and the light of the lanterns flickered intermittently behind them.
He climbed over a low wall and landed in a field.
He didn't stop, he kept running forward, through a reed bed, his body half-covered in mud and water.
He stopped under an old locust tree and leaned against the trunk, panting heavily, until the sound behind him completely disappeared.
In the distance, towards the headquarters of the Wind Riding Gang, the light from the lanterns was still flickering, but it gradually faded away.
Lin Mu stood under the tree for a while longer, making sure no one was chasing after him, before slowly walking back the way he came.
When I returned to the courtyard, the sky was already beginning to lighten.
The pear tree leaves rustled in the morning breeze, and a few petals drifted down onto my shoulder.
He took off his soaking wet outer shirt, wrung it out, draped it over a bamboo pole, and went into the house shirtless. He lay down on the couch until the morning light peeked in through the window.
Today is the first day of the ten-day period.
Lin Mu arrived at the Palace Guard early.
The streets of the inner city were already bustling with activity, with early-rising vendors setting up their stalls and steam rising gently in the morning light.
He straightened his clothes at the door and went to Zhao Rong's room.
Zhao Rong had already been working diligently at his desk.
"Lord Zhao."
Zhao Rong raised his head, a smile on his lips, looking incredibly relaxed.
His gaze lingered on Lin Mu for a moment. "Is your injury healed?"
"That's about it."
"Have you heard about what happened with the Wind Chaser gang last night?"
"What is it?"
"The three hall masters all died overnight." Zhao Rong put down his teacup and looked at Lin Mu's face. "The headquarters was raided, and the murderer is nowhere to be found."
"Killed three hall masters in one night? Could he be a Transformation Realm expert?" Lin Mu wanted to minimize the suspicion against him.
"Perhaps." Zhao Rong picked up his teacup and took a sip, but his gaze never left Lin Mu's face.
"If we can find this righteous man, the Zhao family will surely protect him." He said meaningfully.
......
Around noon, Lin Mu put down his pen and spoke up, "Lord Zhao, I would like to peruse the confiscated martial arts manuals."
In the past, Zhao Rong would usually have shut down such a request with a "finish copying the 'Heyuan Chronicle' first."
But he didn't today.
"Thank you for your hard work on the Chang Le Gambling House."
"From now on, you can freely read any of the martial arts classics here; they're all on the bookshelves."
The east wing was small, with bookshelves on three walls, piled high with confiscated martial arts manuals.
Files, booklets, and bamboo slips lay scattered haphazardly, covered in a thin layer of dust.
Lin Mu pulled out a book from the innermost layer and flipped through a few pages—it was all written in tiny characters, describing the internal energy cultivation method of a certain sect, with neat handwriting.
He read a few lines and learned that cultivation requires a lot of time and one must comprehend it on one's own.
I changed to another one, but it was the same.
I flipped through seven or eight books in a row, and they were all the same.
Lin Mu was somewhat disappointed, but not surprised.
Most of the confiscated books were copies made by various sects. Although the mental techniques and formulas were detailed, the true essence lay in the master's oral instruction and the subtle sensations of the flow of qi and blood.
You can't master it just by reading the text, even if you memorize the whole book.
He was about to close the last book when his fingers touched a thin booklet.
The cover had no inscription, the paper was yellowed, and the corners were curled up, as if it had been repeatedly studied.
He turned to the title page, where three crooked words were written: Soul-Suppressing Nail.
The handwriting is messy, like something a child would do when learning to write.
Turning the page further, you'll find a series of paintings.
The drawing is simple, the lines are rough, and the little figure's limbs look like they were pieced together with matchsticks, and there are no facial features.
But every movement is clear: how to hide the nail in the sleeve, how to infuse the nail with hidden force, how to flick the wrist to generate power, and the trajectory of the nail is marked with dotted lines, from the palm to the fingertips, from the fingertips to the target, stroke by stroke, crooked and slanted, but every detail is drawn.
Lin Mu turned the pages one by one, his fingers tracing the movements of the little figure.
Sometimes when you flip through the pages quickly, the little figures in the pictures seem to move.
He suddenly had a brilliant idea and quickly flipped through the "Soul-Suppressing Nails." The little figure would sometimes rotate its wrist slightly, and sometimes shoot out in a spiral, as if it were performing martial arts.
The booklet in my mind felt slightly warm.
[After observation, you can replicate the skill: Soul-Suppressing Nail (Minor Mastery).]
[Will it be reissued?]
He silently repeated in his mind, "Yes."
A strange, familiar force surged from my palm, climbed up the meridians of my forearm, and condensed at my wrist.
His fingers twitched involuntarily.
Lin Mu picked off the splinter from the wooden frame and used it as a nail, then flung it at the bookshelf. With a "plop," a small dent appeared on the surface of the wood.
He began practicing with great interest.
During that time, Zhao Rong went out for a while, and when he came back, the corners of his mouth were turned up.
"Ling Feng is trapped in Maple Forest Town and it will be at least ten days before he can escape." His voice was not loud, but it carried an irrepressible sense of satisfaction.
This is good news for Lin Mu.
It wasn't until the hour of Xu (7-9 PM) that Lin Mu put down the Soul-Suppressing Nail, came out of the east wing, passed through the central hall, and before he even reached the front yard, he heard a commotion.
The courtyard of the Palace Guard was filled with people: civil officials in black robes, military officers with swords, and several unfamiliar faces in brocade robes. They gathered in twos and threes, whispering to each other, their faces showing an indescribable excitement.
Lin Mu slowed his pace and peered into the courtyard from behind the pillars of the corridor.
A horse-drawn carriage was parked at the gate of the courtyard. The carriage was entirely black, without any patterns or decorations, and even the curtains were plain black cloth.
The two horses pulling the cart were jet black with glossy manes, their hooves firmly planted on the bluestone slabs, motionless as if cast in iron.
Four men dressed in tight-fitting clothes guarded the carriage, with swords hanging at their waists. Their breathing was steady and their footsteps were silent.
The carriage door opened.
The first person to come down was a middle-aged man, wearing a scarlet official robe, with a gold belt around his waist, a fair complexion, no beard, and a light step.
He got out of the car, stepped aside, bent down, and extended his hand in a gesture of invitation.
Another person got out of the carriage.
Lin Mu's gaze fell on that person, and his pupils contracted slightly.
The man was wearing a moon-white robe, with a thin face, slightly high cheekbones, and slightly deep-set eyes.
Yu Mubai stepped out from behind the crowd.
Lin Mu noticed that his pace was half a beat faster than usual, his back was more bent than usual, and the smile on his face was much brighter than it had been at the Heyuan Restaurant that day.
"Yu Mubai greets Your Excellency."
"Sir, you have come from afar; I have failed to greet you properly."
The man simply nodded.