Immortality Begins With Internal Breathing-Chapter 212: Barbarians (I)
"Damn it! That bastard, Lai Chang. I warned him not to act recklessly, yet he still went to provoke that man."
Lai Mao's face darkened. After finally traveling all the way to Ruyang City and before he could even begin searching for an opportunity to break through to the Marrow Refining Realm, Lai Chang had already been killed.
Although Lin Zheyu would occasionally fall into bouts of weakness every few days along the journey, giving others the impression that he had some internal issue, Lai Mao felt that Lin Zheyu was not as simple as he appeared. Just his ability to conceal his strength so completely was extraordinary. Because of that, though many among their group were curious about him, none dared to make a move, fearing they might bring disaster upon themselves.
Lai Mao was the same. He had repeatedly warned Lai Chang not to act rashly and to observe longer before testing Lin Zheyu's true strength, but Lai Chang, used to having his way, couldn't restrain himself upon reaching the outskirts of Ruyang City. He provoked Lin Zheyu and paid the ultimate price.
After leaving the inn and walking to a quieter place, Lai Mao stopped at the alley entrance, unwilling to go further.
"Here will do," he said in a low voice. Lai Mao feared that entering the alley might put him in danger.
The strength and methods the other had just displayed had utterly intimidated him. If that man wished him harm, he would be powerless to resist. And knowing Lai Chang's strength, if things were truly as the man said, then the opponent's power was terrifying indeed.
To kill Lai Chang so swiftly and silently was something even an ordinary Marrow Refining Realm martial artist might not be able to achieve. After all, Lai Chang was highly skilled in leg techniques; even if overpowered, he should have been able to struggle for a while and make some noise. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚
"Fine," Lin Zheyu said casually. It made no difference to him where they did this. He simply didn't want to cause a scene in public and give the local powers an excuse to target him. Back when he was in Songyi City, anyone who caused trouble there had paid dearly for it.
"Hand over everything you're carrying. Don't try to play any tricks," Lin Zheyu said, sizing Lai Mao up from head to toe.
People like them, who had traveled thousands of miles from Bafang City to the Central Plains, usually carried all their belongings with them, especially their valuables. If not for the fact that his heavy armor was inconvenient to wear constantly, Lin Zheyu would have kept it on at all times. He had spent 2,000 taels of silver to have it forged, so losing it would pain him greatly.
"Alright." Lai Mao nodded.
He efficiently handed over his pack, then took out several bottles, pouches, and leather satchels from his person, along with a secret manual.
"Savage Bear Yao Art? Hmm, this technique is interesting. Its principles are quite different from any I've studied before. What kind of art is this?" Lin Zheyu murmured in surprise.
Under the glow of the street lamps, he flipped through it briefly. It appeared to be a body-refining technique, but unlike the Hundred Refinements Treasure Manual, its core principle lay in using various strange medicinal brews, soaking in them, and absorbing their essence to strengthen the physique.
In the Savage Bear Yao Art, medicinal baths and tonics were fundamental, while physical training merely served to aid absorption. In contrast, the Hundred Refinements Treasure Manual placed training as the foundation, using medicinal baths and salves only to reinforce the effects and aid recovery.
"The Savage Bear Yao Art was something I seized from an enemy. This technique is an introductory art of the barbarian race, but it only contains the upper half; the latter portion was already missing when I obtained it. The Savage Bear Yao Art is used by the barbarians to temper the bodies of their younger generation and lay their foundation.
"The barbarians' realm divisions are rather crude. The contents of this first half roughly correspond to the three major realms of the human martial path: Muscle Forging Realm, Bone Forging Realm, and Organ Forging Realm. Their cultivation methods differ greatly from ours, and their physiques are far stronger than normal humans, so the tempering medicines they use cannot be endured by our kind. If you intend to cultivate it, it's best to use only the first half of the medicinal prescriptions," Lai Mao said sincerely.
Seeing how cooperative the man was, Lin Zheyu felt somewhat embarrassed to act against him. After all, one shouldn't strike a smiling man. The other had shown no hostility from beginning to end; everything that happened was caused by Lai Chang.
"Interesting. After cultivating this art, to what stage can one reach?" Lin Zheyu asked with growing curiosity.
Before finding a suitable cultivation art, his strength had already reached a bottleneck. If this Savage Bear Yao Art proved fitting, he didn't mind trying it to enhance himself.
"I'm not entirely sure. It's said that barbarians are born with formidable physiques. Even an ordinary barbarian, without cultivating at all, can reach a level comparable to a Bone Forging Realm martial artist at their peak once they reach adulthood. Those with exceptional talent can even rival martial artists who have undergone the first transformation of blood qi. It's utterly terrifying. It's precisely due to their overwhelming individual strength that the barbarians, despite being far fewer in number than the humans, can still stand their ground against Great Wei in the northern regions."
Lai Mao cooperated fully, recounting everything he knew. Although his younger brother Lai Chang was dead, he dared not harbor even the slightest thought of revenge. Powerful martial artists possessed equally powerful perception and intuition; at such close distance, any trace of malice would be instantly sensed.
"Oh? Not bad. I'll be taking this one. Have you prepared the required medicinal ingredients mentioned within?" Lin Zheyu said.
"No, I only acquired this technique recently. I feared it might have severe side effects, so I didn't dare to try it," Lai Mao replied, shaking his head.
"I see." Lin Zheyu put away the technique and looked Lai Mao over from head to toe.
Lai Chang had possessed half of a map. The remaining half was most likely on Lai Mao.
With a faint smile, Lin Zheyu said, "Why don't you check again? Are you sure there's nothing else you've yet to hand over?"
After a moment of silence, Lai Mao reluctantly took out the remaining half of the map.
"...This map was something we found in a hidden site. It was drawn a long time ago, and many of the marked mountains and rivers no longer exist. We spent a long time secretly investigating through various means before finally locating the area indicated on the map. That place lies within the Guanghua Region of the Central Plains, near Pingyang City. We don't know what's inside."
Although he appeared reluctant and unwilling, Lai Mao didn't actually value the map much. He had long since memorized it entirely and secretly made several copies. The same applied to the Savage Bear Yao Art; he only carried this copy with him to study during idle moments or to see if he might happen upon the necessary herbs.
"Anything else you wish to explain?" Lin Zheyu asked calmly. "For instance, the martial techniques you and your brother practiced, do you carry any of the manuals with you?"
"No. Once we've mastered a technique, we destroy the manual. If others learn what we cultivate, it becomes easier for them to discover its flaws. So we always eliminate the manuals after learning them; the fewer who know what we practice, the better. This Savage Bear Yao Art, however, was obtained only recently, so I carry it to study whenever I have free time." After saying this, fearing that Lin Zheyu might take offense and kill him, Lai Mao quickly added, "Of course, if you wish, I can copy it for you."
"Then copy it out," Lin Zheyu said evenly. "Take this pill. If the copied technique satisfies me, I'll give you the antidote."
