A man in the martial world, a reincarnated sword immortal.

Chapter 4: Lacquer Garden!

Of course, he couldn't determine whether this "Great Shift of Heaven and Earth" technique was genuine or not.

Judging from the texture of the parchment and the mixed Persian and Sanskrit writing, it doesn't seem to be fake.

But how did the Ming Cult's core cultivation method end up in Fang Liu's hands?

Moreover, Fang Liu probably had no idea that this was the Ming Cult's secret manual.

It seems there must be a reason behind this.

He didn't know much about Fang Liu.

All I know is that this kid is five or six years older than Fang Shisan, and he has been running a small tofu business in Qingxi County for the past few years.

When Fang Liu returned to Zhenjie Village, Zhong Yuan met him a few times, but they weren't very familiar with each other.

This slogan is nothing. If one can make contact with the middle-level members of the Ming Cult through Fang Liu and learn a few sword techniques, then joining the Ming Cult wouldn't be a bad thing!

After whispering to him, Fang Liu began to call on everyone to burn frankincense and eat vegetarian food.

Frankincense is a natural resin extracted from trees. It is named "frankincense" because the sap that seeps out when it is harvested is milky white and often forms nipple-like or teardrop-like shapes after solidification.

The vegetarian food they eat isn't anything else, but rather pale yellow dried tofu.

Fang Liu brought all the dried tofu; one piece was given to each person.

After Fang Liu finished distributing the dried bean curd to everyone else, he finally gave Zhong Yuan two pieces.

"This is homemade, have a taste."

Seeing that everyone else was enjoying their food, Zhong Yuan also took a small bite.

It has a slightly salty taste upon first bite, and isn't too hard, making it easy to eat.

After everyone finished eating the dried tofu.

Fang Liu gave some more instructions before letting everyone leave, but then called Zhong Yuan to stay behind and asked him to write down the decree of the Mingzun that he had just shouted.

Zhong Yuan originally intended to go home to write it, but Fang Liu brought paper and pen. Seeing this, Zhong Yuan wrote down the slogan "Burn my broken body, blazing holy fire" at the foot of the mountain god statue.

After finishing writing it, Fang Liu read it and was very satisfied.

He showed no interest in the parchment scroll, simply telling Zhong Yuan to put it away, and then happily ushered everyone away.

On the way back, Zhong Yuan remained silent.

Fang Shisan asked in confusion, "Master, you became the head of the hall on your first time attending the gathering."

"From now on, everyone in Zhenjie Village will definitely want to be your student."

"What else are you unhappy about?"

Zhong Yuan wasn't in the mood to argue with Fang Shisan. That kid really knew how to stir things up, so he just made up some excuse to brush Fang Shisan off.

He quickly returned to his own courtyard, locked the door, lit an oil lamp, and unfolded the parchment scroll to examine it closely.

After a while.

Zhong Yuan's face was full of helplessness. Although the [Great Shift of Heaven and Earth] was a top-level mental cultivation technique...

But for a novice like Zhong Yuan, it was like a book written in heaven.

This was because he had read medical books, understood the meridians and acupoints of the human body, and was able to recognize the methods involved.

But he is not Zhang Wuji, and without the Nine Yang Divine Skill, it would take him several years to cultivate the first level of this mental technique.

The first level of the Great Shift of Heaven and Earth technique can be mastered in seven years for those with high comprehension, while those with less comprehension may take fourteen years.

This is not an empty statement.

Moreover, the method of the "Great Shift of Heaven and Earth" is extremely complex and ingenious. If a practitioner does not have a strong internal force to match it, he will either die or suffer a qi deviation.

It's like a five-year-old trying to wield a 300-pound hammer; the more skillfully he wields it, the more likely he is to smash himself to death.

Zhong Yuan sighed helplessly. As a nobody with absolutely no internal energy, he shouldn't be too ambitious and risk killing himself through excessive training, even though he had the Book of Reincarnation as a safety net.

However, we cannot waste the number of times we can use the Book of Reincarnation.

He simply put the parchment away and placed it under the bed, using it as a footrest.

The "Great Shift of Heaven and Earth" is not something we can count on for now.

His innate talent lies in his sword meridian; if he were to cultivate swordsmanship, he would undoubtedly master it with ease, making rapid progress day by day.

I still need to find a sword technique.

We still need to start with Fang Liu, even though I've never heard of the Ming Cult having any powerful sword techniques.

But judging from Fang Liu's shrewd and clever appearance, he should be a key member of the Ming Cult branch in Qingxi County. He should be able to gather some of the most basic sword techniques.

……

late at night.

Qingxi County.

Inside a coffin shop.

An elderly man with white hair, dressed in blue, sat on the sunken coffin.

In front of the coffin stood a middle-aged scholar dressed in plain clothes.

The middle-aged scholar bowed and cupped his hands towards the white-haired old man, saying, "Wang Yin greets the Dragon King!"

The old man in blue robes with white hair, his face pale, coughed and said in a low voice, "After the battle between Master Zhong and the Holy Maiden Huo Tianjiao of the Persian main sect, his fate is unknown."

"Your most important task right now is to find the whereabouts of Master Zhong."

"Otherwise, our Holy Church will be in grave danger!"

Wang Yin clasped his hands and asked, "May I ask, King Jiao, where was the last place the sect leader appeared?"

The old man in blue uttered three words.

"Bangyuan Cave!"

……

The next day.

early morning.

Before the morning mist had completely dissipated, the workers at the lacquer garden were already toiling in the woods.

Right now, it's the season for tapping lacquer. The old craftsmen bend over and carefully insert the clam shells into yesterday's old knife cuts, and milky white lacquer slowly seeps out along the cuts.

Drop by drop, it fell into the clam shell with a dull thud.

Zhong Yuan strolled over, passing through the lacquer garden, and occasionally greeted the craftsmen.

He was the only genuine scholar in Zhenjie Village, and naturally, he was highly respected.

This lacquer forest has more than 300 old lacquer trees. It is the ancestral property of the Fang family and has been passed down to Fang Youchang for the fourth generation.

After passing through the lacquer forest and leaving the lacquer garden, a turn leads to the courtyard of the Fang Youchang family.

As the most prominent and wealthy family in Zhenjie Village.

Fang Youchang's courtyard was much larger than that of ordinary families, and it had three courtyards and three entrances.

After Zhong Yuan was admitted to the hospital, he went to the kitchen with ease, where the cook had already prepared a meal for him.

Zhong Yuan shoveled the food into his mouth, and although it was just simple fare, he ate with great relish.

In no time, he licked the last grain of rice from the bowl clean.

Zhong Yuan then got up and went to the main courtyard to prepare to take Fang Youchang's three grandsons to the ancestral hall.

Fang Youchang was already waiting in front of the main gate.

Seeing that it was Zhong Yuan, he greeted him with a smile, "Brother Yuan is here."

Zhong Yuan nodded slightly and greeted Fang Youchang.

Good morning, boss.

Fang Youchang is over fifty years old and looks like a country farmer.

He said with a smile, "Brother Yuan is still so polite."

"I've said it before, we're family, and I'm actually a few years older than you."

"But in terms of seniority, we're from the same generation."

Zhong Yuan smiled but didn't say anything more.

Since you're eating someone else's food, you can't embarrass them.

Although Fang Youchang was telling the truth, he was still quite old, yet he still paid him wages and took care of him.

Calling him "boss" is the most appropriate way.

Calling someone "brother" would be considered rude.

The two exchanged pleasantries.

Zhong Yuan then took Fang Youchang's three grandsons, Fang Dabao, Fang Erbao, and Fang Sanbao, to the ancestral hall.

I just entered the lacquer garden and walked a few steps.

Suddenly, the sound of rapid hoofbeats could be heard.

Zhong Yuan looked up and, through the thin mist, saw a group of people rushing along the mountain path.

The leader was a middle-aged man wearing a blue round-necked robe, followed by a dozen or so constables with swords at their sides, and several craftsmen dressed in black robes.

The middle-aged man reined in his horse in the middle of the lacquer garden, glanced down at the lacquer forest, and slightly raised the corners of his mouth, as if he were inspecting his own territory.

"By order of the Director of the Construction Bureau of Liangzhe Circuit, the Fang family's lacquer garden shall be requisitioned for official use within six months, effective today!"

Immediately, the middle-aged man pulled a scroll from his sleeve and held it high.

"All mature lacquer trees shall be felled by the Construction Bureau from this day forward, and no violation is permitted!"