Chapter Nine, The Madman

"Wen Jia's inner disciple is the master of the Birth, Aging, Illness, and Death Workshop. Naturally, you will take charge in my absence." Master Wen Si hesitated for a moment, then picked up a small red jade box the size of a lighter from the table and handed it to Wen Leyang: "Keep this for me. If I do not return within three months, you are to give it to your granduncle."

Wen Leyang walked out of the large house in a daze. Xiao Yi bounced over, took the carrot from his hand, and took a bite: "What did Grandpa say?"

With a bang, the door closed...

Wen Leyang had not gone far at all; upon hearing the call, he hurriedly responded and quickly ran into the main room. As soon as he stepped over the threshold, a thick, foul odor enveloped him entirely, penetrating through his nose, ears, eyes, and even all thirty-six thousand pores of his body.

The young girl shrugged her shoulders and said, "It's not that easy." The Wen, Miao, and Luo families all pride themselves on their martial arts being capable of reaching the heavens, yet over the years, not a single one has succeeded.

Xiao Yi was also filled with curiosity about this extraordinary ancestor, leaning in with his small head, which still exuded the fragrance of mountain flowers, and seriously reading the notes alongside him

"Go back, and remember for three months. If I do not return during this time, you are not allowed to leave the forest even a step!" By the time the voice was heard, Lord Wen Si had already led his people out of the forest.

After speaking, the Fourth Master stood up, no longer paying him any attention, and strode out of the room, with the person from the Death Division following closely behind

Wen Xiaoyi also knew that something significant had happened. With a pale face, she hid behind Wen Leyang and replied softly: "Yes, they left the forest a month before you arrived..."

Beneath the red jade box, there was also a newspaper, with a striking headline that read: "A Mysterious Ancient Cave Discovered Deep in Emei Mountain." However, Wen Leyang did not have time to examine it closely, as he followed the Fourth Master out of the house

At that moment, a light yet somewhat chaotic sound of footsteps emerged from the red-leaf forest. Dozens of men, with serious expressions, hurriedly entered the woods, each pair carrying a stretcher made of rattan, covered from head to toe with heavy black cloth. Leading them was a lecherous middle-aged man, looking thin and emaciated, with shifty eyes and a furtive demeanor, resembling a weasel that had come to life. He would undoubtedly be a prime target for anti-pickpocket police at a train station.

Wen Leyang shook his head with a smile: "So our ancestor ended up cultivating himself to death." After saying this, he felt that such words were a great disrespect to his ancestor, and quickly clasped his hands together in prayer towards the heavens.

Wen Leyang nodded helplessly, and after a moment, it seemed he saw a glimmer of hope: "If the toxins accumulated in my meridians are not too much, even if the meridians are severed, the deadly poison won't kill me immediately. As long as I can practice the Mistaken Fist, I should have enough time to consolidate the deadly..."

Although the Lifespan and Death Workshop is affiliated with the Wen family, its atmosphere is entirely different from that of Wenjia Village on the hillside. In Wenjia Village, everyone is related, and they see each other daily, fostering a sense of mutual affection regardless of age. However, the people in the workshop seem either unable or unwilling to engage in conversation. Apart from Wen Xiaoyi, the others completely ignore him. Even when Wen Leyang cheerfully greets someone, the other party treats him as if he were invisible, considering it polite that they did not walk right through him.

Wen Leyang tried to call out softly, "Come here!"

Apart from a head, the person lying on the stretcher has a completely shriveled and sunken body, with the blood, flesh, and bones inside thoroughly drained, leaving only a layer of glossy, plump human skin

Wen Leyang was at a loss whether to laugh or cry: "How could I dare to compare myself with my ancestors? When he was thirteen, he passed the ten-year imperial examination, while I was nearly unable to get into junior high school at the same age"

Wen Leyang slowly regulated his breathing, striving to suppress the horror brought on by the strange corpse and the nausea stirred by the foul odor. He approached Lord Wen Si, bowing his head obediently and waiting for instructions

Wen Leyang nodded slightly: "Thus, he spent decades transforming the erroneous punches into his instinct, aiming to unleash the wrong punches during the brief window before the deadly poison erupted, thereby neutralizing the toxicity. The so-called forging of the toxic meridians is, in fact, the direct infusion of the deadly poison into the blood and flesh. His reasoning is not without merit; the meridians merely serve as a buffer, accumulating the toxic force within, which ultimately has limited efficacy. If the deadly poison were directly refined into the body, that would be the true essence of poison refining into the body..."

Master Wen Si stopped at the edge of the forest and suddenly asked: "Why didn't you use some Qingfeng San in the house just now?" Qingfeng San is a medicine that the Wen family members always carry with them; it can dispel foul odors, clear the mind, and moisten the lungs, and it also has some detoxifying effects

Wen Leyang answered honestly: "I must remember that scent"

Wen Leyang has a generally average foundation, but he possesses a certain cleverness. If he were truly a fool, he would not have been able to pass the ten-year examination; he would have long since followed two foolish uncles to learn arithmetic. Although Wen Lazi's notes are not very detailed, after careful analysis, Wen Leyang has deduced his original thoughts with a high degree of accuracy.

Wen Leyang finally came to his senses and chuckled, saying: "Our Wen family's poison techniques cannot be practiced in this manner. Building a foundation with poison is tantamount to seeking death. That is why our ancestor Wen Lazi took a different path. Those Taoists emphasize internal cultivation, while he focused on external methods. If he could truly consolidate the deadly poison back into his body before severing his meridians and allowing the toxins to corrode his flesh, he might very well achieve a state of sanctity in the flesh!"

Old Master Wen Si's face remained expressionless as he extended his hand and pointed towards his large house at that group of people

Xiao Yi imitated and muttered a couple of phrases, saying, "But unfortunately, the technique he realized is truly too... too terrifying. One must first break the meridians, and then use the wrong fist strength to gather the released toxins back together, reforge the toxic meridians. Once the meridians are broken, one becomes a useless person. Moreover, the deadly poison accumulated within will also spread into the body www.hetushucom .com"

Master Wen Si did not even glance at him, his voice as cold as ever: "I will be away for a few days on business. During my absence, you will be in charge of matters in the workshop."

Wen Leyang shook his head, probably recounting the life of this Wen Lazi. He then held the notes of his ancestors and began to study them carefully. Previously, he had only mechanically memorized them, never truly examining them, let alone pondering the insights between the lines.

Wen Leyang had been living in the forest for half a year, and he had hardly seen anyone come in. After a moment of astonishment, he lowered his voice and asked Xiao Yi: "Are they from the Death Bureau?"

Old Master Wen Si's face rarely revealed a hint of a smile, as he nodded slightly and took another step forward, followed closely by a group of his loyal subordinates.

I was convinced, yet it seemed I was somewhat unconvinced by the Fourth Master. Climbing onto Wen Leyang's shoulder, I shouted loudly at the old man, displaying my might, which startled Wen Leyang into quickly grasping me tightly in his palm

Xiao Yi stared blankly at Wen Leyang, waving his small hand in front of him: "Hey, hey, don't get lost in your thoughts. I've read quite a few books that say those who cultivate the heavens must first establish a foundation, draw energy into their bodies, and so on. They cultivate both vital energy and the mind."

Wen Xiaoyi observed his increasing seriousness, fearing that he might also learn this self-destructive technique. Shaking her head earnestly, she said: "No, there are too many contradictions. Once the meridians of our Wen family are severed, the deadly poison immediately spreads throughout the body, leaving no time to counteract the poison with incorrect punches; after the meridians are broken, the entire body becomes powerless, turning into a useless person, unable to even lift chopsticks, let alone execute incorrect punches. Even someone like Wen Lazi, who has trained incorrect punches to the point of instinctive reaction, still cannot keep up with the speed at which the deadly poison erodes the body." The young girl looked at Wen Leyang, who was holding the 'Incomplete Suicide Manual' left by Wen Lazi, seemingly eager to try it out, and in her urgency, she no longer addressed her ancestors with the usual politeness.

I was exasperated as I crawled out from Wen Leyang's embrace, observing the two boys who appeared to be bored, then I swayed around for a bit before diving back in

After flipping through it countless times, Wen Leyang finally let out a sigh, carefully closed the notebook, and turned to Xiao Yi with a smile, revealing a set of smooth and neatly arranged teeth: "I basically understand."

Each head, apart from being devoid of hair, is intact, and the expressions are all smiles of contentment, as if they are deeply asleep and dreaming beautiful dreams

The sturdy men stood with their hands bound at one side of the large room, the stretchers arranged neatly on the ground, the black cloth already removed, revealing the "person" on the stretcher

Fourth Grandfather has passed away, and the affairs of life, aging, illness, and death are temporarily entrusted to me

Wen Leyang was taken aback, wanting to refuse but not daring to do so, hurriedly following behind Fourth Grandpa: "Well... there are so many elders in this... place..." Aside from the recently returned deceased, there are usually nearly a hundred people in the Hongye Forest, each responsible for the three categories of life, aging, and illness. However, in the six months since Wen Leyang arrived, he had only spoken to Wen Xiaoyi and Fourth Grandpa.

Wen Leyang also laughed for a while: "In my opinion, the ancestor of Wen Lazi, when he just returned home, did not intend to enter seclusion; he merely wanted to leave behind his insights on poison techniques. However, he later changed his mind. That old man was exceptionally gifted and proud, not wanting to follow in the footsteps of his predecessors, but rather to derive a path to transcendence from the poison techniques of the Wen family"

Half an hour later, the black wooden door creaked open once again, and the voice of the fourth master came from inside the room: "Wen Leyang, come in"

Wen Xiaoyi chuckled

The little girl stretched lazily and pouted, saying: "I understood long ago, why watch for so long! This ancestor is much stronger than you; by the time he was your age, he was already famous throughout the world."

Wen Leyang hurriedly and cautiously tucked the red jade box into his bosom, his face filled with anxiety, unsure of what to say, and he followed closely behind the others. He had never seen this object before; it had just been placed on the table of the Fourth Master, and it seemed to have been brought back by this group of people associated with the dead letter of the library.

In the following days, Wen Leyang spent his time eating and sleeping, as well as studying Wen Lazi's notes. The notes were merely a thin booklet, written in large characters with a brush, and contained very few words in total. For the first half of the year, Wen Leyang had been focused on memorizing texts, and he had developed a habit of thinking in this manner. Unconsciously, he had nearly memorized the entire book.

Wen Leyang indeed understands the mindset of this young man, Wen Lazi. It is not that he is overly ambitious or lacks self-awareness, but rather that the concept of cultivating the heavens is incredibly appealing to young people. Especially for someone like Wen Lazi, who has achieved great success at a young age and has already made a name for himself across the world, single-handedly challenging the four great families. It seems that the martial arts and techniques of the mortal realm no longer hold any allure for him. Furthermore, the Wen family has inherited a legacy of cultivating the heavens from their ancestors. If Wen Lazi were not seeking a higher breakthrough, it would indeed be strange.

The lewd man waved his hand at the person behind him and said, "Carry it in!"

Before he could finish speaking, a cold voice suddenly pierced deep into his eardrum. The Fourth Master, with his hands behind his back, had unknowingly approached him from behind: "A fool's dream. With your current cultivation, you cannot even sense the existence of your meridians, let alone sever them yourself. By the time you find a suitable poison formula and your power increases enough to sever your meridians, the accumulated deadly poison within them will be enough to turn you into a pile of mush in the blink of an eye. If it were external force, a single strike from me would shatter your meridians, and your internal organs would be reduced to pulp. The technique left by that ancestor, Wen Lazi, is not to be mentioned again."

Do not mention Wen Lazi; even Wen Leyang harbors this thought in his heart

Speaking, Wen Leyang pondered for a moment, as if choosing his words, and finally gritted his teeth to utter four words: "The Flesh Becomes Sacred"

No one paid him any attention. After a moment, suddenly a pair of cold little hands grabbed his arm from behind. Wen Lejiang turned around to see Xiao Yi's face as pale as death, already unsteady on his feet, his long eyelashes trembling incessantly, and his clear gaze filled with a look of pain.