Chapter 6: Extraordinary Individuals

Every day, Wei Chao would be taken out for interrogation and whipping, yet miraculously returned each time, covered in scars, with a confident smile on his face

Wei Chao simply sat cross-legged on the ground and said: "I am about to die; it is heaven that has sent you before me!" Yi Tusheng replied: "You want me to die in your place, but I fear that is not possible! Moreover, I believe you are not going to die just yet!"

The petite individual was taken aback and exclaimed, "Head, you don't even know this? Lady Feng Sheng is His Majesty's wet nurse—Lady Ke!"

Wei Chao smiled and said, "My internal energy is about to be cut off, you do not understand!"

Yi Tusheng expressed his concern, saying: "I am leaving, what will you do?" Wei Zhao trembled all over, closed his eyes, and fell into deep thought. After a long while, he finally said: "My life will end within a few days. You must remember to come to see me every day during this time. I will teach you everything I have learned throughout my life, wishing you great achievements in the future"

Yi Tusheng nodded and said, "Then I will go to the prison to interrogate him, lead the way!" Wang Bi had no further comments and guided Yi Tusheng to the cell where Wei Chao was held. It was a single-person cell, located in the deepest corner of the corridor, concealed and remote, farthest from the guard's position. Wang Bi was unwilling to enter and turned to leave.

Wei Chaodao: "I have lived here for three years. During these three years, I have exhausted all my thoughts, constantly pondering how to break through my own martial arts. Finally, I have come up with it—Chaotic Sword—Chaotic Sword Technique"

Wei Chaodao: "You are very loyal and would never betray a friend"

On the fifteenth day, Yi Tusheng arrived early at Wei Chao's cell. Upon entering, he saw Wei Chao sitting cross-legged on the ground, motionless. Yi Tusheng called out to him twice, but there was no response. He pushed him a couple of times, yet still no movement. Feeling a chill in his heart, he reached out to check for a breath and discovered that he had already passed away.

Yitu was puzzled and asked, "Who is 'Old Ancestor's Wife'?" The petite figure, with a glint of surprise in her eyes, replied, "Of course, 'Old Ancestor's Wife' refers to 'Holy Madam'."

Yi Tusheng Zhensheng said: "I would rather die than betray my friends! But you are not my friend!"

Yitu Sheng approached and asked, "What is it?"

Yitu Sheng smiled and said, "You are truly a strange person; why do you always talk about dying for no reason?"

Although Wei Zongxian wielded immense power and influence, he never achieved the position of Chief Eunuch throughout his life. The Chief Eunuch during Wei Zongxian's era was Wang Tiqian, who, despite holding the title, was essentially a lackey of Wei Zongxian, always following his lead.

Yi Tusheng smiled calmly, slowly sitting opposite him, mimicking his posture and crossing his legs

Yitu looked bewildered and said: "Who is the Holy Lady?"

Thus, Yi Tusheng took on the role of the captain of the Jinyiwei in the imperial prison. For the next ten days, he would rise early each day to practice swordsmanship with Wei Chao, under the pretext of interrogation

Yi Tusheng suddenly realized, inwardly exclaiming his own foolishness for forgetting the calamity-bringing 'Ke' witch. It seems that this Wei Dynasty is not an ordinary figure; although he knows very little about him, he is well aware that the Chief Eunuch of the Grand Council is the foremost eunuch of the Ming Dynasty.

Wei Chao exclaimed, "Do you not wish to become the commander of the Jinyiwei?"

Wei Chao imparted all his internal skills, external skills, sword techniques, and experience in offense and defense to him without reservation. Yi Tusheng, with a solid foundation, made rapid progress, and Wei Chao praised him: "His aptitude is even higher than that of Wei Zai!"

Wei Chao was so amused that tears of laughter streamed down his face. Yi Tusheng was so frightened that his face turned pale: "With this kind of appearance, you can still laugh so heartily, I am increasingly doubting that you are a madman"

Wei Chaodao: "Sit down, my time is limited!"

Yi Tusheng suddenly stopped, turned around, and nodded.

Wei Chao said lightly: "I really don't know where you crawled out from, not even knowing this! Alright, I have finished speaking. Take the sword manual and leave quickly, don't arouse suspicion from outsiders!"

Wei Chao closed his eyes and fell silent, while Yi Tusheng shrugged, stuffed the rag into his bosom, and walked out.

In the cell

Yitu Sheng bitterly smiled and said: "Is what you are saying still about a person? Will there still be any benefits?"

Wei Chao laughed heartily and said, "Do you think there is anything left on me that can be sold?"

Yi Tusheng was momentarily taken aback and sighed, saying: "With your kind of talent, to have been defeated by Wei Zongxian, that person is truly formidable"

Wei Chao chuckled self-deprecatingly and said, "No more talk, I will pass on the secret formula to you— the introductory mental method of the Taiyin Divine Skill. First, you must gather all the yin energy in your body, and the meridian with the heaviest yin energy is the Governing Vessel. To practice the divine skill, you must start from here..." As he spoke, he recited the formula in a continuous stream and carefully guided Yi Tusheng, this novice, to circulate a breath of internal energy slowly throughout his body.

The person smiled slightly and said: "I am kindly reminding you that Wei Zongxian is an ungrateful fellow, and his temperament is akin to that of a wolf. Associating with him is like seeking skin from a tiger; sooner or later, you will suffer harm. You regard him as a stepping stone to advancement, but he sees you as a mere skeleton of success. Ultimately, you will be harmed! Even if you are to serve him as a lackey, you must possess the abilities of a lackey. Tell me, what abilities do you have?"

The person was tall and sturdy, with an ancient-looking face and a calm demeanor. Although injured, there was not a trace of pain visible. His pair of eyes still sparkled with vitality, and he wore a tied headscarf, appearing disheveled yet not in a state of distress

Wei Chao said lightly: "Come here"

Yitu Sheng was taken aback upon hearing this, and could not help but recall the skills of the female assassin at the city gate, saying: "You are a martial arts expert, but why don't you escape!"

Yitu listened attentively with a discerning eye

Wei Chao Yin smiled and said: "In fact, this cannot be considered as being good to you. I have already mentioned that you are an ambitious person who will stop at nothing. Staying by Wei Zongxian's side is akin to being a venomous spider, ready to bite at any moment. As for me, I am merely offering you some venom to wish you success, while conveniently avenging myself!"

Wei Chaodao: "In my lifetime, I am most skilled at reading faces. At a glance, I can tell that you are not a good person. You have a strong desire for fame and fortune, and you are unscrupulous in your actions, seeking success without regard for ethics. I actually like people like you, because you have one advantage—"

Yi Tusheng exclaimed excitedly: "I never expected that the energy within the human body can truly be controlled and freely operated by consciousness, it is truly marvelous"

Yitu Sheng chuckled and said, "It seems that it really is gone!"

Wei Chao sighed and said: "My entire life has been ruined by Wei Zongxian and the witch of the Ke family—do you know that all of Wei Zongxian's martial arts skills were originally taught by me? Yet, he ended up colluding with the Ke family, and then turned around to bite me. I never expected that he would be such a martial arts prodigy, surpassing his teacher, to the point that I was captured due to my carelessness"

At that moment, a deafening roar of laughter suddenly echoed through the prison, its vigor comparable to the roar of dragons and tigers. Yi Tusheng immediately widened his eyes and asked, "Who is making such a loud commotion here?"

After ten days, Yi Tusheng was already able to unleash one or two percent of the power of the chaotic sword.

Wei Chao's gaze suddenly became as sharp as that of a hawk, and he said sternly: "If you want to be emperor, you must first deal with Wei Zongxian!" Yi Tusheng laughed heartily and said: "You are crazy, truly crazy!" As he spoke, he walked out.

A nimble little figure emerged from the Jinyiwei, flattering as he said: "Head, this old fellow is Wei Chao, who used to be the chief eunuch of the Grand Council. Later, he fell out of favor with the Emperor and was ordered to return to his hometown. Who would have thought that on his way back, he would speak recklessly and slander both His Majesty and Eunuch Wei, as well as the 'Old Ancestor.' Therefore, His Majesty ordered the Jinyiwei to arrest him and interrogate him severely. Even upon arriving here, this old fellow remains unruly, shouting and causing a ruckus all day long, which is truly detestable"

Wei Chao laughed heartily and said, "Let me out!" Yi Tusheng nodded and replied, "No problem, let's talk about it after I become emperor! However, you must first extend your lifespan!"

Wei Chao said with a smile at the corner of his mouth: "My meridians have been shattered by Wei Zongxian, and I can no longer circulate my energy! However, I can teach you the methods of energy cultivation!"

Yitu Sheng suddenly sighed, "So, what can I do for you?"

Yi Tusheng rolled his eyes and awkwardly said, "I just got promoted, and in my excitement, I forgot such an important matter. By the way, what is your name?" The short-statured Gong replied, "I am called Wang Bi." Yi Tusheng said, "This Wei Chao is truly despicable, daring to insult my father-in-law and the matriarch. You all go and bring him to me; I want to interrogate him thoroughly!" Wang Bi hesitated and said, "That might not be easy; he was just interrogated and is covered in blood, afraid it might dirty you!" Yi Tusheng thought to himself, you bastard, you are clearly worried about getting yourself dirty.

Yi Tusheng shook his head with a grin and said, "We are not acquainted, so why are you being so kind to me?"

Half a month has swiftly passed like this

Yi Tusheng stepped on the thatch beneath his feet and walked up to Wei Chao

Wei Chao nodded and said, "You are quite an interesting person!" Yi Tusheng replied, "You are quite an interesting person!"

Yi Tusheng angrily said: "You are a madman, spouting nonsense. Do you say this to everyone you see?" The other person laughed heartily and replied: "Am I, Wei Chao, someone who is mad and delusional? Who would believe you if you said that? I see you are a person of great talent, and you are destined for great wealth and nobility in the future, which is why I spoke these words to you"

Wei Chao's eyes shone with admiration: "Indeed, you are someone who knows how to seize opportunities! I see that your talents are extraordinary, truly a rare gem, and you are someone worth cultivating. Here, this is for you!" As he spoke, he took out a piece of tattered cloth from his bosom and handed it over.

Yi Tusheng, feeling both angry and amused, said lightly: "Given your remarkable appearance, how is it that you have become a prisoner of the Jinyiwei?"

The person leisurely approached Yi Tusheng, and with a smile that was neither fully a smile nor a frown, said: "Given your remarkable appearance, how is it that you have become a lackey for the Jinyiwei?"

Wei Chaodao: "From now on, you must remember every word I say clearly, without any mistakes. The formula is not lengthy, but it requires careful contemplation! This internal skill is called 'Taiyin Divine Skill,' which I learned from a Taoist when I was young, and later passed it on to Wei Zongxian"

The two individuals scrutinize each other

You are Wei Chao, and I have come to find you

What Yi Tusheng saw was a middle-aged man dressed in a hemp garment, barefoot, with blood streaming down his back, and his clothes clinging tightly to the wounds.