There was no sunshine in winter this year.
The sun was veiled by endless snowstorms.
There was hardly anyone on the streets of the City of Scorpio. Warriors and street fighters who used to roam the streets to challenge each other were now a rare sight.
Members of the Liu clan could still be seen training in their own training court. Not fearful of the cold, they cultivated hard.
They exercised by lifting and carrying stone weights as the snowy wind washed upon their bodies and produced ice crystals on their hair. Nevertheless, their spirits were high. They were like volcanoes that would erupt any second. Their atmosphere drove away the cold.
Yang Shou’an came.
He was shocked upon seeing their exercise.
“So… this is physical cultivation?!”
“It’s nuts!”
Hyped up by the atmosphere, Yang Shou’an quickly found a crowded corner in the training court to begin his cultivation.
As a newcomer, he had to demonstrate his capabilities, or it would be difficult for him to hang out with the family members in the future.
Yang Shou’an purposely made many mistakes as he cultivated. He would often scratch his head in bewilderment and shake his head in distress. Finally, he would let out a booming sigh of disbelief to capture the attention of those around him.
The family members looked over at him.
He instantly looked back at them with admiration while looking very down and demoralized.
The family members could not resist helping him. They laughed and helped Yang Shou’an with his cultivation. They taught him how to use the knife and gave him insights on cultivation.
Of course, Yang Shou’an knew all of them, but he had to act like he was a total amateur.
He listened very carefully and occasionally showed his “sudden realizations” by slapping his thighs in excitement. He would then ask some questions that were just hard enough so that the family members could still answer, and he would show that he was learning.
The family members became very excited. They all looked at Yang Shou’an with satisfaction and care.
“Liu Yanggou, work hard! We have faith in you!”
The family members patted Yang Shou’an on the shoulder and grinned.
Yang Shou’an bowed 90 degrees and drove out tears of gratitude with his physical energy.
He was delighted that he was able to gain approval from the family members.
It was another great step towards achieving his plan.
He took out another set of knife cultivating instructions and continued cultivating.
“Gut-Piercing Skull-Boning Style!”
It was a knife style he had found in the Martial Arts Library. It was a very fierce style. With merely one move, the opponent would either have his abdomen pierced through or his bone exposed to the cold air.
Shyu! Shyu! Shyu! The sound of him brandishing the knife could be easily heard.
The curved knife Yang Shou’an was using was made from extraterrestrial metals. Flashes of the sword could slice a snowflake in half. However, it was very difficult to control and he almost cut himself many times.
“Why did Father give me a curved knife out of all the knives out there?”
Yang Shou’an frowned. After all, he was straight!
The knife could chop up metal as if it was tofu, but it was curved almost into a scythe.
It was exceptionally dangerous to use!
He conscientiously cultivated his style from the fundamental moves to allow himself to be more familiar with the knife. He gradually indulged within…
Yang Shou’an’s display of diligence brought him up another level of recognition among the family members.
Dusk fell. Dinner time.
Blood and meat stew had been prepared in the clan cookhouse. Herbs that could strengthen their cultivation foundation were added into the stew.
Yang Shou’an made the family members really pleased today, so he got a bigger share. After the meal, he was drenched in sweat. It felt as if his blood was boiling within him. He knew that he had advanced in his cultivation.
“The Liu clan really got rich after they conquered Black Street. They eat so well! No wonder they are getting so strong!”
Yang Shou’an smacked and licked his lips. There was a glimmer of shrewdness in his eyes.
At this moment, a family member patted him on the shoulder. “Liu Yanggou! Clan Head wants you to worship our ancestor in the shrine.”
Yang Shou’an felt his heart shudder. The big show was coming.
All his efforts to infiltrate the Liu clan was for this very moment.
“Alright. I will get changed and go there immediately!”
Yang Shou’an dashed back to his room and put on formal attire. He lifted up one of the floor tiles and took out a small box from beneath. It contained a green pill.
The Awakening Pill: the antidote to any mind-bending drug and poison.
“I’m very confident that I have made them happy. But Liu Tao is way too good to me. He’s like a cunning fox luring his prey. OMG, I’m soooo scared.”
Yang Shou’an talked to himself in his head as he swallowed the pill.
“I’m always prepared!”
He opened his door and walked into the snowstorm towards the training court.
The nine-story stone tower could barely be seen through the curtain of white. The Black Scythe Army was prowling, and from the opening of three forts, arrows were always pointed in the direction of the tower. The solemn atmosphere had never been lifted from this place.
Yang Shou’an took a deep breath and walked up the stone steps.
There were nine layers of security. The guarding clan members were clearly the best in the clan as their temples bulged out. They were the truly experienced ones that had seen blood and killed enemies before.
The threat here was real. Yang Shou’an could feel death looming over him and his fate being snatched away from his hands.
‘Shang Feng’s right. There must be secrets hidden in their ancestral temple.’ As Yang Shou’an thought this to himself, he came to the ninth level.
Liu Dongdong glanced at him but didn’t say anything and continued cultivating on the open platform.
Yang Shou’an bent forward and lowered himself by bending his knees before scuttling into the temple.
“Greetings, Father, and greetings, Chief Commander!”
Yang Shou’an knelt down and greeted Liu Tao and Liu Liuhai with utmost respect.
Liu Liuhai smiled and helped Yang Shou’an get up. He asked how the latter was doing before pointing at Liu Fan’s spiritual tablet. “This is our First Ancestor!”
Yang Shou’an peered up at it.
There was a tablet in the central niche.
It was three inches broad and seven inches tall, which symbolized that it was the resting place of the Ancestor’s three spirits and seven souls[1].
Carved on the tablet was “Liu Fan, an esteemed and well-loved ancestor, First Physical Cultivator.”
Yang Shou’an’s eyes widened as he saw the name “Liu Fan.”
‘It’s the target!’
His heart pounded hard as he dragged his line of sight down.
Below the niche was a very out-of-place coffin.
“Our ancestor is lying inside…?!” Yang Shou’an asked.
There was a quick glimmer in Liu Tao’s eyes before he slightly nodded his head.
Yang Shou’an’s heart pounded again, but he soon broke out into tears and cried out loud.
“O my ancestor! I finally get to see you!”
“Since the day I joined the Scythe Army, I have been hearing about your great doings. Inventing the way of physical cultivation, deriving the period of the Heavenly Cycle of Qi, and roaming the lands as the Bulldozer…”
“You are my role model. You are the beacon of my life. You are the source of my fighting spirit. Being able to see you today, I have no more regrets in life. If there’s a next life, I still want to be by your side, even if as a cow or a dog… Wuuuu, waaaa…”
He cried as he spoke. He drove out tears and mucus as he shook his body furiously. He was almost suffocating from crying.
The crying woke Liu Fan!
He opened his eyes from his cultivation and scrutinized Yang Shou’an.
He had entered the Liu clan lineage and changed his name to Liu Yanggou. Hence, he was half qualified as a member of the clan.
As an ancestor, he was very willing to love his descendants. He was willing to help any clan member with potential and a positive attitude.
But at the same time, he was intolerant of any wrong-doings!
[1] According to Taoism, every man has three spirits and seven souls