Zhu and Mei escaped the massacre. For over two years, they fled, evading pursuit. Tonight, they had met two of the Seven Heroes.
"Repentant Sky Brush" Shaobo and "Jinling Ink Sword" Hanmin believed Jueren's death was suspicious. They broke with Weiting, left Hongmen, and sought Mei and Zhu. The group attacked Yuan Fortress while Weiting was away, aiming to kill and steal.
The plan went well at first. Shaobo and Hanmin fought like gods. But Weiting, who should have been miles away, appeared. He killed Shaobo with one strike and slaughtered their allies, leaving bodies everywhere.
Mei wiped her tears. "Enough. Take out the brocade box. Our losses were heavy, but the box makes it worthwhile. If you master its secrets, Zhu, you can kill that traitor and honor your uncles' sacrifice."
Zhu nodded, tears in his eyes. He pulled a brocade box from his robes.
Years ago, Zhongwu had recorded the Five Limits Divine Fist in a manual, sealed it in this box, and hid it at Hongmen's headquarters.
Zhongwu sealed the box with his divine power, making it nearly indestructible. The key was entrusted to Jueren.
After Jueren's death, the key was lost. Recently, Hongmen's surviving disciples found it. They planned to steal the box while Weiting was away.
Weiting's martial prowess was unmatched. Only three or four in the world could challenge him. With Zhongwu gone and Jueren dead, Hongmen's hopes rested on the box's manual of divine skills.
Tonight's losses were heavy, but the box was theirs. The cost was worth it.
Mei carefully took out a trigram-shaped key. Zhu placed it on the box and turned it slowly.
Inside, a book lay flat. Its cover read Five Limits Method. In the bottom left, it said Written by Zhongwu.
Mei and Zhu were overjoyed. Ignoring the danger around them, they flipped through it. The words were simple, the training clear, but mastery would take years.
This was expected, but they felt disappointed. They hoped for a technique to master quickly, to kill their enemy and settle the blood debt.
"Mother, look at this manual…"
Mei frowned, her face tense with pain and doubt. Though married, she had once roamed the martial world. Known as the White Plum Fairy, one of the four phoenixes, her twenty-eight heavenly levels of power made her a top Hongmen master. Her martial insight was sharp, but after reading the manual several times, she struggled. Her chest wound throbbed.
"Cough, cough." Mei closed the manual, meeting Zhu's eager eyes. "Zhu, I am sorry. The manual is real, your uncle's divine skill. But mastery takes at least seven years. To kill that traitor… it may take longer."
Zhu saw her pale face and dared not ask more. But he could not help himself. "How long did uncle take? I heard he used the Five Limits Divine Fist before he was fifteen…"
"Your uncle was a genius, gifted from birth. We cannot compare to him." Mei said, "We must hide in the mountains, train for a decade. I believe evil cannot triumph. Your father's vengeance will be ours. But…"
Zhu understood. He had heard Zhongwu shared parts of the Five Limits Divine Fist with his six sworn brothers. Weiting likely knew it. In tonight's battle, Weiting's sleeve cannon, which shattered Shaobo's head, held thirty-eight heavenly levels of power.
Zhu had only twelve heavenly levels. Even ten years of training might not reach thirty-five. Even with Mei, they could not win. And if Weiting grew stronger in that time…
As Zhu placed the manual back, he felt something odd at the box's base. He searched and found another booklet hidden under the padding.
Its cover was red, inscribed with Blood Shadow Divine Skill in twisted, eerie script. It looked demonic.
Inside, it described only three moves. Zhu was puzzled. He handed it to Mei.
Mei saw the title and trembled. She read for a long time, then murmured, "No mistake. This is the Extermination Three Forms of the Joyous Sect from the Western Regions."
"What are the Extermination Three Forms?" Zhu asked. He knew of the Joyous Sect but could not imagine why Zhongwu's box held this.
"I am not entirely sure," Mei said slowly. "Your father once told me some martial arts consume the user's life force. They grant immense power briefly, but after a few strikes, the user dies. The Extermination Three Forms of the Blood Shadow Divine Skill are the most dangerous."
Zhu wanted to ask more. A silk paper slipped from the booklet, catching his eye. He picked it up. Tiny script filled it.
"The Extermination Three Forms, the ultimate moves of the Joyous Sect's Blood Shadow Divine Skill, stack in power, pushing force to forty-five heavenly levels, capable of destroying heaven and earth, invincible. But these moves drain the user's vital essence. The user's blood and energy dry up. Use with caution."
Zhu's heart raced. This was the answer to his vengeance. Forty-five heavenly levels neared the legendary anti-gravity realm, unseen in five hundred years. With this power, he could easily kill Weiting and avenge his family.
He was young and feared death. But for vengeance, he would pay any price.
He glanced at Mei. Her eyes held the same unease. Zhu read on.
"The Blood Shadow Divine Skill comes from the Western Regions, following the path of yin-yang harmony. It requires dual cultivation between man and woman, bodies entwined, absorbing the essence of sun and moon through six lunar cycles. On completion, the woman's essence is absorbed by the man, combining their powers.
"But the fusion requires shared blood. If the cultivators are not of the same lineage, their energies clash, causing paralysis or death. Thus, partners must be blood kin. This skill, born in barbaric lands, defies Central Plains ethics. Even if mastered, it leads to eternal damnation. Alas, why does heaven allow such a skill?"
The words struck Mei and Zhu like thunder. Their hearts pounded.
Dual cultivation existed in the martial world, but it was scorned as base, despised by the righteous. This skill demanded not just physical union but union between blood kin. That meant… incest.
The shock was overwhelming. Zhu took deep breaths. He glanced at Mei, wondering her thoughts.
"Demonic skill, full of filth. It is useless. Destroy it." Mei tore the silk paper to shreds and scattered it out the window. Her face was stern, as if she had never read it.
She placed both manuals back in the box. "We are still in danger. We must hurry to safety. Zhu, drive the carriage. I am tired. Let me rest here."
Zhu said nothing. As if fleeing, he left the carriage, grabbed the reins, and whipped the horses forward. But the words from the manual lingered in his mind, refusing to fade.