Starting with the divine power of the Great Vajra, he traversed the heavens.

Chapter 81 The Strange Case of the Locked Room
Time flies, and a month has passed since Ren Shaoyang invited the beautiful older sister for drinks.

As winter approaches, the majestic Kunlun Mountains are covered in snow.

Frozen clouds filled the sky, resembling fish scales. The foothills were a pale blue-white, only reflecting golden sunlight when the sun was high in the sky.

The Valley of Villains has finally turned cold. The valley is desolate, with only pine and cypress trees adding a touch of green, though covered with a thin layer of snow. Each tree stands tall on the snow-covered ground, stretching straight towards the sky.

Suddenly, a round figure appeared in the snow and ice.

Wearing a thick floral jacket, Hongxiu's face, which had been slender and plump for a month, quickly became rounder, even developing baby fat.

Now her eyes are more expressive, and her round face is even more adorable.

Like a kitten.

The little beggar carried a jug of wine and slung his magic knife over his shoulder, trudging through the snow.

Suddenly, she narrowed her eyes and grinned mischievously.

The little beggar suddenly squatted down, grabbed a snowball, turned around and threw it, shouting, "Good!"

"Snapped"!
Ding'an had just peeked out from behind the trees when everything suddenly went black and snow water splashed everywhere. He was hit so hard that his head fell back, and he cried out "Ouch!" His forehead was already red.

"Still following me? Broken Hand, your tracking skills are surprisingly bad!"

The little beggar laughed heartily, raised his hands high, and jumped to greet Ding'an.

Under such sunlight, a wisp of the little beggar's long hair playfully peeked out from her hair bun and fluttered gently in the wind.

Ding An rubbed his forehead, walked over, and asked, "Little beggar, you don't drink either, so where have you been carrying around alcohol these past few days?"

The little beggar said, "Hmph, come with me, I'll take you to see the strange Uncle Yan."

"Strange?" Ding An scratched his head. "Is it strange that Li Dazui and the others are strange?"

Hongxiu, carrying a wine jug, walked ahead: "You don't understand, you'll see when you get there."

"That's weird. Here, I'll carry the wine!"

"Oh, no need!" the little beggar waved his hand. "After the medicinal bath, I feel much stronger. Does your forehead hurt?"

Ding'an remained silent for a moment, then honestly said, "It hurts."

"Hehe, serves you right, who told you to be so clumsy?"

Ding An retorted angrily, "Is it my fault? Who could follow you without being detected?"

"A cripple!"

"He doesn't count!"

The two walked and talked, and after a while, there were only four rows of footprints, one large and one small, on the ground.

The sun gradually moved to its zenith, a gentle breeze blew, and the snow on the trees fluttered down.

Ding'an and the little beggar arrived at the house with the snow hat.

Hongxiu skillfully opened the hidden door and went inside.

Ding An saw the door was half-open and for some reason her heart was racing. She quickly followed and pushed the door open.

Then the little beggar, carrying a wine jug, greeted him familiarly, "Uncle Yan, I'm here!" His voice was loud and full of energy.

Just then, a low, hoarse voice, as if the throat was being torn apart, came from behind.

"Hmm, very good, full of energy!"

The voice clearly carried a smile, yet it spoke slowly and deliberately, as if each word was being squeezed out from a tear in the throat.

Ding'an was startled by the sound, and then looked at the strange man sitting cross-legged on the bed in the corner of the room. He was tall but thin, wearing a black robe with stitches that were clearly made by a beggar.

The door was not closed at the moment, and a cold wind blew in, causing the robe to flutter in the wind, which, combined with the wild and messy white hair, created a very strange scene.

Seeing this, Ding'an quickly closed the door, afraid that he would catch a cold.

The strange man looked up at the sound, his large eyes, made even thinner by his appearance, glared at him like a hungry tiger crouching on a hill, his imposing presence making it impossible for anyone to look directly at him.

He kept watching, and finally nodded, saying, "Good character. No wonder the little beggar brought you here."

Ding An scratched his head: "The wind is a bit strong. I'm afraid you and the little beggar will catch a cold."

The strange man remained silent for a while, then suddenly said, "Come and sit down."

The beggar boy also called out to him, "Come on, break my hand."

Then Hongxiu took out three cups, a roast chicken, and a piece of braised beef.

First, fill the glass with wine, then draw the magic knife and slice the braised beef with a few quick cuts.

The strange man's lips twitched as he looked at it. After a moment of silence, he said, "This knife is clearly the work of a master craftsman. It is incredibly sharp, yet in your hands it can only be used to cut meat sauce. What a waste!"

The little beggar said proudly, "My swordsmanship is very strong, how can it be considered a waste of talent?"

Hongxiu squinted, smiling like an evil little kitten, and handed the wine glass to the strange man.

"Besides, since I can't draw my sword now, using this demonic blade to cut meat is also making the best use of it, isn't it?"

The strange man took the glass, a slight smile appearing on his face. "That's true." He then downed the glass in one gulp.

Seeing him drink, Ding'an, who had been on high alert, relaxed and went over to pick up a piece of braised beef to eat.

Unexpectedly, the strange man suddenly put down his wine cup, glanced at him sideways, and said, "Kid, were you just afraid I would harm this little beggar?"

Ding'an swallowed the beef and nodded, "Yes!"

The strange man snorted angrily, "You dare to look down on me?"

Ding'an felt an extremely powerful aura surge towards him, like dark clouds carrying thunder and lightning, and was greatly surprised.

Unable to resist, he used his hand as a knife and swung it diagonally.

"Sever my hand! No!" The little beggar's cry of alarm had just rang out.

The strange man exclaimed softly, "Excellent swordsmanship!"

Before anyone could see what he was doing, Ding'an suddenly groaned, rolled backward violently, tumbled several times, and landed on his back.

Hongxiu called out, "Uncle, why did you hit him?" Then she quickly ran to Ding'an and helped him up.

The strange man didn't speak, but stared intently at his palm, his eyes gleaming with a searching gaze.

After being helped up, Ding An felt dizzy and disoriented, but he couldn't figure out how the person had made the move. He only felt a strange force coming through him, and his body felt as if it had been struck by lightning.

Then something strange happened: after that thunderous internal force entered the body, it actually produced a peculiar reaction with the Divine Illumination Scripture!

The internal energy remained within his own body, while the Divine Illumination Scripture automatically circulated out and entered the strange man's body. The strange man was utterly astonished; the internal energy transmitted from the one-armed boy opposite him actually had the miraculous effect of restoring life and repairing meridians!

Although its offensive capabilities are far inferior to his "Wedding Dress Divine Skill," its ability to nourish the meridians is far superior.

It seems that these two divine skills are inexplicably a good match.

"Could it be that by combining this true energy with the Wedding Dress Divine Skill, one can achieve mastery without having to start over?" The strange man looked at his palm and fell into deep thought.

"Uncle, why did you hit my brother?" Hongxiu put her hands on her hips, her face contorted with anger, and demanded, "And you hit him so hard, you almost made him pass out!"

The strange man realized what was happening, turned to look at Ding An, who was clutching his head, and then at the aggressive little beggar, and chuckled.

"Little beggar, I was furious that your brother looked down on me, so I taught him a lesson. You must know that in the martial world, people value their reputation far more than their own lives. By saying that, isn't he just forcing others to fight him to the death?"

Hongxiu shook her head and said, "No, no, you're lying!"

She stepped forward and tapped him on the head with her little fist.

The strange man was stunned when he was hit on the ground, and asked in surprise, "Little beggar, why did you hit me?"

Hongxiu snorted, "You know I hit you, so don't try to fool me!"

The strange man paused for a moment, then said, "You're really something!" He scratched his head and laughed.

While laughing, the strange man felt a chill in his heart. When the little beggar hit his head just now, his protective energy seemed to be suppressed like a dead snake, without any reaction.

Such a spectacle is unheard of.

"These two little babies are each amazing in their own way. I never expected to encounter such an interesting thing after I, Yan Nantian, woke up."

That's right, this tall but gaunt strange man is none other than Yan Nantian, the number one swordsman and the number one swordsman in the world back then!

Yan Nantian then said to Hongxiu in a serious tone, "Little beggar, it was my fault. I liked your brother very much because he was honest and kind, so I wanted to test his skills."

Ding An finally came to her senses. Hearing Yan Nantian's praise, she couldn't help but point to herself and say, "Huh? Me?"

Yan Nantian laughed heartily: "It's you! You still don't know my name, young man?"

Ding An's eyes widened, and he said loudly, "Senior, my name is Li Ding An!"

"Ding'an, Ding'an! What a good name." Yan Nantian murmured twice, then smiled and waved, "Ding'an, come closer, let me see you."

"Ah, ah?"

Ding'an was puzzled and did not take any action.

"Hey!" the little beggar urged him on, "Hurry up, hurry up!"

Ding'an touched his head, quite puzzled, but he was mild-mannered and indifferent.

Hongxiu told him to go, so he immediately went over.

Yan Nantian looked at the handsome young man with thick eyebrows and big eyes in front of him, then glanced at his missing arm, and nodded.

"A broad back and a wasp waist, mantis legs, strong bones and a straight posture. Truly a promising candidate for cultivating internal strength!"

Completely bewildered by Ding'an's situation, Yan Nantian stopped talking and instead invited them to eat together.

The three of them sat together on the bed, eating meat and drinking wine, discussing history and current events, and talking about literature and martial arts. Surprisingly, they were having a wonderful time.

The little beggar and Ding'an, one is a natural genius with unparalleled talent, the other is a master of internal energy cultivation with unmatched profound inner strength.

Ultimately, it was a self-taught, unorthodox approach to cultivation, lacking guidance from a master.

Now, with the guidance of Yan Nantian, a grandmaster who appears only once in a century in the martial arts world, many vague questions have been readily resolved.

When the topic turned to the little beggar's throwing knife, Yan Nantian laughed and said, "Your gestures are too straightforward, and your force is too direct. It's easy to throw but hard to stop." As he spoke, he made a gesture, drawing a trace in the air. "Try this bowstring technique. It's three points faster and straighter." Then he changed to another gesture. "This is the back of the bow technique. It adds three points with a winding arc."

"The combination of internal and external methods, and the interplay of orthodox and unorthodox approaches, is the path of the Flying Knife Sect in the Tang Dynasty." As he spoke, he looked at the little beggar who was already comprehending the technique and sighed, "It's just a pity that you can't use internal energy, otherwise, in the art of flying knives, no one in the world would be your match!"

Yan Nantian then looked at Ding An: "Ding An, do you know how I met that little beggar?"

Ding An said, "I don't know."

Yan Nantian laughed and said, "You should say, 'I am all ears.'"

Ding An frowned and said, "None of us three are used to this. According to the cripple, I just can't pretend to be confused. I was born that way!"

"Can't pretend to be confused?" Yan Nantian muttered a few times, then suddenly burst into laughter. "It's good that he doesn't pretend to be confused, and it's even better that he's not restrained!"

Seeing him laughing happily, Ding'an scratched his head, poured him a glass of wine, and said with a smile, "I also feel quite happy. I guess most of the problems were solved by the cripple and the little beggar."

Yan Nantian was drinking when he heard this and almost spat it out. He rolled his eyes at him and said, "It's true what they say, fools are lucky."

"Oh! You're right again!" Ding'an scratched his head and said happily, "I always find money when I go out and I always run into helpful people. Am I just incredibly lucky?"

Yan Nantian was both amused and exasperated. "Do you still want to hear how I met that little beggar?"

"You say!"

Yan Nantian slowly said, "I was on the verge of death. Eight of my fourteen meridians were destroyed, turning me into a living dead. If it weren't for Doctor Wan saving me, I probably wouldn't have lasted this long."

Ding An was shocked: "Senior, how did you get so badly injured?"

Yan Nantian sneered: "This matter cannot be explained in a few words; we'll discuss it later."

Ding An nodded, and seeing that his wine glass was empty, he refilled it.

Yan Nantian continued, "Three months ago, when I was unconscious, I suddenly felt my heart racing, and then my whole body felt like boiling water was churning. I was no longer as weak as before. This happened several times, and then I woke up!"

Ding An nodded: "Yes, this should be the little beggar's 'sacrifice-style' power. This skill is incredibly magical, and it's no wonder it can awaken the senior."

Yan Nantian asked curiously, "What is meant by 'the mind-sacrifice style'?"

"I... I don't really understand," Ding'an said with a smile, scratching his head. "I can't learn it either, only the little beggar and the cripple did."

"The 'Mind-Giving Style' emphasizes 'the unity of body and mind, emptiness and relinquishment of mind.' Once mastered, one can skillfully utilize spiritual awareness to cultivate and protect the spirit. When encountering an enemy, one's mind will be clear and the whole body will shine brightly."

The little beggar's voice came, and she said with a grin, "Uncle, this skill is not good at attacking, but it can amplify one's own strength. The greater your heart, the greater your strength."

"So that's how it is. No wonder you were able to awaken me." Yan Nantian muttered those few incantations, suddenly realizing the truth, and gave her a deep look. "No wonder I felt inexplicably happy when I saw you. It was all because of this miraculous cultivation technique!"

Hongxiu smiled proudly: "This divine skill, in the hands of this heroine, saved the old man!"

Yan Nantian laughed heartily: "Yes, yes!" He clinked glasses with the little beggar and then drank it all in one gulp.

Ding An couldn't help but ask, "Senior, how were you injured? And why are you locked up here again?"

Yan Nantian's expression changed several times. He put down his cup and sighed deeply, "This all started more than ten years ago with my sworn brother, Jiang Feng."

(End of this chapter)