Becoming a Martial Master: Starting as a Swordsmith

"Do you know any martial arts or secret techniques? Teach me."

Upon hearing Shen Chu's words, the black-faced leader was stunned, and a look of utter despair appeared on his face beneath the mask:

"Brother...brother, my hand is broken, how can I teach you?"

Shen Chu tilted her head, a hint of confusion in her voice: "What does your teaching swordsmanship have to do with your severed hand? You still have your left hand and your mouth; you can speak and gesture. Surely... you don't want to hinder my progress?"

The last sentence, though spoken in a calm tone, carried a chilling killing intent.

The dark-faced leader shuddered and dared not utter another word of dissent.

Despite the excruciating pain from his severed arm, he picked up the knife from the ground with his left hand, gritted his teeth, and demonstrated the techniques to Shen Chu, stroke by stroke.

With every movement, the wound on his severed arm tore open further, causing him to break out in a cold sweat from the pain. But he dared not stop, because he knew...

To stop is to die!

Shen Chu watched his every move carefully, diligently memorizing the key points of the sword technique.

Once, twice, three times...

After watching it six or seven times, a line of text finally appeared on his system panel:

[Learned sword technique: Crimson Flame Seven Kill Blade (Low-grade, High-level)]

【Seven Killing Blades of Crimson Flame: The basic sword technique of the Crimson Flame Hall of the Red Lotus Cult, consisting of seven moves, each sharp and swift, emphasizing speed and combos, suitable for quickly defeating enemies in chaotic battles.】

Sigh, it's still because of my poor aptitude. Even with the Black-Faced Leader teaching me step by step, and the boost from the [Twice the Result with Half the Effort] skill, I still need to learn the so-called [Crimson Flame Seven Kill Blade] six or seven times...

Fortunately, I did manage to unlock a new martial art.

With that thought, Shen Chu nodded in satisfaction and sheathed his sword.

Seeing that he was finally satisfied, the dark-faced leader cautiously asked, "Um... brother, is it okay now?"

Shen Chu thought for a moment, then asked, "Do you know any other martial arts?"

The dark-faced leader shook his head vigorously, "No, no! This is the only sword technique I know! Really! I swear!"

Shen Chu thought for a moment and then asked, "Do you have any money on you?"

The dark-faced leader paused for a moment, then shook his head again: "I...I came out on a mission, and I didn't bring any money with me..."

Shen Chu shook her head helplessly.

He had mastered the swordsmanship and been promoted, but there was nothing left to squeeze out of this dark-faced leader.

He lowered his head and pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked, "By the way, Chief, when you slashed me just now, did you use your left or right hand?"

The dark-faced leader was taken aback: "Of course...it's the right hand..."

Shen Chu nodded, his tone calm, and said, "That's right. You slashed at me with your right hand, and I blocked it with my sword, but your right hand flew off. This shows that your swordsmanship is not up to par and you haven't practiced hard enough. As the leader of the Holy Sect, how can you lead your brothers to serve the Holy Sect if your swordsmanship is so lax? Do you live up to the trust of the Banner Master? Do you live up to the Holy Sect's cultivation of you?"

The dark-faced leader stared wide-eyed at Shen Chu in disbelief.

He never expected that the other party would be able to find such a righteous and plausible reason to convict him.

Shen Chu slowly drew his longsword, its blade gleaming coldly in the moonlight.

"Chief, for the future of the Holy Church and for the great cause of the Banner Master, I have no choice but to grant you advancement."

Just as he was about to strike with his sword, a voice suddenly came from behind him.

The sound, tinged with amusement and appreciation, echoed clearly in the quiet mountain valley:

"Interesting, interesting, really interesting!"

Upon hearing this, Shen Chu felt a chill run down her spine, and a cold sensation shot from her tailbone straight to the top of her head!

Because he didn't even notice anyone approaching!

After the [Cultist] class leveled up, his [Conceal] skill also improved accordingly.

Although he became more adept at concealing his own presence, his perception of his surroundings also became equally acute.

Even a skilled fighter like the Black-Faced Leader and Xu Zhibao couldn't possibly escape his notice at such close range.

But this person appeared silently less than ten steps behind him, without him noticing!

A master! An absolute master!

Shen Chu slowly turned around, her fingers gripping the knife tightening slightly, her gaze fixed on the direction from which the sound came.

Under the moonlight, a figure stood on a horizontal branch of a locust tree, his posture extremely leisurely, like a night bird perched on a branch.

The man wore a loose, blue robe that swayed gently in the night breeze. He was thin, and his hair was casually draped over his shoulders.

A few strands of gray hair obscured half of the man's face, while the other half wore a half-smile that was neither a smile nor a frown, making it impossible to discern his thoughts.

The smile was ambiguous, whether it was kind or mocking, but it gave people an extremely uncomfortable feeling.

But what's most striking is his eyes.

Under the moonlight, those eyes shone with a faint, eerie green hue, like two cat's eyes, radiating an unsettling light.

Shen Chu's mind immediately went into overdrive.

He quietly took a few steps back, increasing the distance between himself and the man, while keeping a calm expression and asking with his hands clasped, "May I ask who you are, senior? And why are you here so late at night?"

The man chuckled, not answering his question, but instead asking, "Little one, what are you doing here?"

Shen Chu remained expressionless, pointed solemnly to the dying black-faced leader on the ground, and said calmly:

"Replying to your question, senior, this brother and I are practicing here. He wasn't focused on his practice and his movements were sloppy, so I gave him a good scolding. Right now, I'm helping him correct his movements. If you don't believe me, senior, you can ask my brother."

As he spoke, his gaze naturally shifted to the black-faced leader on the ground, as if waiting for his confirmation.

The man followed his gaze and looked at the dark-faced leader.

The moment that person's gaze shifted from Shen Chu to the black-faced leader, Shen Chu moved!

He kicked the black-faced leader hard in the side, sending his body flying towards the other man!

At the same time, he twisted his toes on the ground and shot off like an arrow into the dense forest in the opposite direction!

This series of movements was fluid and seamless, completed in one go.

Shen Chu had only one thought in her mind.

This person exerted too much pressure on him, so much so that he couldn't even muster the desire to fight.

Run! We have to run!

He unleashed his fastest speed ever.

The wind whistled past his ears, and the trees on either side rushed past him. In just two breaths, he had covered more than ten zhang (approximately 33 meters) and was about to disappear into the shadows of the dense forest.

But then, a hand gently rested on his shoulder.

The hand came silently; Shen Chu didn't even feel anyone chasing after her from behind.

But then that hand appeared out of nowhere and landed firmly on his shoulder.