My Demonic Cult's Holy Maiden

Qi Yu said with a mournful face, "I practiced the Azure Nether Technique backwards. I was reading it from left to right, and the circulation of Qi was reversed."

"Now, the true energy I cultivate will not gather in my dantian, but will surge to my limbs and bones, and then gradually disappear and lose its sensation. It cannot be stored for long at all."

Su Yue stared blankly at Qi Yu. Had he practiced it backwards?

How can you practice this backwards?

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Chapter 53 A False Alarm

Qi Yu secluded himself in Su Yue's room for an entire afternoon, truly isolating himself, staring out the window in a daze, contemplating life.

If you lack natural talent and are not suited for martial arts, you can make up for it with hard work. With persistent effort, you can eventually become a martial artist.

However, he practiced it backwards, and his true qi was scattered and could not be gathered. This means that no matter how he cultivated, there would be no true qi in his dantian.

He is now like an upside-down bottle, able to hold water, but only for a moment, after which the water will flow out.

What's even more disheartening is that he can no longer even straighten the bottle.

Qi Yu could clearly feel the pain he experienced when circulating his true energy in the normal way.

If this continues, they will really explode and die. The first thing to explode will be their heart, and then even a god couldn't save them.

Why did the person who created "Azure Netherworld Technique" read so many books? With that level of writing skill, he could write classical Chinese even if he did it backwards.

After it got dark, Su Yue came to call Qi Yu to go eat.

Su Yue had already learned about Qi Yu's situation from her father and didn't know what to say.

She had never practiced the "Azure Nether Technique," so she didn't know how to solve this problem.

Su Chengying didn't know either, because he tried to study "Qingming Jue" in reverse and couldn't understand it at all.

Qi Yu understood and practiced it in reverse, then encountered a problem that even he didn't know how to solve.

Upon arriving at the lobby, Su Chengying and Xu Shuqin were already seated. Qi Yu simply bowed, sat down, and then ate his meal without tasting it.

This is a huge blow. I'm really doomed to be a weakling forever, never able to become a martial artist.

……

The meal was very depressing. After finishing, Qi Yu went back to his room.

However, he did not remain withdrawn. Since the situation was beyond repair, he decided to take it one step at a time.

This trip to Qingxuan Valley was very fruitful; I now have a general understanding of what a first-grade martial artist is like.

To kill a first-rank official, or a third-rank official like Li Minghai, it would take at least a hundred people.

However, it is obvious that Li Ming does not have that many third-rank officials. Even if he did, other aspects would require manpower, and it would be impossible to send them all to surround and kill a first-rank official.

So what I need to do now is to make some minor changes to the details.

If the quantity is insufficient, then we will compensate with quality.

Let's get through this difficult time first. If the Chang family isn't destroyed, I'll have no future. Will it even matter if I become a martial artist then?

I didn't want to use it, but now I have no choice.

If the difference in combat power is too great, then we can only use some items.

For example, the essential artifact for time travelers... explosives!

The crossbow bolts are fired in short bursts, making it difficult to hit a warrior with extremely high movement speed.

Since that's the case, then I'll unleash a wide-range attack and see how you manage to dodge it.

What happened to the gunpowder ratio that the old man with glasses mentioned back then?

I was too sleepy at the time and didn't listen carefully!

For a mediocre student like me to be able to time travel is truly an embarrassment to the entire army of time travelers.

It seems to be... one part saltpeter, two parts sulfur, three parts charcoal... right?

Is that true or not?

This is truly a case of dying if you try it!

I deeply regret not reading more books before.

It's possible!

Saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal can handle it, but ordinary gunpowder won't do if you want to kill a group of martial artists.

The only way to increase power is through two simple methods: the purity of the container and the materials.

Containers can be easily made; earthenware pots and bamboo tubes are both fine, but they need to be airtight.

To determine the purity of the materials, start with saltpeter. Saltpeter is soluble in water, and through dissolution, filtration, and purification, relatively pure saltpeter powder can be obtained...

Looks like I'll be staying up late again tonight!

"My husband! Time to retire for the night!"

Qi Yu raised an eyebrow, then glanced at Su Yue, who was dressed in thin clothes and whose delicate body was half-covered, before looking at the blueprints.

Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?

I don't know! I can't remember!

Staying up late is bad for your health, but my life is more important, time to sleep!

……

The next day, Qi Yu left the Su residence with Su Yue. His brother-in-law, Su Yun, went to the capital, saying he was visiting a friend of Su Chengying.

This visit to the Su family was a mixed bag of joy and sorrow.

The good news was that they had gained a preliminary understanding of the strength of a first-rank martial artist, but the bad news was about their own situation.

But now is not the time to think too much. Let's kill the Chang family first, and then slowly consider our own problems.

The driver was someone sent by Li Ming; he seemed quite capable, a sixth-rank official.

With someone driving the carriage, Qi Yu could focus on perfecting his plans.

Su Yue sat next to him, resting her chin on her hands, watching Qi Yu draw on the paper.

I was a little worried at first, but now it seems I was overthinking it.

……

In the evening, Qi Yu and Su Yue returned to the courtyard. As soon as they got out of the car, a guard handed them a sealed file with both hands.

Qi Yu took it, but didn't check it immediately. He casually hid it in his sleeve, then pushed open the courtyard gate and went inside.

Su Yue knew that Qi Yu had something to take care of, so she went to the kitchen when she entered the house to make him something to eat.

Qi Yu sat in the hall, and by candlelight, opened the dossier and began to read.

As he watched, Qi Yu's expression became somewhat strange, but he mostly breathed a sigh of relief.

Guan Yonghou has not yet taken sides. Qin Xiyao and Chang Lian's lake trip was just a smokescreen released by the Chang family.

However, this move was undeniably brilliant!

This seemingly insignificant straw still served its purpose, bringing down many hesitant camels.

Moreover, it caused considerable mental and physical distress to both himself and Li Ming.

The Chang family... they're not easy to deal with!

The alliance between Marquis Guanyong and the aristocratic families was the primary issue to be resolved, but it has now been proven to be a sham.

So let's sit down and analyze the source and content of this message.

Chang Lian and Qin Xiyao are both in Lantian County, and also within the territory of Jiangzhou City.

What kind of auspicious place is Jiangzhou City? Why are so many people crowding into this small place?

Is there anything they care about?

Qi Yu pondered deeply, but he couldn't figure it out no matter how hard he tried.

Qi Yu never imagined that so many people coming to Jiangzhou City were directly or indirectly related to him.

With a helpless sigh, Qi Yu stopped thinking about it, added some water to the inkstone, and began grinding ink.

Since it was just a feint, the plans and drawings I gave to Li Ming need to be revised.

Li Ming could use the blueprints to manufacture the weapons, but Qi Yu didn't care much about the blueprints for the repeating crossbow, bellows, and siege crossbow.

This incident also served as a wake-up call for Qi Yu, reminding him that Guan Yonghou was an outsider who could decide the outcome of a battle.

It would be best if he could join, but if he can't, he shouldn't be allowed to join the Chang family. At the very least, he should remain neutral.

However, people's hearts are fickle, and it's uncertain what Guan Yonghou is thinking. While trying to win him over, we must also be prepared for him to defect to the enemy.

If Marquis Guanyong has indeed sided with the aristocratic faction, then Marquis Guanyong must be eliminated.

Marquis Guanyong is only a first-rank martial artist. When that day comes, the ambush prepared for that first-rank martial artist from the Chang family will fall on Marquis Guanyong.

"Qin Xiyao? I should try to get to know her if I get the chance!"

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Chapter Fierce Tiger

The affair between Qin Xiyao, daughter of the Marquis of Guanyong, and Chang Lian of the Chang family was merely a feint by the Chang family.

Qi Yu no longer needs to be as paranoid and fearful as before.

Most importantly, not many people will die!

Li Ming, thousands of miles away, gazed westward, lost in thought.

That direction is the direction of Lantian County.

The autumn imperial examinations are about to begin. The examiner from Lantian County is one of his men. If Qi Yu is willing to go, he has the ability and means to get Qi Yu a degree.

Unfortunately, Qi Yu refused.

Qi Yu was very clever; he saw through his own thoughts.

Therefore, Qi Yu tried his best not to accept his help or favors, and kept his distance from him.