Chapter 10

"Huh?"

Shi Mu was surprised and stared intently.

The object on the ground turned out to be a black iron plaque, with intricate patterns engraved on its surface, resembling text but completely unrecognizable.

"Miss Zhong, do you recognize this object?" Shi Mu, curious, picked up the iron plaque and examined it from all angles before finally asking Zhong Xiu.

"I've never seen this thing before. It must be something the zombie carried with it. It's not strange; zombies are originally transformed from dead people, so it's normal for them to have some accessories on them." The young girl, trying to endure the pungent smell, walked over, glanced at the iron plaque, and shook her head.

Shi Mu nodded, hesitated for a moment, and then put the iron plaque directly into his chest. With his other hand, he still held the corpse wrapped in leaves and walked out of the gate.

Not long after, the two were walking on the mountain path back to the city.

On the way, Shi Mu couldn't help but ask Zhong Xiu about the scream that had caused the zombie to suffer.

However, the young girl looked bewildered, clearly having no idea.

Seeing this, Shi Mu naturally didn't press further. But by then, it was already late, and the west gate of Fengcheng was closed. He decided to take the young girl directly to his estate in the outskirts of the city.

...

In the evening, Shi Mu was playing with the iron plaque in his bedroom.

At first glance, it seemed to be made of ordinary black iron, but it was actually quite heavy and cold to the touch. The intricate patterns on its surface, upon closer inspection, gave a sense of ancient mystique.

Although Shi Mu didn't know the origin of the iron plaque, it was clearly not an ordinary object. After examining it for a while and finding nothing else, he put it away and then took out the wooden box that the middle-aged man Zhong Ming had forced into his hands before dying.

The Zhong family seemed to have some background. Since this object was referred to as a family heirloom, it must be quite valuable.

When he opened the box, he found a thick, yellowed book with the title "Zhong Gong Secret Manual" written in red on the cover.

Shi Mu was taken aback and then began to flip through the pages.

The entire book had over three hundred pages, all written in tiny black characters, and many pages were accompanied by vivid illustrations.

Shi Mu only read the first few pages, and his face showed a look of surprise.

After about half an hour, he hastily flipped through the entire book and was so stunned that he drew in a sharp breath, staring at the object in his hands in silence.

This "Zhong Gong Secret Manual" was roughly divided into two parts. The first half recorded the methods for forging various unconventional weapons, while the second half detailed the techniques for making small tools and mechanisms, as well as the recipes for over a hundred poisons. Both sections contained content that was far more bizarre and unimaginable than anything Shi Mu had ever encountered before.

For example, one weapon called the "Black Stone Poison Heart Sword" appeared to be an ordinary black iron longsword, but its blade was hollow and filled with a large amount of poison. If a warrior used this sword in combat, after just a few moves, the sword would shatter, releasing the poison and causing the opponent to die from poisoning.

Another device called the "Gong Nu" (Bowing Crossbow) was even more malicious. It involved a specially designed crossbow attached to the back. When bowing to someone, the user could pull a hidden string in the sleeve, causing three crossbow bolts to shoot out from the back, making it difficult to defend against.

As for the poison recipes, they ranged from those that could cause immediate unconsciousness to those that would only take effect days later, covering all possibilities.

"What does this Zhong family do? How could they have such things? Judging by the worn condition of this book, it must have been left by one of the Zhong family's ancestors." Shi Mu thought to himself, his mouth slightly agape.

However, the content of the book truly broadened his horizons. If he could master it, he would be better prepared to defend against similar tactics in the future.

Additionally, some of the items described in the book greatly interested him.

Shi Mu quickly flipped through the pages again and soon returned to a page with illustrations of two weapons, one large and one small.

The larger one was a slightly curved single-edged sword with a long handle that could be held with both hands. A black thread was faintly visible at the ring of the handle. The smaller one looked like a short blade, sharp and tiny.

The young man focused intently on the illustrations and the accompanying text, completely lost in thought.

...

The next morning.

Shi Mu, dressed in a blue robe, appeared on a street in Fengcheng with Zhong Xiu, whose eyes were still slightly swollen. On one side of the street was a mansion that occupied about a hundred acres, very prominent and eye-catching.

Shi Mu looked at the green gate and the large golden "Wu" character on the plaque above it, then took a few steps forward and knocked heavily on the large copper ring on the gate.

"Who is it? Knocking the door so early in the morning! Who are you looking for?" The gate finally opened, and a man in servant's clothing walked out, glanced at the two, and said impatiently.

"This is Miss Zhong, a relative of your household. Please inform someone." Shi Mu took a jade pendant from the young girl and handed it over.

"Relative? Please wait a moment." The man was taken aback, took the jade pendant with some doubt, and closed the gate again.

Not long after, the gate opened again, and two people walked out.

The first was a man with a white face and a long beard, and the second was a young man about Shi Mu's age, with a similar appearance but a haughty expression.

"Really, my niece has arrived, that's great. Since receiving the letter, I've been waiting for you for many days. Hmm, where is Brother Zhong? And who is this...?" The man with the white face smiled at the young girl but looked somewhat surprised when he saw Shi Mu.

"This is Master Shi. My father was killed on the way, and I was able to get here thanks to Master Shi's help." Zhong Xiu gave a light bow to the man, her eyes glistening with tears.

The young man, seeing the green birthmark on the girl's forehead, showed a look of disgust.

"What? Brother Wu was killed? What happened? Well, this isn't the place to talk. Niece, please come inside and tell me more." The man with the white face was shocked and immediately said.

The young girl naturally nodded in agreement.

"Oh, young brother, thank you for bringing my niece here. Here's some silver as a reward." The man with the white face glanced at Shi Mu, frowned, and then took out a piece of silver from his sleeve and handed it over.

"I don't need the silver. I've fulfilled my duty by bringing Miss Xiu here." Shi Mu looked at the silver, shook his head, and then turned to leave.

"Hmph, really ungrateful! Father, I've seen many people like this. They pretend not to want money but are probably planning to extort a large sum." The young man beside him said coldly.

"Brother Shi is not like that," Zhong Xiu said softly.

The man with the white face just smiled and then led the two into the mansion.

...

Shi Mu didn't leave Fengcheng. Instead, he turned a few corners and suddenly entered a building with a sign that read "Liu Feng Martial Arts Hall."

He passed through the gate, and in front of him was a large training ground paved with blue stone tiles, where a dozen or so teenagers were practicing with swords and spears.

"Brother Shi Mu, you're here." As soon as Shi Mu appeared, two young men came up to greet him. One looked to be about twenty-one or twenty-two, and the other was about sixteen or seventeen.

"Brother Feng, Brother Gao, you're here too." Shi Mu was slightly surprised to see them and greeted them with a bow.

"We heard that the martial arts hall has acquired a batch of cheap body-strengthening medicines. We came to see if we could buy some. But why are you here, Brother Shi? You've already completed the body-strengthening technique, so you shouldn't need these medicines, right?" The older, more refined-looking young man said with a smile.

"I heard that your body-strengthening technique is about to break through to the tenth level. Is that true?" The younger one, with a deep scar on his brow, looked at Shi Mu with some disbelief.

The two were friends Shi Mu had made since joining the martial arts hall. The older one was named Feng Li, and the younger one was named Gao Yuan.

"I am indeed about to break through to the tenth level. I came here today not for the medicines but because I encountered some problems in my cultivation and need to consult with Coach Li." Shi Mu replied with a smile.

"So the rumors are true! It seems that Brother Shi, at your young age, has a good chance of achieving qi sensing. Tsk tsk, you truly deserve to be called a genius by Coach Li. By the way, let's gather at your family's tavern sometime." Feng Li marveled and sighed.

Gao Yuan, hearing this, also looked envious.

"Sure, let's have a few drinks together then." Shi Mu readily agreed, chatted a bit more with them, and then took his leave.

However, just as Liu Ming and Feng Li passed each other, the latter gave him a meaningful look.

Shi Mu's expression changed slightly, but he quickly acted as if nothing had happened and left.

A short while later, Shi Mu appeared in a separate courtyard behind the training ground. Li Canghai was lying in a reclining chair in the middle of the courtyard, his eyes half-closed, seemingly deep in thought. When he saw Shi Mu walk in, he smiled and said, "You're here," as he stood up from the chair.

"Master Li, do I need to ask the other senior brothers for help this time?" Shi Mu asked respectfully after bowing.

"No need. You are at a critical point of breaking through to the eleventh level of the body-strengthening technique, so I must do it myself. By the way, have you told anyone else about your upcoming breakthrough to the eleventh level?" Li Canghai asked calmly.

"Master Li, rest assured. I've been following your instructions, and the others in the martial arts hall still think I'm only at the ninth level." Shi Mu replied with a smile.

"Very good. In that case, your appearance at the Four Great Martial Arts Halls competition in half a month will surely surprise many people and enhance the influence of our Liu Feng Martial Arts Hall." Li Canghai's smile deepened.

(The "Moyan Ji" is finally complete. Everyone can check out the last two chapters for the ending!)

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