pertwk Chapter 1 Red Seal
Chapter 1 Red Seal
The Great Zhou Dynasty, Dongyuan Prefecture.
Songshan County.
It was early summer, and by 3:45 AM the sky was already a pale blue. In the Qin family's martial arts training ground, guards were practicing their martial arts shirtless, sweating profusely, their heavy breathing echoing throughout the courtyard.
A reclining chair is placed on a high platform in the courtyard.
A gaunt figure, dressed in a light blue robe, leaned against a chair, his face pale with illness, but his eyes were unusually clear, his gaze wandering over the martial arts practitioners below.
"Uncle Wang, how many of these people can possibly become martial artists?"
Qin Jiu suddenly spoke.
He asked an elderly man with a hunched back standing next to him.
The man looked to be over sixty years old.
Upon hearing this, he looked at the dozen or so figures standing in front of him and shook his head, saying, "Young Master, don't be fooled by their strong appearance. To become a martial artist, one needs to break through the blood barrier. No one can say for sure how many of them can do it."
"Weren't their physical attributes all tested?"
"Basic talent is just a stepping stone..."
The old man shook his head and didn't continue.
Qin Jiu remained silent for a moment.
Then, with a strange look in his eyes, he asked, "Uncle Wang, do you know what my physical constitution is like?"
"Young master, please don't make things difficult for this old servant."
The old man surnamed Wang said with a wry smile, "You are of noble birth, yet you have come to watch these peasants practice martial arts every day these past few days. Even if this old servant is foolish, I know the young master's intentions. However, you are unwell, and practicing martial arts may endanger your life."
"How dare this old servant act so recklessly?"
Upon hearing this, Qin Jiu instantly lost interest in staying any longer and immediately got up and left the training ground.
"How boring."
"Am I destined to be a sickly person?"
Walking along the long corridor.
Qin Jiu's heart was filled with complex emotions.
This is a world where martial arts reign supreme. He was just a college graduate about to embark on a life of hardship, but who would have thought that in the blink of an eye, he would become the eldest young master of the Qin family.
Although the start wasn't bad.
But it can't be considered good either.
Because his predecessor, and even his father, died in a demon attack a few months ago, the only direct descendant of the vast Qin family is Qin Jiu. The lingering aura of the demon has left this body with a chronic illness, making it impossible for him to practice martial arts now.
"These days, many people have been reaching out to the Qin family's businesses. If we don't find a way to break this deadlock, those eager eyes will probably devour the Qin family until there's nothing left."
Qin Jiu sighed inwardly.
The laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty were more fragile than paper in the eyes of those martial artists who could smash through high walls with their fists.
But my current physical condition...
Even a common cold can be fatal, let alone martial arts training.
Fortunately, the Qin family is a prominent family in the county. They had previously recruited many retainers and supported them, and with the addition of martial artists trained by their collateral branches, they were able to keep some petty villains in check.
However, if the time drags on for too long, these martial artists, who are used to intimidate outsiders, will inevitably develop other ideas.
This is a world where people eat people...
While pondering.
He unknowingly walked to a gate.
A foul, earthy smell wafted from inside the door. Qin Jiu snapped out of his daze and looked up, whereupon the plaque above the door came into view.
"The Zoo..."
Qin Jiu paused for a moment, then walked straight towards the gate.
This is the core industry of the Qin family.
It houses some mystical beasts, which are exclusively for martial artists to eat. Whether they are used to make pills by drawing blood or to prepare medicinal cuisine, they are highly nourishing for martial artists, as they can improve blood circulation and even strengthen muscles and bones.
"Aww!"
"Press it down, press it down now!!!"
There was a lot of noise coming from inside the door.
As soon as Qin Jiu stepped inside, he saw a group of people covered in blood dragging a black cat the size of a calf toward a stone trough.
This large cat has three tails, and there is a large gash on its neck.
Blood that was almost black.
It was gushing out from its neck.
But it seemed completely unaffected, incredibly fierce. Five strong men, each holding one of its paws and pressing down on its back, were still dragged away by it.
"Young Master?!" Someone caught sight of Qin Jiu at the door and immediately turned pale. "Everyone, attack together! Don't let this beast offend the Young Master..."
As the man spoke, he jogged up to Qin Jiu.
"Young Master, it's dangerous here..."
"Where's Uncle Bear?"
Qin Jiu didn't respond to the man's words, but instead frowned and asked a question.
The "Uncle Xiong" he mentioned is named Qin Xiong.
He was one of the few experts in the Qin family. His daily duties were to guard the Hundred Beast Garden and assist some of the staff in slaughtering spirit beasts. Otherwise, a few staff members who had worked hard to develop their qi and blood would not be able to handle it at all.
After all, spirit beasts are no ordinary wild beasts.
If an ordinary person is hit by a spirit beast, at best their bones will be broken, and at worst they will die on the spot.
Without a martial arts master to oversee things, it's far too dangerous.
"Butler Bear..."
The man's eyes flickered, and he stammered, "He...he went to Zuixianlou."
"What is he doing there?"
"I don't know, but Steward Xiong started frequenting Zuixianlou about two months ago..."
Qin Jiu frowned even more deeply.
Zuixianlou is a restaurant opened by the Qin family in the inner city. Except for the blood of the spirit beasts in the Hundred Beast Garden, all of them are sent to Zuixianlou to be made into medicinal dishes and sold to martial artists. However, the escort is usually handled by the guard team.
Qin Xiong's only task was to guard the important Qin residence.
They don't allow the other person to leave on ordinary days.
"How could they be so unruly..."
Qin Jiu's eyes were deep.
But his expression quickly returned to calm.
"That Azure-Eyed Demon is incredibly resilient. Bleeding it like this won't do any good. Everyone, hold it down. I'll teach you how to quickly deal with this kind of spirit beast."
As they spoke, Qin Jiu arrived at the stone trough.
His gaze fell upon a sharpened pig-slaughtering knife above.
He then raised his hand and gripped the hilt of the knife.
"Young master, you mustn't do that."
Upon seeing this, the man was instantly terrified.
Not only him, but everyone present was also stunned by Qin Jiu's actions.
They all spoke up to dissuade him.
His voice was filled with fear.
"useless?"
"If you continue like this, even if this Azure-Eyed Demon bleeds to death, it may not die."
Qin Jiu snorted coldly.
This kind of spirit beast has all its essence in its blood.
If these people are allowed to continue their reckless behavior, he will lose at least five hundred taels of silver. This is all his money, and he can't just watch it fly away.
"Come here and hug its tail."
Qin Jiu gestured for the person who had spoken earlier to come over.
After he had his hands tightly around the black cat's three tails, he walked over and, with a swift motion, slashed the connection between the cat's hindquarters and its tails, causing the three whip-like tails to fall off simultaneously.
"Aww!"
Accompanied by a sharp scream.
The black cat, about the size of a calf, immediately went limp.
"The tail of this Azure-Eyed Demon is the source of its strength and even its life force. As long as you cut it off along its weakest point, you can do so effortlessly..."
Qin Jiu was speaking.
My body suddenly stiffened slightly.
But deep within one's mind, a large seal, resembling red jade, slowly emerged, accompanied by a rumbling Daoist chant.
【Azure-Eyed Demon (Tier 1)】
[Talent: Withered Tree Reborn (Purple)]
[Note: There is a beast in the mountain named Bi Tong, which is as wondrous as a pine tree, and whose tail and paws are subject to withering and flourishing.]
[Talent Status: Can be Imprinted]
[Engraving Requirements: One tael of refined gold]