Chapter 15: Who Can Withstand The Ghost-Head Blade

“Watch out!”

Seeing this, Li Chaosheng quickly dodged and shouted to warn the old temple keeper. The old keeper forced a bitter smile and said, “It’s too late!”

Boom!

Hundreds of paper figures exploded at once, a huge blue-green flame shooting up as if a grenade had detonated out of thin air. At the moment of the blast Li Chaosheng burst through a window and leapt into the room. Landing in a half-squat he felt a wave of heat sweep over his head and the tips of his hair were singed.

But this was not the time to worry about his hair. Upon landing Li Chaosheng immediately thought of how to escape. With such a massive explosion, he feared the old keeper might not survive. He could not possibly defeat these two martial eccentrics alone. Even if he wanted to avenge the old keeper, he’d likely have to wait for other colleagues from the Nightwardens to come first.

As he thought this, Li Chaosheng scanned the room for an escape route, but this dilapidated room was a dead end. It had no back door, only a front door and a window, both blocked by Pockmark Chen and the other man. It was a trap, like catching a turtle in a jar!

But just as Li Chaosheng pondered escape, he suddenly heard Pockmark Chen shout in alarm outside.

“Ah, the old thing actually didn’t die!”

Hearing that, Li Chaosheng quickly poked his head out and saw a figure darting at Pockmark Chen. With a swish, a soft sword was drawn from a waist and thrust straight for Pockmark Chen’s head.

“Fifth Master, save me!” Pockmark Chen cried out.

Ka-thonk! Ka-thonk!

The man in the straw hat was equally stunned, hurriedly shaking his ghost-faced human-skin drum. The iron-armed corpse leapt forward the next moment, ready to shield Pockmark Chen. But the figure midair suddenly spun and, with a swish of silver light, the straw-hat man’s head flew off and dropped to the ground. The iron-armed corpse had been decapitated cleanly.

“Huff, huff, huff…”

After decapitating the iron-armed corpse, the figure landed, breathing heavily and coughing, with occasional sounds of spitting up blood.

“Brother Zhu!”

Seeing this, Li Chaosheng immediately leapt out the window to help the old keeper. The old man looked truly miserable. His half-white hair was singed into a nest, a stench of burning clung to him, his face blackened, and even his black moonlight robe was tattered.

“Brother Zhu, are you alright?”

Li Chaosheng asked with concern, not because they were particularly close, but because they were in the same boat. The old keeper’s condition would directly affect the upcoming fight.

“Cough, cough… I won’t die. Luckily I’ve already reached the fourth realm of the Postnatal stage, Bronze Skin Iron Bone. My body is sturdy enough, but my internal organs are bruised. I was nearly shaken to death.”

The six Postnatal realms: the first realm was Training Flesh, which was increasing muscle strength, boosting power, stamina, and reflexes.

The second realm was Training Sinews, which strengthened the major tendons of the body, enhancing jumping ability and flexibility.

The third was Training Skin, which toughened the skin. At its peak the skin would become like bronze and ordinary blades cannot wound it.

The fourth was Training Bones, tempering the bones into iron bones, making one impervious to blunt strikes and collisions.

The fifth was Training Organs: the internal organs would grow strong, breathing endurance would increase, allowing one to hold their breath for long periods, even underwater. At high levels, the stomach could swallow stones without internal harm.

The sixth was the peak of Postnatal, Training Marrow: one is said to refine marrow like frost and blood like mercury. It was like the rebirth of the body, extending lifespan, purifying the flesh. Once innate Qi entered the chest, one could transform from Postnatal into Prenatal.

The reason the old keeper withstood the paper-men’s combined explosion was twofold: one, his cultivation had reached the peak of Training Bone, so his body was Bronze Skin Iron Bone and could take the hit. Two, he wore the Nightwardens’ official robe, a treasured garment produced by the Armory Department under the Ministry of Works. It was extremely tough, costing about as much as a suit of armor, and only Nightwardens could wear it, making it a considerable perk.

It was precisely because of this double protection that he escaped disaster and still had some fight left. The old keeper looked ruefully at his tattered black moonlight robe and said, “This is a big loss, a big loss indeed.” The first moonlight robe was issued free. A second would cost a hundred taels of silver to buy.

Sigh~

The old keeper sighed pitifully, pulled a wooden gourd from his bosom, tipped out a pill and swallowed it, saying, “We must recoup these losses from those two. Brother Li, I’ll tie up the other iron-armed corpse of that corpse-driver while you go kill Pockmark Chen. Then free your hands so we can capture that corpse-driver together!”

“Alright.” Li Chaosheng nodded.

The old keeper waved his sword and shouted, “Go!”

With a roar the old man leapt up and charged straight at the corpse-driver. The straw-hat corpse-driver frowned and immediately shook his ghost-faced human-skin drum, making the other iron-armed corpse rush to meet the old keeper. This time the straw-hat man was on guard and wouldn’t let the old keeper find a gap, and the iron-armed corpse engaged him instantly.

Li Chaosheng then took a quick stride and rushed at Pockmark Chen. Pockmark Chen had used up all his paper men and frantically shouted for help, “Fifth Master, save me!”

At this moment the straw-hat man unusually spoke a few words, “I can’t spare a hand!”

“Ah!”

Hearing this Pockmark Chen lost all composure. Li Chaosheng charged in close and Pockmark Chen snarled with a dark face, “Kid, do you think I’m afraid of you? I’m also at the Training Bones realm, Bronze Skin Iron Bone, so you can’t chop me!”

Li Chaosheng snorted coldly, “That’s not necessarily true. My blade is fast!”

Saying that, Li Chaosheng swung up the Ghost-Head Blade toward Pockmark Chen’s neck. In desperation Pockmark Chen raised both arms to shield his head.

In the blink of an eye the blade was upon him. With a swish both arms were severed but the blade did not stop. With a flash his huge head was cut off and tumbled away, a gush of hot blood spouting a meter high and the strong metallic smell of blood filling the air. As his head flew off, Pockmark Chen couldn’t help praising Li Chaosheng, “What a fast blade!”

Thud, thud! The head hit the ground. At the same time Li Chaosheng felt a stir in his consciousness where his Killing Scripture resided, perhaps a reward had triggered. But this was a crisis. The old keeper was still fighting the iron-armed corpse, so he couldn’t leisurely check any reward.

Li Chaosheng raised his blade and lunged at the straw-hat man, who was focused on controlling the iron-armed corpse against the old keeper. Li Chaosheng came with weapon raised, bloodthirsty and terrifying, clearly intent on chopping him down.

Ka-thonk! Ka-thonk!

Seeing Li Chaosheng rush in, the straw-hat man immediately shook his ghost-faced human-skin drum and a demonic sound filled the ears. Li Chaosheng felt his whole body freeze and his raised blade could not be swung because he was about to be controlled. But at that moment the Killing Scripture in his consciousness quivered. A white light brushed through and Li Chaosheng snapped back to clarity.

His eyes flared and he seized control of his body once more. The straw-hat man, who had been watching Li Chaosheng, saw his eyes clear and was greatly shocked. “You—”

“What about me? Damn you!”

Li Chaosheng glared back and swung the Ghost-Head Blade horizontally…