Da Xuan Martial Saint Chapter 2: Chapter 2 Blade Technique

The two battered wooden doors, bolted firmly from within, let out a creak as Chen Mu knocked. "I'm back," he called out, and only then did the muffled sounds of movement and a joyful voice drift from inside the house.

Gudong gudong.

The rapid pitter-patter of bare feet echoed across the floor, drawing nearer until the wooden latch was finally slid back.

"Brother!"

A young girl appeared at the entrance, clad in a coarse cotton jacket. Her small frame barely reached Chen Mu's chest. Standing there barefoot, she tilted her head back to look up at him, her face lighting up with a pure, innocent smile.

Chen Yue had turned fourteen this year. While most girls her age were beginning to bloom, chronic malnutrition had left her thin, fragile, and sallow-skinned, lacking the typical radiance of a young maiden.

In such a brutal era, it was impossible for an average family to raise a peerless beauty. Chen Mu believed, however, that with better wealth and nutrition, she would likely transform into a lovely lotus flower emerging from the water. For the time being, she was forced to endure a life of hardship by his side.

"Why are you running around without shoes again?"

With a look of warm affection, Chen Mu reached out and ruffled her hair. Having had no siblings in his previous life, this naive and obedient sister was his only source of comfort within this cold, chaotic city.

Chen Yue giggled and looked up at him. "I'll put them on when I go outside. If I wear them too much at home, they’ll just wear out, and that would be such a waste."

Chen Mu lifted Chen Yue and set her down on the kang, the heated bed in the inner room. Feeling her small feet, he found them icy to the touch. He couldn't help but scold her, "Winter is almost here. You’ll get frostbite like this. If the shoes wear out, we can always fix them."

He understood her hesitation perfectly. Her old pair was completely ruined and too small for her growing feet. Chen Mu had bought her a new pair, and she cherished them so much that she treated them like treasures, refusing to wear them while staying indoors.

"Alright, fine," she conceded with a bit of reluctance.

She knew that if she caught frostbite, the cost of medicine would be another heavy burden on their finances.

Chen Mu handed her a steamed bun, sternly telling her to wash her hands first. Seeing the girl about to dash off barefoot again to find the water, he sighed and brought the basin directly to her instead.

Once her hands and feet were clean, Chen Yue’s cheeks flushed as she eagerly bit into the bun, her eyes full of adoration for her brother. He hadn't always been this gentle. It was only after a severe illness that his treatment of her had become increasingly kind. Regardless of the past, he was her only kin, and she much preferred her life as it was now.

Even though she was confined to the house and lived on plain white buns, she was content.

"It’s been quite a while since I last took you out, hasn't it?" Chen Mu remarked, watching her eat as he spoke his thoughts aloud.

Since arriving in this world and realizing how dangerous the streets were, he had strictly forbidden her from leaving. He had even threatened to disown her once, which had scared her into crying for hours before he could soothe her.

"Four months," Chen Yue replied, her mouth full of bun as she counted on her fingers.

Chen Mu smiled softly. "Alright, in a little while, I’ll take you out to have some fun."

It pained him to keep a young girl locked away like this. He could manage a trip outside if he disguised them—smearing their faces with grime, messing up their hair, and wearing rags. If he carried her on his back and walked with familiar peers like Liu San and Li Liu, it would be safe enough. That was how they had managed their last outing.

While a small risk remained, it was better than the feeling of being a prisoner in one's own home.

"Really?"

Chen Yue’s expression beamed with excitement at his promise.

However, her joy quickly faded into a look of worry. "Wouldn't... wouldn't it cause trouble for you, brother, if I went out to play?"

Chen Mu patted her head without answering directly. "Finish your food and stay in here. I’m going to the firewood room."

"Okay," Chen Yue nodded with obedience.

...

The firewood room was fairly large.

Because dry wood was scarce, the room was mostly empty, save for a few stray logs. The price of fuel was rising steadily, as rumors claimed a group of woodcutters had disappeared in the western mountains, scaring others away from the area.

Only the most desperate or greedy now dared to leave the city to gather wood. This drop in supply forced ordinary households to be extremely frugal.

Chen Mu reached into his pocket and carefully pulled out a small, worn booklet.

The cover was badly damaged, leaving only the words "... Wind Blade Technique" visible. After studying the faded first character, Chen Mu guessed it was "Raging," making the full title the "Raging Wind Blade Technique."

"A Blade Technique..." Chen Mu stared at the manual, lost in thought.

In this world, the trope of finding a secret manual and becoming a master through solitary practice was a myth. Such old books weren't even worth much on the open market.

The logic was simple: to master any form of Cultivation or martial arts—be it fists, legs, or weapons like the sword and spear—one required the tutelage of a real practitioner. Trying to learn from a book alone usually resulted in self-inflicted injuries that no one could fix.

As a servant for the city, Chen Mu had practiced some basic blade work at the City Defense Division.

However, the instructor there only taught the fundamentals of hacking and slashing, keeping the advanced secrets to himself. Consequently, after two and a half years in this world, Chen Mu was only capable of handling common thugs who lacked proper training.

He had sought advice from Liu Song and Li Tie before, and they all said the same thing: finding a Blade Technique manual wasn't difficult or expensive. You could find them for a few silver coins at any pawnshop.

But believing you could master the art by just following the static drawings in a book was a fool's errand.

True progress required going to a martial arts school in the Inner City to learn the secrets of breathing, stances, and how to circulate Qi and strength from a master.

The problem, however, was the cost.

Enrolling in such a school cost dozens or even hundreds of silvers, and that didn't include the expensive medicinal oils needed for recovery.

As the saying went, "The rich pursue martial arts while the poor pursue letters." Even colleagues like Liu Song, who came from decent families, couldn't afford Inner City training, let alone Chen Mu, who didn't even have two silvers to his name.

"Maybe I should just sell it at the pawnshop? It might fetch two or three silvers—a nice little windfall," Chen Mu mused.

Yet, he felt a lingering reluctance.

In these dark times, being clever often led to an early grave. Survival usually meant staying quiet and cautious. But without money or status, he had no hope of escaping his current life.

If he could actually master a blade technique and gain true strength, everything would change. Powerful families would want him as a Protector, and even the gangs would show him respect. Within the City Defense Division, he might even be promoted from a lowly servant to a Head Constable.

The difference between a servant and a Head Constable was vast. Servants were barely considered part of the government, but a Head Constable was an official of the 'Ninth Grade'. They were worlds apart from commoners, and even gang leaders would pay them silver to stay on their good side.

"I have to at least try," Chen Mu decided, opening the booklet.

At worst, failing to learn the technique would result in a few strained muscles that would heal in a few days. If it proved impossible, he could just transcribe the text and sell the original.

—The Raging Wind Blade Technique is part of the Xun Wind category of the eight lines of Qian Heaven Kun Earth. The movements appear chaotic, but the intent is focused; like a thousand winds passing, it ensnares the sinews and scrapes the bones. If mastered to Perfection, one can manifest 'Chaotic Wind' Blade Momentum.—

The opening page contained only this text, without any drawings.

Chen Mu turned the page. There, a silhouette holding a blade seemed to jump off the aged paper, accompanied by dotted lines showing a zigzagging path of motion. The text below labeled it the 'Chaotic Wind First Form'.

After studying it, Chen Mu stood up, drew his Servant's Knife, and attempted the movements.

Because he had spent two years practicing basic strikes, his form wasn't terrible, but the movement felt awkward. The power behind the strike was actually weaker than his normal, simple slashes.

"Li Tie was right. A manual gives you the posture, but without a master to explain the flow of force, it’s incredibly difficult to adapt," Chen Mu sighed to himself.

Despite the difficulty, he wasn't ready to quit just yet.

He flipped through the next few pages, which showed three variations of the 'Chaotic Wind First Form.' These included diagonal, horizontal, and vertical strikes designed to counter different defenses.

He memorized and practiced the variations until he could perform them at a basic level. He felt a vague sense of how the force should move, but he wasn't sure if he was doing it correctly.

He spent half the day fumbling through the first stance. By the end, he felt these moves were likely less effective than his usual "random hacking" style. Using these unrefined techniques in a real fight would probably get him killed.

"It’s definitely the way I’m applying force. A single page of text just isn't enough information," Chen Mu realized.

This practice session proved he wasn't some hidden martial arts genius who could master a technique just by looking at a picture. If the rest of the book was this confusing, the manual was only worth the meat he could buy by selling it.

"Brother, I brought you some water."

Just as Chen Mu stopped to sigh, a voice called out from behind him.

Chen Yue had approached silently, now wearing her clean floral shoes and holding a clay jug of water.

"It's been boiled," she said with a cute smile.

Chen Mu smiled back, took the jug, and drank. He had repeatedly warned her never to drink unboiled water. In this world, hygiene was the key to a long life.

He handed the jug back and patted her head affectionately.

"Are you training in martial arts, brother?" Chen Yue asked, eyeing the booklet on the stove.

"Mhm," Chen Mu nodded.

He had hoped this would be his big break, but he was feeling less optimistic now. To truly learn, he’d likely need to save enough silver to join a proper school in the Inner City.

However...

As Chen Mu reached for the booklet to put it away, he suddenly froze.

Floating characters appeared in his field of vision. He blinked in shock, but they remained, hovering right before his eyes.

[Martial Skill: Raging Wind Blade Technique (Uninitiated)]

[Experience: 2 points]

Once he realized he wasn't hallucinating, a wide grin finally spread across Chen Mu's face.