Da Xuan Martial Saint Chapter 2: Chapter 2 Blade Technique

The battered wooden doors, bolted securely from the inside, let out a sharp creak as Chen Mu knocked. "I'm back," he called out, and only then did the quiet house stir with the sound of a delighted voice.

Gudong gudong.

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

"Brother!"

Standing in the doorway was a young girl clad in a coarse cotton jacket. Her small frame barely reached Chen Mu’s chest. She stood there barefoot, tilting her head back to look up at him with a smile full of innocent charm.

Chen Yue had turned fourteen this year. While most girls her age were beginning to blossom, chronic malnutrition had left her frail and thin. Her sallow complexion made her look younger than a maiden of fourteen should appear.

In such a harsh era, raising a great beauty was an impossible task for a common family. Yet, Chen Mu believed that with better food and a bit of wealth, she would eventually resemble a pure lotus flower rising from the water. For the time being, however, she had to endure this difficult life by his side.

"Why are you running around without shoes again?"

With a look of fond affection, Chen Mu reached out and ruffled her hair. Having never had a sister in his previous life, this obedient and sweet girl was his only comfort in this freezing, pitiless city.

Chen Yue giggled and looked up at him. "I put them on when I leave. If I wear them too much inside, they’ll get ruined, and that would be a waste."

Chen Mu lifted her up and set her down on the kang, the heated brick bed in the inner room. Feeling her tiny feet, he found them cold as ice. He couldn't help but scold her gently, "Winter is almost here. You’ll get frostbite like this. If the shoes wear out, we can just fix them."

He understood her hesitation perfectly. Her old shoes were completely shredded and too small for her growing feet. Chen Mu had bought her this new pair, and she cherished them so much she treated them like precious treasures, refusing to wear them unless she was heading outside.

"Alright, I understand," she conceded with a bit of reluctance.

She knew that if she fell ill with frostbite, they would have to spend money on medicine, which was an expense they couldn't afford.

Chen Mu handed her a steamed bun, sternly telling her to wash up first. As she prepared to hop off the bed barefoot to get water, he stopped her and brought the basin to her instead.

Once her hands and feet were clean, Chen Yue’s face flushed with a healthy glow. She took the bun and ate eagerly, her eyes full of devotion as she watched him. Chen Mu hadn't always been this caring; it was only after a severe illness that his temperament had softened toward her. Regardless of the past, he was her only brother, and she loved the life they had now.

Even if she was stuck inside and had nothing but plain buns to eat, 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 once threatened to cast her out if she disobeyed, a threat that had reduced her to tears for half a day before he could soothe her.

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

Chen Mu smiled softly. "I'll take you out to have some fun in a few days."

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

While a small risk remained, it was better than the suffocating feeling of being trapped indoors.

"Really?"

Her face lit up with pure joy at his promise.

However, the excitement faded into a look of concern. She hesitated, asking, "Won't it... won't it cause trouble for you, Brother, if I go out?"

Chen Mu patted her head without a word. "Just finish your food and stay inside. I’m going to the woodshed."

"Okay," she nodded with obedience.

...

The woodshed was a large space.

Because dry wood was scarce, the room was mostly empty, save for a few stray logs. The price of fuel was skyrocketing; rumors said a group of woodcutters had vanished in the western mountains, scaring everyone else away from the area.

Only the most desperate or greedy now dared to leave the city to gather wood for profit. With the supply dwindling, normal families had to be extremely frugal.

Chen Mu pulled a small, worn booklet from his pocket.

The cover was battered, leaving only the words "... Wind Blade Technique" visible. After studying the faded character at the start, he deduced it was "Raging," making the full name the "Raging Wind Blade Technique."

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

In this world, the idea of stumbling upon a secret manual and becoming a master through solo practice was a myth. Such old books weren't even worth much at the market.

The logic was simple: to master any form of Cultivation or martial arts—be it fists, legs, or weapons like the Dao—one required a mentor. Trying to learn from a book alone usually resulted in internal injuries or crippled Meridians, with no one to help fix the damage.

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

However, the instructors there only taught the most rudimentary chops and slashes. After two and a half years of practice, he was only slightly better than a common thug who didn't know how to hold a weapon.

He had asked colleagues like Liu Song and Li Tie about this before. They all told him the same thing: finding a Blade Technique manual wasn't hard or expensive. You could pick one up for a dozen silver coins at any pawnshop.

But thinking you could master the art just by following the drawings was a fool's errand.

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

The obstacle, however, was the cost.

The tuition at those schools was astronomical, costing dozens or even hundreds of silvers, and that didn't even include the expensive medicinal oils needed for recovery.

As the saying goes, "The wealthy practice martial arts while the poor study books." Even people like Liu Song, who came from decent backgrounds, couldn't afford Inner City training. For someone like Chen Mu, who didn't even have two silvers to his name, it seemed impossible.

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

Yet, he felt a lingering hesitation.

In these turbulent times, being clever wasn't enough; often, it just got you killed. Survival meant being cautious. But without money or status, there was no way to escape his low position in society.

If he could actually master a blade technique and gain true strength, everything would change. He could become a Protector for the wealthy or earn the respect of the local gangs. Within the City Defense Division, he might even rise from a lowly servant to a Head Constable.

There was a massive gap between a servant and a Head Constable. Servants weren't official employees; they were just hired muscle for patrols. A Head Constable, however, was an official of the 'Ninth Grade,' appointed by the Prefecture Chief. Even the gangs had to pay them respect and offer bribes to keep the peace.

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

At worst, failing to learn the technique would just result in a few sore muscles that would heal in a few days. If he couldn't make sense of it, he’d just transcribe the text and sell the original.

—The Raging Wind Blade Technique belongs to the Xun Wind category of the Eight Trigrams. The strikes appear chaotic, but the intent remains focused; like a thousand winds howling through, it tears at sinews and bones. At the level of Perfection, one can manifest the 'Chaotic Wind' Blade Momentum.—

The opening page contained no pictures, only this cryptic text.

Chen Mu turned the page. He saw a silhouette of a man holding a knife, with dotted lines showing a zigzagging path of motion. The caption labeled it as the 'Chaotic Wind First Form'.

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

Despite two years of basic training, the stance felt incredibly awkward. The power behind his swing felt even weaker than his usual, simple hacks.

"Li Tie was right. Without a teacher, you can copy the posture, but you have no idea how to actually apply the force or adapt the movement," Chen Mu sighed to himself.

Even so, he wasn't ready to quit just yet.

He flipped through the next few pages, which showed three variations of the first form—diagonal, horizontal, and vertical strikes meant to counter an opponent's defense.

He memorized the patterns and spent the next few hours practicing. He eventually managed to perform the moves with some fluidity, but he still lacked the "feel" for the proper flow of power. He wasn't even sure if he was doing it right or just wasting his breath.

By the end of the session, he suspected these half-baked moves were actually worse than his usual street-fighting style. Using these in a real life-or-death struggle would likely get him killed.

"It’s the internal direction of force. A single page of text just isn't enough information," Chen Mu realized.

This confirmed he wasn't some once-in-a-century genius who could master a technique just by looking at a few sketches. If the rest of the book was this difficult to grasp, the manual was really only worth the price of a few pounds of meat at the pawnshop.

"Brother, I brought you some water."

As he stopped to catch his breath, he heard a soft voice.

Chen Yue had approached quietly, now wearing a pair of clean, patterned shoes. She held out a coarse clay jug of water.

"I boiled it first," she said with a sweet look.

Chen Mu smiled, took the jug, and drank. He had drummed it into her head that they must never drink unboiled water. In this world, hygiene was the only way to ensure a long life.

After a few gulps, he handed the jug back and patted her head affectionately.

"Are you learning martial arts, Brother?" Chen Yue asked, spotting the manual and the drawings on the table.

"Mhm," Chen Mu replied with a nod.

He had hoped this would be his big break, but he was feeling less optimistic now. It seemed he would still need to save every copper until he could afford a real apprenticeship in the Inner City.

However...

Just as he was about to close the booklet, he froze.

Floating in his field of vision, several glowing characters suddenly appeared. He blinked, but they remained, hovering clearly before his eyes.

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

[Experience: 2 points]

Once he realized this wasn't a trick of the light or a hallucination, a wide, triumphant smile spread across Chen Mu's face.