After the Great Dao Died

Before County Princess Yunhe’s words had even faded, Sun Ninghu moved.

He lunged like a tiger unleashed from its cage—without warning, fast as lightning.

Two thick arms thrust out from his sleeves, his ten fingers slightly splayed like tiger claws. With enlarged knuckles and bulging joints, his hands resembled iron tongs as they snatched toward Chen Lingxi’s left leg.

The grab held no flashy technique, yet it carried an overwhelming, destructive savagery.

Spiderweb fractures splintered the bluestone bricks beneath his feet. He charged like a tiger descending the mountain, ferocious and unstoppable.

A sharp wind struck his face. Chen Lingxi’s pupils shrank. Tapping his toes lightly against the bluestone, he glided backward several feet, barely evading the claw.

Sun Ninghu’s brow furrowed as his grab caught empty air, and his second claw immediately followed.

This time he aimed for Chen Lingxi’s right leg. The movement was even faster than the first, his five fingers tearing through the air with sharp whistles, like an iron plow raking through frozen earth.

Mid-retreat, Chen Lingxi abruptly changed direction, folding his body to the right. Sun Ninghu’s claw-wind scraped past his trouser leg, tearing a gash in the fabric and scattering cotton wadding.

”Hm?”Sun Ninghu let out a sound of surprise, clearly not expecting this frail-looking official bondservant to dodge two consecutive strikes.

He had thought the first grab would snap the boy’s left leg and finish the job, never imagining the bondservant would have the agile footwork of someone who had practiced martial arts for far more than a mere month.

He took a deep breath, and the blood and Qi in his dantian suddenly boiled.

Chen Lingxi’s expression remained impassive. Within his dantian, the Concealed Edge Method circulated silently, pulling his barrier of spiritual qi even tighter, leaking only the blood-qi fluctuations of someone who had just entered the Bronze-Red Realm.

County Princess Yunhe sat in her chair, resting her chin on one hand. Her eyes were smiling; she watched with keen interest.

Lin Longyue held her teacup, her gaze never leaving Chen Lingxi for a single moment.

She saw that the crimson aura around Chen Lingxi’s body was thin, his aura lacking density. He looked exactly like a fledgling who had just crossed the Bronze-Red threshold, having not yet even condensed his Bronze Slurry Qi.

Yet even so, she could no longer suppress the astonishment on her face.

”Bronze-Red!”

”Is this truly the innate talent of a bondservant in my estate?”

She subconsciously glanced at County Princess Yunhe, only to see the princess still smiling, though a few traces of bloodthirsty light now flickered in her eyes.

In the courtyard, Sun Ninghu pressed his advance.

His palms flew in a blur, generating fierce winds. Every claw strike carried the force to tear gold and split stone.

His fighting style was brutally overbearing. He paid no mind to subtle techniques, seeking only speed and heavy impact. Like a wild beast fighting for its life, every claw struck relentlessly toward the vulnerable joints of Chen Lingxi’s limbs.

Chen Lingxi retreated continuously, struggling to parry. He looked like a lone skiff tossed upon stormy waves, threatening to capsize at any moment.

But though his footwork appeared chaotic, there was order within the chaos. Every step back perfectly evaded the edge of Sun Ninghu’s claws; every twist of his body let the whistling punches brush right past him. It was like a man dancing on the tip of a blade—heart-stoppingly perilous, yet he remained entirely unharmed.

And his blood-qi, though not dense, surged like a rushing river, endless and unceasing.

Unable to land a solid blow after so long, the hostility in Sun Ninghu’s eyes darkened.

He let out a low roar and shot both hands forward, clawing toward Chen Lingxi’s shoulders. This time he used his full strength. The claw-wind tore through the air with an ear-piercing shriek, while crimson aura flickered at his fingertips like five red-hot iron hooks.

The sky full of claw shadows reflected in Chen Lingxi’s pupils. He stomped his feet down hard, abruptly halting his retreat.

Mountain-Collapsing Force exploded around his fists!

He clenched his right fist, and the thin layer of crimson aura covering his knuckles suddenly grew denser.

Mountain-Pulling Fist!

The punch drove straight out, completely unadorned. It carried the absolute, crushing weight of a man hauling up a mountain to hurl it forward.

Fist and claw collided.

Bang!

With a muffled boom, a shockwave of air blasted outward.

Sun Ninghu’s body merely stalled for a moment, but Chen Lingxi was forced three steps back, his right arm trembling slightly.

The thin aura covering his knuckles had been mostly torn away by Sun Ninghu’s claw-wind, exposing the pale skin underneath.

But he had forcefully blocked Sun Ninghu’s claw.

A flash of surprise crossed County Princess Yunhe’s eyes, quickly covered by a smile.

Lin Longyue took a deep breath.

She whispered a single word: ”Good.”

Having failed to land his strike, Sun Ninghu turned even more vicious.

He lashed out with alternating claws, moving so fast they blurred into afterimages. The crimson claw-winds wove into an airtight net that shrouded down over Chen Lingxi’s head.

Chen Lingxi no longer retreated. His footwork shifted, transitioning from the River Entering Form to the Mountain-Pulling Stance. His fists swung in wide, sweeping arcs, every punch carrying immense weight. The Mountain-Collapsing Force exploded from his knuckles, tearing gash after gash into the net of claws.

Though his blood-qi was not as boundless as Sun Ninghu’s, and his force not as condensed, his fist technique was vastly superior. Every punch landed perfectly on the weak points of his opponent’s claw art. He was breaking brute strength with skill, using four ounces of force to deflect a thousand pounds.

By the time they exchanged their eighth move, Chen Lingxi had gradually stabilized his footing.

On the tenth move, he began his counterattack.

The Mountain-Collapsing Force circulated through his body with increasing mastery. With every punch thrown, the impact grew a fraction heavier than the last, accumulating like a rolling snowball—growing larger, growing heavier.

On the eleventh move, Chen Lingxi smashed his fist into Sun Ninghu’s left ribs.

The punch was a variation of the River Entering Form. The force surged like a river flowing backward. The Mountain-Collapsing Force penetrated Sun Ninghu’s qi armor and seeped into his body, jarring his internal organs and drawing a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth.

Sun Ninghu let out a muffled groan, his assault suddenly stalling.

Seizing that momentary pause, Chen Lingxi’s right fist arrived!

”Break!”

The punch slammed into Sun Ninghu’s chest. Sun Ninghu staggered back two steps, shock finally showing on his face.

He stared wide-eyed at Chen Lingxi, unable to believe that this official bondservant could actually injure him.

What alarmed him even more was that the bondservant’s fist force grew heavier with every strike. It was as if he was accumulating power—punching harder, punching fiercer, with seemingly no end.

He gritted his teeth and thrust both claws out once more.

But this time, his movements were no longer as swift as before.

Chen Lingxi caught this instantly.

A sharp light flashed in his eyes. The Mountain-Collapsing Force erupted within his body, and his right fist smashed out like a meteor. In that split second, the thin layer of crimson aura over his knuckles flared brilliantly.

The thirteenth punch smashed into Sun Ninghu’s right shoulder.

The fourteenth punch struck his left arm.

The fifteenth punch slammed into his chest.

Punch after punch flowed in a single, uninterrupted breath, so fast it was suffocating.

Sun Ninghu’s defenses completely crumbled, his blood-qi blocked!

He stumbled backward until his spine crashed against the vermilion-lacquered pillar of the East Hall with a heavy, muffled thud.

He opened his mouth to speak, but a mouthful of blood welled up in his throat before he collapsed heavily to the floor!

His arms were still trembling slightly.

He lifted his head and looked at Chen Lingxi, his light-brown eyes filled with shock and unwillingness.

The hall fell dead silent.

It was so quiet they could hear the soft crackle of the charcoal fire and the gentle rustle of the spring wind brushing against the plum branches outside the window.

County Princess Yunhe set down her pastry. Her eyes widened slightly, a rare trace of genuine astonishment appearing on her normally languid face.

She looked at Sun Ninghu, who sat panting on the floor, and then at Chen Lingxi, who stood perfectly straight in the center of the hall despite his ragged breathing. She parted her lips as if to speak, but ultimately said nothing.

Standing by the door, the West Courtyard steward, Liu Que, stared blankly. He seemed equally shocked by Chen Lingxi’s formidable strength.

Having served Lin Longyue for many years, he had seen countless experts. There were certainly martial artists in the West Courtyard who could defeat Sun Ninghu, but which of them hadn’t spent years steeped in martial arts, consuming rare delicacies and medicinal baths to reach that level?

Yet this official bondservant before him had been doing menial labor in the servant quarters just a month ago, even reduced to a poison-tester writhing on the verge of death. Now, he had actually defeated the Bronze-Red Realm Sun Ninghu in a head-on fight.

He subconsciously glanced at Lin Longyue.

Lin Longyue held her teacup, motionless.

The tea in her cup had long since gone cold, but she remained entirely unaware of it. She only stared at Chen Lingxi, her gaze like two ice awls—cold and piercing.

There was no joy in her eyes, nor anger, nor even surprise.

There was only a profound scrutiny so deep it almost solidified into something tangible.

A few breaths passed.

She slowly set her teacup down on the small table.

”I never would have thought you truly were such a rare talent.”

Lin Longyue spoke, her voice as coldly clear as always.

She paused, her brow furrowing slightly as if pondering something.

”I heard from He Duan that you chose a Fragment of the Seven Forms of Halting War.”

Her gaze landed on Chen Lingxi. ”Judging by your execution today, it was indeed the Seven Forms of Halting War. Does that mean you truly cultivated to the Bronze-Red Realm in less than two months?”

She asked it plainly, but the others in the hall could hear the deep suspicion hidden beneath that plain tone.

County Princess Yunhe put away her earlier languor. Picking up her teacup, she took slow sips, but her eyes kept circling over Chen Lingxi.

Liu Que lowered his eyes, not daring to look closer, merely pricking his ears to listen.

Chen Lingxi lowered his head. His voice was not loud, but perfectly steady. ”Answering the young miss: yes.”

Just one word. Crisp and clean, with no excuses, no claiming credit, and no panic.

Lin Longyue tapped her fingers lightly on the desk twice.

The tapping was neither fast nor slow, yet every beat felt like it was striking directly against their hearts.

Then, the corners of her lips twitched slightly, pulling into a smile that wasn’t quite a smile.

”Being too monstrous only makes people suspicious.”

Her tone wasn’t high, but every word rang clear, echoing through the hall.

”Chen Lingxi, did you know your natural talent was this outstanding?”

It was a strange question to ask.

How could he not know if his own talent was outstanding?

Yet Lin Longyue asked it anyway. It felt like a probe, or perhaps a hint.

Chen Lingxi nodded. He stayed silent for a moment before finally speaking. ”Answering the young miss: this bondservant is not entirely without a foundation.”

He raised his head, meeting Lin Longyue’s gaze for a fraction of a second before lowering his eyes again. ”When this bondservant’s father was still alive, he once hired a wandering physician to examine me.

The physician said this bondservant had congenital deficiencies and frail bones. If I wasn’t properly nourished, he feared I would suffer paralysis in adulthood.

For several years after that, my father spent vast sums of silver every year to buy medicine from that physician. Medicinal baths, oral doses, topical salves—it never ceased.

Those herbs weren’t any peerless treasures, but they were genuinely good ingredients. Accumulated over the years, this bondservant’s body naturally became a bit stronger than an ordinary person’s.”

He paused, seemingly weighing his words. ”Later, when disaster struck the Chen family and this bondservant was forced into the Marquis’s estate, the medicine was cut off.”

As she listened, Lin Longyue’s brow smoothed out just a fraction.

She had seen too many people in her life; hearing his words, she knew Chen Lingxi wasn’t lying.

The Chen family hadn’t been a prominent noble house, but they were a scholarly family. Chen Yanzhi only had one son. Spending some silver to hire someone to nurse his only child’s health was completely normal.

But the scrutiny in her eyes did not fade. Instead, it grew even deeper.

”Even with an excellent foundation, reaching Bronze-Red in two months is absurdly fast,” she said slowly. It sounded like she was talking to herself, yet also like she was waiting for Chen Lingxi to explain.

Chen Lingxi lowered his head in silence for a moment, a trace of hesitation showing on his face.

The hesitation wasn’t forced. He looked exactly like a bondservant standing before his master—wanting to speak, but lacking the courage, carefully weighing his boundaries.

Lin Longyue naturally spotted his reluctance.

”Speak freely.” She picked up the teacup Liu Que had just refilled and gently blew on the floating leaves. Her tone was a fraction gentler than before. ”There is no need to hide things in front of me.”

Chen Lingxi took a deep breath, as if making up his mind.

”Answering the young miss... this bondservant feels that this matter must trace back to the medicine Chief Steward Zhao had us test.”

The moment those words left his mouth, the atmosphere in the hall grew tense.

Zhao Yong.

In the Baosu Marquis Residence, those two words were something even the servants only dared to whisper in private, terrified that the walls might have ears.

Lin Longyue’s hand paused slightly on her teacup. She lifted her eyes and gave Chen Lingxi a look.

Her gaze remained cold, but it carried a hint of newfound interest.

Chen Lingxi continued, ”Every once in a while, Chief Steward Zhao would force us medicine slaves to ingest a powder. He called it a tonic, but this bondservant later realized it was highly toxic.

People like Zhou Hu and Zhu Luanwen, who took the drug with this bondservant, would suffer unbearable pain every time. They wasted away day by day, and all died off within a month.”

His voice was calm, as if he were recounting someone else’s business. But beneath that calm lay a profound, suppressed endurance.

”But this bondservant... was different.”

He looked up, his eyes bright and clear. ”When this bondservant took the powder, I felt no pain. Instead, my whole body felt pleasantly warm, my breathing smoothed out, and even the old injuries I’d accumulated from hard labor largely healed.

At first, this bondservant thought it was just a fluke. But after taking it several times in a row, the result was the same every time.”

He lowered his voice slightly. ”This bondservant was afraid of drawing attention, and even more terrified of what Chief Steward Zhao might do if he found out. So every time I took the medicine, I pretended to be in agonizing pain. I would lie on the bed and groan, deliberately keeping my breaths short and shallow.

When others saw me, they assumed I was just like Zhou Hu and the rest—tortured half to death by the drug.”

Hearing this, Liu Que’s eyebrows twitched wildly.

He naturally knew about Zhao Yong testing drugs in the estate. He also knew that many people had died from it, yet no one higher up had ever questioned it.

Lin Longyue set down her teacup.

She looked at Chen Lingxi, the frost in her eyes gradually fading.

A few breaths later, she suddenly burst into laughter.

”I never expected... I never expected you truly were such a rare talent.”

”Since that’s the case, I will not be stingy with my rewards.”

She turned and walked back to the head seat. Picking up her teacup again, she rested her gaze on Chen Lingxi.

”Speak. What is it that you want!”