Chapter 49: Can the Carp Transform into a Dragon?
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Zhang Ji had assumed that the scarcity of resources would be delayed somewhat, but in reality, by the third day, the related ointments had already run out.
Yan Ruifeng began dismissing the disciples one by one, and all supply routes were abruptly cut off.
Those companies had all changed names and identities, with most assets rapidly transferred.
There was considerable turmoil within the Five Shapes Sect, yet it was kept under control.
Yan Ruifeng did not wish to see meaningless casualties.
Moreover, he was not without his own plans.
He had already purchased plane tickets, intending to take the core members, along with elders and true disciples, to leave together.
Once abroad, a rallying call could gather many followers.
As long as the people remained, they could always rise again.
...
"At least slowed down by fifty percent..." Zhang Ji murmured, frowning.
Without the aid of elixirs and other ointments, relying solely on the Moon Essence, his Crane Style Fist technique’s speed dropped by nearly half.
After all, there was no moon during the day.
He certainly wasn’t going to chase the moon by flying around the globe.
Still, considering the circumstances, he was content just to be able to practice.
Slower or not, forty days to master a martial art could become eighty days.
He would figure out other methods later; there were many fortunate encounters in this world, and he knew most of their locations and how to obtain them—just that he lacked the strength to pursue them for now.
...
December 10th.
The once lively Golden Hook Mountain was now occupied only by a few remaining staff maintaining operations.
The disciples had all descended the mountain.
The owner of Golden Hook Mountain had even changed his name.
Yan Ruifeng sat above the main hall, reminiscing about the past glory.
Everything had happened too fast—too fast for him to fully accept.
Two days prior, his fourth disciple, Shen Han, had come to question him, causing a commotion that took half a day to calm.
Thinking of this, his melancholy deepened.
In truth, he was more reluctant than anyone else to leave.
These disciples had grown up here; so had he.
“Sect Leader!”
Suddenly, a core disciple entered, his face troubled.
“Awen? What’s so urgent? Didn’t I tell you to prepare your luggage for shipment?” Yan Ruifeng asked.
“We were stopped. Also, your plane tickets—they’ve all been...” Awen reported.
The light in Yan Ruifeng’s eyes dimmed, a flicker of anger surfacing.
Not even a single way out?
Were they truly forbidden from climbing any higher?
“Fine, fine, fine!” Yan Ruifeng repeated three emphatic words.
For a man who had cultivated discipline for many years to utter such words spoke volumes of his inner fury.
“Sect Leader, what should we do next?” Awen asked.
“Let me think. You must be tired; go back and rest first,” Yan Ruifeng said.
Awen bowed and left.
Yan Ruifeng pressed his hand to his forehead, pondering their escape routes.
Stay in Dongji Nation?
No, impossible!
They would never be safe; a purge was inevitable.
They must leave, but this time, they would need to use other channels.
...
In Gu Shuangshuang’s room.
She lay trembling in a bathtub filled with ice, her fingers clawing at her skin, leaving bleeding scratches that stained the tub red.
This was not the first time.
The calming medicine she needed was rare; before, the Five Shapes Sect could easily provide it, but now it was impossible.
These substances were controlled goods.
The remaining medicine she possessed would only last a few days.
Once it ran out, unwilling to trouble her master and senior brothers, she intended to endure it herself.
But she had underestimated the side effects of the medicine and overestimated her own willpower.
In this moment, she felt worse than death.
...
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“She was already like this when found.”
On the hospital bed, Gu Shuangshuang’s body was covered with frostbite, her skin marked by countless nail scratches, her face almost disfigured.
Her body shook as she fought the addiction, her mind on the verge of collapse.
“Where’s the medicine?” Li Long asked.
“There wasn’t much to begin with, it was all used up long ago. Now, there’s none at all. The authorities have cut off our channels, not even granting us access to legitimate drugs, let alone the special ones,” the doctor replied.
“Then send her to the city hospital...” Li Long proposed.
“Even the city hospitals don’t have those calming drugs. It’s pointless,” the doctor shook his head.
“Can she endure it herself?” Li Long asked.
“Ascension Pills were taken by warriors hundreds of years ago at the moment of their passing. The damage they inflict on the nervous system is unimaginable. Gu’s related nervous system has long been severely impaired, barely functioning properly. If there is any hope left, it lies with alchemists. I heard they even retain the technology to reconstruct a brain, but the success rate is low...” the doctor explained.
Alchemic technology was banned in Dongji Nation.
It was difficult to find alchemists here, let alone access such technology.
Previously, the Five Shapes Sect might have found a solution, but now...
“Senior Brother...”
Suddenly, a faint voice came.
Li Long looked over, and Gu Shuangshuang weakly opened her mouth, asking, “Could you come closer?”
Without hesitation, Li Long approached.
“Come nearer...”
Li Long leaned in.
Gu Shuangshuang spoke some words.
“I’ve known all along,” Li Long said, grasping her hand.
He understood his junior sister’s heart and had never avoided it.
The one who avoided was Gu Shuangshuang herself.
She had always feared becoming a burden to Li Long’s progress, suppressing her own feelings.
Li Long had thought there was still time; after all, he was still young, a grandmaster, and hoped Gu Shuangshuang would also reach grandmaster level before considering romance.
But now, it seemed time had always been short.
Gu Shuangshuang smiled, then placed Li Long’s finger against her forehead.
“Crane... Peck...”
It was a Crane Style Fist move she had struggled to master, finally taught to her hand by hand by Li Long.
Now, she wanted Li Long to use that move to end her suffering.
Li Long’s hand did not move. How could he do such a thing?
Yet, Gu Shuangshuang, trembling and biting her teeth, could no longer hold back.
Her mouth was full of blood; her frozen fingers pierced through her flesh, reaching deep into her abdomen.
Blood flowed freely again.
“Shh! Pfft!”
A smile appeared on her face as her body stopped trembling.
Li Long closed her wide-open eyes, covered her with a blanket, then shut his own eyes.
Long after, he suddenly stood.
...
With a handful of soil, the ashes were buried.
The members of the Five Shapes Sect came forward one by one, offering three incense sticks each.
Zhang Ji never imagined such an event would occur at this time.
He sensed that Li Long was like a volcano about to erupt.
From the start, Li Long was never a restrained person; he preferred straightforwardness, expressing his anger openly.
His grandmaster composure and maturity were mere compromises beneath worldly expectations.
Now, that compromise was nearing its limit.
Yan Ruifeng suddenly looked twenty years older; his once neat white hair was now disheveled.
Tears never ceased in Shen Han’s eyes.
Young Mu Ai—at one time—held feelings for this gentle and beautiful sister who had cared for him.
After the brief ceremony, Yan Ruifeng outlined the next steps.
Several elders would lead the disciples to disperse, each heading in different directions, boarding smuggling ships to foreign countries.
They would reunite finally in a city called Lantz in Roman Nation.
It was said to be the world’s fighting hometown, rich with fighters and competitions.
Many warriors from Dongji Nation were there; it was ideal for their development.
Zhang Ji was also scheduled to leave with Yan Ruifeng, Li Long, and Zheng Chengze.
...
By December 18th, most of the Five Shapes Sect had already left.
Zhang Ji and the others were set to depart on December 20th, two days away.
Outside Li Long’s courtyard, Zhang Ji knocked but received no response.
Pushing the door open, he found it empty.
He immediately sought out Yan Ruifeng.
Yan Ruifeng was sitting cross-legged by the artificial koi pond on Golden Hook Mountain, staring blankly at the fish.
He had been sitting there without eating or drinking for two days.
“Sect Leader, the teacher is gone!” Zhang Ji said.
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“He left two days ago, I know,” Yan Ruifeng replied, then gestured to Zhang Ji, “Come, sit.”
Zhang Ji frowned slightly but sat down.
“Is the teacher planning revenge?” Zhang Ji asked. “Why didn’t he bring us along?”
“The enemy isn’t just a few people; it’s an era. Who do you think you can take revenge on?” Yan Ruifeng smiled, patting Zhang Ji’s head. “Do you think koi fish can transform into dragons?”
Zhang Ji turned his gaze to the koi swimming in the pond.
They swam peacefully under the decorative lights, their golden scales shimmering beautifully.
Could they transform into dragons?
Or could they—meaning the people—do it?
Zhang Ji looked at Yan Ruifeng seriously.
“I can.”
Yes, he wasn’t sure about others, but he could.
He absolutely could!
Even if his enemy was an entire era, he would press that era down underfoot!
Yan Ruifeng saw the earnestness in Zhang Ji’s eyes and smiled.
“Yes, you can!” Yan Ruifeng said. “Go back and rest well.”
“And you? The teacher?” Zhang Ji asked.
“I’ll stay a while longer, waiting for his return,” Yan Ruifeng replied.
...
That night, Li Long returned.
He was missing several fingers, his body riddled with holes, sealed forcibly by vital energy and muscle, no longer bleeding.
Li Long had infiltrated the house of a certain councilor named Xiao.
Unfortunately, he failed to kill the councilor, just missing by a little.
By the koi pond, Yan Ruifeng, Li Long, and Zhang Ji were all present.
Zhang Ji had come at Yan Ruifeng’s summons.
He felt that the fire within Li Long was about to extinguish.
Not just his anger, but the flame of life itself.
“Zhang Ji,” Li Long called.
“Disciple present,” Zhang Ji replied.
“I’m telling you, remember, don’t forget,” Li Long said.
Zhang Ji nodded, understanding.
“Snake is sinew, tiger is bone, leopard is skin, crane is spirit, dragon is god... with god at the core, driving energy into the meridians...”
After a near-death experience, Li Long finally mastered the unity of the five forms, understanding its meaning—too late.
No one could save him now.
With his current strength, even the Five Forms Unity he wielded couldn’t reverse the tide.
He hadn’t yet fully mastered all five fist styles.
Only one was complete; the rest were still lacking.
If all were mastered, perhaps this time he could have killed that person...
And then?
Then what?
Li Long, slightly dazed, asked, “Did you write it down?”
“I did!” Zhang Ji nodded.
Li Long smiled with relief, then rested his head against Yan Ruifeng.
Yan Ruifeng closed his eyes slightly, his breath gradually calming and fading.
Seeing this, Zhang Ji knelt down respectfully.
Then he rose and immediately notified the elders to dig graves and bury them.
Li Long was buried beside Gu Shuangshuang, with Yan Ruifeng at the head.
Time was urgent; the funeral was not fully conducted—only three incense sticks were offered.
Shen Han had already left; Zhang Ji didn’t inform him to avoid further distress.
They couldn’t have him return just to add another casualty.
“The escape route from Golden Hook Mountain has been blocked by the military,” Zheng Chengze told Zhang Ji.
“Can we break through?” Zhang Ji asked.
“Any disciple below grandmaster level would be killed by a single high-caliber bullet,” Zheng Chengze said.
“They’re not the core of the retaliation; only we are. No need to send them to their deaths,” Zhang Ji said. “At midnight, we leave together.”
Zheng Chengze looked deeply at Zhang Ji and said, “Alright.”
Two grandmasters, determined to flee, had a good chance of escaping, especially since the enemy was restricted from using large-scale deadly weapons in residential areas.