"All things with spirit energy have Qi, and those with Qi have fortune. Corpse Ghosts are born of Nether Qi, so naturally they have fortune on them as well."
"Understood, thank you!"
Lu Zheng donated another thousand merit coins, then took his leave.
...
"Master, that young man is quite generous, and I can see he has abundant Yang Qi. That Corpse Ghost might not give up on him. If he suffers a ghostly misfortune, wouldn't that be a shame?"
"No worries. Not only did he evade it yesterday, but he may not encounter it again. Even if that Corpse Ghost does return, the Peace Talisman I gave him can ward off one calamity."
Daoist Mingzhang shook his head and said, "Am I supposed to randomly search in the county? In a large county of tens of thousands, that Corpse Ghost can use the Skin Painting Technique; where would I even begin to find it?"
"Uh, master, you're not using that young gentleman as bait, are you?"
"Don't talk nonsense. Young Master Lu has divine light in his eyes. When he heard that even mortals could deal with Corpse Ghosts, he calmed down."
Daoist Mingzhang said thoughtfully, "Maybe I won't even need to intervene this time."
"What, could it be..."
...
On the way home.
Lu Zheng sat bouncing in the carriage, arms crossed, deep in thought.
Preparation ensures success, while lack of preparation ensures failure. Even though he wanted to adjust slowly, establish a foundation, then acquire fortune and seek cultivation opportunities, gradually integrating into the reality of this world to see if it truly allows for eternal life.
However, just arriving here, it seems there's no immediate way to cultivate.
Thus, he had to consider encountering unexpected situations.
Rather than letting the three threads of Light of Fortune gather dust in the Jade Seal, it would be better to improve his combat readiness for unforeseen events.
Even though he could always escape to the modern world, once he uses up Qi, if that Corpse Ghost really comes knocking, he won't let it take any fortune.
...
He left home quite early today and didn't stay long at White Cloud Temple, so Lu Zheng managed to return home shortly after noon.
He sent Uncle Li off to rest, locked himself in his bedroom, and immediately traveled back to the modern world.
He opened his phone, searched for Brocade Spring Saber, looked for shops, and located Hai City.
He washed up, changed clothes, got a taxi, and set off!
In the car, Lu Zheng wasn't idle; he continuously searched online for practical sword techniques.
Huaxia's traditional blade techniques consist of basic moves like chop, slash, intercept, lift, thrust, hook, sweep, flick, press, hide, back, push, frame, and lead, among others.
Images and videos of these movements can all be found online.
Although they seem simple, they have evolved from combat experience—great skill appears clumsy.
Each sect's blade technique merges these basic moves with unique experiences to form their styles and techniques.
However, with modern firearms rising, martial arts have been reduced to performance routines. The skill of combining rehearsed moves with spontaneous adaptations long lost.
It's one thing to say martial arts are useless, but remember: if two people have the same physical attributes, and one can only throw wild punches while the other skillfully focuses their force or uses weapons, with numerous follow-up moves available, isn't the outcome obvious?
Don't compare martial arts with modern charlatans; discussing martial arts without considering physical condition and real combat experience is deceitful.
In martial arts novels, even budding heroes can be clobbered by an experienced rogue with a brick—what more in reality?
...
Lu Zheng absorbed the basics of sword techniques en route and soon arrived at his destination.
Ten Thousand Blades Ancient Sword Hall.
It specializes in selling ancient weaponry crafts.
Although, even though they are crafts, the materials are genuine—just not sharpened.
In ancient times, these were divine weapons worth a fortune.
Given Huaxia's advanced industrial capabilities today, crafting swords and blades shouldn't be tougher than building submarines, right?
Even though the Great Jing Dynasty can cultivate immortality and refine Qi, they don't have blast furnaces for steelmaking.
So...
If the Corpse Ghost doesn't come, so be it. But if it does, Lu Zheng intends to settle it with a single strike.
"Hello, welcome!"
A sweet voice instantly disrupted his resolve, making Lu Zheng lose his momentum.
What's with the two women in qipao standing at the entrance of the Ancient Sword Hall?
Do beauties at your side stir a man's urge to buy weapons?
You're selling swords, not... Oh, there's actually a spear?
...
The floor area of Ten Thousand Ridges Ancient Sword Hall isn't small, with a variety of swords and blades displayed throughout.
It's indeed known as the shop of blade crafts, with those colors and patterns...
There's the double dragon vying for a pearl, and another is the sun, moon, and stars; some are just on the scabbard, and some directly on the blade.
Pretty indeed, though suited more for appreciation than for fighting—using them for brawls would be wasteful.
The shop had quite a few customers, mostly tourists and passersby admiring the goods. The staff were accustomed to it, only occasionally stopping visitors from taking pictures, while showing no sign of impatience.
How do they make money, anyway?
Then, when Lu Zheng glanced at the Longquan Sword in front of him, he understood.
Name: Gilded Nine-Curves Coiling Dragon Sword
Material: Ancient Hundred-refined Steel
Forging: Handcrafted by Non-heritage Swordsmith
Price: 188,888
Ah, meticulous!
"Hello." Lu Zheng approached a pretty shop assistant.
"Hello, how can I help you?" The shop assistant's eyes lit up.
In such a shop, those who make the first move usually have the intention to buy—a commission for her.
"Do you have Brocade Spring Sabers here that are really usable for actual combat?"
The shop assistant smiled knowingly, "Rest assured, our shop's Brocade Spring Sabers are forged from high-carbon steel, practically the same material as military knives from various countries..."
"Don't deceive me," Lu Zheng promptly stopped the shop assistant's self-promotion. "Military knives are short, thus hard and brittle, whereas traditional sabers are longer with more toughness; they use two different kinds of steel."
Shop assistant: (*°ω°*)ﾉ
Is that so?
"This gentleman is knowledgeable," a magnetic voice sounded.
Lu Zheng turned around, facing a middle-aged man.
"And you are?"
"I'm the owner of this shop."
What's going on, are all store owners middle-aged men these days?
"Hello, I'm no expert, just someone who did a little online research, that's all."
This sword technique though...
Shop assistant: /(ㄒoㄒ)/~~
My commission is gone…
The owner chuckled, glanced at the shop assistant, who then reluctantly walked away.
"You're looking to buy a sword?"
Lu Zheng nodded, "A Brocade Spring Saber, one that can be used for real dueling."
The Brocade Spring Saber, a type of waist saber, gained great renown thanks to the fame of the Ming Dynasty's Jinyiwei and its depiction in two films.
"Real dueling?"
The middle-aged owner's mouth twitched, is there still such a demand in modern times?
What are you planning to do?
"Is that possible?"
"Certainly," the owner explained, "It's only in modern times... In ancient times, every sword and saber in my shop would be considered a divine weapon."
Lu Zheng nodded, confirming his assumptions.
"Could they be sharpened?"
Owner: (꒪⌓꒪)!!!
So what exactly are you planning to do?