I achieved mastery of martial arts during the Republic of China era.

Chapter 37 Extraordinary Insects

Huichun Hall.

Zhou Tong slowly withdrew his hand, looked up at Manager Hu, and said solemnly, "Senior, if there's anything you can do for me, please let me know, and I will do my best to do it."

He glanced at the wooden box on the table, his eyes clear and bright, and said:

"I don't know what's in this wooden box, but even the senior said it's a good thing, definitely a rare treasure."

However, even without that, based on the teachings I received from my senior, I'm willing to do my best to help.

Manager Hu looked at Zhou Tong's serious expression, his cloudy old eyes lingering on his face for a few moments.

With his experience, he had long since developed a keen eye for discerning people's true feelings and intentions, able to tell seven or eight parts out of ten with just a few words or glances.

At this moment, he felt slightly satisfied, but on the surface he scoffed, picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of braised beef, and threw it into his mouth, mumbling:

"You little rascal, you're all talk and sweet talk, you're good at fooling kind-hearted old folks like me."

"benign countenance……"

Zhou Tong was speechless: "Senior, you are completely unrelated to the word 'kind and benevolent,' not even remotely."

"Alright, stop trying to be sincere in front of this old codger. It's sickening to listen to."

Manager Hu swallowed the beef, tapped the greasy edge of the table, making a dull "thump-thump" sound: "Tell me, will you agree to my request or not?"

"If it weren't for your decent talent, and the fact that you're quite appreciated at the Dragon Tiger Martial Arts School, this thing... hmph, I really wouldn't be willing to take it out."

Zhou Tong picked up the wine pot and filled Manager Hu's empty wine cup to the brim. The amber-colored wine shimmered faintly in the dim light.

He smiled and asked, "Then please tell me what the conditions are, senior? I need to have a clear idea of ​​what they are."

Shopkeeper Hu stretched out a big yawn, the bones under his tattered cotton-padded jacket making a soft "crackling" sound, and then slumped back into his chair, resuming his lazy demeanor: "As for the specific conditions... I haven't thought of them yet."

He paused, glanced at Zhou Tong with his eyelids, and said slowly:

"You just need to promise me that you'll do one thing for me in the future. If you agree, you can take this right now."

Having said that, he gave Zhou Tong a disdainful once-over and snorted through his nose:

"In your current state, you're a useless little thing. Even if I wanted your help, you couldn't help me. So, I can only take a gamble now and think about the long term."

Zhou Tong: "..."

His lips twitched, then he suddenly smiled and said, "So, senior, you're so certain that I'll be able to help you in the future?"

As he spoke, he poured the old man another glass of wine, adding with a grin:

"It seems that although you have a sharp tongue, you actually think highly of me."

Zhou Tong would never have said such words, which carried a hint of youthful pride and smugness, in the past.

But after these days of frequent visits, the two of them have unknowingly developed a familiar and casual relationship that transcends their age difference.

In front of Manager Hu, Zhou Tong would occasionally shed his composed demeanor and reveal a bit of his true nature befitting his age.

"I have high hopes for you?"

But then Manager Hu paused slightly in his hand holding the wine cup, staring intently at Zhou Tong, and said in astonishment:

"How did you come to this illusion?"

"..."

Zhou Tong was slightly stunned, and the little bit of smugness that had just appeared on his face instantly froze.

He opened his mouth, then stammered, "Isn't...isn't that right?"

He was getting a little embarrassed and couldn't help but argue:

"Senior, you yourself said this item is precious. If you didn't have a high opinion of me, wouldn't such a valuable item have undergone some special tests before being entrusted to me? How could you give it to me so easily?"

Shopkeeper Hu's lips twitched, his white beard trembled slightly, and he extended a withered finger, pointing it lightly at Zhou Tong's face, saying speechlessly:

"A special test, and you still can't pass it? What's the point of the test?"

Zhou Tong: "..."

He was so choked up that he couldn't speak, wishing the blue brick ground beneath his feet would immediately crack open so he could crawl into it.

Seeing Zhou Tong's embarrassed appearance, Manager Hu seemed to have seen something extremely amusing. He suddenly slapped his thigh and then burst into laughter:

"Hahaha... Ouch, you little rascal... Hahaha..."

Zhou Tong's face grew increasingly stiff amidst the merciless laughter.

Shopkeeper Hu laughed so hard he almost fell over. After a long while, he wiped the tears that seemed to have welled up in his eyes, let out a long sigh, picked up the glass of wine that had already been filled, tilted his head back, and gulped it down in one go.

The cool liquor went down his throat, bringing a spicy kick followed by a sweet aftertaste. He clicked his tongue in satisfaction, smacked his lips, and looked back at Zhou Tong, slowly drawing out his words:

"Tsk tsk... Young people, oh young people."

Zhou Tong's face stiffened; he was also puzzled.

Since awakening his memories of his past life, he has become quite perceptive in dealing with people, and he can generally figure out most people's intentions and emotions with a high degree of accuracy.

But in front of this old man, there is often a feeling of powerlessness, like punching cotton.

The other party's thinking was wildly imaginative, and his jokes and insults were completely unpredictable, often leaving him at a loss. He simply couldn't figure out what kind of thoughts were hidden beneath that aged exterior.

He suppressed his embarrassment and stammered, "Senior, what exactly do you mean? These conditions... there needs to be a clear explanation, right?"

"Alright, I need to make things clearer for you."

Shopkeeper Hu's smile faded. He picked up the brass pipe leaning against the table, but instead of lighting it, he gently tapped the bowl against the table, producing a rhythmic sound.

"So that you won't have any doubts and think that this old man has ulterior motives."

"I want you to do something for me someday."

Manager Hu looked at Zhou Tong and said slowly, "I don't expect you to fight to the death for me with your own fists."

Zhou Tong paused slightly, then put down his wine glass: "If not by my own efforts? Then by what?"

"It's because of your status," Manager Hu said quietly.

"Identity?" Zhou Tong was slightly taken aback.

Shopkeeper Hu nodded slightly and added, "You now have a good chance of becoming Ni Dongting's disciple and a personal apprentice."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Tong's gaze sharpened slightly, and he said in a deep voice:

"What you mean, senior, is... that you want me to become Director Ni's personal disciple so that I can leverage his influence, or... ask him to personally help you with something?"

He asked doubtfully, "Let alone whether I can really become my master's personal disciple, that's highly uncertain."

Even if I manage to succeed by sheer luck, how can you be so sure that if I ask my master for help, he will definitely agree to do it?

Shopkeeper Hu didn't say anything. He slowly picked up a match, struck it with a "hiss," and brought the orange flame close to the pipe, lighting the tobacco stuffed inside.

He took a deep breath, letting the pungent smoke swirl in his lungs before slowly exhaling.

A wisp of bluish-gray smoke rose and drifted in front of his wrinkled, scarred, and grotesque face.

His deep, hoarse voice came through the smoke:

"A fledgling sparrow cries by the roadside, a green sword gleams in its sheath. I would rather shatter the bones of a hero than let the wicked run rampant."

After reciting those four lines, he took another drag of his cigarette, his voice tinged with a hint of reminiscence: "The character of the 'Undying Yama,' who roamed the lands of Changbai Mountain and Heilongjiang River..."

He didn't continue speaking, but simply watched Zhou Tong quietly through the smoke.

Zhou Tong's pupils constricted, and his heart skipped a beat!

He has an excellent memory.

He clearly remembered seeing these four lines of poetry on the wall of his master Ni Dongting's room when he first formally met him after breaking through to the Body Refining Realm!

He silently noted it down, feeling that the poem exuded a chivalrous and resolute spirit, as well as a murderous aura.

"The King of Hell... that's clearly a nickname from the martial arts world. But didn't Father say that Master was an instructor at the Tianjin Military Academy in his early years? How does he have anything to do with the Northeast?"

Countless questions flooded my mind in an instant.

Zhou Tong couldn't help but ask, "Senior, you... know my master? You and him...?"

Manager Hu did not respond to his question.

He simply extended the hand holding the pipe, gently tapped the dark brown wooden box on the table with the pipe, and said calmly:

"That's all I have to say. If you want it, you can open it now."

Zhou Tong had already figured out the old man's temperament, so he wisely refrained from asking any more questions, suppressed the surging doubts in his heart, and reached out to press his hand on the cold wooden box.

He didn't rush to open it, but instead raised his eyes and looked at Manager Hu again, his gaze clear and earnest:

"Senior, if you ever ask me to do something, and I feel it goes against my moral principles or is beyond my capabilities..."

You can refuse.

Shopkeeper Hu abruptly interrupted him, blowing away the ash from his cigarette:

"I'm asking you for help so that you'll do it willingly and to the best of your ability, not forcing you."

"Forced relationships are never sweet; have I been living a life of hardship for nothing?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Tong finally smiled with relief.

"Okay." He didn't hesitate any longer, responded, and with a little force, lifted the lid of the wooden box.

The box is lined with dark blue velvet, and inside lies a flat, square jade box, only half the size of a palm. The jade is warm and lustrous, and shimmers with a faint sheen in the dim light.

Next to the jade box was a booklet thinner than the previous "Yi Xing Xiao Lu" (A Brief Record of Changes in Form), with no writing on the cover.

Zhou Tong picked up the pale blue jade box, gently opened the clasp, and lifted the lid.

Then, his expression suddenly tightened slightly.

He stretched out his finger, curiously took out the object, held it in his palm, and examined it carefully.

The object was no bigger than a thumb and at first glance looked like an autumn cicada, but its entire body gleamed with a cold, hard gray light like cast iron.

The most peculiar thing is its head, which has blood-red eyes, and its body is covered with fine scales with patterns resembling a snake.

He gently rubbed it with his fingers; it felt hard and cold, devoid of any warmth that a living thing should have.

"Senior, what is this? What is it used for?"

Zhou Tong raised his head and looked at Manager Hu, who was quietly smoking, his eyes filled with astonishment.

Shopkeeper Hu exhaled a puff of smoke, his gaze falling on the cold "Iron Cicada," and slowly said:

"I obtained this by chance in a dangerous place in Southeast Asia back then. You can call it—'Shadow Bug'."

"Shadow Bug?" Zhou Tong repeated the name in a low voice.

"Um."

Shopkeeper Hu nodded. "This item is currently in a dormant state and looks no different from an inanimate object."

All you need to do is prick your fingertip each day for three consecutive days, drip two drops of your own blood, and smear it on the skin. Remember, it must be your own blood, fresh and warm.

He paused, then continued, "Three days later, it will wake up on its own and from then on, it will only recognize your breath to control it, and it will have a mysterious connection with you."

It usually lies dormant like this; when needed, it can be awakened using a special method.

"Then what's its use?" Zhou Tong pressed, his heart involuntarily quickening.

"Tracking".

Manager Hu explained:

"All you need to do is bring the things that the person you are tracking has been in close contact with in a short period of time, such as pieces of clothing, commonly used utensils, or even dust that has been contaminated with their scent, and let the awakened 'Shadow Bug' smell them."

It can then firmly remember that aura and guide you to find him. The methods for controlling the Shadow Insects are recorded in great detail in the booklet; go back and study them slowly.

Zhou Tong's eyes lit up when he heard this.

This thing is far more stealthy, efficient, and reliable than any hunting dog or expert tracker!

Imagine if an enemy escaped, or if you needed to secretly track someone, having this item in hand would be almost equivalent to having control over the other person's whereabouts and lifeline!

It's absolutely a superb tool for assisting the police in solving cases and apprehending criminals, whether it's murder, robbery, tracking down criminals, or investigating secrets!

Zhou Tong looked at the shadow insect in his hand, reluctant to put it down.

Suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind.

He inexplicably recalled the mysterious beast meat that his master, Ni Dongting, had bestowed upon him on the day he broke through to the Body Refining Realm.

Senior Brother Ji Chang said at the time that the meat wouldn't rot even if left for a month during the hottest days of summer, which seemed almost miraculous.

The shadow worm before me was as cold as iron, lifeless, yet it could recognize its master by dripping blood and mysteriously track its movements...

These characteristics, like the incorruptible animal flesh, are beyond the scope of ordinary creatures, exuding an indescribable "unnatural" aura.

As is well known, a Grand Martial Master possesses innate internal strength and blood as potent as mercury, enabling them to withstand ordinary firearms. In the eyes of ordinary people, they are already extraordinary beings.

The beast meat is key to becoming a Grand Martial Master, and it usually possesses extraordinary properties.

"Then, could it be... that this shadow worm is also some kind of extraordinary object? How could Manager Hu produce something like this? Just who is he?"

Zhou Tong's heart skipped a beat.

Just then, Manager Hu spoke again, interrupting his thoughts:

"We've looked it over and asked everything, so the deal's done, right?"

Zhou Tong took a deep breath, suppressed the excitement in his heart, put the shadow insect back into the jade box, and closed the lid.

He nodded with a smile: "It's done!"

Shopkeeper Hu put down his pipe, picked up his chopsticks, took a peanut, popped it into his mouth, chewed it with a crunching sound, and mumbled:

"Once you've done it, get out of here. Don't stand here and get in the way."

Zhou Tong: "..."

He carefully held the wooden box in his arms, stood up, bowed respectfully to Manager Hu, who was still sitting there lazily, and then walked towards the shop entrance.

"Wait a moment."

But just as he reached the door, he suddenly heard Manager Hu's hoarse voice behind him.

Zhou Tong turned around in confusion.

But then he saw Manager Hu staring at him quietly, his gaze deep and unfathomable, until Zhou Tong felt a little uneasy under his gaze, before he slowly said:

"Kid, these days, what you've heard most about the treacherous nature of the martial world, the scheming and backstabbing; what you've learned most are underhanded tricks for self-defense and cunning ways to save your life."

He paused, his gaze fixed intently on Zhou Tong's eyes, and said in a deep voice:

"But you must know."

In this world, there are those who remain friends even after a lifetime of marriage, and those who become instant friends; there are those who harbor ulterior motives, and those who are truly loyal to each other; there are those who go back on their word and betray trust…

His voice suddenly became more forceful, and he said, enunciating each word clearly:

"Yet there are also those whose livers and gallbladders are bulging, whose hair stands on end, who, in a single conversation, share life and death. Their promises weigh a thousand pounds!"

The last few words echoed like a hammer striking a chopping board in the silent pharmacy.

Manager Hu stared at Zhou Tong for a long time before slowly leaning back in his chair, once again enveloped in smoke.

That last sentence was as soft as a sigh:

"Don't think that all people are black and all roads are dirty just because you've heard some dark stories and learned some defensive techniques from me."

"If you go to extremes in the future and only have cold-blooded calculations left in your heart, it's because you lack a righteous heart... I, an old man, will not take responsibility for that."

He shook his head and didn't say anything more, just waved his hand as if shooing away a non-existent fly.

"Let's go. It's late."

Zhou Tong stood still and listened quietly to what was said.

He did not respond immediately, but bowed again to the hunched figure in the smoke.

Then he turned around, gently pushed open the mottled wooden door of Huichuntang, and stepped into the deep night outside.

The door hinges turned with a creak.

This temporarily separated him from the dim light, the swirling smoke, and the old man in the smoke.

Inside the pharmacy, the flame of the oil lamp flickered again.

Manager Hu sat alone for a long time without moving.

Only the dim red glow from the pipe flickered in the darkness, like a silent eye.