"Letâs not dwell on this for now; your Shifting Shadow Technique still has some flaws," Mu Hanyan said. "Iâll teach you a spell, and you can try integrating it."
"A spell?" Jiang Yuzhe immediately perked up at the mention of Shadow Shifting, pushing his doubts aside. However, upon hearing the word âspell,â new confusions arose.
Legends tell of an ancient time when, aside from swordsmen, other powerful beings existed on the Continent, such as the Shaman Witches of the Barbaric Land, who were equally endowed with Divine Skills. They relied on spells to perform their strange magic.
But as of today, those legends have become mere legends, with the likes of Shaman Witches no longer in existence, or perhaps they never existed at all. Yet in some uncivilized, remote villages, there are still people who fool the villagers by playing god, reciting what they claim to be spells.
Of course, these people lack any real ability, even more so than the charlatans who pose as Star Divination Masters, notorious as God-men. As a swordsman, he naturally wouldnât believe in what they claim to be spells.
Mu Hanyan is actually teaching him a spell? Does she want him to become a spirit medium?
"Youâd better listen carefully," Mu Hanyan couldnât be bothered to explain too much and began chanting at once. Although similar to when she heard Ye Yanranâs chanting the last time, Mu Hanyan couldnât grasp the meaning behind each syllabic tone in her mind, but that didnât prevent her from remembering each word by heart.
In fact, she didnât need to remember at all; every syllabic tone was branded in her mind as if it were innate.
Her voice was so ethereal, so clear, and even though the melody was obscure and strange, it was incredibly melodious and pleasing to the ear, seeming to come from beyond the Nine Heavens, yet piercing straight to the heart. Even the soul was cleansed in that mysterious chant.
This clearly wasnât the so-called spell used by country God-men in their spirit medium dance.
If they had to describe it, it would surely be the Divine Language of legend, which only the exalted gods that reign over heaven and earth, yet who are unattainably misty, could produce such a beautiful and soul-stirring sound.
"Did you remember it?" Mu Hanyan finished chanting the last syllable and asked.
"What?" Jiang Yuzhe and the others returned to their senses, realizing they had been enraptured by the beautiful chanting and had not remembered a single word.
"Iâll do it again," Mu Hanyan said without anger. She, too, had been engrossed when the chant first echoed in her mind.
Immediately after, Mu Hanyan softly chanted a few more times.
"You must have remembered it by now?" Mu Hanyan asked.
"Yes, weâve got it," the three of them nodded in unison.
"Iâll give it a try first," Zirong cleared his throat and volunteered.
"Alright," Mu Hanyan and the others quieted down, waiting for Huayue to begin.
"Ah... oh... ugh, I uh..." Zirong started to grunt like a braying donkey and then began to retch, covering his mouth.
It was strange. He had listened intently to every word of the spell spoken by Mu Hanyan, even believing he had committed it to memory, but when it came to actually using it, he couldnât pronounce a single word, and he felt nauseous.
Huayue also opened his mouth but soon closed it without uttering a word. He, too, discovered that no matter how well he remembered Mu Hanyanâs chant, when it came to speaking, he couldnât make a single syllable.
Jiang Yuzhe, however, bowed his head in thought and began to chant in a low voice. Though lacking the ethereal and distant quality of Mu Hanyanâs, and even a bit stammering, he seemed to be doing much better than Zirong Huayue.
"Could it be that this also depends on oneâs aptitude? Or perhaps itâs related to innate bloodlines?" Mu Hanyan quietly speculated in her heart.
"Let me try again." After over an hour had passed, Jiang Yuzhe barely managed to chant the spell from start to finish, stood up, and said eagerly, eager to test it out.
His eyes narrowed slightly as he cast mantras with his hands and chanted softly under his breath.
As the final syllable was uttered, Jiang Yuzheâs figure flickered and then disappeared without a trace.
This time, the several afterimages were significantly fainter than before, so much so that even with Mu Hanyanâs strength, they were hard to notice if not carefully looked for, and the so-called body scent had also become extremely faint, blending with the fragrance of the grass and trees in the courtyard, making it even harder to trace.
"Success, Iâve finally done it, this is the true Shifting Shadow Technique, hahaha," the voice of Jiang Yuzhe rang out from afar.
"Slap," followed by the clear sound of a slap, Mu Yuyingâs hand had once again found its way to Jiang Yuzheâs face.
"Good heavens, has this guy gotten carried away with pride? Why did he go and provoke her again?" Huayue and Zirong both expressed sympathy with their faces.
"This guy canât be a dog, can he? Even like this, she can still smell him." Jiang Yuzhe stumbled and toppled over to where Mu Hanyan and the others were, dizzy and disoriented, thudding to the ground, clutching his cheek that had just subsided but was swollen again, with a pitiful expression on his face.
"Hahaha..." Huayue and Zirong burst into hearty laughter simultaneously.
Mu Hanyan couldnât help but smile as well; she hadnât expected Mu Yuyingâs nose to be so sensitive. It seemed Jiang Yuzhe had indeed met his match in her. However, it was clear that having learned the spell, Jiang Yuzheâs mastery over the Shadow Shifting Barrier had improved a level. If he practiced until he could cast it effortlessly, it was uncertain if Mu Yuying could still handle him.
Of course, Mu Hanyan wasnât worried. After Huayueâs recent brush with danger, Jiang Yuzhe hadnât run away but had risked his life to save her, which spoke volumes about his character. And although Mu Yuying had slapped him briskly and soundly, she clearly didnât reject him as she did before, and Jiang Yuzhe didnât seem too upset about his reddening cheeks. It looked as though the two of them were becoming closer.
Could it be, was this their way of flirting with each other? Well, one had to admit, their tastes were indeed quite strong.
"Right, Iâm planning to go to the Capital, so for now, you guys stay back and help me look after the Mu Family. If thereâs any trouble you canât handle, notify me as soon as possible," Mu Hanyan said to them.
Having stayed for so many days, it was about time to leave. Seeing that the strength of Mu Ze and the others had greatly increased, Mu Hanyan felt much more at ease. In her past life, the young generation was the one that suffered the most casualties in that great war. As long as they had the ability to protect themselves, Mu Hanyan had fewer worries.
"Mhm," Huayue and the others nodded.
They had known for some time about Mu Hanyanâs intentions to go to the Capital.
"Young Master, thereâs a letter for you." Just then, a servant hurried over with a letter for Mu Hanyan.
The handwriting on the envelope was very sloppy, clearly written in haste.
"Who delivered it?" Mu Hanyan asked.
"I didnât get a good look. Someone in the marketplace thrust this letter into my hands and then turned and walked away. I couldnât even see what they looked like," the servant scratched his head, clearly confused.
After hearing this, Mu Hanyan didnât ask any more questions and tore open the envelope.
Upon reading the few lines on the letter, her gaze sharpened, and her expression turned unusually serious.
"Whatâs happened?" For the first time, Huayue and the others saw Mu Hanyan with such a serious look and asked curiously.
(Request monthly tickets~ Also, to those who voted with a monthly ticket, remember to participate in the lottery. The prizes are snack gift packages. See the post below the book comments for details. Muah, thank you, everyone.)