I Can Devour Spirits

Chapter 149: Honest Livelihood

Once he delved deeply into the basic form of the three techniques, he even acquired a unique ability to dismantle any saber technique.

That meant he could break down any saber technique into a combination of basic forms.

This opened a new realm for him in his previous struggling search for a path to fusion.

"Incorporate the basic form into the fusion!" Duan Rong thought with a glint in his eyes.

As soon as Duan Rong thought of it, he began to experiment!

But upon testing, Duan Rong suddenly felt discouraged; he had oversimplified the concept of fusion. Even if he could dismantle a saber technique, how would he combine it after dismantling?

As they say, destruction is easy, but creation is difficult!

No wonder Elder Xiao spent a lifetime pondering and only managed to come up with three fragmented forms!

Creating martial arts from the level of the basic form doesn’t reduce the difficulty; instead, it increases it.

Once Duan Rong realized it wasn’t working, he quickly adjusted his approach, returning to the fruits of Elder Xiao’s lifetime effort, which were these three fragmented forms!

Using these as the foundation, he embarked on the path of fusion!

He planned to fill different techniques into the intervals of these three forms for fusion, advancing to create different saber techniques!

Previously, Duan Rong had only tried the saber techniques he was most familiar with from the Five Tigers and Sheep Saber, but now he intended to broaden his scope, incorporating saber techniques from the more than ten saber techniques he had absorbed and digested.

Such as the circular attack structure of the first form!

Earlier, he used Black Tiger Ascending Mountain and Leopard Drilling Forest from the Five Tigers and Sheep Saber, but now he decided to incorporate Wild Bull Saber Technique and Abi Saber Technique into the circular attack structure of the first form.

The Wild Bull Saber Technique is fierce, while the Abi Saber Technique is sinister; these two saber techniques intertwining are truly astonishing and will surely yield miraculous results!

In thought, it feels excellent, but wanting to incorporate two different saber techniques into the first form, Duan Rong found he couldn’t succeed after several attempts, because Xiao Zongting spent his life immersing himself in martial arts, particularly in the Five Tigers and Sheep Saber, which he knew best and focused on most deeply, therefore he subtly based these three fragmented forms on it.

Thus, when Duan Rong switched to other saber techniques, he suddenly felt the difficulty increase significantly!

After consecutive attempts, Duan Rong felt such an approach was unworkable. He suddenly recalled the time during the escort journey when Liu Ao attempted a surprise attack on him, and it was during that moment of life and death refining, he suddenly executed a saber flower technique fusing Wild Bull Saber Technique and Abi Saber Technique.

"It looks like I need someone to feed me techniques!"

"True knowledge comes from real combat!"

Duan Rong thought with a resolute gaze.

In seeking someone for technique exchange, Yuan Shun Escort Agency was full of skilled Jianghu individuals, but apart from the Xiao family, he trusted no one else.

But that’s only natural. A principle of the workplace in the previous life was not to befriend colleagues.

Duan Rong’s eyes brightened, as he suddenly thought of a suitable candidate.

He stood in the yard, recalling Ximen Kankan’s plump, white face!

Such a childish face, yet consistently displaying old-fashioned maturity, made Duan Rong involuntarily smile, muttering to himself: "I wonder if that Dragon Flame Fat has been found by Ximen Kankan for me? I should ask him tomorrow."

Duan Rong glanced at the sky and felt the time was about right. He then went to the medicine furnace room, drank his concoction, and returned to the yard of Liu’s House, where he practiced the Complete Round Pile Skill, standing until midnight before sleeping.

The next morning, Duan Rong crawled up from the spacious carved bed, feeling somewhat groggy. He had always been sensitive to sleeping environments and required some time to adapt to new surroundings.

Duan Rong, with sleepy eyes, walked to the yard, scooped up cold water from the large water tank with a ladle at the kitchen door, and washed his face.

He then strolled to the willow tree by the wall, broke off a willow branch, chewed one end into frays with his teeth, then picked it up and brushed his teeth.

After brushing his teeth, Duan Rong rinsed his mouth by ladling water and found his oral cavity refreshingly soothing, sighing, "It’s quite convenient to brush teeth at Liu’s House!"

After washing up, Duan Rong dressed and left Liu’s House, heading to the middle yard canteen for breakfast before preparing to leave the Escort Agency for West Gate Mansion.

But as Duan Rong reached the entrance of the Escort Agency, he was stopped by the gatekeeper, Ma Wentao.

"Escort Master Duan, my daughter said tonight you must dine in the backyard, and she will personally cook to properly thank you!"

Duan Rong laughed, "Uncle Ma, please tell Mrs. Chun Ying it’s unnecessary; I’m just an intern Escort Master, unworthy of such recognition!"

"Oh... nonsense, you saved my little grandson; you’re our family’s benefactor, how could you not deserve it?" Ma Wentao said, "Escort Master Duan, please don’t decline!"

Seeing he couldn’t refuse, Duan Rong nodded and agreed.

Ma Wentao, seeing Duan Rong’s agreement, then satisfyingly returned to the guard room.

Duan Rong watched Ma Wentao’s retreating figure, secretly shaking his head, realizing that no matter the world, social engagements like these are inevitable.

Duan Rong walked along West Main Street towards West Gate Mansion.

Upon reaching West Gate Mansion, just as Duan Rong was about to step up the stone steps, he suddenly noticed a small sedan chair stopping not far away. Glancing to the side, he saw it was Ximen Kankan’s servant, Shi Kang, stepping out with a lunchbox.

Shi Kang immediately noticed Duan Rong on the stone steps upon stepping out and his eyes lit up, running over, saying, "Escort Master Duan, these days, my Young Master sent me to find you at the Escort Agency several times, but you were never there!"

"I haven’t been at the Escort Agency lately." Duan Rong said with a smile, glancing at the lunchbox Shi Kang held, "You went to get breakfast for that short chunky one?"

"Short chunky one?" Shi Kang paused, initially not understanding Duan Rong’s reference.

"Oh." Duan Rong, seeing Shi Kang’s expression, awkwardly touched his nose and said, "That’s your Young Master."

Shi Kang had already known these days that Escort Master Duan and his Young Master have a rather unusual relationship. Ximen Kankan often referred to Duan Rong as big brother.

Shi Kang assumed ’short chunky one’ was a nickname between them, not daring to get angry, he replied, "Oh... My Young Master suddenly said he wanted to eat barbecue. He sent me to the restaurant to buy some pre-marinated meats!"

Duan Rong listened and shook his head quietly, sighing: This short chunky one is truly capricious! Insisting on having barbecue early in the morning!

Shi Kang and Duan Rong walked to the Snow Expanse Residence, where Ximen Kankan was already outside, preparing the fire. In this hot weather, Ximen Kankan set up the fire, sweating profusely.

Seeing Ximen Kankan busy with the fire, Shi Kang quickly exclaimed, "My Little Master! Why not let us do such tasks? If you suffer from heatstroke, won’t the Master skin me alive?"

Ximen Kankan turned around, about to say something when he suddenly noticed Duan Rong, his round body bouncing up immediately, shouting, "Where have you been recently? I sent Shi Kang to the Escort Agency several times over the past few days and never saw you around?!"

Looking at Ximen Kankan’s face smudged with charcoal ashes, Duan Rong laughed, "I’m an Escort Master! Naturally need to do escort work! You think everyone can be like you, having a dad with a herbal shop!"

Ximen Kankan blinked, saying, "Why don’t you become a hospital guard for my family? I’ll arrange a cushy job for you, and we’ll be catching chickens and teasing dogs daily, wouldn’t that be fun?"

"I have legitimate business; who would catch chickens and tease dogs with you!?" Duan Rong rolled his eyes at Ximen Kankan. Despite the seemingly unremarkable status of an Escort Master, the Yuan Shun Escort Agency is one of Xianggu County’s major forces. With this identity, at least no one dares to provoke him without reason. Moreover, he’s bound by a contract with the Yuan Shun Escort Agency; he can’t leave just because he wants to.

"Escort work is tiring, isn’t it?"

"Tiring, yes, but it gives me peace of mind!"

Ximen Kankan looked at Duan Rong, knowing his firm intention wouldn’t sway him, and refrained from saying more. Nevertheless, he seemed to understand Duan Rong’s sentiment.

Ximen Kankan had an inherently cheerful temperament, so seeing Duan Rong’s lack of interest, his heart easily set the matter aside.

"Join me for barbecue!" Ximen Kankan picked out a large chicken leg and a strip of marinated meat from the selection Shi Kang bought from the restaurant and squatted by the fire to grill...