novelraw Chapter 7 : Frost Sword Art
Chapter 7 : Frost Sword Art
Chapter 7: Frost Sword Art
In a corner of the Martial Hall, within an independent small courtyard.
As soon as she approached, Li Yunqing saw faint wisps of smoke rising, only to disperse with the wind.
A rich medicinal fragrance rushed toward her nose.
“So fragrant… is Ghost Granny refining medicine?”
Li Yunqing’s voice was pleasant as she turned to look at Ghost Granny, only to notice the yellowed book in her hand.
The four large characters “Frost Sword Art” entered her eyes directly.
Ghost Granny wore a smile, her hoarse voice carrying a trace of gentleness. “There isn’t much to do in the Martial Hall’s medical office. I just brew some medicinal soup for the disciples to use.”
“Every morning, noon, and evening, disciples can drink a bowl of medicinal soup to aid their cultivation.”
“Oh… right, you just entered the Martial Hall today, so you probably didn’t know.”
As she spoke, noticing Li Yunqing’s gaze, she did not hide it. Instead, she handed the book to Li Yunqing.
“Some long useless manual. If you want to read it, go ahead.”
Li Yunqing paused slightly, subconsciously taking it, and asked in confusion, “Why would this manual be useless?”
“What else could it be?”
Ghost Granny smiled. “Times have changed. Some things naturally become useless.”
“You’ll understand once you take a look.”
Li Yunqing did not stand on ceremony. She opened the book, and upon seeing its contents, she froze slightly.
“These are hand seals… flying swords?”
“Not bad, little girl, you know quite a bit.” Ghost Granny smiled as she explained, “They are indeed hand seals and flying swords—likely things of the legendary immortals and gods.”
Li Yunqing’s eyes widened slightly. “Do immortals and gods really exist?”
“How could they not?” Ghost Granny’s tone turned somewhat wistful. “Those demons and evil gods—aren’t they immortals and gods?”
“Demons and evil gods?”
Li Yunqing suddenly recalled the Demon Suppression Division, as well as records from various books.
Demons and evil gods had existed since ancient times, varying in strength, possessing strange and eerie abilities.
Some of the ‘gods’ worshipped in villages had a trace of spirituality—yet if they were ineffective, even some martial artists could slay them.
The powerful ones could even withstand the campaigns of grandmasters in the Profound Realm.
“You mean those demons and evil gods are related to immortals and gods?”
Li Yunqing felt full of surprise.
In her imagination, immortals and gods should have been ethereal and transcendent—riding swords through the heavens, roaming the seas in the morning and the firmament at dusk, free and unrestrained.
“Though there’s no direct evidence, it should be so.”
Ghost Granny sighed. “Legend says immortals and gods once existed, but for some reason, they all perished.”
“However, some unwilling to perish left behind remnants of their consciousness, transforming into demons, feeding on living beings to continue existing in the world.”
Hearing this, Li Yunqing suddenly understood.
The era of immortals and gods had passed, and they had all perished. The remnants of their consciousness, unwilling to fade, became demons and evil gods.
After flipping through the Frost Sword Art, which contained only a few pages, she asked in confusion, “Granny, are you researching the methods of immortals and gods?”
As she spoke, she glanced at her panel again.
Name: Li Yunqing.
Lifespan: 15/∞
Skills: Zither, Chess, Calligraphy, and Painting (Perfection)
Traits: Single-Minded Focus, Vigorous Spirit, Photographic Memory, Natural Spiritual Grace, Eight Tones Enter the Soul, Unparalleled Comprehension.
Mingyu Fist (Initiated 2/100.)
Traits: None.
Frost Sword Art (Not Yet Initiated 0/50)
Traits: None.
“This can actually be cultivated?”
Seeing the display on the panel, Li Yunqing was somewhat surprised.
“Mm.” Ghost Granny nodded and pointed to a corner of the medicine shelf in the pharmacy. “Look—doesn’t this small dagger resemble a flying sword?”
Li Yunqing closed the book and instinctively looked over.
It was a silver-white dagger about the length of a palm. Intricate and dense patterns covered its surface, resembling strange talismans.
The blade was sharp and exposed, glimmering with cold light.
The hilt was extremely short—neither metal nor wood, yet perfectly fused with the blade.
“It really does look similar,” she responded softly.
Ghost Granny smiled. “A boy from the Demon Suppression Division brought it. Said he obtained it from an evil god and used it as payment for medical treatment.”
“Oh right, there are medical books in the side room. If you want to learn, just read them. If you don’t understand, ask.”
Ghost Granny was very kind, her tone gentle—completely unlike the eccentric divine physicians described in strange tales and anecdotes.
“Thank you, Granny!”
Li Yunqing bowed again in gratitude, returned the Frost Sword Art to Ghost Granny, and then walked into the side room.
Medical theory and poison arts—she naturally would not give them up.
In such an era, survival for women was already difficult. They were almost entirely subject to men’s demands, living in dependence on them.
If she wanted to change that, she had to become stronger.
Anything concerning her own safety—no matter how difficult or painful—had to be learned.
“Recognizing herbs, distinguishing medicinal principles, compatibility and harmonization, decocting and refining medicine, pulse diagnosis and symptom analysis, records of strange poisons, using poison to counter poison…”
Looking at the various books on the shelves in the side room, she did not aim too high. Instead, she started from recognizing herbs and began studying earnestly.
“A diligent learner.”
Seeing Li Yunqing’s focused demeanor, Ghost Granny nodded slightly, turned, and sat in the courtyard, flipping through the sword manual in her hands.
Even while eating the food Xiaolan brought from the Martial Hall’s dining hall, Li Yunqing did not put down the medical books in her hands.
With the support of photographic memory, learning such knowledge was not difficult for her.
There were also various medicinal ingredients in the medical office for her to identify, allowing her to get hands-on experience quickly.
When tired from reading, she would stand up and practice the Mingyu Fist a few times.
When resting, she would continue flipping through the books. The entire afternoon passed swiftly.
“Ghost Granny, I’ll come again tomorrow!”
In the evening, Li Yunqing bid farewell to Ghost Granny before heading toward the Martial Hall’s main gate with Xiaolan.
Before her eyes, today’s gains appeared.
“Mingyu Fist (Initiated 15/100)”
“Medical and Poison Refinement (Initiated 66/100)”
“Knowledge-based skills, with photographic memory, really progress fast.”
“At this rate, in just a few days, I might be able to max out the experience!”
Looking at her gains, she felt increasingly delighted.
Every step she took now made her feel that she was gradually taking control of her own fate.
As for the Frost Sword Art—with its peculiar hand seals and sword techniques—such a thing naturally could not be practiced in public.
Upon leaving the Martial Hall gates, the carriage was already waiting.
“Grandpa Xu, let’s go back.”
Stepping into the carriage, Li Yunqing spoke softly.
Twenty guards and four servants formed a grand procession as they headed toward the Li Residence.
“So many people!”
Looking out through the carriage window at the pedestrians and stalls, she sighed softly.
At this hour, many people had finished work. The streets were filled with all kinds of passersby, and the food stalls were even more lively.
Fragrance, steam, and countless voices blended into one.
There were even groups of men laughing as they walked toward the district of brothels and pleasure houses.
“What’s this?”
By a roadside stall, a man in his forties suddenly changed expression. He looked around before slipping his hand into his robes and pulling out a blood-colored jade stone.
At that moment, the jade trembled slightly, emitting faint traces of a bloody aura.
“A person with innate spiritual wisdom!”
Seeing the jade’s reaction, the man immediately stood up, dropped a few copper coins, and began walking back and forth while holding the jade.
Following the jade’s trembling and changes, the man quickly locked onto a carriage.
“The Li Family’s carriage from the Inner City!”
Looking at the emblem on the carriage, the man hesitated slightly before disguising himself as a passerby and following behind.
Watching as the Li Family’s carriage entered the Li Residence, he hurriedly turned and quickly headed toward the Outer City.
Only after reaching a remote courtyard did the man stop. After glancing around, he stepped inside.
“Divine Envoy, we’ve discovered someone with innate spiritual wisdom.”
The man entered a dark room, knelt on the ground, and spoke, “She is from the Li Family of the Inner City.”
After a long while, another voice echoed within the room.
“Investigate the identity of the spiritually gifted one!”
“Find a way to capture her and offer her as a sacrifice to our god!”