What the hell?!
For a moment, he was utterly bewildered, not understanding what was happening. But then, Chen Dahu's memories surfaced, saving him. He suddenly realized this was merely the sensation of internal energy circulating. Wasting no time, he sat cross-legged, focused, and began to regulate his breathing using the military method he had been taught.
Every new recruit was first trained in breathing and concentration techniques.
Of course, this method couldn't compare to true internal arts, not to mention secret martial arts. But its advantage was that it didn't require any special understanding or even the ability to read—all you had to do was follow the instructions and control your breath.
Previously, Ye Qing had no such knowledge, but the sudden cold spreading through his lower abdomen awakened Chen Dahu's memories, and he involuntarily recalled everything the man had once learned.
Now, relying on Chen Dahu's knowledge, he tried to guide the mysterious flow of icy energy rising from the depths of his body. At first, this energy was wild and uncontrollable, but with each attempt to subdue it, he began to feel a sense of mastery, and soon he was completely absorbed in the process, forgetting about everything else.
Time flew by unnoticed. When Ye Qing opened his eyes again, he heard the cheerful morning chirping of birds outside the pit, and the air felt damp. Apparently, a whole night had passed.
Had he been meditating here all night?
Only now did he realize his body felt unusually light, and the pain in his stomach was gone. Hurriedly lifting his shirt, he was astonished to discover that the deep wound, over ten centimeters long, had completely healed! In its place was only a pale, pinkish mark that would likely soon vanish without a trace.
At that moment, it dawned on him: the snake's blood was responsible!
This snake was clearly no ordinary creature—even if snakes are cold-blooded, none could be as icy as this one!
It seemed fate wasn't ready to let him go just yet!
With his wounds healed and his spirits lifted, his stomach, after a night in this place, began to rumble. He cast a scattered glance at the snake, which lay limp and lifeless on the ground, and thought to himself: since he had already drunk its blood, why not try the meat? Who knew, maybe it also had some special properties?
He decided and immediately acted. Besides, his hunger was getting the better of him. Without much thought, he got to work: grabbing the incision he'd made with his teeth yesterday, he began to peel off the skin.
Truth be told, he had no experience with this, and he clearly failed the task. Instead of neatly skinning it, he just tore the hide into tatters. Feeling a bit disheartened, he thought: if the snake's blood was so potent, then maybe the skin could have been valuable too... It was a shame he had ruined it so clumsily.
But then a thought struck him: Hadn't the snake bitten him?
Its head was triangular, meaning it was venomous. So why hadn't he felt any signs of poisoning? Had the night of meditation somehow purged all the poison from his body?
He didn't know much about the intricacies of internal energy, and Chen Dahu was just a common soldier, so no matter how hard he tried to figure out what had happened, he couldn't come up with a clear answer. He could only assume that the hours of breathing practice had indeed rid him of the poison.
Well, that was also good news! Another brush with death, and he was still alive!
The snake was skinned, but there was a new problem—there was no sign of fire anywhere. And even if there were, he wouldn't dare light one! The enemy troops had been scouring the area yesterday, and who knew if they were gone yet? The moment a flame lit up, he'd be found.
So, he'd have to eat it raw.
At least the snake's blood hadn't tasted bad yesterday. On the contrary, it had even had a sweetish aftertaste. The meat was a little different—though it didn't smell raw, its taste was strange: soft, sort of mushy, like cotton. The sensation was unsettling.
But he had no choice. The main thing was to sate his hunger.
The snake wasn't very big, less than a meter long, and a bit thicker than an average rope.
As he was butchering the carcass, he came across the snake's gallbladder—without a moment's hesitation, he swallowed it. However, this brought another strange thought to mind: If he had just swallowed the snake's gallbladder, then what had he drunk yesterday?
The hard, round, icy object that had slid down his throat then... could it have been an internal dan?
Haha! That couldn't be!
He chuckled to himself. Of course, thanks to Chen Dahu's memories, he knew that martial arts and internal energy existed in this world, but snakes forming a dan... that was pure nonsense! If that were the case, it would have to be a demonic creature at the very least, and if so, how could he have killed it so easily?
Chewing the snake's flesh, he continued to ponder, but the more he thought, the more absurd it seemed. Still, he couldn't come up with an explanation for what he had swallowed. And it was too late anyway—what's eaten can't be uneaten.
Very soon, he had finished the entire snake—while it didn't completely sate him, it gave him a noticeable boost of strength and energy.
Time to leave!
What if the Seilian troops, unable to find him yesterday, decided to come back and continue the search?
Staying here was dangerous!
Without another second of hesitation, he gripped the edge of the pit and, using his hands and feet, quickly scrambled out.
Just as he was about to survey his surroundings and decide where to go next, he felt a powerful rush of air flying swiftly from his right!
His heart clenched—he didn't even have time to register what was happening, but his body reacted on its own. A sharp backward motion made the attacker miss! At that very moment, his right hand, as if on its own accord, shot forward—his palm turned into a blade and chopped with all its might in the direction of the attack.
The opponent clearly hadn't expected Ye Qing to react so quickly. His strike missed its target, but the retaliatory, sharp palm chop hit its mark precisely. Although it was just a hand strike, with the boost from his internal energy, it was devastating—the enemy immediately spat up blood.
But Ye Qing gave him no time to rest. As soon as the first blow landed, a chain attack followed—three lightning-fast strikes, like a torrent of rain from the heavens!
These three strikes were a special military technique—a short but lethal combination taught to every soldier. Like the basic breathing technique, this style wasn't sophisticated, but it was extremely simple, ruthless, and murderously effective.
Because of its simplicity, the fighters nicknamed it "The Three Strikes," and the true name of the technique had long since been forgotten.
It wasn't subtle, but on the battlefield, it was flawlessly effective. There was nothing extra—just three powerful strikes. The opponent either died instantly, or they killed you. It all depended on the speed, ruthlessness, and accuracy of the blow.
Chen Dahu had been in the army for more than two years, and had been through many battles; and although he couldn't be called a seasoned veteran, he knew his way around a fight. Every day he practiced these three strikes hundreds, if not thousands, of times. They had long since become second nature to him—so much so that he didn't even need to think to attack.
And on the battlefield, that's what decides it—reflexes!
And now, those very reflexes had saved Ye Qing's life.
Truthfully, though, he wouldn't have managed without the snake's help. The blood he drank and the night of meditation had noticeably increased his internal strength. He was still a long way from being a true master, but he had already risen to the level of a third-rate fighter, far surpassing an average soldier with three years of service.
If he were still the former Chen Dahu, would he have been able to make his enemy cough up blood with a single palm strike?
Of course not!
The flurry of lightning-fast attacks literally painted his enemy crimson, forcing him to stumble back in desperation.
The third strike was his opponent's last. The enemy swayed, took a few steps backward, gave a convulsive gasp, and then collapsed flat on his back without even a dying scream.
But the noise from their brief fight was too loud.
It was more than enough to attract the attention of the enemies who were sweeping the area...
The sound of pounding feet and shouts echoed all around—the enemies had rushed into the chase.
But Ye Qing didn't waste a second. He swiftly grabbed the greatsword that had fallen from the slain Seilian soldier's hand and bolted, never looking back.
Behind him, he heard furious shouts and the clamor of the chase, but he paid them no mind.
He was flying forward like a gust of wind.
Although he didn't possess any light-step techniques, his newly awakened internal energy had significantly boosted his speed.
He didn't know how long he had run. Only when the sounds of his pursuers finally died down did he, panting, lean against the trunk of a large tree, then slowly slide down and sit on the ground.
"Haha! Ha-ha-ha! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!"
He burst out laughing, unable to contain his emotions. He had been a hair's breadth from death, and now, realizing he had survived again, he simply couldn't stop laughing.
After he had caught his breath, he rested for a while, then got back on his feet. Looking around, he saw tall trees and dense thickets of bushes all around.
Nearby, he heard the muffled splash of water.
Listening closely, he realized it was a small stream babbling. He immediately remembered that after the long chase, his stomach was completely empty—the single snake he ate that morning was clearly not enough.
What if there were fish in the stream?
The idea seemed like a good one. He immediately headed downstream, hoping to find some food.
Fishing
As he made his way along the stream, he noticed shadows flitting through the bushes—rabbits, wild chickens... However, he had no hunting skills.
Yes, he now had a decent amount of internal energy, but he didn't know how to use it properly yet. He even tried to throw a stone at the game—the throw had power, but his aim was terrible. After missing every shot, he decided not to waste his energy and to focus on finding fish instead.
Fortunately, luck smiled on him.
After a while, he noticed the sound of water getting louder.
Quickening his pace, he soon saw a small waterfall that flowed over smooth rocks into a natural pool.
A real pond!
It was about four to five meters wide, and the water at the edges was crystal clear. Only toward the center did the dark depths shimmer with green reflections. Something was definitely moving in the water!
Looking closer, he spotted a fish swimming.
He needed no more proof—he could definitely hunt here!
Encouraged, he rushed to find a suitable branch. Finally, finding a sturdy limb, he used his sword to chop off the end at an angle, stripped off the bark, and sharpened it to make a solid wooden spear.
He had watched survival shows before and remembered a few things. Now it was time to put that knowledge to the test.
Taking off his boots, he slowly waded into the water.
The fish immediately scattered, disappearing into the depths.
But he didn't move.
He stood perfectly still, peering into the water's surface, and waited.
First Catch
Soon, one of the fish, having let its guard down, swam closer.
His hand shot forward like lightning!
The sharp spear tore through the water's surface—and at the same moment, a crimson spot of blood spread in the depths.
He hit it!
Lifting the spear, he saw his first catch flopping on it with a sense of satisfaction.
But one fish was clearly not enough.
Using the same method, he repeated the hunt four more times.
Now he had five fish—that was enough for a proper meal.
Climbing out onto the bank, he took out his sword and began to gut the fish.
The fish were prepared quite quickly. He then went to look for dry moss, fallen leaves, and kindling to build a fire. Choosing a suitable dry branch, he decided to try making a fire the ancient way—by rubbing one piece of wood against another.
He had seen it all on survival shows, but this was his first time putting it into practice. It turned out it wasn't that difficult—the main thing was to apply enough pressure. Now that his hands were stronger, he easily held the stick, made a few quick movements, and soon the dry leaves and moss burst into flame.
The fire was ready, so the details of cooking the fish could be omitted.
Of course, he had no salt or spices, but in a situation like this, the most important thing was simply to satisfy his hunger. He didn't need to think about the taste.
After eating five fish, he finally felt full. Wiping his hand across his stomach, he noticed how dirty his body was.
Blood, dirt, and dried mucus had merged into a gruesome mess, making it impossible to see the original color of his clothes.
Staying in this state was unbearable.
But there was a body of water right next to him.
All around was wilderness; there were no people.
Why not take a bath?
Without a second thought, he quickly stripped off his clothes and headed into the water.
In truth, the clothes were already quite tattered, but he had no others. Walking around naked was not an option.
While his clothes dried by the fire, he finally entered the water and began to wash all the grime off himself.
Since he had come to inhabit Chen Dahu's body, he hadn't had a single free moment to properly examine himself.
Now, taking advantage of the opportunity, he washed himself thoroughly and decided to assess his new body.
...And was slightly surprised.
The name Chen Dahu (陈大虎) could be translated as "Great Tiger Chen."
A name that spoke of strength, power, a beastly nature...
But now, looking at himself, he couldn't help but wonder:
Where was this "Great Tiger"?!
Instead of a strong, battle-hardened soldier, he saw a slender young man with thin arms and legs.
He wasn't extremely skinny, of course, but he had no visible muscles either.
How could a person like this even get into the army?!
What's more, Chen Dahu's face was surprisingly refined.
Because of the long, unkempt hair that ancient people loved to wear, he looked more like a woman than a warrior.
However, at least he wasn't ugly.
Granted, his skin was dark, so tanned that he looked like an "African chicken."
But he was grateful for that much.
He could have been transmigrated into some bow-legged horror.
As he thought about all this, he happily continued to scrub his body.
But when he got to his groin, his expression changed instantly.
Something was wrong here...
It was small!
He frowned.
What in the world?!
By all accounts, Chen Dahu should have been about seventeen or eighteen years old.
But his manhood looked like it hadn't finished growing yet!
When he had walked into the water, he hadn't noticed.
But now, feeling himself, he immediately realized that something was off.
Although, just touching wasn't enough.
Better to look.
He came out of the deep water and stood in a shallower spot, so he could see everything.
Looking down, he saw a small, pale piece of flesh that truly looked as if it hadn't fully developed yet.
He didn't know whether to laugh or groan.
What in the hell?!
Had Chen Dahu not fully matured?!