Chapter Forty-five: Frost Moon Sword

Early in the morning, Gao Wu spent an hour practicing fist and sword in the courtyard. When he saw the old man awake, he ran out to buy buns and steamed bread, reheated two dishes left from last night, and that was enough for breakfast.

While they were eating, the old man suddenly said, “You don’t need to go to the martial arts school anymore. Tie Dalong and his sister have both been detained by the Supervision Department.”

“What?” Gao Wu was a bit surprised. It wasn’t unexpected for those two to be implicated, but given their connections, it was strange that they hadn’t managed to extricate themselves.

“It involves cult followers, and several people died. There have also been multiple disappearances recently—this is a major case.” The old man explained, “Actually, the Public Security Bureau had already detained all relevant personnel, but they have all been handed over to the Supervision Department.”

Gao Wu asked, “It shouldn’t have anything to do with Master Tie, right? He was just running his martial arts school properly. Why get involved in all this?”

“True, but who can guarantee he’s clean?” The old man shook his head. “Tie Dalong and his sister will have to stay inside for a while, unless all the cultists can be caught quickly.”

He added, “This isn’t something you can meddle in. Don’t try to contact them.”

After breakfast, Gao Wu had nowhere to go, so he continued practicing in the courtyard. By noon, he told the old man he was heading out and cycled straight to Yunhu Manor.

Curious about the situation at Tie Long Martial Arts School, he took a detour. As expected, the doors were tightly shut, and not a soul was in sight.

“What a calamity out of nowhere…” Gao Wu sighed. Master Tie was a good man, serious and responsible in his teaching, always generous with lunch. Unfortunately, he was just unlucky to have crossed paths with someone like Zhang Hao.

Upon arriving at Yunhu Manor, he swiped his card to enter. The security guards in the booth pointed and whispered, but none stopped him.

Song Mingyue had just returned from school, and Gao Wu conveniently joined her for lunch.

“Thanks to your help, or I don’t know how long I would have been locked up!” Gao Wu said sincerely.

“It was nothing. You had the video; you could always prove your innocence,” Song Mingyue replied softly.

To be honest, Song Mingyue was quite impressed. For the Public Security Bureau to find nothing wrong with Gao Wu—this was no ordinary feat. Clearly, Gao Wu’s good deeds weren’t for show; he was truly earnest and upright—a genuinely good person.

“It was you who managed to spread the video—that’s a major contribution!”

Gao Wu thought for a moment, then said seriously, “This deed is worth at least ten billion—no, twenty billion!”

Song Mingyue couldn’t help but laugh, her bright eyes curving like crescent moons, her smile radiant and alive.

Despite having known Song Mingyue for so long and spending almost every day together, this was the first time Gao Wu had seen her smile. He realized that when she smiled, she was both pure and gentle, the usual aloofness and distance swept away.

Her smile was truly enchanting!

“You look really beautiful when you smile,” he said sincerely.

A faint blush bloomed on Song Mingyue’s jade-like cheeks. She pretended not to notice and said, “You seem calm and composed; your skin is glowing, and your cultivation has improved again.”

“My dear friend, your insight is remarkable,” Gao Wu replied, knowing she was changing the subject while giving him a chance to boast. He was more than happy to oblige.

He said, “Locked up in the detention room, cold and lonely in the dead of night, I was suddenly struck by inspiration and comprehended the way of the union of heaven and man, the nurturing of all things—my cultivation advanced greatly!”

“The union of heaven and man, nurturing all things? That sounds a bit odd.” Song Mingyue’s eyes flashed with curiosity, but she knew Gao Wu’s words were always outlandish and fanciful. There was no need to take it too seriously.

“I’m not exaggerating. Tonight, when we go to White Scale Lake, I should be able to help you subdue the anomalous spirit!” Gao Wu was full of confidence. After a month of wrestling with the anomalous spirit, his divine incantation had grown much stronger—he should be able to resolve it now.

“Oh.” Song Mingyue knew Gao Wu was sincere, but she wasn’t entirely convinced.

The key point was that Gao Wu could only assist; only she could lock onto the anomalous spirit and have a chance to strike it down.

She considered for a moment and said, “Let’s try tonight. I need to take some medicine beforehand to improve our chances.”

Gao Wu hesitated. He hadn’t yet tested the true power of his divine incantation. If it failed, wouldn’t that put Song Mingyue in danger?

“Let’s not rush. We can try it out tonight before making a decision,” he said.

“The anomalous spirit is intelligent. If it gets startled, it might not show itself again.”

Song Mingyue shook her head slightly. “It’s best to go all out the first time. That way, we have a better chance of success.”

She looked at Gao Wu and quietly asked, “Has your psychic power improved? Let me test it.”

Before Gao Wu could reply, Song Mingyue continued, “The anomalous spirit’s attacks are mostly on the mental level. Your ability to withstand its chilling aura isn’t just a matter of physical constitution; you must also have a special talent on the psychic level. Only about one in ten thousand martial artists awakens a special ability. Having two talents makes you quite extraordinary.”

“Uh…” Gao Wu hesitated.

He’d spent every day working with Song Mingyue against the anomalous spirit. She had a powerful mental force and a keen sense, and she’d sensed something of the Azure Dragon Divine Qi Incantation, though she’d never asked directly until now. This time, she was being straightforward because they needed to cooperate for something important.

Treating the Azure Dragon Divine Qi Incantation as a psychic talent was the most reasonable explanation. If Song Mingyue could see it was an actual incantation, that would be truly bizarre!

Gao Wu wasn’t afraid of secrets leaking; he would have to use the incantation anyway, and others would only see it as a psychic power since they wouldn’t know its true nature. He was just unsure about the power of the Thunderbolt Transformation and worried it might harm Song Mingyue.

Song Mingyue seemed to understand his concerns. She said, “My mental strength is quite good. Don’t worry about hurting me.”

“All right, let’s try it,” Gao Wu agreed, curious himself about the power of Thunderbolt Transformation. In his view, a psychic attack of this level shouldn’t be too strong.

Even if Song Mingyue couldn’t withstand it, at worst she’d have a headache for a while—it wouldn’t do any real harm.

“Are you ready? Here I go!” Gao Wu asked with a serious expression.

Song Mingyue didn’t seem to catch the playful note in his voice. She nodded, indicating she was ready.

To show his sincerity, Gao Wu formed a sword finger and pointed at Song Mingyue, simultaneously activating the Thunderbolt Transformation of the Azure Dragon Divine Qi Incantation.

Song Mingyue saw a twist of electric light flash deep in Gao Wu’s pupils, then felt a jolt in her mind, as if struck by an invisible arrow. The fierce, thunderous psychic energy nearly shook her consciousness.

She was a little surprised. Gao Wu’s psychic talent was truly formidable. Among martial artists, few could withstand an attack of this level.

“How was it?” Gao Wu, seeing her calm expression, thought she seemed completely unaffected and felt a little disappointed. The Thunderbolt Transformation didn’t seem very useful!

“It’s quite powerful,” Song Mingyue replied. “Can you make it stronger?”

“It can be increased fivefold,” Gao Wu admitted. He was working with Song Mingyue on something important, and hiding his strength would only hinder their cooperation. After everything they’d been through, he trusted her completely.

Song Mingyue was silent for a moment before saying, “If you can boost the power five times, it’s enough to threaten both junior and intermediate warriors. Don’t display this ability in front of others, and never use it in the ring. Others will notice something’s off…”

As she spoke, she rolled up her left sleeve to reveal a silver bracelet on her wrist. “This is my Frostmoon Sword, forged from the energy core of the White Frost Ice Wolf and three-dimensional atomically woven liquid metal. It can change shape when activated by psychic force.

“Converting psychic power to telekinesis is my own talent.”

Gao Wu’s gaze fell on Song Mingyue’s wrist. Her hand was fair and slender, fingers long and evenly spaced—truly beautiful. Her forearm was smooth as jade, and the intricately patterned silver bracelet was somewhat broad, but on her wrist it was perfectly proportioned, exuding an ancient and elegant beauty.

They often sparred, so Gao Wu knew she always wore this bracelet. He’d assumed it served as both jewelry and bracer.

He hadn’t expected it to be a sword! A weapon that could change shape truly amazed him.

But he was puzzled. “Why tell me this?”

Song Mingyue activated her psychic power, and the silver bracelet flowed like mercury, instantly transforming into a straight, slender four-foot sword. She swung it lightly, sending a dazzling silver light cutting through the air with a sharp whistle. The chilling aura pressed straight toward Gao Wu’s brow.

The sword’s cold, razor edge made Gao Wu’s heart tremble. He hadn’t expected a weapon so graceful to be so lethally sharp.

Song Mingyue said softly, “You shared your secret with me, so I’m sharing mine with you. It’s only fair.”

Gao Wu couldn’t help but laugh, giving her a thumbs-up in admiration. “How thoughtful!”