Chapter 56 Marrow Cleansing
Chapter 56 Marrow Cleansing
"If we don't finish talking about this today, we probably won't be able to finish making these mooncakes," Zhao Tong sighed. "I was the master chef's apprentice for several years. Although he called me his master chef, we were more like father and son. In those years of war and famine, the master chef gave me food, and I followed him and assisted him. Then I got separated from him..."
Zhao Tong looked slightly dejected and said in a deep voice, "If I hadn't been separated from my master back then, I wouldn't have to be the leader of this damn Rakshasa Alliance."
Has the Rakshasa Alliance really become a worthless Rakshasa Alliance?
That's not a good idea...
However, Wang Sumo offered a proper reminder.
Unexpectedly, Zhao Tong was completely impolite, saying, "What else could it be but bullshit?"
Wang Sumo: "..."
Wang Sumo made many connections, but then couldn't figure it out. "It's fine for the Rakshasa Alliance's departing allies to say this, but for you, as the leader of the Rakshasa Alliance, to make such a comment, isn't that a bit much?"
It's only natural for him and Xiaobai to complain about her gossip when they leave Bazhenlou; but it's a bit strange that she keeps complaining about Bazhenlou.
Zhao Tong looked at her, his tone puzzled, "Don't righteous people all hate the Rakshasa Alliance to the bone?"
Wang Sumo laughed, "Our Bazhenlou is just a mobile restaurant in the martial arts world, we're not at the point of taking sides yet."
Zhao Tong said calmly, "Then it's still bullshit."
Wang Sumo: (⊙o⊙)…
There's a story behind this!
"Did you find a master chef later?" Wang Sumo quickly skipped this part.
Zhao Tong shook his head, "No, there was chaos and war back then. Those who got separated might never be found again..."
Wang Sumo suddenly sensed sadness in those words.
Whether it's the righteous path of the martial arts world or a great demon, they all seem insignificant in the face of the world's ways...
"Then how did you end up joining the Rakshasa Alliance?"
After all, the cook and the Rakshasa Alliance are still quite far apart.
Moreover, how did a skilled fish-killing apprentice become the leader of the Rakshasa Alliance step by step?
The excitement of this is no less than that of Master He's solo battle against the Xiaoyao Sect with his Qingyun Sword back then...
At least, that's what Wang Sumo's experience of watching the excitement over the years has taught him.
“I got separated from my master chef when I was only about ten years old. Besides being a cook’s apprentice, I didn’t know how to butcher fish, chickens, sheep, or cook. But at that age, many people were starving and fleeing famine. Without my master chef, no one would take me in because of my age. I wandered aimlessly with the fleeing people for a long time until I met my master…”
It is very likely that his later master was the one who led him into the world of martial arts.
But if Wang Sumo wasn't mistaken, when Zhao Tong mentioned his master, he didn't say Deyuan, and he wasn't as natural and affectionate as when he mentioned his grandmaster.
It even seems like there's hatred in it?
Zhao Tong seemed unwilling to elaborate on this part, his direct and simple tone revealing his strong dislike: "He's not a good person. I've been following him since I was ten, so naturally I'm not a good person either."
Wang Sumo paused for a moment, and seeing that he didn't seem to want to talk about the details, she didn't ask any more questions about what happened.
But after meeting He Huai'an and He Lingyun at Qingyun Manor last time, she actually gained some understanding of talent and the age at which one should start learning martial arts.
For example, Zhao Tong met his future master when he was ten years old. Before that, he had always been with the head chef and was learning cooking skills.
Even though basic cooking skills include butchering fish and killing chickens, there is still a big difference between that and learning martial arts.
Even if Zhao Tong had started learning martial arts at the age of ten, his natural talent would have been considered to have developed very late. Unless he was a martial arts genius with exceptional talent like He Lingyun or Master Qu, even someone as powerful as Master He would have found it difficult to achieve anything in martial arts if he missed the right time for enlightenment.
However, Zhao Tong swept through the martial arts world with a fish-slaughtering knife and firmly secured his position as the leader of the Rakshasa Alliance.
Whether he himself is willing or not is another matter...
Objectively speaking, Zhao Tong and He Huai'an were in similar situations; Zhao Tong's situation was not much better than He Huai'an's at the time.
He Huai'an also has the support of Old Master He, Master Huo, and the entire Qingyun Manor. Moreover, He Huai'an is an extremely diligent person, and his interpersonal skills are also just right.
Unless Zhao Tong is truly a martial arts genius, he shouldn't be able to surpass He Huai'an by such a large margin.
Of course, it's hard to say whether Zhao Tong is simply gifted in martial arts, but talent is something that can't be forced...
So Wang Sumo didn't ask him about his master and the Rakshasa Alliance anymore. He only mentioned seeing He Huai'an at Qingyun Manor. He Huai'an only started learning Qingyun Manor's internal energy cultivation method and swordsmanship after he was ten years old, but it seemed that he had never even entered the door. Why could he do it? Was he exceptionally talented?
Zhao Tong glanced at her.
If it were in the past, he definitely wouldn't have paid any attention to Wang Sumo.
However, at Bazhenlou, he inexplicably felt a sense of belonging and trust. He himself did not realize the reason, but when Wang Sumo asked, he would tell him.
He rarely shares his past experiences with others, including the story of the fish-cleaning knife.
But in the time it takes to eat a mooncake, he unknowingly told Wang Sumo everything, and Wang Sumo didn't know why.
Perhaps there is no pressure in talking to Wang Sumo.
There was no pressure to be with that old bald monk.
She just loves watching and listening to excitement...
Zhao Tong said coldly, "There is a type of person who is extremely talented in martial arts. Even if they start learning martial arts late, they have unique aptitude. Even though they start late, their achievements are far superior to those of ordinary people."
"Then, what about the other type of people?" Wang Sumo could almost extrapolate from this to know that the "one type of people" corresponded to the other type of people.
Sure enough, Zhao Tong said in a deep voice, “There is another type of person. Their natural talent is not special, they have no martial arts talent, and they don’t even like the fighting and killing in the martial arts world or vying for the top spot or which sect is the number one sect. But they have a madman by their side who will use all the medicinal herbs and treasures you have ever seen and never seen, all the things you can think of and all the things you can’t think of to cleanse your marrow.”
Marrow cleansing?
This wasn't the first time Wang Sumo had heard this claim, but while it was far-fetched, it was at least somewhat connected to reality, even if it was an embellished version, it still had a real source.
But "marrow cleansing" is different; such practices only exist in storytelling fragments with almost no real basis, and are merely legends in the martial arts world.
For people to use out of curiosity.
In the real martial arts world, very few people believe in the concept of marrow cleansing.
While others might lie, Zhao Tong didn't seem like someone who would lie at all. Moreover, judging from his tone, he even seemed to dislike his later master, so it was unlikely that he would fabricate a lie like "marrow cleansing," which was almost at the level of "Great Luo Golden Immortal."
To be precise, if this were said by someone else, such as Bai Cen, she would think it was utter nonsense.
But hearing it from Zhao Tong's mouth, although she found it unbelievable, wow, she seemed to actually believe it...
"Your master really cleansed your marrow? So, there really are methods in the martial arts world that can cleanse the marrow, instead of just martial arts novels or strange tales!" Wang Sumo exclaimed excitedly.
Zhao Tong frowned slightly; he hadn't expected Wang Sumo to say that.
Or perhaps, he never even considered that Wang Sumo would believe it.
But the fact that Wang Sumo asked this question suggests that he at least believed it to some extent.
When he first told the old bald monk, it took the old bald monk a whole month to coax and deceive him into believing him. In reality, it was all bullshit!
The thought of this made him angry!
"Hey, tell me quickly!" When these words came out of Wang Sumo's mouth, Zhao Tong suddenly understood. Wang Sumo believed it because she was willing to believe it, because she liked to watch all the excitement, so believing meant there would be more excitement to watch and hear.
Wang Sumo already looked like she was starving for food!
Zhao Tong was exasperated: "..."
Wang Sumo nudged his arm, "Hurry up! How can you stop halfway through a sentence! You'll be unable to eat all day if you keep doing that!"
Zhao Tong: [You don't have to worry about it!]
But Zhao Tong still said in a deep voice, "Yes, I didn't believe it before either, until my master really used the Rebirth and Marrow Cleansing Technique on me, and I became a different person..."
Another person?!
Wang Sumo blinked, looking at her in surprise. Was it what she thought it meant?
Zhao Tong lowered his eyes, his deep voice concealing his disgust, "The literal meaning, another person."
Wang Sumo covered her mouth with her hand, speechless with astonishment, a feeling that defied description. But this…
Zhao Tong continued, "If the method of marrow cleansing were easy, anyone with a fortune and the ability to find medicinal herbs and treasures could cleanse their marrow, and there would be countless people in the martial world who have already done so..."
Zhao Tong's eyes still held the chill of those memories. "I never intended to venture into the martial world, nor did I ever dream of becoming the number one martial artist. I only saved a dying old man out of kindness, only to later discover he was insane. He said he would repay my life-saving grace tenfold, wanted to take me as his disciple, and wanted me to dominate the martial world. But all I wanted was to be a cook, so he forced me to kneel and kowtow to him, forcing me to take those excruciatingly painful medicinal herbs and precious treasures every day..."
Zhao Tong clenched his fists so tightly that Wang Sumo could even hear his knuckles cracking, and she couldn't help but shiver.
Zhao Tong continued, "Marrow cleansing is not so easy. To completely transform a person is equivalent to completely killing the person from before, and dying from it day by day with deadly poison."
Wang Sumo covered her mouth again.
Zhao Tong frowned, his eyes filled with hatred. "My tendons and bones will change, my skin and face will change, even my height and appearance will change, turning me into a completely different person. I am Zhao Tong, but I am no longer the Zhao Tong of the past. The Zhao Tong of the past was a chubby boy who would follow the master chef around, laughing for days with joy because he got a fish-slaughtering knife; but the Zhao Tong of the present is a great demon who only has a cold face and can't even feel his own smile."
Wang Sumo was stunned.
Zhao Tong looked at her and said, word by word, "Aren't you afraid?!"
"Ah!!!" Wang Sumo took off running.
Zhao Tong: "???"
[Author's Note]
Zhao Tong: I didn't expect that.
Wang Sumo: I thought of that too.
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None of the above are the main points.
The stories of the people at Bazhenlou are pretty much like this, it's actually a silly story...
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Continue with the holiday red envelopes, keep whatever you like, first 100 people.
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