Chapter 33 – The Fire-Mán Technique

(TL By: PiggyBottle and 生豆)

Hesitating, Su Ming watched the lit tent, choosing not to go to it in the end. In the moonlit and snowing night, he returned inside his own hut.

Perhaps because he did not return for some days, the interior was cold such that his breath condensed into mist. Even just looking at it made one feel cold.

A solitary hut, with a trace of warmth. Su Ming felt totally different then when he was at Lei Chen’s place.

In silence, Su Ming retrieved some firewood and tinder to start a fire, alone in his house. Despite being able to protect himself from the night’s chill with his third layer of blood condensation, he did not know why but felt that somehow, something inexplicable was missing from his home.

Sighing lightly, Su Ming kindled the firewood. The light slowly grew, along with a wave of warmth that dispersed the cold from the hut.

Sitting beside the fireplace, Su Ming watched the kindling flame, lost in his thoughts. Since young, he was envious of Lei Chen, envious of Bei Ling, envious of Chen Xin. Because they had a home, and a father, a mother.

Even though Grandpa was kind to him, as the Mán-patriarch the the tribe, he spent a great deal of his time protecting and helping the tribesmen. From when he was very young, Su Ming learnt to be independent and take care of himself. He also learnt how to be alone.

The snowfall outside was heavy, and the wind howled. The skin tent began to flap, and dredges of wind got inside, shaking the flame violently.

With the flame’s glow on him, Su Ming wrapped his arms around his knees, watching the fire. After a long, long while, he sighed.

“Grandpa said I was an adopted child… Then, are my parents… still alive…” Su Ming’s expression was despondent. Over the years, he had hid these feelings deep inside his heart. He did not want people to see his solitude, thus he always concealed it with a smile.

But in the night of snow, having felt the warmth of Lei Chen’s home, he was no longer able to suppress his feelings inside this cold thatched hut of his.

“Bai Ling’s parents are also not with her, I wonder if she is resting now, or also dazing by the fireplace, like me…” Su Ming muttered, the image of Bai Ling and her clear laughter surfaced in his mind.

His body suddenly shook, and he was able to guess why he had developed a strange feeling for Bai Ling. It might be because that she was beautiful, but that is definitely not the main reason.

The main reason is, on her, Su Ming felt the same loneliness hidden beneath her smile and wittiness.

As time pa.s.sed, the temperature inside the hut rose, dissipating all traces of cold air which condensed as droplets on the hut.

The warmth of the hut seemed to permeate inside Su Ming’s heart, diluting his sense of loneliness. At that moment however, as if the heavens were against him, a gale howled faraway from the tribe, sweeping up a large amount of snow. It was as though a large hand had wiped across the tribe.

The tent where Su Ming was in began flapping violently, such that even the hide door was forced open. Cold wind immediately penetrated the room, and the snow it carried landed on the fireplace. The flame seemed to struggle a bit, before dying off quickly.

Su Ming raised his head, watching the door that was flapping in the wind. The warmth that had hardly built up in his tent dissipated in an instant. Standing up in silence, he walked out of the then. Standing the in night of snow and wind, he raised his head, gazing at the sky.

Over the lands swept by snow, a moon was vaguely visible behind the clouds.

Staring at the moon, Su Ming was reminded of the Nightwings, and the tribe of the Fire-Mán. He recalled that skeleton and the words it etched before dying.

Those who seek my Mán
Coming from all eight directions,
Merge your blood with the flames,
At will,
Incinerate the Heavens.

When the blood moon rises,
Covering the land and skies……

This is the time to ponder
Kindle the blood flame
Nine is the Utmost
One is the pathway
Nine bows towards the Fire-Mán
Thus is the path of fire worship

Su Ming muttered. The phrase had always been on his mind. All the while, he had been trying to figure out its meaning, but still could not fully comprehend it.

“The Mán sought after my way, I can understand this, it probably means something desired by the Mán, something bad. Who could the “I” refer to… Is it that skeleton… But it does not seem like it. Su Ming sat outside the tent in the wind. There was no difference between them, both had no warmth.

Fortunately, he was accompanied by the howling wind and bright moon outside.

“Who is the “I”… I do not know… The first to meld fire into blood. A single thought of mine can scorch the cosmos to its utmost… These words seem to depict a scene, as though if I could meld fire into my blood, I control it at will, and ignite s.p.a.ce…’ Su Ming eyes shone as he watched the moon in the snowing night, pondering.

“If the blood moon appears, heaven and earth ponders in silence… Grandpa once said, the sun embodies yang, the moon embodies ying, theses words make sense. We feel warm in the day, while the night is usually cooler.

But fire moon, what is that… Fire is red, could it be referring to the red moon, the blood moon?” Su Ming furrowed his brows, unable to verify his doubts.

“The kindling of blood flame, nine is the utmost, the first is the method. Nine bows to the Mán-Flame, the way to worshiping fire… This phrase seems to be saying some kind of action… The way to worshiping fire…” Su Ming looked at the moon in the sky. A shock of realization struck him suddenly, and his eyes widened with understand.

“Could it be… The phrase is referring to a Mán-technique!” Su Ming’s breathing hastened. Drawing a deep breath, he gave his idea another thought, and the stronger he feels that the words referred to a Mán-technique!

“All Mán under the heavens sought after my ways, as the first who melded flame into blood. A single thought of mine can scorch the cosmos to its utmost. This refers to the effect and power of the Mán-technique! Heaven and earth ponders in silence. The kindling of blood flame, nine is the utmost, the first is the method. Nine bows to the Mán-Flame. This phrase explains how the Mán-technique is cultivated! I shouldn’t be wrong, this is the way. As for if the blood moon appears, heaven and earth ponders in silence, this line refers to the prerequisites to cultivate the Mán-technique!”

Su Ming became alert at once. He was immediately cheered by resolving this phrase which had bugged him for days. But an instant later, his brows furrowed again.

“This still isn’t correct. The prerequisite to cultivate this Mán-technique requires the appearance of the blood moon, but it isn’t today… Don’t tell me I need to wait until some years later, when the blood moon reappears before I can cultivate?” Su Ming pondered in silence, until the moon in the sky was gradually overwhelmed by the light of dawn. But he still did not figure out a way to cultivate.

Sighing lightly, Su Ming stood and moved his body. At dawn, the tribesmen begin to leave their home for a new day of work. However, Su Ming left the tribe.

“The fourth layer of blood condensation requires twenty-five blood veins, while I only have eleven now. I need to focus on cultivation. Also, the Mountain Spirit Pill, I wonder how is effect will be after refinement, hopefully it will aid in my cultivation.” Su Ming hurried across the jungle. Ever since he attained the third layer of blood condensation, he was much faster than he was back then

At noon, he arrived at Black Flame Peak. Leaping, he headed towards the direction of the cave. Halfway there, Su Ming smiled. He had heard Xiao Hong’s voice. Raising his head to look at the cave’s entrance, he saw a ball of red lying there at ease, munching the wild fruit it is holding while its eyes surveyed the surrounding.

The moment Su Ming looked at Xiao Hong, its gaze met his too. Xiao Hong’s eyes shone, and throwing away the half-eaten fruit, it leapt and ran in Su Ming direction. Climbing onto his back, it began to screech excitedly.

Su Ming let out a genuine smile and continued his climb. Soon, he reached the cave entrance. Breathing in a deep breath of mountain air, he and Xiao Hong tunneled inside.

And so, quietly time pa.s.sed, Su Ming once more immersed himself in his lifestyle of cultivation and refining throughout the day, at night he looked up at the moon pondering the words of the blood moon.

In order for it to be more convenient for him to look at the moon, he even went ahead to carve some holes on the ceiling of the cave he was in, such that when he raised his head he would be able to see the moon from those small holes.

Frequently, some m.u.f.fled complaints would escape the cave. As time pa.s.sed, it became more infrequent until eventually Su Ming managed to successfully refine the Mountain Spirit Pill on the seventh day.

It was a deep blue medicinal pill with a mild aroma, but if you sniff it close, you will get the illusion of a strong mountain breeze, causing an indescribable feeling to circulate inside and outside.

“Mountain Spirit Pill.” Su Ming stepped out of the hole, looking towards the sun. Seeing the pill in his hand he thought about the difficulty of refining this pill, compared to the Enlightenment Pill he had failed many more times in the process.

Of the Cloud Sieved Leaves Su Ming bought, he had already used most of it and only managed to make two pills so far, as such Su Ming felt slightly unwilling to use the pills to test out its effects.

“It should not be poisonous…….” Su Ming said while sniffing the pill, after observing it for a long time, night had already fallen. Su Ming finally stared at it decisively and put it into his mouth.

This pill was different compared to the enlightenment pill, upon entering his mouth, it did not melt. Causing Su Ming to furrow his brows as he chewed on the pill before swallowing it.

After awhile, his body did not feel the slightest bit different. Su Ming rubbed his tummy and waited and he even went back to the cave to continue cultivating yet everything was the same, nothing had changed.

“Strange……”Su Ming’s sat in deep thought before eventually taking out an enlightenment pill from another vial before he swallowed it as well.

That Enlightenment pill instantly melted in his mouth and a warmth permeated his body. But, at this instant, from his body erupted a terrifying blaze.