Chapter 23: The Arcane Arts, Part Three — Unharmed
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But this time, it was somewhat different.
As the pages turned, they didn’t stop; they flipped straight to the back, and the ancient tome itself began to emit faint streams of light.
Then, three lines of text actually floated in midair.
Arcane Arts Chapter: Fire Arts, Canine Arts, Concealment Arts
Fire Arts: Full name, Fire Taming Arts, currently mainly practiced in the Xiangxi region as a form of arcane arts. In truth, it originated from Taoist techniques—specifically, the Fire Manipulation Arts. Its roots trace back to Taoist divine powers related to sitting on fire. The Fire Taming Arts are a degraded and modified version of the original Fire Manipulation Arts developed by later generations. In modern times, it has degenerated into mere street performances, relying solely on skills and secret potions to create illusions without any genuine power.
Thus, the Fire Taming Arts actually consist of three levels: beginner’s illusions, proficient fire taming, and mastery of fire manipulation.
Canine Arts: Divided into three major categories—Mountain Driving Dogs, Evil-Repelling Dogs, and Wolf-Pack Dogs.
An ancient secret technique passed down through generations of hunters, who prized three treasures: one dog, two bows, three traps. Foremost among these was the dog. Since ancient times, the legend of Mountain Driving Dogs has existed, with intricacies in training. The strongest among them could be trained to become invincible, loyal, fierce, and capable of slaying tigers. This practice is said to originate from the ancient Shu region’s myth of Erlang Shen, the mountain-searching demon-subduing deity.
The Evil-Repelling Dogs relate to the folk legends of black dog’s blood dispelling evil spirits, a Taoist art later adulterated by fraudulent Maoshan practitioners and absorbed into heretical paths. The preferred breeds are the Five Black Dogs, followed by black earth dogs, then fierce dogs. Through secret training, these dogs gain great power against ghosts and negative energies.
The Wolf-Pack Dogs are a product of the Ming and Qing dynasties, a collision of Eastern and Western influences, incorporating some techniques from the Japanese region’s Great Tengu. Trained, they form a wolf-like pack capable of precise cooperation, understanding human speech, and loyalty. They are led by a chief dog, who possesses both combat prowess and intelligence to act as commander.
The final art is Concealment Arts.
Among the three, this is the simplest, lacking many categories or hierarchical distinctions. Its sole function is concealment.
Conceal one’s movements, conceal one’s soul.
It can erase traces in complex environments, making one undetectable to spirits. Of course, in the physical realm, even if traces vanish, hiding places are limited, so discovery remains possible. This is not invisibility or teleportation.
Fire Arts, Canine Arts, Concealment Arts.
These are the three new inheritance arts obtained this time.
“The arcane arts… truly incomparable to the crude techniques before!”
Louis gazed at these three clearly more complex arts and sighed in admiration.
In ancient times, these three arts could easily make one a renowned mystic among the common folk, especially the Concealment Arts, which gave him the confidence to survive when facing Mary Shaw.
But why did the ancient tome suddenly unlock the arcane arts chapter?
After a brief reflection, Louis understood: apparently, his identity as the inheritor still held some significance.
However, was this a permanent unlocking or just temporary?
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Regardless, the emergence of these three arts was a boon for Louis. For a long time ahead, he’d likely be immersed in studying them.
…
Daylight broke.
The moment pure sunlight filtered through the window into the room, Louis finally relaxed a bit.
Although Mary Shaw and many American evil spirits seemed able to roam freely during the day, the warmth of sunlight was enough to soothe the heart. Especially under sunlight, his yang energy received a certain boost.
“No harm done, thank goodness. Looks like I owe this to my godfather.”
Louis first bowed to the statue of the Kitchen God, frowning at the cracks upon it.
After a night’s time, the cracks had slightly mended but were still far from fully healed.
“I wonder if there’s a way to speed healing or strengthen its spiritual power. For now, it just has to heal naturally with time.”
Taking a deep breath and splashing cold water on his face to clear his mind, Louis stepped out.
He met David, who was just waking up and about to rouse the others.
“Uncle.”
David was startled. “Louis, up so early? Didn’t sleep well? If not, go back and rest. It’s okay to skip breakfast once in a while.”
Noticing the dark circles under Louis’s eyes, David was concerned.
Louis rubbed his eyes. “It’s nothing. Just had a nightmare. I have this feeling this place isn’t right. You know, in our tradition, encountering sudden deaths or funerals is considered unlucky.”
David frowned and nodded. “Alright, then let’s leave quickly after breakfast. You can get some rest in the car.”
Louis felt relief. Luckily, David wasn’t one of those typical horror movie fools. He’d purposely said what he did to prompt David to hurry their departure.
David genuinely cared for him and, understanding the reason, said no more and resolved to leave immediately.
“Thank you, Uncle.”
With that, Louis went downstairs to eat breakfast.
He didn’t notice David’s hesitant expression.
Although Louis was a foster child, David had already come to regard this obedient, sensible, intelligent, and filial boy as his own son. Yet after all this time, the boy still called him “Uncle.” Had David failed in some way?
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“Hopefully this trip to the Clara camp goes smoothly. Angela said having a mother figure should help them feel the warmth of family.”
Indeed, this journey wasn’t just for sightseeing but also to make friends—female friends, to be precise.
He had been single for Emma’s sake for eight years. Though he occasionally visited clubs to satisfy physical needs, that wasn’t a long-term solution. A family couldn’t consist solely of a father; it needed a mother figure as well.
Recently, Angela had been introducing him to potential dates. Emma knew about it, and this time, the prospects were said to be high-quality and numerous, many being foreign immigrants. The only hitch was their current residence in the neighboring state, so he needed to go there. He hoped this time would be successful.
David shook his head and knocked on his daughter’s door.
Emma answered with her usual expression but clenched her fists tightly. After asking where Louis was, she went downstairs.
Esther, however, was acting strangely, not opening the door despite persistent knocking.
Inside the room.
Awakened abruptly, Esther’s face was filled with panic. What had happened last night? Why had she inexplicably ended up back in bed?
Wasn’t she just talking to that kid Louis?
No, she had to hurry and put on makeup!
Frantically, Esther applied various cosmetics before the mirror, skillful and swift.
At the same time, she responded to David, “Sorry, Dad, I just woke up. I’m coming down right away.”
“Oh, good. Breakfast’s ready. Hurry up.”
“Okay.”
In the mirror,
The black powder around Esther’s eyes was smudged, revealing her slightly aged face beneath. Combined with her petite frame, an inexplicable unease settled over anyone who looked.
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