Totem

Just like Dark Steps, the remainder of the techniques and skills of the ‘Ghost Arts’ had been completely altered. However, similarly, just like how Jiang Nan had learned Dark Steps, he only needed a short six minutes to completely comprehend the rest of the ‘Ghost Arts’!

What needs to be clarified, however, is that through Alisa’s alterations, of the originally viewable number of ‘Ghost Arts’ techniques… Jiang Nan was only able to see the contents of three of them.

The first was the ‘Dark Steps’ that boosted one’s speed.

The second, Skeletal Poison Blade, involved the bones of the body abruptly expanding outwards into sharp points to kill one’s enemy. Simultaneously, the skeletal lances were additionally coated with acute, deathly poison, capable of corroding and dissolving one’s enemies.

The third was called ‘*Death Armor’, which was a method of instantly strengthening one’s skin, allowing one to have an extra layer of protection with its solid sh.e.l.l.
(*TL: the character for the word death can also mean rigid, impenetrable, etc.)

One technique boosted speed, another offense, and another defense. Although these three were quite simple, after stripping these techniques to the very essence of them, were they not the most practical, most effective techniques?

While practicing these three techniques, a huge question appeared in Jiang Nan’s heart.

The original manual which he had bitterly practiced to no avail that had been totally transformed after his aunt’s random smearing, this… was it mere coincidence, or had his aunt purposely done so?

If she had truly done so deliberately: to be able to amend an entire manual in just a few minutes, just how boundless was Auntie’s knowledge of totems?!

Could it be that Auntie was once a powerful totem master?

No, that wasn’t possible! If Auntie was a powerful totem master, how could she have degraded into a crippled slave?!

Moreover, if Auntie truly possessed totem power and wanted to help him cultivate, then she didn’t have to use this kind of method! Based on the relationship between him and her, there was no need for her to put on a facade of mental derangement. Was it not enough to just directly say a few words to him?

Once he thought about this, Jiang Nan felt as though his aunt hadn’t done this deliberately.

But… if it was a coincidence, wasn’t this too much of a coincidence?!

Jiang Nan repeatedly smacked his forehead, unable to understand exactly what was the matter.

However, what he could be certain about was that through Alisa’s amendments, the quality of the manual had definitely increased by at several hundred levels!

“Alright, alright, Auntie truly makes a person baffled…”

Jiang Nan shrugged his shoulders helplessly. He wanted to swiftly find his aunt to make things clear, but at this moment, there were still a few sentences in the manual that he had not looked over, and content that he still hadn’t read.

Auntie was in the shant anyway, and he could ask her anytime. However, this secret ghost manual was a hot potato, and definitely had to be quickly covered and promptly destroyed!

“Young fellow, by the time you’ve read these words, you’ve probably already reached the level of a ‘primary rank Ghost Totem Warrior’, and based on the current level of the stage you’re at, there are two things you must keep in mind…”

“First, the way of totems consists of 9 ranks, and each individual rank has its own distinct characteristic: the characteristic of primary rank Totem Warriors are that… they are able to take on the natural form of their faith!”

This point was very easy to understand. Suppose a person possessed wolf totem power. Consequently, at the level of primary rank Totem Warrior, they would be able to morph into a wolfman!

Again, if one possessed fire totem power, then their bodies could ignite into flame.

However…

If those who had wolf faiths could turn into wolf men, then since Jiang Nan’s was a ghost faith… could it be that as a primary rank Totem Warrior, he would become a dead man?!

Jiang Nan was nearly scared out of his skin when he thought of this.

However, the following paragraphs of the manual said this: “Keke, you’re not wrong! As a Ghost Totem Warrior, you can morph into a dead man at the primary rank, then resurrected!”

“Dying and resurrecting, young fellow, is exactly what ghost totem masters have as a powerful advantage! On the other hand, once you become a dead person, there are still many more benefits, which you can slowly understand through real combat…”

“However, there is something you must take note of: that you can die and resurrect does not equate to being incapable of dying. If your opponent’s level is that of an ‘intermediate rank Totem Warrior’ or higher, then he can genuinely kill you!”

Totem Warriors at the intermediate rank or higher… such as Sun City’s number one expert, Sauron… were capable of truly killing him!

Jiang Nan firmly lodged this warning in his heart, and then his gaze landed on the second matter.

“You must remember this second matter: Young fellow, you should know the att.i.tude various empires within the continent hold against ghost totem masters. Once you demonstrate your ghost powers before the people of the world, it will attract an endless amount of people chasing to kill you! Therefore, in order to allow the power of ghosts to be demonstrated openly and honorably before the people of this world, my predecessor researched a method of ‘concealing one’s ident.i.ty through sacrificial battle strength’, which is called ‘Radiance Technique’!”
(TL: geh, my naming sense… anyways, the raw for the word radiance in radiance technique can also mean transparent as in open to public scrutiny)

After giving a brief introduction to the Radiance Technique, the manual continued to mention: “Utilizing ‘Radiance Technique’ before fighting, coupled along with combat techniques, one can conceal the exuding ghost aura. Although this will decrease your battle power to only a fraction of it, it can allow you to seem like you possess the faith of ordinary Totem Warriors…”

“However, remember this: the Radiance Technique is not invincible, and primary rank Totem King experts possess a sort of obscure and mysterious power that allows them to pick up on your ghost aura!”

At this, the secret ghost manual concluded!

Jiang Nan stared at this section with his heart aflutter: he had already become a primary rank Totem Warrior, but the primary rank was divided into 9 levels. Exactly what level was he at currently?!

It was possible that the answer to this question had never even been touched upon in the manual, yet also possible that it had been, but had been destroyed by Alisa.

It seems that if he wanted to know his true level, he’d have to go test it out in real combat!

However, regardless of anything, he had already successfully practiced the secret manual, so this hot potato could disappear!

Jiang Nan lifted his head and shut his eyes, immediately recalling the contents of the manual, and then, he slowly raised up his right hand.

Pu! Pu! Pu!

Three sharp, skeletal lances popped out from Jiang Nan’s back, piercing through the secret manual!

Immediately after, these three skeletal lances discharged a layer of dark purple liquid, and when the sheepskin scroll came into contact with it, it began to rapidly corrode and dissolve. In the blink of an eye, it had vanished into wisps of dull purple mist.

It was precisely [Skeletal Poison Blade]!

   ……

When Jiang Nan emerged from the cellar, it was already white as a fish’s belly in the eastern sky, and the snow which had fallen for a night had already ceased.

Looking out into the distance, there was a blanket of snow around 1 chi (⅓ meter) deep. The entire farm was a vast expanse of snow, icicles hanging from the trees, an occasional rabbit bouncing away below a tree. This beautiful scenery confirmed one old saying: a timely snowfall promises a fruitful year.

However, Jiang Nan didn’t have any interest in appreciating the view because there were too many questions bubbling about in his heart that he wanted to ask Alisa.

“Hu!”

He inhaled a breath of biting cold air and exhaled in satisfaction, then turned and ran towards his shanty.

But right at this moment, Miss Weylin, Lola, as well as several overseers had turned around from the direction of the manor by coincidence, and thus called Jiang Nan over.

“Rodi, a lowly slave like you is actually here?”

When Lola’s gaze fell on Jiang Nan, she was stunned for a bit, but then she suddenly pointed at his nose and shouted: “Rodi, you low-life, this young miss told you to slaughter twelve pigs before 7 a.m., have you already finished? And you dare to lazily take a stroll?”

“Calm down, calm down…”

“Calm down your a.s.s!” Lola chewed him out: “You don’t need to say it. A low-life like you definitely didn’t finish your work. Just you wait, I’m going to go check on your performance and keep to my word from yesterday: if you kill one less pig than required, I’ll lash you twenty times. Two less pigs than required, I’ll beat you to death. Three less pigs than required… I, I’ll also have Alisa thrashed to death!”

“Alright, alright, I welcome you to go inspect my work, honorable Miss Lola!”

Jiang Nan spread out his hands in an indifferent manner. In any case, he had already slaughtered twelve pigs, no matter how Lola inspected!

Jiang Nan didn’t even care about the matter, but Lola had her own thoughts. Darting a glance at Miss Weylin, she suddenly covered her mouth, “Aiya, look at how this lowlife Rodi is behaving. I’m afraid that he killed even less than three huh? What should I do? I didn’t say anything about the punishment for killing four pigs less than required or five pigs less than required!” She obsequiously brushing away the snow on Weylin’s clothes, “What do you say Miss… in the case that Rodi has killed four less pigs than required? How should I punish him?”

“You lowly servant girl, screw off and think about it yourself! This woman doesn’t have time for these things!”

Pa, pa, pa!

Weylin looked extremely irritable, and not only did she scold and shout at Lola, she had even taken out her whip and lashed Lola’s face three times.

“Yes, yes, it was only Lola’s own thoughts…”

Lola covered the marks on her face, so afraid that she didn’t dare to even breathe. However, very quickly, she laughed as though nothing had happened, “Heh, got it! If Rodi killed four less than required, I’ll cut off four of his fingers. Five less than required, and I’ll cut off five fingers… If Rodi’s ten fingers aren’t enough, I’ll, I’ll move on to Alisa’s fingers!”

As she was speaking, Lola didn’t dare to look at Weylin’s expression, a pair of venomous eyes rigidly fixed upon Jiang Nan.

Clearly, she had vented all her anger from getting whipped onto Jiang Nan.

At this time, there was a stranger within Weylin’s group of people who was indignant with the Lola’s manner who was just a slave, and furiously spoke: “What a malicious method! Miss Weylin, is this how you manage the slaves on your farm? This is equivalent to driving people to their deaths!”

The person who spoke was dressed in a white ap.r.o.n, wore an oilcloth hat, and was leaning as he carried a bag of various kitchen knives. Clearly, he was a knife work chef.

Jiang Nan suddenly felt as though this man was a bit familiar.

Right, right, Jiang Nan suddenly recalled: still remember the story of Yulianne? When the minstrel had finished telling his story, a stalwart and brawny man had leaped out, claiming that he ‘only needed half an hour to dismember an ox’. This had resulted with the minstrel ridiculing and mocking him, and he had thus become Sun City’s recent resident laughingstock.

And that brawny man was this person.

“How this woman manages her slaves is not something you need to blather about!”

Weylin slanted a glance towards him.

This muscleman glared at Weylin, and both people fuming and seething, they turned and ignored each other.

At this time, the group had already arrived in the vicinity of the pigpen, and Weylin roared: “All you slaves in charge of pig-slaughtering, you get out here!”

Good heavens! The tigress Weylin was actually personally waking them up?!

The slaves within their shanties immediately leaped up as though they were frogs injected with *chicken blood. However, within just tens of seconds, sixty-five slaves in charge of slaughtering pigs had all rushed before Weylin.
(*TL: Supposedly in history, a way of keeping a person healthy was taking the blood of a rooster and injecting it into a person. When it happened, the person’s face would turn red, and supposedly have their ‘vitality revived’.)

Weylin didn’t seem to be in the mood for nonsense, so she randomly gestured at the muscleman, “This man’s name is Eddy (尤迪), and he’s an okay knife work chef. Right now, Eddy is going to select a few of you slaves who are good with the knife to help him with a few things. Whoever thinks their knife work is good enough and fast enough, step out. This woman has a reward for you!”

“Eddy? Could it be that he’s the number one knife work chef of the four greatest within the empire? The Eddy who can dismember a live pig in just half an hour?”

“Heavens, so *you are Mr. Eddy! My father had once personally seen you dismember a live pig. You, you… how about you pick me!”

The slaves talked over each other in excitement!

Every profession had its legends, and without a doubt, in the perspectives of those pig-slaughterer slaves, Eddy, who was one of the four greatest knife work chefs in the empire, was a legendary idol!

However…

Why did one of the four greatest knife work chefs in the empire come to West Farms to look for pig-slaughterer slaves?

Jiang Nan was in the middle of a trance, but at this moment, Lola cracked her whip and barked, “Rodi, stop staring foolishly! Mr. Eddy wants to choose the slaves with the quickest knife-work, and you don’t possess the qualifications! Go, take *me to go inspect your performance!”