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nChapter 8: Snaking Mist Steps

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nMeeting Gu Qingluo had changed Su Chen. She had become a speck of light in his dark life.

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nFrom that day onward, Gu Qingluo and Su Chen had become friends. Their friendship deepened rather quickly, and they became close enough to talk about anything. However, this relationship between the two had been kept a secret, and no one knew of it.

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nThis was because Gu Qingluo was a noble guest of the Lin Clan.

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nThe Lin Clan was one of the four great clans of Northface City. Northface City was a small strategic frontier town in a desolate, wild place. Because there weren’t any strong clans willing to gather there, four very minor mixed blood clans were able to become the local hegemons of the area.

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nDespite it being a remote and desolate place, there was still fierce competition between the major powers.

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nThe four great clans all held disdain for one another, and there was great conflict between all of them. In order to hold influence over Northface City, they used all available methods. Naturally, their relationships with one another were not worth mentioning.

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nGu Qingluo was an honored guest of the Lin Clan. Naturally, it wasn’t very suitable for her to be closely related to Su Chen.

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nHowever, a youngster’s temperament was innately rebellious. With regards to the interests of the clan, a fourteen year old girl was bit far away from understanding this concept, and it wasn’t something she was willing to consider. Normally, such a girl would act on instinct and happiness.

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nIn Gu Qingluo’s point of view, Su Chen was a calm, impressive, gentle and considerate boy.

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nThese characteristics usually proved to be fatally attractive to women. Especially when compared to similarly aged youths with restless temperaments, Su Chen appeared far more mature, as if he were a crane among a flock of chickens.

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nAlthough his eyes could not see, his heart was brilliant.

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nWhen she was together with Su Chen, Gu Qingluo never felt that she was being considerate toward a blind person. Rather, she felt that Su Chen was often showing consideration toward her.

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nBecause of this, Gu Qingluo couldn’t care about dispute between clans, and became friends with Su Chen.

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nNaturally, this was limited to being friends.

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nThe majority of the time, Gu Qingluo would go to the Su Clan’s rear mountain to find Su Chen. There was an enchanting view here and it was far from the city, so she didn’t have to worry about people discovering her. The mountain spring water was refreshing and made it very suitable for bathing. Every since the first time she bathed here, Gu Qingluo enjoyed bathing at this mountain spring. Thus, she would frequently come here to bathe. Su Chen proved to be an excellent sentry for her, having the rare combination of being both blind and capable of sensing his surroundings.

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nAs a result, Su Chen received another joy in his life. Leaning on the side of a tree, listening to the sound of the water splashing, he imagined the postures Gu Qingluo would assumed as she bathed.

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nToday was the same as ever.

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nSu Chen sat on a large stone at the edge of the water.

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nThe wind blew and a cloud of dead leaves floated down behind Su Chen.

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nSu Chen didn’t look behind him. Instead he looked to his front-left, “You’re there?”

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nGu Qingluo figure appeared and she clapped her hands with a smile, “You’ve won again. Are you really blind?”

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nThis was a game Su Chen and Gu Qingluo often played, based on Su Chen guessing where she was.

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nHowever, the majority of the time, it was Su Chen’s loss. After all, for a person to intentionally hide from him, all they had to do was not produce any sound. Although Su Chen’s hearing was sharp, it would still be difficult for him to sense it.

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nDespite this, Su Chen wasn’t discouraged. He persisted and continued to play this game with Gu Qingluo. After some time had passed, his guesses of Gu Qingluo’s location had unexpectedly became far more likely to be correct.

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nAt this moment, Gu Qingluo said, “Hey, how were you able to do this? You were unexpectedly able to guess right for three days in a row. I’ve made sure my movements were as silent as possible.”

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n“It is airflow and heartbeat. “You are able to hide the sound of your footsteps but you aren’t able to conceal your heartbeat. Your existence also affects the surrounding airflow. So long as I can feel these, I am able to sense your body approaching.”

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n“You can already do this?” Gu Qingluo asked with shock.

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n“I must thank you for your help all this time.” Su Chen faintly smiled.

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n“Thanking me for what? This is all due to your effort.” Gu Qingluo rolled her eyes at Su Chen. It was truly a pity he couldn’t see. Her charming glances truly had no effect on a blind person.

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nGu Qingluo had already walking toward the pool. After a short moment, the sounds of water could be heard and she was already bathing.

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nAlthough he was blind, Su Chen had never lightly approached the pool.

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nHe just sat down and listened carefully.

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nIt was unfortunate that although he was a position to see, he wasn’t able to see anything at all.

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nHe would never know what Gu Qingluo looked like. Even moreso, he wouldn’t know how beautiful her postures were as she bathed.

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nFaint depression appeared in his heart and that pain filled him with emptiness once more.

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nDespite having not given up, who could be able to guarantee they would always remain resolute? By the time he woke up from his midnight dream, his jacket was soaked with tears.

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nSu Chen’s feelings of weakness emerged for only a moment, and were quickly suppressed.

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nNo matter what happens, he must persevere; he can never collapse.

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nEven if the entire world gave up on him, but he would never give up on himself!

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nHe heard Gu Qingluo’s voice, “Su Chen, I heard in a few days it will be the time for your Su Clan’s end of year major evaluation?”

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n“Yes.” Su Chen said with a light voice.

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n“I heard the rules were changed this time. The first place of the formal comparison must undergo a challenge before being recognized?”

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nIn these several months, Gu Qingluo wasn’t as completely ignorant of this place as she had been at the start. With regards to the matters of Su Chen and Su Clan, Gu Qingluo had long obtained information on this.

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n“That’s right.” Su Chen replied.

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n“Then what will you do?” Gu Qingluo looked at Su Chen.

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nSu Chen was still sitting as before, “I will just fight.”

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nI will just fight?

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nGu Qingluo’s heart shook.

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nHe easily said this but in the end, Su Chen was still blind.

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nThat’s right, his ears could hear many sounds. However, they could never take the place of his eyes. On the arena, he wouldn’t be given the opportunity to hear the wind. With just the the slightest of error, his opponent would seize that opportunity and defeat him!

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nHe had no chance.

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nHowever, Gu Qingluo didn’t say those words; she wasn’t Su Chen’s father. As such, she understood Su Chen far more clearly and respected him.

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nShe absolutely didn’t want to insult Su Chen’s dreams and shatter his hopes.

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nWith that thought, Gu Qingluo suddenly said, “Let me teach you the Snaking Mist Steps.”

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n“What?” Su Chen was stunned.

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nLongxi’s Gu Clan had three absolute techniques. One of them was the Snaking Mist Steps. It is said that when its steps and strange movements were put to full use, one would display incomparable speed and would be extremely hard to catch. It was also the Gu Clan’s clan suppressing technique.

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nHearing Gu Qingluo’s words, Su Chen instinctively said, “What joke is that? Are you really allowed to so casually teach these clan suppressing techniques to others?”

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nGu Qingluo then smiled and said, “Snaking Mist Steps is a secret bloodline technique. If you don’t have the corresponding bloodline, you are simply incapable of displaying its true might. Even if I were to teach it to you, it truly wouldn’t be of concern.

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nIn this world, one’s bloodline was absolutely crucial to one’s success.

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nAlthough humans have developed for countless years, they were fundamentally still incapable of discussing cultivation systems and bloodline inheritance at the same level.

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nA warrior who bitterly cultivated for many years might not necessarily prove to be a match for a hedonistic scoundrel with an awakened bloodline.

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nThe world wasn’t fair and bloodline inheritances were the greatest example of this. .

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nThe Gu Clan’s Snaking Mist Steps followed this principle.

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nIt was divided into two parts: one part footwork, one part bloodline inheritance.

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nOnly those who truly possessed the bloodline would be able to fully display the effect of the Snaking Mist Steps. By only grasping footwork, only its skin could be acquired and its essence couldn’t displayed.

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nThis was the reason why Gu Qingluo dared to teach Su Chen the Snaking Mist Steps.

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nIn this world, techniques weren’t forbidden; bloodlines were!

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nNaturally, even if it wasn’t forbidden, it couldn’t be so casually spread. Thus, Gu Qingluo requested that Su Chen mustn’t display this footwork to others unless it was absolutely necessary.

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