Chapter Thirteen: The Cultivator Guo Zijiang (Part I)

The squad members all paused their tasks and gathered around. Modern entertainment had always consisted of things like television and the internet, but now, to conserve electricity, such leisure activities had vanished. To pass the time, most people in the base chose to read the various books retrieved from outside.

This explained why the team was familiar with the name “Cultivator” yet found it astonishing. They had thought it was a fantastical profession only found in novels, never imagining they would actually encounter a living cultivator before their very eyes today.

“You’re a cultivator?” Zhao Qiang and Cai Jiashu asked in unison. The existence of a cultivator was truly unbelievable, yet everything happening around them seemed to defy ordinary explanation and could only be described as cultivation magic.

“Indeed!” Guo Zijian nodded solemnly, his face stern and dignified. “I am a true cultivator. You’ve seen it yourselves—I saved you, and only I can save you.”

“Did he get his head caught in a door?” Er Gou whispered from the back of the group.

“I think so. Definitely water in his brain,” someone nearby murmured in agreement.

“I heard that!” Guo Zijian suddenly raised his voice, his eyes piercing through the others until they landed on Er Gou’s face. “I knew you didn’t believe me, but I can prove it to you.”

Seeing their curiosity piqued, the corners of Guo Zijian’s mouth curled into a sly smile. His hands quickly formed intricate hand seals as he chanted, “Mystic Sect of Heaven and Earth, origin of boundless Qi. Cultivate through countless kalpas, manifest my divine power, soar!” As soon as the words left his mouth, Guo Zijian made no obvious movement, yet his body wobbled and floated up. Suspended in midair for a few seconds, he suddenly screamed in surprise and flailed helplessly before crashing down like a wooden board.

“Heh, sorry, sorry! The battle earlier drained too much of my energy, especially dealing with that guy!” Guo Zijian struggled to his feet, scratching the back of his head with a blush. He kicked a long-dead sage’s body nearby and explained, “I only recently began cultivation, so my power is still at the beginner’s stage.” Clearly, this was not the first time such a thing had happened. Zhao Qiang even caught the subtle moment when Guo Zijian adjusted midair to avoid slamming directly onto the ground.

“Brother Guo truly is an eye-opener,” Zhao Qiang said sincerely, with no hint of disdain. After witnessing Guo Zijian’s demonstration firsthand, Zhao forced himself to believe what he saw. This man was too mysterious, having effortlessly resolved everything here alone. Fortunately, he was an ally, not an enemy; otherwise, Zhao doubted their entire squad combined could stand against him.

“Well, thanks for your help. May I ask which sect you belong to?” Zhao Qiang was momentarily at a loss for how to address him, so he resorted to the old-style formal language he had learned from the master novelist Jin Yong.

“No need to thank me,” Guo Zijian laughed heartily. “I don’t have any sect. My path of cultivation is entirely self-taught. How about that? I’m a natural genius.”

Zhao Qiang’s head filled with a black cloud. What kind of nonsense was this? Cultivation was one thing, but self-taught genius? This guy’s head must have been kicked by a donkey to end up on the cultivation path! And why did his speaking style resemble internet slang?

No matter. There was no time to dwell on these questions. It was just a swarm of hundreds of bats that had dealt the squad an unprecedented blow. Zhao Qiang had never imagined that these little creatures, which circled above people every summer evening, could become so dangerous as zombies. No one could survive their overwhelming assault. Though the new humans had strong regenerative abilities, these were useless against wounds inflicted by zombies. Moreover, no one knew what kinds of zombies might appear in the future. If they could recruit someone like Guo Zijian into the squad, they might stand a better chance against the unknown battles ahead.

Zhao Qiang shared his thoughts with Guo Zijian, whose reaction surpassed his expectations.

Guo Zijian adjusted his long robe with a flourish, then with a sharp “swish” drew the long sword slanted behind him. He stepped forward boldly, formed a sword seal with his left hand pointed at Zhao Qiang, and made a gesture of invitation.

Seeing this, the team immediately reacted. After the sounds of bullets being chambered, five rifles were raised simultaneously, their dark barrels aimed at Guo Zijian’s head. “Drop your weapon!” Cai Jiashu shouted fiercely. Though curious about Guo’s identity, none of the team members had ever let their guard down.

Unfazed by the murderous intent radiating from the soldiers, Guo Zijian stood firmly with his feet planted squarely. His sword danced up and down, carving a beautiful sword flower shape as he pointed it at Zhao Qiang. “Join you? Beat me first, then maybe.”

Zhao Qiang was stunned but signaled his team to lower their guns. He hadn’t expected such a reaction. Yet, when it came down to it, Zhao was neither willing nor wanting to back down. After all, it was just another fight. Moreover, no one had actually seen how Guo Zijian had fought before; everything was just the squad’s speculation.

Seeing Zhao accept the challenge, Guo Zijian smiled slightly and traced a circle on the ground with his sword. He formed a series of hand seals with one hand and silently recited, “Golden light manifests swiftly, shield the true man. By the law, so be it.” Once ready, he said, “I’ll give you three moves. If you can make me leave this circle within three strikes, you win!”

A surge of anger rose in Zhao Qiang’s chest. This Guo Zijian looked down on him far too much. Even if he was truly a cultivator, today Zhao would beat him until he was begging for mercy! With that thought, Zhao raised his hand and fired three shots without aiming. The bullets struck the ground near Guo Zijian’s feet, sending mud flying high. “Three moves are up!” Zhao tossed the smoking gun to Cai Jiashu and drew his “Dog Leg” blade, stepping forward to engage.

“You can use guns?” Guo Zijian shook his head, seemingly disappointed that Zhao had given up his strongest weapon.

“No worries. It’s just a friendly spar. I have confidence in my blade skills,” Zhao said, unconcerned by Guo’s remarks. To him, cultivation and mantras were just things from novels. Without trying firsthand, Zhao would never truly believe.

“Excuse me!” Zhao shouted sharply. Although he didn’t believe in cultivation, he dared not be careless. With an arrow step forward, he reversed the grip on his “Dog Leg” blade, slashing from a cunning angle toward Guo Zijian’s throat.