I Am a Rune Engraver, Carrying a Knife Makes Perfect Sense-Chapter 28 - Sister-in-law Got Into a Fight!

—

Xu Shen fell silent.

It seemed the appearance of the golden figure was unique to him.

“What do you feel?” the old man asked, his tone growing serious. In a flash, he appeared in front of Xu Shen, his seemingly blind eyes scanning him as if they could see everything.

“It’s just like you described, except there’s this golden figure,” Xu Shen replied.

The old man placed a hand on Xu Shen’s arm, letting his energy flow through Xu Shen’s body. After a minute, he withdrew his hand, his expression turning odd.

“Are you messing with me? There’s no golden figure,” the old man said, shaking his head. “And even if there were, it’s probably in a place I can’t sense.”

He didn’t dwell on it further and instead asked, “Have you… felt that sensation of breaking through your limits?”

The old man’s gaze locked onto Xu Shen, intense and unyielding.

“If I want to, I can do it anytime,” Xu Shen replied calmly.

The old man’s face twitched before he let out a cold laugh. “It took me ten years to take that step, and you’re telling me you just started training and already can?”

“I don’t believe it. Come on, hit me with a punch—I’ll see for myself!”

He spread his legs and clasped his hands behind his back, bracing himself for Xu Shen’s strike.

Xu Shen hesitated, a shy smile on his face. “Are you sure? What if I hurt you…”

The old man glared at him. “Don’t be ridiculous! I’m invincible in the Flame Mastery Realm—my body is unmatched. If you can hurt me, I’ll eat—”

He stopped mid-sentence, realizing this kid was full of surprises. Better not tempt fate.

“Stop stalling! Hurry up!” he barked.

As he spoke, a faint energy began to rise within him. The mountain-shaped rune beneath his clothes started to activate.

Better safe than sorry. If this kid actually managed to hurt him, he’d lose face.

Xu Shen chuckled before his eyes suddenly gleamed with golden light. Golden blood energy surged around him, concentrating into his right fist.

Before the old man could react, Xu Shen’s punch slammed into his chest with a deafening BOOM!

“Shit!!” the old man cursed as he was sent flying like a cannonball, crashing straight into the wall and embedding himself in it.

A few moments later, he climbed out of the rubble with a blank expression. Dusting himself off as if nothing had happened, he walked back with an air of nonchalance.

“Not bad. Looks like you’ve mastered it. No need to come back anymore,” he said curtly before turning and walking away briskly.

The moment he reached the surface, however, his face twisted in pain as he clutched his chest.

“That little bastard! If I hadn’t activated my rune in time, that punch would’ve killed me! Damn it…” he muttered under his breath.

But beneath his frustration was a deep sense of shock.

That punch had clearly surpassed the limits of the Awakening Realm, reaching into a realm spoken of only in legends. Every cultivation stage was said to have an unknown domain beyond its limits—a realm few could touch.

Even he had only barely glimpsed it through the Battle Art after years of training.

But this brat had reached it so easily?

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Had all his years of effort been for nothing?

“If Xu Shen can do it, then so can I,” the old man thought darkly. “Once I break through… I’ll finally…”

His eyes glinted with a sinister light, filled with boundless hatred.

“What are you mumbling about?” Xu Shen’s face suddenly appeared beside him, startling the old man so badly he almost jumped.

Just as he was about to yell at him, he noticed Xu Shen’s right arm dripping with blood, accompanied by faint cracking sounds.

“What happened to your arm?” the old man asked.

“Your body’s too strong. The recoil from the punch and the backlash from the Battle Art were too much,” Xu Shen replied casually. “It’s just a minor fracture—it’ll heal soon.”

“Oh, by the way,” Xu Shen added with a sly grin, “didn’t you say you’d eat something upside down?”

The old man immediately kicked him out of the courtyard. “Get lost! Don’t come back—I’ve got nothing left to teach you!”

Xu Shen laughed as he walked away, humming a tune and swinging his injured arm like it was nothing.

Watching him leave, the old man let out a long sigh before retreating into his house. Sitting silently on the sofa, he closed his eyes in thought.

After what felt like an eternity, he opened them again and began carving words into the table in front of him…

—

“In the era following the resurgence of spiritual energy, our technology and craftsmanship have stagnated,” Ms. Wang lectured in class. “While we’ve developed many products combining spiritual stones and technology, history is now moving toward an unknown frontier.”

Xu Shen sat attentively, answering her questions with precision.

“During this transition, which countries disappeared from Earth?” Ms. Wang asked with a smile, pleased with Xu Shen’s progress.

“Some smaller nations were wiped out by ghoul outbreaks,” Xu Shen replied after some thought. “Larger countries still exist. For example, India lost most of its territory due to the massive number of ghouls that emerged from the Ganges River and has yet to recover.”

“Correct,” Ms. Wang said approvingly. “You’ve clearly studied well—just as smart as you were as a child.”

Xu Shen scratched his head sheepishly and chuckled.

“Now for a more advanced question,” Ms. Wang continued seriously. “Let’s discuss the origins of runes and cultivation techniques.”

“The first rune was discovered by Su Zao, a historian from our country, in 2315,” Xu Shen recited smoothly. “He also found cultivation techniques inscribed beneath the rune at an ancient site.”

“That marked the beginning of the cultivation era. Since then, countless techniques and runes have been unearthed, and hidden families and sects have emerged—like Buddhism, Wudang Mountain, and various clans.”

“Each of these groups possesses unique and powerful runes.”

“In addition to discovered techniques and runes, many brilliant individuals have created new ones that are now widely used—like the Ghost Wolf Rune here in the Northeast District, which was derived from the Moon Emperor Rune by a great cultivator.”

Ms. Wang nodded in satisfaction as Xu Shen finished his explanation.

“Very good. Now tell me—how are ghouls classified? And what is their origin?”

She handed him a test sheet filled with questions from various subjects. While Xu Shen excelled in history and literature, his other scores were abysmal…

“Ghouls are created by a strange energy within spiritual energy,” Xu Shen began. “Their levels correspond to human cultivation stages or can be numbered—for example, a ghoul at the Awakening Realm is considered first-tier.”

“As for their origin…” He paused briefly to recall what he had read. “Research suggests their power resembles an ancient evil described in Xia Nation’s mythology—zombies.”

Ms. Wang raised an eyebrow at his answer but nodded for him to continue.

“Zombies?” Xu Shen repeated internally. When he first read about it in books, he thought it was absurd—but given how people could now fly and wield supernatural powers through runes, it didn’t seem so far-fetched anymore.

“Not bad,” Ms. Wang said, “but your explanation is incomplete.”

“Ghouls between first and third tiers aren’t considered zombies—they’re just monsters acting on instinct.”

“Only those above third-tier—equivalent to Tongyou Realm cultivators—are called ‘Jiang.’”

“Jiang possess human-like intelligence and bodies that are nearly indestructible.”

“They can speak like humans and even claim territories for themselves.”

“In fact,” she added with a faint smile, “aside from beast-like Jiang, humanoid ones are almost indistinguishable from humans.”

Xu Shen nodded thoughtfully as he absorbed this information.

“Do they… drink blood?” he asked suddenly, blurting out the question without thinking.

Ms. Wang sighed exasperatedly. “At that level? They’d swallow you whole—what difference does drinking blood make?”

“So… are Jiang really that strong?” Xu Shen asked, recalling tales of zombies from folklore.

“In ancient times—before spiritual energy revived—there were already stories about zombies possessing immense strength and speed,” Ms. Wang explained patiently.

“If they were that powerful back then—when spiritual energy was barely present—imagine how much stronger they’ve become in today’s environment.”

“Can humans fight Jiang at the same level?” Xu Shen asked curiously.

“Never underestimate human potential—or the power of runes and techniques,” Ms. Wang replied firmly. “There have been many instances where humans have slain Jiang single-handedly.”

“Tongyou and Yinshen cultivators represent realms beyond human limits.”

“Some even speculate that ancient immortals from myths might have been Tongyou or Yinshen cultivators.”

—

As Xu Shen left school later that day, Ms. Wang’s words lingered in his mind.

If legendary zombies existed—could ancient immortals also be real?

And if they were real… where were they now?

Had they perished over time? Or were they simply misunderstood as mythical figures?

Perhaps ancient runes were remnants of their legacy…

A sense of anticipation stirred within Xu Shen as he pondered these possibilities.

Entering cultivation had opened up new perspectives—revealing glimpses of another side of reality…

His thoughts were interrupted by his phone ringing.

Xu Guang’s anxious voice came through: “Brother Shen! Something’s wrong! Sister-in-law got into a fight!!”