Shu Yue was careful to keep her face neutral as she read the scroll. The last thing she wanted was for Lu Baiyu to see her shock and anger and become suspicious. If Lu Baiyu claimed it was his secret manual, then Shu Yue was not supposed to know about this. She had to pretend she'd never heard of this sword technique. She needed to figure out what was going on first.

In fact, Shu Yue knew nothing about the Claw of the Eternal Beast, only its name. It was one of the ancient sword techniques of the Ophiuchus Clan that her father had mentioned. However, thirty-eight years ago, the seventh-generation leader of the Ophiuchus Clan was executed for treason, and the clan was stripped of its title as one of the Zodiac Clans--the great clans of the Luo Empire. Following that, some Zodiac clans took advantage of the clan's demise to steal their martial arts techniques.

The Ophiuchus Clan possessed five high-level sword arts, all of which had been stolen. The Claw of the Eternal Beast was among them.

So how did Lu Baiyu obtain a copy of it? There was not even a copy of an abridged version of any of the high-level sword arts left in the Prime Library of the Ophiuchus Clan. Furthermore, after the Emperor announced the clan's demotion, theie copies of the five ancient techniques were confiscated as additional punishment. So, how did Lu Baiyu acquire this scroll?

Time stopped and all sound went muffled in her ears as a myriad of thoughts ran in her mind.

"...Chen Hui." Lu Baiyu's voice snapped Shu Yue out of her reverie. "Chen Hui?"

Shu Yue realized she was lost in her thoughts and didn't hear the rest of what Lu Baiyu said.

Oh, damn!

Shu Yue arranged her face in a studied embarrassment and smiled sheepishly at him. "I'm sorry, Master. I'm so engrossed and mesmerized by this sword technique. Each form has three minor sub-forms, and its attacks resemble the claws of a wild beast. It also said that this sword skill uses force chi to perform." She looked up at Lu Baiyu, her eyes full of feigned awe.

Lu Baiyu smiled proudly. "That's right. And let me tell you, the damage it causes to the target is greater than all of our clan's techniques combined."

"What a good sword technique!" Shu Yue exclaimed. It truly was an amazing sword art, but she couldn't be distracted now. She needed to figure out how Lu Baiyu got this copy without raising his suspicions. She cocked her head, summoning a curious look on her face. "Where did this technique come from, master?"

For a second, wariness shone in Lu Baiyu's eyes. Then his mouth quirked in a sly grin. "That will remain a secret. For now."

"I understand, master," Shu Yue said ever so politely. She cringed inwardly. It took her a lot of effort to keep the bitter laugh from bursting out of her mouth. She despised calling this human her master, but she had to keep up this facade.

This act would be over in a few hours anyway.

It's not the time to strike yet.

Lu Baiyu gave her a few minutes to study the Claw of the Eternal Beast. It didn't take long for Shu Yue to understand and memorize the contents of the bamboo scroll. Ready to begin her training, she unstrapped her bamboo sword and swung it around, as if testing it out. The green stick whistled as it cut through the air. As usual, she didn't remove the sheath. She had no intention of revealing the hidden blade inside the harmless bamboo stick to these people. She didn't want to draw any more of their attention than she already had.

Shu Yue took in a deep breath, and then circulated her chi to send energy into her weapon. The bamboo stick glowed with a faint blue light. She almost dropped her sword when its weight suddenly increased, although she already expected this as it was written on the scroll.

Lu Baiyu's face lit up as he watched her. "Good, you're doing quite well. Now you can notice the change in your weapon. Don't worry, once your body gets used to the sword art, the weight of your weapon will be nothing."

Shu Yue nodded with a smile on her face, and then pretended to concentrate on her bamboo stick. She had already decided not to learn the Claw of the Eternal Beast after reading about it. It was a high-level sword art, but all of the stances were purely offensive and straightforward.

She wasn't a pure warrior, so this sword art wasn't suited to her temperament. It was more suited to those who specialized in strength.

"Now that your weapon is ready, I want to see you perform," Lu Baiyu said, crossing his arms over his chest. "I will check your postures and movements."

Recalling the instructions in the scroll, Shu Yue tightened her grip around the bamboo stick. Then she spun around and aimed her weapon at a nearby bamboo. The green stick hit the tall bamboo with a thump. A creaking sound echoed throughout the forest as the bamboo stalk cracked in the middle.