Chapter Ten: When Photography Fails, Resort to Handwritten Copies

Since the source of danger lay within this volume of scripture, as long as the book was not in his possession but instead appeared elsewhere, the attention of others would naturally be drawn away, allowing him to completely extricate himself from the matter.

With this in mind, Chen Xian no longer hesitated. He picked up his phone and began photographing the scripture before him.

*Click, click...*

As he snapped pictures, he flipped through the pages without pausing to review the photos, eager to save time.

Only when he had captured the last page did Chen Xian finally exhale in relief.

Opening his photo gallery, he browsed the images to check if he had photographed everything in full.

“Hm?”

At that moment, his expression froze.

“Nothing?”

The photos he had taken appeared as blank pages, devoid of any text.

“What is going on?”

Chen Xian murmured to himself.

“I clearly took the pictures, but there’s nothing here—no words at all. How is this possible?”

“Could it be a problem with the phone?”

Furrowing his brow, he speculated.

“Let me try again!”

This time, Chen Xian did not use his phone to photograph; instead, he placed the book before his computer.

*Click, click...*

After taking several shots in succession, the images captured by the computer still revealed no text.

This strange phenomenon caused Chen Xian’s brows to knit tighter.

“There’s something strange about this book.”

He pondered silently, then carefully examined the scripture.

The volume seemed no different from ordinary books—the paper bore no peculiarities.

“Where is the problem then?”

He continued flipping through the pages, but no matter how he searched, the scripture held nothing but densely packed text—no hidden markings or secrets.

The situation baffled him deeply.

***

“Forget it. If I can’t photograph it, I’ll copy it by hand. I refuse to believe the written words will vanish if transcribed.”

Chen Xian resolved.

Since photographing was futile, he decided to painstakingly transcribe the text himself. Though slower and more time-consuming, for this volume of martial scripture, he had no other choice.

Picking up his pen, he began copying.

His pace was deliberate, for fear that rushing would cause him to miss crucial details.

At intervals, he drew the curtains slightly open and used a telescope to scan the large tree outside, checking to see if anyone had returned.

After an hour, Chen Xian finally finished copying the entire martial scripture.

A smile spread across his face as he read through the content.

This time, his transcription had gone smoothly, without any unexpected glitches.

“What an immense opportunity. Just moments ago, I was still pondering the martial legacy, and now, in the blink of an eye, this scripture has fallen into my hands. Truly…”

Overjoyed, he carefully stowed the manuscript away.

This scripture not only contained the original martial legacy but also featured numerous annotations in the blank spaces—martial insights and cryptic messages unwritten elsewhere.

For a martial artist, these were invaluable, the very essence of mastering the Dragon-Tiger Dan Scripture.

Many martial legacies were passed down orally, with secret teachings never recorded in texts.

Without these secrets, even inheriting a great sect’s legacy would be futile, for no one knew if traps lay hidden within. A single misstep could spell death.

But now it was different. This scripture documented those secrets clearly, filling Chen Xian with delight.

He knew he had struck treasure.

“If this scripture is leaked, the consequences would be unimaginable.”

Chen Xian thought solemnly.

Yet he understood that now was not the time for worry.

“The urgent task is to return this thing to its original place as soon as possible.”

Without delay, Chen Xian began preparing. He wrapped the scripture carefully, dressed himself warmly, concealing his features so thoroughly that no one could recognize him, and gripped the package tightly.

He had to deal with this at once; if the scripture fell into the wrong hands, it would spell disaster for him.

Under cover of night, Chen Xian quietly left his residence.

*Whoosh.*

His figure flashed as he hurried toward the large tree.

He dared not delay, lest he be seen.

***

Soon, Chen Xian arrived beneath the great tree.

He scanned the surroundings, ensuring no one was near, then tossed the package into the bird’s nest and erased any traces he had left behind.

“Hm, with this done, no matter what happens, this matter shouldn’t be linked to me anymore.”

Satisfied, Chen Xian nodded.

He left swiftly, not daring to linger for even a moment, fearful of having his movements discovered.

Only after returning to his residence did he finally breathe a sigh of relief.

That night, the entire city’s relevant authorities, including the enforcement teams, did not sleep soundly. The last robber had been caught, but the stolen item remained missing.

This was a troublesome affair. The lost item was a priceless treasure. Should it fall into the hands of certain organizations, the grand Xuan Martial Way might be completely deciphered.

If that happened, the Divine Martial Way would no longer be exclusive to the grand Xuan.

Fortunately, they had captured the final suspect.

With rigorous interrogation, they might uncover the whereabouts of the treasure.

For the middle and low-ranking officers, that night was sleepless. But for some high-ranking figures in the grand Xuan, all was calm and steady, showing no sign of urgency.

Chen Xian, too, stayed awake throughout the night.

The next morning, when he awoke from meditation and opened his eyes, the fatigue vanished instantly, replaced by vigor and alertness.

He had spent the entire night poring over the scripture, memorizing its contents bit by bit.

In a few days, he should be able to commit it wholly to memory. Then, burning the transcribed manuscript would sever any connection to him.

During this time, he dared not slack off. Every review was meticulous, lest he confuse the sequence of the secrets.

Drawing back the curtains and opening the window, the cool air rushed in, invigorating his spirit.

The sky was still early; the great sun had yet to rise. Only a faint light in the eastern heavens gradually expanded.

Chen Xian took a deep breath and silently practiced the White Crane Breathing Technique, launching into the White Crane Fist to stretch his muscles and temper his body.

*Hoo, ha...*

*Clap, clap...*

The crisp sounds echoed through the room.

Each punch and kick was full of power, breaking the air with a sharp whoosh.

A surging force coursed through his body, striving to break free from the constraints binding him within.