“Cough!”
Xiao hadn’t expected Jia Changjiang to suddenly pull out another weapon from seemingly nowhere.
One hand gripped the tip of Xiao’s spear, while the other, clenched into a fist, slammed into Xiao’s chest, sending him flying backward.
Under normal circumstances, Xiao wouldn’t have felt much from such an attack. But as Jia Changjiang’s punch connected, something within Xiao stirred—his long-suppressed karmic debt erupted into turmoil.
The festering karmic energy, usually held in check, now seethed as if provoked by an unseen force, causing Xiao visible discomfort. The malevolent aura within him, sensing a threat, began to resist instinctively.
“Amitabha…” Jia Changjiang clasped his hands together in prayer as he watched Xiao struggle with the surge of internal chaos. His palms then parted, forming fists that collided with a resounding clang.
Carved into the iron gauntlets he now wore were intricate designs: a Bodhisattva on the left and a Buddha on the right.
During a previous “draw” of his mysterious abilities, Jia Changjiang had received not only clothing and magical items but also two scrolls of scripture. Initially believing them to be ordinary Buddhist texts, Jia Changjiang had idly flipped through them while waiting at the Northland Bank. But upon opening the scrolls, he had discovered two ornate boxes.
Inside the boxes were not only the scriptures but also this pair of gauntlets.
The scriptures described a martial art rooted in Buddhist philosophy—a skill Jia Changjiang quickly mastered.
A style blending softness and strength, ferocity tempered with compassion, this fist art was designed to dispel evil of all kinds. Its name was: Foke.
At its pinnacle, this technique didn’t just exorcise demons and malevolent spirits—it could also protect the host from harm while purging the evil within them. This mastery of both destruction and protection was known as: Foke You.
For Xiao, whose soul was plagued by the karmic remnants of slain gods and demons, this technique was uniquely suited to confront his inner torment.
“Amitabha—” Jia Changjiang’s grin faded as he took a solemn stance, gazing at Xiao, who knelt on one knee, visibly suppressing his raging karma. “Allow this humble monk to grant you peace, honored Adeptus.”
Jia Changjiang shifted his weight, preparing to strike. As Xiao managed to subdue a portion of the turbulence within, he raised his head—only to find Jia Changjiang already before him, fist retracted at his side.
With a thunderous boom, Jia Changjiang’s punch drove Xiao backward once more, reigniting the chaotic energy Xiao had just barely contained.
Xiao struggled to mount a defense, but the erratic surge of his karmic burden left him vulnerable. Jia Changjiang seized the opportunity, landing blow after blow with unrelenting precision.
It wasn’t Jia Changjiang’s fists that overwhelmed Xiao—it was the tumultuous upheaval of the karmic energy within him, thrown into disarray by the targeted strikes.
At last, Xiao could no longer suppress the boiling karmic aura. The dark, ink-like essence spilled from his mouth and nose, twisting and writhing like a living entity as it surged toward Jia Changjiang.
“How dare you, wretched spirit, act so brazenly in my presence!”
With a swift motion, Jia Changjiang swung his gauntlet into the dark mass, shattering it into dissipating fragments.
“Stop…” Xiao reached out, grabbing Jia Changjiang’s wrist, even as he aimed his spear at Jia Changjiang’s throat. “If you keep this up, the karmic aura will simply reattach itself… to someone else.”
“No need to worry,” Jia Changjiang replied, brushing away the remaining traces of the aura from Xiao’s body. “There’s no one else nearby worth their attention. It’s just the two of us here.”
He grinned as he continued, “Remember back at the inn?”
“Now…”
Jia Changjiang tightened his grip on his fist and slammed it into the ground. The scattered karmic energy, which had been seeping into the earth, was forcibly drawn out and converged upon him.
With a resounding invocation, Jia Changjiang chanted:
“All evils be gone, calamities retreat!”
“Demons, spirits, and monsters, heed this decree!”
“Banish the unholy, shield the righteous!”
“By the authority of the heavens, begone!”
The karmic energy, now condensed, surged toward Jia Changjiang.
With every strike of his fists, he shattered the malevolence bit by bit. While he couldn’t completely eradicate it, he managed to absorb a portion into himself—just as he had done back at Wangshu Inn.
As the final remnants of the aura faded, Jia Changjiang sat cross-legged on the ground, breathing heavily yet smiling. Before him, Xiao’s spear tip pressed against his chest, its sharp edge barely piercing his skin.
A little more force would end Jia Changjiang’s life.
“You insolent fool,” Xiao said coldly. “Such reckless actions… In Liyue, this would be considered a grave offense against the Adepti, warranting your immediate death.”
“But I won, didn’t I?” Jia Changjiang replied nonchalantly, ignoring the weapon at his chest. Removing his gauntlets, he carefully stowed them away. “Now even you can enter Liyue Harbor without issue. Although I didn’t fully resolve your karmic burden, you should feel a bit lighter, at least for a while.”
“…Was all this just to make me visit Liyue?” Xiao asked, his brows furrowed.
“I want the Adepti to see Liyue with their own eyes,” Jia Changjiang reiterated. “You’ve protected it for so many years—it’d be a shame not to witness what it’s become.”
“Times have changed. I have no intention of adapting to this new Liyue,” Xiao said as he withdrew his spear and slung it across his back. “What you’ve done is pointless.”
“It’s not pointless. It’s part of the contract,” Jia Changjiang retorted, patting his chest. “And the Adepti don’t break their promises, right?”
“…Adepti are not like mortals. We do not break contracts,” Xiao said after a long pause. “You’re skilled.”
“Next time, I’ll be even stronger,” Jia Changjiang said, issuing another challenge with a grin. “I’ll come for you again.”
“Oh, by the way,” Jia Changjiang added with a laugh, “I don’t know if the innkeeper ever thanked you on my behalf, but I heard you like almond tofu.”
“How about this—after our next fight, I’ll make you some. Don’t underestimate me; I’m a quick learner when it comes to cooking.”
“I promise, my almond tofu will impress you.”
Xiao scoffed but gave no reply as he vanished into the shadows.
Yet, as he departed, he left behind one parting remark.
“I will honor the contract. The Adepti never break their word.”
—
T/N: does jax just attract anemo men…? is kazuha next ALSO FOKE YOU!!!
This is a fan translation of 武器大师在原神绝不死于徒手 by 徐人双 All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!
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