A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 277 Qiushui Villa
A month later, in the main hall of Tianshan, Shen Henian and Li Dengping reported back to the sect leader.

“Senior brother, all the hidden dangers within a hundred miles of Tianshan have been eliminated. In addition, the people in the town are overjoyed to hear that our sect is recruiting disciples, especially the more than ten wealthy families who want to send their children up the mountain and promise to send three hundred taels of silver as an offering every month. Senior brother, what do you think?”

Shen Henian has been in high spirits lately. His senior brother, the sect leader, rarely gets involved in specific matters except for major ones, and his third junior sister and fourth junior brother are not fond of mundane affairs. Therefore, he is considered to be the only one who can have the final say in the Tianshan Sect, and he has received a lot of flattery from others during this period.

"This matter will be handled by my junior brother. However, the background of the three generations of the newly initiated disciple must be thoroughly investigated and recorded to prevent anyone from passing off inferior individuals as genuine."

"Of course, Senior Brother Sect Leader, rest assured. No matter how wealthy a family is, they cannot enter the Tianshan Sect unless they are of impeccable character."

Shen Henian watched as the sect leader nodded, paused, and tentatively asked, "Sect Leader, there's unrest in the martial arts world again. I heard that Zhongxin Hall and Qiushui Manor have clashed."

Xue Wanshan glanced at him and said in a deep voice, "This is none of our business. What we need to do now is to solidify the foundation of the Tianshan Sect. However, we still need to pay close attention to this matter. Third Junior Sister, I'm leaving this matter to you. Just keep a little attention and don't get involved, lest you bring trouble upon yourself."

Upon hearing this, Li Dengping immediately came down and asked, "Sect Leader, where is Fourth Junior Brother? I haven't seen him for a long time."

Li Dengping had been back on the mountain for some time, but she hadn't seen Ni Qingfeng. She assumed that her senior brother, the sect leader, had sent him on a mission.

"My junior brother is currently training in the back mountain pavilion. He happened to obtain a piece of black iron and said he wanted to forge several precious swords. I was afraid that others would disturb him, so I kept the news a secret. I don't know how things are going now."

When Shen Henian heard about Xuan Tie, his eyes flashed with a sharp light. This was a rare and excellent material. In the Tianshan Sect, only the sect leader's sword was forged from Xuan Tie. Among the other sects, very few had Xuan Tie.

“Junior Brother’s forging skills are outstanding in our sect. This matter will surely succeed. If we can obtain a few Xuan Tie swords, Senior Brother, the strength of our Tianshan Sect will be enhanced once again.”

"It's too early to say now. Let's wait until my junior brother comes out."

Although Xue Wanshan was also very confident in Ni Qingfeng, no one knew what would happen until the very last step, so it was better to be conservative and avoid being disappointed in the end.

While the three were discussing in the hall, in the training pavilion, Ni Qingfeng looked at the more than ten gleaming longswords neatly arranged on the stone platform and couldn't help but reveal a satisfied smile.

"With these fifteen longswords, the combat strength of the high-level personnel will increase by at least 30%."

Ni Qingfeng called out to the outside, and the four disciples guarding the pavilion immediately came in. After bowing, they listened to their fourth master's instructions, sheathed the swords, held them in their arms, and followed him away.

"Sect Leader, Fourth Uncle has arrived."

Zhao Kai saw Ni Qingfeng approaching with four disciples from afar and immediately went into the hall to report. Upon hearing this, Xue Wanshan chuckled, flicked his whisk, and said calmly, "I know."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Kai immediately stood aside. A moment later, Ni Qingfeng led four disciples in. After exchanging greetings, Ni Qingfeng said to Xue Wanshan, "Sect Leader, I have successfully completed the forging of this sword. Please take a look."

As he spoke, Ni Qingfeng instructed his disciples to place all the swords on the table. Upon hearing this, Xue Wanshan, Shen Henian, and Li Dengping all stepped forward. Xue Wanshan immediately drew out a sword. Its clear light was faint, and its cold gleam was palpable. The sword reflected the sunlight, but instead of being scorching, it exuded a bone-chilling coldness that sent shivers down one's spine.

"Good sword."

Xue Wanshan gave an order to Zhao Kai, who immediately drew his longsword and lightly touched it with the Xuan Tie sword. With a crisp sound, the ordinary longsword broke in two and fell to the ground, while the Xuan Tie sword was completely undamaged. A stream of light swept across the sword and condensed on the tip.

Upon seeing this, Shen Henian was immediately startled. Zhao Kai's longsword was made of refined iron, far superior to ordinary weapons, but it was as easy to break against Xuan Tie.

"Junior brother, could these all be made of black iron?"

But this is far too much; how big must that piece of black iron be?

"Apart from these four longswords, the rest are only 30% sharper. Although they are not as sharp as these four, they are still far superior to those fine iron longswords."

Ni Qingfeng sorted out the four longswords and placed them aside. Xue Wanshan sheathed the longswords and then took out one of the four. This sword was radiant with light, decorated with snow-white patterns, and its sharpness was restrained, yet it still exuded a cold light. It would not be an exaggeration to call it a divine weapon.

"Back then, the Wanjian Sect's signature sword was hailed as the number one divine sword in the martial arts world, but now it seems to be nothing special. Junior brother, you have made a great contribution."

Xue Wanshan gave Ni Qingfeng an approving look and sheathed his longsword.

"Second junior brother, third junior sister, each of you take one and familiarize yourselves with this sword as soon as possible. It will be useful in the future."

Shen Henian and Li Dengping were overjoyed upon hearing this. They thanked Xue Wanshan and then Ni Qingfeng. Afterward, they each took out a sword, drew it, and admired it carefully.

"Zhao Kai, your sword is destroyed. Your martial uncle has decided to give you this sword. I hope you will not let this sword down."

Ni Qingfeng took out one of the remaining eleven longswords and threw it to Zhao Kai. The latter was immediately overwhelmed with excitement. He looked at Ni Qingfeng, then at Xue Wanshan, who nodded. Zhao Kai then bowed respectfully to Ni Qingfeng.

"Thank you, uncle."

Zhao Kai placed the broken sword on the table, carefully pulled out the Xuan Tie sword, and after looking at it for a few moments, his eyes immediately lit up with excitement.

"Senior brother, if there are no other instructions, we will take our leave now."

Shen Henian couldn't wait to test the power of the Xuan Tie Sword, and Li Dengping also looked eager to try it out. Xue Wanshan waved his hand, and the two left together. Zhao Kai guessed that his master and fourth uncle wanted to talk, so he bowed and left as well.

"Senior Brother Sect Leader, has anything major happened recently?"

Xue Wanshan returned to his seat and asked Ni Qingfeng to sit down as well, before saying, "Chief Chamu has already left Tianshan with the Dragon Pearl. Judging by the time, they should have arrived in Jiangnan by now."

"Autumn Water Villa?"

Ni Qingfeng's gaze narrowed slightly. Cha Mulong's trip to Jiangnan could only mean he was seeking revenge against Qiushui Manor. However, Qiu Tangbai's martial arts were no weaker than Shangguan Yun's, and with Qiushui Manor's influence in Jiangnan, this revenge battle would be difficult to win.

"Currently, Zhongxintang and Qiushui Manor are at odds, which has tied up some forces. However, regardless of the outcome, our Tianshan Sect needs to consider our future path."

Xue Wanshan sighed. There are only a handful of sects in the martial arts world that can protect themselves now. Once Qiushui Manor is defeated by Zhongxin Hall, their Tianshan Sect will be next.

"What's coming will come eventually. Qiushui Manor is doomed to defeat, but it will take Zhongxin Hall at least two years to fully digest Qiushui Manor. These two years will be our Tianshan Sect's opportunity."

"I have already decided to pass on the True Scripture of the Profound Mystery to Tianjiao and the others. With the Heavenly Heart Pill that you refined, Junior Brother, within two years, they will be able to become the backbone of the sect."

Upon hearing this, Ni Qingfeng glanced at Xue Wanshan. The True Scripture of the Orthodox Profound Realm is not passed down to anyone other than the successor of the sect leader. It is only natural that Tianjiao should learn it. However, it is probably not quite appropriate for Zhao Kai and the others to learn it as well.

“Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. I also believe that the seven of them are not the kind of people who fight for power and profit. Moreover, I believe that Tianjiao can keep them in check. If we keep suppressing our opponents and do not strive for progress, our sect will either perish today or be destroyed tomorrow.”

"Senior brother, you are truly insightful and far-sighted. I admire you, but what about Second Senior Brother..."

"With me here, my second junior brother won't be able to cause too much trouble. As for some power, let him take charge of worldly affairs if he wants to. Once Tianjiao has grown up, he should step down."

Xue Wanshan was not unaware that Shen Henian had always coveted the position of sect leader, but now the situation had changed, and with absolute strength, all schemes and tricks would fail. Ni Qingfeng nodded upon hearing this and said, "That's fine too. As long as Second Senior Brother doesn't do anything outrageous, Tianshan will give him some freedom."

Inside Zhongxin Hall, Shangguan Yun was reviewing the intelligence gathered about Qiushui Manor.

"Qiu Tangbai hasn't shown his face in public for two months. Qiu Tanggui and Qiu Tangjie are vying for control of the manor, which is good news for us. Ri Sha, has the informant who infiltrated the manor confirmed that Qiu Tangbai has gone mad?"

"The informant hasn't sent any news yet, but based on my deduction, even if Qiu Tangbai isn't insane, his condition is probably not much better. Otherwise, why wouldn't he come out to take charge of the estate? Qiu Shui Manor's tea business has plummeted. If this continues, Qiu Shui Manor won't be able to survive."

"No, no, no, Qiu Tangbai, that old fox, has always been cautious and suspicious, and he especially likes to create confusion. When he first took over Qiushui Manor, the situation was even worse than it is now. Some sects thought they had a chance and came to give Qiu Tangbai a hard time, but little did they know that they had already embarked on the road to the Yellow Springs in just half a month..."

Sanhu Water Village was once the largest gang in Jiangnan. Its leader, Peng Cong, was a first-rate expert. After Qiu Tangbai personally visited, he humbled himself and voluntarily gave up most of the tea and silk market in Jiangnan. This made Peng Cong the center of attention among those gangs, but it also made Peng Cong and his men lower their guard. Everyone thought that Qiu Tangbai was just a rich young master and not worth a second glance.

But who could have imagined that in just half a year, the power structure of the Jiangnan martial arts world would be reshuffled, and the Three Lakes Water Village would be completely destroyed, with all its remnants being absorbed by the Autumn Water Manor. The Autumn Water Manor immediately gained control of the Jiangnan martial arts world, and this battle directly made him famous.

At this point, Shangguan Yun couldn't help but sigh in admiration. Qiu Tangbai was just too similar to himself, but it was precisely because of this that Shangguan Yun could not tolerate Qiu Tangbai living in the world.

"Does the hall master suspect that this information was deliberately leaked by Qiu Tangbai to lure us into making a move so he can strike back later?"

Yue Sha's expression immediately turned serious. If that were the case, Qiu Tangbai was truly willing to sacrifice most of his business in order to lure them into a trap.

"Therefore, before receiving definite information, I cannot act rashly. Everything needs to be planned carefully. Since he wants to test his patience with me, then I will grant his wish. Yue Sha, pass down the order to slow down the offensive, digest the market that has been seized, and gradually erode his strength. Let's see how long he can endure this!"

"Yes, my subordinate will do it now."

Upon hearing this, Yue Sha immediately agreed and got down. After Yue Sha left, Shangguan Yun turned to Ri Sha and asked, "Where is Fei Yan now?"

"Miss is currently in Xiyuan City, and everything is fine, except..."

Shangguan Yun frowned slightly upon hearing this. "But what?"

"A man named Lu Yi is with Miss. He is the only son of the Black and White Heroes. Miss seems to like him very much."

"Hmph, Lu Yi, the Black and White Duo, forget it. This is Fei Yan's first time traveling in the martial arts world, and she doesn't have many friends. She finally has a friend, so I, as her father, can't drive her away. Just have the people protecting her keep a close eye on her and make sure they don't do anything out of line."

"Yes, I obey."

Seeing that Shangguan Yun had no further instructions, Ri Sha left the hall. After sitting for a while, Shangguan Yun went to the secret room to cultivate. An hour later, he finished his cultivation with a rosy complexion.

"This Dragon Ball is truly wondrous. The amount of true energy that my dantian can hold has increased significantly compared to a month ago."

In the first year after obtaining the Dragon Balls, his martial arts improved rapidly, but later it became slower and slower. After killing the Nameless of the Qiankun Sect, he obtained his Dragon Balls. The two Dragon Balls resonated with each other, allowing his martial arts to advance another step. However, in the following years, his martial arts stagnated again. It was only a few months ago that he saw the third Dragon Ball, which made his true energy start to become active. Now, his martial arts are several times stronger than they were in the Battle of Tianshan.

"The third Dragon Ball was apparently lost from the Tianshan Sect, but Xue Wanshan is cunning and shrewd, and with Ni Qingfeng's help, it's possible that the Dragon Ball is still in Tianshan. It seems we still have to go to Tianshan to see for ourselves."

Since Qiushui Manor cannot be taken down in the short term, let's test Tianshan first. This sudden move of mine will surely catch Tianshan off guard, and perhaps we can gain something from it.

"Meng Baichuan is missing, Qiu Tangbai has one, the divine weapon is dead, but there is no dragon pearl in the Ten Thousand Swords Sect. Xuanwu is missing, and the dragon pearl is also missing. Only He Santai's dragon pearl is missing. When I killed him, the dragon pearl was not on him. Could it be hidden somewhere?"

Shangguan Yun kept recalling in his mind. When he thought of He Santai, a familiar face suddenly appeared in his mind. That was his wife, He Yanrong, who was He Santai's sister. If you were to ask who He Santai would give the Dragon Pearl to, his wife would definitely be the first choice.

"I was so focused on the Dragon Balls outside that I forgot about the person right in front of me. It seems I need to go see the lady."

He had been deeply in love with the wife of the most beautiful woman in the martial arts world. If it weren't for a chance encounter, he would never have been able to marry her. However, after their marriage, their relationship was not very harmonious. Fortunately, Fei Yan came into the picture, and their relationship gradually improved. But later, because of He Santai, He Yanrong had a big fight with him and returned to Kongtong Mountain, where she devoted herself to healing the sick and saving lives.

Jiangnan, Qiushui Villa

Inside the training room, two ordinary-looking men stood respectfully before a man with a withered face, disheveled hair, and limbs bound by thick iron chains.

"Brother, Zhongxintang has already taken over 40% of the tea market in Jiangnan. What should we do? If this continues, Qiushui Manor will not be able to hold on."

The speaker was Qiu Tanggui, Qiu Tangbai's second younger brother. He was of average talent and his martial arts skills were mediocre, but he had a special talent for business. Under his leadership, the tea business of Qiushui Manor covered the entire Jiangnan martial arts world and even opened up trade routes to the Western Regions. It would not be an exaggeration to say that he made a fortune every day.

However, Qiu Tanggui knew that he was able to run his business so smoothly only because of his elder brother Qiu Tangbai's influence and the prestige of Qiushui Manor. Otherwise, he would have been harmed by those with ill intentions long ago, and he would not be so powerful. Therefore, he respected his elder brother Qiu Tangbai very much.

Upon hearing this, Qiu Tangjie also spoke up, "The tea business is declining day by day. Relying solely on the business in the Western Regions to confront Zhongxintang is undoubtedly courting death. Brother, what exactly is your plan?"

Previously, Zhongxin Hall launched a major offensive against Jiangnan. Some smaller sects were unable to withstand the attack, and people from various sects came to Qiushui Manor to discuss how to deal with the enemy. However, the eldest brother asked his nephew Qiu Ruofeng to take charge. Qiu Ruofeng was not capable of handling such matters. After a pointless discussion, those smaller sects had no choice but to submit to Zhongxin Hall for their own benefit.

"Eldest brother previously asked my third brother and me to voluntarily give up that 40% of the market, and we have now done so. I wonder what your next instructions are?"

Qiu Tanggui glared at Qiu Tangjie and asked Qiu Tangbai in front of her.

“That scoundrel Shangguan Yun has been pretending for decades, and now he finally couldn’t hold back anymore. I had expected this day long ago. You can’t defend Qiushui Manor. I am powerless to do so now, and my mind is sometimes clear and sometimes not. This whole show is for Shangguan Yun to see.”

"Brother, you..."

Although Qiu Tanggui had some suspicions in his heart, he still found it hard to believe that his elder brother had said it.

"Since obtaining the Dragon Ball, my health has deteriorated day by day, and my martial arts skills have become inconsistent. This is retribution. While Shangguan Yun is still wary, you should gather your forces as soon as possible. Give up what you should give up without hesitation. As for Ruofeng, do your best to look after him. We don't expect him to achieve great success; we only hope that he can live out the rest of his life in peace. That would be enough for me."

Qiu Tangbai gasped for breath, a flush suddenly appearing on his withered face. Seeing this, Qiu Tanggui immediately picked up the medicinal soup on the table and fed it to Qiu Tangbai. After drinking the soup and calming down for a moment, the latter continued, "Remember, the Central Plains is no longer peaceful. If that day really comes, you must immediately go to Tianshan. On the territory of the Tianshan Sect, Zhongxin Hall should not be too presumptuous. This is a glimmer of hope. You must remember this!"

"Yes, brother, I've got it."

Looking at the dejected Qiu Tangbai, Qiu Tanggui thought of her once spirited and powerful brother, and tears streamed down her face. Qiu Tangjie's eyes also instantly reddened.

"Alright, go down. Immediately spread the news about my madness through the informants in the village."

Seeing her brother's expression change, Qiu Tanggui knew that his madness was about to flare up again. After saying "yes," she pulled Qiu Tangjie away in a hurry.

Just after the two closed the door, Qiu Tangbai's eyes turned bloodshot, and the dragon pearl hidden in his chest slowly floated out, landing on Qiu Tangbai's head and scattering beams of crimson light.

"Heh heh, roar, kill, kill, kill!"

(End of this chapter)