I began to understand the myriad things by chopping wood

Chapter 218 Hidden Dragon List
Wuhe County Government Office.

Several days had passed since County Magistrate Yao Zhizhang was beheaded in the county government office.

The new county magistrate has not taken office so soon. Currently, the affairs of Wuhe County are handled by the county magistrate and the county lieutenant, and the study where the murder took place has been sealed.

Although the county magistrate could take advantage of this brief period of time to satisfy his desire to be a county magistrate, he had no intention of acting like a master in the study.

It's so tragic.

The beams and pillars in the study are still dark red.

Basically, everyone in the county government office now walks around the study room, and some runners even say that Lord Yao's wailing can still be heard from the study room at night.

Most people in the county government didn’t know why Yao Zhizhang was killed.

Although they all obeyed Yao Zhizhang and had a few confidants, no one could really get involved.

This matter involves too many people. Even Yao Zhizhang is just an executor and coordinator. Most of the time, he follows the instructions of Mr. Qian, not to mention the people in the county government.

Therefore, after the yamen runners and clerks found Yao Zhizhang's body and saw the line of blood words, they only thought that "Yun Zhao, a crazy official killer" had fled to Wuhe to commit crimes, and Yao Zhizhang was unlucky.

He died in office. He worked hard for the people until his death. The county government even held a grand ceremony for him and wrote a letter to the higher authorities asking for commendation.

They just didn't know how it was taken down by the Yunzhou government, which made them sigh with regret.

Under the manipulation of an invisible hand, the real culprit of this huge missing person case was kept secret.

A crunch.

The sealed study door was opened.

A man in a constable's uniform and wearing flying cloud shoes walked in and carefully examined the traces in the study.

He stared at the unerased line of words on the wall for a while, then raised his head and looked carefully at the dark red bloodstains on the beams and ceiling.

He slowly lowered his head and noticed the varying shades of dark red everywhere in the room from top to bottom, and easily determined the scene at that time.

It's not complicated. Xie Yuan broke into the room, injured Yao Zhizhang first, then cut off his head with a knife, left a note and left.

Su Xing was thinking quietly in the room.

Outside, the county magistrate, county lieutenant, and a group of constables and yamen runners stood in a crowd, not daring to breathe, for fear of disturbing the investigation of the most popular, youngest and most promising detective in Chunyu Tower.

However, the detectives below were a little confused and exchanged glances quietly.

The crime scene was not complicated. After the county magistrate was killed, bailiffs arrived immediately. The murderer even left a note openly, and some people testified that they saw the wanted criminal Xie Yuan in the portrait appear at the side door of the county government office.

It can be said that this is a very simple case with solid evidence. Why did Detective Su remain silent for a long time?

Su Xing stood quietly in the study for a while, then waved his hand. The county magistrate immediately walked forward, as if he was somewhat averse to the study, and bowed outside the door:

"What do you want, Su Shenfei?"

"Mr. County Magistrate, may I ask who did County Magistrate Yao offend during his lifetime?"

Su Xing asked slowly.

The county magistrate said with a sad face:

"Sir Su, County Magistrate Yao is dedicated to the public and has a clean record. He manages Wuhe County well and is well-respected in the county government. The people also love him very much. I really can't imagine why this villain wanted to kill County Magistrate Yao!"

Su Xing nodded and suddenly asked:
"I heard that a major human trafficking case happened here recently, around the time when County Magistrate Yao was murdered. Could it be related to this?"

The county magistrate's face changed slightly. He vaguely knew that these things were happening in the county, but he was rootless and fence-sitter, so he never asked, got involved, or said a word.

Now Su Xing asked, the county magistrate groaned and said innocently:
"I don't know. Magistrate Yao never told us that."

Su Xing turned his head and glanced at him, which made the county magistrate suddenly feel a chill in his heart.

Fortunately, Su Xing only glanced at him, then looked away and nodded:

"I understand. Let's go."

The county magistrate breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing that Su Xing didn't seem to want to ask any more questions, he hurriedly trotted after him:

"Master Su, we have ordered some local specialties from Linhe Yaxuan, the best restaurant in Wuhe, to welcome Master Su. Haha, Master Su, please do us a favor."

Su Xing has been active in several states on the northwestern border of Dali for the past year, and there is a trend that he will be stationed there. Naturally, the local bureaucrats in Wuhe want to have good relations with him.

But Su Xing just shook his head:

"No need to spend money. I've already eaten. I'm not hungry."

The county magistrate exclaimed:
"Hey, Master Su has come a long way and must be very tired. If you don't want to eat, why don't you let me take Master Su to Yaxuan to have a few drinks and enjoy the scenery? Let us also hear about the elegance of the capital and appreciate the style of Master Su in Chunyu Tower."

Su Xing still shook his head and said;
"I have indeed eaten. I had noodles on the roadside when I came to the county government office. I can't drink. Now that my business is over, I'll take my leave now."

When the county magistrate, county lieutenant and other officials of Wuhe County saw Su Xing bow and leave, it was too late to try to keep him. They could only look at each other and sigh.

"I've heard that this Su Shen Constable is rude to people and never makes friends with them. Now it seems that the rumors are true."

"How can you be an official if you behave like this? No wonder you were sent here from the capital..."

"Well, that's not the way to say it. I heard that Chunyu Tower is independent of government offices at all levels, and the inside is different from the outside. Su Xing is a martial arts master and a young detective, so he shouldn't be excluded."

"That means you look down on us. Humph, eating noodles? You can even come up with such an excuse..."

Su Xing did come here after eating a big bowl of Wuhe spicy noodles.

For some reason, in recent months, whenever he went to a place to handle a case, he would first go to a famous local noodle restaurant to eat a bowl of noodles.

While at it, quietly observe the diners on the panel and the passers-by around to form a preliminary impression of the local area, especially after confirming that there are no wanted criminals in the noodle shop, and then go to the government office to make contact.

Originally, this was just a few times of unwilling obsession, and Su Xing himself found it boring. But after a few times, he found that the noodles in the northwest were really good, and the flavor was different from that in the capital, so he gradually developed this habit.

After returning to the post station, Su Xing sat cross-legged on the bed in the room, meditating and regulating his breathing.

Not long after, there was a gentle knock on the door.

Su Xing opened his eyes, got out of bed, opened the door, and saw a middle-aged man in ordinary clothes outside. He slightly turned sideways and motioned for him to come in.

The man entered the room and saluted towards Su Xing:

"I greet the Master Su!"

Su Xing nodded, turned around and poured him a cup of tea. Seeing him take it with great trepidation, he said:
"You haven't changed your boots. They're still your official boots."

The man was stunned for a moment, subconsciously looked down, and then said:

"Master Su, I came in a hurry and didn't have time to replace my whole body..."

"Anyone who is interested can see it. There is also mixed red soil in the post station, which is brought by carriages from other places. There is absolutely no such soil here. The soles of your boots are stained with this mud. When you go back to the county government office, someone who is interested can see where you have been."

Su Xing shook his head:

"To be a spy, you have to pay attention to every aspect. You still need to hone your skills, so you can be an ear in the government office first. Don't even think about going to sects or cults. It's a death sentence."

The middle-aged man was sweating profusely and said in panic:

"Master Su is right. I will reflect on this when I return!"

Su Xing stopped dwelling on this matter and asked:

"You've been here for so long, what have you found out?"

The middle-aged man lowered his head and whispered:

"Sir Su, the disappearance of people in Wuhe is indeed related to County Magistrate Yao Zhizhang. He has close contacts with the local boat gangs, and I have secretly checked many times and have seen that the boat gangs will occasionally send out heavy boats in the middle of the night. I think those are the boats they use to transport people. Many times, Yao Zhizhang had just met with the leader of the boat gang, and the boats would start moving at night."

"Did you get any evidence?"

Su Xing just asked.

The middle-aged man looked ashamed:
"They are very well guarded and extremely cautious, and there seems to be some power behind them... I don't have any evidence."

"There is a force behind this? Does anyone know?"

Su Xing frowned slightly.

The man shook his head:

"I am just guessing. I have carefully observed Yao Zhizhang for a long time. From the clues, I always feel that he is not the leader here, but seems to be under the command of others. In the past, some chivalrous men from the martial arts world have come here, even people from the Yunshan Sword Sect, but they all returned empty-handed. It was all Yao Zhizhang who secretly blocked them.

"But I don't think Yao Zhizhang's subordinates have this kind of power. After all, he is just a marginal figure in the Yao family. The farm outside the city this time should be their previous base camp. It has never been exposed to any abnormality before. I don't think he is in charge of that place."

Su Xing nodded slowly and said without comment:

"Then there is something wrong with Yao Zhizhang. This is basically certain."

"I think so."

Su Xing paused for a moment and said slowly:
"I don't think Xie Yuan would kill Yao Zhizhang for no reason."

"Yao Zhizhang appears to be very good at winning people's hearts, but in reality he is petty, cold and cruel. It is not surprising if someone seeks him out for justice. However, he is an official of the imperial court after all, and Xie Yuan..."

The spy's tone was unfriendly.

Su Xing shook his head and said:
"That's right. Although Xie Yuan committed crimes twice and removed corrupt officials, Dali has its own laws and does not need such illegal knights. They think they are asking for fame, but in fact they are also the source of chaos! Moreover..."

Thinking of the bloody words and the noodle shop, Su Xing said in a deep voice:

"This Xie Yuan has a bad personality, loves provocation, and is extremely dangerous. I will personally arrest him and bring him to justice!"

After Su Xing finished speaking, he asked:

"You said before that there will be a Heavenly Rank Assassin from Qiufeng Tower showing up this time?"

When they mentioned Qiufeng Tower, both of them looked serious. The spy nodded:

"We found traces of a major battle by the river outside the city. It should be Xie Yuan and that person... who teamed up to kill the Heavenly Rank Assassin from Qiufeng Tower. The fatal wound was a cut in half by an axe."

"Take me to see it."

The two of them first arrived at the charity cemetery. Su Xing carefully examined the body of the Heavenly Rank Assassin, and his brows furrowed little by little.

Afterwards, he went to the riverside with the spy to the battlefield of the great battle. He looked at the scars that had not yet been smoothed out, and remained speechless for a long time.

"A Heaven-level assassin actually died at his hands."

Su Xing's usually calm expression fluctuated slightly, and there was uncontrollable shock in the depths of his eyes.

The spy was a little puzzled and couldn't help but remind him:
"Master Su, and that person... Most of the traces I have seen here should be the work of that person. Xie Yuan should just be helping out."

Su Xing took a deep breath:

"That person's music skills are amazing, but judging from the traces here, she still can't kill the Heavenly Rank Assassin. Even if she has subdued the assassin, it is not easy to kill him with one strike. The Autumn Wind Tower assassin who has reached the third level of transformation has a very strong physique. It should be that the two of them worked together, and Xie Yuan killed the enemy with one strike at the critical moment."

He was silent for a moment, then whispered:
"When he was training outside, he was able to injure a Grandmaster. Now, it's not surprising that he can cut a Third Transformation Realm in half with one strike."

Having said that, there was still something indescribable in Su Xing's tone.

I felt shocked, admired and surprised, but when I thought about such a villain, I also felt a bit of hatred and solemnity.

When the spy heard Su Xing's judgment, he was stunned for a while before he said in a hoarse voice:

"You mean, this is Xie Yuan's main force?"

"Without Xie Yuan, that person would definitely not be able to kill the assassin. At least it would be a 50-50 split."

Su Xing said firmly.

The spy took a breath.
"Can he be on par with that young lady? His strength..."

Su Xing's tone was very complicated:
"The second stage of Qi and blood transformation."

The spy's pupils shrank, and he said in disbelief:
"Master Su, when you were tracking him last year, wasn't he just starting to practice..."

As Su Xing's direct subordinate, he naturally knew the report Su Xing had submitted before. He was deeply impressed by this wanted criminal who had embarrassed his immediate boss, and he kept an eye on him for a long time.

But he didn't expect to pass by him this time, so the spy hurriedly reported and asked Su Xing to come to Wuhe County quickly.

"good."

Su Xing looked at the surging waves of the Wu River, which was exactly like his mood at the moment.

The spy was stunned for a moment when he got his confirmation.

Breakthrough twice within one year.

Even though the detectives of Chunyu Tower were knowledgeable and experienced, having seen many geniuses in the capital and read all the files of heroes in the world in the tower, they could not count a few such people.

It took him less than a year to break through from external training to the second level of Qi and blood. If he is given another year, three years, five years, ten years...

Will the world need another Xue Minghe?

As Su Xing thought about it, he found it increasingly difficult to calm down.

He said in a deep voice:

"We have to report this to the building. We need to raise the level of danger of Xie Yuan."

The spy probed:
"what do you mean?"

"We must pay attention to this. Once we find his trace, we must catch him as soon as possible! Otherwise, we may not be able to do anything to him."

Su Xing said.

As the youngest master detective in Chunyu Tower, is he also worried that Xie Yuan is growing too fast?

The spy was speechless for a moment. He did not expect Su Xing to give him such a high evaluation. But when he thought about what he had just said, he felt that it made some sense.

"Then you..."

"Of course I have to raise his wanted level. Also, I have another idea..."

Su Xing's eyes flashed, and he secretly made up his mind that he could no longer allow Xie Yuan to grow so quickly.

Seeing that Su Xing was not going to elaborate, the spy hesitated and asked:

"But Lord Su, since Xie Yuan is close to that person and they are companions, then..."

Su Xing's face darkened and he snorted coldly:
"Then are we not going to investigate? Xie Yuan has killed officials more than once. Are we going to let him go just because he has a backer? Not to mention that no one has come to my rescue yet. Even if there is, a prince who has broken the law is guilty of the same crime as a commoner!"

His words were so powerful that his subordinates listened in awe and responded loudly with fists clasped.

Su Xing did not say anything more, but calmed down a little, remained silent for a while, and then asked:
"Before I came here, someone in the building had told me not to investigate the Wuhe case too much. You feel there is something hidden behind it, and you have a keen sense of smell and can see it clearly.

"Tell me about that manor. What's going on?"

The spy suddenly understood and said with a wry smile:
"Is there someone putting pressure on people even in the building? No wonder... I rushed there as soon as possible and saw at least a hundred bodies of people who had been silenced. That was more than a hundred people... But people from the state government came over that day and silenced everyone.

"I also went to investigate secretly, but the manor was burned to ashes, and it seemed that someone had dealt with it, so I couldn't see anything. I am incompetent, and I only know this much."

Su Xing's face turned solemn when he heard this, and he whispered:

"More than a hundred people... are just the numbers above the water. How many innocent souls are there underwater? Is it possible to count them?"

He looked at the endless Wu River, watching the river getting wider and deeper, flowing southeast, with no idea where it would end up.

"You continue to investigate this matter."

Su Xing looked towards the east and said calmly.

The spy nodded heavily and said with a fist:

"I will definitely live up to your trust."

Su Xing gave him a deep look:
"Don't worry, I will take on the pressure in the building for you. But I'm in the open, so I can't investigate it myself. From now on, you will have to be a real spy, even to your colleagues in the building."

The spy smiled brightly:
"What are you talking about, Lord Su? I have never forgotten the oath I swore to God when I entered Chunyu Tower."

Su Xing patted his shoulder and said nothing more.

You and I have not forgotten, and many brothers have not forgotten.

But some people have forgotten.

……

"Sword style, start!"

On the top platform of Ruyun Peak, Instructor Lu stood on the stone platform with his hands behind his back and shouted.

In the light mist, a large group of inner disciples of the Yunshan Sword Sect, dressed in white, lined up neatly, using the same sword style. Their movements were uniform and looked pleasing to the eye.

There is naturally no big difference for inner disciples practicing the Yunshan sword style, and they can achieve unity of mind and intention.

Although in the eyes of Instructor Lu, everyone's level and movements are still very different, and everyone has their own unique style.

He glanced at the back of the team, glanced a few times, and nodded slightly. After the disciples finished practicing a full round, he slowly said:

"Sword tactics, start!"

The disciples united their efforts again and used the Cloud-Reaching Sword Technique, which was much more powerful than the Yunshan Sword Style.

Hundreds of disciples were able to achieve unity at the beginning, but after a few moves, there were slight differences, some fast, some slow, and each was different. Even an amateur could see that it was different from what was just now.

After all, Ruyun Sword Technique is already a mid-level sword technique in Yunshan, and it is hard to say that all the disciples who are still practicing have mastered the essence of it.

However, there are a few exceptions who stand out after a short period of training, surpass their peers and are appreciated by their teachers.

Lu Liangdong looked at Xie Yuan in the last row, with one hand behind his back and the other stroking his beard, and nodded slightly.

Zhang Shan is worthy of the fact that he has been able to stay at Jianfeng for such a long time. He is extremely talented and intelligent, and has already mastered the basics of the Cloud-Entering Sword Technique.

How many months had he only been training? At most, he had only been in the inner sect for a few months, and even in the mountains for a year - counting from the menial yard.

This kind of talent is rare in the entire Yunshan Mountain. Logically, it should have been taken away by the Grandmasters long ago...

But the masters took turns to look around and then left, shaking their heads.

It seems that this mountain has some hidden disease...

Lu Liangdong did not understand the meaning at first, but later he heard his disciples discussing it and then he heard a rumor.

Sect leader Li Xingtuo seemed to want to personally accept Zhang Shan as his disciple, and he used threats and inducements on the elders of various clans to make them speak well of him, revealing all sorts of interesting secrets about him when he was young.

Lu Liangdong has been in Yunshan for a long time, and he feels that this is quite like Li Xingtuo's style. Don't think that he looks like a good clan leader now, but it's hard to change one's nature.

However, a long time passed, and Zhang Shan was still staying in the inner gate. Except for taking leave and going down the mountain for a few days every once in a while, he practiced martial arts morning and evening, never missing a day, and was indeed a model disciple.

Gradually, the disciples stopped discussing the matter, and the rumors that Zhang Shan was going to the main peak also gradually dissipated, as if he had just become an ordinary inner sect disciple.

But Lu Liangdong could see that Zhang Shan was not ordinary at all.

Even in the inner sect where elites gathered, his swordsmanship progress was outstanding. In particular, he made a sudden improvement every once in a while, and suddenly realized it every once in a while, which was completely different from the gradual progress of others.

It feels like... this guy has already learned the sword technique a long time ago, but he just thought he was almost ready and decided to show off his skills?
Lu Liangdong shook his head to dispel this ridiculous idea.

Since the masters don't want to teach for various reasons, then he will teach this rare seedling well.

But in fact, there was no need for him to say anything, it seemed that Zhang Shan had learned it by himself.

"Very good, your sword moves are precise, your energy is vigorous, and your sword intentions are full! Zhang Shan, have you gained any new insights recently? Keep up the good work."

Lü Liangdong walked to the back of the team, his tone not without praise. Xie Yuan raised his sword and saluted, saying respectfully:

"Thank you for the compliment, Instructor Lu! It's all because of your good teaching that I can always gain insights when I practice."

Upon hearing this, Lu Liangdong smiled.

If a poorly trained disciple said this, it would be flattery and have bad intentions.
But if Xie Yuan said it, it means being humble and polite, handling things in a proper way, and doing things smartly.

Everyone likes to hear good words. Although Lu Liangdong often looks serious and always supervises his disciples in practicing martial arts meticulously, he is not an old man who is conservative and ignorant of the world.

On the contrary, as the chief instructor of Ruyun Peak, Lu Liangdong is quite knowledgeable about worldly affairs. However, he is of a higher generation and has seen a lot, so he usually doesn't pay attention to these things and only pays attention to his disciples' kung fu.

If a disciple who is not good at martial arts tries to get away with it by relying on connections, he will definitely be punished twice as hard.

But if one has good skills and a good attitude, then he is a man of both civil and military talents, well-versed in human relations, and people will admire him.

Lu Liangdong encouraged gently:
"It's still up to you. Keep practicing."

He turned his head and frowned again:
"Everyone else, you should learn from Zhang Shan's attitude towards training! Look at how seriously he holds his sword. Don't be afraid of hardship and fatigue and just be lazy!"

"Yes……"

The disciples nearby saw that Lu Liangdong was praising Zhang Shan again, and even showed a rare smile on his serious face all year round. But they turned around and started muttering to the three of them.

"Pen curler! A flatterer! All he does every day is practice swordplay to please the teacher!"

"Practice in the morning and at night, and even practice on your own during the day! Are all the guys from the menial yard so reckless?"

"He can stay at Jianfeng for nine days. How can I compare with him?"

"I haven't even been to Jianfeng, or you can let me give it a try..."

Xie Yuan's seriousness in sword practice was commendable, and the effect was good, so the teacher naturally liked him. In a large class, it was inevitable to set up a few examples, so the scenes that happened in the outer gate and the servants' courtyard were repeated.

Many disciples thought that he had brought this habit from the errand hall and the outer hall, but they did not know that these seniors had already suffered from Xie Yuan's pain and had waited for him to finally reach the Ruyun Peak. It was hard to say whether Xie Yuan's rapid rise was aided by the wishes of his fellow disciples. Thus, the pain shifted from the waterfall halfway up the mountain to the top of the Ruyun Peak, while the smile was the opposite.

Lu Liangdong looked at Xie Yuan and became more and more satisfied.

He practices sword-fighting seriously, has good Kung Fu, is polite, and looks... well, simple and honest, and looks upright. You can tell at first glance that he wouldn't lie.

The template of a perfect disciple.

I really don't know why no one accepted it?

If Lu Liangdong himself had not treated all the inner disciples as his own, never keeping any of them to himself, but also never accepting any disciples, he would probably have had such thoughts.

After the group class, many disciples ran to Instructor Lu to ask questions about their sword techniques, while some disciples gathered in groups of three or four to discuss together.

After all, thinking in isolation can only provide limited insights; brainstorming can often help solve problems.

Xie Yuan also exchanged a few words with Lin Cheng.

Of course, most of the time it was in name only, but in reality it was guidance; but there were also a few times when Lin Cheng’s ideas or the problems that Lin Cheng encountered could also inspire Xie Yuan and allow him to benefit from them, just as a stone from another mountain can help polish a jade.

While giving Lin Cheng some silent advice and letting him fall into deep thought, Xie Yuan also seemed to be thinking about a difficult swordsmanship problem, but he was actually looking at other things.

[Yunshan Sword Intentions Sutra·Fourth Level: (1991/4000)]

[Health-preserving Skills·First Level: (36/1000)]

Lu Liangdong’s vision was not wrong, Xie Yuan had improved recently.

But it’s not a sword technique, but the Yunshan Sword Sutra.

After he became familiar with the basic practice path of the Yunshan Sword Intent Sutra, he directly took the Health-Preserving Technique and gave himself an initiation, instantly returning the Health-Preserving Technique to the first level, while the Sword Intent Sutra was raised to the fourth level.

The two martial arts are naturally not one-to-one corresponding, but the levels are roughly the same. The fourth level of the Sword Intent Sutra basically matches the strength of the second level of Qi and Blood.

In fact, in the early stages of the martial arts journey to the gods, Qi and blood martial arts are the main focus; supplemented by internal breath, one can go further, which is the result of improvements and explorations by later generations.

Therefore, most of these training methods do not correspond one-to-one with the martial arts realm, and there is no particularly clear realm division of internal strength. It is not until the master reaches the stage of unity and perfection that it can be considered a complete match.

However, as martial arts have developed to this day, each level of the basic existing techniques roughly corresponds to the realm of martial arts.

The first two levels of the Yunshan Sword Sutra correspond to the four levels of external training, and the last three levels correspond to the three changes of qi and blood.

So now, after Xie Yuan's internal energy was recharged with the health-preserving exercises, it completely covered the Yunshan Sword Qi Jue, based on the Yunshan Sword Intent Sutra, and matched his Qi and blood second transformation realm.

The fourth level of the Yunshan Sword Intention Sutra has made his internal energy extremely sharp. Even his punches can carry traces of sword intent and penetrate the enemy's defense, not to mention the sword moves. The sword energy has to grow three inches.

This inner force is difficult to cultivate, but the power it brings in attacking the enemy is much greater than that of health-preserving exercises!
Especially since he majored in the internal energy techniques that were perfectly compatible with the Yunshan lineage, if Xie Yuan now used a sword, such as the Nine Styles of Yunlong, his endurance and power would be three times stronger than before, and he could even hold on for a longer time even with the sword's edge.

As for his strength in kendo, he has made comprehensive improvements and is now completely renewed.

When he didn't need the big axe, Xie Yuan had already completely transformed into a top-notch swordsman at the second level of Qi and Blood Transformation.

If a big axe is used, the image of the elegant swordsman will definitely be destroyed, but the enemy will most likely not have the chance to speak again.

It was just that his internal energy was too sharp. Even though he had tried his best to restrain it, Lu Liangdong still noticed it and thought he had made a breakthrough in his swordsmanship - in fact, that was not the case. It was just that now, every time he moved his hands and feet, or waved his sword to practice, invisible and intangible sword intent emanated from him.

It was not Lu Liangdong's fault that he had poor eyesight, he knew Xie Yuan was practicing Yunshan Sword Intention Sutra. But since he came down the mountain last time and made meritorious service, he received the Sword Intention Sutra and started practicing, it should have been no more than a month, right?
With this amount of time, it is good enough to be able to get started with the intermediate level mental method which is not easy to master.

No matter how talented Xie Yuan is, at best he could break through the first level if he got on the right track and spent a few months.

As for reaching the middle to high level where one can no longer contain the sword intent? Without several years of dedicated hard training, don't even think about it.

At least Lu Liangdong didn't think about it that way.

Some disciples in the inner sect are practicing this internal skill, but most of them have been practicing for several years and are only at the second or third level, and have not yet converted their years of practice into sword energy techniques.

If Lü Liangdong knew that Xie Yuan had already cultivated the Sword Intention Sutra to the fourth level, the old instructor would probably doubt his lifelong teaching common sense. Then, after recognizing Xie Yuan's talent, he would rush to the main peak to find Li Xingtuo with the attitude of a senior master:

"Master, please kneel down. Uncle Master begs you to accept me as your disciple."

Xie Yuan had already tested the power of the Sword Intent Sutra in his own courtyard.

The lethality of his attacks now is much greater than before, but it is still a long way to go before he can match the Third Transformation.

Thinking of the Heavenly Rank Assassin who possessed perfect skills, speed and strength at the pinnacle, Xie Yuan thought that if he went there now, he would only be able to hold out for a little longer.

"You still have to practice."

Xie Yuan shook his head, feeling that it was almost time for morning classes, so he prepared to go to the cafeteria to have a big meal to fill his stomach, and then go back to continue practicing.

He felt that he was not a complete success, but the progress he was making was visible before his eyes. The joy of the breakthrough was constantly rising in his heart, and Xie Yuan could not bear to stop.

Xie Yuan's goal now is to break through the Qi and Blood Third Transformation Realm as soon as possible, and then defeat a strong man in the Third Transformation Realm - that is, a Heavenly Rank Assassin. Qiu Feng Lou has already been recorded in his little notebook;
But when he reaches that level of strength, he will definitely wonder what it feels like to have the aura of a grandmaster?
And if one can reach the level of Grandmaster, and open up the bridges of heaven and earth, there are still deeper, farther, and higher paths. Is there still more scenery above the Grandmaster?

The practice cannot stop.

Xie Yuan is a little greedy in this regard.

But it's not a bad thing.

Without a steadfast mind, how can one seek the supreme path?
Xie Yuan was just about to go back to his own courtyard on the cliff when he suddenly heard some idle chatter from the disciples nearby.

"I heard there's been a lot of commotion down there lately? I don't know what the officials are doing, it's all chaos."

"I've heard that too. It seems that some important figures who usually keep a low profile have been angered, and they are making things worse, making the officials in Yun and Yan states unable to sit still."

"What big shot is so impressive?"

"It seems to be the Prince of Yunshan?"

"Tsk, that fat guy? He usually comes to have tea with the Sect Master, but he doesn't look very impressive."

"Come on, he is also a martial arts master, right? Moreover, the martial arts of the Yunshan County Kings of all generations have been quite strong. It's a bit unpleasant to talk about this in detail... Fortunately, our sect has always been low-key and has a good relationship with the government."

"You haven't told me what big shot it is yet?"

"I heard that it was the King of Pingxi..."

"What? Was the King of Pingxi really resurrected by the Saint of the Demon Cult?"

"Are you crazy? You're yelling so loudly! I haven't finished talking yet. It's the daughter of the King of Pingxi! The woman who came to watch the last sword fight between the two sects!"

"Which woman? Aren't there some young ladies here?"

"Oh, the most beautiful one!"

The disciples beside him all said "Oh":
"So that's the Princess of Pingxi. No wonder."

"As expected of the daughter of the most beautiful woman in the world back then, she's probably even better than her mother!"

"What? The Princess of Pingxi has surpassed the Saint of the Demon Cult in terms of power?"

".What's wrong with you?"

"Aren't we discussing skills? What does a beautiful woman have to do with me practicing sword three times a day?"

"It's actually somewhat related. It will affect the speed of sword training... But it doesn't make sense to you, who is so eager to hug your sword and turn it into a sword spirit. What I meant was that the commander should remind those who are going down the mountain recently to be a little more careful and not get involved in the fights among the gods down the mountain."

"Is that so? Every time I go down, I feel that the mountain is too complicated. I want to go back to Yunshan."

A simple disciple who was devoted to swordsmanship sighed.

But some people are curious:
"Why did it suddenly become so chaotic? It was fine a while ago."

"I heard that it was a murder case caused by the killing of a county magistrate..."

"County magistrate...head? Is it the incident in which the Wuhe County magistrate was beheaded at the county yamen?"

"Yes, it's that incident. It's a ripple effect. I heard it involves party disputes, noble families, and important cases. The officialdom of Yunzhou is very complicated. The details are beyond the reach of people like us in the mountains."

"It's that Xie Yuan again... a maniac who kills officials. He's addicted to killing. Even Chunyu Tower can't do anything to him."

This matter spread a few days ago, and all the disciples who were curious knew about it.

"This lunatic is roaming around Yunshan, causing trouble for the people. Why don't I go get rid of him?"

"Except Xie Yuan? You?"

One person does not believe in the Fa.

Another disciple was immediately dissatisfied:

"What's wrong with me?"

"It seems you don't know the latest news."

The disciple in front said quietly.

"What news? He has achieved Grandmaster status?"

The last disciple said in a sarcastic tone of dissatisfaction.

"Not yet a Grandmaster, but maybe soon."

The disciple paused:

"In the latest issue of Hidden Dragon Ranking, Xie Yuan ranks 72nd."

"what?"

"real or fake?"

"What the hell?"

The last sentence was uttered by Xie Yuan.

He was walking and listening out of boredom, and his feet had even stepped on the stone steps down the mountain. Suddenly, he was stunned, and ran back and approached the man:
"Brother, is this true?"

The few people were a little surprised to see Zhang Shan, who never participated in small talk, come. The senior brother still said kindly:
"Really? I saw the latest issue of the Hidden Dragon Ranking with my own eyes. Senior Brother Qin has not changed. The last one is Xie Yuan. The reason for being on the list is 'joining forces with others to kill the Heavenly Assassin of Qiufeng Tower'..."

"What???"

"Xie Yuan killed the Heavenly Rank Assassin?"

"hiss……"

"Um, a Heavenly Rank Assassin is at the third level of Qi and Blood Transformation, right?"

The disciple said seriously:

"Yes, and it's not just the ordinary third level of transformation."

Several people looked at each other, all of them were so shocked by the news that they were speechless.

The Hidden Dragon List has always been effective. No matter how ridiculous the reasons are, they will always be proven to be true afterwards.

But this time, they couldn't help but question the authority of Chunyu Tower.

"A second-level transformation realm killed a third-level transformation realm. Am I crazy or is Chunyu Tower crazy?"

"Who said Xie Yuan is at the second level of transformation?"

Someone said quietly:
"He was just an external trainee not long ago."

"So you said he was in the first realm of transformation? He crossed two realms to kill the enemy? Or was he in the third realm of transformation, he didn't cross the realm, but just broke through three realms in a year?"

No one spoke, and it seemed that none of them could accept it.

"Maybe it's because of the strength of the companions. Didn't they say they were working together? I heard rumors that it was the Princess of Pingxi."

"That's no wonder...but these two are walking together? Why are they hand in hand? Damn it!"

"I really hate it. Such a beautiful girl is working hand in hand with a wanted criminal..."

"Girls like bad men. But I heard that Xie Yuan killed officials twice, and both were bad officials. Maybe he had his reasons..."

The few of them changed the topic for a while, and then turned it back:
"So, Xie Yuan seems to have reached the second level of transformation... Is this true?"

A disciple sighed again.

Anyone who pays a little attention to Xie Yuan will know that his cultivation speed is truly astonishing.

Everyone was silent for a while. The senior brother looked at Xie Yuan who was in a daze beside him and asked:

"Junior Brother Zhang, are you also interested in Xie Yuan?"

“Ah…ah? Ah, this…”

"...What's wrong with Junior Brother Zhang's throat?"

"…It's okay. I have something to do at home. I'm leaving first."

Several people looked at each other in bewilderment as they saw Xie Yuan leaving in a hurry.

"It seems that Xie Yuan's excellence has also stimulated Junior Brother Zhang."

"No, he's hardworking enough. I can't stand it if he works any harder."

"Me too."

"It's all Xie Yuan's fault!"

"Why don't you just blame Junior Brother Zhang?"

"How can you blame someone who works hard... Then let's blame them together."

"Hey, do you still want to get rid of Xie Yuan and restore order in Yunzhou's officialdom?"

"Forget it. I can't beat a master on the Hidden Dragon Ranking. Not to mention Xie Yuan, I can't even beat Junior Brother Zhang."

"But if my cultivation reaches the second level, I would like to challenge him..."

Xie Yuan came down from the peak in a daze, and went to the library first, where he saw the latest issue of the Hidden Dragon List, and sure enough, he saw his name on it.

His eyes were complicated, he put down the Hidden Dragon List, and sighed:
"It must be Su Xing's work. It really made me suffer!"

The warriors on the Hidden Dragon List are the focus of the world's attention.

Most warriors want to become famous. As the saying goes, there is no one better than them in martial arts. When they see someone on the list, they all want to have a try.

If others can become famous, why can't I?

Therefore, warriors on the Hidden Dragon List are often challenged by those below them, who hope to replace them.

The one most likely to be challenged is naturally the last one, number 72, because this is the easiest position to be on the list.

At the same time, it is also the easiest place to go down.

The name of the No. 72 person in almost every issue is different.

Xie Yuan's expression was complicated:

"This guy's thoughts are so obvious."

He just wanted all warriors in the world to pay attention to him, look for him, and find faults in him so as to expose him.

Suddenly becoming such a popular commodity, an ordinary warrior would probably have no place to stand in the vast martial arts world.

Fortunately, I am now Zhang Shan...

Xie Yuan shook his head and made up his mind that he must not show up as Xie Yuan before the new Hidden Dragon List came out, otherwise he might be in trouble.

Anyway, I am ranked 72nd. If there is any change above, it will be easy for me to go down...

Wait, they are the ones who made the Hidden Dragon List, they won’t pin me there, right?

Xie Yuan originally thought it was just a period of time, but now he suddenly realized that the more he thought about it, the more likely it was.

This……

His expression was uncertain and he looked a little helpless.

Forget it, just be Zhang Shan.

But if one day, you need to deal with continuous challenges...

Xie Yuan's heart suddenly began to beat faster.

It seems pretty good.

Although he felt helpless about being "tricked" into the list, a slight spark of anger rose in Xie Yuan's heart.

He had heard of the Hidden Dragon List a long time ago. Countless warriors had rushed to this list in order to become famous and have their names on it.

If you make it up, you are a genius; if you are demoted, you are unqualified. It can almost be called the deity list of young masters in Dali.

A long time ago, Xie Yuan had thought about fighting with the masters on the list, and getting his name on the list to prove his martial arts skills.

As a result, I was suddenly on the list now. Although Chunyu Tower’s malicious intentions were obvious, since they wanted me to be on the list, I was on it...

So what if I just stay there?

Xie Yuan looked at the list, looked at the seventy-one names on it, and gradually narrowed his eyes.

You asked me to come up, so I came up;
It may not be that easy for me to leave.

(End of this chapter)