Wan Jian returns to his clan!

Chapter 208 A Long, Stormy Night, Burning Incense at a Temple

"Are you crazy? That Lu Wubing is the new young sect leader of the Tianxing Sect, one of the four top figures of the younger generation, known as the Southern Sword. He has killed more than one Xiantian expert with his sword. You actually want to choose him as your target?"

Chun San Niang, the head of the Chun Hall of Siji Hall, had a livid face, her beautiful eyes wide open, her chest heaving, and she was so angry that she could hardly breathe. She could hardly believe her ears.

Whether the assassination will succeed is another matter. The southeast of Chuntang's base overlaps with the territory of Tianxing Sect. If they offend Tianxing Sect, they will also offend Mingyue Sect.

After the falling out, where would Chuntang have any place to stand...?

Ying Wuji, the leader of the Autumn Hall, was tall and thin with narrow eyes and thin lips. His face was cold and stern. Upon hearing this, he merely shook his iron fan and said indifferently, "The main base of my Four Seasons Hall is not in Nanli, but in the Great Zhou..."

This mission was ordered by the main hall, and I heard that the reward is extremely generous. The client not only spent 100,000 taels of gold, but also offered a unique internal martial arts technique.

After the deed is done, a unique sword technique will be given as a gift.

Such a generous offer is a rare find. If Sijitang is open for business, how could it survive if it didn't take this kind of business?

"But that's the Southern Sword, Ying Wuji. Do you even know how troublesome a young expert who can kill a Xiantian expert is?"
If my efforts fail, not only will my Chuntang be in grave danger, but even the Sijitang will suffer endless troubles.

"So what if it's the Southern Sword? In times without heroes, even a nobody can rise to fame. Back when the North dominated the South, you've seen that Southern Sword Murong Tiangang before. You could easily send out a mere assassin of the seasonal level to take his life."

However, this person was repeatedly recommended by Murong Longcheng, and some of his achievements were attributed to him, which actually earned him the title of "Southern Heaven". It's truly laughable.

Where is that Murong Tiangang now?
I heard that Murong Longcheng is searching the whole world for his son, which is laughable. I wonder which expert killed him and threw him into a valley to feed the wolves.

“Lu Wubing is different.”

"What's the difference? Aren't they both rising stars from powerful forces, who built their reputations with the support of their elders and the strength of their numbers?"

I know the quality of these new talents better than you do. As for the so-called Eastern swordsmanship, Western staff, Southern swordsmanship, and Northern hegemony, in my opinion, only the Northern Hegemon Yuwen Shizi is the chosen one.

This person possesses boundless divine strength, and his attacks are unpredictable. The others are nothing but clay chickens and earthen dogs, not worth worrying about.

What can kill a Xiantian expert? Who hasn't killed a Xiantian expert? Third Sister, you've been doing business for so long these days that you've forgotten the skills we used to build our business.

Do you think this is a challenge in the martial arts world, a head-on confrontation?
A poisoned needle, a cup of wine, a stick of incense—that's all it takes to take this person's life...

We're assassins, not generals. We don't need to form ranks and charge into battle.

"The Four Seasons Hall, the Twenty-Four Solar Terms, boasts 341 top-tier assassins who hunt down deadly killers, and thousands more second and third-tier assassins. You're afraid to kill just a junior?"

Chun San Niang still wanted to argue her case.

She knew that the people from the main hall might have been blinded by the huge reward, or they might have been in the north for so long that they had never seen Lu Wubing's swordsmanship and martial arts skills.

In the martial arts world, heroes rise to fame every day, while renowned figures fall.

They all boasted loudly and arrogantly...

Killing a street thug, oppressing a few villagers, and calling upon some local ruffians and vagrants are enough for someone to claim the title of Heavenly King, spouting phrases like "a white jade pillar supporting the sky, a purple gold beam spanning the sea."

In a small county town, killing a few bullies and thugs can be praised as a display of swordsmanship and chivalry.

Back then, those who truly understood Murong Tiangang's strength knew that he wasn't necessarily that powerful.

But he has an extremely powerful father who supports him greatly and provides a safety net, so he doesn't have to worry about being provoked and can still flaunt his wealth.

With a mix of true and false intelligence, even a killer organization like the Four Seasons Hall, which relies on intelligence for its livelihood, felt overwhelmed and habitually looked down on young powerhouses.

This time, they even dared to provoke Lu Wubing.

Who wouldn't dare to mess with us?
"If the head office acts perversely and issues chaotic orders, I, Chun San Niang, am unable to comply."

No matter how generous the reward, I can't just lead my brothers to their deaths.

Chun San Niang knew that it was difficult to explain. Even if she mentioned that Lu Wubing had killed Bi Fenkong, the sect leader of the Ziyang Sect, they would only think that the Ziyang sect leader was not worthy of his reputation and was not a powerful figure.

What else is there to say?

"Clap clap..."

Ying Wuji clapped his hands twice.

"Come in. Master Chun is unwell and needs to rest. The head of the main hall has ordered that Brother Wei Shentong be appointed as the head of the Chun Hall. This is the order from the main hall. What do you have to say?"

Wei Shentong, with his bushy beard and broad face, and imposing physique, immediately attracted the attention of all the senior members of Chuntang upon entering the main hall.

This person didn't put on much of a show, but a powerful aura pressed down on his heart, making it hard to breathe.

Chun San Niang glanced at Wei Shentong with a cold smile, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.

She knew that the head of the main hall was surnamed Wei, but she didn't know what his relationship was with him.

The other party sent someone to replace him without giving any prior notice.

What exactly did the head office mean? Did they not believe in themselves?

But it doesn’t matter.

With conflicting opinions, even their own branch of the organization couldn't act on its own initiative, and they couldn't stay here any longer.

While he still retains some goodwill within the organization, it would be a good thing for him to voluntarily retire.

To avoid being framed and attacked by others, and losing face.

"Very well, since you have reached a decision, then there is nothing more for me to do. I will take the liberty of traveling the world to seek out talented individuals and thus withdraw from Chuntang."

"Who among you is willing to follow me and leave together?"

"Master, I'll go with you."

"I'm leaving too."

Of the nearly one hundred experts in the hall, only three stepped forward: two men and one woman.

Chun San Niang's eyes welled up with tears. Time reveals true character. After all this time, she had been completely honest with everyone, and in the end, she still had two or three loyal confidants.

However, those more than ninety people had no conscience at all.

However, it's also a bit ridiculous when you think about it.

In an assassin organization like the Four Seasons Hall, I actually dared to hope that they had any conscience. Sure enough, I am not suitable to be the head of the hall.

"Third day, fifth day, and seventeenth day, are you sure you want to leave with me? This trip might not be very safe."

"Sister, there's no need to say more. You gave me my life, and I'm only staying in Chuntang because of you. There's no point in being an assassin."

The speaker removed the iron mask from his face, revealing a handsome face, and thought to himself that he would wash his hands of the sword and wander around instead.

The other man and woman also threw off their masks and laughed in unison, "Miss, wherever you are, I will be. Even if we leave the Four Seasons Hall, it's fine."

That's a serious statement.

Some forces, once joined, can never be withdrawn from.

Otherwise, they will face endless pursuit and killing.

But Chun San Niang didn't care about any of that.

Even Ying Wuji, the head of Qiutang, and Wei Shentong, the newly arrived acting head of Chuntang, did not show the slightest hostility, as if they had not heard the conversation.

Wei Shentong added gently, "Sister Chun, please don't blame us for being ungrateful and unfair to you."

This mission is extremely important. I've heard that the Blood-Clad Tower has already begun its operation.

If they succeed and outshine us, the reputation of Sijitang won't be as prominent anymore.

"Good luck to you."

Chun San Niang smiled, said nothing more, and turned to leave the hall.

She paused, as if recalling the figure of that young man during the Three Lineages Competition of the Heavenly Star Sect.

That sword flash...

Without having seen the boy in person, one is bound to harbor various forms of wishful thinking and contempt.

But who would have thought that a young man who had only been training for a few months would have such strong swordsmanship?

Chun San Niang didn't say one thing: a few days ago, on Jin Yutang's wedding day, she stood outside the hall and watched quietly.

I witnessed a sword sweeping across the sky, its aura soaring to the heavens.

People might think that the young man fought to the death with Xue Liang, Xie Qinglong, and others, and finally killed three innate masters.

But to their utter surprise, the three of them were as helpless as kittens and puppies under his sword.

At that time, Chun San Niang was just watching curiously, without intending to target anything, but she felt a chill in her heart, as if she had fallen into an ice cellar.

Such swordsmanship and combat prowess cannot be described as merely rapid progress.

Unfortunately, good advice is hard to persuade a damned ghost.

If they want to go, let them go; as long as they're happy.

Pushing open the gate, under the gaze of several men in black, Chun San Niang, with a hint of pity and mockery between her brows, led the three into the jungle.

……

Lu Wubing rode on a big red horse, just like a young master enjoying himself while traveling.

A soft tinkling sound reached my ears; it was from inside the first carriage, where Senior Sister Shen Xinzhu was playing the zither.

The music was quite strange; Lu Wubing could hear it clearly, but the others were completely unaware of it.

Even though the sound is right next to their ears, they basically can't hear it.

However, I could feel that my mood had become extremely invigorated. Despite the dust and grime of the journey, I didn't feel tired at all; on the contrary, I felt energetic.

This is all thanks to Shen Xinzhu.

In terms of musical skills alone, Lu Wubing felt that Senior Sister Shen was far superior to him in terms of understanding of music.

That kind of subtle emotional stirring, that gradual layering of emotions, comes entirely from the heart and is integrated into daily life; it cannot be compensated for by any technique.

Although my piano playing skills are perfect, I lack a passionate heart, and in this respect, I must admit defeat.

Everything in the world ultimately comes down to one thing: dedication.

'So, my spiritual will has never been able to keep up with the rapid progress of the Yuanling Sword Intent, and I have failed to reach the ultimate level in reality. Is that because I lack this bit of sincerity?'
From the sound of the zither to the ultimate meaning, and from the ultimate meaning to his own Primordial Chaos Qi, Lu Wubing used his inner vision to look at the swirling true Qi within his body. He then silently took out a Purple Cloud Pill and swallowed it.

After seven days of travel, crossing bridges and visiting shops and cities along the way, Lu Wubing continued to practice swordsmanship and internal energy cultivation, finally replenishing his acupoints and meridians with his Hunyuan Taiqing Qi.

Compared to before the three skills were combined, Lu Wubing had no idea whether the quality of his true qi had improved by eight or nine times, or even ten times.

All he knew was that compressing this ridiculously powerful, high-quality true energy into liquid true essence required far too much mental effort and spiritual will.

If it weren't for the blessing of his destiny of "Heaven rewards diligence," where he could feel a little progress with each practice of acupoints and the merging of his spirit into his true energy, he feared that even if he cultivated like this for eternity, he would never be able to completely compress his true energy.

'As expected, every gain has its loss.'

"My true energy is more than ten times stronger than others, which is a good thing. But being too strong makes it harder to change its form. To improve its quality again, I need to invest even more mental and physical effort."

In normal cultivation, this process would be utterly despairing. Therefore, the Yuanling Sword Manual, with its unorthodox method of enhancing mental will, is something they are unwilling to give up.

Not giving up forces me to constantly walk a tightrope, fearing I might lose control of that utterly evil intent—it's a perplexing paradox.

To improve quickly, you have to take on endless risks.

Taking risks can lead to demonic possession.

To suppress the demonic intent, one needs a stronger physique and spirit, and must cultivate faster.

'Was this step the right or wrong? If I had followed my master's example and kept my Yuanling Sword Intent hidden from the beginning, refraining from using or cultivating it, would my situation be better now?'

will not.

Lu Wubing provided the answer himself.

If that's the case, even with the "Heaven Rewards Diligence" in hand, if one's mental strength or even soul intensity can't keep up, it's very likely that one has only just begun to cultivate sword intent.

Internal strength, blood and qi, and physical training may be improved with various external aids, but there are absolutely no shortcuts to cultivating spiritual power.

Not to mention that his sword intent is now advancing towards the ultimate realm.

Being able to match Master Ouyang Zheng's level of sword intent is already quite good.

Aside from long periods of meditation and cultivation, he had never heard of any techniques or medicines that could allow a martial artist's spirit to advance rapidly in a short period of time.

Thinking of this, Lu Wubing's desire for the character "形" (shape) seal grew even stronger.

A strong body leads to abundant vital energy, and abundant vital energy leads to a robust spirit.

First, complete the top part of the character "形" (shape), transforming its form to perfection, without any flaws.

It should significantly enhance physical strength again, and also benefit one's cultivation of Qi and spirit.

Even if the mind is disturbed, the physical body will not collapse and can withstand this demonic intent.

……

Early that morning, just as dawn was breaking, after feeding the horses at the inn, the group had just left Qiushan City when a joyful shout came from the city gate.

"Brother Changfeng, is that Brother Changfeng ahead?"

Lu Changfeng had just dismounted and said a few words when he was stopped by someone.

The newcomer was dressed in a gray robe, his face weathered, and his vest slightly hunched, yet he still looked rather endearing.

What's most endearing is that he carries a medicine box on his back and exudes a strong herbal scent.

No need to guess, this outfit definitely belongs to someone in the same industry.

"It's Brother Tian! It's truly fate that we've traveled a thousand miles to meet. This is..."

When Lu Changfeng saw this man, he smiled broadly and looked up to see a donkey cart behind him. A middle-aged woman sat on the cart, looking around curiously. There were also two young men, one fat and one thin, with sacks hanging from the cart shaft.

Donkey cart, doctor, family with children.

It wasn't particularly eye-catching to begin with.

However, this hunched old doctor was surrounded by more than ten people, sitting high on horseback, as if they were protecting him.

These men were all burly and imposing, carrying guns and knives, and they coldly surveyed their surroundings, appearing quite elite.

"It's Lord Zhang Shijie, the Yunqiwei. We finally managed to get him to escort us this way. Otherwise, who knows what other troubles we would have encountered on the journey from here to the capital. Sigh..."

Although the old man in the gray robe sighed, there was a slight hint of smugness between his brows.

I heard it.

For a doctor, being escorted by a Yunqiwei (a military officer) with soldiers on his journey is an immense honor.

It should be noted that the rank of Dali Yunqiwei is a sixth-grade official, which, if placed in a small local town, would at least make him the military commander of that town.

They belonged to the noble class.

"Are you also summoned to the capital to treat patients? Why are you not escorted by soldiers? The road is dangerous these days, and skilled doctors are being intercepted everywhere. Brother Changfeng, you should be extra careful."

"Is there such a thing?"

Lu Changfeng's head went numb as soon as he heard that.

Turning to Lu Wubing, he introduced, "This is Mr. Tian Qi, you can just call him Old Man Qi. He is a highly skilled doctor in Leyuan County, especially proficient in typhoid fever."

At this point, he chuckled and said, "My son does have some skill, so there's no need to worry about his safety on the road. But what about the ambush you mentioned earlier, Seventh Brother?"

"We really don't know about that imperial edict. But from what Seventh Elder means, doctors from all over the prefectures and counties have been summoned to the capital?"

Lu Wubing keenly sensed something amiss.
"Shh, this matter must not be discussed."

Upon hearing this, Old Man Tianqi's expression changed drastically, and he looked full of regret.

He quickly changed the subject, saying, "The road ahead is treacherous, with many bandits. Brother Changfeng, why don't you travel with us?"

"Thank you for your kind offer, Brother Tian, ​​please feel free to do as you please."

Lu Changfeng sensed that Old Man Tian Qi was unwilling to discuss the matter further, so he smiled reservedly and said, "These mere bandits are no match for us. We also have guards with us at home, so let's not trouble Brother Tian any further."

It's not that I don't want to travel together.

Instead, the Yunqi captain beside him looked impatient and said in a deep voice, "Let's go."

"Yes, yes, General, please go ahead. We will follow shortly."

The donkey cart did not move very fast.

They could only follow behind Zhang Shijie and his cavalry, getting left in the dust.

However, the old man was not unhappy at all; on the contrary, he felt honored and waved goodbye to the Lu family.

"Are they here for all the doctors? Or for some special person?"

Lu Changfeng called for his horse to mount and ride forward, muttering to himself in confusion.

Lu Wubing smiled, unconcerned: "There are only two possibilities. One is that a nobleman in the capital has fallen ill and is difficult to cure, requiring the summoning of physicians from all over the country. Of course, some people will not want to see that nobleman recover, and therefore will try to intercept and kill him."

Another possibility is that this is a cover-up... Someone is using the pretext of stopping and killing the medic to plot against us. Which one is it? Let's wait and see.

Lu Wubing had barely finished speaking.

A soft whistle suddenly rang out from the bushes beside the official road.

A long arrow pierced the wind as it flew in.

When I reached him, I was completely exhausted.

Everyone in the convoy simultaneously drew their swords, then relaxed.

They all saw it clearly.

The arrow was a blunt arrow, the arrowhead had been broken off, and a letter was tied to the end.

"No need to go."

When Zheng Yuanbin looked at him, Lu Wubing shook his head.

He took the paper, unfolded it with a flick of his wrist, and laughed, "Just as I expected, there really are people who are unwilling to give up. I thought there would be experts blocking the way and a large army intercepting us, but I never expected that they would even resort to some low-down tricks of the martial arts world. They really don't know what they're getting themselves into."

Lu Wubing found it amusing, but also somewhat puzzled.

Could it be that my reputation in the three cities of Mingyang, Liyang, and Donghai is not great enough? Have I not killed enough enemies?
Even those shady characters from Blood Shadow Tower and Four Seasons Hall dare to come out and challenge Wildfire.

Is it that money can move people's hearts, or is it that they haven't learned from their mistakes and have underestimated themselves?

Lu Wubing passed the letter down for everyone to see, then paid no further attention to it. He simply gestured towards the nearby jungle, and the carriages and horses set off again.

This expedition involves two separate forces, one overt and one covert.

Logically speaking, no matter how skilled the opponent was, Lu Wubing didn't believe that anything could happen under his nose.

However, with a family to support and unable to leave, I lacked a comprehensive understanding of many intelligence matters. Responding passively was inevitably insufficient.

Lu Wubing then arranged for people from the Murong family's Blood Swallow Hall to go ahead and investigate.

With the two girls, Cloud and Rain, providing support, these intelligence outposts reacted extremely quickly.

Warnings were issued even before the crisis arrived.

"Why has there been no news? I haven't heard of any internal strife in the Murong family, and no one has even come to ask me about Murong Tiangang's whereabouts?"

A pair of alluring eyes flashed through Lu Wubing's mind. Thinking of those awkward and romantic scenes, he wondered what Murong Qing had done to suppress such a major matter.

Has she already broken through to the Innate Realm? Has she clashed with Murong Longcheng? Could something have happened to her?
A thought flashed through his mind, and Lu Wubing temporarily put aside his worries.

The Blood Swallow Hall is still operating normally and can still obey my commands. Even if something difficult happens to Murong Qing, it won't be so bad as to result in loss of freedom or death.

……

As it turned out, Yunqiwei's ten elite riders were quite impressive.

As you walk along the road, all evil spirits will be warded off.

The Lu family's entourage followed closely behind, and no one tried to urge them on.

We rested for a while and ate some dry rations. We fed the horses hay and water. Just as it was getting dark, a wind picked up.

Dark clouds rolled in, the sky darkened rapidly, and it was about to rain.

Everyone was anxious, but then they saw a dilapidated temple standing not far from the roadside.

Shouts and calls came from ahead.

"We finally arrived at Lingwang Temple. At least we have a place to shelter from the wind and rain. Otherwise, we would have had to keep going in the wind and rain and get soaked to the bone."

"The weather changes unpredictably. Fuyuan Town is just 30 miles away, so we can't go there."

"Boom."

A thunderclap sounded.

Large raindrops fell sparsely, splashing up patches of dust.

The air was filled with the earthy smell.

"Let's go into the temple. The main hall is quite spacious. If we squeeze in, we should be able to find shelter from the rain."

Lu Wubing glanced thoughtfully at the dilapidated temple with its green tiles and red walls ahead, but said nothing, listening to Dong Ning running around settling his entourage.

They led the horse into the temple.

……

(End of this chapter)