Starting with the titmouse, seventy-two transformations

Chapter 137 Changes in Shanyang County (Please Subscribe)
Shanyang County.

Liu Sheng disguised himself as a dark-faced, burly man, wearing a spider silk undergarment. He used his "Concealing Breath" talent to keep a close watch on everything around him, remaining cautious and vigilant.

Fortunately, Abbess Jingyue did not suddenly appear from the side.

You've basically passed, but you can't be careless.

These past few days, he has been practicing in the cave with Lady Caiyu and her disciples, healing his mental injuries, almost completely isolated from the outside world.

(Note: To avoid Lady Caiyu finding out where Grandma and Yuniang were hiding, he did not go there.)
For men, this kind of life is simply heavenly.

but--

The world is bustling, all for profit; the world is bustling, all for gain.

Lady Caiyu and the others, indulging in lust and groveling to receive favors, are they only doing so to satisfy their desires?

The Hehuan Sect has always been known for its unique practice of sexual cultivation, but they have never done anything similar to him.

Is it because they can't win, or do they have ulterior motives?
What is their purpose?
Liu Sheng couldn't understand it, so he began to have doubts.

This is also one of the reasons why he made an excuse to leave.

The changes in Shanyang County along the way truly surprised him.

In just a few days, I felt as if "a day in the mountains is like several years in the world".

The city became several times more lively and bustling.

There were many more pedestrians on the street, and most of them spoke with accents from other places.

Each one of them had full muscles and vigorous blood circulation; they were all martial arts masters who had concentrated their strength.

Some of the collapsed buildings were cleared out, and large areas of stone houses or tents were built directly on the spot.

In addition, huge carts were also parked in some scenic spots outside the city.

It was similar to the single-horned bronze ox chariot of the Hehuan Sect, but not as luxurious.

"It's not just the Joyful Union Sect that has increased its manpower; other sects have probably done the same. It's just a matter of maintaining order..."

As he passed through Furui Lane, he saw two groups of people fighting each other at the intersection ahead, their fists and feet flying everywhere.

Several nearby stalls and shops were affected, with various goods, food, soup, oil, and vinegar spilled all over the ground.

Several passersby lay in pools of blood, wailing in agony.

It wasn't until several regular constables led their white-robed officers to arrive late that the two groups stopped fighting and dispersed.

The constables watched them pass by without arresting or questioning them, as if they were blind to the bloody and horrific scene.

As for the aftermath, there was only one word: "Hurry up and leave it to fate."

Martial arts practitioners are often hot-blooded and full of malice; it's normal for them to resort to fists and kicks at the slightest disagreement.

As for the suffering people, who told them to be weak?

The weak are bound to be bullied!
As for the constables...

With so little money each month, why risk your life?
The things that the powerful and influential always involve sacrificing ordinary people; this has been true throughout history.

And along the way, I have seen at least four or five such incidents.

Standing at the entrance of the temporary inn at Wuhemen, Liu Sheng was surprised to find that he didn't feel much resentment!
It seems... we've already gotten used to it?

Have I integrated into this world and been assimilated?

Or is it that my identity has changed, and therefore my views have changed as well?

Liu Sheng was in a daze for a moment, and only came to his senses after he was welcomed into the inn by the Azure Crane Ghost and sat down.

"In the past two days, the sect has sent Elder Huang He to lead a group to help us."

The Azure Crane Ghost waved away the disciple who offered the fragrant tea, activated the silence talisman, and reported to Liu Sheng.

The focus was on what they heard at the Demon Suppression Division that day.

For example, the real reason why the imperial court mobilized troops to suppress Wu Song, the power of the Prince of Jin, and so on.

After listening, Liu Sheng suddenly understood, and many of his previous doubts became clear.

Therefore, Master was merely a pretext for the imperial court to mobilize troops!
This is really damn...

Reasonable!

However, their master's difficult nature clearly exceeded the court's expectations, and to some extent even disrupted their plans.

The mastermind behind this was Song Yingtian, the Grand Commandant, the First Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, who was also known as the King of One Word.

This name sounds... familiar?

"This man was once the leader of the 108 Fiends of Fajiu Mountain, known as the Heavenly General Tiankui, but..."

Qinghe Changgui stroked his beard and lowered his voice:

"Some say that the true Heavenly General was Cao Gai, the former master of Fajiu Mountain. Song Yingtian used witchcraft to murder Cao Gai, took his place, and seized the Fajiu Mountain's territory..."

More than 20 years ago, the world underwent a strange change, and a ferocious demon was born, massacring the capital city in blood.

Back then, Song Yingtian was just a Wude Dafu (a military officer), but he was fearless in the face of danger, led his troops to kill the demon, and successfully protected the emperor.

From then on, he rose rapidly through the ranks, eventually reaching the highest position in the government.

When the late emperor passed away, he was entrusted with the task of assisting the young emperor, and was granted the title of prince and prime minister to assist the young emperor. He has been in power ever since, wielding immense influence.

There are even rumors circulating that the current Empress Dowager, fearing that he would depose the emperor and seize the throne, has submitted herself to him and groveled in his favor.

"This……"

Liu Sheng shook his head repeatedly upon hearing this, wishing he could take Liu Sheng's place.

They were all bandits who fled to the countryside back then, so how come some of them rise to the highest ranks of officialdom, living a life of luxury, sleeping with the Empress Dowager, and even beating the Emperor...?

Our master, however, ended up on the run, constantly fleeing from place to place.

The difference is just too big!

Forget it, let their old grudges be. As long as they don't mess with me, I'm too lazy to get involved.

His achievements, such as spending the night in the inner palace and criticizing the Empress Dowager, were too dazzling...

envy, jealousy, hate!
He said: "He can be replaced!"

"As for the number of participants, the various families have generally come up with a plan in the past two days to hold a martial arts competition."

The Azure Crane Ghost coughed lightly, bringing Liu Sheng back to reality.

Liu Sheng had heard Lady Caiyu mention this before, so he wasn't surprised.

Now, all factions are increasing their bets, and the number of elders and disciples they have sent has multiplied several times.

Since the number of places to enter the ruins is limited, only a public martial arts battle can determine the winner and convince the public.

Liu Sheng had previously planned to clear out one or two sects to free up some spots, allowing him to take advantage of the chaos and secure an entry spot.

Now things have changed, and it seems I'll have to go on stage to get a spot.

However, this might lead to Abbess Jingyue discovering it, and when that woman gets angry, it's no joke.

Or perhaps he could replace a disciple of the Five Cranes Sect?

He had read the "Azure Crane Sword Manual," but the "Hawk Form" talent did enhance the Crane Form martial arts, though not nearly as much as the enhancement to the Sparrow, Hawk, and Eagle Form martial arts.

It's difficult to master in just a few days.

It wouldn't be worthwhile to specifically refine a crane incarnation for this purpose.

He intended to use the vacant incarnation slot in Qingyuan Cave.

Currently, the martial arts he possesses...

The "One Skill and Three Methods" in the Black Tiger Zen Sutra are related to the master and cannot be used in public.

The novel "Green Snake Sword Manual" is strongly related to "Demon-Catching Warrior Liu Sheng," which is likely to attract the attention of Abbess Jingyue.

"The Flying Hawk Ascends to Heaven" was given to Xu Qidong by the Wu family. They were the only ones in the city who possessed it, which also made it easy to expose his identity.

Therefore, it would be best to learn a martial art that can conceal one's identity and compete for a spot under a new identity.

Fortunately, there was the Azure Crane Ghost, who had lived long enough and was well-informed.

So he asked:
"Are there any martial arts masters in Shanyang County who are famous for their skills in eagle, hawk, and sparrow fighting? Who would be suitable to take their place and participate in the martial arts competition?"

"Martial arts techniques based on the eagle, hawk, and sparrow... I have them!"

The Azure Crane Ghost pondered for a moment, then a strange expression appeared on its ghostly face:
"Iron Eagle Gu Shaoshang is injured!"

(End of this chapter)