You, a tyrannical ruler, roam the heavens; you cannot understand my joy.

Goodness...

In just a short while, several more wounded people appeared in the courtyard.

They, like the woman, were dressed in black, close-fitting outfits, their bodies covered in wounds, dripping with blood, and barely breathing.

Unlike the others, most of these people remained conscious and were rummaging through several rooms, searching for medicine and bandages.

Upon hearing the door open, everyone's eyes sharpened, their vigilance heightened, and they gripped their weapons tightly, turning to look at Lu Zuo.

"Not soldiers?"

"It should be the owner's family."

Seeing that he was dressed in ordinary civilian clothes, the crowd discussed it for a few moments, and their wary expressions eased somewhat.

"My name is Wei Hanjiang. May I ask your esteemed name, young master?"

An elderly man with white hair and beard stepped forward, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and asked in a deep voice.

Lu Zuo returned the salute, his gaze sweeping over the crowd: "I am Lu Zuo, and you all are...?"

"Sigh..." Wei Hanjiang sighed, bowed, and said, "Young Master Lu, I apologize for disturbing you."

"But we are being searched by government soldiers, and we are too badly injured."

"I can only borrow your precious place to rest for one night."

"Don't worry, if the soldiers come, we'll say we coerced you, and we guarantee it won't implicate you, young master."

Lu Zuo didn't know who they were, but judging from the fact that someone was taking care of the woman in black by the bedside in the bedroom, they must be together.

Shen Luoyan's disguise skills are extremely powerful, changing not only her appearance, but also her figure, height, and other physical characteristics...

Lu Zuo wasn't worried about them causing trouble or being noticed.

He was actually quite curious about the origins and martial arts skills of these people.

Each of them had wounds that exposed bone, but none of their internal organs were damaged.

He had never heard of such martial arts before!

It should be noted that even if a martial artist has reached the Innate Realm or the Three Elements Realm, and can protect their internal organs with their true qi, such a severe injury clearly indicates that the person who attacked them was a highly skilled individual.

If it were him, his internal organs would have ruptured long ago...

With this in mind, Lu Zuo nodded: "It's fine for you all to stay here, but at least you should tell the host about your background, right?"

"That's natural."

Wei Hanjiang nodded in response, then beckoned the other four people over and introduced them one by one.

"This is Qiu Fengjian, Gu Tingyun."

"Greetings, young master."

Gu Tingyun was tall and slender with a handsome face and a somewhat feminine appearance. He bowed to Lu Zuo and then went anxiously to the bedroom to take care of the woman in black.

"This is Zhong Rou."

Wei Hanjiang pointed to a burly, muscular man with slightly dark skin and continued his introduction.

Lu Zuo was slightly taken aback, looked up at the person, and couldn't tell whether it was a man or a woman...

As for the other two, they were both middle-aged men, one named Shi Yu and the other Ma Quan. Their appearances were as unremarkable as their names, and there was nothing to describe about them.

After the introductions, Wei Hanjiang said, "To be honest, young master, we failed to assassinate Du Wen this morning, which is why we were pursued by government troops."

"But rest assured, young master, we are not notorious bandits, but disciples of the God of War."

Bing Shen Dao?

The world of martial arts is vast and boundless, and the number of sects and factions is as numerous as carp crossing a river.

Although Lu Zuo learned a great deal about the subject through various means, he had never heard of the name "War God Dao".

"May I ask...?"

"Is the fact that your internal organs are undamaged due to the martial arts techniques of the God of War?"

Upon hearing this, Wei Hanjiang was taken aback: "Young Master Lu is also skilled in martial arts?"

"I know a little bit."

……

A moment later, in the main hall.

"The legacy of military strategy..."

After listening to Wei Hanjiang's general account of the origins of the God of War's Way, Lu Zuo narrowed his eyes slightly: "Old Master Wei, you just mentioned that the martial arts of the military are different from the martial arts of this era."

"May I ask what makes it so special?"

Wei Hanjiang stroked his beard and explained, "The essence of military strategy lies in unleashing potential."

"The cultivation process differs from the ordinary martial arts practitioners' acquired, innate, and three-elemental cultivation methods..."

"Instead, it consists of four stages: Ming Jin (manifest strength), An Jin (hidden strength), Hua Jin (transformation strength), and Nei Gang (internal strength)."

"Its advantages are rapid cultivation and low aptitude requirements; if one has average aptitude, then cultivation is possible..."

"Yes, it takes about three to five years to reach the Inner Strength Realm."

Oh?

The path of martial arts demands extremely high aptitude, and the training is exceptionally difficult.

The techniques of the God of War can be mastered quickly.

These people in front of me...

They're all treasures!

If we could get our hands on it, we could quickly establish an armed force that had not been infiltrated by powerful families!

Lu Zuo's eyes lit up slightly, and he asked eagerly, "Then how does the Inner Strength Realm compare to the strength of ordinary martial artists?"

"Not high." Wei Hanjiang shook his head: "It's only equivalent to the acquired level, and even then, it's in the lower middle range among acquired martial artists."

"Otherwise, the assassination attempt on Du Wen wouldn't have failed today."

That's actually a bit low...

Lu Zuo continued, "I observe that although your injuries are horribly severe, your internal organs remain undamaged. Is this a unique feature of the God of War's martial arts?"

"Exactly." Wei Hanjiang nodded: "Internal Qi is generated from the internal organs and has an extremely strong protective function. Even if a Xiantian (innate) person uses their full strength, it is difficult to shake it."

"In addition, internal energy also has the effects of healing injuries, enhancing physical strength and endurance, etc."

"only……"

"Once you practice the martial arts of the God of War, you cannot practice any other martial arts, and your lifespan will be shortened by several or even ten years."

"From the moment one enters the Inner Strength realm, one's strength is already determined; no matter how many tonics one takes, it will not improve by even a fraction."

"Therefore, many years ago, the Path of the God of War was judged as a demonic path by powerful families and martial arts and Buddhist sects."

"Therefore, many years ago, the Path of the God of War was judged as a demonic path by powerful families and martial arts and Buddhist sects."

"The once glorious Path of the God of War was also wiped out by the combined forces of both sides at the end of the Han Dynasty. Only a few predecessors escaped and left behind their legacy."

"The current Path of the God of War has split into several branches, but none of them have many members."

"Take our group for example, there are only about a dozen people in total, and..."

"well……"

At this point, he sighed deeply: "We were almost completely wiped out, killed by Du Wen."

"Du Wen?"

Lu Zuo scoffed, "I've heard a bit about this guy; he's supposed to be a model of a prodigal son returning home..."

"Oh."

"Can a prodigal son's return truly atone for past sins?"

Wei Hanjiang's eyes flickered. He looked at Lu Zuo in front of him and said, "This person is about to enter the Innate Realm. No matter how much we hate him, we have no chance..."

"Ugh."

"This world..."

He shook his head and stood up: "Young Master Lu, I need to go and recuperate."

"I'll have a more detailed talk with you after your injuries have healed."

"Alright, Mr. Wei, please make yourself at home. If you need anything, please feel free to tell me."

……

An inn in the city.

"Don't even mention it..."

Fan Qinghui looked at Bi Xiuxin with hatred on her face and said in a deep voice, "That tyrant's lust far exceeds my imagination."

"and……"

The conversation ended abruptly there.

I just can't bring myself to say the part that followed, "He was insatiable and treated me like a tool."

Fan Qinghui was not the only one who came to approach Lu Zuo this time.

Bi Xiuxin said, "Yesterday, my master sent me a letter, in which he stated that Zhang Lihua and the new national teacher Zhu Yuyan are both Yin Gui demonesses."

"Do you think that revealing the details to this tyrant might make him...?"

"It's no use." Fan Qinghui waved her hand. "From what I've observed these past few days, this tyrant is not only lustful, but also utterly devoid of any sense of right and wrong."

"He would never care about colluding with demonic sects."

"perhaps……"

"He already knew the identities of these two women and had reached some kind of agreement with the Yin Gui Sect."

"That makes sense." Bi Xiuxin nodded. "Otherwise, why would he trust those two monsters, Zhang Lihua and Zhu Yuyan, so much?"

"It seems..."

"We need to hurry."

"Please bear with me for a while, and find an opportunity to introduce me to him."

Fan Qinghui nodded. "Even if you hadn't said anything, I wanted to do it sooner, after all, he..."

This is really unbearable!

Afterwards, Bi Xiuxin discussed the state of the world with her for a while before leaving the inn and disappearing into the night.

"It'd better be wiped out sooner rather than later!"

Fan Qinghui stood by the window, silently cursing in her heart.

dong dong dong...

Just then, there was a knock on the door. Fan Qinghui pushed the door open and saw a person with a black veil covering their face.

"Who are you……"

Lu Zuo removed his face mask and pushed her into the room.

.......

The following morning, somewhere outside Nantong city.

As expected, all attributes arrived, further enhancing Lu Zuo's strength.

Including what he had accumulated before, his cultivation level was now over two thousand.

"Thousand Blade Flying Stars can scatter the demonic blade without creating chaos, forming a forty-meter-long greatsword like those in anime..."

"Whether used in battle or in duels with martial artists, it is remarkably effective!"

"As for my Ethereal Steps, I've already mastered them to a certain extent, so let's add Thousand Blade Flying Stars first."

With this in mind, Lu Zuo gave the golden finger the instruction: "Add all your cultivation to the Thousand Blade Flowing Slash Technique."

[Consuming 2355 cultivation points, the Thousand Blade Flow Slash Technique has been upgraded to: 2356/150000.]

In that instant!

Lu Zuo could clearly sense that his strength had improved slightly, and he also had a new understanding of how to use this move.

With a flick of his wrist, a series of cracking sounds echoed as the shards of the Demon Blade in his hand split apart along the cracks.

However, they were drawn together by an invisible force, splitting but not dispersing. Only the blade extended by several meters, with true energy manifesting on it, radiating a shimmering blue light. The blade trembled slightly and emitted a faint hum.

Whoosh!

Lu Zuo raised his hand and flicked his wrist, unleashing a horizontal slash that flashed with a cold light as it struck a large tree not far in front of him.

click...

Boom!

A tree over twenty meters tall was snapped in half and crashed to the ground with a deafening roar, sending up a gust of wind and billowing dust.

The cut is neat and smooth, with subtle points of cool blue light that flow endlessly through the wood grain and linger for a long time…

Moreover, upon closer inspection, one can see that the azure cold light is gradually destroying the wood grain.

"Not only is the blade longer and sharper, but the blade energy can also adhere to the wound and continue to cause damage?"

"Not bad..."

Lu Zuo was overjoyed!

After a moment's hesitation, he sheathed his Demon Blade Thousand Blades, headed into the city, and returned to his courtyard.

After a night of recuperation, Wei Hanjiang and the others recovered considerably from their injuries, while the woman in black named Xie Guyan remained unconscious.

……

In the following days, Lu Zuo spent his days chatting with others in the courtyard and his evenings practicing with Fan Qinghui.

During this period, the number of disaster victims in the city increased, and even in the alley where he lived, there were disaster victims sleeping overnight.

The entire city of Nantong is almost overflowing with people...

As for Shen An, he also thoroughly investigated the situation in Nantong, following Lu Zuo's instructions.

He also summoned the magistrates, assistant magistrates, captains, and clerks of various counties to Nantong City to "discuss important matters together."

Lu Zuo didn't stay in the courtyard every day; he would occasionally go out to meet Chen Wu and get information from him.

I ran into that woman, Lin Yue, every time I went out.

For some reason, she would lead people around aimlessly every day, as if searching for something.

Oh, and Lu Zuo also ran into Song Que once...

This sycophant is currently searching the streets for precious medicinal herbs to nourish Fan Qinghui's body.

……

Two days later, the number of Shenwu Army soldiers who had infiltrated the city had reached more than seven thousand.

Meanwhile, the main officials of each county and the heads of powerful families also followed Shen An's orders and entered Nantong City to plan how to respond to the Dongyang rebellion at the prefectural governor's office.

In the courtyard where Lu Zuo lived, apart from Xie Guyan who had not yet woken up, everyone else's injuries had mostly healed.

"Young Master Lu."

"Our injuries have almost healed. We'll have to leave once Junior Sister Lin wakes up."

Wei Hanjiang found Lu Zuo, his tone slightly apologetic and grateful: "I've troubled you for many days, thank you for taking care of me, young master."

"If there is anything I can do to help you in the future, please feel free to ask."

Lu Zuo smiled and said, "If you want me to greet you, you should at least tell me where you're going next, right?"

"Otherwise, where am I supposed to find someone?"

"Haha." Wei Hanjiang grinned. "We're planning to go to Lingnan."

"After all, that's the only place that's relatively peaceful..."

At this point, his face darkened: "What a pity, what a pity! We couldn't kill that beast Du Wen this time!"

"From now on, there will never be another chance..."

Lu Zuo thought for a moment and asked, "What exactly is your grudge against Du Wen?"

"It wasn't us, it was Junior Sister Lin, she..."

Before Wei Hanjiang could finish speaking, Gu Tingyun rushed in: "Senior Brother Wei, Guyan has woken up!"

Wei Hanjiang immediately stopped talking, hurriedly ran out of the hall, and went straight to his bedroom.

……

A short while later, in the bedroom.

"Thank you, Lonely Goose, for your great kindness, young master!"

Upon hearing that Lu Zuo had saved her and taken in her fellow disciples, Xie Guyan immediately got off the bed and knelt down to express her gratitude.

"There's no need for that."

Lu Zuo reached out and helped her to the bed.

The latter glanced at Wei Hanjiang and the others, and said weakly, "Senior brother, if we stay here, we will cause trouble for Young Master Lu."

"Since things are beyond saving, it's best to leave the city as soon as possible."

Everyone nodded, about to reply, when Lu Zuo's voice suddenly rang in their ears: "Gentlemen."

"Miss Xie has lost too much blood and is still very weak. I think it would be better if she stayed another day."

"Perhaps after tomorrow night... many things will change."

Everyone was taken aback. After exchanging glances, Wei Hanjiang asked, "Young Master Lu's words seem to have a hidden meaning?"

Lu Zuo smiled and said, "If you trust me, please stay one more day."

……

Meanwhile, on the other side...

"Still haven't found it?"

"No, there are too many refugees in the city, and searching would be too difficult. I think those thieves have already run away."

These rioters are really annoying...

Lin Yue frowned and sneered, "Young Master Du has already reformed, yet they remain relentless; it's utterly hateful!"

"Young Master Du appreciates all of us highly and has long intended to give us important positions."

"We have to help him find these thieves no matter what, and eliminate this future threat!"