Breaking Limits in Martial Arts: Grinding Your Way to Becoming a Martial Saint in a Chaotic Era

The fleet had been sailing on the Huanglong River for most of the day, and it was getting late.

A river breeze carrying the fishy smell wafted towards me, and the setting sun dyed the turbid river water a dark red.

Before long, a small island came into view.

It was an island in the middle of the river, which local fishermen called "Duanlong Island".

The island is located in a dangerous area, surrounded by reefs, and can only be approached by one waterway.

The island is densely wooded, and you can vaguely see several rows of wooden houses and a tall watchtower with a black flag on it. The flag is embroidered with a fierce dragon that flutters in the river wind.

"Sir, we've discovered a bandit stronghold ahead!" a constable reported.

Lin Mu's spirits lifted. He walked to the bow of the ship, drew his longsword, and pointed the tip at Duanlong Island. His voice was icy: "Full speed ahead! Attack the island!"

The three large ships formed a battle formation and rapidly approached Duanlong Island.

Xu Qing leaned forward slightly, his gaze passing over the bow of the ship and landing on the island that was getting closer and closer. The sky was darkening, and the island was obscured by dense forest, making it difficult to see clearly.

"Jiaolong Village." Constable Qi approached, his tone cold. "These are bandits who have been entrenched on the Huanglong River for over a decade. Their leaders are all masters of internal martial arts, and they have dozens of men under their command. The government has tried to wipe them out several times, but they haven't been able to completely eradicate them."

He lowered his voice and instructed, "Stay close to me after we get to the island."

Xu Qing nodded.

Duanlong Island is getting closer and closer.

The ballistae at the bow were already cocked, the soldiers gripped their swords and spears tightly, and a tense atmosphere of impending battle permeated the deck. But when the fleet approached the island and landed on the shallows, everyone froze.

The gates of the village were wide open.

It's not the kind of wide-open breach that gets attacked.

The door was intact, the tung oil on the hinges still glistening, and it looked as if it had been deliberately pushed open. Behind the gate was a dirt road leading to the dense forest on the island, the road was deserted, without a single person in sight.

"Something's not right," Officer Qi said in a low voice, his hand resting on the hilt of his knife.

Xu Qing sensed it too. It was too quiet. There were no shouts of battle, no bugle calls, not even birdsong. The entire island was like a dead island.

"Lord Lin, something's not right. The gate is open, and there seems to be no one on the island." Captain Du He stood beside Lin Mu, narrowing his eyes.

Lin Mu frowned slightly, remained silent for a moment, then suddenly drew his long sword from his waist and said in a cold voice, "Wang Chen, Ge Shan, Qi Mao!"

Upon hearing the commotion, Constable Qi and the two squad leaders immediately stepped out from the crowd, knelt down, and said in unison, "Your subordinates are here!"

"Each of you will lead thirty men into the island to search. If you discover any signs of bandits, immediately fire a signal arrow. I and Lieutenant Du will remain here to provide support as needed."

He raised his longsword and pointed in three directions: "Wang Chen, lead the first team to search eastward. Ge Shan, lead the second team to search westward. Qi Mao, lead the third team to search southward."

"Your subordinates obey!" The three men clasped their fists and stood up, each calling out to their subordinates.

Head Constable Qi selected a dozen or so constables and soldiers, among whom Xu Qing was.

Thirty-one people entered the dense forest to the south.

It was much darker inside the dense forest than outside.

The sky had already darkened, and the tall trees blocked out the sun, with only a few rays of light leaking through the gaps in the canopy, making the view blurry and indistinct.

The soil in the forest was soft and damp, making no sound when you stepped on it. The rotting leaves gave off a damp, musty smell, mixed with a faint fishy odor. You had to be careful with every step you took.

The group walked through the woods for about 15 minutes. The visibility became increasingly dark, and the surroundings became quieter and quieter, so quiet that even breathing sounded harsh.

Officer Qi suddenly stopped and raised his hand sharply, signaling everyone to stop.

too late.

"Splash—"

Suddenly, a dark mass of figures emerged from the surrounding bushes, behind tree trunks, and even on the branches overhead.

The bandits wore rags of different colors, held knives, guns, and clubs, and had ferocious faces with eyes that gleamed with malice.

Seventy or eighty people, as if appearing out of nowhere, surrounded the group of thirty-one of them.

The constables leading the group were pale-faced, and some of them were already trembling.

The constable in charge of firing the whistle-piercing arrow reacted the fastest, grabbing the bamboo tube at his waist, pulling out the fuse, and forcefully flinging it into the air—

But no flames shot out, nor did the expected shriek.

There was no sound.

The signal arrow had been tampered with.

Everyone's expression changed.

Officer Qi frowned, his gaze sweeping over the bandits emerging from the bushes before finally settling on the three people at the very front of the group.

His gaze shifted from shock to anger, and then from anger to a cold, knowing realization.

"Lei Lie, I never expected you to have joined the Jiaolong Stronghold." His voice was as cold as ice.

Xu Qing followed his gaze.

Three men stood at the front of the bandits. In the center was a middle-aged man in his forties, burly with a face full of scars, and triangular eyes that gleamed with ferocity. He carried a nine-ringed broadsword. His aura was powerful and oppressive, clearly indicating he was a master of internal energy cultivation.

To the left stood a robust man in his early thirties, dressed in a black short-sleeved shirt, with a stern face and sharp, hawk-like eyes. He held a long spear in his hand, its tip gleaming coldly in the twilight. This was the "Lei Lie" that Constable Qi had just called out.

To his right was a young man of about twenty-seven or twenty-eight, with an ordinary appearance and a nonchalant smile on his lips. He was carrying a curved knife and looked the least noticeable.

Xu Qing could sense that he also possessed the aura of hidden strength. Although it was only at the minor stage of hidden strength, in this situation, any instance of hidden strength could be a fatal threat.

"Captain Qi, long time no see." Lei Lie grinned, a hint of amusement in his smile. "Didn't expect that, did you? Lei Lie from the Benlei Martial Arts School back then is now the second-in-command of Jiaolong Village."

Officer Qi's face turned ashen.

He personally investigated the case of Lei Lie's robbery and murder of a wealthy family in the county. Several times he found Lei Lie's exact hiding place, but each time Lei Lie managed to escape before the last moment. He refused to believe that no one had tipped him off.

The Lin family!

These two words were like a bolt of lightning, cleaving through all the fog in Qi Bu's mind.

Now that things have come to this, even a fool would understand what's going on.

Qi Mao wasn't stupid; he understood everything in an instant.

The bandits of Jiaolong Village deliberately lay in ambush here; they knew he would lead his men into this dense forest.

All of this was a seemingly casual, but actually meticulously planned killing spree by Lin Mu. Lei Lie was a member of the Lin family, and the bandits of Jiaolong Village were likely also employed by the Lin family. They kept the bandits to enrich themselves, to rob and kill enemy merchant ships, and to act as henchmen at crucial moments. A double kill with one arrow.

And now, that knife is at their throats.

Officer Qi and Xu Qing exchanged a glance and nodded to each other, understanding each other without saying a word.

Xu Qing also realized that this bandit suppression was actually a trap set by the Lin family to kill him and the county magistrate's faction.

Lin Mu eliminated this "undeveloped genius" under the guise of bandit suppression, and at the same time broke the arm of the county magistrate, Constable Qi, so that the constables in the county government could also be purged.

As for the dozen or so soldiers, they were nothing more than disposable pawns that could be killed easily.

There was no time for them to think it over.

The bandits had already surrounded them, their blades flashing in the twilight.