Wizards begin with Occlumency.

"Senior brother, what happened?"

Link immediately appeared and asked a question.

Shi Shi was only slightly taken aback by Link's entrance, but quickly accepted it.

After Hu Suqi accepted his confession, the two enjoyed a period of blissful, shameless love, being completely honest with each other and talking about everything.

From his girlfriend, Shi learned things he had never known before in the previous thirty-odd years.

I had many different sights and experiences.

When happy, I laugh heartily; when frustrated, I sigh and clutch my back.

During their open and honest conversation, Senior Brother Shi learned about the many extraordinary qualities of his eighth junior brother.

Especially given the way he appeared so mysteriously, it wasn't too shocking.

Senior Brother Shi continued sharpening his knife, calmly saying, "An imperial envoy has arrived, informing Governor Hu that he must send troops to search the Valley of the Dead, pick the Longevity Peaches, and present them as tribute to the Kangxi and Qianlong Emperors. Disobeying the order, or failing to do so, would be a capital offense punishable by the extermination of three generations of his family. Most of Hu's relatives and clansmen in Beijing have already been placed under surveillance. Governor Hu, being of strong character, considered this a violation of orders and refused to comply, voluntarily going to prison. Suqi and Governor Hu's other children were also imprisoned."

"So, Senior Brother is planning a prison break?"

Link frowned slightly, sensing that things weren't that simple.

In this world, the martial arts of humans and immortals and the martial arts of machines are developing vigorously in the open. Ancient witchcraft and evil witchcraft societies have sunk into the shadows but have not declined. The imperial court has always maintained a stable control over the world, without any turmoil, and naturally holds the most powerful force.

It is only natural that the angels, representing the will of the Kangxi and Qianlong Emperors, would be accompanied by highly skilled individuals, capable of suppressing Hu Suqi and Hu Songqi.

But that doesn't mean that Hu Suqi and Hu Songqi were incapable of escaping.

Hu Songqi, in particular, was able to remain partially hidden in the shadows and make his escape as soon as things went wrong.

Lin Ke also did not believe that Hu Suqi was someone who would surrender easily.

Therefore, Link disapproved of Senior Brother Shi's reckless plan to break into the prison and rescue people.

The death of one person is a small matter, but the impact on the entire Bajiquan martial arts school is a big matter.

"Don't worry, I'm not that stupid."

Shi Shi clearly knew what Link was worried about. He washed and dried the sharpened knife, applied anti-rust oil, and performed maintenance.

"So, what's your plan with this outfit, Senior Brother?"

Link didn't show any unusual emotions, such as guilt, when his thoughts were exposed.

He continued to ask questions directly, having already made up his mind.

If my senior's plan isn't too outrageous, I should still lend a hand and do my part.

"I plan to enter the Valley of the Dead to find the so-called Longevity Peach and see what makes it so alluring that it could make Emperor Kangxi and Emperor Qianlong issue such a foolish order."

Senior Brother Shi's tone was indifferent, yet it revealed a deep-seated hatred.

Regardless of his personal morality, Governor Hu's abilities alone are top-notch.

This province used to be a stronghold of conservatives, not just Tien Shui County, which strictly adhered to tradition.

Since taking office, Governor Hu has established his authority by wielding both power and influence, and then, with his vast wealth, he has successfully broken through the conservative faction and opened up new opportunities by enticing people with promises of profit.

Since then, in less than fifteen years, thanks to the vigorous development of the machinery industry, the province's economy has jumped from the bottom to the top three.

Thinking of this, Link said quietly, "Senior brother, have you considered that Emperor Kangxi and Emperor Qianlong's scheme was a calculated move to kill multiple birds with one stone?"

"What do you mean?"

Shi Shi paused for a moment as he was wiping the blade with oil.

"The story of the Longevity Peach is not entirely unfounded; it is recorded in both official and unofficial histories. One reason is that the Kangxi and Qianlong Emperors, in their old age, wanted the Longevity Peach to prolong their lives."

Link slowly revealed his guess.

"Secondly, the influx of thousands or even tens of thousands of martial artists is a force that is not capable of accomplishing anything, but is certainly capable of causing trouble, and must be controlled."

"Thirdly, Governor Hu has been entrenched in this province for fifteen years, with an excellent reputation and immense authority. He holds power, money, and military power in his hands, essentially making him a local emperor! Emperors Kangxi and Qianlong wanted to use this to test whether Governor Hu was still loyal to them. If he was not loyal, he would be killed. If he was loyal, he would be transferred."

After a pause, Link said something that seemed to confirm his guess: "According to my senior brother, Governor Hu went to prison voluntarily and did not resist. This shows Governor Hu's great wisdom; he not only demonstrated his loyalty and protected himself and his people, but also avoided the murky waters of the Valley of the Dead."

"There are so many tricks to it?"

Senior Brother Shi was completely stunned; he hadn't thought that far ahead.

Hu Suqi told him not to break them out of prison, that they would be released safely on their own. Oh, I see.

"Senior brother, do you still want to go into the Valley of the Dead, find the Longevity Peach, and exchange it for Hu Suqi's family?"

Seeing this, Link directly exposed Hu Shixiong's unspoken intentions.

"Why!"

Senior Brother Shi sighed, sheathed his sword, and said, "I don't want to think about it anymore."

According to Junior Brother Lin, venturing into the Valley of the Dead would most likely not help Su Qi, but would instead get them into trouble.

What if Suqi is released from prison, only to die in the valley?

After these days of interaction, Brother Shi was deeply fascinated and didn't want to leave any regrets.

"Senior brother, please return to Fuli County. Ask Master and Mistress to summon all the disciples who are away and go to Mingxin Sword Sect to avoid trouble."

Link suddenly thought of a possibility and immediately said in a deep voice.

"Um?"

Senior Brother Shi was somewhat puzzled.

Is this because they're worried that he might give up outwardly, but secretly still want to enter the Valley of the Dead?

Seeing this, Link guessed what Senior Brother Shi was thinking and explained, "The imperial court has already sent envoys, so of course it can't just end like this. I estimate that the martial artists gathered outside the valley now will be used as scouts. If the Valley of the Dead is indeed as terrifying as the legends say, even if all those martial artists were thrown in, it probably wouldn't be enough. So..."

At this point, Senior Brother Shi had already realized what was going on and continued, sighing softly, "So the imperial court will definitely send people in to scout ahead again. They'll either assemble a large army or recruit renowned martial artists, like our semi-reclusive master, right?"

"Yes."

Link nodded, confirming what Senior Brother Shi had said.

"I'll set off now."

Senior Brother Shi didn't dare to delay and immediately got up and walked outside.

The preparations made for entering the Valley of the Dead can be put to good use, allowing Brother Shi to quickly return to Fuli County.

Lin Ke watched his senior brother Shi leave in a hurry, and without lingering, he flashed into Hu Suqi's boudoir in her courtyard.

Sniff, sniff...

The room smelled somewhat unpleasant.

This is especially stimulating for Link, a "single dog".

"Damn it!"

Link rarely swore.

With a thought, Link lowered the sensitivity of his sense of smell and began searching the room.

He didn't physically search the contents, but instead used his mental energy to scan them.

Hu Suqi, as the founder of the "Witchcraft" organization, has extremely high attainments in ancient witchcraft.

Just as Link suspected, some clues were left behind, most likely through ancient witchcraft.

Sure enough, Link found a trace on the dressing table.

Sisters are sisters, even though they are half-sisters and haven't known each other for very long.

Both Hu Suqi and Hu Songqi liked to decorate their dressing tables.

Of course, this may also be related to the fact that ancient witchcraft and evil witchcraft often used mirrors and powder as mediums for casting spells.

A small drawer was opened remotely, revealing a small, round dressing mirror.

With a slight thought, Link caused the small round vanity mirror to float in the air, aligning with the center of the large vanity mirror that came with the dressing table.

A beam of light shot out from Link's right hand, which was held in a sword-like gesture, and landed on the small round dressing mirror, reflecting into the large square dressing mirror.

Hu Suqi then appeared in front of Link in a manner resembling a holographic projection.

"You've arrived."

"I am coming."

"You shouldn't have come."

"I came after all."

This projection possesses extremely high intelligence, almost like a real person.

Link became curious about the magic that Hu Suqi used to achieve this effect.

There was no record of any magic technique that could achieve such an effect in that large volume given by Hu Suqi.

They're either treasured items or recently created ones.

The former is more likely.

Hu Suqi then said, "My Hu family will definitely weather this storm. Keep an eye on your eldest brother and don't let him do anything foolish."

"Don't worry, we've already persuaded them to stop."

Link replied calmly.

"What does he want to do?"

Hu Suqi was taken aback upon hearing this and pressed for details.

"He wants to enter the Valley of the Dead to find the Longevity Peach in exchange for your safety."

Link did not hide anything and told the truth.

"How stupid!"

Hu Suqi cursed softly, but a look of happiness appeared in her eyes and on her face.

It's wonderful to have someone who is willing to give their all for her.

At this moment, Hu Suqi's projection began to fluctuate, showing signs of becoming unstable.

She quickly left behind a piece of advice and then disappeared: "Do not enter the Valley of the Dead before the fifteenth of July."

"July 15th?"

Link looked at the spot where the small round dressing mirror had turned to ashes and dissipated into the air, and murmured to himself.

The 15th day of the seventh lunar month is the Zhongyuan Festival, also known as the Ghost Festival.

In places where Taoist culture has some influence, there is a custom of celebrating this festival.

Linking the Ghost Festival with the formations in the Valley of the Dead and the eerie presence of the Longevity Peach Tree, Link instantly formed some guesses.

However, none of this matters to him now.

"Um?"

Link suddenly noticed something was amiss and turned to look in the 9 o'clock direction.

His eyes shone brightly, piercing through curtains and walls, traversing space, and directly "seeing" into the governor's mansion.

In a courtyard, an old Taoist priest dressed in a Taoist robe was performing a ritual.

Strange fluctuations surged out in all directions, exploring the entire provincial capital and its surroundings.

Is this an attempt to find all the hidden martial artists or sorcerers inside and outside the city?

"Taoist arts?"

Link didn't care about the old Taoist's purpose, only about the method the old Taoist was using at that moment.

"who!"

The old Taoist priest, who was performing the ritual, suddenly became alarmed, feeling as if a pair of eyes were watching him. He couldn't help but let out a loud shout.

"There's definitely something to it."

Link quickly withdrew his gaze, erasing all traces of his presence in Hu Suqi's bedroom, and his figure quietly disappeared.

With just one glance, Link saw a lot.

The Taoist arts mentioned by Master Jingxu do exist, and they are not much different from the Taoist methods Link remembered from his previous life (?) involving walking the Big Dipper, making hand seals, and chanting incantations.

"This is getting more and more interesting."

Link vanished and reappeared outside the Valley of the Dead. Recalling the sonic attack technique contained in the old Taoist's roar, he sighed.

Human Immortal Martial Arts, Mechanical Martial Arts, Ancient Witchcraft, Evil Witchcraft, Taoist Arts, and Magical Arts.

The path to transcendence in this world is quite complex.

and……

The history of successfully ascending to the upper realm but disappearing without a trace, and the grand formation of Dead Man Valley, all reveal many extraordinary aspects worthy of exploration.

Thinking of exploring the Valley of the Dead, Link couldn't help but look down.

More than 1,500 exploratory robots dispatched by a certain faction of the Mechanical Martial Arts successfully cleared away the fog that shrouded the valley entrance.

However, after a few days, they made some progress, but at a great cost.

At a glance, it appears that more than 1,200 robots are completely destroyed, leaving only more than 300 battered robots that are still barely functioning.

Those mechanical martial arts masters at the second level who control the robots are being forcibly exploited under the guard of the imperial army, directing the robots to explore ruthlessly and trigger traps.

The group of martial artists gathered outside the valley had been completely brought under control by the powerful army led by Governor Hu.

With cannons set up and the army in formation, let alone just three thousand or so martial artists of varying levels, even if another three thousand or so came, as long as they dared to resist, their fate would only be to be slaughtered.

Even a martial artist at the peak of the Void Realm like Li Shuwen could be overwhelmed and killed by a well-organized army.

Even the imperial army would suffer heavy casualties.

"Who?"

A thunderous shout suddenly rang out from the military camp guarding the group of martial artists outside the valley.

With a loud clang.

A fully armored general burst through the camp gate, flew into the air above the camp, and began searching around.

There was an immediate response within the military camp.

Squads of fully armed soldiers quickly formed a small formation with extremely skillful movements and great speed.

The qi and blood surged forth in billowing smoke, and true qi and true essence surged wildly.

In an instant, a giant, striped tiger was summoned from the newly formed small army formation within the main army formation. It roared and landed beside the armored general.

Link, who hadn't been spotted by the military officers, suddenly felt like he was being watched.

It wasn't exactly terrifying, but it did have a hint of menace in the air.

Clearly, the giant tiger of light and shadow had spotted Link.

"Who dares to spy on my Dayong military camp? Their crime deserves death!"

The armored general immediately followed the gaze of the giant tiger of light and shadow, focusing on the void where Link stood. He raised his Azure Dragon Halberd, shouted, and swung it down from mid-air.

The loud shout is a sonic attack technique, resembling a tiger's roar, which is awe-inspiring.

The true energy waves generated by the Azure Dragon Halberd's strike truly resembled an azure dragon.

They all attacked Link.

"Oh!"

Link even had the leisure to let out a soft chuckle, but instead of dodging or avoiding, he took the roar and the blow head-on.

Link had already used his clone and teleportation techniques as soon as his figure was discovered.

What remained was nothing more than a clone that didn't care how gruesome its death might be.

As for Link's true form, after breaking free from the giant tiger's lock, he "personally" experienced the attack strength of an armored general.

"If my eldest brother comes, he will probably already be dead."

After careful consideration and comparison, Link made a judgment in his mind.

The armored general also cultivated the Immortal Martial Path, and like his senior brother, he was at the early stage of the Unity Realm.

However, with the aid of military formations, they can unleash attacks comparable to those of the Void Realm.

This was only a battalion lieutenant, not a high-ranking officer.

The Dayong Dynasty's power and prestige over the world were truly well-deserved. (End of Chapter)