Wandering Swordsman |

"When can we set off?" Odin turned around, his gaze sharp as lightning.

"I have already ordered preparations to be made. If Your Excellency decides to go, we may depart at this moment," Thorne replied, a hint of nervousness in his voice.

"No need for preparations," Odin waved his hand, his voice deep and firm, "Let's go now."

He walked slowly back to his desk, his fingers tapping lightly on the surface, the rhythm slow and heavy, as if calculating the passage of time. "Thorne, do you know why I'm searching for the 'Heavenly Demon Divine Art'?"

"I...don't know," Thorne said in a low voice.

Odin smiled slightly, a smile carrying an indescribable complexity. "Because it concerns my life's pursuit. I once thought that governing a country well was my ultimate goal. But Hua Shenyong told me that the pinnacle of martial arts is the true peak. And the 'Heavenly Demon Divine Art' that Hua Shenyong pursues is the path I've taken to reach the pinnacle of martial arts."

"Your Grace," Thorne finally mustered the courage to speak, "if the Heavenly Demon Divine Art truly exists on the Frozen Continent, shouldn't we make some preparations beforehand?"

Odin turned, his gaze sharp. "Prepare?" He chuckled. "In my entire life, I've never prepared for anything. I only know that once I have a clue, I must act immediately."

"Yes, Your Grace, I will arrange the itinerary immediately." Thorne bowed in agreement, but he knew in his heart that the Duke was no longer the gentle and wise ruler in the court, but a fanatic who was obsessed with pursuing the ultimate martial arts.

Odin watched Thorne leave, and the study returned to silence.

"Alice..." he murmured, his voice almost carried away by the wind, "Soon, your father will be able to make this world a place without strife."

Outside the window, on the streets of Beigong City, the people continued with their lives.

Inside the study, Odin Kane, the "Invincible Lord," had transformed into a fanatic born for martial arts.

......

The twilight in Beigong City was as cold as a knife. The wind blew in from the northern plateau, stirring up fine dust from the streets and alleys, which swirled on the stone pavement.

As Shen Mo and his group of four stepped through the city gate, the last rays of the setting sun were being swallowed by dark clouds, and the entire city seemed to sink into a gray-blue twilight.

Shen Mo walked at the front, his black robe already covered with a thin layer of dust from the wind and sand. His brows were furrowed, and his gaze swept across both sides of the street like a hawk's—this foreign city, though orderly, exuded an indescribable sense of alienation.

Hua Tianyou followed closely behind, his hand always on the hilt of his sword, his eyes alert; Albert looked slightly tired but still stood tall; while Faceless silently trailed behind, draped in a black robe, even his breathing seemed deliberately suppressed, like a walking shadow.

"As planned, we will first request an audience with the Invincible Lord in the guise of Albert," Shen Mo said in a low voice, his voice almost torn apart by the wind. "As the leader of the Seven Stars, he will certainly receive the other Seven Stars."

The four walked briskly toward the Duke's mansion in the center of the North Palace City. The gates were heavily guarded, the armor gleaming, but when Albert revealed the seven-star emblem, the guards' expressions tightened, and they immediately bowed and led them inside.

However, they were not greeted by the invincible duke who was famous throughout the six kingdoms, but by a scribe with a solemn expression.

"Gentlemen, you have come from afar, and should have been received by His Excellency the Duke in person." The scribe's tone was respectful yet cautious. "However... His Excellency the Duke left the city this morning, and his whereabouts are unknown."

"What?" Hua Tianyou's pupils contracted sharply, and he stepped forward. "When did he leave? Where did he go?"

The clerk shook his head: "His Excellency the Duke only took Knight Commander Elwin and ten guards with him. He did not take a carriage, nor did he enter through the main gate. He quietly left the city through the north side gate. As for his destination... we are afraid we do not know."

Albert frowned. "Even your own people don't know where he went?"

"His Excellency the Duke is always meticulous in his actions." The scribe lowered his eyes. "This trip likely involves confidential matters, so not a single word was left behind."

Shen Mo's heart sank. He had thought that with his status as Albert the Seven Star Envoy, he would at least be able to meet the Invincible Duke. But now, the Duke's whereabouts were a mystery.

"If it were in the Central Plains..." Shen Mo murmured, but stopped abruptly before he could finish.

Yes, if this were in the Central Plains, with just a single order, the Beggars' Clan's network of informants, scattered throughout the land, could weave an invisible net and track down any clue within half a day.

But this is the far west—far from the Central Plains, especially those three perilous places, so much so that the people of this land don't even know that there are other places beyond the east.

He looked up sharply and pressed the clerk again, "How long has he been gone? Which direction did he go after leaving the city?"

"It took about three hours. After leaving the city, we headed northwest," the clerk replied.

"Three hours..." Shen Mo calculated quickly, "If he's traveling light and fast, he should be over a hundred miles away by now. If we set off immediately, we still have a chance to catch up!"

Before anyone could respond, he strode out of the Duke's mansion. A cold wind swept over him, causing his robes to flutter like battle flags. Hua Tianyou and Albert exchanged a glance and immediately followed; Wumian, however, vanished like a wisp of black smoke, silently disappearing into the twilight.

The four men rode out of the city and headed straight for the official road in the northwest. The villages and towns along the way were sparse, and occasionally a herdsman would pass by with his flock of sheep, all of whom would look at the four travelers galloping at full speed with strange eyes.

Along the way, Hua Tianyou kept stopping people to ask questions, and finally got the information from an old herdsman:

"Indeed, a troop of light cavalry galloped past."

"Where did they go?" Hua Tianyou asked urgently.

"Heading straight northwest." The old shepherd squinted. "By the way, I heard they're heading out to sea."

"Out to sea?" Albert's pupils contracted sharply, his voice tinged with disbelief. "Out to the northwest, there's only one place—the Frozen Continent!"

He dismounted, his finger trembling as he pointed to the northern horizon. "That frozen continent, perpetually covered in ice and snow, where the winds are like knives, even birds struggle to survive. What would the Invincible Lord be doing there? Has he gone mad?"

Shen Mo reined in the horse, and it neighed. He looked up into the distance, where the clouds on the horizon churned like ink, as if foreshadowing some ominous event.

His voice was low but firm: "No matter what he's doing there, as long as we find him, that's all that matters."

The four men said no more and spurred their horses to gallop away.

Horse hooves pounded the morning dew, whips whistled in the wind, and they rode tirelessly through the dust. They knew that every moment of delay took them further away from the Invincible Lord.

Three days later, they finally reached the coastline.

The sea breeze was biting, carrying a chilling cold, and the waves crashed against the rocks with a deep, rumbling sound.

The fishing village on the shore has only a few households, and a few dilapidated fishing boats creak in the wind at the entrance of the village.

"They're gone." Shen Mo looked at the empty dock, his voice hoarse.

Hua Tianyou clenched his fist, his knuckles turning white: "We're too late."

"No," Shen Mo shook his head, his gaze fixed on the small boat that had disappeared into the thick fog, "we still have a chance."

He turned and walked toward a fisherman mending a net, his voice carrying an unquestionable authority: "Excuse me, how far is the frozen continent to the northwest from here?" The fisherman looked up, a flicker of fear in his eyes, but still respectfully replied, "About eight hundred li."

The fisherman pointed to the horizon, "However, even seagulls can't fly over there. Less than 30% of boats that go there survive."

Shen Mo was shocked upon hearing this.

Eight hundred li is an unimaginable distance for ordinary people. But for him, it was just a day's journey by traversing water.

I can easily travel 800 li by myself. But what about Hua Tianyou, Albert, and Wumian? They can't walk on water like I can.