Ten Directions Sword Master

Chapter 73 The Jianghu in a Small Town

The autumn wind and golden energy severed cause and effect; the attack was the strongest move, instantly killing the burly Silver Envoy with a single sword strike.

Lu Li didn't want to waste a single moment, otherwise, if he were surrounded by the Silver-Clad Captains and the other two Silver Fish Envoys arrived, he would have no chance to escape.

This move puts a tremendous strain on the body, not only physically but also mentally.

Come to think of it, even mystical techniques cannot be activated at will, let alone a sword move that involves the principles of law.

"That person is weaker than I imagined; the Silver Fish Envoy shouldn't only have this much strength—"

Lu Li assessed his own strength. After reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, his abilities improved significantly, making it easy for him to surpass those who had achieved the Foundation Establishment Perfection stage, whose inheritance was not particularly outstanding.

However, the sword strike went too smoothly. The man seemed to have a mental defect. He hesitated for a moment when faced with the Causal Sword Style and died instantly.

In the future, when facing other Foundation Establishment Perfection projects, we cannot simply apply today's experience.

"There aren't many young masters in Yuzhang, but there are many in Wujun. It's a pity that he couldn't stay after killing the people from the thief's office. I wonder how Dean Yu and his team are doing in their pursuit of Zhai Baishi."

After returning, with the Nebula Compass, Lu Li will not lack opportunities for real combat, but it will be difficult for him to make a name for himself on the leaderboard.

The experience of venturing into the world alone for the first time is quite different from that in the world of the compass.

Without any mentors by his side, he was filled with curiosity about this world.

One moment she was thinking about what she should exchange her reward credits for after returning to Bailu Academy, and the next she was thinking about Yu Ziqi and the others.

The realm beyond the level of Spirit Refinement is beyond his comprehension.

It remains to be seen how many people it will take to defeat Zhai Baishi, who ranks twenty-ninth on the Earthly Ranking.

However, Zhai Baishi would not dare to stay within the territory of the Great Chu, and would only flee northwards, so Yu Ziqi's safety should not be a problem.

Traveling through the night, they encountered a large truck carrying sun-dried timber at dawn. Lu Li leaped out from the shadows, lightly swayed, and landed on the truck.

With its feet firmly planted, the truck moved smoothly with the undulations of the road, without any abnormalities.

He lay down in the pile of timber, half-asleep and half-awake, letting the truck take him wherever it wanted.

Even they themselves didn't know which route they would take back to Yuzhang County, so how could the thief-catching office possibly guess?

Anyway, he wasn't in a hurry; he could wait until things settled down with Yu Ziqi.

With Yu Ziqi's return, the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics will likely give him face and allow him to sit down and have a proper talk.

"Chungu County, isn't that in Danyang Prefecture? I slept right into another prefecture, that's quite a long time."

Lu Li got off the carriage before the city gate inspection.

As dusk fell, looking at the two somewhat worn Wei-style characters on the city gate, I realized the location of this small town.

On the map, it is a protruding part in Danyang County, adjacent to Wu County, and its local customs and culture are also similar to those of Wu County.

The guards at the city gate did not conduct a thorough inspection. There was no arrest warrant from the thief control office as expected. They paid a five-copper-coin entrance fee and rushed into the city before the gate closed.

"It's so old and worn out."

This was Lu Li's first impression upon entering the city. Compared to fertile southeastern regions like Yuhang and Wucheng, it was even inferior to his hometown of Pengcheng.

The buildings on both sides are low, the streets are sparsely populated, and there is a stench of piled-up cow and sheep dung.

After wandering around for a while, I found a restaurant near the county government office and settled down to stay.

The next day, he changed into casual clothes, sat in the second-floor lobby drinking morning tea, and listened to the discussions of the people around him.

There was also a storyteller at the other end, recounting legends from ancient and modern times, which occasionally drew cheers from the audience, and fruits and coins were scattered all over the ground.

"Have you heard? The conflict between Zhenwei Martial Arts School and Luo's Martial Arts School is escalating. Yesterday, they even got into a fight with swords, and several disciples were seriously injured!"

"Your information is outdated. Everyone thought Zhenwei Martial Arts School was just bluffing. I never expected that it could actually be related to Zhenwei Escort Agency in Wu County. Master Li's mother was actually the wet nurse of the master of Zhenwei Escort Agency. He himself worked at the agency for almost ten years when he was young before he was allowed to use this signboard."

"Yesterday, the young master of Zhenwei Escort Agency and two esteemed disciples of Xiaoxi Sword Pavilion went to Shicheng to celebrate the birthday of a senior. They happened to stop by Chun Valley for a rest and, upon seeing this matter, intervened to mediate—it has been agreed that a duel will be held today, with each side sending three disciples, and the winner will receive the carriage and horse company's profits for the next ten years!"

With his hearing now fully developed, Lu Li could hear the hushed whispers in the restaurant perfectly clearly, not missing a single word.

When the Great Chu Dynasty collapsed, several officers of different genders from a detached imperial guard, not wanting to get involved in the conflict, withdrew from the court with their valuables.

He returned to the martial arts world and founded Zhenwei Escort Agency. After several generations of development, it has become the largest escort agency in the southeast region.

The group has a thousand bodyguards, and its leaders are all experts in the Refinement of Spirit realm. They are highly regarded for their escort and transport services.

Zhenxi Sword Pavilion is the local sect that Yu Ziqi mentioned in Wucheng a few days ago.

These sects may not be well-known in the world, but they are ubiquitous and extremely powerful in their local areas, forming the foundation of the strong martial arts culture in the southeast.

I never expected to hear these two familiar names when I arrived at Spring Valley.

"Alas, it seems that Old Master Liu is not doing well—what a good man he was! When I failed in business, it was Old Master Liu who didn't ask for interest and gave me a two-year grace period to pay the outstanding amount, which helped me get through it."

"Who says otherwise? Which merchant in the city hasn't received favors from Old Master Liu? It's a pity that his descendants are disappointing. The three masters fought over the family property in a messy manner. I wonder how long the Liu family's huge business can last."

"That mica mine supplies goods to the Canal Gang. As long as we maintain good relations, we can expect to be rich for another twenty or thirty years."

Another table of guests, several merchants dressed in bright robes and adorned with expensive accessories, were discussing the affairs of the Liu family, the wealthiest merchant family in Chungu County.

I had only been sitting for a short while when I heard all the hot news in the city.

After finishing his tea and snacks, Lu Li tossed down a silver coin and returned to his room.

He stopped in Spring Valley, not because there was anything special about the place.

Rather, it's because the Nebula Compass is about to open, and the nebulae will converge tomorrow or the day after.

He can delay his response by a maximum of twelve hours, otherwise he will be forcibly teleported.

Rather than being moved to a desolate place, it's better to choose a place on your own to avoid being seen by someone when you come out of the Compass World.

"Judging from the pattern, the Nebula Compass has never sent me to the same world repeatedly, so let's rule out the Northern Wei world first—the Great Kang world, apart from the few times I used the Concealment Talisman, hasn't appeared for a long time either. Does the Nebula Compass think this world poses no challenge to me?"

Lu Li pulled up a chair and sat down, beginning preparations for the upcoming Compass World.

Each time the Nebula Compass is activated, it is both a crisis and a tremendous opportunity, as if he were exploring countless secret realms all to himself.

It is still a secret realm that is millions of times larger in area and millions of times richer in resources.

It would be unacceptable for him to lose the Nebula Compass now.

"That's true. If I hadn't delved into the Immortal Mirror and triggered the subsequent events, the Great Kang World would no longer pose any threat to me on the surface."

"That leaves only two options: the floating island world, or a completely new world!"

Having just left the floating island, he has truly delved into this world in the past six months, unlike before when he only had a fleeting glimpse of it.

He had a general understanding of the Sword Pavilion, and upon looking further up, he could see only a small part of the thirteen sects.

As for the Taibai Sword Sect, it remains high in the clouds, shrouded in mystery.

"The Floating Island world isn't bad. As long as the main quest doesn't involve anything above the fifth level of the Azure Jade Realm, you can observe the swords of a hundred schools while having so many sword cultivators to fight against—as for the new Compass World, the risks are huge, but it also means huge rewards!"

Lu Li had his servant bring him a set of paper and pens, and drew a map of the floating island. He then filled in the thirteen sects based on his memory.

If the next world really is a floating island, he has decided to do something he has been thinking about for a long time.

In the center of the county town, a martial arts arena was hastily erected.

The timber was collected in the early morning, and the construction was completed by noon. Several canopies were also built for distinguished guests to sit in.

"Young Master Ning, Young Hero Lin, and Heroine Su, it is a great honor to have three distinguished guests in Spring Valley. Later, please comment on the martial arts of a few unworthy disciples so that they can broaden their horizons."

Master Li of Zhenwei Martial Arts School had white hair and a ruddy complexion. His late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation level made him one of the top experts in this small town.

With his biggest backer arriving today, how could he not be pleased? He forced Luo Wentao of the Luo Family Martial Arts School to bow his head and agree to determine the ownership of the carriage and horse shop based on the results of the competition.

When Luo Wentao was young, he went to the South China Sea to make his way in the world. Twenty years later, he returned to his hometown with the cultivation of Foundation Establishment Perfection and a body full of scars.

With ruthless attacks and sharp swordsmanship, he was able to rival Zhenwei Martial Arts School in just a few years.

If Zhenwei Escort Agency hadn't intervened, the Luo family martial arts school would have had a much better chance of winning if the fight had continued.

"Uncle Li, you and my father grew up learning martial arts together, and Granny Li even held me in her arms. There's no need to be so polite."

Ning Xingzhou is the only son of the head of Zhenwei Escort Agency. He has sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, and his smile hides arrogance. He looks down on Master Li's flattery.

"Since your father has allowed you to use the name Zhenwei, the martial arts school disciples must be quite skilled. Brother Lin, it's rare for you to go out, so why the long face? I imagine Senior Su also wants you to relax. Watch the martial arts school disciples spar and point out any flaws in their techniques."

In the next seat, a man and a woman, both dressed in light blue outfits.

The man had sharp, angular features and thick eyebrows, giving him a somewhat aggressive appearance.

However, there was a hint of melancholy in his eyes, and he seemed listless, with stubble on his chin that he hadn't groomed in a long time.

"Yes, senior brother, it's not shameful to fight to a draw with Jiang Linhai from Yuelu Academy. He has at least been on the list of outstanding individuals and is regarded as the most outstanding figure of the new generation among the four Confucian academies."

The girl was about seventeen or eighteen years old, and her beauty was beyond compare, especially her eyes, which shone like stars.

"Practice your swordsmanship well, and you'll win next time!"

"What do you mean 'equal'? I've even learned a secret technique of refining immortality, so how could Jiang Linhai not know it? I'm just saving face for the host."

Senior Brother Lin is the current generation's top disciple of Xiaoxi Sword Pavilion. He is in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage and his cursive calligraphy is more famous than his swordsmanship, earning him the nickname "Ink-Ink Prince".

"Besides, he's only in the early stages of Foundation Establishment and is four years younger than me—no matter how hard I cultivate, how can I catch up with him!"

The girl is the youngest daughter of Pavilion Master Su of Xiaoxi Sword Pavilion. She is intelligent and beautiful from a young age and is the apple of everyone's eye in the Sword Pavilion.

However, she didn't develop a spoiled personality; instead, she inherited her mother's strong and proud nature: "A disciple doesn't necessarily have to be inferior to his master. The cultivation methods of the four Confucian academies were created by our predecessors, not inherited from the Middle Ages—"